-Ash Lake-
"My word. Tetsuro?" said Siegmeyer. "I couldn't imagine anyone finding this place before myself."
"For a knight my senior, you don't have much to be proud of, do you?"
Siegmeyer was taken aback, but he couldn't find the words to respond right away. Tetsuro didn't look back at Siegmeyer, staring out over the white sand, facing away.
"Personally, I tend to think your attachments have held you back. You've tried to throw them away and travel the world, but you and I both know that you've failed. I've outstripped you in every way. I've finally been able to shake off all my distractions and seek the fight."
The way he said those last two words seemed to have more gravity. Something in Siegmeyer told him he should be mad, but all he felt was a growing hole in his chest.
Tetsuro turned around, drawing his weapons, a Silver Knight sword and his Iron Round Shield.
"You've reached your peak, Siegmeyer. Draw your weapons and face me. I'll give you a good death… As many times as it takes."
Siegmeyer found himself complying…
-Lost Izalith-
Shackles broken, chamber crumbling, Seiko and Jinta were in the final moments of their battle against The Bed of Chaos.
"Is it really possible to do these things with Pyromancy?!" asked Jinta as the two dodged around. It was the first time they'd managed to regroup during the fight.
"It must be, but I have no idea how!"
"What do we do? We can't reach her from here, and she's made of flames herself now!"
"I could use Power Within! Can you still use miracles?"
"One more strong cast, but that's it."
"Use the one from before, that sustains me. If we do that, I can use Power Within without worry for a while. We can figure it out from there. Just back me up!"
Jinta vaulted over a root-arm that swept at him, pushed out a breath, then started reciting quickly and calmly. He reached back and touched his talisman as he completed the incantation, and Bountiful Sunlight radiated, affecting them both.
Seiko side-stepped a scrape from Chaos' claws of flame, then focused and clenched her fists, letting her Pyromancy blossom within herself. She bolted forward, jumped with a twist to the left, and landed on the side of The Bed of Chaos. The enemy took a swipe at Seiko, but she jumped over it and tried to throw a punch. Her hand passed harmlessly through the flame.
Before Seiko got caught, she flipped back off the wood, down to the bricks right in front of the root bed that was Chaos. A pillar of flame began to heat the floor under her, so Seiko stepped quickly to the right… Only for the floor to give way.
As Jinta watched, a large section of the brick floor fell away into darkness, and Seiko fell with it. Her death, however, revealed a way forward for him. With a roar in his gut, Jinta sprinted forward, jumped from the bricks, and landed on a thick root that led into a root tunnel that had been opened up.
Seiko crawled out of the bonfire, coughing. She stood up and tore off her hood to take a deep breath, then turned around to reverse her Hollowing. She'd startled Jinta, who was only just about to walk away from the bonfire beneath The Bed of Chaos. For the moment, she ignored him, and offered one of her Humanity sprites right away. Power from the bonfire reached out and her living flesh was restored. She put her hood back on and turned to Jinta.
"That place with the black water is definitely nearby. I fell into the water when the floor gave out. We should find a way in there."
"I was just about to go looking for you. I didn't expect you to revive here. It saves us the time, though. I agree. We should head back to Blighttown, to the tree there, since that's our most likely hint. It seems like a step in the right direction, anyway."
Jinta offered a hand, Seiko took it, and he warped them out of Izalith.
-Blighttown-
"Before we go down there… I need to find Quelaana and tell her what happened."
"Of course. I think I should wait here this time, actually. I'll be here when you get back."
Seiko wandered out of the sewer pipe and into the bog. She held up her right arm and lit it with her simple torch Pyromancy.
It wasn't long before she found Quelaana, sitting in the dirt by one of the pillars, watching the spider's mound that was Quelaag's Domain.
"Sister?"
Quelaana turned her head.
"I have news about your family…"
A/N: BRS TV, The Story ~ Mirror ~ by Hiromi Kikuta
Seiko approached and sat down to talk, and she explained what had happened down below, in Izalith. The dead Chaos Witch without a name, what had become of Ceaseless Discharge, the state of the ruins, and her fight with another nameless Daughter of Chaos. Seiko told Quelaana that Jinta had finished his duty and retrieved the Life Soul.
"I don't know how to thank you," began Quelaana. "I have no words to express this feeling. The Lords, or perhaps some other power, blessed my fate with your appearance. You have done many things I could not bring myself to do, and, in the end, I think you've taught me just as much as I have taught you."
"Sister?"
Quelaana continued. "I can call you 'child,' no longer, I think. You have inspired me to finally leave this place, and, by bringing closure to my family's suffering, you have given me the freedom to leave. To take advantage of that inspiration."
Quelaana stood up. Seiko, worried from her tone, stood as well.
"I have only one thing left I can give you…" said Quelaana. She raised a hand.
There was a pink flash, and Seiko found herself suddenly overwhelmed with sensation. It was a powerful vision. Like a living memory, Seiko found herself surrounded by a mighty forest, hidden in gray mist. Without her thinking to, she found herself raising her hands. No flames swirled within her palms, but still, tempests of fire twisted out of the ground and consumed the trees, the brush, and cleared the mist from the air. It was a power unlike anything she'd ever felt.
The vision changed suddenly. Now she was standing in a line with others in black robes, hands held high, a catalyst in one hand, and her flames scorched a valley clean. It was alive, this flame, this sensation, as if she were riding the fire she controlled. Not only that, but she felt the life force of those connected to the same spell. The swathe was born of power far beyond one person, even a Daughter of Chaos alone. It was power Seiko could never wield.
But the vision wasn't over. It changed a third time, the sudden quiet leaving Seiko feeling hollowed out inside. She sat alone in the dark. No flame. No trees. No enemy. No connections. She felt time, and the world, leave her behind. The few seconds that passed felt like an eternity, like it had begun long ago and would never end. Loneliness and lifelessness stretched before and behind, opening in a maw of despair that would darken any soul, and snuff out even the strongest flame.
This thing that Seiko was in the memory held up its hands. Tears fell into the palms barely left uncovered by black sleeves. A moment of pause… And the tears themselves became beds of small blue flames. They flickered a few times, then suddenly grew to cover the figure's hands. They grew at an alarming rate, and soon covered the figure's entire body.
"Take this… It is all of me…"
When Seiko came too, Quelaana was gone. Seiko found herself wreathed in her own Immolation, and despite the darkness of her vision, her heart felt full and unburdened. It was a freedom and a hope not her own. Seiko let the Immolation go, and had to pause a moment to dry her own tears…
-Great Hollow-
"What are those?" said Jinta. Below them, at the base of the inside of the tree, were living mushrooms. They had stubby arms and legs, and small eyes hidden under their caps.
"I've seen them in the Darkwood forest," said Seiko. "I steered clear, though, so I don't know what to expect."
"Should we bother with them? They don't seem threatening."
"Unless they attack us, I'd say no."
The two continued down toward the mushrooms. They reached the base of the Great Hollow, and had to walk past two large mushrooms and a few smaller ones. As they got too close to a smaller mushroom, one of the large ones raised an arm, preparing to punch.
Seiko raised her fists, ready to block, but the punch didn't come… Not right away. She was almost going to drop her guard when the mushroom attacked at last. Seiko raised an open hand to catch the punch. Instead, she was pushed completely off balance onto the ground, tumbling back. She got up quickly.
"They're strong!"
"So, avoid getting hit," said Jinta. "Works for me."
Seiko threw a simple Fireball at the one who had attacked her. The whole mushroom went up in flames quickly, blackening and dying in seconds. Seiko looked shocked.
"That was… A lot more effective than I expected," she said.
A few more Fireballs and the larger mushrooms were dead. The smaller ones seemed comfortable just running away, so Seiko and Jinta ignored them and continued out of the tree through a large hole.
-Ash Lake-
A/N: Terrorization - Alex Roe, Indomitable Souls album
Siegmeyer hefted his Zweihander and slashed, from shoulder to hip, at Tetsuro. Rather than use his shield, Tetsuro swung his Silver Knight sword upward to meet the attack. The blades clashed, both Titanite-infused, and Tetsuro's sword caught on the spike part-way up Siegmeyer's huge greatsword. Tetsuro shifted stance, locked the swords together, and suddenly he and Siegmeyer were almost shoulder to shoulder.
"How many more times will you get up? Show me, senior. All you've got isn't good enough. You've got strength, you've got experience, you're comfortable in that armor… But you lack drive. Something in your soul is broken. Either suck it up and redouble your efforts, or don't get up-"
Tetsuro pushed back all at once, throwing Siegmeyer off balance.
"-at ALL!"
Seiko and Jinta ran up at that moment, in time to see Tetsuro cut Siegmeyer down. As Siegmeyer turned to ash and faded away, they yelled out.
"Hey!" yelled Jinta, drawing his swords.
Seiko's arms were wreathed in blue flames, and she started sprinting forward. As her feet met white sand, she yelled out too.
"You've got til I reach you to explain yourself!"
"You're making a mistake challenging me now, Seiko. I don't need to explain a thing! The old man's done for! If you want to be too, bring it on!"
Seiko did a short hop, planted her feet in the sand to stop on a dime, and pitched a Fireball at Tetsuro. He raised his shield and started walking forward. The Fireball struck, exploded on the shield, and Tetsuro kept right on walking forward, now with his shield lowered so he could see Seiko again.
"I mean it, Pyromancer. Without a weapon and practice, you've got nothing to raise against me. Stand down."
Seiko just balled her fists and turned her raging fire into Immolation, then redoubled her sprint at Tetsuro.
"Why would you hurt him!? Why would you kill him?!"
"He was going to Hollow anyway, the sorry bastard! Better I get a good fight out of him than let him lose his mind whimpering alone down here!"
Seiko finally got close enough to throw a left punch from out of her sprint. Tetsuro blocked it and jabbed Seiko in the ribs with the pommel of his sword, under the arm she'd thrown the punch with. He kicked at her right shin to throw her completely off balance, then just let her fall face-first in the sand.
The sand around where Seiko landed started to glass over from her Immolation.
If my usual Pyromancy doesn't bother him… How about Chaos?! Jinta'll back me up!
Seiko let Immolation go and just laid in the sand.
"That's b-"
In a whirl of limbs, Seiko was on her feet, flame trailing from her hands as Fire Surge. Deep blue flames with black and white tongues flashing through them covered Seiko's arms in patches, like logs burning in a fireplace.
"Seiko! Calm down! This is no time for a fight!" yelled Jinta.
Seiko ignored him. She threw a Chaos Fireball at Tetsuro, who wasn't three steps from her. Tetsuro stepped to the side to dodge the attack before it ever left Seiko's hand. He could feel the heat of it, though, and knew he wouldn't be just walking through her flames next time.
"You're this close and using fire? So you understand that your fists alone can't earn victory. Good."
"Shut up!"
The flames on her arms died and steam started rising from the air around her. Tetsuro watched closely, unsure of what was coming next. Despite how careful he was, Tetsuro was unable to dodge in time as Seiko's foot shot out to trip him. Before he could register everything that was happening, Seiko had stolen his weapons and picked him up. She hoisted the man in full metal armor over her head with ease and threw him with an angry outcry. Tetsuro was sent rolling through the air into a large skull on the beach. He smashed right through, into the brain cavity of the skull.
He stood up, but then found himself losing his balance as the entire skull shifted. Seiko's fingers appeared through small holes as she stabbed them in for a grip, then lifted the entire thing clear out of the sand and threw it into the air.
"Roast, you heartless murderer!"
Still using Power Within, Seiko aimed both her palms at the skull as it fell and shot a Flame Arrow at it. The skull shattered into pieces… And out of those pieces fell Tetsuro, long claws attached over his gauntlets, steam rising from him as well.
Before Seiko could flinch, Tetsuro ran her through on the claws, and the impact carried her to the ground. Tetsuro ripped the claws out of her upper chest and shoulders and took a step back. Before the light went out of her eyes, he spoke.
"You should have been friendly. I could have taught you some of the Pyromancy you seem so good with."
Seiko tried to raise her head, but she couldn't move beyond that, bleeding out. Tetsuro put his hands behind his back…
A/N: Stop the music, if you used it
He spun quickly and blocked Jinta's surprise attack with his Iron Round shield, which had come seemingly from nowhere. With a shove of the shield, he pushed Jinta back.
"And I suggest," he said to Jinta, "that you control your emotions before you meet the same fate. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go meet Siegmeyer at the bonfire before things get any uglier. His last moments are in my hands and on my head, and I intend to see to it that his story is one of glory, not weeping and Hollowing."
Jinta didn't put his weapons away, but he lowered them. "You just… Decided for yourself that he was going to Hollow soon? Is this the first time you killed him?"
Tetsuro let the question hang a moment, then sheathed his sword.
"It was either this or just pretend he wasn't suffering, like you two."
"I-" Seiko started, then coughed blood. "Looked up to you!"
Tetsuro walked past Jinta, toward the bonfire. Something shined behind him and caused him to look back...
Heart by OkameP, bonus track of the album "A Peaceful Death"
( vocadb net (slash)S/124067 so you can find it. The song's meaning will be covered at the end of the chapter. If you can't stand the voice, there's an instrumental version here: piapro . jp/t/MzrD)
Seiko was flying through the air at him before he could react beyond fully turning around. Seiko tackled him to the ground and stood over him. Her fingers dug into his visor and yanked off his helmet, revealing his clean-shaven face, sharp features, and almost shoulder-length hair. His dark eyes spoke surprise and fury.
"What did Siegmeyer ever do?!"
Seiko tried to punch Tetsuro in the face while standing over him. Tetsuro shifted his torso to move his head. Seiko missed and punched sand.
"There's nothing you can say!" She pulled her hand from the sand.
"You have no excuse! What 'morals?!'" she yelled, heading off what he was about to say.
Tetsuro pulled in a leg and kicked Seiko in the gut to move her away, then quickly got to his feet. Standing behind her, almost framing her, was Jinta with his talisman in hand. Tetsuro figured out that Jinta must have healed her to let her keep fighting.
"Two on one? Maybe you'll stand a chance this way," said Tetsuro, pulling two daggers from behind his back and spinning them to be point down in his hands.
He saw Seiko tighten her fists. Steam started to rise from her body again.
That must be Pyromancy, but what does it do? Is she strengthening herself somehow? Or is this power just the results of soul infusion? Either way, she's not the priority, Jinta is.
Tetsuro stepped in and slashed. When Seiko dodged, he slashed with his other dagger. She deflected the attack and threw a punch.
Titanite infused steel armor isn't going to buckle from a simple punch. She's only wearing Silver Knight gear.
Even so, Tetsuro let his foot slip in the sand to start to move away. The punch landed with less force and Tetsuro staggered to keep on his feet. His armor was dented. In that moment, where he lacked balance, Jinta was there, slashing with his falchion. Tetsuro blocked with his daggers. Jinta responded with a slash of his estoc. Tetsuro jumped back, but didn't avoid getting a slice down his armor from his right shoulder to right hip.
Tetsuro bent as Seiko charged in and flicked sand at her eyes. She was hit full in the face, and fell backwards, continuing to slide down the hill of sand they were on. The dune started to collapse down the way she slid. While Tetsuro was bent down, Jinta moved in again. The two clashed a few times, Jinta's high dexterity helping him keep pace even though Tetsuro's weapons were lighter.
Tetsuro heard Seiko getting closer, growling in frustration, so he jumped with all his might and flipped back. He went right over her head and landed at the base of the dune on his feet. He put his hands behind his back and when he brought them forward again, his Murakumo was in his right hand and his helmet was in his left. He put the helmet back on, despite sweating buckets in his armor.
"Fine," he said. "I can see that testing the two of you is pointless in a tag battle. You cover each other pretty well for only being together a short time. But I've still got some tricks left, even though I'd rather not use them all. You should at least take pride in forcing me to draw Murakumo."
"I have a plan. Can you throw lightning?" Seiko said so only Jinta could hear her.
"I only used a healing miracle. I'm still good to go. How about you, abusing Power Within?"
"I'm fine. I'm going to give you an opening. A big one. Make it count."
Seiko sprinted down the dune at Tetsuro. She watched him raise a hand, with fire in his palm, and press the flame to his chest. She didn't see anything change, but she figured out what was happening very quickly. She threw a punch with her right hand and hit Tetsuro in the chest, only this time he didn't budge. Instead, he was already slashing down with a pull of his Murakumo's blade. Seiko reached out with her left hand and grabbed the blade as Tetsuro yanked the handle down, pulling the blade down and forward to slice.
Seiko's gauntlet didn't hold, and the blade cut into her hand in under a second, but it didn't go any further since Tetsuro had yanked his arm all the way down as far as it would go while allowing his wrist to support the blade. He stepped in, so Seiko stepped back and pulled on his cuirass' collar. He started to pitch forward, so Seiko leaned back, fell to the sand in front of him, and pulled in both her legs.
With a kangaroo kick using all the muscles in her legs and back, Seiko launched Tetsuro into the air. She immediately stopped using Power Within, breaking into a cold sweat.
What!? But… Iron Flesh! I'm so heavy I can hardly move! How?!
Tetsuro flew over three meters into the air, and as he reached the peak of his flight, he realized that Jinta hadn't moved in with Seiko. His eyes raised from his tired old partner in the sand to the Paladin on the dune…
And the Great Lightning Spear Jinta threw drilled through his chest and out his back, throwing him backwards in midair. He landed in the white sand on his back and faded to ash.
A/N: I haven't gotten around to translating all of OkameP's music (I do translations on the Vocaloid Database I linked to), and the song I used here is one of them. If you watch the video, it appears as a modern story of dejection, but the lyrics are timeless enough that they are more than a fit here. The song is about the singer's frustration with themselves and the person they are singing to, how neither of them can be honest with themselves or each other. As the two drift apart, the singer notes how she watches the other person leave, and decides their relationship ends there, implying they will be enemies now.
The ONLY reason I explicitly state all this in a note… Is because I recognize that I'm the weirdo for understanding the lyrics and most of you will not. I don't want to leave you in the dark, but music is absolutely my muse, and I want to be as clear as possible here.
This isn't the last time OkameP's music will appear in the series. I will always try and link to an instrumental version of the song if possible, because I also know a lot of you won't like Vocaloid music and how high pitch the vocals can be. That being said, there will be at least one song I will use later that I will specifically NOT do that for, because the lyrics are just too important. Luckily, THAT song is already translated by me, so at least you'll know what's being said.
Until next time… Thanks for reading that long note, if you did.