Chapter 11

The Will to Fight

I was waiting in the hallway for her…

It was late at night. Maybe between two or three in the morning and everyone should have been asleep, well except Rem and me of course.

I knew she was going to come. Call it instinct or intuition, but I knew that she was going to come any second now.

It was slowly beginning to start snowing outside. Hail, didn't realize that on my second day here there would actually be snow.

My fingers coursed through my hair as I lit up a cigarette from the pouch. Soon I would have to buy more, or if they did not have cigarettes here then I would have to make my own. I striked up a match and for a brief second, I saw how steady my hands were. For the first time in a while, I was not scared.

Maybe because I knew that whatever happened I was not going to die. That I could just reset...though it still was not an escape from pain or madness. A couple of loops ago I was reminded of how real this was.

Me losing control...how fear consumed my mind. My back was pressed near the wall towards one of the windows. Hidden behind my right leg held my purchase from the town.

An iron axe…

Before I left for the town I asked Roswell for my reward to purchase the axe. At first I wanted a sword but I had no real knowledge on using something like that, so I went with the axe.

I already used up most of the cigarette before I heard Rem's footsteps approach me. Her neat black dress shoes clamped towards me, as I spat out the remaining part of the smoke, as I crushed the light beneath my boot.

I turned towards her. Catching her blue eyes. "Hey...Rem."

She already had her weapon out as she approached me.

"Just my luck, right Rem." I spat out the last part of my sentence as I held the axe behind my back. "All the pretty girls that I have encountered...are the crazy ones."

She didn't say anything she just kept staring at me, intrigued. I knew what I was doing...control the conversation and when she isn't paying attention begin the advance.

"Mind if I ask, why are you trying to kill me?" I asked

She began to open up her mouth. But she let out a suppressed growl as her eyes locked onto mine like a predator. "Witch cultists...deserve nothing, only death."

She's still going on with that. I tried to convince her last time that she was obviously mistaken but I already knew that there was nothing that I could say or do to convince her otherwise.

I moved the axe steadily into my hand. "Look, Rem. I'm not a part of the witch cult...but if you attack me due to your suspicions…"

My eyes locked onto hers. The cold glaire forming as she took a step back. "I will fucking end you…"

She braced her body as the flail was thrown with precision, but I sidestepped as I moved under the chains. I threw myself towards her as I grappled the axe in both hands. I lifted it above my head as the wind broke through us in an exaggerated fashion.

It broke through her strands of blue hair as for the first time I saw her second eye that was always hidden behind her hair, filled with fear.

My fingers clenched around the handle as a horrid scream echoed from my lungs. I slammed the axe like how an experienced lumberjack would to cleave a piece of wood. But I hesitated...memories of her slaughtering me bombarded my mind as she narrowly dodged as I left a crater in the floor.

"You're quick, but also...slow." I spoke as I unearthed the axe. She pulled back the flail but I knew what I had to do

The ball of the flail and the axe clashed together as she tried to block my advance. Rem was strong, but I was full of adrenaline and hatred.

She tried to swing her flail to obliterate me in half, but before I swiped the axe slamming the ball into the wall. The echo travelled throughout the estate. Rem relied on the flails range and she was always on the advance, but she didn't seem that good on defense.

The axe collided with the flail and sparks radiated from the iron. My grip from my left hand loosened. With the sudden recoil I used my right hand to slam the axe into Rem, but she was too late to block.

Blood...spiraled out from her. The head of the axe poking into her left shoulder as she struggled to free herself. Her screams breaking my eardrums. "Tell me...how does it feel...Rem!" I screamed out in insane glee. Revenge…

This is what she gets...what she deserves for all that she has caused me. The pain, the suffering...the fear. I won't let fear or her control me anymore, never again!

Though I saw something poking out from her forehead, a glowing...purple, horn? I braced myself as I released the axe, but I couldn't avoid Rem's punch as she slammed her left fist into my stomach.

My body flew through the hallway as I slammed ten meters away from her. My back collapsed onto the cold wooden floor of Roswell's estate. My breathing came out hoarse as I struggled for breath, the air cleanly knocked out of my lungs as I struggled to regain the urge to fight.

I tried to move but there was a horrible pain in my side, even my vision felt disoriented. I saw Rem split into threes as she approached the flail now gone from her hands.

Her neat maid attire was ripped up, and the once milky white was now drowned in a crimson red. The handle of the axe was gone and the blade was removed from her.

Though I suppose in her rage filled state Rem removed the blade. A horn...she was a demon?

Pa...he was a big man of the lord. Catholic or Chrisitan, but I knew that he despised demons. Though they were words from the book, one was right here in front of me. Didn't think demons were pretty girls with nice chests, but you learn new things every day.

I spat out blood as I reached into my toolbelt as I wrestled with my holster. My vision was all over the place and I was beginning to see black spots decorate my vision. Exhaustion was taking over.

My hand looped with the gun as my finger tightened as I pulled the trigger. The sudden sound caused Rem to run towards me, but I didn't reach my mark.

As I kept on pulling...even though I exhausted my bullets. A pike of ice broke through my right hand, the gun exploded like glass, into fragments of little pieces.

My right hand wasn't safe as bits of the ice pike broke into my hand. Implanting it into my palm and the cold chill biting in my fingers. "Son of a bitch!" I screamed out in pain as she was only a little while away.

I didn't want to die…

I braced my body as the words erupted from my soul. "SHAMMAC!"

The black smoke clouded my vision, I even heard the sound of glass breaking from the pressure of the dark mist.

I shot up as I gazed around the smoke. "Betty was right...it's nearly impossible to see anything in here."

I could feel my feet but everything else was impossible to see. It was strange, it was stronger than even the gas that we used during the war.

Now…

My breathing stopped as my left hand went to my chest. I coughed as I instinctively went into my left hand.

I leaped out of the smoke as my feet connected. My left hand clutched to my right hand as it pained me to even hold. Though I saw it...blood.

Pooling out of my mouth and my nose. "My gate…"

No...now is not the time. "Minya!" I shouted. The pike began to visualize above me as the purplish glow began to pierce through the darkness.

It launched itself into the mist as the sudden explosion imploded inside of my previous shammac. "Is it...over?" I painfully spoke as my right hand went to my chest

Though she was there, waiting. Three shards of ice waiting for me as they were launched, Rem's swelled expression. Cold blue eyes, filled with hatred.

She was messed up. The shammac disoriented her, and the minya would finish her off. It sounded like a solid plan, but if Rem had heightened sentences…

The ice pikes were shot out towards me. I didn't have a choice...Betty's words echoed in my head.

"Sorry...Beatrice." I softly smiled at the young girl's words. "Shammac!"

A second smoke screen engulfed the hallway. As I threw myself out the window, we were on the second floor and I felt my right hand snap as I landed on the cold and rough dirt.

I threw myself away in reaction as I narrowly dodged a shard of ice aimed at me. My head was throbbing and I tried to walk away but I instantly collapsed, as I heard the sound of Rem's steps approach me.

I began to pick myself up, but I couldn't hear anything from my left ear. Strange I didn't get hit or anything there…

My left hand went to my ear, as I felt the steady stream of blood pooling from it. How...my gate, it must have been from my gate being defective, my body…

"Is destroying itself." I murmured

She stomped her foot and launched herself at me. "Shammac!" I spat out as she stopped her advance, my vision drowned in darkness. "Minya…" I followed up as the pike exploded and fragmented.

"I won't...I won't...I won't...die here!" I howled. Though my body had other plans, as my legs gave out as I slammed into the dirt.

Move…

That single command. My head and my legs weren't listening to me, but it was hard to even think straight. The blood loss, making me feel so cold. My head hammering into me as I was slowly destroying myself.

Move…

I can't move. I can never move. I could never move...from the past, from what happened during the war, and from those two lives I unfairly took on that cold summer night.

"Move...maid!"

A vibrant heat engulfed me. Drowning me in it's light, and the heat...of the orange flames danced in front of me. A fireball?

Two twin tails...yellow. I felt tears begin to stream from my eyes, but my vision was clouded in red. "Betty…"

"Damon!" I heard a familiar voice scream my name

If I wasn't in so much pain I would have cracked a joke about a girl screaming my name, but this wasn't the time. "Emilia…" I whispered as I saw her silver hair dance from my red vision.

She was wearing her sleepwear as she rushed to my aid. Her hands gleaming a blue light as I tried to hear what Betty was saying.

"Foolish girl...what are you doing!" She screamed

"Miss Beatrice, he is a member of the witch cult. A witch cultist…" Rem spat out, I could hear the hint of annoyance.

"Well you better have some proof of that maid!" Beatrice shouted back

"The scent ling…"

I could see her scowl form in my head. "The scent...that's you proof."

"Fool!" The sudden loudness of her voice caused me to gasp from the pain in my ear. "The boy saved the girl, and me and Bubby both already know about the scent. Do you think Betty would have taught the boy magic if he was a witch cultist? If I recall your master even ordered you and the girl on the first night here that the boy must come to no harm!" She spat out with venom in her voice.

"I...I…" Rem began to stutter, but I couldn't see her face

Betty rushed towards me as Emilia tried to heal me, but I didn't feel any different. I was laying on my stomach as I tried to speak. "Emilia...am I…" I was stopped short as I felt a swelling fill in my throat as I began to choke.

"Damon...Damon!" She cried out

"Flip him!" Beatrice quickly spoke. She tried to lift me but she had the strength of a little girl. "He is choking on his own blood!"

What is going on...what is happening to me? I doubt Rem could have damaged all of my internal organs so what the hell!

"His gate...oh no." Emilia murmured

"Get Roswell, and call bubby too!"

I was flipped over my side. Blood pooling out of me, but I felt so cold. Maybe it was the loss of blood, or maybe it was due to the ice pike still stuck inside of my hand.

"Betty...I don't want to." I tried to speak the words but I couldn't. "I...please...I don't...I don't…"

My head collapsed on the dirt floor. My vision turned black as her small fingers intertwined with my own as she kept me company.

Her small fingers wiped the blood from my eyes. "Was this...was she the reason why you were so afraid."

I tried to speak…

Her eyes began to water, I didn't want to make her cry. "If Betty knew...then you wouldn't have to resort to using your Od for your magic."

My Od...what are they saying?

My eyes began to close as those black spots came into vision. Beatrice, the last thing I saw. The final thought, before I vanished into nothingness...why did she care so much?

Why…

For someone who she hardly knew. Why? Maybe she was just…kind. So I let everything go, and embraced the warmth of the darkness, as the beckoning hands began to wrap around me in there loving embrace.

Author Note

Hi!

I hope you liked this chapter. This one was a short one and I might write a longer one either this week or next week. Rem and Dismas final confrontation should be resolved and the after effects should be addressed next chapter. Thank you everyone that have read, favorited, followed, and reviewed the story. Also wow over 75 people followed!

That's awesome!

Thank you all and hopefully you will read the next chapter. Have an awesome day!

Reviews

Guest: Dismas handled himself well in this chapter, though sadly he couldn't contend with Rem.

TheAncestor:Thanks for reading bro and keeping up with the story. Hopefully you liked this one

nauflrakha: Later on Dismas may very well add a couple of spells later to his arsenal. Thanks for reading dude!

dracodelah: Glad you liked it!

Cheemz: Yeah last chapter was a good one with Beatrice and Dismas. She came in clutch for this one too. Thanks for reading bro and I hope you liked it!

WiltedGalaxy17: Thanks for reading. Also I am excited for your minecraft/re zero fanfic! I am sure it is going to be great so just take your time and I am sure it will be amazing. Hopefully you liked this one!