As schooled as Vergil's expressions always are, the urgency of the moment leaves him no time to maintain his usual stoicism. His eyes widen at the explosive lodged in close to his person before he jerks his gaze to Mizu. There's no time to think, to analyze the risk. It's by pure animal instinct that Vergil's hand fists into the front of Mizu's shirt. He draws Mizu in close for just a moment, but it's not to ensure he also bears some of the blast. It's a windup before he hurls Mizu with all his strength before the explosive is detonated. Mizu is not left to fend for himself though once launched. Vergil's doppelganger—still manifested and still under the half-demon's control—catches Mizu clean out of the air. Its primary focus is to get Mizu safely on the ground, but still it draws the other swordsman in as tightly as it can and twists in midair to put its back to Vergil.
Once safely landed, Mizu is released and set down gently. The clone doesn't linger, however. By the time Mizu's on his feet, the blast has already come and gone, leaving dust and smoke in its wake. Having enacted the will of its master, the clone dissipates into wisps of its own blue smoke akin to Mirage Edge when it's dismissed.
Vergil's own landing is much less smooth than Mizu. The blast is blinding in both light and the pain it inspires and Vergil's world spins as he's lifted off the rooftop. Despite his grip, Mirage Edge falls from his hand somewhere along the way, although he couldn't rightly say where it ends up. He barely has any sense of where he is, only that he bounces and strikes and skids before he comes to wherever it is he's landed. He's only aware of the scent of burnt flesh and blood, his eyes stinging, and a maddening, deafening ring in his ears afterward.
His next breaths are raspy and wet, the taste of copper in the back of his throat. Vergil's vision swims as he sits up, the ground trying to become his walls and sky. The most he can make sense of is that the building stands between him and Mizu if his clone was successful, if he held onto his concentration for it long enough. It's of little consequence though if the shooting, hot pain in his side is any indication. Vergil blindly reaches around until his fingertips graze the chunk of shrapnel that's embedded itself into him. It takes a moment for him to get a proper grip. He has to close his eyes to shut out his still correcting vision before he can, but it at least gives him a moment to steady his breath first. Unlike removing the sword from his hand, Vergil isn't quite so quiet. A blade is a smooth edge. Shrapnel is significantly less so. What starts as a grunt and growl eventually tears out a howl of pain as it loosens and dislodges from the half-devil. He quiets down quickly enough though once it's removed.
Throwing it aside, Vergil tucks his legs beneath him and breaths through the discomfort as his body repairs the wound. Each breath is less raspy than the last and eventually, Vergil spits the blood from his mouth. He holds out a slightly shaky hand, and Mirage Edge returns to him from wherever it was sent. This time, the force of its return has a bit of an effect and Vergil must steady himself before he can use Mirage Edge as leverage.
Vergil rises once more to his feet. There's a slight sway for just a moment as he's still slightly hunched over, using the sword more as a cane than anything else. Like a newborn fawn or calf, he takes an unsteady half-step in his initial attempt to right himself. But after a pause, Vergil rights himself properly and he's firmly planted back to the ground once he does. Despite the cuts and scrapes, and the blossoming bruise to the side of his face, he would appear no worse for wear in the end.
With his significant injuries more or less done healing, he looks for Mizu, assuming that the swordsman went looking for Vergil for one reason or another.
When their eyes meet, he says, "I can still fight."
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Once safely landed, Mizu is released and set down gently. The clone doesn't linger, however. By the time Mizu's on his feet, the blast has already come and gone, leaving dust and smoke in its wake. Having enacted the will of its master, the clone dissipates into wisps of its own blue smoke akin to Mirage Edge when it's dismissed.
Vergil's own landing is much less smooth than Mizu. The blast is blinding in both light and the pain it inspires and Vergil's world spins as he's lifted off the rooftop. Despite his grip, Mirage Edge falls from his hand somewhere along the way, although he couldn't rightly say where it ends up. He barely has any sense of where he is, only that he bounces and strikes and skids before he comes to wherever it is he's landed. He's only aware of the scent of burnt flesh and blood, his eyes stinging, and a maddening, deafening ring in his ears afterward.
His next breaths are raspy and wet, the taste of copper in the back of his throat. Vergil's vision swims as he sits up, the ground trying to become his walls and sky. The most he can make sense of is that the building stands between him and Mizu if his clone was successful, if he held onto his concentration for it long enough. It's of little consequence though if the shooting, hot pain in his side is any indication. Vergil blindly reaches around until his fingertips graze the chunk of shrapnel that's embedded itself into him. It takes a moment for him to get a proper grip. He has to close his eyes to shut out his still correcting vision before he can, but it at least gives him a moment to steady his breath first. Unlike removing the sword from his hand, Vergil isn't quite so quiet. A blade is a smooth edge. Shrapnel is significantly less so. What starts as a grunt and growl eventually tears out a howl of pain as it loosens and dislodges from the half-devil. He quiets down quickly enough though once it's removed.
Throwing it aside, Vergil tucks his legs beneath him and breaths through the discomfort as his body repairs the wound. Each breath is less raspy than the last and eventually, Vergil spits the blood from his mouth. He holds out a slightly shaky hand, and Mirage Edge returns to him from wherever it was sent. This time, the force of its return has a bit of an effect and Vergil must steady himself before he can use Mirage Edge as leverage.
Vergil rises once more to his feet. There's a slight sway for just a moment as he's still slightly hunched over, using the sword more as a cane than anything else. Like a newborn fawn or calf, he takes an unsteady half-step in his initial attempt to right himself. But after a pause, Vergil rights himself properly and he's firmly planted back to the ground once he does. Despite the cuts and scrapes, and the blossoming bruise to the side of his face, he would appear no worse for wear in the end.
With his significant injuries more or less done healing, he looks for Mizu, assuming that the swordsman went looking for Vergil for one reason or another.
When their eyes meet, he says, "I can still fight."