A Partisan Bout - Part 2

"Let me be on the offence this time around, Michael," suggests Malique, probably because he hears Michael's heavy gasping. "I don't think that we're allowed to take a break here."

Eyeing down their unfathomed nemesis, Lucifer, still standing with never-ending energy, waiting to receive an attack from them that he can read and parry easily. They bet that Lucifer could do this all day, draining every single sweat and will until nothing but a blob of flesh was left.

"Plus, I believe that having you covering for me is a more suitable option for us. No offence, but judging by the way he's overpowering us in the first half, we need a slight change in our tactic," backs up Malique his idea of them switching places on the coordinated attack.

As Michael gives rethink his failing advancement, he realizes a huge mistake that would have cost them their lives in the first quarter of the fight. Lucifer's quick thinking manages to help him determine the winning factor of this malfunctioning strategy.

Being on the receiving end gives Lucifer an extra course of action which is called dodging. Quite simple and amateurish but effective as hell. So, every time Michael tries to inflict the first hit, Lucifer will always proceed to avoid it.

And as planned, Malique will go on the counteract by swinging afterwards, regardless of Michael managing to land his strike. While evading is no longer a viable solution, suddenly going on the agreement could ambush Malique, and he did just right.

Having quite less experience in battle gives Lucifer a crucial window that he can use to turn the situation around in a split second by forcing Michael to go one-on-one with him when Malique is discretely taken away. Still, shutting down the Radar Interceptor Officer is key to winning a jet war.

To strengthen things, Lucifer suppresses himself from trying out any chances that Michael slips up to drag both of them further and further away from where Malique is anchored. This allows Lucifer to gain extra time to finally go on the incursion that he wishes he could end Michael on the spot.

But luck is not on his side today, or has it ever been on his? With all of this mishap that has been going on and on, his pessimism is the only thing he trusts and relies on. When he failed to assassinate Michael back then, thanks to Malique's interruption, it boils his constantly flowing blood with rage.

"Are we on the same page here?" Malique asks as Michael accidentally gives him a silent treatment with an addition of ignorance when he was resolving the lacking plan.

"Ah, yes... Sorry. Let's do this your lead now." Michael's response is abrupt. Although his memory of whatever Malique was talking about is quite vague, he understands the gist of it and evaluates it through the long countermeasure contemplation.

"Alright then, we're going in!" Malique immediately launches himself towards the waiting prey with his right hand at the front. His sword, however, is still concealed to confuse Lucifer when he will manifest it.

"Okay." Michael calmly follows about a meter behind Malique's back after he dashes past him. Like Malique, his spear is also hidden not that he tries to imitate him but to avoid backstabbing him.

In reaction, Lucifer stands his ground and slowly lifts both of his arms to act contrarily given by their action. He is aware of what Malique is trying to do so he would not take any unwanted initiative unless the decision is certain to work to his advantage.

"Now!" Malique signals as he grabs Lucifer's hand instead of calling out his weapon. This movement stuns Lucifer as he is unresponsive and is now played on the palm of his enemies. Since Malique's ruling does not involve any ill intention, it forces Lucifer's auto-reflex to switch off.

"Go at him!" Instantaneously, Malique jumps to his right to open up Lucifer's whole body making him an easier target to hit. With Michael following up, this is indeed the closest and the most successful assail they have ever organized, so they should not waste the opportunity yet they fail.

[Sting!]

Rather than stab Lucifer on any of his body parts, Michael has to result in blocking the snaring beak that was intended for Malique's head. It is the kind of situation where either both Malique and Lucifer will die, or both of them will escape eternal rest.

Winning the fight by executing Lucifer would give them a huge upper hand in stopping the Second Great War. However, telling Gabriel the final word about his lovely pupil would break his heart, especially when he remembers the good old times when he saw them train together.

Gabriel's joyful expression would turn into regret and anger when he has to note down Malique's death. Because of this, Michael chooses to let the right set of circumstances walk away.

When Malique freezes upon realizing what could have happened to him, Lucifer uses the moment to cross his arms and knock Malique's wrists together, forcing him to let go. In the nick of time, Malique leaps up, and Lucifer boots his torso to sneak away while creating some distance between them.

Michael quickly disarms himself and catches the flailing ragdoll to stop him from disappearing again. Going into a one-versus-one fight for the second time will probably finish them up. Here and now, Lucifer's mask is the most tremendous significance they have to deal with.

"We need to find a way to pull apart that annoying helmet first," Michael whispers to Malique, who is exasperatingly pulling himself together from tumbling over.

"I know," Malique irritatingly replies. "But whenever our weapon reaches him, he just fends us off. Like always."

"Then let's try knocking it at the same time," Michael suggests, as that is the only bet they have not attempted while sampling the so-called 'coordinated attack'. "If we fail this one as well, I think retreating is our last hope."

"I bet he catches up to us then slaughters us if we do that," Malique doubts. Lucifer is still not revealing his secret weapon, so he might use them as they try to flee. "We can do the thing you mentioned, except when there is a possibility to end him, clutch it without consideration of any harm happening to either of us."

"No, that's not going to..." Michael starts to say but Malique interrupts him.

"Michael, our best shot requires the strongest will. The sake of the afterworld depends on us," Malique argues. "Please Michael, I don't want to lose you the same way you want me to survive."

"Alright, fine," Michael concedes. "Whatever we do, we mustn't let Lucifer be the one bringing news of us fallen to Gabriel."

"I believe Lucifer will be dead first before he even has the chance to tell him," Malique jokes and Michael lets out a chuckle, feeling momentarily at ease.

"I need to be honest with you, Malique. But this may be the last of my energy left," Michael lightly taps Malique's shoulder and firmly caresses it as if it will be his last time ever touching it. "I'm going to go broke here. If the worst decides to come, just remember..."

"No, we succeed in this one," Malique interrupts. "Trust me."

Back to it once more, they strive to hunt Lucifer down. No word or sound is needed to signal the launch, nonetheless, the two of them synchronically embark for the last time. Midway, they cast in opposite directions to trap Lucifer from both sides.

Considering that they focus on the mask, Lucifer did not anticipate it straight enough that he believes dodging it is more than enough. Because Malique is using a blade, he arrives earlier and Lucifer with ease swerves his mask around it.

But what he did not predict was Michael tightly following his movement and by a stroke of luck, toppling the helmet off. Unfortunately, Lucifer's fleeting hand seizes it back and hastily utilizes it back on his head.

Despite that, Malique's quick thinking helps them by automatically elbowing the loose veil abroad. When the mask hurls aside, black evil air-like smoke seems to escape from Lucifer's eyes, mouth, and nose. This impels him to clutch on his face whether he wants to keep the spirit in or to protect himself from getting sucked out.

"AAAAHHHHHH!!!!" Lucifer shrieks, clawing his skin madly, straining under the pain he is administering.

A chance! Realizing that the golden opportunity is upon him, Malique is going in for the ending blow. In that split second, the aggravation and revengeful sentiment flood into his consciousness, making Malique antagonize Michael for stopping him.

[Clung!]

"What the heck are you trying to do!?" Michael yells.