Stolas and Koske's bodies were worse for wear. From the strain between each strikes they did, tears visible across the Avian's muscles and bleeding from the inside-out, to the pressurized energy that melted down the ice, snuffed out the stars, and casted aside any magical effects from outside, the influence that could've entered being severed in an instant. Furthermore, the barrier posed by Juna would be pushed away, an effort to ensure her own Gambit wasn't taken away by that power. Blood and water leaked on both of their bodies; the arm, shoulder, and parts of their chest attaining heavy bruises and large cuts. The Stellar Magician breathed heavily, as he was still trying to master his own Dominion Magic. His nose bled down in spurts, migraines made that made his thinking harder to process. He'd stumble a bit as he'd try to step forward, bending his knee, forcing himself to let it slip if it meant surviving. He could see Koske being able to sustain his own, but the energy within him is just as draining. Eventually, the Dominions would slow themselves, the magic properly taking hold again, the area around them being chilled to a frozen temperature. "Can't keep it up either...?" Stolas mumbled, his beak drenched, yet he'd keep his smile still.
Koske would take his own step, dragging the blade across the floorboards, breaking it apart, letting the frost take root and reach from underneath to the Avian's area. "We're both still at infancy...." An easy observation, judging from both of their personal damages when trying to master the likes of their respective style.
"Was King always this strong...? You've been here for a while, so I'd imagine you've at least seen him once or twice..."
"Oui. Two times. First was on surveillance... to ensure that he'd arrive on his home. Second was on assassination. Neither of us could cast our magic when we were in the same area..."
"His range is that big...?!"
"Oui. No matter what spell we tried to use... it was worthless. Either he ignores it... or it is removed entirely, dust in the wind. Inexistant..."
Stolas would wipe the blood from his nostrils, getting himself up, letting the stars converge around him. "And that's the magic we're aiming for... Magic is really hard sometimes, huh...?" A small joke, but a grip to his head showed that he was struggling with even functioning properly. Koske was quick on reaching a finger out, tapping on the child's head, letting ice form around his feathers and act as a coolant, a way to ease its pain.
"Oui. Yet we still do... We still do." He'd grip his greatsword and prepared to swing it once more, letting the ice build across the ground, as he'd aim for a heavy sweep across the ground, attempting to catch him and freeze him in place, wide open for a Santa Clause straight for his heart. The Ice itself would also house his Dominion Magic, guaranteeing anything that freezes to make the magic nulled, hoping it would be enough to turn off Stolas' and ease his pain from the magic he was forcing himself through. Rather than dodge, rather than flee, Stolas would have his arm up, reaching for that ice. Koske would have his eyes widened at such a delirious decision, even more so when he lets the stars part.
SHIKK!!!
Stabbed straight through, the heat melting just enough to dodge his vitals slightly, but it didn't stop the blood from pouring out of his beak, practically vomiting it. Heavy breaths, as Koske would approach, trying to reach for Stolas' head. "You have fought valiantly... Diable. Repose-toi maintenant mon enfant... you have done enough." As the nutcracker spoke, his hand glazed over with the chill to act as his supposed death, a Santa Clause at the ready, Stolas would merely laugh, his chest hurting the more he tried to keep such joy. Confused at first, he'd look down to see if his plan was truly successful, realizing immediately what he did once his Shadow Hand was still present. In that instant, the Avian unleashed a star to blind the Nutcracker, the heat quickly freeing his arm, his old one pulled out, letting the stump sever off. It was a quick reattachment, letting the heat come over and graze the wound, sealing it. Solomon's traces of his magic through the shadow paved through, healing whatever was inside. His body was properly able to get feeling once more, as he'd take aim with Sagittarius and fired a point-blank shot across the Nutcracker's chest.
BANG!!!!
Direct hit. A hole made across him. The wooden body showed his hollowed self, no blood drawn out. He'd take aim as he'd use the ice formation to trail across his Almagest, prompting Koske to retaliate with a set of spikes across the newly made wave, an attempt to stab into the Avian through his sides. As he did, however, he could see the spikes breaking apart, fracturing away into the specks of snow it once was. The pressure came back again, and while his migraine intensified, Stolas simply fired his shot, the constellations trailing along, as it tried to expand his wound from a mere circle to a concave mouth. The pressure would be launched alongside the attack, dispelling Koske entirely, his body broken apart, his head and face possessing a massive hole, as he'd fall over, the snow falling onto his body. "How... We were both... Equal...." Koske mumbled, unable to accept such an answer from what looked like a miracle.
Stolas, despite getting another nosebleed, would kneel down, finally able to take a break. "We were... You just happened to commit more sin at that moment."
It would quickly dawn upon the Nutcracker what he meant by such words. "You made me... attack..."
"Yep. Shady here's a living Shadow. Even if you nullified it, he'd still remain. He transported your magic. In technicality, You killed your own friend by your own hand."
A weak laugh would come from the wooden man, as his eyes began to hollow away into a vacant stare. "Bien joué... Diable. Bien joué...." praise towards Stolas, as the barrier dispelled, letting both him and Solomon take a proper rest. Such a battle drained out most, if not, all of their energy. To say that they are alive is an understatement.
"We literally could've died there... Man, that was good..." Stolas complimented, much to Solomon's joyous annoyance.
"You really... pant... could care less about dying, huh?" Solomon retorted, a small nudge at the Avian's arm. In a way, both feel somewhat better after facing such a challenge. A small question remained in their heads, however: Were they able to go to the afterlife?