Festival of Steel, Blood and Flames
Hello everyone and welcome to the latest chapter of A New Crusade! It's out at last and again sorry for the delay. As explained in my Demon Slayer chapter post, I had a wedding to attend before getting hit with a stomach bug immediately afterwards. But here we are now and hopefully you'll all find this chapter worth the wait because it's gonna get a little messy! And I may as well address this now since we're getting close: yes I will be putting this story back on hiatus once I get through season 2. Should I find a good source I may try continuing even if a season three is announced, but I'll also be picking up with a couple of my other stories soon too, so I'd like to avoid getting swamped. But enough about that, you folks have waited and now we can finally dive in!
Nighttime: Roswaal Mansion
Mystic steel clashed with mystic steel as three figures fought through the shadowed hallways, their movements fast and vicious, yet somehow rhythmic at the same time. Were one merely to see their silhouettes moving they might assume something more akin to a dance was taking place. But the sounds of snarling, yelling and maniacal laughter would quickly correct that misunderstanding, revealing what was truly occurring. A battle of a knight and a beast against a smiling demon in the form of a woman.
And the smile on her face widened even more upon their latest clash as she held up her twin blades, blocking both Ulric's overhand attack and Garfiel's straight punch. "Wonderful," said Elsa as her arms strained to hold the two at bay, "you are both simply wonderful."
"Hearing that only makes me happy when it comes from Ram," growled Garfiel as he pushed her blade aside before throwing another punch towards Elsa's midsection. The assassin nimbly leapt over the half beast boy, attempting a slash at his back which was blocked by Ulric's sword before Garfiel turned around and threw another punch which Elsa blocked with both blades. The half beast fighter attempted another straight jab which the assassin dodged, his fist instead planting into the wall where she'd just been and getting it stuck in the stone work. Ulric recognized her intentions immediately, intercepting her as she attempted to go after the trapped Garfiel.
The two traded blows for a moment before meeting in a bladelock, Elsa's smile turning into a smirk as she managed to push the knight back and kick him in the midsection. Ulric only stumbled a couple of steps, instinctively holding his sword downward to block Elsa's signature strike aimed below his chest. "Heads up boss," warned Garfiel as he tore out the chunk of wall his hand was stuck in, waving it around as an improvised weapon. This did little to deter the assassin, however, as she bobbed and weaved around his currently stony hand before swinging at Garfiel's face.
For a split second, Ulric feared the worse as he moved in. Then he heard the sound of the blade catching against something, noting it had stopped without cutting off the half beast boy's head. The Knight moved on instinct and sliced off the woman's hand, forcing her to leap back as she examined her now bloody stump. "This is truly, the best," said Elsa as her hand quickly regrew.
"I rold rou," said Garfiel before crushing and spitting out Elsa's blade from his mouth, thanking his sharp teeth for saving his life as he did so, "I don't want to hear it."
"A shame," said Elsa, "then again, I suppose it'd be asking too much for you both to be gentlemen."
"The kindest thing I can offer one like you is a quick death, assuming that's possible," said Ulric as he shifted his stance a bit, "Jiwald." His body lit up with the familiar power of his light magic as he shot forward again with enhanced speed and strength, his blade clashing against Elsa's as they traded blows. This served to only delight the woman even more as she struck back with several slashes of her own, halting the Knight's advance as they came to a deadlock yet again. It was quickly broken, though, by Garfiel dropping in from above with an ax kick, narrowly missing the woman as his foot cratered the floor.
"Got you," exclaimed the half beast boy as he reached out and managed to grab the woman's flowing braid while she was in mid-dodge, yanking her into the wall face first. He then proceeded to grab her head and pull her face along the wall, destroying both it and some her head as he roared and ended his assault by slamming her skull into one of the hallway's main columns. "How do you like that, bitch in-CLANG!" He was halted midsentence by the assassin suddenly striking out at him, her blade aimed perfectly at his face despite her not looking in his direction.
The clanging noise was the sound of her blade striking against Ulric's sword as he managed to stop it hardly an inch from her face. "I thought you were supposed to be the shield here," remarked Ulric, "don't let your guard down with this one. She survived an attack from Reinhard after all."
"Oh shit, I forgot about that-," Garfiel started to say before Elsa yanked herself out of the wall and slashed at their feet, or what they thought was their feet until the floor suddenly collapsed beneath them. Ulric managed to flip backwards, landing in a half-kneeling position as he ended Jiwald for a moment, trying not to give away his position in the current cloud of dust which had developed from the collapse. Garfiel landed on his back, far less gracefully before coming back up to a sitting position. The two fighters had their eyes and ears peeled for the slightest movement, but it turned out to be unnecessary as a swift swing of Elsa's blade through the air blew away the dust obscuring their vision.
"I am the Bowel Hunter," she said as she spun her blade in her hand before holding it out in front of her, "Elsa Granhiert." She licked her lips as the moonlight glinted off of her kukris.
"Oh, we're doing introductions then," said Garfiel as he got to his feet, "I'm the strongest damn shield of the Sanctuary: GARFIEL TINZEL!" He slammed his fists together again, his gauntlets sparking from the impact as he smiled.
"I don't really need an introduction given that you both know me," said Ulric as he got to his feet as well, "but I suppose it'd be rude not to follow suit in this case. I am the Knight of Lady Emilia's Camp: Sir Ulric!" He held his sword up by his head, the moonlight shining off of his weapon and chainmail as he did so.
"This is my first battle boss," said Garfiel, "so let's make it a good show!" The battle resumed then as the three figures leapt at each other, their weapons beared in anticipation for the taste of blood.
Around a Similar Time: The Witch's Graveyard
'I, I did it,' thought Emilia as she opened her eyes groggily, 'I was able to pass the second trial.' Unlike the first one, which had showcased her painful past, this one had shown her a very bright present where both Petelgeuse and Mother Fortuna were not only still alive but raising her like parents. If only they'd just go on and admit their feelings for one another already. At least, that was what she wished was the only problem.
The fact of the matter was, as nice and bright and happy as that present was, it didn't exist. No, Mother Fortuna and Petelgeusee were both gone, possibly never having professed their love for one another. And here she was, the one responsible for freezing everything in the Elve's forest in the first place, still alive and walking around. It was a present filled with pain and torment from both her past deeds and the past deeds of others who'd wished to use her, like the Witch of Vanity, Pandora.
It had been truly tempting, the offer made by the blond elf, or rather the illusion of the blond elf, Arch. To stay in that perfect present where everyone was happy and she didn't have a care in the world. But she had responsibilities now, and more than that she had people depending on her to be the very best she could be. 'I'm done running away from myself,' she thought with determination as she walked down the stone hallway of the temple, 'Ulric, Ram, everyone. I've decided to keep moving forward, no matter what!'
The thought actually brought a recent memory to her mind, the one of Ram kneeling before her, and the arrival of Roswaal.
Earlier That Evening
"This is really, the first time you've ever asked anything of me, Ram," said Emilia upon hearing out the pink-haired maid's plea to save her master, "so I'll do it. You believed in me and helped me find my way, so I want to repay that. I'm sure I have many debts to repay and it's something that I'll need to start on by myself, so yes, I'll do it." In all honesty, Ram didn't hear the rest of her words, merely that she'd agreed to help Roswaal.
It left her more surprised than she'd imagined, to the point where she almost didn't know what to do when Emilia approached and offered her hand. The maid took it and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet from the kneeling position she'd been in. It was truly a happy moment for her, one where she felt she was finally another step closer to her goal. And as quickly as it came, the feeling fled upon the utterance of but a few words.
"Would you mind," said the voice of Roswaal L. Mathers as the mage himself came slowly walking up the stairs, causing Ram to stiffen involuntarily at the possibility that she'd been found out, "if I offered my congratulations to you as well?" Ram couldn't stop her trembling, noting that Emilia was still holding her hand. Strangely, though, what stopped her trembling was the movement of Emilia's thumb over her knuckles as she raised her other hand and pointed it at Roswaal.
"That's close enough, Margrave," said Emilia as mana gathered in her hand. How surprised Roswaal might've been was hard to tell, but it did bring him to a stop.
"My, my," observed the mage, "this is a fine welcome, Lady Emilia. But despite appearances, my concern for you is quite genuine. One might even say that I pity you."
"You…pity me?" Questioned Emilia, her hand not wavering as she moved in front of Ram.
"Indeed," replied Roswaal, "you could say I pity you from the bottom of my heart. You have no notion of how to be loved by others save for doing what people expect of you. Yet despite that, you are forced to confront a past you never wanted. So again allow me to congratulate you with all the pity and compassion I can offer. And well done overcoming the trial, one that I was convinced you were incapable of doing so."
"If you call that congratulations," said Emilia, "then it'll be terribly difficult to offer my thanks. You even said that you thought I couldn't do it. Have you come here now because you are reconsidering that? Either way I will admit that I likely worried you a great deal when all I've been able to do up to this point is lose my nerve. Because of that, I've caused so much trouble for Puck, Ulric and everyone else. But they were the ones who all saved me."
She lowered her hand then as she continued speaking. "Despite my utter uselessness, they all lended me a hand. I realized then that I couldn't go on being discouraged." For whatever reason, this drew a chuckle from the Margrave.
"You say similar things to Sir Ulric," remarked Roswaal, "are you simply trying to repeat his words, ableit not verbatim?" This earned him an angry curse from Ram, but he continued despite this. "Your words are borrowed, the place was prepared for you, and even your numerous attempts at the trial were decisions made only after the stage had been fully set. Yet even knowing of such plans, Ulric still asks you to endure such terrible things."
"That's not true at all," Emilia shot back, "Ulric wants-."
"You and I both know him well by this point," said Roswaal, hardly minding the interruption, "he was not speaking so much with logic or reason but rather in matters of faith and of his God's movements in this world. Am I wrong in this regard?" Emilia grit her teeth somewhat, knowing that he had indeed gotten one thing right. "He's imposed his own beliefs on you, forcing you to fit his ideal of an honorable lady with the emotional assertation that you could do it. I truly do understand his reasoning. After all, he and I are far more similar than even he realizes."
"You believe you and Ulric are somehow similar?" Questioned a somewhat confused Emilia. At the moment, she couldn't quite comprehend how he'd arrived at such a conclusion. "I don't catch your meaning."
"What I mean is we both force our ideals upon the women we love," explained Roswaal as realization slowly dawned on the half elf girl, "I'm certain he's served you and treated you with utmost care, never even allowing the thought to enter his mind that you are not a normal girl. The you he serves and the you he loves is not really you but rather the ideal that lives within his own mind. Again I ask, am I wrong?"
Emilia didn't answer at first as her grip tightened around Ram's hand. The pink-haired oni feared some progress had just been lost, until Emilia took a calming breath. "Is that really all you have to say on the matter?" This question actually brought a raised eyebrow to Roswaal's face as Emilia continued. "You believe that is how the two of you are similar, that one single thing? If that is all you have to compare the two of you…..then you and Ulric are nothing alike."
For some reason this actually seemd to surprise Roswaal, so Emilia decided to explain what she meant fully. "To begin with, Ulric has called me naïve not just recently but on more than one occasion. Furthermore, he lectured me on having low self-esteem and valuing the opinions of others too highly. He knew from the very start that he was swearing his loyalty to someone who might have trouble surviving in the world, especially if she thought she was alone."
"What," questioned Roswaal, the look on his face making it appear as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"He had to explain Puck's motivations to me even after I got my memories back," continued Emilia, "and I truly did feel like a child compared to him despite Ulric hardly being older than me, in a sense. It made me realize that I was weak and insufficient in so many ways, but even more it made me realize that Ulric sees me for who I am, and accepts it. But what makes me certain the two of you are nothing alike, is that Ulric has professed to loving another." Again Roswaal's eyes widened, as if all of this was new information to him.
"And while you may or may not know about her," said Emilia, "it is quite obvious that Ulric loves her for who she is as well. I am ashamed I don't remember her, but just seeing the two of them together was enough for me to know, that Ulric wouldn't change a single thing about her because he loves her flaws and all. He feels no need to force his ideals on the woman he loves, so I'll say it once again, you and Ulric are nothing alike!"
"And," Roswaal said after taking a moment to compose himself, "what makes you think he wasn't simply deceiving you in a tactful manner to get you back on your feet, all to reach this love of his?"
"Because he didn't have too," said Emilia with a simple shake of her head, "he's always had faith in me and I won't let that faith go to waste. I will turn his faith of a better future for all of us into a reality because that's what I need to do right now, and also what I want to do." Roswaal seemed to be searching for words for a few moments before his expression changed, into a closed eye smile.
"You just continue to change from how you used to be," said Roswaal, "this is proving exceedingly difficult for me to accept it seems." Emilia tilted her head in mild confusion at his sudden change in demeanor. "Your decision is absolutely priceless, and your will to walk forward is indeed noble. These reasons are precisely why I pity you. The decision you've made justifies you getting hurt in a world which shall soon end."
"The world….which shall soon end?" Inquired Emilia.
"To be more precise, this world is moving towards its end," explained Roswaal, "it has strayed from the correct path and now proceeds towards the wrong destination. The Sanctuary and the Royal Selection have both already lost meaning."
"You sound like you're giving up already," said Emilia, "why? It was you and I…..who started this after all, wasn't it? I can't just allow you to give up before it's even over!"
"And what is it you intend to do?" Questioned Roswaal, only mildly curious about her response.
"I don't know just yet," said Emilia, "but I know what's wrong is wrong! Just giving up like that, is too selfish!"
"You really are starting to sound like Sir Ulric," remarked Roswaal, "so much boastful speech, yet I wonder how much of it can be realized?"
"That's what I intend to show you," said Emilia, "not just in the graveyard, but outside the Sanctuary too!" She turned to the maid as she spoke her next words. "Ram, I'm going now. But I promise I'll take care of the favor you asked of me." The Royal candidate headed back into the Witch's Graveyard then, showing none of the fear she'd had before.
"You got one thing wrong," Roswaal whispered under his breath, "it was my teacher and I who started it."
Now: The Witch's Graveyard
'And I proved him wrong once again,' thought Emilia as she approached the entrance to the temple, 'I won't let Ulric, Ram and the others down, not after everything they've done to help me.' Her thoughts were interrupted upon her stepping out into the moonlight, where she was greeted by a multitude of voices.
"Hey there she is," said one of the villagers, "she's alright!" Said another excitedly. The half-elf girl couldn't quite believe her eyes at first. Everyone who still needed to return to Arlam Village in the Mathers domain had gathered to support her. Even more unexpected, the half-blood citizens of the Sanctuary were there as well.
'Ulric, Otto,' thought Emilia with a smile, 'you both worked really hard to show me that I wasn't alone after all. So whatever you're both doing right now, I hope you're having as much success as I am.'
About the Same Time: Roswaal Manor
"Yes, wonderful," sang Elsa as she leapt between more of Garfiel and Ulric's attacks before turning around and blocking their follow up strikes, "wonderful, wonderful, WONDERFUL!" She parried and dodged around a combo from Garfiel's fists and deflected the strikes Ulric attempted to get on her blindside.
"What is up with this bitch," commented Garfiel as he leapt back, noting the euphoric look on his enemy's face, "even I don't like fighting this much!"
"Here, allow me to alleviate that," said Elsa as she went on the offensive, slashing wildly at the half-beast boy before managing to land a kick on his midsection that sent him sliding a few feet. She threw her kukri then, intending to embed Garfiel in the head, but Ulric intervened and knocked the blade into the ceiling before going on the offensive himself. Elsa merely continued smiling as she backpedaled a few feet, blocking her opponent's slashes which were currently being enhanced by his light magic. It granted Garfiel enough time to get back into the fray, or so he hoped until the assassin made a yanking motion with her hand.
"Shit, Garfiel," Ulric warned, not taking his eyes off his opponent who suddenly started slashing back more furiously. The knight didn't know what she'd had planned in that instant, but his warning still came just in time as Elsa's kukri from earlier was yanked out of the ceiling and came spinning towards the back of his head. The Shield of the Sanctuary, recognizing the threat, turned and batted the blow away just in time. But even that proved to be an opening for the assassin to exploit and she quickly leapt over Ulric's latest counter thrust, her blade poised to take Garfiel's head.
Then something strange happened in that instant, her blow missed by a few inches as if her reach was too short. Elsa hardly had time to glance back and see the reason for her mishap: the Knight had grabbed his sword by the blade and stuck it out, catching her weapon and arm within the crossguard before pulling back, stopping her momentum. Garfiel roared as he took what was now his opening and jammed his claws into her left eye, tearing a terrific hole in her head while Ulric pulled and disarmed her of her other blade. The surprised assassin went limp for a moment as she collapsed on the floor. She didn't stay for long, however, as she covered her wound and rolled out of the way of Ulric's downward strike.
"Oh my, that hurt," said Elsa as she got back to her feet, "that hurt quite a lot. Oh pain like this, makes me feel so alive." She pulled her hand away from her eye then, revealing that it had healed back completely.
"Damn Boss you weren't kidding," said Garfiel, "what does it take to kill a bitch like this?"
"Do you two dislike women such as me?" Questioned Elsa as she pulled out another blade, "my wounds heal instantly, so I can fight forever even if it is against two such as you. Are you perhaps wondering if there's any point in continuing your struggle against a woman like me?"
"I've watched you retreat before," said Ulric, "and I was able to best you with a little help in our second bout. That alone tells me you can be stopped and even killed. So don't expect me to back down now just because the odds seem slightly less favorable this time."
"You tell her Boss!" Said Garfiel with a grin, "we'll just keep kicking her ass until she doesn't come back anymore!"
"I was right, you're truly both wonderful," said Elsa with a pleased sigh, "which makes it all the more a shame."
"What is?" Questioned Ulric, not wanting to take any chances whatsoever with this fight.
"No doubt one of you has sensed or is aware of the presence of mabeasts," said Elsa as she pointed out the window with her kukri, "and that someone else besides me has come to the mansion this night. No doubt your sense of concern is dulling your attacks."
"Hah, we already planned for that," said Garfiel, "Boss didn't just bring me, he brought another buddy who's getting the maids and my sister out of here right now!" And Ulric was ready to agree, if something hadn't been nagging at him. He'd paid it little mind at first, assuming the shaking of the mansion was due to Garfiel's powerful blows and their ferocious fight with Elsa. But as their fight continued, he'd felt other tremors happening that had nothing to do with their fight.
It was always possible Meili's mabeasts were just thrashing around in a vain attempt to find her targets, but why go through all that trouble when she had several smaller mabeasts for sniffing and scouting around? The thought had been enough to put the Crusader on edge, and the assassin had caught onto it. "Garfiel," said Ulric, "we need to wrap this up quickly. It's possible the others haven't escaped yet."
"What, you're considering taking what this bitch says seriously," said Garfiel with a tone of annoyance, "she's just tryin' ta mess with our heads. Now's the time to stay focused on what's in front of us!"
"I quite agree," said Elsa, "this evening has been joyous so far and it would be a shame if it's spoiled by your focus being split. I'll take my time with this one, so go and see if your little friends aren't already mabeast food. And then hurry back so that we can continue our dance."
"You assume I'll simply take you at your word that you'd just let me go off on my own," said Ulric.
"You're an honorable knight, aren't you," Elsa pointed out, "so long as Meili and I are chasing your little friends, you won't be far behind."
"Gah, you're freakin' annoying," spat Garfiel as he stepped between the two, "Boss, if it's really that big of a concern for ya, get going. I'll hold the bitch in black here until you get back, or even better I'll have the walls plastered with her entrails for ya. So go do what you gotta do."
"If you're certain you can hold out that long, then I'll leave this to you for now," said Ulric as he relaxed his stance, "you have my thanks, Shield of the Sanctuary."
"You can thank me by makin' sure my sister's okay," said Garfiel, "now go!" The Knight did as requested, turning around and racing down the hall towards Roswaal's office as the sound of clashing steel reached his ears behind him. He had to swat some of the flying rat mabeasts about of the way as well as cut the heads off a few of the snakes, but it proved relatively easy in comparison to what he had been facing up to that point. As for how he would find his love and the others, that was a problem that wound up solving itself with the sound of breaking walls not far ahead of him, with the echo of a roar mixed in.
'That sounds like the blue lion beast I encountered before,' thought Ulric, 'I believe Otto called it a Guiltylaw. Regardless, if it's still here then that might mean the others haven't made it out yet.' This line of thought had him quickening his pace even more, daring to even use a bit of his light magic in order to reach his destination faster. Whatever he expected to find when he arrived, a flaming beast crashing through the wall wasn't it.
The Knight came to a quick stop as the monster he'd expected to encounter thrashed about, doing its utmost to rid its body of the flames currently engulfing it. The mabeast had no sense of direction nor even an awareness that Ulric was there as it slammed into the far wall, tearing through it and dropping down to the bottom floor where the mansion's large garden was. Ulric quickly followed after it, peeking out of the new hole in the wall as he noted it was in its final moments. 'Well, that's one problem that seems to have solved itself,' he thought as he turned back and looked in the direction the monster had come from, before being hit with overwhelming relief.
"Is that really," said Petra, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her yellow pajamas.
"It is, ULRIC!" Cheered Rem as the two of them bounded over to the knight, who was quick to remove his helmet as he caught them both in a happy embrace. "You're here, you made it here to rescue us after all!"
"I am," said Ulric, "though it appears my aid was unnecessary. Tell me, who set that foul beast on fire?"
"Oh, that was my idea," said Otto as he waved from a few feet away, "I still had all of my seasonal oil so I figured it'd be a good time to use it. Oh, and Petra helped me dunk some on the Guiltylaw too, though Rem really deserves some credit. She led the mabeast away long enough for us to get the oil, she even got a good couple of punches on it."
"Frederica taught me a little about my capabilities after learning I was an oni," explained Rem, "she made especially sure to tell me that I was capable of fighting."
"You're one of the most capable girls I've ever met in my entire life," said Ulric as he peeked her on the cheek while rubbing Petra's head, "and you did well too, Petra. Though I must ask, where is Frederica? I sent her to find all of you so that you could get out of here safely."
"We ran into Meili," explained Otto, "she brought in this huge beast called a Rock Pig. Frederica stayed behind to hold it off and we would have made it out of here if not for that Guiltylaw. For whatever reason the barrier stones don't work on it, which is why we had to improvise."
"Well as long as those two assassins and the mabeasts are still about, you're not safe here," said Ulric, "get to the study as planned and go out through the secret escape tunnel hidden behind the book case."
"It's still amazing the Margrave trusted you enough to tell you about that," said Otto, "I wonder if that was in preparation for another one of his schemes."
"Actually it was Rem who told me," explained Ulric as he patted the blue-haired maid's head, "after the wolgarm incident at Petra's village, she thought it'd help with the security of the mansion. And you were right."
"I wish I did remember telling-what's that smell," said Rem as she turned to look out the hole in the wall made by the Guiltylaw. Ulric and the others did as well, and their eyes widened. Fire was spreading outside of the mansion at an incredibly rapid pace, almost as if it was fully intent on destroying the area in as short a time as possible. What was worse, several of the places in the hall where the oil had landed while being spilt on the Guiltylaw had also ignited, catching the hallway on fire.
"Otto, how much oil did you use?! All of it!?" Exclaimed Ulric as the group hurried away from the quickly growing flames.
"I couldn't really afford to be stingy with it given the situation," said Otto, "I just wanted to make sure that monster died!"
"But we can't put out that much fire," said Petra as the sound of some wood timber collapsing joined the now roaring flames, "we need to get out of here!"
"You do," said Ulric, "but I can't leave yet. Garfiel and Frederica are still fighting the assassins and there's one other that needs to be convinced to leave as well."
"You mean Beatrice, don't you Ulric," said Rem, already understanding his intentions.
"Even if we didn't need her help, it wouldn't be very fitting of a knight to simply leave here to die," said Ulric.
"Just…..just be careful, okay," said Petra with a worried expression on her face.
"You have my word little one," said Ulric as he patted Petra's head again. Rem was then quick to lean over and plant a kiss on his lips, a quick but passionate one that held the same plea as Petra.
"We'll be waiting for you," said Rem as she pulled away. Ulric smiled and gave her a nod before putting his helmet back on his head, turning and hurrying back towards the nearest door that wasn't currently engulfed in flames. Had he the time to think about it, he'd honestly be torn on how he felt about the mansion burning. On the one hand, there was a degree of satisfaction in seeing Roswaal lose his residence due to a situation he'd caused of his own accord in the first place. Though on the other hand, it had still served as a home for Rem, Emilia, Ram and the others for some time and held more than a few good memories for the knight.
But time was short and there was little to be done about it, which was why he continued opening one door after another as he focused on his current objective until finally, he opened a door and stumbled into a familiar library. "You're being quite noisy again, I suppose," said the Miniature Magic user as she sat on her stool like always, acting as if nothing unusual was happening outside her door.
"It's not like I ask for my job to be this ridiculous," said Ulric as he brushed some of the ash off of his armor, "trouble just seems to love this place."
"I could easily blame you for that given how it all seemed to go up dramatically after your arrival," said Beatrice, "but I know that's not the case I suppose. Now, what is it you want?"
"Well I've little time so I'll have to make this brief," said Ulric, "to put it simply, I'm going to tell you about the one you refer to as 'that person'."
A Short Time Later: Outside Roswaal's Burning Mansion
'Damn Boss,' thought Garfiel as he dodged another slash from Elsa, 'and I thought I had a beef with Roswaal. You're gonna burn down his whole mansion just to get rid of these assassins it seems.' Not that he actually knew whether or not all of the fire was Ulric's doing. What he did know was that he now had another problem, his sister was still here.
She'd come rushing in after bashing a whole rock pig through the wall of the mansion, interrupting his fight with Elsa while also revealing the other assassin, Meili, riding atop the mabeast. Of course Frederica said she was remainin' there for his sake as well as for buying time for the others to escape, but that just pissed him off given that he'd come there to save her. So he'd channeled his anger into his divine blessing of earth and blasted them all outside where Frederica continued to contend with the mabeasts while he handled Elsa. And now the two were battling among the flames, sparks flying every time their weapons clashed as he tried to find an opening.
This Elsa bitch was just so damn quick though and managed to knock his right arm out of the way at the same time he was retracting his left arm from a blow. He didn't have time to raise his arm to block as she stabbed her latest, and largest blade into his shoulder, getting a growl of pain from the half-beast boy. 'Fine, I'll just have to use it,' he thought as he sent mana to his arm, causing it to morph into his large tiger arm that he'd usually have in his full beast transformation. Elsa's eyes widened in surprise at the display as she failed to free her blade from his limb, giving him an opening to slam her across the face with enough force to rip off part of her head and send her several feet away.
"Now, get 'em Rock Piggie!" Exclaimed Meili who'd dismounted her mabeast. The massive hippo-like beast charged Garfiel as he was taking the blade out of his arm, leaving him no room to dodge as he instead put both of his arms up and caught the beast midcharge. There was still plenty of force to push him back as he felt his feet slide along the hot ground, his muscles straining from the effort. 'This won't stop me,' he thought as he poured more mana into his body and completely transformed into his beast form, digging his feet into the ground as he pushed back against the mabeast.
When they finally stopped, Garfiel let out a ferocious roar before using his blessing of the earth to move the rocks beneath his feet and launch himself into the air, causing the Rock Piggie to rear up on its hind legs as he kept a hold of its mouth. He transferred this momentum into a powerful spin as he twisted his body in the air, turning the large monster's head at the same time until, with a resounding snap that could be heard all over the mansion, its head twisted off completely, showering some of the area with its blood as both its body and head toppled to the ground. Garfiel landed and let out a triumphant roar, signaling his victory over the now dead beast as Meili looked on in disbelief.
"N-No…..no," said Meili as she tried to process what just happened, "we can't be losing! Elsa, do something now!"
"Honestly, what a slave driver you are," said the blade-wielding assassin as she stood up somewhat shakily, her head now fully healed from its earlier injury. Garfiel made to move towards her, but grunted in pain as he felt the strength begin to leave his body. 'Shit, I used up all my mana holding it back, and on that one move,' the half-beast boy realized as his body began to shrink and change back to its normal state. He collapsed to his knees then, panting heavily from the toll the fight had taken on him.
"How does it feel now," asked Elsa as she slowly approached, "as your body becomes more and more injured, mine continues to heal itself. Are you starting to find it the slightest bit unfair yet?"
"Huh," breathed out Garfiel, "yeah right, if I just keep killin' ya till you die, you'll die. You see I liked readin' books when I was little and after fightin' with ya for a bit I'm pretty sure I've got you pegged. A long time ago there was a witch who was the same as you and she's dead, which means you can die too if you're injured fatally enough times, right, VAMPIRE!" Elsa had rushed forward by this point, her blade poised to take Garfiel's head.
As she came within striking distance, however, a shape dropped between them and batted away her strike. Elsa attempted a follow up strike with her other weapon which was stopped by the glowing hand of the newcomer, or rather the return of the other combatant. "Kito Jiwald," said Ulric as a blue light orb was unleashed from his palm where the blade had been stopped, sending the assassin sliding back several feet before she moved to the side, letting the blast impact into some nearby rubble.
"Oh, you've reappeared at last," said Elsa with a contented sigh, "how wonderful. Now if only you'd used something a little more unorthodox."
"Indeed," said Ulric as he took a stance, "that tactic worked on you in the capital but it and every other tactic used this evening has only succeeded once so far. That's why I can honestly say, Garfiel, you and Frederica have done extraordinarily well to hold out until this point."
"I told ya I could do it Boss," said Garfiel as he tried to stand, "now that you're back, we can both rip this bitch's head o-."
"No," said Ulric sternly, "I caught sight of that spectacular maneuver you performed earlier. It was awe inspiring but also clearly taxing on you and Frederica is still busy with the mabeasts and Meili. Take some time to rest and leave this to me for the moment."
"You can't expect me to just sit out now," said Garfiel as he managed to stand up, "not when there's a good fight happenin' right in front of me." Ulric let out a sigh at the eager half beast's pleas.
"Very well, go and help Frederica clear up the mabeasts," he said, "then you can resume helping me against this one. Is that a fair compromise?"
"Tch, fine if you insist," said Garfiel, "just don't die before I get back Boss, or I'll kick your ass along with the bitch in black's." He turned and headed towards his sister then as Ulric turned his attention fully on Elsa.
"And now we're alone again," said Elsa, "though given our past fights, I wonder how you'll fare without help?"
"However it ends I shall cry out the same battle cry, DEUS VULT!" Howled Ulric as light magic engulfed his body before he and Elsa launched towards each other, her black and spiked blades clashing with Ulric's glowing sword as the two quickly exchanged blow after blow. The assassin had lost more blades to Garfiel in his absence and was now wielding her most terrifying pair yet. Both were larger than her kukris with one being steel colored and possessing two curves along the back of the blade while her other one was black and red with jagged serrations on the blade side.
On multiple occasions, Elsa would try hooking one of her blades on Ulric's sword to move it to the side in order to create an opening. The Knight would answer in kind with a counter maneuver like moving to the side and forcing her off balance to disrupt her aim, slipping his sword out in time to block her next strike, twisting his weapon in a way that allowed him to block the next strike and on one occasion even managed to catch her blade arm with his hand thanks to his enhanced speed. But this last one turned out to be a trap by Elsa as she managed to free her weapon from his sword before delivering a powerful upward kick into the Knight's helmet, sending it flying off of his head as the knight himself flew a few feet before hitting the ground.
He rolled to the side on instinct, feeling as much as hearing the blade slide across the ground mere inches from his back as he righted himself and blocked a follow up dual strike, initiating a blade lock between the two. "Ah, much better," said Elsa as she gazed into his orbs, "I much prefer being able to see your eyes, ones that have witnessed battle many times before."
"I fought in the Crusades because I believed it to be my duty!" Exclaimed Ulric as he managed to force her back and away from him, "not because I enjoyed bathing my blade in blood!"
"Ah yes, you left your home to do battle," said Elsa, still smiling as they again exchanged ferocious blows, "the land of my birth was Gusteco, the land to the North. It was a very, very cold place." She spoke as if she was having a normal conversation despite the continuaul clash of their blades. "I was abandoned as a child, so I hurt and stole from people day after day. I had no time to think about things like living or being happy. Then one day during a blizzard I was stealing from a shop and its owner captured me."
The two disengaged, taking a moment to regroup and assess their next moves. But Elsa continued with her story even then. "Since I was a girl, he removed all of my clothes including my undergarments. As luck would have it, though, I found a shard of glass and without giving it even a thought, I drove it into his belly. And at that moment, even as I felt I might freeze from the blizzard outside, a thought entered my head: 'Blood and innards are so very warm.'"
She had a nostalgic look on her face as she said the last part. "If there is happiness in this world, it is the warmth that makes one forget the cold, and that moment was the first happiness I'd ever found in my life up to that point. Having washed your hands in blood as well, you might have the faintest of understandings of this."
"I understand the craving for warmth, and for cold," said Ulric, "such is warfare in the desert. I and countless Crusaders would yearn for the feeling of cold during the day and then cling to every last bit of warmth we could find come nightfall. But my happiness came from the warmth of my family and friends and from serving God's will. So even having met numerous orphans during my travels as a Crusader, I will not lie and say that I truly understand the frigid life you've endured. I honestly find it curious why you'd tell your story to one you intend to kill."
"Why indeed," said Elsa, "it must be because I find you and that Garfiel fellow so endearing. The half beast boy is physically stronger with so many ways to rip me apart, even permanently, but it's clear from his eyes that despite his ferociousness he's never taken a life. And then there's you, Sir Ulric, one whose swordplay, magic and fighting prowess has improved exponentially in just three meetings with me. What's more, you possess the eyes of one who's taken many lives and won't hesitate to take more, including mine, should it prove necessary. I honestly can't decide which one of you I want to love more, and so I shall love whichever one of you is really capable of killing me."
Ulric thought on her words for a moment, before he felt compelled to give the following reply. "'Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the herb of the field. In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, and to dust you shall return.'" Said Ulric with his eyes partially closed in prayer before resuming his fighting stance and empowering his body with Jiwald again. No other words were said then as the two engaged yet again, letting their blades speak for them now as the sound of mystic steel clashing sang loud enough to be heard over even the fire itself.
The Knight parried, blocked, and dodged out of the way of each strike aimed at him before countering with diagonal strikes and thrusts which the Assassin parried and dodged in kind. The two danced around each other, engaging and disengaging, their focus solely on the one right in front of them. There were no longer any distractions nor needs for hesitation. Their respective charges were either dealing with each other or had fled already, leavning the possibility for interference nonexistant. For the two lethal dancers, nothing outside of the flames existed, not the world, not time, and their sole witness was God above.
Ulric had experienced this only a couple times before, with one particular scene standing out. The night before he would reach the Holy City, he was made part of a raid against an enemy encampment. They'd managed to sneak there on foot, lighting their torches only once they got close before pouring in to slaughter their unsuspecting foes. Fire was set to their tents and battlements and spread exponentially quickly as everything devolved into a bloody melee of steel, sweat and blood. Ulric remembered it as the first time he'd felt absolutely no hesitation in a battle, his focus solely on cutting down one enemy after another so that he could live to see the Holy Land.
Even now he could hear it: shouting, the roar of the flames, the cries of horses, the clanging of sword and shield and mace and spear against both metal and flesh. And just like that time, his sole focus, his one purpose was to cut down the enemy in front of him. And much like him, the Assassin desired the same as she scored a couple of hits on his arms and side. Ulric paid his minor injuries little heed as he continued clashing his weapon with hers, running as much mana through his body as he possibly could.
Before, he'd held back due to Felix's warnings and his ability to return from death being in play. But there would be no more chances after this, revival or not. He'd made a wager and accepted the terms, so now all that was left to do was to give everything he had, everything that God had given him to use. And so he continued to strain his body with the magic of Jiwald, feeling his very gate begin to burn within him from the burden he was putting on it. At one point he managed to disarm Elsa of one of her blades before kicking her in the stomach and knocking her back a few feet.
As he advanced forward, though, he heard the sound of whistling coming from behind him. He quickly realized that Elsa had also attached a string to that blade and intended to catch him in a pincer attack. So he countered by charging forward, intentionally aiming for her weapon as he knocked her strike up and back with all of his might before moving back while spinning. Thanks to his enhanced speed, Ulric was able to snatch the blade by the handle out of midair and used it to block Elsa's next attack before scoring a deep cut on her leg with his sword.
This maneuver only seemed to entrance the demented woman even more as her smile widened, her joy reaching new heights as she flipped towards him with a horizontal strike. Ulric countered by blocking with one weapon and attacking with the other, mainly using the one in his off-hand as a shield. He'd had some practice in dual-wielding back in his homeland and Jerusalem but he'd never used a blade as obscure as the one he'd just taken from the Assassin. Which was why he nearly tangled his blades up at one point, stopping a side strike at the last minute that would've caught on his other sword.
This gave Elsa a chance to knock one of his weapons aside and reach for his back, pulling out his dagger before leaping back to avoid Ulric's counter swing. She might've commented on the fact that Ulric now had a new dagger since their first fight, but her mind was too busy feeling the euphoria of the battle as it became four blades clashing against each other. Ulric might've taken advantage of the fact that the blade he'd taken had a string on it, but he'd felt Elsa cut it shortly after he caught it, leaving him to simply continue using it as a shield to block against his opponent's counter attacks. Their stalemate wouldn't last, though, as Elsa demonstrated her greater skill in dual wielding by using both blades to parry his sword before locking them around her blade and yanking it out of his hand.
She then used his dagger and went straight for his eye, a look of glee on her face. "Al Jiwald," said Ulric as light beams escaped from his eyes, destroying the knife and part of her hand as the surprised Assassin jumped back, examining her quickly healing fingers. 'I need a good opening,' thought Ulric as he readied himself again, 'I heard Garfiel mention she was a vampire, though she's clearly not the one I know of who'd loathe the sight of the cross. But she apparently has a limit, so if I can just injure her enough.'
He was broken from his thoughts as Elsa launched herself at him again, slashing down at him while leaping over his head. Ulric blocked most of them, but still felt some cuts in his shoulders as he wracked his brain and body for a solution. 'I just need one moment, one single moment,' he kept thinking as he tried to increase his speed and strength even more. It felt like his gate was literally stretching itself inside of his body as he put everything he had into trying to overpower or outdue his opponent in speed. He could spare nothing, putting his very being into driving Elsa back, and something responded. He felt it, an unfamiliar power and yet it was also a part of him.
As he fought, receiving more and more cuts for his desperation, the power grew as if it was being given life for the first time. But Ulric knew this power well, he and Emilia had killed the previous holder of it. And now it rested inside of him, heeding his unspoken plea for something else, anything else his body had to offer. He forced Elsa away, causing her to drop a foot or so due to the rubble as Ulric leapt at her with his sword poised to go right for her heart. Elsa answered in kind as she prepared to charge and swing her blade for his gut.
And then the power burst forth, taking the shape of a dark blue glowing hand that was partially see through, and only the knight could see. It shot forward and slammed into Elsa's weapon hand, disarming her while also crushing her hand in the process. The Assassin's eyes widened in wonder and confusion during this split second before Ulric rammed his sword into her very heart and pushed with all of his might. The momentum was enough to knock Elsa off her feet as they fell on the ground with Elsa's back stopped by the blade burying itself only halfway into the dirt.
The vampire responded in kind, wrapping her legs around the Knight's torso before pulling him in and biting where his shoulder met his neck, as expected of her namesake. Ulric yelled in pain and surprise at the fact that she'd actually bitten into him, pulling at her hair with his left hand while keeping his right hand on his sword. But expectedly, Elsa wouldn't relent, continuing to bite down as hard as she could while trying to pull the knight ever closer into this mockery of a lover's embrace. He finally changed tactics as he channeled some of his energy into a spell before putting his hand to the Assassin's head and unleashing a point blank Kito Jiwald.
At such a range, the blast tore off nearly half of her head and actually caused enough loss of control for her to finally loosen her jaw. The Knight didn't waste a second as he yanked her mouth off of his neck, grimacing at the fresh pain before pushing down on his sword with both hands. The mana imbued blade was able to break the dirt easily, especially with all of the strength Ulric was putting into it as he shoved her body all the way down to the ground, though her legs remained stubbornly locked around his kneeling form. 'I have to end this now, with what little mana I have left,' he thought as he channeled said mystical energy into his sword, even the glow surrounding his body was put into the weapon as he prepared his spell at the beginning of his blade.
By this point, Elsa's head had fully regenerated as she looked up at him, blood staining her mouth as she put a hand on her cheek and the other on his stomach. She looked positively enraptured at the sight before her as she spoke her next words: "So warm."
"Al Jiwald," was all Ulric said in response. A blast of magical energy was released from his sword then, mimicking the release he'd seen in his vision of Reinhard fighting Puck as it expanded outward. Elsa's body was torn to shreds and burned, her form disintegrating underneath him. And she smiled til the end, even as her body was reduced to ash within the newly formed crater. All that remained after that, was some tatters of her clothing and quickly disintegrating blood as Ulric yelled in triumph. At long last, the assassin Elsa Granhiert, was no more.
"And the killing of a vampires?" "Second verse same as the first. So put me on a plane so I can put those bastards in a hearse." Ah, gotta love Team Four Star and their abridging. And before anyone starts, I'll get to the explanation of Ulric's gate, invisible providence's price and his full conversation with Beatrice, next chapter. In the meantime, hope this was worth the wait and as always feel free to leave a comment or review about what you liked/disliked or if you've got any neat ideas for future chapters. Be sure to stop in next time as Ulric looks over the aftermath of battle, and prepares for the next. 'Til then.