[And lead the way he does, his own eyes skipping over Cabin 3 - where Nine is waiting, and will keep waiting - feeling a momentary pang of pain before striding down over near the firepit.
The place which has taken the most out of them, but somehow...it feels right, to be done here. Where so many others have died...]
...Alright. I - how do you want to do this? I know - where to hit someone to kill them pretty quickly.
...Yeah. If you've got anything that can pierce through bone, go for the heart. I'll show you where.
[It's not long before they get there, close to the firepit - which is still glowing red from the nightly fire. Ichigo faces Mitsuru, taking out both Zangetsus and looking...grim.
It'll be - alright. Everything will.
You're leaving them behind, but it's to help.]
...Okay. Here -
[He points to a spot where his heart and lung overlap - to make doubly sure the attack will kill.]
Is where you should aim. You're - going to have to go through the ribs and some of the sternum, so...
[Another nod, and Mitsuru raises his staff slightly, chanting. His voice is thin, but the melody no less beautiful, and sure enough a thin blade of ice forms in the air, its coldness sapping the heat from around it as it sits aloft and ready. Its form is sleek and thin; enough to do the job of piercing without falling apart, but also with precision.
He holds the staff close for a moment longer, just long enough to whisper:]
Sorry.
[The spirits in the gemstones... He's not sure what will happen to them, once he's dead. They are, after all, pieces of a reflection of his heart. But after all their guidance, this, this is where the Journey ends.
And then, he lowers the staff enough to expose himself, trying to keep his eyes on Ichigo even when they're so inevitably drawn to the blades.
No. The heart. It needs to be the heart.
He takes a breath and drags his vision to Ichigo's chest.]
...Ready. Shall we count?
[A part of him recalls that not so long ago, he counted off similarly with Boa, although that was a match of beyblades and not one intended to leave them both dead.
Perhaps he'll see him again, after this. That's about the best he can really hope for now.]
[It's - beautiful, the ice. For a moment, he's reminded of Rukia - of her blade of sheer cold and ice - and of Hitsugaya and his ice dragon. It seems - weirdly right, to die like this, somehow.
It'll make it easier for Mitsuru to get away with what's about to happen, if he doesn't make it in time to strike true.]
Yeah, sounds...good.
[He swallows, his grip tightening on his blades - noting for once that his Zanpakuto is silent.
Is it because of the hunger, or that they know this is the best way to end this week?
He doesn't know.]
...One.
[He takes a step forward, crouching down a little, prepared to leap.]
....Two.
[It's so still, so quiet. His blood should be pounding in his ears, but -
Instead, he's just calm.
So very, very calm.]
...Three -!
[The moment before he rushes forward -
He knows. He knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that he cannot kill Mitsuru. He'd known as they stepped to the firepit, as he stared him in the face as the younger boy steeled himself for death.
But he couldn't back out. Someone needs to die, and it might as well be him. And in the end -
I'm sorry.
Please forgive me for being unable to kill you.
His smaller blade merely cuts through open air, the larger one falling from his hand as the smaller blade snags some blond hair before Red's barrier pops up and knocks his hand and sword away. Before that shimmering shard of ice slices through his chest and pops out his back, blood wetly running over it as he staggers backwards - coughing up bubbles of blood and staring at Mitsuru's 'savior' in disbelief.]
[He sees the blades begin to move, acutely aware of the quick beat of his heart in his chest as he faces an oncoming death--
That never even arrives.
He stares mutely as Ichigo collapses in front of him, having felt the wind of the slash yet not even realizing it had technically struck, cutting a lock of hair harmlessly. All he can do is watch in growing horror because Ichigo is dead but he, he isn't, and that means--]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
He glances in the direction of the lake, eyes dragging only momentarily over Cabin 4. The last opportunity.
He nods.]
Fine. Over there, then.
[Keeping his voice calm, level. He's faced death before, tried to chase it even--
How different is this from then, really?
He waits for Ichigo to lead the way, but he'll follow.]
no subject
The place which has taken the most out of them, but somehow...it feels right, to be done here. Where so many others have died...]
...Alright. I - how do you want to do this? I know - where to hit someone to kill them pretty quickly.
no subject
[And even then it was more a matter of crushing them with far more power than was absolutely necessary.
Unfortunately, Ichigo's going to need to be functional enough to... well, kill him.]
...Just show me the best place to strike. I can do that easily enough.
[The summer air is warm, but he feels cold, a chill down his back.
Just keep walking, Mitsuru.]
no subject
[It's not long before they get there, close to the firepit - which is still glowing red from the nightly fire. Ichigo faces Mitsuru, taking out both Zangetsus and looking...grim.
It'll be - alright. Everything will.
You're leaving them behind, but it's to help.]
...Okay. Here -
[He points to a spot where his heart and lung overlap - to make doubly sure the attack will kill.]
Is where you should aim. You're - going to have to go through the ribs and some of the sternum, so...
...We should - do this at the same time.
no subject
He holds the staff close for a moment longer, just long enough to whisper:]
Sorry.
[The spirits in the gemstones... He's not sure what will happen to them, once he's dead. They are, after all, pieces of a reflection of his heart. But after all their guidance, this, this is where the Journey ends.
And then, he lowers the staff enough to expose himself, trying to keep his eyes on Ichigo even when they're so inevitably drawn to the blades.
No. The heart. It needs to be the heart.
He takes a breath and drags his vision to
Ichigo's chest.]
...Ready. Shall we count?
[A part of him recalls that not so long ago, he counted off similarly with Boa, although that was a match of beyblades and not one intended to leave them both dead.
Perhaps he'll see him again, after this. That's about the best he can really hope for now.]
no subject
It'll make it easier for Mitsuru to get away with what's about to happen, if he doesn't make it in time to strike true.]
Yeah, sounds...good.
[He swallows, his grip tightening on his blades - noting for once that his Zanpakuto is silent.
Is it because of the hunger, or that they know this is the best way to end this week?
He doesn't know.]
...One.
[He takes a step forward, crouching down a little, prepared to leap.]
....Two.
[It's so still, so quiet. His blood should be pounding in his ears, but -
Instead, he's just calm.
So very, very calm.]
...Three -!
[The moment before he rushes forward -
He knows. He knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that he cannot kill Mitsuru. He'd known as they stepped to the firepit, as he stared him in the face as the younger boy steeled himself for death.
But he couldn't back out. Someone needs to die, and it might as well be him. And in the end -
I'm sorry.
Please forgive me for being unable to kill you.
His smaller blade merely cuts through open air, the larger one falling from his hand as the smaller blade snags some blond hair before Red's barrier pops up and knocks his hand and sword away. Before that shimmering shard of ice slices through his chest and pops out his back, blood wetly running over it as he staggers backwards - coughing up bubbles of blood and staring at Mitsuru's 'savior' in disbelief.]
...Ah...Red...
[And then, he falls.]
no subject
That never even arrives.
He stares mutely as Ichigo collapses in front of him, having felt the wind of the slash yet not even realizing it had technically struck, cutting a lock of hair harmlessly. All he can do is watch in growing horror because Ichigo is dead but he, he isn't, and that means--]