"Do you know what all of that means, Father?!"
The pressure remains constant.
"If one of my children or grandchildren becomes part of them, it will become a suffering beyond imagination."
Albert raises his cane again—
But he is too late to read the angle of the attack.
DUK—
Albrecht charges.
Fast.
Extremely fast.
Too fast.
Straight into the dead zone of the cane's range.
He is already inside.
Too close for a full swing.
The cane moves.
SCPKLAAAAAAAHSHH!
Straight toward the opening that has been created.
There is no room for a perfect defense.
The distance is precise.
The angle is precise.
If that strike reaches his neck—
Albert forms a faint smile.
That attack—
"I do not know, Father… perhaps it would not be so wrong… if I were to die by your hands."
—will end his life.
However—
"Ehekh?!"
—The sky behind Albrecht suddenly shines brighter, illuminating Albert's entire vision.
A figure he has forgotten and overlooked.
"—Huh?!" Albert freezes in shock.
His eyes capture the image of someone standing with her back facing him upon the short grass in the yard of a house. Someone hanging clothes to dry, turning to look at him, smiling warmly at him—his mother.
"In another world!"
CLAAAAAAAAAANGNH!
The two blades collide violently—Albert stops his father's finishing strike.
He frowns deeply, staring sharply at him.
"In this world—"
CLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGNHHH!
Albert smashes Albrecht's blade aside, hurling it upward and nearly tearing it from Albrecht's grasp.
"—I still have a mother whom I have not met for such a long time."
SLSHSWAASHHH!
One step drives forward—
Albert stares deeply at him.
"I miss her far more than I miss you…"
—His bladed cane is pulled behind him.
His expression becomes flat once again.
"…even though I have not seen you for much longer!"
Albrecht does the same, but his sword-cane is drawn straight forward.
—Both pull back. Albert swings his blade while Albrecht prepares to thrust directly forward—
CLAAANG—CLIIING—
CLAAANG—CLIIING—CLAAANG—CLIIING—CLAAANG!
The two blades continue to collide violently. Albert keeps pressing forward, gaining several steps ahead.
"And I will not choose to die by anyone's hands."
Albrecht is gradually overwhelmed, forced several steps backward.
CLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGNHHH!
Albert raises both eyebrows.
"Including my father's—before I meet my mother."
CLAAAAAAAAAANGNH!
Albert strikes Albrecht's blade violently, blasting him far away and creating enough distance and half a space between them.
One foot pushes forward. His body and face lower, both hands gripping the bladed cane tightly—thrust straight ahead with deadly precision.
BRAK—CRAK!
Albrecht presses heavily into his footing—
SKHWAAAAAAHMNH!
—and charges sharply forward.
Albert fully assumes his stance.
A deep breath.
CKHAAAHMN!
Albrecht leaps briefly into the air—
"Huft." A long exhale escapes him. His face turns sharply toward Albrecht.
Ready to thrust straight forward.
—He has already drawn his blade back—swinging forward, slashing to attack as well—
CLIIIIING—CLAAAANG—
CLIIIIING—CLAAAANG—CLIIIIING—CLAAAANG—CLIIIIING—
Albert continues pressing forward, gaining many steps ahead.
"And that means your request leads to only one answer!"
Albrecht continues being forced back, retreating step after step.
CLAAAAAAAAAANGNH!
"…I have to kill you."
However, his breathing becomes increasingly ragged. His body has been burning from the beginning, and the sensation of scorching heat now spreads after prolonged strain. The crushing pain in his heart is what worries him most—the limit of a body continuously driven beyond control will eventually lead to death, something he does not desire.
"Damn it."
In that case—
CLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGNHHH!
Albert once again smashes Albrecht's blade away violently, hurling him back and creating the distance and wide opening he needs.
However—
He frowns deeply, staring sharply at Albrecht.
"DAMN IT!"
One foot pushes forward. His body and face lower, both hands gripping the bladed cane tightly—drawn far behind him at an extremely sharp angle.
Albrecht fully assumes his stance.
An extremely deep breath—followed by a long exhale.
Ready to swing and deliver a killing slash—
CLAAANG—CLIIING—CLAAANG—CLIIING—CLAAANG—CLIIING—
CLAAANG!
The two blades clash violently once more. Albrecht completely turns the battle around, pressing Albert back and gaining several steps forward.
"No matter the method, no matter how cruel it may be, I am disappointed in my father…"
Albert is forced backward several steps under the overwhelming pressure.
CLIIIIING—CLAAAANG—CLIIIIING—CLAAAANG—CLIIIIING—CLAAAANG—
CLIIIIING—CLAAAANG—
Albrecht completely dominates the exchange now, relentlessly pressing forward and gaining many more steps ahead.
CLIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINGGNHHH!
"…who prioritizes his own ego and never thinks about the future of his children and grandchildren."
Albert continues being driven backward, forced to retreat repeatedly.
CLAAAAAAAAAANGNH!
Albert violently smashes against Albrecht's blade once again—
CKHAAAHMNN!
An explosion of air erupts between them as Albert throws himself far away, creating a long distance and a wide opening.
—This time, his cane is blasted into the air, torn from his tight grip.
SLSHHSHH—
Albert's footing continues sliding backward.
SLSH!
—and stops.
His body leans backward, both feet pressing hard against the ground while both hands claw into the earth before him.
"I will die… if this continues…"