Work Text:
Nufuli was hesitant. He was tired, his head hurt from all the times v3 had maced him. V3 had killed Slushly…Slushly of all people! Nuf felt guilty, he-he tried saving Slushly but it only ended up in his death. Heh-that always seemed to happen didn't it? Nuf had tried to save Slushy by not letting him into the city but that very action got him killed. Nuf had tried to save everyone from Recallingman, but that just ended in Loonac’s… He had tried to save Kunzy, convince him to leave and lead him towards a better life in the overworld. He tried to save Evpark by rescuing him from the city of life and the amount of lives that Evpark had ended…Nuf had lost count.
At least maybe…he can avenge Slushly. Nuf gazed where V3’s eyes should be. Nuf wanted to kill this man. Slushly didn’t deserve to die, not that day, not them. Slushly was supposed to go back to Spawn, and live a normal life and forget about ever meeting Nuf.
But no.
Nufuli doesn’t deserve to have things his way now does he?
His arms burned from fighting. The Book of Knowledge drained him of XP, burns from using Kynara Rupture were seared into his skin. His helmet gone, as well as his chestplate. Blood painted his clothes.
“You know…before you-heh- die? Do you have any words before I kill you? Any-any words of regret before I make you pay for what you did to Slushly?” Nuf’s voice was hoarse. The entire fight had been screaming back and forth between the two. He gripped Tide ever harder, the sweat on his hand making it hard to get a firm grip. Blood trickled down his arms from where Stormz had hooked him in battle with division.
“Do you regret it?” his voice cut deep into Nuf’s mind.
“Do you regret leaving him there, to die, helpless?” The distorted voice rang through the caves.
Nuf only gripped the mace harder.
“I did what I had to do,” Nuf replied. Slush would’ve died if the City of life, if Nufuli himself got captured Slushly woundn't have stood a chance.
“Did you have to insult him before you left him to die? What were the words again, ‘shackle on my leg’” A hint of annoyance seeped through his tone.
Nuf flinched. It was the only way for Slush to listen.
“Listen, I-” Nuf was cut off.
“Did you even think about how he felt at that moment?” The voice asked, coughing at the end of his sentence. He was backed into a wall, cobwebs covered his legs.
What? Stormz has no right to ask how Slushly felt when he was the one to kill him.
“You have NO right to be asking that question” Nuf’s voice was cold, filled with anger and resentment. He could just…kill Stormz right now, but that wouldn’t do Slushly justice.
V3 propped himself up sluggishly, he couldn’t kill Nuf after all, maybe Nuf was right.
“I killed him. I shot his heart and ripped out his eyes…but you. You broke him. You were the wind before the storm, you were the domino that led him to where he is now. Dead. and no matter what you try to do or say will change that. No matter how many times you apologize or try to pick up the broken pieces of the mess you abondoned, nothing will change that,” V3 sounded almost, angry.
Nufuli’s ears started to ring, red crawling down his arms and onto tide.
“I might have 'killed him' or whatever you say, but at least I'm not a monster like you,” Nufuli retaliated, trying to think of his words. Nuf threw a wind charge at V3, thrusting V3’s head against the rigid deepslate. V3 let out a distorted grunt and a small laugh.
“Really? You call me the monster,” Stormz spat out through hindered breathing.
“Yeah, yeah I do I really do,” Nufuli laughed.
“And what makes me less of a monster than you?” Stormz wheezed.
Even in death this guy still thinks he’s all that.
“Well for starters I don't go around killing innocent players, and throwing them into the hunger games and, and making one lifes fight to the death! I killed because I had to, I didn't have a choice,” Nuf told himself that to make himself feel better.
He knows he enjoyed it.
“Yeah, I- COUGH- I’m sure you didn’t have a choice”
Nuf took a step back, ready to end things. He’s had enough. He can revive Slushly and, and explain everything to him. Maybe killing his killer would make up for things? Nuf could only hope.
“Enough, ENOUGH of-OF this! You, you are going to die right now, any last words?” Nuf shouted. His tone was filled with malice.
Loonac would understand.
“I wish I never met you-” V3 was cut off, his head being crushed by a mace. HIs voice was filled with dread, regret, and hatred.
Slushly_ has died
“WHAT?” The message burned into Nufuli’s mind.
NO- no no no no no. No this wasn't real, no, that, no, that wasn’t real, no. Nufuli’s breath quickened, Tide fell to the ground and cracked the wooden platform he stood on.
“Slushly? No- no no no no…SLUSHLY?” Nufuli couldn't find the words. He backed into another wall and fell to the ground, covering his head with his arms, ignoring the new invisible player that stood before him with a newly bloodied mace.
‘You were the domino that led him to where he is now. Dead.’
He, no, no Slushly. I, I didn’t mean to, you don't understand–
You killed him
You killed him
You killed him
“You didn’t kill him,” Vanguard one said, his voice soft and as gentle as a feather.
Nufuli looked up through panicked breaths, his vision blurring.
The sight of Slushly over there… Slushy…Im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, im sorry, I’M SORRY… I…I didn’t mean… He-he-he wore the shield, he had the armor, he had division…
“Nufuli, It’s okay,” Vanguard 1 said once again, walking to where Nufuli cried, his mace dripping Slushly on the ground and staining the caves. He crouched down reaching his hand out towards Nuf.
Not even the best player on the server could have reacted when Nufuli grabbed his sword and cut off V1’s hand.
“Dont you fucking DARE try to touch me after what you’ve done,” Nufuli’s voice held a type of malice only once seen before. HD, Kunzy, and now Slushly.
“I took the burden from you Nufuli. If you knew, it would have eaten you alive and you know it,” V1 whispered, drinking a healing potion with his other hand.
Nufuli stood up and slowly picked up Tide. His arms glowed blue, the light of the bioluminescence filling the cave.
He slowly turned his head towards the entity in the room.
“Strongest player…strongest player…cross my heart when I say this. I will hunt you down-whoever you are, I will make you feel the same pain I have felt tenfold, I will REVEL in the fact that you may be immortal,” Nufuli promised the monster in front of him.
Nufuli didn't care what Loonac had to say