The Immortal of Zero
Chapter III: Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt
The day has come, the day for the familiars to exhibit their abilities and powers. Louise was looking forward for this day, but there was one problem...
"KAI! GET DOWN FROM THE ROOF! WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME BEFORE THE EXHIBITION!"
Louise was furious that her familiar was standing at the rooftop of the tallest tower, and doesn't look like he's going to go down for there. She was riding with Tabitha, on Sylphid, in level with with Kai, who looked worried for his master, who looked dangerously close to the dragon's side.
"Mistress.. Please, trust me. I can get the show going starting from up here." he pleaded, anxious.
Last night, he had secretly devised a plan that would woo the judges while Louise was asleep, and for that he needed to be-
"BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN THE ROOF TO GET STARTED! NOW GET DOWN FROM THERE BEFORE YOU WOULD KILL YOURSELF!" roared Louise. Fortunately, the flapping of Sylphid's wings drown most of her voice, making it impossible for everyone from the ground to hear her scold her familiar.
Kai sighed. He knew that Louise would care for his wellbeing. In order to bide to her wishes, he had to sacrifice the plan that would involve diving from where he's standing now, floating, his fire-based swords, and for some reason, a pile of eggs. As he climbed at Sylphid's back, he began to think of an alternative into swaying the judges into Louise's favor.
The day of the exhibition started with a lot of enthusiasm from Louise, and they joined the rest of the second years at Vestri Court for the event. Professor Colbert served as the announcer, introducing each student and their familiar.
The first up was Kirche with her salamander Flame, the buxom redhead posing while her familiar breathed out artistic plumes of fire. Afterwards, the blond girl with whom Guiche had double-timed, Montmorency, was up with her frog doing tricks. And then Guiche…posed with his mole Verdande. Tabitha and Sylphid demonstrated their flight. And finally, it was Louise and Kai's turn.
"Are you sure you want to do this? I messed up your plan. I guess we could just-"
"We have to do this Louise. I will make them see you in a different light. These people treated you like a novice mage for your almost non-existent use of magic, and I intended to change all that." Kai shrugged, waving her excuse off. "Besides, I already thought of a back-up plan." he added, smiling.
"You do?"
"Do you really think I would just quit after one of my plans failed? I will always have a back-up plan in store."
The two moved onto the stage, Kai striding with confidence and pride. Louise took her place in the center, feeling uncertain on the events that would follow.
"Let me introduce my Familiar, Kaizer von Deathstone." Louise began. "He will demonstrate a surprise for all of you. I am sure he will do the best of his abilities to inspire you."
'somehow I doubt it that Kai would use the Best of his abilities, like that Gate of Babylon he used a few days ago, though I would wish he wouldn't repeat that again.' thought Mr. Colbert, remembering the stories his students witnessed between the duel between Guiche and Kai. Kai won hands down, literally.
"I would like Mr. Colbert to summon your most toughest golems for me." said Kai, smiling. The students who had witnessed Guiche's duel with him gulped. They knew the fate awaited the Golems summoned by Mr. Colbert, as the said professor summoned Adamantium Golems, which are much tougher than Guiche's Bronze Golems.
"You may begin when ready." he said, as Kai formed into an defensive stance, with both his palms open. The students and the judges were curious why he hasn't had a single weapon in his hand yet.
"Τὸ συμβόλαιον διακονῆτω μοί, ἡ κρυστάλλινη βασίλεια! Ἐπιγενηθήτω, ταἰώνιον ἔρεβος, αἱώνιε κρύσταλλε! Πάσαις ζωαῖς τὸν ἴσον θάνατον, ὃς ἀταραξία! Κοσμικὴ Καταστροφή!" he started a chant, as a ball of pure dark ice appeared, not truly physical, but in essence itself at his left hand, before chanting.. "Τό συμβόλαιον διακονητω μοί, βασιλευ Όυρανίωνων! Έπιγενηθήτω αίθαλους κεραυνέ ός Τιτηνας φθείρειν! Έκατοντάκις καί χιλιάκις άστραψάτω! Χιλιαπλή Άστραπή!"...and a ball of pure lightning appeared on his right hand... "Dextra Emissa Stagnet! Χιλιαπλή Άστραπή! Sinistra Emissa Stagnet! Sennen Hyōka!"..as the balls of energy went stable in his hands... "Duplex Complexio! Supplementum pro Armationem!" ...he crushed both the energy with his hands, as he undergo a powerful evolution. "Raiten Kōri no Jo'ō"...now, he looked like a being of ice that was giving off powerful electrical surge that was flowing throughout his body.
Louise stumbled back, as she saw her familiar looked like a god to them, having cast two high-ancient void level magic, then absorbing them to power himself up. The students were shaking at this astounding ability; Guiche literally wet and soiled himself, after remembering that he was the one who challenged Kai foolishly without giving much thought about it. Tabitha was trying to calm Sylphid from going berserk by Kai's transformation, as Sylphid is a wind-attribute dragon, she's extremely sensitive to any sudden drop of temperature, because Kai's presence was giving off a sudden drop of cold temperature that would put the coldest winters to shame.
Kirche's familiar, Flame, had literally froze over the frozen weather caused by Louise's familiar, while her master seemed to be ogling at him. Strangely enough, the cold doesn't affect the red-head, but her face looked like it's keeping a very hot fire beneath it.
Meanwhile, at the Headmaster's office, the headmaster felt a chilling force through his closed windows.
'This power...! I doubt a Square-class Mage would have this much magic. I wonder if it's that young man. When we talked to him last night, he doesn't even exert an aura above Square-class Mage' the headmaster thought, as he recalled what was discussed last night.
*Flashback*
"Ah, Mister Kai?" Kai had already been aware of the approaching woman, long before she spoke, and was already facing here. If she found this unusual, she didn't show it.
"Yes, Miss?"
"Longueville. The headmaster would be pleased if he could meet with you, as soon as possible."
Hmmm…
"Would right now be a good time?" Kai asked.
"It would."
"Very well. Lead on."
Headmaster Osmond's office, Central Tower
The Headmaster's office was in the shape of a pentagram, with a window at each corner, and bookshelves next to the windows that pointed to the other four towers of the academy. Various statuettes and knick-knacks decorated the place, from the desk, to the shelves and the tables scattered throughout the rest of the room. Before the fifth window was the Headmaster's desk, and the Headmaster himself. Who was asleep.
Under different circumstances, Kai would be…annoyed, to put it lightly, but at the moment he was just in awe at how much this Osmond conformed to the age-old 'old-wise-man, long-white-beard' image, much to his description of the headmaster.
Miss Longueville, seemed just as annoyed as Kai would be, walked up to his side and whacked him in the head.
"Hm! Hah! What!"
"Osmond, Mister Kai is here to meet you."
"Kai? Who? Oh! That boy who dueled the Gramont lad!"
Kai was irritated at being called boy, but let it slide. Osmond was apparently quite ancient, after all, and for whatever reason Kai hadn't aged physically since he acquired the Golden Diamond, now embedded in his forehead, slightly visible through his bangs.
"Yes."
"Good, good….Is Professor Colbert here?"
"Not yet. He's probably asleep at the moment-" Like every other normal person at this hour, Kai caught her tone. "-So it might be a while before-" Kai turned towards the door seconds before the bald teacher that had overseen the ritual that summoned him burst into the room, panting.
"Ah! The Gandalfr!" Colbert gasped upon seeing Kai. That elicited an arched brow from the Devil God Knight. He honestly hoped Colbert was not calling him Gandalf.
"Jean, come in….oh, you already are. Well then, let's start this meeting." Osmond said. "First, introductions. I am Osmond, Headmaster of this academy. This is my secretary, Miss Longueville, and this is Professor Jean Colbert, teacher at this academy." Kai nodded to each as they were named. "Now, I asked you and Jean here to answer some questions about some…peculiarities, involving you. Jean?"
"Ah, yes, yes." Colbert fumbled within his robes before pulling out a thick tome, something Kai associated with sorcerous grimoires and demonology texts. Colbert opened the book and flipped rapidly through its pages, stopping on a certain page and dropping it with a very audible thud onto Osmond's desk. "Your runes, Kai, they're the runes of the Legendary Familiar, Gandalfr!"
Gan-what? I never heard of such a name. "Gandalfr?" Kai asked. "What does that mean?"
"The Gandalfr was the familiar of the Founder Brimir, and protected him while he cast his spells!"
Hmm…
"It was supposed to be able to use any and every weapon ever made, with complete mastery of any technique or power they used!"
"You see why this concerns us, Kai." Osmond said.
"Yes…I do." Kai said. "If I am this….this…Gandalfr that would make Louise a mage of the Void, yes?"
"By all logic, yes." From what Kai understood, this would be to this culture what the Sacred Ceremony of Creating Philosopher's Stones to Alchemists.
"Can you imagine? The return of The Void, with the Left Hand of God as proof!" Colbert babbled excitedly.
"Excuse me? The Left Hand of God?" Kai asked.
"Ah, yes, one of the other names for the Gandalfr."
"…" Darkwing would absolutely lovethis. Why isn't he here?
"We ask that you not inform anyone about this however." Osmond said, leaning forward over his desk to peer at Kai. "Not even Miss Vallière. I hope you understand this."
"I do." And Kai did. If anyone in the government learned that Louise was a Void Mage, got the slightest hint as to the possibility, the politicians would be all over her like Ryu-Kai's servants over a last piece of meat. And if politics were anything like those of the medieval times on Earth, she wouldn't be guaranteed to survive.
"With that understood, I hope you'll indulge us in answering a few questions…"
"Yes! What were those blades? The students tell us you used no incantation or foci to summon them!"
"I believe you are referring to my Gate of Babylon." Kai said, as he let a minuscle of the Gate's energy to bring out the first sword he used against Guiche's Golems; the Zatetsuken.
"Amazing!" Colbert gasped. "How did you do that?"
"The technique is simple." Kai said in lieu of an explanation. "But I'm afraid no one here can learn it."
"And why is that?" Longueville asked, leaning forward to inspect the Sword.
"Because it is not magic, not as you know it. Even where I come from, only a miniscule amount of people are capable of using power." Gilgamesh was the only one who can use it before passing down this power, and all of his weaponry inside, to me. "Most are quite simply not capable of using it."
"I see. And just where are you from, Kai." Osmond asked, a note of seriousness coming into his voice. Kai strode to the door, opening it and leaving with only one sentence.
"For a first hint, there's only one moon."
The office was silent after Kai left. Each of the three occupants contemplated on Kai's parting words before Colbert spoke up.
"Only one moon...do you think he means that he's…?"
"I don't know Jean." Osmond replied. "But something tells me that Kai may be linked to the Spear of Destruction…and the being that wielded it…"
*Flashback End*
Headmaster Osmond opened his window, and saw the exhibition. He didn't pay attention to the students itself, but to one glowing person who's surrounded by a dozen Adamantium Golems. He then realized that it's Kai, who looked like he's made from solid lightning himself. Although Kai seems to become a higher being, he doubted that Kai would put a dent on the Adamantium Golems. The Adamantium itself is one of the most strongest metal in the country, and seven high-ancient Elemental Mages barely put a dent on it.
"Begin." he heard Mr. Colbert shouted, and before anyone knew it, all twelve golems were destroyed by the sheer attack made by Kai, if he had even made an attack. His speed was so fast, the students didn't see him leave his post for more than a second, let alone hit all twelve golems at once. Louise was awestruck. She knew about the properties of Adamantium, but what she was shocked about is that Kai took down all twelve Adamantium-enforced Golems like they were nothing. What's more, her familiar didn't looked like he moved from his spot after Mr. Colbert started the challenge. It's like he used his raw energy that's emitting from his body to destroy the golems.
Mr. Colbert was about to give evaluations of the judges, when a large explosion shook them from the other end of the Academy. Kai immediately flew to the scene, still in his lightning/ice-enhanced form, and when he arrived, a Rock Golem, 20ft in height, busted through one of the Academy's lower towers. A cloaked figure jumped towards the hole, and a minute later, the figure emerged carrying a long, wooden case. The figure stood on the shoulder of the Rock Golem and about to make an escape, only to find Kai blocking their way.
"Who are you? I don't believe you were invited." he said calmly, while giving off a static surge over his ice body. The figure pointed at Kai, and the Rock Golem began to punch Kai out of the way, only to find it's arm completely frozen as Kai touched the Golem's fist with his finger. "I will not ask again. Who are you!"
"Kai!" both the figure and Kai looked around, and saw Louise, Tabitha, and Kirche going to them, riding on Sylphid, who managed to get used to the sudden cold atmosphere. The figure took this chance to escape using a quick teleportation spell, and when Kai turned his head back, the figure was gone, along with the frozen-armed Rock Golem. Kai dispelled his transformation and went back to normal.
"Tsk, that guy got away." muttered Kai, cursing his own carelessness for letting the thief get away, as he floated down to meet his master, who jumped down from Sylphid as soon as they landed. He then looked at the hole the golem made. "Looks like the Treasure Vault got broke open after that golem's fist."
"That's the Academy Vault. It holds many artifacts from when this Academy's built. What was stolen?" said Kirche, for once paying attention to things other that him.
"It was long, thin, stored in a long wooden case... That's about it." shrugged Kai, remembering the vague details.
"Talk to Headmaster.."muttered Tabitha. They began to walk towards the Headmaster's office, the exhibition completely forgotten. As they arrived by the door of the office, which was echoing arguments from behind it, they saw Ms. Longueville arrived, a bit dazed as though she had just woken up. Kai frowned at her mentally. They opened the door, to find one of the professors and Headmaster Osmond were having a heated argument about the break-in.
"...I keep telling you to increase security at the vault! While you've been sneaking a peek up your secretary's skirt, you've been neglecting the security of this place! Just last week, we had a attempted trespassing by a bunch of rogues who wants to kidnap the kids!" roared the furious professor. Kai cleared his throat. The professor became extremely embarrased for shouting in front of the students.
"Sir, who was that figure with the Rock Golem?" asked Kai. He was curious at the figure he stopped before Louise interrupted them.
"That was a Triangle-class Earth Mage, who's been terrorizing Nobles in this Kingdom, and stealing national artifacts." said Osmond in a grave tone. "Her name; Fouquet the Crumbling Dirt."