Unmei Force: Vengeance
Chapter 18:The Berserker and the Dragon
Near Flora's mansion...
The group continued along, before Velouria then sensed something, as she then used her own animal-like senses to sniff around the vicinity, before her face scrunched up strongly.
"Someone was just here. No, a lot of people was here, to be more exact." Velouria responded back with a dangerous look in her eyes. "And I definitely know that they're not human, from the foul stench of blood wafting in the air. We definitely got someone coming towards the mansion, and they're intruders without any doubt."
Schierke was alerted by Velouria's words, as the rest of the group raised their guard, looking around, as they went through the forest more slowly, before she then stopped at one place, as she sensed around the od in the area. What she found, surprised her, in a unpleasant way.
"This flow of od... Deep in the forest, from the mansion...!" Schierke exclaimed. "And not only that... the forest's barrier is vanishing..."
At the same time, the Brands acted up, alerting the group to the presence of Apostles in the area, as Guts were hurting a lot more, without Flora's charm protecting him, as Slan destroyed it.
"Urgh... I can feel the Brand in pain!" Casca exclaimed. "Then that means...!"
"Farnese, Casca, Judeau, Isidro. Wait here." Guts stated, as he drew his blade.
"What gives?" Isidro asked, before he then noticed Casca's words. 'Wait, there are apostles in the forest now!?"
"Apostles...?" Serpico remarked, as he was oblivious to the concept of apostles.
"They're tbe demons that you're supposed to be hunting, were you Holy See." Richard answered back. "They're quite powerful, as the elite apostles are stronger than the ogre and kelpie in terms of overall strength. If everything is true, it points to one thing and one thing only: The apostles have launched a assault on Flora."
"Then she's in danger already!" Schierke answered back. "The barrier is the only way of defending her home from danger, other than the golems!"
"We'll have to make our way to the mansion quickly then." Link stated, before the group saw accursed spirits rise around them. "What the...!? Accursed spirits!?"
"They're blocking the path ahead!" Corrin exclaimed. "We need to take them out, before we can advance. Everyone, please lend a hand!"
Everyone rushed into battle, as they quickly swept the accursed spirits in the area up, before they were able to continue on ahead, and encountered a group of humanoid demons, clad in armour, as a reptilian apostle with a eel-like head, and a large poleaxe in its hands.
"What...!? B-Bastards! Where the hell did you all come from!?" The leader growled, before it then raised its poleaxe. "Either way, you won't get in our way! Prepare to die!"
"What... What are those...!?" Schierke blurted out with shock at the monsters before her.
"Apostles." Guts answered back. "But that's strange, I haven't seen this many apostles, acting like they're demon soldiers. What the hell is all of this, some apostle who can create minions to command?"
"I doubt that. I think it's a much more serious matter." Richard answered back. "Either way, we can't let this stop us. They're far weaker than the likes of the transformed ones, so we're okay as it is."
Link and Antonio attacked, while the other two conversed with each other, as they chopped up the demons with their blades, as the leader was shocked by their brutal assault, before it found itself smashed through the chest with a massive blade, courtesy of Guts, who charged into the fray to slay the enemy captain. It let out a weak choking gasp, before it slid off it, dead.
"It seems that the gates have been shut ahead of us..." Richard answered back, as he looked at the stone gates ahead of them. "Odd, Flora didn't exactly close them when we first made our way here, and I doubt the fact that there aren't apostles behind those gates. In fact, they might already be at the mansion already! So why... Why are they shut...?"
"Mistress often holds control over these stone gates..." Schierke answered. "If they're closed... Then the mistress is desperate to stop the enemy from going further, and gaining reinforcements... Only through sufficient earthen magic, or my magic signature, will these gates open for us to access it. We have to hurry...!"
"There's no telling the situation right now..." Gus muttered, worried about the situation currently. "We need to quickly think of a plan about all of this. If the mansion is under attack as expected, we need the quickest route ahead to the mansion, and pray that it is not being patrolled or attacked by the apostles, in case said path is a pathway to escape."
"Then we'll need to split up. I sense a bulk of apostles to the south of the mansion. If we can cleave through their forces quickly enough, it'll be sufficient enough for reinforcements to be called from the other sides, allowing the group heading to the mansion directly, to slip through undetected." Richard answered back, before he then turned to Schierke. "Judging by your words, the only ones who can manipulate the gates as it is, is either you or me. I'll lead the diversion group, while you head for the mansion. All that remains is deciding who will come with us. Whoever is with me, is going to be seeing a lot of combat."
"I'm coming." Guts answered back. "These bastards are going to regret attacking the old lady's mansion while we're here."
"We owe Mistress Flora a great debt for helping us this much, with these weapons and armour. We'll repay the favour by coming to her aid, regardless of what happens." Casca stated. "I will assist you, Richard."
"Well, if Guts and Casca are coming, I can't exactly say no, can I?" Judeau asked. "Richard, take me along as well."
"Right then, it's like the old times then, as the Band of the Hawk." Richard responded back, before turning to his friends. "We don't have time to ask individually. If you're coming, walk towards me. If you aren't, move to Schierke. Remember, we can't afford to split our manpower too much, as the mansion group will need some people to defend against the apostles ahead of them as well. Just because we're diverting the enemies attention, doesn't mean that the path will be without enemies."
Out of the rest of the group, only Link, Meiling, Velouria, Gunter and Antonio stepped up, as Corrin, Reimu, Gus, Elma, Virion decided to remain back and help Schierke, Isidro, Serpico and Farnese.
"It's decided then." Schierke stated, before her group made their way to the northern passage, where they found a stone gate blocking the way forward. With a chant, Schierke opened them, as the group moved through it, before she conveyed her thoughts to Richard and Guts. 'Both of you... Be careful...'
'Just get to the old lady's place as quickly as you can.' Guts thought back. 'We'll keep them busy.'
Richard then walked towards the stone gate, before he placed both hands on it, as he exerted a lot of his magical power to force the gates open, before the rest of the group passed through it, and he was able to close the gates.
"Remember, hit them loud and hard. They need to know that their flank is being torn apart." Richard advised everyone. "The more they fall, the more threatening we'll become to their forces."
"Got it." Velouria nodded back, before she then dashed through a squad of apostles, as her claws ripped them apart.
"What the... Some humans snuck in after us-" The squad leader said, before both of Velouria's claws converged around his head, tearing through it, and turning it into meaty chunks, as the headless body fell forward and slammed on the ground.
Meanwhile, Judeau was using his magic-powered knives, as he concentrated on the gnomes on his throwing weapons, as his daggers smashed through metal armour like paper, and pierced through his enemies at high speeds. And each time the daggers struck the ground, it ejected a series of metallic spikes that would pierce the enemy from underneath, skewering them, before the knife itself would pop back out of the ground, and fly back into his hand, as he caught each of them on their returning arc.
"These are fairly convenient to lay some traps with." Judeau remarked. "Guess there's much more to the astral world, than pixie dust nowadays, huh?"
Casca was using her blade well, as she was able to skillfully cut down apostle soldier after apostle soldier, before she met a apostle captain wielding a club in its hands. It tried to swing its club down at her, although she weaved out of the strike, and cut through the apostle's arms, as it tried to lift its club from the ground, severing them, as it screamed in pain and tried to tackle Casca. However, Casca drew back her blade, and thrust the apostle in the heart with her blade, killing it cleanly.
"I'm not the same helpless person that I was back in those years." Casca snarled at the dead apostle. "You won't take away neither me nor my companions while I still breathe and fight."
Richard then opened the next set of gates, as they continued along, cutting down the apostle forces along the way, before they were met by the sight of a large brutish captain with a grotesque face and a large war-axe. Almost quickly, Guts slammed his blade into the apostle's leg before it could swing its own axe, as it bellowed in pain, buckling on one side.
"Are you with the witch...!? That Hurtttt you knnnooowww!" The apostle growled, as it tried to cleave Guts's head open, only to eat a blade through his jaw, rendering it into a dying state, before Guts ended it with a single stab to the forehead.
"There's a lot of them. But then again, back in Doldrey, we faced greater numbers, and we managed to get through all fine." Guts stated.
"Yeah, if only the old times were still there." Judeau sighed.
"Enough reminiscing. We're almost there. Just a little more, and we'll make it to the mansion!" Richard shouted, as he opened the next set of stone gates, as they were in the final section of the southern passage to the mansion. There were a lot more apostles than before, but it was still no match for the rest of the group, as Link engaged the last apostle captain in the area.
"Do you think that a mere human can beat us, the War Demons?" The apostle captain roared back at Link.
"I've killed many of your kind, who claim to be far greater than that. You won't be much of a challenge." Link answered back, before he then slid under a horizontal strike by the apostle captain, before he then pulled out his grappling hook, and shot it right in the face of the apostle captain, as it screamed in pain, trying to remove the metal chain-point stuck inside of its face, before Link spun up, and sliced the apostle's head open with a diagonal slash, as the top piece slid off and hit the ground with a wet splatter.
"Alright, we're there. Opening the gates now!" Richard exclaimed, before he forced open the stone gates, as the mansion was within sight, as it was burning brightly, although the wooden building refused to burn down at all, as it remained in the same shape as it was. And around it was a barrier, which seemed to repel the apostles from getting near it. The more concerning fact, was that the golems were activated to fend off the apostles, although the apostles were far more brutal than the golems, as the smaller golems were being wiped out, and the larger ones were in danger.
"These guys... They're trying to protect that old lady with all they got..." Guts remarked about the golems, as they were reducing in numbers, as their control dolls were being destroyed by the brutal attacks of their opponents.
"Wait... I sense something within those golems..." Richard remarked. "They're... They're using themselves as conduits to maintain the mansion's barrier... But why fight then... Don't they know that if they fall... So will the barrier...? Unless... the golems are too desperate in their protection to have any self-preservation."
"Then what do we do then...? If what you said is true-" Casca responded back.
"Protect the larger golems, the ones keeping this barrier up! If these fall, they'll most definitely swarm the mansion in numbers too great to hold back!" Richard shouted to everyone. "I'll head to the mansion and get Flora out of here!"
"Wait, don't go!" Guts shouted to him, although Richard was already running, as he was cutting through the enemy lines to get ahead. "Damn it... Is he seriously trying to..."
"I don't know what Richard is trying to do, but we can't stand around without his leadership. If you need someone to lead, I'll do it in his place." Gus answered back. "Richard would trust me with that, and he most definitely needs me to do that. Everyone, what he said, we should abide by it. Support the golems!"
Richard was close enough to the mansion, as he looked around, while scanning the surroundings of the mansion with his magic sensors.
'Come on... Come on...! Where are you...!?' Richard thought frantically, as his magic sensors weren't feeling anything, before they found something. 'Found you...! Now then, time to have the real talk with her... Everyone... Hope you can handle yourselves. Someone will need to handle Grunbeld when he gets there, after Guts get his ass handed to him enough to force him to use the Berserker Armour here...'
Richard then disappeared through a sukima, just in time for the northern team to arrive at the mansion, as Schierke was horrified to see the mansion on fire.
"The mansion is on fire... Mistress...! Mistress...!" Schierke cried out in horror.
"We'll need to get inside to find her..." Farnese stated. "She could be anywhere around here..."
"Are you crazy!? With these flames burning around the place!?" Isidro yelled with outrage.
"I can handle that." Corrin answered back, before she then partially transformed her head and right arm, before she fired water ball after water ball from the transformed arm, as it hit the flames and doused them slightly. "Now go...! Get moving! I'll weaken the flames as much as I can!"
"Alright, we'll remain behind and help mop up the rest of the apostles around here." Reimu stated. "We'll leave you all to get inside. Hurry, because I don't think that this trip will remain two-way if you don't be fast about it!"
"Thank you..." Serpico stated, before he, Farnese, Isidro, Schierke and Corrin entered the flaming building through the front doors.
The group were dealing with the enemy reinforcements, as they honed for the golems, although the group did their best to deter their efforts as much as possible.
"There's no end to these bastards...! How long do we have to hold out for, before their leaders come!?" Velouria roared. "I'll tear them apart, so that the enemy will lose momentum on this relentless assault!"
"There's no telling how long we must hold out for... All we can do is hope and pray that Richard can help Flora... And that the situation doesn't become worse."
"Uh, problem, guys..." Judeau informed the group, as he saw that one of the stone gates was broken through by a large bulky apostle. "We got more incoming through a whole new direction!"
"Curse it all..." Link cursed to himself, as he used his shield to block a blow from a large apostle, before countering with a spinning slash that cut open the apostle, leaving to die in a pool of its own tainted blood.
As the group fought on, Gus soon caught eye of the skeletal knight warping in, as he cut down the apostles lying on one path towards the mansion.
"Who the hell are you!? How can one horseman do so much against us!?" A apostle captain shouted at the skeletal knight.
"The... The Twilight Knight...?" Gus muttered.
"I have no name to give to mere Apostles. I'll say that I am the one who opposes the five Angels." The skeletal knight responded back, continuing his apostle slaughter.
"Yeah, I remember now, you were at our master's reincarnation! The knight who appeared during the Eclipse!" Another apostle captain remarked, before turning to face Gus. "You! I know you too! Our master's sacrifice! You're one of the survivors, but why don't you have the Brand on you...!? It's impossible!"
"We protect ourselves." Gus responded back. "And we won't let you have us like that. I won't let you go after everything you have done. I may not be one to hold vengeance and grudges, but I will not forgive any of you!"
He then charged at the apostles, as he cast various fire spells that incinerated the crowd of apostles, as he even used the fire surrounding the forest to utilise his own attacks, before he used a eruption of fire to incinerate the apostle captain that mentioned him.
"Why are you here...?" Guts asked the skeletal knight, as he was back-to-back with the skeletal knight, thanks to the enemies surrounding him.
"Because I have close ties with the head of this mansion." The skeletal knight responded back.
"So that's why... At the troll's den..." Guts answered back. "Guess we owe you one for saving us back there."
"Perhaps. But for now, focus your efforts on surviving. A dire opponent will come soon." The skeletal knight warned Guts.
"A dire opponent...?" Guts asked, before he then charged back at the enemy, cutting them through with his blade.
Inside the mansion...
Flora was sitting by the table, in the same large room that she was in before, as she looked out of the window, as the flames engulfed the entire room, although she didn't seemed to be close enough to them, to be harmed at all. She smiled sadly, placing her empty tea-cup down.
"I wish I could at least... seen your bashful smile once more with your own eyes." Flora muttered sadly to herself.
She then noticed space being ripped apart near her, as she turned around, and saw a sukima appear in the middle of the room, as Richard came in, clutching his chest, as the wound reopened, like Schierke had predicted, as he hobbled towards Flora, with the bloody wound in front.
"Hey..." He wheezed slightly, with a faint smile. "I guess that you were ready to await your end, weren't you, Flora...?"
"You seem terribly wounded... And I can sense that the wound was done to your astral body as well." Flora responded back calmly. "Did you face someone who managed to harm your astral body."
"Not just anybody... I and Guts faced down Slan of the God Hand. The Twilight Knight managed to help us out, and distracted her long enough for me to blow away her physical manifestation with a powerful spell. Of course, she tore me up quite well before that." Richard answered back, limping closer. "I'm sure that she'll be careful not to try anything against us for a while."
"Even when you are severely wounded like this... You would use your own magic so brazenly." Flora frowned. "You are quite foolhardy and reckless."
"I was born like that, and my life up to now only reinforced that." Richard answered back, before he winced slightly in pain. "But you know why I'm here. Well, actually, I'm here for two reasons, but one of them is more important than the other.
"I suppose that the first question, is whether I possess the means to heal that astral wound of yours." Flora nodded, before she pointed to a small cabinet, which was licked by the flames. "The elixir is in there. You must take it, before your wounds get worse."
Richard silently complied, as he wrenched open the wooden cabinet, before finding that there was several isolated bottles of greenish liquid, as the only type of item inside of it. After taking one of them, he popped the cork off, and drank it quickly, as the fairly warm liquid ran down his throat, with a fairly grassy taste to it, making his expression twist slightly. However, he could feel the secondary pain to his wound fade away slowly, although his physical would was still there. He decided to do something about that quickly, as he summoned a palm-sized flame on his right palm, before he then slammed said flame into his wound, as it spread out along the length of it, cauterising it painfully. Richard could barely restrain his cries of pain into a silent expression, convulsing with agony, before he then fell down on his knees, as the wound was completely cauterised, and he was left panting and sweating.
"...There... It's all done." Richard panted back, before coughing a few times. "Now I don't have to worry about letting this wound fester any more."
"...And now is the time to talk about the second matter at hand...?" Flora asked back, before there was a moment of silence between them, the crackling of the flames the only sound in the room at the time.
"...Like I told you before, this is your choice." Richard answered back. "I know that it is against your natural creed to escape this kind of fate, to die in the flames of your own home, but you could do so much more, and it wouldn't be wrong. I have become immortal for the sake of my own duty, and I regret nothing about, not even the countless deaths I had to face, each as painful as what you would expect from each untimely demise the death was linked to. Living longer than human longevity is not a sin, Flora. There are creatures who live longer than us, and they bemoan their long lives. So why should we be humble about our own lifespans? Some people deserve to live longer for their deeds, and I believe that you are such a person."
"...Even so." Flora answered back. "Are you willing to acknowledge that all of this is a result of your selfish desire towards me...?"
"...You are not wrong. In fact,you are entirely correct. If we were to compare Griffith nowadays, to me right now... There is little difference between him and me." Richard answered back with a solemn tone. "I am being selfish, Flora, and I'm sorry that you would have to be used like that by me. Escaping a reasonably peaceful fate, just so that you could be forced to fight against the evil longer, and act as a mentor for someone who I hold great affection towards. It's not wrong to say that I do this out of my own gain, but I cannot let you die, because I believe that you don't deserve it, and that you could be so much more. You said that humans are capable of much, much more. I am one such example, long ago. So why couldn't you be another example of that, to prove that you can be greater than even the God Hand?"
"You are honest with those words, and you drive a compelling argument. I wonder if your mentor taught you those wits." Flora remarked, before she stood up. "I have considered your choices,and your words, Richard. If it is time to that I am to leave this world... Then if you would be so kind to take a woman in her twilight years in age and power... Then I would gratefully accept your offer. I will teach your friend the magic that she has never mastered before, through my teachings. But I also come for another reason."
"And what would that reason be...?" Richard asked back.
"...To fix you. Fix your broken soul." Flora answered back. "You can maintain a facade of your astral body, in order to make it look typical and standard, but in truth, it is far more broken and twisted than what others might see it as, on the surface level. I may not be able to complete my task, but I can at least filter your sorrows and negativity out of your soul, mend parts of it slowly, so that you would no longer have to deal with the dulling ache inside of your heart, that torments your mind and spirit so deeply."
"Flora..." Richard muttered back, as he was touched by those words, seeing that Flora actually had a reason to come to him by her own volition, and that the reason was to help himself on the most harmed aspect of himself. "Thank you... I... If you could do that for me... Then my debt to you... Would be eternal."
"I can only repay your gratitude by doing this." Flora answered back humbly, before she then felt something. "Dear Schierke is here... She must be trying to save me."
"Let her... I won't interfere with your parting moments." Richard answered back. "I will allow you as much time as you need to do what you must here."
"Thank you then, Richard." Flora stated, as she lied back on her chair.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the mansion, Schierke was rushing through the burning room, crying out for her mistress, as Isidro had to pull her back from roaring flames.
"What the hell are you doing, trying to kill yourself like that!?" Isidro growled. "Use your damn magic! Corrin's stuff ain't doing enough to bring down the flames!"
"B-But... mistress...!" Schierke cried, as tears leaked from her eyes. "I... I'm upset... And I can't cast well like this..."
"Schierke..." Ivalera said.
"Damn... That means no magic to douse the flames." Isidro cursed, before turning to Serpico. "Hey, Serpico! Won't you use that feather-duster to deal with the fire!?"
"I cannot! It would only fan the flames higher!" Serpico argued back.
'Mistress... Where are you...!?' Schierke thought, as her flowing emotions were disrupting her magical senses, as more tears leaked from her eyes.
'Schierke... Listen carefully.' Flora telepathically told the apprentice, as she stopped crying, trying to focus on her words. 'Get that... to the Black Swordsman.'
Schierke then felt the image of a black set of armour in her mind, as it looked like a black version of a knight's heavy armour, although the helmet was shaped like a skull, with a spiked collar.
'You don't mean...! What in the world happened!? Why such a...! Such a dark armour!?' Schierke thought back to Flora with fear in her mental voice.
'A powerful enemy bears down. At this rate, the swordsman... There is no time.' Flora responded back.
'Enemy...!? What enemy!? But at this rate, you, mistress will...!' Schierke thought back frantically.
'You should know full well. That time has come.' Flora stated firmly in response.
'But... But not... not like this... It is too cruel...' Schierke remarked, as her tears began to flow again. 'You must go in peace... Not engulfed in flames like this...'
'At this very least, this is my due.' Flora replied back. 'You, as a sorceress, should know how sinful it is to live beyond the extent of your allowed time. There is nothing to mourn, you know that for we magi, death is not the end, but a change in the form of life.'
"But...!" Schierke cried, as her voice was shaking with sorrow, as she spoke her own words out. "But... I will still be lonely. I... In a sunspot... Afternoon tea with the golems. It's all going to be gone. It's going to burn!"
"Schierke..." Flora muttered in her own mouth, before continuing her mental conversation.'Then would it soothe you to know that Richard is with me at this very moment...?'
Schierke was greatly shocked hearing that, as Flora continued. 'You are aware of what he will do with me... He will leave me to die, but he will force me to leave this realm, as my time here has ended. Perhaps, when the fates change, or in another place, we will meet again, my dear Schierke... But for now, this is where we will part.'
'Mistress... I understand. I'll do what you ask of me... Just please... Please promise you'll return, mistress... I...' Schierke exclaimed in her mind. "I...!"
She then rushed towards one of the stairwells, as Isidro chased after her.
"Hey! What are you going to do!? At this rate...!" Isidro exclaimed.
"We head for the treasure chamber! Something is there we must give to Guts!" Schierke answered back, before thinking to herself. 'Whether or not that man is a part of my fate... I do not know. But now, the only one who can rescue him, if the mistress is right, is me, the magus. I am the one disciple of Flora, of the forest of the Spirit Tree.'
Outside the mansion...
Gus, Guts and the others were fighting quite well against the apostles, as they seemed to holding the ground well, as the number of larger golems remained steady for the time being. However, that changed when Guts's and Casca's Brands flared up again, as they began to leak blood.
"Look like some strong ones are coming our way..." Guts growled, turning to the direction of the dark feeling, before seeing a familiar shape. "What...!?"
He then saw Zodd come towards them, as he sliced and swatted away golems in his way easily. The brutish apostle then noticed Guts, as he smiled wildly.
"Who ever thought I'd run into you two in a place like this?" Zodd smirked. "Guess we're connected after all."
"Zodd...!" Guts snarled. "Why are you here!? Don't tell me your 'master' is-!?"
"That's obvious. Only one in this world's determined to be master of the inhumans." Zodd smirked back.
"Zodd." Another voice sounded, as a giant man clad in silver knight armour with a helmet fashioned like a dragon's head, the jaws of which reveal his face, which had sharp pointed teeth inside of his mouth, and red and slitted reptilian eyes, approached the both of them, wielding a large refined greathammer in one hand, and a almond-shaped shield the size of a regular man, with a demonic face on one end of it, a cannon in its jaws, as well as the entire length of the shield placed in a scaled pattern. "I, Grunbeld, wish to be the one who fights him."
'A giant...!?' Guts thought, seeing Grunbeld's massive physique.
"Grunbeld...?" Zodd remarked, before he then snorted. "Fine then."
"Thank you." Grunbeld thanked back, before he then stepped forward. "I've heard rumour of you. The Black Swordsman who goes hunting around for apostles. The bold man who, though human, unlike most of his companions, survived that Eclipse. Even if she is a witch, attacking an old woman secluded in a remote forest with such numbers is far from honourable for a warrior. That said, I forced myself to look upon this duty as a chance to display my loyalty to the Hawk..."
'What!? This was on Griffith's orders!? But why the old lady, she doesn't look like she could do anything with how old she was...' Guts thought.
"But coming face to face with a warrior like you, means every heavy stride has worthwhile." Grunbeld continued, before raising his weapons. "I, Grunbeld, as a warrior of the Band of the Hawk, call upon the Black Swordsman in single combat."
As if something snapped in Guts, he froze, as a deep sense of uncontrollable rage welled up in him.
'What..? What did he just...!? The Band...!? The Band of the HAWK!?' Guts fumed, as his teeth grit so hard, he could make diamonds out of them.
"En garde-" Grunbeld was about to say, before he quickly moved his shield, to block a furious blow from Guts, as the shield blocked the attack.
"How dare you say that...?" Guts snarled, hatred burning in his eyes. "All of you. How DARE you... say the 'Band of the Hawk'!? You spit at the very name of the band by pretending to be them! You have no idea what the name means, you wretched bastard!"
Casca and Judeau noticed that Guts was incensed, as they saw Guts tear into Grunbeld with his blade rapidly, although his strikes were being parried away by Grunbeld's shield, that managed to block most of the blows, before he then raised his great-hammer and brought it down with a growl, as Guts was forced to block with his blade, although doing so, caused him to tumble backwards from the force of the attack, rolling across the grass, before coming to an stop, as he coughed roughly the blow knocking some of the wind out of him.
'Fuck... What a blow...! It's like I've been hit by a battering ram at full force... Even though he's still in human form... He's stronger than a typical apostle, even transformed...!' Guts thought, as he stood back up, as he tried to charge back to Grunbeld, going for a over-arcing slice.
However, Grunbeld noticed the heavy attack,as he tilted his shield up, and blocked the attack, although it did make him feel some force against it, as the apostle let out a amused 'Oho?', before then shield-bashed Guts hard, knocking him to the floor again, as Grunbeld then swung his great-hammer down again, to drive it through Guts's body. However, Guts managed to block the hammer with his weapon again, although it smashed the blade against his chest, crushing it and breaking a few ribs, as he groaned and coughed up blood, before he then rolled away from the apostle, getting back onto his feet, clutching his bloody mouth with one of his hands.
"That's some sword, to take two strikes from my war-hammer without breaking." Grunbeld remarked, seeing that the blade Guts was wielded, didn't even show any sign of damage from the extremely hard blows from the greathammer. "But what of your fight!? There's been nothing remarkable save your one blow there! You're just being knocked about without offering any resistance!"
'That's damn easy for you to say, lizard... Man, that last one cracked some ribs...' Guts scowled to himself. 'With this armour alone, I'm going to be a goner, if someone doesn't step up to take this monster themselves...! But I can't rely on anyone yet.. I need to find a way to bring this bastard down!'
The skeletal knight was already occupied in his own fight with Zodd, as the apostle already transformed into his bovine form, as they traded blows with each other.
"You going to chase a woman in the middle of battle? That's rather unlike you." The skeletal knight remarking, parrying Zodd's blows with his blade. "Fighting was everything to you, wasn't it, Immortal?"
"Don't misunderstand. I'm the only one who can hold you off. It's that and that alone." Zodd grinned back.
"So this time, we both have different reasons than usual." The skeletal knight responded back.
Guts was still fighting against Grunbeld, as he managed to get a few strong blows on the shield, although it still didn't break or bend at all. Grunbeld merely scoffed, before he then knocked Guts to the ground with an overhead-swing, laying him prone, before stomping down on Guts, as the black-haired warrior used his blade to block it, although it smacked against his chest, cracking a few more ribs, and causing him to spit out more blood.
"This lacks." Grunbeld spoke with an unamused tone. "Are you really the Black Swordsman who defeated so many apostles!? Who crossed swords on an equal level with Nosferatu Zodd? Our arch-enemy? A weakling like you...? ANSWER ME!"
He then brought his foot down on Guts again, as Guts cried in pain, wheezing with blood in his throat. Grunbeld then looked towards where Zodd and the skeletal knight were fighting, as he was watching the fight intently.
"Zodd is fortunate to come across such a strong foe. The battlefield ought to be a sacred place to a warrior. To meet death in battle is one's long-cherished aspiration." Grunbeld spoke, before turning to Guts with a disapproving tone in his voice. "But... It seems that the pride of a warrior is not fitting for you."
"No point in monsters pretending to be warriors now... You narcissistic bastard!" Guts growled back in defiance.
Grunbeld didn't say anything, as he kicked Guts across the ground. "As a warrior, you aren't worth death by my war-hammer." Grunbeld growled, before he then levelled his shield at Guts, with the cannon inside of it pointed at Guts, who was trying to get up. "Fall to pieces... and litter the ground."
He then twirled his great-hammer around, before he then fired the shield's cannon, as the explosive round rushed towards Guts, as he tried to dodge the attack.
However, the attack was intercepted by a pillar of flame, setting it off prematurely, as Gus rushed into battle, wielding his great-sword.
"Guts! Are you alright!?" Gus stated. "Sorry I got here late. The apostles are pushing the lines, with you and Richard occupied... We're holding the line well, but we don't know how long we can take."
"Just in time then..." Guts growled, before he glared at Grunbeld. "This bastard is tough... Not even my strikes can get to him."
"Oh, a wielder of fire...?" Grunbeld remarked, as Gus readied himself. "I suppose that you will aid the Black Swordsman?"
"I have no choice on the matter. He is our companion. When he is in danger, we will always come to his aid." Gus spoke back, determined. "I know that I cannot defeat you, but I can at least stall you long enough for Guts to get back to where the rest of the group is."
"I see... So you fight to protect him. How noble... I'll respect your wish, and fight you instead, bearer of flames." Grunbeld stated, readying his greathammer to fight. "Hope that you will be able to survive or evade my blows then."
"Oi, you can't fight this bastard alone! He'll crush you!" Guts argued back at Gus.
"You look like that you're too hurt to fight any longer." Gus answered back. "You need to get to Elma to heal those wounds of yours, so that she can ensure that you can still fight on."
"...Tch." Guts clicked his tongue, before he then moved away from the battle, ignoring the pain he was feeling. "Don't die."
Gus then readied his blade, as it ignited. "I don't plan to." He spoke back confidently.
Grunbeld and Gus traded blows, as Gus evaded the blows coming from Grunbeld, as they were far too strong to simply parry. and he tried to cleave through Grunbeld's armour and shield, although it only managed to dent the armour, and leave marks on the shield, even with how much more powerful Gus's blade was, compared to Guts's own.
"You fight well, with your blade alone." Grunbeld remarked, blocking another strike from Gus, before then going for a shield-bash that Gus managed to dodge by stepping back quickly. "But you will not be able to keep this up forever. You are visibly fatigued fighting my men."
"Even so..." Gus stated, before he then jumped and smashed his sword down on Grunbeld's shield. "I can't give up!"
Guts continued to run, before he then felt Schierke tapping into his mind.
'Guts...? Guts...!?' Schierke told him. 'Can you hear me?'
'Schierke!? You okay!? What about the old lady!?' Gut exclaimed in his head.
'You need to go to where I'll show you! We need you to move there!' Schierke responded back, as he showed Guts an image of the descending entrance of the treasure chamber of the mansion.
'Go inside there...!? What the hell's...!?' Guts thought, before the image of the dark armour entered his mind, as he realised what Schierke was trying to tell him. 'You don't say...'
He then rushed towards the small entrance, before he then pushed the wooden gate open, then looking back at Gus, who was still fighting Grunbeld off. After seeing that Gus was still not cornered yet, he slipped through the entrance, as he tumbled down the roots, before he then fell back-first into the ground, in front of Schierke and her group.
"Guts!?" Isidro exclaimed. "Did you just... call him here!? H-Hey! Is he still alive!?"
"Stop shouting, you damn brat..." Guts groaned back, cracking an eye open. "I'm all banged up, witch. If you want to get that armour of yours on me, do it quick. Gus is fighting that damn lizard on his own. I can still move as I am."
"Schierke... Will this armour... Will it help him?" Corrin asked, as she kept a watch on the door in front of them.
"It can." Schierke responded back, although her words were filled with doubt, when she spoke them, as Guts slowly got up, and reached for the armour.
'Oi, if you're all still in there, you might want to haul ass! There are apostles rushing into the mansion!' Reimu shouted telepathically to Schierke's group, as Guts didn't hear it. The witch was even more flustered, as she didn't know what to say at these moments.
Guts was already strapping down his own armour, although his body hurt from the beating that Grunbeld gave him before. After he was done taking his armour off, he was already getting the dark set of armour onto himself slowly, as he got the greaves and boots on already, before the group heard loud thumping noises behind the doors to the treasure chamber, as they were then being broken from the other side, as a part of the door gave way, to show a large transformed apostle, with a vertically-slitted mouth.
"Wiiidjh! Is da widjh heeeereee!?" The apostle slurred its response, before Corrin reacted, and stabbed it through the head with a spiked arm, as it slumped down.
"Guts... I'll keep you safe! Just focus on getting the armour on!" Corrin shouted.
"Don't need to tell me twice!" Guts shouted back, as he just finished adjusting his breast-plate onto his chest, as he winced when tightening it around his chest, which was still heavily injured and in pain from the previous fight. He then raised the skeletal helmet, before slowly putting it on. "Alright, I'm done. Let me get back into the fray."
"Wait, you can't fight injured like this!" Isidro exclaimed. "What good is the damn armour when you're all busted up, you idiot!?"
"Not a problem now. If I need to get something healed, I'd go for Elma." Guts growled back, before he then burst through the door, as he ascended through the staircase, trudging through the burning mansion.
Meanwhile, back with Gus and Grunbeld, the former was being launched by the giant apostle, as a strike managed to land on his smaller figure, the sword that he was using, managed to protect his body from being hit fully by the hammer, although it sent him flying like a golf ball, right into the side of the mansion, as he barely managed to twist the flames away from himself, before he hit the building surface. However, it did nothing to reduce the impact of the attack, as he was left heavily dazed, sliding down onto the ground, to which he then crumpled on the ground.
"You have fought well, to have evaded my blows for so long, and managing to survive a strike from my war-hammer." Grunbeld stated, before he then loaded his shield-cannon again. "However, I cannot afford to show you mercy on the battlefield. I will defeat you first, and then I will pursue the Black Swordsman that has gone into hiding."
Grunbeld was about to fire, as Gus slowly pushed himself up, unable to move for the moment.
"Crap... I hope that we'll get our support...!" Gus coughed, as it was a dry one, fortunately for himself.
Before Grunbeld could fire on his vulnerable enemy, his cannon was knocked aside by Judeau, who threw a series of throwing knives, that batted the shield away, as the force of the throws were enough to shift the shield slightly, as the apostle turned to face Judeau.
"Say, I don't think that you've remembered what he said." Judeau remarked. "We ain't alone here. If you want to take any of us out, you'll need to get through us all!"
"Grrraaagggh...!" Grunbeld growled, as he readied his cannon again, pointing it at Judeau. "Annoyances everywhere! You will not deter me!"
Suddenly, there was the sound of wood being cleaved apart, as it caused Grunbeld to turn his attention to the source, as Guts came out, wielding his new suit of armour. Judeau turned as well, as he was shocked to see Guts wearing new armour.
"...Guts...?" Judeau remarked, before the others turned to him as well, after dealing with the apostles near them.
"What is that...? This armour... It feels... so wrong..." Casca stated.
Isidro, Casca, Farnese, Serpico and Corrin followed after Guts, as the black-clad swordsman was already advancing towards Grunbeld, with his blade out, ready for another round. Several transformed apostles tried to take him out, although Guts cleaved through them effortlessly, as if the armour made him exceptionally stronger. Seeing the larger apostles being torn apart so easily by his comrade, Isidro was shocked.
"S-Strong doesn't even cover it!" Isidro exclaimed, with awe in his voice, before turning to Schierke. "What's going on!? A minute ago, Guts was looking like he's been hobbled over! You should have said something! If you had such an incredible item, you should have handed it over for the troll slaying!"
"That... is not so simple an item as that." Schierke ominously responded back, with a concerned expression on her face.
"Is that the Black Swordsman? He moves like someone else entirely. No... That sword's definitely..." Grunbeld commented, seeing Guts approach him slowly.
"That's..." Zodd remarked with wide eyes, stopping his fight with the skeletal knight to see Guts as he was now. "Ah, the memories... My dear old rival. So you would have him follow you... down that same path into hell?"
The skeletal knight didn't respond back, as he continued to attacked the bovine apostle, forcing him to continue the fight.
As he walked on, Guts was occupied with something else, as a strange feeling washed over his entire body.
'What's happening... with this armour...? The moment I donned it.. The pain of my wounds vanished like it was an illusion.' Guts thought. 'No, it simply didn't bother me. Pain just doesn't matter anymore... Whatever this is doing... But more important than that... is what's boiling in my body, an impulse...Something inside me... Something ferocious is seething... I... see...'
Suddenly, Guts's mind was assaulted by images of the dark-furred wolf that was his inner desires and hatred, red lightning-like eyes, glowing brightly, as it swayed.
'This... This...!' Guts exclaimed in his mind.
'Yield to me... Yield to me... everything...!' The wolf spoke in a gruffer and deeper tone of his own voice, before it then let out a ear-shattering roar.
In the physical world, Reimu noticed something was wrong, as she turned to the direction of the unsettling feeling, seeing that Guts was howling himself, his head cocked back towards the skies. She watched with shock, as the helmet of the armour began to twist and turn, before it then fashioned itself into a metallic wolf's head, with the same eyes of Guts's inner representation of darkness.
"The hell...!? Something is off with him!? He's... He's being filled with darkness... Could it be... that he's going to be experiencing the same dark rage that Richard felt long before he did...!?" Reimu exclaimed. "No... It's less of a dark desire, and more of an uncontrollable rage... A state of rampant destruction and carnage... A berserk state..."
Guts then hunched down, as if he was becoming more feral, before he howled again, and charged at Grunbeld at inhuman speeds.
"Interesting! So that's your true power!" Grunbeld remarked, intrigued by Guts's transformation. "And it will mean your crushed corpse!"
Guts then leapt into the air, as he then twisted himself to kick the shield with both of his legs, while Grunbeld felt the entire force of the attack, as Guts was firmly planted on his shield, while the apostle was being pushed back suddenly. Guts then leapt off the shield, as Grunbeld quickly recovered, before Guts landed.
"He thrust back my huge frame...!?" Grunbeld blurted out, before Guts then twirled into the air, before then smashing his blade down hard, as Grunbeld felt the force of the attack through his own arm, as it was much more powerful than what Guts was capable of earlier. "What strength...! Are these the blows of that same man...!?
Suddenly, Guts leapt up back into the air, before then coming down hard, as it managed to break off a part of the shield, that turned out to actually be very durable wood, with some of the scales breaking off, unnerving Grunbeld.
"He broke my shield that repels even cannon fire...!?" Grunbeld exclaimed, before he then readied his shield, and pointed the cannon inside of it, at Guts. "No one with that armour and huge sword.. no, no human can move like that...!"
Guts growled, before he then raised his left arm, the prosthetic, as the cannon inside of it popped out, before he fired his weapon, just before Grunbeld could light the fuse to fire his own, as it struck the shield with great force, breaking more of it, and causing it to burn. Grunbeld let out a surprised cry, as he discarded his burning weapon, before it could burn through his own armour.
"A cannon in the false arm..." Grunbeld stated.
"He's usually strong as a monster. But that's an entirely another league there..." Isidro exclaimed. "Why didn't I get to see him use that cannon of his, even once...!?"
"It will be dangerous, if he continues to fight like that any further." Schierke responded back, as Isidro turned to her, along with Farnese, Serpico and Corrin. "It's not that Guts's wounds were healed by placing that armour on him. He just feels no pain from them. That is a magic fetish as well, the Berserker Armour, made by dwarves."
"Berserker... Armour...?" Serpico worded out.
"He who dons that armour and aligns with the ominous flow of od dwelling therein, truly becomes a savage." Schierke continued. "He is driven by such violent emotions, that he forgets about things like pain and fear. Humans have unconsciously established bounds to their strength so they do not harm their own bodies. Pain is a warning to keep us from destroying ourselves. A human without it... realises unbelievable strength, reflexes and perception. He surpasses the limits of the human body, at the risk of his own life."
As if to reinforce her point, Reimu, as the only one close enough to notice the detail, saw that there was blood dripping from the folds in Guts's armour, as if something was broken inside of them. She was concerned, but considered it fortunate, that Elma didn't notice this, and tried to heal him in a reckless effort, as the demoness was busy supporting the others, too occupied to notice the other matters, with how everything was proceeding. Guts also let out a quiet growl, as he trembled where he stood.
"Well done, Black Swordsman!" Grunbeld remarked, impressed at Guts's sudden spike in strength, as there was a fanged smile on his lips, before he raised his great-hammer. "Now taste the power of my strike!"
Grunbeld swung his great-hammer towards Guts, only to find his attack was intercepted by Guts, who reacted so quickly, that the berserk warrior's blade flashed down onto his swinging weapon, knocking it down into the ground. Grunbeld then saw that the blade bent the pole of the great-hammer into the ground, as Guts then followed up with a flipping slash, that cut through the horns on one side of his helmet, and right into his shoulder, before the large apostle could react.
"Argh!" Grunbeld cried, as blood spurted from his large wound, as Isidro let out a cheerful 'Yeah!', seeing the apostle take such a severe blow from the transformed Guts, although Guts himself was spurting blood of his own, through the arms wielding the blade, as if the muscles inside of them were burst apart by that one swing. "Magnificent. You are the victor! The rumours lied not! No, you're a superb warrior, and you exceed them when you are forced to a corner! But my mission lies ahead... For my master..."
Grunbeld then began to burst in flames, as Guts instinctively retreated, while the flames engulfed the giant apostle's figure, and spread out greatly, before the fire was dissipated, as the apostle had transformed himself, turning into a great four-legged fire dragon covered with stalactites made of reddish crystal, his face being shielded by a layer of the crystal, on top of the dragon's head, as its scales were onyx, and its claws were armoured as well. "I shall finish you!" The now-transformed apostle finished his declaration.
"D-D-Dra... Dragon!" Isidro stuttered in fear, seeing the towering dragon right in the middle of the field, as everyone was shocked as well.
Meiling noticed the transformation, as she grit her teeth, knowing that in this kind of world, dragons were highly dangerous. She hoped that Guts would be able to finish the fight, because she might have to step up and go toe-to-toe with the massive dragon apostle, as no-one was strong enough to be capable of fighting against the grizzled fire dragon. Not even Corrin herself, whose dragon form was more focused on magic, than actual strength.
"I shall use the power granted to me as an apostle... And lay low the Black Swordsman!" Grunbeld growled, before he then swung his tail around like a flail, towards Guts, as Guts managed to catch with, with another spray of blood from his own body, as Guts managed to stop the tail in its tracks, once again stunning the apostle. "Im... Impossible...! He stopped it...!? An apostle's attack!? A human!? I won't have it!"
He then lunged forward, as Guts raised his blade, and thrust it right at Grunbeld's smaller face, trying to strike through the head of the apostle, although his attack did go wide, and struck a little to the side, as Guts was launched back into the mansion, tumbling across the ground, and hitting the building at speeds fast enough to kick up a lot of dust. Grunbeld himself, however, noticed that where Guts struck him, there was a large glowing crack, as it concerned him.
"My skin of corundum, stronger than steel, has been cracked!? It's not possible, with a blade of metal like that!" Grunbeld yelled.
Guts then slowly got up, as Schierke's group watched, as they saw that he was in fairly bad shape, as a arm and leg were twisted backwards, forcing the berserk warrior to limp. However, the arm and leg suddenly righted itself, as if it was being twisted back to position by an unknown force, which appalled the group.
"What manner of armour is this... To fix such grievous disabilities so savagely...!?" Corrin exclaimed with horror, hearing the squelching sounds of flesh twisting while the armour fixed Guts's limbs back up.
"It is the armour's power." Schierke explained. "The armour is reinforcing his broken limbs, by piercing through his flesh and biting into his bones, allowing it to twist them as much as it is needed to fix the user. The pain caused by this is extremely great, but without the feeling of pain, it would be nothing to Guts. I heard that the previous owner of this armour was similarly devoured by its steel teeth, as he continued fighting until the last of his blood gushed forth from where his bones were broken."
"Wha...!? Why'd you put something like that on Guts when he's near dead anyway!?" Isidro shouted at Schierke, outraged by the decision.
Schierke didn't respond back, as she turned herself away. 'What do I do? It's my fault... again... Mistress, why...? Why a thing like that...?' She thought, before closing her eyes. 'What must I do?'
'You will deal with it, my young apprentice.' Flora answered back. 'It is something that only you, being a witch, can do.'
'Mistress! But I... I am still an novice, I am upset, and my magic...' She argued back.
'You now appreciate your inexperience and the danger of drowning in power... For this very reason, it should be possible for you.' Flora responded back. 'This swordsman, lost in the turbulence of power, you will show him the way.'
'I... I understand...' Schierke responded back, before she then moved into action, as she used a long piece of natural rope to create a circle around herself on the ground, placing down a gem on the ground, as she then straighten her staff.
"H... Hey... What are you going to do now!?" Isidro demanded.
"I am going to bring back Guts, before he meets the same fate as the armour's predecessor. Watch my back, please!" Schierke responded back, before she then closed her eyes, and concentrated her magic. 'I will try, mistress... I will... reach him!'
Guts was already stomping towards Grunbeld, who was impressed that Guts has not yielded yet.
"Unbelievable! To withstand two attacks from my true apostle form... And even wound me? What the hell are you...?" Grunbeld asked Guts.
The only response that Grunbeld got from Guts, was a enraged howl, as he rushed at the dragon, hacking and slashing like a wild beast, swiping and striking from all kinds of angels, spinning around rapidly, and side-stepping so quickly that the dragon apostle was unable to tell where the attacks were coming from, as more and more of his natural crystaline armour was being broken down by the rage-filled attacks. He then saw Guts prepare to strike Grunbeld's head again, as the apostle was unable to move, his legs being hit too much to be able to properly move to evade the attack.
However, before that could happen, there was a change on Guts, that once again shocked everyone, as the jaws of the wolf-like helmet opened up with a creaking sound, revealing Guts's blood-soaked face, with the glow in the eyes disappearing. He barely noticed that Grunbeld was charging up flames in his mouth, preparing to roast the exhausted swordsman.
"Receive my fire...!" Grunbeld roared, before he then let out a breath of flame, that sped towards Guts. Guts was about to dodge the attack, before he was then tackled by something, knocking himself out of the attack's path. Grunbeld barely noticed the interception, as the person doing it did so quite quickly.
When he stopped, he saw that the one who saved him in time, was Meiling herself, as there were some of Grunbeld's flames licking her frame, although they died off slowly, with her dragon scales mitigating and suffocating the fire on her skin.
"Mei...ling..." Guts muttered back, his throat hoarse from his weakness caused by all those injuries accumulated in his berserk rampage. before he then felt a jolt of intense pain, as most of the pain that was ignored, came back in a massive wave of agony, causing him to immediately faint where he was, before toppling to the ground.
Fortunately, Elma was nearby, as she looked towards Meiling, gesturing her to lower the swordsman down. Meiling did so with a nod, as Elma then worked on healing Guts's many wounds, although it would take quite a while, with how much of his body was injured in the fight, taking into account all the fractured bones and lost blood. Meiling stepped up towards Grunbeld, as she slowly lowered her fists into a fighting style.
"...I can sense the blood of a ancient dragon in you, dominant in your veins." Grunbeld stated, not making any attempt to attack the red-haired pugilist at all. "I am able to understand that you are merely an outsider of this realm... But tell me, what compels you to protect these people, to the point that you would put all your effort to ensure their safety?"
"...You ask a pointless question." Meiling answered back stoically. "I do this, because it is my duty as a fighter, to drive back the enemy. What Richard requested of me, is to take care of Guts and the others. I will not be deterred no matter what. If you wish for someone to fight, then I will take the place, as Gus did. I will warn you though, you should be aware that we're both dragons."
"And yet you limit yourself in this human shell of yours." Grunbeld remarked. "Or perhaps, even bearing the appearance and structure of an human... You are still powerful enough to contend against me. Very well, a clash between dragons it shall be. I shall hold nothing back towards defeating you."
"Likewise." Meiling respectfully answered back, as she enveloped herself in a invisible layer of chi, which flowed around her body. "I shall show you that even the fist can be more powerful than any other weapon, if one were to master it."
Grunbeld then charged forth, as Meiling steadied herself, before she then blocked the dragon's charge with a elbow-block, surprising everyone, as she then countered with a arm-strike, which managed to push the dragon back, as Grunbeld skidded on his feet, before managing to stop.
"What...!? You managed to... push me back...!? That man... and now you...?" Grunbled exclaimed. "...Ah, truly fitting of the one who carries the bloodline of an ancient dragon! You are powerful indeed, but I will not be struck down easily!"
Grunbled then roared, as he conjured up multiple falling balls of burning flames, as they shot down towards Meiling and her surroundings. Meiling dodged them, by sliding and stepping across the field around her, as the balls of fire exploded, igniting parts of the field on fire. However, Meiling was still relatively intact, as she charged through the burning flames, ambushing Grunbeld right from the front, as she smashed her fist into Grunbeld's human face, as the dragon let out a grunt of pain, before the crack on his face grew larger, the cracks spreading further and further along the face.
"What the... She's literally smashing that dragon hard with just her fists...!" Isidro exclaimed. "Is this how strong she really is!?"
"A strike like that... I cannot take so many of those blows, and hope to survive. You are indeed a terrible enemy to face in battle, red-haired maiden." Grunbeld stated, before he then raised his head, as he was gathering flames from his surroundings, as it was forming a growing ball of glowing flames, that were purely orange. "However, I cannot allow my enemies to live, and threaten our master! These flames are strong enough to even melt steel, and soften even the scales of dragons! Even if you survive this blow, I will finish you with a swipe of my claw!"
Meiling noticed the charging attack, as she prepared herself, in her own way, as she slowly shifted her stance, before crossing her arms over each other, as her body began to manifest yellow energy around her, that flowed around her entire form, before she then put one hand over the other.
"Declare Spell Card... Chi Sign: 'Fierce Tiger Energy Release'." Meiling spoke in a tranquil tone, as the yellow layering grew brighter, as it enveloped her entire body.
"Burn to ashes!" Grunbeld declared, before he then threw the ball of pure fire at Meiling, as the red-haired dragoness readied herself, before she then darted forward at amazing speeds. She then slipped around the ball of pure fire, as the extreme heat brushed against her entire body, allowing her to feel it, even with the protective chi coating around her body, as the attack managed to miss her, as it struck the ground, and exploded in a bright orange pulse of light, causing everyone to shield their eyes.
Meiling, however, didn't need to do so, as she reached striking distance of Grunbeld, before she then slammed the dragon up, with a rising uppercut, sending the dragon flipping back, before she then unleashed a barrage of attacks, striking at Grunbeld's large face and neck, as the crystal armouring was being ground to dust by her attacks, and the scales were not strong enough to handle the attacks from the powerful chi-empowered strikes. She then hovered over Grunbeld's head, as she pulled out a spell-card.
"Declare Spell Card... Attack Sign: 'Roc-Killing Fist'!" Meiling declared, with much more energy,as her right fist was surrounded by a aura of blue flaring energy, as Grunbeld realised that he was in a position where he could neither block or evade the attack, being suspended mid-air. He could only brace, before the fist smashed into his face.
And with that attack, there was a large shockwave where the impact hit, before Grunbeld was sent tumbling through the forest, mowing down trees as he skidded further into the distance, as he was unable to react, as the blow managed to break open his head, as blood gushed from the now-exposed crack. The apostles, seeing that one of their leaders has been defeated soundly, they turned to flee, as Zodd saw that the battle was coming to an end.
"Well... Looks like Grunbeld has met his match, I take it." Zodd remarked, before he then spread his wings out. "It seems that I will have to retreat for now, as the witch will not be able to escape her fate, as the God Hand have predicted. Either way, having this fight with you, old rival, reminds me of what is to come."
The skeletal knight was silent, watching Zodd fly away, before he then opened a spatial portal, disappearing from the area.
Everyone was surprised, seeing that Meiling just up and defeated what seemed to be a dragon in a fight with the odds stacked against the group. However, not everyone was like that, as Gus was proud that Meiling managed to beat back the threat, and Reimu gave off a respectful smirk, seeing that Meiling turned the tables on the apostles, and Velouria felt a bit envious that she was being overshadowed by the marital-art user.
"It's finally done..." Schierke exclaimed, before she then fell onto her knees in relief. "We managed to... win..."
"Hell yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Isidro cheered back.
"A odd battle, this is..." Serpico commented on the battle itself. "We managed to wrest free victory from the jaws of death, thanks to Guts and Meiling taking out that dreadful apostle."
"...Right..." Farnese stated.
Casca immediately went over to Elma, as there was great concern on her face. "Elma... Is he... Is he...?" Casca asked hastily, stuttering her words a little.
"He will live. I made sure on that. It took me a lot of magic to repair all of his wounds, but he will make it, I'm sure of it." Elma smiled back warmly.
"Thank you, Elma... Thank you for saving this idiot's life..." Casca answered back, as she was holding back tears of relief herself.
"Wait... What about Richard and Flora...? Where are they?" Gus asked, which snapped Schierke out of her relief.
"The mistress...!" Schierke exclaimed, before she looked back at the mansion, as it was burning quite strongly. "NO!"
Inside the burning mansion...
Richard managed to protect Flora, as he erected a dome-shaped barrier around them, as the mansion was falling apart around them, with flaming parts of the wooden ceiling falling down upon them, as there was the sound of explosions in the distance, possibly triggered by the many explosive and/or flammable ingredient and mixtures in the mansion.
"...We seem to be fine for now..." Richard answered back, as he wiped a bead of sweat from his head. "Flora... Do you think...?"
"Yes, the battle has ended." Flora nodded back. "Through sensing the od, I felt that draconic friend of yours, beat back the dragon apostle, sending him flying through the forest."
"I see... I guess that the dragon who came out on top of this spat, is Meiling." Richard remarked. "Not a big surprise, considering that Meiling is literally millenia old, while that apostle, Grunbeld, is only more than a century old at most."
"...How did you know of the apostle?" Flora asked Richard, before she then recalled a conversation she had with the skeletal knight, regarding Richard. "Ah right, you seem to have a good grasp on the flow of casualty in this world."
"It is not fool-proof. Things can change with my appearance and interference." Richard answered back. "I already done such a thing, saving Judeau, preventing Casca's mental shattering, which both created massive divergences in the bigger picture of the future of the world. Your exit, replacing your death, compared to those two, is a fairly inconsequential change, because you will be wiped from this world either way, but at least, you'll live to continue your work as a great sorceress."
"I see... May I speak with Schierke, before we depart?" Flora asked Richard.
"Like I told you, take as long as you like. I can even bring you to her, if you want to say these words face-to-face-" Richard was about to say, before the skeletal knight warped into the barrier itself, as he was still upon his horse, attracting both of their attention. "Well, it's quite rude to carry your horse into one's private room, don't you think, Twilight Knight?"
"I must apologise, but I have urgent matters to speak with both of you." The skeletal knight responded back, turning to Flora. "So... you have made your choice then...?"
"Indeed. He has given a fair offer to join him, and he has given someone like me, a new purpose in life." Flora answered back warmly. "I will help him in whatever way possible."
"Then I wish you safe travels, old friend." The skeletal knight humbly replied back, bowing his head slightly as a gesture of gratitude and good-will. "As for the matter... You two have not long to depart. The gears of casualty are flowing again, and your time is nigh, Flora. If you go past the time, the God Hand will sense the disturbance, and the Hawk of Light will send more than what he has before. The entire kingdom will fall to ruin, if such a thing happen, which will accelerate their desired outcome's progress, as well as decrease the chances of the Struggler achieving his purpose to defy them."
"I see." Flora responded back with melancholy. "Then I will make my farewells brief."
She then closed her eyes, as she reached out to Schierke. 'You have done well, Schierke. Now go... This forest will not last much longer.' Flora told her apprentice. 'Once the spirit tree burns down... This domain will likely close. If you do not leave, you will disappear along with it.'
'No... I won't... I... I don't want to...' Schierke answered back, as her voice was quite sorrowful.
'This place is an interstice where time lingers for the old. This tree and I have both lived quite long. However pleasant the sunshine, the young must not dwell here forever.' Flora answered back. 'The time has come to leave the nest. Go forth from here, and find your own path, my dearest student... The days I have spent with you were short, but in all my long life, they were the most serene.'
'Mistress... are you going...?' Schierke asked back, as she tried to control her emotions.
'Indeed... Richard must take me. It is fated to be, for if I remain here, it will bring ruin to this world.' Flora answered back. 'Do not cry for me... I will be watching you from afar, smiling down upon your fortunes and successes. I may be far from you, but I will still be there. If you dream of me... Perhaps we will meet again within these dreamscapes, and we will be able to relive the times we have had together. Until then, whether you grasp the fate before you, is up to you. May your going forth be blessed, sweet beloved child.'
'Farewell... my sunshine...' Schierke responded back, trying not to show her deep sorrow.
Flora then cut off the connection, as she then turned to Richard. "...I have said my part in all of this." She told him calmly, as a large burden was released from her heart, saying her farewells to her only beloved apprentice. "You are free to take me wherever you wish."
"Don't worry... I'm sure that you will be taken care of, where I shall take you." Richard answered back, before he then placed both of his hands on Flora, as he muttered a spell under his breath.
Flora began to feel the world slowly dim around her, as a wave of drowsiness began to spread through her body. She had a fair understanding what Richard was trying to do, as she did not resist the sleeping spell cast upon her, as she smiled, entrusting her fate in the hands of the younger magician. As soon as she was soundly asleep, Richard lifted Flora up, in a bridal-carry, before he then slowly lowered her through a sukima, as she was transported through it.
He then closed the sukima, as he then turned to the skeletal knight, who was watching all of this still. "...I guess that you're aware that my time here, along with my friends', is also coming to a close soon...?"
"Indeed. It has to be this way. You cannot support the Struggler forever, Rebel, for you have other duties, far more grander and far more dire than the matters of this realm." The skeletal knight responded back. "Even in your brief time within this realm, you have truly lived up to your name, standing in defiance against the inhumans, and being unafraid to taunt the deities themselves, and changing the whims of fate to your own path. You are truly a prodigious and influential being, with the help of your comrades."
"Indeed I am... I lived through everything I did, because I didn't give up, and I made best use of every single quality of mine..." Richard stated, as his tone was solemn. "Even then, I failed many times, as much as I have succeeded, and none of those failures left me without regrets. Also, as much as it may not garner emotion or sympathy from you... This will be the last time we will potentially meet. You will continue to guide Guts and the others, but I will not be there. Like Griffith, he will find himself losing someone he can rely upon, and someone he could call a trusted friend in his heart."
"...Alas. The world is a cruel place for mere humans." The skeletal knight answered back. "But the Struggler will not be deterred by this. You did not coddle him like a mother does with her child. You merely stood by his side as a comrade equal to him, never claiming yourself over him, training and developing him to become stronger and yet stronger."
"...That's how it is. Well then, farewell, great knight of the Twilight." Richard answered back. "If we meet again... I might tell you about how my journey and quest has proceeded."
"And I will await you... as a honoured acquaintance." The skeletal knight returned back, as the two of them left the mansion in their own ways, as the barrier dissipated, and the large room was finally buried under the burning debris that was held up for so long.
Outside the forest...
The group made their way out of the forest, as they just managed to get out of the edge of the forest, as they collapsed on the ground, exhausted through the long periods of fighting they had, during the defence of the mansion.
"Look!" Link exclaimed, pointing over the centre of the forest, as there was a blinding pillar of light that appeared over the spot, as it radiated large amounts of light, as it then exploded, spreading a halo of light that washed over the entire forest, before disappearing. "I guess that... the mansion is no longer there anymore..."
"Mistress... I won't forget you." Schierke remarked, as she held the staff close to her.
"Urgh..." Guts grunted, as he was being pushed along by Casca and Judeau, his companions, waking up mid-stride. "...What the hell happened while I was unconscious?"
"The Spirit Tree Forest is gone, like 'Poof'!" Isidro explained. "I think that the old lady is gone, like she couldn't have survived being buried in that burning mansion of hers."
"...She was a good woman." Reimu sighed back. "But I'm sure that she will be able to peacefully move on, and wait to reincarnate back into this world, to meet her former apprentice once again. Such is the circle of life and death, if what I learned about this place, is mostly true..."
"Right... So... Do you think Richard would have-" Antonio pondered, before a sukima appeared beside him, close enough to startle him badly, as he jumped to the side. "Woah, holy fuck-"
Suddenly, Richard came out, as he looked far better, and his chest wound wasn't there. Not only that, he also replaced his torn robe, for a new set, looking quite fresh.
"...Well, looks like this is all done." Richard smiled back. "I take it that you guys missed me a little?"
"...Yes." Velouria sighed reluctantly.
"Well, all's well that ends well, if I say so myself. No-one's dead... And we managed to get Guts his bread-winner." Richard answered back. "Well, the Berserker Armour is going to take some time to get used to, but once you do, Guts, you're going to become something that the God Hand will regret messing with."
"Heh... So all I have to do, is tame this armour myself then...?" Guts asked back, before he smirked. "Well then, I guess that I got a lot of training to do, trying to wrest control over this thing, now clad around me."
"Wait, what do you mean 'no-one dead' exactly?" Corrin asked back, a little miffed about Richard's casual attitude about the matter. "And how do you know what Guts is wearing right now?"
"Will the statement 'Flora told me about it clearly' be sufficient enough?" Richard asked back. "And as for the big question... Well, I'll put it out there, I didn't go to the mansion for no reason. But right now, we need to get to Elfheim, so that we can get this journey done and dusted."
The group then continued on, as Gus and Antonio turned to each other.
"With how he's saying that, and considering how he usually is... He definitely saved her, don't you think?" Antonio asked Gus.
"Most likely. Richard's not the kind of person to let someone die so simply." Gus answered back. "He's clear on who he saves and who he makes sure dies by either his hand or in any other way possible. It's fairly scary, but it also makes it easier to understand what he might try... Unless he starts pulling out real complex plans..."
"I hope that Yukari doesn't rub more of herself onto him..." Antonio responded back, shivering a little. "I can't bear having to deal with a Richard whose mischievousness and planning is beyond what should be possible for any kind of person that is NOT that crazy space-bending woman..."
The two of them cut their conversation short there, as the group continued their way down the road, heading towards the port, in order to travel to the continent where their destination lies at.