Final Fantasy XIV: Sundered Hero

Reverent Dagger, Eclipsing Shade

Fei understood where Jacke was coming from. He spent an entire year under the tutelage of the Dutiful Sisters only to stab them in the back and retreat into the night. It came out of nowhere and hurt the Sisters more than they thought it would, giving Fei agency to return to his roots and lead him back to where he was today. This would've been the end of things if it weren't for the nigh insatiable persistence of the rogue's--their own goals coming first in their quest to defend the world from dishonor at every turn. Now, even with the shared wish of re-recruiting Eniro as their top priority, Jacke had some personal business to attend to. This was that business.

"Dropped yer' stabbers for a spear, laddie? Seems a bit impractical, wouldn't ye' say?"

Weaving under a forward thrust and flipping himself into the air to gain momentum, Jacke started off his counteractive assault with heavy cuts and strengthened punctures; a noticeable power overtaking his speed early on in the fight.

"So what if I did? You probably don't know what the word evolution means if this looks "impractical" to you."

Fei always was a smartass to the end, all for the prospect of making Jacke's day just a little bit worse for his own entertainment. A remnant of the bright and young prospect that he used to be shone through his bored expression; Jacke himself not having a clue as to what clicked in the Au Ra for him to become so self-centered--even so, here and now, he would find out what it was. He had to for the sake of his guild.

"This ain't even like ye', lad!"

"Saying that tells me that you don't know me at all."

Fei tilted his head towards the left and dodged the thrust of a dagger without even looking at Jacke. As far as he was concerned, the guy was delusional, and he had no respect left to give him because of such pointless endeavors as bringing him back to the guild. A spinning strike with the back of his spear was all it took to put Jacke on the ground, followed by a hard kick to the ribs that sent him skidding into a wall; blood streaming from his mouth.

"Here's the difference between you and me, Jacke--I had the balls to move on to greener pastures, no matter what fate they would would brought me in the end. I'm as happy as can be all because I decided to look elsewhere than where I was at a certain moment."

Jacke's vision was starting to blur from the shocking amount of blood that one kick produced. He felt like he was fading in and out of consciousness despite staring Fei down right then and there, watching as his former protégé did nothing more than lean on his weapon and monologue.

"You stayed in the past. You've always had an inability to let go, and because of that, you've come here to try and relive the glory days from when you had the entirety of Limsa Lominsa in your hands. Now? You're nothing but a pathetic worm fighting for an invisible brass ring. You can't even stop me. And you want to know what the funniest thing is? I know you're not here for me."

Reminiscent of his actions against Yda and Papalymo, Fei raised his spear right above Jacke's neck and sneered at the injured man.

"You're here for Eniro. That's what all of this is about. You want your star pupil back."

"Shut up...!"

"Or what?"

The injured rogue couldn't find it in him to stand while Fei continued to drone on without pause. Luckily for Jacke, though, he didn't come to the Rising Stones by himself.

And Fei knew that.

Like he did so earlier, Fei neatly veered his head towards the right and dodged a thrown dagger which pierced into the wall in front of him. There behind him was standing Cordelia.