Chapter 14
The gong sounded, loud and clear in the beautiful morning.
"Let's go!" General Cross yelled, raising his whip in the air. With similar battle cries, the four generals led their men out of the North Gate. Allen, in the vanguard, looked back, and her heart rose with pride to see the masterful soldiers riding behind, their cries of war rising like a chorus of rough music rising to meet the darkening day with spirit and courage.
She turned back to the front, urging his horse on, her gaze on the distant horizon where the Noah's nearest military camp stood. Today, blood would be shed, and today, they would (she hoped) be nearer to victory.
:::
As the Black Order set out for their planned offensive, the Earl, a great distance away from the pounding horses and the bloodthirsty cries, put his teacup down. "Didn't you give me any sugar?" he asked Sheril.
"A spoonful," Sheril said, adjusting his monocle.
"That's not enough," the Earl said. "I want at least three the next time."
"But your health…"
"Three spoonfuls."
Sheril grimaced. "Yes, Earl..."
"They are coming," Rhode said, swinging her legs. She hummed a song under her breath as she perched precariously on the edge of a mahogany desk. "They are coming, they are coming."
"They are coming?" the Earl asked, glancing at Rhode.
"Yes," she said.
"How do you know, my darling child?" Sheril asked.
"The Akuma Captain dropped off a message just now," Rhode said, "while you were making the tea."
"Where will they attack?" the Earl asked, smiling widely.
Sheril groaned. "Attack us!" he said. "Why would those fools..."
"They'll be attacking the nearest camp we have to their City," Rhode said.
"Can you make a door there?" the Earl asked.
"Of course."
"Give us the door, then," the Earl said. "Sheril, get Lulu, Jasdevi and Tyki."
"Tyki isn't here," Sheril said.
"I'd hate for him to miss the party," the Earl said. "Get Tyki first, Rhode. You know where he is, Sheril?"
"With his good-for-nothing friends, as usual," Sheril said.
"Get Tyki," the Earl said to Rhode.
"Be safe, my darling," Sheril said.
Rhode skipped through the doorway, still humming softly. The candle-lit mansion gave way to shadows and dim light slanting through a broken window in an abandoned shack. Tyki Mikk, dressed in patched clothes and smelling strongly of alcohol, vomit and cigar smoke, lay in a row with his friends, all resting in the deep sleep of drunkards.
Rhode stopped by Tyki and bent over him, breathing through her mouth to avoid taking in his stench.
"Tyki," she said, giving him a sharp poke in the ribs.
He turned and mumbled something, one hand raised to swipe her hands away.
"Tyki!" she said, this time louder. She whacked his head.
Tyki stirred and opened his eyes. "Whaz the time," he said, finding it hard to keep his eyes open.
"Time to go to battle," Rhode said. "Get up, you lazy thing. Master Millennium is waiting for you."
"Eh?" Tyki said.
Rhode leaned forward and pushed Tyki into a sitting position. He rubbed his eyes and seemed to notice Rhode for the first time.
"What are you doing here?" Tyki said. "Sheril will kill me if he knew that you followed me to this district..."
"Get up," Rhode said. "Didn't you hear what I just said?"
"No."
"Master Millennium is waiting for us," Rhode said, her impatience spilling into her voice. "Get up, Tyki. The soldiers are coming."
"What soldiers?"
"The Black Order soldiers, of course, you idiot."
Tyki hurriedly stood up and brushed down his clothes. "Do I have time to change?"
Rhode shrugged. "Of course not." She pushed a resisting Tyki towards her door.
"But I – I need to change and wash up!" Tyki protested, digging his heels in.
"You do look terrible," she said. "I don't think any of your lovers would want you in this state. But too bad, we don't have time, and no one here cares how you look like."
"I don't want the Earl to see me like this," Tyki said. "He'll know I've been –"
"Too late," Rhode said, shoving him through her door.
The unfortunate Tyki stumbled through; he regained his balance but tripped over a lone cushion and landed at the feet of the Earl.
"Tyki," the Earl said. "I see you had a good night."
"Uh..." Tyki said, scratching his head.
"Get changed quickly, and shower," the Earl said.
Tyki shot a confused look at Rhode. "I thought we had to set off immediately?"
"We're stilling waiting for Jasdevi," the Earl said. "Hurry up, Tyki, you're starting to stink this room up."
Tyki rushed out of the room.
"That brother of mine..." Sheril said. He shook his head. "He's such a good-for-nothing."
"Where's Jasdevi?" the Earl asked. "And Lulu?"
"I've sent someone to find them," Sheril said.
"Master, you wanted to see me?" Lulu Bell asked, appearing in the doorway, her dark hair in a long braid down her back.
"Ah Lulu," the Earl said, his expression switching from disapproving to jovial in the blink of an eye. "Come on in. We have a battle coming up."
"A battle," Lulu Bell said, entering the room and standing by the fire. She pulled her hair free, allowing it to hang around her face and neck. "What a thing to wake up to."
"Yes, fabulous, isn't it?" Rhode said, dancing on her toes towards Lulu Bell and tried to braid Lulu Bell's soft hair.
"Don't touch my hair," Lulu Bell said, brushing Rhode's hands away. "Sheril, get her to stop."
"Come here, sweetheart," Sheril said, spreading his arms and smiling at Rhode.
Rhode glared at Lulu Bell before she hopped over to her father's side.
The doors swung open again.
"Jasdevi is here!" Jasdero and Devitto said, running into the room, both pulling their vests on as they entered. "Good morning, family!"
"About time," Sheril said. "What were the two of you doing? Getting yourselves pretty and making your toilette?"
"Of course not, you –"
"Enough, boys," the Earl said. "Now we're just waiting for my boy Tyki."
"I'm here," Tyki said, already clean and dressed impeccably in his suit and tophat.
"All dressed up for battle?" Rhode asked. "You're strange, Uncle Tyki."
"You smell much better now," Sheril said, dipping his nose towards Tyki as he walked past his brother.
"Ahem," the Earl said. "Now, my Noahs, the soldiers are marching towards our furthest outpost."
"What are we waiting for?" Devitto asked.
"We were waiting for you," Sheril said.
"I need the few of you to prepare the defence," the Earl said. "Rhode, prepare the door. Off you go. Don't disappoint me, alright?"
"We won't, Master," Lulu Bell said.
:::
"I'm starting to get nervous," Lavi said, an hour into the journey. "We're halfway there already, aren't we? Who has a pocket watch?"
Link, his forehead creased, drew out his pocket watch. "Yes. An hour has passed since we started riding."
"Isn't this already your fourth time participating in such a raid?" Lenalee asked. Like Lavi, she rode behind Allen.
Lavi chuckled rather weakly. "Yes, but... I'm still nervous. Aren't you, Yu?"
"No," Kanda said.
"You sound very confident," Allen said.
"He's been doing this for years," Lenalee said. "I'm nervous too. It's only my sixth time..."
Allen twisted around in her saddle. "Komui let you accompany them before?"
"He had no choice," Lenalee said. "It was part of my training..."
"And you, two-dots?" Lavi asked.
"Stop calling me that," Link said. He didn't turn around to face them, instead keeping his face forward. "It's rude. I've been training to fight Akuma since I was young, but I've only come face to face with them once before."
"So you're nervous too," Lavi said.
"A little."
"And you, Allen?" Lavi asked.
"Very," Allen said. "But I trust you all to watch my back."
General Cross chose that moment to nudge his horse towards them. "You and your guards will fall back when we reach, understood?" he said.
"Why?" Allen asked.
"Stay at the back, and do your thing from there," Cross said to Allen. He did not seem inclined to answer her question. "Do not hurry into the fray. Froi will be commanding the reserve guard, stay with him. And always be prepared to gallop back."
Allen nodded.
"Don't try to play the hero," Cross said. He fixed them all with a stern glance. "This applies to all of you young fools."
With that, Cross moved off back to the immediate front of the column. They continued to ride in the soft morning light for another hour, dreading what lay at the end of the journey.
"You know," Allen said, as they neared the outpost, "I wonder why the Noahs don't attack us more frequently, since this outpost is only a two hours away by horse."
"They don't have as many soldiers in their cavalry," Kanda said. "They outnumber us in terms of foot soldiers though."
"I see," Allen said.
"It would take them longer to reach our gates on foot," Lavi said knowingly. "They have a shortage of horses, I've heard."
Kanda frowned at Lavi. "That's what I said."
"No it wasn't," Lavi said.
A loud sound came from the front of their columns.
"That's the gong," Kanda said.
General Sokalo came riding down the lines. "Into your formations!" he shouted.
Slowly, the men separated into the four battalions, each forming behind its general. Kanda motioned for Allen to follow him towards General Tiedoll's battalion.
"Allen," Tiedoll said, when they reached him.
"General," Allen said.
"It's a fine morning," Tiedoll said, pulling his brass spyglass from his saddle bag. "I feel this will end well."
"Don't you wish you were out there, Yu?" Lavi asked, looking in wonder at the neat rows of waiting soldiers.
"Sound the drums!" came a cry from the front.
"That was Marian," Tiedoll said with a smile. "He's always very excited when it comes to battles."
The drum-music started rolling, and a trumpet sounded, its high notes triumphant. The generals rode up and down, shouting words of encouragement at their soldiers, and the soldiers cheered and pumped their fists in the air.
Minutes later, the sound of hooves could be heard, and two battalion of men emerged from the Noahs' outpost, led by six dark-haired people riding at the front.
"Six of them," Tiedoll said. "That's new. Usually less of them come..."
"Could I borrow your spyglass, General?" Allen asked.
Tiedoll passed it to her, and Allen held it to her right eye. "That one in the middle, he's the one who came the last time," she said. "And Lulu Bell. She's there too. I don't recognise the others."
"The scary man?" Lavi said. "I just hope he doesn't come over here."
"There's nothing to be frightened of," scoffed Kanda.
"Easy for you to say," Lavi said. "You fought him twice and lived to tell the tale."
"Yu," Tiedoll said, "why don't you have a look too?"
Kanda took the spyglass from Allen. "Yes, I see Mikk. And I see her. The short one with spiky hair. She was the one who fought Daisya and Marie."
"Let me have that," Tiedoll said, holding his hand out for the spyglass. "I need to have a look at her."
"Well?" Kanda said.
"That... I've seen her before," Tiedoll said, with a grave expression on his face. "Long ago. She led the troops long ago when I was still a Captain. We have to be very careful today. Do you want to accompany me onto the platform, Allen?"
"Platform?"
Kanda pointed to a space behind them, where some soldiers were busy erecting a temporary platform.
"What is that for?" Allen asked.
"A sort of observatory platform," Tiedoll said. "I will be observing the battle from up there, so that I can give the other generals and their captains the situation via golem reports."
"That's innovative," Allen said.
"We always use it when we conduct a full offensive," Kanda said.
"When was the last time we conducted a full offensive?" Allen asked.
Kanda looked at Tiedoll; he glanced upwards as if trying to count the years in his head.
"Three years," Lavi said.
"Yes, three years ago," Tiedoll said.
"It's about to start," Lenalee said, watching the front.
"Let's get on the platform," Tiedoll said.
The rolling music of the drums came again, but this time it came from the opposite side, where the Noahs and their men stood. The middle Noah raised his or her weapon, and the charge started.
At the same time, the banner bearers of the Black Order army waved the banners. Armoured pikemen fell into line at the front, their first line of defence, and the mounted infantry, the members of which had long since dismounted from their horses, stood in their lines and raised their loaded muskets. The lightly-armed cavalry, grouped to the left, were also ready to charge. At the back stood the artillery unit with its one small cannon.
"It looks... impressive," Allen whispered to Kanda.
"It is," he replied with pride.
"Which unit did you lead when you were still – still a fighting soldier?" Allen asked.
Kanda shot Allen what was in reality a puzzled glance, though it looked more like an indication to Allen to keep quiet. "What do you mean?"
Lavi had heard the conversation; he started to laugh. "I don't think Allen knows how we organize our men."
"Didn't Hevlaska teach you?" Kanda asked. "Each captain leads one company of men, and each company has both cavalry and infantry platoons. Some have an artillery squad as well."
"No... It's not like I'm ever actually going to lead the fighting by myself, Kanda."
"You never know," Kanda said darkly.
"You're a real delight to have around," Lavi told Kanda. "Such a nice, friendly disposition... I wonder why we all still love you so much."
"Do me a favour and shut that mouth of yours," Kanda said.
"It would be good if the two of you tried to be nice to each other," Tiedoll said in his gentle manner. "Allen, it's time for you to get ready."
Allen took a deep breath, holding her Innocence sword to her chest, its tip pointing upwards. I don't feel anything yet, she thought. Maybe I should just start casting some defensive spells? Allen started to chant under her breath.
Kanda stared at Allen as she chanted, her words running together in a melodic manner. She swayed slightly, and he wondered if she was about to topple over.
Allen watched as the muskets were fired, as the artillery unit put forth their best efforts to send their crude projectiles over, as the cavalry and infantry fought valiantly. She watched as men slaughtered each other, as her men fell like cattle. She could feel Kanda standing stiff besides her, his yearning for the battlefield strong. She could feel Tiedoll's worry in the way he kept the spyglass to his eye, shouting into his golem, suggesting strategies to the other generals.
They would ask her later on when she first felt the Innocence vibrating in her hands. Allen would not know how to answer, did not know how to answer. The bloodshed continued, and more men fell, their blood staining the land, seeping away till they lay still and ashen pale, their breaths rugged and laboured, or with their abdomens open and weeping, or with limbs cut off or blown off.
In the midst of this violence, this cruelty, Allen felt the Innocence vibrate strongly in her hands. Help me, oh Lord. I trust in you, I trust you will deliver us from the Earl and the Noahs and the Akuma. Teach me how to save us all, how to save the Akuma from the spells they live under, she thought. Grant me the strength to lead, to fight and to save.
The simple defensive spells she had been creating moments before now seem amplified, as if she were casting them while drawing on the strength of many other sorcerers and magic practitioners. She could feel the pulsing protective bubble growing, enveloping all her men, her friends, her teachers.
"What are you doing?" Kanda asked, his voice soft and far-away.
Allen shook her head, unable to answer. She started to cast a fire-based spell, to directly bombard the places where the Akuma soldiers were regrouping.
:::
"Earl," Skinn Boric said, "let me go too."
"Not yet," the Earl said. "Not this time around. You will not fight in this battle, Skinn."
The two of them stood on a tall platform near the grounds of their military outpost, surveying the fighting and the damage.
The Earl almost smiled at the sight of the dead and dying.
Skinn Boric, unfortunately, seemed to have a one-track mind. "I should go, Earl, you'll be safe here by yourself."
"I'm not keeping you here to protect me," the Earl said.
"Then why can't I help fight? I want to fight!"
"I don't want you to bumble up this delicate situation," the Earl said. "So stay with me, my boy. I need someone I trust to run errands for me."
Skinn growled, but he did not dare to flout the Earl's order to stay. Instead, he took a step back and glowered at the Earl, gnashing his teeth as he did so.
"I'm waiting for Rhode and Tyki to do what they do best," the Earl said. "I'm getting excited. Watch the show, Skinn. It's going to be exciting, trust me."
:::
"Tyki!" Rhode called.
Tyki shoved an unfortunate soldier aside, and used his supernatural abilities to pluck out the heart of another. "Yes, Rhode?"
"Over here!"
Tyki reached out to push an oncoming sword away, slashing at the soldier with his other hand. "The door's ready?"
Rhode nodded, shooting him her half-crazed smile. "Yes, hurry up, Uncle Tyki! It's time!"
Tyki ran to Rhode, and they entered through the open door, leaving the bloodshed behind them.
:::
Allen took a deep breath; her knees were wobbly now.
"Take a break," Tiedoll said, in that faraway misty voice. "Allen, stop using the Innocence for a while. You need to rest before you wear yourself out. Yu, stop her."
Kanda nudged Allen in the ribs; she felt the slight pain as if through a haze.
"Stop doing your thing!" Kanda said, grabbing the hilt of her sword. "Beansprout! Lenalee, help me. Something's wrong with her."
Allen released the last vestiges of her latest spell, feeling the motes of magic float to the ground, feeling the haziness drain from her body. She wobbled again, and Kanda put an arm around her. He slowly lowered her to the ground into a sitting position.
"How are you feeling?" Lenalee asked, kneeling in front of Allen with a wet cloth.
"She's feverish," Kanda said.
Lavi squatted before Allen too. "Let me check her vital signs and her pulse."
"You know these things?" Lenalee asked, staring at Lavi with eyes which were wide open.
Lavi felt for Allen's pulse. "I learnt a little from Bookman. Not much though… I can try."
"Well?" Kanda asked, impatient.
"Shush," Lenalee said to Kanda. "Let Lavi concentrate."
Lavi frowned. "I think she's just tired. We should let her rest for a while."
Kanda unfastened his cloak and spread it on the ground. "Help me put her on it," he said.
Together, Kanda and Lavi transferred Allen onto the cloak. Allen finally opened her eyes, squinting at them, for she was still dizzy, and it took effort to make out the faces of the people around her.
"I don't need to lie down," Allen protested, pushing Kanda and Lavi away.
"Stop being a fool," Kanda said.
"Sitting will do," Allen said.
Kanda opened his mouth again, but Lavi pre-empted him. "Leave her be," he said.
Behind them, Tiedoll continued to look through his spyglass at the unfolding battle. No one noticed a door appear to the side, and no one heard its hinges creak as the door opened. No one saw the tall man and the slight girl who appeared from beyond the door – until it was too late to prepare a good defence.
Four soldiers dropped like flies before Kanda, noticing something amiss, turned his head and saw the intruders.
"Noah!" he said, jumping up and charging towards them.
Lavi followed, but Kanda paused to glare at his friend. "Stay with her!"
"General Tiedoll!" Lenalee shouted.
Tiedoll turned too. He gaped at the Noahs for a moment, but regained his composure almost immediately. "Surround them!" he shouted to his soldiers. "Be very careful!"
"You again, pretty boy?" Tyki said, smirking at Kanda. "It would be fun to play with you. You have very nice hair, my dear."
"I want to play with him too, Tyki," Rhode said. "I didn't get to play with him the last time. It's only fair that you let me fight him this time."
"Very well," Tyki said, rolling his eyes. "You can have the fun this time around. I'll deal with the… runts."
"Enough of that!" Kanda said, glaring at Tyki. "I'm going to kill you today."
"Fight with Rhode," Tyki said, already bored. "I don't have time for you today, pretty boy. Maybe next time, if you're lucky enough to survive."
Rhode moved fluidly to stand near Kanda. "Yes, play with me, Captain."
"Stuff it," Kanda said, circling Rhode.
"Two can play at that," Rhode said. She bared her teeth in a feral grin. "I love destroying the minds of soldiers. How are your brothers?"
"They're fine, no thanks to you."
"Well, well," Rhode said, twirling some strands of her hair, "no matter. I can play with them when I'm done with you."
"You monster," Kanda said, swinging his sword towards Rhode's waist.
She moved fast, faster than Kanda though possible. "Oh no," she said, "I don't think you can catch me that way. I'm not Tyki, you know."
Kanda lunged forward again, this time aiming for Rhode's thigh. He managed to scratch her left leg with the tip of his sword.
"Ouch, but oh, it's just a tiny wound," she said, smiling again as she used her finger to touch the scratch. "Do you really love her so much?"
"I don't know what you're bloody talking about."
"Why, Allen Walker, of course," Rhode said, in a sing-song voice. She licked the blood off her finger.
Kanda glared at her, disgusted.
"I can see your fondness for her," Rhode continued. "Something more than fondness, I think."
"Shut up," Kanda said, pressing his sword against Rhode's neck.
Rhode laughed and a shower of dagger-like candles appeared out of nowhere to bombard Kanda. He moved away from Rhode, using Mugen to push away the candles.
"Don't underestimate me," Rhode said. "Did you know that Allen Walker is related to me?"
"She's related to the Fourteenth Noah. I know. So shut up," Kanda said as he considered how best to strike in a manner which would restrict Rhode's ability to fluidly evade his sword.
Rhode seemed surprised. "Oh, you know? I didn't think you would… well."
Kanda moved in again, raring for the next blow. He crouched low and waited, his muscles tensed up.
"You can't defeat me," Rhode said, moving away with a swirl of her skirt. "I'm too good at this to be defeated by the likes of you. I was fighting before you were even born."
"Then you're old," Kanda said, moving in for the kill.
Rhode grimaced; she had been careless for a moment, and now there was a scratch on her other leg. A tiny stream of blood could be seen glistening.
"Don't be too proud," Kanda said.
"Take your own advice, Captain Kanda Yu," Rhode said. "You will lose your heart's treasure in time to come. I am almost certain of it."
"You aren't a seer, Noah," Kanda said. "Don't pretend to be one, you shit-sack. I won't fall for your tricks."
"My, aren't we impolite," Rhode said. Her eyes gleamed. "But two can play at that game, Kanda Yu. I am no true seer but I am judged to have some measure of foresight. You will lose what you love, make no mistake."
"Enough."
Rhode shrugged. "What is your fate to me? Nothing but the dust of the years. When you die, I will still be here, and I will spit on your grave."
Kanda glared at Rhode. "I've had enough of your insults, Noah." he said, charging towards Rhode again.
Rhode barely managed to swerve away from the tip of Kanda's sword. Instead of her neck, Mugen hit Rhode's hair, and a thin lock of blue hair fell onto the ground. Rhode couldn't stop herself from gasping.
"See," Kanda said, smirking. "Don't underestimate me."
"You haven't managed to harm me, in spite of your skills and bravado," Rhode said. "Don't congratulate yourself too early in the game."
Kanda glared at her.
"It's true, you don't need to glare at me with those pretty eyes of yours," Rhode said. "And while we're playing, guess where Tyki is?"
Kanda wasted no time in leaping away from Rhode and looking back at the platform. Tyki was nowhere near the platform; he was fighting with Lavi and Lenalee some distance away. That, however, left Allen desperately unprotected – if the three of them were to fail, Tiedoll would not be able to fight both Rhode and Tyki at the same time and yet emerge victorious. The foot soldiers would be of little strength; brute strength alone could not harm the seemingly invincible Noahs.
Then Kanda fell to his knees, leaning forward; he pushed Mugen into the ground and threw his weight onto the hilt of his sword. There was a sharp pain, a burning pain, in his upper left arm.
"That's what happen when you don't pay attention," Rhode said, grinning at Kanda. She brought her dagger to mouth, and licked Kanda's blood off it.
"I hope you cut your fucking tongue," Kanda said, forcing himself into a standing position again despite the pain in his knees and left arm.
"Eyes on me, not on that pretty Priestess of yours," Rhode said. "Let's continue playing, eh, pretty boy?"
:::
Lavi and Lenalee together were no match for Tyki. He was ruthless, even towards Lenalee.
As Lavi rushed to protect Lenalee from Tyki's twin knives, Tyki dropped Lenalee to the ground, where she lay like a limp rag doll, and moved to hit Lavi on the head. Lavi too crumpled onto the ground, his eyes closed.
Allen had seen Tyki's attacks from the platform. "Lavi! Lenalee!" she called.
The old, grizzled man beside Allen grabbed her arm. "Stay here, Allen," he said. "Let me fight him."
"General –" she said.
"No," the old man said gently. "I will go."
"Meet your fate!" Tyki said, exhilarated with the kill and the overbearing smell of blood and death. He laughed as he ran towards the platform, spinning his sharp knives in his hands, ready to draw blood again.
In an instant, Tiedoll met him, weapon at the ready. There was the clash of metal against metal, a sharp and harsh ringing sound. Tiedoll was thrown back by brute force; he dug his heel in to regain his balance.
"General!" Allen shouted.
"Stay where you are!" Tiedoll shouted. "Don't come over!"
"Why doesn't the pretty priestess want to come down to play with me?" Tyki asked. "But don't fret – I'll have time for you once I'm done with this old man."
Allen flinched and tried to focus on putting together a new defensive spell for Tiedoll's benefit. She dug for the words in the foggy haze of her mind, trying to shut away the cries of war, the shouts of pain, the screams of the dying. She slowly found the words, pieced them together, and opened her mind to her maker.
Save us, she mouthed, praying, and brought her spell to fruition. There was a sudden flash of light, a squeal of pain, and someone cursed loudly near her. Allen swayed on the spot and tumbled over, catching herself at the last moment and evading gravity's pull that would have seen her crashing to the ground. Instead, she clutched at a nearby pole (perhaps it was a bannister of some sort) and breathed deeply, unable to open her eyes for a few moments.
When Allen finally managed to open her eyes, she saw Tyki, clutching his arm and standing a few feet away from Tiedoll. Tyki's sharp knives lay scattered at Tiedoll's feet, and trace of red seeped through the sleeves of Tyki's white shirt, tracing a curved line from elbow to wrist.
Tiedoll, panting heavily and drenched in sweat, moved forward with his own weapons. "Begone, foul Noah," he said.
"Not yet, I think," Tyki said, not bothering to move even as Tiedoll plunged a knife into Tyki's flesh. No fresh red blood spilled out where hard metal met soft flesh; Tyki grinned and pulled the knife out with his bare hands wrapped around its blade.
"Monster,"Tiedoll said, willing his leaden legs to move. "Monster," he repeated for good measure. "That was not how God fashioned men. He fashioned us in his image."
"I would say I'm closer to his image than you are," Tyki said, grinning widely. His grin did not quite reach his empty-cold eyes. "You know, since I have power and strength and all that. And you are merely a talkative, weak old man quite past your prime. I should probably finish you today, eh?"
Allen pushed herself up from her crouching position. Again she raised her sword up and felt her power well up, filling all the crevices of her soul. "Don' hurt him!" she said.
"I think I will hurt you," Tyki said, reaching out to grab Tiedoll by the neck. The older man struggled in Tyki's grasp, twisting his body here and there as he attempted to wrestle his way out of Tyki's vice-like grip, but the younger man was stronger, with muscles like steel.
Tyki laughed; it was a low sound, charming and gentlemanly and inoffensive. It didn't suit either him or his dark glamour. "Death comes to all, old general," he said, and tightened his grip. "How do you wish to die? By strangulation? Otherwise I could call on some of my old friends. They are quite hungry for human flesh. They would enter into you and break you down from the inside. Wouldn't that be more fun than a quick death, eh?"
"Be quick about it, then," the old man said. He looked straight into Tyki's eyes.
Tyki's eyes widened slightly, and his grasp slackened for a moment around Tiedoll's throat. Rarely did he meet a man who did not squirm in the face of death; most of his adversaries, junior soldiers for the most part, wet their pants upon the battlefield when Tyki promised them death.
"Oh, no, I don't think so," Tyki said. He bared his beautiful white teeth. "I like to see my enemies die in pain. I don't believe in quick and relatively painless deaths, you see. It takes the fun out of this whole nasty business, believe me. I tried to be merciful in my salad days; it didn't work out."
Tiedoll raised his left hand again, pushing at the muscular hands around his throat.
"Don't bother, General Tiedoll," Tyki said, but released his hold on the older man's throat. "I'm not about to strangle you. I have better tools, you know."
"I'm not afraid," Tiedoll said, falling to his knees. He reached for his weapon behind him.
Tyki reached into his pockets. "Are you ready to taste pain?"
Tiedoll stood up, weapon in hand, sadness in his eyes. "I'm always ready," he said.
"Doubtlessly," Tyki said. He grinned diabolically and withdrew his fingers from his pockets. In his hands were two purple butterflies, species unknown. "Look what I have here. They are painful killers, General. Maybe I will kidnap you and watch you die from the inside."
Tiedoll frowned. "You'll do no such thing, evildoer."
"Oh, I will." Tyki moved at an unbelievable speed, covering the distance between them in mere seconds, moving his fingers into place so that he could smash the butterflies right into Tiedoll's chest.
Tiedoll mouthed a quick prayer, and swung his weapon upwards to meet the carnivorous mouths of the incoming butterflies. There was only air; Tiedoll closed his eyes and prayed, trying to find some dignity in death. I'm done for, he thought, I've missed the target. I've done what I could, oh Lord. I await your embrace.
No pain came.
Tiedoll opened his eyes. He was alive and unscathed, and not two metres away Allen stood in her full glory, hood pulled back and white hair spilling over her cloaked shoulders, sword in hand, face to face with Tyki Mikk. She stood proud and tall, a beacon in the dingy blood-stained battlefield, as if she were an ancient goddess come down to earth to battle the fallen and the forces of evil.
Tiedoll could not look away.
AN: My apologies for the shorter-than-usual chapter - I got bored and decided to push everything else into the next chapter (still working on it, I've only got some 1k words done atm). Oops, looks like my memory failed me - there wasn't any (or much) Yullen and jealousy here, just lots of fighting. Nor has Allen discovered her true bond with the Innocence. Let's see if I can get it all settled by the next chapter.
Thanks for reading, as always!