Solitude Of A King
Chapter 5: Painted In Blood
Tepes Castle was under lockdown. Shrouded in the light of dawn, a small army of Vampires stood in the courtyard, armed and ready for the battle. Garbed in differing sets of armors, nervousness could easily be depicted from their twisted visages. Marius stood before them, dressed in a set of golden armor that sparkled under dawn's first set of rays. Aside from the nervousness that had overtaken them, the army of Vampires with Marius at its head remained unmoving inside the stone walls. Sentries were placed atop the walls, overlooking the open space outside the castle. With no reports of approaching invaders, Marius still refused to dismiss the soldiers. The fear of the enemy attacking after he dismissed the soldiers plagued his mind. Just outside the stone walls was an army of massive golems. Large and imposing along with bodies made of bronze and stone, the gleaming red eyes remain in the shadows provided by the surrounding trees.
"Lord Marius, there is no sight of the enemy," a scout said with fatigue marring his face, "It is safe to allow the army to rest, mi Lord. There is no need to tire out our troops before the siege."
"Silence!" Marius hissed, sending a sharp blow to the scout's cheek, "You're a soldier. Thinking is not something a soldier does! Get back to your position before I punish you for disrespecting me!"
Bowing his head, the scout hurried away from Marius while nursing his wound with anger flashing in his eyes. Among the gathered Vampires, anger was a popular emotion towards Marius. Only second to resentment obvious in their tired eyes. Ten hours, the soldiers had been standing there. Ten hours in the uncomfortable armors issued by Marius. Ten hours of pure agony. Exposed to the elements, the armor that all soldiers were splattered with rain drops. Hunger and thirst came hand in hand. Ever since their formation inside the courtyard, there was little water or food distributed to the soldiers. Unwilling to lose a single body, Marius continued to drive his men like animals, refusing them the necessities that any living being would need in order to survive.
Delusional with fear, Marius knew little of the horrors awaiting him.
"Uzumaki! What are you doing here!" Modred growled with annoyance obvious in her tone, "You said I was to take the castle!"
"I am here for the Sephirath Graal," Naruto grunted, "I will let you have your fun with the Vampires while Semiramis and I will look for the Longinus."
"Fine... But, I get to kill Marius!"
"If he does not have the Longinus then he could be your plaything for all I care."
Inside the woods outside of Tepes Castle, a small brigade of golems stood lifelessly. A small camp had been erected by the two female members of the Faction, while Mordred discussed with Naruto in a clearing, Semiramis happily remained at the campsite. Situated at the camp fire, Semiramis held a devious smile while she mixed whatever ingredients held inside a pot. An intoxicating aroma swirled around the pot, signifying its completion. Even at the distance, both Naruto and Mordred could smell the aroma. Two possibilities came forth from the smell, either Semiramis was cooking lunch or the Witch was working on another form of poison. Though Naruto had already assumed the latter, being wrong in such an occasion could be pleasant. Trekking back towards the campsite, both hero descendants shared no more words, allowing the seductive smell to guide them.
"Ah, you two are back," Semiramis mused while the smile she wore never left her, "Good, I believe we can begin the operation."
Mordred grunted in response before walking to the pot that Semiramis had left to the flames. Taking a look at the darkened liquid inside, Mordred shrugged her shoulders and reached for a ladle which rested on against a rock. Dipping it into the supposed soup, Mordred brought it closer for a smell. Accepting the substance's rich smell, Mordred brought the ladle closer to her lips with the intent of drinking the soup. Naruto, who had been studying the layout of the castle eyed the soup before he cleared his throat, catching his fellow blonde's attention.
"Mordred, that's poison." Naruto said in a rather nonchalant manner, "Semiramis would never cook anything aside from poison. You should know this by now."
Dumping the ladle and poison back into the pot, Mordred's eyes widened with anger bursting from her cool blue orbs. Turning to face the mistress of poison, Mordred sent her an anger driven glare that could have killed. Semiramis who had been watching the entire exchange, for the most part, held an innocent facade. Any man easily tempted by beauty, would have fallen for it. Neither of the blondes acknowledged the innocence as anything but, false. Naruto merely continued his study of the castle while Mordred had other intentions. Stomping towards the witch, Mordred tore her blade from its sheath, fully intending to behead Semiramis.
"You bitch! You were going to let me drink the poison weren't you?!" Mordred growled with her sword inches away from the witch's neck.
"Oh heavens no, it was my mistake! I must have been too busy to have noticed you attempting to drink the poison! Oh, my apologies, this will never happen again!" Semiramis called out, with sarcasm leaking from her voice.
The response only managed to anger Mordred further. Before the woman could enter a death match, Naruto interrupted their spat. He was sure Semiramis wouldn't have killed Mordred. Or he was sure, at the moment, not so much.
"Enough. Save the fighting for the Vampires."
Grumbling in protest, Mordred sheathed her blade and stomping away from Semiramis. Though Naruto's words had acclaimed the issue was over, Mordred did not have the same feelings as her fellow blonde. She would have her revenge in one way or another. For now, she would play down her emotions. Marius came first. That bastard was worst than Semiramis... to some degree.
Diarmuid was a man of honor. When taken in by his lord, he had sworn an oath. An oath that would bind him even in death. An oath to forever stand by his lord's side no matter the time no matter the place. Having been ordered to remain in the Hanging Gardens was rather unpleasant for his part. While he accepted the orders without hesitation, a small wedge of displeasure had taken residence in his heart. There was no doubt Naruto could take care of himself, saying he was defenseless was a far cry from the truth. It had felt as if he was indirectly breaking his oath, or perhaps it was the prospect of his lord fighting an unknown enemy that had brought forth such emotions. None of that mattered now. Left with an order from the man he had sworn his life to, Diarmuid now focused his mind all on that single task. Guarding Asia, no matter the costs, keep her safe. With tension between Naruto and Cao Cao growing by the day, it was obvious both sides were willing to clash at any time. For now, Naruto had prioritized Asia's safety overall.
"Lady Asia, it is I," Diarmuid announced as he gave a gentle knock on the wooden door, "May I come in?"
Receiving a yes in response, Diarmuid pushed the wooden door open and entered with a tray of food in hand. Naruto had insisted the former Nun be moved to his room while he was away, thus leaving Asia under the care of both Diamruid and Avicebron. If Cao Cao ever decided to flirt with death and have one of his subordinates capture Asia, he'd have to get through an army of golems and Diarmuid to ever lay a hand on Asia. With that, Naruto had left to personally retrieve the Longinus. Leaving Diarmuid behind to act as a bodyguard, a task he had grown accustomed to.
"Lady Asia, I have brought breakfast as you have requested," Diarmuid said, carrying the tray towards the table where Asia sat behind, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Asia, whom had been seated behind her brother's desk merely gave Diarmuid a smile before a thoughtful expression crossed her face. Debating whether or not to ask the question she had failed to do with the other members of her brother's Faction, Asia continued to ponder on the action while Diarmuid waited patiently. Not a minute longer, Asia had worked up courage to ask the stoic knight her question in mind.
"Mister Diarmuid... C-can you tell me about Miss Semiramis and big brother's relationship?"
Years of training had managed to force the surprise out of his face and kept it under wraps. The question had been an unexpected one to say the least. Rarely did questions involving Naruto ever tie with Semiramis. Though the question itself brought on a question of his own. Sure, Asia was different than others, but, it did not stop Diarmuid to wonder why. Glancing at the other Uzumaki, Diarmuid racked his thoughts for an acceptable answer before responding to the question. Such questions were foreign to him, especially when it involved his lord. Hardly did one ever ask about the blonde's relations with others. Most questions involved combat abilities and such, never about relationships.
"Lord Naruto's relationship with Lady Semiramis is one I am uncertain of... Why do you ask Lady Asia?" Diarmuid said with his own curiosity pushing forward the last portion of words.
"Oh, I asked Miss Semiramis about big brother, and she mentioned they had a special relationship."
Diarmuid blinked at Asia's words as he thought of them with a critical mind. What Semiramis had told Asia was not far from the truth. How else would you describe the relationship between an assassin and her boss. Though Diarmuid could come up a number of ways of describing the relationship, knowing Semiramis, the mistress of poison only wanted to agitate Naruto when Asia came to ask him about the "special relationship". No one really knew about the inner workings of Semiramis's mind. The woman was far too random for anyone to predict. After all, the woman had been very welling to poison her family without a thought of remorse nor any signs of hesitation.
"Lady Asia, what else did Lady Semiramis tell you about the Lord?"
"Umm, nothing much. She just said big brother is interesting."
Giving Asia a nod of thanks, Diarmuid bowed his head and left the room before the Nun could continue the conversation. Even after the years the uncertainty around Semiramis's loyalty still remained. The woman was far too unpredictable for one to plan against. Formerly a member loyal to Cao Cao, Diarmuid worried for what the woman was planning. Among every member working for Naruto, Diarmuid worried about Semiramis the most. A woman who had an intricate web of spies in the form of her doves, she was also unmatched in the use of poison. Having no shame in her actions nor clear remorse, Diarmuid had been expecting the descendant of the Wise Queen of Assyria to poison Naruto sooner or later. His distrust stemmed from the woman's tendency to act behind the backs of everyone. It did not help that Naruto even admitted to the possibilities of the doubts either. Even so, Diarmuid could never understand why Naruto trusted Semiramis so much. Acknowledging the possibilities of her being a traitor and not acting on the knowledge was one of the many questionable acts Naruto had performed in his time.
Leaving the room behind, Diarmuid had positioned himself out of the room with both of his demonic spears in hand and a stern expression in place. Vanquishing his thoughts in favor of his duty, Diarmuid's eyes narrowed when they caught sight of Siegfried walking down the empty halls with a smile shining brilliantly upon his visage. A happy Siegfried was an unwelcoming sight. There were little that could bring out a full blown smile from the descendant of Siegfried, and a fight was among the small list of occasions. Tightening his grip on both weapons, Diarmuid sent Siegfried a glare. Receiving nothing more than a growing smile in response, Diarmuid shifted his body to face the other hero descendant. Mimicking Diarmuid's actions, Siegfried unsheathed his own weapons. Gram, the strongest Demon Sword, now resided on Siegfried's right hand.
"Siegfried, what are you doing here?" Diarmuid asked while he busied himself with studying his opponent.
"Cao Cao wanted to push forward with his plans. I'm here to tie up some loose ends," Siegfreid said with his smile now threatening to split his own face, "You know how long I've been waiting for this?"
Diarmuid remained silent as he readied himself for a fight. Whatever Cao Cao had been planning, Asia was going to be dragged in the middle of it. From what Siegfried had said, Cao Cao was adamant on having him killed. Sending one of the most suicidal fighters amongst his ranks was an obvious sign of that. Siegfried cared little for his own life. Utilizing abilities that shortened his lifespan, the man was adamant on enjoying himself in the midst of a life threatening fight. This was a fight he could not afford to lose. Even if it took his life, he would not allow Siegfried to win this fight.
"Very well then, shall we begin?"
"Neat place you have here, Avi."
Avicebron who stood upon a podium inside his dimly lit laboratory stopped working when he heard those words. Gently placing the tools he held onto a tray where others rested, Avicebron stared at the origins of the words with his expression hidden by the featureless mask. Standing at the entrance of his once secret laboratory graciously provided by Naruto, was Jeanne. Rapier in hand, the descendant of Joan of Arc smiled cheerfully, displaying no signs of worry over the small army of golems standing behind Aivcebron.
"... ... What are you doing here?" Avicrbron finally asked after studying Jeanne for a minute longer. He cared little for how she had found the laboratory, his only concern was why she was in the laboratory.
"Cao Cao wanted me to take care of you, Avi~" Jeanne cheerfully replied with a graceful smile adorning her delicate features, "So, here I am~"
No further questions were needed. Jeanne had been quite honest in her intentions thus leaving him no choice but to fight. Raising a hand, Aivcebron took control of his golems and motioned for them towards the blonde girl that had been casually sitting on a counter. The rumble of movement soon filled the air, ten golems circled around the girl slicing all paths of escape as their bronze infused limbs lifted to strike. Jeanne remained still with her smile still in place, still without worry.
"We don't have to fight ya' know?"
Avicebron eyed the girl strangely as Jeanne remained seated with a group of golems ready to pummel her. Her sudden declaration had been enough to stop the assault. It would have been a lie if Avicebron said he was not interested. All he cared was for the completion of the golem his ancestor failed to finish. Though his perplexed expression was only known to himself, Jeanne decided to continue while she had his attention.
"Cao Cao doesn't want to fight you, if you were to stay out of the fighting then Cao Cao wont have me attack you," Jeanne said, "Or you could even join us. With Naruto and Semiramis both gone, the Hero Faction is in need of members. If you were to join us, Cao Cao would provide you with everything you need... and more... Think about this, Avi..."
Avicebron gave off the impression of thought over the offer, yet no response came. Jeanne waited patiently in the circle of golems as she eyed the mask wearing man with a calculative gaze. Cao Cao had ordered her to convince Avicebron to join the "True Hero Faction" as he had called it. If Avicebron was unwilling, the offer of neutrality was up for grabs. Even if the offer of membership was declined, having Avicebron out of the way eliminated the threat of an opposing magician as well as an army of magically enhanced golems.
"... It seems I would have to decline, Lady Jeanne..."
"Oh, how sad, Avi... Then it seems you would have to-"
"You seemed to have misunderstood me, Lady Jeanne... I am declining both membership and neutrality. Working under Lord Naruto gives me the opportunity to work on the unfinished project left behind by my ancestors... As well as the opportunity to test out the mobility of my creations..."
Before Jeanne could even question the words, all golems surrounding her bustled forward with their limbs raised and orders set in stone.
What was the worst three humans could do to a castle defended by a small army of Vampires, after all, humans were both physically and magically weaker than the latter. With disadvantages plaguing their very beings, one could not blame the confidence that the Vampires held, no matter how misplaced the confidence was. Maning Tepes Castle, a once lavish construct that had rivaled the greatest of Romanian castles, had aged poorly. Damaged by the unstoppable force of time, Marius whom had indirectly taken rule of both Faction and clan neglected the castle thus leaving it unsuitable to fight off an invasion. Even so, not a single Vampire could say their chances were slim. The Vampires had a force of a thousand, faced with an enemy of two humans with twenty golems was hardly a challenge. Though they faced such feeble numbers, Marius, had been unwilling to take the chance. The stubborn action had a negative result on Marius's chances of surviving the attack. Not only had he turned his own men against him, but, the unwillingness to allow his men any form of rest from the strenuous task of patrol had left them weak and bitter. A worrisome combination when a battle was in the future. Diminishing both loyalty and moral in one costly mistake, the Hero Faction had been willing to wait them out. Yet, Naruto had declined the game of patience.
In the history of attacks, all forms had relied on the element of surprise to guard them against the early attacks defenders would hurl upon them. If one soldier managed to scale the walls, then one could claim the siege was a success. For this one in particular, the art of magic was a hindrance for attackers. With abilities that could topple armies, magic gave way for a new branch of warfare. The Tepes Faction had it easy. With walls that kept them safe, Naruto had planned to utilize the very thing that the Vampires relied on for this attack. With Semiramis brewing a poison that humans would classify as inhumane, both Mordred and Naruto praised the Witch for her talents though the former did so without uttering a word. Poison was a wonderful tool to utilize. A weapon able to wipe out thousands in a matter of seconds, no matter how others were, Semiramis outranked many in the matter of creating such substances. Before they stormed the walls, some poison would be deposited over the Tepes Castle walls.
"Are you ready?"
Semiramis merely smiled at the question. The black doves that rested in the entanglement of branches stared blankly at Naruto whom had been speaking with Semiramis. At the outskirts of the forest, Mordred stood diagently beside the small pack of lifeless golems with her blade shining under dawn's first rays. The plan was simple. A attack at the break of dawn. The exhausted sentries from the night shift would be careless at the sight of the sun. That was when they would strike. Now, all there was to do was wait.
"Now, my darlings, fly!" Semiramis commanded with a finger on the Tepes Castle.
Cawing at her words, the doves shot off of the branches and filled the air. Swarming together, the thicket of black feathers soon hovered over Tepes Castle, casting darkness on the Vampires. Shouts were silenced by the synchronized cries of the doves. Shimmering into existence under the forest's cool shadows, a golden and emerald ark emerged from the Gate of Babylon. Naruto, whom had already placed himself on the high-tech arc, turned t face Semiramis and offered her a hand. Accepting the gesture with a smile, Semiramis climbed onto the golden ship and made her way towards the throne that sat at the ark's very end. Vimana, the ancient ship that held destructive capabilities that modern ships were unable to recreate. With abilities ranging from fight to the deployment of ancient nuclear warheads, the ship truly put modern day creations to shame. Armed with an arrangements of ancient machine guns, along with stealth features and biological weapons, Vimana was one of the more destructive objects stored in the Gates of Babylon.
"Let's go," Naruto said as he took his place at the pilot throne, "Once we deploy the poison, Mordred will commence with the attack and we will find the Septhiroth Graal."
Semiramis nodded her head in response as she stood at Vimana's center. Vimana hummed to life as a burst of speed sent the ancient ark into the heavens. Glistening in the day's first rays, Vimana shot towards the sea of black feathers which shrouded Tepes Castle in an impressive display of speed. Like the sun rising to pierce the darkness, Vimana descended onto Tepes Castle with doves flocking away form the golden ship. Unlike the sun that brought forth life and a new day, Vimana only brought death. Descending from the hull, containers pelted the courtyard of Tepes Castle. Upon contact, the containers released a hideous haze of black. Spreading in a frenzy, the poisonous gas expanded until it soon consumed the entire courtyard, contaminating the air with the deadly plumes of unbreathable chemicals. The effects were instantaneous. Like fish out of water, the Vampires that had been the first to fall victim to the chemicals began thrashing around. Clutching their throats in desperate attempts to release the deadly toxins they had just breathed in. Vampires fell by the dozens, all falling victim to the horrendous chemicals Semiramis had been so king to deliver. The few that had managed to escape the toxin were left in a state of shock. The walls that had been once claimed impenetrable came crashing down. Massive stone giants crushed the aging walls with no hesitation in their movements.
Flooding the death ridden courtyard, golems marched forward. Picking off survivors of the deadly chemical attack, the cries of pain were silenced by the caws of doves shrouding the skies.
Valerie Tepes, the "Head" of the House of Tepes and the "leader" of the Tepes Faction, laid lifelessly inside a dimly lit room. Face showing no form of emotion one would possess, the Dhampir merely looked off into the distance. Already mentally and emotionally damaged from possessing the Sephiroth Graal, she had been exposed to pain offered by the extraction of her Sacred Gear. Unlike previous wielders of the Sephiroth Graal, her Longinus was sub species. Possessing not one, but three Holy Grails instead of one, Valerie remained alive after the painful extraction. Now left inside the dark room, she only looked off into the distance. Ethereal shimmers shrouded her vision, even though one of her three Holy Grails had been extracted, images of the dead still remained. While Valerie stared lifelessly at the spirits, Rizevim had stood happily over her body with a bold smile in place.
"Well, that was fun Valerie~" Rizevim chuckled with his smile widening, "We should have Marius arrange another play date!~"
No response.
"Oh, don't be like that, such a look is unfitting of young girls~"
The door leading inside the room was swiftly opened, allowing Euclid entry.
"Lord Rizevim, we must leave now. The Hero Faction has slaughtered their way inside. All the Vampires left guarding the gate have been killed," Euclid reported with a bow of his head, "There is little time before they find this room. A small group of golems are demolishing this castle as we speak. We must leave now, Lord-"
Euclid never got to finish his sentence. Silencing the faithful servant was a golden blade that had sheathed itself against the wall mere inches from Rizevim's head. The sudden attack had caught both Devils off guard, but their reactions were immediate. Euclid quickly shifted his body to face the attacker with his magical powers flaring into existence. Rizevim merely brushed off the blade with a chuckle as his manipulative eyes focused on the attacker. Standing there with Semiramis by his side was Naruto. Golden halos danced against the air behind him, opening paths for an arrangement of polished weaponry to come forth.
"Leaving so soon?"
Chapter end
Sorry for the lack of activity. I have been busy with classes so my updates are going to be a bit slow. Anyways, hope you liked this chapter. Oh, yeah, the responses to my question from last chapter is mixed as I had expected. Honestly, if I do decide have Rias marry Riser, I could play around with their relationship and make it develop. Next chapter is going to be a few fights and an introduction for a few new characters, leave a review and thanks for reading.