Short chapter again. It's only a single event, but I don't want to slap an entire 5k section onto it when it can stand alone. So, things like the Brynhildr Valkyrie chapter and this one are going to be interspersed as the story needs them.
All of the translations for this chapter were done by Aravas. You should go check out his fics if you're not already a reader.
The German to English translations are at the bottom in case you need them.
The strings began to swell as the Nachzehrer were orchestrated by Cassius. The man's arms moved gracefully as though he'd been composing such pieces his entire life. Every man in this orchestra played with such skill and passion they eclipsed any artist who came before. They were organised as a machine with their commander at the helm. Not a single note was missed or erroneous in any manner.
They played a melody that belonged only to them. Something that vaguely resembled Wagner, but shared the extraordinary energy of Mozart's 'Dies Irae.' Jaune did not know what tune it was, and he did not care.
It was beautiful.
It was their Nightmare Waltz—the Waltz of the Nachzehrer. Their homage to the bestial nature those in Valhalla possessed. The fortitude to fight, die, then be resurrected again and again for all of time.
This symphony possessed everything that would pull at one's heartstrings. Every one of the Nachzehrer poured their heart out as they played. Their anger, grief, and joy filled the air. Some of the men were beginning to cry uncontrollably as they could handle it no longer. Yet, none stopped playing. They could not stop. They were committed to seeing this hymn to the end.
The boy confessed that they had outdone themselves on this occasion. With only a few days to prepare, the Nachzehrer pulled off the impossible. Yet, it was quite the opposite now. With their lord gathering the skills and knowledge of every single soul he consumed, they shared in the bounty hefted unto them.
Jaune turned his gaze towards the only guest of this ball. That ghost had finally been revealed to him in her entirety—a young, full-bodied woman wearing the same dress from their first dance. Her pale skin nearly matched her dress, as did her hair. Atop the snowy wolf-wail were two cat ears jutting out from her head. Between them was a cowlick curved to the right.
She was beautiful in ways words could never describe. Not in the same ferocious beauty that Freyja commanded, but in an almost refined sense. This girl shone with elegance in every aspect of her figure. The only misshapen piece of her was the messy bangs covering her forehead.
It was not moments later that her eyes cracked open, gracing her with the boy's image. Such was a surprise; those orbs widened in fear of him. The girl glanced about, attempting to discern the rhyme and reason of this place.
Jaune only smiled as he continued examining the girl. She possessed heterochromia, a difference in the colour of each eye. The left was a deep emerald, and the right was silver. An aspect of which threw off any symmetricity she could have possibly possessed. It only added to her charm. Jaune was beginning to feel his heart stir as he continued to gaze into her eyes.
"So you've awakened," Jaune began, continuing to hold his smile. His speech was like that of the Devil's grace. "I had this ball arranged in your honour. It may be impudent of me to ask, but may I have this dance?" He held out his right hand, begging for her to take it.
The girl did so, still visibly confused as to what was happening. She merely followed along as Jaune guided her throughout the ballroom. The Nachzehrer continued to play in the background, entirely ignored by the pair as they danced. Jaune was only focusing on treating this girl as a royal. So, he took the lead and did so flawlessly.
"A woman like a goddess," Jaune expressed, seemingly in awe of the woman standing in front of him. "That is who I've been expecting to join me for quite some time. What do you think of this party? Is it to your satisfaction?"
The girl looked around once more. She appeared to be contemplating something. Jaune desperately awaited an answer. Sharing conversation with this shade was much like a narcotic to the boy. One syringe-full left him a hopeless addict.
"Ähm," the girl uttered, blushing for an unknown reason.
This provoked Jaune to cock his head slightly in confusion. He continued studying her until he learned the reason why. This girl was far more conversive in their earlier meetings. Something had changed.
"Can you not understand me," Jaune inquired, stopping them in the centre of the ballroom. "Perhaps you have lost the ability to speak English?"
The girl did not respond to this question either. It all but directly explained to him what had happened to her. As Jaune transformed on the night of his awakening, so did she. The exact mechanics of why were lost to him, but he did not desire to understand them. This did not need an answer, only to address the current circumstances.
"Parlez-vous Français," Jaune asked, cupping his chin. The absence of a response to that led him to continue. "Hablas español? Sprechen Sie Deutsch?"
"J-ja," she finally answered in German, bouncing her head up and down in conformation.
"Also werde ich dir die nächste Frage stellen," Jaune continued, taking her hands and continuing the waltz. "Was hältst du von dieser Feier? Du bist hier der Ehrengast."
The girl looked around the room once more. This time she grew more uncomfortable as the seconds ticked by. Jaune only eagerly awaited her response, allowing her to draw an answer. She could take all the time she needed.
"Ich hasse es" she expressed almost hesitantly. The girl feared her response would somehow be mistaken by him.
Jaune was only elated by her words, however.
"Hahahahahah," he laughed, throwing his head back as he let out this roar of amusement. "Warum denn? Mache ich dir Angst, oder ist es das Schloss?"
She shook her head, bouncing the snow-white locks from side to side. The girl pointed in the direction of Cassius, and the violinists sat on the other side of him. For a fraction of a second, their bodies became taken by a golden miasma, revealing their skeletons beneath. The girl almost seemed to cower in their presence.
"Lord Cassius," Jaune said. "Dir machen meine Legionäre Angst. Was ist mit ihnen? Was an ihnen ist es, das dich so stört?"
"I-Ich weiß es nicht," she replied, sinking low in embarrassment. Her ears flattened against the top of her head.
Did she not know what about them scared her, or only that they were the source of these feelings? Jaune could tell she was succumbing to the effects of being in proximity to the legionaries.
"I should ask more specifically then," Jaune expressed. "Verstehst du, was Angst ist?"
The girl shook her head once again. This caused Jaune's smile to grow a bit wider than before.
This girl was Tabula Rasa. She was nothing more than a clean slate with no ideas or preconceived notions about anything. So much so that she didn't even understand her emotions.
"Das ist es, was du fühlst," Jaune explained clearly. "Die Emotionen der Legion erfüllen das Schloss und beeinflussen deine. Für jemanden wie einen Novizen kann es dauern, sich daran zu gewöhnen. Da es keinen Platz für Apathie in meinem Weltall gibt, musst du es fürs Erste ertragen. Gleichgültigkeit ist es, die sie in diese Lage gebracht hat. Die Menschheit kann nicht emotionslos sein, nicht unfehlbar."
Every member of the Legion glowed with a golden light. Each of their bodies disappeared, revealing more skeletons coated in a golden sheen. The walls of Valhalla faded away, unveiling millions upon millions of skulls composing the structure. The girl letting out a yelp, finally seeing the true nature of the castle. Her small frame began shaking uncontrollably as her eyes widened, taking every inch of Valhalla in.
"Mein Pfad zur Glorie weckt Angst in deinem Herzen," Jaune declaimed with an ear to ear smile. "Doch das ist nicht die einzige Emotion, die jene in meinem Weltall besitzen. Liebe, Hass und Pein. Eine bloße Kostprobe lässt mich nach mehr hungern! Diese verkommenen Seelen sind die größte Dargabe! Mit diesem Valhalla werde ich alle überwinden, die mir im Wege stehen! Allerdings bleibt noch die Frage, was ich mit dir tun soll..." The pair paused in the centre of the ballroom. "Du hast mir ein Geschenk gegeben, für das ich meine Dankbarkeit nicht in Worte fassen kann. Daher kann ich nur einen Gegenstand dafür anbieten. Wünschst du dir, von der Welt jenseits dieses Schlosses zu hören? Alles, was da ist, wertzuschätzen und alles, ohne Unterschied, zu lieben?"
"J-ja," she answered immediately.
As the orchestra reached the height of their symphony, Jaune dipped the girl low, staring directly into her eyes as he held her in his arms. His expression only resembled that of ravenous hunger.
"Dann werde ich dich lehren, zu lieben, Mein Liebchen," Jaune declared with the utmost conviction.
At that moment, the music stopped. Every man in the ballroom stood and cheered as one. Their battle cries reverberating through the halls of Valhalla before turning into a cacophony of hurrahs. In their celebration, the soldiers ignored another shade which had appeared.
Zarathustra stood upon the balcony where the orchestra played. His body was concealed by a ragged black cloak, no longer bearing the same clean appearance Karl Kraft or Professor Ozpin possessed. Underneath the hood, Jaune could see a maddened smile as he watched in awe. Next to him, Freyja observed with an entertained grin.
They watched as Jaune and the girl began glowing. A column of light shot out from beneath, taking their forms and absconding them from Valhalla.
[Vale]
Jaune and the girl reappeared in the abandoned city streets. This area was only dimly lit by the moon shining through the heavy clouds swarming over Vale. The girl looked around at their surroundings with astonishment while Jaune watched her. Already, a curious mind was beginning to observe this new word she'd been introduced to.
However, it began raining. A few droplets started turning into thousands within a short frame of time. The white dress the girl was wearing began to suffer the ill-effects of the moisture, allowing what was underneath to become visible–a fact she almost didn't seem to notice. Jaune took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders, shielding her from the downpour.
What should I call her? What name would be fitting for a goddess such as this?
That is when Jaune got the idea. As the moon shone through the clouds once again, Jaune knew what to christen her with. Such was fitting for the Moonlit Goddess.
"Luna," Jaune spoke, gesturing further down the street. "Come, let's get you out of the rain."
"So, I shall pose the same question," "What do you think of this party? You are the guest of honour here."
"I hate it,"
"Hahahahahah," "Why is that? Do I frighten you, or is the castle?"
"Lord Cassius," "You are frightened by my legionaries. What about them? What characteristic do they possess that disturb you?"
"I-I don't know,"
"I should ask more specifically then," "Do you understand what fear is?"
"That is what you are feeling," "The Legion's own emotions are saturating this castle, affecting yours. For something of a novice, it can take time to acclimate. As there is no room for apathy in my Weltall, you must bear with it for now. Indifference is what got them into their current predicament. Humanity simply cannot be emotionless, thus infallible."
"My path to glory stirs fear in your heart," "Yet, that is not the only emotion those in my Weltall possess. Love, hatred, and anguish. A small taste leaves me wanting more! These wretched souls are the greatest offering! With this Valhalla, I shall conquer all that stands in my way! However, that leaves the question of what to do with you..." "You have given me a gift that words cannot describe how grateful I am for. So, I can only offer one item in return. Do you wish to learn about the world outside this castle? To appreciate all there is and to love everything without distinction?"
"Y-Yes,"
"Then I shall teach you how to love, Mein Liebchen,"
Encyclopedia of MAJMLYAI.
Vampires:
Jaune
Aliases: Leonhardt, Julius Caesar, Lord-Commander of the Black Round Table, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown
Familiar/Ahnenerbe: Crocea Mors, Luna, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown
People Consumed: 228
Nazis Killed: 1
Major Arcana: The Emperor
Cassius
Aliases: Cassius,
Maria
Aliases:
Familiar/Ahnenerbe: Machecoul
Major Arcana:
Freyja
Aliases: Mephistopheles, Helena, Freyja
Familiar/Ahnenerbe:
Major Arcana: Tower
Christof
Aliases:
Familiar/Ahnenerbe:
Major Arcana:
Arthur
Aliases: Arthur Pendragon
Familiars: Excalibur
Major Arcana:
Zarathustra
Aliases: Ozpin, Karl Ernst Krafft, Ahasverus
Familiars:
Major Arcana: The Hermit
Other:
Brynhildr Valkyrie
Aliases:
Familiar/Ahnenerbe: Musphelheimr Laevetinn
Major Arcana: Temperance
General Ironwood
Aliases: Deus Ex Machina
Familiar/Ahnenerbe: Götz von Berlichingen
Major Arcana: The Chariot
Qrow Branwen
Aliases: Corvus
Familiar/Ahnenerbe: Harbinger
Glynda Goodwitch
Aliases: Malleus Maleficarum
Familiar/Ahnenerbe:
Winter Schnee
Aliases: Sonnenkind
Familiar/Ahnenerbe:
Major Arcana:
Neopolitan
Aliases:
Familiar/Ahnenerbe:
Major Arcana:
Methuselah, Pierre
(He ded.)
Friends/Allies:
Ruby
Aliases: Element Unknown
Yang
Aliases: Element Unknown
Pyrrha
Aliases: Element Unknown
Weiss
Aliases: Sonnenkind, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown, Element Unknown
Familiar/Ahnenerbe:
Major Arcana:
Blake
Aliases: Element Unknown
Luna
Concepts:
Ahnenerbe/Familiar/Holy Relic: Form of magic where objects are given a will of their own from the feelings put into them. They can be found, created, or summoned by those powerful enough to bend the world with their willpower. Those who use them, have their souls bound together with the object. They demand fuel through souls. It does not matter the source.
High Vampires: Vampires who have a greater connection to magical forces, which allows them easier usage of relics. All but twelve were wiped out by the forces of the SS in WW2. Further mechanics behind their power is unknown.
Mage: Someone able to bend the world through magic. Typical spell caster.
The Council: Organisation dedicated to safeguarding the world from magical threats. It has recently focused its attention to combatting terrorism, but its original goal still stands.
Arcane Name: Alias used by magi as an alternative identity. Vampires typically are given their arcane names by no choice of their own. It merely conveys an aspect of them.