Chapter 137: —But For You.
Stoically stood outside the entrance to the Tomb, he awaited his turn, should it come, to stop the golden-haired youth who could not be allowed to interrupt the important dialog going on in the dark behind him.
With his beloved's handmade cloak around his shoulders, it was a last ditch effort to bolster his own courage, and remind him what he was doing this all for.
This is all for Rem's sake... We get past the Sanctuary, we get a step closer to waking her up.
It all tied into itself after all.
His cloak, fluttering in the mild breeze that swept the clearing he stood over, at the top of the Tomb's steps, appeared almost like a cape.
His fellow wayward traveling companion had gone inside the structure behind him. Pushing against the rejection it offered him, he arrived at the dark, dank place that their camp's Royal Selection Candidate had run off to.
Good luck in there, Subaru.
YN, the guarder of this conversation now, had come back to tell the black-haired boy that things were in motion, and that soon the gambit to subdue Garfiel, and buy Subaru the time he needed alone with Emilia, was underway.
As the sun set on this day, YN saw the orange and yellow rays of light cascade down upon the treetops of the Sanctuary. As he watched the leaves dance, basking in the last few hours of daylight, a muffled roar could be heard, echoing throughout the forest. From that direction, a small swarm of birds, silhouetted against the evening light, flew out from the tree top canopy, fleeing from the beast responsible for that yell of might.
First to face the Golden Tiger, would be merchant, utilizing the full potential of his Divine Protection.
Second, would be the elder twin sister of the woman he loved, pushing herself to her body's limits no doubt.
Third, of course, would be the groundskeeper.
All three of them had but one task; buy time. For every second one lasted, the next didn't need.
Awaiting what would surely be his turn, lest a miracle occur for the first two, YN readied himself as best he could.
YN: I have to have faith in my allies... If I don't, they'll surely falter... I also need to be ready to play my part. The buck stops here. If I'm going to he successful, then I'll need to—
*Muffled Shouting*
Cutting off his own words, whispering to only himself under his breath, YN turned his head around to the source of the sound that had made him stop.
From inside the Tomb behind him, there was shouting echoing out from its entrance. Inside, it appeared, Emilia and Subaru were having a lovers quarrel.
Oh jeez...
While he and Rem had never gotten into it like this before, YN figured this was bound to happen between Subaru and Emilia at some point.
As YN turned his back to the Tomb again though, the shouting only got worse. Faintly, louder than any of the previous shouts, what was clearly Subaru's voice echoed out; "If love isn't a good enough reason to put faith in someone, then why in the world would I subject myself to all this strife for such a pain-in-the-ass woman!?"
With insults now being thrown, all in a heat of passionate feelings, built up stress, and insecurities being tested, the shouting became that much louder between the two. Words like "Liar!", "Asshole!", and "Bully!" kept flying out of the Tomb.
Beginning to feel as if he shouldn't be hearing this, YN looked back out onto the forest and tried to ignore what was being said behind him, if only out of respect.
Maybe... Maybe it might be better if things moved more quickly actually.
To what was being said in the Tomb, and as a result, what YN was hearing, he actually began to think that fighting Garfiel would be preferable.
It just feels wrong to be privy to these things that they're saying! It should be entirely private!
Losing his nerve to stand there and listen to this domestic dispute, YN walked down the stone steps of the Tomb, and upon still being able to hear it at the base of the ancient structure, he then marched into the woods.
Figuring he'd still need to deal with Garfiel, YN sought to see if simply going to where his advisary was might be a better use of his time.
Anything to be away from this!
Reaching the clearing where they had intended to lure Garfiel to for the altercation, YN opened his eyes wide to the destruction before him.
It's... way worse than I ever imagined it could be.
Dozens of trees were snapped, uprooted, destroyed, and shattered all around the area like they were but discarded sticks of kindling, all splintered about like this was a logging camp from his old world. Under the trees too, was upturned soil and dirt and rock. What once was a moderate sized, calm clearing in the middle of the Sanctuary, —of the Kermaldy Forest, was now a large scar upon land.
YN, seeing all this, scrambled atop a nearby boulder, which let him further ascend a halfway knocked over tree, precariously balancing on that same boulder, all in an effort to get a better view of the total destruction that had unfolded here.
His hand held like a visor to keep the sun's setting rays from blinding him, YN looked about for any sign of... well, anyone. Friend or foe.
As he observed the land though, one thing stood out to him.
A feathered hat...
Fluttering in the gentle breeze, was the single feather atop a hat that was hung upon a solitary branch of a large tree that was overturned.
Descending the tree and boulder, YN hiked his way over to the location of this distinct hat. Looking almost directly up at it now, to his flank, he heard a soft whimper of sorts.
Turning to see the source of the sound, YN spotted two figures.
With the unconscious Otto on her shoulder, his nose was plugged up with what appeared to be shreds of fabric, now dyed a crimson red from the blood it seemed they were forming a clot against.
And Ram, being the one to support Otto, also had a bloodied face, however, her crimson stream seeped from the scar that would have denoted that she was not a mere human, but rather, an oni.
His eyes opening wide to this display, YN got out three of the dozen-and-a-half or so paces it would have taken to be close enough to truly see the damage Garfiel had caused. Halted here, it was from Ram's single calling of his name.
Ram: —YN.
Poised with the same discontent she might even give Subaru, it was unprecedented for Ram to speak to YN this way.
YN: N-Nee-sama...
Ram: Have you so easily defeated Garf that you now have the free time run here towards us and gawk at our efforts?
Slashing at him not with her Wind magic, but her words spoken by her sharp tongue, Ram awaited an answer from YN.
YN: Ram... Y-You mean... he's still fighting? He's not defeated? Not after all this even?
Shocked to hear this was the case, YN actually had a small fear begin to mount itself in his mind.
Ram: Of course he is. Do you believe either of us stood a chance against that beast? He may be weakened, but it is YN's turn to face him now, is it not? If that has not changed, why are you here now?
Weakly, YN found it hard to look at the oni in her piercing crimson eye.
YN: The way the conversation was unfolding between Emilia-sama and Subaru... I had to give them some space. It wouldn't be right if I stayed to hear the things they were saying to each other, or any of the things they'd need to say...
Having been truly prepared to give YN verbal lashing, Ram felt she now had a reason to hold her tongue, and by proxy, her scalding as well.
Ram: Barasu... curse you for making it this way. You forced away the one person who needed to stay in the area to face Garf.
Looking away from YN now, Ram lost the angered expression upon her face as she growled this damnation about Subaru aloud to only herself and the groundskeeper before her.
Feeling an oddity in his chest, in his heart, YN reached for it with his hand, revealing it from out under his cloak.
I can tell Ram doesn't actually think it's my own shortcoming I left where I was supposed to stay...
YN knew that Ram legitimately was blaming Subaru for something that he knew himself was partially at fault for.
YN: Nee-sama... Why?
Clutching the pewter necklace-piece that hung around his head, YN's other fist shook in apprehension and frustration at his side.
Ram: —?
Casting her gaze back to YN, she could only manage to slightly tilt her head in question to YN.
YN: ...—Tch. Why aren't you reprimanding me right now?!
Ram: —?!
Ram received YN's harsh outburst with her one visible eye going wide in surprise. Speechless, it only prompted YN to go on.
YN: I shouldn't be here right now! You know that... So why... Why?! —Why aren't you giving me the shit I deserve for that?!
Ram: — — —
Only able to look away from YN in what appeared might actually be uncertainty unto herself, Ram remained silent.
Taking a deep breath to calm his hot-headed frustration, YN kept his hand that clutched his necklace right where it was.
YN: Even back when Rem was awake, you were always more lenient with me compared to anyone, sparing Rem of course... —and especially in contrast to Subaru, even though we occupied the same status.
Gaining more determination to his voice, YN went on.
YN: But along with that leniency, you always held me to higher standard. So why... why isn't that the case anymore? It isn't like you to be soft towards someone without also expecting more out of them.
Speaking words that Ram knew held truth, she forced herself to look her critic in the eye.
Ram: Ram cannot bring herself to truly distrust or cavil at YN's actions... Especially while her heart feels a great many things...
Maintaining her eye contact, Ram really was looking right through YN. In her mind, she felt the sea of confliction in her heart, raging in a never ending sequence of squalls, torrents, and storms.
Ram: —of those many feelings, is an unyielding trust in him. From where it originates from though, Ram could not say...
She can't remember where it originates from, is what she means.
To YN, it was obvious this was yet another consequence of Rem's disappearance from this world.
Ram has nothing to base her faith in me on... That was originally attached to when she asked me to be the one for Rem to lean on...
Recalling that evening in the forest, during the mabeasts attack, YN vividly could hear Ram's request for her sister to him still echoing in his mind.
Her heart, out of need, is creating something for Ram to base that faith on... that might partially explain why she got so... confessionary in the Loops where things go really bad...
Ram's heart, needing to latch the feelings left derelict in her sea of confliction, seemed to always resort to attaching them to the false memories her mind also needed to fabricate to cope with the same reason again; Rem's erasure.
Ram: It is fortunate the merchant is unconscious. Ram finds it shameful to show such weakness to others... but since it is YN... he is already aware of how weak Ram truly is...
With more heartfelt confessions to YN, he could only lament at the forever far-reaching and complex scope of the Authority of Gluttony.
Truly at the moment, YN hadn't a clue what he could ever do to combat it. On the subject at hand though, he did have a means now, it felt.
YN: I'll be the one to deal with Garfiel then. I'm glad he didn't kill the two of you, but because he didn't, I can see what Subaru really was correct about, and I better understand what Ryuzu told me too.
Ram: And those things would be?
Curious as to what he believed Subaru was right about, and how it was related to what Ryuzu of all people had told YN, Ram posed that question to him.
YN: Garfiel is too gentle, ultimately, to kill anyone. He's scared. So he uses his transformation not only to make himself stronger, but also to resign himself of that fear by losing his mind. Only then, can he kill someone, and do what he thinks needs to be done.
Both Ram and YN knew it was akin to a child plugging their nose to avoid tasting a food or medicine they found repulsive. It all operated on that level of avoidance.
Ram: At the end of the day, Garf is a lost child with a great deal of emotional baggage. Besides Ryuzu-sama, he has no one else in his life that can say they understand him, and that includes Frederica. Considering Ram already believes Garf is aware Ryuzu-sama is assisting YN and Barasu at this point, he must certainly feel abandoned. That will only deepen his rashness and unpredictability.
Contrasting what Ram had to say, versus what was revealed to him about Garf's Trial, YN began to quietly contemplate it all. From this, the groundskeeper could only come to a single resolution.
The only other person Garfiel might ever consider his own family; is his own mother... His root feelings about the Sanctuary have to be related to, or stem from, that sense of abandonment.
An idea now spawned in YN. It was a way to solve both problems; the one that originated from Garfiel, and the one from Ram.
YN: —Ram.
While his hand had moved from his necklace to his chin a moment prior as he thought, YN had found his solution, and in finding it, he addressed Ram.
YN: —I'm not going to just defeat Garfiel.
Ram: — — —
Silent in response to YN's denial of his duty, his very part of the plan, Ram awaited what was either a denial of the strategy, or a clever work around.
YN: I'm going to be what Rem sees me as. —What she said I was to her.
Ram: — — —
Remaining silent, Ram could feel the onset of a radiant aura coming forth from YN by the change of tone in his voice as he mentioned Rem.
YN: —A hero.
At that moment, YN had invoked an oddly familiar feeling within Ram's chest. Her heart for a moment fluttered like she falsely remembered it had in the forest with the mabeasts, that fateful night. Following this flutter, the pain currently rife throughout Ram's battered, dirty, and bloody self subsided.
YN: I'm going to save Garf.
With his declaration said, and his motive for it backed by the faith Ram knew Rem had in him, she closed her eyes and nodded.
Ram: A lofty goal. YN will need to figure out exactly how to do that though, as Ram cannot envision what that may take.
Looking down at the ground as Ram said that, YN shook his head in agreement.
YN: I don't know either... but whatever it ends up being, I've got a reason for this I want to see come about.
Ram: And that would be?
YN took in a large, deep breath before answering.
YN: I'll prove to you why you have that trust in me. I'll win Garfiel over. I won't just make him not a threat anymore. I'll offer him a hand to help him out of whatever dark place he feels trapped in. If I do that, that will be your reason for basing your faith in me so it isn't just a hollow phenomenon.
Turning as he said this, Ram's eyes went wide in awe at what depth YN was willing to go to for this. Now facing away from her, the cloak on his back from the rotation had caused it to flutter upward, almost like a cape.
Without facing Ram, YN concluded his motive.
YN: I'm not doing this solely for that though. In a lot of ways, Garf and I are in the same spot. Something dear was both taken from us, —things we don't feel like we'll be able to function without. Just as he's in a dark spot, so am I. How can I let someone else suffer such a fate as myself when I can lend a hand to prevent that?
Setting off as he said that, YN moved with more purpose than he had before. Ram was keen on letting what YN said come to fruition as well. Right now, he needed to do this, but as things were, her and Otto weren't even fit to be spectators to such an event.
Rem, how fortunate you are, to inspire someone to face such odds on your faith in them alone.
Watching him depart, Ram could only think of how profound the relationship between her twin sister and YN must have been.
On the same path he took to arrive at Ram, YN retraced his steps to the Tomb, to the place where his, and many others destiny's now laid. Seeing the great stone structure through the gaps in the foliage as he arrived, the trace views were accompanied by the sound of yelling.
Seems Garf is back here first...
Perhaps hoping that it might be advantageous to strike at an optimal moment, rather than just jump right in, YN chose to employ an element of surprise, and knelt on the very edge of the treeline to the Tomb's clearing.
The first figure YN saw was Garfiel. Missing most of his clothes, his muscled body was riddled with lacerations, cuts, and bruises.
Things were already beginning to become serious it seems...
Subaru at some point must have exited the Tomb, as Garfiel now had the black-haired boy pinned to the ground, holding both his arms with only one of his own and with his knee going into his back. With his other free arm, Garfiel had a single claw on his index fully extended with it's razor sharp edge to Subaru's jugular.
A few paces behind them, stood Emilia. The poor girl had a shocked expression on her face, and it seemed she was uncertain if she should intervene, as any movement on her part might provoke Garfiel into putting that fatal slash onto Subaru.
Still, the situation continued to develop, as the shouting between the two boys made it hard to tell just what the goal here really was for either of them..
Subaru: —Garfiel! What are you so afraid of, huh?! It's the outside world, isn't it?! That's what it is!
Garfiel: Keep yer damn mouth shut! That ain't it!
Putting more weight into his knee, digging into Subaru's back, Garfiel denied what he spoke, but the boy under that force stubbornly continued on what he said.
Subaru: —Gah... Y-You hate the outside world! Is it because your mother abandoned you here?! Is it because the outside world took her from you?! Is that why you detest the outside world?!
Garfiel: I said shuddup! Yer wrong! Stop actin' like you know anythin'!
The more Subaru pushed this narrative, the more irritated Garfiel became. He had a mix of tears and sweat rolling down his frustrated face as his hands shook. Despite all this emotion though, Garfiel just couldn't bring himself to take Subaru's life this way.
Subaru: I am right! You rejected Frederica, because she went to the outside world! You doubled down on that pain it brought you, and used the strength from that to defend the Sanctuary from any outsiders! That's why your refusing to let anyone change the fate of the Sanctuary!
Garfiel: Yer wrong!
Subaru: What else could it be?!
Garfiel: You can't understand it!
As the shouting became shorter and more emotional, it seemed violence was soon to break out with another handful of spoken words. At this juncture, YN finally stood, and entered the fray.
YN: —It's not so simple a fear you have, is it Garfiel?
Getting everyone's attention, Emilia was surprised to see YN here, while Subaru's pained expression seemed to indicate he was seriously beginning to wonder where he had gone off to.
Garfiel: You butt out of it! Once I'm through with him, it's yer turn!
YN ignored the dry threat thrown to him, and rather went on with his own questioning, speaking much more calmly than everyone else, whom all were keen on yelling.
YN: It has more to do with your mother than it does the actual outside world, correct?
As YN's words entered Garfiel's mind, the claw he held to Subaru's throat retracted, as a more somber expression washed over the golden-haired youths red-with-anger face.
Garfiel: My... mother...
Feeling like he was starting to form a dialog here, YN continued his calm words.
YN: What is it, Garfiel? Tell me...
Halfway placated by these words, Garfiel's pride re-stoked the anger still in him.
Garfiel: S-Shuddup! I ain't got anything to say to ya about—!
YN: —Help me understand. You obviously see something neither of us do.
Cutting off the youth's words, he appears to be taken back by how YN was choosing to go about doing this.
YN: I don't want to be your enemy.
Garfiel: —Tch
Choking back on a statement that only conveyed sympathies with no added tinge of hostility, Garfiel effectively could feel his nerve was cut in two by that.
Garfiel: I...
Dropping the arms of Subaru from his other hand, Garfiel turned his head upwards to the sky above.
Garfiel: —I wanted her to be happy!
YN's split second defeat of Garfiel's resolve was now the catalyst for an emotional upheaval of sorts from the golden-haired youth. Everything pent up in Garfiel, emotionally, came rushing out.
Through tears, a raised voice, and the eyes of a lost child, Garfiel let loose a spiel about his mother. He spoke in an emotional way of how his mother left him and Frederica here at the Sanctuary, and to that, he understood why. He figured, his mother couldn't have two demi-human children burdening her if she wanted to be happy, and that was something he wanted for her, for her to be happy, even at the expense of his own suffering.
But what he saw in his Trial, soiled all that. It revealed to him that his mother had died in a landslide, just after departing the Sanctuary where she had left her children.
Garfiel: —She never got to be happy!
Through clenched teeth, and the heaving breaths between emotion-filled bellowing, Garfiel went on.
Garfiel: All the sadness—! All the loneliness! It meant somethin' if she could be happy! But that never came! What am I supposed'ta tell myself that pain was all for?! What's it even mean now?!
Shaking his head, and lowering his voice, Garfiel spoke much calmer now.
Garfiel: Not even Frederica knows 'bout it...
Alone in what he had seen and knew, Garfiel had to bear all that pain, and the later invalidation it also had, all on his own.
Finally hearing the crux of the matter that Garfiel had all his actions based on, YN could only draw one key conclusion on it.
It's just like Ram... Garfiel has nothing to base all these strong emotions he feels on... It's a recipe for disaster and self-destruction.
Pouring his emotions out fully for them all to hear, if only so he could finally be heard, Garfiel stood back up straight, and with one snort inward through his nose, he regained his composure and emotional control, —namely, his former anger.
Now without a knee on his back holding him down, Subaru was free. The second the force holding him down relented, the black-haired boy quickly scurried away from Garfiel on all fours over to Emilia, and stood only when he was beside her.
Garfiel: I'll protect the Sanctuary... —and that means protectin' the people 'ere from ever feelin' this way. The outside world causes it, in 'ere though, I can keep 'em safe.
Speaking of his motive, Garfiel was driven to prevent such a fate from befalling anyone else like it had him. Still though, he'd have opposition from the one who faced him now.
YN: That's not something you can manage to do on your own.
Defied in his action, Garfiel became further enraged at this defiance.
Garfiel: I'll show ya! I'll be the real barrier for the Sanctuary!
Turning his torso, Garfiel looked back at the Tomb's entrance, to where Emilia and Subaru now stood. Looking back to YN, the golden-haired youth pointed back to the stone structure.
Garfiel: —I'll smash that thing! Pulverize it to the ground. That way... no one can take the damn Trials!
Perking up at this threat, Emilia took a step forward towards Garfiel. While still a good two-dozens or so paces away, Emilia did this more so as a way to put Subaru behind her.
Emilia: I will not allow that. Your—
Subaru: —Emilia-tan.
Now stepping between her and where Garfiel stood, Subaru held an arm up in front of Emilia to halt her words and actions before looking back to her and speaking lower, so Garfiel couldn't be privy to his words.
Subaru: —don't intervene.
Looking back over his shoulder, past Garfiel, Subaru exchanged a glance with YN, and then turned back to Emilia.
Subaru: YN has his part to play here.
Not waiting for Emilia to either accept or deny Subaru's words, YN got Garfiel's attention once more.
YN: Garfiel.
With all eyes squarely on him now, speaking with unsurmounting resolve, he made his final play.
YN: In order for the Sanctuary to see it's liberation, and to escape the impending calamities,—
Putting a hand to the clasp that held his cloak to his body, YN undid it, and with one hand to his shoulder, grasped the fabric, and cast the garment away.
YN: —I cannot allow you to go about as you are.
Parachuting to the ground, the brown cloak was free from his body, and away from the certainly ensuing battlefield. Seeing this display, Garfiel stopped the ground with his feet, and crouched slightly, both of his hands open at his side.
Garfiel: The 'ell are ya goin' to do to stop me? Huh? Even if my amazin' self got put back by the merchant-man and Ram, yous still don't got the guts to match mine! I'll 'ave that Tomb smashed 'n everyone buried inside before anyone can do a thing about it!
Their expression turning more serious, Subaru and Emilia both knew Garfiel was honest in that intention. At this, YN and Subaru exchanged a nod, and seeing that, Garfiel knew one thing, and one thing only.
The time was now.
Garfiel: AAAAHHH!
Beginning his transformation, Subaru readied himself to use their trump-card.
Fully transformed in a handful of seconds, it wasn't YN that Garfiel was going after.
On its heel the beast set its goal right on Subaru and Tomb. With its great clawed hand poised for him, the black haired youth ran forward, if only to get himself away from Emilia in an effort to secure more safety for her. Doing this though, the moments between Subaru's life ending to the razor sharp dagger that was a tiger's claw closing in on him massively shrunk.
At the same time too though, YN began his pursuit of the beast. While he had expected this, and hadn't hesitated at all when it came to moving, YN knew there wasn't any chance of him being fast enough to intervene to protect Subaru, not with him running towards the danger of all things.
Damn it!
With Garfiel's massive, golden-furred arm reaching back to swipe Subaru's life away, the black-haired boy exchanged a stoic look with YN.
What is he planning on—?!
Unsure of what was about to occur, before YN could even finish his thought, it was answered by a single word spoken by Subaru.
Subaru: —Shamak!
Instantly, both him and Garfiel were enveloped into a dark, inky cloud of smoke.
YN & Emilia: —!
Both onlookers to this, what caused their shared shock mostly to this one was the distinct ripple of mana they felt.
With both friend and foe disappearing into that cloud of Yin magic, they knew it was the last spell Subaru would ever cast, at least, on his own..
After all,—
—Subaru broke his Gate doing that just now...
Not wasting any time on that sacrifice though for it to be in vain, YN rushed in, and joined the two others in the mist of blackness. Immediately, his Yang magic began to carve a path for him through the void of upturned senses and lack of awareness.
Only a few more paces forward, YN clutched one of the many alike items in his pocket. What he held now was one of the essential cruxes for the plan he and Subaru had formulated.
Here it goes!
Closing in on his unaware target from behind, YN held his item in his hand, and bringing it down upon his foe, on contact, the beast roared at the unusual pain it brought.
Garfiel: AAAAHHH!
Embedding its sharpened end into the beast's golden pelt, the pyroxene crystal began its absorption of the mana that radiated throughout Garfiel's transformed body, robbing him of the essence of his unyielding strength and stamina, even if only minutely.
YN was only capable of pulling this off in the midst of the Yin magic thanks to his own Yang magic cutting a path for him. Unfortunately, this also meant a path was being cut forth for Garfiel; a sincere drawback that was about to rear its ugly head.
As the beast began to turn its attention to YN, he readied himself to brace for a hit, but was saved by his compatriot.
Subaru: Ha!
Double-fisting two crystals, one in each hand, Subaru sank them into Garfiel's fur and skin just like YN had.
Garfiel: GGYYYAAAHH!
Shaking Subaru off, Garfiel still had his attention turned to where the Yin magic was thinnest: where YN now braced.
Swinging it's arm back, the beast swung at YN.
YN: —Gah!
Propelling YN from the cloud of now subsiding Yin magic, had it not been for the fact the arm had shrunk nearly halfway in size, a side effect of Subaru's two impaled pyroxene crystals, the blow he sustained surely would have been fatal.
Rolling on the ground after falling, YN quickly picked himself up as the Shamak Subaru had cast now finally faded away.
Ignoring the pain in his body, the groundskeeper surveyed the sight before him.
His transformation looks halfway undone...
Still beast-ified, Garfiel stood, panting, with Subaru not far from him, also just having picked himself up off the ground.
Seeing the results of the beginning round of their strategy, YN observed it.
Those crystal soaked away his mana, and only just enough to make that last blow non-lethal.
With one on his side, where YN had stuck his, and with another two atop his shoulder, where Subaru had struck with his, Garfiel had a total of three, glowing hot pyroxene crystals embedded in his body.
Garfiel: GGGGrrrr...
Doing their job, the crystals continued to sap mana off Garfiel until—
Garfiel: Gahhh... Shit.
Forming coherent words, his golden figure shrunk back to its original size. Losing the fur across his body, and having his structure return to normal, enough mana had been seized by these crystals in his body to cancel his transformation. While YN knew this was in their favor, he was also aware this was far from over, as he could tell Garfiel had plenty of strength left over to be a major threat still.
His board-wipe has been taken away from him, but that's it. We still gotta keep up with him normally somehow though...
Truthfully, YN bit his lip in steep regret now. He recalled the discussion for the strategy they were using now, and actually wished he hadn't been as reserved as he had been.
Subaru and YN had actually met to talk tactics before the former had gone into the Tomb to speak with Emilia. It hadn't been more than a few exchanged rough ideas were said that the two had been paid a visit by a certain Great Spirit that had just recently become a free agent of sorts.
It was then put forward by Puck that if he were to manifest himself into a large, broken off piece of the crystal the original Ryuzu Meyer was in, if stabbed into Garfiel, Puck could use the crystal as a catalyst to rob the golden-haired youth of a great deal of mana, and thus, his stamina as well.
This would not only serve to help weaken their foe, but as Puck professed, he was in need of mana too, with his contract being broken.
While Subaru was completely onboard with idea, YN voiced his skepticism. It wasn't like this stemmed from a distrust of Puck, rather, he felt it was risky to go all on only one crystal. To this, he proposed taking a good amount of the discarded crystals the Ryuzu clones had stored in the laboratory, and make use of those instead.
Banking on the need for more than one opportunity, YN also argued it would become easier to sap mana from Garfiel as they got more hits in on him. After all, it wasn't as if they couldn't still give Puck all the newly filled crystals for mana, both parties still benefited. Agreeing to that, YN's plan won out.
At this stare-down both Garfiel and YN were having now, YN more straightly stood up. Meeting this action, Garfiel did the same, but also looked to the three crystals still sticking out of the wounds on his body.
Waiting only a moment, Garfiel grabbed one, the first that YN had gotten him with, and ripped it out. Reaching to one of the ones that Subaru had embedded in his shoulder and grabbing that, the golden-haired youth looked at the crystals now, one in each hand.
Subaru: You recognize those, Garfiel?
Garfiel in immediate response dropped them both from his hands, grabbed the third and final one still on his back, and dropped that one too. As if knowing intrinsically that these had robbed him of his strength, Garfiel cast his vision down at his empty hands now. Slowly, he opened and closed them a few times, watching as his fingers folded into a fist, and then loosened back into an open palm.
Garfiel: Oh I know what these're... So you better quit screwin' with me! Somethin' that puny ain't gunna stop me!
Snapping his head around to look at Subaru behind him, Garfiel had a glint of anger to his eyes now. The two wayward travelers could easily tell that at this point, he finally felt threatened.
Subaru: Oh yes they will. They'll bleed your strength dry. And after that? Emilia will challenge the Trials, and the Sanctuary will be liberated!
Subaru now stood back up from the ground he had been shaken off into, and pointed directly at the golden-haired youth.
Subaru: This place can't remain stagnant forever!
Turning around fully, Garfiel clicked his tongue and smacked his fist into his open palm.
Garfiel: The 'ell it won't! It won't change! It won't ever! The people here don't want it to change!
Crouching as he said this, the youth was set to pounce at Subaru and deliver that fist he held right to him.
Garfiel: —They want it to stay the same!
Launched forward by his still exceedingly high strength, Garfiel had his fist raised, ready to strike down at Subaru.
Yet, just as he reached the black-haired boy and readied his knuckles to fly forward—
Garfiel: —Gah!
Having begun his charge to Garfiel, unnoticed, before the youth had towards Subaru, YN had rushed to his rear, and struck another empty crystal into Garfiel's defenseless back.
To this, Garfiel thrust his elbow back into YN's abdomen. Normally, this might have knocked the wind right out of him, but now with four crystals worth of mana sapped from his foe, he was able to resist collapsing from the hit.
Hooking his free arm under the opposite arm Garfiel had elbowed him with, YN wrapped his arm up to the backside of the youth's golden hair, putting him in what someone might call a half-nelson.
Essentially locking up Garfiel's arm, YN used his other arm to reach for another crystal, and jammed it next to the other one, now full of stolen mana.
Garfiel: —Ack! You—!
Trying to shake YN for his hold, Garfiel's fading strength made this difficult for him to accomplish.
As YN was shaken about, he reached for another crystal, and stuck Garfiel with it.
Then another.
And another.
Each subsequent crystal shard being jammed into Garfiel sapped more mana, and more strength from him.
Garfiel: Ya bastard! Get off me!
Finally, Garfiel knew he had to be smart now with his dwindling strength. Ducking down, Garfiel essentially rolled in place, and used leverage, rather than just brute strength to shake YN from his hold.
With YN off him now, Garfiel could feel how sluggish he was. As he recovered, he felt slow. His muscles ached, his breathing was labored, and everything was heavy.
He felt tired.
Even after freeing himself from YN's hold, Garfiel's instincts hadn't fully recovered, and as soon as he fixed his balance—
YN: —Ha!
Holding two crystals in each hand, the groundskeeper thrust four more into Garfiel's abdomen, forcing a large amount of mana to be stolen from the youth.
Garfiel: —?!
His vision had started to become blurry, and his hearing muffled. On the brink of passing out, Garfiel staggered backward.
About to fall flat on his back, the youth, in a last ditch effort, picked his leg up, and slammed it into the ground.
Doing this, he called upon his Divine Protection.
Immediately, strength, —vitol strength, returned to his being. With a harsh strain on his body, Garfiel used this revitalization and charged forward.
Garfiel rushed to YN, and as he was still recovering his stamina, lowered his head, and impaled into the groundskeeper like a battering ram.
YN was greatly surprised by this sudden change in vitality from Garfiel. Tossing him far and away, YN rolled to a stop, and quickly got up to stand.
YN: Damn it.
It was almost like all the effort YN had just gone through was of nothing but a trivial bout for Garfiel.
All those crystals we filled with mana... If he can just use his Divine Protection to just nullify all that effort—?!
'—how could we ever hope to win this way?' would have been what YN had wanted to say in his mind, however—
Subaru: —That only works so much, doesn't it, Garfiel? You would have used that trick by now if you could keep using it all you wanted. I bet you're still not even as strong as you were before after using it, huh?
Taunting the golden-haired youth, his snarling of anger seemed to all but confirm that Subaru's jeering was entirely on the mark.
With that fact now known, each side knew it was only a battle of attrition that could really be fought here at this point.
Yet, as Garfiel gritted his teeth, he looked down to where he stood. Littered at his feet, were a few of the glowing mana crystals that had each taken a fragment of his strength away. They were hot to the touch with how much mana was inside them, and all of it, stolen from him.
At YN's feet too, also was a few spilled mana crystals, with the only difference being his were devoid of mana.
Seeing these containers of his robbed strength, Garfiel knelt down, and picked one up. Hot in his hand, he observed the object for a moment, knowing his observation itself was being observed by those he faced now.
Taking the crystal in his hand more firmly, Garfield did the unthinkable with it. Tilting his head to the side to expose more of his nape, Garfiel jammed the mana crystal, completely engorged with mana already, into his neck.
Garfiel: —Ha!
Feeling a renewal of power re-enter inside him, Garfiel reclaimed the mana from within the crystal it had taken from him.
Replenished, he tossed the empty crystal to the side, and cracked the knuckles in his hands as he gave a jeering look to YN.
Garfiel: I've gots you lot now!
Taking pride in his new found strength, Garfiel once more resigned his own control of his body, and began to transform back into the terrifying golden tiger.
Garfiel: I won't show ya mercy now!
Seeing it begin, YN fumbled at the scattered remains of the empty crystals still around him, trying to secure the key needed to get Garfiel to become weak again, yet as he double-fisted a pair it was already too late.
Quickly, the beast closed the distance between not himself and YN, but rather—
YN: —Subaru!
Even more defenseless than YN was to the beast, Garfiel it seemed was still hellbent on going after him first, if only to destroy the Tomb.
Rushing over himself, YN could beat Garfiel's interception to Subaru, but only just. He could push the black-haired boy out of the way, but that would be letting himself take the more than lethal claw swipe himself.
I can't stop Garf in time for the crystals to drain his mana before he kills Subaru, but if we just Return now, everything will be lost! That damn contract with Roswaal will persist!
Running in still, YN closed his eyes.
If I die... At least Subaru might survive the Loop, and that means Rem will have a better chance at being woken up...
Now between Garfiel and Subaru, the golden tiger's claw was fractions of a second from its mark.
Everything in YN's memory regarding Rem, the sweet maid he loved and adored, seemed to flash by him in a blurry vision. With an ache in his heart, he tightly shut his eyes, but had no regret in his choice.
Goodbye, Rem...
Pushing Subaru out of the way, YN accepted his fate.
Yet, as he knocked Subaru out of the way—
Garfiel: —ROOOOAAAR
Recoiled in pain, the beast stopped it's swing, and rather flailed it's arm, set to kill YN where he stood, like it was reacting to a bad wound.
Opening his tightly shut eyes, YN saw what he could only say was an oddity of the highest degree.
YN: —?!
Even in this moment of impending death, he gasped in utter surprise at what he saw, totally disregarding everything else around him.
How—?! How is that here?! N-Now of all places?!
Something from the not-so-distant past had once again reared its ugly head.
Or rather, hand.
From beyond YN's vision, a snake-like shadow projected out towards the golden tiger, ending in a hand formed of the same dark mist.
An... An Unseen Hand?!
This hand reached all the way to the same spot the beast now was reaching to, right on its upper chest, near its collarbone.
As YN saw this hand more, he realized it was not punching the beast, but rather, was holding something else, —something it had embedded into the golden tiger's pelt, stabbing through its mane to get to it.
Opening up, the hand revealed what it had held as it slowly began to slink back to beyond YN's vision. Left in Garfiel's body was a crystal, but one that was unlike the ones they had been using until now.
That's the shard taken off the Ryuzu Crystal!
Inside the crystal, a distinct light lit up, signaling that the Great Spirit of Fire, Puck, was at work, taking as much mana from the transformed Garfiel as he could carry.
Subaru kept that as a backup, didn't he?!
Relieved, YN felt absolutely no animosity to his plan being undermined, given the results.
As the hand now retreated past his vision, YN's curiosity to it was so great, he actually turned his gaze off the danger before him to see where this shadowy entity originated from.
YN: —?!
Following it, YN was forced to gasp again in complete surprise.
The hand, going back to its owner, retreated into Subaru's abdomen of all places.
What the hell?
Stunned speechless, it was the sound of the beast to his rear now, collapsing to one knee in exhaustion and grunting in pain that alerted YN's senses enough to look back to his foe from the shock he still had.
Panting heavily, the golden tiger's large stature began to subside as Garfiel returned to normal.
With both Garfiel and Subaru on one knee each in exhaustion, YN looked back and forth between them, but mostly to his fellow wayward traveler still.
How the hell does Subaru have an Unseen Hand?! How does that work?!
A million questions orbited in YN's mind for Subaru right now. Before he could ask a single one though, the black-haired boy gave him a weak smile as his eyes closed.
Subaru: Sorry... It's all up to you now...
Seemingly, this Unseen Hand must have had an untold taxing effect on Subaru, as right before his eyes shut, YN could see just for a brief second how bloodshot they were. Sweat dripped from his brow and chin as well, where just seconds prior, there had been none.
Subaru: Support Emilia-tan, please...
Watching the hand's last bit of its fingertips subside into Subaru's body, he lost his consciousness on top of that.
In the split second YN had gone to sacrifice himself for the greater good of Rem's eventual awakening, and to prevent the Loop from being damned, Subaru had summoned this previously unknown power to thrust the crystal that housed Puck into the golden tiger's upper chest, robbing more mana than all the smaller previous crystals combined.
With Subaru down for the count, and Emilia moving over to comfort his non-awake self, YN turned his attention back to the untransformed beast.
By the time Subaru had asked his request of YN to assist Emilia, Garfiel had forced himself to stand once more despite the exhaustion he now felt.
Shaking, it was clear this simple task of staying upright was a difficult task for the youth to maintain.
Garfiel: This one's differnt'.
Noticing how much more mana this one sapped from him, Garfiel reached for the crystal and pulled it from his collarbone area.
Garfiel: —Tch.
The youth looked at the crystal for a moment, and going to repeat what he had done with the other, smaller crystals, he went to go jam it back into himself to replenish his absconded vitality.
Only that when he did—
Garfiel: —Gah!
Barely making contact with his skin, the crystal glowed much brighter, and with it brought heat and a small spark of energy, discharging it from its surface.
Tossing the stone away out of reflex, it seemed the Great Spirit inside was keen on rejecting Garfiel's attempt to take back the mana.
Garfiel: Damn thing.
Skipping across the ground once or twice, the crystal landed not far from Emilia, the altercation's only observer now with Subaru fully passed out.
YN: — — —
Garfiel: — — —
On opposite sides of the clearing in front of the Tomb's stone steps, the two adversaries sized each other up. Emilia could only watch on timidly as she stayed uninvolved per Subaru's request.
YN: — — —
Garfiel: — — —
With neither side making a move, it was still clear to each of them this would only end when either the Tomb was destroyed, or Garfiel was rendered immobile.
In the silence of the setting sun, YN prepared for this inevitability by using his Yang magic upon himself to increase his strength.
I have no idea how I got myself to that state when Elsa killed Rem, but I really wish I could do that about now...
When his mana utilization had been so refined, and his own power increased tenfold it felt, YN had entered a surreal state where all his senses had been heightened. He knew not how he had caused this, other than he had become extremely emotional over Rem's death, but it seemed it was very unlikely YN could replicate this same overwhelming flow of Yang magic like it had before.
He hesitated to call that heightened state an "ability," as YN was aware that skilled fighters, like Wilhelm, could use their mana to increase their own honed physical prowess despite not using magic. What YN recalled feeling in that failed Loop however felt like that same talent, if only augmented in some odd way he was ignorant of.
Regardless, I guess it's pointless to dwell on it, I'm not going to be able to reach that level here in this fight, especially when I'm already not at my best...
YN's own mana efficiency and control was already lacking due to his Contracted Spirit's absence at this moment in time.
Algol is gone for some reason... again. They really picked a fine time to be missing.
With at least part of his strength increased above normal, and with Garfiel's own greatly diminished, YN finally broke the silence, stating the difference between both their handicaps.
YN: It looks like we're finally at an even playing field now.
Spitting in direct response to his words, Garfiel shook his head and spoke.
Garfiel: I ain't goin' out that easily...
Beginning to approach, step by step, YN copied the youth's move and approached Garfiel as well. Keeping an equal distance before the Tomb, they stopped once they were little more than an arms length away from each other.
As Garfiel took a fighting stance, he kept both his arms out and away from him, his hands open, where YN moved to a similar, if not more defensive stance with closed fists.
Both now poised and ready to exchange blow, the first to move into range was the weakened Garfiel, shouting as he did.
Garfiel: —Show me what yous got!
Countering Garfiel's sudden advance, YN threw the first punch.
Garfiel: —Tch!
Easily catching his fist with both arms, Garfiel pulled YN closer, and using his legs, he swept YN's knees to push him over to the side and off balance. Throwing him to the ground in this one fluid motion, YN landed on his back, but quickly recovered to the side, and stood up, his augmented strength being the entire reason he could recover so quickly.
Essentially restarting where they had stood, with their same stances, the two now were side-stepping in opposite ways, or really, circling each other.
Nearly getting on the opposite side of one another, YN moved in to strike first again, this time faking his initial blow, and going for a second punch after pulling back the earlier one, banking on the exhausted Garfiel's senses to be too slow to keep up.
Moving just out of the way of the second strike though, as if he knew that was the plan, Garfiel countered now but placing his palm on YN's chest, and pushing back as he moved his foot behind the groundkeeper's own.
YN fell backwards again, but this time his fall was chased by an accompanying fist. Set to strike down right into him, he barely rolled away from the fist, leaving it to strike directly into the ground, stirring up dust in its quake.
With YN back on his feet again, there was a brief standoff between the two before Garfiel finally made a first strike.
Reaching out to punch YN in the face with a wide sweeping hook, he brought up his forearms to guard against it, and moved in closer. Placing his palm on Garfiel's upper chest, he copied the same footwork and threw the youth downward to the ground.
Not as successful as Garfiel had been in the same situation, the golden-haired youth essentially rolled out of being tossed flat on the ground, and was very quickly back up again.
For a second time now, Garfiel made the first throw of a punch, this time a jab right for YN's face. It was countered in much the same way, except for this time, with his arm extended directly forward, YN took advantage of this, placed his hand not his chest again, but his extended forearm, and folded it back under Garfiel's own arm, almost like a submission hold.
Garfiel: —Tch!
Not too keen on his arm being bent that way though, Garfiel rotated in his same spot, and bringing his opposite elbow up, knocked YN square in the side of the head with it, causing him to let go of Garfiel's held arm.
YN: —Gah!
Knocking him flat to the ground, on his face no less, with such an impact, YN forced himself to stand back up much more quickly than he would have liked.
Punches aren't going to work, gotta try something else.
Garfiel was a strong foe still, despite his strength loss, but he was nonetheless physically smaller than YN.
Wasting no time, YN moved in closer, and placed both his arms on the youth's shoulders, ready to try and throw the smaller figure. Yet, as he tried that, his chin was met with by Garfiel's knee coming straight upward to prevent that. Now grabbing YN by his shoulders as he fell, Garfiel spun him around in an effort to be able to strike his softer, less defended frontal area.
As YN was on the ground through, and Garfiel was set to wail on him from above, YN kicked upward with both his legs, striking the youth in the face and chin when he hadn't expected to be.
Garfiel: —Hk!
Using that recoil of pain Garfiel had as an opportunity to slip away, YN was able to regain his stable footing.
Going back into a momentary lapse in action as the two stared each other down, Garfiel revealed that he was in possession of something in his hand by holding out a closed fist with a wry smile on his face. Opening his hand, he revealed a glowing crystal, one of the few that YN had secured on himself before the fighting had really begun.
Garfiel: Haha...
Taking the crystal, he jammed it into his neck like he had done before, letting the stolen mana be reclaimed.
Garfiel: —Ah!
His eyes wide open as they welcomed the strength back into his body, the youth tore off what remained of his purple, vest-like clothing garment, leaving only a torn pair of shorts as his only article.
Recharged with mana, and by proxy, strength, the Garfiel charged in with no reserve. A series of punches, all aimed for YN's head, were thrown at him. Barely managing to block them, his forearms were pained as they did, and YN had to take a step or two back each time he blocked a blow.
Changing from strikes to the head, Garfiel threw his punches now at YN's undefended abdomen. Getting one painful punch in, YN dropped his guarding arms there, only to then take two more punches square to the face where his guard was now gone from.
Confused on where he should keep his guard now, Garfiel struck at him a new way, hooking a punch into YN's side, causing him great enough pain to falter backwards.
Seeing this opening, Garfiel swung in with his opposite arm, going to hook him in a head-punch again. As YN saw this slow windup though, he moved back more again, and let the arm and fist fly past his nose and eyes, unabaited. Pushing the arm further along its way rather then grab it like he had before, YN managed to spin Garfiel around using his own thrown momentum, and grabbed his opposite arm.
Not about to be put in another hold, Garfiel threw his elbow back again to knock YN in the head.
YN: —Gah!
Taking the hit on the chin, YN clamped his hold on Garfiel's arm harder, which only prompted the youth to strike with his elbow harder, again.
To his surprise though, as he went to strike, YN dropped the arm he held, blocked the elbow, and countered with own elbow hit to the back of Garfiel's head. Knocking him forward from the hit, YN shifted the flight's momentum into his own side.
Going in with four strikes, Garfiel blocked the first three, but then met a punch on his own chin. Wrapping his hands over YN's outstretched arm, YN pulled back as hard as he could, and twisted his entire body to free himself of that hold, and in doing so, managed to get a backhanded fist into Garfiel's unsuspecting face as he did, knocking spit from his mouth.
Disoriented from that, YN shot out four more strikes. One to the gut, one to the side, and two to the head.
Unable to block any of these, Garfiel was knocked backwards now. With a small gap grown between the two, and Garfiel dizzy from the hits, YN charged in an attempt to bodycheck the smaller foe.
But as he tried that, Garfiel dug his heels in, and actually halfway caught YN as he flew into him.
Garfiel: —Yah!
Lifting YN's body higher, he flung him directly downward in anger at the pain he had just got through being inflicted on. YN landed on his back, which sent a shockwave throughout his body.
YN: —Gu-Uah!
Wasting no time, Garfiel, in an attempt to pay back as much pain as he could, font flipped onto YN, landing directly on him.
YN: —Ua!
Immediately following that, Garfiel struck an elbow at YN's face. Seeing stars from the blow, the groundskeeper offered instant resistance, so in this moment, Garfiel moved to pin his opponent with his knees on chest.
In a daze, as YN looked up, he saw only a fist headed directly for him.
What followed was a barrage of punches to his face. Left hooks and right hooks, all unblocked and taken right on the chin.
As YN was powerless to resist these hits, they eventually turned into Garfiel repeatedly hammering the heel of a single fist into YN's face, like he was an animal trying to hit a nail into a piece of wood.
Garfiel: Gah! Gah! Gah! Gah—!
Each hit through, become more labored, and more fatigue-laden, as they also were weaker with each hit.
Having to take momentary breaks to catch his breath it seemed, he'd restart the frantic hammering of YN's face before the strike became fatigued again. By this point, YN's face was so bruised that these weaker strikes felt completely numb.
After the third round of this, Garfiel had actually collapsed atop YN, gasping for breath as he did.
The two laid there, still in their fight, but each in an extreme amount of pain and strengthlessness.
Forcing himself to sit up through, Garfiel reach down to YN's side, and retrieve one of the few glowing crystal he still had on his belt.
The youth, like he'd done twice before now, desperate for his need of stamina replenishment, jammed the crystal into his neck, and let the mana flow back into him.
Garfiel: Ahhh...
Seeing what would only spell his assured loss of this fight if it carried on, YN summoned all his strength now, and grabbed the hand that held the crystal now.
Removing its contact with Garfiel, and halting the mana transfer, the altercation ensued as each side poised all their strength into this game of keep-away.
In the resulting struggle, YN managed to pull Garfiel's arm farther away, as he had better leverage, but in doing so, the crystal now was jammed into his own neck.
YN: —Dah!
Grunting at first in pain, YN didn't remove the crystal as it now poured this mana directly into him.
Seeing this unfold through, Garfiel only became enraged at his own strength being used against him now.
With the crystal nearly empty, he pulled it back to his side, and got what little remained inside as he stuck the crystal into his own neck again.
Too focused on trying to wring what little mana he could from the already spent crystal, Garfiel had completely let go of YN, but the groundskeeper still had a hold of the golden-haired youth's spare hand.
Using the revitalized strength he now had from the crystal's accidental discharge into him, YN grabbed ahold of Garfiel's index finger, and bent it back as far he could.
Garfiel: —YAH!
Hearing the crack of bone as that happened, Garfiel's entire attention was brought to looking now at his finger that really shouldn't be bending the way it was.
In that split second, YN grabbed the crystal, thrusted it back into his own neck, and taking the smidgen of mana still left inside, used that to augment his strength enough to pull his leg out from under Garfiel, and kick him off his body, unpinning himself from the ground finally.
Garfiel was sent flying back from this, and taking the chance, YN forced himself to at least be kneeling on one knee as the immense pain across his bloodied and bruised face radiated greatly throughout his entire body.
Picking himself up now, Garfiel took a similar stooped stance. While he still held the now completely spent mana crystal, he chucked it at YN, hitting him square in the head.
YN: Gah...grrr...
Recoiling from the pain right on his existing bruises, Garfiel in the meantime went about setting the dislocated finger back into its joint.
YN now sat back up from his impact, and began to feel a rage boil in him as he went to stand.
YN: Grr...
Halfway through standing, he roared out in his anger.
YN: GARFIEL!
As the throbbing pain of his finger being fixed by brute strength alone also radiated in Garfiel, a similar rage and desire to yell out eclipsed his actions too as he stood now.
Garfiel: YN!
Both now on their feet, the two paced in a circle for no more than a few moments as each of their yells echoed throughout the quiet forest around them and from the Tomb to their side.
Each given a second wind by the fought-over mana crystal, the fighting reconvened with YN stepping in first.
Getting a half dozen hits in on Garfiel, half of which he blocked, Garfiel moved to counter a thrown punch by creatively punching the arm thrown forward at him. Disoriented by the sudden strike, Garfiel followed it up by reaching his arms out wide, and flat-palm hitting each side of YN's head, right on his ears.
YN dizzily staggered back a pace, and with Garfiel moving in to punch him again, YN managed to block the hit by raising up his elbow, to which he counter-punched in retaliation, a punch Garfiel easily blocked. As this all left YN's abdomen open, Garfiel delivered a heavy gut punch, which nearly sent him to the ground in pain. Hunched over, YN took the opportunity now that Garfiel had left his guard down and delivered an uppercut straight into his chin.
Staggered back from that hit, Garfiel jabbed right at YN's jaw now, capitalizing on YN erroring where he had just too, leaving his hands down.
The two now exchanged another set of unguarded jaw shots, making them each disoriented, unstable, and unbalanced.
YN was the first to fall to his knees in this uneasiness, and forcing himself to get a grip, Garfiel approached and grabbed YN by his hair, holding his head in place as he punched it several times, to which the youth then pushed it back over further, and jammed his knee right into the back of his head, hard enough to get YN to stand again.
Going for more head-shots at YN, he kept his guard up firm as he blocked three more hits, and knowing a shot would be coming for his abdomen, he pulled Garfiel into a boxer's hug to keep that from happening.
As Garfiel tried to push off YN, he delivered a knee of his own to his side as he held on. Finally breaking free from that hit, Garfiel halfway fell backwards. Seeing this opening now, YN jabbed out with his dominant hand, hoping to get a good hit in, but in a stroke defiance, Garfiel headbutted the incoming fist, causing YN to pull back his punch in pain.
Recoiled as his knuckles were in extreme pain from hitting what felt like a concrete wall, Garfiel moved in, grabbed YN's head, and impacted his own skull against his unsuspecting one.
One head-to-head.
Two head-to-heads.
Three head-to-heads.
Both in immense pain and dizziness from the shocks to each of their brains, as Garfiel reared back to start a fourth, YN in his stupor punched straight forward, hitting Garfiel in the chest and getting this barrage of headbutts to stop.
With Garfiel nearly about to pass out it looked like, YN charged in, still not fully aware of things but a lot more in tune to reality than his foe was.
Going for another bodycheck again the smaller opponent, just as he was sent to collide into him, Garfiel raised up his leg, and square-kicked YN all the way back to where he had been a moment prior, knocking him to the ground again.
As YN was slow to get back up, Garfiel continued to hold his head, as his scar he'd had for most of his life was now bleeding from the repeated impacts.
After a moment or two of a break in the fight, each of them were back on their feet, huffing for air, but not for long.
Moving in, they both threw out a punch, and between them, their fists met, knuckle to knuckle. They both then sidestepped one another, and launched identical punches to their chests, and then the same for a matching pair of gut punches, causing them both recoil backwards from the blow.
Both grunting from thy hits, they moved in against each other again.
Throwing headshot punches, each of their jaws were hit, but as both of their arms were fully extended, the punches went no further.
Garfiel and YN both looked at each other, their fist pushing the other's cheek upward, smushing their faces and expression.
Dropping both of their punches at the same time, another wave of exhaustion and pain was making each rather sluggish again.
Yet as both let their arms fall, they reared their heads back, and both exchanged another headbutt.
Making them both dizzy enough to lose their balance, they fell forward towards each other, and onto the ground.
From the odd, hard fall, two more mana crystals, full of mana each dropped from YN's belt.
YN and Garfiel were only half an arm's length from each other as they now were both on their knees. Hearing the crystals fall into the ground, they both looked down at one or the other.
These were the just the tickets they needed to regain their strength and end the fight.
Simultaneously, they both reached for, and picked up a mana crystal each. Looking at the crystal, then to each other, making a distinct eye contact as they did, they both then cast their eyes down to the other's mana crystal.
Knowing exactly what the other was to do, a sense of pointlessness could be felt in their souls over what would come next, as it would only be more fighting.
So at the moment, they each brought the crystal's upwards in their hands, and impacted them into their desired target.
Each other.
Essentially knowing that they both were going to recover mana from this, it was a moot point to give it to themselves.
Both mana crystals were emptied into their holder's foe, and with their depletion, the two who both had a tad more strength again went to stand.
Removing each other's crystals, YN and Garfiel both backed away several paces, and discarded their crystals by throwing them out of the area.
Once more, just like at the beginning of this altercation, they both stood, eyeing each other up, and took a fighting stance.
This fight, was far from over.
Emilia had watched over this entire fight, not intervening, or saying a single word the entire time. It was now close to when the sun was fully departed from the sky, and this slugging match between Garfiel and YN was still ongoing.
However, with no more mana crystals left between them, it quickly devolved into what looked like late-night bar fight between two drunkards, slamming their fists into one another, hoping to get a knockout blow.
Stood where they had begun this must recent "round" of the fight, the only things that had changed other than they both were much more bloody, bruised, and exhausted than before, was that they now stood on the opposite side as before.
Still though, the fight progressed. Limping towards each other, the conclusion to this was at least drawing near.
Staggering forward more, YN threw a punch for Garfiel's jaw. Connecting with no attempt to even block, the punch was returned upon his recovery to YN, resulting in a similar reaction of exchanged punches.
Finally though, as YN delivered a punch, and Garfiel staggered backwards, he broke this stalemate, dug deep within himself, and launched another punch.
Garfiel: —Phaw!
Knocking the youth backwards, he caught himself by falling to a single knee.
Garfiel: *Spits*
The golden-haired youth ejected a mix of saliva, blood, and a tooth by the looks of it from his mouth as he forced himself to stand once more, courtesy of YN's last punch.
Garfiel: Ahhhhh!
Throwing his head back, he roared out in anger, as if trying to psych himself up to carry on. Yet, as he returned his gaze back to YN, there was distinct lack of emotion in his emerald eyes.
With no further move taken after that, YN stepped forward with his leg, twisted his torso just slightly, and delivered the most strength he could hope to pour into a single, last punch.
Garfiel: —Guah!
With as much strength as YN could deliver in his current state, he felt absolutely void of any mana in his system now. As Algol was still not present, he knew any further fighting, he'd be relying on his Od for any use of his strength augmentation.
This punch though it appeared, had done the trick.
Causing Garfiel to fall backwards, he tried to pick himself up again.
Garfiel: —Tch... Grrr...
As he tried to pick himself up though, he fell forward now, grasping at nothing but thin air, or perhaps seeing things as he did. Slumped forward, his tired body could not even support that, and thus, he fell to his side, and rolled over onto his back.
Still breathing heavily through, YN could see Garfiel wasn't out yet. Step by step, he hobbled over to the golden-haired youth's side, and looked down at him, wondering if he'd need to really do anything else to get Garfiel to surrender.
As the sun's last rays caught his eyes as he looked up to YN, Garfiel coughed a few times before he forced his dry throat from all the labored breathing to croak out a few words.
Garfiel: Our fight...
His strength finally failing, the youth's emerald eyes began to close.
Garfiel: —this whole time...
Eyes fully shut, and his mind forcing him to lose consciousness from the pure exhaustion he faced, Garfiel uttered his last words of the match.
Garfiel: —you were... pretty good.
Letting silence fall around the entire area, this fight for who's will was stronger had finally come to a close.
YN, only on one knee due to his own massive fatigue, had won out against the Sanctuary's strongest. The youth that had toppled everyone else here in pure might alone, had been conquered.
It wasn't just YN's victory, but to at least Emilia, whom was still watching, knew it had been the groundskeeper, and no one else who had been able to finish the fight.
YN: It's... It's finally over...
Trying to go to stand, YN quickly realized he lacked not only the strength to do that now, but also the balance to right himself from the failure.
YN collapsed backwards now, his eyes looking right up to the sky now.
I... I really did it...
As his eyes began to shut, he could hear Emilia running over, calling his name as his hearing became muffled.
Rem...
While his mind had been given a break from mourning the loss of Rem for at least a little while whilst this fight went on, as soon as it was over now it returned to thinking of the maid who held his heart.
YN: Rem...
Letting her name pass his lips, his mind gave out to the pain and exhaustion, and with that, YN passed out.