Awwwwwright! Here we are! And I'm screeeaming because finals are in two weeks, so the next update may or may not get delayed because of that fact. Either way, next chapter is a go! This one's a little short, but ah well, it's just where I thought it would be best to stop before the next chapter, which has a particular event that I want to be the main highlight, so we stop a little before it, making this again, sorta short. Either way, let's go!
But first, REVIEW REPLY TIME, GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
RedRat8: Haha, yeah. I thought that Ancient Magic was a little on the Game Breaker side of things, so I tried to consider ways that someone might get around it that seemed plausible enough. Pffft, and yes, go ahead and continue to ship Sasha and Kurt. Just... watch out for torpedoes .w. Thanks for reviewing!
The Digger92: Nope, I am not your mother and that would be creepy if that was so. As for FoZ... well, the novel sort of grew on me, but after a while I kind a just had to stop. I did like parts of the anime, but it did feel rushed from a story perspective. Thanks for reading!
Demons Anarchy of Pride: Hehehehehehe. But of course XD Thanks for stopping by!
ShadeDurza: Yeah, though there wasn't really much I could do to obscure what I wanted to give the image of, so I figured "Eh, I'll just go with the blatantly obvious route". Ah well, there'll be more times I can squeeze in double entendres. Thanks for your review!
Parks98: Hm, yeah. I tried to reason later how one would use magnetic fields to create a tornado effect though. Thanks for dropping on by.
pedrofaria339: Well uh, that's a pretty direct way of putting things XD Thanks for reading!
PEJP Bengtzone V2: Hm, I don't really think that's going to be the case. Kurt's electrokinesis is fairly static (hehehehehe) so I don't have any plans for him to gain anything like technopathy. But there will be more tech that pops up, I do promise that. And hell no, Kurt is not going to take that thing XD Thanks for reviewing!
Krazyfanfiction1: Ah, no, you don't have to apologize for not reviewing earlier. And I don't know if it means much, but I hope that your mum is doing better! Thanks for your review!
spartan-140: Hm, I'm not sure if I slipped one in accidentally, I'll have to go and check. I tend to do that subconsciously, but if you point it out I might be able to trace my thoughts on that section. And yeah, the cliffhanger was a little dry, but I thought it was the best place to end the chapter. Particularly because it makes the first scene oh the muuuch more better. Hehe, I do have fun writing the fluff, it's a nice break from the drama and science talk at times. Thanks for stopping by!
Captain SteeleStag: Eh, calling it factual miiight be pushing it. I mean, I talk with people who know better than I do and do research, but I think I occasionally handwave a few things I shouldn't (especially with history or the deeper sciences) for convenience. And during that quote from chapter 15, I was tempted to say that, buuuuut I figured it would have ruined the scene's tension. On the other hand, if this was a pure comedy, then oh yes, that would have been said flat out.
DGKSilver: Ah, I see. I do have a tendency to sometimes make Kurt's dialogue preeeety grandiose which I guess can get cringe worthy XD Anyways, thanks for reviewing!
Awwwwwright, that's all the reviews! Nothing much more here, so let's begin!
Chapter 36: Grounded Reality
"Oh like you even needed a hint."
"You came…?"
It was a breathed whisper. One that almost didn't believe it. There was no reason to believe it, after all. Why should I have come all this way? Why would I risk throwing everything I've built away just for one person? Shouldn't this be against what my beliefs are? I said to fulfill the wishes of the many, to consider the masses against the minority. The words I yelled to her might have just been empty.
The very fact I stand here should be betraying those beliefs. But all this time, I don't think she realized I've been being selfish.
She was on a bed, holding the covers close to her, shielding her body from our sight.
"You came…"
The tears become visible in the moonlight as I stride through the door, getting closer to Tabitha. She yelps, so much unlike her, and wraps the blanket around herself. What's she so embarrassed about…? But regardless, I want her to know that I'm real. That I'm not some delusion caused by a potion.
I want her to know that she is not alone. I will let her know that she is never going to be alone. I want her to see, to feel, to know, to believe in that fact we are here for her.
"Did they lace it…? No, no…! Bidashal said they wouldn't…! Please, no…!"
The waterworks keep running on full overdrive, making up for every time she pushed back those tears, probably. She thinks that they've already given her the potion and now I am just a hallucination. That I'm not real.
How terrible her fear is. Tabitha… be free from your fear. I am here. And this is no dream, no nightmare, no delusion.
With every step I take forward, she shuffles back on the bed. Don't be afraid, Tabitha… I'm real.
I stretch out my hand and put it on her head. I wait a few seconds for her to register the fact that there is in fact, the warm contact of life, before choosing what I will say.
Shooting the biggest smile I can, I finally speak to her. "Heeeey, Tabitha. Sooo, I'm actually a doppelganger of Kurt Bright and you need to put on a collar that supposedly has mind control powers so we can get you the fuck out of here. Can't lose one of the best students in the world now, can I? He'd be super pissed. Well, more pissed than he already will be when he finds out about this."
"You came…!"
With that, a crying Tabitha leaps out of the blankets.
She knows that the Kurt Bright standing here is no illusion
She knows that the Teacher rubbing her head is no fake.
She knows that the man in front of her is reality.
She knows that the Master of the Storm has arrived, not even giving his enemies the dignity of dying by his favored tools, and that he is no mirage.
She knows that I. Am. Real.
And I will not allow for any doubt.
She knows that I risked everything. For her.
I almost flinch at how fast Tabitha came out to hug me, shooting out so fast from underneath the blanket. Ow… sheesh…
Doing a quick lookover, I find that Tabitha isn't injured. No signs of struggle, no physical harm, nothing. The space between her legs is a little wet, though…
I glance at the sheets and find them somewhat wet as well. Tabitha… tonight was supposed to be her final night in sanity… and she… is that why you were calling my name…?
…Tabitha… in your last moments, you think of me and possibly even fantasize about that which wouldn't happen…?
I take a deep breath, composing myself, not allowing my mind to run wild. Now is not the time.
"You should get changed. We're busting out of here." I say, slowly trying to pry her off. "And put this collar on, it's part of the plan. By the way, we're also rescuing your mother. Anyways the story is I'm a doppelganger, if I didn't say that. Let's ride."
"By the way Kurt, are you going to cover up your tracks here?" Louise asks as Tabitha changes.
"Yeah, I'm going to. Don't worry, I brought something for it."
The last part of my bag of tricks. A few… high density, high powered, low space-consuming explosives that could probably level this place.
"The elf…?"
"One's alive, one's dead. The alive one's a decent guy. Bidashal, I believe. The one that you know, didn't want to fuck up your mind with the potion."
"…We should hurry." Tabitha says. "Myoz—"
"Oh yeah, Magic Bitch. We should really get going. Come on, everyone. Let's get a move on. Kirche, grab Tabitha's mother. I'm going to go run the explosives along. Get out to the open so Sylphid can pick you up."
"Can Sylphid carry all of us?" Kirche asks, raising an eyebrow.
"We're going to only get away from here and then move on foot, afterwards, to avoid detection. Take forest routes, yadda yadda." Hm… dammit, I don't know if there's anything magic on Tabitha. The runes and Derf are unavailable… shit.
"Tabitha, do you know if they did anything to you?"
She shakes her head.
"No magic?"
Another shake.
Okay, so… I guess this means we're going to go for the fastest route possible.
"Oh, that's easy if you're concerned about magic." Louise says, chanting and then casting Dispel on Tabitha. Nothing on her, okay. "Should've said so."
"Good. Alright, let's move!"
That's nice, don't have to worry about to referring as myself as "he" in order to avoid a possible slip up.
It takes about ten minutes for me to run the explosives around the castle. Alright, now we just need to get out of here.
"Hey Tabitha, if you really hated that place, you're going to love this." I say with a bit of a grin. "Take a look."
Detonator safety, off.
Explosion in three… two… one… adio—Oh wait.
"Hey Tabitha, you want to do the honors?" I ask, holding the detonator to her. She almost seems to smile, but doesn't really want me to see, you know, a sort of satisfied grin on her face, so she takes a breath to calm herself. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."
Tabitha takes the detonator into her hands and looks at the button.
"The safety's off, so you can blast it anytime."
"Ahem." Tabitha slightly coughs. "Ah, um… certain words you used when detonating explosions."
Wait, Tabitha's not going to…
"They were—"
Oh my God, she's actually going to do it!
"Yippie-kay-yay, motherfu—"
The rest of Tabitha's sentence is cut off by the massive explosion.
Tabitha's eyes have a content shine in them as the stone bricks and other debris go up in a white flash of light. The place that held her prisoner, the place that nearly delivered her to despair, vanquished just like that.
Kirche and Louise can only gape at the fact Tabitha just shouted a rather obscure (and fairly over-the-top) sentence at the top of her lungs… okay, maybe not that level, but the fact Tabitha had gone above the volume of a normal speaking tone was already reason enough to be surprised. I can only pat her on the back, laughing hysterically.
"You really are my student, huh? I think we're going to need to blow more things up sometime." I say, ruffling Tabitha's hair. The unusually pale girl blushes, curling up as Louise and Kirche give me certain looks. I only roll my eyes at them to say it's not what they're thinking.
We go a few more minutes before I speak again.
"Alright, let's ride out far enough. Sylphid, let's go over to the forest. Let's break out from there and find a good cave to hide in."
We're advancing a little more slowly now that we have more people plus Sylphid is still in dragon form in order to keep transporting Tabitha's mom, who I also brought along a few extra syringes for in case she wakes up.
Fortunately, it doesn't take long to find said cave. I also find a good place to secure myself, as there's a column not too thick but not too thin, either.
"Um…"
"It's just something I have to do, Tabitha." I say, sighing as I slump against the wall. "…You know, I should just eat before doing this."
With that, I take the key away from the lock and put it back in my pocket, thankful I won't be spending my eating time chained up.
"You… you didn't think of that the first time?!" Louise half shouts, looking like she wants to strangle me right here. "D-do you know what happened the first time?"
"Well, duh."
"I-I could feel it and it was… Y-you IDIOOOOT!"
A wave of relief and laughter washes over all of us, a far cry from the tense atmosphere.
Of course, Louise still does tackle me and attempt to do some light punches to give me a little bit of pain for that. Hahaha, sorry Louise. It just slipped my mind before, that's all, honest!
There's a distinct silence…
…Dammit, I really need to finish this up so I can help Sasha.
I quickly stuff the bread into my mouth and swallow it along with some water, cuffing myself. "Okay, can you guys actually wake me up this time around? There's no need to keep me out of the watch now. We'll go me, Kirche, Louise, Tabitha. Sylphid's pretty exhausted from flying us this far, so she needs the rest."
"I won't let you get off that easy…" Louise growls, though whether it's about the watch or that incident, I don't really know.
Tabitha's the only one who stays awake.
"Hey, you should go to sleep." I chide, looking at her. Hm… Sasha…?
No response. Nothing. Dammit…
—I sense something in my arm. I send a shock down it, forcing it back. That's right… I'll help her soon enough.
"…Kurt, have you heard of a story called the Hero of Ivaldi…?"
Tabitha's… talking with full sentences? Okay…
"Well, yeah. I read it. A lot of people want me to sign their copies despite the fact I didn't even write it."
"You're… very much…"
"No, I'm not." I say, interrupting her. "I'm not a hero, Tabitha. I'm just a very selfish person with a goal and priorities. I put my friends first, so I've risked everything. I put other people and their dreams and ambitions on the line so I could do this. That… isn't what a hero does."
Yes… the story of a boy who was scared, but faced the monster regardless. That's not me. When I have ever been scared of my opponent? I've never grappled with fear, because I always knew I could win, it was just a matter of how much effort I had to use.
The only thing I've ever been slightly fearful of when fighting is losing myself in the heat of battle, letting myself go too far and destroying everything in my path. But that's hardly a fear I have to overcome to fight in a battle.
Tabitha falls silent at this, eyes looking downward. "The antidote…"
"We'll make progress on it, I swear that to you. Now that your mother is with us, it'll be easier for us to develop the antidote to that poison, anyways."
She's crying again. "T… thank you…"
"Don't mention it. Besides… it's just what I do. I help those I care for. Isn't that what a person who likes his friends does?"
I flash a dazzling smile to Tabitha, one that tells her that everything's going to be okay. That I'll make it okay myself, if I have to. That tomorrow where those that deserve it are happy…
…Heh, then again, who am I to make that judgement?
No, I just said it to Tabitha, didn't I? I'm selfish. I'll bring about the tomorrow for those that I think deserve it. Those elves though… I just hope they're willing to hear us out. It might be too big a jump for Halkeginia… but I think if I'm helping to lead them, I can bring about an entirely new cultural shift.
Human, Conduit, Elf. I think… Conduits might be able to be the bridge. And half-elves like Tiffania as well. We can help break down these old walls that stop progress in this world, those walls that will one day cause a stall in moving forward.
Yes… that is… my final goal, hehheh. I don't think I really have a right to infringe upon the events of this world, but I already have, and I will continue to.
I told Karin before, didn't I? There's a universal understanding of some base justice in the world. I can't just idle by, now that I'm trying to fix it. It also benefits those I care for, so that's also why I'm fighting for it.
"It's… going to be okay…" she breathes out, looking me in the eye, before breaking into a small grin. A true, honest smile. One that I haven't seen on Tabitha before. For once, she looks entirely at peace.
"Yeah. It'll be all right, Tabitha. Things will be okay."
Tabitha is clearly trying not to make a lot of noise as the tears come out. I almost want to break the handcuffs and then pat her on the head, but that's not really an option right now.
"Hey, don't cry. There's no need to be sad now, is there? Come on, give a smile. Things are looking up."
"R-right…"
"You know, you're talking in more complete sentences now…" I pause, wondering for a second. "…You know, it's okay not to bottle everything up. It's actually really bad if you do."
Heh… we're alike in more ways than we know, huh, Tabitha?
"I mean, I used to be the same. Stoic, quiet… it's okay to let people know how you feel. That's why we have friends, you know? We can share those happy moments and have a shoulder to lean on in those tough moments."
Tabitha remains silent, but nods as if to confirm what I said.
"Is that why you never really spoke? Always just quietly observing?"
A nod 'yes'.
"Well, I mean it's okay if that's how you want to talk and stuff. But you don't have to be so stoic about everything." I stretch my legs out. "It's okay to let us know what's going through your head. It's what we're here for. It's what friends are for. Anyway, I'm sure that was quite a bit to digest for tonight. You should go to sleep, Tabitha. We've got a lot to do in the morning."
"Mhm…"
"H-hey…"
Dammit Tabitha, you fall asleep fast. Looks like I'm going to have to try keeping the Pissy Evil Runes out of my head all night… but you know, I think it's okay for just one night.
Alright… let's head to bed…
Unfortunately, it takes a while longer to get moving to our destination because we're on foot. We did manage to buy a carriage and horses (I had to act like I was some brilliant playboy who was on a sightseeing trip with his… servants, and enjoyed dressing them up like famous people), so that's a nice boost.
Still though, I really hope we get this wrapped up soon.
We're currently going through a canyon, which is the fastest way to get back to Tristain.
At least we're almost the—
FHWOOM!
What the fuck was—HOLY SHIT WHY IS THERE A GIANT GEAR GOLEM THING AFTER US?!
"Sheffield…!" Tabitha hisses.
"That's Magic Bitch's name?"
"I'll—"
"Imposter of Kurt Bright, stand down!" Another voice yells out. Guiche…?! Holy shit! "Do not resist and you will be treated with—whoooa!"
"Excuse me, but I have first call with him! And he's no imposter! He's the real thing, giving deception to you all, even those who hold him in high regard! Even to you who trusts him so much!"
"You dare insinuate such a thing…! I'll destroy you!"
And there I witness it.
Guiche's newest ability that Colbert told me about. A magic spell that allows him to make a giant Valkyrie instead of multiple ones.
It stands just as tall as Magic Bitch's golem. Both of them are about the size of an apartment building. While Magic Bitch's monstrosity looks like some clockpunk shit made of gears and beams with glowing red eyes, Guiche's Valkyrie looks like a rather shapely woman, with shining bronze armor and a human look on its face.
"Valkyria! To arms!" he shouts from the top, riding its shoulder. In his hands comes a sword and the same occurs with his massive construct. "Take the breath of the earth into me…!"
"Hya!" I yell, getting the horses to go faster. I avoid the spells and shots of the Undine Knights that I trained, while also trying not to get stepped on. Dammit, I actually trained them to be competent and now that's coming back to bite me so hard up the ass.
Guiche decides early on to scrap his sword and go with good old fisticuffs.
Sparks fly as he fights with ferocity I've never seen. I also see plenty of moves I taught him. I actually really have to try to keep the smile of a proud instructor from breaking out all over my face.
It's as if he really is taking the Valkyrie into him. He moves with almost no lag, but it's there.
He scores a critical hit, hitting Magic Bitch's monster right across the face. While it's still stunned, he smashes its stomach and then goes for an A-frame knee to the groin.
While it's not causing the same reactions as a human, it definitely is making her beast take damage. I can hear Magic Bitch swearing and cursing from down here.
Attack. Attack. Attack.
Metal pieces fly off. Sparks soar through the air. Metal screeching can be heard no matter where you are.
Despite having the advantage, Guiche still doesn't have the actual strength behind it. Not matter how good he is, that slight lag between what he wants and the movement is really crippling him. Plus, his strength is a lot less in terms of hitting power.
Every hit that Magic Bitch gets in causes a lot more damage, even if Guiche is earning more hits, it's just not adding up fast enough.
Soon, Guiche is put into a pretty bad hold. Despite the fact he's using his abilities as far as he can, his strength doesn't seem to be enough.
Sheesh, Guiche. You're going out of control. Your mind is quite unfocused.
"Dammit…" I mutter.
Okay, time to risk everything again. Man, I'm really putting a lot on the line, huh?
"Sylphid."
I hop on her and fly up to Guiche, floating nearby his head and making sure he can see the collar around Sylphid's neck. "Hmph. I can see he trained you well."
"You damn imposter…! Taking control of them and even Sylphid! How…?!"
"But I've observed him and his friends. How unlike you, to lose such composure. You're losing the most important part of controlling the earth."
"You'd think you'd know something…?!" he growls, still struggling with his hold.
"Shut up, Kurt Bright!" Magic Bitch hisses as she keeps trying to crush Guiche's golem, with him feeling some sort of sympathetic pain.
"The most important part of course, is drawing from the earth. Conservation. What is your mind drawing from? What is your mind focusing on? What image is it creating, when you draw in the breath of the earth? Is it some molehill? Are you being conservative from what you draw? No, you must consume. Consume more than just a small hill. Borrow more. Does he only draw from small amounts, or does he utilize everything?"
I sigh, shaking my head. "If only you had gone with something bigger. But then again, it is so unlike you to act this way. Your mind is clouded. Was it always like that, Guiche Gramont? Is that who you truly are? Are you a man who gets angered and loses to the beast of rage just because their idol has been insulted? Just who are you? Why are you here, fighting now? And… was your mind and resolve so easily shattered, all this time?"
I don't bother sticking around any longer.
The spark in Guiche's eyes tells me all I need to know.
"…You're one good imposter, I'll say that much." He admits in a low voice. "…how shameful. Admitting this to Kurt will… not be easy."
I fly away as Guiche lets a cry out to the sky.
"Just who am I…? I'm Guiche Gramont, proud follower of Kurt Bright and commander of the Undine Knights! I'm fighting in order to bring that who insults him to the truth and to crush the imposters that would sully his name and threaten Tristain! And my mind… cannot be so easily moved…!
"Valkyria… Take my mind into the earth and into you! Breath my life as I breath yours!"
Wow that is not fair. I have to fake my glow if I want to go into a "super mode" of sorts and have fun with electricity. But no, just because they've got magic they already naturally glow. That's not even fair, Guiche gets to glow fucking golden-tan like his Valkyries.
Guiche breaks out of the hold easily, then spins around and backhands Magic Bitch's golem construct. "I'll end you, here and now!"
"And this is where we take our leave." I quickly add on, getting back into the carriage and speeding off.
While we go off into the distance, I watch Guiche battle. The lag from before appears to be gone. He's pulling off more complex maneuvers, kicking and pummeling Magic Bitch's creation. Even if she tries casting spells, Guiche just blocks them.
"Impossible…!" she growls, shooting forward a beam of what appears to be condensed fire magic.
Guiche raises his Valkyrie's right hand. "It can't break this hand!"
The cheers and laughs of the Undine Knights echo far and wide as he catches the spell easily, taking pretty much no damage. He shoots forward, palm striking the stomach of his opponent.
Magic Bitch tries attacking Guiche directly, but one of his men casts to counter that. Soon enough, the rest of the Undine Knights join in, casting Float and then supporting Guiche, pelting Sheffield's construct with countless spells.
Heh, he's really learned to become a leader among men, huh?
As he uppercuts the golem once again, Guiche's voice rings out throughout the entire canyon area.
"Listen up, whoever you are. I don't take too kindly to insulting the person who taught us so much. I'll be dealing with that imposter soon enough, but you directly insulted him and called that imposter the real one, thinking that just because he copied the appearance, he's it. That man there is ridiculous, out of control, and someone who's Kurt Bright's enemy! If he so wishes, I'll help him hunt down that imposter myself!"
"Yeeeah! Sir, let's take her down!"
"ALRIGHT! LET'S DO THIS, KNIGHTS OF UNDINE! CHAAAAAARGE!"
…Yeah, you know we should get out of here.
I'm pretty Magic Bitch is going to teleport away again, but you know, I'd rather not stick around long enough to find out. Let's just leave before he decides to come after us instead.
Guiche stood triumphant, his massive Valkyrie called Valkyria (which now that he thought about it, was very unoriginal), looking out at the distance. In his delight in taking down that magic wielder (or at least, forcing her to retreat), he had lost sight of the fact he was supposed to take care of that imposter as well.
"Still though… that imposter was really good. He must've been waiting for a time to take advantage of it. The Queen had informed me this was a sensitive task and that the Kurt Bright out there was definitely an imposter, because the actual one was out with Agnes and sent out to prevent any possible international incidents happening." He mused to himself.
"Sir?" Malicorne asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Nothing, Malicorne. Just a passing thought."
Well, he'd just have to report back that the imposter had escaped while he was in the middle of fighting another enemy that wanted to kill it. After all, his orders were to capture, not kill.
But of course, even if he did escape Guiche, little did he know there was someone else waiting for him…
—A thick presence fills the air. It's suffocating, threatening to choke all of us underneath it. It's forcing itself on us with clear hostility and brutal intent.
I recognize this aura.
It's that of The Heavy Wind…!
Oh shit! I forgot! I didn't plan for this! First off, what the FUCK is she doing here?!
…Oh fuuuuuuuck. She must've found out from Henrietta.
Well, shit. This wasn't part of the plaaaaan!
I can hear the ground being smashed by air. I don't even need to glance outside to know there's massive cracks in it. And I definitely don't want any of us to get hit with that!
Alright. You know what, there's an easy solution to this that gets everyone else out.
After all, I gotta keep everyone in one piece, and I mean, I can just give instructions from here. Let's buzz the fuck out!
"Okay Louise, I'm going to give you some instructions. Break the collar around your neck. Next, you're going to need to cast Illusion. You of course, know what you need to make an illusion of."
"A Doppelganger creature of you that is well versed in combat and whatnot that's seeking all of us and also ready to eliminate us to get its demands."
"Yes. Create it so that it's heading to the Courthouse and going to announce that it now has all three of you under its control and that it is declaring a hostage situation. Unless Tiffania is delivered to him, then he'll strike all of you down right there."
"…You'll be there, right?"
"Yes."
"Kurt… um, that Illusion that I make… it's going to come to life and act like it's actually going to kill us, right?" Louise asks, a little shifty.
"Well I mean, you just need to figure out how to tweak it correctly. I mean, make it believable but don't go all out if you're afraid of it. Anyways, at the current rate, you'll be at the Courthouse by tomorrow morning. I'll be there, don't worry. That plan good with everyone?"
I get nods of 'yes'.
"Okay. Well, this is where I leave you, because I didn't exactly foresee this happening. If you'll excuse me—!"
"You, imposter of Kurt Bright, come out from beneath your mask of cowardice!" Karin's voice roars above the now whipping winds with fury far beyond that of even the raging fires of hell. Man, I am so fucked.
With that, I exit the carriage and beginning running like hell. Using my combat senses and some nerve manipulation, I'm able to dodge. Of course, I have to make it look less like I did before. It's purposely sloppy and I'm barely dodging.
I don't say a word back though, escaping into a forest nearby.
"Do you think that you could save yourself that way?"
Branches and leaves fall every which way as the razor winds cut through them. Damn, I can't even fight back because I don't have my usual methods! Anything I throw at her is just going to get reflected right back at me with her wind!
Man, this is what it must feel like to face her normally…!
Stop this madn—gah…! I won't let you have control yet…!
Sasha?!
I'm… almost at my limit…!
…I'll wrap this up quickly.
Okay, plus side. She's not on her manticore. That at least nets me something. Negative side, she's still one hell of a powerhouse.
…I'm down to about two flashbangs and one frag. I'm going to really have to get creative.
I could try hiding in the branches, but all Karin has to do is launch attacks from the sky until she finds me. I need a way to bring her down… a way to force her to come and find me.
…Doppelgangers. Well… I mean… I don't know if they can copy being a tree, but it's well worth a shot.
Utilizing my powers, I break the electrons binding the atoms that make up the soil that are holding a tree down. Using a magnetic field, I move the tree as I duck into the infinite pile of branches and leaves that now litter the ground.
FWOOSH
A pile of branches explode from the sheer power that rips them apart. I don't even so much as blink, despite the fact it was a mere three feet from me.
Of course, the tree I'm holding up with a magnetic field is nearby as well. With that, I purposely move it towards a set of trees that makes it blend in.
Karin notices the movement.
I shift the tree ever so slightly that in the resulting explosion, it's just barely moved.
"Clever."
More explosions and destruction. All meant to flush me out.
But I don't budge nor flinch.
Not even if the pinpoint explosion happens just about a foot away of me.
I watch, unmoving, still as a stone, as destruction rains all around me. Wow, it seems Karin's really, really pissed. Or she's just starting to toy with me as there are less and less places I can hide.
"Very well. I shall indulge you in your game of hide and seek. Ready or not, your death approaches."
Wow, that actually worked…?! I'm pretty surprised that it did.
And fucking hell Karin, that's really creepy to say. Note to self, never again play hide and seek with you. She must play it hardcore, like if you get caught, you die kind of hide and seek. She probably plays Rocket Tag as well. Magical Rocket Tag. Where if you're not it, you're trying to avoid the mega wind death ray.
She lands, making a giant crater where she lands. With the sheer malevolent will that's almost palatable in the air, I struggle to keep myself composed. Man, I never realized I relied on my powers this much…!
I use my powers to move the frag grenade over elsewhere. It goes off, moving wood as if I was stepping there. Karin immediately launches at an attack that way.
…Giving me just the right opening.
It's almost impossible to tell the flashbang is dropped here.
It goes off.
As soon as it does, I erupt out of my hidey-hole and tackle Karin to the ground. However, even while blinded and unable to hear well, she can still sense my position. She brings up a new sword (seeing that I destroyed her previous one) and tries to attack me, but I manage to push it away with my knife as she's off balance right now.
I punch her in the visor, sending rattling metal all over her. I keep pounding away, trying to incapacitate her, but without killing her.
She manages to get a groin kick going, but I move, letting my inner shin take the hit instead. When she misses, I try to jam a knife through her visor, but she blows it away. Dammit…!
Dodging a slice that almost gets to the neck, I move and try to figure out how to attack from here. I can't utilize any of my advanced things, so here goes…!
Well, I guess I'm going to have to try this!
"H-AH!"
I launch a shattering kick to her side. The armor rattles and shakes under the sheer amount of energy dispersed into the attack. I mean, it fucking hurts, but at least I can heal pretty quickly.
She tries another swipe, but I throw myself up into the trees. I reach my hands out and grab a branch, swinging myself around before hurling myself down at her for a tossing a ridiculously fast punch.
Gah… my hand…! At least I can heal from this…!
I force myself not to show any signs of pain before springing back, getting into a good defensive position.
Both of us try to move around the giant piles of shredded branches and leaves, trying to get a better area to fight in. Let's go…!
We launch at each other.
A heavy punch. An extremely fast kick.
"Ugh…!"
"Gah!"
"Stop." Karin says, pulling back her leg as I yank my arm back.
The aura shifts. She no longer means any harm.
"Your plan is stupid. Well thought out, but horrifically flawed. One mishap could send everything wrong."
"Aww, not you too."
"The only reason is because I understand what kind of person you are from our battle." She says as I offer a hand to help her up. "In addition, I would never have come down if I hadn't known."
"Agh, I figured." I mutter, scratching the back of my head. "It kind of shocked me as well. Um, I suppose it goes without saying…"
"You're risking a lot. But… I thank you, for ensuring my daughter would not be caught in the mess. Of course, I'm sure she's a willing participant in your, let us say, shenanigans, so I will punish her later on my own terms."
"Ah hell…"
"Hmph. Hard to believe you didn't plan for this."
"I didn't exactly expect you to get personally involved, Duchess." I grumble, brushing off the wood chips stuck in my clothes. "So, what now?"
"Well, now I make you walk."
"Oh wow. Goddamn petty is what you are."
"Your talk is quite big for one who barely managed to defeat me while the others gave me an even greater challenge." She scoffs, but seems amused.
"Is that a call for a rematch?" I ask, giving Karin a small grin. "Maybe another time. I currently have a mission. By the way, if you disclose the details that you've deduced and now confirmed from here, that is grounds for treason against Tristain. You did after all, interfere with a special operation. And let's just say that wouldn't put Louise in a good position. Would want that to happen to your daughter now because of you, right?"
"Clever boy." Karin notes, taking to the air. "But I thought it would be best to strike some fear into you.
"Because remember, Kurt Bright, you broke your promise.
"We all believe you died and came back from the death, despite the fact you said that reports of your death were greatly exaggerated, I cannot help but feel deception in that. And, above all else, you brought in my daughter into your machinations. As both a high ranking noble of Tristain and a mother, that is something that I cannot forgive easily. If this was the easiest place to do settle matters with you without creating a major scene, so be it. You broke the law, even if it is covered up. Do not worry, I will not speak the details. It would also harm the Valliere name, but know that my opinion of you has been sullied."
"…Duly noted." I mutter, clenching my fists. "When this is over, allow me to make it up to you."
"I will hold you to those words."
"I'll probably hold myself to my own words even more." I say back to her, stopping in my walk. "…I was selfish with my choice there, and pretty stupid. I won't make the same mistake twice. There are things I would've had to take responsibility for… no, I still must take responsibility for the consequences today. Regardless, I can no longer afford to die."
"…Did you really die?"
"No. But I so wanted to. I'm still a kid after all, right?" I ask with a mocking chuckle, lying right through my teeth. "You said so yourself. I was a kid heading to war. I thought I was ready, but I wasn't. Heh, I guess you were right in the end."
"Hm."
"But, there was one thing you were wrong about."
"Oh?" she questions, interested in what I had to say.
"I'm a kid, you were right about it. But being a kid doesn't mean you can't grow up. I'm still a kid, yeah. I'm no adult. But it doesn't mean that I can't start… moving forward, and be something more than just a kid. And that… my ability to move forward and get over it, to become something greater, that's what you were wrong about."
"Hm. How interesting."
With that, she takes off. I don't bother checking behind me to tell if she's really gone or just staying there in the air, watching me. Heh, whatever. I don't really care.
Let's get going.
After all, I can't keep them waiting. Especially Louise. And you, Sasha.
Don't worry… I'll help you out soon.
With that, I begin running straight towards Tristain, ready for what may come next. Sasha… I'll save you once I'm done here!
Muahahahaha!
Oh yes.
You all probably can tell what's going to happen neeeeext!
Alright, as usual chapter summary.
Now with the first scene, you can see why I decided to cut off the last chapter there. It made this scene with Kurt busting in to save Tabitha all the much more better. Otherwise I would have had to awkwardly cut it things off right afterwards. After that, they blow up the castle. Because explosions. Plus I thought it might be nice to let Tabitha blow up that place since she probably hated it.
The night scene after that was my take on the scene in the anime where Tabitha and Saito talk about the Hero of Ivaldi. Kurt in this case, still denies being a hero because of his inherent selfishness that tends to drive him.
And then showing Valkyria. Oh yes, I had been waiting to unveil this from Guiche for a while, ever since it was mentioned back in Chapter 28/29 (28 document wise, 29 FFNet wise) that he could make a massive Golem. And as you can see, I've had a pattern going. Montmorency, Kirche, and now Guiche have their upgrades after overcoming some sort of mental block. That's Water, Fire, and Earth. Hmhmhm, who could possibly be next? You have three guesses and the first three don't count XD
After that, KARIN IS BAAAAACK TO FUCK SHIT UP! Except nah, she's just there where she can discreetly mess with Kurt and get his side of things. She's still arguably pissed as hell at Kurt for dying (even if she can't confirm it), but she's going to leave him for now except for the fact she's being super petty. She doesn't know about the runes after all, which is why Kurt fucking books it and ruuuuuns!
Well, that's everything I have to say! If you have any questions, comments, etc., don't hesitate to leave a review to let me know! Seeya all next chapter!
Cryptic Hint for Next Chapter:
"You are stronger than that."