@zerogrv his muscles were so screwed up that if he even so much as moves, his whole body would've collapsed in on itself and so he'd die anyway. He bet everything on that last move and he lost and accepted his defeat like a man.
I think it wasn't lame at all, instead it was a noble end for him.
That's such a cool development. The more they fall in love, the more it contributes to them being pulled apart (cos of the promise they made to split if they made it into the top ranks)