{SP-F4} Hell Is a Cold Place

[Pinball 1]

It felt like as soon as his attack let up, and Pinball took a step back to catch his breath, Sugutsuya was gone. That moment between spear strikes and brief respite, Sugutsuya just dipped, melting into his surroundings like he hadn't even been there in the first place. "Tsk." Pinball grumpily kicked the snow in front of him at the recession in the ground where Sugutsuya had been lying just moments before, keeping half an eye on it to make sure that he wasn't still secretly hiding there. The snow fell to the ground, all the way. He wasn't. Pinball took a few hesitant steps back, leveling his spear while simultaneously throwing a wide, searching eye around him. How could you fight someone who you couldn't see? Pinball didn't have time to search for him, so he was stuck on the defensive, waiting for a retaliation... or perhaps none would come. Maybe he just left? He totally could have. 
This is where Sugutsuya's slippery and Pinball's split ways, and became different fighting styles. This was the tricky part. 
In that moment of confusion and uncertainty, all fell silent save for the chirping of the morning birds. Then, a childish giggle that never ceased to make Pinball absolutely furious. "Got ya~." 
And then he felt a sharp pain as the cold flash of a dagger painted a red smile across his neck. 

Edited November 11, 2018 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

Pinball cursed as the annoyingly flashy "Paralyzed" icon blazed into existence under his healthbar. His vision seemed to throb, a dull yet sickly yellow-green pulsing at the edges of his vision. A low, involuntary groan escaped the lanky boy as, clutching at his throat, he fell to his knees, sinking a few inches into the snow. He couldn't move. And while the raw damage dealt by Sugutsuya was negligible for the moment, he was bleeding. Profusely. His health slowly kept ticking away, though Sugutsuya had since stopped his assault. 
He stared at the ground in front of him, swaying a bit in the harsh wind. Then, he felt fingers grab his chin, and his head was yanked upward to meet Sugutsuya's now almost stoic face. "Stay still," he grunted, his dagger ripping harsh red holes into his chest, face, and neck. 
It seemed to Pinball that as soon as it started, it ended, his health dropping again. It was still in the green, he saw, but the bleed wasn't helping that. Sugutsuya clapped his hands together cheerfully. "I'm glad we're working this out," he crowed, "it's what she would have wanted." 
This time, Pinball didn't react, but seethed - and seeing that his comment hadn't worked like it had before, his mouth twisted, and Sugutsuya struck him across the jaw. Sugutsuya towered over Pinball as he hit the dirt. "I'm going to kill you," he said matter-of-factly. 

Edited November 20, 2018 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

"Haha! You started the fight, Pinny!" Sugutsuya twirled around gleefully as they fought, dagger carelessly loose in his grip as he evaded Pinball's strikes. "I've never killed somebody directly before!" Pinball grit his teeth. It was a grim reminder that there was something seriously wrong with him. This self-conflicting, muddled personality - topped off like icing on a cake by a murderous intent without any real motive? He was like a poorly written character, shoehorned into a teenager's fanfiction to serve as the questionable antagonist. 
Pinball didn't want to kill him, though. He'd never stoop that low. He just wanted to beat this guy. Senseless. Pinball's spear ripped into the cackling teen's chest again, immediately linking into a quick and deadly flurry of blows. Pinball leapt back before he could get close enough to retaliate. Sugutsuya was in the yellow now, and Pinball was just barely in the green. 

"Ahh," Sugutsuya breathed, rubbing the red slashes decorating his torso. "Y'know, I can't wait to see how the people your friends -" he paused, grinning. "- no, you don't really have many of those, do you?" The white-haired teen ducked to evade a spear thrust, spinning his leg out as he went down to try and trip Pinball. Pinball was quick, though, and he brought the shaft of his spear to block the kick. "The people you care about, then. Dustin, Stryder, Mars, Froppy! I can't wait to see them react to your death!" Sugutsuya leapt into the air, kicking him across the face. "Do you think they'll care much?" 

Edited November 20, 2018 by Pinball

[Pinball 1]

And with that, silence took the two of them, and the fight wore on. Pinball knew that last comment was just meant to distract him, but it worked all the same. What would they think about it? He was pretty sure Froppy wouldn't care. He couldn't really guess how Mars would react. Stryder would blame it on himself, probably, and Dustin - the stubborn bastard would probably try to hunt down his killer. Pinball's heart dropped. He felt... really sad, for some reason? And then the anger welled up in his chest again, and he fought with renewed viciousness. 
Every time Pinball's spear hit Sugutsuya, it ripped a huge chunk of health from him. Sugutsuya was extremely lightly armored to retain good mobility, but Pinball's damage punished that sacrifice harshly. Pinball's anger never faded, and with each successful blow Sugutsuya got slower and slower. Eventually the dagger wielder stopped taunting and making japes, and started cursing angrily. Pinball felt himself smile, overtaken by some kind of sick pleasure as he watched the confidence in his eyes fade away, replaced with a barely stifled fear. 

[Pinball 1]

So call it a morbid curiosity. 
With a powerful thrust to the chest, the force of the blow sending Sugutsuya flying backwards, time seemed to slow. 
And crawl by. And Pinball was alone. He couldn't think, or move, or speak, but he could see. He could see the anguished look in Sugutsuya's face as his health dropped into the red. He could see each individual bit of snowfall, falling slowly in front of his eyes. There was a general feeling of serenity that hung over everything in that moment - it was one Pinball would never forget. And what happened after would haunt him for the rest of his life. 
With Sugutsuya's obvious defeat, Pinball knew it was time for him to pull back. He don't know why he had thrown himself at him in the first place, but he had done it with the intent of beating the guy senseless; and he had done just that. 
But then he realized something. There was no hate or anger behind the thought; just the realization in and of itself. I could kill him. 
And that was the last thing that went through his mind before Pinball punched a hole through Sugutsuya's neck with Cold Fervor. 

[Pinball 1]

A pale, shaking hand gripped the weapon sticking out of his throat. A thin layer of ice began to coalesce across his fingers and arms and chest. Sugutsuya stumbled backward, half-falling and half-sitting in the snow. His health dropped lower and lower, a sliver of red with no forseeable intention of stopping. There was a sickening sliding sound as Pinball's spear pushed further into his throat, the spearhead burying itself in the ground. Sugutsuya's hand dropped. "Ahh," the dying man breathed. He grinned - a big, toothy smile full of emotion. Disgust, fear, hate, sadness... but above all else, amusement. It would be the last smile he ever gave. "Isn't this funny?" He laughed, but you could hear the nervousness in his voice, and it stopped abruptly. His healthbar hit zero. Sugutsuya choked, trying to turn his head away from Pinball's grinning face. "Finally." 

And then he was gone, the weight held suspended by Pinball's spear lifted. Pinball watched the remains of Sugutsuya, transluscent blue pixels, quickly swept away by the violent wintery winds. A small choking sound escaped Pinball then. "Huh?" Pinball lifted his spear, trying to let go of his spear - but his hands were glued, bound to the cursed item, almost like in some kind of sick pact. Zomekko's shadowy form uncoiled from around his weapon and arms, looking up at Pinball quizzically. 

The realization hit him suddenly, and it hit him hard. A long, painful groan escaped him, increasing in intensity as he fell to his knees, his grip on his weapon never slackening. He stared off at the sun rising up over the corners of the world, the cold wind blowing his hair violently and howling in his ears. 
Pinball hunched over, his hand covering his eyes, the low groan becoming a horrible, bloodcurdling scream.

[Pinball 1]

~ Summary ~ 

Pinball kills Sugutsuya (NPC)
Pinball's Cursor Turns Orange 

Pinball receives: 
1 SP
400 Col