A/N: Sorry for the delay, I decided to take a break. Besides me being busy, I'm sure you've all heard that notice, I also simply couldn't figure out how to continue the story without following canon. Got a really big writer's block for 3 months, I'll try to get back to writing though I might try to branch out to other stories.
Ngl, I did have to reread the earlier chapters for a refresher on how my earlier chapters went. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy my story.
Feel free to give me feedback, I really need it since I've noticed my writing skills deteriorating.
Thanks to KobeNiku for helping me out in the end and Hakon2feb for beta reading, I was really scratching my head as to what I can add to make the main story not feel too short.
Chapter 13"Ok, now I know that fight we just had didn't exactly go the way we thought it would go. But, we are alive." Peter breathed in, only to be cut off by his red cloaked companion.
"Yeah, and now that we can confirm that WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!" Lukrut exclaimed. His mind was still thinking back of the encounter with that thing.
"Even with just her strength alone, it's a miracle we are still alive." Dyne responded. "I'm just glad we made it out without too much harm."
"Yeah I told you she was extremely strong." Kitsu shrugged. "I did try to warn you."
Peter did recall Kitsu making a comment about Castella before. He just didn't think it would go so badly with Momon there. Seriously, how was he supposed to know she could split herself into multiple vessels?
"Well, we made our mistakes. But can we learn from them?" Peter furrows his brow.
"What is there to learn? We can't deal with her." Lukret waved his arm to the air in frustration.
Kitsu looked back, suddenly expressing an earnest expression. "You should just run when you see her."
Momon nodded. "Just leave her to us. We are trained to deal with her, you are not."
"But there must be something we can do against her!" Ninya exclaimed. Her mind scrambled to make light of the situation.
"Absolutely nothing." Nabe responded, shaking her head.
"You are not prepared at all. You remember what she did against you, do you not?" Momon added.
Kitsu noticed the Swords of Darkness glancing towards her. She shrugged in response. "Yeah I got my ass handed to me, not sure what you want me to say."
Lukrut gulped. "Please tell us you know of a weakness she has."
"Nothing you can exploit." Momon said, his voice remained flat.
"Then. At the very least can you train us in case she comes back?" Peter added.
Momon paused momentarily, pondering if it's appropriate to start training them. In the end, Momon shook his head. "Not personally, however I believe I know someone who could. I'll have to have a talk with him to see if they could accept you or not however."
~Line break~
Exiting the [Gate], Tenshi smiled. Taking a few steps towards her room, she wondered if she could finally start working on the corpse she dug up. A task for another time she supposes, after all there is a Heterochromia elf staring back at her who's in the process of grasping her shoulders.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Tenshi blocked her ears. As one would naturally do when someone was yelling right next to someone…
"What do you mean, haven't you been studying with Echidna and K4rn0s now?" Zesshi's eye twitched from Tenshi's 'innocent' response. Her face frowned.
"Ok first off Tenshi. You left me for a corpse!"
"I don't see how that's a problem." Tenshi shrugged in response. "Did I not tell you that the best way to learn Gensokyo's magic system is to study it? Unless you are willing to convert I doubt you'd go anywhere."
"I wasted so many hours in that library, you know? I'm no closer to figuring out the magic system as I am now." Zesshi raised her voice.
"Well, I didn't make the rules. If you want a short cut you are just going to have to convert. Simple as that"
Tenshi smiled momentarily before a voice rang out to her head. "Tenshi, do you happen to be near anyone?"
"Indeed Heinrich, what is it you need this time?"
"We are going to have a guild meeting soon, tell everyone to meet at the throne room in a few hours if you please."
"I'll see what I can do."
Zesshi perked in, noticing the wicked hermit suddenly pausing and shifting her focus on something else.. "What was that all about?"
"Heinrich wanted us for a meeting at the throne room in a few hours."
Zesshi sighed. "This talk isn't over Tenshi."
"I'm not quite sure what else there is to say." Tenshi deadpanned, looking back at Zesshi. "Do consider the needs and wants of others, would you? I was in the midst of an art piece. I'll look back at your progress after I finish a few art pieces, sooner if you can cast bullets before I get back to you."
"Fine."
~line break~
"And thus, if you were to combine the elements of hydrogen and oxygen you would have created the most dangerous solvent known to man, dihydrogen monoxide. Also known as water." Kobe lectured towards Nfirea. The latter fiercely scribbled notes on the notepad, an ingenious invention he wished he was introduced to earlier. Along with the pencil and eraser.
"Amazing! How is it that the combination of two highly combustible gases would result in a perfectly inflammable and safe liquid?" Nfirea exclaimed.
"Well that's a lesson for another time. Remember, it took you a few hours to even grasp the concept of the different stages of matter, let alone atoms and molecules. But don't fret! You'd probably be qualified for a bachelor's degree by the end of the week." Kobe responded, waving him off.
"A, what now?" Nfirea tilted his head in confusion.
Kobe raised her finger. "Exactly. Now, I can sense a rather… destructive associate of mine fast approaching. Why don't you help monitor dear ole' Clementine for a bit?"
As Nfirea left, Ozimyy wandered aimlessly into the room. Noticing the doctor she asked. "Hey Kobe, what do I do now?"
"Hmm? Just do what you normally do. Bother Ink or something. I don't know…" Kobe shrugged, not really wanting to deal with Ozimyy right now.
"I mean, I could but that'll last a few hours at best. I'm kind of a workaholic." Ozimyy protested.
"Then play FGO or something." Kobe raised a brow.
Ozimyy glanced towards her phone, not willing to deal with burning more apples on a game that isn't even having an event yet. "That's meant to be a hobby, can't you just give me jobs or something?"
Kobe smirked, stroking her chin. "Hmm, in that case. How is a little theft then?"
"What target?" Ozimyy answered immediately, wishing to occupy her time with something.
"Oh nothing much, just [Downfall of Castle and Country]."
"I mean, sure they should be around sometime tonight I think. Do you mind if I leave them all alive or dead?" Ozimyy asked, becoming more enthused at the thought of not having to roam around aimlessly for the rest of her life.
"Depends, do you want it to be a slight challenge or do you want it to be easy?"
"Path of least resistance it is. Anyhow I'mma prep-" Before Ozimyy could finish, a voice suddenly popped up on Ozimyy and Kobe's head.
"KobeNiku, Ozimyy. It's Heinrich, we are going to have a guild meeting in a few hours."
"What's this about? I was preparing to take a thing from the Slane Theocracy."
"You mean [Downfall of Castle and Country]?"
"How'd yo-"
"If it was something else, you would have already taken it by now."
"Right, fair. Anyhow, chances we could do this later?"
"If you were to let me finish, you are to meet up as soon as we all have gathered to the Throne Room. As long as you make it there before or shortly after Abe, Oblivon, Hakon and BigBoss we should have no problems."
"Righto."
Kobe sighed, mildly annoyed at the fact that someone somewhere would always disrupt her when she is working.
"Anyways, as I was saying. Gonna take that World Class thingy. Hope Pandora doesn't mind me borrowing a World Class Item, mind control is no joke. [Gate]."
Observing the vampire leave through her portal, KobeNiku fetched Nfirea to continue his lessons.
~line break~
Hakon and BigBoss approached the large crack of reality in front of them.
"Is this the place?"
"I suppose?"
Hakon pondered for a moment. She was initially here to find Brain but now there was a crack of reality in front of her. She supposes she could notify someone of the rift. He heard the guild was making a big deal out of it earlier after all.
Hakon turned around towards BigBoss. "We gonna call Momonga?"
The Merc nodded in response. "Better that way, Inquisitor was pretty upset at Ozimyy over a ROB encounter for not telling him immediately. She did tell Momonga though."
Hakon smiled. "Well I'll get t-"
"[Forbidden Barrage: Starbow Break]"
A continual storm of projectiles practically covering the horizon began flying from the sky. Hopping away from the barrage of projectiles Hakon noticed the distinct red colour of the projectiles, there was only really one individual who she knew could perform such a feat.
"Ozimyy?"
Rather than entertain the idea of even attempting to avoid the swarm of projectiles, she reverted back to her Nine tailed beast form.
Though she felt every single magic bullet barraging on her now orange fur, she began to form a black sphere around her mouth. Before the sphere had been fired however, Hakon immediately turned the sphere into a wide energy wave.
Observing the wave clearing her bullets while it's approaching, 'Ozimyy' seemingly disappearing. Only to reappear right in front of Hakon herself. Jumping back, 'Ozimyy' once again seemingly teleported away from a missile that was flying towards her.
"Alright, Ozimyy! What the hell?!"
Hakon swiped the bullets being sent his way before taking another look towards the vampire. 'Wait, don't tell me Ozimyy somehow got brainwashed by the Slane Theoracry?'
"Sorry but no dice, not even close…"
Hakon's eyes narrowed. Why now of all times?
"What, nothing? I didn't think you'd be tired of my shenanigans already."
"Sorry I'm not exactly enthused after you pretty much ruined my chance to recruit Brian. What do you want, Rob?"
"Well, I'm sure you already know."
Splitting into four, the being in possession of the 4 identical vampire children each quickly wiped out a blade of fire.
"This body really likes to fight with anyone she lays her eyes on. I'm surprised Ozimyy didn't go berserk immediately after she left the tomb. Want to she what happens when she does?"
Hakon gritted her teeth before the vampire charged towards the titanic fox.
"[Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu]"
A swarm of giant foxes materialised across the forest, glaring back at the 4 vampires. Hakon herself is unsure as to what to do.
Before the Vampires could rush in, a giant bipedal mech landed in front of them.
"A four on one fight is hardly a fair matchup ROB. Mind if I butt in to even up the battlefield?"
The vampire smiled, eyes glowing as to invite the two to make the first move.
~Side Story~
Nfirea wouldn't fancy himself a master alchemist but he'd like to think that his tutelage under his legendary grandmother, Lizzie Bareare, would have given him a solid idea as to what an alchemist's workshop should look like. Air thick with the fumes of reagents bubbling away, motes of dust floating about in the corner of one's view, and rows upon rows of potions and vials sequestered away in secure cabinets with glass windows. That was what he had known an alchemist's workshop to be his whole life.
What he saw once he stepped through the [Gate] that Miss Ozi opened up for him, went against all expectations of what he thought an alchemist's workshop should be whilst also exceeding everything he expected the workshop of an alchemist capable of brewing the perfect health potion ought to be. Pristine white walls and floors glimmered in his eyes, reflecting the cool light that seemed to be one with the ceiling and walls in perfectly spaced lines. Despite the busyness exuded by the array of vials, beakers and other apparatus he had not seen before filled with liquids of various colours across the many tables in the workshop, the air was surprisingly clean albeit sterile. Not a single speck of dust to be found, each smooth surface almost reflective in its spotlessness. Compounding his awe even further, the entire workshop appeared to be made almost entirely out of metal, stone, ceramic and glass, which spoke volumes of the immense prestige and wealth of the owner of this workshop.
Almost as if on cue, the owner made herself known by pushing in what appeared to be a foldable gurney made of metal with wheels into the workshop and towards a sleek egg-shaped metal open sarcophagus. On said gurney was an unconscious battered and bruised blonde woman, adorned in a thin paper-like gown that thankfully covered her modesty. Her hands were encased in some kind of white cast, with some spots of blood visible on them.
"Oh, hey, Nfirea," the owner, Miss Kobe, called out to him with a wave,"I see that you've accepted Ozimyy's offer. Lend me a hand hauling my patient here into the Time-Dilation Rehabilitation Capsule, would you?." He wasted no time moving to help her gingerly place the patient into the pitch black maw of the metal egg-sarcophagus, which was apparently a 'rehabilitation capsule'. If he was not already awed by the workshop already, he definitely was in awe when the capsule door shut itself and a projection of light coalesced itself into an interface in front of Miss Kobe, whom punched in a series of characters and buttons labelled in an alphabet he did not understand before turning to face him.
"So," she began, "how can I help you, Nfirea?" He gulped. Now that his attention was squarely on Miss Kobe, he tried and failed to stop himself from staring at the tall silver-haired alchemist before him. Despite knowing full well that she looked unerringly human, her features possessed an ethereal beauty that made enrapturing the gazes of men and women easy. However, such fancies were transient and he mustn't stray from the one his heart was determined to settle upon.
"Uh, I, well-"
"Come on, spit it out, boy," she demanded, "I don't have all day."
Well, in for a pound…
"I would like to be your apprentice!" he blurted out while giving her a deep bow. "The health potion, its colour! It is the rumored blood-red of the life essence of the gods themselves! Please, teach me, Miss Kobe!"
He did not know how long he remained bowing to her. It could have been mere seconds but each moment waiting on her answer felt like hours.
"Hmm, I'm afraid that would be a no," came her reply. While he honestly did not expect someone of her brilliance to easily accept someone like him, it still made his heart sink. He was just about to ask her to open up a [Gate] back to New Camelot when she continued speaking. "An apprenticeship? Don't make me laugh. Someone of your brilliance deserves something more than a paltry apprenticeship."
"Huh?" He practically snapped to attention to look at her. Mirth danced in her eyes as the next few words flowed from her lips like water in a stream.
"No, Nfirea, I wish to make you my assistant! Why settle with simply learning when you can actually apply your knowledge in ways you never knew you could? Why settle with being a humble apothecary when you can join me in reaching the heavens themselves?" She extended a hand to him, covered in a rubber glove, he noted. "Come, join me in ushering in a new age of technology, where healing services are readily available to all, where the ignorance that prevails be cast out by enlightenment, where the earth, the seas, and skies themselves are shaped to our will!"
Something was swelling deep in his heart. The flame of passion that he carefully nurtured with his experience and enthusiasm in alchemy now a glorious inferno fueled by an overwhelming sense of joy, pride and, most of all, hope. His eyes were moist and his cheeks damp, but that mattered not to him. He shook her hand in a firm grip, his posture straight and confident. With a fiery gaze that spoke of zeal and determination, he replied, "This offer, I wholeheartedly accept!"
"Most excellent," she said with a feral smirk. Then, practically out of thin air, she plopped an impressive stack of books on the table next to him, startling him. "Our first order of business is to get you up to speed with the basics of the sciences, mathematics, and magic. I come from a land much further than you can imagine, you see, so it'd be more convenient if my assistant were to know exactly what I need and refer to at all times."
"Uhm, Miss Kobe?" he asked, his meekness replacing his earlier zeal, "Why magic? I mean, I don't mean to be rude or anything! But I already know some amount of Tier Magic. Are you perhaps referring to Wild Magic?"
To his surprise, she chuckled. "Oh, nothing of the sort, dear boy. The magic I refer to is the manipulation of the mana around you to shape the elements to your will, like so," she said as she created a flame in an open palm. Then the flame morphed into a ball of water, then into a visible orb of wind, then into metal and wood, light, dark, and somehow, the Sun, and the Moon, before dismissing it completely.
He snapped his jaw shut that he never noticed had dropped open. Silent casting and multiple elemental spells on a whim?!
"Child's play, I know. Nothing impressive, really." Nothing impressive? Child's play?! He might not have kept abreast with the world around him given his dedication to alchemy but he was certain that Miss Kobe far surpassed Fluder Paradyne's magical prowess by several magnitudes of scale!
"But, if you wish to learn more about magic, about seeking the depths of knowledge, about uplifting your fellow man to greater heights, then you have come to the right place," she said, grinning.
Feeling that determination swell in him once more, he declared, "Then I will do my best, Miss Kobe! I won't let you down!" His vision was then obscured when she tossed a white immaculate coat his way.
"Then it's time for your education to start proper, boy!" she said, matching his enthusiasm with a flair. "Oh, and please, call me Eirin."
