The Immortal of Zero

Chapter II: The Duel of Guiche the Bronze and Kaizer von Deathstone

Louise was happy that she had summoned a powerful being as her familiar. She doesn't even mind that Kai doesn't show too much respect every once in a while, mainly due to the fact that he can overpower her, even if she had become a Square-class mage. The duel with Guiche in the afternoon reminded her of that. Not only did he overpower his Bronze golem, but he didn't seemed to use a drop of his true power. She felt a bit of pity for the poor Earth mage, but, Kai said he needed to teach him a lesson in etiquette.

*Flashback*

Kai was walking through the halls of the Academy (He was wearing a purple cloak.), taking interest in the layout of the large structure, from the Library and the Dining Hall, to the Headmaster's Office ( He avoided going inside this one, as he heard a perverted kind of laugh inside before he sweatdropped.). He was now walking from Vestri Court, when he saw one of Louise's classmates flirting with one of the younger female students (He deducted by the colors of their cloaks; First Years wear Brown, Second Years wore Purple).

At first, Kai would've ignored him and his first year girlfriend, when another girl; another one of Louise's classmates, looked like she was trying to find someone at the other side of the court. He went to her.

"It seems you are looking for someone." he asked, as the blonde girl squealed, before looking at him. "I apologize for startling you."

"N-no, it's ok. Have you seen Guiche?" The blonde girl asked him. "I can't seem to find him."

"What does he look like?" though he had a feeling he already knew what she was going to say.

"He's blonde, like me, and he always carry a rose with him." she said, as he mentally matched his description.

"Oh, I saw him chatting up a first year over there." he said, pointing at the blonde male's direction. "Shall I accompany you there?"

"No thank you. I can manage." she replied, before she went to the direction he pointed. He casually followed her, lolling on one of the pillars, observing the situation before him. Both girls demanded an explanation at the male blonde's two-timing.

"You told me you were bonding with Verdande last night!" The blond girl screeched.

"How mean! You told me I was the only one for you!" Katie cried.

"A-aah why don't the two of you calm-"

"You liar!" Both of the girls cried, Katie running off, whereas the blond slapped Guiche hard enough to leave a sizable handprint on his cheek.

"How embarrasing." Kai muttered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"What was that! You – Wait, you're Louise's familiar! Don't they teach you how to treat nobles where you're from, commoner?" He seemed to have forgotten the power Kai holds due to his rage and embarrasment.

"I have no comment if you were dating one girl, but two-timing? Why do I get the feeling that you're flirting way over your head?" Kai frowned at him.

"That's it! I challenge you to a duel!" Guiche cried, drawing, of all things, a rose and thrusting it towards Kai in a very flamboyant manner.

"Duel?" Kai asked. Great.

"You have gravely insulted me! You show no manners towards your betters, you are a heathen!" The last drew a gasp from the crowd, them backing away from Kai like he had a plague.

"If you decide between manners over two-timing, like what you just did, I prefer manners anytime. It's an insult to men like us to take women like they're objects." he sighed at this, which infuriated blonde male even more. "Very well, when and where?"

"Meet me at Vestri Court, commoner, in fifteen minutes. I'll allow you that long to prepare yourself." Guiche declared, before marching off, with his mole familiar crawling along after him. The crowd chattered as they followed Guiche, Kai would have done so as well, except that a tug on his cloak brought him to a halt, and he turned to see Louise grabbing at his sleeve.

"What do you think you're doing?" She shouted, tugging on his sleeve again. "Come with me, we have to apologize to Guiche at once!"

"He has insulted the etiquette of loyalty to his partner. I will not back down unless he's to be taught a lesson." said Kai, frowning at his Mistress. "Or are you underestimating me, Miss Vallière."

"You don't understand! Guiche has magic! And you obviously do not, what with all your questions earlier! Commoners can't win against nobles!"

"And when, Louise, did I ever say I was a 'commoner'?" Kai asked. Then he pulled his sleeve free and strode after the crowd.

Vestri Field
Noon

A young maid wondered at the commotion. She'd gone to the kitchen to fetch a cake and some tea for a student, and when she got back, everyone was heading to Vestry Field. From what the students who'd brought her along were saying, a student had challenged the familiar of another's to a duel! Something she was still wondering about, when the man from last night walked calmly into the circle the crowd had formed!

"I compliment you on not fleeing, commoner." The student said archly, taking a stance with arms folded, one hand hanging out with a rose.

"I never back down from a fight." The silver-haired man shrugged.

"Wait!" Another student, a pink-haired girl, ran up to the boy. "Guiche, you can't do this! Duels are prohibited!"

"Only duels between nobles." Guiche replied. "And this familiar of yours Louise, is no noble."

"Get out of the circle, Louise." The man ordered. "This duel is starting."

"Kai!"

"As you say, commoner!" Guiche chuckled, swinging the rose in his hand, sending a petal to fall. A white light appeared when the petal touched the ground, and from it arose what looked like armor, made of bronze and fitted for a woman, with over-sized pauldrons and a skirt, wielding a spear. "My name is Guiche De Gramont, The Bronze, and this Bronze Valkyrie shall be your opponent!"

The man, Kai from what the girl Louise called him, was unshaken by the golem's appearance. He brought a hand up over his right shoulder, as though to draw a sword from a sheath on his back. And then he brought the hand out in a quick movement, suddenly holding a large sword! It was about the size of a bastard sword, with a slightly-curved blade, at the tip connecting to a Axe-like blade

"Whoa! Where did that come from!"

Guiche was taken aback by the sword's appearance, but rallied himself and pompously swept his rose at Kai.

"Valkyrie, Attack!" The golem darted forth quickly, leading with a punch from its gauntlet. Kai simply stepped back and to the side to avoid, before attacking, slicing his sword up and severing the golem's arm at the shoulder in a single quick attack. Before Guiche could order the golem again, Kai brought his sword down upon the golem in a blow that split its helm in half, along with the rest of its body. The empty armor fell, scattering to the ground like rubbish scraps. Guiche, as well as the crowd, was stunned, and it took the blond a second to realize that Kai was steadily striding towards him, sword in hand.

Two swipes of the rose, and six petals fell, summoning six of the Bronze Valkyries. They charged the advancing Kai, four of them darting to the sides to flank and surround him. And now Guiche was serious, the Valkyries leading with their spears. Kai didn't stop, and waved his free hand. Out of nowhere, a huge wall of light appeared behind him, and numerous handles and hilts connecting to the light appeared from it. Guiche and his Golems stopped in their tracks, as the other students began shaking in sheer fright because of the numerous handles and sword hilts that appeared from the light.

"Be honored, as you all were the first to witness one of my true abilities. Unfortunately for you Guiche, you were unlucky enough to be at the recieving end of this. I pity you, should you not try to challenge me after I just told you off." said Kai, as he put his sword into the light, it's handle left visible as the blade was absorbed into it. "If you're lucky enough, you'd survive my Gate of Babylon." He waved his hand down.

Those were that last vision of Guiche's Golems before they were showered mercilessly by Kai's weapons. When the dust cleared, the only thing visible inside the circle besides the unlimited amount of weapons, was Guiche, who wet his pants after one of Kai's blades went dangerously close to his face, cutting a few strands of his hair, and Kai, who sighed at this amusing predicament of Guiche's.

Guiche, trembling, fell to his knees before Kai.

"I-I-I-I give up."

The crowd was dead silent.

"There's no way you're a commoner. Just what are you?" Kai seemed to consider that question, before snapping his fingers. All of the blades vanished.

"I am Kaizer von Deathstone. Do your best to remember it well."

*Flashback End*

"He said that 'Gate of Baby-whatsit' is one of his true abilities... Just how many he has in his sleeve?" she muttered to herself, oblivious that her familiar is sleeping at the chair by the window. She blushed when she saw his sleeping face. Shaking her head, she tried to sleep it off.

The Next Day

Louise walked with Kai towards the Vestri Court, where her other classmates were bonding with their familiars. As Kai went nearer, the other familiars went to him, as Kai petted them, while the familiars' masters were terrified to see Louise's familiar with her, and Louise looked gleeful again for the presence that Kai gives off, except for a red-headed, tanned girl with large breasts, who was eyeing Kai like a longing puppy, and a blue-haired bespectacled girl, who just looked to where her blue dragon was; with Kai. She went nearer to Louise with the red-head.

"Nice familiar. Good to Sylphid." the blue-haired glasses girl muttered to Louise. Louise looked at her.

"Hi Tabitha." she smiled at the blue-haired girl, before turning to the red-head. "Hello Succubus..." she added, with a but of sarcasm.

The red-head ignored her tone. "Your familiar seems to attract our familiars without any trouble."

"He has good-nature?" asked the blue haired girl named Tabitha.

"I don't know... M-maybe he has been good with animals where he came from." said Louise, blushing at the way Kai handles the animals with ease.

"Darling looked like he's better off with me and Flame." purred the red-head.

"Don't you dare touch him Kirche!" Louise spat, pointing at the red-head. "H-he won't go with the likes of you, y-you flirt!"

"Is there something wrong, Mistress?"

The three of them looked around, and saw Kai behind her with a bunch of small animals in his shoulders, Verdandi on his right leg, Flame on his left, and Sylphid behind him with a bunch of other large familiars. Louise blushed.

"Can someone claim their familiars from me? They won't exactly let me go, and this Salamander was trying to tackle me down before I tamed it." He said, as the familiars' masters scampered towards him to get their familiars; Guiche was too scared to even get near him to fetch Verdandi. He then saw the same blonde-haired girl who slapped Guiche tugging him near Kai to get Verdandi, which he tried go get away in failure.

Kai lifted Verdandi like a large pillow, then put the mole in front of Guiche. "If you aren't going to get your familiar, then I'll do it for you." he said sternly, before walking back to Louise. Guiche sighed in relief; he thought that he'll get another one of Kai's Gate of Babylon again for leaving his familiar alone for a girl.

"Is there something I need to know about today, Mistress?" asked Kai, confused to the gathering of masters and familiars around them.

"We are given a day to bond with our familiars, Darling. I wouldn't mind bonding with you." winked Kirche, before Louise could say anything. She growled at that.

"Err... I would like to pass on that. Thank you for the offer though." He replied, in a sweatdropped expression, as Kirche tried to get closer to him. Louise, however, was ticked off by that, before she started to drag Kai away from her and Tabitha. He turned to his Mistress. "I thank you for that, Mistress. I would not like it if someone force themselves at me, especially from that lady." he said, to a blushing Louise.

"I-i-i'm not d-doing this for y-y-y-you! I'm t-trying to g-get away from that s-succubus." she stammered, blushing furiously. After a while she calmed down, and continued at Kirche's answer to his question. "There's going to be an event where we get to perform our familiar's skill in front of the royal audience. We are evaluated by the performance of the familiar that depends on it's nature."

"I see. So I have to perform as well? Then I will never let you down. I'll give them a show they will never forget." smiled Kai, making Louise blush again.