Chapter Text
The battlefield began to dissolve into a circle around two peculiar figures.
Mino gripped his blade, glaring at Airo, and Airo staring back. The now lone wolf and the leader of The Citadel. The one who put Mino through hell. The one he had trusted enough to follow in this dimension, TWICE.
Anger began to bubble to the surface. Mino pushed it down, refusing to give what Airo and Tingz wanted.
Mindless rage.
His hands began to shake… Why was he shaking? He couldn't shake. He needed a steel resolve, not a weak one.
“Airo.” Mino said with a tinge of hope.
Maybe he can still change. Maybe this hell hadn't screwed him up entirely. Maybe he could get his friend back; he disliked this conflict between them.
“Mino.” Airo said half heartedly, his eyes almost dull. His grip on his sword was firm and rigid. No regrets found in his stance. No remorse.
“We don't have to do this…” Mino said, trying to get through to the pale blue tiefling. “Don't have to do this?” Tingz laughed from the circle. “Very funny Mino.”
Mino now shook from anger. Just one word from that fuckers mouth and it sends him into a spiral.
Calm… calm… He will not break.
“Don't have to do this? We are already doing this, Mino.” Airo replied with a stark tone. Airo moved forward. “I'm not fighting you, Airo.” Mino holding his sword in front of him.
“Well I am. So when you’re ready, join in.”
Airo swung his blade, throwing Mino off balance. Mino blocked Airo’s next attack, then the next. This went on for a bit, but it was straining. Every clash of Airo’s sword against his own blade got more and more violent. Harder to dodge and harder to block.
“Mino what are you doing?” Tingz exclaimed almost happily. “Fight him! Give in to your emotions. I want to see a show!”
Mino glared at Tingz, his smile infuriating him.
He swung his sword against Airo, a short look of surprise appearing on his face. “Finally something interesting.” Tingz said. Mino grit his teeth.
These two really just want to push me over the edge, huh?
“Is this what you want Airo..?” Mino muttered. Airo stopped for a second. Please say no. Please.
“This is the only thing I want. A death.” Airo replied.
His heart dropped.
What had come to this? What set Airo off his own path? His own morals? Why was he now fighting his best friend, hoping to be killed by the other?
Tingz sighed loudly. “Do something already! This is so boring just you two staring at each other.”
“Can you shut the fuck up?!” Mino exclaimed loudly. He couldn't stop his rage from boiling over now.
He swung at Airo, swiftly missing his side by inches.
No stop… Airo’s… your friend…
He shook his head. Tingz showed a look of amusement, watching in silence for the time being. “I'm not killing you, Airo.” Mino said, not really for the other but for himself. He wasn't going to follow in their footsteps.
“We’ll see about that.”
Airo ran forward, his attacks relentless. Mino tried his best to keep blocking his attacks, but he began to slip up. Airo slashed his side, then his shoulder.
Every cry of pain that escaped his mouth, a twitch on Airo’s face would appear.
Airo tried to hit Mino directly in the head but Mino threw up his shield, blocking that attack. He wasn't fast enough though, to see Airo move swiftly and quickly appear behind him.
He stabbed him in the neck, popping his totem.
The uncomfortable sensation of Mino’s wounds healing themselves through the man off balance entirely. He fell, dropping his sword.
He rubbed his neck, feeling remnants of the sticky blood on his fingertips, shocked that Airo had gone for that move. He'd seen the tiefling do that move before, but never would he have thought it would be done to him.
Tingz smiled, glancing over at Airo then Mino. “My sweet prince, when will you realize holding back is futile? Just fulfill the prophecy, Mino.” Tingz smiled with a little impatience.
Mino froze. Prince? He looked at Tingz, confused and annoyed. His little dragonfly wings behind his ears twitched.
“Prince?” He asked. Tingz shrugged, smile wide.
“Just don't listen to them Mino. They are only trying to stir you up.” A familiar voice said. He glanced behind him to see Sophi standing there, arms crossed. “Let's just leave. We don't have to stay here any longer.”
Mino wanted to leave. He wanted to so badly. He picked up his sword, Airo standing a few feet away from him. He turned, following Sophi.
Tingz laughed, making Mino stop in his tracks. He continued to laugh, and laugh which only stirred up his blood more. “I didn't take you for a coward, Prince.”
Mino’s hands shook from adrenaline.
HE WAS NOT A COWARD.
Mino turned and ran at Airo. His sword made one of the loudest clangs he had ever heard, causing Airo’s blade to vibrate from the ricochet.
Mino huffed, his mind gone, clouded by his emotions as he swung quickly at the other. The roles now reversed as Mino took the offensive, and Airo took the defensive.
Stop… Mino’s thoughts trying to break through to him. You don't want to do this– he swung at Airo. Clear your head.. he gripped his sword tightly, blocking Airo’s swing.
DON’T BE LIKE THEM.
Mino stumbled during the fight, which allowed Airo to strike him in the stomach.
His vision distorted and faded as he let out a guy wrenching scream. He fell once again, holding his side, blood spilling on the hot rocks. Mino’s vision blackened on the edges.
Pop my totem, He pleaded to himself. He looked up at Airo, who just stood there… watching.
Mino gripped his totem, hoping for it to pop. He never thought he would plead for something more.
Please. He begged to himself.
Keeping his emotions at bay was hard enough, and now he struggled to move.
POP.
Green sparks flew around him, patching up the wound in his side. He took deep breaths as the rest of his cuts were healed.
In and out. Inhale, exhale.
Mino lifted his knee and pulled himself up with the help of his blade. The pain felt like needles but he pushed past it, his gaze landing on Airo.
The other stood still, not doing a thing. Why didn't he attack him while he was down?
Mino's head felt fuzzy as he asked Airo, “why?” The tiefling raised his sword. “This is the only way Mino.” He said with a tinge of regret. He knew it. Airo wasn't completely gone.
“So why are we just standing here?” Tingz exclaimed.
“Airo.” He stared at the ground in front of Tingz. “Do it. Finish this.”
Mino raised his sword; his head felt so fuzzy and hot, it was hard to think properly. Mino rubbed his forehead as Airo made his way forward.
“Mino let's leave. Killing Airo isn't necessary.” Sophi said, looking at the rest of her guard force. He didn't answer.
He felt as anger boiled to the surface. Why? Why was he–
Airo stabbed you that's why. Get your payback.
He gripped his sword. His mind clouded, his negative emotions enveloping him. His anger for the other; he would not make it out alive.
This time instead of Airo throwing the first punch, Mino ran forward.
—
Sophi watched as Mino swung his sword as violently as Airo, not slowing his pace.
She felt powerless.
She knew The Dimension could affect the psyche in different ways, but she had never seen it in person.
“Mino.” She called out to him. Not a flinch. He continued to attack his best friend.
“Mino! You don't have to listen to Tingz. Let's just go home. Let's leave this behind us.” She exclaimed, gripping her blade.
“Home..” Mino mumbled quietly but didn't let up his attacks.
Tingz moved his gaze to the North’s leader. “Then what? The prophecy would never be fulfilled and we would all be stuck here.” Tingz said, staring at her.
“This has to be done, my sweet Prince.”
—
Mino exchanged blade swings and clashes, dodging and weaving Airo’s relentlessness.
Faster, and faster. He would not leave him alive.
He wanted this–did he really want this? Yes he wanted this, he told him himself.
...
Did he really though? They both weren't clearly thinking straight.
Mino let out a grumble as the fuzziness in his head began to fade. He still clashed with Airo sliding under his newest attack and kicking him in the back. The tiefling fell hard on the warm rock as Mino pointed his sword down on him.
He panted, his energy depleting. Airo stared up at Mino and swept his leg under his foot, almost tripping him. Mino’s lack of balance gave Airo enough time to grab the sword he'd let go when he fell.
CLASH.
The swords ricocheted. Mino heard a sound from behind him but he kept all his focus on his frie– former best friend.
So close. Keep going. His anger kept him going. Another dodge. Come on.
Mino found the opportunity to kick Airo in the knee. Airo staggered as Mino plunged the sword into his heart.
—
Blood. Not his. Not his. Not his. He watched as the last of the light disappeared from his friend’s eyes.
Blood. It's everywhere. His hands trembled.
Blood. His friend, now lifeless on the ground with a sword in his chest.
Red. All he could see was red. Red.
Red.
Red.
His ears rang. His vision went out of focus.
Why… why did I… His knees buckled under his heaviness.
“Why. Why. Why.” He mumbled over and over under his breath, staring into the tiefling’s lifeless eyes.
He reached for the sword, but he stopped right at the hilt. He couldn't hold that sword. He couldn't hold that sword. Tears began to swell, obscuring his vision even further. The anger was gone.
Regret. Regret.
Regret.