Chapter Sixteen: His Master: In Combat
*11 Months Later*
"Ciel… Good luck…" Lizzie said, hugging Ciel tightly and kissing him on the lips. Ciel knew that he wouldn't be able to stop her. So he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. He wasn't sure if he was doing it right. But he didn't bother to stop until Lizzie released him.
"I love you, Ciel." Lizzie said sadly, knowing full well that this might be the last time that they saw each other. She would have been happy to spend more time with Ciel than this. But she also knew that he was in a hurry. Ciel smiled at Lizzie, and embraced her again, holding her close. He had made himself taller for this battle, and was actually looking incredibly handsome.
"Ciel! Ciel!" Sieglinde shouted breathlessly, running out and handing him a bag full of pellets and bullets.
"Okay, see these green bullets? They're full of Mustard Gas. They will burst when they hit the opponent, and I soaked them in the Blood you gave me. These blue pellets are filled with Chlorosulfonic acid on one side, and water on the other. When you burst the shell, the two will mix and make an explosion and a good amount of mist.
The red ones have Flouroantimonic acid and the blue ones have Hydrofluoric Acid. The same is true of the bullets. Maylene, the bullets have been tested in the sniper rifle, and they won't break prematurely in 99% of the simulations. If they do, use this salve on your skin within two minutes. Otherwise, damage may be permanent."
"Thank you, Milady." Maylene said, bowing politely. Sieglinde grinned at Maylene and nodded briefly before looking at Ciel and narrowing her gaze.
"You have to promise to come back! I love you too much to let you disappear like this." Sieglinde demanded. Ciel sighed.
"I make no such promise. However, if I die, you will still be protected by Lizzie. My fortune will become hers, and she'll take care of you until you no longer need her. I can't speak for my servants. But if they consent, then they'll go to work for Lizzie as well."
"Th-thank you… Ciel… B-but…"
"Sieglinde, you have a calling in life. Just as I was destined to become a Demon, you were destined to become a chemist. Your knowledge of chemistry is decades ahead of anyone else's. The world needs you. With your knowledge of chemistry and biochemistry, you'll doubtless be able to change the world. Do you understand, Sieglinde?" Ciel asked, holding Sieglinde's hands in his, causing her to turn bright red.
Sieglinde turned away, tears filling her eyes. Then she turned back to Ciel, looking more determined now.
"I'll listen to what you say, Ciel. But you have to do something for me, first." She said quietly, but with a confidence that surprised the young Demon."
"What is it?" Ciel asked, looking at Sieglinde in the eye. Sieglinde was quite beautiful. Her eyes, especially her eyes and hair. Ciel only loved Lizzie. But he couldn't deny that Sieglinde was pretty.
"You have to kiss me!" Sieglinde demanded. Then she continued. "A real kiss." Ciel looked helplessly at Lizzie, who sighed, rolled her eyes and nodded once, indicating that she was alright with it.
"Don't you dare get into a relationship with her, though, Ciel!" Lizzie said fiercely, pointing at Sieglinde for emphasis. Sieglinde gulped slightly and nodded. She wasn't even sure if Ciel would survive this. But Lizzie seemed completely confident that Ciel would come back. Maybe it was because Ciel had promised that he would. But Sieglinde was not half so confident in Ciel. She liked him, but she wasn't ready to stake any money on it.
Ciel sighed and pulled Sieglinde into a hug and looked into her eyes, gently cupping her cheek and kissing her gently, holding her for a moment before pulling away. When he looked into her eyes again, Sieglinde was crying and her cheeks were bright red. Ciel merely smiled at her, his eyes glowing a fluorescent pink with cat pupils, and he turned away, taking his swords with him.
He then turned to Lizzie and said goodbye to her one more time. He didn't promise that he would return, as he didn't know that he would. There was the very real chance that he would die in this battle. He had seen more of the dark side of the world than any boy his age should have had to. But he had persevered through all of it, and in a way, Sebastian was very proud of Ciel's inner strength. Even if he was one of the most wicked children he had ever met, Sebastian couldn't help but admire him.
"Young Master. Do you remember how to properly fight someone with a longer range weapon than you?" Sebastian asked. Ciel nodded. Aside from the fact that Maylene's sniping would assist him in battle, Ciel had become quite adept at fighting against long range weapons. Sebastian had trained him against very long spears and other weapons that hindered Ciel's ability to close the distance between the two opponents.
"You know that if you cannot close immediately, you need to bide your time and be patient? Do not forget that Maylene's sniper rifle will assist you in throwing off the opponent's projections of his advantage. He believes that you are less experienced in personal combat, which is true. But Maylene will even the odds, if only slightly.
I have tested Sieglinde's bullets, and the silencer on the gun. It scarcely makes any noise in firing and the bullets are slender, so they make little noise in their movement. However, you cannot overestimate your ability or underestimate your opponent's. He deliberately gave you a year to train so that you would feel as though you were experienced enough. But he has trained for over 200 years. Your experience pales in comparison to his."
"I know, Sebastian. If I don't survive this, I want to say that I respect you more than most of the people I know. You were one of the few people I knew I could trust without hesitation. You lied to me, and tried to kill me. But it has been a privilege working with you."
"It has been my honor to serve you, My Lord." Sebastian said, bowing deferentially as they appeared in front of Mount Urim-Thumim. They were thirty minutes early and thus had plenty of time to prepare if they were frugal with said time.
"Maylene, find a good spot to hide within 1,000 meters. Make sure that you can see the entire battlefield and remember that I have Finnian on standby if the battle takes a turn where we end up in a more enclosed location as I will attempt to affect."
"I understand, yes I do! I feel that that space over there would be best for me!" Maylene said, hurrying off and hiding, using her obfuscatory powers to remain hidden from Johann.
Don't use your powers yet, Maylene. You need to be able to hide for the entire battle, and move around if you must. That will tax your powers even more. We don't want you running out of energy in the middle of battle. Ciel said firmly. Maylene undid the powers and stayed there, making sure that she could see the entire field.
After a while, Johann showed up, bringing with him a young lady with long, matted black hair and a melancholy expression, carrying a jagged looking spear that gave off a similar feeling as Laevatin. Ciel smirked.
"I see you did decide to bring one of your Culled with you, Johann. Is that your Gungnir?" Ciel asked. Johann nodded, then shook his head.
"This is Gungnir. However, this young waif is not a Culled. I merely hired him to carry my spear for me. Here's your money, little boy." Johann said, taking the spear and handing the boy a hundred pound note. Johann then twirled the spear and impaled the boy through the head, taking the money back and putting it in his pocket. Ciel watched as the spear absorbed the girl's soul, and it flowed through the spear and into Johann's hand.
Johann glowed briefly and then he looked at Ciel, his eyes fluorescent pink. Ciel sighed. Johann was really quite ruthless. Ciel never knew that Demon Swords could absorb souls. Johann seemed to sense this.
"Under certain circumstances, Demon Swords can absorb souls. The soul being stolen must be weaker than the soul of the user. In this girl's case, it definitely was. Her will had been degraded by years of starvation and disappointment. Of course, I didn't tell her that I was a Demon. She only needed to know that she would be paid for her relatively simple job and she jumped at the chance.
The poor urchin has a large family of which she is the eldest child. So responsible. Sad, really. How can you stand living in a country with such a major schism between the wealthy and the impoverished? This girl was sitting on the street, begging for change.
Dozens of wealthy nobles walked by her, not paying an iota of attention to her plight. She had maybe a pound in her cup at most. You nobles care nothing for the downtrodden. In Germany, it's different. The poor are initiated into the military and given a chance at success. That little green eyed chemist of yours would know all about that, right? She's quite pretty. I bet her soul is delicious."
"Don't you dare touch Sieglinde's soul with your filthy lips!" Ciel snarled, taking out his Laevatin and his wakizashi, preparing for battle. Johann sighed and took out Gungnir, and pointed it at Ciel.
"Are you ready? I hope so."
"Wait. One question. Why take my soul? Why not just go for the souls of other Demons? It seems like it would be easier."
"Oh, I have fought other Demons for their souls. They lined up around the block to fight me, thinking it would be an easy way to move up in rank. They all fell. I actually stored their souls in different precious gems in my manor's basement. I wasn't sure whether to absorb them into myself before or after I fully consolidated my power, and frankly, it just always slips my mind.
I finally consolidated them in Zæthuramite. It truly glows with the power that is stored in it. It grew so much faster than most Zæthuramite, but eventually, I used my power to make it stop growing. But enough talk. Those souls will be yours if you win. Let's finish this." Johann said with a wild grin, his long blonde hair seeming to fly in all directions as he twisted and Gungnir extended.
Ciel paid close attention to Johann's movements, just as Sebastian had advised. It would not do to not properly analyze Johann's weaknesses. Ciel dodged Gungnir, but the spear's shaft seemed to twist and follow him. So Ciel catapulted off the spear and flew up in the air, throwing a Mustard Gas pellet at Johann, hitting him directly in the face.
The capsule exploded and a gas cloud came out, surrounding Johann entirely, causing him great discomfort as he wiped his eyes. Ciel used this opportunity to strike with Laevatin. He almost managed to hit Johann. But Johann proved his experience by dodging at the last moment and striking Ciel with a palm strike, sending him flying away from him.
Seeing this, Maylene fired a shot at Johann, hitting him in the arm with a Chlorosulfonic Acid bullet. The bullet didn't pierce the flesh, but the second compartment that was filled with water burst along with the acid compartment, and made a huge cloud of mist around Johann, shocking the Demon with the strange effects that Ciel was managing to create.
Ciel attempted to use this surprise to strike from behind. But it was still within Johann's projections, and Johann dodged and took out a gutting dagger coated with his own Blood and stabbed Ciel in the side. He knew that far from killing Ciel, it wouldn't even significantly hamper him. However, the wound would take longer to heal.
Ciel gasped in pain and leapt back. Johann had gotten the first successful strike on Ciel. However, Ciel had seen that Johann had excellent speed, strength and endurance, far surpassing his own. To the contrary, though, his movements were exaggerated and he tended to waste energy enhancing his strength and speed further when he didn't need to.
In fact, the entire time they had been fighting, though it hadn't been long, Johann had been releasing a steady stream of Essence to further amplify his physical abilities beyond what they already were. Was it simple arrogance and pride that made him want to completely eclipse Ciel's ability? Ciel wasn't sure. But if Ciel could drag the battle out long enough, then he could probably exhaust Johann then kill him.
Unfortunately, that wouldn't be a good idea tactically speaking. If Ciel wanted to win at all, he would have to win quickly.
Maylene! Use your Hydrofluoric Acid bullet coated with my Blood. Aim for the eye. Even on a Demon, the eye is a weak point.
Yes, my Lord! Maylene replied, loading the proper bullet and fired within moments of Ciel's order.
The bullet struck true, and pierced Johann's eye, bursting inside Johann's skull. Clearly this had been an explosive tip bullet. It sent Hydrofluoric Acid all through Johann's face, blinding him temporarily and causing him intense agony. Ciel then took a moment to use a simple gunpowder filled capsule to create a bang to the left, distracting Johann's attention further and then striking, actually striking true.
However, Johann felt the sword pierce his flesh and took an exacerbated wound on his side, the sword twisting as he pulled away, and cartwheeled out of the way in order to avoid a critical hit. Ciel cursed, and as he was pulling away, struck again with the Wakizashi, taking off one of Johann's fingers. Though it was hardly a critical hit, it was still a significant wound.
Johann used more of his Essence to amplify his hearing, touch and smell significantly and then located Ciel through a crude form of echolocation, extending Gungnir, grazing Ciel's side with the Demon 'Sword'.
"You should give up now, Ciel. Just surrender and give up your Demon Soul. My eyes already stopped hurting. You've hardly a chance to hurt me. Your last strike was pure luck!" Johann declared. However, in that moment, Maylene fired another bullet, hitting him in the chest.
Although it didn't hit his Heart, it did bury itself, releasing the Mustard Gas inside him, going into his Blood and spreading throughout the body, causing a lingering painful tingling sensation that seemed to cover his entire body. Ciel smirked, seeing the discomfort that it was causing Johann.
Johann growled and utilized his Essence to purge his body of all the foreign substances. This had partially been Ciel's plan. He hoped that Johann would be vain enough to use his Essence foolishly to heal minor maladies during the battle.
"What is this you're using on me!? What is this horrible substance you keep shooting me with!?" Johann demanded. Ciel smirked.
"If you win, I'll gladly tell you. How does that sound?" Ciel asked. He then dodged just in time Johann's Gungnir, which flew at him faster than before.
Ciel took some capsules from his pocket and threw them randomly at Johann. Johann managed to destroy all but one midair, causing them to explode in front of him rather than directly in his face. However, the gas cloud that exploded still distracted him so that he didn't see the last one until it hit him directly in the face.
The last one was pure Fluoroantimonic Acid, which burned his face terribly. Although it didn't blind him like the bullet to his eye had, it hurt like hell, causing him to scream in pain. At that moment, Maylene shot an explosive round at Johann, hitting him right in the chest. There was a fairly significant fiery blast that knocked Johann off center.
Ciel had been closing in the entire time Johann had been distracted by his pain. Although Johann was a more powerful fighter by far than Ciel, he was far too arrogant and his arrogance made him careless. Already, he was starting to run low on Essence as he poured it into healing himself.
Ciel finally got within striking distance and struck, hitting Johann in the stomach with Laevatin. However, Johann countered and hit Ciel with Gungnir in his left arm, making it essentially useless for the moment. Ciel retreated and gathered his bearings, calculating his chances once more. Johann was fully healed except for his sides, which were bleeding still from the wounds from Laevatin.
"No more cheap tricks, eh, Ciel? Why don't you dispense of your petty tomfoolery and prestidigitation, and fight like a real Demon?"
"I'm surprised that you would say that. A real Demon would use any method necessary to win. Besides, you permitted me to bring one Culled with me. My Culled's sharpshooting is her main skill. How is that tomfoolery to allow her to fight to her greatest extent?"
"You're right. But I can tell that you still have more capsules of that disgusting substance. I really would appreciate not having that horrid substance thrown in my face." Johann said, dispensing of his chatter and striking at Ciel again with Gungnir. This time the spear was much faster, though, and Ciel barely dodged it. Ciel could feel the wind as it flew past him and twisted once more, almost piercing him.
Ciel grabbed it, though, using its momentary flexibility to twist it in the wrong direction, and gaining momentum from it. As Ciel dodged the spear and moved out of the way, Maylene fired another bullet, hitting Johann in the hand with more Hydrofluoric Acid. Johann growled his annoyance at Maylene's efficiency and accuracy. Ciel could tell that he hadn't been trained to fight against such a long range combatant.
Ciel moved in and managed to slice off Johann's full left hand at the cost of another cut from the spear, forcing Ciel to fall back once more. Ciel was slowly gaining the upper hand in this battle, although unfortunately, his left hand was still useless, and he was starting to feel the effect of depleted Essence on his body. Ciel knew that he would have to end the battle quickly or suffer the consequences.
So Ciel moved close to Johann, and threw a half dozen more capsules filled with what, he didn't know or care, then leapt back as they exploded in his face, creating a mish mash of different gases and acids in addition to an explosion of mist in his face and a few explosions from gunpowder capsules that were mixed in there.
He didn't wait for the gas to clear, either. He moved in and amplified his speed with Essence and Seed, hoping that this would be their last clash, and succeeded in piercing Johann's black Heart with Laevatin. Johann shrieked in agony and rage as he fell to the ground, his face burned almost beyond recognition.
Ciel stood over his felled opponent, looking down pitilessly at the erstwhile Demon. He sighed and then ripped the sword out from his chest and jammed it in once more to make sure.
"I have won our battle. All that was once yours is now mine." Ciel said, leaning down and putting his hand on Johann's head, breathing in and taking all of his memories so that he could take what was rightfully his.
"Yes. I have lo…st… But you're mistaken. I have no monetary wealth. I need none. I take what I want from who I want. The only real possessions I have is the Zæthuramite cave in which I store the Demonic Souls I have taken.
They are yours if you desire them, as is my Soul. May it do you no good." Johann said with a smirk, taking a shard of Zaethuramite out of his pocket and breathing into it. Slowly, a glowing plasma-like substance flowed into it, turning it bright red, and then he died with one final breath.