#it's combat time bbyyyyy

[hasgudagudadoneanythingwrong]

The Singularity of Affirmation

Chapter 3.2 - Hard Convincing

[Previous] [Table of Contents] [Next]

— — —

Okita dashed forward and swung her blade, colliding with the metal pole of Mori’s weapon and getting shoved backwards. She stared at him as she steadied herself again, waiting for a move as Mori gladly rushed in to make an attack.

Sidestep, block, dash, parry, clang, dodge.

Okita stepped back again. Closing the distance would be hard enough, but so would be getting through his armor.

Guard, parry, strike, guard, dash, slice. Blood spattered onto the ground, but not nearly enough.

“You bastard!!” Mori shouted. He charged again, Okita dashed to the side and swung her sword.

Parry, turn, rush, thud. Okita staggered back, kicked in the chest. She let out a cough and held up her blade to block another attack, but it still knocked her off balance enough to get shoved onto the ground.

Mori stood over Okita and slammed his weapon down, lodging it deep into the dirt as she rolled out of the way and back onto her feet. The effort to pull his glaive back out of the ground was enough for Okita to slash at his leg though, tearing through the cloth and staining it red.

For as much reach as Mori's polearm had, his movements were still heavy. Okita watched him between blows, looking for openings to strike back. Even if getting close was difficult by itself, with enough time she could whittle him down and be fine. She was lighter, faster, she just had to not get hit—

— — —

Mare readied sier blade again, a long, massive chunk of metal with a serrated edge. Intimidating, if not for the small frame that wielded it.

"And why should I trust you?"

"Look," Azure started. "We're both after the Holy Grail, yeah? Either to destroy it or keep it out of Sela's hands, doesn't matter, end goal is still the same. I'm just suggesting we work together for it."

Mare stared at Azure for a moment, but didn’t seem convinced. “Between Mori and me, I think we can handle things just fine. I don’t need more adults getting in the way of things right now.”

Static crackled in the air to interrupt the two, like a microphone switching on to project a very, very similar voice.

“Listen here you dumbass, shit’s fucked and I don’t care how anti-social you are, your blatant rip-off of a buster sword ain’t gonna save your ass from three servants and your much more combat-capable siblings. Shut the fuck up and think about what the hell you’re dealing with here.”

The Mare standing in front of Azure gripped sier sword harder. “I don’t know who you are or where you are but you shut up, you don’t know anything!”

“Oh believe me,” the present-day Mare spoke through the intercom, “I’d know myself better than anyone. Now think about what kind of match-up you’re looking at right now and seriously tell me you really think this is a good idea—“

Azure stepped back from a hefty swing.

“I said shut up!!!” Mare screamed, extending the large skeletal wings from sier back. “I don't care!!”

Azure sighed and summoned her own weapon, blocking another attack. “Mare— the other Mare, I mean—you’re really bad at talking people down, y’know.”

“Yeah, yeah, now go kick my ass. Over there, though. Don’t come fighting me when you get back now."

"No guarantees."