Revenge of the Zero Familiar
(Disclaimer: I do not own Familiar of Zero)
"Normal Speech"
'Thinking/Thought'
'Telepathic Speech'
"Derflinger Speaking"
Chapter II: Eyes of the Devil Coffin
(2 years and 3 months later) Unknown Location
There was a rumor that have spread, not only in Tristan, but in other countries as well, that there was a jet-black swordsman carrying a large black coffin strong enough to kill armies without breaking a sweat. They say that this being is not human, capable of slicing through his opponents like melted butter with a white-hot knife. Viscount Wardes of the Tristan Gryphon Forces was sent to the last known sighting of this person with his best forces, only to return alone, half-dead in the front steps of Tristan Castle. The new Queen Henrietta had hoped that Saito would be here to help her and the Kingdom of Tristan rid of this dangerous individual.
Saito. The former familiar of Louise had vanished the night he narrowly escaped the Valliére Duke's clutches. After her verbal beating of the Valliére Duke, she and her mother, the Queen, had sent various scouts to try and find the lost familiar.
Flashback - Castle Tristan
"You did WHAT?"
The duke had a smug look on his face, despite the injuries thanks to Saito stabbing his leg with Derflinger. "I have rid of my daughter's disgraceful familiar. This...Saito, as he is named...no doubt a common plebian...he had dared to try and tricked my daughter into believing that she had summoned that disgusting dog. No doubt shaming the Noble name of Valliére." he said haughtily.
"YOU HAVE NO RIGHT IN ASSAULTING A HUMAN BEING! WHAT GAVE YOU THE RIGHT TO ENTER THE ACADEMY AND ATTACK A FAMILIAR? YOUR OWN DAUGHTER'S NO LESS?" roared Henrietta, throwing her scepter to the ground in front of the duke. She then went towards him...and slapped him in the face.
"But your Highness, that familiar is a plebian and an embarrassment to the Valliére Noble Family!" reasoned the Duke. Big mistake, as Henrietta began emitting a sinister aura, and directed it to the idiot noble.
"So you are saying that it's because of his blood, that you decided to try and execute him? Is that it?" said the princess a little sweetly. The guards around them started to sweat a bit. The last time the princess used that tone on someone, they ended up in a place far worse than nightmares. But the Duke didn't notice.
"So you're saying that this should be encouraged?"
"I'M SAYING THAT THIS IS A RARE THING! SUMMONING A DEITY FROM THE SUMMONING REALM! AND YOU CALLED THIS PERSON A PLEBIAN?"(A/N: Henrietta considered Saito as a divine being, since summoning humans doesn't exist after Brimir's era in this story.) The enraged Princess spat venomously in his face, her indigo eyes burning with hatred. The Duke's eyes went wide with fear, summoning a deity from another realm is considered sacred, and since her daughter just summoned this ple- no, this being as her familiar, and he attacked him, there would be consequences.
He had no idea how grave the consequences of his actions have occured.
"YOU WILL SPEND YOUR TIME IN THE DUNGEONS AS PENANCE OF YOUR ACTIONS! YOUR HOUSE WILL COMPENSATE FOR THE DAMAGES THAT JUSTIFY YOUR IDIOTIC ACTIONS! JUST BECAUSE YOUR DAUGHTER SUMMONED A NON-ANIMAL FAMILIAR, DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN JUST BARGE IN AND JUDGE THEM AS TRASH! GUARDS!" soon, the guards that were stationed at the throne room went near the livid princess. "TAKE THIS IDIOT DOWN TO THE LOWEST PARTS OF THE DUNGEONS UNTIL I SAY OTHERWISE!" The guards grabbed the pale Noble by the arms, then confiscated his wand and staff, before being dragged out the room.
"Are you sure that this is the right thing to do, my daughter?" said the Queen, looking at her distraught daughter. "Would Saito-"
"I don't care if this little farce would ruin my image to the people of Tristan. I care for Saito. He had saved me during my time at the Academy when Fouquet attacked. That is a debt I cannot repay lightly." replied Henrietta, her bangs overshadowed her eyes, tears streaming down from them.
"Then there is no time to waste. We need to find him, then bring him here, where he will be treated properly." said the Queen, who began summoning some of the soldiers to spread the order: Find and Retrieve Hiraga Saito.
Flashback End
The scouts returned one week after the orders were given, and there was no sign of the raven-haired swordsman. Heartbroken, Henrietta stopped the scouts on their search, feeling it's futile when Saito doesn't want to be found by anyone. After a year, the Duke of the Valliére family was released from prison, who was now revoked of his noble status. Meaning he alone cannot use magic, and the first daughter ascended to his title as the Head of the family. Ashamed of the humiliation of living like this, and the penance of his actions of attacking a divine being, he confined himself in their home.
Louise, one year after Saito's beatdown from her father, got depressed from the news of his father's incarceration. She may not be the favorite of her father, but she still love him like family. Still, she remembered how her father almost killed Saito in front of her eyes. She had grown to respect her familiar after defeating Fouquet and at the ball, where he admitted his feelings for her.
Then, three months ago, the Kingdom of Tristan received a news that shook Henrietta to the core. It was the day that she ascended to the throne as the new Queen.
Flashback
It was a joyous moment, as the former Queen handed her crown to her daughter Henrietta. The whole population of Tristan had come up to the Castle to enjoy the moment. Louise, after being reassured that when Henrietta ascended to the throne, she will do everything in her newfound power to find Saito and bring him back.
At the ceremony ball, the guests and nobles (with the exception of the New Head of the Valliére Family) chatted all night long. Louise was looking at the night sky from the balcony, and Henrietta was busy socializing with the friends of Saito (Montmorency, Guiche, Tabitha, Prof. Colbert, and Kirche.) These proceedings were suddenly interrupted when a messenger burst through the main doors, exhausted.
"What is wrong, dear messenger, to try and interrupt the reception of my daughter's coronation?" asked Henrietta's mother, the former Queen of Tristan. The messenger just handed over the scroll containing the message directly to Henrietta's hand, who looked confused. The new Queen unraveled the scroll and read it's contents. After a minute of reading, she dropped the scroll, and tears formed in her eyes. "What's wrong my daughter? What caused this distress to you?"
But Henrietta was consumed with despair, as she suddenly hugged her mother and cried on her chest. Kirche picked up the scroll and read it.
"What is it Kirche?" asked the blonde Earth Mage.
"Saito's dead." replied Kirche in a hollow voice. Louise, who was coming from the balcony, heard what Kirche had said.
"W-w-what do you mean, he's dead?" said the pink-haired Mage. "S-saito can't be d-d-dead! Stop lying!" she shouted at the redhead.
"Do you think that I'm lying, you pint-size moron? If you want to know it, then read this yourself!" growled Kirche, as she thrust the message into Louise's hand. "I'm going back to my room. So if anyone had the guts to go after me, then have your fucking wills made!" she roared, before storming off the hall back to her dormitory room, slamming the door behind her.
Silence descended at the hall, only broken by Henrietta's sobbing. Louise then went to the new Queen to comfort her, but when she got near her, Henrietta slapped her. The whole room went tense.
"Y-y-your Highness?" whimpered Louise, holding her slapped cheek.
"You should have treated your familiar like a human being! You should have given him the same respect as a person, yet you treated him as a slave!" snapped Henrietta, her hand stung a bit when she slapped her former friend's cheek, tears forming in her eyes. "It's because of you that Saito ran away! It's because of you that Saito died!"
"I-I-I don't..." the Queen slapped her again.
"Saito have defeated Fouquet, and saved me from being killed when I was at the Academy, and yet you treated him like lower than dirt! What kind of Noble are you? Are you the same as your father when it comes to Plebians!" roared Henrietta, tears now flowing from her eyes. She then turned to her mother. "Mother, I am done here. I need to rest for the day. I cannot go on whilst knowing this information." after that, she just walked out of the chamber and into her room. The guests, who were shocked by the new Queen's outburst, left the room quietly, leaving the students of the Academy and Prof. Colbert, and Louise, tears now flowing from her eyes.
Flashback End
After that, Henrietta began ordering most of the men to retrieve the familiar's body in order to give it a proper burial, but it was a vain attempt. The reports that came with the letter said that the raven haired swordsman died after he saved a small village in the territory of Albion. When she found out on the report that where is the hero's body buried, it said that the villagers saw him fell off the cliff towards the sea below, and they don't have the means to recover it.
And now, there's a looming threat to all citizens. And not just of Tristan, but to all of Halkeginia. How she wished that Saito would be by her side at these troubled times.
A small town on Germanian Territory near the Capital
The town was up in flames, at the rogue nobles were terrorizing the citizens. Blood had smeared the fountain, and replaced it's waters with it. Terrified people running through the streets, trying to get away from the magic-users, as one of the invaders lit one of the townhouses on fire.
The attackers were busy celebrating on 'liberating' the town from the plebians, when they heard of footsteps coming towards them from one of the smoke-covered streets. Soon, a figure emerged from the black smoke. He had a hood and a mask covering his face. He was carrying a large black coffin with a cross at the lid on his back (A/N: Think the Black Coffin on Haji's back at Blood+. Don't own it). He was dressed in a black commander-like uniform, and a cape with the inscription "Devil Coffin" written in crimson. He also had a katana on his side with a guard similar to Derflinger's.
"Huh? Who the hell are you?" asked one of the rogue mages drunkenly.
The stranger didn't answer, as his free hand goes down to the hilt of his sword slowly. The magi then started to bombard the stranger with their elemental spaces, who made a slight movement at his blade, before vanishing along with the coffin. Reappearing behind them, he whispered something softly.
"Tenebris Penicullus: Ferrum DECOLLATIO" at this, the rogues then started to collapse to the ground, before their faces became what resembled grounded meat. All except one, who started to panic behind his wand at the sheer massacre before him. He paled when the attacker faced him. "Don't even try to think of having your buddies join you. I already took them out." The stranger said, in a cold voice that would have made winter feel warm.
"W-w-what do you want?" whimpered the rogue mage weakly, seeing his comrades fall dead.
"Justice."
At this, the coffin begins to open on it's own. An eerie aura suddenly reeked from the lid as it opens.
"Your prejudice against plebians cannot continue. I shall be your executioner to end the oppression you inflicted on the people who live their lives."
The coffin was already half-open, and there seems to be a dark glow from the inside. Black tentacle-like energy started to appear from the coffin.
"Let this be a message to all the so-called "Nobles" of Halkeginia. I will cleanse this world of you oppressors. Those who are trying to take advantage of the masses will not escape my wrath."
The coffin was now completely open, revealing some kind of black mass inside. Black tentacles shot out from it, binding the last rogue, then dragging him to it, as thought it found something to consume.
"Tenebris Penicullus: Aeternam Tantibus" The tentacles then pulled the terrified mage into the coffin, before the lid shuts it closed. "Judgement." Blood began to leak from the sides of the lid in small quantities. The young swordsman then hitched the coffin in his back, easily carrying it as if it's as light as a feather.
"I will cleanse this world of this corrupt mages. They will fear the Devil Coffin to their last breath. All who treat others as equals, will be spared from my wrath. This is my promise." At this, he started to walk away from the corpses that he made out of the rogues, leaving an empty town burning.
A/N:
The Devil Coffin's Techniques
Tenebris Penicullus: Ferrum DECOLLATIO - Dark Style: Iron Decapitation
- A technique involving smashing the sheathed blade into the opponent's head in multiple strikes until it resembles a meat paste, using the opponent's shadow to appear before the shadow's owner, and the speed of a master swordsman. This can be used to take out multiple opponents.
Tenebris Penicullus: Aeternam Tantibus - Dark Style: Eternal Nightmare
- A sure-kill technique that involves the use of the Black Coffin. Tentacle-like energy will pull the victim the coffin, and be banished into the Nether-realm, never to return.
Yo! I have completed the next chapter! Reconquista is more dangerous in this story with the appearance of this person, and the Kingdom of Tristan, specifically the Council of Elders, will be wary of this. I planned to reveal the identity of the Devil Coffin at the next chapter, so be prepared for the surprises in store!
Saito: Meh! Why can't I be at this chapter? *pouts*
Henrietta: You were mentioned here that you died fighting bandits. You didn't see?
Saito: *looks at the script* Oh yeah...
Henrietta: You were amazing. Saving a town. How heroic. *Looking at Saito with hearts in her eyes*
Saito: Heheheh... *Unaware of a black aura emanating from behind him.*
Louise: *Appears behind the familiar, rage burning in her eyes* SAAAAAAAAIIIIITOOOOOOOOOOOOO!.
Saito: Oh crap. Gotta run, hime. *kissed Henrietta's hand, before dashing away from the pink-haired magus*
Louise: GET BACK HERE YOU DOG! ACCEPT YOUR PUNISHMENT! *runs after him.*
Henrietta: *giggles* That Saito-kun... *Turns to the audience* KazejinPhoenix doesn't own Zero no Tsukaima. *turns to the now-distant duo* Saito-kun! Wait for me! *runs off after them*