The pair stare at each other, Harold's azure eyes emitting a calm bloodlust. Harry's shining a gentle scarlet. Just as the silence reaches its peak, Harold breaks it. "Tell me, do you still want to be a hero?" Harry doesn't respond, instead taking on a combative stance. Suddenly, the iris flowers bloom, spots of light gushing forward and filling the area! Right at their brightest the pair move. At Harold's first step Harry charges forward, summoning another pair of now ruby red gauntlets as he moves to rip Harold's head off.
"So this is how a hero fight's? How savage." Calmly Harold takes half a step back and grabs his greatsword, Harry missing him by just a hair. Harry, his face still steps forward with a small spin, manipulating the edges of his gauntlets to become sharp like daggers as he cuts downwards towards Thomas's right ankle. "I've long since given up on being a hero."
Harold smiles, remembering that first real conversation they ever had. Suddenly, as if reading his memories, reality shifts, the grassy field starting to become something resembling the stage of a play. Seeing this Harry frowns. "We are both servants to our truths. Though mine is clear and open your's is muddied and hidden?" With every one of Harold's words the sky quivers, the stars shining and dimming. Before Harry can do anything a stage rises as the flowers explode into wooden planks, the stars falling and turning into bleachers. Humanoid shadows fill almost every seat, leaving only one empty. In that empty seat Crim suddenly appears, forced awake by "something."
Now distracted Harry misses his swing. "A hero…tell me, what is it you people of earth call a hero? From what I understand they are not too different from knights like myself." Harry frowns. "I take a knight's vow here. A man will die, but as a hero or peasant I leave to fate." Roughly he takes his blade and slams it into the stage, its great weight causing it to pierce near a head's length into the stage.
Bang!
A goliath, tall as the tallest man and wide enough to cleave a knight's waist in two with even a weak swing. A near holy silver blade and wrist thick titan of a handle. "In this domain we are equal. Now come, let's talk."
Slash!
Completely ignoring Harold's words Harry rushes forward and pulls his hands back, lowering his body to hide from his enemy's sight using the titan of a sword in front of him. Despite not seeing him, Harold manages to move his hand away from the gauntlet's shifting blade like fingers as they rush from behind the sword aiming to tear away his wrist. "A knight does not fight with such trickery." With both hands he slams the sword into the outstretched blade like finger extensions, instantly breaking them. "Neither does a hero. The hero I wanted to be could confidently strike with a wide smile even knowing he's doomed. "Like so?" Harold puts on a wide smile, confidently and violently pulling the greatsword out from the stage!
Kaboom!
Wood flies in a violent explosion as the blade wildly flies upward. Preparing for a downward slash Harry leans down and steps to the side, swinging his left fist towards Harold's crotch. Harold simply leans his legs forward slightly, causing his knee to push Harold's fist off course. "Yup. Hey, I have to ask. What makes you so certain I will die?" Harold's smile breaks. Even so, his stance remains firm as he slams his now raised blade down towards Harry's head.
"Death is but a lie to me…"
Crash!
Wood explodes outward again, shards crashing into Harry's clothes and piercing his skin while bouncing off Harold's armor.
Silence.
Looking at Harold's face Harry knows there's no lie behind his words. "I guess I'm dying today then." Looking at Crim standing still, seemingly unable to move, Harry puts on his first genuine smile. At this moment, the fight pauses. Harold looks on with curiosity. Seeing this and still speaking, Harry sidesteps to Harold's right, slamming both his fist towards his waist. "In my old life I really hated myself."
Crack.
Harold lets Harry hit him, a deep pit forming on his armor as the metal making up Harry's gauntlets pushes out into it on impact. "I made a promise to myself, a promise to be better." His face now still Harold slams his right fist towards Harry's face. "Life is scary. It's painful and hard to understand. If I had to describe it, it'd be a dark void I'm forced to walk through. That's just how it is." Harry dodges. "The natural state is despair. Thing is, I fucking hate that world."
Harold suddenly smiles, slamming his hips onto Harry, managing to catch his shoulder and knock him down onto his stomach. Ruthlessly he tries to stomp on Harry's neck, grabbing his greatsword with both hands and sliding it towards Harry. "When I grew up, beating was a daily occurrence. It never really hurt all too much, that's not the memorable part." Harry curls up and pushes himself against the ground, sending himself flying towards the left. "I remember the anger more than anything."
Harry's smile grows even wider.
"Everyone knew yet no one helped. Sure my mom would hit me but at least she wouldn't put up an act. Do you have any idea how lonely it feels? To be in such clear pain, to be so clearly in need of help and yet not a single hand reaches out?"
The pair look to each other, a faint light glimmering in their eyes as passions start to rise.
"Really sucks, but that's just how it is. Just how the world is. Fuck that though."
Harry's eyes start to shine a bright silver, flames bursting out from his mouth accompanying every word.
"If this world is a dark void we have to wander alone then I'll be the flame that burns bright. The flame we need. Someone who asks how your day went and means it! Someone who tells you good morning every day! Someone who WILL be there!"
Reality starts to shift, cracks exploding out and forcing Harold to take several steps away, the stage breaking down and the faint crowd taking on a more defined shape. Within moments the area splits, a bright near classic stage play around Harold and a cartoonish action tv show like set forming around Harry.
"But I'm weak."
Harold looks on in silence, white iris flowers starting to sprout from the stage ground around his feet.
"I cry myself to sleep as I give the people around me a smile. I wear a pathetic grin whenever someone gives me a small compliment. I imagine situations where I'm special in some way. A hero can be sad but what hero loses themself so far to despair they try to kill themselves?"
For a split second Crim regains control, a face of unbridled shock filling his and Harold's eyes.
"I'm no hero! But I can be that flame. Sure you can't die but I can at least make you too afraid to ever touch that kid again! Welcome to Harry's Happy Hour, tonight's my last show. For my last show, let's start a fire so bright even the stars can't escape its roaring blaze!"
BANG!!!
Flames explode from Harry's feet, his outfit changing to one from earth. A tacky anime shirt, dirty jeans, and loose sandals. He knows, through his eyes he can see it. He can see the immortal before him. In this moment the two the pair only see each other, Crim forced to watch on as his hero fights to the death. Memories flood and his eyes grow wet.
"Hey Harry, why did you start that radio show?"
Long before it all, before they got stuck in this fight they would sit in the night, both unable to sleep, and talk . Crim would sit across from Harry wondering what was in Harry's head, lazily resting his head against his hands as he let his thoughts take him wherever. Usually Harry would give a long over the top answer, radiating an almost child-like excitement as he talked. That night though, he was serious.
Looking at Crim's innocent eyes Harry hesitates but still responds. "I felt lonely and wanted to try something new." Crim tilts his head. "Ah, you're from earth right? Beyond the crack?" Harry nods. "So then was it lonely coming to a new world? Having to lose so many people and memories." Crim, seeing Harry hesitate again, leans forward. "Not really. Thing is back in the old world I used to be a v-tuber. Honestly I'm really afraid of people. I'm weird, I know I am." Looking towards the sky Harry puts on an emotionless face. Crim silently watches on as he speaks.
"I don't know. No one ever really watched me but I had fun. When the mask was on I could be myself without fear. I could go on my long rants and stutter and get excited for as long as I want and as much as I want. Play my games and let my thoughts fly."
Stopping for a moment Harry lets out a heavy sigh.
"When I meet people, even my friends, there's just a wordless pressure. To be normal. To hold back and not be annoying. I hated it. That I felt that way despite how much people trust me. I don't know why but when I wear a mask I feel safer. I'm me. But it's weird to always wear a cartoon mask so I did the next best thing."
Crim tilts his head in confusion, Harry choosing to smile in response.
"There's no streaming here and the world rejects earth but I missed that feeling. I was hoping I could be myself, reach out, and make someone smile."
"You made me smile, Harry."
Silence
He's weird, he's energetic, he's silly, and more than anything.
He's warm.
The fight continues. The bright lights and rainbow explosions behind Harry grow stronger as he steps towards Harold. Iris flowers bloom and the stage fades as a garden takes its place. Instantly Harry appears in front of Harold, slamming his fist onto Harold's raised greatsword. Cutting wind and aiming to cleave him in half the greatsword falls. Looking at it Harry smiles, punching it to the side. In response Harold removes one hand from the sword's handle and grabs his arm, pulling him in closer towards the falling sword.
It misses
Now closer Harry headbuts Harold. Harold pulls the massive sword towards him as it smashes into the floor, letting go and using his other hand to grab Harry's neck and slam his head towards the falling blades handle.
A blood flower buds.
Stillness.
"A hero always takes a hit before bringing down his enemy."
With blood pouring down his head Harry glares, rushing forward and biting into Harold's exposed neck. Instantly a massive chunk of flesh is torn off. Even so, Harold stands. His flesh bubbles and grows as his skin stretches. Within seconds the wound vanishes. Crim, seeing Harry bleeding and his enemy fine can only look on in silent despair. Harry, seeing Crim almost crying, sends him a thumbs up and smiles.
"Hey kid, when you get out of here. Don't avenge me kay?"
Ruby light bursts as Harry rages on. He will die. He cannot escape, but he will not lose to a knight stuck to the past. He will not lose to a corpse. The garden is violently pushed back, visions of a dull cityscape from earth appearing and rushing from Harry's shadow. Harold looks on as those familiar eyes take on a different hue, as her eyes become his.
"Sorry this was a short one everyone but bad news, looks like I'm dying tonight! But! I WON'T DIE FOR NOTHING! TONIGHT I DIE A HERO!!!"
A crack forms, dragging Crim out.
Suddenly, he's back in Lindbourough, in the same spot before the fight began, except it's empty, the strands gone. Looking around, not finding even Will or Tommy, he doesn't know what to feel.
Sadness? Fear? Anger? Lonliness
No, just determination. Harry let him free. He has to run. He has to get away. Crim pulls out a radio and puts it on the ground, intending to listen to his favorite radio show. Standing alone in the field of flowers there's nothing but static. He has to run, he has to get away, he has to take advantage of the opportunity he was given. Before he can do anything a tear forms in the air.
A pair of shining silver eyes gently float out, the image of a bloodied madman fighting a shining knight full of fear and respect in his determined eyes appearing behind them for the split moment before the crack closes. Grabbing them Crim almost instinctively knowing what to do puts them in his mouth…and swallows them. Suddenly, the static breaks and a familiar voice peers through.
"The first time I died, I did it myself just because I felt a little lonely. Kind of pathetic right folks? Ya know. I used to imagine my death. Fighting while being supported by friends, giving off a great inspiration speech while embracing the light. I guess I got that. I suck at speeches though. Hey, I won't ask for anything big. I'm no hero and these flames are about to burn out. To anyone who might miss me. Live on with a smile."
The sound of a sword smashing against the ground crashes through the radio followed by some falling. Hearing it, Crim can tell. Crim can feel it through his eyes as they start to glow a weak silver.
A blood flower blooms as Harry is beheaded.
"You were my hero…"
Listening to static, looking at the shining moon and weak stars in the sky, looking at the empty horizon and thinking of the opportunity given to him, Crim can only do one thing. He grabs his hair, he pulls, and he cries.
"...You…you were my hero."
With the final word Crim digest those eyes, becoming one step closer to an anchor.
End Of Volume 1-(Beginning Of The End)