Hollow: SHOWTIME!


Chapter 7

New Armor! Welcome Sister-in-Servitude?

"YOU WANT ME TO WHAT!?" Will yelled when Ymir told him what he has to do. Ymir explained, "Do I have to repeat myself; I made a prototype for some new armor for you that uses Wizard Stones. But before I just give it to you I need to make sure the measurements are right, SO STRIP!" Will just answered, "Didn't you already did that with the last set of armor you gave me or do you just want to see me in nothing but my underwear". She blushed a light red when she said, "You've already seen me with nothing on but my panties, so we'll be even".

Will's POV

Even my ass, I still think she was watching me get that full body was so I'm pretty sure she just making sure if I managed to grow any of my body hair back, and to think she is always calling me an ecchi. But still, Ymir-san mentioned that the Queen is paying for this so it won't be added to what I owe her. So I did what she told me (Even if it meant swallowing what little pride I had left as a man in this world) and stripped down to my boxers so she can double check the measurements. Heck I'm just glad that they had boxers since they have a clear variety of women's undergarments in this world. Once that's done she introduced me to my new near armor that she refers to as "Behemoth's Skin". It was similar to my old armor except for a few obvious details; the chest plate has been reinforced with heavier plating to help withstand both piercing and blunt weapons, the gauntlets were also reinforced with what appears to be small almost diamond shaped shields attached to them that go as far back as my elbows, the armored boots have been redesigned to help retain balance and reduce fatigue, the helmet which was given a complete overhaul since it is designed with holes on the side to let my ears breath (Thank God, the old helmet was cutting circulation to the tips of my ears), and finally there was the stones that were embedded into each piece of the armor along with it being actual Dwarven steel this time.

Ymir then lectured me that each of these stones were some of the several Wizard Stones the Queen already had at her disposal so she decided to make my next job as her guinea pig to test the results of the final product. She continued as I put on the new armor, "From what I saw during our first week on the road you seem to prefer hand-to-hand combat over the use of an actual weapon. These stones embedded into the armor should help reinforce your strength; the ones in the legs should help reduce overall fatigue from wearing the armor, the one in the chest plate will help protect from magic based attacks, and the ones in the gauntlets serve two functions. The first function is that it can reinforce the shields placed on the gauntlets while the other function is a little trickier; it seems that it allows the user to channel pressurized air into the punches which amplifies the potential damage. It amount should be controllable by the user…in theory".

In theory, that sounds promising and did I sense a bit of worry in her tone as she said it which makes it even better (NOT!). Still it was nice; the patterns carefully placed on the armor shows that it she took her time making it and for the short time I was gone to make this shows that those fifty-years weren't for nothing. Which also makes me wonder why she would spend so much time learning to master her craft if being able to smith was the only reason she wouldn't have gone so far into its?

Before I got the chance to ask one the soldiers barged into the lab. Ymir demanded a reason for the intrusion before the soldier reported, "Its Nyx, she's on a rampage heading towards the palace". Ymir then ordered her to tell the troops to divide into two separate groups; one group will act as a fire suppression teams to keep the damage Nyx's rampage will causes to the city to a minimum and the other team will separate into squads that will ambush her on all possible routes to the palace. Once that was done she turned to me and said, "Will, you're going to intercept her with a squad of five, is that understood".

I followed orders and went with the squad only to find Nyx right where the bridge meets the ground. She had waist length brown hair that spikes down, with an ahoge on the top of her head, green eyes, wears a red dress with 3 or 4 tails, and a flame design on the bottom, dark feather-like attachments on the shoulders of her out fit, she also wore a purple bustier underneath, with a red heart on the garter belts, with purple elbow gloves, and red heels as well. In her right hand was a staff with long tentacles and a red eye which meant that would be Funikura. This made it obvious that Funikura plays a role in her fashion sense as well as the rest of her life. The look she had on her face was completely demented when she says, "More lackeys of that evildoer for me to burn". Hard to imagine someone like that is actually being controlled by a living staff that assaults its victims, talk about Stockholm syndrome or an addiction to whatever it pumps into her.

I just said to her, "Just what evildoer would that be; Claudette the Thundercloud Queen, Elina the Leader of the Fang, or is it Ymir the Iron Strategist?" I thought her past with Elina with the Queens blade along with the others would help her realize she is outmatched but she simply laughed as she said, "That bitch Elina, she abused me when I was her servant so I will make her pay for all the times she tormented and the others are just a bonus for being with her". I ordered the others to hold their position as I walked towards her as I replied, "And here I thought it was because the Queen's Blade was abolished. Being recognized and have all those who looked down on you to regret doing so was the very reason why you took part in it. Now that it has been abolished, Funikura wanted his chance and convinced you to go on a rampage towards the palace with that crap about your so called claim of Justice as a pathetic excuse".

It simply made her even angrier that I made such a claim towards her sense of justice so she threw a fireball at me only to have the attack nullified by one of the Wizard's Stones embedded into my armor. She started to look infuriated by what just happened so she did it again and again with each step I took. So I said, "This is the problem Nyx, your only trick is the ability to create and manipulate fire. And that living staff is the only way you can use your powers so in a way you're not even fighting me. Funikura is doing everything while you're just a vessel that allows it to travel from place to place. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if that psycho sense of justice of yours is actually what that thing put into your head when it was still trying to break you like a slave".

That just made her even more infuriated as she started to yell, "SHUT UP! SHUT UP! YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE INJUSTICE I WAS FORCED TO LIVE WITH! FUNIKURA-SAMA GAVE ME THE POWER TO BURN IT ALL DOWN TO ASHES!" She didn't realize until after her tantrum that I was just standing a foot in front of her and by then I grabbed the staff by its so called head and knocked the wind out of her. She takes other people's lives for granted because of how this thing brainwashed her. It made my blood boil with rage of the very thought of how it made a slave out of an innocent girl who was in a state of misery just so it can leave her to die the first chance it got. I started to crush its ugly head when I looked back at Nyx and told her, "You think you're the only one that has experienced injustice in their life… FUCK THAT!TRY HAVING A FATHER WHO ONLY SPENT ENOUGH TIME WITH YOU IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE JUST TO BE GIVEN SOME KEEPSAKE FROM YOUR GRANDFATHER! HOW ABOUT WITNESSING YOUR MOTHER SACRIFICE HER OWN LIFE TO SAVE YOU FROM SOME FREAK ACCIDENT ONLY TO HAVE PEOPLE TURN A BLIND EYE WHILE YOU CRIED OVER HER CORPSE BEGGING HER TO WAKE UP AS YOU FLOODED THE STREET WITH YOUR OWN TEARS! OR HOW ABOUT HAVING THOSE OF AUTHORITY TREAT YOU LIKE SOME COMMON THUG! I DIDN'T BECOME A FUCKING BITCH TO SOME LIVING OBJECT TO RIGHT ALL THE WRONGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE TO ME! I CARIED ON WITH MY OWN RESOLVE! I MADE THE EFFORT TO GET STRONGER TO MAKE IT SO THE WRONGS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN! IT WAS THROUGH THOSE TRIALS THAT I BECAME THE PERSON I AM TODAY, TO MEET THE PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME FOR WHO I REALLY AM, SO DON'T TALK ME ABOUT THAT YOU'RE LIFE WAS HELL SHIT, ESPECIALLY WHEN ALL YOUR DOING IS MAKING MORE PEOPLE SUFFER FOR YOUR GOD DAMNED REVENGE!" I practically snapped, ended up crushing Funikura's head like it was a grape, and tossed what's left of it to the side.

Nyx POV

I couldn't believe what I saw, Funikura-sama, is dead. I just couldn't stop crying; its true that he assaults me and I knew he would easily give me up for some other woman after the Queen's Blade battle I had with Elina but Funikura-sama was…was…was the only one who stood by me and gave me strength. That's when I felt his hand on my shoulder, the man who murdered Funikura-sama, I wasn't sure why he suddenly felt bad over what he's done or why he decided to pity me. Then he looked toward the soldiers and said, "I'm gonna take Nyx to the palace, one of you go get the Inquisitor to pass judgment on Funikura's remains, the rest of you stay here, and keep yours eyes on it but be careful not to let it near you if its still alive". Even Funikura-sama couldn't survive that then why is he doing this? Is he gonna make me humiliate myself to the Queen's little group of officers or is he going to make me stoop so low as to become his pleasure slave. He then said, "You probably hate my guts for that. You knew that Funikura was using you but you allowed it to continue. You also claim that you were using your powers for justice. What you were actually doing was called vengeance and Funikura lied to you saying that it was justice. That look you had in your eyes when I first saw you back there actually looked like mine at some point in my life, like a rapid dog, but the only difference was that I learned to walk away before I did something that would've haunted me for the rest of my life". It was unbelievable; first he talks to me like a child and now he tries to make me feel sympathetic but…it was nice to hear it from someone who knows my pain. Back there when he yelled at me about all that stuff I could tell that was the hell he went through.

We entered the main hall when he said, "I'll speak to the Queen about sparing you the death penalty for your actions but as for the damages to Gainos that you caused" I had a bad feeling about it as he continued, "you'll have to pay for that but I'll convince them to alter your sentence somehow to were you could work it off through some form of community service. For all I know Ymir-san might enjoy have someone to serve as her indentured servant along with myself". Servitude…that was the life I already lived…the life that I suffered…and the life I hated but he is stuck in it as well but he doesn't look miserable he actually looks like he's alright with it. Maybe this Ymir-san might be a better person than Elina.

I was interrupted when he said, "Oh and one other thing; your not the only here who can't stand that bitch Elina, believe me when I say the feelings about that spoiled cat are mutual".

POV ends

It took a lot of persuasion on Will's part to change Nyx's punishment. He even managed to convince Sigui that these blasphemous actions were done by Funikura after possessing her long before she took part in the Queen's Blade. The fires that were caused in Gainos were kept to a minimum thanks to Ymir-san's quick thinking. And with that Nyx had to work off what she owed from the remaining damage even though it would only be for three years. Despite that Ymir got an extra set of hands to help her with odd jobs.


Hollow: Well Nyx you finally got your debut

Nyx: Yeah but still...Funikura-sama

Hollow: I suppose in a way he will be missed

Will: In a twisted sort of a way I suppose but still... she did care for it

Nyx: And Will-chan, Thank you

Will: No proble... WAIT WHERE DID CHAN COME FROM!

Nyx: Gomen, I didn't know you thought that was offensive...(face turning light pink) do you want to punish me for that

Hollow: Looks like Funikura left an impression on her tastes

Will: (face turning dark red) Its not that I thought that was offensive I just didn't expect you to call me that

Hollow: Well I need to sort this out before Ymir shows up. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter of Where's Anne? Please leave your thoughts or reviews with us and see you all next time