WEEK ONE EXECUTION

[grigori]

week one: execution dead men tell no tales

Hopefully you got a long night of sleep? Barring that, you got whatever answers, or closure, you might have needed. Because it's strangely quiet, the following Sunday morning. Moreso than Krankaz typically is. There's something almost oppressive hanging over the city, contained within the confines of the Bubble.

Breaking the silence, somewhere, much like the song of Friday, there is the echoing, cruel laughter of voices you should faintly recognize throughout the city. It's followed by humming of that newly familiar song. It's strongest, interestingly, close to the plaza.

As time turns to 1 PM, though, there is a change as the voices fade. While there's no compulsion to investigate it, there's a small gathering in the plaza. Your three Watchers are here with their daemons, and so are... Bertolt, and his daemon, front and center. All damages and evidence, anything amiss from the weekend, is all gone, and replaced with the state of the plaza from the week prior.

Nearby, the Watchers oversee everything. Satariel is standing close to Bertolt and Idi, keeping their head up, but the visible portion of their face is lined in misery and tension. Their daemon is in its raven form, barely seen from within their hood and pressed as close to their neck and head as it can be. Rameel stands next to Satariel, with their daemon in the form of a puma, also close to them. There's barely a smile that crosses Rameel's face as their gaze is between Satariel and the sight before them. On Satariel's other side is the last Watcher, pressed close enough to nudge with an elbow. Their daemon paces before them as an ocelot, ears pulled back in displeasure as both it and Yomiel await the executioner.

And then, another party will be compelled to join them. Kotetsu will find that his feet are carrying him to his destination, Finley keeping pace with him as they make their way down the ruined paths that make up the city of Krankaz. Once he passes through the centermost area of the plaza, opposite where Bertolt stand, he'll find that he can't go back, and neither can his daemon.

Likewise, no one can enter the plaza further than where the three Watchers stand are forced to step back, though luckily not expelled like last week. There will be no interfering from outside parties, no matter what it is that's about to happen. Any attempts to do so will result in them meeting an invisible barrier, one that rebuffs them with the same amount of force used against it—so take care.

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[perspire]

There's only one way to make things right.

[ With that, Bertolt immediately starts to move forward. His moves are sure as he raises the trident to aim a jab at Kotetsu's side. ]

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[ It may come as a surprise to the crowd, but despite how he's run and how clumsy he's been, he's actually more agile than he seems. Unfortunately, he is still injured from days past. His body has a soft ache to it, but he pushes it down. He has to. He manages to block the trident with the spear, parrying him off. ]

That's where you're wrong. None of this is right.

[ For the moment, he doesn't attack back. ]

[perspire]

I know. Nothing is right here.

[ He speaks clearly as he steps back into his stance as he plots his next move. Bertolt looks over Kotetsu, looks at how he's standing, looks for any sort of weakness that he could take advantage of. This isn't just about him, it's about the people he killed for. He's not fighting by himself, as his eyes glance towards the three prongs of the trident. ]

That's why things need to change. [ Or end...

Bertolt moves back forward, but as he attacks, he twirls the trident around, so that the shaft part is coming towards Kotetsu. This time, the attack is aiming for his head. A blunt force attack. ]

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[ Kotetsu raises his arms to block the blow, but he's knocked back against the barrier, making Finley skitter out from behind him. Despite what she-- they-- want, her eyes fix on Idi, getting low to the ground and stalking closer. It seems like her form starts to shift toward that of a lion, but all too quickly it's like that sight never happened.

He shakes his head, quickly gaining his composure physically, but yelling back at him. ]

Kid, this isn't the way to do it! You're just playing into this game. You're not protecting anyone this way.

[ His posture shifts as he pushes off the barrier to get more footing out in the open.

He meant it when he said he was serious about this. That he can't lose here. But he can at least try to talk some sense into him. He knows it's futile, but he's felt that before. ]

[perspire]

[ Idi, unlike yesterday, is standing still as she watches the fight. She remains in giraffe form, like she has since the start of the trial yesterday. ]

I'm playing the role I was given. There's nothing to be done about it.

[ Bertolt starts to swing the shaft of the trident at him again and again and again and again-- ]

The world is just cruel.

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[ With every swing, Kotetsu fights off the relentless attacks, being backed up slowly. He tries to keep from getting pinned, tries to make sure his footing doesn't give. From an outside perspective, it's likely to look like he's in over his head and about to drown.

But he isn't backing down or giving in. Finley keeps a close watch on Idi, making sure she doesn't dare make a move, but also looking ready to strike at the drop of a hat.

There's a small, mirthless laugh at that comment. ]

Cruel is an understatement here. That's why you fight back against it. That's why you don't give up and resign to it.

[ And at one of the strikes, he shoves back with strength that he'd been holding back to give himself some distance, a moment of breathing. ]

That's why you find people around you to help bring out that light.

[ He tips the point at Bertolt. ]

Your choice isn't the path there.

[perspire]

[ At that, he gives Kotetsu a sad smile, the first true hint of emotion he's shown all day. From her spot, Idi gives out a mournful cry, still not moving. ]

It's a path I set myself on a long time ago.

[ He spins the trident back around, pointing the three teeth of it back at Kotetsu.

He takes a deep breath and goes back in, aiming another thrust at him. Going low here, hoping to get a block so he can throw a punch. ]

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[ The punch lands, in the midst of his fighting. It seems to be a calculated risk. While it does cause him to stumble back, he quickly regains his footing. Better to take a fist versus a trident. ]

I already told you none of that mattered here! We could have made it through this place together. Every last one of us!

[ His voice picks up, more heated now. With his words, Finley lets out a pained roar. ]

Sacrificing others for your cause does nothing in the end.

[perspire]

And then I go back home, where things are worse.

[ He stops at that as he says it. ]

But... for them, I'll do it.

[ The words settle over Bertolt again and he grows calm once more. No matter what happens, all he can do is move forward down the path he set himself on. He knows what he's done is wrong to everyone around him, but for him-- it was right. That's all there is to this. It's all a matter of how you want to look at things. Even now, no matter the outcome, he doesn't think he'll be upset with the end. ]

I'm not just a soldier, Kotetsu. I'm a Warrior.

[ He takes a deep breath as he settles into a stance for one final attack. ]

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[ With that shift, he knows. He knows there is no turning back. This would be where everything was decided. One misstep and it would be over for either of them. His hands shift on the spread, holding it more aggressively than before versus that of the defensive.

His head shakes a bit. ]

Then, let's see how this ends.

[ He doesn't take the first step to move. Waiting for the attack to respond accordingly. Finley is prepared to help with Idi. ]

[perspire]

Let's see.

[ He doesn't hesitate as he moves forward, trident raised. He has spent years training to aim for the perfect spot, the spot that would kill. Sure, Kotetsu is a lot smaller than a titan, but he knows where to aim.

The teeth of his trident aim straight for the middle of Kotetus' chest. ]

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[ The one thing that Bertolt couldn't account for in all of his training: daemons. Or, more specifically in the case, Finley. She has something important to protect. Herself. Kotetsu. At that decisive moment, she lunches to sink her claws into Idi, biting at her throat.

The two of them have learned to work together. It's the trust in himself and the trust he has from others that helps bring her into action. Confident, despite the odds and despite the horrible and grotesque situation.

When the trident makes contact, his spear connects with Bertolt's chest and he grabs onto the tri-headed weapon, holding it secure in his stomach. He leans forward to whisper so only Bertolt can hear. ]

I'm sorry. I promise I'll make this right.

[ And his grip tightens as he pushes just a bit more. ]

[perspire]

[ The attack on Idi catches him off guard. He hears her cry-- feels her pain. His steps, once sure, now stumble as his head starts to turn towards her, wanting to check on the partner he's had since he's arrived. He doesn't get that chance as his trident lowers from it's intended target-- the heart-- and pierces Kotetsu in the gut as the point of Kotetsu's spear strikes true.

He coughs up blood, his eyes widening at Kotetsu's final words to him. ]

Reiner... Annie...

[ He lets out a dying gasp as more blood spills from his mouth as the point sinks deeper into his chest, into his heart before he eventually slumps over, arms falling off the trident's shaft as it clatters to the ground.

The only things holding him up now being Kotetsu and the spear. ]

REMEMBER -

[grigori]

remember
and dust you shall become in the end

 

 

The Watchers step forward in unison as the barrier falls, the same as they had with the verdict against Bertolt. Their reactions vary - Yomiel's uneasiness, Satariel's misery as they lower their head, Rameel's solemness, but it's clear to them that this is the end.

The strike is true, from daemon and man alike. Even with the trident hitting him, Kotetsu doesn't miss his mark, and Idi bleeds gold from Finley's jaws, then the rest of her shimmers into that golden Dust, fading on the wind. The trident and spear both disappear much like the screwdriver had after they were chosen, allowing Bertolt to sink to his knees, and it seems like nothing will be left behind.

And that includes the executed, Bertolt's body turning to Dust like much his daemon - and then there's nothing left.

Bertolt Hoover is dead.

The laughter from before returns, echoing, before the unknown but newly familiar voices turn to song again:

true dedication for those he holds dear,
precious friends, a love sincere,
a worthy cause to become the guilty,
and he'd do it again, willfully.
so here he falls, the price to atone
when all the boy wanted was to go home.

After the Dust clears, and the song ends with more of that laughter, the Watchers will disappear in a shift of time around them. Kotetsu and Finley are left alone in the heart of the plaza.

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[ When everything shifts to dust, that mutual support from Bertolt gone, Kotetsu's body sinks down to the ground. He makes no sound, other than his body hitting the plaza floor. His stomach is wet with blood and he just lays there looking up, unfocused.

He's in emotional shock as well as the physical damage. ]

[greatdeduction]

[Yeah, he's rushing over right away, bending down to pick Kotetsu up, bloody hands be damned.]

Kotetsu... [And just yelling back.] Can we get medical assistance, please-?

[voltadomar]

[The lieutenant appears beside them.]

We need to stop the bleeding. Cover the wound and apply pressure. Then we can move him.

[greatdeduction]

Right, yes.

[slapping a hand on that stomach wound why do people have BLOOD]

[voltadomar]

Good. Like that. I think we've got enough help to move him... [Looking at Van Zieks.]

I'll examine the wound after we get there. Just keep the pressure going for now.

[cranelike]

(Hello, guess who's here with one (1) first aid kit, barely used. Only a little bit of bandage has been used.)

[voltadomar]

[He gets a grateful look.]

We're going through these much too quickly.

[winebar]

[Weirdly, van Zieks is here.]

I can assist if you need help moving him.
[He has big strong prosecutor arms.]

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[ He feels Sholmes pick him up, lifting his head a bit to smile. ]

I couldn't let it end there.

[ He's in pain, but at least he's able to talk still?? ]

[greatdeduction]

Oh, be quiet.

[There's no bite in it, he's just !!!! like this.]

[bloodread]

[ After Kotestu has been taken care of and everyone else has left, Akira steps into the center of the plaza. He lingers there for a few seconds then brings his hands together and claps once. There's a mumble of something after, but no one's around to hear it, and with that he leaves. ]