Scientists often hypothesized the so-called parallel worlds; other versions of Earth and its surroundings expanding indefinitely like mirrored reflections. If true, that would mean that Earth has not only one future but many.
Just imagine what might have been in an individual's life. Options that one in retrospect that one would have never considered at the time. Picture how life today might be different had those 'what-ifs' come to pass. All those variant futures in everyone's lives, make up the vast array of parallel worlds.
Your actions, those of the 'you' in this present moment on this particular timeline, can change the world in many ways. That proves such possibilities are alive and that your world lives on a proper axis. Conversely, a world where the future cannot be changed, regardless of choices, can have no parallel worlds. Such a world is nothing but a dead-end, solitary and singular with a past as immutable as its future.
It's more or less a necessary evil, a byproduct of how parallel worlds are structured together. After all, a world where humanity made radically different choices would bear very little resemblance to the world you know.
Some worlds may have crumbled by making the worst choices. Others may have chosen the right ones and rocketed ahead, perhaps too far. In either case, that world can no longer bear any resemblance to ours and once a world moves out of sync, it is no longer parallel.
A dimension contains only a finite amount of energy and has none to spare for creating new worlds from the worlds gone so far astray. If parallel worlds continued to increase in this manner, their number would eventually exceed the capacity. Parallel worlds must exist albeit in a manageable quantity.
The system works thusly: at regular intervals, a dimension takes stock of the possibilities it contains and only allows certain outcomes, those that would not cause undue difficulty in managing the next generation, to remain. As for the unneeded parallel worlds, the system closes off their futures. Every hundred years, it calculates how many worlds will survive for another hundred and support those only and so, civilizations in those parallel worlds line up with one another.
Think of it all as one giant tree. Only the trunk at the center can grow tall. The branches may bear fruit but eventually, they reach their limit and fall without reaching the future. There are no parallel worlds that have evolved too fast or crumbled quickly. Such worlds are dead ends with predetermined outcomes. And so there is a set frame in which these branches are trimmed, extra possibilities are removed, and future histories are fluid turned into stone. The mages of the old world call this the 'Foundation of Humanity'.
Such laws apply to every world out there and are a self-updating observatory that continues to observe and record every incident and possibility on Gaia and to other parallel worlds as well. In any case, the Foundation of Humanity governs these as it does on Gaia, tracking the various spiritron worlds and determining whether their futures will come to an end.
Once one passes the event horizon, there's no turning back or aside. Any lingering 'if-s' become 'might have beens'. It is the work of an unseen force and it is called a Quantum Timelock, the event compilation set by an absolute observer.
The sounds of the fireworks blaring in the night sky didn't do wonders for her senses. She gazed down from the balcony of the Cathedral and with her enhanced eyesight, she saw the happy expressions of her people. They were all saved from the tyranny of their rulers with her help along with her sisters.
As such, as the new ruler of the Capital, she waved at the people down below and they all erupted in cheers. Why wouldn't they? They had been released from the unfair treatment of the nobles and their rulers. They all place her as the new ruler of this kingdom along with four others.
Unknown to the people below, she was in pain. Her hearing picking up noise from everywhere and she clings on to the railing of the balcony.
"You don't look so good…" a worried voice spoke, lending its hand towards her to which she gratefully accepted.
"Just a bit tired, that's all," she mentioned as she stood back up, facing the one who helped her. His golden-brown irises emitted concern over her condition.
"Perhaps, it is time to retire in your quarters now, Lady One?" he suggested.
"I'm not some helpless child, Shirou." she chided when the young man offered rest to her.
"Well, you do look like one," he jested and it earned him a glare from her.
The body which she currently has regressed to that of a teen. As to why she has this form was because of him… to save him from the grasp of death, she made a pact and turn him to a Disciple of hers.
An Intoner such as her didn't need a disciple in the first place. She can control her powers as an Intoner pretty well and can summon daemons with ease without succumbing completely to the Flower's influence. But right now, the young man is now tied to her, a string, if you will that connects him and her together.
The moment she formed a pact with him…
"Is something the matter?" Shirou questioned.
"Nothing, perhaps I do need to take a rest but there's no need to escort me there."
"Are you certain that you'll be alright?" he repeated.
"I'm an Intoner, I just need to get away from all the noises, that's all," she explained and her answer seemed to have satisfied him.
"I see, very well, have a pleasant evening, Lady One. If you ever need me, I'll be in the library."
"Off to read, I presume?" Shirou gave a nod of affirmation. "Inform me of anything that you might find about us Intoners."
"Before I forget," he sprawled his hands out and particles of light emitted as they began to take form. It will be always an enigma to her on how he can utilize magic without the need to incantate a song. Without it, there could be some drawbacks such as a Disciple's life being shortened.
But according to him, the one he currently employed was not the same as hers. It was called magecraft and the energies he used to perform feats such as this came from his body.
The particles took form and she was a bit confused as to what… thing Shirou held now. "Here, this should help you sleep."
Her brows furrowed as he gave the item to her hands. The only noticeable features in this are the large cotton attach at both ends.
"What is this?"
"Just something to cover your ears and block out any unnecessary noise, come on try it."
It has a design similar to that of a headpiece thus she remove hers and put it on. The cotton muffled her ears and for a moment, her sensitive hearing stop picking up the more annoying sounds around.
"Did it work?" he inquired and One removed the item from her head.
"Adequate, I say but I appreciate the thought. This will find some good use," she said, slinging it over her arms.
She bid goodnight at her disciple and went to her sleeping quarters. The cathedral itself was given to her by the people when she took over the northern lands. Now, she stood atop and shared the lands with her other sisters.
All seemed to be in good hands but One knew that she was still out there. Even as she lay on the bed, she can still vividly remember her after all this time.
"Zero…" she muttered, reminiscing the last time she'd seen her.
It was about a year ago now when she last saw her, flying away with what she assumes is her pact dragon. On how did she get a hold of it? She has no idea but to her credit, its hard to form a pact with such beasts. They must show their strength and reveal no weaknesses towards them. Prideful creatures as such were hard to come by as they have low opinions towards humans.
One was sure without a doubt that Zero's objective was still the same. To become the only Intoner in the world and that means she's out there, plotting a way to kill her very siblings.
She must formulate a plan to stop her.
Surrounded by an array of books, Shirou Emiya finds himself dwelling in the cathedral's library. Some of them delved into the lives of the people who once occupied this place. Interestingly enough, he can make out a few books here and there.
He came across a book about a Greek philosopher, Diogenes Laertius. There's also one that talks about his own country Japan; it would seem that this world drew parallels with his. Perhaps the only difference was that he's trapped in an era where mana is abundant.
Though from what he remembered, the cathedral where he stood was the source of all magic in the lands.
"Intoners, huh?"
He has spent his time, helping One understand who or what she and her sisters were. Unfortunately, their search on the books that lay in the great library didn't bore fruit. Nonetheless, the Intoner knew that she and her siblings were different from normal.
He could feel that as well, ever since he met her and the sisters; they have this… otherworldly presence on them. Granted that they look normal on the outside, they possess power that can beguile men and women.
They manipulate magic through the use of songs. Quite a way to do it but he had seen it beforehand with One. She mostly uses it to enhance her physical prowess in battle. The girl was also capable of summoning daemons albeit she needed help from him to lift it… as her Disciple.
Just how messed up his life is now?
Then again, he swore loyalty to her goal of bringing peace and prosperity to the land of Midgard.
If One strays from her path… he will cut her down. End of story.
"I know you're in there, Accord. There's no use hiding." Shirou called out.
Out of the shadows came out a young woman, her glasses glint at the sight of him whilst she carried her suitcase.
"As if anything can escape your senses." the girl named Accord said, sitting on top of a table and taking out a book from her suitcase.
"Off again to do the will of humanity's work of pruning timelines?" he remarked.
"I am a Recorder, it is not my job to decide which branch will diverge from the Foundation. You know that more than anyone else." Accord stated. "Though from what I've seen on this branch you're in, everything turns into something that even I can't predict."
He face her and noticed that she dwelled up in her thoughts. Shirou let the girl on her crevices, searching for his own. If this cathedral is where this world's magic began, surely they must have something about parallel universes. Theorems or anything similar, there's gotta be!
"But I guess it's too early to make conclusions though it begs the question, why would you ally yourself with One?"
"Hmm? There's nothing much of it, she saved me from death and I swore my allegiance to her."
"You believe that her intentions are pure?" Shirou closed the book he read and put it back on the shelf.
"I do hope so and if worse comes to shove, I will kill her."
There was no hesitation when he said those words. He had watched One and her siblings travel around the lands of Midgard, using their songs to defeat and oust the lord's grip on each. He also does have a hand in helping them achieve it.
"I see… very well, I shall watch from the sidelines and continue my duties as a Recorder," she hopped off the table and grabbed her suitcase.
No pleasantries were exchanged between them. Shirou will likely see her again… if Accord feels the need to do so. She has been very vague and only left hints as to what the future holds for them. When he confronted the girl about this; she only said that it wasn't allowed due to the nature of her programming.
By the time Accord left, he heard footsteps from the doorway and found One, breathing heavily and leaning to the oakwood doors. He immediately rushed to her side and ran his palms on her forehead.
"Is it that time again?" she nodded at his words and Shirou couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"I'm sorry… if you have to… put up with my… condition." One said between ragged breaths. "Were you… talking to someone?"
'Damn, this girl's perception is on a whole new level.' he thought but not that surprising.
An Intoner such as her develop senses exceeding that of everyone. She may have caught Accord's presence but due to her condition right now, she can only guess.
"No, just musing on my own. Come on, I'll take you back to your quarters."
Shirou lent his shoulder and One limp her arm over it. They tread over the long hallways, dotted with stained glass of angels and demons. Both he and One along with a certain someone are the ones occupying this giant structure. There were no servants except for a few guards stationed outside.
The two reached the girl's quarters and he laid One on the bed. Her face all flushed and pink, she's not in pain, no… if anything else she's suppressing her sexual urges.
Blessed with the ability to beguile men and women with their songs, Intoners have very high sexual drives as well. If someone were to ask if he had done it with her?
His answer will be a definite no.
But he wouldn't deny that he had helped her on several occasions to relieve herself of these pent-up frustrations.
"Do you need me to?" he asked, his expression remaining impassive and a small nod came from her direction.
Shirou proceeded to close all curtains and the doors behind them… surely this night will be a long one.
Dragons are one of the many Phantasmal Species that still walked this earth. Who knows how many of them are out there? Some say that only a few of them remained but others said that there's a whole army out there. Nonetheless, they are the stuff of legends amongst the populace.
"Just how long are you gonna boil that, huh?"
"The secret to tenderizing meat is to let it simmer and boil," said Shirou in a manner of fact tone.
Behind him stood one of these dragons, dwarfing everything else around including him. If someone else were to be in his place, they'll probably run for their lives but not him. Granted they knew each other when he became One's disciple, she was also the girl's pact dragon.
"So… tell me what happened last night between you and One?"
"Aside from my numbing arm? Nothing much, Gabriella."
The dragon let out a huff as she watched the young man stirred the boar meat inside the giant cauldron. After hearing the noises in the room of One last night, she couldn't help but inquire about it. She tries asking the girl directly but she evades it as usual.
"Pfft! As if I'm inclined to believe both your words, you two had sex last night."
"No, we did not. I will simply not cross that line with her." Shirou defended.
"Why? Is it because of her petite body? Have some preferences to a partner?"
"It's not about that… One is like a little sister to me and it would feel weird doing it with someone whom I view as such."
Gabriella chuckled at his words. "Find that hard to believe when I saw you helping her once in the Land of Forests."
"Wait, when did you?"
The young man tried to keep his stoic façade but deep down he was internally screaming. What the dragon said was one of their excursions to visit and see how things are going in the Land of Forests. Gabriella may have snuck out and followed them behind.
"There's no shame on practicing abstinence if you're a guy who wishes to save it for marriage. The problem is you're serving an Intoner that is on heat almost 24/7, One maybe able to hold it back but not all the time."
He knew that of course, and that's why he's a bit thankful that One's senses were heightened to a degree. Its easier for him to sate her lust without the need to resort to intercourse.
"I'm fully aware of her condition. She's fine with how we deal it so that's that." said Shirou, extinguishing the fire and putting in some spices to the boiled meat.
"I'm just saying but one of these days, you two will go at it. When that time comes, you better sort out your feelings."
It was quite a scene to behold, him and a dragon conversing like this though the topic could have been something else. Gabriella was one of a kind dragon whose attitude closely resembled that of humans. She has this sassy and sarcastic streak as well as being humorous and extroverted.
For a race of dragons who was known for being prideful, she wouldn't take kindly to anyone who will belittle her. It may seem contradictory why she willingly forged a pact with One despite having low opinions on humans such as her, Gabriella answered by saying it was because of a whim.
"Can't believe I'm taking advice from a lizard…" he lowly muttered.
"Wanna run that down on me again?" the dragon's snout bumped him from behind.
"Nothing! I think the meat's done cooking." Shirou drained all the water from the cauldron and laid the piping boar meat to Gabriella.
"Took you long enough!" she devoured it all in one go with a satisfied look on her. "Now that's what I call an appetizer!"
"Seriously? An appetizer?"
That wild boar was over 800 pounds! But if he considered the dragon's size, it would make sense that she wouldn't be satisfied and even call it a meager meal.
"Hey, us dragons have appetites far exceeds that of humans. This won't be enough but I appreciate the thought, boy. You don't get cooked meat every now and then."
Shirou's lips curled into a smile at her words, it's not that you get praise from someone other than a human. They were both interrupted when a guard burst into Gabriella's quarters.
"Lord Shirou, Lady One is requesting your presence."
"I'll be there," he bid farewell to the dragon and made his way back to the cathedral.
As he entered the quiet structure, he finds One sitting on the sole chair with a book in her hands.
Shirou bowed down in respect. "Lady One, you called for me?"
She promptly closed the book and gazed at her Disciple, the last night's escapade still fresh on her mind. At this point, they were both used to it but oftentimes, she will find it a bit embarrassing to look at him. Especially when you've adapted proper decorum, only to lose it when all the cards are down.
She shook those thoughts away, other things need taking care of.
"Do you remember Zero?"
"Yes, it's been almost a year since we last saw her along with her dragon. What of her?"
"I'm afraid she's on the move once more." One declared.
Shirou never really understood the deal between the rivalry between Zero and One. All he knew about the girl is that she's an Intoner just like hers and that she's the first one of them. He did try to ask One about it but she didn't delve into it that much but now, looks like he'll get some answers.
"What she's out to kill you again and your sisters?" Shirou guessed.
"You're right, even now her goals never changed."
"What's the deal with her anyway? Have you done something to upset her this badly?"
One let out a sigh. "Its not some kind of petty fight that passes on if a side takes a break. My sister intends to be the one and only Intoner in the world."
"To do that… she needs to kill you and your other siblings, is that it?" his answer came from a nod of affirmation from her.
This revelation is not something he expects. He really can't form an opinion about Zero since he never knew her personally. They did meet that one time and from what he gathered, the woman has quite a temper.
"Correct, she will destroy the very peace we Intoners bring to these lands. I simply cannot allow such thing to happen." a hint of determination emitted from her words.
"Have you tried to talk it out with her? You're siblings, right… surely you maybe able to compromise-"
"That is out of the question!" her sudden outburst surprised Shirou. "Zero is merciless, she does not hesitate nor can be reason with."
"Right, well… what are you gonna do about it?" he questioned though his mind was on other things specifically the girl named Zero.
"I've already sent messengers to the other lands. My sisters will gather here to lure that traitor and finish her off."
It still feels inherently wrong to try and kill your sibling. He knew that feeling all too well when Illyasviel expressed her desire to do the same towards him. In the end, it was all resolved with a little talk and understanding from both sides. Though, he doesn't know if the same approach can be done in this situation.
"What about her dragon? Surely she'll bring that here with her."
He also caught glimpse of Zero's dragon and even he can attest that its powerful even more so than Gabriella. Not that he'll ever admit it in front of her, ticking off a dragon is the last thing he needs.
"Gabriella and I have a… plan." One acknowledged.
Michael's presence on the battlefield is a sure one and his strength far exceeds that of her pact dragon. She has a plan to make her stronger than she is right now though that one would require…
Even now the thought of turning one of her dearest friends into a daemon just didn't feel right. But to defeat the enemy, Gabriella agreed with her proposal, that's how much she trusted her. Truly, fate is such a cruel mistress.
Mulling her thoughts, One felt her Disciple's hand on her shoulders.
"I'm sensing some hesitance with this plan of yours, mind sharing it with me. Perhaps I can lend some assistance?" Shirou offered.
"No, its fine," she gazed at him and grabbed his hand. "Can you promise me one thing though?"
"So long as its reasonable, let's hear it."
"I want you to stay here in the cathedral while I and my sisters along with Gabriella deal with Zero." he didn't miss the pleading expression One gave to him.
"Is that an order from an Intoner to her Disciple?" he asked.
"No… it's a request from a friend to another, please?"
He kept quiet as it was the first time that his Intoner would make such a plea. He can pretty much take care of himself in battle, even One knows it so why ask such?
"I can't promise anything, to be honest," he scratched the back of his head. "We're in this together, remember! Besides, I wanna know what's the deal with Zero, perhaps I can talk her out of this."
The Intoner gritted her teeth, truly her disciple was stubborn at his very core. Even with her warnings, he still thinks that there's a way to talk Zero out of her objective of killing them. That would explain why Shirou and her sister, Two, got along well due to them being optimists.
"If that will be the case, just stay out of harm's way. Maybe provide covering fire from afar but do not… under no circumstances join us on the ground, got it?" One commanded.
"Alright, if that will be all for today. If you excuse me…" he left One on her own crevices with his thoughts being brought to other things.
Deep beneath in one of the building complex, lies a gate that held one of the more malignant forces of the city in the past. Even as Shirou approached the Mercurius Gate, he could still sense it… at least what's left of that. As a safety measure, it was sealed in a complex array of spells.
But he had seen what was behind those doors and its possible connection to the Intoners. Granted, there wasn't anytime to do any proper study since it tried to devour One's siblings. Right now, he must speak with Gabriella and One about some important matters regarding Zero.
When Shirou returned to the surface, he found his Intoner and its pact dragon about to leave.
"Where you going?" he asked.
"Field training…" One lowly muttered as she put the saddle behind Gabriella's back.
"Oh, isn't that convenient, let me come with you."
"No, you are to stay here in the cathedral. This is for me and Gabriella." she replied, without even sparing a glance to him.
Ever since the girl brought up this plan of hers with the dragon, he noticed that she was down the slumps. Whatever it is that she's planning with her pact dragon seems to be eating her inside.
"Whatever it is that you're going to do, I'll be on the sidelines just in case anything happens."
"Listen here, this isn't something that you should involve yourself with…"
"Just let the boy come, he's bound to find it out anyway," Shirou's brows raised at Gabriella's words. "Hop on, you both."
One was about to refute her dragon but the young man already went on ahead. He offered his hand towards her and spoke.
"You coming with us?"
"Of course," a gracious smile formed on her lips as she grabbed him and rode the saddle. "By the way, I'll take the helm."
Shirou let One take the reins as the wings of the dragon flapped around. They slowly began to ascend from the cathedral grounds and off towards the starry skies.
He gazed down below to the town where the people of the city lived on. The structures where the commoners live feel out of place when they're being surrounded by modern buildings. The history of this entire city was shrouded by mystery, some say that the buildings were once the home of the gods. Others say that the people of the old world resided here but some spells erased said people.
He really doesn't know which is which and the books in the library didn't help that much.
"The breeze feels good," he commented out of nowhere. "Can't say about the smell though."
"Is that complaining I hear?" Gabriella roared.
"Easy there," said Shirou. "I'm not calling out names here, alright? I mean, that could be even me!"
"Can I drop him? Like right now?" the dragon spoke though One chided her.
"No, it'll be bad for us if he winds up dead."
The young man opted not to say anymore unnecessary chatter as he felt that Gabriella might just drop him out of sheer principle.
After what seems to be a lifetime, they reach shallow waters and they seemed to head towards the Land of Seas.
"So, where exactly are we going?" Shirou questioned.
"You'll find out soon enough, boy," Gabriella replied and he got his answer when a familiar island came to his sights.
There's really nothing noteworthy about the environment with grassy plains dotting the area. Hills on the horizon can be seen and lush greenery surrounded them. The dragon land down and unfurls its wings, allowing its passengers to get off her.
One removed the saddle from Gabriella's back and her disciple assisted her.
"Takes you back doesn't it?" he began.
"Indeed, this is where the three of us met." the dragon reminisce as they began to walk among the plains. "Though, you are more of an unwanted visitor."
"How am I supposed to know you're the one who occupied the cave? It rained hard back then and I needed shelter so I took refuge on the nearest one I could find." Shirou reasoned out.
One stood and watched the banter between the two, a sight that brought temporary relief in her heart. They, with the sole exception of her sisters, alleviate the loneliness that racks her up with the absence of her siblings. But after a few hours, one of them will be gone and the thought of losing one of her friends…
She gritted her teeth, will she falter right here now? Gabriella will still be here albeit, she would be a husk of her former self. The process of daemonification will strengthen her dragon enough to best Michael. But at the same time, she will not be the same as she was before.
"It is time, girl."
Gabriella's decorum changed and Shirou noticed it.
"Boy, I want you to take care of One." her tone was authoritative and conveyed nothing but seriousness. "By the time the ritual's done, she will need someone to rely on and I expect you to be that person."
"What are you saying? You make it sound like you'll leave us or something."
"In a sense, yes, we will conduct a ritual that will empower Gabriella at the cost of her own self." the Intoner stated.
"Ritual for what? If it's for the upcoming battle, don't you think that the three of us will be enough."
There's certainly truth in what Shirou said, the forces that she rallied along with the power of their Songs, could stop Zero. All of it, however, is nothing against the might of a dragon such as Michael or Gabriella.
"Look, as much as it pains me to admit it but we won't stand a chance against that scattered brain dragon." the dragon declared and that made him think even more of their current situation.
"Let us begin…" One whispered and Gabriella sprawled her wings out, she begins chanting something in a language incomprehensible to him. The winds began to pick up pace and a torrent of magical energy surrounded the dragon.
"Wait! S-stop!" he slowly made his way towards the Intoner and grabbed her hand. "There's no need to do this!"
"Boy, do not interfere!" the dragon howled. "This is for the sake of her dream!"
"No! I know there's another way!" he then turned to One who was in complete disarray on whether to continue the daemonification or not. "Lady One, I need you to trust me again like you did last time!"
"How would you know!?" the Intoner shouted, seeking some kind of answer from him.
"You don't… it's a leap of faith."
Its not exactly the answer One hoped for but somewhere deep inside… she wanted to believe everything will be fine. She still has doubts, of course, but with him maybe there could be a way to stop Zero. She closed her eyes and cease all activity.
"Are you for real, girl?" the dragon let out an exasperated sigh and locked its eyes to Shirou. "What you said to her has to be one of the sappiest things I've heard in all my life as a dragon."
"What can I say? My point still stands that we can talk this out with Zero. If its not then we'll have to take her out of the picture, I guess?"
"You make it sound so easy, boy. Hopefully, whatever plan it is that you're brewing won't get us killed or something."
"I've faced far more difficult obstacles than this. Besides, I've got weapons that could harm a dragon."
One was actually aware of her disciple's ability to summon swords through magecraft. She was actually interested in how the process goes but Shirou didn't delve into it that much. He prefers to keep it under wraps as well.
"We need to formulate a plan that will minimize damages and loss of lives…" the young woman muttered.
"You think this is a good place to talk about such?" the two look fixedly at Gabriella. "Because in about 5 seconds we're going to be soaking wet."
Shirou opened his palms and felt droplets of water about to come down. The trio took shelter in one of the caves nearby, waiting for the torrential rain to stop. Fortunately, a brazen with some wood was still there and the dragon blew fire on it. One huddled near Gabriella while the young man stood near the cave's entrance.
"What can you tell me about Zero?"
One's earliest memories of the white-haired girl were her attempt at killing her siblings. She doesn't understand why would she do so in the first place but it may have something to do with their nature as Intoners.
"She's a monster of her own," she started. "Zero's not afraid to sully her hands red if it means achieving her goals."
"I see… has she always been like this?" came his next question.
"I'm afraid I cannot answer it. When your first memory of your eldest sibling is them trying to kill you in cold blood, there's no room for other thoughts." One declared.
"Now I'm more interested in your past, One." Gabriella perked up.
She didn't talk about it too much, not to Shirou nor to her dragon before they met. Though what's interesting is that the five of them knew the existence of their Songs by heart.
"What about her dragon?" Shirou didn't really know that much about the white dragon that accompanied Zero.
"That guy?" he didn't miss Gabriella's groan at the mention of the other one. "He sure likes to boast about his vast knowledge and power, typical behaviour amongst our kind."
"You seemed to have some kind of history with him? Is that the case here?" One asked.
"Met the guy several times but I can't stand him, that's all. There's no animosity between us or anything, at least…" she declared. "I'm warning you now, I can hold against him but defeating him is out of the question."
"Is that admittance, I hear? From a dragon?" said Shirou, smirking in Gabriella's direction.
"Better than mincing words." she quipped before she slumped down to the ground.
One stared at her disciple even as the young man blow air in his palms. It was rather chilly inside the cave along with the winds outside. She scuttles a bit to the side and calls him out, offering him to sit beside her.
"I'm good, the cold never bothered me anyway. Already used to it, you know?" he moved near the flames and let it warm his hands. His forlorn gaze focused on his Intoner. "Is it comfortable here?"
"I'm fine, just a bit noisy outside but nothing I can't handle." said One.
With the rain and winds raging outside, the trio patiently waits until the storm passes. Gabriella is now sleeping soundly and the Intoner wouldn't be able to sleep with all the snoring and the rain. Her disciple seemed to be on board as hers.
"Can't believe it's been a year since we took over the Cathedral City."
"Yes, we have made the lives of the common people better than it was before the lords ruled over them."
Long before they, the Intoners came to Midgard, the Land of Seas, Sands, Forest, Mountains, and the Cathedral City were ruled by despotic rulers. Through the use of their Songs and the backing of the lower class, overthrowing them was easy enough.
Still, there are some remnants of the old rulers scattered around, thus, they can't afford to relax. That and the Intoner, Zero was still out there.
"What is it that you're planning to do after all these?" Shirou asked.
That was a question that One didn't think too much about. There are just simply more pressing matters that need her attention than to think of the future.
"I'll think of it once the time comes," she replied though it made her wonder what her disciple would do.
She did not intend to bind him with her for eternity. Once the threat known as Zero was taken out and long-lasting peace has been established in Midgard, she will break their pact.
"Seems the rain won't be going away anytime soon…" he commented.
"It looks like we're spending the night here then. You can rest now, I'll take first watch."
Shirou nodded in affirmation as he curled up, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Soon enough, the young man dozes off to sleep with the Intoner guarding both him and Gabriella. One wondered what the future held for her… whether she will live another day or her sisters for that matter.
January 27
Weeks had ultimately passed, One sat at the chair near the altar with a book in her hand. Her disciple is right beside her, standing and waiting for the arrival of one of their sisters.
"Who do you think its gonna be?" Shirou questioned.
"Two and Cent will be here first."
"Oh… alright… thought that Five will be the first one to arrive considering the Land of Seas is the closest to the Cathedral City."
The domain that Two watched over was the Land of Sands situated in the southwest of Midgard. Just as the name implies, it's mostly covered in desert and the oppressive heat makes it unsuitable for farming. Despite the harsh conditions, the ruins that littered the place made up for it as scholars around Midgard studies them.
Shirou heard a small shriek and his attention went to the duo that entered the building. The first of them was a young woman whose aquamarine irises match the color of her messy short hair.
"I'm so sorry, sister! The handle just kind of gave away…" her voice quivered as if a deer caught in the headlights.
"It's fine, Two… my disciple will take care of it," the young man bowed down to the duo.
"Do you find the trip here pleasant?" he asked as Two gave the handle to him.
Garbed in a blue vest that exposed her midriff and a blue skirt being held together by a black belt. She also wore the same colour for a cloak. A gracious smile formed on her lips as she held the arm of her disciple.
"With Cent right beside me, everything's pleasant." she joyously said, glancing at the individual near her.
Two's disciple known as Cent flicked his hair to the side. Shirou already met him and the rest of the disciples and he can say with certainty that this guy is melodramatic.
"It would seem that we're first here, Lady Two." the disciple declared. "But of course, you will be always first in my eyes."
Two squealed in delight, burying herself in his embrace. It was quite a sight to behold and One couldn't help but smile. It was ideal that an Intoner and Disciple get along like them.
With that said, this show of affection is probably too much for them thus she cut in.
"Right! We took out a large minotaur nest that's been a nuisance in the trade lines. Food is a bit scarce but thankfully merchants are bringing in a steady food supply." Two stated.
"Looks like you're handling the situation in the Land of Sands very well," Shirou commented.
Very little vegetation can be grown in there along with the harsh conditions, Two's cheery attitude is what the people need in there.
"By the way… guess who came up with a new recipe while travelling here."
These two just so happened to be connoisseurs of cooking and they both enjoyed it. One couldn't really get into the culinary arts that much anymore due to her sense of taste overreacting to any flavored food.
"If you don't mind sharing it with me, I'll be more delighted to learn it," Shirou said in interest.
"That settles it! By the way, One… can I check out something here before we rest?"
"Feel free to explore, Shirou here will guide you on whatever it is you want to check."
The young man led Two and her disciple a tour around the structure though her interest lies more what's underneath them. Thus, he gave her what she wanted and took them to the basement complex.
Aside from the dreary, cold and dark place, there wasn't anything remotely interesting here.
"This should be enough…" Two muttered.
"Just what does she want here?" he asked the black-haired disciple next to him.
"You see, Lady Two is planning to bring some orphans in this place." Cent explained.
"And you think that the basement is the best one out there?"
"Let the lady decide, alright? By the way, are we going to join our Intoners in the upcoming fight with Lady Zero?"
"No, you will provide support from behind and make sure that your Intoner will leave the battlefield unharmed."
Cent lets out a laugh and whips his hair around. "I will protect Lady Two with all my life! Be rest assured of it!"
Shirou didn't doubt his word though, judging by how close they are. "I know, but…"
He glanced at the blue-haired Intoner who was checking the doors.
"Two is a happy-go-lucky girl, and that's one of her good points. She can easily ease the hearts of the common folk." his fellow disciple doesn't seem to follow him. This is one of the problems of Cent, this guy is just too dense on his own sometimes.
He just needs to get his point across directly. "What I'm saying is that do not dote on her too much. She may be physically strong but her mental state not so much. Just make sure that you won't leave her alone."
"Hmm…"
Shirou's words made him think of his beloved lady. It was true that Two is gentle and innocent to a fault. She wouldn't harm an insect even if her life depends on it… and that's what makes her endearing to him and the folks. He cannot imagine imparting the world's pain to her!
No, that's what being a disciple means, he will protect and shield her from this cruel world.
"Cent? You there?" he called out.
"What? Oh, yes! I totally get it!" the black-haired disciple fibbed.
"So long as you understand it."
They were later accompanied by the blue-haired Intoner at dinner where she taught Shirou how to make ogre meatballs. It was peculiar, to say the least, and the meat itself was too tough to even chew. With the use of Two's ludicrous strength, they managed to make it tender.
As evening arrives, only the three of them were at the dinner table which bothered Two a little bit.
"This is truly scrumptious, Lady Two!" Cent praised as he took a stab at the cooked meal that his Intoner and fellow disciple made.
"Can't say that I'm a fan of eating monster meat but hey what do I know?" said Shirou and Two only giggled at their reaction.
Her mind went to other things, specifically to her eldest sister, One. Just like her ever-growing strength that she cannot control, her fellow Intoners also have the same condition that varies. She was just worried that her sister was neglecting her needs.
Sensing her distress, Cent, who sat beside dissuaded her.
"What's wrong, milady?"
"Oh, it's about One, I'm just wondering how she's holding up." she turned her attention towards the disciple across her. "You're taking good care of her, right?"
Shirou hummed in response. "She's doing well so far… albeit she's spending more time alone holed up in the library. I'm making sure that she still at least gets to eat."
"I see, big sis One always was the brains out all of us. Suffice to say she's been the de facto leader since Zero left. I was worried that since we've gone, she's gonna recluse a bit," she gave off a heart-warming smile at One's disciple. "But I'm glad that you're here with her. She won't be lonely even without us."
Ever since his Intoner split off the lands and gave the governance of each to one of her sisters, One was left to take care of the capital. Whenever celebrations are being conducted, she would force herself to show up despite her condition. It would be bad for her image if she doesn't show up once in a while.
"Gabriella also lends a hand…"
"I think claws will be a fitting analogy for it," Cent remarked, feeling that he's being left out.
"Okay…" it was a bit of an odd choice but he's not gonna call him out on that one. "Just like what I mentioned, her dragon is keeping her company too so you should also thank her."
"I'll make sure to give Gabby my gratitude as well!"
"It's such a thing for Lady Two to give out nicknames to everyone."
"Awww... Cent!" the blue-haired Intoner embarrassingly turned away.
This sight was a welcome one, albeit a bit too much for him at least. He was never been this affectionate when it comes to One and probably never will.
The dinner was concluded and he showed them their quarters. Two was a bit flustered at the thought of her and Cent on the same bed which is quite something. He would have thought that these pair have done it before anyone else but considering Two's innocence that may not be the case.
He brought some of the ogre meatballs that Two made and did some modifications to suit One's tastes. Though whether the girl is fond of eating monster meat or not, he had no idea. But it is her sister's cooking so she wouldn't want to miss out on it, right?
Shirou quietly made his way to the library with the food tray on hand, catching his Intoner reading as usual.
"Find anything interesting?" he asked, settling down the tray.
"No, not about us Intoners at least…" One replied and she showed him the book that caught her attention. "This book pertains to what the mages of this cathedral call 'multiple world divergence phenomena'."
"Oh? That is certainly interesting, who wrote it?"
It was exactly the one he needed to get back to his world, hopefully, it will contain some useful information on how to do so.
"I do not know how to pronounce the author's name but his name is Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg." said the Intoner and for a moment Shirou didn't believe what he just heard.
"Wait… can I see it?" One gave the book to him and there it was, the all-familiar signature of the Wizard Marshall himself.
Could it be that this whole cathedral came from his world to another? That could be the case as the architecture itself stands out above everything else in the area. But this is the wielder of the Kaleidoscope we're talking about, he may have winded up here in his observation of parallel worlds and decided to write this down.
So many questions filled up his head and yet the answers for them seemed so far away.
"Do you know of the author who wrote it?" she asked, noticing that her Disciple fell into deep thought when he sees the book.
"In a sense, yes… never met him personally but he is a powerful magician of his own."
"Hmm," One hummed in thought, it was certainly interesting and while she wanted to indulge more on the topic of parallel worlds, it's not what she's looking for.
She noticed the food that Shirou brought and promptly asked him for it. "Your sister Two made it, ogre meatballs, figures that you might wanna eat her cooking."
It has been awhile since One ate any of her sister's cooking. She was a capable cook and not to boast, the best of all them with Two following suit. As for Three… she doesn't really care that much so long as the food fills her stomach. Four has a habit of using raw ingredients without cooking them properly. Five, on the other hand, just dumps whatever it is that fancies her eye whether that ingredient is safe to consume or not.
"I did make some changes so it suits your tastes but it should still stay the same." he added.
Shirou has always been considerate when it comes to her needs even going as far in bed. For one, she was grateful to have him around, never muttering a complaint.
"Monster meat…" she lowly muttered, taking apart the meatballs themselves.
"I know, don't know how your sister did it but I'm gonna find out." the young man chuckled rather darkly.
"You truly love cooking, don't you?" One commented off-hand.
"Well, of course! Cooking is a vast wasteland that awaits exploration and I can't wait to see them all."
It's one of the things that her Disciple loves to do in his spare time… that and helping others.
February 14th
Shirou was tasked by his Intoner to welcome the ruler of the Land of the Mountains and his fellow Disciple. With a group of soldiers in tow, a twin-tailed girl came out with a familiar gauntlet in her left hand. Her brown hair was tied into twin tails and her shoulders was covered in a dark green cloak. The Roman numeral IV was embedded on her forehead.
"Lady Four," he bowed down in recognition. "and to you as well, Decadus."
"Where is sister One?" the girl asked.
"She's waiting for us in the library. Please do follow me."
With the two following behind him, Four spoke up.
"How are things faring here in the capital?"
"There are still some pockets of resistance from the previous lord's army but they've been taken care of," Shirou replied.
"Did you eliminate them?"
"Um, no… they actually surrender when we discovered them so," his words were interrupted when Four went on ahead of him.
"You let them live!?" she indecorously asked.
"Milady, I don't think we should…" her Disciple tried to dissuade but was cut off by the teal-haired Intoner.
"Shut up, Decadus! This is for sister One's sake."
"Hrrngh… as you wish, milady!"
Despite his mild mannerisms and being a gentleman, it would seem that he gets some kind of kick whenever he gets scolded.
"Look, they surrender alright? Killing them won't do us any good. If you have complaints on how we handle things here, take it up with One."
Those words prompted her to shut up and he could have sworn that he shot a glare at him. Shirou was already used to getting the short end of others ire especially when it comes to women.
"My apologies, I didn't mean to belittle or question you or my sister's actions. It's just that to bring everlasting peace and order to Midgard, we must get rid of any opposition." Four declared though he would beg to differ.
"Hmm… I guess in a way you're right," he admitted. "However, it wouldn't do any good in the long run if One's image will be tarnished with their deaths. Those who lay down their arms will be given a chance to redeem themselves."
"And if they don't?" she asked yet again.
"Then we'll deal with them in accordance to the law, is that good enough for you?"
Four hummed in response though his answer didn't quell her worries. They stopped at the entrance of the cathedral's library.
"Before I forget, do keep the noises down. As you would know, her hearing's becoming too much for her." Shirou warned.
"Must be hard for Lady One to deal with such," Four's disciple quipped. "Being sensitive to nearly everything and be bothered by such… ohhh…. what pain!"
He and Four gave a deadpanned look at Decadus. The teal-haired Intoner rubbed her temples at the behaviour of her Disciple. Why can't she get someone who is normal? Though out of all the Disciples that each of her sisters had, Shirou fits the bill of being normal. The rest had their quirks that left them undesirable, at least in her eyes.
"Let's go inside, shall we?"
The doors were opened and Four saw her sister, diligently reading whatever it is she was reading. Surely, it's of importance so she's not gonna bother asking about it.
"Lady Four has arrived, One." Shirou announced and the Intoner closed the book she was reading.
"It good to see that you two arrived here early,"
She didn't expect them to be here earlier, considering that the Land of Mountains was the furthest from the capital.
"If it's from you sister, I will put a stop on everything I'm doing," the teal-haired Intoner said. "I did invite Three to come with me but she's busy with her dolls, as usual."
"She's enamored with them, huh…" One's disciple murmured.
The domain of Four and Three happened to be in conjuncture with one another. Though from what he remembered, the lavender-haired Intoner has always been an oddity amongst her sisters. She's lethargic in the sense that if it doesn't involve dolls, she will put little to no effort into other things.
"More importantly…" One continued.
"You wanted a report about my country?"
"Always quick on the uptake."
Four began to summarize everything that transpired in the Land of Mountains. "Everything is going smoothly. I mean, how could it not? The population isn't that large and the livable portion of land is rather compact. The former lord must have been a true dim-wit to make such a mess of things."
One of the reasons why she gave said Land to her teal-haired sister was that it's easy to manage. She couldn't potentially give her any overwhelming tasks as Four tends to recede to her shell or lose her temper.
"I am more concern about the Land of Forests,"
She also ordered Four to look at Three's domain. It was a gamble on her part to give the Land of Forests to her as it's also the home of the faeries and elves.
"She's actually doing well so far managing it. I wouldn't even last a day being with those god-awful faeries and snobby elves." said the teal-haired Intoner in disgust.
"Indeed, hearing the insults of those faeries makes me…" Decadus is cut off with Shirou coughing.
"Please this is a serious conversation we're having," he pleaded.
"A thousand apologies then my fellow disciple." the man bowed down in apology and Four could only hang her head in embarrassment.
One did notice that her sister didn't spare a passing glance to Decadus. Perhaps Four didn't like having a mild-mannered man as a disciple? Though it may have to do with his masochistic tendencies.
"Well, that's all there is to report on mine and Three's domain. The people are very grateful as this is the first time they get to actually take advantage of their harvests." she happily exclaimed as to drown out the stupidity of her disciple.
"It's good to hear then," One said in relief though she discern that Four wants to say something else. "Is something on your mind?"
The teal-haired Intoner sealed her lips shut but decided to speak it out loud.
"Must we fight her?"
She let out a sigh and glanced at her disciple who also shared the same sentiment as Four.
"Of course, that's the reason why I call for our sisters here." One declared.
"I mean, it's kind of pointless, at least for me." the teal-haired Intoner murmured.
"Would you rather be killed by her hand then?" she repeated and Four waved her hands in disagreement.
"No, that's not what I mean…" the girl became more downtrodden at One's answer. "You've truly changed, sister."
The blonde-haired Intoner will admit it, growing up is more or less inevitable. Add the fact that they're essentially rulers of Midgard, they must steel themselves for the sake of their people.
"I wouldn't blame you for thinking so, Four." she glanced at her disciple who stood diligently on the sidelines. "Lead them to their quarters, Shirou."
The teal-haired girl seemed to be dissatisfied as the trio left the library and once she heard their footsteps receding, she continued her search for information about them. No matter how many books or scrolls she read in this library, knowledge about Intoners was absent.
It slowly frustrates her to no end being this dark about her existence. Were they called something else other than Intoners? It is a possibility… but the way they use their Songs is not the same as wizards who do incantations. It's not the same as Shirou's magic in which he can summon swords with the use of his magical energy.
Were this information about Intoners been omitted on purpose?
"Lady Four," Shirou spoke.
"Yes?" she questioned.
"May I have a word with you?"
Why would he wanna talk to her? Could it be that he found out what transpired on her lands when she chased those elves? There's a possibility that Gabriella told him about it. She must be careful as he may not be aware of it yet.
"I have a lot of time on my hands, what is it?"
"It has something to do with Zero. What you said to One is something I agree on, we don't have to fight her." said the young man.
She was glad that someone agreed with her that fighting Zero is not the way to do it.
"Tell me more about her while we're on tea," Shirou invited. "Decadus, would you like some?"
"If milady wishes it," he glanced at her Intoner who only sighed in defeat.
"So long as you don't do any of that stuff earlier, you're allowed to join."
"Of course."
He lead them to his quarters which happened to be near One's room as well. It wasn't anything special, it has a small bed, some tables and a small kitchen. It made her wonder why would he have one in his room.
Shirou began to boil some water and prepared tea for his guests. While he waited for it to finish, he initiated the talk.
"What kind of a person Zero is?" he started.
"Oh, big sis Zero, she's always been a kind sibling towards us." Four reminisced in delight. "Whenever I get bullied, she would come to my rescue. When we lived together, she's been the kindest to me."
Shirou brought the teapot and the cups, serving them to Four and her disciple. "She seemed to be a gentle woman in the past, Lady Four."
"Yes, Decadus… so it came as a surprise to me as to why she wanted to kill us," she took a sip from her teacup and found it to her liking.
"I see, so that's how she was." replied the young man.
Four's memories about Zero didn't add up with One's. The teal-haired girl remembered her as a kind person but the story he heard from his Intoner's different. Just what is going on? Something definitely happened before he met these sisters and Zero's behind all of it.
"I must say…" he was broke out of his musings when he heard Decadus. "This tea is delicious."
"I'm glad that you like it. The locals have been providing us with tea leaves and all manner of supplies here in the cathedral. How about you, Four? Is the brew good to your liking?"
"Yes, it is delicious." she took another sip from her cup. "Well, that's that, I am not opposed to fighting for my life but against Zero? I don't think I could do it."
"If she intends to truly kill you and your sisters, we may have no choice but to fight. The best we can do is to restrain her if possible." Shirou stated.
"But how do we do it, if I may?" Decadus inquired.
"You'll hear about it once Three and Five arrive here in the capital."
"Five has yet to come here?" a groan escaped the teal-haired Intoner. "You would have thought that she's the closest to big sis One, she will be the first here."
He only chuckled at Four's words and he spent the rest of the afternoon with them.
After mostly a fruitless search on the cathedral's library, One decided to visit an old 'friend' of hers in the hopes that this individual could enlighten her. Her footsteps echoed throughout the halls of the structure. Her sense of hearing picked up the noises coming from Two's room and she could even make out Cent's voice from there.
The same couldn't be said when she saw Four's room which was being guarded by Decadus. The moans of the girl reach her ears though the disciple seems to hesitate to enter the room of his Intoner. It is a disciple's job to quell their respective Intoner's needs and desires. But for whatever reason, he's out here and can't decide on his next course of action.
One let them off on their crevices as she reached the end of the hallway. She took out a key in her pockets and promptly opened the locked door.
With the wick of a lamp, illuminating the whole place, she found him still writing away.
"To what do I owe this visit of yours, Lady One?"
The man in question was quite old with both his face and eyes wrinkling along with his hair turning gray.
"Partition," she started and leaned in on the walls with her arms crossed. "I see that you're still diligently writing out the history of my sisters."
The old man clicked his tongue. It isn't that he wanted to be here and do all of this. It was this Intoner and her siblings who forced him to be here… that and One's disciple as well.
"When will I be freed from my torment?" he asked.
"Be grateful that you're still among the living," she mentioned.
"Surely you didn't come here to mock me," Partition said, as he dabbed his quill in the stored ink, resuming his work.
"Hmm… I need information about the history of this city, especially the thing behind the Mercurius Gate that Zero destroyed."
His eyebrows crease at her question. She's talking about the black flower that was sealed beneath the gate that wreaked havoc around.
"I'm afraid that I have little knowledge about the flower. Only that a powerful magician thought that it was a threat and a guardian was put in there to ensure it would never see the light of day again."
One still remembered it, about a year and a half ago when she and her siblings along with Shirou arrived here in the Cathedral City. Their objective was the Gate itself which was told to hold some kind of power that they can use to defeat Zero.
When she arrived and went to the entrance itself, a sense of dread came over her. Whatever's in there resonated something inside of her and before she can confirm what it was, the lords of Midgard mercilessly slaughter her sisters.
"I see, anything else that you want to add?"
"Nothing more, that's all…" his voice trailed off for a bit something that One noticed. "Your disciple seems to have known the guardian of the Mercurius Gate."
She left Partition's room and make sure that its doors were locked. The old man gritted his teeth and didn't voice out his thoughts, knowing she might hear him out.
'I will have my revenge against these Intoners, be certain of that!'
Upon reaching the room of her disciple, One knocked on Shirou's door and a voice motioned her to come in.
"Evening, Lady One, didn't expect you to be here." the young man closed down his journal. "Anything I can help you with?"
"Yes," she made her way towards the small table and sat in one of the chairs, gesturing him to follow suit. "I talked to Partition before I came here and he mentioned something about you and Bartas, the guardian knew each other."
"Huh?" he sounded confused for a second. "I don't know what he told you exactly but I do not know Bartas at all."
"Yet he spoke of familiarity towards you." One countered.
"To be honest, I do not know what the deal is with the guardian himself," Shirou admitted. "The guy seems to have been inside the gates for so long that it made him crazy. I'm sure you saw it…"
That she cannot deny. When she defeated his adult form with the power of her Song, Bartas reverted back to a childlike one. Just so happened that this form was even more dangerous than the previous iteration. Even with Zero's help, (as much as she loathes to admit such), it was only through Shirou throwing away his life that they were able to vanquish Bartas.
"Well, I'm not that interested with the guardian, what I'm after was the flower nestled in the gates." she explained.
"Hmm…"
That got him thinking as well. He overheard the guardian saying that even he does not know what he's supposed to guard in the first place. Just how long Bartas get holed up there?
"This city sure has a lot of mysteries." said Shirou and One couldn't agree more.
"Indeed but we'll uncover them after Zero's dealt with." the Intoner stood up from her seat. "I'll take my leave now, you better rest too."
He gave a nod of affirmation and the doors of his room were closed.
February 22nd
Out of all the sisters that he encountered, this next one is probably the most problematic of all of them. Five was… how would he say it…. bold one. Dealing with her often brings him headaches more than anything else.
"Oh my!" a haughty voice cried out.
Her blonde locks share the same colour as her eyes. Her vest accentuated her chest area and she's proud of those, something that irritated her sister, Four. "To think I will be grace with your handsome face, Shirou!"
He gave her a deadpanned look. "Yes, welcome to the cathedral, Lady Five."
He heard the grumble of his fellow disciple who carried a spear in his shoulders. "Hey, man, is there anything that you can do around here?"
"Yes, Dito… perhaps you can help me clear out the monsters dwelling in the channels below the city?" he offered and Five's disciple clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Guess can't complain. I rather kill some shit than do nothing."
"So, where are my sisters? Are they all here?" she asked as they walked along the corridors with Dito behind.
"No, Lady Three has yet to arrive." Shirou informed.
"Ho! I thought we would have been the last ones to arrived, hear that my beloved disciple?"
"See!" Dito screamed out loud, not masking the irritation he has. "You don't listen to a word I say!"
"That's not true." the blonde said, feigning ignorance.
The disciple gritted his teeth and Shirou only watched on the sidelines.
"Yes, you don't! It's just like last night before we arrive here. I already said that I'm tired and spent but no… you just have to tie me up on bark and start-" Dito groaned at the memory of it and decided to spare his fellow disciple the horrors of it.
"Awww~, I don't think Shirou here will mind hearing about our nighttime activities." Five declared.
"Please spare me the details. I don't want to know about it." said the young man as they resumed their walk.
It made him wonder how things are going in Five's realm. The grip of the nobles in the Land of Seas was strong. Her domain is the center of trade throughout Midgard thus the battle here was fiercer in comparison to others. One's decision of putting the blonde as the ruler was met with skepticism as well.
"So, how are things on the Land of Seas, if I may?" Shirou asked.
"Everything's going smoothly there!" Five proudly declared. "All those naughty nobles became my pets."
"She has to own the people by heart and body… especially the body!" Dito emphasized.
"Ufufu…" the blonde chuckled and zoomed in to Shirou. "But I wonder, do you like to be dominated?"
He took a step back away from Five and she stifled her laughter. Her disciple gave him a pat on his back. "Welcome to my world."
The trio arrived at one of the wider rooms of the Cathedral. Each of the siblings sat at their respective seats.
"Ah! You arrived, Five!" Two happily exclaimed at the sight of the blonde-haired Intoner.
"It's good to see that you're safe." One shared the same sentiment as Two.
"Here comes the big-breasted bimbo…" Four murmured and Five approached her with a provocative look.
"Don't be such a sourpuss, big sister."
Despite their looks with Five being mature looking out of them, she is the youngest of the Intoners. She hugged the teal-haired Intoner from behind her seat and pushed her chest on her back.
"You have yet to ripen up. Who knows? Maybe someday you'll have breasts as big as mine~"
"Who would want those blubber bags of yours!?" Four indecorously asked.
"Let's just get out of here and kill monsters. I don't want to hear more of this sibling argument." Dito urged and Shirou complied with his request.
There have been reports from locals that daemons nestled underneath the sewers. While the soldiers kept them at bay, their numbers are increased and it is only a matter of time before they attack in large groups. One ordered him to take care of it with his fellow disciples.
"We're taking our leave, Lady One."
"Yes, good luck in your hunt." Shirou bowed in acknowledgment and both men left the room.
"Alright, that's enough…" her blue-haired sister said, trying to separate the fuming teal-haired girl away from Five who is being pinched by said girl.
Five does have a habit of teasing Four because of her slightly underdeveloped chest something that the girl is a bit sensitive to talk about.
She let out a cough and the arguing sisters broke from each other, going back to their seats once more. One wanted to find out the situation in Five's domain.
"Give me a report about the Land of Seas."
"Yes, big sister," Five started. "The merchants from the East have come every now and then."
"So the harbours now been fixed?"
They unintentionally laid waste on the seafront. With their growing powers, destruction was inevitable no matter how careful they were. That's how powerful they become as Intoners.
"Yes and that makes me ecstatic! I get to exchange the diamonds with whatever fancies my eye."
"Hopefully it's something that actually lasts longer than your attention span." Four chastised and Five pouted at her.
Ever since she was small, Five couldn't stand not getting what she wanted. As a result, she'd grown quite forceful about obtaining things. Be it an object or a person, Five would not rest until they were hers completely. This greediness often repelled others, but it seemed to be serving her well in regards to taking control over the entire country.
"I also sell those extravagant dresses that the previous lord wore. They were getting smaller to me." the blonde-haired Intoner noted, adjusting her vest, and Four bit her fingernails which grew a lot now that she noticed.
Maybe there's still some… benefit that One sees as an advantage. Due to Five's fickleness and greed, any stuff that she got bored of can be traded for other items of value, at least to her.
"Seems everything's going well with the Land of Seas. Good job, Five." One praised.
"Awww, thank you, sister!"
'Tsk! How come she's getting the praise and I don't!' Four thought. 'I did an excellent job of managing my domain, did I? Five's only good at seducing others and nothing else!'
These thoughts mulled over her mind but she didn't explicitly show it. Only adopting a look of boredom from where she sat. Four, being the older sibling to Five, can at least credit her for not messing things up in the Land of Seas. But doesn't she deserve credit and praise from One as well if that's the case? It's already hard for her to deal with the non-human creatures around Three's domain.
"You good, Four?" her blue-haired sister asked, noticing that she's biting hard on her fingernails.
"It's nothing, Two." she fibbed.
"If that's all, I will be in the library if anyone needs me." One announced as she made her way out of the room.
"So! Since you two are here now, why don't we plan together dinner for all of us?" Two invited, as the disciples will surely be hungry once they finished their hunt.
"Let me help then, sis!" said the blonde, joining Two with Four along the fray.
She's there to make sure that Five wouldn't add any kind of weird stuff on their meals. Perhaps, give some feedback on putting fresh ingredients as well.
At the crack of evening itself in the cathedral's library, One managed to find a book about the history of the structure. It has been enlightening to know what transpired in the past but it still lacked the information she wanted. From what she gathered, this black flower keeps coming up in the texts themselves.
Could it be that the existence of Intoners and this flower are connected? Partition said that this flower was sealed because it was a threat to the world. The sound of it was just ludicrous on its own, she and her sisters embarked on this journey and successfully ousted the corrupt lords of Midgard.
Her closed eyes opened – her senses tell that one of her sisters was near.
"Five…" she warmly greeted.
"Eh? I guess surprising you won't be a thing anymore."
The warmth of Five's body from behind enveloped her albeit a bit too much. She then joined her sister on the couch.
"With this nose of mine, I'll immediately recognize the smell of indulgence from you." One tapped her nose to emphasize her point.
"Is that a bad thing? You know me well, big sis… I'm someone who wishes to have the whole world in my palms." the blonde pointed out. "But you know, it's been awhile since you and I have some alone time together."
Five pulled her sister to another hug and One didn't make any attempts to break it no matter how sensitive her skin became. Her sisters had always been her weakness.
"Have I told you that out of all us Intoners, you're the most adorable." Five stated and the eldest smirked at her words.
"So I've heard."
Her youngest sister has always been the warmest of all of them with Three being at the bottom rung. Even she was no exception, feeling the flush on her body as slowly crept up on her face.
"You're burning up," Five noticed. "You don't get sick at all and you've hole yourself here…"
Her hands began to drift on her thighs. "I can help you with that."
There was a bit of noticeable hesitation when she removed Five's hands. "Do I have to lecture you on how incest is wrong?"
"But you didn't stop I, Two and Three from sleeping together?"
"I would not make you endure, we're Intoners." One declared. It's in their nature to be sexually charged up after all.
"But you'll endure it on your own? It makes me wonder if Shirou's actually taking care of you." Five pondered.
"Surely you don't think that I'm a hypocrite for saying such."
"Oh no, not at all! I guess I'm just worried that you and Four are running ragged, that's all." she admitted. "There's nothing wrong with taking a break once in awhile."
"Yes, Two also said the same words as yours but with less suggestive tones," said One even as Five pressed on touching her. "You, out of all of us Intoners know that Four tends to snap, considering that you love to tease her."
"Yes, I'm aware… but I just can't help it," she moved closer towards her. "And I think you're about to break as well."
One shot a glare at Five. "I haven't agreed to anything yet."
"But you're about to, just imagine Shirou coming in here, let's give him a show, shall we?"
With her whole body on heat, One didn't expect the sudden and passionate kiss her sister did. It's one of those sensations that she thoroughly enjoyed with her disciple and to feel it with her sister… feels so wrong. Shirou at best was someone with whom she didn't have familial ties, at least by blood. She didn't have to feel bad about doing it with him.
She was pushed on her back as Five crawled in on her with her lips licked. One slowly closed her eyes, letting her sister do as she pleases when suddenly…
One pushed Five away and they both tumbled down, taking cover behind the couch. Caught by surprise due to her older sister's action, the girl momentarily stopped. "Is something wrong?"
"Shirou's outside," said One and both girls heard the doors being opened.
"How did you know it was him?" Five whispered huskily and her sister pointed at her nose once more.
She nods in understanding as they keep out of the disciple's line of vision. But why do they have to hide? One is constraining her from moving as to not draw attention. She likes to cuddle if that's what her sister wants and possibly invite the young man as well!
One, on the other hand, chose to observe what Shirou's gonna do here. The flush in her body almost dissipate when she caught the smell of her disciple. If she were to describe it… a mix of steel and sewage at least for now.
"I'm going to need a bath after this," the young man exasperatedly said as he began his search, opposite from where One and Five hid. "The Marshall came here or at least someone with a similar name. Does he have anything here that he may have written under his?"
He began to rummage the shelves one by one unaware of two girls behind him.
"It's a bit cramped up here," the blonde complained under her breath.
"Deal with it and keep your voice down. He's gonna see us-" her words were cut off when Five's hands roamed over her body. "Not now!"
She muffled her voice, the last thing One wanted is for Shirou to catch him and Five doing this debauchery act.
"Is someone here?" the young man hears some shuffling behind the couch. He puts down the book that he holds and makes his way even as the sounds continue.
"Hey!"
As he was about to go near the couch, Dito barged into the library irritated for some reason.
"Can I help you?"
"Yeah, got any rooms here that are not near a snoring dragon?" the young man complained.
Now that he thought about it, Five's room is actually just a wall away from where Gabriella is sleeping. Possibly not the best idea to put them near her quarters.
"There is an outer room that you can sleep to but-" he was cut off immediately by Dito.
"Whatever just show me where it is so I can rest. I had enough dealing with that idiot Cent and his stupid trivias that don't make any sense."
He can at least share the sentiment of his fellow disciple. The cleanup in the channels had been a tiring one due to the number of monsters who made it their home. Then there's also Two's disciple spouting nonsense about water currents and such. Decadus with his kink of putting himself in harm's way to protect himself and others really doesn't know if he would commend it or not.
"Just follow me then," he grabbed the book and lead Dito to the other quarters.
One let out a sigh of relief after confirming that Shirou's gone. Five, on the other hand didn't let go of her.
"Five…"
"We're not done yet, sister. We still have a lot of catching up to do!" the blonde Intoner said.
One grimaced at her sister's words and only their moans were heard that night.
March 3rd
Above the horizons of the city, Shirou along with Gabriella flew towards the border. Several reports had been made that Three and her disciple, Octa was ambushed and needed help.
"We better hurry up, Gabriella." he urged.
"Yeah, yeah, just calm yourself, boy." the dragon replied.
"But we don't know our opposition and Three only had a handful of soldiers."
Shirou heard Gabriella groan at his words. "Your riding at the back of a dragon, I alone can take them out easily."
"If you say so but Three's safety is our priority."
By the time they reached the border and with the help of his reinforced eyesight, Shirou can make out the troops. Surrounded by trolls and centaurs, they were having a hard time against their bigger enemies.
"Time to get to work!"
Gabriella circled above everyone, delivering devastating fireballs to the enemies. Even the poor saps that are the soldiers were caught in it as well. Shirou leaped off from the dragon and landed with a thud.
"Glad to have some backup from the capital!"
The disciple of Three exclaimed in relief. Despite having the appearance of an old man, he remembered that he was 22 years of age.
"Yeah, got the messenger hawk you've sent, Octa. Is Lady Three alright?" he asked.
"Yes, milady is alright."
A familiar sight of purple hair caught his vision, all laid down on the grass without a care in the world. Dressed in gothic lolita fashion that matched her hair color. Shirou clicked his tongue and shook Three awake.
"She's not going to wake up by such!" said Octa as he block an attack from a centaur with the use of his chakrams.
He decided to just carry off the dozing Intoner in his shoulders, signaling Gabriella to land near his position.
"Protect Lady Three at all costs!"
Her soldiers cried out as they tried to keep the beasts at bay. The dragon lands near Shirou and with a swipe of its massive tail, threw everyone off the ground.
"Thanks for the assist, Gabriella. Mind flying Lady Three and Octa out of here?"
Before the dragon can even reply, the ruler of the Land of Forests stirred awake and glanced at him.
"…Shirou" she started.
"Awake from your slumber now? We're kind of in a precarious situation."
The purple-haired Intoner looked around at the chaos that enveloped the area. She saw her soldiers fighting a group of trolls. It actually made her reminisce on some of the experiments she'd done on their kind. They weren't feasible to be on the front lines because of their inability to coordinate properly. But what they lack for coordination makes it up for brute strength.
"Hello?" Gabriella called out after she noticed that Three dozed off for a few seconds. She then slumped again on Shirou's shoulders. "Are you kidding me? She just slept awhile back!?"
"Hohoho! Lady Three has been busy with her dolls so she's all tired." Octa explained.
"Bahh! These pests are irritating, if One didn't order us to keep these other humans safe, I would burn everyone here!" the dragon exclaimed, something that Shirou disagrees with.
"Octa, you go ride with Gabriella and get your Intoner out of here." he commanded.
"What about you, Sir Shirou? Don't you need help?" the old man said in concern.
"Don't worry about me." he assured. "Besides, I've faced far worse than this."
"Well, if you say so…"
Gabriella began to flap her wings, slowly ascending to the air. Shirou, who has left among the soldiers ready himself for the upcoming battle.
The passengers behind her back settled down on the saddle though it was Three who slept through it.
"I must say that this is my first riding a dragon and this is quite an experience!" said Octa, making sure that his Intoner will not slip and fall hard to the ground. "But I do worry about Sir Shirou's safety. Is it alright for us to leave him with Lady Three's soldiers?"
"Didn't you hear him? If he said that he'll be fine, he will be."
"You're quite confident with his ability to survive?" the old man noted.
Gabriella saw firsthand how strong Shirou was if he took things seriously. Granted that the young man does not like to show off that much, she knew a warrior when she sees one. And she can tell that One's disciple is such.
They arrived at the Cathedral City sooner than expected and Octa shook his Intoner awake. Stirred from her slumber, Three yawned in response and found herself in a familiar environment. Her gaze focused on the figure of her eldest sister, One who waited for them.
"Three, you've arrived." she greeted.
"Sister…"
Even as they were kids, this younger sister of hers had been an oddity amongst them. She didn't call her out for it as each of them had their quirks. Three herself was an introvert, opting to be on the sidelines and helping when the need arises.
"And you too, Sir Octa. I'm glad that you're safe," One added, noticing Three's disciple who's with her.
There is one person missing in this group and she turned towards her dragon. Gabriella didn't miss that look of hers and answered.
"He chose to be left behind and help your sister's troops."
"Oh," the blonde Intoner replied, slightly taken aback that her disciple got left behind.
Now that Three is here, they can now convene and plan Zero's assault.
"I guess we have to wait for him then."
There was a tinge of worry in her when she saw that Shirou wasn't with them. The young man has a habit of going into danger with little regard to his well-being. Commendable, she must say but at the same time… foolish on its own.
Though… it is what drew her towards him, his somewhat blind idealism is refreshing to see.
"What has two legs in the morning, twelve in the afternoon, and one in the evening…" Three spoke from behind.
She began to fiddle with her hair and got on work with the help of her scissors. It was a bit presumptuous on One's part that her purple hair sibling won't be affected by their respective conditions. In her case, Three's hair grows in abnormal lengths that she has a pair of scissors to snip away her strands. She would have expected her hair to be messy due to her fixation with dolls in general.
"That's… quite a riddle, milady."
Even Octa was troubled by the words of his Intoner. Despite her intelligence, One couldn't make out of Three's words sometimes. They could range from somewhere cryptic to just plain weird and she picked up this habit of speaking in riddles. She had a hunch that her sister may have gotten this from talking with her dolls.
"I'm tired," said the girl as she was about to drop to the ground only for Octa to catch her in the nick of time.
"Does this girl have some kind of sleeping disorder, One?" Gabriella genuinely asked.
"No, not really… Three's always been like this since we were kids. The thing with her dolls started when we stumbled upon Bass. She got a glimpse of the man's human dolls and…"
"She picked it up, lemme' guess?"
One didn't respond, even her enhanced senses noticed that Three emitted the same pungent of dead humans. She hoped that if Three does work around others, she's not doing inhumane experiments with them.
By the time Shirou came back with the rest of Three's troops, evening already settled in. The Intoners waited for him in the Great hall along with their disciples. One sat in the high chair, tapping her fingers lightly as they wait for her disciple to join them.
…
…
…
"He's late." Four stated, clearly irritated that the one who proposed this meeting was not on time.
"Come now, Four, Shirou helped our sister's troops. Let's cut him some slack, he's running around ." Two quipped from her seat.
The teal-haired girl raised her hands and glanced at the ruler of the Land of Forests who laid rest. "Why didn't you help him, Three?"
"Shirou… strong… no need to intervene." Three curtly replied.
"Yes, that burly arms and chest of his surely helped those men~" Five purred, and One who was devising plans couldn't help but raise a brow at her comment.
"Alright, let us begin while we wait for him," One started. "Sisters, I've gathered you all here for one reason only."
Silence settled in among all of them, fully knowing who the person their eldest is referring to.
"We're clueless as to who this Zero person is, to be honest?" the disciple of Two said.
"I agree," Four's disciple carried on. "To know the enemy first is the key to victory."
The disciples didn't have any idea about this individual so they were seeking answers. To have their Intoners be called upon the capital of Midgard by their eldest sibling, something big will come down.
"Zero is like us, she is an Intoner." she declared.
"Oh, this is quite a tidbit," Three's disciple piped in. "We would have thought that there are only five Intoners in the world."
That's where they're wrong. Zero is the first of their kind to step into this land. For how long though could be anyone's guess.
"So this Zero chick, what's the deal with her?" Five's disciple questioned.
A question that up until this day, One herself couldn't answer completely. But she does know that their eldest sister will have no qualms about ending their lives.
"She wants to kill your Intoners," the doors of the great hall opened, revealing the man of the hour himself. "Well, that's what my Intoner says about Zero."
Shirou joined in along with One's siblings and their respective disciples. He positioned near his Intoner's seat.
"How would she do that? I mean, she only has Michael with him?" Two wondered.
"They say that her dragon is the strongest of them all." Five added as she crossed her legs, giving a glimpse of her thighs to Octa.
Such action didn't go unnoticed by Three's disciple and the old man wore a perverted grin. Even at times like these, the blonde Intoner couldn't help but still be herself for a lack of a better word.
"We've got Gabriella on our side so we have an equalizer against Michael."
Four does have a point there but One's dragon is not exactly that confident that she can keep up with Zero's dragon. That maybe be the reason why One wanted to turn her into a daemon, to match and even best Michael.
"About that, I do have a proposal… One here along with Gabriella will lure Michael away from Zero. From there, you girls will restrain your sister. As for you, One… bring Michael to me and I'll handle him from there."
Everyone in the room looked at him with dumb looks on their faces with the exception of One. Hers was more… restrained than the others.
"Look here, I think everyone in this room agrees that your plan is kind of stupid."
"I'm not saying I'll get the final word over this, alright? If anyone in this room has any plans better than mine, I'm all ears."
Shirou let the others take the stage after him even as the Intoners stared among themselves. They do know how dangerous Zero was and the addition of the dragon made it a hurdle to overcome her. That isn't to say they were willing to be slaughtered by her hands.
Five have her hands raised in question. "This plan of yours… does it have to involve our disciples? Just the thought of having my cute disciple being on the front line and being hurt!"
Dito exasperatedly sighs at his Intoner's words.
"No, not at all," came Shirou's reply. "I guess they can come with you in the battle to provide support."
"What do you think, One?"
The Intoner in question who was mostly silent throughout the exchange turned her attention to them. She actually heard some snippets from his disciple's plan and thus they all wait for her approval.
"Before we go with your plan, how would you fight Zero's dragon?" One inquired.
The young man answered with his hand held up high. It would seem that he's about to conjure something out of thin air. She already saw how he does it but it would be mystifying to hers. The Intoners, on the other hand, even the sleeping Three awakened when she noticed the energies around them.
A greatsword appeared in his outstretched hand. Decorated with golden accents, it also had a blue jewel embedded in its pommel. It gave off a grandiose aura and felt crafted by inhumane hands.
"What you're seeing now is a weapon that was used to slay a dragon. It's not the real deal though but this will do the trick." the sword in question was Balmung, the weapon Siegfried wielded against Fafnir.
"Hohoho! I must say that sword feels powerful!" Octa commented.
"It exudes awesomeness, that's for sure." Cent added.
"Right," Shirou dismissed the weapon as it turned into motes of light. "That sword you saw gain properties that can be very harmful to dragons and those that possessed similarities."
A sword that can hurt a dragon? Sure, arrows, catapults, and cannons can actually do the same. However, what her disciple pull out was vastly different from them. Her Intoner senses that there is more to than just appearances when it comes to Shirou's magic.
"Atop the white leviathan… its scales whiter than snow…" Three spoke suddenly. "A pink blade…"
The purple-haired Intoner gazed at One with her head sideways. "Where does the tip of its point, sister? Can you guess?"
Four sighed at the vagueness of Three's words. Two also shared the same confused look as Five and the disciples. However, One already guessed it and as she was about to make her decision, her soldiers burst into the room.
"Why do you intrude on us while we're holding a strategy meeting here?"
The teal-haired Intoner said, clearly displeased at the behaviour of the soldiers who barged in.
"A thousand apologies, Lady Four, but this report concerns the Crimson Witch!"
The entire room fell into silence and One motioned the captain to continue. "Our scouts detected movements along the Eastern border and the witch razed one of our encampments with a dragon alongside her."
"That's definitely Zero herself!" Five exclaimed.
"And Michael as well." Four murmured.
Shirou looked at him with seriousness and expected her to make a decision. One closed her eyes, there wasn't much time left to formulate another plan.
"We'll go along with Shirou's proposal. Time is not in our side anymore and Zero's coming here."
Their meeting was adjourned and One have him put in charge of the troops.
Even with silence permeating in the room in which he was imprisoned, Partition still diligently rewriting every book about the existence of Intoners. He didn't like it, of course, not one bit but he can only do little about it. He was transferred for some unknown reason out of the Cathedral. From what he had heard from the guards, the Crimson Witch and her dragon will assault the capital.
A smirk donned on him, it was the perfect time to make his escape but he must be patient. Once everything goes to chaos outside, that's where he will make a beeline out of here. Possibly plot his revenge against the Intoners in the future.
But for now, he will continue to do what he is tasked to do, seeing that the guards are stationed outside his cell 'aka' room.
'Long ago in an age tarnished by conflict, five beautiful goddesses descended upon the land. The goddesses sang mystical songs that restored peace and harmony to our broken world. The people began to worship these holy songstresses and came to refer to them as Intoners,'
Partition paused for a while, noticing that the guard's station outside his room scrambled. As much as we wanted to go and make a run for it, his magic was stolen, no thanks to One in an effort to forge a pact with Shirou. It will be far too dangerous for an old man like him to outrun the troops.
'With them came a man who called himself as the 'Mystic'. With the magic he possessed, he lend a hand to these goddesses. Thanks to their combined efforts, the chaos of war became a distant memory.'
His desk shook violently and Partition heard the gurgled screams of people outside the room. He let go of the quill pen and tried to shake free from the chains that were attached to his feet and the table. Whatever's killing those men is now making its way towards him!
The doors burst open, revealing the figure of a young woman garbed in white. Her long hair that was tied with a black ribbon together shared the same colour as her dress.
She pointed her sword towards Partition who actually fell on his back.
"Where are my sisters?"
"Please! I will tell you where they are, just don't kill me!" Partition begged, going down on his knees.
The woman took a stride towards the window, glancing outside where the Capital troops are readying their cannons on the very room she's in. She proceeded to grab the old man on his collar, brandishing the sword she has in his throat.
"If you truly value your life, tell me where the Intoners are!"
He tried to grasp for air, he must escape quickly before this room gets blasted into smithereens.
"They're waiting for you in the Cathedral! But be warned," the woman rose her brows at his declaration. "They have Shirou with them and he's not someone you want to mess with."
She let go of his collar and was about to leave when she got called out by Partition. "Wait! You can't leave me like this! They held me as a prisoner, here-"
Whatever it is that he wants to say was not heard. Only a blast from a cannon obliterated the room into pieces. The woman leaped outside, now surrounded by the Capital troops. She made short work of them, slashing each with precision.
"Kill the Crimson Witch!"
"We must protect the Intoners!"
The troops readied their cannons once more, aiming them directly at her. But she couldn't care more or less, she didn't come here unprepared.
"Michael."
When she uttered that name, crimson flames rained down upon the troops above. The great beast landed near the young woman with flames billowed in its mouth.
The Holy Dragon let out an intense roar and the Crimson Witch known around Midgard as Zero spoke.
"It's time to put an end to the Intoners."
The scattered troops began to regroup doing their best to ensure that Zero and the dragon, Michael won't be near the Cathedral. The young woman ordered the beast to take flight and destroy anything it gets in its way. Imbued with the power of her own Song and the mysterious Flower, she's more resilient like the rest of her sisters.
Even as she continued her way towards the steps that lead to where the Intoners are, Zero mulled her thoughts.
She didn't particularly care much about the people she had killed up to this point. Anyone who stood in her way, may it be men, women, children, or elderly, will meet their end at her own hands. But it doesn't mean she relish the thought of merciless slaughter, ever since as a young kid, it was one of the things she had learned firsthand.
"Zero, are you okay?" Michael queried through their mental link.
"I'm fine, its just these soldiers really pisses me off!" she exclaimed, driving her sword to another body.
"Don't let anger take you over, it will only serve as a hindrance."
"I know that, don't have to tell me everytime." said the girl, clearly irritated by Michael's words.
The pair made their way to the Cathedral's courtyard with the white dragon flying behind Zero. They clear out most of the Cathedral troops and just needed to trek a bit more to reach the Intoners.
What they did not expect is for the ruler of the capital to come out with her dragon in tow.
"One," Zero muttered in derision at the sight of her sister. "Finally decided to sell out your siblings and be killed by my hand."
One glared at her eldest sister, still riding atop Gabriella. "It's been a long time, sister."
"Has it? I didn't know," Zero remarked sarcastically. "The only thoughts I had since then was to kill you and your sisters."
"You still haven't changed a bit. You're still insane as ever." One replied.
The Crimson Witch giggled at her response, which she found a bit amusing. "Stop it, you're embarrassing me."
"That wasn't a compliment."
Their dragons also began their own conversation with Michael starting.
"How dare you help the Utautai!" the Holy Dragon called out to Gabriella.
"That's big coming from you! Helping an Intoner as well, don't call me out you big oaf!" she shot back and her words raged Michael. "Besides, I think a rematch is due! What do you say?"
"Zero, go ahead and defeat your sisters," the Holy Dragon urged as he faced his opponents. "I, Michael, strongest of all dragons accept your challenge!"
The two dragons along with One took off to the skies of the city. Zero places enormous trust in Michael that he will come out victorious. He will also fulfill his promise… to kill her after she's done doing so onto the other Intoners.
With hastened steps, the view of the cathedral slowly came into view. Not only that, five figures stood atop the structure. Zero stopped and gaze at them; her four sisters with their weapons on hand.
"Ah! It's Zero, hey there!" Two waved enthusiastically and Three only let out a giggle upon seeing her.
"Zero, this fighting is pointless! You have to stop, we're sisters!" Four pleaded though the idea itself seems ludicrous to Five.
"Don't be such a prude, Four. A good catfight really gets my juices flowing."
"I think that's far enough,"
A voice chimed in and Zero looked at the sole male in the group and her eyebrows creased at the sight of him. A young man with red-auburn hair with his hands outstretched joined the Intoners.
"Normally, we don't treat guests by sending soldiers in but…"
Zero immediately interrupted him. "Would you just shut up already? I'm not here to talk!"
"Is that so?" the young man pondered and turned his attention towards the other Intoners. "To be honest, Four is right… we don't want to fight."
"Too bad then, I'm here to kill my sisters and if you get in my way, you'll be next!" Zero responded with such murderous intent that it prompted the redhead to let out an exasperated sigh.
"I see, looks like the rumours about the Crimson Witch are right."
The young man made a nod of affirmation to the Intoners and the young women dropped to the ground.
"This is the end alright," Zero declared as she brandished her sword to her opponents.
A/N: Contains elements from the prequel manga: Drakengard 3: Five Intoners so the prologue may vary from what you can see in the game. Never seen that much stories from the Drakengard series, then again, some may have only known about this either by playing the Nier: Replicant remake or Nier: Automata.
Do tell your thoughts about this.
