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"Shicmuon, I know I've already said this before, but what the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Blocking your way."
Two men stood in a dark empty hallway. The sounds of a desperate battle rang outside.
"I need to go," the younger man, Blow, snarled, "The students can't fight against demons, you jackass!"
Shicmuon would not budge, "Then let them die. They're going to perish anyways, as weak as they are."
"Are you kidding me?! This is why Lanoste keeps you on a leash! Don't you feel anything for others?" Blow face-palmed, "Wait don't answer that question." Blow groaned, "One of these days I'm going to kill you."
"Then let's fight," Shicmuon growled, "I couldn't ask for anything better. Killing you is a lot better than wasting breath on some trash."
"Wow..." Blow feigned praise, "you're a much more hopeless piece of work than I imagined. Fine, you go search for some relatable muscle heads. I'm off to fight."
"Don't go."
Blow raised an eyebrow, "I'm not fighting you, Shicmuon. I have better things to do."
Shicmuon's hands curled into fists, "This entire mess reeks of sabotage and a set up. Both the filthy demons and the obnoxious Tower are hell bent on their goals, and somehow, you Blackie, ended up in the middle. All they want is for you to show off your power and then get chained for it. It's so obvious that even a blind man could see through it." He crossed his arms, "And here you are charging in anyways."
"I'm not going to abandon innocent people just because the situation is suspicious," Blow retorted indignantly, "I'm not a bloodthirsty fool like you. What do you think Magicians are for? I'm not kidding when I say get out of the way," Blow hissed, "I have people to save. I won't hesitate to throw you aside."
"Then do it. Do it and go out there," Shicmuon challenged, "Go out there and see how you end up. You're playing into the hands of a gigantic ploy."
"Didn't think you had the brains to form a larger picture," Blow sneered, "Get out of the way."
"No."
"You goddamn idiot!"
A single laugh forced itself out of Shicmuon's mouth, "You may call me names and continuously curse me... but between the two of us you're the biggest idiot."
Blow raised his eyebrows, "Me?"
"So what if you manage to save those students? It won't take another day and you'll have to save them again. Your enemies come closer and closer to getting you, because trust me, there's a very clear pattern. You and your love for helpless humans." Shicmuon spat the last part out, "and the part that pisses me off the most is that you know all of this yet you go anyways. There's no happy ending here."
"People who seek their own happy ending end up becoming annoying loudmouths like you," Blow said blankly, "No thank you. Now move."
Shicmuon snarled, "I'm serious! They will never return your favor! No matter how hard you fight for them, again and again they'll reject you in fear, or try to use you. Do you feel happy when you save them?" Shicmuon jabbed an accusing finger at Blow's chest, "Is there any satisfaction in here when you throw yourself out there and within a few hours the very people you saved are thinking about imprisoning you?"
"To think I'd see the day where Shicmuon of the Association strings a coherent mildly intelligent speech," Blow said dryly, "You're not suggesting I run away, are you?"
"Having to watch repeat events can change anybody," his sarcasm matched Blow, "And I'm not the only one who thinks this, Blackie! How many times has your Master asked you to stay behind, huh?"
A shadow crossed the black magician's face, but he let it slide. Blow sighed, "I can't run, and you know it. If I'm not going to go out there who will? There's no one who matches my strength. If I run, then people are going to die. You really think I'll feel better? Then you don't know me."
"You're being used!"
"And you're the saint emerging out of the cesspool?" Blow challenged, "Come on, Shicmuon, from the very moment we first met you've seen me as nothing but a source of entertainment, often at the fatal expense of others-"
Shicmuon eyes narrowed.
"-you don't have any more right to lecture me about saving others than the average demon. Sorry that I'm trying to save my own kind. Sorry that I don't want to watch innocent human get slaughtered. I won't deny that worrying about just my own skin is a lot easier, but that doesn't stop me from becoming a piece of trash."
Shicmuon' voice was low, "You're not human. Not anymore. You're not one of them, damn it, why do you think they want to use you?" Blow's expression became dangerously blank, "What do you see in them, what do you see for yourself, in your future?! You have people wasting their time worrying about you!"
"Well I don't see you," Blow retorted coldly. Shicmuon' throats tightened, "I don't see anyone. All I need is my next course of action, which by the way, you're obstructing so if you can kindly-"
Shicmuon shoved Blow against the wall. The black magician grunted on impact, blue eyes flashing before he stilled at the sensation of hands on his neck, pinning him.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Blow hissed.
"Look at me!" Shicmuon snarled. He brought his face within inches of Blow's, his red eyes glowing furiously, "What do you mean you can't see me? You're spouting bullshit, I tell you. Congratulations, you've reassured yourself, but nobody else," he sneered, "You may think you're doing the right thing when you ignore everyone's pleads to take a break, but you don't know anything. You'll keep fighting until you break."
Shicmuon furiously pressed his forehead against Blow's, "I've seen the way the Tower looks at you. I've seen the way you stopped acting like yourself with those slitted demon eyes," Shicmuon's glare matched the momentary fire that lit up in Blow's eyes, "One way or another, everything's going to fall apart and turn against you."
Blow gritted his teeth at the growing tightness around his neck, "Fine...." he breathed, "I'll do just that, if that's how you see it. You can't stop me."
What the shit. Shicmuon might as well have been ranting to a wall.
"You don't care at all, do you?" Shicmuon smiled so hard it felt like his face would break, "You're not listening. You don't care about any of us. Me."
Blow's expression sagged for just a moment, "That's not it at all."
Shicmuon gave a dark chuckle. He bore his gaze into Blow's dark eyes, "I don't believe you."
"I don't need your trust," Blow's breath hitched as the hold on him tightened. He brought his hands to Shicmuon's wrists in warning. He was breathing hard and with every inhale he could feel Shicmuon's breath as well, "I don't have to convince you that I do c-"
"Liar."
"I-"
Blow never got to finish. A pair of lips crashed on to his. Blow almost let go of Shicmuon in surprise. Almost. His fingers curled in indignation and he prepared to hurl the stupid red head against the opposite wall.
Shicmuon pressed foreword and Blow stopped.
Something inside of him deflated and his grip grew slack. What the hell. Who cares anymore. One of Schimuon's hands slid from his neck to the back of his head.
What a desperate act he thought wryly. But maybe he wasn't any different.
I just don't want people to die.
You can't even see Master's expression anymore every time you ignore him and leave for the battlefield. Deaf to his pleas too. He wrings himself out, thinking of you.
He felt something slide between his teeth, against his tongue.
Shut up.
He fought against the invasion, but his tongue was pushed down. His voice was swallowed.
When you're finally done, who will be waiting for you?
His head was tilted back.
You walk foreword for people who won't follow, and you leave behind the ones who beg you to stay.
A leg slid in between his thighs.
Well what the hell am I supposed to do? I didn't ask to be the most powerful protector of this stupid place.
It felt like he was being devoured. He couldn't breathe. The breathes he took between his nose were no longer enough. Shicmuon only pressed further. The red head's fingers tightened around Blow's neck.
I just don't want people to die. Isn't this sort of mindset standard? It's not like I have a choice in this, or anything.
White spots danced in his vision. Blow's voice raised in alarm but his movements slowly relaxed. Maybe, just maybe-
His lungs seized.
When you try to achieve everything you achieve nothing.
Then Shicmuon suddenly pulled away and air slammed into Blow's lungs. His knees almost buckled as he doubled over gasping, chin on Shicmuon's shoulder. The redhead silently caught Blow before he could fall on to the ground.
"You're insane...." Blow breathed, "What the the hell were you trying to achieve by pulling something like that? Were you trying to kill me?" He was met by silence, "Then what was it?" Still no answer. The black magician wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "We can deal with whatever the hell that was later. We need to prioritize. I still need your help to save the students. For their sake, I won't punch a hole through you. Yet."
Blow felt Shicmuon's back rumble with a dark chuckle, "Considering what I just did, you're really composed."
"I told you," Blow snapped, "We need to prioritize."
"You're still going to fight for them?"
Blow paused. Then he looked down, "I'm pretty sure you knew that no matter what you did you would never change my mind. In the end... I cannot choose to stand by," he glanced to his side, "Why are you still so fixated on me?"
Shicmuon finally let go. He stood in front of Blow, "If you're going to march to your death anyway, I'd rather it be through my hands."
Blow's eyes narrowed. He ran a hand through his dark hair, "Can't let someone take your spotlight even in death huh?" He said exasperatedly, "You hotheaded idiot." Blow's expression became serious, "Listen Shicmuon, enough. I have a job to do. I can't duplicate myself and cover all the bases at once. I can't afford to hang around, and you need to-"
"Yeah yeah," Shicmuon shoved past the younger man, "Let's go save some worthless students. You weren't going to change your mind anyways, piece of shit."
"I'm not going to bother asking why you can't follow through with standard, moral, logic."
"Good choice."
"You-"
"Shut up."
Blow started before sighing. He silently followed the redhead as they approached an opening in the hallway where a portion had been blown off. The two stood on the ledge, overlooking the battlefield.
Blow's magic flared. He steadied himself to leap down, "You know...As annoying as you are, I'm still grateful that you're sticking around."
"What, because I'm a convenient arsenal?"
Well, Blow couldn't deny that Shicmuon's angry bursts of magic had helped him in the past, "That, and-"
Several giant magic circles on the horizon burst. Light exploded and the air seized with thunder and screaming just as Blow opened his mouth.
"If I'm going to die anyways, I'd rather it be through the hands of someone I chose."
The light died down. Smoke began to rise from the buildings.
Shicmuon stared, "Hah? What did you just say?"
Blow turned away, "Nothing, let's go."