Send me a ☠ for your muse to stab mine
you do not want this, cries your heart.
you do not have a choice, answers your mind as you draw your obsidian blade from its sheath. that sound as the blade scrapes out of its protective covering is one that has always grated on your ears, but this time it seems somehow sharper. the sword itself feels oddly heavy ( more than normal ) as you point its tip in his direction.
‘ do not make this harder than it already is, piccolo, ’ you mutter softly. of course, you do not expect him to comply. that’s the thing with these heroes– they’re too stubborn for their own good, too self-destructive. it breaks your stone heart to see him ready his own blades, quickly mended as you turn your body to that of diamond. he’ll have no luck cutting through you in this form– perhaps then you can wear him out, push him to his limits and then gain the upper hand. it may not be the quick end you wish to deal him ( he doesn’t deserve such a dragged-out finish to his life ) but you’re left with little choice.
you’ll just have to keep an eye out for any openings in which to strike him down sooner.
unfortunately for both parties, wearing him down seems to be the only option. you quickly realize that, despite his age, he is quite adept at swordplay, at covering the spots that are usually left open and vulnerable. is he truly a quirkless hero? you have a hard time believing this now– it almost seems as if he’s got an analysis quirk of sorts. or perhaps precognition.
oh, how you wish it didn’t have to be this way. some foolish remnant of your past self, a naive wishful thinker, is already wondering about wanting to teach him, to refine his swordplay until he has mastered it just as you have– or, well, as much as a self-taught individual can master the trade, that is.
cease such mindless dreaming! you have a job to do!
with a frustrated growl ( both at yourself and, honestly, this entire situation ) you parry his wrath blow and lunge, using your weight to force him to stagger back before you make your own jump backwards, putting several feet between the two of you once more. diamond gives way to flesh and bone, and you open your mouth to address the fact that you don’t want this, please just leave so i don’t have to kill you and–
and he closes the distance before you can even speak. you try to bring your sword to meet his, but you’re not quick enough and then all you can see is white. all you can feel is pain– something so new and foreign because never have you been caught off guard in this form. you’ve always deflected damage with your quirk, but this time he’s too fast. blade pierces through your abdomen of true flesh, not any kind of gem or rock, and all you can do is sputter and gasp. your voice has left you– you cannot even scream despite the pain. even as you shove a foot into his chest and kick him backwards, forcing his sword out of your body in an equally painful and abrupt manner, you say nothing. expression only offers shock while you press your gloved hands to the wound, now bleeding more profusely with the blade no longer plugging the wound.
collapse on your knees and wheeze now, gaze falling to ground. don’t look at the wound, the blood, the stains left on your clothes and skin– you don’t fear the sight of blood, per se, but it will bring up unwanted memories and this is hardly the time or place for traumatic flashbacks.
force your gaze back up to the young hero instead. offer a strained grin, even as you cough and hack up blood. just ignore it and focus on him.
‘ m… meglio delle attese… ’ chuckle through your labored breathing and ignore how your vision blurs. ‘ you have speed on your side, piccolo. i suggest you use it well. use it to avoid the other members of the family. ’
‘ madre has never been kind to those that harm her children. it is not a wrath i wish you to experience– so run, child. prioritize your own safety for a change. ’