V. The Duel
The grass was dry yet soft on this spring afternoon. The air was warming, and soon the last of the biting winter cold would be gone. The springtime air blew softly through the leaves of the trees overhead, rustling branches and disturbing the birds whose songs also heralded the end of cold times.
The rabbit rustled through the dry grass, its nose twitching as it sniffed about. From the scent in the air, he could smell that a female rabbit in heat was near. So the rabbit searched, seeking his potential mate. It was spring after all, and spring was the season for love.
The rabbit was so intent on finding his female that he did not notice the predators nearby. He sniffed about in the underbrush, feeling safe because he was hidden, but then his body tensed when it heard a sudden loud and terrible sound. It was like thunder, only more raw and dreadful. Like a bear's snarl, but deeper in tone and louder. Sadly for the rabbit, it would not find out what the source of the terrible sound was; for it was at that moment that a small bullet pierced through his skull. It hit with such force that his tiny body was tossed out of the underbrush, landing against the side of a nearby tree.
"You hit it!" The young girl laughed in amazement, her blond hair bobbing about as she turned her bright brown eyes towards the girl standing next to her. "That was amazing, #######! I couldn't even see that rabbit, it was under all those leaves!"
Unlike the first child, this girl was younger, perhaps seven or eight years old. She was also thinner and shorter, with long dark hair that was tied into a tight braid. Her shining blue eyes were all but hidden behind a thick pair of glasses. In her hands was a small .22 caliber hunting rifle, though it looked truly gigantic when held by her tiny form.
"Of course she hit it, Greta," said a man behind the girls, his mustached face smiling. He shared the younger girl's dark features, his hair black and eyes the same shade of blue. "My ####### can hit anything with a rifle." The man patted his daughter on the head, and the girl flushed red at the praise.
"She is truly amazing, Anton," said another man who was standing nearby. This one shared features with the blond girl. "I have never seen anyone, let alone a child, be so accurate with a fire arm. She's like a prodigy. A Mozart, only instead of pianos her instruments are bullets!"
Anton laughed.
"How did you do it, #######?" Greta asked. "How do you always hit your targets? I've never seen you miss."
"I don't know," the girl shrugged. "I just do."
"Well, you keep it up, and you might even shoot in the Olympics." Her father grinned down at her. "Would you like that?"
The little girl frowned and shook her head, her braid whipping about her shoulders. "No, papa! I want to sing in the opera, like mama!"
"Oh? Well, why don't you do both?" Anton smiled. "You can be like the Valkyries of old, singing an aria whilst you fire your weapon at your enemies." The man took up a pose, a make-believe rifle in his arms, and began belting out off-key songs that he had heard from his wife's records.
"Stop it, papa!" The dark haired girl said and gave her father an annoyed glare. "Only crazy people would do that!"
The other three laughed uproariously at the small child's scandalized look.
0
The Vampire's eyes flickered open, the shiny blue orbs glowing eerily in the darkness. She rubbed at them with bare fingertips, gasping in surprise when she found them wet.
Rip Van Winkle sat up from her makeshift cot and looked down upon the moist digits. She frowned, then wiped the sleeve of her jacket across her wet cheeks. Damn dreams.
The dark haired vampire was currently in one of the Academy's unused rooms deep in the bowels of the castle. From the dust in the halls and the lack of lights (either torchlight or magical) it was obvious that this part of the structure hadn't been used in decades. It suited her well enough, despite the lack of accommodation. There were no windows to let in the sun, nor were there any students or other humans to disturb her while she rested. Louise had offered the night before to have another bed brought up to her dorm room so that she could sleep there, but Rip politely declined. The girl's room was much too... bright for her tastes.
Louise. Rip smiled upon thinking of the pink-haired girl. Her little master. The talk that the two of them had had the previous afternoon did much to ease the tension which had built up around both. Perhaps now that they understood each other a little bit better, the two of them could work out this partnership and soon find a way of sending her back to her own world. Despite earlier misgivings, Rip couldn't help but feel some warmth towards the young girl. Part of it was the fact that Louise had saved her from the Adler, but another was the fact that she reminded her so much of
A flash of blonde hair stained red.
A pistol in her hand as she looked down at a still, unmoving form.
Her father's voice, desperate in her ear, as he said "I'm so sorry."
Rip cried out as she clutched at her head. "Scheisse!"
The vampire quickly dug through her pockets, desperately pulling out the contents. She tossed a small leather bag down onto the stone floor, the twine holding it closed coming loose and spilling several round musket balls across the darkness. A packet containing her powder and patches followed. As did a small plush toy of a cat. A battered old moleskin notebook. A blood-stained handkerchief. Her wallet.
Finally, Rip managed to find what she was looking for. It was a small silver pillbox containing the medicine that Dok had given her. She popped it open and cursed, as inside there were only four small white pills left. She was never supposed to have been separated from the rest of Millennium for so long; the mission only called for her to be away for two to three days at most. After securing the Eagle, she was to bring her men and ghouls up through the channel at the appointed time in order to support the bulk of Millennium forces which were to attack London from the air. She and her group were to be the second arm of a great pincer maneuver, one that would box in the city's defenders. Of course, Hellsing's demon ruined all that, slaughtering her forces and almost killing her. And now she was stuck here in this primitive, miserable hovel with no way to get any more of the Doktor's medicine. Without them, the dreams would come. As would the faces.
"Four pills left," she muttered before clicking the box shut. Four pills. She had to ration them. At the moment, the dreams weren't too bad. They would get worse though, much worse. Thankfully from past experiences she knew that blood could stave off the nightmares somewhat. As long as she drank, the dreams would not come, at least not with such lucidity.
Her hand pressed against her belly. She'd have to feed tonight. Although the meal she had taken from that maid a few days earlier was still flowing within her, it wouldn't hurt her to have another snack so soon. Unfortunately, she'd have to hunt away from the school since the maid's death had brought on too much attention. With the way these nobles treated their commoners, Rip had thought that the death of one measly servant wouldn't have stirred too much of a fuss. Sadly, it seems that she had completely underestimated these people's ability to show common decency.
"Feh," she grumbled. Thankfully she had sensed numerous other settlements nearby. It wouldn't be too much of a hassle to make a quick run over to one of them and have a quick bite.
That thought brightened her mood, and she grinned evilly, her mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth.
0
Although she had no timepiece to know what the exact hour was, Rip used her senses and found that the majority of the people in the castle were up and about. From the movement of the servants as well as the location of the students, she surmised that it was about mid-morning to mid-day. Good. That meant she was only a little bit late.
Last night she had promised Louise that she would be up bright and early so that the two of them might talk and converse during the Day of the Void. The girl was most adamant that she be there, after all the other familiars would be showing up with their masters.
Oops. Well, it really wasn't Rip's fault. She had no way to tell the time, after all. Plus she was a creature of the night; she couldn't be expected to get up at such an ungodly early hour. She was making her way through the halls towards the Academy grounds, idly wondering if this world had invented alarm clocks yet, when she sensed an approaching human. She swiftly spotted the figure of Professor Colbert walking towards her, and saw that the man looked a little worse for wear. He had thick bags under his eyes, and his hair, or what little there was left, stuck up in untidy tufts.
"Guten morgan, professor!" Rip greeted him with a cheerful smile.
"Hmm? Oh, Miss van Winkle," Colbert stated, looking very much distracted. "Didn't see you there. How are you today?"
"Oh, very well, professor. Und may I ask how you are? You are not looking so vell, I'm afraid."
The man rubbed at the back of his head in embarrassment. "Ahah, well, you see, I've been working on something that's taking up much of my time. I was actually on my way to my room to get some rest." He looked around, a look of confusion suddenly coming to his face. "Oh dear, this isn't the way to my room. Good grief, where am I?"
Rip laughed, unable to believe such an absent-minded man had been trusted to teach the next generation of nobility. "Ve are in the sub-basement, professor. A level above ze dungeons."
"Dungeons?" Colbert narrowed his eyes at her. "What were you doing in the dungeons?"
"Oh, nothing much," Rip lied and waved her hands, trying her best to look innocent. "I vas just exploring. Zis is such a pretty castle, after all. I guess I got curious and vanted to see vhat was down there."
"I see," the professor rubbed at his eyes, looking very much the tired academic. "Well, just be careful. There are many dangers to be found in a castle so old, especially in areas where no one has been in for a while."
"I vill. Thank you so much for your concern, professor." Rip clicked her heels and bowed before going on her way.
Colbert nodded, waving to the young woman as she passed. If he had been more rested and alert, he would have noticed that the doorway into the deeper dungeons was absolutely pitch black, and Rip had no torch.
0
Louise was trying her best not to be angry. She really was. She tried to maintain her decorum as a noble, to keep a cool and polished demeanor as befitting one of the Valliere household.
She had thought that she and Rip had come to some sort of understanding yesterday. She thought that, after their talk, the two of them would be the best of friends; to have a relationship that would have been the envy of all other masters and familiars. But it seemed as if nothing had changed, and her familiar still didn't respect her. After all, she'd been sitting here waiting for ages for a familiar that never showed up.
All around her, the other second year students had gathered with their familiars. They talked with them, laughed, and bonded under the clear, warm morning sun. Louise scowled, and crossed her arms in frustration. Oh, why couldn't she have just gotten a dog or a cat? Even a goldfish would have been preferable! An animal wouldn't talk back, disobey, or NOT show up for an important event. The pink haired girl felt tears begin to spring up in her eyes, but she viciously clamped down on her emotions, absolutely refusing to shed any more tears because of her stupid familiar.
"Hey, Zero!" Malicorne called from a nearby table. The chubby boy grinned in cruel amusement as he patted his owl's soft feathers. "I haven't seen your so-called familiar all day. What's the matter, did that actor you hire finally call it quits?"
"Shut up, Common Cold!" snarled Louise. She was definitely not in the mood for this nonsense.
The rotund boy sputtered in outrage. "Windward! My runic name is The Windward!"
"Calm down, Malicorne," Montmorency interrupted. The svelte blond was seated at another table with Guiche and two other students. "Zero is just upset that her little con is up. Honestly, Louise, did you really think to fool all of us with such a ridiculous ploy?"
The pink haired girl shot up from her chair and shouted. "It was not a ploy! I summoned a familiar, and you all saw it! Rip isn't an actor, she is my familiar! Mine! It proves that I'm a mage, and anyone who says otherwise is a fool!"
Several of the students snorted, many chuckling in derision.
"If you say so, Zero," Montmorency continued. "Even if it were a true summons, don't you realize that that fact just makes it even worse? Remember: the familiar is a direct reflection of the mage who summoned it. I mean, come on. Summoning a commoner of all things. Talk about the ultimate joke! Doesn't that just prove that you are a nothing? Summoning something so utterly banal and non-magical?"
Louise flinched as her classmates laughed. She hated to admit it, but Montmorency had a point. She had even thought so when she had first summoned Rip. What kind of pathetic mage was she that she could only summon an ordinary, uninteresting human being?
"Oh, is zat right?" A voice suddenly called out. Everyone turned to the source and saw that it was Louise's familiar, the crazy woman in black, the one who carried the giant musket everywhere she went. Strangely enough, this morning she was also carrying an open parasol in her other hand, the bright pink color of the item clashing with her dark hair and clothing.
"R-Rip!" Louise called out. She was so glad to see her familiar that she even forgot that, at the moment, she was supposed to be really mad at her.
The tall dark haired woman lazily strolled across the garden towards Montmorency's table. Her tall form loomed over the students there, her glasses glinting evilly in the shade provided by the parasol. It made the sniper look very intimidating indeed.
"So... you were saying before that ze familiar is a direct reflection of its master." Rip's blue eyes narrowed at the blond girl, her lips twisted into a sneer. "Is zat right?"
Montmorency gulped. "Th-that's right." She quickly collected herself and returned the woman's gaze. "The type of familiar summoned is a direct indication of what type of mage the summoner is!"
"Reeeeaaally?" The dark haired woman grinned, then bent down to poke at Montmorency's frog, which was sitting peacefully atop the table. "And vhat does summoning zis disgusting little toad say about you? Hmmm?"
There were numerous gasps from the other noble students. Many of them were shocked that a commoner would speak in such a manner to their betters, though some were snickering quietly at the jibe.
"W-what did you say?" Montmorency asked, aghast at what she had just heard. "Robin is NOT a toad! She is a beautiful frog!"
Rip snorted. "Oh please, stop wis the semantics. You said before that ze familiar is a direct reflection of its master." She grinned. "So what does your toad, oh... sorry, frog, say about you? Hmm?" She leaned down and stared directly into the blond girl's cringing face. "Zat you eat flies? Or maybe that you like to bathe in scummy vater? Or perhaps maybe you have varts all over your skin? Or maybe, just maybe, that you are just a fat, pitiful little toad zhat no one takes seriously?"
Montmorency sputtered in shock whilst some of the other students nearby became indignant. Many of them laughed aloud, though, loving the verbal beating the normally haughty girl was receiving. Louise herself was not sure about how to act; although she loved seeing the arrogant blond put in her place, Rip's words were becoming just a bit too cruel.
"You leave her alone this instant!" Guiche had finally gotten over his shock at the vile commoner's words and quickly jumped in to defend what he saw was his woman's honor. "You insufferable common harridan!" The blond boy stood up and pointed an accusing finger at the familiar. "How dare you speak to a gentle and beautiful lady in such a manner! I demand that you apologize this instant!"
Rip sighed and directed a dull, bored gaze towards Guiche. "Oh dear, if it isn't Mr. Vanna-be Lothario. Vhat's the matter, Cassanova? Did you get tired of za little brown-haired girl from ze other night and decide to try your luck with the blond here?"
Guiche flinched, turning pale upon hearing her words.
"Guiche, what is she talking about?" Montmorency asked, directing a narrow-eyed glare at the boy. Her earlier mortification seemed completely forgotten in lieu of this new information.
"I... I have no idea what this insane woman is talking about, dear, sweet Montmorency," Guiche stuttered, sweat beginning to form on his forehead.
There was a burst of loud laughter from Rip, and she clutched her sides in mirth. "Ha ha ha! Mein Gott! Are you serious? You already worked your vay into her pants? My my, either I was wrong and you really are a true ladies' man, or zese noble vomen are incredibly gullible."
"Now see here!" The blond boy protested.
"Guiche!" Montmorency stood up and directed a fierce glare at her boyfriend. "You didn't answer my question."
"Montmorency! I swear, I have no idea what this mad woman is talking about! It's obvious she is lying!" He directed his most charming smile at the girl in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "I swear, you are the only woman for me. For you are a glorious flower among a sea of torpulent weeds!"
"S-Sir Guiche?" A soft voice suddenly asked in a hurt tone.
Guiche turned paler upon hearing it. He hadn't noticed that a large crowd of students had gathered to watch the verbal sparring match that was taking place at his table. Among them were some first year students, which unfortunately for him included a certain brown-haired girl.
"K-Katie?" He gasped, turning around only to look into a teary set of brown eyes.
"S-Sir Guiche, is it true?" Katie asked, a stream of tears streaking her face. "Are you really with Miss Montmorency?"
"N-No, Katie! It's not what it looks li-" Guiche didn't get very far, as Montmorency suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled his attention towards her.
"So it IS true!" The blond girl shouted. "You two timing bastard!"
"Mon-" His entreaties were stopped swiftly when Montmorency's palm struck his cheek.
The blond girl then turned around in a huff and stormed away. Her frog hopped off the table and followed.
"Montmorency! Wait!" Guiche called out, a hand rubbing at his reddened cheek. A sniffle brought his attention back around.
"Sir Guiche... how could you?" Katie wept and sped off.
"Katie!" Guiche called out. Several of the students laughed, finding the drama absolutely hilarious.
"Vell, I hope you are proud of yourself, Romeo."
Guiche whirled his furious eyes back to see Valliere's familiar, no, the she-devil, grinning at him. "You!" He snarled. "This is all your fault!"
Rip raised an eyebrow and pointed to herself. "Me?"
"Yes, you! You insane, miserable commoner!"
Guiche only grew more furious when, in the face of his fury, the woman merely laughed. "Oh, please. Don't blame me for zis mess, this was all you."
"Silence!" The blond boy visibly calmed himself, taking a deep breath before speaking. "It is because of your uncouth manners and disgusting behavior that two lovely noble ladies are upset." He then pulled out his rose wand and pointed its tip at the dark haired woman. "Thus, it is my duty as a noble to teach you some manners! I challenge you, commoner, to a duel!"
The crowd around them were in shock. "Guiche, don't beat up on women!" shouted a third-year boy with a disgusted look on his face.
"No! This..." His eyes flicked up and down Rip's form before snorting. "harpy is no woman. She is a contemptuous common gutter trash with no business being here at an Academy for the nobility. Her looks are as mannish as her manners, lacking the feminine grace and charm that befit all who would deem themselves women." Guiche grinned upon seeing that his words had managed to make the familiar quake with anger. "So, what is it, oh gorgon that is the familiar of Zero? Do you accept my challenge?"
Rip gritted her teeth, blue eyes shining with hate. "Oh, you annoying little vorm. Fine, boy. If you vant to get your arse kicked so badly, then I'll be happy to oblige. I accept."
There were gasps of surprise along with hoots of joy from the students. Louise herself jumped up and cried, "What?! No, you can't!" She stepped up to her familiar and grabbed her arm. "Rip! Stop, you can't fight him! He'll kill you!"
The dark haired woman merely snorted. "He can try."
"Damn it, familiar!" Louise crossed her arms, trying to look stern. "I order you not to fight!"
Rip directed a glare towards her that was so fierce it made Louise shiver. The pink haired girl remembered that false sternness would never work with her familiar, and quickly changed tactics. "Please!" She begged, worry and concern evident in her voice.
The tall woman's face softened a bit and she smiled. "Don't vorry, Master. I promise not to die."
"Are you two done?" Guiche angrily asked. "If so, meet me in the Vestry Court so that I may teach you the error of your ways!" With that, the blond boy stomped off, eagerly followed by most of the students.
"Pompous prick," Rip sneered. She then looked down at Louise and almost flinched upon seeing how completely scared the girl was. Huh, she's actually worried for me. Rip didn't know how to feel about that. "Come, Louise. It's time I showed you how an officer of Millennium does battle."
0
Word of the upcoming duel spread all throughout the student body. A large crowd composed of all years had gathered around the vestry's courtyard, each eager to see Guiche and Louise the Zero's crazy familiar duke it out. There were even several commoner servants at the fringes of the crowd, each curious after hearing news of a commoner about to fight one of the noble students.
Guiche stood at the center of the church's yard, eagerly awaiting his opponent and quietly fuming. He had never felt so humiliated in his life, and all because some foolish commoner trash couldn't keep her mouth shut. Well, he'd show her. After he was done beating some sense into that ugly witch, he would use this victory to get himself back into the good graces of both Katie and Montmorency. He'd tell them that he had fought for their honor, and upon seeing how brave he was the two lovely damsels would be sure to forgive him!
A cheer rung up from the crowd when Valliere's familiar stepped onto the field, Valliere herself following with a worried expression on her face. Ah, poor Louise, to be saddled with such a burden. She truly was quite lovely, in her own way. Perhaps when this was over, he could offer her his condolences and be there as a shoulder for the pink-haired girl to cry on. Hmmm...
"Ah, so you actually showed," Guiche directed a smile at his opponent as he fanned himself with his rose wand. "I compliment you on your bravery, to face one such as I."
The dark haired woman chuckled and gave him a mirthful grin. "And I pity you your stupidity for not seeing ze volf that is standing before you."
"Hey!" called out a female voice from the crowd. "That's my umbrella!"
Rip suddenly blushed, clutching at the parasol as she turned her face away from the girl. "NOITISNTIFOUNDIT."
"Enough," Guiche called out. "It's time for you to face justice!"
The familiar closed the parasol and stuffed its pointy end down into the soft dirt of the lawn. "Let us do zis then, you schwein."
"Very well," the blond boy flourished his wand around, very much enjoying himself as he played to the crowd. "I am Guiche de Gramont, also known as Guiche the Bronze. Your opponent this day shall be my Bronze Valkyrie!" A petal from the rose fell slowly to the earth. When it landed, a large armored form emerged from the earth. It was thin and feminine in appearance, looking very elegantly crafted. In its hand was a large lance.
Rip raised an eyebrow at the display. Okay, she had to admit it. She was impressed. It wasn't every day that you saw an entire suit of armor forming out of the ground. Magic truly was an exciting thing to watch. Despite her surprise, Rip smiled. This was going to be more interesting than she thought.
"Vell, since you were so kind as to introduce yourself, let me return your graciousness." The dark haired woman looked straight at Guiche and flashed him a wide smile. The blond boy lost a bit of his swagger upon seeing the look she gave him; was it just him, or did her teeth look remarkably sharp? No, it had to be a trick of the light.
"I am ze Huntress, Rip Van Winkle," the familiar said, her feral smile growing wider. She raised her musket up with her right hand, placing the long barrel lazily against her shoulder. "Tinker, tailor. Soldier, sailor..." She looked upon her assembled audience of mages and decided to add another line to her familiar chant. "Vizard or vastrel. My bullet punishes all vithout distinction."
"Humph. Foolishness!" With a flick of his wand, Guiche unleashed his golem. The metallic construct rushed forwards, its movements smooth and fast, much faster than its design should have allowed. It raced across the short distance to its target, then raised its weapon and brought it down.
Rip felt the runes on her left hand flare as she attempted to dodge. To her surprise she felt herself explode into action, moving faster than she ever had before. She easily dodged the golem's lightning fast strike, managing to find herself well beyond its reach. To her, it was as if the creature had suddenly slowed, its movements becoming sluggish and unwieldy. To everyone else watching, it was like she had vanished, disappearing just as the golem struck only to reappear several feet behind it.
Everyone watching had gasped when the Valkyrie's lance hit nothing but air, but perhaps the most surprised of all was Rip herself. She looked down at her left hand and saw the bright glow of her familiar runes shining through the fabric of her white glove. Her shocked face suddenly turned feral, and she began to laugh uproariously. Magic was awesome.
"Damn it!" Guiche shouted and twisted his wand, mentally ordering his golem to finish the annoying woman off. It was obvious the familiar was a mercenary of some skill, but such thing were irrelevant. She may have been fast, but her mundane talents were no match for his magic.
The Valkyrie twisted on its heel and charged Rip again. It began to jab at the familiar with its lance, thrusting swiftly and with as much strength as it could. Rip merely laughed in delight as she easily dodged all its blows; to her the golem moved so slowly that she didn't even need to break a sweat. These runes were amazing. At first she had thought that they had only increased her senses. Now she realized that all her abilities had been increased. Strength, speed, reflexes; the runes augmented them all! It was amazing. She was probably as fast as Luke Valentine. Maybe even faster!
"This is... impossible!" Guiche began to sweat as he saw Louise's insane commoner dodged and weaved around every thrust, every strike his Valkyrie was giving. How could anyone be so fast?
The crowd gasped in awe when Rip suddenly went on the offensive. After dodging another of the golem's strikes, she quickly lashed out her left foot and slammed it against the Valkyrie's midsection. The impact was enough to crush the armor, the metal bending before tearing away to reveal the empty shell beneath. The golem was unable to support itself with half its torso gone, and it quickly collapsed onto the dirt.
The gathered spectators were speechless after that. Many of the students wondered how a commoner could have been capable of such a thing. Was she even a commoner at all? Then, clapping came, followed by more. The common servants in the audience cheered out loud. They had never seen such a sight; it was beyond their imaginations to see one of their own holding out against a noble. Pretty soon their cheers became infectious, and even some of the students began to cheer Rip on.
Guiche gaped in stupefied horror when he watched the dark haired woman all but gut his Bronze Valkyrie. How the hell had such a thin, delicate looking girl done such a thing? "Th-that's impossible!" He shouted. "Impossible!" He then waved his rose wand, scattering numerous petals about. Each hit the ground and formed another Bronze Valkyrie, until there were seven more of the constructs on the field. Guiche's new army readied their weapons, facing Rip Van Winkle as one.
"Impossible?" Valliere's familiar asked. The sun began to reflect off the lenses of her spectacles, and that, coupled with the feral grin, made her a very frightening vision indeed. "No, dear boy. Zis outcome was inevitable. Your defeat vas assured ze moment you opened your mouth to challenge me." With that, Rip leveled her musket towards Guiche and fired. There was an explosion of smoke and sound, the loud eruption causing many of those watching to flinch.
The blond fop shrieked in fright and dropped, fully expecting a musket ball to pierce his skull. After a few moments of feeling absolutely no bits of metal entering his poor body, Guiche opened his eyes and looked around. Nothing.
"She missed?" The blond boy asked, slightly stupefied and unable to believe his luck. "Y-you missed?" He grinned widely and began to laugh. "Ha! You missed!"
Rip's evil grin, however, did not waver. "Sink again."
Suddenly, Guiche heard a loud clank. He turned to one of his golems and saw that a large hole had somehow appeared in the armor of its back. Then, there was another clank. Then another. Guiche watched in horrified fascination as more holes began appearing in his seven Valkyries. The clanking began to increase, and within moments he realized that something was peppering his golems with blows. Over and over the strikes came, slamming into his army and leaving large, gaping holes in them. The attack soon came to a crescendo when what looked to be blue streaks of light began to pierce his creations over and over and over, shredding their metal armor and rendering them useless.
Rip herself was ecstatic. It seemed as if the runes had also upgraded the manipulation of her bullets. She now had finer control over the projectiles, and was easily able to make them change direction at faster intervals along with steeper angles. Pretty soon she had Guiche's army of Valkyries looking more like swiss cheese, and they quickly toppled over into piles of scrap metal.
"N-no..." Guiche shook his head in sheer disbelief. It was impossible, yet it had happened. Valliere's familiar had defeated him. There was no way she was a simple commoner. Just... no way. He collapsed onto his knees and bowed his head in shame. "I... I yield."
The crowd was speechless for a moment, and in that moment you could have heard a pin drop. But as suddenly as the moment had come, it was gone, and the audience quickly burst into applause. Sure, a commoner had just beaten a noble. But it was a glorious fight, and fun to watch. The students may have been too young to realize the implications of what they had just seen, but the commoner servants among them knew that they had witnessed something truly remarkable.
A commoner had defeated a noble. The nobles were not invincible.
As for the victor, she merely gave the young fop a happy smile. Thankfully for Guiche, this one did not have the deranged and feral quality of her earlier one and she seemed genuinely pleased. "Well, that vas fun, Herr Gramont. Very... educational. Ve should do it again sometime!"
Guiche looked at her as if she was insane. "Seriously?"
"Definitely! Well, tata," Rip waved goodbye to the flabbergasted noble and made her way back to her parasol. It was still sticking up from the ground as she had left it, none the worse for wear. As she plucked it up, Rip spotted the first year girl that had earlier laid claim to it. "Hey, did you vant your parasol back?"
The girl turned pale and shook her head. "N-no no! You can keep it!"
Rip gave her a dazzling smile. "Oh, you are too kind. Danke!" She opened the item up and held it overhead as she began to walk out of the Vestry Court. Before she could reach the exit, a familiar pink-haired form stopped her.
"Familiar!" Louise called out, sounding none too happy.
"Yes, little master?" The dark haired woman asked, too content to let the young girl's tone dampen her mood.
Louise glared up at her familiar, her little face twisted up into a look that was a mixture of both frustration and sheer disbelief. "What. The. Hell. Was. THAT?"
Oh dear. It looked like an explanation was in order. Rip just had to decide whether or not such an explanation would include the truth or whether a shameless fabrication would suffice.
"What vas that, Louise?" Rip Van Winkle laughed, then patted her master on the head. "Zat was me proving to everyone in zis Academy just vat a capable mage you are."
The look on Louise's face was priceless.