He goes down hard as Raguel collides with him, and Gabriel feels bone crack from the force of the impact as he lands. He's dimly aware of the sounds of some sort of scuffle on the other side of the stage, of noises from the panicked crowd, of the rasp of his own breathing-- and far more aware of the mad ferocity of the hard blue eyes that hold him pinned as much as the weight of Raguel's body does.

And then in the next moment, there's nothing but pain.

Claws rip through his face, slicing down across his chest, shredding clothing, skin, and muscle alike with the burning pain of acid-dipped knives. Light flickers, and he can smell the stench of his own burning flesh-- shoulder, side, and somehow, horribly, much deeper within. He can feel it as the fire begins to spread through him, burning from the inside out, searing his lungs as he gasps a hoarse, wordless yell, choking on his own blood--

--and then the force of another blow shudders through him as Galadan leaps, striking Raguel and knocking him away as the two of them tumble across the floor of the stage.

Gabriel coughs, wetly, and despite the searing agony struggles briefly to rise before collapsing back to the ground.