A/n: Hello everyone! Psychojack here with another glimpse into the tale of Holy Nail War. Since I didn't upload last week I made this chapter a little longer than others (in fact almost double the length). Looks like our unknowing hero Honda has entered phase 2 of his fight with Darius Deacon who is now utilizing the strength of his magical prowess. Meanwhile in the study, Saber and Assassin are currently in their own confrontation with Atalanta, who wishes to exterminate them as well as Honda as he is the sole epicenter of the downfall of the alliance. It's anyone's guess, let's get right to it!
-Deacon Estate: Study-
Atalanta aimed a high velocity arrow via her bow Tauropolos, an emerald glint indicating the strength used behind her shot as she attempted to finish off both Saber and Assassin in order to win the Holy Grail War.
KABOOM
Right at the moment when Atalanta had intended to release an arrow towards her intended target, the Deacon Study shook, as if by a powerful shockwave. This caused her aim to be sabotaged due to the split second alteration of the trajectory of the projectile. It had grazed Saber's left cheek leaving a blood red slice on the side of her face.
Assassin took immediate advantage, her being more used to agile movements when under fire enabled her to balance herself besides the shifting gravity of the room in order to reach Atalanta.
The argonaut let loose another arrow towards Assassin who nimbly dodged the arrow, despite it grazing her right shoulder and immediately grasped Atalanta, beginning a fight over the bow.
Saber, with no real weapon available to her at the moment, dashed and immediately reached Atalanta as well.
The beast-like servant immediately launched her feet forward towards Saber, drop kicking the king of knights back as she at the same time cut Assassin's left hand with a stray arrow, prompting Atalanta to roll away from the two with her bow in hand before preparing another arrow.
The entire study seemed to crack open, as another shockwave rippled the room.
Atalanta, Saber and Assassin were caught nearly tripping, rolling away from incoming collapsing bookcases containing the Deacon family secrets of magical knowledge. Tomes torn apart from sheer gravity tearing apart the fragile pages, combined with glass vials of unknown origins falling near the trio of servants.
Atalanta threw herself from a lone bookcase nearly crushing her. Assassin in hot pursuit. Saber, using her servant-like strength, had to stop the bookcase from crushing her.
Atalanta noticed and readied another arrow.
"I got you in my sights!"
The sound of her bow firing alerted Assassin who literally caught the arrow with her right hand, preventing it from hitting Saber.
Saber looked towards Assassin.
'Assassin! She is…protecting me?'
"Saber. If we are to survive this fight, then we will need to work together on this. We can worry about our disagreements later. Agreed?" Assassin said as her right hand let loose a droplet of blood.
Saber narrowed her eyes. As much as she didn't like the idea of working with an Assassin class servant, they will not survive if they are at each other's throats. With a lot of their prana drained, they are not at peak strength to normally go toe to toe with Atalanta who is not only armed with her weapon and skillset by extension, but also has her prana at peak condition for a long drawn out fight.
"Agreed!"
BASH
The ground ruptured from beneath the servants as a glowing purple beam of sorts shot literally through the floor, causing Atalanta to be flung backwards, resulting in her having to somersault backwards to regain proper orientation.
Atalanta narrowed her eyes, irritated.
'Somethings wrong. The estate is under attack!'
She took a glance at Saber and Assassin
'A battle is happening downstairs while you two are here with me. And yet why hasn't Deacon sent for me?'
Atalanta appeared angry.
'That's right, I don't have a command seal. Even if Deacon wanted to call for me, he wouldn't be able to. We never figured out that problem!'
Her eyes narrowed. 'From what I know so far, Deacon is a prideful man. No doubt he would take on any in his way single handedly if he could. But considering that firepower just now, there's no doubt that this is what the eighth master had counted on!'
-With Honda At the Same Time-
Honda gazed under his mask as Deacon charged up utilizing the entirety of the estates' prana reserves. A torrent of aqua colored energy towered over the muscular magus as he powered up his body. His muscles, though already prominent, were mildly increased in density, veins bulging through his skin indicating that he was prepped for bringing destruction.
Runes that were usually an indicator of reinforcement glowed to and fro from his powerful jawline to his torso, practically decorating his body with neon like glows. His only article of clothing were his formal pants, preserving his modesty albeit torn from Honda sending a volley of meteorites in the titan-like magus' direction. The current lighting lit Deacon's back whilst his front was coated in shadow, save for the runic markings glowing against his body.
'Oh yeah! Made it pass phase 1 and now we're onto phase 2. Guy's practically transforming, which means he's gonna unleash his full power!' Honda thought to himself as he grinned under his mask.
Deacon on the other hand was livid. The Warlock in front of him was unlike any other opponent that he has ever faced, one that possessed enough power to overwhelm him and his own naturally honed defense as well as magical expertise.
"I will end this Honda with all the strength of my line. This whole estate has run only through the prana of each Deacon family successor, passed down and steadily growing our strength as time flows. You should consider yourself honored to see the entire collective power of my household.." Deacon said as the energy that towered the battlefield condensed around Deacon as a wisp-like aqua tinted aura that stemmed from the runes on the magus' body.
'Still confused as to the pacing of the fighting mechanics of this thing. It wouldn't be too far-fetched for me to ask just to be sure, right?' Honda thought.
Deacon began clenching his right fist, his knuckles loudly crackling as energy surged through the clenched limb.
"Time out for a sec!" Honda said as he held his hands out in a stop gesture with one hand pointing to the sky, and the other hand positioned flat on top of it in a 'T' shape.
Idores' eyes twitched as to Honda's plea for a time out.
Stria sweatdropped. Mordred was blinking confusedly.
"Did he just say time out?" Mordred said before Elias tried to crawl away, prompting Mordred to drag him again by his hair.
Deacon paused, a look of confusion webbed on his face. Honda's voice sounded different for a sec.
"Time out!? We are in the middle of a fight?" Deacon reminded Honda.
"I know, but I wanted to ask how do you want to do this anyway? Being that we're going round 2 do we take turns or do we just keep on swinging till one of us goes down? Any ground rules like no touching of the face by any chance?" Honda asked.
Deacon looked incredulously at the once menacing being he was fighting.
"What the hell are you talking about!? Round 2? Taking turns!? We are fighting to the death! There is no pulling punches!" Deacon was outraged, thinking Honda has lost his sense.
Honda showed his hands in a calm down gesture with hands outstretched. "Alright, alright no need to be so angry, I'm just asking. We're doing hack-and-slash, got it!" Honda raised his hands in a calm down gesture.
"Of course I'm angry! I'm furious!" Deacon exclaimed.
"Wanna talk about it?" Honda asked.
"NO!" Deacon roared out, sweat marring his forehead at his exertion.
"Suit yourself." Honda said as he cleared his throat.
'No wonder Miki was concerned about Deacon, the guy's got a bit of a temper problem. He looks like he's about to pop an artery at the rate he's going.' Honda thought to himself.
Meanwhile Deacon was trying to control his breathing.
'Dammit! This energy is difficult to contain as is. He's trying to goad me into making a bad move. I've never seen a man who could just shift personalities like that. He almost reminds me of…no focus! That's exactly what the Warlock wants! He wants me to break my concentration with pointless thoughts!' Deacon sighed and calmed his nerves as he regained composure.
"Golem!" Honda called out. The ebony being extended its right fist before avalanching atop the enraged master.
The high velocity punch tore through the air, a sonic boom indicating the speed and intensity of the encroaching fist.
Deacon extended his left arm, runes spewing out aqua tinted rapturous energy as he powered his technique.
Reinforcement: Legionnaire Strike!
Deacon thrusted his left arm against the golems' hand. If one were to notice, at the very point of impact when Deacons' hand touched the ebony coated fist of the golem, it appeared as of Deacon had sent out a multitude of strikes, numbering in the double digits. An explosive aura of energy shot through the master's fist, causing the arm of the golem to be blown off.
The golem looked at the stump where it's right hand was, before it regenerated. The golem tilted its head in what could be described as confusion.
It swung the left fist, Deacon countering with his right. Before anyone could realize, a large velocity of fists were traded between Deacon and Honda's golem. Bits of ebony exploded from the golems arms as Deacon's reinforcement was proportionally increased to the amount of prana he has absorbed into his body. Shockwaves filled the area with each impact along with ember like particles that lit the field in indigo and aqua coated light.
Idores observed and felt perspiration on her face from the intensity of the prana surrounding the fight. "This, this is no longer a battle of magi…"
"...it's a battle of beasts!" Idores' red eyes focused on the fight, like mirrors they reflected the Golem and Deacon's constant fist thrusts.
Honda looked at the golem. Noticing the stumps that the golem had as the pieces of ebony shrapnels on the floor came back to its original owner. The golem tested its reformed fists via flexing its fingers.
'Dayum! Deacon's super charged! Okay, looks like close range ain't gonna work.'
"I meant it when I said I will fight you with all the strength of my line! My body carries now the combined strength of all my ancestors' prana, all demanding for your end, warlock!"
Honda turned to his golem, whispering. "You okay there buddy?" The golem let out a faint and yet noticeably audible grumble like noise, as if trying to respond but no discernable language could be determined.
"It would seem our little boss fight is quite the Goliath. Fighting close up is a no go. We're gonna have to play David here. Got any long range?" Honda asked his golem. The golem tilted its head before looking at Deacon, its indigo glowing eyes brightening.
Until a stream of indigo energy towards the unsuspecting master.
"What the hell!?" Deacon let out as the move was instantaneous.
Deacon immediately placed his arms upwards, the beam blasting him away, but not before ricocheting away from Deacon towards the roof, causing the entire room as well as everyone else occupying it to escape.
Stria and Mordred tumbled as debris flung about everywhere, nearly crushing them. Elias could be seen rolling along with them, worsening the state of his already broken arms. Idores, away from the rest due to the distance of their respective fights, was nearly tripped by the shockwave, being forced to use her ice magic to keep her stationary and upright.
Honda, after seeing the cannon-like magical energy break through the rooftop above the battlefield couldn't help his excitement.
"Woaaaahhhhh!" Honda let out, thrilled at the sights.
Meanwhile Elias let out a bloodcurdling scream as his arms were completely out of place from their sockets due to a giant rock of debris crushing them.
-With Saber-
The two servants had been forced to run across bookcase after bookcase as Atalanta continuously fired arrow volleys. They were potent in how deadly they were considering they tore through multiple bookcases like tissue paper, splinters flinging in the air. Tables were flipped around by the sheer velocity of each loosened projectile.
Saber grabbed a table and threw it at Atalanta, causing the Archer to nimbly dash away from the improvised weapon. Assassin, in tandem with Saber's throw leaped upwards above Atalanta, who looked towards Assassin and readied another arrow.
BAM
A loud reverbing sound bounced against the walls of the room as Saber had tackled Atalanta, causing the Archer to lose hold of her bow. Air was let out of her lungs at the impact, as Saber's strength outpaced hers.
The two women collided and ended up on the ground. Archer instinctually reversed the tackle to end up on top of Saber. Atalanta punched Saber with her right fist. Saber struck her to her left with her right gauntlet, the sound of metal clanging against Atalanta's eardrums from the strength of the impact.
Atalanta was then grabbed by Assassin by the back of her head, Saber releasing two more strikes to the face before Assassin held the Archer in a choke hold from behind. Assassin's shadowy and muscular arms crushing against Atalanta's windpipe.
The archer struck against Assassin's abs twice, but the servant held on. Saber attempted to get closer, however Atalanta then kicked Saber away with her right boot, Saber tumbling against some glassware, shattering them in the process. She then used a rather unorthodox method of potential escape. She used her lioness like canines to bite into Assassin's arm that was holding her.
Assassin still held on, though she did feel the sting of intense pain, the trained Assassin knew never to let go of her mark. It was part of her lifelong practice of her craft.
Atalanta saw Saber coming back and immediately launched herself. Her animal like instincts kicking in as her two feet held Saber's neck before flipping herself as well as the two servants against a table, the furniture shattering and collapsing from the weight of three servants crashing against it. Tomes flipped about along with pages of unknown origin.
Assassin had unintentionally let go due to the furniture knocking against her arms, enabling Atalanta to slip through. It would seem that like her ears, Atalanta's reflexes were that of a cat's. She was a sly combatant when she needed to be. Atalanta tried to regain her breath and reach for her bow, crawling towards the weapon as fast as she could before Saber tackled her again towards a bookcase, books tumbling off the shelf as the wooden furniture collapsed onto the duo.
Atalanta was shot through the bookcase as Saber could be seen extending her right fist. Clearly she had overpowered Atalanta for that moment. Atalanta looked behind her, there were glass shrapnels from broken vials everywhere. She grabbed a few and was about to throw some towards Saber.
THUNK
THUNK
THUNK
Several glass and wooden stakes were already aimed near her head prompting the Archer to duck and roll away as Assassin seemed to have thought ahead. She was carrying a fistful of rocks from the debris in the room and flung them like bullets towards the cat-like servant. Each one ran through the custom made furniture with each toss.
Atalanta then pounced, nimbly freerunning past the tables away from Saber, towards Assassin who spun with a roundhouse kick, Atalanta immediately ducking and picking Assassin up from below.
Assassin wrapped her arm in a grapple around Atalanta to strangle her again, Atalanta and Assassin smashing against a wall, cracking it from their combined strength.
Saber had tackled Atalanta while she was busy with Assassin. At the moment of impact, the ground shook again, causing a wide enough hole to appear in the study, resulting in the three servants falling into the hole towards the bottom of the estate. Punching sounds echoed as they went down, obscured from light.
-With Honda-
Deacons' homunculi guards ran throughout the battlefield. Their weapons on the floor as they did so.
Why do you ask?
It was because sometime during the fight, Honda had began using his phantom wire as a means to lasso himself across the battlefield in quick but sporadic movements. Deacon would propel himself in a prana infused rush that was currently launching other unsuspecting guards as if they were weightless ragdolls.
Stria and Mordred were among the homunculi guards running for their lives as Honda's golem was stuck to the magician's back and was constantly firing energy beams from its eyes at Deacon. Explosions were everywhere and the bystanders had to duck for cover.
One explosion had practically launched Idores, covering her in ash as her eyes spun from the disorienting blast. Her saving grace was using a frost spell to build a thick snow pile for her to land on. She blew a few loose strands from her eyesight, a pissed look on her face.
Honda was using his phantom wire to keep moving as Deacon kept blasting past debris with every punch. Honda was laughing to himself as the enraged Deacon gave chase. Debris flung about as Deacon literally ran through it whilst Honda evaded the debris with great grace befitting a man of physical athleticism.
The golem fired its beams towards Deacon, who would slow down before altering his own course to avoid the beams to get to Honda.
'Chase sequences too! Oh man, this is just ridiculous!' Honda psyched himself, practically treating this like a sport as he began doing skateboard-like whirlies and handstands while his golem would provide shards of ebony to take the shape of a board as he did so.
"Turn and face me Warlock!" Deacon's voice echoed as Honda continuously skated past Deacon's bomb like blows.
Honda took out some dragonwool string that he had taken from the apothecary. It was still faintly aglow with orange energy, and was warm to the touch.
"You know, I think it's time we finally get to use this. Golem if you would." Honda suggested to his golem as he extended his left hand that held his specialized silver encrusted cards. The golem placed its own hands against the deck, a faint almost transparent veil wrapped around the cards as well as Honda's hands.
"Thanks Golem! You know, I've been calling you golem for a while now, I think you need a name! What do you think?" Honda mentioned to his golem who let out a grumble that seemed confused and inquisitive in tone, as if asking 'why now?'.
Deacon was speeding towards them, still punching away debris as he sped past homunculi guards that were desperately trying to either avoid the fight or were helplessly flung away in the air screaming in dull monotone.
"Yeah, I mean why not have a name? Since you're made of ebony, how about having that as a name. What do you say to Ebony?" Honda asked as he wrapped the dragon wool string around the cards, the veil shielding the cards began taking on an orange flame like hue.
The golem looked in Honda's direction in a fast motion, as if being surprised and shaken even. It seemed to contemplate something before simply nodding.
"Alright, Ebony it is!" Honda smiled before the golem stopped in place, causing Deacon to pause as he was about to let out a strike. Honda turned around and released his silver cards towards Deacon.
Deacon looked on as the cards just laid there on the ground limply.
"Cards?" Deacon questioned, as he wasn't sure as to what magecraft Honda was intending to use.
Honda spoke with his Warlock voice. "Not just any cards. They are dancing cards…"
Deacon's eyes slightly opened wider. "Dancing?"
Stria from far away widened her eyes.
"Dancing cards!"
She remembered the dancing card trick he had used on the day they had first 'coupled'. But using it in a combat setting?
Honda pulled both his hands upwards, revealing two lines of string stretching from each hand. The lines were glowing orange as they were made from dragon wool that was also wrapped in phantom wire.
And the wire was tied around the cards.
Deacon's eyes widened.
Honda said aloud.
"Here is tonight's special from the void! One that I call…"
He raised his hands as the phantom wire caused the cards to lift upwards, defying gravity due to the immaterial matter and nature of phantom wire. Then Honda swung each hand to and fro in a fast motion. The motion caused the dragon wool to ignite from friction, and spread throughout the wire and onto the cards. The golem using its prana infused shielding on the cards, caused the flame to spread onto them without actually damaging them, resulting in:
"DRAGON DECK!" Honda roared out his made up move. The dragon wool and phantom wire combo ignited Deacon's body with white hot flame. Each swerve of the wire distorted the air from sheer heat, as well as lighting the air with embers surrounding the target as the cards sliced and diced against his skin.
Deacon's reinforcement already was vulnerable to phantom wire, but the dragon wool phased through at the same time, causing the wire to be akin to a hot knife, tearing through his otherworldly reinforced outer body. Deacon used his mighty arms to block many of the blows, but he couldn't deflect it, as each movement of the wire was unpredictable and wild when coupled with the reinforced prana infused cards that sliced him as well and stung like hell. Each flick of Honda's wrist left a slice on his skin.
SFX: SIZZLE
Deacon had sweat emanate on his forehead as he felt the intense heat smelting against his body. Steam emanated from the wounds he possessed. The Warlock was crafty as his cards had practically melted past his outer reinforced shell and onto his vulnerable human skin. The Warlock had outwitted him, not in terms of sheer strength but through cunning and deep understanding of Deacon's magecraft.
As the slightly charred and bleeding opponent looked upwards past his arms he saw one card stand in front of him, one bearing a detailed image of Honda with hands outstretched and smoke emanating from his fingertips.
"Now you see it…" Honda could be heard.
Before Deacon could react, the card sliced his cheek, a trail of blood emanating on his face as Deacon stared in shock, wondering why Honda didn't make a final strike. The card had left his view.
SMASH
That was until the now named golem, Ebony smashed Deacon against the ground, his lack of concentration being the sole factor behind him not utilizing his reinforcement at the right moment to fully absorb the impact. This left a huge fist shaped crater where Deacon was. The magus laid down mouth agape with his eyes missing their irises as they had seemingly rolled to the back of his head.
"...now you don't." Honda finished bowing gracefully. Ebony mimicked the bow of its master.
Idores and the others could not believe their eyes. Honda, a non magus had defeated an actual magus family head.
On a hilltop of debris, Idores could be seen peeking from her cover of thick ice. Here eyes shook, pools of crimson reflecting the view of Honda standing victorious within the smoke coating the scenery.
"Impossible!" Idores let out, stunned beyond recognition. Admittingly even her own skillset would not have been enough for a Deacon magus, not with their reknowned defense. Through a combination of luck, usage of unusual means as well as quick thinking and well timed executions, the performer had beaten a genuine article among magic users.
Stria was clapping loudly, whistling for Honda as if it were another one of his shows. She couldn't help herself.
Idores looked at Stria from afar with a confused look, never really seeing Stria act like this. 'Is this how Stria always acted when she watched his shows?'
Mordred, whose eyesight had finally recovered from the temporary blinding spell from Ursus grinned.
"He actually did it! I had doubts but that was a good one Master! She pumped a fist into the air.
Elias was foaming at the mouth, unconscious due to his arms being smashed up.
Honda slowly stalked towards Deacon. The magus limply laid within the crater of the final impact.
'He…he tore through my defense…like it was nothing! Those cards, what kind of magecraft was that! It was like being attacked from everywhere at once!' Deacon thought to himself.
Honda looked downwards towards Deacon, his frost blue eyes peering through the mask as he stared ominously towards his opponent.
'I can't move…I can't even focus on my reserves to launch a counterattack. That golem….
The golem can be seen with the glowing lines of its skin pulsing.
'I see. It sapped my prana with that last punch! I have…
Deacon closed his eyes in resignation as he mumbled.
"I have lost. You defeated me utterly, Warlock..." Deacon said as he fought with all his might and still couldn't stand on top. Honda had earned his win.
Honda grinned in his mask but remained in character.
"Do you surrender?"
Deacon gritted his teeth. "You have beaten me, Warlock, I cannot best you."
'Holy shit…I won!'
Honda smiled in an open mouth grin.
-Honda Vision Start-
Honda stands above a giant ape lookalike of Darius Deacon, smoke and rubble fill the area as the many cowering hunchback homunculi stared on as their leader was defeated. Honda had his cape flowing in an epic sway, his golem standing mightily from behind.
[You have defeated Monkey King Deacon!]
Victory fanfare music can be heard playing as Honda stands triumphantly with light rays shining behind him.
[You have defeated a master of the Holy Nail War! 1 of 7 defeated]
[Achievement Unlocked: Deacon the Monkey King!]
[Special Move unlocked: Dragon Deck!]
-Honda Vision End-
"What are you waiting for, Honda? Kill me." Deacon said.
Honda stared on. "Huh?"
"What do you want from me? Do you want me to beg? Kill me and get it over with!" Deacon said as he awaited his fate.
Frost blue eyes met aqua irises.
"I lost the war, and I have shamed my house. I have been proven weak and thus have no further use. You won. I lost. This is the way of magi! DO IT!!
Honda seemed contemplative.
'Damn! That's some prime acting right there. Then again, I guess it is his loss in the Holy Nail War. Maybe 'losing' means he'll have his command receipt revoked, which means no more 'fun time' for this guy. Can't blame him, this is expensive and too fun to just let go!'
"You fought honorably, Darius Deacon, magus of the Holy Nail War." Honda said aloud his warlock voice in place.
"Holy what war?" Deacon said with exhaustion.
"You were magnificent, and fought with the strength of a hundred men." Honda said with a respectful tone.
Deacon listened and looked aside. "Don't insult me with…false praise."
Honda looked away in a far off distance.
"I have noticed in my short time here, that this estate possesses quite an…isolating atmosphere. Its halls, though well constructed, are empty and devoid of life despite being filled with so many people. Your homunculi servants with no names, your colorless estate filled with knowledge, but lacking any passion. Even when I spoke to your servants, they all mentioned their concern for you, their warrior, their protector, their king." Honda said, using what he has seen and experienced thus far to deduce Darius' mental being.
Deacon remained silent as Honda spoke.
"You are a fighter worthy of your birthright. However, I can tell that your whole life, you've been living to a standard befitting of lions as opposed to the lamb that you really are." Honda explained.
Deacon took slight offense to that. "A lamb!?"
Honda remained firm. "You are no predator, you forged an alliance with those others would view as enemies, you kept them safe, freely able to navigate your estate, and have enabled servants to roam with their weapons in the sparring room. Eckbert and you started this alliance, but I wonder as to the reason. Why go so far as to ally with others when you already possess an army, resources, and a base of operations?" Honda asked.
'Gotta have my lore right before I make any decisions!'
"Elias' family was always a confidant of my family. When we were both involved in the Holy Grail War, we figured that we can at least ensure our lineage before we would go to fight one another. The Holy Grail can only appear with one victor, no more than that. Any more than that, and it won't appear to grant one's ultimate wish."
'So people are killing each other for a wish? Quite a demanding war.' Honda thought.
"If lineage was a concern, why not just get it over with? I'm sure a man of your stature would have no problem finding a willing bride." Honda asked as he remembered talking to Miki about such things.
"I…was never good at dating, okay!" Deacon admitted, his face bearing an embarrassed tinge of red on his cheeks.
'Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's the anger issues thay got something to down with it…' thought the magician.
Honda sweatdropped. "That explains a lot…*clears throat* and your wish?"
Deacon sighed. "I didn't have a wish to be honest. Most of my family are spread throughout the world far and wide. I am the current head on paper, but I have no real ties with them. We were raised as Deacons, and yet might as well be strangers. To be honest…I was aimless from the beginning, focused only on winning and on simply proving myself worthy of my name, otherwise I am just…undeserving of the one thing I always strived to aspire to. The name was…all I really had."
"The irony of what you were seeking, Darius, was that you fought with everything for an existence that had nothing to sustain you. You lived a life you didn't choose, one that was most likely forced upon you with no consideration as to your aspirations, wants or at the least with regard to basic reality. You were trying to uphold a perfect ideal for your house when perfection is a myth, and in trying to obtain this perfection, the most you will obtain is one second before everything turns to dust around you like an afterthought. To live is to succeed and fail. Champions, true champions are those who fail and choose to grow and soar from the lessons failure leaves behind, and serve as the mentors to those willing to listen." Honda counseled.
Deacon's eyes watered as Honda spoke, as the Warlocks words cut deep into his soul. It was true. He couldn't be a champion.
"By that definition, you are already a champion."
Deacon's eyes widened. Honda bent down to his level.
"You failed well. For your homunculi, for your family name, and for your honor you fought and failed admirably. Now as your ultimate punishment…" Honda said.
Deacon paid rapt attention, not believing what he was hearing.
Honda then spoke with arms flailed outward as his cape flowed as he spoke much akin to an evil villain.
"I reject your request for a glorious death by my hand! Your life is now mine, your command seal is now mine, this broken remnant of an estate is now mine. In exchange, I command you to live! Instead of the glorious death you longed for, you will be forced to keep your name and wear it as a permanent mark of your failure!"
Honda pointed at Deacon in a commanding body gesture.
"You will live a wretched life, full of peace and much greener pastures than that of the horrors you have submitted yourself to. A life of calmness, of prosperity and warm nights that spits in the face of your ancestors as you hold your future spouse and children day in and day out! You will find a place of your own, and live the life you alone have chosen. And on the day of your death, when you are surrounded by your loved ones as you take your last breath on this earth into the afterlife, know that I'm the man responsible for your torment, and die after being forced to live such a cursed fulfilling life. That. Is. Your. Punishment!" Honda commanded authoritatively.
Deacon looked at Honda like he was insane. "You…you are not going to kill me. But I am your enemy, you fool!"
Honda laughed evilly, echoing within the walls of the room. "I am the eternal shadow, the world's rules are mine to break like porcelain under my heel."
The golem reached its hands towards Deacon on its own.
Deacon looked at his command seal, one that marked him as a master of the Holy Grail War, albeit one not bonded to a servant, the same seal slowly etched on the chest area of the golem where the heart would be in an indigo color, unbeknownst to Honda who was mostly focusing on Deacon during the exchange.
"What are you?" Deacon asked, staring into the frost blue eyes of Honda.
Honda took a breath, about to respond.
Deacon interrupted. "You know what…never mind. Even if you told me, I have no right to know. At this point, I don't think anyone is able to comprehend what you really are, Warlock. You are…something other than a magus…something far…better even." Deacon closed his eyes, a faint smile on his face as he slipped into darkness.
Darius the man was spared.
However, Darius Deacon, master of the Holy Grail War...
Was no more.
CHAPTER END