Descendants of Time (Role-Play Act 5: Revolutionary Moment)
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
“Took you long enough.” Svetlana was on the road. Her hand pointed at a portal beside her. A bolt of lightning was released and it passed through said portal. Only for Claudia’s back to feel the lashing shock of electricity for some moments.
Before she came down on the road she noted that another portal was there behind her. So this was a planned surprise attack. One she didn’t see coming as she landed on the road too.
“As I thought. Traps,” Claudia figured, rubbing her affected back nonchalantly. “Really? Is that the best you could do? I sincerely hope Sagittarius can literally maim me, because I’m starting to get bored with you. But alas… I did say I wanted you dead, so I suppose I’ll spoil my dinner if I eat dessert first…”
Svetlana said no more and taunted with a smirk, moving her finger to point at herself repeatedly to beckon the vampire to come forward instead of speaking unnecessarily.
Claudia quirked an eyebrow, wondering what this woman was up to. No doubt by that smirk, she saw that another trap was afoot. “Okay, cut the shit. You’re pissing me off all over again with all of your traps—I mean, they hardly did much. So spill it,” Claudia demanded.
“Surprises are surprises for a reason. Because they are fun.”
“Sorry, I can’t say that I’m a fan of those. You think I’m just going to play your game and blindly walk over there? Please.”
“Oh? Then what can you do other than swinging that big thingy blindly? Surely you followed me as a fan of surprises.”
“...It appears we’ve reached an impasse,” Claudia declared, scratching at her scalp with a nonchalant sigh. “I do, in fact, have one ace in the hole….” A puddle of darkness formed under her feet.
“Ah, that,” Svetlana noted. She still wasn’t sure how she could deal with it aside from evasion.
“Go.”
The demonic beasts crawled out of the darkness from under Claudia and they made way for the short woman once more. Svetlana dabbled across the streets. The beasts tore through asphalt and solid mass as they attempted to hit her, but Svetlana was far too nimble, and the monsters, sluggish. Did she not put enough spiritual energy into this?
Two of the beasts vanished from a lack of energy and Svetlana rested easy coming to a stop. That was when another one took a bite of her shoulder from behind. It seemed like Claudia had it attack from a different direction as a surprise attack.
Svetlana held her newfound wound as the last of the beast lost its form too.
“Still planning to stand over there and do nothing? I can do this all day,” Claudia said. Actually, I’m unsure how much longer I can keep that up. My Spiritual Energy might be running low…
Svetlana smirked. As she took a new stance she performed hand gestures and pointed her fingers at her. From the middle and index fingers that were joined together, a stream of flames was conjured, and it sailed forth toward Claudia—as fast as the wind, and hotter than ordinary flames—who was literally on fire before she knew it.
Reeling, Claudia found herself yelling in shock from the flames. Never before had she felt such agony in her life—well… she’d never been burned in her life, let’s just say. She rolled up and about the floor, squirming to get the fire to stop. To get the pain to stop.
There was a splash, and Claudia got up all wet. Behind her stood Cosette who had somehow conjured an Aquam spell in time to help Claudia from the fire.
“Lady Claudia, are you alright?”
Still writhing from the flames that were now doused, Claudia said nothing for a moment, breathing heavily. She ended up finding herself getting angry all over again that she couldn’t help but laugh. “No.. no, I’m not alright…” She climbed to her feet, staggering a little. “Though… I’m glad you came when you did. A few more moments of that and Lady Claudia would have screamed her lungs ragged...”
Cosette coldly dismissed the words spoken out of pleasantry. “How shall we deal with her?”
“Well considering what transpired earlier…” Claudia placed a hand on her chin and thought into the ceiling. Once she came to her decision, she glared down at Svetlana. “She’s obviously a threat, as she knows a forbidden spell. We do as we came here to do; wipe her, and her precious fucking Sagittarius off the face of the Earth.”
Did she eat a bird and inherit its brain? Her priorities are fucking backwards, ugh… polite, polite, right. Cosette composed herself before her expressionless face would portray her disappointment. The word †˜polite’ was chanted like a mantra in her mind as she stood with Claudia. She cleared her throat. “Lady Claudia, would it not be more appropriate to pursue Sagittarius first? Whoever your opponent is, I doubt she is of much importance…” She trailed off as she laid her eyes upon Svetlana for the first time today. “That is… Mystic Tracer? What are you doing here?”
“I knew you were familiar. You were… if I remember right, the Azure Ravager. You’re still alive?”
“I wouldn’t die from a simple explosion. Lest you worry, I was paid for the job regardless.”
“Then…”
“I suppose it is time for round two for us.”
“Hmm? You know of her, Cosette?” Claudia asked, raising her brow in astonishment.
“Former Rider like me from Russia, my Lady. We worked together on several missions, until we clashed due to a complicated situation” Cosette answered.
“I see, so that changes things…” Claudia replied, dusting the soot from her hair. “Then I don’t suppose you would mind fighting her while I catch up to Sagittarius?”
“I do not mind. If she has a Supreme Spell, then all the more reason to use me as bait for it,” Cosette said.
“Well, I wish you luck. Don’t die, now.” With that said, Claudia took off at a sprint, using her scythe as a pole to elevate herself over Svetlana, landing on her feet behind the woman to flee.
It was then that Claudia heard rapid footsteps coming from the direction of the stage. Michael was charging in, his sword drawn. As he approached Claudia, he made an upwards slice with his sword which Claudia promptly blocked. Unable to move any further, Claudia was forced down to the same street she tried to leave.
“You won’t be getting anywhere near the Descendant, vampire,” Michael stated.
“I’m getting just about tired of you all, getting in my way…” Claudia groaned. This mission truly did not bode well for her.
“Then give up; repent. Stop this nonsense,” Michael said, raising his guard.
“Again with that? Clearly you did not learn your lesson from our first encounter,” Claudia replied. She held her scythe in both hands and took a stance as well, painstakingly, albeit. Sagittarius probably had gotten away by now.
“There was nothing to learn from you.” Michael looked past Claudia, and saw the teacher his partner Lily apparently knew. She was engaged in combat against another vampire. Just two of them? Where are the others? “Why do you insist on committing these atrocities? Do you think nothing of Miss Shelley’s friendship?”
“Don’t you fucking mention her name! She threw our friendship aside once she cut my arm off. I have my reasons for siding with the Vampires, reasons that don’t concern you, Priest,” Claudia spouted, hands quivering with rage.
“I see. Then so be it,” Michael replied.
Their round two was also inevitable, it seemed, much like Svetlana and Cosette.
Before she came down on the road she noted that another portal was there behind her. So this was a planned surprise attack. One she didn’t see coming as she landed on the road too.
“As I thought. Traps,” Claudia figured, rubbing her affected back nonchalantly. “Really? Is that the best you could do? I sincerely hope Sagittarius can literally maim me, because I’m starting to get bored with you. But alas… I did say I wanted you dead, so I suppose I’ll spoil my dinner if I eat dessert first…”
Svetlana said no more and taunted with a smirk, moving her finger to point at herself repeatedly to beckon the vampire to come forward instead of speaking unnecessarily.
Claudia quirked an eyebrow, wondering what this woman was up to. No doubt by that smirk, she saw that another trap was afoot. “Okay, cut the shit. You’re pissing me off all over again with all of your traps—I mean, they hardly did much. So spill it,” Claudia demanded.
“Surprises are surprises for a reason. Because they are fun.”
“Sorry, I can’t say that I’m a fan of those. You think I’m just going to play your game and blindly walk over there? Please.”
“Oh? Then what can you do other than swinging that big thingy blindly? Surely you followed me as a fan of surprises.”
“...It appears we’ve reached an impasse,” Claudia declared, scratching at her scalp with a nonchalant sigh. “I do, in fact, have one ace in the hole….” A puddle of darkness formed under her feet.
“Ah, that,” Svetlana noted. She still wasn’t sure how she could deal with it aside from evasion.
“Go.”
The demonic beasts crawled out of the darkness from under Claudia and they made way for the short woman once more. Svetlana dabbled across the streets. The beasts tore through asphalt and solid mass as they attempted to hit her, but Svetlana was far too nimble, and the monsters, sluggish. Did she not put enough spiritual energy into this?
Two of the beasts vanished from a lack of energy and Svetlana rested easy coming to a stop. That was when another one took a bite of her shoulder from behind. It seemed like Claudia had it attack from a different direction as a surprise attack.
Svetlana held her newfound wound as the last of the beast lost its form too.
“Still planning to stand over there and do nothing? I can do this all day,” Claudia said. Actually, I’m unsure how much longer I can keep that up. My Spiritual Energy might be running low…
Svetlana smirked. As she took a new stance she performed hand gestures and pointed her fingers at her. From the middle and index fingers that were joined together, a stream of flames was conjured, and it sailed forth toward Claudia—as fast as the wind, and hotter than ordinary flames—who was literally on fire before she knew it.
Reeling, Claudia found herself yelling in shock from the flames. Never before had she felt such agony in her life—well… she’d never been burned in her life, let’s just say. She rolled up and about the floor, squirming to get the fire to stop. To get the pain to stop.
There was a splash, and Claudia got up all wet. Behind her stood Cosette who had somehow conjured an Aquam spell in time to help Claudia from the fire.
“Lady Claudia, are you alright?”
Still writhing from the flames that were now doused, Claudia said nothing for a moment, breathing heavily. She ended up finding herself getting angry all over again that she couldn’t help but laugh. “No.. no, I’m not alright…” She climbed to her feet, staggering a little. “Though… I’m glad you came when you did. A few more moments of that and Lady Claudia would have screamed her lungs ragged...”
Cosette coldly dismissed the words spoken out of pleasantry. “How shall we deal with her?”
“Well considering what transpired earlier…” Claudia placed a hand on her chin and thought into the ceiling. Once she came to her decision, she glared down at Svetlana. “She’s obviously a threat, as she knows a forbidden spell. We do as we came here to do; wipe her, and her precious fucking Sagittarius off the face of the Earth.”
Did she eat a bird and inherit its brain? Her priorities are fucking backwards, ugh… polite, polite, right. Cosette composed herself before her expressionless face would portray her disappointment. The word †˜polite’ was chanted like a mantra in her mind as she stood with Claudia. She cleared her throat. “Lady Claudia, would it not be more appropriate to pursue Sagittarius first? Whoever your opponent is, I doubt she is of much importance…” She trailed off as she laid her eyes upon Svetlana for the first time today. “That is… Mystic Tracer? What are you doing here?”
“I knew you were familiar. You were… if I remember right, the Azure Ravager. You’re still alive?”
“I wouldn’t die from a simple explosion. Lest you worry, I was paid for the job regardless.”
“Then…”
“I suppose it is time for round two for us.”
“Hmm? You know of her, Cosette?” Claudia asked, raising her brow in astonishment.
“Former Rider like me from Russia, my Lady. We worked together on several missions, until we clashed due to a complicated situation” Cosette answered.
“I see, so that changes things…” Claudia replied, dusting the soot from her hair. “Then I don’t suppose you would mind fighting her while I catch up to Sagittarius?”
“I do not mind. If she has a Supreme Spell, then all the more reason to use me as bait for it,” Cosette said.
“Well, I wish you luck. Don’t die, now.” With that said, Claudia took off at a sprint, using her scythe as a pole to elevate herself over Svetlana, landing on her feet behind the woman to flee.
It was then that Claudia heard rapid footsteps coming from the direction of the stage. Michael was charging in, his sword drawn. As he approached Claudia, he made an upwards slice with his sword which Claudia promptly blocked. Unable to move any further, Claudia was forced down to the same street she tried to leave.
“You won’t be getting anywhere near the Descendant, vampire,” Michael stated.
“I’m getting just about tired of you all, getting in my way…” Claudia groaned. This mission truly did not bode well for her.
“Then give up; repent. Stop this nonsense,” Michael said, raising his guard.
“Again with that? Clearly you did not learn your lesson from our first encounter,” Claudia replied. She held her scythe in both hands and took a stance as well, painstakingly, albeit. Sagittarius probably had gotten away by now.
“There was nothing to learn from you.” Michael looked past Claudia, and saw the teacher his partner Lily apparently knew. She was engaged in combat against another vampire. Just two of them? Where are the others? “Why do you insist on committing these atrocities? Do you think nothing of Miss Shelley’s friendship?”
“Don’t you fucking mention her name! She threw our friendship aside once she cut my arm off. I have my reasons for siding with the Vampires, reasons that don’t concern you, Priest,” Claudia spouted, hands quivering with rage.
“I see. Then so be it,” Michael replied.
Their round two was also inevitable, it seemed, much like Svetlana and Cosette.
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Atc51MxhoAE)
The clouds grumbled. Nature was rustled and affected by the mana and the spiritual energy adrift in the air.
There were two that faced each other across the grey clouds in the sky. They clashed repeatedly as sparks and afterwaves would be given away to the air.
“Holy Wrath spell—Bolts of Justice,” Alicia stated, performing hand gestures at breakneck speed. Lightning rained down from the clouds and gathered at the tip of her finger. She then curved the index finger in the air before thrusting it towards the Countess.
A loud explosion took place. When the smoke cleared there were only ephemeral black feathers.
Alicia turned, and the Countess was there sipping on a cup of tea she had gotten from who know’s where.
A cup of tea.
In the sky.
Alicia frowned. She raised a finger and a helping of bolt of lightning broke the cup. It looked rather expensive.
“Aw, you ruined it,” Catherine said, finding the move merely lamentable.
“Fight me seriously,” Alicia challenged. An aura of gold surrounded her, empowering her, as if displaying her sheer will to fight and protect her student.
Alicia soon entered a stance and performed hand signs again. She pointed her finger toward a river under a bridge, and steadily, the body of water from it was drawn. The water froze as it ascended. Flicking the finger towards the Countess, a large nail of ice pursued the Countess across the clouds who nimbly evaded it, as if a nail was chasing her… even though the body of ice was comparable to an iceberg.
Catherine used the bridge of ice as support and slid past the Duchess, who noticed a cut under her left eye a moment later.
The mundanes, the magicians, and the rest were spellbound from seeing the battle unfold. By this moment, the time of the world had resumed and there was an uproar below.
Catherine stopped to lick her bloodstained fingertip with glee. She closed her eyes and savored the taste, and the glacial thorn almost grazed her as she gracefully parried it with what seemed like a pivot simply through sensing the vibrations. Apparently, Descendants could do these kinds of things. It was simply unexplainable phenomena—watching them twirl elegantly on air like this.
The Duchess then dual-casted. As the large glacial thorn followed Catherine, a portal beside her was formed via a Vim spell—Warpath. Alicia placed her other hand toward it, and a ball of flame was launched. The shape of the fire was comparable to a spear as it crossed the path within the portal. With the portal’s other end being the Countess who just faced it after being chased around by the frosty nail, she was effectively locked in a pincer attack due to this third spell.
Fire and ice collided, and a bolt of thunder fell from the clouds at the same time. That would be her fourth magic casted almost at the same time. Most mages had never even seen or heard of a quadruple-cast of magic before, so this was a first to some of the magis viewing the battle from the surface.
Margaret Alicia could not imagine the Countess being defeated so easily. She continued casting her spells wordlessly before the Countess could recover. A large flower of ice formed over the river below as Alicia’s eyes glowed blue.
“Elysium’s Revolt spell—Blue Rose.”
The smoke finally parted ways and the Countess showed herself, hardly scathed.
“Poseidon’s spell, mn? It has been… long,” she said, narrowing her eyes at Alicia. For her to know such an ancient spell… she is dangerous. The Countess raised her hand to the sky, which turned extremely large as it did so. She then shattered the nail of ice that was earlier conjured like she was crushing something as soft as cheese with a single brush of her arm. Her arm then brutally jabbed at Alicia before she could react, making her go down crashing against the building.
Of course, the entire building fell apart.
The earth started shaking.
“Don’t underestimate me, magi,” Catherine’s eyes changed, giving a violet hue. A certain Zodiac Symbol was revealed.
Tentacles hanging about the flower that the Duchess conjured attacked. They could reach as long as the sky and the Countess, and they danced there, with the clouds and the thunder that rumbled. A blade appeared on the Countess’ hand and with a single slash, a black shadow ran all the way down, turning the ice tendril into nothing.
“Ansel.”
“Yes, Mi’lady?”
“We’re going to retrieve our Claudia.”
“Understood.”
The clouds grumbled. Nature was rustled and affected by the mana and the spiritual energy adrift in the air.
There were two that faced each other across the grey clouds in the sky. They clashed repeatedly as sparks and afterwaves would be given away to the air.
“Holy Wrath spell—Bolts of Justice,” Alicia stated, performing hand gestures at breakneck speed. Lightning rained down from the clouds and gathered at the tip of her finger. She then curved the index finger in the air before thrusting it towards the Countess.
A loud explosion took place. When the smoke cleared there were only ephemeral black feathers.
Alicia turned, and the Countess was there sipping on a cup of tea she had gotten from who know’s where.
A cup of tea.
In the sky.
Alicia frowned. She raised a finger and a helping of bolt of lightning broke the cup. It looked rather expensive.
“Aw, you ruined it,” Catherine said, finding the move merely lamentable.
“Fight me seriously,” Alicia challenged. An aura of gold surrounded her, empowering her, as if displaying her sheer will to fight and protect her student.
Alicia soon entered a stance and performed hand signs again. She pointed her finger toward a river under a bridge, and steadily, the body of water from it was drawn. The water froze as it ascended. Flicking the finger towards the Countess, a large nail of ice pursued the Countess across the clouds who nimbly evaded it, as if a nail was chasing her… even though the body of ice was comparable to an iceberg.
Catherine used the bridge of ice as support and slid past the Duchess, who noticed a cut under her left eye a moment later.
The mundanes, the magicians, and the rest were spellbound from seeing the battle unfold. By this moment, the time of the world had resumed and there was an uproar below.
Catherine stopped to lick her bloodstained fingertip with glee. She closed her eyes and savored the taste, and the glacial thorn almost grazed her as she gracefully parried it with what seemed like a pivot simply through sensing the vibrations. Apparently, Descendants could do these kinds of things. It was simply unexplainable phenomena—watching them twirl elegantly on air like this.
The Duchess then dual-casted. As the large glacial thorn followed Catherine, a portal beside her was formed via a Vim spell—Warpath. Alicia placed her other hand toward it, and a ball of flame was launched. The shape of the fire was comparable to a spear as it crossed the path within the portal. With the portal’s other end being the Countess who just faced it after being chased around by the frosty nail, she was effectively locked in a pincer attack due to this third spell.
Fire and ice collided, and a bolt of thunder fell from the clouds at the same time. That would be her fourth magic casted almost at the same time. Most mages had never even seen or heard of a quadruple-cast of magic before, so this was a first to some of the magis viewing the battle from the surface.
Margaret Alicia could not imagine the Countess being defeated so easily. She continued casting her spells wordlessly before the Countess could recover. A large flower of ice formed over the river below as Alicia’s eyes glowed blue.
“Elysium’s Revolt spell—Blue Rose.”
The smoke finally parted ways and the Countess showed herself, hardly scathed.
“Poseidon’s spell, mn? It has been… long,” she said, narrowing her eyes at Alicia. For her to know such an ancient spell… she is dangerous. The Countess raised her hand to the sky, which turned extremely large as it did so. She then shattered the nail of ice that was earlier conjured like she was crushing something as soft as cheese with a single brush of her arm. Her arm then brutally jabbed at Alicia before she could react, making her go down crashing against the building.
Of course, the entire building fell apart.
The earth started shaking.
“Don’t underestimate me, magi,” Catherine’s eyes changed, giving a violet hue. A certain Zodiac Symbol was revealed.
Tentacles hanging about the flower that the Duchess conjured attacked. They could reach as long as the sky and the Countess, and they danced there, with the clouds and the thunder that rumbled. A blade appeared on the Countess’ hand and with a single slash, a black shadow ran all the way down, turning the ice tendril into nothing.
“Ansel.”
“Yes, Mi’lady?”
“We’re going to retrieve our Claudia.”
“Understood.”
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
It seemed like trying to persuade Claudia was a failure.
The battle was indeed imminent.
(BGM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20agR_7VnSQ)
Michael channeled his mana into the cross of the sword embedded in the blade just above the hand guard until it started glowing silver. When the crucifix started glowing at its brightest, the edges of the blade shined in silver too.
Claudia dug her foot into the ground, pushing off into a sprint towards Michael, brandishing her scythe. Once she reached him within a mere second, she swung her weapon aiming for his flank.
Michael attempted to block with his sword, but with the weight and sheer size of her weapon, her attack easily penetrated his defenses. It made a huge gash along his clothing, and shortly after, blood started leaking out of his wound. Michael heard voices in his head after receiving the blow from Claudia’s weapon. It was as if something was compelling him to submit to her will. What is happening... His eyes flickered purple for a second, but he managed to steel himself against the demonic whispers in his head.
“You… What kind of horrible weapon are you wielding?!” he asked angrily, swinging his sword towards her.
After successfully dodging Michael’s attack, Claudia chuckled. “Oh, this?” She glanced over to her scythe and smirked. “Just a little gift from the Countess herself. It was made with platinum and possibly the most ghastly of infernal elements. In only a day, at that. Go figure. I see that you’re resisting the mind control ability that is coated within it. You aren’t as lobotomized as I thought.”
Svetlana leapt away on the other hand—seeing a car coming—and clapping twice.
Cosette followed, horizontally employing her longsword.
For Svetlana this was problematic. She couldn’t alter her direction in a short period of time now that she took off from the street. Her only option was the spell she learned from Alicia. She called out to the Faerie Realm for mana and chanted the verses, but her opponent’s blade slashed through her stomach. Barely, but the pain almost made her stop casting.
Eventually spikes of ice rose and covered her surroundings to form a barrier as her body dropped to the rooftop of a house. As soon as she landed Cosette was struck hard with icicles.
“Why… why would you fight for a person like her?!” Svetlana questioned, clapping twice. “She is crazy.”
“Indeed, I wonder why. It is fact that I was bought to serve her, however,” Cosette answered coldly.
“I see that I can’t reason with you either,” Svetlana said, voicing her incantations. She struck her finger into the shield from inside, and it came out slightly as if the Nymph’s Will—the barrier—was made out of water to Svetlana rather than ice. Destructive forces of flames were released that passed like the wind.
Unable to attack, Cosette could only be burned by such a spell.
Michael pushed back Claudia on the other hand, and fearing the gazes of the mundanes, Claudia leapt and met with the wind-like fire mid-air as well. She cringed at the midget’s flames and patted herself repeatedly to get the fires off. Claudia eventually landed over the top of a cable pole and received Michael’s strike, his sword weighing down on her. She applied strength into her scythe, blocking the sword, and pushing him away.
Michael flipped backwards, landing over the cable wires.
“This could all be avoided if you would so kindly get out of my way. Seriously, I have a schedule,” Claudia said with a slight groan.
“As do I, you just happen to be in it,” Michael replied, taking a step forward with one foot as he raised his sword to his eye-level and pointed the tip at Claudia.
She then dashed over the wires and approached him—swinging her scythe left and right with a crazed smile.
Their weapons clashed violently, and they stared each other in the eye for a moment, trying to win in the deadlock. Eventually, Claudia grew bored of it and spun horizontally for a slash to the flank.
Michael blocked it successfully this time, returning her crazed smile with a smug one as his lips curved. Both of them soon struck at the same time, deflecting each other’s blows—they pulled themselves back subsequently. Claudia stood on her pole, while Michael stood opposite on another.
After a moment of pause—as if it was the calm before the storm—Claudia and Michael sprinted towards each other again, clashing. This time, they injured each other.
Michael’s eyes flickered purple for less than a second, but he shrugged off the voices of Lachesis.
“Oh, you fucking nosey, child-molesting prick!” Claudia yelled.
“What nonsense are you saying now? Is it not enough that you try to rob me of free will? Must I suffer your delusions too?!”
Claudia then pushed her scythe down and severed the wires altogether in rage.
Michael fell, but he used a car below on the road to jump up again and struck at Claudia, which was neutralized by her. Seconds later they were clashing across the skies repeatedly.
Claudia seemingly desperate, and Michael calm yet feeling increasingly infuriated.
A puddle of darkness formed about under Claudia’s feet as she landed over another pole yet again.
Michael felt a little tired as he leaned against a railing of a house’s rooftop, but he noted that it was coming. The Commandment of the heavens that Claudia inherited from the Countess as a Representative.
A scowl formed as she ordered the beasts to devour Michael for good.
“...Eat up, you two.”
Michael gave a scowl in return, having the thought of dealing with these monsters again. He leapt off the structure, and ran across the city. The beasts extended far; no matter how far he went, they followed. Trees crunched, cars destroyed, and asphalt were broken apart effortlessly. Michael could only pray for the victims of the demons Claudia summoned. As he passed by a house, the demons attacked from the side, and one of them crashed inside due to missing.
Wails of innocent civilians were heard.
Michael, a priest; an Executioner of the Church; and above all else as a righteous man could never ignore women and children in danger. His sense of justice keen as ever—he dashed in fearlessly to save the people and fended off the demonic beast in an act to protect a little girl. Unfortunately, he took a bite to his shoulder as a result. He wondered why his shoulder was always target to all kinds of attacks as he cringed from the pain.
Putting an end to the beast whose job was done, Michael faced the broken walls of the house, only to see that two other such beasts were awaiting him with some form of distorted grin he could make no sense of.
Behind them he could see Claudia. He didn’t even need binoculars to know that the heartless woman was observing with an unabashed glee as her powers wreaked havoc. Taking to the air, he made way for the root of the evil, but the beasts didn’t just watch, of course, for they rushed after him. He reached out for Claudia with his left hand, but one of the beasts bit onto his leg and pulled him back, making him cringe.
Falling to the earth, Michael’s hand reached out for Claudia who stood over the cable pole high up above and looked down at him with amusement. However, he was faced with the two remaining demonic apparitions that the vampire Representative had summoned.
Pulling himself up, he leapt and impaled one over its head with his cross-embedded sword. As the other demon made way for him, he jumped to its head and used it as a stepping-stone for leaping upwards to Claudia, who forgoed her position in the higher position to end Michael once and for all, coming down towards him at the same time. However, with Michael having taken the initiative to approach with Claudia’s beast, he was faster. Before her heavy scythe could be brought down to him, Michael struck his sword to it. The sword clanged against the handle just over her fingers that gripped against the weapon tightly.
Claudia’s scowl grew more, which only continued to soured her expression.
Michael thoughtlessly grabbed Claudia by her forehead, completing his spell. He attempted to exterminate the evil inside her.
Eventually, the two came down and struck hard against the earth, with Michael’s grip on Claudia’s head still holding. A bright silver light covered them both as the beasts started to lose their form, breaking apart and turning to mere dusts of shadow.
Claudia screamed in pain. It was a kind of agony she had never felt before. Something that was trying to purify her very thoughts in her head. Something that attempted to convince her that Mary was only looking out for her, that she was being a good friend, that she had never betrayed her, but that Claudia simply went down the wrong path.
The darkness in Claudia, however, flared against this revolt. Resulting in her mind facing utter turmoil.
“W-What… what is this!? What the fuck is this!? What did you do to me!?” Claudia yelled at the top of her lungs, unable to accept what was being put into her head, and casting them off as simple lies fabricated by Michael.
“...It is He who casts you out, from whose sight nothing is hidden. It is He who repels you, to whose might all things are subject. It is He who expels you, He who has prepared everlasting hellfire for you and your angels, from whose mouth shall come a sharp sword, who is coming for both the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen,” Michael ignored Claudia’s outburst as he finished the Rite of Exorcism. He released his grip on Claudia’s face and stood up.
“Ohhh, don’t you dare give me that stupid, ham-fisted bullshit about God! The very concept of Him has absolutely nothing to do with me, but the fact that I was hunted by one of his fucking lapdogs for most of my life!” Claudia spat. “I’ll be sure to shove a bible right up your ass once I’m done with you!”
Michael finally lost his patience at Claudia’s overt disrespect. He raised his foot and stomped hard on her chest, just below her neck. “Do you not realize that it pains Miss Shelley to hunt you? Did you not think about why you are hunted? Must you always think that it is the world that wrongs you, when you are doing such atrocities yourself?! Must you rob these good people of their lives for your whims?!” He shouted at her furiously.
“I.. don’t care what Mary thinks. She’s made her choice, as have I,” Claudia replied, looking away from Michael. “I am, and always have been hunted because of my parents. I was chased, lost my home, and my family over something I had no control over. What do you know!?” Tears began to build up in Claudia’s pupils as she continued to struggle. “...You don’t know what the difference between me and an atrocity is.”
“What about the men whose lives you drained with your vicious fangs?! What about the attack on the Queen you and your cohorts did? Do these lives mean nothing to you?! Seek repentance, ask for forgiveness, and it shall be given to you. If you truly reject these atrocities, seek atonement! Choose to do good, and good will come to you!” Michael’s voice was strained. “Why… why must things happen like this? Do you not see all this violence and destruction?”
“And do you not see that this is for a cause far larger than yours? I’m doing it for your sake, that midget’s sake, and no matter how much I loathe her—Mary’s sake, too. So what if I have to kill a few people to achieve it? All the killing will be fruitless if I don’t do the things I do,” Claudia explained with disdain in her voice.
“What kind of demonic illusions cloud your mind that you see justice in your cause? What kind of salvation does a mountain of bodies bring?” Michael gritted his teeth as he pressed his foot down harder. “Have you deluded yourself so much… so much that you think what you are doing is just?!” He raised his sword, its edge shining like the moon on a starless night. He intended to end it here. If she couldn’t change, then may she find atonement in afterlife.
“If you think killing me will solve the world’s problems, it won’t. At the same time, I refuse to be killed on the side of the street, as I have unfinished business,” Claudia said. “While I’m ready to accept death, I rather it be by my own hand than by a Priest—the type who placed me in this situation.”
Before Michael’s sword stabbed Claudia’s heart, someone tapped on his shoulder casually as if to seek his attention. When he turned at the last moment, a finger flicked at his face. He was thrown effortlessly to a tree that tumbled down from the sheer force. When Michael looked up, he realized that the size of the finger’s hand was much more than his own head. A black hand extended from a person who stood in the air itself. It was larger than his own body.
It was the Countess.
She looked down at him scornfully.
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on my Representative—my daughter. Stop spouting nonsense about God to her.”
The fist clenched and Michael received the force of the demonic large fist from the top, pulverising him deeply to the ground.
It picked up Claudia, and dropped her over Ansel’s arms, who awaited her behind the Countess.
“Sorry for being late,” Ansel said. “I’ll get you treated as soon as possible.”
“...You’re… next. Shoul...d have wai...ted for…” Michael was coughing blood and he couldn’t move a muscle as all his bones were shattered. He realized he probably wouldn’t survive to the next day, “Your...turn.” I’m sorry, Laura... Goodbye.
Countess’ right hand was no longer over-sized and it returned to normal. “Hmph, you think there is God?” The Countess asked—not expecting an answer—ignoring his final remark. An arm spouted out from her back and grasped a ball of fire; clenching, it was crushed.
“Hmph, so she is already here.” Catherine ascended, and faced one of the strongest magi of the world.
Claudia was downcast, as she came upon the realization that she had failed to do something on her own—even at the thing she was best at doing: killing. Sagittarius got out unscathed. How hard was that? This was the second time the Countess, or anyone else, had to save her life, and for what? She already admitted to her suicidal mindset. She could curse and scream all she wanted; she failed, at the hands of a talkative midget and a Priest at that.
All she could do was cry as Ansel took her to safety.
As Michael was losing his consciousness, he saw it.
He saw a glimpse of holy light, a serene and peaceful place, yet the throne beyond the light lacked something, and then there was a whisper.
“There is much more you have yet to do, Michael…”
(GM Comment: While the scene was labeled “Michael and Claudia’s second battle” in our Table of Contents of the Google Doc where we RP’d, the real name of this scene was undoubtedly “The Epic Facepalm” according to Fallan.)
The battle was indeed imminent.
(BGM: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20agR_7VnSQ)
Michael channeled his mana into the cross of the sword embedded in the blade just above the hand guard until it started glowing silver. When the crucifix started glowing at its brightest, the edges of the blade shined in silver too.
Claudia dug her foot into the ground, pushing off into a sprint towards Michael, brandishing her scythe. Once she reached him within a mere second, she swung her weapon aiming for his flank.
Michael attempted to block with his sword, but with the weight and sheer size of her weapon, her attack easily penetrated his defenses. It made a huge gash along his clothing, and shortly after, blood started leaking out of his wound. Michael heard voices in his head after receiving the blow from Claudia’s weapon. It was as if something was compelling him to submit to her will. What is happening... His eyes flickered purple for a second, but he managed to steel himself against the demonic whispers in his head.
“You… What kind of horrible weapon are you wielding?!” he asked angrily, swinging his sword towards her.
After successfully dodging Michael’s attack, Claudia chuckled. “Oh, this?” She glanced over to her scythe and smirked. “Just a little gift from the Countess herself. It was made with platinum and possibly the most ghastly of infernal elements. In only a day, at that. Go figure. I see that you’re resisting the mind control ability that is coated within it. You aren’t as lobotomized as I thought.”
Svetlana leapt away on the other hand—seeing a car coming—and clapping twice.
Cosette followed, horizontally employing her longsword.
For Svetlana this was problematic. She couldn’t alter her direction in a short period of time now that she took off from the street. Her only option was the spell she learned from Alicia. She called out to the Faerie Realm for mana and chanted the verses, but her opponent’s blade slashed through her stomach. Barely, but the pain almost made her stop casting.
Eventually spikes of ice rose and covered her surroundings to form a barrier as her body dropped to the rooftop of a house. As soon as she landed Cosette was struck hard with icicles.
“Why… why would you fight for a person like her?!” Svetlana questioned, clapping twice. “She is crazy.”
“Indeed, I wonder why. It is fact that I was bought to serve her, however,” Cosette answered coldly.
“I see that I can’t reason with you either,” Svetlana said, voicing her incantations. She struck her finger into the shield from inside, and it came out slightly as if the Nymph’s Will—the barrier—was made out of water to Svetlana rather than ice. Destructive forces of flames were released that passed like the wind.
Unable to attack, Cosette could only be burned by such a spell.
Michael pushed back Claudia on the other hand, and fearing the gazes of the mundanes, Claudia leapt and met with the wind-like fire mid-air as well. She cringed at the midget’s flames and patted herself repeatedly to get the fires off. Claudia eventually landed over the top of a cable pole and received Michael’s strike, his sword weighing down on her. She applied strength into her scythe, blocking the sword, and pushing him away.
Michael flipped backwards, landing over the cable wires.
“This could all be avoided if you would so kindly get out of my way. Seriously, I have a schedule,” Claudia said with a slight groan.
“As do I, you just happen to be in it,” Michael replied, taking a step forward with one foot as he raised his sword to his eye-level and pointed the tip at Claudia.
She then dashed over the wires and approached him—swinging her scythe left and right with a crazed smile.
Their weapons clashed violently, and they stared each other in the eye for a moment, trying to win in the deadlock. Eventually, Claudia grew bored of it and spun horizontally for a slash to the flank.
Michael blocked it successfully this time, returning her crazed smile with a smug one as his lips curved. Both of them soon struck at the same time, deflecting each other’s blows—they pulled themselves back subsequently. Claudia stood on her pole, while Michael stood opposite on another.
After a moment of pause—as if it was the calm before the storm—Claudia and Michael sprinted towards each other again, clashing. This time, they injured each other.
Michael’s eyes flickered purple for less than a second, but he shrugged off the voices of Lachesis.
“Oh, you fucking nosey, child-molesting prick!” Claudia yelled.
“What nonsense are you saying now? Is it not enough that you try to rob me of free will? Must I suffer your delusions too?!”
Claudia then pushed her scythe down and severed the wires altogether in rage.
Michael fell, but he used a car below on the road to jump up again and struck at Claudia, which was neutralized by her. Seconds later they were clashing across the skies repeatedly.
Claudia seemingly desperate, and Michael calm yet feeling increasingly infuriated.
A puddle of darkness formed about under Claudia’s feet as she landed over another pole yet again.
Michael felt a little tired as he leaned against a railing of a house’s rooftop, but he noted that it was coming. The Commandment of the heavens that Claudia inherited from the Countess as a Representative.
A scowl formed as she ordered the beasts to devour Michael for good.
“...Eat up, you two.”
Michael gave a scowl in return, having the thought of dealing with these monsters again. He leapt off the structure, and ran across the city. The beasts extended far; no matter how far he went, they followed. Trees crunched, cars destroyed, and asphalt were broken apart effortlessly. Michael could only pray for the victims of the demons Claudia summoned. As he passed by a house, the demons attacked from the side, and one of them crashed inside due to missing.
Wails of innocent civilians were heard.
Michael, a priest; an Executioner of the Church; and above all else as a righteous man could never ignore women and children in danger. His sense of justice keen as ever—he dashed in fearlessly to save the people and fended off the demonic beast in an act to protect a little girl. Unfortunately, he took a bite to his shoulder as a result. He wondered why his shoulder was always target to all kinds of attacks as he cringed from the pain.
Putting an end to the beast whose job was done, Michael faced the broken walls of the house, only to see that two other such beasts were awaiting him with some form of distorted grin he could make no sense of.
Behind them he could see Claudia. He didn’t even need binoculars to know that the heartless woman was observing with an unabashed glee as her powers wreaked havoc. Taking to the air, he made way for the root of the evil, but the beasts didn’t just watch, of course, for they rushed after him. He reached out for Claudia with his left hand, but one of the beasts bit onto his leg and pulled him back, making him cringe.
Falling to the earth, Michael’s hand reached out for Claudia who stood over the cable pole high up above and looked down at him with amusement. However, he was faced with the two remaining demonic apparitions that the vampire Representative had summoned.
Pulling himself up, he leapt and impaled one over its head with his cross-embedded sword. As the other demon made way for him, he jumped to its head and used it as a stepping-stone for leaping upwards to Claudia, who forgoed her position in the higher position to end Michael once and for all, coming down towards him at the same time. However, with Michael having taken the initiative to approach with Claudia’s beast, he was faster. Before her heavy scythe could be brought down to him, Michael struck his sword to it. The sword clanged against the handle just over her fingers that gripped against the weapon tightly.
Claudia’s scowl grew more, which only continued to soured her expression.
Michael thoughtlessly grabbed Claudia by her forehead, completing his spell. He attempted to exterminate the evil inside her.
Eventually, the two came down and struck hard against the earth, with Michael’s grip on Claudia’s head still holding. A bright silver light covered them both as the beasts started to lose their form, breaking apart and turning to mere dusts of shadow.
Claudia screamed in pain. It was a kind of agony she had never felt before. Something that was trying to purify her very thoughts in her head. Something that attempted to convince her that Mary was only looking out for her, that she was being a good friend, that she had never betrayed her, but that Claudia simply went down the wrong path.
The darkness in Claudia, however, flared against this revolt. Resulting in her mind facing utter turmoil.
“W-What… what is this!? What the fuck is this!? What did you do to me!?” Claudia yelled at the top of her lungs, unable to accept what was being put into her head, and casting them off as simple lies fabricated by Michael.
“...It is He who casts you out, from whose sight nothing is hidden. It is He who repels you, to whose might all things are subject. It is He who expels you, He who has prepared everlasting hellfire for you and your angels, from whose mouth shall come a sharp sword, who is coming for both the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen,” Michael ignored Claudia’s outburst as he finished the Rite of Exorcism. He released his grip on Claudia’s face and stood up.
“Ohhh, don’t you dare give me that stupid, ham-fisted bullshit about God! The very concept of Him has absolutely nothing to do with me, but the fact that I was hunted by one of his fucking lapdogs for most of my life!” Claudia spat. “I’ll be sure to shove a bible right up your ass once I’m done with you!”
Michael finally lost his patience at Claudia’s overt disrespect. He raised his foot and stomped hard on her chest, just below her neck. “Do you not realize that it pains Miss Shelley to hunt you? Did you not think about why you are hunted? Must you always think that it is the world that wrongs you, when you are doing such atrocities yourself?! Must you rob these good people of their lives for your whims?!” He shouted at her furiously.
“I.. don’t care what Mary thinks. She’s made her choice, as have I,” Claudia replied, looking away from Michael. “I am, and always have been hunted because of my parents. I was chased, lost my home, and my family over something I had no control over. What do you know!?” Tears began to build up in Claudia’s pupils as she continued to struggle. “...You don’t know what the difference between me and an atrocity is.”
“What about the men whose lives you drained with your vicious fangs?! What about the attack on the Queen you and your cohorts did? Do these lives mean nothing to you?! Seek repentance, ask for forgiveness, and it shall be given to you. If you truly reject these atrocities, seek atonement! Choose to do good, and good will come to you!” Michael’s voice was strained. “Why… why must things happen like this? Do you not see all this violence and destruction?”
“And do you not see that this is for a cause far larger than yours? I’m doing it for your sake, that midget’s sake, and no matter how much I loathe her—Mary’s sake, too. So what if I have to kill a few people to achieve it? All the killing will be fruitless if I don’t do the things I do,” Claudia explained with disdain in her voice.
“What kind of demonic illusions cloud your mind that you see justice in your cause? What kind of salvation does a mountain of bodies bring?” Michael gritted his teeth as he pressed his foot down harder. “Have you deluded yourself so much… so much that you think what you are doing is just?!” He raised his sword, its edge shining like the moon on a starless night. He intended to end it here. If she couldn’t change, then may she find atonement in afterlife.
“If you think killing me will solve the world’s problems, it won’t. At the same time, I refuse to be killed on the side of the street, as I have unfinished business,” Claudia said. “While I’m ready to accept death, I rather it be by my own hand than by a Priest—the type who placed me in this situation.”
Before Michael’s sword stabbed Claudia’s heart, someone tapped on his shoulder casually as if to seek his attention. When he turned at the last moment, a finger flicked at his face. He was thrown effortlessly to a tree that tumbled down from the sheer force. When Michael looked up, he realized that the size of the finger’s hand was much more than his own head. A black hand extended from a person who stood in the air itself. It was larger than his own body.
It was the Countess.
She looked down at him scornfully.
“Don’t you dare lay a hand on my Representative—my daughter. Stop spouting nonsense about God to her.”
The fist clenched and Michael received the force of the demonic large fist from the top, pulverising him deeply to the ground.
It picked up Claudia, and dropped her over Ansel’s arms, who awaited her behind the Countess.
“Sorry for being late,” Ansel said. “I’ll get you treated as soon as possible.”
“...You’re… next. Shoul...d have wai...ted for…” Michael was coughing blood and he couldn’t move a muscle as all his bones were shattered. He realized he probably wouldn’t survive to the next day, “Your...turn.” I’m sorry, Laura... Goodbye.
Countess’ right hand was no longer over-sized and it returned to normal. “Hmph, you think there is God?” The Countess asked—not expecting an answer—ignoring his final remark. An arm spouted out from her back and grasped a ball of fire; clenching, it was crushed.
“Hmph, so she is already here.” Catherine ascended, and faced one of the strongest magi of the world.
Claudia was downcast, as she came upon the realization that she had failed to do something on her own—even at the thing she was best at doing: killing. Sagittarius got out unscathed. How hard was that? This was the second time the Countess, or anyone else, had to save her life, and for what? She already admitted to her suicidal mindset. She could curse and scream all she wanted; she failed, at the hands of a talkative midget and a Priest at that.
All she could do was cry as Ansel took her to safety.
As Michael was losing his consciousness, he saw it.
He saw a glimpse of holy light, a serene and peaceful place, yet the throne beyond the light lacked something, and then there was a whisper.
“There is much more you have yet to do, Michael…”
(GM Comment: While the scene was labeled “Michael and Claudia’s second battle” in our Table of Contents of the Google Doc where we RP’d, the real name of this scene was undoubtedly “The Epic Facepalm” according to Fallan.)
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
Natsu heard something strange and unfamiliar. A wave like the wind was felt, yet it didn’t truly feel like the wind. The world changed.
Time flowed yet again.
The world returned to normal, its color returned.
Manager was alive yet again.
“W-What? There were bodies… ! Wait, this is different; where am I?!”
“We're outside, Manager-san, but we need to get to safety!” Natsu informed him. A wave of relief came over her, but they weren't out of the woods yet. At least he's okay!
“Safety… from?” The Manager asked, despite knowing that something bad was going on.
“What is this fog…?” Ame scowled“Be on your guard.” She then faced ahead and shouted, “Whoever you are, show yourself!”
“I see that you are perceptive of materials of water, young lady.”
A tall man walked out of the dregs of fog and showed himself as requested. He wore a black suit designed with gold patterns—and to Natsu—he was almost reminiscent of a general or an important officer from the military from an older era.
“Who are you...?” Natsu asked with caution, staying vigilant in case he was a foe. She'd already encountered several allies and adversaries. It was difficult to determine who she could trust at this point.
“Apologies for not introducing earlier,” the stranger said with a terse bow. “I am George, and my job is to completely wipe you off this world. Please do not resist, for any of it is futile.”
“What…?” Ame said, finding his statement a little hard to digest.
The manager couldn’t even take the man seriously and was rather speechless before he asked, “Natsu-san, exactly what kind of men do you hang around with these days?”
“It’s very hard to explain, Manager-san…” Natsu answered her manager quickly, before turning to the unknown man and inquiring, “Why do you need to kill me...? I’ve never started any quarrel with you, or anyone…” Ever since meeting Sagittarius and becoming a Descendant of Time, Natsu has been attacked several times, seemingly unprovoked. She needed to know why. It happened far too often. “Do the Time Warriors pose some sort of threat to you?”
“All kinds of threats, yes,” George answered, nodding. “Your existence itself is dangerous, regardless of your intentions.”
“It doesn't make sense, I don't want to fight you... I have no reason to…” Natsu told the man, with a solemn expression.
“If you do not wish to fight, then all you need to do is allow me to end you,” George said with indifference, ignoring all the other questions. Since when had he attempted to take her life before? He had no idea what she was talking about, and there was no reason to answer it either.
George dashed without a second of delay and to Natsu, he seemed like a blur as his face was an inch before her.
Her eyes widened and she felt his hand dig into her stomach. Blood churning out.
The manager yelled, “Why you!!” He had no idea what was going on, but nothing was alright, and he burst into fury upon the sight of Natsu being injured. He thus punched George, but it was nowhere close to phasing him.
George calmly retracted his fist from Natsu—who fell on her knees—and slashed at the manager with his already-bloodied hand.
The next moment, Natsu saw the manager’s head soaring across her line of sight.
Her beloved manager’s head.
His expression was contorted with something that seemed like a mixture of rage and fear both.
“MANAGER-SAN!!!!” Natsu shrieked at the sight, but coughed out blood. “No... this can't be happening!” She reached for his body while clutching her stomach, keeping pressure on her wound. It was too surreal. The man she loved, gone in an instant. The moment her hand came in contact with his lifeless corpse the reality sank in, and something within her snapped.
George seemingly created some form of claws out of stones with sharp edges. Before Ame struck with a scepter she held, George simply thrust his palm and she was pushed to the wall with an invisible force before his fist even connected.
With eyes devoid of any emotion besides sadness and anger, Natsu called forth Sagittarius' bow, and readied an arrow. She aimed directly for George's head. Tears streamed from her eyes, but she kept focus on her target. She had experienced enough trauma to last her several lifetimes. It was time she finally started seeking retribution.
She let loose the arrow, the first act of aggression Natsu herself had launched against any of her pursuers.
“Oh? So you intend to fight after all?” George questioned, the arrow barely grazing past his face. An arrow shot with too much emotion seemed to lack proper precision.
A wall of water brushed past him and Ame stood between Natsu and the man with her scepter.
“Do not underestimate a Hime Miko,” Ame declared. “Come, clouds, rain, and all that moistens the land,” she chanted. Orbs of water formed and turned to ice by her will and were shot forth, but George broke them with his fists alone.
“What is this…?” George uttered, the ice from the glacial orbs covered his fists that he used to break them with.
Natsu tried to compose herself and readied another arrow. Another few arrows, in fact. She conjured up four arrows and took aim again. She was still driven by her emotions, so she decided her best chance to hit was to simply increase the volume of her attack. Natsu set George in her sights again and fired away.
Considering her opponent was too busy trying to get the ice off him, he instinctively placed the frost-coated arm before him to protect himself. As if laser melted steel, the projectiles born of spiritual energy—supplied by the Celestial Spirit that was Sagittarius—completely burnt the arm and broke down a wall of a building on the other side of the road.
George only grunted from the pain, as if he somehow suppressed the feeling of his burning nerves. “Oh… I underestimated you,” he admitted. There was still no sense of tension from his voice.
“Chi.”
He outstretched his arm and opened his palm for it to meet Natsu’s general direction, and an invisible wave struck against Natsu. One could marvel how he could keep his face straight and remain composed, with his shoulder melted away and leaking blood.
Natsu instinctively put her hand up in front of her to protect herself from the invisible attack, and even managed to shatter the force through sheer will. Depressed as she was from all the loss she experienced today, her desire to avenge everyone strengthened her resolve. She had to defeat George, at least, at all costs. Natsu had never felt so much hatred for someone before today, but George brought it out of her after cruelly killing her manager.
Another four arrows were formed after Natsu readied her bow yet again. “I’ll never forgive you for what you did to Manager-san…” she angrily growled before firing another burst in George's direction.
“That’s alright,” George responded. “I don’t need it.”
Natsu shot an arrow, but somehow he was fast enough to get over it and grab her by the neck.
When Natsu looked to the side, Ame could hardly move for some reason, like she was a statue. She couldn’t even speak.
It was a test of wits and strength for the idol now versus the robotic grunt of her enemies. With her throat being forcibly shut by the powerful grip of George, she could hardly do much other than hold his remaining hand desperately to free herself. From the pain on her neck and stomach and the resulting distraction, her bow and arrows vanished into thin air.
George pulled his head forward and bit on the corner of her neck, making Natsu feel a kind of prickling pain she wasn’t quite familiar with as the fangs dug under her skin, copious amount of her blood being sucked out from her.
Natsu had to react fast. She thrashed about trying to shake free, but that quickly proved to be pointless. She tried kicking him in several places: his stomach, his legs, in between his legs, but it was too difficult to hit her target. This was turning very desperate. She was now simply attempting to push away George, thrusting her palm into his chest.
What… is this? George barely pulled his bloodied mouth and fangs out as he felt an unimaginable pressure from the idol’s palm.
Her palm barely touched his chest. What form of sorcery—no, martial arts was this? He thought he knew it all, but this was absolutely foreign. He tried to keep a solid grip on the girl’s neck but it was impossible. Eventually, George lost his touch on her. He flew away at a breakneck pace, moving past the wall that Natsu’s arrow had demolished earlier; unable to resist the force of nature that Sagittarius had planted on his chest, he crashed, sending debris into the air.
He was so far away that the idol could no longer see him as she fell down to her knees.
The hypnotizing effects from Ame wore off and she almost staggered due to being stuck for so long. The Hime Miko immediately approached Natsu and held her with both her arms.
“Are you alright? He seems to have drank your blood… I can only hope that you won’t go through a state of vampirism or the likes…” the Miko said anxiously.
“I think I'm fine, but... vampirism? Oh, no... Am I going to turn into one!?” Natsu asked urgently. She was exhausted after the fight, and everything that happened started flooding back to her. All the bodies of her friends, her attackers, all the fighting. This added to it only increased her sorrow and vexed her further.
“I hope not, but it’s a probability!” Ame said, similarly tensed as Natsu. “I wouldn’t know, though. You’re a Descendant so it could be different for you.”
“Will it...?” Natsu said, downtrodden. She'd be happy if that were the case, but she didn't have much confidence in it. “Are the others still fighting? I hope they're doing alright…” she murmured, glancing behind her toward the final door they had escaped from.
A shadow briefly was cast over the entire area. Natsu looked up to the sky to see what it was. "A... A dragon!?!?"
Time flowed yet again.
The world returned to normal, its color returned.
Manager was alive yet again.
“W-What? There were bodies… ! Wait, this is different; where am I?!”
“We're outside, Manager-san, but we need to get to safety!” Natsu informed him. A wave of relief came over her, but they weren't out of the woods yet. At least he's okay!
“Safety… from?” The Manager asked, despite knowing that something bad was going on.
“What is this fog…?” Ame scowled“Be on your guard.” She then faced ahead and shouted, “Whoever you are, show yourself!”
“I see that you are perceptive of materials of water, young lady.”
A tall man walked out of the dregs of fog and showed himself as requested. He wore a black suit designed with gold patterns—and to Natsu—he was almost reminiscent of a general or an important officer from the military from an older era.
“Who are you...?” Natsu asked with caution, staying vigilant in case he was a foe. She'd already encountered several allies and adversaries. It was difficult to determine who she could trust at this point.
“Apologies for not introducing earlier,” the stranger said with a terse bow. “I am George, and my job is to completely wipe you off this world. Please do not resist, for any of it is futile.”
“What…?” Ame said, finding his statement a little hard to digest.
The manager couldn’t even take the man seriously and was rather speechless before he asked, “Natsu-san, exactly what kind of men do you hang around with these days?”
“It’s very hard to explain, Manager-san…” Natsu answered her manager quickly, before turning to the unknown man and inquiring, “Why do you need to kill me...? I’ve never started any quarrel with you, or anyone…” Ever since meeting Sagittarius and becoming a Descendant of Time, Natsu has been attacked several times, seemingly unprovoked. She needed to know why. It happened far too often. “Do the Time Warriors pose some sort of threat to you?”
“All kinds of threats, yes,” George answered, nodding. “Your existence itself is dangerous, regardless of your intentions.”
“It doesn't make sense, I don't want to fight you... I have no reason to…” Natsu told the man, with a solemn expression.
“If you do not wish to fight, then all you need to do is allow me to end you,” George said with indifference, ignoring all the other questions. Since when had he attempted to take her life before? He had no idea what she was talking about, and there was no reason to answer it either.
George dashed without a second of delay and to Natsu, he seemed like a blur as his face was an inch before her.
Her eyes widened and she felt his hand dig into her stomach. Blood churning out.
The manager yelled, “Why you!!” He had no idea what was going on, but nothing was alright, and he burst into fury upon the sight of Natsu being injured. He thus punched George, but it was nowhere close to phasing him.
George calmly retracted his fist from Natsu—who fell on her knees—and slashed at the manager with his already-bloodied hand.
The next moment, Natsu saw the manager’s head soaring across her line of sight.
Her beloved manager’s head.
His expression was contorted with something that seemed like a mixture of rage and fear both.
“MANAGER-SAN!!!!” Natsu shrieked at the sight, but coughed out blood. “No... this can't be happening!” She reached for his body while clutching her stomach, keeping pressure on her wound. It was too surreal. The man she loved, gone in an instant. The moment her hand came in contact with his lifeless corpse the reality sank in, and something within her snapped.
George seemingly created some form of claws out of stones with sharp edges. Before Ame struck with a scepter she held, George simply thrust his palm and she was pushed to the wall with an invisible force before his fist even connected.
With eyes devoid of any emotion besides sadness and anger, Natsu called forth Sagittarius' bow, and readied an arrow. She aimed directly for George's head. Tears streamed from her eyes, but she kept focus on her target. She had experienced enough trauma to last her several lifetimes. It was time she finally started seeking retribution.
She let loose the arrow, the first act of aggression Natsu herself had launched against any of her pursuers.
“Oh? So you intend to fight after all?” George questioned, the arrow barely grazing past his face. An arrow shot with too much emotion seemed to lack proper precision.
A wall of water brushed past him and Ame stood between Natsu and the man with her scepter.
“Do not underestimate a Hime Miko,” Ame declared. “Come, clouds, rain, and all that moistens the land,” she chanted. Orbs of water formed and turned to ice by her will and were shot forth, but George broke them with his fists alone.
“What is this…?” George uttered, the ice from the glacial orbs covered his fists that he used to break them with.
Natsu tried to compose herself and readied another arrow. Another few arrows, in fact. She conjured up four arrows and took aim again. She was still driven by her emotions, so she decided her best chance to hit was to simply increase the volume of her attack. Natsu set George in her sights again and fired away.
Considering her opponent was too busy trying to get the ice off him, he instinctively placed the frost-coated arm before him to protect himself. As if laser melted steel, the projectiles born of spiritual energy—supplied by the Celestial Spirit that was Sagittarius—completely burnt the arm and broke down a wall of a building on the other side of the road.
George only grunted from the pain, as if he somehow suppressed the feeling of his burning nerves. “Oh… I underestimated you,” he admitted. There was still no sense of tension from his voice.
“Chi.”
He outstretched his arm and opened his palm for it to meet Natsu’s general direction, and an invisible wave struck against Natsu. One could marvel how he could keep his face straight and remain composed, with his shoulder melted away and leaking blood.
Natsu instinctively put her hand up in front of her to protect herself from the invisible attack, and even managed to shatter the force through sheer will. Depressed as she was from all the loss she experienced today, her desire to avenge everyone strengthened her resolve. She had to defeat George, at least, at all costs. Natsu had never felt so much hatred for someone before today, but George brought it out of her after cruelly killing her manager.
Another four arrows were formed after Natsu readied her bow yet again. “I’ll never forgive you for what you did to Manager-san…” she angrily growled before firing another burst in George's direction.
“That’s alright,” George responded. “I don’t need it.”
Natsu shot an arrow, but somehow he was fast enough to get over it and grab her by the neck.
When Natsu looked to the side, Ame could hardly move for some reason, like she was a statue. She couldn’t even speak.
It was a test of wits and strength for the idol now versus the robotic grunt of her enemies. With her throat being forcibly shut by the powerful grip of George, she could hardly do much other than hold his remaining hand desperately to free herself. From the pain on her neck and stomach and the resulting distraction, her bow and arrows vanished into thin air.
George pulled his head forward and bit on the corner of her neck, making Natsu feel a kind of prickling pain she wasn’t quite familiar with as the fangs dug under her skin, copious amount of her blood being sucked out from her.
Natsu had to react fast. She thrashed about trying to shake free, but that quickly proved to be pointless. She tried kicking him in several places: his stomach, his legs, in between his legs, but it was too difficult to hit her target. This was turning very desperate. She was now simply attempting to push away George, thrusting her palm into his chest.
What… is this? George barely pulled his bloodied mouth and fangs out as he felt an unimaginable pressure from the idol’s palm.
Her palm barely touched his chest. What form of sorcery—no, martial arts was this? He thought he knew it all, but this was absolutely foreign. He tried to keep a solid grip on the girl’s neck but it was impossible. Eventually, George lost his touch on her. He flew away at a breakneck pace, moving past the wall that Natsu’s arrow had demolished earlier; unable to resist the force of nature that Sagittarius had planted on his chest, he crashed, sending debris into the air.
He was so far away that the idol could no longer see him as she fell down to her knees.
The hypnotizing effects from Ame wore off and she almost staggered due to being stuck for so long. The Hime Miko immediately approached Natsu and held her with both her arms.
“Are you alright? He seems to have drank your blood… I can only hope that you won’t go through a state of vampirism or the likes…” the Miko said anxiously.
“I think I'm fine, but... vampirism? Oh, no... Am I going to turn into one!?” Natsu asked urgently. She was exhausted after the fight, and everything that happened started flooding back to her. All the bodies of her friends, her attackers, all the fighting. This added to it only increased her sorrow and vexed her further.
“I hope not, but it’s a probability!” Ame said, similarly tensed as Natsu. “I wouldn’t know, though. You’re a Descendant so it could be different for you.”
“Will it...?” Natsu said, downtrodden. She'd be happy if that were the case, but she didn't have much confidence in it. “Are the others still fighting? I hope they're doing alright…” she murmured, glancing behind her toward the final door they had escaped from.
A shadow briefly was cast over the entire area. Natsu looked up to the sky to see what it was. "A... A dragon!?!?"
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byFkvbz2Za0)
The blade dispersed, and Countess Dracula transformed. Her mighty fangs and claws showed. She was so large that she cast a shadow on the people of Tokyo. Her wings flapped, sending strong gales away each moment.
The ancient dragon looked down at the people as if they were insects, literally, and it included Margaret Alicia too.
With its breath, the dragon spewed forth hellfire, which blanketed Tokyo with incredible levels of heat and swathed the blossoming frosty blue rose with flames that melted it in but moments.
The Countess reverted to her usual form, her clothes same as before, now holding her parasol open.
“Ansel,” she beckoned, and her aide appeared soundlessly in thin air. Catherine accepted a cup before Ansel started pouring blood for her. Never mind him floating in the air while holding Claudia with a single arm—or him holding a container of blood and a cup of glass at the same time in his hand to begin with—but if it wasn’t the supposed infamous Blood Countess, anyone else would be surprised that he could even manage pouring a drink in an otherwise extremely pressurized area such as this in the sky.
It was a wonder in itself.
“Did that spell deter my sight, too? What on Earth is going on?” Claudia questioned, nearly dazed from the elevated height. She was… floating?
“I apologize, I believe that is because I warped a little too suddenly, Lady Claudia. Your eyesight should be fine, otherwise,” Ansel stated.
Claudia sighed, rubbing at both her pupils with her thumb and index finger. “Was… was that a dragon, before? Did the Countess do that?”
“Oh, did I surprise you with that, my dear? I apologize, but it was a necessity considering the situation,” the Countess stated.
“Incredible… I knew you possessed great strength, but… to possess the ability of a Dragon. Mon Dieu…”
“One of the perks of being a Descendant,” the Countess said nonchalantly, giving her shoulders a jerk.
“What a useful perk… I don’t suppose I could inherit something like that?”
“Unfortunately, Lady Claudia, a Representative may only inherit one power at the moment of their transformation…” Ansel informed.
“I see… ” Claudia replied, visibly disappointed.
I know I treat her as a daughter, but sheesh, the gall of this child to want to steal more of my Commandments… Catherine then sipped her drink of blood yet again as Alicia rose back up to her level. A malicious grin was afloat on the Countess’ face as she glimpsed upon the Duchess’ figure, ruffled with dust, soot, and tattered clothes.
“—Actually, Countess… I… have a confession,” Claudia said. “Earlier before, I… lost myself when fighting that… midget, even further when fighting the Priest. I failed to kill Sagittarius. Forgive me…”
“I fear you are lacking in experience,” Ansel said.
“Well, we had to mute your transmitted sounds for some time due to all the yellings, frankly,” the Countess revealed. “However, I do not condemn you for your behavior, my dear. At the least, you held off two seemingly persistent opponents for the rest of us.”
Claudia grunted, albeit as if she was affected by her employer’s words. Though, she did sigh in relief. “Thank you, Countess. I swear that I will grow far stronger, and surpass Sagittarius and everyone else. I swear it.”
Ehehe, surpass Sagittarius… wait, what? “I wish you luck, my dear,” the Countess said, a little hesitatingly. “...But I believe surpassing a Descendant is an order too tall.”
Is she really so damned strong? Claudia thought. “Then at the very least, Mary. I will not be content until then.”
“For that, I have faith in you,” Catherine said, then turned to Alicia.
“Had a great time down there, Margaret Alicia?”
“Thanks to you, Erzsebet Bathory.”
She is starting to show her true colors. Unfortunately for her, she couldn’t see the symbol on the Countess’ eyes anymore. A pity that Alicia couldn’t come close enough to confirm it. However, that wasn’t important now. What was important was defeating the Countess. What was important was saving Natsu from this ordeal and the rest caught up in it.
“Bathory…? But that could only mean…” Claudia mumbled, turning over to the Countess.
The Countess, however, simply gave her usual charming smile. “How is the operation with Sagittarius going?”
“I do not think it is plausible since even George faced defeat.”
“Tch...this does not bode well at all,” Claudia commented.
“Too many guards, is it? Then I suppose there isn’t much we may do about this situation.”
“Holy Wrath spell—Thor’s Might.”
Margaret’s form transformed into that of lightning itself. Her brilliance shone so bright that Catherine averted her gaze. With a buzz the Duchess disappeared without a trace.
“Then, we shall observe from afar, Mi’lady,” Ansel said, retreating into the darkness as the Countess continued to consume blood from her cup with glee.
Catherine’s blade materialised and it struck against Alicia who was electricity incarnate. As soon as the cup was emptied, Alicia struck hard enough that it shattered, and the Countess felt the electric shock surging throughout her body. Yet her expression conveyed a calm and composed countenance as a wave of blackness and feathers discharged from her, making Alicia not only pull back but lose her spell.
“You just don’t make it easy, do you…?” the Duchess commented.
“So, what’s your next trick going to be?” Catherine inquired, smirking. Her haughtiness and confidence knew no end.
“You leave me no choice.” She leisurely checked the time of the day on her wristwatch before taking a new stance that covered the general direction of the sun beyond the clouds. The Duchess prepared the most destructive spell she knew. The spell she taught to her daughter’s non-blood related older sister. She performed hand gestures at an impressive speed. Her index and middle finger joined—a small red magical circle formed above her fingertip—and she pointed them to the clouds above as they formed a hollow hole.
The Countess showed a visible frown as the tremors resumed and the weather in the sky turned far more violent.
“The series of Supreme Magics forbidden even in the ancient era… how do you… Ares, you bastard—you broke the vow.”
The Duchess smiled, her fingers sailed straight down to the direction of the Countess from up to down. The sky turned red, and the meteor was coming down.
“Dark Celestial Body spell—Metéora.”
With Asteria’s might and mana granted, the meteor came down from the blackened storm clouds and struck the Countess directly. A weight too heavy even for her apparently, even as she attempted to hold it back with an enlarged hand, which was burning. She felt a searing pain that she beared with a cringe. Her beloved cup was shattered yet again.
“Harpe.” Her sword materialised again, and she struck it against the celestial object before it disseminated in every directions. Of course, the panicking people of Tokyo witnessed the pieces of the meteorite falling in various locations.
The Countess used something invisible under her feet as a foothold as she leapt up to the Duchess as black feathers fluttered and danced. The Grim Step that allowed her to elevate freely and soar without issues similarly fast to the real Grim Reaper. Likely even faster.
Into her back and out from the stomach; the Harpe entered and exited the Duchess’ body—who coughed blood.
The Duchess transfigured, and in the form of lightning, she clashed repeatedly with the Countess as it started to rain. Desperately trying to gain victory over the Countess, a full-fledged Descendent with a history of infamy and villainy as a terrorist, her rage was akin to Thor’s, and her sparkling form a radiance of righteousness.
However, it was never enough against the abomination that was the Countess. The stab she so endured from the black blade with golden text—the Harpe—left behind a black tint in her body. It was a curse that was corroding the mana she was gathering.
Even then, Margaret Alicia concentrated her mana from the Dominion Realm, and invoked Metatron’s name. With the divine mana coming to her through her prayers, the taint was cleansed.
“May as well do or die,” Alicia claimed, gritting her teeth as she gathered the last of her determination, executing her hand gestures again. “Earthly Cleanse magic—Holy Encasement!”
“This is…” the Countess said, gasping. “My spell… how did you—”
A brilliant golden light enveloped the skies and the earth shook once more. Gold magic circles that were more or less her height covered her in every direction: left, right, up, down, front, and back. Completely caged and locked, the Countess could not overcome the effects of the spell. The bright light intensified.
Below, the holy light’s presence and brightness caused a certain priest to fight back for consciousness.
The blade dispersed, and Countess Dracula transformed. Her mighty fangs and claws showed. She was so large that she cast a shadow on the people of Tokyo. Her wings flapped, sending strong gales away each moment.
The ancient dragon looked down at the people as if they were insects, literally, and it included Margaret Alicia too.
With its breath, the dragon spewed forth hellfire, which blanketed Tokyo with incredible levels of heat and swathed the blossoming frosty blue rose with flames that melted it in but moments.
The Countess reverted to her usual form, her clothes same as before, now holding her parasol open.
“Ansel,” she beckoned, and her aide appeared soundlessly in thin air. Catherine accepted a cup before Ansel started pouring blood for her. Never mind him floating in the air while holding Claudia with a single arm—or him holding a container of blood and a cup of glass at the same time in his hand to begin with—but if it wasn’t the supposed infamous Blood Countess, anyone else would be surprised that he could even manage pouring a drink in an otherwise extremely pressurized area such as this in the sky.
It was a wonder in itself.
“Did that spell deter my sight, too? What on Earth is going on?” Claudia questioned, nearly dazed from the elevated height. She was… floating?
“I apologize, I believe that is because I warped a little too suddenly, Lady Claudia. Your eyesight should be fine, otherwise,” Ansel stated.
Claudia sighed, rubbing at both her pupils with her thumb and index finger. “Was… was that a dragon, before? Did the Countess do that?”
“Oh, did I surprise you with that, my dear? I apologize, but it was a necessity considering the situation,” the Countess stated.
“Incredible… I knew you possessed great strength, but… to possess the ability of a Dragon. Mon Dieu…”
“One of the perks of being a Descendant,” the Countess said nonchalantly, giving her shoulders a jerk.
“What a useful perk… I don’t suppose I could inherit something like that?”
“Unfortunately, Lady Claudia, a Representative may only inherit one power at the moment of their transformation…” Ansel informed.
“I see… ” Claudia replied, visibly disappointed.
I know I treat her as a daughter, but sheesh, the gall of this child to want to steal more of my Commandments… Catherine then sipped her drink of blood yet again as Alicia rose back up to her level. A malicious grin was afloat on the Countess’ face as she glimpsed upon the Duchess’ figure, ruffled with dust, soot, and tattered clothes.
“—Actually, Countess… I… have a confession,” Claudia said. “Earlier before, I… lost myself when fighting that… midget, even further when fighting the Priest. I failed to kill Sagittarius. Forgive me…”
“I fear you are lacking in experience,” Ansel said.
“Well, we had to mute your transmitted sounds for some time due to all the yellings, frankly,” the Countess revealed. “However, I do not condemn you for your behavior, my dear. At the least, you held off two seemingly persistent opponents for the rest of us.”
Claudia grunted, albeit as if she was affected by her employer’s words. Though, she did sigh in relief. “Thank you, Countess. I swear that I will grow far stronger, and surpass Sagittarius and everyone else. I swear it.”
Ehehe, surpass Sagittarius… wait, what? “I wish you luck, my dear,” the Countess said, a little hesitatingly. “...But I believe surpassing a Descendant is an order too tall.”
Is she really so damned strong? Claudia thought. “Then at the very least, Mary. I will not be content until then.”
“For that, I have faith in you,” Catherine said, then turned to Alicia.
“Had a great time down there, Margaret Alicia?”
“Thanks to you, Erzsebet Bathory.”
She is starting to show her true colors. Unfortunately for her, she couldn’t see the symbol on the Countess’ eyes anymore. A pity that Alicia couldn’t come close enough to confirm it. However, that wasn’t important now. What was important was defeating the Countess. What was important was saving Natsu from this ordeal and the rest caught up in it.
“Bathory…? But that could only mean…” Claudia mumbled, turning over to the Countess.
The Countess, however, simply gave her usual charming smile. “How is the operation with Sagittarius going?”
“I do not think it is plausible since even George faced defeat.”
“Tch...this does not bode well at all,” Claudia commented.
“Too many guards, is it? Then I suppose there isn’t much we may do about this situation.”
“Holy Wrath spell—Thor’s Might.”
Margaret’s form transformed into that of lightning itself. Her brilliance shone so bright that Catherine averted her gaze. With a buzz the Duchess disappeared without a trace.
“Then, we shall observe from afar, Mi’lady,” Ansel said, retreating into the darkness as the Countess continued to consume blood from her cup with glee.
Catherine’s blade materialised and it struck against Alicia who was electricity incarnate. As soon as the cup was emptied, Alicia struck hard enough that it shattered, and the Countess felt the electric shock surging throughout her body. Yet her expression conveyed a calm and composed countenance as a wave of blackness and feathers discharged from her, making Alicia not only pull back but lose her spell.
“You just don’t make it easy, do you…?” the Duchess commented.
“So, what’s your next trick going to be?” Catherine inquired, smirking. Her haughtiness and confidence knew no end.
“You leave me no choice.” She leisurely checked the time of the day on her wristwatch before taking a new stance that covered the general direction of the sun beyond the clouds. The Duchess prepared the most destructive spell she knew. The spell she taught to her daughter’s non-blood related older sister. She performed hand gestures at an impressive speed. Her index and middle finger joined—a small red magical circle formed above her fingertip—and she pointed them to the clouds above as they formed a hollow hole.
The Countess showed a visible frown as the tremors resumed and the weather in the sky turned far more violent.
“The series of Supreme Magics forbidden even in the ancient era… how do you… Ares, you bastard—you broke the vow.”
The Duchess smiled, her fingers sailed straight down to the direction of the Countess from up to down. The sky turned red, and the meteor was coming down.
“Dark Celestial Body spell—Metéora.”
With Asteria’s might and mana granted, the meteor came down from the blackened storm clouds and struck the Countess directly. A weight too heavy even for her apparently, even as she attempted to hold it back with an enlarged hand, which was burning. She felt a searing pain that she beared with a cringe. Her beloved cup was shattered yet again.
“Harpe.” Her sword materialised again, and she struck it against the celestial object before it disseminated in every directions. Of course, the panicking people of Tokyo witnessed the pieces of the meteorite falling in various locations.
The Countess used something invisible under her feet as a foothold as she leapt up to the Duchess as black feathers fluttered and danced. The Grim Step that allowed her to elevate freely and soar without issues similarly fast to the real Grim Reaper. Likely even faster.
Into her back and out from the stomach; the Harpe entered and exited the Duchess’ body—who coughed blood.
The Duchess transfigured, and in the form of lightning, she clashed repeatedly with the Countess as it started to rain. Desperately trying to gain victory over the Countess, a full-fledged Descendent with a history of infamy and villainy as a terrorist, her rage was akin to Thor’s, and her sparkling form a radiance of righteousness.
However, it was never enough against the abomination that was the Countess. The stab she so endured from the black blade with golden text—the Harpe—left behind a black tint in her body. It was a curse that was corroding the mana she was gathering.
Even then, Margaret Alicia concentrated her mana from the Dominion Realm, and invoked Metatron’s name. With the divine mana coming to her through her prayers, the taint was cleansed.
“May as well do or die,” Alicia claimed, gritting her teeth as she gathered the last of her determination, executing her hand gestures again. “Earthly Cleanse magic—Holy Encasement!”
“This is…” the Countess said, gasping. “My spell… how did you—”
A brilliant golden light enveloped the skies and the earth shook once more. Gold magic circles that were more or less her height covered her in every direction: left, right, up, down, front, and back. Completely caged and locked, the Countess could not overcome the effects of the spell. The bright light intensified.
Below, the holy light’s presence and brightness caused a certain priest to fight back for consciousness.
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
“I’m… alive?” Michael’s voice was a raspy, hoarse whisper. He was suddenly yanked out of the proverbial tunnel at the end and back into consciousness, but he did not know why nor how. It felt as if his bones were being melted, and his skin was made of molten iron itself. However, the light felt as if it was trying to comfort him. It embraced him with warmth that penetrated even the deepest part of him. He tried to see if he could stand up, but all he managed to squeeze out was a twitch of his fingers and toes. What in the hell’s happening to me?
“...Oh, awake there… Mister?” Svetlana, who seemed to be sitting beside Michael, said in broken English, or what seemed like it. She seemed to be beaten up pretty badly. However, it seemed like she was the one who applied emergency measures to stop the outflow of blood on both of them.
“You… you can speak in English? What’s happening?” He was still moving his fingers.
“Mrs. Alicia is fighting… the Countess. I don’t know what else is going on,” Svetlana replied.
“...Help me up. I am having a bit of trouble standing up it seems.” He needed to finish the job, before Claudia would get a chance to recuperate.
“You shouldn’t… move,” Svetlana said, shaking her head. “Your condition… is really bad.”
Svetlana’s condition was also pretty bad after her fight with Cosette, who ran away in the end, but Michael’s was worse.
“Yeah. A bit of trouble standing up. Help me up.” It seemed like he could move his hand now. Maybe. Or was it something else?
“I said you shouldn’t… move!!” Svetlana said, almost yelling, but she coughed instead.
Michael swore the girl was yelling at him or something of the like, but now he could only hear ringing in his ears. Even that was slowly fading away, as was his vision. “Don’t… What’s… Wha?”
“Uh… ah, hey!” Svetlana tried to talk to Michael, but he soon passed out again.
“...Oh, awake there… Mister?” Svetlana, who seemed to be sitting beside Michael, said in broken English, or what seemed like it. She seemed to be beaten up pretty badly. However, it seemed like she was the one who applied emergency measures to stop the outflow of blood on both of them.
“You… you can speak in English? What’s happening?” He was still moving his fingers.
“Mrs. Alicia is fighting… the Countess. I don’t know what else is going on,” Svetlana replied.
“...Help me up. I am having a bit of trouble standing up it seems.” He needed to finish the job, before Claudia would get a chance to recuperate.
“You shouldn’t… move,” Svetlana said, shaking her head. “Your condition… is really bad.”
Svetlana’s condition was also pretty bad after her fight with Cosette, who ran away in the end, but Michael’s was worse.
“Yeah. A bit of trouble standing up. Help me up.” It seemed like he could move his hand now. Maybe. Or was it something else?
“I said you shouldn’t… move!!” Svetlana said, almost yelling, but she coughed instead.
Michael swore the girl was yelling at him or something of the like, but now he could only hear ringing in his ears. Even that was slowly fading away, as was his vision. “Don’t… What’s… Wha?”
“Uh… ah, hey!” Svetlana tried to talk to Michael, but he soon passed out again.
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
The Countess was panting, but she wasn’t visibly injured. On the inside, however, she was more than simply wounded.
(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTiNq26M0aE)
“I’m not done yet,” the Duchess declared. A spherical light formed over her index finger, and with it she drew a constellation in the air. It was the constellation of Leo. What seemed like miniature stars of the constellation glowed bright. “Dark Celestial Body magic—Leo’s Judgement.”
The miniature stars shot away, but she blocked it with her bare hands; her magic resistance hardly allowed it past her skin.
“Hmph, her spell… as expected of an Archmage, Margaret Alicia, you know many ancient spells as I have heard.”
“I thank you for your compliment,” Alicia spoke with a hoarse voice, clutching her chest.
“Oh? Are you in pain? That’s perfect. I shall make it better for you.” Catherine bit her own two fingers—one from each hand— with a fang, and blood trickled out. It flowed and turned to what seemed like whips of blood. The Countess swung them, and thus, Alicia was tortured; her skin was being visibly cut.
“Earthly Cleanse magic—Benediction.”
Three gold magic circles formed—they looked to be in a triangular formation, as one lied above her, and the other two beside both her ankles—and the bloody whips were stopped. Her palms subsequently met for a clap, and the three magical circles came forward and clashed with each other, still in a triangular formation. As her hands mimicked a triangle, a white sphere of light formed, and a force of energy akin to a beam struck at the Countess.
Momentarily, the light spread all over the sky, illuminating it. It sparsely revealed the azure blue sky before the clouds forcibly covered it.
“W...What?” The Duchess coughed copious amount of blood. “What is this…?” She found a red chain with an ominous aura connected to one of her ankles. “When did you…? Hmph. To think you of all people would become this dishonorable.”
“Oh?”
“I have realized who you were. You real name is…”
The Duchess winced as Catherine dug her hand into Alicia’s chest.
“Hush. There is only one who may utter me by that name. Anyway, why don’t we call it quits? It seems pointless to continue now.” The Countess retracted her hand and moved back before disappearing into a portal, past which only darkness could be seen.
(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTiNq26M0aE)
“I’m not done yet,” the Duchess declared. A spherical light formed over her index finger, and with it she drew a constellation in the air. It was the constellation of Leo. What seemed like miniature stars of the constellation glowed bright. “Dark Celestial Body magic—Leo’s Judgement.”
The miniature stars shot away, but she blocked it with her bare hands; her magic resistance hardly allowed it past her skin.
“Hmph, her spell… as expected of an Archmage, Margaret Alicia, you know many ancient spells as I have heard.”
“I thank you for your compliment,” Alicia spoke with a hoarse voice, clutching her chest.
“Oh? Are you in pain? That’s perfect. I shall make it better for you.” Catherine bit her own two fingers—one from each hand— with a fang, and blood trickled out. It flowed and turned to what seemed like whips of blood. The Countess swung them, and thus, Alicia was tortured; her skin was being visibly cut.
“Earthly Cleanse magic—Benediction.”
Three gold magic circles formed—they looked to be in a triangular formation, as one lied above her, and the other two beside both her ankles—and the bloody whips were stopped. Her palms subsequently met for a clap, and the three magical circles came forward and clashed with each other, still in a triangular formation. As her hands mimicked a triangle, a white sphere of light formed, and a force of energy akin to a beam struck at the Countess.
Momentarily, the light spread all over the sky, illuminating it. It sparsely revealed the azure blue sky before the clouds forcibly covered it.
“W...What?” The Duchess coughed copious amount of blood. “What is this…?” She found a red chain with an ominous aura connected to one of her ankles. “When did you…? Hmph. To think you of all people would become this dishonorable.”
“Oh?”
“I have realized who you were. You real name is…”
The Duchess winced as Catherine dug her hand into Alicia’s chest.
“Hush. There is only one who may utter me by that name. Anyway, why don’t we call it quits? It seems pointless to continue now.” The Countess retracted her hand and moved back before disappearing into a portal, past which only darkness could be seen.
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
Claudia groaned, grabbing her temple. The holy light made her senses dull and gave her pangs of mental pain. Apparently it was the last day she was supposed to deal with this, after which the effects would expire, or so Ansel claimed.
“How do you feel, Lady Claudia?” Ansel inquired. Apparently, he was the man behind dealing with every sicknesses left by the Church.
Cosette, on the other hand was as cold as ever, especially after the issue she had with Claudia’s conduct, but she still did her work regardless, and always kept a watchful eye on her owner.
“Alive if that matters,” Claudia grimaced.
“I suppose the effects are still there. Have more of this,” Ansel offered. It was a glass full of blood.
Willingly taking the glass, Claudia sipped a bit of blood at first, then anxiously guzzled the rest down as she appeared far more hungrier than before, almost as much as when she first became a Vampire. “Thank you, Ansel…”
“Feel free to have more if you wish,” he said, placing the bottle on the table.
Without even waiting, Claudia grabbed the bottle with both hands and drank down all of the blood that was inside, leaving it empty. Claudia was breathing heavily afterwards, blood coating the crevices of her teeth and painted the sides of her mouth red. She slammed the bottle down and huffed.
“Oh, my… I did not mean to act so brutishly…”
“You are brutish, though,” Cosette commented.
“Now, now,” Ansel said, attempting to placate the heated atmosphere. “I shall attend to George now. If you need anything get Cosette here to fetch me.” He then took leave of Claudia’s room.
Claudia reclined along the headboard of her bed and cradled her face in-between her palms. She was resigned, no doubt, with the past battle. She was tired. So very tired. At this point she even began to question if she would even surpass Mary with that blunder. More importantly, she even admitted, to a Priest, that she was suicidal. That was one hell of a confession, she thought.
“...Did you fare well, at least, Cosette?” she asked.
“Yes, damages were minimal, and so were conversations,” Cosette answered.
“No need to remind me. I know I messed up,” Claudia replied with a groan. She grunted in pain once more as her headache seemed to weigh down on her.
“I was not reminding. I was answering,” Cosette coldly stated.
Claudia sighed. “Well, I did ask you after all…” She turned over to sit on the bed’s side to see if she could lessen her headache from elevating herself. Nope. She ended up making it worse. “So, about that woman… you said that you two once knew each other, is that right?”
“As fellow Riders, yes,” her slave answered. “We used to work as mercenaries for the Soviet Union in Russia. As you may know, the term Rider refers to such mercenaries. We merely had the same professional, but were not quite comrades.”
“Makes sense. And what was that about an explosion supposedly killing you?”
“Do you really need to know?”
“You’re more than just a maid to me, Cosette. I would want to know more about you besides the fact that you ponder aimlessly about possibly killing me,” Claudia joked, an attempt to laugh and lighten the mood, but it fell short as she winced in pain once more.
Cosette looked down ever more coldly at the joke and her owner. “I simply made a mistake on a mission, and was too late to escape with the group from the enemy headquarters—which was abandoned and set to self-destruct.”
“Well that explains why you were more than hostile to that woman,” Claudia figured. “So they just left you to die, without penance?”
“No. It was business as usual and many die in such missions. We were each hired by different people so we were enemies that day, for which there was no reason for penance… or does one such as yourself truly believe in such a thing? Besides, I took her on to only lessen the burden, not necessarily out of hate toward her.”
“Believe it or not, I do, in fact, have morals,” Claudia corrected, almost forgetting to address the rest of Cosette’s explanation. “Aside from that, what burden is there to be had when it was just business?”
“There was none except the difficulty of the missions,” Cosette answered. Hmph, morals, and you.
Claudia stared at Cosette blankly for a moment, then blinked finally as she turned away with a sigh. “If you say so.” She reclined into her bed once more, minding not to hurt herself again. “Oh, by the way, you are acting colder than usual. Is there anything the matter?” She quirked a brow and grunted. She knew exactly what was going on with this woman. But… she apologized. Wasn’t that enough?
“I am not,” Cosette denied.
“Maids don’t explicitly insult their masters and call them brutish to their face,” Claudia said, face stern. “Just talk to me, and be honest.”
“Only after you suggested it.” Cosette gritted her teeth under her lips.
“And the implication that I don’t believe in morals?”
“Vampires having morals… haha, what the actual flying fuck are you talking about, my Lady? Your attitude pisses me off. You make it really hard for me to do my job.”
In almost an instant, Claudia sat up, and a crack resounded through the room. It was a slap, and Claudia was responsible for it. She looked at Cosette with a blank expression and sighed. “Usually I would be lenient with you, but I’m not in the mood right now…”
Cosette lost the smile she had when she spoke aloud in her outburst. What was the point of speaking honestly? She couldn’t make any sense of Claudia’s thought process.
“I suppose we are even now.”
“Are you satisfied now? You spoke your mind for once. Hell, it seems you’re starting to have a personality, now. Are you happy now, Cosette?”
“Not in particular, my Lady. I am but a maid. Satisfaction and happiness are but foreign aspects to me.”
“Stop that. You’re more than just a maid.”
“To you, perhaps. To me, you are who you are, and that is all that matters to me, my Lady.”
“And what am I to you?”
“I believe I have just answered that, my Lady.”
Claudia sighed again. Acting like this. You’d think she would get over it. “I have a headache. This is too much stress for me at the moment,” she said, turning away from Cosette to lay down. “...Then not many things matter to you.”
For someone who straddles the fence between morals and outright crazy bullshit, she sure has a lot to say. “I shall leave so you may feel better.”
“Be my guest.”
The door opened, yet it took some moments to close. Claudia didn’t look back, and she could sigh to make her tension leave as soon as it closed.
“Lady Claudia, are you alright?”
It was a different voice.
How could she forget?
It was her beloved Marco.
“Of course, if you’d call crestfallen alright,” Claudia replied as she turned over on her pillow to meet Marco’s face.
“I hear you lost a battle, fair Lady, but you’re not one who’d be saddened from just one loss now, would you?”
“Usually no. But, it’s the gravity of the situation that has me in such a state,” Claudia replied. “I fell too far off the edge. My anger and insanity nearly got me killed, and for what? Insults and the mention of my family? Laisse-moi tranquille…”
“Well, you’re still young so it is normal to get some blood over your head,” Marco said, attempting to placate Claudia as he sat opposite to her.
“True. Though,” Claudia propped her pillow along the headboard and laid along it so she could meet Marco a little better. “I wonder how many sadistic, mentally insane nineteen year-olds you know.” She chuckled.
“I do not think I know any other, to be honest.”
Claudia chuckled again, covering her mouth with a palm as she did so. At least dear Marco was there to lift her spirits. “Then I guess I am one of a kind then,” she said.
“Of course, fair Lady. Everyone is a one of a kind.”
Snorting, Claudia tossed that subject aside once she thought of Marco coming all this way to check on her. She was visibly flattered, too.
“So what brings you here? Just checking up on me?” She asked with a provocative look in her lidded eyes.
“Why else would I bloody come to this room? I was worried. I take my eyes off you for a moment and I hear you went on a spree of name-calling and then got exorcised by that goddamned priest. That same goddamned priest, I tell you!” Marco finally snapped and ranted.
“Don’t fret, I’m fine. I’m fine,” Claudia reassured, albeit shocked from Marco’s sudden rant. “The Priest just got lucky, is all, especially when I was at my lowest. I will get him back when the moment begs for it.”
“No, I will get him. He isn’t gonna just scathe my woman and expect me to not pay him back in full for it—no, ten folds.”
Oh, my… now I remember why I like this man… Claudia blushed a little and looked towards the floor. “W-Well, don’t get yourself killed trying to defend me, now. I want you alive long enough to see this side of you a lot more.”
“Of course, there’s no way I’m dying to that priest,” Marco said reassuringly.
“Well if you intend to go after him, I would gladly accompany you sometime. This headache is killing me,” Claudia grunted.
“I see. I would be glad to have you,” Marco said, closing his eyes for a moment before facing her again. “Get some rest now,” he said, patting her head and ruffling her hair lovingly.
“I-I will… thank you, Marco,” Claudia replied as her heart sped up, coaxing a silent ragged breath through her nose.
“Right. Before I forget, we’re going for a new operation since Sagittarius is under special protection right now. Talk to the Countess when you feel better.”
“Back on the job after getting better, ah?” Claudia asked, humming with amusement. “Alright. I will do that.”
“How do you feel, Lady Claudia?” Ansel inquired. Apparently, he was the man behind dealing with every sicknesses left by the Church.
Cosette, on the other hand was as cold as ever, especially after the issue she had with Claudia’s conduct, but she still did her work regardless, and always kept a watchful eye on her owner.
“Alive if that matters,” Claudia grimaced.
“I suppose the effects are still there. Have more of this,” Ansel offered. It was a glass full of blood.
Willingly taking the glass, Claudia sipped a bit of blood at first, then anxiously guzzled the rest down as she appeared far more hungrier than before, almost as much as when she first became a Vampire. “Thank you, Ansel…”
“Feel free to have more if you wish,” he said, placing the bottle on the table.
Without even waiting, Claudia grabbed the bottle with both hands and drank down all of the blood that was inside, leaving it empty. Claudia was breathing heavily afterwards, blood coating the crevices of her teeth and painted the sides of her mouth red. She slammed the bottle down and huffed.
“Oh, my… I did not mean to act so brutishly…”
“You are brutish, though,” Cosette commented.
“Now, now,” Ansel said, attempting to placate the heated atmosphere. “I shall attend to George now. If you need anything get Cosette here to fetch me.” He then took leave of Claudia’s room.
Claudia reclined along the headboard of her bed and cradled her face in-between her palms. She was resigned, no doubt, with the past battle. She was tired. So very tired. At this point she even began to question if she would even surpass Mary with that blunder. More importantly, she even admitted, to a Priest, that she was suicidal. That was one hell of a confession, she thought.
“...Did you fare well, at least, Cosette?” she asked.
“Yes, damages were minimal, and so were conversations,” Cosette answered.
“No need to remind me. I know I messed up,” Claudia replied with a groan. She grunted in pain once more as her headache seemed to weigh down on her.
“I was not reminding. I was answering,” Cosette coldly stated.
Claudia sighed. “Well, I did ask you after all…” She turned over to sit on the bed’s side to see if she could lessen her headache from elevating herself. Nope. She ended up making it worse. “So, about that woman… you said that you two once knew each other, is that right?”
“As fellow Riders, yes,” her slave answered. “We used to work as mercenaries for the Soviet Union in Russia. As you may know, the term Rider refers to such mercenaries. We merely had the same professional, but were not quite comrades.”
“Makes sense. And what was that about an explosion supposedly killing you?”
“Do you really need to know?”
“You’re more than just a maid to me, Cosette. I would want to know more about you besides the fact that you ponder aimlessly about possibly killing me,” Claudia joked, an attempt to laugh and lighten the mood, but it fell short as she winced in pain once more.
Cosette looked down ever more coldly at the joke and her owner. “I simply made a mistake on a mission, and was too late to escape with the group from the enemy headquarters—which was abandoned and set to self-destruct.”
“Well that explains why you were more than hostile to that woman,” Claudia figured. “So they just left you to die, without penance?”
“No. It was business as usual and many die in such missions. We were each hired by different people so we were enemies that day, for which there was no reason for penance… or does one such as yourself truly believe in such a thing? Besides, I took her on to only lessen the burden, not necessarily out of hate toward her.”
“Believe it or not, I do, in fact, have morals,” Claudia corrected, almost forgetting to address the rest of Cosette’s explanation. “Aside from that, what burden is there to be had when it was just business?”
“There was none except the difficulty of the missions,” Cosette answered. Hmph, morals, and you.
Claudia stared at Cosette blankly for a moment, then blinked finally as she turned away with a sigh. “If you say so.” She reclined into her bed once more, minding not to hurt herself again. “Oh, by the way, you are acting colder than usual. Is there anything the matter?” She quirked a brow and grunted. She knew exactly what was going on with this woman. But… she apologized. Wasn’t that enough?
“I am not,” Cosette denied.
“Maids don’t explicitly insult their masters and call them brutish to their face,” Claudia said, face stern. “Just talk to me, and be honest.”
“Only after you suggested it.” Cosette gritted her teeth under her lips.
“And the implication that I don’t believe in morals?”
“Vampires having morals… haha, what the actual flying fuck are you talking about, my Lady? Your attitude pisses me off. You make it really hard for me to do my job.”
In almost an instant, Claudia sat up, and a crack resounded through the room. It was a slap, and Claudia was responsible for it. She looked at Cosette with a blank expression and sighed. “Usually I would be lenient with you, but I’m not in the mood right now…”
Cosette lost the smile she had when she spoke aloud in her outburst. What was the point of speaking honestly? She couldn’t make any sense of Claudia’s thought process.
“I suppose we are even now.”
“Are you satisfied now? You spoke your mind for once. Hell, it seems you’re starting to have a personality, now. Are you happy now, Cosette?”
“Not in particular, my Lady. I am but a maid. Satisfaction and happiness are but foreign aspects to me.”
“Stop that. You’re more than just a maid.”
“To you, perhaps. To me, you are who you are, and that is all that matters to me, my Lady.”
“And what am I to you?”
“I believe I have just answered that, my Lady.”
Claudia sighed again. Acting like this. You’d think she would get over it. “I have a headache. This is too much stress for me at the moment,” she said, turning away from Cosette to lay down. “...Then not many things matter to you.”
For someone who straddles the fence between morals and outright crazy bullshit, she sure has a lot to say. “I shall leave so you may feel better.”
“Be my guest.”
The door opened, yet it took some moments to close. Claudia didn’t look back, and she could sigh to make her tension leave as soon as it closed.
“Lady Claudia, are you alright?”
It was a different voice.
How could she forget?
It was her beloved Marco.
“Of course, if you’d call crestfallen alright,” Claudia replied as she turned over on her pillow to meet Marco’s face.
“I hear you lost a battle, fair Lady, but you’re not one who’d be saddened from just one loss now, would you?”
“Usually no. But, it’s the gravity of the situation that has me in such a state,” Claudia replied. “I fell too far off the edge. My anger and insanity nearly got me killed, and for what? Insults and the mention of my family? Laisse-moi tranquille…”
“Well, you’re still young so it is normal to get some blood over your head,” Marco said, attempting to placate Claudia as he sat opposite to her.
“True. Though,” Claudia propped her pillow along the headboard and laid along it so she could meet Marco a little better. “I wonder how many sadistic, mentally insane nineteen year-olds you know.” She chuckled.
“I do not think I know any other, to be honest.”
Claudia chuckled again, covering her mouth with a palm as she did so. At least dear Marco was there to lift her spirits. “Then I guess I am one of a kind then,” she said.
“Of course, fair Lady. Everyone is a one of a kind.”
Snorting, Claudia tossed that subject aside once she thought of Marco coming all this way to check on her. She was visibly flattered, too.
“So what brings you here? Just checking up on me?” She asked with a provocative look in her lidded eyes.
“Why else would I bloody come to this room? I was worried. I take my eyes off you for a moment and I hear you went on a spree of name-calling and then got exorcised by that goddamned priest. That same goddamned priest, I tell you!” Marco finally snapped and ranted.
“Don’t fret, I’m fine. I’m fine,” Claudia reassured, albeit shocked from Marco’s sudden rant. “The Priest just got lucky, is all, especially when I was at my lowest. I will get him back when the moment begs for it.”
“No, I will get him. He isn’t gonna just scathe my woman and expect me to not pay him back in full for it—no, ten folds.”
Oh, my… now I remember why I like this man… Claudia blushed a little and looked towards the floor. “W-Well, don’t get yourself killed trying to defend me, now. I want you alive long enough to see this side of you a lot more.”
“Of course, there’s no way I’m dying to that priest,” Marco said reassuringly.
“Well if you intend to go after him, I would gladly accompany you sometime. This headache is killing me,” Claudia grunted.
“I see. I would be glad to have you,” Marco said, closing his eyes for a moment before facing her again. “Get some rest now,” he said, patting her head and ruffling her hair lovingly.
“I-I will… thank you, Marco,” Claudia replied as her heart sped up, coaxing a silent ragged breath through her nose.
“Right. Before I forget, we’re going for a new operation since Sagittarius is under special protection right now. Talk to the Countess when you feel better.”
“Back on the job after getting better, ah?” Claudia asked, humming with amusement. “Alright. I will do that.”
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
The next day, Claudia got up feeling all better, and she was already beside the Countess who was apparently smoking with a hookah. Her room was smokey.
“I see you are well now, my dear,” the Countess began, “It is good to see your usual complexion again.”
“Thank you, Countess. It’s good to be back well. I’ve never felt better,” Claudia said with a bow.
“Then I suppose we will not need to stay here for much longer,” the Countess said, motioning her finger towards Rose, who gave a bow and exited the room.
Claudia hummed in question. “We are leaving? So soon?”
“My reserve of energy was drained in our operation, and Sagittarius was not killed. The government is much more protective than ever now, and she is to stay in their Academy now… there are too many risks,” the Countess explained.
“To think we would enjoy Japan a bit longer… I didn’t even get to buy any of their books...” Claudia said, groaning. “Nevertheless, where will we go next?”
“Go buy the books today, or something. Our flight will be in two days,” the Countess said, sighing, and then smoking with her hookah again. “United States of America.”
“Ahh, I see…” Claudia droned, now less interested. “Excuse my lack of interest, Countess, but I hear the mundanes there are less than tolerable, especially in the southern regions. I can feel my grey matter disintegrating just thinking about it.”
“Hahaha!” The Countess laughed. “But they are depraved, so who cares? All the better for you.”
Claudia laughed along with the Countess. Maybe if I’m lucky, I can snap a few of their necks along the way. “More on the subject though, I’m guessing Aries would be the target?”
“Yes,” the Countess answered. “And Virgo, but that is only if we need to.”
“Good, good. Hmm, Aries… how fitting for a country that employs war,” Claudia said as an afterthought.
“It is?” Marco asked from behind.
That startled Claudia, sending her into a small jump of shock as she turned to meet Marco. “Marco! Y-You really shouldn’t do that,” she advised, almost stammering. “B-But yes, as you see, America doesn’t exactly have a very good track record when it comes to that. Civil War, World War I, World War II, Iraq War; not all caused by America, but they had no issues participating.”
“I know, but what does that have to do with Aries?” Marco questioned yet again.
“I mean, Aries was also the name of the Greek God of War…” Claudia replied, pursing her lips.
“It is? I never really knew,” Marco stated, sitting down beside Claudia. “Never been into books or old myths.”
“Really? Huh,” Claudia said, astonished. “I’ve only dabbled in Greek Mythology, so the small details are fuzzy to me. Though the bloodline between each God is more than a simple thing to learn, if… you could get past the stories of incest and mischief…”
“...My dear, the God of War was Ares, not Aries. Aries is the Ram,” the Countess corrected. Never mind that Ares is in fact… why do I remind myself this?
Claudia grunted, and then connected her palm along her forehead. “Goes to show what happens when you only dabble in something.”
“There should be books about the mythology when you go shopping,” Marco said. “Maybe I can escort you. Of course, unless you prefer privacy in your choices of materials…”
Claudia shook her head. “No, I don’t mind at all if you accompany me. It’s good to have someone to talk to when picking up reading material.”
“Alright, then that’s a plan,” Marco said. In his mind, he was already congratulating himself.
Humming, Claudia turned to Catherine. “So we leave in two days, correct? I won’t be a second late,” she declared.
“You have some time to party, my dear. Just don’t roll with Marco so hard you rend the ground asunder.”
Claudia blushed redder than ever and hid her face behind her own hair from Marco. “I-I’ll try not to…” she said as quickly as possible, embarrassed.
“Oh, please, Mi’lady,” Marco said, scratching the back of his head while Catherine laughed.
“I see you are well now, my dear,” the Countess began, “It is good to see your usual complexion again.”
“Thank you, Countess. It’s good to be back well. I’ve never felt better,” Claudia said with a bow.
“Then I suppose we will not need to stay here for much longer,” the Countess said, motioning her finger towards Rose, who gave a bow and exited the room.
Claudia hummed in question. “We are leaving? So soon?”
“My reserve of energy was drained in our operation, and Sagittarius was not killed. The government is much more protective than ever now, and she is to stay in their Academy now… there are too many risks,” the Countess explained.
“To think we would enjoy Japan a bit longer… I didn’t even get to buy any of their books...” Claudia said, groaning. “Nevertheless, where will we go next?”
“Go buy the books today, or something. Our flight will be in two days,” the Countess said, sighing, and then smoking with her hookah again. “United States of America.”
“Ahh, I see…” Claudia droned, now less interested. “Excuse my lack of interest, Countess, but I hear the mundanes there are less than tolerable, especially in the southern regions. I can feel my grey matter disintegrating just thinking about it.”
“Hahaha!” The Countess laughed. “But they are depraved, so who cares? All the better for you.”
Claudia laughed along with the Countess. Maybe if I’m lucky, I can snap a few of their necks along the way. “More on the subject though, I’m guessing Aries would be the target?”
“Yes,” the Countess answered. “And Virgo, but that is only if we need to.”
“Good, good. Hmm, Aries… how fitting for a country that employs war,” Claudia said as an afterthought.
“It is?” Marco asked from behind.
That startled Claudia, sending her into a small jump of shock as she turned to meet Marco. “Marco! Y-You really shouldn’t do that,” she advised, almost stammering. “B-But yes, as you see, America doesn’t exactly have a very good track record when it comes to that. Civil War, World War I, World War II, Iraq War; not all caused by America, but they had no issues participating.”
“I know, but what does that have to do with Aries?” Marco questioned yet again.
“I mean, Aries was also the name of the Greek God of War…” Claudia replied, pursing her lips.
“It is? I never really knew,” Marco stated, sitting down beside Claudia. “Never been into books or old myths.”
“Really? Huh,” Claudia said, astonished. “I’ve only dabbled in Greek Mythology, so the small details are fuzzy to me. Though the bloodline between each God is more than a simple thing to learn, if… you could get past the stories of incest and mischief…”
“...My dear, the God of War was Ares, not Aries. Aries is the Ram,” the Countess corrected. Never mind that Ares is in fact… why do I remind myself this?
Claudia grunted, and then connected her palm along her forehead. “Goes to show what happens when you only dabble in something.”
“There should be books about the mythology when you go shopping,” Marco said. “Maybe I can escort you. Of course, unless you prefer privacy in your choices of materials…”
Claudia shook her head. “No, I don’t mind at all if you accompany me. It’s good to have someone to talk to when picking up reading material.”
“Alright, then that’s a plan,” Marco said. In his mind, he was already congratulating himself.
Humming, Claudia turned to Catherine. “So we leave in two days, correct? I won’t be a second late,” she declared.
“You have some time to party, my dear. Just don’t roll with Marco so hard you rend the ground asunder.”
Claudia blushed redder than ever and hid her face behind her own hair from Marco. “I-I’ll try not to…” she said as quickly as possible, embarrassed.
“Oh, please, Mi’lady,” Marco said, scratching the back of his head while Catherine laughed.
0
Anna Petrovna was already the star of Kazimir’s company. In but two months, she had changed some of their policies, improved their production process, and made some calculations Kazimir couldn’t tell what for, and then out of the blue—business was booming.
The times flew as she worked some magic of economics and finance. The †˜Blonde Manager’ they called her.
“So, have the Revolutionaries called upon you yet?” Anna inquired.
Half the time nowadays, Kazimir would find Anna lounging around his office out of boredom. She did so much that there was hardly anything to do now, and would only seek to participate in missions involving her use of †˜real’ skills, she’d state.
Needless to say, once the Revolutionaries of Russia found Anna Petrovna in Kazimir’s office room when they contacted him, they were far from pleased. They argued with the lady about how her safety was important and how the facility was a place far too dirty for the rare noble individuals like her. Possibly, the Revolutionaries were not on very good terms with Kazimir at the moment.
“Psh, not a word from them,” he scoffed as he read through reports.
“Really… I’m so bored here,” Anna complained. Some bits of water danced around her in the air—which was apparently her way of killing time—with the help of Aquam magic. “Don’t you get work from anyone else? Like the mayor or something?”
“We exchange business with each other, yes,” he answered in a roundabout manner.
“Like keeping quiet about each other’s illegal matters?”
Kazimir looked up from his desk at Anna with the kind of †˜that doesn’t need to be answered’ look before turning his attention back to his reports.
“So I was right,” she said, mostly to herself. “Heh.”
“Another woman…”
Kazimir looked up in response to a barely audible voice and found a familiar person in the corner of the room. As always, her entrance was so soundless that he wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or not.
Katarina Pajari. His dear spy was finally back from England.
“She’s been there for the past five minutes, by the way,” Anna said before Kazimir could even open his mouth.
“. . . Welcome back, Katarina,” he said bluntly, placing aside his reports as he turned to the young girl. “How did it go?”
“It has been… eventful. The food was good,” Katarina replied, smiling a little at the thought of the food, but that smile faded away in but seconds. “A lot has happened.”
“No doubt,” he sighed to himself, “Very well, report all of it.”
“There was an assassination attempt on the Royal Queen Victoria, and it was done so in public by a supposed vampire,” Katarina began her report. “People panicked momentarily as one would expect. The Queen was supposed to be dead from what I witnessed; the man dug his hand into her chest, which was inhuman. At the dawn of the next day an airship so large descended from the sky—that it covered the entire blanket of clouds before it began to attack the city…”
“. . . I. see. . . “ Kazimir replied, needing some time to process those events. “So an unknown faction dropped into the event and essentially declared war, is it?”
“Not quite,” Anastasia shook her head. “It was a Japanese ship. The level of technology was too great compared to the modern world—or the New World as the English would put it—and the only futuristic people around are the Japanese at the moment. As we all know, they had been at war for at least ten years now with the western countries, including us.”
“The Japanese, ey.” Kazimir made a sour expression at the thought. “Well I’m sure this news will reach around quickly elsewhere, which means we’ll have some work coming in soon.”
“Possibly from the Soviets since they’d want some handle on the war, but would they rely on us? Considering what we did back there…” Anna questioned. In their attempt to escape, a portion of the base had been turned into a complete mess about two months ago.
“We have work already… actually,” Katarina revealed, and the two turned to her with newfound interest. Katarina handed Kazimir a letter, which beared a strange seal.
“Let’s see here,” he muttered as he read through the letter, making hums and grunts as he went through before tossing it on the desk rather annoyingly. “Psh, at this rate I might as well just change my alias and go into hiding again with how many people know I’m a Descendant,” he vented before leaning back on his chair.
Looking down at the letter, he held his chin as he took time to think for a moment. “Basically, Queen Victoria is wanting our help in fighting off another Descendant, some loose cannon wanting to destroy the countries.” He rolled his eyes at the notion, obviously tired of the whole nihilistic idea. “And in reward for our assistance,” he said in as much a sardonic manner he could before continuing, “She shall grant us one wish.” Sighing, he looked over to Katarina. “This Descendant was present in England when you were there?”
“I cannot say I know,” Katarina answered, shaking her head again. “I would know if I could sense spiritual energy, but it seems like I’m not one to have such a gift.”
“You should send me next time,” Anna suggested with a playful smile. “I can sense things,” she claimed. “Did Her Majesty say which Descendant we’re facing, by the way?”
“It’s the star sign Virgo. To be honest, I don’t know much of the other Descendants,” he commented.
“I don’t really know much either…” Katarina added alongside Kazimir.
“…Well, that’s a surprise,” Anna said, not smiling anymore. “They say that’s a Descendant who was never killed. I remember stories that she was sealed, but not killed.”
“Sealed. But not killed?” Kazimir asked, “As in she didn’t die in her awakening process?”
“She never died from what it seemed to me,” Anna answered. “I’m guessing she broke the seal recently and just wanted to go on a rampage.”
“Tch, how troublesome,” Kazimir vented, staring at the ceiling fan as he pondered. “Personally, I couldn’t care less what she does to the Royals but if her intent is to destroy everything, she’ll eventually come our way too.” He sighed, annoyed that he was being dragged into Magical affairs again.
His face distorted as he battled thoughts in his mind before finally letting out. “Ah geez, looks like we’re going to have to assist,” he surrendered. Just as he did, he caught a headache.
“I see… so this is your decision.”
A voice echoed into Kazimir’s head.
“. . . ” Kazimir sat there for a moment, taking a breath as he had realized they had been watched. “And I’m guessing you’re someone I’m supposed to give my answer to?”
The times flew as she worked some magic of economics and finance. The †˜Blonde Manager’ they called her.
“So, have the Revolutionaries called upon you yet?” Anna inquired.
Half the time nowadays, Kazimir would find Anna lounging around his office out of boredom. She did so much that there was hardly anything to do now, and would only seek to participate in missions involving her use of †˜real’ skills, she’d state.
Needless to say, once the Revolutionaries of Russia found Anna Petrovna in Kazimir’s office room when they contacted him, they were far from pleased. They argued with the lady about how her safety was important and how the facility was a place far too dirty for the rare noble individuals like her. Possibly, the Revolutionaries were not on very good terms with Kazimir at the moment.
“Psh, not a word from them,” he scoffed as he read through reports.
“Really… I’m so bored here,” Anna complained. Some bits of water danced around her in the air—which was apparently her way of killing time—with the help of Aquam magic. “Don’t you get work from anyone else? Like the mayor or something?”
“We exchange business with each other, yes,” he answered in a roundabout manner.
“Like keeping quiet about each other’s illegal matters?”
Kazimir looked up from his desk at Anna with the kind of †˜that doesn’t need to be answered’ look before turning his attention back to his reports.
“So I was right,” she said, mostly to herself. “Heh.”
“Another woman…”
Kazimir looked up in response to a barely audible voice and found a familiar person in the corner of the room. As always, her entrance was so soundless that he wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or not.
Katarina Pajari. His dear spy was finally back from England.
“She’s been there for the past five minutes, by the way,” Anna said before Kazimir could even open his mouth.
“. . . Welcome back, Katarina,” he said bluntly, placing aside his reports as he turned to the young girl. “How did it go?”
“It has been… eventful. The food was good,” Katarina replied, smiling a little at the thought of the food, but that smile faded away in but seconds. “A lot has happened.”
“No doubt,” he sighed to himself, “Very well, report all of it.”
“There was an assassination attempt on the Royal Queen Victoria, and it was done so in public by a supposed vampire,” Katarina began her report. “People panicked momentarily as one would expect. The Queen was supposed to be dead from what I witnessed; the man dug his hand into her chest, which was inhuman. At the dawn of the next day an airship so large descended from the sky—that it covered the entire blanket of clouds before it began to attack the city…”
“. . . I. see. . . “ Kazimir replied, needing some time to process those events. “So an unknown faction dropped into the event and essentially declared war, is it?”
“Not quite,” Anastasia shook her head. “It was a Japanese ship. The level of technology was too great compared to the modern world—or the New World as the English would put it—and the only futuristic people around are the Japanese at the moment. As we all know, they had been at war for at least ten years now with the western countries, including us.”
“The Japanese, ey.” Kazimir made a sour expression at the thought. “Well I’m sure this news will reach around quickly elsewhere, which means we’ll have some work coming in soon.”
“Possibly from the Soviets since they’d want some handle on the war, but would they rely on us? Considering what we did back there…” Anna questioned. In their attempt to escape, a portion of the base had been turned into a complete mess about two months ago.
“We have work already… actually,” Katarina revealed, and the two turned to her with newfound interest. Katarina handed Kazimir a letter, which beared a strange seal.
“Let’s see here,” he muttered as he read through the letter, making hums and grunts as he went through before tossing it on the desk rather annoyingly. “Psh, at this rate I might as well just change my alias and go into hiding again with how many people know I’m a Descendant,” he vented before leaning back on his chair.
Looking down at the letter, he held his chin as he took time to think for a moment. “Basically, Queen Victoria is wanting our help in fighting off another Descendant, some loose cannon wanting to destroy the countries.” He rolled his eyes at the notion, obviously tired of the whole nihilistic idea. “And in reward for our assistance,” he said in as much a sardonic manner he could before continuing, “She shall grant us one wish.” Sighing, he looked over to Katarina. “This Descendant was present in England when you were there?”
“I cannot say I know,” Katarina answered, shaking her head again. “I would know if I could sense spiritual energy, but it seems like I’m not one to have such a gift.”
“You should send me next time,” Anna suggested with a playful smile. “I can sense things,” she claimed. “Did Her Majesty say which Descendant we’re facing, by the way?”
“It’s the star sign Virgo. To be honest, I don’t know much of the other Descendants,” he commented.
“I don’t really know much either…” Katarina added alongside Kazimir.
“…Well, that’s a surprise,” Anna said, not smiling anymore. “They say that’s a Descendant who was never killed. I remember stories that she was sealed, but not killed.”
“Sealed. But not killed?” Kazimir asked, “As in she didn’t die in her awakening process?”
“She never died from what it seemed to me,” Anna answered. “I’m guessing she broke the seal recently and just wanted to go on a rampage.”
“Tch, how troublesome,” Kazimir vented, staring at the ceiling fan as he pondered. “Personally, I couldn’t care less what she does to the Royals but if her intent is to destroy everything, she’ll eventually come our way too.” He sighed, annoyed that he was being dragged into Magical affairs again.
His face distorted as he battled thoughts in his mind before finally letting out. “Ah geez, looks like we’re going to have to assist,” he surrendered. Just as he did, he caught a headache.
“I see… so this is your decision.”
A voice echoed into Kazimir’s head.
“. . . ” Kazimir sat there for a moment, taking a breath as he had realized they had been watched. “And I’m guessing you’re someone I’m supposed to give my answer to?”
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
“I do not know where you went shopping last time, but this here is apparently one of the best,” Marco introduced. “Ginza.”
This was almost true some two hundred years ago, but now it was truer than ever.
It was definitely a more crowded district to Claudia. People simply wore more fashionable clothes and dresses. The lightings were pleasing to the eye in a different way than it usually was in the rest of the city. For the lights themselves showcased the products of various exclusive brands. If it’s one she thing she noticed, there were optical illusions of brand logos, models and cuisines from cafes and restaurants almost everywhere.
“Well, color me surprised,” Claudia said in amusement. She stood with crossed arms while gazing around the city with a small smirk. “This is impressive, no doubt. I’ve never seen a livelier city.”
“It gets even livelier if you come at a different time, but I don’t think anyone like us would prefer that,” Marco said, imagining having to hunt for a prey in a very crowded area.
“Livelier than this?” Claudia gestured to the people of the city, going about their business with a raised eyebrow. That’s when her interest piqued. “Wow. That sounds rather troublesome for getting around.”
“It sure is,” Marco replied. “I’d never want to come here on those days… anyway, what do you want to start with?”
“Mnm, I don’t want to delay the bookstore any longer. Let’s start with that for now. Come on,” Claudia said, absently grabbing Marco’s hand and leading him through the street.
“You sure are impatient, fair Lady.” Marco laughed. It looked rather comical to others.
Inside a bookstore Claudia found, there was an English section that Marco spotted after being lost for about five minutes. It was a large store. There were advertisements of certain best selling books with holograms as well.
“I’m going to take a rough guess…” Marco said, a little intimidated, looking at Claudia taking heavy breaths. “You really like adult materials on text, don’t you?”
Claudia almost looked hesitant to answer that. She wore an embarrassed expression and pursed her lips a little. “Well…” she began. “I can’t say that I’m not… they’re really engrossing I should say.”
“Let me guess, you don’t read hentai, do you? Those are more up my alley.”
“H-Hentai? What’s that?” Claudia asked, now interested even further.
“Like comics, but the Japanese art is completely different. Basically each page depicts the kind of depraved action you’d crave for… well, for most anyway.”
Claudia’s eyes lit up with immersion. “So it is the kind of books I read… but animated?”
“Drawn out I tell you. Animated? That also exists, haha.”
“Oh, my God… show me. Now,” Claudia ordered, wearing a dazed and excited expression.
“They’re not here,” Marco said, putting up his arms to portray the denial. “You’re in a bookstore fair lady, those books have their own stores. Well, we’re here now so we should just get what we want from this area first. Manga and doujins are better off bought from Akihabara later.”
Claudia squeaked with disappointment and slumped her shoulders. “Alright, I suppose we can pick a few books out here first…” she said, almost disheartened to even shop there now.
“Not just a few books. I intend to buy clothes. Undergarments. Well, you get the gist. We need to get you something fashionable for combat too. Most of whatever you wore kinda got ruined by that bastard right?”
“Ahh, right. I am down to my last shirt,” Claudia said looking down to a black T-shirt with an animated blue cat on it, groaning; it was accompanied by the word †˜Doraemon’, whatever that meant. “It’ll be good to have some clothes before shoving off to America.”
“I’m thinking I’ll convince the Countess to get you some armor of Dark Knight after we have just the right thing for †˜ya,” Marco revealed, giving a wink. “That way you can fight with grace and style to an extent. If you want you can actually find replicas of real armor or things if that tickles your fancy… people do cosplaying a lot in this country, after all.”
Claudia hummed, grabbing her chin in thought. “That sounds lovely. It’s been quite a while since I have worn any armor, and of a Dark Knight, at that.”
“The Dark Knight’s armor and the Church Knight’s are the same but they really help with preserving fashion,” Marco huffed. “Especially annoying is weaving clothes with magic, they literally have to be worked when sewn.”
“That sounds tedious. I knew there was a reason why I never picked up sewing,” Claudia joked.
“Guess who was forced to in their childhood?” On the contrary, it didn’t look like Marco was joking.
“Oh, my. I am so sorry,” Claudia said, rubbing Marco’s shoulder for comfort.
“It’s alright. Gonna pick up books now then?”
“Ahh, right.” Claudia scanned the store for the fantasy section this time. Now that she had heard of this so-called Hentai genre, she had no interest on the often read erotic stories she loved so much. Not today, anyways. “Hnn, Yasutaka Tsutsui… Hideyuki Kukuchi…” She mumbled the authors’ names as she eyed through the many books that piqued her interest. She ended up picking up at least three that seemed interesting enough and returned to Marco with a smile.
The two ventured about the town and found a clothes store where Claudia would buy more clothes for the imminent trip. She grabbed just enough outfits for her attire; button-up shirts of different colors, and short skirts to wear with her stockings and garters. Since she was no longer in Britain, Claudia thought this was of the greatest opportunities to create a new style for herself. Trying new things was always good, she thought.
The girl found a pair of jeans that was torn from the knees and upper thighs, a black tank top, and a leather jacket that had fur laced around the hood and zippers around the sleeves. She picked up a pair of black sneakers with white laces, smiling as they fit perfectly. They were far more comfortable compared to heels. Claudia even managed to grab a pair of leather gloves that fit tightly on her hands. In America, this would be called a †˜punk rock’ look. As she tried them on in the dressing room, Claudia thought that she looked like a complete tomboy wearing something like that—not that she minded it, of course.
“Now that I think about it,” Marco started. “I’d really love to see her in a black one-piece with perhaps a pair of stockings and the belt… but hmm, it may not blend well with her tiara.” He considered the image very carefully as a coordinator in his mind. Just maybe, maybe it’d work with the right designs. He didn’t go ahead and tell her to try it out, however. He wanted Claudia to enjoy herself, find her own style and go with it.
A black one-piece, hmm? There’s an idea… “Hmm? You say something, Marco?” Claudia asked, glancing back at the man from her mental photo op. Despite asking, she heard most of what Marco said, not the last of it, though.
“Was just thinking how well we are financed for our shopping trips,” Marco replied with a composed face and a smile. Unlike Claudia, he was a good liar, it seemed. She could learn from him. “I feel like the special contents I tempted you upon would eventually cost me my wallet.” He laughed. It seemed like he’d have no regrets if that were the case.
“It’s a necessary evil. After all, it could be for the both of us with the way you describe it to be. I don’t mind having a… partner, while reading,” Claudia mused, smirking at Marco while toying with the pockets of her new jacket.
“Funny, I do not mind having a partner either,” Marco remarked, returning the smirk.
“Well, we only have two more days before leaving. Either… we could spend them shopping or… you
know…” Claudia blushed and glanced at the floor after saying.
“Let us be done shopping today then. We could always tour around tomorrow morning and then come back in the evening for some romance,” Marco suggested openly. “There are some spots I’d love to take you to. They don’t have tourists here so the term †˜tourist spots’ is a legend. Regardless, there are some places I consider as such.”
Claudia gulped for a moment and cleared her throat. “Alright. Yeah—yes, that sounds splendid,” she said, stammering at the thought. She wondered if Marco was so bold as to... try something in the aforementioned tourist spots when no one was around. Nothing got Claudia more hot.
Moreover on the matter of new attire for combat, Claudia did wonder what would fit her best. She liked the idea of dresses and their stylishness and all, but they weren’t the sturdiest in battle, nor were they the easiest to move around in. Perhaps she could try that one-piece Marco mentioned earlier. At least then something like that wouldn’t trip Claudia up while in a mad dash at her enemy.
This was almost true some two hundred years ago, but now it was truer than ever.
It was definitely a more crowded district to Claudia. People simply wore more fashionable clothes and dresses. The lightings were pleasing to the eye in a different way than it usually was in the rest of the city. For the lights themselves showcased the products of various exclusive brands. If it’s one she thing she noticed, there were optical illusions of brand logos, models and cuisines from cafes and restaurants almost everywhere.
“Well, color me surprised,” Claudia said in amusement. She stood with crossed arms while gazing around the city with a small smirk. “This is impressive, no doubt. I’ve never seen a livelier city.”
“It gets even livelier if you come at a different time, but I don’t think anyone like us would prefer that,” Marco said, imagining having to hunt for a prey in a very crowded area.
“Livelier than this?” Claudia gestured to the people of the city, going about their business with a raised eyebrow. That’s when her interest piqued. “Wow. That sounds rather troublesome for getting around.”
“It sure is,” Marco replied. “I’d never want to come here on those days… anyway, what do you want to start with?”
“Mnm, I don’t want to delay the bookstore any longer. Let’s start with that for now. Come on,” Claudia said, absently grabbing Marco’s hand and leading him through the street.
“You sure are impatient, fair Lady.” Marco laughed. It looked rather comical to others.
Inside a bookstore Claudia found, there was an English section that Marco spotted after being lost for about five minutes. It was a large store. There were advertisements of certain best selling books with holograms as well.
“I’m going to take a rough guess…” Marco said, a little intimidated, looking at Claudia taking heavy breaths. “You really like adult materials on text, don’t you?”
Claudia almost looked hesitant to answer that. She wore an embarrassed expression and pursed her lips a little. “Well…” she began. “I can’t say that I’m not… they’re really engrossing I should say.”
“Let me guess, you don’t read hentai, do you? Those are more up my alley.”
“H-Hentai? What’s that?” Claudia asked, now interested even further.
“Like comics, but the Japanese art is completely different. Basically each page depicts the kind of depraved action you’d crave for… well, for most anyway.”
Claudia’s eyes lit up with immersion. “So it is the kind of books I read… but animated?”
“Drawn out I tell you. Animated? That also exists, haha.”
“Oh, my God… show me. Now,” Claudia ordered, wearing a dazed and excited expression.
“They’re not here,” Marco said, putting up his arms to portray the denial. “You’re in a bookstore fair lady, those books have their own stores. Well, we’re here now so we should just get what we want from this area first. Manga and doujins are better off bought from Akihabara later.”
Claudia squeaked with disappointment and slumped her shoulders. “Alright, I suppose we can pick a few books out here first…” she said, almost disheartened to even shop there now.
“Not just a few books. I intend to buy clothes. Undergarments. Well, you get the gist. We need to get you something fashionable for combat too. Most of whatever you wore kinda got ruined by that bastard right?”
“Ahh, right. I am down to my last shirt,” Claudia said looking down to a black T-shirt with an animated blue cat on it, groaning; it was accompanied by the word †˜Doraemon’, whatever that meant. “It’ll be good to have some clothes before shoving off to America.”
“I’m thinking I’ll convince the Countess to get you some armor of Dark Knight after we have just the right thing for †˜ya,” Marco revealed, giving a wink. “That way you can fight with grace and style to an extent. If you want you can actually find replicas of real armor or things if that tickles your fancy… people do cosplaying a lot in this country, after all.”
Claudia hummed, grabbing her chin in thought. “That sounds lovely. It’s been quite a while since I have worn any armor, and of a Dark Knight, at that.”
“The Dark Knight’s armor and the Church Knight’s are the same but they really help with preserving fashion,” Marco huffed. “Especially annoying is weaving clothes with magic, they literally have to be worked when sewn.”
“That sounds tedious. I knew there was a reason why I never picked up sewing,” Claudia joked.
“Guess who was forced to in their childhood?” On the contrary, it didn’t look like Marco was joking.
“Oh, my. I am so sorry,” Claudia said, rubbing Marco’s shoulder for comfort.
“It’s alright. Gonna pick up books now then?”
“Ahh, right.” Claudia scanned the store for the fantasy section this time. Now that she had heard of this so-called Hentai genre, she had no interest on the often read erotic stories she loved so much. Not today, anyways. “Hnn, Yasutaka Tsutsui… Hideyuki Kukuchi…” She mumbled the authors’ names as she eyed through the many books that piqued her interest. She ended up picking up at least three that seemed interesting enough and returned to Marco with a smile.
The two ventured about the town and found a clothes store where Claudia would buy more clothes for the imminent trip. She grabbed just enough outfits for her attire; button-up shirts of different colors, and short skirts to wear with her stockings and garters. Since she was no longer in Britain, Claudia thought this was of the greatest opportunities to create a new style for herself. Trying new things was always good, she thought.
The girl found a pair of jeans that was torn from the knees and upper thighs, a black tank top, and a leather jacket that had fur laced around the hood and zippers around the sleeves. She picked up a pair of black sneakers with white laces, smiling as they fit perfectly. They were far more comfortable compared to heels. Claudia even managed to grab a pair of leather gloves that fit tightly on her hands. In America, this would be called a †˜punk rock’ look. As she tried them on in the dressing room, Claudia thought that she looked like a complete tomboy wearing something like that—not that she minded it, of course.
“Now that I think about it,” Marco started. “I’d really love to see her in a black one-piece with perhaps a pair of stockings and the belt… but hmm, it may not blend well with her tiara.” He considered the image very carefully as a coordinator in his mind. Just maybe, maybe it’d work with the right designs. He didn’t go ahead and tell her to try it out, however. He wanted Claudia to enjoy herself, find her own style and go with it.
A black one-piece, hmm? There’s an idea… “Hmm? You say something, Marco?” Claudia asked, glancing back at the man from her mental photo op. Despite asking, she heard most of what Marco said, not the last of it, though.
“Was just thinking how well we are financed for our shopping trips,” Marco replied with a composed face and a smile. Unlike Claudia, he was a good liar, it seemed. She could learn from him. “I feel like the special contents I tempted you upon would eventually cost me my wallet.” He laughed. It seemed like he’d have no regrets if that were the case.
“It’s a necessary evil. After all, it could be for the both of us with the way you describe it to be. I don’t mind having a… partner, while reading,” Claudia mused, smirking at Marco while toying with the pockets of her new jacket.
“Funny, I do not mind having a partner either,” Marco remarked, returning the smirk.
“Well, we only have two more days before leaving. Either… we could spend them shopping or… you
know…” Claudia blushed and glanced at the floor after saying.
“Let us be done shopping today then. We could always tour around tomorrow morning and then come back in the evening for some romance,” Marco suggested openly. “There are some spots I’d love to take you to. They don’t have tourists here so the term †˜tourist spots’ is a legend. Regardless, there are some places I consider as such.”
Claudia gulped for a moment and cleared her throat. “Alright. Yeah—yes, that sounds splendid,” she said, stammering at the thought. She wondered if Marco was so bold as to... try something in the aforementioned tourist spots when no one was around. Nothing got Claudia more hot.
Moreover on the matter of new attire for combat, Claudia did wonder what would fit her best. She liked the idea of dresses and their stylishness and all, but they weren’t the sturdiest in battle, nor were they the easiest to move around in. Perhaps she could try that one-piece Marco mentioned earlier. At least then something like that wouldn’t trip Claudia up while in a mad dash at her enemy.
0
Kazimir awoke. He was in a world of rocks and mountains. There was no sky, but instead a ceiling of solid rocks. Before him was magma, and over it was a titan he had only met once before. Something so large that it could crush Moscow with its feet if it could ever be materialized.
“Are you sure you wish to face Virgo?” Taurus inquired. His deep voice echoed far.
Kazimir scoffed at the spirit's question. “If it was a matter of wishing, then no,” he answered, sweeping back his hair in frustration. “If it were up to me, I’d have nothing to do with the other Descendants,” he vented, sighing as he looked down at the earth he was standing on. “. . . But honestly, if this bastard wants to jeopardize what I’ve built for myself, then I’m going to have to put †˜em in his place,” he added, pounding his fist into an open palm.
“It seems to be a fight amongst many… how would you conceal your strength and fight one who wields Commandments of the heavens?”
“When fighting a stronger opponent,” he answered, “one needs stronger tactics.” A sort of line his past self would’ve said.
“And I suppose you imply… the greater the numbers, the greater the chances? Perhaps such tactics may be determined by the authorities that invited you to this farce.”
“Fair point,” Kazimir agreed. “I will have to get into a position of influence then, if I’m going to have my way.”
“If Her Majesty… invited you, perhaps you will be able to get… special treatment. But… mn, this Virgo, in truth, puts me in a spot to worry. As you may have known, I am one who prefers to stay in peace. I can confirm that she has returned; in the meeting of Celestial Spirits it had been more than a thousand years since she appeared. She is beautiful… yet deadly, much like a rose with thorns.”
“Feh, a psycho bitch then,” he scoffed. “Is much known of her? If we can figure out her abilities, finding a strategy will be more easy.”
“There are some things I know… Chaos Utopia,” Taurus uttered. It seemed like every time he’d pause, a sigh would escape his dry, rocky mouth. “I do not know what it specifically does. Leo’s Descendant was one of the most powerful being ever to exist, however she could not surpass this Commandment. Which means you’d have to finish the battle as fast as you can.”
“Of course there was going to be a time limit,” he muttered. “Then how quickly would she be able to enact said Commandment?”
“Virgo’s host was an extremely haughty and prideful person. She was also a sovereign figure. For God knows what reason, they call her Alexander the Great now in human history. If this holds true… she’d likely save her trump card for some time. If one is deluded by over-confidence, they will always show a weakness. I’d wager you’d have at least an hour, unless the progression of said battle is much faster.”
“So I guess I’ll have to finish her before she loses that boastful attitude then,” he noted. “Strike hard, strike fast, ey.”
“There is one more Commandment you must make note of, and that is the World Buster,” Taurus spoke. “I fear she intends to utilize this to make her goals of destroying countries a reality.”
“Hmph, yeah the name kinda sells that out, I guess. Basically I’m finishing her before she decides to use EITHER of these incredulous Commandments.”
“There is an issue, however. The latter Commandment I made note of is used rather openly by Virgo’s Descendant, according to the knowledge of the past. Which would mean that you’d need to know how to defend against it…”
“Fantastic,” he muttered sardonically as he noticed the odds stacking more and more against him. “Very well, we’ll have to take every countermeasures we can.”
“Haha… ! And that’s why we’re meeting here. For our mutual survival, I’d offer you a new Commandment that would allow you to defend against one attack. Regardless of the strength of the opposing force, you will survive. However, it shall be available only once a day. How does that sound?” Taurus offered. It was hard to tell, but his smirk was similar to Kazimir’s in a way.
“Heh, well good news is always pleasant to the ears.” Kazimir returned the gesture. “An impenetrable shield, limited to virtually to a one time use in this battle. I will have to make it count.”
“Indeed. Either to defend against World Buster or Chaos Utopia, in which case it’d mean you’d failed to defeat her earlier. Technically, World Buster is a Commandment that launches forth a wave straight from where the user faces. In which case, if you can get behind her—you live.”
“That so,” he replied, “Then I suppose what’s left is to figure out how to take her down now.”
“The most crucial issue. Considering what is most effective is… using the Commandment to make me materialize. You already possess this. However, it’d expose you to the magicians.”
“That is correct,” he answered. “It’d only be something I use in the worst case scenario.”
“Hmm… I’d offer another Commandment but it’d be beyond my personal policies. This is troublesome.”
“Beyond your personal policies?” Kazimir questioned.
“If one wishes for more power then they must succeed in a trial for each of the Commandments they desire. That has always been a tradition of the Celestial Spirits. An exception is made only once… as I had made so earlier.”
“Hmph, figures that I’d need to demonstrate myself.” He crossed his arms. “Then I suppose what happened in the Soviet base doesn’t amount to anything?”
“That day, what you faced was undeniably a fragment of Virgo. However, she was but a mere fragment, and was far weaker than you… I could hardly account for it.”
“Tch, fair enough,” he conceded, looking off to the side. “Then I suppose we have two options; either one of us compromises or I’ll have to work about my wits in this battle.”
“Well, as it is my duty to test you—I shall use this opportunity that Virgo presents us. How about it… if you can survive one of Virgo’s World Busters without using the Commandment I provided as an exception—I shall immediately grant you a new Commandment… one that would enhance your agility.”
“Heh, and all I have to do is get past that Commandment?”
[i]“If you get behind her, you evade the door of death. I would be content with such a feat… for now.”
“Then all that’s left is to play my cards right with the Royals.”
“The nobles, yes. Play your cards wisely if you want to live, Kazimir.” The spirit smirked yet again.
“Like that wasn’t the goal from the beginning.” He smirked.
“Are you sure you wish to face Virgo?” Taurus inquired. His deep voice echoed far.
Kazimir scoffed at the spirit's question. “If it was a matter of wishing, then no,” he answered, sweeping back his hair in frustration. “If it were up to me, I’d have nothing to do with the other Descendants,” he vented, sighing as he looked down at the earth he was standing on. “. . . But honestly, if this bastard wants to jeopardize what I’ve built for myself, then I’m going to have to put †˜em in his place,” he added, pounding his fist into an open palm.
“It seems to be a fight amongst many… how would you conceal your strength and fight one who wields Commandments of the heavens?”
“When fighting a stronger opponent,” he answered, “one needs stronger tactics.” A sort of line his past self would’ve said.
“And I suppose you imply… the greater the numbers, the greater the chances? Perhaps such tactics may be determined by the authorities that invited you to this farce.”
“Fair point,” Kazimir agreed. “I will have to get into a position of influence then, if I’m going to have my way.”
“If Her Majesty… invited you, perhaps you will be able to get… special treatment. But… mn, this Virgo, in truth, puts me in a spot to worry. As you may have known, I am one who prefers to stay in peace. I can confirm that she has returned; in the meeting of Celestial Spirits it had been more than a thousand years since she appeared. She is beautiful… yet deadly, much like a rose with thorns.”
“Feh, a psycho bitch then,” he scoffed. “Is much known of her? If we can figure out her abilities, finding a strategy will be more easy.”
“There are some things I know… Chaos Utopia,” Taurus uttered. It seemed like every time he’d pause, a sigh would escape his dry, rocky mouth. “I do not know what it specifically does. Leo’s Descendant was one of the most powerful being ever to exist, however she could not surpass this Commandment. Which means you’d have to finish the battle as fast as you can.”
“Of course there was going to be a time limit,” he muttered. “Then how quickly would she be able to enact said Commandment?”
“Virgo’s host was an extremely haughty and prideful person. She was also a sovereign figure. For God knows what reason, they call her Alexander the Great now in human history. If this holds true… she’d likely save her trump card for some time. If one is deluded by over-confidence, they will always show a weakness. I’d wager you’d have at least an hour, unless the progression of said battle is much faster.”
“So I guess I’ll have to finish her before she loses that boastful attitude then,” he noted. “Strike hard, strike fast, ey.”
“There is one more Commandment you must make note of, and that is the World Buster,” Taurus spoke. “I fear she intends to utilize this to make her goals of destroying countries a reality.”
“Hmph, yeah the name kinda sells that out, I guess. Basically I’m finishing her before she decides to use EITHER of these incredulous Commandments.”
“There is an issue, however. The latter Commandment I made note of is used rather openly by Virgo’s Descendant, according to the knowledge of the past. Which would mean that you’d need to know how to defend against it…”
“Fantastic,” he muttered sardonically as he noticed the odds stacking more and more against him. “Very well, we’ll have to take every countermeasures we can.”
“Haha… ! And that’s why we’re meeting here. For our mutual survival, I’d offer you a new Commandment that would allow you to defend against one attack. Regardless of the strength of the opposing force, you will survive. However, it shall be available only once a day. How does that sound?” Taurus offered. It was hard to tell, but his smirk was similar to Kazimir’s in a way.
“Heh, well good news is always pleasant to the ears.” Kazimir returned the gesture. “An impenetrable shield, limited to virtually to a one time use in this battle. I will have to make it count.”
“Indeed. Either to defend against World Buster or Chaos Utopia, in which case it’d mean you’d failed to defeat her earlier. Technically, World Buster is a Commandment that launches forth a wave straight from where the user faces. In which case, if you can get behind her—you live.”
“That so,” he replied, “Then I suppose what’s left is to figure out how to take her down now.”
“The most crucial issue. Considering what is most effective is… using the Commandment to make me materialize. You already possess this. However, it’d expose you to the magicians.”
“That is correct,” he answered. “It’d only be something I use in the worst case scenario.”
“Hmm… I’d offer another Commandment but it’d be beyond my personal policies. This is troublesome.”
“Beyond your personal policies?” Kazimir questioned.
“If one wishes for more power then they must succeed in a trial for each of the Commandments they desire. That has always been a tradition of the Celestial Spirits. An exception is made only once… as I had made so earlier.”
“Hmph, figures that I’d need to demonstrate myself.” He crossed his arms. “Then I suppose what happened in the Soviet base doesn’t amount to anything?”
“That day, what you faced was undeniably a fragment of Virgo. However, she was but a mere fragment, and was far weaker than you… I could hardly account for it.”
“Tch, fair enough,” he conceded, looking off to the side. “Then I suppose we have two options; either one of us compromises or I’ll have to work about my wits in this battle.”
“Well, as it is my duty to test you—I shall use this opportunity that Virgo presents us. How about it… if you can survive one of Virgo’s World Busters without using the Commandment I provided as an exception—I shall immediately grant you a new Commandment… one that would enhance your agility.”
“Heh, and all I have to do is get past that Commandment?”
[i]“If you get behind her, you evade the door of death. I would be content with such a feat… for now.”
“Then all that’s left is to play my cards right with the Royals.”
“The nobles, yes. Play your cards wisely if you want to live, Kazimir.” The spirit smirked yet again.
“Like that wasn’t the goal from the beginning.” He smirked.
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
“Oh, Mister Aramus,” Frederica said, smiling. “I did not expect you to visit us in the dormitory right after we settled in.” The Duchess already had candies in her hands, and he thought she’d be too tired for that. “Come in,” she said.
“Sorry to intrude, Duchess,” Aramus said, coming into the room. “I trust you had a safe journey?”
“Yes, that we did,” the Duchess answered, taking a seat beside the window.
When Aramus sat on a sofa that Frederica motioned to, he noted Mary opposite to him, waving at him.
Aramus returned the wave whilst raising an eyebrow, some confusion evident on his face.
“Suffice it to say, Miss Mary Shelley is a special guest invited to the operation,” the Duchess said. “You and I should know the reason why.”
“Clearly,” he said. “Any and all help is welcome. I’m afraid we won’t be receiving any from Duchess Margaret.”
“I suppose it doesn’t come as a surprise,” Frederica said, shaking her head. “She is stubborn.”
“Tell me about it,” Aramus said. He still felt out of place without the familiar swish of his robe. Regular clothes were so... “So what are your plans for now, Duchess?”
“Well, what were her reasons? I shall report to Her Majesty,” Frederica said. “Then just gather some magicians from here and move on, I suppose.”
“I suppose,” Aramus said, grimacing at the thought of gathering students. Perhaps there would be more experienced mages he could take, but that would diminish the teaching staff. “Duchess Margaret has no desire at all to join our cause. In her words, †˜leave her out of playing heroes.’ She feels that remaining in the Academy is better than to travel to America, out of safety for both the scholarly population here and her daughter. There is also a great disdain for the nobles of the court, she made that clear. Maybe she doesn’t like American cuisine either.”
“Miss Mary, may I leave it to you?” Frederica requested.
“No promises, but let’s see…” Mary stared at Aramus for some time.
The Magister was curious and gave Mary a look of confusion and noted a glint of flash from the gold eye for less than a moment.
“The only part I can pick up is that she was lying about hating the nobles of court and her dislike for dealing with Her Majesty,” Mary reported, looking back to Frederica. “Her concern for the scholars of this Academy and her daughter are quite real. Especially her daughter. Also, I think she is sick.”
“Man, that’s a neat ability…” Aramus oh'd and ah'd, impressed by what Mary had gleamed. “Speaking with Duchess Margaret was like talking to a stone wall though. I don’t want to keep crashing against it over and over if I can help it,” he said with a sigh.
“Seemed that way,” Mary agreed. “She was adamant, and she didn’t even care about her excuses at some point.”
“It’s a shame that she feels so strongly about not helping when so much is at stake.” Aramus sighed, relaxing into the sofa. The soft cushion did little to comfort him who had failed a task given by Her Majesty, no matter if Duchess Margaret was going to refuse from the beginning.
“I suppose there isn’t anything we can do about it… but wait, you mentioned that she was sick, Miss Mary. How so?” Frederica questioned, facing Aramus then Mary subsequently.
“I don’t really know. Her expression simply gave that away. She could be stressed too,” Mary answered.
“If she was sick, and fought the Countess, and made said Descendant go serious enough to somehow transform into an Ancient Dragon—I can see why Her Majesty commanded Mister Aramus to try and convince her,” the Duchess stated.
“And I failed spectacularly,” he said, crestfallen. “We will have to look for other options to increase our strength but nothing we do will make up for her loss. What a blunder.”
“Well, all we can do is expand now one way or the other; if there is a will, there is a way.” The Duchess then picked up a tablet—or a †˜terminal’ as a futuristic Japan’s citizen would claim—from her bag, eager to use it. “Right, you have to teach me how these work. I bought one out of interest but I have to say it’s not easy to use.”
Aramus brightened up a little as he grabbed the device. “It’s really nifty once you get the hang of it. These things are capable of a great many things, but I don’t have the money to actually own one.” He powered on the device and the display lit up, a few segments pulling away from it and greeting him with a welcome screen.
It prompted him for some basic information and after keying it in, he was through. The holographic display flickered as it changed configurations, accented by some sounds from the terminal. A few icons floated idly as the system settled into the main menu. “Alright, there’s a small tutorial for you to follow. This model is holographic so all the displays are interactive. Just touch wherever you want and it will go from there,” Aramus said, handing the tablet back to Frederica.
“Oooh, that was educational, I thank you,” the Duchess said, popping up a lollipop and putting it at the corner of her mouth before digging around with the device in general.
“I suppose you can use that to make a list to manage all the mages for the operation?” Mary questioned.
“Bingo,” Frederica said, reading the tutorial. “I figured these would come in handy.”
“I see.” Mary smiled and turned to Aramus. “The operation’s mages are allowed to make a team—or a †˜party’ so to say—to operate in the mission,” she explained. “I was thinking, but considering the relation, shall we team up and recruit some members?”
“Yes, we should, I suppose,” Aramus said, his fingers itching to have another go at the terminal. “Anyone would be more than welcome right now.”
“I know two who may be eligible… do you know anyone fit to join?”
“I would prefer not including the students in any of this… Outside of them, no one in particular that isn’t already in the punitive force,” Aramus said. “My network is very small.”
“Ironically, you’re speaking to a scholar of the Royal Institute, however.”
Aramus chuckled at her jibe. “You can very well handle yourself, probably better than I can myself. So, who are the two?”
“A knight and an Executor from the Church… they were sent to dispose of Claudia.”
“Claudia. She’s here too then,” Aramus hissed, his demeanour suddenly turning for the worse.
“Right, I suppose no one told you. Claudia was there when Margaret Alicia fought the Countess—who was attacking Sagittarius for some reason—and at that time, apparently my friend and Claudia fought.”
“I’ll have to put a stop to her myself. I’m not sure if I have the time for it though, with all this going on.” His heart was still heavy with the feelings of betrayal he felt that day.
“Leave Claudia to me and my friend. We’re already been bickering about which one of us deals with her. If you join the fray now, it’d simply be one big argument.”
“I must insist. A request from her †˜elder brother’ if you must. This is something I will not let slide from one I was close to in the past,” Aramus said, crossing his fingers.
“Unfortunately, that is not going to happen,” Mary answered vehemently. “Focus on Virgo, and the fires of hell. Claudia isn’t just your matter anymore.”
Aramus sighed but accepted that she was right. “Sorry, I got caught up. My petty retribution is nothing compared to Virgo. Just make sure you discipline her well.”
“It’s a promise.”
Aramus stretched his hand out to her, pinky extended. “Pinky promise.”
“A pinky promise?”
“Ah, by hooking our pinkies, we swear to uphold our end of the oath. Usually it’s something done between close friends in Japan… or so I’ve been told,” Aramus said with a smile, extending his arm out expectantly.
“Huh…” Mary nodded without quite taking in the information.
In the end she played along, connecting her pinky with his for the supposed oath.
“Sorry to intrude, Duchess,” Aramus said, coming into the room. “I trust you had a safe journey?”
“Yes, that we did,” the Duchess answered, taking a seat beside the window.
When Aramus sat on a sofa that Frederica motioned to, he noted Mary opposite to him, waving at him.
Aramus returned the wave whilst raising an eyebrow, some confusion evident on his face.
“Suffice it to say, Miss Mary Shelley is a special guest invited to the operation,” the Duchess said. “You and I should know the reason why.”
“Clearly,” he said. “Any and all help is welcome. I’m afraid we won’t be receiving any from Duchess Margaret.”
“I suppose it doesn’t come as a surprise,” Frederica said, shaking her head. “She is stubborn.”
“Tell me about it,” Aramus said. He still felt out of place without the familiar swish of his robe. Regular clothes were so... “So what are your plans for now, Duchess?”
“Well, what were her reasons? I shall report to Her Majesty,” Frederica said. “Then just gather some magicians from here and move on, I suppose.”
“I suppose,” Aramus said, grimacing at the thought of gathering students. Perhaps there would be more experienced mages he could take, but that would diminish the teaching staff. “Duchess Margaret has no desire at all to join our cause. In her words, †˜leave her out of playing heroes.’ She feels that remaining in the Academy is better than to travel to America, out of safety for both the scholarly population here and her daughter. There is also a great disdain for the nobles of the court, she made that clear. Maybe she doesn’t like American cuisine either.”
“Miss Mary, may I leave it to you?” Frederica requested.
“No promises, but let’s see…” Mary stared at Aramus for some time.
The Magister was curious and gave Mary a look of confusion and noted a glint of flash from the gold eye for less than a moment.
“The only part I can pick up is that she was lying about hating the nobles of court and her dislike for dealing with Her Majesty,” Mary reported, looking back to Frederica. “Her concern for the scholars of this Academy and her daughter are quite real. Especially her daughter. Also, I think she is sick.”
“Man, that’s a neat ability…” Aramus oh'd and ah'd, impressed by what Mary had gleamed. “Speaking with Duchess Margaret was like talking to a stone wall though. I don’t want to keep crashing against it over and over if I can help it,” he said with a sigh.
“Seemed that way,” Mary agreed. “She was adamant, and she didn’t even care about her excuses at some point.”
“It’s a shame that she feels so strongly about not helping when so much is at stake.” Aramus sighed, relaxing into the sofa. The soft cushion did little to comfort him who had failed a task given by Her Majesty, no matter if Duchess Margaret was going to refuse from the beginning.
“I suppose there isn’t anything we can do about it… but wait, you mentioned that she was sick, Miss Mary. How so?” Frederica questioned, facing Aramus then Mary subsequently.
“I don’t really know. Her expression simply gave that away. She could be stressed too,” Mary answered.
“If she was sick, and fought the Countess, and made said Descendant go serious enough to somehow transform into an Ancient Dragon—I can see why Her Majesty commanded Mister Aramus to try and convince her,” the Duchess stated.
“And I failed spectacularly,” he said, crestfallen. “We will have to look for other options to increase our strength but nothing we do will make up for her loss. What a blunder.”
“Well, all we can do is expand now one way or the other; if there is a will, there is a way.” The Duchess then picked up a tablet—or a †˜terminal’ as a futuristic Japan’s citizen would claim—from her bag, eager to use it. “Right, you have to teach me how these work. I bought one out of interest but I have to say it’s not easy to use.”
Aramus brightened up a little as he grabbed the device. “It’s really nifty once you get the hang of it. These things are capable of a great many things, but I don’t have the money to actually own one.” He powered on the device and the display lit up, a few segments pulling away from it and greeting him with a welcome screen.
It prompted him for some basic information and after keying it in, he was through. The holographic display flickered as it changed configurations, accented by some sounds from the terminal. A few icons floated idly as the system settled into the main menu. “Alright, there’s a small tutorial for you to follow. This model is holographic so all the displays are interactive. Just touch wherever you want and it will go from there,” Aramus said, handing the tablet back to Frederica.
“Oooh, that was educational, I thank you,” the Duchess said, popping up a lollipop and putting it at the corner of her mouth before digging around with the device in general.
“I suppose you can use that to make a list to manage all the mages for the operation?” Mary questioned.
“Bingo,” Frederica said, reading the tutorial. “I figured these would come in handy.”
“I see.” Mary smiled and turned to Aramus. “The operation’s mages are allowed to make a team—or a †˜party’ so to say—to operate in the mission,” she explained. “I was thinking, but considering the relation, shall we team up and recruit some members?”
“Yes, we should, I suppose,” Aramus said, his fingers itching to have another go at the terminal. “Anyone would be more than welcome right now.”
“I know two who may be eligible… do you know anyone fit to join?”
“I would prefer not including the students in any of this… Outside of them, no one in particular that isn’t already in the punitive force,” Aramus said. “My network is very small.”
“Ironically, you’re speaking to a scholar of the Royal Institute, however.”
Aramus chuckled at her jibe. “You can very well handle yourself, probably better than I can myself. So, who are the two?”
“A knight and an Executor from the Church… they were sent to dispose of Claudia.”
“Claudia. She’s here too then,” Aramus hissed, his demeanour suddenly turning for the worse.
“Right, I suppose no one told you. Claudia was there when Margaret Alicia fought the Countess—who was attacking Sagittarius for some reason—and at that time, apparently my friend and Claudia fought.”
“I’ll have to put a stop to her myself. I’m not sure if I have the time for it though, with all this going on.” His heart was still heavy with the feelings of betrayal he felt that day.
“Leave Claudia to me and my friend. We’re already been bickering about which one of us deals with her. If you join the fray now, it’d simply be one big argument.”
“I must insist. A request from her †˜elder brother’ if you must. This is something I will not let slide from one I was close to in the past,” Aramus said, crossing his fingers.
“Unfortunately, that is not going to happen,” Mary answered vehemently. “Focus on Virgo, and the fires of hell. Claudia isn’t just your matter anymore.”
Aramus sighed but accepted that she was right. “Sorry, I got caught up. My petty retribution is nothing compared to Virgo. Just make sure you discipline her well.”
“It’s a promise.”
Aramus stretched his hand out to her, pinky extended. “Pinky promise.”
“A pinky promise?”
“Ah, by hooking our pinkies, we swear to uphold our end of the oath. Usually it’s something done between close friends in Japan… or so I’ve been told,” Aramus said with a smile, extending his arm out expectantly.
“Huh…” Mary nodded without quite taking in the information.
In the end she played along, connecting her pinky with his for the supposed oath.
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
There was a bright light in the throne.
There was a darkness opposite to the throne.
Opposition.
War.
Death.
And Salvation.
“...What is true salvation?”
His eyes abruptly opened.
“Oh… you awake at last?” Hare asked.
Michael looked around. There were constant beeping noises. He found Hare sitting beside him. He could hardly move. Was he in the infirmary?
“I think so. What happened?” he asked. He had a general idea of what happened before he collapsed, but it came to him in images in no particular order, It was a giant mess, and it was giving him a headache.
“Let’s see… things went… boom! Yes, that’s right, boom! I heard you fought someone and were injured. Alicia-sensei called up on the Academy and everyone was collected from the city,” Hare said, giving a half-baked explanation.
“Thank you for clarifying things for me.” Somehow, he really did recall what happened up to the point where the Countess pulverized him. Which brought Michael to his next inquiry, “How am I still alive?”
“Dunno. Magic fixes things. Right?” Hare said nonchalantly. “You were done in pretty badly from what I heard, but the nurse said you lived through sheer will or something, either that or—they think—something might have protected you.”
Michael frowned, not accepting Hare’s explanation. While he was filled with gladness that he was able to wake up, it did not make any sense to him. The last time he was awake back on the battlefield, not only were most of his bones shattered, he was pretty sure his ribs pierced most of his vital organs. He vaguely recalled waking up again, but attributed it to a dream. “Even I know I should’ve died back then. I might’ve already did. Did they implant me into something else?”
“Err… no, you’re in the same body,” Haru said, scratching the back of her head. “Healing magic can work wonders in the hands of an expert. I hear that Mathilde person used some amazing magic to do the trick.”
“I… see. Thank you for being patient with me, then. Give my gratitude to her too.” Michael calmed down and smiled at Hare. “I wish we could’ve met again in better circumstances, but it is nice to see you.”
“Did you manage to kill your target?”
“Did the Countess manage to escape?”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“It will. She took my target with her when I was about to deal the killing blow. Did the Countess escape?”
“You probably babbled too much about the Bible before trying to kill. Haha! Anyway, yeah…” Hare said, yawning. “The Countess was undefeated, and they said she eventually left after fighting Alicia-sensei.”
Michael heard what Hare said but failed to reply immediately. He was holding his head with his hands. It boggled his mind how his head ached so much yet his body so little. He assumed that if he were given something for it, the medicine would have worked on his head too. “That… that’s unfortunate,” he squeezed out.
“Are you alright?” Hare asked. “You don’t… look so well. Should I call the nurse?”
“It’s okay. Might be that I just woke up. How many hours was I out?” The pain was manageable now. I really hope this doesn’t stick.
“Mn…” She slowly counted. “I guess this is the fourth day now that you woke up.”
“...Where are the others?”
“Most of them are already up and recovered,” Hare answered, taking out a cold tomato juice. “I haven’t seen Alicia-sensei ever since the fight, and Svetlana was here till yesterday. It seems like you had the worst of the injuries.”
“Alici- Miss Alicia? What happened to her?” he asked in shock. She appeared to him as someone who was probably stronger than him. “What about Lily, is she alright? ”
“You haven’t seen it? I heard Alicia-sensei was so cool fighting the Countess, but for some reason she wasn’t brought over to the infirmary and was taken elsewhere for recovery,” Hare explained before drinking the juice. “Who’s Lily?”
“My partner. I forgot I haven’t introduced you two to each other. She’s a knight of the Church. Last we’d seen each other was… We agreed she was to follow Miss Kazehaya,” he explained. “Did you bring me some of that cold tea?” he suddenly asked.
“Umm… was it that pretty blonde girl who was here till the day after the fight?” Hare’s expression changed and she teasingly spoke, “Is she your girlfriend?”
“No,” he said flatly.
“You don’t have a girlfriend? Man, you guys are so boring.”
“I’m a priest.” Although, Laura did come to his mind. Not that he’d admit it to anyone.
“Then why is your face so red? There’s someone you like, isn’t there?”
“It’s a fever, I’m sick,” he replied. “Did you bring me cold tea? I’d pay for it.”
“Nah, don’t pay, let me treat you for once. This will be payback for the sweet biscuits. I figured that the iced tea would have its ice melted if I pre-bought them,” Hare said, getting off the chair. “Be right back!”
“Thanks!” He tried to shout as she left. He looked around the room, seizing the opportunity while he was alone. He couldn’t see his equipment, nor anything else much aside from the various medical implements attached to him, for that matter. He tried sitting at the side of the bed, as he intended to walk around rather than waste away lying down.
“What are you doing?” a familiar voice asked.
Michael turned, and rubbed his eyes as if to confirm.
It was Mary. Mary Shelley.
“You should rest some more. Lay down.”
“Either you’re really Mary, or I hit my head that hard. Is this one of your tricks, Hare?” Michael said. He did recall that Mary had mentioned that she did not have any intention to go to Japan.
“Eh? Hare?” Mary asked. “Do you mean the Red Hare perchance?”
“Wait. Mary? You’re really here. What for?” Did she come to finish Claudia after all?
“No, I’m not chasing Claudia at the moment,” Mary answered his thought, waving her hand dismissively. “I was invited by a Duchess for a very important upcoming battle. This is but a detour, for which I am here.”
“Okay, I’ll take that explanation,” Michael said. He could feel his headache coming back again. It seemed that it wouldn’t be letting him free soon.
“If Claudia appears in sight though, I’ll kill her,” Mary said with a smile as she sat beside him on his bed. “So how are things? I heard you got hurt pretty badly.”
“No need, I already exorcised her. The Countess interfered when I was about to—” Michael lowered his head. “She was… irredeemable. There was nothing left to save. ”
“You weren’t told to save her to begin with, were you? Since… I hear Executioners of the Church are always ordered to kill. I think you’re a strange one among them,” she stated, but smiled. “But a good one. As for Claudia… I do not think anything has been resolved yet.”
“She survived then, probably. Let’s just hope my exorcism sticks,” he said half-heartedly. While some part of him wanted to try what he could for Mary’s friend, there were still parts of him with hatred towards Claudia. “I am not as good as you think I might be, Miss Mary.”
“Probably,” Mary repeated, looking down and averting her gaze from Michael. “She is a Representative now… an exorcism or two won’t faze her for long.” She sighed, then looked towards the ceiling. “Good at what, exactly? I only said †˜good’ because you’re not a heartless killer… but what do you think about yourself if you do not agree with me?”
“Because I killed Mister Bram. Even though he was just a victim himself. How come I tried to save Claudia, but didn’t do the same to my friend?! I… regret wasting my effort in trying to save her.” He made a barely audible chuckle. Afterwards, he smiled dejectedly at Mary, “I really do wonder how the two of you became friends. Is it because of your drastically contrasting personalities?”
“Enough.”
Before long, Michael felt rather confused. The warmth he felt was somehow familiar. Just like the time he got to speak intimately with Laura…
It only then dawned upon him—moments later—that Mary was embracing him.
“Enough,” she repeated. “He was a victim, but Mister Bram was put to rest thanks to you…” she stated, her voice shaking. Michael could hear her crying. “How Claudia and I became friends… huh?” She sighed yet again as she separated herself from the priest. “Perhaps. I saw a little bit of my past in her, too. However, she is now a person who sees no value in others’ lives, and takes them without mercy… then claims a false righteous cause for doing so.”
“I do recall her saying that she was saving us. I dismissed it as her delusions that might’ve been caused by that unholy scythe of hers,” he replied, after regaining composure. He felt chills down his spine as he recalled the voices in his head.
“...Scythe? I do not remember her wielding such a weapon before.” Mary attempted to compose herself, wiping away her tears.
“A demonic implement that seems to attempt to rob the free will of whoever it cuts. I am lucky to have been able to resist its abilities, but I had to do so with all my willpower. I would have committed... ” His voice trailed off, as once more he recalled the voices. “It truly was a work of the devil. I cannot imagine who could create such a thing.”
“That seems like a fearsome weapon. There are said to be very few that agree to craft for the terrorists. For there to be such a crafter among them…” Mary mumbled. “Well, what do you intend to do now? Considering how the terrorists of BLoodLuSt act, they’d attack their target once more at most before moving on to a new target.”
“...My mission hasn’t changed. I will factor these into the next strategy,” Michael stated matter-of-factly, as if to take his mind off his fears.
“Something had been bugging me about what Claudia said regarding her cause, though…”
“Please, do tell.”
“Something about hunting the Descendants and trying to save the world… sounds extremely farfetched but…”
“Are you thinking of the possibility that it might be true?”
“I do not think they may have a good intention in mind doing this—considering they are terrorists—but I feel a sliver of truth in the statement. No,” Mary shook her head as she stated, “Not a sliver, actually. I feel she was speaking the truth to convince me that night.”
“Even so. Their methods are cruel and selfish. Not a single death can be justified by saying that it is to save the world. I do not think a world that can only be saved by such methods is a world worth saving,” he declared. “This is why I believe my Organization exists. We are throwing our lives, our souls so that no one else would have to. We kill the heretics, the demons… but only them. If it will cost us dearly to do so, then it is a sacrifice we will be willing to make.”
Mary smiled wryly. “In the end, we’re killing one to save another. We’re still taking lives, but I think it is a good thing to honor and acknowledge sacrifice unlike Claudia.”
“I fear that… that we’re too weak to save others, and just resort to killing. In the end we might just be the same as them. But even so… I still believe. I have faith in what we do.” Michael looked at Mary, smiling. “Please understand: every life we take is another sin, another burden that we have to carry till the end of our lives. That is what I believe separates us from them. So that is why… even if she and I may work for the same goal in the end, I would still think of them doing wrong.”
“I know that, I understand that,” Mary said getting up and returning the smile. “That is what it means to understand a sacrifice, after all.”
“Then please… please let me finish what I should’ve finished back then; do not chase after her. If what you said is true, then that affair with the Descendants is something that will end up bigger than us both if we… you don’t act now,” he said, as he tried to stand up again.
Michael could swear he saw a chain wrapped around Mary’s neck for a moment. A white chain. An ephemeral existence. It pulsed and Mary’s eyes squinted. She faced away from Michael as if to hide her face. “Well, I have my own missions. I will eventually have to pursue her… but do not worry; I do not have my priorities backwards.”
“Even now, he haunts you.” He clenched his fists. It sounded like he was about to continue speaking, but he kept his silence. “...I thank you for visiting me, Miss Mary. I really appreciate seeing you once more.”
“Michael… come with me to America. Two Descendants are there… you know what that means, right?”
“I cannot abandon my duty Miss Mary.” His voice had a pang of regret. “However, I haven’t nor will I forget my promise,” he said, implying that he’d follow her there as soon as he could.
“If what Claudia claimed is true, their target lies there.”
“I need to be sure that Miss Kazehaya is safe from harm.”
“Your mission as an Executioner was to deal with Claudia, not the safety of a Descendant. If the main force leaves this country with Claudia, then your target should be followed.”
“That is correct. But I promised her that she will be safe. If Claudia does leave the country, then my mission and promise are both complete,” Michael answered, albeit a bit confused on Mary’s insistence.
“I see,” Mary coldly replied. “Then I will be away. Take care,” she said, walking out of the room as Hare came in with an ever notable grin.
She waited till Mary exited and then gave Michael an even larger grin. “So that was your girlfriend. She is cute, if I say so myself.” She nodded to herself.
“What are you talking about? She was a friend of mine. I do wonder why she left in such a hurry… I wished you two could’ve met. It seems like you two would be good friends,” he replied, still confused about Mary’s sudden departure.
“Ahaha! It’s because you’re a wimp to accept her initiative. She even hugged you.” Hare laughed as she spoke, now with a new can of cold tomato juice. She handed him a few drinks aside from the iced tea. It seemed like they’d last him for some time. “You’re bad with girls, aren’t you?”
Michael took the can, which was similar to what he drank with Hare a few days ago after putting it on top of her head. “She was a good friend, and must I remind you that I am a priest?” he said, sighing. “It seems you arrived early into our conversation.”
“Bah! If you wanted hot tea just tell me next time!” Hare said, losing her composure before she turned lax again. “Did God prohibit love, though? Doesn’t really make sense to me. Priest or not, when a woman gives a man the sign of her feelings, it’s the man’s job to accept it, and follow along.”
“I think you misunderstand; Miss Mary asked for my help in dealing with the Descendants in America. You might’ve misheard.” Michael opened another can that was not on top of Hare’s head and drank greedily.
Hare gave a look of pity. How could a man be so dense? She could hardly imagine. “I think you misread her intentions, actually.”
“You are just reading too much into it. She was acting in urgency,” he replied, opening another can.
Hare shrugged with disappointment. “Pathetic,” she mumbled.
“She would be making a mistake if she did think of me like that,” he softly mumbled so that only he could hear. Afterwards, he drank the rest of the can he was holding.
There was a darkness opposite to the throne.
Opposition.
War.
Death.
And Salvation.
“...What is true salvation?”
His eyes abruptly opened.
“Oh… you awake at last?” Hare asked.
Michael looked around. There were constant beeping noises. He found Hare sitting beside him. He could hardly move. Was he in the infirmary?
“I think so. What happened?” he asked. He had a general idea of what happened before he collapsed, but it came to him in images in no particular order, It was a giant mess, and it was giving him a headache.
“Let’s see… things went… boom! Yes, that’s right, boom! I heard you fought someone and were injured. Alicia-sensei called up on the Academy and everyone was collected from the city,” Hare said, giving a half-baked explanation.
“Thank you for clarifying things for me.” Somehow, he really did recall what happened up to the point where the Countess pulverized him. Which brought Michael to his next inquiry, “How am I still alive?”
“Dunno. Magic fixes things. Right?” Hare said nonchalantly. “You were done in pretty badly from what I heard, but the nurse said you lived through sheer will or something, either that or—they think—something might have protected you.”
Michael frowned, not accepting Hare’s explanation. While he was filled with gladness that he was able to wake up, it did not make any sense to him. The last time he was awake back on the battlefield, not only were most of his bones shattered, he was pretty sure his ribs pierced most of his vital organs. He vaguely recalled waking up again, but attributed it to a dream. “Even I know I should’ve died back then. I might’ve already did. Did they implant me into something else?”
“Err… no, you’re in the same body,” Haru said, scratching the back of her head. “Healing magic can work wonders in the hands of an expert. I hear that Mathilde person used some amazing magic to do the trick.”
“I… see. Thank you for being patient with me, then. Give my gratitude to her too.” Michael calmed down and smiled at Hare. “I wish we could’ve met again in better circumstances, but it is nice to see you.”
“Did you manage to kill your target?”
“Did the Countess manage to escape?”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“It will. She took my target with her when I was about to deal the killing blow. Did the Countess escape?”
“You probably babbled too much about the Bible before trying to kill. Haha! Anyway, yeah…” Hare said, yawning. “The Countess was undefeated, and they said she eventually left after fighting Alicia-sensei.”
Michael heard what Hare said but failed to reply immediately. He was holding his head with his hands. It boggled his mind how his head ached so much yet his body so little. He assumed that if he were given something for it, the medicine would have worked on his head too. “That… that’s unfortunate,” he squeezed out.
“Are you alright?” Hare asked. “You don’t… look so well. Should I call the nurse?”
“It’s okay. Might be that I just woke up. How many hours was I out?” The pain was manageable now. I really hope this doesn’t stick.
“Mn…” She slowly counted. “I guess this is the fourth day now that you woke up.”
“...Where are the others?”
“Most of them are already up and recovered,” Hare answered, taking out a cold tomato juice. “I haven’t seen Alicia-sensei ever since the fight, and Svetlana was here till yesterday. It seems like you had the worst of the injuries.”
“Alici- Miss Alicia? What happened to her?” he asked in shock. She appeared to him as someone who was probably stronger than him. “What about Lily, is she alright? ”
“You haven’t seen it? I heard Alicia-sensei was so cool fighting the Countess, but for some reason she wasn’t brought over to the infirmary and was taken elsewhere for recovery,” Hare explained before drinking the juice. “Who’s Lily?”
“My partner. I forgot I haven’t introduced you two to each other. She’s a knight of the Church. Last we’d seen each other was… We agreed she was to follow Miss Kazehaya,” he explained. “Did you bring me some of that cold tea?” he suddenly asked.
“Umm… was it that pretty blonde girl who was here till the day after the fight?” Hare’s expression changed and she teasingly spoke, “Is she your girlfriend?”
“No,” he said flatly.
“You don’t have a girlfriend? Man, you guys are so boring.”
“I’m a priest.” Although, Laura did come to his mind. Not that he’d admit it to anyone.
“Then why is your face so red? There’s someone you like, isn’t there?”
“It’s a fever, I’m sick,” he replied. “Did you bring me cold tea? I’d pay for it.”
“Nah, don’t pay, let me treat you for once. This will be payback for the sweet biscuits. I figured that the iced tea would have its ice melted if I pre-bought them,” Hare said, getting off the chair. “Be right back!”
“Thanks!” He tried to shout as she left. He looked around the room, seizing the opportunity while he was alone. He couldn’t see his equipment, nor anything else much aside from the various medical implements attached to him, for that matter. He tried sitting at the side of the bed, as he intended to walk around rather than waste away lying down.
“What are you doing?” a familiar voice asked.
Michael turned, and rubbed his eyes as if to confirm.
It was Mary. Mary Shelley.
“You should rest some more. Lay down.”
“Either you’re really Mary, or I hit my head that hard. Is this one of your tricks, Hare?” Michael said. He did recall that Mary had mentioned that she did not have any intention to go to Japan.
“Eh? Hare?” Mary asked. “Do you mean the Red Hare perchance?”
“Wait. Mary? You’re really here. What for?” Did she come to finish Claudia after all?
“No, I’m not chasing Claudia at the moment,” Mary answered his thought, waving her hand dismissively. “I was invited by a Duchess for a very important upcoming battle. This is but a detour, for which I am here.”
“Okay, I’ll take that explanation,” Michael said. He could feel his headache coming back again. It seemed that it wouldn’t be letting him free soon.
“If Claudia appears in sight though, I’ll kill her,” Mary said with a smile as she sat beside him on his bed. “So how are things? I heard you got hurt pretty badly.”
“No need, I already exorcised her. The Countess interfered when I was about to—” Michael lowered his head. “She was… irredeemable. There was nothing left to save. ”
“You weren’t told to save her to begin with, were you? Since… I hear Executioners of the Church are always ordered to kill. I think you’re a strange one among them,” she stated, but smiled. “But a good one. As for Claudia… I do not think anything has been resolved yet.”
“She survived then, probably. Let’s just hope my exorcism sticks,” he said half-heartedly. While some part of him wanted to try what he could for Mary’s friend, there were still parts of him with hatred towards Claudia. “I am not as good as you think I might be, Miss Mary.”
“Probably,” Mary repeated, looking down and averting her gaze from Michael. “She is a Representative now… an exorcism or two won’t faze her for long.” She sighed, then looked towards the ceiling. “Good at what, exactly? I only said †˜good’ because you’re not a heartless killer… but what do you think about yourself if you do not agree with me?”
“Because I killed Mister Bram. Even though he was just a victim himself. How come I tried to save Claudia, but didn’t do the same to my friend?! I… regret wasting my effort in trying to save her.” He made a barely audible chuckle. Afterwards, he smiled dejectedly at Mary, “I really do wonder how the two of you became friends. Is it because of your drastically contrasting personalities?”
“Enough.”
Before long, Michael felt rather confused. The warmth he felt was somehow familiar. Just like the time he got to speak intimately with Laura…
It only then dawned upon him—moments later—that Mary was embracing him.
“Enough,” she repeated. “He was a victim, but Mister Bram was put to rest thanks to you…” she stated, her voice shaking. Michael could hear her crying. “How Claudia and I became friends… huh?” She sighed yet again as she separated herself from the priest. “Perhaps. I saw a little bit of my past in her, too. However, she is now a person who sees no value in others’ lives, and takes them without mercy… then claims a false righteous cause for doing so.”
“I do recall her saying that she was saving us. I dismissed it as her delusions that might’ve been caused by that unholy scythe of hers,” he replied, after regaining composure. He felt chills down his spine as he recalled the voices in his head.
“...Scythe? I do not remember her wielding such a weapon before.” Mary attempted to compose herself, wiping away her tears.
“A demonic implement that seems to attempt to rob the free will of whoever it cuts. I am lucky to have been able to resist its abilities, but I had to do so with all my willpower. I would have committed... ” His voice trailed off, as once more he recalled the voices. “It truly was a work of the devil. I cannot imagine who could create such a thing.”
“That seems like a fearsome weapon. There are said to be very few that agree to craft for the terrorists. For there to be such a crafter among them…” Mary mumbled. “Well, what do you intend to do now? Considering how the terrorists of BLoodLuSt act, they’d attack their target once more at most before moving on to a new target.”
“...My mission hasn’t changed. I will factor these into the next strategy,” Michael stated matter-of-factly, as if to take his mind off his fears.
“Something had been bugging me about what Claudia said regarding her cause, though…”
“Please, do tell.”
“Something about hunting the Descendants and trying to save the world… sounds extremely farfetched but…”
“Are you thinking of the possibility that it might be true?”
“I do not think they may have a good intention in mind doing this—considering they are terrorists—but I feel a sliver of truth in the statement. No,” Mary shook her head as she stated, “Not a sliver, actually. I feel she was speaking the truth to convince me that night.”
“Even so. Their methods are cruel and selfish. Not a single death can be justified by saying that it is to save the world. I do not think a world that can only be saved by such methods is a world worth saving,” he declared. “This is why I believe my Organization exists. We are throwing our lives, our souls so that no one else would have to. We kill the heretics, the demons… but only them. If it will cost us dearly to do so, then it is a sacrifice we will be willing to make.”
Mary smiled wryly. “In the end, we’re killing one to save another. We’re still taking lives, but I think it is a good thing to honor and acknowledge sacrifice unlike Claudia.”
“I fear that… that we’re too weak to save others, and just resort to killing. In the end we might just be the same as them. But even so… I still believe. I have faith in what we do.” Michael looked at Mary, smiling. “Please understand: every life we take is another sin, another burden that we have to carry till the end of our lives. That is what I believe separates us from them. So that is why… even if she and I may work for the same goal in the end, I would still think of them doing wrong.”
“I know that, I understand that,” Mary said getting up and returning the smile. “That is what it means to understand a sacrifice, after all.”
“Then please… please let me finish what I should’ve finished back then; do not chase after her. If what you said is true, then that affair with the Descendants is something that will end up bigger than us both if we… you don’t act now,” he said, as he tried to stand up again.
Michael could swear he saw a chain wrapped around Mary’s neck for a moment. A white chain. An ephemeral existence. It pulsed and Mary’s eyes squinted. She faced away from Michael as if to hide her face. “Well, I have my own missions. I will eventually have to pursue her… but do not worry; I do not have my priorities backwards.”
“Even now, he haunts you.” He clenched his fists. It sounded like he was about to continue speaking, but he kept his silence. “...I thank you for visiting me, Miss Mary. I really appreciate seeing you once more.”
“Michael… come with me to America. Two Descendants are there… you know what that means, right?”
“I cannot abandon my duty Miss Mary.” His voice had a pang of regret. “However, I haven’t nor will I forget my promise,” he said, implying that he’d follow her there as soon as he could.
“If what Claudia claimed is true, their target lies there.”
“I need to be sure that Miss Kazehaya is safe from harm.”
“Your mission as an Executioner was to deal with Claudia, not the safety of a Descendant. If the main force leaves this country with Claudia, then your target should be followed.”
“That is correct. But I promised her that she will be safe. If Claudia does leave the country, then my mission and promise are both complete,” Michael answered, albeit a bit confused on Mary’s insistence.
“I see,” Mary coldly replied. “Then I will be away. Take care,” she said, walking out of the room as Hare came in with an ever notable grin.
She waited till Mary exited and then gave Michael an even larger grin. “So that was your girlfriend. She is cute, if I say so myself.” She nodded to herself.
“What are you talking about? She was a friend of mine. I do wonder why she left in such a hurry… I wished you two could’ve met. It seems like you two would be good friends,” he replied, still confused about Mary’s sudden departure.
“Ahaha! It’s because you’re a wimp to accept her initiative. She even hugged you.” Hare laughed as she spoke, now with a new can of cold tomato juice. She handed him a few drinks aside from the iced tea. It seemed like they’d last him for some time. “You’re bad with girls, aren’t you?”
Michael took the can, which was similar to what he drank with Hare a few days ago after putting it on top of her head. “She was a good friend, and must I remind you that I am a priest?” he said, sighing. “It seems you arrived early into our conversation.”
“Bah! If you wanted hot tea just tell me next time!” Hare said, losing her composure before she turned lax again. “Did God prohibit love, though? Doesn’t really make sense to me. Priest or not, when a woman gives a man the sign of her feelings, it’s the man’s job to accept it, and follow along.”
“I think you misunderstand; Miss Mary asked for my help in dealing with the Descendants in America. You might’ve misheard.” Michael opened another can that was not on top of Hare’s head and drank greedily.
Hare gave a look of pity. How could a man be so dense? She could hardly imagine. “I think you misread her intentions, actually.”
“You are just reading too much into it. She was acting in urgency,” he replied, opening another can.
Hare shrugged with disappointment. “Pathetic,” she mumbled.
“She would be making a mistake if she did think of me like that,” he softly mumbled so that only he could hear. Afterwards, he drank the rest of the can he was holding.
0
Fallan
Kamen Rider Cheeki
“How are you, Lily?”
Michael asked after exchanging pleasantries with his roommate. He just entered the room he and Lily was staying at. After Mary left yesterday, where Hare stayed with him as they talked about various things. She eventually left him to rest after some time, and he slept the rest of the day off. When he woke up, he was given various advice and medicine by the nurse in charge, and after changing his bandages, he was let off.
“I am fine,” Lily answered, giving her usual light smile. One that felt rather fake. “What about you? Your condition was particularly worse than mine.”
“I think I’ve slept most of the damage off. I have slacked off for four days, after all,” Michael wearily stated. He checked to see if his sword and other equipments were there. “It seems that I have failed to complete our mission to execute Claudia. I am sorry to have betrayed your trust in me.”
“Well, what exactly took place there? I could only doubt that you could defeat a Representative on your own,” Lily inquired.
Michael quickly summarized their fight.
“ I have learned some terrifying details with regards to our target, and their goals in general as I was fighting Claudia,” he opened up, mentioning how Claudia was wielding an Infernal weapon, and how they were targeting Descendants to supposedly save everyone. “...And when I had found an opportunity, I casted Exorcism point blank upon her. I was about to deal the killing blow… when the Countess appeared and it was then that she sent me to the state I ended up in.”
“I see… I find it a little hard to believe, but these are shocking details. To think that they were indeed targeting Descendants all along as you theorized, and that the Countess’ timing was so perfect that she managed to save Claudia in the nick of time… how terrifying,” Lily commented.
“I believe it was due to the help of your friend, the teacher, that I was able to get an opportunity to exorcise Claudia,” he commented. “I was… dealt with in a heartbeat. In all honesty, I cannot believe I have survived that encounter. Regarding the fact about the Descendants, I believe that we can predict their actions based on their two failed hits. I sincerely hope that they do not attack Miss Natsu once more.”
“I’m surprised you’re hale after I saw your injuries,” Lily admitted. “I hope they don’t, either. With the ways things are I think some of us are still recovering from that encounter.”
“If they’d listen to us, I’d suggest convincing Miss Natsu to stay at the Academy while we confirm the location of the vampires.” Michael paused for a while, “I also… remember a vision as I lay dying. An empty throne beyond a wall of light. What does that mean?”
“For now Miss Kazehaya is completely confined to the Academy. This was decided both by the Headmistress and the Prime Minister of Japan. Effectively, she had no say in the matter,” Lily informed. “...That seems like a strange vision to see, on the other hand. Are you sure you weren’t simply dreaming?”
“I know it is my first time seeing something like that… but it felt familiar. There was a voice too, however, I cannot remember what it said.” Michael commented. He took note of what Lily said, but decided that it was best for Natsu’s safety in the end. He’d try to visit her later.
“Familiar? So you’ve witnessed a throne in your life before?”
“I know I haven’t… But… Nevermind. It might’ve been just lack of blood,” he said, dismissing the vision he had. “What do you suggest we do now?”
“We can only observe for days,” Lily answered. “If Miss Kazehaya is here then their place to strike can only be one…”
“I see. I am quite glad to know I might have time to heal my wounds. The nurse said it’ll take time for my bones to completely heal,” he admitted, though at least, his headaches had stopped.
“I see. Then I shall not train with you till you are fully recovered,” Lily decided.
“I’d try to stick with what exercises I can manage,” he added, not wanting to completely slack off. “Do you think we should coordinate this new information immediately?”
“I’ll send a letter with what we learned and believe may be their true intentions,” Lily answered. “It’s better than nothing. I’ll report what took place in general too.”
“Thank you.” Michael hesitated for a bit, “Do you think I could send a letter to England too? I would like to know what is happening there at the moment.”
“To whom?”
“To Robert.”
“Noted. Give me the letter when you are done composing it. I shall have it delivered.”
“I will start writing now then,” Michael said as he sat down at the desk and reached for the pen and paper. He made sure to inquire upon Laura’s condition too.
“I will go out for a while.” Lily then left the room.
Michael wrote to Robert, asking after their current status in England, and if there were any other disturbances now that the Countess was in Japan. He then told a summary of what had happened in Japan so far, leaving out a few details, including Mary’s arrival. He made sure to ask about Laura, and whether she had woken up yet, but tried to put it as casually as possible. In the end, he thanked him once more for helping him acquire a replacement sword for his gunblade, one that proved to be most useful in his encounter with the vampires. As a post-script, he also mentioned about the cold tea that they sold in Japan. Michael smiled to himself as he put the letter in an envelope and left it on the desk after sealing it.
“You… feign your emotions far too much. It appears rather dishonest, Michael.”
“What? Who goes there?!” Michael asked in a loud voice. Somehow, someone managed to sneak up on him.
“I am Uriel. And I have been watching you for long. Rest easy, for I am not the form of evil you so loathe.”
“Archangel Uriel? Why? Am I being deceived?”
“For what would I deceive? Are you a Descendant that I would feel the need to beguile and misguide for the Queen?”
“Then why me? Did I do wrong?” he asked, fearing that he had been too lenient.
“You gave a being who was irredeemable for being a vile creature alone—a chance to repent, that is indeed wrong from my view. However, I watch over you for reasons that differ. I watch solely due to interest.”
“I believe that there will come a time where one can be redeemed. But… interest?”
“And what brought forth as a result of a belief such as that? You lost your opportunity. You lost to the Descendant. You made many worry. You almost passed on and left the Faerie known as Laura behind… and you made me save you.”
“And for that, I thank you. But I still stand by my decision… even if I would’ve acted differently if I knew the Countess was onto us,” Michael said defiantly. “Worry not, Archangel Uriel, I will give the vampire her due.”
It was then that Michael saw with his eyes, a vision shown of his past, as if he was reliving that very moment. There, he saw and heard exactly as Claudia denied repentance, and instead entertained the notion of suicide. His words and chances given were not trusted. His decision lead to failure.
“Answer me this: you would stand by the wrong then? You would allow the vampire to roam free even now and lead many more to their demise? All for the sake of your belief—you’d let a heartless fiend drink blood of more innocents?”
“...I believe that… I believe that everyone should have a chance to be saved. However… This time I have lost sight of what was important. These lives to be lost because of my indecision, I will carry this sin.”
“I spoke with Angel Ananiel—one of the many Watchers—she was given approximately thirty-seven chances to save herself from the path she chose, and live a righteous life. However, she stubbornly ignored them. You let her live in vain. However, I shall accept your resolve, and watch you carry the weight of this sin. And… beware of Mary Linfield. Danger lurks just past her.”
“Mary Linfield? ...Must I falter at the first sight of danger? I believe not. And who is this Angel Ananiel you speak of? Do you seek of other some Michael perhaps? I fear that you might have been mistaken in following this one, for I am but a simple hunting dog of the Church, nothing more.”
Michael took the angel’s silence with curiosity, wondering if it had been offended. After a while, he picked up his sword and started wiping it down.
Michael asked after exchanging pleasantries with his roommate. He just entered the room he and Lily was staying at. After Mary left yesterday, where Hare stayed with him as they talked about various things. She eventually left him to rest after some time, and he slept the rest of the day off. When he woke up, he was given various advice and medicine by the nurse in charge, and after changing his bandages, he was let off.
“I am fine,” Lily answered, giving her usual light smile. One that felt rather fake. “What about you? Your condition was particularly worse than mine.”
“I think I’ve slept most of the damage off. I have slacked off for four days, after all,” Michael wearily stated. He checked to see if his sword and other equipments were there. “It seems that I have failed to complete our mission to execute Claudia. I am sorry to have betrayed your trust in me.”
“Well, what exactly took place there? I could only doubt that you could defeat a Representative on your own,” Lily inquired.
Michael quickly summarized their fight.
“ I have learned some terrifying details with regards to our target, and their goals in general as I was fighting Claudia,” he opened up, mentioning how Claudia was wielding an Infernal weapon, and how they were targeting Descendants to supposedly save everyone. “...And when I had found an opportunity, I casted Exorcism point blank upon her. I was about to deal the killing blow… when the Countess appeared and it was then that she sent me to the state I ended up in.”
“I see… I find it a little hard to believe, but these are shocking details. To think that they were indeed targeting Descendants all along as you theorized, and that the Countess’ timing was so perfect that she managed to save Claudia in the nick of time… how terrifying,” Lily commented.
“I believe it was due to the help of your friend, the teacher, that I was able to get an opportunity to exorcise Claudia,” he commented. “I was… dealt with in a heartbeat. In all honesty, I cannot believe I have survived that encounter. Regarding the fact about the Descendants, I believe that we can predict their actions based on their two failed hits. I sincerely hope that they do not attack Miss Natsu once more.”
“I’m surprised you’re hale after I saw your injuries,” Lily admitted. “I hope they don’t, either. With the ways things are I think some of us are still recovering from that encounter.”
“If they’d listen to us, I’d suggest convincing Miss Natsu to stay at the Academy while we confirm the location of the vampires.” Michael paused for a while, “I also… remember a vision as I lay dying. An empty throne beyond a wall of light. What does that mean?”
“For now Miss Kazehaya is completely confined to the Academy. This was decided both by the Headmistress and the Prime Minister of Japan. Effectively, she had no say in the matter,” Lily informed. “...That seems like a strange vision to see, on the other hand. Are you sure you weren’t simply dreaming?”
“I know it is my first time seeing something like that… but it felt familiar. There was a voice too, however, I cannot remember what it said.” Michael commented. He took note of what Lily said, but decided that it was best for Natsu’s safety in the end. He’d try to visit her later.
“Familiar? So you’ve witnessed a throne in your life before?”
“I know I haven’t… But… Nevermind. It might’ve been just lack of blood,” he said, dismissing the vision he had. “What do you suggest we do now?”
“We can only observe for days,” Lily answered. “If Miss Kazehaya is here then their place to strike can only be one…”
“I see. I am quite glad to know I might have time to heal my wounds. The nurse said it’ll take time for my bones to completely heal,” he admitted, though at least, his headaches had stopped.
“I see. Then I shall not train with you till you are fully recovered,” Lily decided.
“I’d try to stick with what exercises I can manage,” he added, not wanting to completely slack off. “Do you think we should coordinate this new information immediately?”
“I’ll send a letter with what we learned and believe may be their true intentions,” Lily answered. “It’s better than nothing. I’ll report what took place in general too.”
“Thank you.” Michael hesitated for a bit, “Do you think I could send a letter to England too? I would like to know what is happening there at the moment.”
“To whom?”
“To Robert.”
“Noted. Give me the letter when you are done composing it. I shall have it delivered.”
“I will start writing now then,” Michael said as he sat down at the desk and reached for the pen and paper. He made sure to inquire upon Laura’s condition too.
“I will go out for a while.” Lily then left the room.
Michael wrote to Robert, asking after their current status in England, and if there were any other disturbances now that the Countess was in Japan. He then told a summary of what had happened in Japan so far, leaving out a few details, including Mary’s arrival. He made sure to ask about Laura, and whether she had woken up yet, but tried to put it as casually as possible. In the end, he thanked him once more for helping him acquire a replacement sword for his gunblade, one that proved to be most useful in his encounter with the vampires. As a post-script, he also mentioned about the cold tea that they sold in Japan. Michael smiled to himself as he put the letter in an envelope and left it on the desk after sealing it.
“You… feign your emotions far too much. It appears rather dishonest, Michael.”
“What? Who goes there?!” Michael asked in a loud voice. Somehow, someone managed to sneak up on him.
“I am Uriel. And I have been watching you for long. Rest easy, for I am not the form of evil you so loathe.”
“Archangel Uriel? Why? Am I being deceived?”
“For what would I deceive? Are you a Descendant that I would feel the need to beguile and misguide for the Queen?”
“Then why me? Did I do wrong?” he asked, fearing that he had been too lenient.
“You gave a being who was irredeemable for being a vile creature alone—a chance to repent, that is indeed wrong from my view. However, I watch over you for reasons that differ. I watch solely due to interest.”
“I believe that there will come a time where one can be redeemed. But… interest?”
“And what brought forth as a result of a belief such as that? You lost your opportunity. You lost to the Descendant. You made many worry. You almost passed on and left the Faerie known as Laura behind… and you made me save you.”
“And for that, I thank you. But I still stand by my decision… even if I would’ve acted differently if I knew the Countess was onto us,” Michael said defiantly. “Worry not, Archangel Uriel, I will give the vampire her due.”
It was then that Michael saw with his eyes, a vision shown of his past, as if he was reliving that very moment. There, he saw and heard exactly as Claudia denied repentance, and instead entertained the notion of suicide. His words and chances given were not trusted. His decision lead to failure.
“Answer me this: you would stand by the wrong then? You would allow the vampire to roam free even now and lead many more to their demise? All for the sake of your belief—you’d let a heartless fiend drink blood of more innocents?”
“...I believe that… I believe that everyone should have a chance to be saved. However… This time I have lost sight of what was important. These lives to be lost because of my indecision, I will carry this sin.”
“I spoke with Angel Ananiel—one of the many Watchers—she was given approximately thirty-seven chances to save herself from the path she chose, and live a righteous life. However, she stubbornly ignored them. You let her live in vain. However, I shall accept your resolve, and watch you carry the weight of this sin. And… beware of Mary Linfield. Danger lurks just past her.”
“Mary Linfield? ...Must I falter at the first sight of danger? I believe not. And who is this Angel Ananiel you speak of? Do you seek of other some Michael perhaps? I fear that you might have been mistaken in following this one, for I am but a simple hunting dog of the Church, nothing more.”
Michael took the angel’s silence with curiosity, wondering if it had been offended. After a while, he picked up his sword and started wiping it down.
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
“...What do you need? I don’t wanna cast another healing magiiiic,” Mathilde blurted out with a bottle of whisky in hand.
Michael entered Mathilde’s office—looking at the nameplate before the door twice—after asking around. He wanted to thank her, but it turned out that she was drunk. The room stank of booze. Svetlana sat beside her, and only waved her hand happily with a smile. She said something Michael couldn’t make sense of. Probably a Japanese greeting.
“I wanted to express my gratitude for saving my life… to both of you.” He smiled back at the two. In his hand, he carried a bunch of biscuits he bought as a thank you gift.
Svetlana accepted the biscuits while Mathilde’s face looked worse than it was.
“Ehhh? You didn’t bring me any booze?!”
“Uh, I didn’t really bring any wine from London...” He replied.
“Tch, should’ve just let him die,” Mathilde mumbled to herself.
“...I’ll be sure to send you wine as soon as I can.” He sighed in defeat.
“Good,” Mathilde said—strict—almost like a boss to a labourer. “Oh, and my student here says thank you for taking on †˜that annoying vampire’ because she was †˜annoying’, or something,” Mathilde added after gulping more of her drink down.
“It was due to her I was able to keep up with Claudia. I seem to vaguely recall her being able to speak in English. What happened?” he asked.
“Oh. About that? I gave her an accessory which had the Translation Supernatural ability sealed into it. She was probably speaking in Japanese to you, but you heard English due to the power…” Mathilde drank more as she spoke, “Apparently it broke at some point in the fight, and it ran out of charge. I doubt it’ll work, I gotta get her another one later… or just have her learn it directly.”
“I see, so that’s what it was. Well then, thank you both once more,” he said as he was about to leave.
“Ah, right. My student is asking about where this, uh… Lily person is?”
“She said she was going out but didn’t tell me where. Did you have a message you wish to tell her?”
Mathilde lazily translated Michael’s words, and Svetlana only shook her head to the question.
“Oh. Could I ask where I can find Miss Margaret Alicia?”
“Who knows,” Mathilde said, taking up a new bottle. “I’d rather she doesn’t come back for a while. She is too strict…” Of course, Svetlana realized the mention of the name and asked, and her teacher translated for her. “Ugh… um, according to Sevvy-chan here, Alicia-sensei is at her own house. She said she can lead you there.”
“That would be most appreciated,” Michael said, smiling.
Michael entered Mathilde’s office—looking at the nameplate before the door twice—after asking around. He wanted to thank her, but it turned out that she was drunk. The room stank of booze. Svetlana sat beside her, and only waved her hand happily with a smile. She said something Michael couldn’t make sense of. Probably a Japanese greeting.
“I wanted to express my gratitude for saving my life… to both of you.” He smiled back at the two. In his hand, he carried a bunch of biscuits he bought as a thank you gift.
Svetlana accepted the biscuits while Mathilde’s face looked worse than it was.
“Ehhh? You didn’t bring me any booze?!”
“Uh, I didn’t really bring any wine from London...” He replied.
“Tch, should’ve just let him die,” Mathilde mumbled to herself.
“...I’ll be sure to send you wine as soon as I can.” He sighed in defeat.
“Good,” Mathilde said—strict—almost like a boss to a labourer. “Oh, and my student here says thank you for taking on †˜that annoying vampire’ because she was †˜annoying’, or something,” Mathilde added after gulping more of her drink down.
“It was due to her I was able to keep up with Claudia. I seem to vaguely recall her being able to speak in English. What happened?” he asked.
“Oh. About that? I gave her an accessory which had the Translation Supernatural ability sealed into it. She was probably speaking in Japanese to you, but you heard English due to the power…” Mathilde drank more as she spoke, “Apparently it broke at some point in the fight, and it ran out of charge. I doubt it’ll work, I gotta get her another one later… or just have her learn it directly.”
“I see, so that’s what it was. Well then, thank you both once more,” he said as he was about to leave.
“Ah, right. My student is asking about where this, uh… Lily person is?”
“She said she was going out but didn’t tell me where. Did you have a message you wish to tell her?”
Mathilde lazily translated Michael’s words, and Svetlana only shook her head to the question.
“Oh. Could I ask where I can find Miss Margaret Alicia?”
“Who knows,” Mathilde said, taking up a new bottle. “I’d rather she doesn’t come back for a while. She is too strict…” Of course, Svetlana realized the mention of the name and asked, and her teacher translated for her. “Ugh… um, according to Sevvy-chan here, Alicia-sensei is at her own house. She said she can lead you there.”
“That would be most appreciated,” Michael said, smiling.
0
Fallan
Kamen Rider Cheeki
Michael followed Svetlana wordlessly, since neither could converse with each other due to language barriers. For some reason she carried a big bag, but of course he couldn’t inquire regarding it. They passed through the trees and greeneries of a forest that was on the north end—beyond the main building and structures of the Academy—of the campus.
Eventually, Michael stood before a structure that reminded him of the English architecture. The manor wasn’t as big as the ones he’d expect from the aristocrats, but it was large and well-designed in its own right.
Svetlana walked forward and rang the doorbell before a maid opened the door. It seemed like the maid was ready to kill, dissect, and burn Michael right on the spot, but Svetlana explained that he was a visitor.
Apparently, the maid reluctantly accepted Michael as a visitor.
The maid then gave a terse bow.
“Please excuse my rudeness. Is it true that you are here to visit our Lady, Margaret Alicia?”
“If possible. Is she not receiving visitors at the moment?” he replied, curious about the maid’s attitude. What’s with maids these days?
“She never receives visitors aside from Svetlana here,” the maid said. Michael was glad that she could speak in English at least. “Rather, I doubt she permitted Svetlana to bring you, but I suppose a guest is a guest, and one who wishes to visit our Lady wouldn’t be a hostile person,” she said, giving a smile.
“I... see. Thank you for receiving me, then. Is the Lady alright? I had heard she fought a very powerful foe. I also wish to inform the Lady on what I have learned after our last talk. As thanks for her helping me and my partner. I also brought some biscuits, but it looks like I haven’t considered my gift very well.”
“I thank you on behest of my Lady. Please follow me,” the maid said, and then spoke to Svetlana for a moment, who went on her own way. Michael was then led across the mansion by the maid.
Eventually, he was led to a particular room where some maids stood outside.
“Please proceed, our Lady rests inside,” the maids claimed. There were at least six maids and they all gestured for him to enter.
Michael felt very awkward in seeing that many maids in the household but walked towards the door nonetheless. He knocked twice before waiting to be allowed to enter. Michael swore he heard no reply, but a maid opened the door regardless.
Entering, Michael found an especially clean room. Everything was white, and everything was sparkly clear. Alicia was laid over the bed, looking down at Michael weakly.
“Welcome…” she spoke, her voice was barely audible.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked. “The Countess was that strong, then?”
“A little,” Alicia answered. “Of course she was. She’s a Descendant after all.”
“I admittedly did not expect such overwhelming power, considering her Representative,” he commented. It was this same cockiness of his that caused him to believe he could change Claudia, which only ended up in the Countess thrashing him. “I bring biscuits, and news.”
“Thank you,” Alicia said, and a maid accepted the biscuits in the Duchess’ place. Never mind how she was inside the room and this was no longer a private meeting. “What would you like me to hear?”
“You were correct on your theory, that they are targeting the Descendants. The Representative put it as them saving us. From what, I do not know,” Michael reported. “And I wish to privy you in some information, as a matter of gratitude. It seems that they might target the Descendants that reside in the New World next.”
“The New World huh… so Frederica’s mission is connected…” Alicia murmured. “Assuming the theory is indeed true, I’d see them wanting to take a trip if they give up on Natsu for now.”
“Considering if they want to take another try at Miss Kazehaya they would need to mount an attack on the Academy, I highly doubt it,” he commented. “I wish to thank you for saving my life, Miss Alicia. If you didn’t arrive when you did, the Countess might’ve killed me.” He bowed his head to her.
“Ahh… well, you’re welcome. To think all three of my Supreme Spells weren’t enough to bring her to defeat… I am a little too old for this.”
“On the contrary, I think you look as if you are in the prime of your youth, Miss Alicia”
“Well, I may not look like it but I am a widow who is over a hundred years old.” The Duchess laughed. “I had been through numerous longevity rituals—an expensive service—to lengthen my life. After all, I have a young daughter, and I cannot just leave her in this world alone just yet.”
“That’s a bit hard to believe, if I am to be completely honest,” Michael replied. “However, please be confident that I will pray for your well-being, and for your daughter too. Is she a student of the Academy, too?”
“Thank you… No, she is only to become eight this year.”
“I see. Well then, I shall not interrupt your rest anymore, Miss Alicia. I pray for your rapid recovery.” He stood up and made a small bow.
“I see. Thank you for coming. Take care.”
Eventually, Michael stood before a structure that reminded him of the English architecture. The manor wasn’t as big as the ones he’d expect from the aristocrats, but it was large and well-designed in its own right.
Svetlana walked forward and rang the doorbell before a maid opened the door. It seemed like the maid was ready to kill, dissect, and burn Michael right on the spot, but Svetlana explained that he was a visitor.
Apparently, the maid reluctantly accepted Michael as a visitor.
The maid then gave a terse bow.
“Please excuse my rudeness. Is it true that you are here to visit our Lady, Margaret Alicia?”
“If possible. Is she not receiving visitors at the moment?” he replied, curious about the maid’s attitude. What’s with maids these days?
“She never receives visitors aside from Svetlana here,” the maid said. Michael was glad that she could speak in English at least. “Rather, I doubt she permitted Svetlana to bring you, but I suppose a guest is a guest, and one who wishes to visit our Lady wouldn’t be a hostile person,” she said, giving a smile.
“I... see. Thank you for receiving me, then. Is the Lady alright? I had heard she fought a very powerful foe. I also wish to inform the Lady on what I have learned after our last talk. As thanks for her helping me and my partner. I also brought some biscuits, but it looks like I haven’t considered my gift very well.”
“I thank you on behest of my Lady. Please follow me,” the maid said, and then spoke to Svetlana for a moment, who went on her own way. Michael was then led across the mansion by the maid.
Eventually, he was led to a particular room where some maids stood outside.
“Please proceed, our Lady rests inside,” the maids claimed. There were at least six maids and they all gestured for him to enter.
Michael felt very awkward in seeing that many maids in the household but walked towards the door nonetheless. He knocked twice before waiting to be allowed to enter. Michael swore he heard no reply, but a maid opened the door regardless.
Entering, Michael found an especially clean room. Everything was white, and everything was sparkly clear. Alicia was laid over the bed, looking down at Michael weakly.
“Welcome…” she spoke, her voice was barely audible.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked. “The Countess was that strong, then?”
“A little,” Alicia answered. “Of course she was. She’s a Descendant after all.”
“I admittedly did not expect such overwhelming power, considering her Representative,” he commented. It was this same cockiness of his that caused him to believe he could change Claudia, which only ended up in the Countess thrashing him. “I bring biscuits, and news.”
“Thank you,” Alicia said, and a maid accepted the biscuits in the Duchess’ place. Never mind how she was inside the room and this was no longer a private meeting. “What would you like me to hear?”
“You were correct on your theory, that they are targeting the Descendants. The Representative put it as them saving us. From what, I do not know,” Michael reported. “And I wish to privy you in some information, as a matter of gratitude. It seems that they might target the Descendants that reside in the New World next.”
“The New World huh… so Frederica’s mission is connected…” Alicia murmured. “Assuming the theory is indeed true, I’d see them wanting to take a trip if they give up on Natsu for now.”
“Considering if they want to take another try at Miss Kazehaya they would need to mount an attack on the Academy, I highly doubt it,” he commented. “I wish to thank you for saving my life, Miss Alicia. If you didn’t arrive when you did, the Countess might’ve killed me.” He bowed his head to her.
“Ahh… well, you’re welcome. To think all three of my Supreme Spells weren’t enough to bring her to defeat… I am a little too old for this.”
“On the contrary, I think you look as if you are in the prime of your youth, Miss Alicia”
“Well, I may not look like it but I am a widow who is over a hundred years old.” The Duchess laughed. “I had been through numerous longevity rituals—an expensive service—to lengthen my life. After all, I have a young daughter, and I cannot just leave her in this world alone just yet.”
“That’s a bit hard to believe, if I am to be completely honest,” Michael replied. “However, please be confident that I will pray for your well-being, and for your daughter too. Is she a student of the Academy, too?”
“Thank you… No, she is only to become eight this year.”
“I see. Well then, I shall not interrupt your rest anymore, Miss Alicia. I pray for your rapid recovery.” He stood up and made a small bow.
“I see. Thank you for coming. Take care.”
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
Svetlana entered a particular room with a big bag. It was an unnecessarily spacious room. The walls were painted wine red. The furniture was few, including only a table and a sofa aside from the large bed where the usual inhibitor of the room lied. She’d always be sitting before her pillow, listlessly gazing at the window to her right. Who knew what she was thinking about.
From hearing the door open, and finding Svetlana there, her complexion was alive with enthusiasm.
“Hello, Miss Svetlana,” the girl greeted, trying to tone down her excitement. This was the only person in the world who’d visit her simply because she wanted to see her, after all. For a child like her this was good enough. After all, the maids were looking after her at that woman’s behest—she thought.
“Hi hi, Isabelle,” Svetlana responded.
She always seemed strange to the young child with how she worded her greetings.
“What have you bought for me this time?” Isabelle inquired. She could hardly wait any longer. The food cooked in the mansion was no longer satisfactory anymore, despite being high-quality.
“Some more sweets,” Svetlana answered with a toothy grin. “Like usual.” She took some out from the back. There were not only sweets, but also chocolates, biscuits loaded with cream, and whatnot.
“I see. Good, good, you have been serving me well,” Isabelle praised, high and mighty like a lord to a servant with her nose faced towards the ceiling. She then greedily unwrapped the small packages and started delighting herself with the confectionaries.
“Ehehe! Good to see you like them.” Svetlana watched the girl consume the goods, as she cupped her face with her hands as support as she stayed beside the bed.
“Really… and you do all this just for the sake of doing †˜playful things’ to me.” She brought her face closer to Svetlana, who cleaned her creamy lips with a tissue.
“Of course.”
“Like changing my pajamas overnight—is that so fun?”
“That’s right, your reactions are so much fun to see.”
“Even if I have agreed that you are an acceptable big sister figure—isn’t that going a little too far?”
“Hey, not like you’re not enjoying what I offer in return!”
“Hmm… I suppose there is merit in that statement.”
“Yep, yep.”
“Interesting…”
“Eh?” Svetlana looked around, bewildered.
“What?”
“Did you hear something just now…?”
“No? I do not think so. Are you sure you are not imagining things?”
“...I, I guess I was… ahaha…”
From hearing the door open, and finding Svetlana there, her complexion was alive with enthusiasm.
“Hello, Miss Svetlana,” the girl greeted, trying to tone down her excitement. This was the only person in the world who’d visit her simply because she wanted to see her, after all. For a child like her this was good enough. After all, the maids were looking after her at that woman’s behest—she thought.
“Hi hi, Isabelle,” Svetlana responded.
She always seemed strange to the young child with how she worded her greetings.
“What have you bought for me this time?” Isabelle inquired. She could hardly wait any longer. The food cooked in the mansion was no longer satisfactory anymore, despite being high-quality.
“Some more sweets,” Svetlana answered with a toothy grin. “Like usual.” She took some out from the back. There were not only sweets, but also chocolates, biscuits loaded with cream, and whatnot.
“I see. Good, good, you have been serving me well,” Isabelle praised, high and mighty like a lord to a servant with her nose faced towards the ceiling. She then greedily unwrapped the small packages and started delighting herself with the confectionaries.
“Ehehe! Good to see you like them.” Svetlana watched the girl consume the goods, as she cupped her face with her hands as support as she stayed beside the bed.
“Really… and you do all this just for the sake of doing †˜playful things’ to me.” She brought her face closer to Svetlana, who cleaned her creamy lips with a tissue.
“Of course.”
“Like changing my pajamas overnight—is that so fun?”
“That’s right, your reactions are so much fun to see.”
“Even if I have agreed that you are an acceptable big sister figure—isn’t that going a little too far?”
“Hey, not like you’re not enjoying what I offer in return!”
“Hmm… I suppose there is merit in that statement.”
“Yep, yep.”
“Interesting…”
“Eh?” Svetlana looked around, bewildered.
“What?”
“Did you hear something just now…?”
“No? I do not think so. Are you sure you are not imagining things?”
“...I, I guess I was… ahaha…”
0
Fallan
Kamen Rider Cheeki
On the seventh day after Michael fought Claudia, Mary knocked on his and Lily’s room and was invited inside.
“I will say this again, Michael. Come with me to the United States of America,” she offered.
“America…?” Lily uttered. “Why there? Our quarry should still be lurking in Tokyo.”
“What Lily said here is true, Miss Mary.” Michael replied, “As much as I want to go, I need to seek for confirmation from a higher-up. However, if you could tell me why… I will do my best. Miss Kazehaya is safe here in the Academy after all.”
Mary handed Michael a letter.
An anonymous letter stating the vampires would travel for America in search of Aries.
“Well? What do you think?” Mary asked.
“Where did this letter come from? Who sent this to you?” He turned to his partner and asked her his next question, “How come the Church doesn’t know this?”
Mary placed a finger on her lips. “That, I may not divulge, lest I stop receiving inside information. Regardless, the Church will not stop you from traveling as long as you officially volunteer to support with the fight against Virgo—the Descendent who apparently plans to go wild in America soon.”
“If what you said is true, then… I will go. I feel that there’s sufficient enough reason to think that Claudia may show up there too,” he said to Mary. “I thank you for trusting us with this information, Miss Mary.”
“Hmm… I agree with Michael too,” Lily said, after reading the letter that Michael handed to her.
“You’re welcome… I just hope I don’t find her there… I’d like to concentrate on Virgo. So for now, I think I can only leave her to you if matters go awry,” Mary replied. “Of course, the invitation extends to you too, Miss Lily.”
“Thank you.” Lily returned the letter to Mary.
“That is my primary mission, so that’s what I must do, assuming she does appear.. Even if I recognize the threat a Descendant may pose... ” Michael stopped talking as he recalled the moment where the Countess appeared to save Claudia. He willed himself into not succumbing to this fear and continued, “...I doubt I could do anything against one.”
“Well, no mage can,” Mary said in a matter-of-factly way. “They need combined efforts to be dealt with.”
“Even if we say that,” Lily responded, “Virgo hasn’t appeared for centuries, and her death was not even confirmed. We wouldn’t know what she can do at all.”
“Indeed we don’t… which is why this is a big deal.”
“Can’t we ask for reinforcements if this is so? Realistically speaking, this might be too much even for the three of us,” Michael suggested.
“Hm? There are already over a hundred mages gathered in America, though?” Mary said, tilting her head.
“I don’t know them though, and it will be hard to fight with a team who barely knows each other. We’d just get in each other’s ways.”
“It wouldn’t make a difference with five or ten or us that knows each others’ abilities anyway. It’s Virgo after all. In the end we’ll likely be divided. I can only hope that I’d be with people I know,” Mary stated.
“In all honesty, I do not care,” Lily said. “You’re no warrior if you cannot adapt and learn to play along with the capabilities of your allies in short time.”
“I sincerely believe that a well-trained team increases our chances tenfold,” he argued. “I am not saying that either of you, or the mages in America are unskilled, but it may be due to these skills that we refuse to be able to work together as a team.”
“Well, you are assuming far too much,” Mary answered. “Whether they’re called †˜teams’ or random magis is unknown to begin with. Worrying about synergy comes later. We have to be there to count first.”
“I see. I shall do what I can then,” he answered. As long as I prevent at least one more death, it will not be for naught. “I will give everything to the hunt.”
Lily simply gave a nod as Michael stated his words.
“Alright, shall we have you two signed up?”
“What? What are we registering for?” he asked out of curiosity.
“For this †˜hunt’ as we call it. Duchess Frederica is keeping a list for matters pertaining to organization of the group. Of course, we can join the cause as a group so we’re not apportioned in differing strategic senses,” Mary explained. “What say you two?”
“Well, what do you think?” Lily asked, facing Michael.
“I did just say we would be going… Can’t see why a list would scare me.” He shrugged.
“Well… there are other reasons. The Church will likely allow you two to go but… they will not fund you for this operation for the traveling expenses. The Royal Council will have to do that instead. Which is another reason for the registration,” Mary replied. “After all, the Church allowing and funding are different matters. You two are coming under the guise of facing Virgo.”
“As long as we can eat and rest. Otherwise we would be limited within three days before we fall down from hunger,” Michael joked. He always hated how the Church failed to provide for their own army. He never saw the sense in this, but kept his silence as he did now.
“Urgh… don’t remind me,” Lily said, her composure shaken for once. “We knights had to partake in an operation with no food for an entire week due to a lack of funding, and moreover, we were in a deadlock in one area…”
“Laura did mention something like that once...” he recalled. “My area of operation has been limited to London so far so I haven’t had that problem. Hopefully, I never will.” At this point, he wouldn’t really care much about the taste of the food he’d eat, but if given a choice, he’d like to taste various food he had heard about.
“Well once they recognize your abilities for being able to do what you could to the Representative Claudia… I doubt you’ll be limited to London,” Lily stated. “Battling with a hungry stomach takes time to get used to.”
“Man still needs bread to survive after all,” he joked to Lily.
“I’d prefer something a little sweeter than that,” Lily stated with a sigh.
“Ah, there were sweet biscuits being sold here actually. I had some with Hare once or twice,” Michael mentioned as he recalled the biscuits he ate with Hare.
“Hare? Well, forget sweet biscuits, the sweets and candies themselves are in a league of their own in this country,” Lily said with much enthusiasm. “Also, the pancake works wonders for a human tongue.”
“The what-cake?” he asked. As he turned his head, he saw Mary smiling at them. “Ah. Apologies Miss Mary, it seems that I got too focused on our discussion.” He did enjoy the moments that Lily came out of her stoic personality.
“My apologies as well.” Lily gave a small bow to Mary, coming back to her senses.
“Ah, no! Don’t be. It was a treat in its own sense.” Mary giggled, seeing the two apologize like this.
“Returning to our previous topic, when do we depart?” Michael asked because if possible, he’d like to say goodbye to the friends he had met in Japan.
“Unfortunately we must speak to Duchess Frederica to know that answer,” Mary stated. “Shall we pay her a visit?”
“The Duchess is here?” Michael asked.
“On the other side of this dormitory.”
“She was right there all this time?”
“Yes.” Mary smiled. “You thought she lived afar?”
“Haven’t really thought about it, to be completely honest.”
“I will say this again, Michael. Come with me to the United States of America,” she offered.
“America…?” Lily uttered. “Why there? Our quarry should still be lurking in Tokyo.”
“What Lily said here is true, Miss Mary.” Michael replied, “As much as I want to go, I need to seek for confirmation from a higher-up. However, if you could tell me why… I will do my best. Miss Kazehaya is safe here in the Academy after all.”
Mary handed Michael a letter.
An anonymous letter stating the vampires would travel for America in search of Aries.
“Well? What do you think?” Mary asked.
“Where did this letter come from? Who sent this to you?” He turned to his partner and asked her his next question, “How come the Church doesn’t know this?”
Mary placed a finger on her lips. “That, I may not divulge, lest I stop receiving inside information. Regardless, the Church will not stop you from traveling as long as you officially volunteer to support with the fight against Virgo—the Descendent who apparently plans to go wild in America soon.”
“If what you said is true, then… I will go. I feel that there’s sufficient enough reason to think that Claudia may show up there too,” he said to Mary. “I thank you for trusting us with this information, Miss Mary.”
“Hmm… I agree with Michael too,” Lily said, after reading the letter that Michael handed to her.
“You’re welcome… I just hope I don’t find her there… I’d like to concentrate on Virgo. So for now, I think I can only leave her to you if matters go awry,” Mary replied. “Of course, the invitation extends to you too, Miss Lily.”
“Thank you.” Lily returned the letter to Mary.
“That is my primary mission, so that’s what I must do, assuming she does appear.. Even if I recognize the threat a Descendant may pose... ” Michael stopped talking as he recalled the moment where the Countess appeared to save Claudia. He willed himself into not succumbing to this fear and continued, “...I doubt I could do anything against one.”
“Well, no mage can,” Mary said in a matter-of-factly way. “They need combined efforts to be dealt with.”
“Even if we say that,” Lily responded, “Virgo hasn’t appeared for centuries, and her death was not even confirmed. We wouldn’t know what she can do at all.”
“Indeed we don’t… which is why this is a big deal.”
“Can’t we ask for reinforcements if this is so? Realistically speaking, this might be too much even for the three of us,” Michael suggested.
“Hm? There are already over a hundred mages gathered in America, though?” Mary said, tilting her head.
“I don’t know them though, and it will be hard to fight with a team who barely knows each other. We’d just get in each other’s ways.”
“It wouldn’t make a difference with five or ten or us that knows each others’ abilities anyway. It’s Virgo after all. In the end we’ll likely be divided. I can only hope that I’d be with people I know,” Mary stated.
“In all honesty, I do not care,” Lily said. “You’re no warrior if you cannot adapt and learn to play along with the capabilities of your allies in short time.”
“I sincerely believe that a well-trained team increases our chances tenfold,” he argued. “I am not saying that either of you, or the mages in America are unskilled, but it may be due to these skills that we refuse to be able to work together as a team.”
“Well, you are assuming far too much,” Mary answered. “Whether they’re called †˜teams’ or random magis is unknown to begin with. Worrying about synergy comes later. We have to be there to count first.”
“I see. I shall do what I can then,” he answered. As long as I prevent at least one more death, it will not be for naught. “I will give everything to the hunt.”
Lily simply gave a nod as Michael stated his words.
“Alright, shall we have you two signed up?”
“What? What are we registering for?” he asked out of curiosity.
“For this †˜hunt’ as we call it. Duchess Frederica is keeping a list for matters pertaining to organization of the group. Of course, we can join the cause as a group so we’re not apportioned in differing strategic senses,” Mary explained. “What say you two?”
“Well, what do you think?” Lily asked, facing Michael.
“I did just say we would be going… Can’t see why a list would scare me.” He shrugged.
“Well… there are other reasons. The Church will likely allow you two to go but… they will not fund you for this operation for the traveling expenses. The Royal Council will have to do that instead. Which is another reason for the registration,” Mary replied. “After all, the Church allowing and funding are different matters. You two are coming under the guise of facing Virgo.”
“As long as we can eat and rest. Otherwise we would be limited within three days before we fall down from hunger,” Michael joked. He always hated how the Church failed to provide for their own army. He never saw the sense in this, but kept his silence as he did now.
“Urgh… don’t remind me,” Lily said, her composure shaken for once. “We knights had to partake in an operation with no food for an entire week due to a lack of funding, and moreover, we were in a deadlock in one area…”
“Laura did mention something like that once...” he recalled. “My area of operation has been limited to London so far so I haven’t had that problem. Hopefully, I never will.” At this point, he wouldn’t really care much about the taste of the food he’d eat, but if given a choice, he’d like to taste various food he had heard about.
“Well once they recognize your abilities for being able to do what you could to the Representative Claudia… I doubt you’ll be limited to London,” Lily stated. “Battling with a hungry stomach takes time to get used to.”
“Man still needs bread to survive after all,” he joked to Lily.
“I’d prefer something a little sweeter than that,” Lily stated with a sigh.
“Ah, there were sweet biscuits being sold here actually. I had some with Hare once or twice,” Michael mentioned as he recalled the biscuits he ate with Hare.
“Hare? Well, forget sweet biscuits, the sweets and candies themselves are in a league of their own in this country,” Lily said with much enthusiasm. “Also, the pancake works wonders for a human tongue.”
“The what-cake?” he asked. As he turned his head, he saw Mary smiling at them. “Ah. Apologies Miss Mary, it seems that I got too focused on our discussion.” He did enjoy the moments that Lily came out of her stoic personality.
“My apologies as well.” Lily gave a small bow to Mary, coming back to her senses.
“Ah, no! Don’t be. It was a treat in its own sense.” Mary giggled, seeing the two apologize like this.
“Returning to our previous topic, when do we depart?” Michael asked because if possible, he’d like to say goodbye to the friends he had met in Japan.
“Unfortunately we must speak to Duchess Frederica to know that answer,” Mary stated. “Shall we pay her a visit?”
“The Duchess is here?” Michael asked.
“On the other side of this dormitory.”
“She was right there all this time?”
“Yes.” Mary smiled. “You thought she lived afar?”
“Haven’t really thought about it, to be completely honest.”
0
Cinia Pacifica
Ojou-sama Writer
The other side of the dormitory of the teachers was the female side. Mary led Michael and Lily through the corridors and led them to the Duchess’ room.
Apparently, the Duchess was strict about manners so Mary gave a warning in particular to Michael about his conduct.
After knocking on the door, Mary and the others were beckoned inside by the noble lady.
“I have returned, Lady Frederica,” Mary said, giving a terse bow.
“Welcome back, Mary. I see you brought along the volunteers you wanted me to meet?” Duchess Frederica asked, not quite expecting an answer as she gave the two behind Mary a glance. “Good day to you two.”
“A good day to you as well, my Lady Duchess.” Michael bowed. It seemed he had to bow quite a lot these past few days. He did prefer the environment at his home in London.
“Good day to you, Mrs. Duchess.” Lily gave a bow as well.
“Feel free to take a seat.” The Duchess motioned towards the sofas and the beds.
Admittedly, Lily noted that this room was particularly more luxurious, even if the surface space was the same as any other room.
Michael took a seat immediately after it was offered to him. Even to an inexperienced observer, one could see that he was feeling tense. “Thank you.” He wished he had paid more attention to the etiquette lessons the priest taught him.
After Lily sat down, Mary waved her hand dismissively. “I must go meet someone. So please take care of these two, Lady Frederica,” Mary said, before taking leave.
“My, that young lady sure is busy, isn’t she?” Frederica commented.
“Err… Ummm… Y-yes. It seems so,” Michael replied.
Contrary to the nervousness of the two members of the Church, the Duchess smiled. “Then, shall I hear the names of you two?”
“Li- erm, I mean, Oclette. My title is Knight of Lilies,” Lily introduced herself, extremely nervous, unexpectedly. She almost blurted out her nickname as her real name.
Michael stared at Lily for a good while when he heard her real name. When he realized she had finished introducing herself, he frantically faced towards the Duchess and spoke. “I am Michael Kallweit, an Executor of The Church.”
“Duly noted.” Frederica typed down the names on some kind of a small device that seemed similar to steam phones to the two. “Any short summary you may provide regarding your abilities, Mister Michael?”
“Erm, I have completed the Church’s rigorous training for its Executors, and have been one for quite a while now,” he replied, wondering what the Duchess was talking about. As far as he knew, the Executors hadn’t really had any incidents that would put their abilities in question. They were the Church’s greatest hunters— the ones that taught demons what fear felt like. Or so he’d been taught; he didn’t really listen much when it came to the propaganda part of their lessons.
“Well, allow me to be specific then, what type of spells do you employ?” the Duchess questioned.
“Penance Stare, Frighten, Twice Shy, and Exorcism are the ones I know by heart.” Michael counted with his fingers. “However, there have been times where I have used spells my opponents used. Primarily the Ignem ones since they tend to like using it. But to be completely honest, I prefer fighting physically.”
“So you have spells that are potentially bad for one’s consciousness and mind, and others for dealing with Infernals. I see,” the Duchess said, but did not note down anything on the device.
“As for me,” Lily was about to start but the Duchess raised a hand for her to halt.
“I am already aware,” Frederica claimed, much to Oclette’s surprise. “The Commander of Knights Laura has told me all about you.”
“S-She… spoke about me?” Lily was astonished at this statement.
“Yes, we used to chat often in the past. Poor lady went is in a coma now, though.”
Lily only looked down at the mention of the tragedy while Michael gripped his knees hard, his gaze downcast.
“Well, since the two of you are here, it’d be rude not to provide some snacks,” Frederica said, offering the two a tray, one that was topped with all kinds of sweets, and most of all, Lily’s favorite, pancakes.
“M...Michael, those are the pancakes I was talking about,” Lily said, literally pointing at them. They were round and appeared to be somewhat similar to biscuits. A sauce of some kind covered them, or something like that.
“That’s great, Lily… You should eat as much as you can.” He smiled weakly at her. “Thank you for the food, my Lady Duchess,” he said, but didn’t really touch any of the food in front of him.
“Don’t be so modest now. Come, try some,” the Duchess offered regardless.
Lily didn’t hold back, and of course she handed a platter of pancakes to Michael, wanting to share the joys of having them.
Michael cut into one and stuffed a piece into his mouth. He chewed slowly as the taste of the pancake covered his mouth. Its light and fluffy texture made it different from the bread he was used to, and the sauce in particular was really sweet. “It’s tasty indeed,” he said.
“Mister Michael, I have heard that you visited Duchess Margaret, is this true?” Frederica inquired.
“Yes indeed, I have visited her twice,” he replied.
“How was her condition?”
“Admittedly, she is still weakened, but I believe she is well on her road to a full recovery now.”
“I see, but it seems like she’d not join the fight against Virgo…” The Duchess held the bridge of her nose and pinched it. “What a shame.”
“I believe she places a higher priority in her child and her students here. Which in my opinion is an adequate reason to not participate in this battle.”
“Indeed, yet her prowess as an Archmage is apparently a key to the fight…” the Duchess stated. “According to Her Majesty, anyway. I’d imagine some hundred magis would be enough… we’ve never needed this much for a single Descendant in a long time.”
“...This seems reminiscent of that recent tragedy with Miss Kazehaya. I pray it will not be a repeat,” Michael said. “I will do my best.”
“The tragedy with Miss Kazehaya?”
“The Descendant. I have heard the Academy mounted an attack on her which resulted in the loss of many lives on the side of the Academy.”
“Ah… yes, her name was Natsu Kazehaya. Indeed, it was a hastily drawn-out plan and nothing good came of it.”
Albeit the Academy didn’t exactly mounted an attack, but the Duchess didn’t correct him.
“Truly.” Then it was truly her that did that. What terrifying powers these Descendants have.
“Well… I suppose we should finish this.” Frederica waved her phone to exemplify her point. “You two wish to form something like a squad with Mary Shelley, yes?”
“To be able to improve upon our tactics, yes.” He nodded.
Frederica could be seen pressing on the screen of the device itself. “Alright, now I’d only need you two to be ready for the Magic Train trip to America in three day’s time. We—the Royal Council—shall finance the trip as we are doing it for every individual participating in this operation. Any questions?”
“Nothing on my end,” Michael replied, before turning to his partner. “We may have to notify the Church.”
“We will notify them, no worries,” the Duchess replied.
“Excuse me, but I do have some inquiries to make…” Lily said, raising a hand. “How do we know that Virgo is to come? It is too sudden, I hadn’t even heard a rumor while I was still in London.”
“Her Majesty revealed it,” Frederica answered.
So how she learned it is a classified detail. “I see. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Duchess.”
“Likewise.”
The two members of the Church stood up, bowed to the Duchess, wished her a good day and took leave.
Now in the hallway, Lily was deep in thought. “I really wonder where Her Majesty gained this information…”
“And if it’s true or not. Now that we have signed up for it, we’ll have to see for ourselves I guess,” Michael said to his partner.
“You caught onto Mary Linfield’s destiny. You shall witness the same tragedy she binds herself to.”
“My destiny is my own, and whatever happens, I would act on what I believe is right. Whoever this Mary Linfield is, if this tragedy about to befall her is avoidable, I shall do my best to prevent it,” Michael declared.
“What? Mary Linfield? Tragedy?” Lily questioned, confused.
“It seems that I have acquired a spirit who attached itself onto me,” Michael explained.
“Should it not be exorcised?” Lily could only imagine how it felt like to have a spirit “attached” to oneself. “It may be dangerous.”
“It apparently is the Archangel Uriel.”
Lily stopped in awe, but Michael walked on. “How is that even…”
“Apparently,” he repeated.
“It has to be a demon is guise,” Lily stated.
“I have a feeling it isn’t,” Michael replied. “Although, if it really is a demon, we’d have to exorcise it. I am just afraid if it fails, then it really is him.”
“We’d attain proof, nothing else,” Lily coldly said. “Demons are very cunning, after all. You can never be too careful.”
“Yes, but why attach itself to me, then?”
“It could be due to a curse of a vampire.”
“I don’t recall any instance on when that might’ve happened, but we can try exorcising it if it worries you too much,” Michael replied.
“Well…” Lily looked down. “As much as I’d like that, we don’t have the necessary people nor skills to perform something so large-scaled.”
“Now you see why I’m not that worried about it. There’s nothing we can do for now but hope.” Michael smiled at Lily. “You really do like pancakes, huh?”
“Yes, yes I do.”
Apparently, the Duchess was strict about manners so Mary gave a warning in particular to Michael about his conduct.
After knocking on the door, Mary and the others were beckoned inside by the noble lady.
“I have returned, Lady Frederica,” Mary said, giving a terse bow.
“Welcome back, Mary. I see you brought along the volunteers you wanted me to meet?” Duchess Frederica asked, not quite expecting an answer as she gave the two behind Mary a glance. “Good day to you two.”
“A good day to you as well, my Lady Duchess.” Michael bowed. It seemed he had to bow quite a lot these past few days. He did prefer the environment at his home in London.
“Good day to you, Mrs. Duchess.” Lily gave a bow as well.
“Feel free to take a seat.” The Duchess motioned towards the sofas and the beds.
Admittedly, Lily noted that this room was particularly more luxurious, even if the surface space was the same as any other room.
Michael took a seat immediately after it was offered to him. Even to an inexperienced observer, one could see that he was feeling tense. “Thank you.” He wished he had paid more attention to the etiquette lessons the priest taught him.
After Lily sat down, Mary waved her hand dismissively. “I must go meet someone. So please take care of these two, Lady Frederica,” Mary said, before taking leave.
“My, that young lady sure is busy, isn’t she?” Frederica commented.
“Err… Ummm… Y-yes. It seems so,” Michael replied.
Contrary to the nervousness of the two members of the Church, the Duchess smiled. “Then, shall I hear the names of you two?”
“Li- erm, I mean, Oclette. My title is Knight of Lilies,” Lily introduced herself, extremely nervous, unexpectedly. She almost blurted out her nickname as her real name.
Michael stared at Lily for a good while when he heard her real name. When he realized she had finished introducing herself, he frantically faced towards the Duchess and spoke. “I am Michael Kallweit, an Executor of The Church.”
“Duly noted.” Frederica typed down the names on some kind of a small device that seemed similar to steam phones to the two. “Any short summary you may provide regarding your abilities, Mister Michael?”
“Erm, I have completed the Church’s rigorous training for its Executors, and have been one for quite a while now,” he replied, wondering what the Duchess was talking about. As far as he knew, the Executors hadn’t really had any incidents that would put their abilities in question. They were the Church’s greatest hunters— the ones that taught demons what fear felt like. Or so he’d been taught; he didn’t really listen much when it came to the propaganda part of their lessons.
“Well, allow me to be specific then, what type of spells do you employ?” the Duchess questioned.
“Penance Stare, Frighten, Twice Shy, and Exorcism are the ones I know by heart.” Michael counted with his fingers. “However, there have been times where I have used spells my opponents used. Primarily the Ignem ones since they tend to like using it. But to be completely honest, I prefer fighting physically.”
“So you have spells that are potentially bad for one’s consciousness and mind, and others for dealing with Infernals. I see,” the Duchess said, but did not note down anything on the device.
“As for me,” Lily was about to start but the Duchess raised a hand for her to halt.
“I am already aware,” Frederica claimed, much to Oclette’s surprise. “The Commander of Knights Laura has told me all about you.”
“S-She… spoke about me?” Lily was astonished at this statement.
“Yes, we used to chat often in the past. Poor lady went is in a coma now, though.”
Lily only looked down at the mention of the tragedy while Michael gripped his knees hard, his gaze downcast.
“Well, since the two of you are here, it’d be rude not to provide some snacks,” Frederica said, offering the two a tray, one that was topped with all kinds of sweets, and most of all, Lily’s favorite, pancakes.
“M...Michael, those are the pancakes I was talking about,” Lily said, literally pointing at them. They were round and appeared to be somewhat similar to biscuits. A sauce of some kind covered them, or something like that.
“That’s great, Lily… You should eat as much as you can.” He smiled weakly at her. “Thank you for the food, my Lady Duchess,” he said, but didn’t really touch any of the food in front of him.
“Don’t be so modest now. Come, try some,” the Duchess offered regardless.
Lily didn’t hold back, and of course she handed a platter of pancakes to Michael, wanting to share the joys of having them.
Michael cut into one and stuffed a piece into his mouth. He chewed slowly as the taste of the pancake covered his mouth. Its light and fluffy texture made it different from the bread he was used to, and the sauce in particular was really sweet. “It’s tasty indeed,” he said.
“Mister Michael, I have heard that you visited Duchess Margaret, is this true?” Frederica inquired.
“Yes indeed, I have visited her twice,” he replied.
“How was her condition?”
“Admittedly, she is still weakened, but I believe she is well on her road to a full recovery now.”
“I see, but it seems like she’d not join the fight against Virgo…” The Duchess held the bridge of her nose and pinched it. “What a shame.”
“I believe she places a higher priority in her child and her students here. Which in my opinion is an adequate reason to not participate in this battle.”
“Indeed, yet her prowess as an Archmage is apparently a key to the fight…” the Duchess stated. “According to Her Majesty, anyway. I’d imagine some hundred magis would be enough… we’ve never needed this much for a single Descendant in a long time.”
“...This seems reminiscent of that recent tragedy with Miss Kazehaya. I pray it will not be a repeat,” Michael said. “I will do my best.”
“The tragedy with Miss Kazehaya?”
“The Descendant. I have heard the Academy mounted an attack on her which resulted in the loss of many lives on the side of the Academy.”
“Ah… yes, her name was Natsu Kazehaya. Indeed, it was a hastily drawn-out plan and nothing good came of it.”
Albeit the Academy didn’t exactly mounted an attack, but the Duchess didn’t correct him.
“Truly.” Then it was truly her that did that. What terrifying powers these Descendants have.
“Well… I suppose we should finish this.” Frederica waved her phone to exemplify her point. “You two wish to form something like a squad with Mary Shelley, yes?”
“To be able to improve upon our tactics, yes.” He nodded.
Frederica could be seen pressing on the screen of the device itself. “Alright, now I’d only need you two to be ready for the Magic Train trip to America in three day’s time. We—the Royal Council—shall finance the trip as we are doing it for every individual participating in this operation. Any questions?”
“Nothing on my end,” Michael replied, before turning to his partner. “We may have to notify the Church.”
“We will notify them, no worries,” the Duchess replied.
“Excuse me, but I do have some inquiries to make…” Lily said, raising a hand. “How do we know that Virgo is to come? It is too sudden, I hadn’t even heard a rumor while I was still in London.”
“Her Majesty revealed it,” Frederica answered.
So how she learned it is a classified detail. “I see. Thank you for your time, Mrs. Duchess.”
“Likewise.”
The two members of the Church stood up, bowed to the Duchess, wished her a good day and took leave.
Now in the hallway, Lily was deep in thought. “I really wonder where Her Majesty gained this information…”
“And if it’s true or not. Now that we have signed up for it, we’ll have to see for ourselves I guess,” Michael said to his partner.
“You caught onto Mary Linfield’s destiny. You shall witness the same tragedy she binds herself to.”
“My destiny is my own, and whatever happens, I would act on what I believe is right. Whoever this Mary Linfield is, if this tragedy about to befall her is avoidable, I shall do my best to prevent it,” Michael declared.
“What? Mary Linfield? Tragedy?” Lily questioned, confused.
“It seems that I have acquired a spirit who attached itself onto me,” Michael explained.
“Should it not be exorcised?” Lily could only imagine how it felt like to have a spirit “attached” to oneself. “It may be dangerous.”
“It apparently is the Archangel Uriel.”
Lily stopped in awe, but Michael walked on. “How is that even…”
“Apparently,” he repeated.
“It has to be a demon is guise,” Lily stated.
“I have a feeling it isn’t,” Michael replied. “Although, if it really is a demon, we’d have to exorcise it. I am just afraid if it fails, then it really is him.”
“We’d attain proof, nothing else,” Lily coldly said. “Demons are very cunning, after all. You can never be too careful.”
“Yes, but why attach itself to me, then?”
“It could be due to a curse of a vampire.”
“I don’t recall any instance on when that might’ve happened, but we can try exorcising it if it worries you too much,” Michael replied.
“Well…” Lily looked down. “As much as I’d like that, we don’t have the necessary people nor skills to perform something so large-scaled.”
“Now you see why I’m not that worried about it. There’s nothing we can do for now but hope.” Michael smiled at Lily. “You really do like pancakes, huh?”
“Yes, yes I do.”