"But locking him up could stop him too! Unless... You think he's going to force our hand. That a fight to the death is inevitable." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I guess I know it will too. I just really don't want to admit it." Because admitting it makes it real. It's one thing to risk his lie to fight mindless Grimm, but this is Garland, a guy who's apparently so powerful that every damn Warrior of Light in this place is needed to take him down. People were bound to fall, and he's not sure what he'll do if he sees someone stuck down before him. If he doesn't go down first, that is.

Not that he plans on going down without a fight.

"I have people to protect here, though; people I care about. So, if that's what it takes..." He shook his head, accepting what lied ahead of them, but not liking it. "I'll try. I can't make any promises that I'll be able to do it, but I'll try to not hold back. You're right; he needs to be stopped, no matter what the cost, and no matter how much I dislike it. So I'll try to fight him with all I've got, for everyone else's sake."

Damn being the burden. He was going to stand on his own two feet this time.