I'm with you... even if just in spirit

Sendou Aichi 先導アイチ Cardfight!! Vanguard Room 2E w/ Okumura Rin Affiliated with Concordium

[blaster-aichi]

[blaster-aichi]

[cywscross]

x

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

"…!!!"

He realized too late, that this would be the last time he would let his guard down.

The blow felt like he had been struck with a sledgehammer; his armour proved to be his downfall, the force of the blast ricocheting through, sending him crashing into the ground a few feet away.

"Uaugh…!!"

Severely winded, it took him a few moments to regain his bearings. Everything hurt; it was as if wildfire was spreading through his ribcage, sending shockwave after shockwave of pain through his abdomen every time he tried to take a breath.

It hurts…

Opening his eyes, his vision blurred almost immediately, but he could make it out—the sight of Aichi—no, Void, standing over him, looking down at him with his blank eyes.

"N…no…"

It can’t end like this…

Had he failed? Had he failed to save Jack? To save Aichi…?

"…Aichi…-san…"

[liberatethelock]

Finally, there was an opening wide enough for Void to pry through and tear open a means of which it could come out victorious. Tasuku's crash racketed through the room, not following with any immediate rise, granting him the time to recover; gasping for breath whilst still slumped against the wall.

     But making no move would render the efforts futile, counterproductive for his fight in order to down the boy. He pushed himself forward, limping across the distance that had been own up between them, grasping the dark sword nearby and dragged it upwards, using it as a support with his good arm, the other dangling limply. Laboured breathing continued; the toll of the fight having taken heavily upon the two of them.

Nevertheless, its endgame had come; they wouldn't struggle any further.

Yet again, the utterance of that fond name left his lips. Tasuku was still clinging onto the hope that Aichi might be salvaged from his hopeless predicament.

"…Aichi…-san…"

Rather than repeat the previous comment, steadying himself with the sword with its tip planted into the floor and lifting the heavy arm, shaky fingers aimed down towards the body sprawled at his feet. His lips moved to utter something, but no sound other than the lengthy breaths.

             "L-- Lo.. ck..."

The same power flooded outwards, crashing into Tasuku's body and reinstating those rings which would serve as the bars of his cage - bars that Void was adamant would not be broken by the boy's willpower. If he'd been injected by despair, then that would weaken his spirit. Perhaps enough to prevent another fightback.

And with it completed, the sword dropped, clanging against the ground beside its owner's body. Faster and faster, exhaustion overwhelmed Aichi's body and, even with Void in control, he couldn't stop himself from collapsing just a short distance from, almost directly beside,  Tasuku; weighted eyelids closed and unresponsive; breaths drawn out and heavy. In spite of Void's triump, it still had the battle of getting Aichi's weakened and eroding body to cooperate.

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

"Nn—!"

For the third time, he had let his guard down, pain shooting through his skull as his hair was ruthlessly yanked. It had served Void’s purpose, Tasuku finding himself disoriented as his head was forced downwards so suddenly, taking a moment in his struggle to retain his footing.

He could’ve easily struck back. He could’ve driven his sword through Aichi’s body and ended it right there. But—there was no telling what would happen. Void spoke the truth; even if he killed Aichi, if all it resulted in was the possession of the soulless body, then… All of this would’ve been for naught.

He wasn’t prepared to lose Aichi.

He wasn’t prepared to hurt him.

"He’s not…"

Whether it was Void’s presence, the lingering exhaustion, or the turmoil within himself, Tasuku’s will to fight back was slowly waning. 

"Stop it… He’s not dying… I won’t let him die…! I won’t let it…end like this! I can’t…!"

[liberatethelock]

"He's as good as dead!" The sharp retort, another blow to Tasuku's spirit, and having destabilized him enough to retain some grasp on the tide of battle, it was now that any decisive play had to be made. Both were weary, drained from turning between resorts within their individual arsenals.

            Clenching his teeth, the other hand moved forward, resting its bloody palm against the breast of Tasuku's armour - it was all he required: a chance to plant a connection through which to attack. With that much achieved, it should have been easy to knock Tasuku down once more.

Narrowing his hues sharply, not an ounce of the mercy or remorse that Aichi's eyes would normally bear, and instead, a blast which would sink into the plating, exploding against and through the minute gaps between each piece fitted together.

Dirty trick after dirty trick, but the concept of a noble victory seemed purposeless; irrelevant when there would be nothing left afterwards to judge. What use was judgement, other than to demean others by the belief of another. All he aimed for was release of his neck and then to move onto triumphing over such a resiliant soul.

                 "It will end like this. There's nothing more ahead".

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

It was a struggle to keep his resolve at its peak, hearing Aichi’s voice and Aichi’s cries of pain… But he had to do whatever it took to save him, even if it meant hurting him first.

I have to save him… I have to save him…

But even with that in mind, what Void said threw him for a completely different loop.

"What…?”

It was true… Aichi-san’s still in there…!

But rather than let that fuel him, the thought that he had been hurting his loved one all along struck him hard. Among all the other stressors, it was difficult to maintain a rational line of thought. His grip loosened before he was aware of it, uncertainty in his eyes.

No… It’s still Void I’m fighting… And yet… Aichi-san… He’s going to feel all of this… And he’s going to know that I’m the one who hurt him…

What should I do…?

[liberatethelock]

"He's disconnected from everything; he's asleep. All of this would be lost on him; his memory has stopped. But I don't intend for you to see that first-hand. Your kind has hindered what must be done all along".

      Creeping up, a hand - that which hadn't been slathered with blood from the wound sustained. For the sake of lasting the struggle, his hues optics forced focus, pushing through the blurred lens in order to meet the sharp hues fixed on him. And using that attention waning for just a second to strike.

                His fingers curled, grasping a handful of Tasuku's hair and viciously pulling down, aiming to weakn him by the yanking which, according to Aichi's memory, should have unbalanced him for a moment and perhaps weakened his hold. Whether such a childish tactic might work against the knight was unknown. But Void had already come under successful attacks twice - the human race appeared to be even more stubborn once they set cards down.

"Why don't you be a good boy and submit to his dying wishes?"

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

"Tch…"

It was true. Tasuku had about as many options as Void did. It was either kill Aichi…or let Void go to wreak destruction upon the world. Tasuku wasn’t sure whether he was prepared to choose either.

"You dirty coward…”

Whatever it took to win… But really, did Tasuku have any place to be speaking? 

Maybe…if I can knock him out…

Tasuku finally relented, pulling his foot off of Aichi’s arm, only to kick him to the side—not hard enough to break bone, and not hard enough so that it would cause a lasting injury, but the impact was loud enough to resound throughout the warehouse.

Walking over slowly, deliberately, he reached down and seized Aichi’s collar, pulling his body up in a fit of strength that was belied by his small size. He was still a fair bit shorter than Aichi—striking the back of his neck would be rather difficult from this angle. He’d have to continue with this…

I’m sorry, Aichi-san…!

He slammed that limp body against the wall, glaring into those dull eyes—though the pain was evident, and he faltered for a second. It was still Aichi’s face… 

No. I can’t let this distract me.

He pressed Void a little harder against the wall.

"I have a question for you."

"Why me? Why single me out and separate me from the rest of the world? What were you trying to gain from protecting me from your own plans?"

[liberatethelock]

A brief reprise, with the removal of the boot; his arm ached, but had escaped without injury. And as soon as he'd ensured the limb was still usable, he'd do just that; prepared to retaliate and reclaim some ground.

      Only he wouldn't have the chance. The heavy boot crashed into his side, twisting into his hip enough to almost toss his body over whilst choking out a cry before landing again; curling onto his side, clutching the struck hip with the dominant hand as best he could. Writhing on the floor, and in front of a human, how pitiful. But in the end, it had come down to the body.

                           The corpse he animated.

 There was no resistance before he was seized, having heard the heavy footfalls that rumbled through the room, dragging him up from the floor. Heavy circled lined his eyes, exhaustion from the body evident across all features.

He hadn't anticipated the following move either, wincing and stifling a yelp when slammed into the wall, his head bobbing limply. His vision slid out of focus, momentarily but a sign of weakness. That even he wouldn't hold out much longer if Tasuku continued to spring surprise after surprise. Unfocused in his stare, it was a struggle to meet Tasuku in the end, choking under the tightening hold.

           "I don't know... Aichi...    I believe it's Aichi's feelings for you that brought about such decision. The strength and depth of his care for you; the two of us are tangled, his personality has a small overlap with my being active. We've yet to separate entirely, so it's possible he's affected matters, even without knowing".

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

He watched through dull, crimson eyes as the blade met its mark, flecks of it splattering onto the floor in small drops. 

Sorry, Aichi-san…

But he had hardened himself to it now. Nothing would be gained from holding back—he certainly wouldn’t save Aichi that way. Twice already, he had shown Void mercy—and twice, he had been caught off guard. But not the third time.

He was doing the right thing, wasn’t he?

As Aichi crashed onto the floor, Tasuku was quick to stand over him, placing an armoured boot over one of Aichi’s arms. He did not lean into it, or distribute much of his weight towards it so as to avoid breaking it or otherwise causing damage; the intention was to keep him pinned down, so that he would not be caught unaware. Whatever that strange power Void possessed was, it seemed he still needed to channel it through Aichi’s limbs…

His other foot, he kept planted on the floor, though it rested close to Aichi’s other arm. He didn’t want to risk throwing himself off balance by placing both of his feet on an uneven surface, though he kept an eye on it for any movement. If worse came to worst, he’d break the arm underfoot—Void still clearly felt Aichi’s pain, and it would no doubt throw his aim off if he tried anything.

Holding Fatal with both hands, he pointed it directly downwards, over Aichi’s chest.

"I won’t ask you again; let Aichi-san and Jack go. Forget about whatever you’re planning.”

"You’re cornered. You can’t do anything anymore. So give it up, Void."

[liberatethelock]

No sooner had the body crumpled onto the floor that he was set upon; a boot pinning down the uninjured arm, his other bleeding out against the cold ground, another boot nearby. Truly cornered, but reluctant to back down. For as long as he could, he'd squirm and find a means of escape.

             The fingers of the weakened hand twitched, attempting to assess his standings; if it might be possible to attack. Unlikely, to manifest a strike before getting caught, and the efforts to pry his pinned arm were proving futile. Furthermore, the sword aimed at him put him in an even more dire position. There was no hope of escape and retaliation, not in his current state.

And quickly, he was running out of options; for every attack that was launched, Tasuku had a hidden counter to throw. The closest thing he could produce to astonishment had taken over at points; a tenacious boy who had literally pinned him to the ground.

"Have you considered your next move thoroughly?" The trembling, bloody hand crept forward, inching slowly, weakly. "If you kill me, what might because of Aichi?

          Are you willing to gamble his existence? What if, after this body dies, I seize complete control of it due to my possession at the time of its demise? You'll lose him forever". All the while, his shoulder wound itself around, trying to loosen himself from the pressure of the boot upon him, grasping the other with his hand.                        "I refuse to relent. If I should fall, Aichi will come with me".

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

"Nngh…"

Admittedly, his own willpower had begun to falter with each step he dared to take. It would be so much easier to succumb to the binding force, to let unconsciousness claim him so that the pain would stop.

"You can’t save anyone. This facility; everyone in it, and beyond… they’ll all return to nothing”.

"…!"

They were words that cut into him deeper than cold steel. Words that brought out the memories of his helplessness that he had buried deep in the crevices of his mind…

”It’s over”.

…But also the darkest side of him; the side of him so desperate to be able to fulfill his duty, to be something other than a helpless child, that he would do anything to achieve such a thing.

"No…"

He absolutely would not give in. 

"I refuse to believe that… I won’t let you go any farther…"

He would stop at nothing to stop Void.

"Disaster Force…activate!"

In his back pouch, the dormant dark core glowed ominously. It reacted to his voice, transforming at his command, golden and black armour encasing him completely. His right hand hovered over the visible core over his arm, a card taking form.

"Guillotine Cutter!"

A serrated disc formed at his palm, and with a single slice, the rings that bound him fell to pieces. Tasuku wasted no time, a blackish-red blade, a carbon copy of Dragobrave, materializing in his hands soon after.

"Take this!"

Lunging with speed that the heavy-looking suit of armour belied, he swung Fatal in Void’s direction.

[liberatethelock]

All of a sudden, everything so far was rendered irrelevant. There hadn't been anything to indicate there was still a fight ahead; then, without warning, the rings exploded outwards, shredded by the formation of the armour around Tasuku's petit frame.

"Disaster--? Future Force should have been your only..."

     But no time for words; a replica of the sword which had been in his hands previous materialized, albeit, a darker variation.

If anything... it was as though Tasuku himself had been transformed. In that instance of equipping himself, there was very little (if anything at all) which resembled the boy Aichi had become so enamored with. And all the hesitation which had been there before, gone.

His hand opened up, intending to materialize Blaster Joker to meet with the sword wielded by those small hands, but nothing. Whether because of its recent recall, the faltering of Aichi's physical health or a Mixture of the two, it was difficult to tell.

             And having lost time dealing with that failed summoning, he'd barely any time before Tasuku was upon him. In his eyes, there was no hesitation because he was fighting Aichi's body; that was long gone. A frantic pull back to escape the blade, he stumbled back, the blade still nicking his arm before crashing clumsily onto the floor, spilling blood from the new wound and the previous within his hair.

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

He had forced himself off his knees and onto his feet, shaking as he tried to rise slowly. That immense pressure had become pain at this point, excruciating, like it would shatter all the bones in his body if he kept on pushing. But he didn’t stop. He was nearly upright when he raised his head again, glaring at Void, the very picture of defiance. 

"If he won’t come back, then I’ll DRAG him back here!”

The struggle to stand had been won, but he still had no means to free himself—no, he did. It lay in his back pocket, ever since Kyouya had ordered as much. But that would be the last resort.

He attempted to take a step forward, his body nearly toppling over without that split-second support, but he didn’t stop. 

"As if I’ll let you do what you want…! I’m…I’m going to protect everyone… I’m going to save Aichi-san…!"

[liberatethelock]

It was astonishing... that someone might be fighting back so effectively. Too effectively. He wasn't... supposed to be moving! Something was wrong, but there was no means as to tell what and put an end to it.

He moved back a step, forcing the distance between them to remain the same; Tasuku would only last so long under that spell, whereas his body was free to move.

            If need be, he'd launch another strike, impose another layer. Something to stop him. And yet... there was something inside, that trembled, in recognition of Tasuku's defiance, his desperation to get Aichi back.

His hand wandered to the pocket in which the stolen core was nestled, narrowing his dark hues in the direction of the rebelling adversary.

"You can't save anyone. This facility; everyone in it, and beyond... they'll all return to nothing".

His other hand reached out, stretched towards his abandoned weapon and retracted it; the blade dissipating into the same burgundy essence that lingered around him, seeping into the palm of his hand without leaving a trace of evidence behind.

                                             "It's over".

[blaster-aichi]

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

Just barely managing to force himself onto his knees, he was just about at his limit for the struggle, but continued to fight. 

"You’re wrong…"

"Maybe you’re not him… But Aichi-san’s still…in there… He’s still here… Probably suffering…and in pain…"

Because if he gave up on Aichi, what else was there? Forcing a foot beneath, he had succeeded in lifting himself off of one knee. If he kept on going like this, he’d be standing again—if he didn’t shatter from the immense feeling of pressure first.

"…So I’m not going to stop fighting! I won’t stop until I get him back…!"

Fiery words to fuel his own resolve as well. He refused to give in. This couldn’t be the end.

[liberatethelock]

The sheer level of defiance and resolution was almost too much; the rings around Tasuku rattling like the bars of a cage trembling under pressure applied upon them by a rebellious inmate. He shouldn't have been moving, and yet, he was ascending, overriding what Void had put into place.

           Was it because of Aichi's resistance? His body's fatigue? Because Link Joker had only recently resumed control? But it had been enough to stop the monster in the forest...

                                It wasn't adding up.

Tasuku-- It had to be Tasuku himself; recognizing Aichi's anguish well beyond reach, fighting nevertheless, despite how hopeless it was.

"Stop...

               ...He's not coming back..."

None of the cruel elements that one could have expected as part of such a declaration; rather monotone, almost sorrowful, swayed once more by the boy's fight. Despite everything, all the tricks used against him, the power that had him held in place, he still pushed forward.

         Maybe it was a mixture of Tasuku himself, and Aichi's feelings for him, that interfered. But until there was reason to, Link Joker had no intention of reacting to secure him tighter.

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

"What…?"

Shackles that bound Aichi and…there was that name again. Who was Kai? Well… That probably wasn’t important. Not right now. Not when he had more pressing matters to attend to. 

The struggle was absolutely exhausting, and in the end, all of it was in vain, put to a harsh stop when Void took his core deck case, horror sinking into every fiber of his being. There was absolutely nothing he could do against 

"N-no…! Give that…back…!"

And it was in that moment that he caught a glimpse of the extent of damage that Void had suffered at his hands—that Aichi had suffered in its place.

I hurt him this badly…?

Once more, he tried to push himself up again, managing to get himself onto all fours. That oppressive feeling was completely overwhelming, yet he couldn’t stop. 

Even with these bindings, he’d fight. No matter how it was.

"Aichi…-san…"

[liberatethelock]

He couldn't fault Tasuku's supposedly boundless fighting spirit; he shouldn't have been able to move whatsoever, and yet he was still writhing, making progress at that. Maybe... it wouldn't be too much of a surprise if he would break such shackles.

       That wouldn't prevent Void from reinstating them over and over until it might be stopped.

It was almost pitiful to see Tasuku fight, he almost felt sorry for him (putting that down to Aichi, yet again, the lingering feelings of a ghost; his interference even when absent).

His head lowered, casting a shade over the dark hues; the light had been all but snuffed out in Tasuku, severing hope altogether would place him down into the same dark depths as Aichi himself, and the two of them would watch existence dissolve around them - the final survivors.

              But for his sake, there was something he was determined to have Tasuku accept.

             "I'm not Aichi..."

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

The moment’s hesitation cost him the tide of the battle.

"…?!"

Unexpectedly, Void still had some fight left in it; of course, for a being hell bent on the destruction of the world at any cost, he shouldn’t have been surprised. And now he was paying the price.

The blast sent him crashing to the floor with a cry, his core gadget crashing down right beside him, just an arm’s length away. It reverted to its original form almost immediately, the Future Force deactivating soon after, as if whatever he had been hit with had cancelled its effects.

The first thing he was aware of, once he got his bearings again, was not exactly pain, but an incredible heaviness, as if his entire body were being weighed down upon by stone. His attempts to push himself up were quashed nearly instantly, that weighted feeling only magnifying if he managed to raise himself too much and sending him crashing back onto the floor.

"Nngh…!"

"Wh…what is…this…"

He could barely breathe. It was as if all of his energy had been sapped from him, a cold, weak feeling creeping into him that he could just barely recognize as the beginnings of hopelessness. When he dared raise his heavy head, he saw them; the black and red rings encircling him. Some sort of spell…?

His core gadget was within reach. There had to be something in there that he could use. Shakily reaching out, through the rings, his fingers just brushed along its edges…

Just…a little…more…

[liberatethelock]

Buying himself room to breathe, Aichi's body sluggishly pried itself from the floor, blood leaking from a cut tucked away within his bangs; the left eye beneath narrow from swelling as a result of the impact against the floor. Worse for wear, but managing to maneuver, which was more than Tasuku could say.

Hauling himself onto his feet, the turnaround was slow, painfully slow. The body limped towards Tasuku, eyes of mismatched sizes surveying the sight and pausing once standing over him, observing the futile struggles against the binds.

                "Lock. The power of Link Joker. Sealing power... banishing all escape... The very chains that bind power.

Shackles that took Aichi, Kai...                         This is the closest you shall come to him again".

Crouching down, his hand extending, grasping the core which Tasuku had been so desperately attempting to reach, peeling it from the ground and away from Tasuku's fingertips brushing against it altogether.

Brushing off the horror-filled demand, he straightened himself, gazing down only after pocketing the device, just like Jack. A hand moved to his head, holding it to steady the waning vision, Tasuku duplicating then returning. A heavy exhale; with his companion shackled, at the vest least, there was the opportunity to rest, regain some form of strength.

         Though cleaning the blood seeping down his face seemed to have been lost altogether.

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

"…?!"

Just barely ducking out of the way of the stream that shot out of Aichi’s fingers, the rings flew past him with an eerie sound, as if all essence had been sucked from the very space they touched. He lost precious momentum, looking up just in time to see Void charging at him once more. It was planning on finishing things in a final strike…

Then Tasuku would meet that in in turn. 

But instead of slashing head on, he instead ducked away at the last moment, just barely a hair’s width away from being cut, swiveling around Aichi and spinning on his heel to administer a powerful kick to his lower back.

As Aichi was sent sprawling, Tasuku lunged right after him, sword raised and at the ready. He would end this once and for all, bringing Dragobrave down as Void turned to face his assault—

—but he couldn’t do it.

His sword stopped just short of Aichi’s head, the metal held inches away from him. Void was making no moves to retaliate, or even avoid the blow.

…I can’t… 

This is still Aichi-san’s body… It’s still Aichi-san…

[liberatethelock]

The last-second tactics had caught Aichi off-guard; dark hues widening in astonishment that he'd managed to overlook such possibility and stumbled forward another step. Already, the strategy had escalated to heights beyond his control. Before his vision could even rotate towards its target, the small leg rose up, smashing into his lower back and destabilizing him altogether.

Aichi's back curved with a crack, losing balance altogether and tripping ungracefully once more, slamming into the floor and travelling a short distance before he would remain still, sprawled on his stomach, with Blaster Joker once again out of reach.                            His body convulsed from the shock, wincing and groaning from the pain that wracked him physically, and still, until the clinking of the sword, inches behind his tresses and poised to drive into his skull, drew heavy hues around to the boy looming over him.

Heavy, exhausted breaths accompanied the haggard, unfocused stare, returning back to the floor seconds after lifting.

                     "Aichi... you really were useless..."

        That said, Aichi would have deterred Link Joker had he the power; it was his body's shutdown that had made maneuvering more difficult, granting Tasuku the edge. He'd done his part; his body's falling apart had weakened, enough to allow Void's faltering, falling short of any goals.                                     Aichi had been fighting alongside Tasuku in spirit.

And yet... Tasuku wasn't slaying him as he'd expected to occur. The only explanation that came to mind was the identity of the vessel and their relationship. Despite all his resolve, he'd fallen short of dirtying his hands as necessary, for the sake of saving himself, everyone else... Aichi...

               Before he might regain himself to do so, or pin down Aichi by other means, a hand twisted behind his back, aimed upwards to the small frame towering over him and began to glow. With a weak utterance, he let only one command slip:

                                                                "Lock..."

And ejected the power that would secure the boy; at such close range, even he couldn't escape.

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

Gritting his teeth, he cursed his own naivete; of course it wouldn’t be that simple. And he had no idea how he would be able to remove Void physically, if such a thing was even—

"…!!"

So fixated with the answer he was given, he didn’t anticipate the preemptive strike at all, pain shooting through his ankle as it was kicked out from under him. Falling gracelessly, it was enough for Aichi to scramble to his feet and make a dive for his sword.

"Nngh…!"

"Wait…!"

Hastily getting to his own feet, he could not right himself nearly fast enough before Aichi had reclaimed his sword—

[liberatethelock]

The call alerted him to the reality that Tasuku had recovered enough to grasp the situation, the violent table turning and give chase himself. A repetition of their previous bout couldn't happen; not when Tasuku had him cornered and spared only by an underhanded tactic which played upon the advantage of Tasuku's fixation on him.

Swinging an arm around, he wouldn't have the opportunity to aim, but fired a wave of Link Joker's essence - the same as he had against Jack, and the duo whom the other had rescued him from. As long as it brought him sufficient time.

         Without so much as glancing to confirm the success or failure of the strike, he lunged forward, grasping the hilt of the discarded Blaster Joker and rolled messily to the side, dragging the weapon with him. The failings of Aichi's systems were beginning to interfere more heavily; this time, Link Joker was the side facing a countdown, though a time limit for which to seize victory than to hold out.

If Aichi's body gave out, it would find itself truly at Tasuku's mercy - and that of anyone whom he dare haul the body to. Grasping the hilt with body palms, he charged in the opposite direction - a direct challenge to Tasuku with a glare which spoke louder than the muted battle cry.

Charging directly for one another; no different than a final stand - the decisive move in their fight, which should determine the outcome.

[liberatethelock]

If You're Not a Kid, do we Call this Adultnapping?

[radiantevolution-old]

With a satisfying clang!, the white blade flew out of Aichi’s hands, spinning through the air and crashing to the ground, far out of his reach. Tasuku raised his own blade, its tip trained at the boy’s neck.

"Looks like I’ve won." 

"Now… Release Jack and Aichi-san right now, and give up on whatever you’re planning. I don’t know what you have against the world, but I won’t let you destroy it."

"And while you’re at it, get out of Aichi-san’s body… Or I’ll cut you out myself."

They were tough words that held no backing—Tasuku still had barely a clue as to what he was dealing with, and whether he’d be able to do such a thing without killing Aichi in the process was up for grabs. But he had won the battle, so perhaps he would be able to intimidate Void into vacating its vessel… 

Methods that weren’t like him at all, yet when faced up against the unknown, when the person he loved most was at stake, he had to be careful.

[liberatethelock]

All efforts to escape suddenly died in an instant; Aichi was seated before the victor, hands behind him to support as he leaned back, dimmed eyes fixed onto the blade aimed forward with its tip just inches from his throat. Teeth clenched, only faint grunts of disappointment and the sound of catching his breath bypassed the gritted jaws.

         Demands issued immediately after the proclamation of victory drew the solid optics upwards to the face bearing down; his features still cautious in confronting the boy. His resolve, as had been demonstrated, was strong enough to place his feelings for Aichi aside; his judgement not clouded by the usage of a loved one as a hostage.

Even such a ludicrous claim might have held ground if Tasuku really believed Aichi would rather die and prevent Link Joker's campaign by resetting the both of them to their state in the beginning; it was difficult to say. Neither had any understanding of what might happen to their balance if the hijacked body might perish; Aichi could have disappeared forever if slain whilst subdued.

                           "Removal won't be so simple, boy. Try it and see if he'll live. We're essentially one, and I shan't lose".

Without warning a boot slammed into Tasuku's ankle to trip him, using that narrow opening to scramble onto his feet and make a break for the sword which had been knocked from his hands, set only on reclaiming a method with which to fight.