Full Metal Panic! Was created by Shoji Gatou and distributed by Gonzo, Kyoko Animation, Kadokawa Pictures USA, Funimation Entertainment, ADV Manga, & Tokyopop
The Familiar of Zero was created by Noboru Yamaguchi and distributed by MF Bunko J , Media Factory, J. , Monthly Comic Alive, Sentai Filmworks, & Seven Seas Entertainment
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Any original characters, however, are owned by me. If you steal them, I shall hunt you down and skewer your nuts. You want to use them? Just ask me first as I'll probably say yes.
Feedback is encouraged. That's why I write. Also for the cookies.
And The Root Beer. The sweet, nectar-of-the-gods root beer.
Flames are pointless, as the author is a flaming retard.
...hold up, that's not what I meant. Uh, let's just start the story.
It was another ordinary morning Tristain Magic Academy.
The sun shown high above the facility, bathing the magical academy with its golden light. And the grand assortment of noblemen students, teachers, and faculty members awoke and prepared to go about their daily routine in the name of education. Yes, it was just another ordinary day.
Except that it wasn't another ordinary morning Tristain Magic Academy. Nor had it been since one young man had shown up only two days prior.
In the course of one day, that young man had done something the students of the high class Tristain Magic Academy had deemed almost impossible. He had defeated a Nobleman, effortlessly. It was impossible to believe and even all the more impossible to deny, but Sousuke Sagara had defeated Guiche 'The Bronze' in so short of a time.
Naturally, an event such as this had sent shock waves through the student body. It was such a shock that even a few of the teachers could scarcely believe it. Even excusing Guiche as being a low ranking mage was no excuse for such a phenomenon. In the days since that incident had occurred many had come to view his master with awe, respect and trepidation to levels the youngest Vallière daughter was not used to. She could deal with the unease easily enough, despite how annoying it was. The awe and respect however?
She simply thought it was about damn time.
Still there were a select few individuals that saw this event far differently than the students. Professor Colbert had a very keen interest in Sousuke even before the event. The professor was a bit more obvious to the teaching staff, but no one amongst them could confidently identify why he would hold an interest in a commoner aside from his strange power.
And then there were others whose interests in the sergeant were far less... mysterious.
Ghostface211 proudly(?)presents...
THE Full Metal Panic/The Familiar of Zero Crossover
Summoned Sergeant Chronicles
Operation Three: Vallière vs. Zerbst
or
He's just not that into you: Medieval Edition
'He's interesting.'
It took a lot for the noblewoman to honestly think this about a boy, but in a mere day he had joined a truly elite list of men who had managed to capture her interest. 'I can honestly say... I never imagined you to have something that would interest me... Vallière.' Kirche smiled as she sat in her room, her thoughts on little Vallière's familiar and all the commotion he was causing. There was something very intriguing about her charge that caused the redhead to notice him far sooner than any boy ever had. From the wild tangle of hair on his head, to the cute criss cross scar on his face, to his deep beautiful gray eyes he was a pure delectable package.
And his battle with Guiche...
She had never imagined that her heart could be captured. Nor would she ever have guessed that it would be a commoner of all the people in the world to win her over in less than a day. But Sousuke Sagara had done just that.
"Flamme."
She called out to her familiar, who walked up to its master. Rubbing her finger under his chin she gave the lizard familiar a serious gaze, "Keep an eye on that human familiar you met a few days ago. And make sure you keep out of his sight."
Her familiar made a 'kyuru kyuru' sound in acknowledgment of his orders and slinked out of his master's room Kirche watched him leave, a confident smile on her face.
"Soon Sousuke my love... you will feel the flame of passion that is Kirche the Ardent."
The Academy of Magic's dining hall was the tallest and centermost building on the premises. Inside sat three extremely long tables, each arranged parallel to one other. All of them looked as if they could easily seat several hundred people. All the tables were magnificently decorated with numerous candles, bunches of flowers, baskets full of fruit. But for today we shall focus upon the table at which Louise and all the second years sat. And that would be the middle table.
At that very extravagant middle table sat a sight many a noble thought they would never be witness to seeing.
A commoner eating amongst them.
Even rarer, nary a nobleman raised a hand nor wand in protest to this fact. Mostly because they were too afraid of this particular commoner sitting at their table and calmly eating a loaf of bread and gruel. Truth be told many of them feared at upsetting this man for they had witness firsthand the terrible power he possessed.
Sousuke eyed the patrons of the Alvíss Dining Hall cautiously as he ate his light meal. Still keeping his eye out for any possible unfriendlies that sat in the extravagant room. Just because the hall was filled with seemingly no hostiles was no excuse for him to be negligent in his duty.
He was dressed in his Jindai Boys Uniform now, his SRT outfit having been declared by his employer to be too much for the elegant hallway. Sousuke did not mind this for the moment. He had to be more careful, of that he knew for a fact. There was a reason he had survived as many battles as he had.
Still, in order to do his duty, he had to take the proper steps in ensuring that such an event never happened again. He had too much to lose to make a single misstep. By his side, Louise propped her chin on her hands and looked at her familiar oddly. It was all so strange, how he acted in the aftermath of his defeat of Guiche. And while it was true that Guiche had yet to be all that terrifying as a mage and was coasting on his father's achievements more than his own, it didn't change the fact that he had beaten a mage so soundly. Yet the way her familiar acted, you would be hard pressed to find that truth hard to believe.
Even now, he continued to be silent as he ate his half-stale bread and gruel. Despite the grand gesture she gave him by allowing him to sit with all of the nobles knowing full well that a commoner like him had no business even being allowed to sit there in the first place. He barely acknowledged her grand reward for his impossible victory.
It was infuriating.
Still, it did have the benefit of keeping the girl from being picked on. Now not one noble dared to call her 'Louise the Zero' for fear of upsetting the 'Familiar of Zero'. Sousuke had put the fear of battle in many a nobleman, although to be honest it was mostly a fear of him.
Louise was shaken out of her thoughts by the clang of an empty bowl and Sousuke's eyes staring into her own. She was taken aback by his serious grey colored orbs so much she missed what he had said to her. "Can you repeat that?"
Sousuke nodded, "I said I was finished with my meal ma'am. Now then, with your permission I would like to take a look around the campus."
Louise blinked in surprise, "You wish to do what?"
"I wish to take a quick tour around the campus right now," Sousuke repeated. "I shall return in enough time to accompany you for your last class. But I still need to become familiar with this campus if I am to protect you efficiently."
Despite herself, Louise blushed slightly at Sousuke's last statement. Even if he was a lowly familiar he seemed to bring out this reaction in her for reasons she could not fathom. And despite his ingratitude towards her noble gesture, he was clearly devoted in his duty to ensure her safety. Still...
"Are you sure you're alright to handle it?"
Sousuke nodded, "It's not a problem for now. Unless you have enemies that you have yet to tell me about I doubt that they will attack you in class."
Louise briefly wondered what her class had to do with her safety, but dismissed it as more worry from her familiar. Still, there was no real harm in letting him walk around the place for a bit. While she would be without her familiar for a while, it was not such an unusual sight for the moment.
Louise nodded at Sousuke, "Very well, I will allow it. But you had better be at my seat next to me five minutes before my last class. Understand?"
Sousuke nodded, "Aye ma'am. Now if you will please excuse me." And with that he got up and left the dining hall, missing the sighs of relief from a grand majority of the students in the hall.
Louise barely held off a laugh, "He's just a familiar. Not a demon."
Ah, sweet innocence.
Later...
In a small courtyard near the servant's quarters a young servant girl was preparing to embark on the second half of her long work day. Siesta sighed as she finished her lunch. Her hand rested on her chin as she gazed up at the sunny sky above her. As she sat there she looked less like a maid and a simple girl in deep thought.
"Don't be sitting there too long, Siesta. Those nobles will be finished with their meals soon!"
Snapped out of her musings she turned to the head chef and chirped, "Yes, I'm on my way!"
The head chef who had called out was Marteau, a well-rounded man well into his forties. Naturally, he was also a commoner himself, but with his position of head chef at the Academy, he earned as much as a lower class noble, a fact he could be proud of. Dressed in simple but fine clothes, he commanded the kitchen with a wave and a flourish of his hand. Despite his highly respectable position as head chef of a magic academy for nobles, Marteau wasn't the least bit arrogant and was known throughout the staff to dislike both magic and nobles.
He gave the young girl a wide grin, "You wouldn't be thinking of 'Our Bullet' again would you Siesta?"
Siesta flushed at the nickname, knowing that the elder man was referring to Sousuke. He had taken to calling Sousuke by the nickname "Our Bullet" in reference to using his strange musket to defeat Guiche. "How many times do I have to tell you Mr. Marteau that it isn't like that?!"
Marteau simply gave a hearty laugh, "C'mon girl. You can't fool this old man. I know a girl in love when I see her!"
Siesta's face colored a mighty red and Marteau's face broke into a wider grin. Seeing that she won't be able to explain herself she found it necessary to make haste. "I'll take my leave now!"
"The next time you see your husband you better make sure to bring him by the kitchen, ok?! Stop hogging 'Our Bullet' all to yourself!" Marteau called to the poor girl in a teasing tone.
Feeling as if her face would burst Siesta fled before Marteau could say more. Once she was sure she was out of the head chef's range, she stopped and put a hand to her chest. 'So now I'm his wife, am I?' she thought. While it was true she found the boy attractive, it had only been a few days since she had befriended the sergeant. And while the maid did have flights of fancy from time to time, she didn't believe in love at first sight.
Still, with as many miracles as Sousuke had produced, it was easy to believe that he could even have that much of an effect on her.
"I still don't understand why we have to be a newlywed couple already," She mumbled as she prepared to retrieve the used dishes of the nobles. She was about to head down towards the hall when she spotted someone out of the corner of her eye in one of the courtyard's windows.
The very man she and Marteau had been speaking of was standing in the courtyard looking very perplexed about something.
Siesta continued to look at Sousuke curiously before she turned and looked behind her, remembering her duty. She looked at Sousuke once more and nodded. Walking down the hall, her choice made.
Sousuke frowned as he stood outside one of the smaller courtyards, surveying the area. 'Hmmm... this area seems to be well suited for traps...but what kind of traps can I use here?'
It was vexing. Due to his lack of weapons and ammunition at the moment, he had to ration what little firepower he could spare. But if he was to be challenged to a duel with a mage once more or should something happen to threaten the young noble he had decided to protect until he could find a way home, he needed the element of surprise. There had to be some way around this problem.
'I'll have to look later on tonight if there's something I can afford to use here,' the sergeant thought. 'But even then it might not be enough.'
"Are you lost, Mr. Sagara?"
Sousuke turned to the familiar voice, "Ah. Good afternoon Siesta."
Siesta gave Sousuke a pleasant grin, "I know this school is easy to get lost in if you're not familiar with it. Did you get lost some how?"
Sousuke shook his head, "Negative ma'am. Although I am looking around this place a bit further, I am not lost."
"Oh I see," Siesta head lowered a bit, "So... um... how are you adjusting? I'm assuming you're getting a bit anxious."
Sousuke nodded, "It's nothing you need concern yourself with. But thank you for your concern."
Siesta blinked at Sousuke choice of words, "I see... then if you'll excuse me Mr. Sagara, I should be going."
Sousuke nodded absently before a thought suddenly occurred to him. Siesta was familiar with the layout of this facility, perhaps even more so than his employer. And with Louise in class, there really was no one else who could show him all the ins and outs of the school. He placed a hand on Siesta's shoulder, "Hold on a moment Siesta."
"Y-yes Mr. Sagara?"
"Perhaps you could show me around the campus, if it's not too much trouble. If I am going to be here for a while, it would be best to familiarize myself with all this academy has to offer."
Siesta gave Sousuke a warm smile, "I'd be honored to Mr. Sagara!"
Sousuke nodded, "Thank you Siesta. I-"
-GROWLLLLL-
Sousuke's face fell slightly as he turned away from the maid, irritated. It would appear that he had severely underestimated the amount of nourishment his body needed. A rare miscalculation he could ill afford to make again. He settled for gritting his teeth and letting off a small grunt.
As he did this he had missed the maid's reaction, again taking in his appearance. Dark thoughts ran through the girl's mind as she wondered about his master. 'Does Miss Vallière truly care for her familiar? Why would she let him roam about like this while he is still adjusting to this place? For that matter she does not seem to care that he is being fed properly! How cruel!'
"Mr. Sagara", she said, getting his attention. "I believe I know of a good place to start off".
Sousuke turned to her and nodded. "I thank you. Please lead the way."
"'Our Bullet' is finally here!"
Sousuke merely raised an eyebrow at the strange man's cry as Siesta led him to the kitchen area. He gave the maid a curious glance, causing her to letting out a sigh of embarrassment, "That's what he's taken to calling you Mr. Sagara."
Sousuke frowned, "I see. Why is that?"
He put an arm around Sousuke's shoulders, "Because you defeated a mage in a single shot! You who have proven the might of a commoner when compared to a nobleman deserves no less than a fine title to go with your accomplishment!" Marteau stared earnestly at Sousuke, "So tell me 'Our Bullet', just where did you happen to procure a strange musket like that? Tell me where I can go to learn how to shoot like that!"
Sousuke frowned as he shrugged the elder man's arm off of his shoulders, "My Beretta 96 was assigned to me by my commanding officer. As for how to shoot as I do, just practice."
Marteau laughed heartily, "You guys! Did you hear that?!" He yelled, his voice echoing around the kitchen.
The younger cooks and the apprentices shouted back, "We hear you, boss!"
"This is what they call a true master! They never boast or brag about their skill! Look and learn, men! A true master never boasts!"
The cooks chanted happily, "A true master never boasts!"
Sousuke gave a neutral look towards the enthusiastic cooking staff. Although their enthusiasm was all well and good it reminded him of the central mystery of that day. His gaze dropped down to the runes on his left hand. 'Since that encounter, it hasn't glowed again. Just what was that... that glow...?' As Sousuke continued to stare at his runes, Marteau interpreted that as him being reserved.
The chef turned to Siesta, "Siesta!"
Siesta, who had been cheerfully watching the two of them get along, responded brightly, "Yes?"
"Be a good wife and bring your husband here some of Albion's finest."
Siesta's blush returned with a vengeance as she went to retrieve a wine bottle of pristine vintage from the rack. Sousuke eyed the retreating maid curiously before he felt Marteau's meaty hands on his shoulders. "And you, 'Our Bullet'... you sit and be amazed by the finest meals this academy has to offer!"
Marteau sat Sousuke down at his chair, and with a smile, promptly brought him a large plate with a large chicken drumstick, warm biscuit and mashed potatoes. A small bowl with a side salad was near the plate as Siesta returned with a bottle of wine and prepared to pour some into Sousuke's glass. To the group's surprise, Sousuke held his hand up at that, "There's no need for that. I don't drink anything alcoholic. It hampers my abilities."
"I see," Siesta responded. "Well, I suppose I could just get you a glass of water then."
Sousuke nodded, "I appreciate that."
"Do you all hear this?" Marteau yelled.
The younger cooks and the apprentices shouted back, "We hear you, boss!"
"This one is not only a master of the blade, but is a master of his body as well! Look and learn, men! A true master is a master of his body and himself!"
The cooks chanted happily, "A true master is a master of his body and himself!"
Marteau patted Sousuke on the back, "You know, "Our Bullet," I'm starting to like you more and more! So how about it?"
Sousuke eyed the head chef curiously, "How about what?"
"How about you let me place a kiss upon your forehead! Come on! I insist!"
-CLICK-
"Please understand that though I am not unappreciative of your gratitude," Sousuke said as the gun rested under the chef's chin. "I would prefer you show it in another manner."
To the surprise of the readers, Marteau simply laughed at the threat, "I guess I shouldn't be surprised! I doubt your wife would like 'you' kissing anyone else!"
Siesta's face turned crimson as she returned with a glass of water while Sousuke blinked in confusion, "Mr. Marteau! I told you it isn't like that!"
Sousuke nodded, "Yes I do believe you are mistaken sir. She is just an acquaintance of mine. Nothing more."
This made Marteau laugh all the heartier, "You say that now 'Our Bullet', but this old man knows a good match when he sees one. Now eat! Eat your meal before it gets cold!"
Sousuke curiously lifted the drumstick to his mouth and his face instantly lit up, "This is very good."
Marteau nodded, "Well of course. That stew's the same stuff we serve to those stuck up noble kids." He snorted at the mention of the nobles, "Humph! Sure, they can use magic. Making pots and pans and castles from dirt, conjuring up unbelievable gems, even controlling dragons - so what! But see, creating such exquisite dishes like this is a kind of magic itself. Wouldn't you agree, Sousuke?"
Sousuke nodded, "Absolutely."
Marteau let out a proud laugh at Sousuke's response, "A fine fellow! You're a good man!"
Unnoticed as Sousuke continued to eat his meal was how Siesta became more and more absorbed in watching him. Her cheeks would blush every so often as she thought of the man before her and what she had seen; to see him now among them was something that she had not even contemplated, even with Marteau's teasing.
Tearing her eyes off Sousuke she looked at the head chef, who was happily watching the boy eat, taking each slurp and swallow with pride as confirmation at his and his staff's work. Through it all he did try to chat up with Sousuke, though the boy was content to simply nod and return to his food. That only ended up making the chef smile more. Siesta bit back a giggle, knowing that the chef was becoming all the more enamored with their 'savior'.
And that their 'savior' was more or less content to put up with Marteau's chattering was all the reason to respect him more.
Until...
-CRASH-
"What was that?" Siesta asked.
Sousuke frowned as he finished his salad, "Allow me to observe this. It could be dangerous."
Marteau nodded enthusiastically, "Don't worry Sousuke, I'll make sure your wife is safe!"
"Stop saying that Mr. Marteau!" Chirped a flustered Siesta.
Sousuke tuned them out as he approached the cooking area. He found the group of chiefs huddled around one of their own. His eyes narrowed as he approached the group, "What happened here? Is he all right?"
The young chief on the ground nodded, "I'm fine, just startled is all. I just thought I saw something outside the window."
"Did you now?" Sousuke asked. "Were you able to make out anything?"
The young man shook his head, "Not really. All I could make out was some sort of... crimson shadow."
Sousuke nodded, "Is there a back door out to the courtyard?"
Another young chief pointed behind him and Sousuke nodded his thanks. Exiting the cooking area, Sousuke found himself in the eastern courtyard of the Academy of Magic, commonly known as Austri. Looking down, he spotted a line of footprints that started near a window to the kitchen area. 'Looks like the chief saw some sort of an animal.'
At that, Sousuke's thoughts turned to the Zerbst woman and her animal familiar, Flamme. While he wasn't for certain that these tracks belonged to that animal, he couldn't just assume some wild animal had gotten into the school somehow. There was the possibility some nobleman was targeting Louise and was gathering Intel on those close to her at the academy.
"In any case," Sousuke muttered, "I'll have to be on guard."
Above him, the crimson shadow gave a garbled 'kyuru kyuru' and slinked away.
That night...
Louise frowned as she looked about her room. It had been a while since Sousuke had left the room to do something with 'surveillance'.
She had dismissed him after she had confirmed the cleanliness of her room and his other chores done. Admittedly, cleaning was done very quickly. Louise's room didn't have many things in the first place, a small desk with drawers next to the closet, a table with a small vase containing a small plant, two chairs at a table, her bed and her bookshelf. And as Louise was a fairly studious person, her bookshelf was lined with thick books.
Still, as she had done her assignments for the next class the noblewoman was facing a new crisis.
She was bored. Bored, bored, bored, and BORED.
As any reasonable person can tell you, a bored teenager is a horrible thing to have on your hands.
The noblewoman sat at her table, her arms folded and her legs crossed looking her room irritably. She blinked, stopping at Sousuke's small area and noticed the large knapsack that he had with him when he appeared before her. He had put in and removed some things and clothes in there every so often, but the sack always seemed to be full. Just what did a commoner have to keep that kept it so filled?
Boredom plus curiosity plus things belonging to Sousuke equals an opportunity for trouble.
I think you all should be panicking now.
Still, the noblewoman had no idea of the potential danger that lay hidden in Sousuke's bag as she walked up to his sleeping area. 'It doesn't look so big,' the noblewoman thought as she got a good look at Sousuke's bag up-close. She found out how wrong she was as she attempted to lift up the duffel bag and almost fell over due to the heft.
"What in the world?" Louise asked when she regained her balance. Her eyes narrowed at the bag that was still standing up straight, almost as if it was mocking her. Noticing the drawstring, she smirked as she pulled on the string and loosened the bag enough to open.
"Now then," Louise began as she stuck her hand in the bag, "What have we here?"
She frowned as she tossed aside some of his spare clothes and his tattered STR fatigues. She frowned as she encountered another one of Sousuke's guns. A Smith & Wesson Model 59 and Heckler & Koch MP5 were tossed aside, fortunately unloaded, as she rummaged through the bag. She was getting frustrated as she dug through magazines and clips.
She was however blissfully unaware of the mortars, bombs, and missiles she barely missed.
What, its hammer space, you should be grateful there's no nukes in there.
"What is all this?" Louise asked as she dug through the bag. "Doesn't he have something...?"
The mage trailed off as she found something that she was looking for. Something interesting. It should be noted at this point that before Sousuke had left, Kurtz had packed several items as a means of helping Sousuke's cover as a normal unsuspecting high school would have.
Ah, you didn't think the author remembered that did you?! Well, he did so kiss off!
In any case, Louise's eyes sparkled as she pulled out a pile of strange tomes and strange devices and containers. "Now this looks interesting!" She blushed as she looked at one of the strange books that Sousuke had. On the cover stood a man with a devil-may-care smile on his handsome face. His finger seemed to be pointing to Louise as his blond eyes twinkled with mischief and his blonde hair flowed behind him.
"This painting is amazing," Louise mumbled. "It looks so real... I'd love to meet the person who did this."
"What else is in here?" she wondered aloud as she thumbed through the strange tome. As she did, she would come across some strange characters in the book that appeared to be words of some sort. She would stop and stare again at the strange paintings, awestruck at the lifelike detail they possessed.
As she finished, she quickly picked up the next book. She frowned slightly as this one was filled with more of the strange weapons that Sousuke employed. Tossing that one aside, she was once again memorized at the pictures this one had. Much more plentiful than the first, this one had many strange looking people laughing and playing. There were strange characters, even more so than the previous one, as it looked more to be like squiggly lines than anything resembling words.
-CLINK-
Louise blinked as she heard something fall, but the noise it made wasn't quite like what she had heard before. Turning she saw something else had fallen out of Sousuke's bag. It was squarish in shape made of a material she had never seen before.
Her pink eyes twinkled in curiosity and excitement at the new discovery, "What is this?"
She quickly crawled over to the strange object, noting another strange artwork of a beautiful young woman on the front. Deciding it was a smaller tome, she quickly opened it and found to her surprise, no pictures. Rather she found a strange circular object, and awed in amazement as the surface of the object gleamed with reflected candlelight. Displaying a small rainbow.
"It's pretty... What element of magic does it use? Wind? Water?"
"None."
"AAAAAHHH!" Louise cried out as she turned and found Sousuke standing over her. She clutched her hand to her chest trying to still her beating heart, "Don't do that you stupid familiar!"
Sousuke stood at attention, "My apologies ma'am. But may I ask why you are looking through my bag?"
After a moment of thinking, she answered. "I was curious. You always seem to be pulling or putting something in there, and you've had it since you've appeared here. I wanted to know what it was you stuffed it with."
Sousuke nodded, "I see. So what did you think of my items?"
She stopped in her thoughts and grabbed the first magazine that she pulled out and brought it up for him to see. "What is this? Who did this painting? It's amazing!"
Sousuke rose an eyebrow, "Painting? This is no painting. This is a picture."
"I know", she said, rolling her eyes at the obvious. "But who painted it? It's so fine and I've never seen such material before. How did he accomplish such detail on such a small canvas?"
"No you don't understand," Sousuke began, "This is not a painting. There was no canvas. This is a still image taken by a camera and printed in this magazine."
Louise blinked. "Ca-camera", she said, trying to repeat the unfamiliar word.
Sousuke nodded, "In my world, A camera is a device that either records or stores images. These images may be still photographs or moving images such as videos or movies."
She stared at him, completely lost.
Sousuke sighed, "The point is it is not a painting. The reason that it looks so real is that it was real when the picture was taken."
Louise tilted her head to the side, her eyes losing a bit of focus, "So it's...some kind of magic?"
"I suppose we can leave it at that for now. Further explanation of what it really is will confuse you."
The noblewoman humphed at Sousuke's statement, but couldn't argue too much with it. "So what is this book about? I can make out a word or two, but I can't read it."
"I'm surprised you could make out that much," Sousuke replied. "I would have assumed that you couldn't read one of my world's languages like I can't read yours. But this magazine is about military matters. In fact this person on the cover is one of my comrades."
Louise blinked in surprise, "He is? This guy is a friend of yours?"
Sousuke nodded, "Affirmative. His name is Kurz Weber. He is member of Mithril and has the same rank as I do."
Louise stared at the picture, a brief bit of mealoncolly passing over her features, "So he's one of the friends you left behind when you came here isn't he?"
"Correct, ma'am."
Louise was silent for a while before she remembered the small rainbow maker that she had dropped on the floor. She picked up the item and presented it to Sousuke, "And what is this? And how does it make rainbows?"
"This?" Sousuke began. "This is Compact Disc. It is also known as a CD for short."
"Compact... Disk?"
"A Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store sound recordings exclusively, but later it also allowed the preservation of other types of data. The readable surface of a Compact Disc includes a spiral track wound tightly enough to cause light to diffract into a full visible spectrum."
Louise blinked in confusion, her eyes becoming tiny dots, "Huh?"
Sousuke sighed once more, "It plays music. The rainbow you see is due to the surface reflecting off something giving light."
"This plays music? But how?! Show me some proof!"
"Very well," Sousuke said as stood up and walked to his still open bag. Louise's eyes widened as he pulled out another strange and wondrous object. "What's that?"
"A notebook computer," replied Sousuke.
The surface of the recently repaired notebook gleamed with reflected light, catching the curious mages eye." I've certainly never seen anything like this. And this has no magic either?"
Sousuke nodded as he sat down and opened the notebook up, "Affirmative." Sousuke then pushed the power button, and the computer whirred to life.
"Uwah! What is that?!" Louise gave a surprised yelp as the screen flickered on.
"The notebook screen."
"It's pretty...," the mage whispered in awe. Louise then blinked as Sousuke took the album from her and pressed a button on the side of the computer. As the tray popped out, Sousuke took out the CD and placed it in the empty tray. Pushing it in, he waited for a while and allowed the CD to play.
Louise's eyes lit up as music played from the speakers. "It's playing! There really is music playing from this device!" Louise chirped excitedly.
The sergeant nodded as Louise was mesmerized by the music coming from the low grade speakers. It's not like the noblewoman would know the difference after all. Sousuke frowned as he looked down at the magazine with Kurtz hamming it up for the camera. 'I wonder if they've gone on the mission already,' he thought.
It was possible that they had delayed the mission if they knew that he had gone AWOL mysteriously. Then again, Sousuke had no way of knowing if time was going at the same pace here as it was on Earth. It stood to reason that when he returned to his world that what was a few days to him could just as likely be years on Earth. At the other side, he could be stuck here for years and if he managed to find a way home, it could just be a second or two after he left.
Louise let out a small round of applause as the song ended. True she had not understood the words, but it sounded very lovely. She was about to press Sousuke to play another song when she noticed the look on his face. She gave him a flat look, "Something the matter?"
Sousuke nodded as he folded his arms, "I was thinking... about the possibility of what awaits me when I return home."
Louise blinked in confusion at her familiar's words, "What do you mean?"
Sousuke looked up at the slim mage, "This is the first time you've heard of someone being summoned to this world correct?" At Louise's affirmative nod he continued, "Then it stands to reason that should I find a way home that I have no idea what could await me. I could just as easily find myself years ahead in my world's future as much as I could be gone for a few seconds."
Louise was silent as Sousuke continued, "You remember that I told you I was on a mission right? I'm worried about the progress of that mission and my comrades. I can't help but think that something could be going wrong with the mission because I can't be there for my comrades."
Louise tilted her head to the side, "Just what was your mission anyway?"
Sousuke rose an eyebrow at the question. Should he tell her? True there was little chance that the noble could endanger the mission in any form considering the situation. But it was sensitive information and he just couldn't give it to anyone. Still... the possibility that anyone in this world was ever going to be connected to this mission was laughably low at worst and non-existent at best.
He nodded and gave Louise a serious gaze, causing her to back up slightly. "What I'm about to tell you... you cannot tell anyone. Understand?"
"H-H-how dare you!" Louise huffed "A familiar who dares to tell his master what to do?"
"I'm serious." Sousuke stated. Louise shivered slightly at his tone but Sousuke paid it no mind as he continued, "If it wasn't for it being highly unlikely that you would ever encounter the people who would see this mission end in failure I would not even tell you at all. Do you understand?"
Louise stood up straight at Sousuke question, "Don't you underestimate a Vallière! Whatever your secret little mission was, I won't tell anyone. That's a promise!"
Sousuke nodded, "Fair enough." With a finger on the touchpad, the sergeant called up a select few files and images of Jindai High School.
"What's this?" Louise asked.
"This," Sousuke began as he pointed to a diagram of the school, "Is where I am supposed to be right now. I was supposed to go undercover and enter this school as a student."
Louise blinked in confusion, "Why would you have to go undercover as a student?"
"To protect this person." Sousuke answered as he pulled up another picture.
Louise stared at the picture Sousuke had called up. It was an image of a young girl smiling brightly at the camera, her brown eyes full of warmth and her green hair flowing freely behind her. Dressed in a strange uniform, the girl could be described as nothing less than lovely. And Louise couldn't help but feel a tinge of jealousy at the image before her.
"Her name is Kaname Chidori," Sousuke said. Louise shook her head as his voice startled her out of her thoughts. "And it is believed that she is being targeted by a terrorist organization. My mission is to infiltrate her school and ensure her safety."
"W-what's so special about her?" Louise asked.
"It is believed that she may be a Whispered."
Louise blinked, "A Whispered?"
Sousuke nodded, "Affirmative. In my world, the Whispered are young individuals who have an innate knowledge of advanced mathematics, science, engineering, and physics capable of producing machines and devices beyond the scope of human comprehension."
Louise blinked, "She sounds potentially dangerous."
"I suppose she does. She does have that potential. In any case, the technology that these Wispered create is called Black Technology. "
"Black...Technology?" she repeated, feeling the word out. All these unfamiliar words her Familiar was using were continuing to flummox her.
Sousuke nodded, "Correct. Their emergence in the mid-1980's led to the creation of the palladium reactor, Electronic Conceal System camouflage, or ECS for short. And most importantly Arm Slave mechs. Because of the military capabilities of the Whispered, they are sought by any national and multi-national forces aware of their existence."
Louise blinked again, her head wanting to spin at all this. Squinting her eyes shut, her brain racked itself trying to come to a proper equivalent to what he was saying. "So what you're saying is..." she hesitantly began. "Is that she is like some sorceress with knowledge of powerful spells? And that she does not know that?"
Sousuke frowned, "I suppose that is as adequate of an explanation that can be given in these circumstances."
"And that", Louise continued, a bit more confident, "if some unruly characters can capture her and tap her knowledge of spells, then your country would be in grave danger!" she ended on a high note, happy to have figured it out.
"Not just my country, as you put it," Sousuke corrected, "But the entire world potentially could crumble should she fall into the wrong hands."
"Oh," She let out in a small voice. "So that's why you have to get back home?"
Sousuke nodded as he closed the notebook, "Affirmative. And while I shall continue to protect and serve you while I reside on your world, you must understand that I have to get back home to my world. No matter the cost."
Louise was silent as she processed this information. Sousuke got up from his seat and gathered the items from his bag that were sprawled throughout the room Once he finished with that he walked over to his sleeping bag. "And now that you know this information, I'm entrusting you to keep this a secret. Understand?"
Louise nodded absently and Sousuke lay down on the bedding, "Alright. I'm turning in now. There are some things I will have to oversee tomorrow and I should get as much rest as possible."
Louise frowned at that, "What things?"
"I will tell you when I'm finished. But trust me; it is for your protection."
Louise would have demanded him to tell her what he was planning as his master, but she was feeling tired due to her discoveries and all the information she had just received, so the mage let it slide. "All right then. So long as it doesn't lead to trouble for me."
Sousuke nodded, "Not a problem. Goodnight ma'am."
Louise let out a yawn as Sousuke quickly fell asleep. She was frustrated that he forgot his duty to dress her before she went to bed, but once again would let it pass. It would allow her to deal with her discoveries on this evening. Once more, her familiar had given her much to think about; As well as many things to be fascinated with. Strange and wondrous items that produced paintings as realistic as anything she had ever seen. Strange devices that could play beautiful music and made rainbows appear as a special magic. As well as more information about Sousuke's 'mission.'
Louise sighed as she undressed and got ready for bed. The more Sousuke showed her, the harder it was becoming to deny the possibility that he was telling her the truth. That he came from another world that seemed to be far more wondrous and mysterious than her own world. As a child of curiosity, she wanted to venture to Sousuke's world. If he was telling the truth that was. If he did come from such a wondrous world, she wanted to experience all the magic it had to offer. To taste the foods and see how different it was. And to get her hands on more of those mysterious books that had such magnificent paintings.
Still... there came the dual problem of needing undeniable proof that Sousuke was not from her world. As well as the problem Sousuke himself mentioned, how to get to his world. As she stood over Sousuke sleeping form, dressed in her nightgown, she frowned as she pondered the mystery that surrounded him.
"What an odd familiar I've been burdened with," Louise sighed. Still, he was her familiar and it was up to her to ensure that he was properly taken care of in the meanwhile. Mystery or no mystery. Louise let out a sigh as she walked over to her bed, "Right. Enough of this. Time to sleep." With that Louise entered her bed, snapped her fingers, and as the glow of the lamp died out quickly fell asleep.
Such a mystery should be contemplated with a clear head after all.
Three nights later...
Louise frowned as she spotted Sousuke walking towards her bedroom door, "What are you doing?"
"Surveillance." He responded curtly.
Louise arched her shapely eyebrows at Sousuke's words, "Again?"
Ever since Sousuke had his battle with Guiche he had made a habit of stepping out for a few hours after dinner. She had no idea where he went or what he was doing. Every time she had pressed the sergeant on what he was doing, all she got was something about 'classified' and 'it was for her protection.' It was almost enough to make the pink-haired noblewoman want to scream. Her familiar was acting too suspiciously and acting on his own! And keeping information from his master? Inexcusable.
"Did you finish my laundry?"
Sousuke nodded, "Of course ma'am."
She frowned as she looked and found a basket full of clean clothes. "And my room?"
"Spotless, as per your request ma'am."
Taking a finger to her table, she wiped the top and looked at her spotless finger. Her frown deepened as Sousuke moved closer to the door. "My dresser?"
"Cleaned and organized ma'am."
"The dishes from dinner?"
He held out his hand to show her a tray full of dirty dishes, "I planned on taking them back before I began my surveillance."
She sighed slightly as Sousuke had done all of the chores she had assigned to him. Still, her suspicions were not dispelled. There was something funny going on here and she was going to find out what it was tonight. She turned away from Sousuke, feigning disinterest, "Fine then you may go."
Sousuke nodded, "Then if you will excuse me, ma'am."
Louise's eyes narrowed slightly as she heard her door open and close. After a few moments she was growling as she left her room and attempted to follow her familiar, "You stupid familiar... damn you for making me resort to this."
Sousuke eyed Vestri Court suspiciously, his mind traveling back a few days earlier as he remembered his duel with Guiche. He had been very careless in dealing with the boy, and that carelessness could have gotten him killed. He was fortunate that he had managed to have a somewhat peaceful solution to that mess. But that could NOT happen again.
And so for the past few days and nights he had taken to surveying the campus while the other nobles where in class or in their rooms. Making mental observations to various landmarks, memorizing the entirety of the school, and tonight would mark the beginning of putting his scouting to good use.
Putting his hand in his pocked, he pulled out a small cluster of flash bombs. They were nothing lethal, as he did not have the time to make a weapon of such power. And even if he did, he doubted that the students of this school would give him a reason to use them; Guiche notwithstanding.
Still it would help if he found himself in another duel to have something to distract his opponent long enough to end the conflict peacefully.
Besides, there were the other traps...
"Kyurukyuru."
Sousuke blinked at the strange sound and turned to find Kirche's salamander familiar Flamme staring at him, with its burning tail emitting a warm glow. The salamander shuffled closer to Sousuke, who continued to look at the creature in confusion.
"What are you doing here?" Sousuke asked.
"Kyurukyuru," it growled comfortingly. It looked harmless before it clamped its jaws on Sousuke's sleeve, shaking its head as if asking him to follow it.
Sousuke frowned as he managed to pocket away his bombs, "Did something happen to your master?"
"Kyurukyuru. Kyurukyurukyurukyuru!"
Sousuke sighed, wondering what was about to happen now.
Sousuke frowned as he found himself in front of Kirche's room, her door open. 'Is it trying to drag me in there?' Indeed it was. 'What could Kirche possibly want from me? Is it leading me into a trap?' His frown deepened, as he remembered Louise's words of warning as it related to dealing with the Zerbst noblewoman. 'This could be a problem.' He only had two weapons on him, and he was rather reluctant to use the bombs in such a small area. 'Hope for the best, but expect the worst.' he reasoned as Flame pulled him into the bedroom.
The room was pitch dark, save for Flame's mild glow. Kirche's voice commanded from the darkness, "Close the door." Sousuke obliged, eyeing the room suspiciously. "Welcome to my room."
Sousuke's frown deepened as He heard Kirche snap her fingers. Starting from the one nearest him, lamps lit up one by one towards Kirche like lights floating above a street.
Doused in the mild glow, Kirche sat on her bed, with a look of worry on her face. She was wearing attractive lingerie, and one thing was for sure: Her full breasts were a lovely pair of coconuts.
Dedleedee.
"Don't just stand there. Come to me." Kirche cooed with her most captivating voice. Sousuke walked to a smiling Kirche, continuing to eye her cautiously "Sit down."
Sousuke sat by her side as he was told. "What is this about?" he asked. Kirche merely stared at him while slowly waving her fiery red hair. Under the faint lamp light, Kirche's brown skin looked highly exotic, as if trying to seduce him to do her bidding. It caused his suspicions to do nothing but rise all the more.
Kirche made a long sigh, and worriedly shook her head. "You must think me a lowly, despicable woman." Sousuke said nothing as Kirche inched closer to him. "To be thought so is inevitable. Do you understand? My runic name is 'Ardent'."
"So I've heard..." Sousuke muttered.
He frowned slightly as Kirche placed a hand on his thigh, "My lust is as flammable as hay... that's why I suddenly called you here. Don't you get it? Isn't this really bad of me?"
Sousuke's frown deepened as she began rubbing his thigh suggestively. "Indeed it is." He agreed as he lightly pinched her hand and removed it from his thigh. Kirche blinked in surprise as the sergeant pulled her negligee strap up and back onto her shoulder. He stood up and saluted her, "My apologies ma'am but I have orders to not associate with you. Have a good night."
Kirche's jaw dropped as Sousuke sharply turned around and made his way to her door.
This wasn't happening was it?
A man... who WASN'T melting like putty in her hands? Who wasn't falling for her irresistible charm? Who wasn't drinking up her voluptuous body?
A man... a man was playing hard to get with Kirche the Ardent?
This was...
"Hold good sir."
Interesting.
Sousuke turned back to the girl, who had managed to compose herself rather quickly and was standing near her bed now. "May I ask who gave you such odd...orders?"
Sousuke's lips formed a thin line. He had to play this carefully as he remembered Louise's story about their feuding families. The last thing he needed was a fight to break out here, "I believe you already know who gave me such orders ma'am."
Before she could respond, a voice from outside the window called her. It belonged to the boy he had seen with Kirche earlier whom Sousuke had unknowingly gave a case of Blue Balls. He looked inside indignantly, "Kirche... I came to check because you weren't there on time...AGAIN."
Kirche sighed in frustration, "Bleubolz! We'll meet two hours later then!"
"That wasn't what we agreed on!" he wined. He then noticed Sousuke and frowned deeply, "What is HE doing here?!"
"I was leaving," Sousuke replied curtly.
I'm pretty sure you all can guess what happens next.
Bleubolz, growled at Sousuke, "Oh hell no! Kirche, don't tell me you blew me off for Zero's familiar!"
Kirche hurmped at Bleubolz, "And so what if I did? It would be wrong of me to deny myself the opportunity to admit my love for Sousuke!"
Sousuke blinked slightly, "...Love? You love me?"
The redhead nodded as she grasped Sousuke's hand and placed it upon her deliciously full breasts, "Yes my dearest Sousuke! You've stolen my heart. Your grandeur in defeating Guiche was... just... so cool... like a hero of legend. I... when I saw you right that moment I was in love. Can you believe it? I was attracted to you just like that! Passion! Oh, this is a passionate love!"
Sousuke looked at the girl in confusion at her declaration, although he had to admit it was impressive of her to close the gap between them without him noticing. Kirche took his silence as acceptance, and slowly, with closed eyes, approached Sousuke with her lips.
Before Sousuke could realize what she was doing, he felt a twinge of cold air brush past his face. He looked up to find Bleubolz pointing his wand at Sousuke threatingly, "No way... there is no way I'm letting you deprive me of a chance of getting some twice familiar!"
Kirche sighed as she nonchalantly took out her wand from between her breasts, and waved it without even looking at him. Flame shot out from a nearby lamp and flew into Bleubolz at the window like a snake.
"But I was gonna get sooooooome!" Bleubolz cried as he fell to the ground.
"Not with that attitude you weren't," Kirche mumbled.
"Who was that?" Sousuke asked.
"Just a former friend. No one of importance..." She smiled lustfully at Sousuke, "Right now, my deepest, most passionate love is you, Sousuke..."
At that moment, they were interrupted again.
A sharp-looking man peered into the room with a sad face. Let's refer to him as Noface as he's not important enough to get a wittier nickname.
"Kirche! Who is that guy? Aren't you going to heat up the night with me?"
"How does four hours later sound?" Kirche growled.
"It sounds like I need to get rid of him," The nobleman retorted. And as he was about to enter the room, Kirche waved her wand again. The fire flew from the lamp again, hit the man, and sent him to the ground to join Bleubolz in the 'Ain't Gonna Get Any Ass Club'.
"Another friend of yours?" Sousuke asked.
Kirche laughed, "More like a... fan of mine." She shrugged indifferently, "Oh well, I don't want to waste our time. Whoever said 'the night is long' didn't know how quickly the sun rises."
Kirche drew near Sousuke again. And again, a groan came from the window. Kirche impatiently turned around.
Three men looked inside, and said the same thing at the same time, "Kirche! Who the hell is this?! You said you don't have any lovers!"
"Manican! Ajax! Gimli! You're supposed to be here six hours later!" Kirche waved irritably.
"That's the morning!" the three said in unison.
"Flamme." Kirche casually ordered her salamander, who was sleeping in the corner. Flamme sent a blaze towards the three men at the window, and they fell to the ground together. And with that, the 'Ain't Gonna Get Any Ass' Club was complete.
"And those are...?" Sousuke asked.
Kirche laughed, "Them? I don't even know them. But, most of all, I love you!"
Kirche held Sousuke's face with her hands and went straight for his lips.
Sousuke knew what he had to do.
Meanwhile...
Wearing her thin pajamas, Louise stood near the door to Kirche's room. Her face full of fury and scorn. 'So this is what that... that DOG was up to,' She thought. Her teeth gnawed as she attempted to ground them into a fine paste at the thought of her familiar being stolen by a woman of Zerbst. 'I will not allow this to happen! No one who belongs to the house of Vallière would ever be stolen by the house of Zerbst!'
Before she could take out her fury on the innocent door, a light scream caught her attention. She blinked and stepped back as the door opened to find Sousuke exiting the room, "Oh Louise."
"Don't 'Oh Louise' me, you damned dog!" Louise growled. "What the hell are you doing in Zerbst's room?! After I commanded you to stay away from her! is this where you've been all these nights?"
"Negative, ma'am," Sousuke answered. "I was brought here by the familiar of Zerbst while I was on surveillance."
"Is that what you're calling it?!" Louise cried. "Then explain..." She trailed off as she finally caught a glimpse of the beautiful noblewoman who was not looking so beautiful at the moment, curled up like a ball and clutching her eyes, "What happened here?"
"It's quite simple, ma'am," Sousuke responded "After her familiar brought me here she attempted to drug me and turn me into a mindless puppet as you warned me. I simply defended myself." He held up his right hand showing Louise a can of mace, "With this I ended the threat she posed rather peacefully."
Louise looked into Kirche's room and found scorch marks upon the girl's blinds, "Peaceful you say?"
Sousuke nodded, "Peaceful solutions are best."
Louise's lips formed a thin line as she entered Kirche's room. Carefully, she looked over the room. Looking for any piece of evidence that could puncture a hole into Sousuke's story.
What she found was a bed that looked untouched.
Scorch marks upon Kirche's drapes.
Kirche's familiar curled up into a ball in near it's master's bed. The salamander clawing at its eyes irritably.
And a crying Zerbst woman on the floor.
She had no idea what Sousuke had done, but there was enough evidence for her to conclude that Sousuke had not been stolen by Kirche. Louise stood there for a moment, head lowered and not moving. Sousuke was going to move closer to see if she was ok before her shoulders started to quiver.
"Louise...?" Sousuke questioned as Louise's shoulders continued to quiver and as her head raised they could hear her giggle. After a moment...
"OHHOHOOHOOHOOHHOHOOOO!"
Sousuke rose an eyebrow, but said nothing as Louise did her best noblewoman's laugh.
"It serves you right Zerbst! Trying to steal something that belongs to a Vallière! When will you dogs ever learn?!" She placed her foot on the back of the crying noblewoman, "The house of Vallière will always be superior to the house of Zerbst! And your weak attempt to seduce away my familiar is proof positive of this fact! OHHOHOOHOOHOOHHOHOOOO!"
"Louise," Sousuke began. "It would probably be for the best for us to leave now. You do not want to be late waking up for class right?"
Louise nodded, "You're absolutely right Sousuke. Besides, I can gloat about this all day tomorrow." She walked out of Kirche's room, her face aglow with smug superiority. Sousuke eyed her coolly, but followed her back to her room, closing the door behind him.
The light continued to slowly dim as Kirche lay upon the floor, unmoved for some time now. Her still damp eyes were not quite recovered from being maced by her target, Sousuke Sagara. However, the stinging pain from that paled in comparison to the stab in her heart. After all this time her thoughts were still centered on earlier; mind awhirl at how that sensational failure played out.
Sousuke had out and outright refused her.
Her, Kirche the Ardent!
And to make matters worse, he had 'somehow' blinded her!
He was 'somehow' unaffected by her passionate heart. The first man to ever deny her completely.
"He will be mine," she whispered. 'Oh yes, he will be mine Vallière', she thought. 'You may have your worthless Vallière pride. 'But I too have my pride as a Zerbst! And I will see you humiliated and humbled at my feet! Your familiar will belong to me, Louise! He will be my man!'
'My one and only man... on this I swear. Sousuke will be a member of the House of Zerbst!'
Next Day...
It was in the early morning, well before classes would begin, that Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière strode through the halls of Tristain as though she owned them. Sousuke walked in stride behind her; cautiously looking around them and constantly eying the students for any odd behavior. Louise ignored her familiar's behavior as she continued to preen form his actions the night prior. His utter rejection of Kirche and the sight of her humbled at her feet continuing to keep her sprits at an all time high.
"Didja hear what happened last night?"
"I heard that Kirche the Ardent tried to seduce the Familiar of Zero!"
"You must be joking! A noblewoman going for a commoner? I'd be willing to bet that Zero's lap dog forced himself on her."
"But it's the truth! He even beat up a group of nobles who interfered with their relationship!"
Louise frowned at the persistent rumors about her familiar. Many of them so far either missing or ignoring the part where Sousuke rejected the harlot's advances. Sousuke noticed the change in his employer's attitude as her dainty hands clenched into fist, "Something the matter Louise?"
"Just being annoyed by the buzzing of flies," Louise growled.
Sousuke nodded before he felt a cold gust of wind across his cheek. His eyes narrowed as he turned to find a familiar face glaring at him.
"I've finally found you... you filthy bastard!" Bleubolz growled.
"You're that boy from last night..." Sousuke muttered.
"Oh good, you remember me," The boy let of a confident smirk, "It's a good sign that you would recognize the man who's going to humble you!" Sousuke's eyebrow rose as the boy took a stance full of confidence and self assured power, "I don't give a damn if you're The Familiar of Zero or if you got lucky and beat Guiche in a heartbeat! Guiche is so far below me in power and ability that you might as well bow down before me and beg for my forgiveness!"
"Beg for your forgiveness?" At the boys nod he asked, "How have I wronged you?"
"As if it's not obvious!" The boy continued as he pointed at Sousuke, "Ever since you've come here you've caused this school noting but chaos and problems! And now... now you've even drug a pure and noble soul such as Kirche into your unending web of chaos and confusion! I won't stand for it!"
A pause.
Louise let off a sigh, "Are you serious? You're going to fight about Kirche?"
"You got that right, Zero!" Bleubolz declared. "I won't stand for this slander of such a pure and fair noblewoman any longer! I challenge you to a duel Sousuke Sagara!"
Sousuke looked to Louise, "Is this place always like this?"
Louise shook her head, "No, but this seems like we should expect this to be the case when you're around."
"Oh," Bleubolz looked at the pair in mock surprise, "Are you giving your precious master some parting final words? Don't worry, I'll let some pitiful part of you remain for her to pretend that it's her familiar."
A vein popped on Louise's forehead.
"We all know you're a failure Louise," Bleubolz continued, "And it is a heavy burden upon my heart to be the man who has to erase the one thing you did right...oh wait," Bleubolz paused as if realizing something, "Familiars aren't supposed to be people, are they?" The noble shrugged non-chalauntly. "Well, something you did somewhat competently, I suppose..."
A vein popped upon Louise's hand as the vein on her head throbbed.
Bleubolz grinned, "Still... I have to do what must be done! To restore order upon this fair academy! Too bad for you Louise, but at least you can treasure the time you were no longer a Zero... right?"
-SNAP-
"Sousuke," Louise growled.
"Ma'am?"
"Are you well to do battle?"
Sousuke rose an eyebrow, "Against this boy, yes. But I am surprised. I would think you would not want me to duel one of your fellow students again."
"That's true, but for some reason I want this blowhard to be put in his place." Louise growled. "So long as he's not killed 'or permanently injured', I don't care what you do."
Sousuke nodded, "Alright then." He looked up at Bleubolz, "I accept your challenge. Let us take this to Verseti Court."
Bleubolz nodded, "Perfect. The place where your luck began is the same place where it shall run out."
The word had spread quickly enough once again that Sousuke was about to duel a noble. There were many nobles who had come to see if the familiar had truly been lucky the last time he had held a duel in this courtyard, or if he could possibly be as demonic and terrifying as he had been brought up to be in the past few days. As Louise looked around, it seemed that the crowd around them easily double the size of the crowd from the fateful summoning almost a week ago. There even looked to be a few teachers in the massive crowd.
"Shouldn't they be trying to stop this?" Louise muttered.
"IT'S TIME!"
Louise's attention was once again brought to the center of the battlefield, as the boy who's challenge had brought the group back to the scene of the battle stood full of confidence and swagger as he stood across from Sousuke. "Are you ready to have that inflated ego of yours popped like a balloon, you vile criminal?!"
Sousuke eyed the overconfident mage oddly, "What are you talking about?"
"AS IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW!" Bleubolz roared. "Ever since you've come I've been ignored, denied, and blocked at every opportunity to proclaim my love for Kirche! Not to mention, your fluke of a victory over Guiche has sent my fellow students into a panic! I WON'T STAND FOR IT!"
Bleubolz pulled out his wand and pointed it at Sousuke as if it was a sword, "I will end your reign of chaos and tyranny! And then I, yes I, shall be the champion of Tristain and Kirche will finally give me some!"
"...You're an odd little man." Sousuke observed.
"Odd I may be," Bleubolz paused as he pointed his wand at his arm. Sousuke's eyebrow rose as a thick layer of ice began surrounding the nobleman, "But there's no man alive who can overcome my ultimate icy defense!" In a flash of light, Bleubolz's body was surrounded in a thick sheen of ice save for his face. Bleubolz smirked coldly at the displaced sergeant, "This is your end, you commoner scum. Go ahead and use any weapon of your choice! I can guarantee that they won't have any effect on my perfect armor!"
"Very well then," Sousuke pulled out a small remote and pressed a button. "I shall end this shortly."
Bleubolz laughed, "What's that little box going to do against my perfect armor?" The confident boy took a step forward, "It that the best you can-"
-CLICK-
"Click?" Bleubolz asked.
"Click?" the assembled crowd asked.
"Click." Sousuke said.
-BOOM-
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhh..." Was all Bleubolz got to say as he was sent sky high via one of Sousuke's planted bombs. The assembled crowd's jaws dropped as Bleubolz became nothing more than a dot in the sky.
Sousuke let out a sigh, "I win."
Louise stormed towards him, "Just what was that?!"
"That," Sousuke began as he put away his remote. "Was the end of the duel."
"That's not what I meant!" Louise shouted as she pointed at the crater. "How did you summon that fire?!"
"It's simple really. I just-" Before Sousuke could go into another detailed explanation on how explosives work, the displaced sergeant was glommed from his side. Louise's eyebrow twitched at the woman holding onto her familiar.
"That was magnificent, my darling!" Kirche exclaimed. "Just what I expect from the man I love!" A vein popped on Louise's head as Kirche hugged Sousuke's head. The military man was sweating slightly as her huge breasts surrounded his head, unused to the sensation. "Are you all right? Does it hurt anywhere? I'll heal you with a spell."
"Quit lying. You can't use water-type healing spells, can you? Your runic name is "Ardent", as in heatstroke. So go and soak your head already!" Louise said indignantly.
"If men are all the same from where he is he'll be fine all the same". Her eyes narrowed as she looked down at Louise. "And it looks like something you'll never be able to give".
Louise's face went red in an instant. Despite that, she laughed coldly, biting her lip. "Why do I have to take this from a woman who's only claim to fame are her breasts? Are you saying that all a woman's worth is in the size of her chest? That's a really messed up way to think. Are sexual things the only things you b-b-barbarians can t-t-think about? D-D-Did all the nutrients go to your b-breasts?" Although she tried to appear calm and smug, her voice shook. She seemed to have taken a very personal offense.
Kirche continued to slyly look at Louise, all the while moving he shoulders in such a way that he arms were moving her breasts up and down, giving the effect of her impressive mammeries massaging Sousuke's face.
"STOP DOING THAT TO MY FAMILIAR!" Louise cried out.
"You're just upset that you can't comfort him like a real woman can". And Kirche gently held Sousuke, his body still lightly sweating, and touched his face with her chest. "Oh, my dearest Sousuke, do you like how big-breasted Kirche is comforting you?"
"I think this is a very dangerous situation," Sousuke muttered.
It should be noted that there was a sizable aura of jealousy form many of the male students at the display. The only thing holding them back from acting on their impulses at this point was the fear of what Sousuke would do to them when provoked.
"I'm only going to tell you one time Zerbst," Louise growled as she pulled out her wand. "Let go of my familiar or you'll be lucky to live to regret it."
It was at that point they were given a WIDE berth from the crowd.
"Oh? Are you sure you want to do this here? Jealous words and actions can't be taken back, Vallière!" Kirche responded.
"But it's what we do best, and I'm only upholding family tradition".
"If you're going to fight, can you at least let me go?" Sousuke asked.
He was ignored naturally.
"I really hate you, Zerbst," Louise growled.
"Back at you, Vallière." Kirche growled as she pulled out her own wand.
It was at that point that the crowd dispersed.
Sousuke gulped, knowing the feeling of impending doom from his many battle experiences. 'Madam Captain,' Sousuke thought. 'Even though my time is nearing the end I don't regret the choices I've made.'
From those who were brave enough to witness the scene that day they would claim to bear witness to an unbelievable scene. A ball of light had appeared in the clear sky. It was like a smaller version of the sun, and it expanded. And… it swallowed the clouds in the sky. The light continued to expand until it was all they could see. And then the complete eerie silence. That silence would only be broken by one brave man's words.
"That... hurt." Sousuke groaned.
Later that day, back in her room she faced Sousuke, "How in the world did you do that?"
Sousuke looked at her with his usual neutral expression, "Oh, you mean the bombs? It's quite simple really. I planted those out in the courtyard on those nights I went out on surveillance. Obviously, those men attacked me in an attempt to assassinate you. But I didn't expect those to be used so soon..."
Louise gawked at his explanation, "You... you really thought they were after me?"
Sousuke nodded, "Was I mistaken?"
"Of course you were!" Louise cried out. "They were after you because they thought you to be Kirche's new lover!"
The sergeant blinked, "Her lover?"
Louise nodded vigorously, "Yes that's right! And those boys... those slaves of hers were testing you out to see how you would fit into their ranks as her minions!"
"Really?"
"A Vallière has no reason to lie," Louise proudly cried. "That girl will sleep with any man she can get her hooks into. And when she does, that man is turned into a shell of his former self. His habits, his looks, his personality, all of it is lost as he becomes a slave to that... that harlot of a woman! That dammed Zerbst... she's an enemy to all women!"
Sousuke frowned, realizing how close he came to falling into the enemy's clutches and never finding a way home.
"You know, I think you should thank me." She continued, "Had it not been for the protection that the Vallière house is bestowing upon you, you would have no sanctuary from that wench."
Sousuke hummed as he stood up from his seat and calmly went over to his bag. Puzzled, Louise watched him as he pulled out another pistol and pocketed the weapon.
"What are you doing?" Louise asked as Sousuke walked towards the door.
"It's simple really," Sousuke answered as his hand grabbed the doorknob. "As your 'familiar' it is my duty to protect you is it not?"
Louise nodded, unsure where he was going with this. "Yes..."
"And this Zerbst woman... she is your enemy is she not?"
She nodded once more, "Yes! An enemy to all of the house of Vallière!"
"And as you say, she can enslave men into doing her bidding, correct?"
Louise nodded, wondering for a second where he was going with this.
-Ka CHICK-
"Then I do believe it's time I performed my duty." Sousuke finished.
Louise paled at Sousuke's tone when he uttered his statement. She could feel the promise of malice and death in his words that chilled her to her soul. "WAIT A MOMENT!" She cried out, causing Sousuke to pause and turn back to her.
"There is no need for alarm," Sousuke began. His voice an eerily calm and even tone, "I am a professional. I can make it look like an accident if you like. There will be no way to tie it back to you, and those poor boys will be freed from their predicament."
Louise turned as white as a sheet at Sousuke's comments. The sergeant nodded, "I understand that talk like this is not nessicarly attractive, but I will do my duty when it comes to protecting you until I find a way home."
"T-T-There's no need to go that far though!"
Sousuke blinked in confusion, "Why not? If what you say is true then she's a danger to all here at this school."
Louise fidgeted, wondering how to get out of this lie, "She is! Oh don't get me wrong, she is! I-I-I-It's just that..."
"Just that?" Sousuke prodded.
"It would be a... a little TOO suspicious if she died right after you were attacked this morning don't you think? Besides..."
"Besides?"
"The only way to ensure that Zerbst knows she is utterly and truly defeated is to be alive to see her ambitions crumbled don't you think? If you rush in now, our feud won't end! It will simply escalate until all of the world is entrenched in this war! We need to plot her end carefully, and strike when the time is right don't you agree?"
Sousuke nodded, "Very well then. If you want to wait then we will wait."
Louise let out a huge sigh of relief as Sousuke put his extra gun away. As much as she hated Kirche, she had no desire to see her killed for any reason. Even for their family feud. She wanted to see the Zerbst Heiress humbled not mutilated. Louise crossed her arms as Sousuke retook his seat. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you since that duel with Guiche. Are you a swordsman?"
Sousuke shook his head, "Negative...I've never held one before. In my time, Swords are more ornamental than used as weapons anymore."
The noblewoman frowned, "Hmm..." Louise went into deep thought.
"Just what are you thinking?"
Louise frowned and crossed her arms, nodding to herself slightly. "I've just decided. In the meantime I'll buy you a sword."
Sousuke frowned, "A sword?"
"You'll never have enough lives if Kirche has her eyes on you. We brought that on ourselves, so we'll have to take care of it." Louise weakly said. "Besides, those boys will remember well enough what you did to Guiche if you have that sword on you. As mindless as they act, they're a little too devoted to Zerbst to risk their lives fighting you."
Sousuke's frown deepened. While he would rather remain inconspicuous while protecting his charge, he would follow her orders as she did know her enemy better than he did at the moment. "Alright then. If those are your orders, I will follow them."
Louise nodded satisfied, "Now that you get it, go to sleep. No 'surveillance' tonight, understand? Tomorrow is the Day of Void, and we have to get up early so I can take you shopping for the weapon."
Sousuke nodded as he stood up and rolled out his sleeping bag. As Louise turned out the light and quickly fell asleep, Sousuke stared in the pale moonlight at his left hand. Frowning at another mystery and at its reminder at his lack of progress on a way home, he stuffed it under the covers as he too fell fast asleep.
End Chapter Three
Author's notes: Ep, Ock, Ork, Ah Ah.
Real Author's Notes:
Hello,
Been a while huh?
...Again.
I guess this is going to be a thing with me now huh? Well, I did get rather busy with real life again. Went back to school, things got chaotic at my job, and so many games that came out I kind of lost time to sit down and write stuff. It's calmed down a bit now so I'm going to try to write things again.
Go fig.
Right now, I'm posting this chapter of Summoned Sergeant Chronicles that's been sitting on my desktop for about four years now. It's been heavily edited and its edits are probably not done yet but I wanted to post something to let you know I'm not dead yet. The following chapter to this is also done for the most part and should be up shortly, and Random Act of Love's next chapter is near completion as well. If you got access to The Fanfiction Forum, a preview of the chapter is up there for viewing.
Hopefully, it'll motivate me to get back into this story.
A lot of ZnT crosses have come and gone since this thing went on hiatus. And who knows how long this ride will last, but I hope this time we get a lot farther than the last stop. Thanks to all who've supported my various harebrained ideas and stories over the years. I truly do appreciate it, even if I don't say as much.
So here's to a happy and productive 2015 for me and a blessed 2015 for you all. I thank you for your continued support. And finally, Rest in Piece Noboru Yamaguchi. Thanks for giving us such a wonderful word for easy and fun crossovers.
Your friend, guy
Ghostface211