lost ~completed~

chapter 34

A clap of thunder signaled the start of the fight. Thunder illuminated the figures in front of each other. Lightning silhouetted their figures against the darkness as lightning split the sky. Feliciano was the first to advance, heading straight for Ludwig. Following their leaders move, Feliciano's allies charged forth, each with their own target in mind.

Ludwig braced himself for Feliciano's blow. All thoughts of making Feliciano pay for what he did to Gilbert vanished in thin air. It was easier to say he was going to do it than to actually do it. Feliciano had been his best friend. Feliciano might be able to kill Ludwig, but Ludwig wasn't sure if he could be able to hurt Feliciano.

Oddly, Feliciano stopped in front of him, brown eyes glinting in the moonlight. "So you only have a knife?" he observed with a curt laugh. He returned his sword to its sheath and retrieved a knife similar to Ludwig's. "It'd be no fun to beat you at an unfair fight!" he smirked.

Ludwig wanted to plead with Feliciano; this felt so wrong! He shouldn't be fighting Feliciano. He could tell Feliciano was getting desperate. His eyes, though sharp with anger, was hiding the hurt of Lovino's betrayal. He had lost almost all the people he used to hold dear. At least he still had his allies though. It was his own fault, but Ludwig couldn't deny that he felt bad for the Italian. He understood the pain he must feel.

His path had gone astray as much as Ludwig's had during World War II. Every country makes bad decisions during their existence. Ludwig's had been World War II. Yet Feliciano hadn't been afraid of him when he should have been. He had hurt Feliciano too, after all. Feliciano may have been forced to leave him due to his boss, but he had come back to help him during his hardships. The Feliciano here was not the Feliciano he knew. His Feliciano was just lost inside a monster.

Feliciano made the first move. Ludwig blocked him, surprised by his force. Feliciano had never been good at training, yet he must have been with holding his true strength. The force behind his blow was impressive.

Fighting was not what it seemed to be in movies. There were no flips, or fancy turns, or any other choreographed moves. This was real; this was life or death. One wrong move and one of them could lose their life. They wouldn't get any extra lives for being fancy.

Feliciano steadily advance on Ludwig, metal clashing on metal. Ludwig winced as the knife cut his hands. It was dark out, but some of the moon's light that filtered through the clouds reflected on the knives, making it easier to see. Thunder boomed around them, drowning out the sounds of metal striking metal. Pandemonium surrounded them in chaos, engulfing them in the clamor or the clash of knives.

Ludwig quickly began to get out of breath. Feliciano seemed to be relentless; constantly advancing and constantly trying to land a blow on Ludwig. Ludwig's hands were cut up badly. Blood mixed with rain and began to drip from his arm. He couldn't feel the pain anymore. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, protecting him from the sting of the wounds.

Ludwig couldn't make a move to hurt Feliciano. In his head, he could see Gilbert's body lying still, sword protruding from his stomach. He knew what Feliciano was capable, and he was furious. His older brother was dead because of him. But at the same time, he couldn't bear to see Feliciano with his knife embedded in his chest. He couldn't stand the thought of him being the one to end Feliciano's life. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he still loved the Italian despite all the pain he caused him and everyone else.

"Feli, please!" he begged him. His breath was heavy and his voice was deeper than usual. His eyes looked into Feliciano's pleadingly. For once, he noticed that Feliciano's eyes were open. He hadn't kept them closed as he used to do. Seeing this caused a sharp pain in Ludwig's chest. He had like it when Feliciano's eyes were closed. He didn't want him to see the hardships and miseries. He wanted him to feel how good things were. It was just more proof of how Feliciano had changed, "Just stop this! It's not too late! Please, I don't want to hurt you! More lives don't need to be lost!" he begged.