Hey I'm back everybody! School was a fucking bitch over the last month. I had several tests that were rescheduled due to Covid, so they ended up being in one week after the other, so I didn't have my two week break for writing.
But, regardless, I'm going to tell you guys something about me.
I love villains/antagonists! Especially when they're intelligent and not a bunch of cardboard cut outs. Even better when they're played by a phenomenal actor. Thanos, Ultron, Hannibal Lector, Colonel Hans Landa, Calvin Candie, The Major and Alexander Anderson from Hellsing, Griffith from Berserk, and Karl Kraft/Mercurius + Reinhard Heydrich from Dies Irae. My favourite villains done right!
I don't have anything against most protagonists except for a few (looking at you, Rey from the new trilogy *cough* It's dogshit *cough*). But I want my main character to be as good as my villains. That means making them into human beings unless the story calls for a person so alien to us as we are to them.
So now, you young people, it's time for a proper lesson in violence.
(Also, language warning)
The unknown vehicle sped down the debris-littered streets of Vale at speeds hazardous for this area. Rubble had yet to be cleared from even the lanes much less the buildings around. Large sections of I-beam or street lamps forced the driver to drift just to make corners or dodge an errant piece of concrete. The absence of light in this section of town amplified the disadvantageous conditions, preventing any sight of objects not within the headlamp's beam.
Those inside were unaware of what hit them until it crushed the front of their vehicle. Something had appeared two feet from the bumper, leaving no time to react. The car crumbled under the forces subjected to the steel hull; everything folding around the standing object like it was tissue paper. The engine was forced up and out of its casing as the momentum refused to disperse, pushing what could not be crushed out of the interaction.
Going to from forty miles per hour to zero in less than a second resulted in the occupants getting violently slammed against the airbags. The object they had struck stood tall as if nothing touched him. Jaune merely brushed off the dust from his jeans and wrenched them from the metal snarl.
The Vampire felt no pain when the car hit him. Not even his feet were moved from where they planted themselves. Frankly, it surprised him how little damage he took from the impact. However, that was not Jaune's concern.
Those men inside the vehicle stalked his friends tonight for some unknown reason. Jaune intended to discover their purpose and dispatch them before their findings could surface. Had they been obvious faunus-hating humans who were driving past to intimidate Velvet, he may have simply killed them without consideration. Although, that was not the case here. They ran when confronted, so they were looking to keep a distance. One poorly maintained, but away from the group.
Jaune walked around to the passenger side of the car, keeping his pace slow as there was no rush. No cameras or people would be able to spot them. This place was quite deserted. Their first mistake came with this fact. It left him with no concern as to being discovered by a pedestrian.
Let's pop the top...
Jaune cocked his arm back and jammed it into the passenger door. His hand-cut through the steel with no effort whatsoever. It allowed him to get a grip on the interior of the hatch where he pulled the entire thing off its hinges. He tossed it aside to sound of the glass shattering and the steel scraping against concrete.
Inside, was a middle-aged man. His hair was cut short but spiked towards the front. He wore a suit and tie now stained with his bloodied nose, but seemed like an average white-collar male.
Before Jaune could continue his observations, the man awoke with a gasp. He turned to face Jaune, beginning to freak out as he probably realised what had just happened to him and his friend. Jaune watched him leap out of the car, stumbling as he did so but still having the coordination to reach for something on his hip.
He drew a Sig from a holster and aimed it directly at the boy, firing off four rounds. Three hit Jaune in the chest but pancaked against his leather jacket, not even piercing clothing. The fourth, he caught it between his teeth, feeling the bullet spin against his molars for several seconds.
Jaune tumbled the round inside his mouth like a piece of candy before spitting it back out onto the man's face. A quick strike from the boy clocked the man in the cheek, dazing him. Jaune went farther, grabbing the man's head and slamming it against the car hard enough to only knock him out.
Okay... Who are you, people?
The Vampire grabbed the man's blazer, lifting him up to search his pockets. There was only a lighter in one and a knife in the other. Searching the blazer itself revealed a wallet.
Inside, there were all the makings of an ordinary billfold. The man had a picture of his a girlfriend or wife inside, which was bypassed in favour of what was contained in the left-most slot. A bright gold badge with the emblem of Vale's police department shined even in the darkness.
"So, you're a detective," Jaune said to the unconscious man. "What are you doing here?"
They shouldn't have anything on me... My prints or DNA would never be in their possession. Maybe they were just checking on me?
Jaune sighed, dropping the man onto his back. As a courtesy, he rolled him over onto his side to keep him from choking on his blood. Once that man was taken care of, Jaune went to inspect his friend. Tearing off that car door, he checked his pulse, finding it to be slower, but he remained stable. Jaune didn't move him in case there was a further injury.
"You guys are lucky," Jaune said to the unconscious men. "I would have killed you, but I want to see where this goes..."
He pulled one of their phones out of their pockets and dialled 911. Jaune didn't bother to speak to the operator, dropping the phone right there in the passenger's hands. They would be able to locate them as cell service remained active. Jaune didn't want to stick around lest he is implicated in a various number of crimes, which would make his cover a living hell to maintain.
Before he was able to transform into the swarm and escape the area, a piece of debris clinked against another. His attention turned to that for only a second, fearing an interloper had stumbled into their midst. Jaune's eyes darted through the darkness, finding nothing in what appeared to be an endless sea of shadows.
"Hänschen klein
Ging allein
In die weite Welt hinein," a disembodied woman spoke with a supernatural resonation to her voice. A rich German accent filling her speech.
Hearing those words would have made any man tremble. Whoever was behind it, purposefully composed their voice into a terrifying melody fit for horror. Jaune had imagined the appearance of a small doll at the top of some stairs when the protagonist followed a noise into the basement.
"Stock und Hut
Steht ihm gut,
Ist gar wohlgemut," the woman continued, her rhyme growing ever more sinister.
Panning his head to search for the voice's origins, Jaune caught a glimpse of a silhouette standing on the far side of the street. The moonlight shone at her back, preventing any detailed observations. Yet, he could tell that the woman was of short stature. The same height as the Killer he had fought several nights ago. Her hair was let down into a wild mane reaching her hips, marking the only difference Jaune could perceive.
"HEHEHEHehehehe," she giggled cutely, crossing her hands behind her back and leaning forward. "Come play with me..." She turned around and dashed into an alleyway.
What?
Jaune wasted no time in following her. He went into a full sprint that made the ground quake with every footstep, clearing the distance between where she stood and himself. However, as he stared into the alley, Jaune found that she was on an entirely different road. Somehow appearing hundreds of feet away.
The Vampire was unsure of why he chose to chase after her. Whether it was his curiosity or responding to what resembled a challenge didn't matter. After battling Pasty once, Jaune remained far more cautious when dealing with these people. Her accent brought him the most unsettling thoughts.
Pasty was German. This thing Jaune found himself chasing after was another member of that tribe. If the two were unrelated, he could just consider himself paranoid. However, with the knowledge of his own incantations being in the same language, there was that inkling in the back of his head.
It was as if Jaune knew there was something greater upon the horizon. He couldn't hope to describe the feeling in words had he been given a thousand years. It was coursing through his veins with the same vigour as his dream. The great struggle he envisioned had the potential to appear. Just that chance made his very bones ache in ecstasy.
All he had to do was catch up and cut off her escape.
...
The chase had brought Jaune to what appeared to be a nightclub. He didn't even bother to read the name of the establishment, following the scent he had picked up from the woman. The only thing he cared to note of the area was how off the beaten path it was. This place had been purposely hidden from the average pedestrian's view. An exclusive club fit for a certain kind of crowd—the underbelly of Vale's nightlife.
"Hey, kid, get the hell outta here," one of the guards spoke to him as Jaune climbed the front steps.
Jaune didn't even allow him a proper address, cutting him in half with Crocea Mors in a single strike. A single-arm used to slice him in twain without stopping to look. The other bouncers chilling outside were stunned with how their fellow man practically exploded in a fountain of blood as he toppled over lifeless.
The rest were dutifully mopped up in a matter of moments. They tried to use some blades or blunt instruments to beat Jaune down, but nothing provided the intended results. These humans thought they were going to stop a superman without rendering a challenge to their foe, so they paid for it dearly.
As the last man found himself all alone, he dropped his weapon after getting a good look at Jaune's face. His pale skin turned more ashen than one thought was possible, seemingly recognising the boy. He didn't bother taking a breath, turning tail and ran inside the club. Jaune followed behind at a slow walk, allowing him to gain a headstart.
"IT'S HIM-IT'S HIM," he panickedly shouted at the top of his lungs, clearing the first two sets of glass doors.
Grabbing the attention of those inside, they all turned to face him at once. The music had even stopped with this interruption. Before he was given a chance to say his piece, a large blade crashed through his back. He stood for not a moment before collapsing onto his stomach, revealing the lance sticking out of him. The white and gold blade covered in his blood.
Jaune was already standing over his corpse, ripping the lance out of it. Everyone in the club stared at him in a mixture of awe and of fear. None so much as dared to move lest they attract his attention. A few began whispering, however, Jaune could hear them easily.
'It's Leonhardt!'
'That's really him!'
'What the hell do we do?!'
Vampires...
Their putrid stench filled the hall, making Jaune's lip curl back in disgust. He could already perceive their sins even if they tried to hide it. Innocent victims lay on tables where they fed on their still conscious bodies. The signs of their debauchery were all too evident for him to ignore.
These monsters stood without purpose, falling into a pit of indulgence in some half-hearted attempt at satiating their desires—all refusing to recognise the power bestowed upon them, and instead squandering it on some party. It drew Jaune's ire that these creatures would dare to acknowledge him in the slightest. They did not have the right to speak of him when they were the lowest manner of beast on this earth.
The smell of blood on the air set his senses alight. He was thirsty. Far too much for a single corpse to handle tonight. The other vampires only saw his eyes shift from their black and orange colour to bright gold.
He descended the steps leading to the dance floor, whilst everyone else stood by and watched. The only man who dared to flee was the owner. He ducked out the back of the club with two others in tow, abandoning the rest of his patrons.
Where are you? I know you're in here...
The woman's scent perforated every inch of this environment. It was the only thing overshadowing the smell of these vampires. Although, it was becoming quite challenging to ignore them in favour of the task he sought out initially. His base vampiric instincts told him to drink.
Without warning, one of the vampires, a man, rushed out of the crowd directly at Jaune. He leapt into the air, hoping to throw the boy off guard and gain the upper hand in the fight. However, his poor attempt was cut short as he suddenly fell into two pieces. Each half of him slammed into the ground on either side of Jaune.
A woman screamed, and all of the vampires tried to run. The crowd becoming a chaotic wave of bodies rushing to get anywhere but this building. It did not matter if the man or woman next to them managed to retreat, but only if they were the one to make it to the door first. A few stood their ground, and admirably opposed the beast in their midst.
Each of them was cut down before they could lay a hand on Jaune. He moved faster, fought harder, and outclassed these vampires in every way. They could not hope to put up any defence against him. A single stroke of his blade or a well-placed fist was all it took to dispatch his opponents. Their bodies were left on the floor just as Jaune moved to the next man.
Blood flew into the air, soaking everyone that came near the whirlwind. Jaune himself was nearly coated from head to toe in the gore. With each new corpse, it only served to add yet another coat to the boy's canvas.
However, before the crowd of vampires could escape Jaune's grasp, the doors to the club slammed shut. Not a single man was able to pass through the threshold to safety. Those trapped inside were now forced to face a proper vampire caught amid a bloodlust.
Jaune hands and feet moved on their own. His mind had little to do with it as it he fell victim to his own body. Those inside this club happened to trigger this act through the circumstances they provided. Jaune may have been able to resist, but he was not infallible. With a single drop of vampire blood spilt, it became akin to blood in the water to a shark.
This caused Jaune to dive headlong into the crowd, cutting apart all who neared him. It did not matter who. Anybody carrying the scent of a vampire was killed without a scrap of mercy shown for them. Their bodies piled up in the dozens before climbing past one hundred. More attempted to fight back, using any weapons available, but were found wanting. Their knives, guns, or clubs could not pierce Jaune's hide. They deflected off his body, ricocheted, or shattered like glass.
Blood began pooling in the basin formed by the dancefloor, causing many to slip and fall as they fled. Those who were able to keep their footing met their fate like the rest as Jaune offered no quarter. The slaughter did not last much longer as the pool grew several inches deep. The remaining patrons were dispatched from within their hiding places or hunted down by Jaune once his attention turned to them.
As the final vampire was dispatched, Jaune looked around, examining the carnage. He did not say a word, realising what had taken place. It left him feeling nothing. He was not terrified or guilty for his actions in the slightest. The previous trials placed upon him dulling his heart in this instance. Regardless, he had no reason to justify these actions. It was entirely out of his control. Yet, as he contemplated it, Jaune did not feel as though it was worthwhile. There was hardly a challenge, and it brought him no glory, unlike previous battles.
Did she lead me here just for this?
Jaune did not waste a moment, stomping his foot into the ground. With a silent command, all of the blood inside the club moved at once towards the Vampire. Hundreds of gallons from the one-hundred and ninety-four bodies funnelled directly into Jaune's sneakers, vanishing into some pit to contain it all. An impossible feat surely, however, it was done.
The level of magic contained within the blood did not come anywhere close to matching that contained within Methuselah. A drop in the ocean to put it aptly. Frankly, disappointing Jaune by how unnecessary the bloodshed was.
As the blood continued to flow into his body, Jaune noticed how the bodies farthest away from him began to disintegrate. Each becoming enveloped in a blue flame, turning their bodies into ash. The only evidence left behind was the damage done to the building itself. Scars from his lance or the holes made by their bodies crashing into the walls.
I better destroy this place...
This battlefield hardly deserved to stand any longer as a monument. It didn't even fit to be called that. Only the site of a massacre, not one to be honoured or looked upon by those who would come next. Another mark of Jaune's constant dissatisfaction.
So, he withdrew Crocea Mors from within its sheath. The white and golden blade glowed radiantly with the power focused into the steel. A single strike towards the floor caused the ground to shatter. It shook the entire block with such a force that one could have mistaken it for an earthquake. Those pressures exhibited onto a single point in space were far too much for the surrounding structure to tolerate.
All around him, the ceiling began to crumble in on itself. The superstructure supporting the roof fell first, plummeting a mess of steel frame to the ground. Immediately after, the walls fell atop the mass, sealing the evidence of what had taken place here forever.
In the centre of that wreckage, Jaune continued to stand tall. His body capable of withstanding a building falling on top of him. It had merely broken up around him as it fell.
Her scent disappeared...
The trail which led him to this location no longer remained. It left him back at square one. There were no tracks which could be followed further either.
Jaune stepped out from the wreckage and back onto the street, taking note of the scenery. There were no clues or anything he could take advantage of to discern her identity. He couldn't chalk it up to the Killer because the two were completely separate entities. All he had to go off of was that she was another German.
"Gutten abend," a woman cheerfully chirped behind him.
Jaune turned around and discovered the origin of the voice. His eyes widened, and the boy took a step back. It nearly made his heart skip a beat. The first time something had so easily startled him since the night of his awakening.
Suddenly, two pairs of chains erupted from the ground and wrapped themselves around Jaune's arms and legs. They restrained him despite the boy's attempts at breaking the binds immediately. It left him forced to stand here and confront the newest actors on this stage.
"Hallo~," she greeted once more in a sing-song tone, friendly waving to the boy.
What?!
Staring back at Jaune were two individuals clad in black uniforms. Each bearing a red band on their left arm emblazoned with the Hakenkreuz. The symbol of Nazi Germany. Their description did not stop there as the uniforms were not only signifying their membership to the Third Reich but were of a premier organisation within that government. Both were officers of the Schutzstaffel.
These uniforms were modified from the standard given to the SS. They were not grey, signifying the earlier colours adopted by the organisation. The structure of the outer jacket was also changed, no longer stopping at their waists, but were now long coats resting above their knees. Everything else remained the same from what Jaune could remember.
"Oh dear, Pierre, I think we might have frightened him," the woman expressed teasingly. A smile crept along her lips, exhibiting the tone of her voice through body language. She took a step forward and addressed Jaune directly. "You have no idea how happy we are to have found you!"
This woman was the same one who led Jaune to this place. She was a vampire, much like the man standing next to her. Blue-eyed with hair of the same colour, clearly dyed to make it so. A beautiful young woman, seemingly ageless and appearing to be in her early twenties.
"You're full of shit, Maria," the man barked at the girl. His attitude representing the polar opposite of his companion's.
This man, now known as Pierre, was about the same height as Jaune. His blond hair was tucked behind his ears, keeping it neatly done as was the rest of his uniform. Not a single strand was out of place, and not a blemish remained on his clothing. For all intents and purposes, he would have appeared to be a model soldier. Much like his companion, he was quite handsome, bearing a more masculine appearance than Jaune.
Maria giggled, elbowing Pierre slightly. "You're pleased as punch, no," she asked in that same teasing tone. "You and Marcus kept going on and on about Herr Leonhardt, I was beginning to think you had a-" She was cut short by Pierre punching her squarely on the top of her head. "Ow, why did you hit me?!" Her faced scrunched up due to the pain.
"Dummkopf," he shouted, trying his best to keep his temper reined in or just doing whatever he needed to shut his companion up. As soon as she was silenced, the man fixed his uniform and turned back to Jaune. His expression shifted back to a solemn one fit for the soldier.
"Heh," he snorted, examining the boy standing just a few feet away. "It's about time we found some proper Aryan stock in this city... I was beginning to think Arthur and Helena were lying." He began circling Jaune. The sound of his boots clicking against the asphalt filled the air. "I now see you've purged that nigger from within your body."
"What..." Jaune mouthed, panning his head to follow the Nazi.
What the fuck are they talking about?
"You don't know," Maria asked, cocking her head to the side.
"You butchered that killer, Wallace," Pierre explained, stopping at Maria's side. "In the alley, after you ducked inside to escape the crowd."
Him?
Jaune had no idea what he had to do with anything. He was just a random guy who had the bad luck of coming across Jaune when he lost control of himself. His first ever kill. It didn't matter if he was some kind of serial killer or not.
"You've been hearing voices, no," Maria asked, skipping up to him and stopping two feet away. "A man telling you to kill? To take blood? To butcher those around you like cattle? I can tell, it has happened to many of us before..." She backed away momentarily. "His poor little soul was trapped inside Leonhardt, and he knew what was happening. How his spirit was being devoured bit by bit until nothing remained!" She clasped her hands together loudly in excitement. "Oh, dear! The terror he must have felt, knowing the body he was entombed inside of would refuse to gorge on blood! There were no other souls strong enough to remain, taking the burden off his shoulders!"
The soul...
That's what those men inside the monastery were. A group of lost souls residing within his body until the time came. What happened next was simply a toss of the coin. Whether they persisted or not was entirely up to Jaune.
"Our Lady was growing quite impatient at your lack of progress," Pierre continued. "She is not the type of woman you keep waiting... I even planned on using that little subhuman rabbit you call a friend as bait just to get you to drink blood. But... Those police led you right to this club."
Velvet...
They were going to make me kill her?!
The chains snapped as Jaune closed the distance between him and Pierre. That magic was unable to hold him in his rage. All he saw was red. The Nazi could not react even had he'd known what was coming for him.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAARGH," Jaune screamed as he cocked his arm back and thrust it directly into the officer's chest. He lifted the man off the ground, holding him by his still-beating heart. Pierre coughed up a torrent of blood, choking on the gore as he grabbed at Jaune's arm.
You're dead...
The boy pulled back with the organ in hand, tearing it straight out his rib cage. Only a few veins were still connected, but Jaune finished the job by yanking the heart away to sever that bridge. The rest of Pierre's body disintegrated into ash as Jaune absorbed his blood, leaving only the small lump of flesh in hand.
Without looking at her, Jaune tossed the heart directly into the girl's chest. A small splat came from the two hitting each other, and a bloodstain covered her chest. Maria leapt as the organ was thrown at her, allowing a fearful yelp to escape her lips.
"And you're next, little vampire," Jaune growled, shifting his eyes from gold to orange and black. He smiled wide at her, showing off his fangs.
How dare they?
How dare these monsters threaten an innocent woman? Somebody who would not harm a hair on another's body if given a choice—a soul of such gentle composure that made her out to be an angel. One of the few reasons Jaune was able to hold himself together for so long, lest he disappoint them by revealing his nature. Terrifying them by allowing a glimpse into the world he inhabited.
Jaune would not allow such creatures to stain that world until the time came to destroy the foundations of it. They deserved to live in their naivete, and he would carry this burden on his own. Jaune was the only man capable of bearing the weight of the world on one's back and smiling throughout the struggle.
The sight of this outburst caused Maria to stumble and fall on her butt. The look of terror on her face told Jaune that she was not expecting the events of tonight to play out in this manner. She had underestimated his strength and was going to pay dearly for it.
"COME ON, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO," Jaune roared at the top of his lungs. "FIGHT BACK! HIT ME!"
He stomp-kicked her in the face, sending her flying into a vehicle. The door folded inward on itself as her body collided with enough force to shatter all of the windows. A loud cry erupting from the girl's lips as the air in her lungs was forced out. She quickly scrambled to find some purchase, so she could lift herself off the ground, but was stopped by Jaune standing over her.
"Picking on people weaker than you is what you people like to do? How does it feel now the tables have turned?!"
Maria tried to rise to her feet but found her legs too weak to carry her weight. Jaune cocked his arm back and delivered a thunderous blow to her right cheek, burying the girl further into the asphalt below them. He grabbed her jacket, lifting her with a single hand and striking her once more. The sound of the bones in her face cracking filled the air, creating a delightful symphony.
Whatever differences between Jaune and Pasty seemed to have closed by quite a bit over the past few days. These Nazis may have been slightly weaker than he was, but now Jaune was tossing them around just like Pasty did to him. And Jaune was fine with that, in fact, he was absolutely elated.
I'm going to kill every single one of you...
It did not matter who came first, but they would all yield to Jaune's blade eventually. Once he discovered his knights, the rest of the formula would fall into place.
"Machecoul..."
Maria mumbled something under her breath, which made Jaune pause for just a moment. Before he was able to continue, another set of chains erupted from the ground. Their tips were capped off with a spike linked to the rest of the weapon.
Jaune leapt backwards in an attempt to avoid the attack, but one of the blades sliced his arm open. The pain from the cut was not akin to a knife, but of a hot flame buried beneath the skin—this attack tearing at something far deeper than the flesh. Jaune could feel it but had not a word to describe it yet.
Magic?
The strike was only one to separate the two from each other, giving Maria a chance to bolt. Jaune watched her sail backwards, launching a dozen more chains in his direction. The boy countered not with a sword but with sheer speed, dodging every single attack whilst luring the weapons into one another. As they collided, the magic binding the weapons was dispelled, causing each of the chains to disintegrate into black soot.
Jaune did not allow her to make another attack, closing the distance once more and striking with his fist. The punch slammed into her gut with a loud crack, breaking bones and possibly rupturing internal organs. Maria's face reflected this as she coughed up blood alongside a pained cry. The force behind the strike threw her off her feet and sent the girl flying dozens of feet away, tumbling all along the way.
She crumbled with that blow, falling into a pile of woman and clutching her stomach. Tears flowed freely now as Maria babbled incoherently, the feeling of terror still holding its iron grip upon her. As she spotted Jaune sauntering in her direction, the girl tried to move away with all of her strength, shuffling back using her legs.
Jaune began laughing as he watched the once confident Nazi-run away. It was just too funny not to laugh at. Each of these creatures wanted to descend upon him only to find the hunt turned inside out. Jaune doubted they considered the possibility.
"What should I do with you now," Jaune asked, cupping his chin. He continued to follow behind Maria at a slow pace, terrifying the girl further. "Can't let you live, but I need some information..."
The unmistakable sound of a zippo's lid opening interrupted the boy's monologue. Another man had chosen to make an appearance on tonight's stage. This actor tucked himself within the shadows, only allowing the cherry from his cigarette to be visible. It wasn't until he stepped into the light that Jaune was given a proper image.
He was an SS officer; however, this one was different from the two Jaune had just encountered. Relaxed, not excited or attempting to maintain an air of superiority. What he'd seen did not phase him in any way. As if he were taking a midnight stroll and happened to pass by. There was no motion to even acknowledge that Jaune was standing before him.
The man was wearing a similar uniform to Pierre and Maria, only he was wearing the SS's signature black-leather trenchcoat over the top of his uniform and a service cap bearing the death's head. Each of the trenchcoat's front buttons was undone, giving a further laid-back disposition to the man's demeanour.
His features were reflective of the other vampires, a handsome man at first glance with a masculine angular face, containing little in the way of fat. His golden blonde hair showed beneath the cap and seemed to be parted just off centre. Though the locks were not neatly combed, a few did rest on his brow. Just behind those bangs was a set of deep cobalt eyes focused on the other Nazi. No emotion could be discerned from those eyes, much like the rest of his expression.
As Jaune stared at this interloper, he began to realise something. The man looked familiar. His face was one the boy was sure he'd never laid eyes on but knew it from somewhere.
"Arthur," Maria croaked, still crying uncontrollably as she pleaded for a saviour. All of this woman's hopes were placed into the man.
Jaune knew precisely what she was hedging on as Maria sought to tag someone else in. This man was of a level far above her's and possibly even Jaune's. The boy could feel the magic radiating off him. His scent was becoming almost too much to bear at this point.
Crocea Mors!
Without warning, Jaune made the first move, charging directly at Arthur with Crocea Mors cocked back. A single thrust right into the heart was the intended plan. Jaune moved at blinding speeds no man could hope to track, finding only a blur.
However, Jaune was not able to connect his blade to the man's heart. In a single motion, Arthur turned and slammed his fist into Jaune's back. The blow snapped six ribs cleanly at the site. It sent Jaune tumbling several yards away and he crashing into another building. The wall not capable of withstanding the sudden shift of force caused it to collapse.
As bricks fell upon him, Jaune grabbed his ribs and winced at the pain. A burn comparable to a punch delivered by Pasty. It was nothing close to what the full power the man was capable of unleashing. He was purposefully holding back.
Jaune did not pause for a moment, rising to his feet as bones snapped back into place. His heart raced with joy, and a laugh escaped his lips. Without a word, he turned back to his opponent and shifted the sword into a lance. The energy swirling within the blade caused the bolts of cloth attached to it to begin fluttering as if they had been caught in the wind.
Arthur watched this, standing nearly forty feet away. The cigarette he lit hanging just out of the corner of his mouth. His hair and uniform were subjected to the gusts erupting from Crocea Mors and flapped against his body, but the man did not pay any mind to it. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying this duel with equal vigour to Jaune.
"Excalibur..." Arther muttered, holding out his right-hand perpendicular to his body.
With a loud shrill ring, a band of light materialised in his hand. It moulded itself slowly into a bar before a pulse of light brought it into being. The air around the weapon seemed to shudder with its presence.
This blade was an arming sword. Crafted from the finest steels artists could hope to work with, it was simply beautiful. White and gold metals clashed with one another in a series of nordic spiralled carvings. Runes were stamped into the centre of the sword, detailing a quote which Jaune could not discern. The upcurved guard was emblazoned with these symbols as well. Each seemed to shimmer periodically.
Without a second wasted, the two dashed to meet each other sword in hand. It was such a quick exchange, dust was kicked up in quantities as to block any onlooker's view. Jaune went to strike from underneath, aiming for the throat, and Arthur thrust from above, targetting the heart.
However, neither were allowed to deliver a blow. Something stood between them just before the moment of contact. A single hand placed on their chests held the two back.
"And thus, tonight's act has been brought to a finale..."
As the dust cleared, Jaune was allowed to lay eyes on another Beast of Gold. Her amber eyes were each focused solely on him, staring directly into his soul. Golden-blonde hair was tied back into a waist-length wolf-tail, parted down the centre with asymmetrical bangs split into two strands. One tucked behind her left ear, another hanging freely, and finally, one coming down across her nose. A predatory grin stretched across her lips, never turning from this joyous smile. The woman's body entirely surrounded by a golden aura, making her out to be an ethereal being. A woman so beautiful that no words could describe her but 'perfect.' In every single way, she reflected the definition of that word.
She was a goddess.
"Freyja, you're interrupting our battle," Arthur growled, dropping his cigarette and stepping away from the woman. "I do not need your help!"
Freyja's hands fell to her sides. "Arthur," she spoke joyfully. Her voice resonating supernaturally. "Perhaps there is a more fitting locale for this duel? We cannot waste that moment here..."
Arther growled and put away his sword.
Freyja turned to Jaune and inspected the boy with curious eyes. It was then, Jaune became struck with unimaginable pain. Every fibre of his body cried out as the woman's aura bore down on him relentlessly. Her presence here was but an anomaly within this system—someone who should not have existed. More akin to a singularity lashing out hungrily for everything in her sight. A bottomless pit that desired all.
Jaune fell to a knee but attempted to keep himself upright regardless of the pain. He even tried to reach out and strangle the woman; however, his limbs refused to move on command. The difference in power between her and everyone he'd encountered thus far was immeasurable. There was no way to quantify it because there was simply no point in doing so. You could not hope to measure up against a deity.
Staring up at the trenchcoat-wearing Nazi, Jaune watched as she crouched down to just above his height. With a smile, she cupped both of Jaune's cheeks and held them gently. The soft texture of her skin made the boy jerk slightly, but her strength kept him locked between her hands.
"Valient hero," she began earnestly. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance... I am someone who loves and respects you from the bottom of my heart. Who acknowledges your worth more than any other." She paused for a moment, cocking her head to the side slightly. "Do you know who I am?"
Mephistopheles...
Jaune could see her other name. No, he knew what it was with only a glance. A demon stood before him, welcoming with words befitting of such a creature—one who hoped to rob him of his soul.
"Aww, you know," Freyja said enthusiasticly. "And I know of you, Lord Julius. Lady Brynhildyr and Lord Cassius have ensured I heard your tale. I had known of you for some five years, but in all honesty, been half in doubt. Make no mistake, it is not what you are attempting, that has brought me here. No, that a man like you, with no knowledge of who he truly was, would challenge the world." A hearty laugh escaped her lips. "A boy who unknowingly welcomed death and destruction to his doorstep... 'Tonight, let the curtains of Grand Guignol rise... The grand stage shall be open to all...' he said. A beast who was of such obsession and such passion that his heart burned with a desire not found in mortal men. A fascinating creature. One worthy of my deepest respect and admiration. Befitting the name, Julius Caesar. I am truly grateful. Your existence shall be my salvation." She released his face and stood to her full height. "One of us shall create the new world atop the Holy See. Do not disappoint me and allow your battle to draw to a close before we may have our duel."
Freyja turned away and disappeared, turning into a swirl of golden light that left this plane of reality. The man left in her stead, Arthur, took her place. He strode over to the reeling boy and struck him, knocking Jaune unconscious.
*Integra looks down at a tweet sent by Alucard*
'It's the fucking-'
*Cuts to the Major*
'Nazis~!'
Okay, I had to put that there. I'm a huge fan of Hellsing Abridged and have been holding my load on this ever since I drew this part of the story up.
And yes, there are Nazis in this story. They're some of the many bad guys Jaune has called into Vale without knowing. But some of you might be asking, 'Why are there women in the SS? Weren't women prohibited from entering that cult?' You would be kind of sort of right. They were mainly guards in concentration camps that sort of didn't do anything important in the relative sense. However, given that both magic and vampires exist in this world, I don't think a little thing such as sexism would get in the way of keeping them from recruiting some uberpowerful soldiers.
Now, back to the subject of Nazis. Killing them is my third favourite thing behind Guts and anime thighs. They are also my second most hated thing behind pink starburst and are sandwiched between that and pedophilic priests. However, bringing them up in this story also means I will have to make them people in this world. I simply cannot have a bunch of goosestepping morons, which leaves me having to humanise them. I will be the first to say that I don't regard the Nazis highly. If I believed we should call people monsters, the Nazis would fit that definition without argument. However, I cannot call another person a monster or animal because that absolves the person of the responsibility of being human. A monster or animal has no responsibility for their actions because they simply cannot use the same rational thinking we do. So, I did my best to portray the few SS in this chapter as accurately as possible. Like I said, these were mostly regular people for the time and were marginally considered the cream of the crop by their government. The accounts of the behaviour of most SS officers I've read has led me to believe they were well-mannered/spoken and not those morons we see in movies.
I've spent several years researching the events leading up to WW2 and the general ideology of Nazism. It's what interested me before I got into biology because I wanted to figure what the fuck happened that lead these people to massacre millions of innocents. Now, I have nothing against German's today, and I loved the time I lived in Germany for about five years, so don't think this fic is anti German in any way because it's not.
However, if I see any pro Nazi rhetoric in my reviews or anti-Semitic bullshit at all, I will report you and drop the ban hammer and we shall never speak again.
Also, if you guys know about the whole symbolism behind the different major arcana, I would like some help slotting these guys into one of the cards because I barely have a grasp on that whole shit. Wikipedia doesn't help too much with that.
Encyclopedia of MAJMLYAI.
Vampires:
Jaune
Aliases: Leonhardt, Julius Caesar, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown
Familiars: Crocea Mors, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown
People Consumed: 226
Nazis Killed: 1
Major Arcana: The Emperor
Cassius
Aliases: Cassius
Maria
Aliases:
Familiars: Machecoul
Freyja
Aliases: Mephistopheles, Helena, Freyja
Familiars:
Major Arcana:
Arthur
Aliases: Arthur Pendragon
Familiars: Excalibur
Major Arcana:
Other:
Brynhildyr Valkyrie
Aliases:
Familiars:
Major Arcana:
Methuselah, Pierre
(He ded.)
Friends/Allies:
Ruby
Aliases: Element Unknown
Yang
Aliases: Element Unknown
Pyrrha
Aliases: Element Unknown
Weiss
Aliases: Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown
Blake
Aliases: Element Unknown