Hollow: I wonder if getting in LP's was a good idea

Chapter 23

Family Reunion! What's The Stakes?!

The last of the undead platoon screamed in torment as white flames consumed their remains until not even ashes remained. Elina left before Nyx could finish them to serve as Will's backup but was stopped when Adelle attacked her only to get a scratch on her left cheek from Elina's attempt to counter. Elina then began to fight her former subordinate noticing that the scratch was already gone by the time she was able to see her opponent beforehand. With Elina unable to continue with their plan Nyx went to fight alongside Will while Nowa attempted to aid Elina in her fight.

*Near the hot springs*

Their swords continues clash with no successful hits as their battle continued. Knight was soon able to regain control of himself after being near Will's aura with altering his cloak to an armor that matched his swords design as proof of it. As their fight continued Knight began to try and rationalize the situation as he thought, "That aura couldn't just be for intimidation; his speed has increased, the strikes are more precise, but that's the problem. Majin that have this power usually end up as mindless berserkers without the ability to rationalize affiliation let alone maintain the discipline to wield a katana with such precision. Could he have found out… no, this world doesn't have Nin user's so he couldn't learn any of the techniques let alone hatsu" that's when he noticed something. The first was that the design of the katana is different from any that were traditionally forged and the second was that Will's breathing was starting to get heavier and the aura is starting to thin only five minutes after the fight began which let Knight to a simple conclusion, "but there's a time limit for this form's stability when he has control of it. It's not Nin but it has a similar weakness for someone who doesn't know how to use it completely". He was right later on when Will's armor returned to normal and the aura dissipated as soon as he put the sword back in its sheath before drawing the other one. "Looks like I was right" he gloated, "That sword was the catalyst for you to enter your demon form and as a restraint so you can have control over it. It's a shame that aura is no better than a double-edged sword".

"Did anyone…tell you that… you talk… too much" he answered as he tried to catch his breath.

"The only problem is that the aura you gave is connected to your energy and life force. You drain your energy too quickly as a side-effect but from I can tell you can recover in time but you could also die if it continued after passing out without any means of containing it. So take your time and recover"

"Why? ... So you can… beat me up… with my… guard down?"

"I do have some honor. If I didn't then Adelle would have ended up like the other assassins…"

Will was finally able to recover as he finished his sentence, "and that girl would've ended up as your choice for dessert at the yokai buffet".

"Its shame that my orders keep me from giving in to the urge to kill you after such insults"

"And I thought that it was with Nyx choosing to stay with a cur then to be with a false God. But using your own twist on manipulation on some of the surviving remnants of Forest Elves can be a real turn off for any loving women. Especially when you try use them to make it look like every former noble that surrendered was murdering Claudette's soldiers along with civilians".

"The only few human villages who could've warned the Elves about the attack didn't even bother yelling in their direction. Besides the elves were no different from the village that you're trying to help now. They cling to the grudges from the centuries ago like a festering wound, they sent Nowa to a probable death simply because they don't like her parents and they would've happily used her to their own benefit if she won the Queen's Blade, and they deserved no better of such a fate than the people you are trying to help now!" He moved for the first strike leading to the second round of their fight but was when he was hit from behind with a fire ball with Nyx saying, "It doesn't give you the right to treat people like this". Her words reminded her of how her mother died of a sickness that no one will treat let alone appreciate after Elina ruined her family's reputation simply out of the thought that servants are to know their place and any attempt or talent that would prove otherwise is either an act of treason or a sham.

"Now Nyx" Knight turned around to face her, "I do this to make the world a better place and you should know better than anyone of the injustice that can be made by man's foolishness and corruption. I restored your powers, gave you a spell that only a rare few outside the Red World can perform, and I even offered a chance for you to be by my side as my adopted daughter during this crusade. I am given you a second chance to become a Goddess of Justice in the utopia that I will create" seeing her eyes still filled with defiance towards his offer he said something that caused Nyx to quickly change, "I've seen your mother in your memories Nyx. And the fact someone so beautiful was…"

She covered her ears but his voice still echoed in her skull as she said, "Stop it".

Will interrupted him with the edge of a katana against his throat. Will's aura erupted from his armor once again with no end in sight before he yelled, "DON'T YOU DARE USE HER LIKE THE OTHERS!" Nyx ran to find a place to hide before Will began using his powers once more. His body was once again shrouded with black aura while Knight barely able to avoid being enveloped in order to counter another fast attack but the attack was different. Instead of speed being the factor of his demon form it was now the force that was put behind the strike that was amplified. The strength of it forced Knight on his knees where Will had two blades at his neck waiting to sever his head.

"So… you can change what your demon form's focus on for combat through your transformation but that doesn't change the fact that you have a death wish" Knight asked seeing how Will could die using his transformation, "Even if you use it under a time limit it can begin to suck away your life force if use it with repetition in battle" Will once again returned to his original form as he said, "I don't have a death wish. I'm just interested in making sure you don't hurt anyone ever again".

"So what…you'll kill me. I already mentioned what you mortals already tried as an attempt to kill me".

"That right? I'll bet a hundred gold they never tried to simply cut your head off but I doubt they wanted your ugly mug mounted on the wall" Knight tried to remain calm but the way his fingers began to twitch showed Will that he was lying as said, "Not bad with poker faces but you even have the same problem that my old man has when he bluffs. Now if I remember correctly sometimes the best way to kill immortals is to find something that they used to retain a pledge, a special weapon, an incantation that strips them of their immortality, or", he smiled with the thought of how this would be considered justice as finished, "make their heads roll".

"Don't you see what my ambitions are for this world? I plan on turning the so called crypt the Swamp Witch wants to make out of the Continent into a Utopia along with the rest of the world. This means no more violence, crime will become a thing of the past, corruption will be recognized as an extinct plague, and prejudice will no longer influence society. The ashes of this world will give birth to a true paradise and you see these plans ruined like the devil corrupting the creation of the divine".

"This coming from a guy who thinks he's God while everyone else is no better than kids or pawns. Sorry but this new world that you're trying to make will just have to wait a little bit longer", Will left him going as he thought, "Now should I do it here, the village, or maybe on a chopping block in the middle of Gainos? Or maybe…" his train of thought was shortly interrupted as a giant stalagmite suddenly appeared sprouting up from the ground between him and Knight with only enough time for him to get away out of reflex.

Knight spotted a young girl wearing a ragged hooded robe with the only thing Will could see was the emerald green eyes to his right before he said, "I thought I told you not to endanger yourself like this Kira". Will recognized the name immediately from Elina's description of the girl but he was confused by what Knight told her until he had to dodge another giant stalagmite. That's when he figured out she was somehow capable of manipulating the earth as she said, "I won't let anyone hurt you oni-chan". It was like a storm of stalagmites as they continued to sprout of the ground slowly increasing in size in her constant attempt to impale him to protect Knight.

*Back in the village*

Nowa and Elina continued their battle with Adelle with somehow able to take both Queen's Blade veterans with what seemed like little effort. "It's tough fighting me isn't it" she said as she began to brag and praise Knight, "You both were able to fight and survive the Queen's Blade and yet you have trouble fighting a former Fang assassin with your advantage". She then looked at her free hand as she continued, "Then again I've been blessed by Knight-sama as his disciple, his herald, and even as his lover. And with the gifts that Knight-sama has given me I will help him create paradise".

Before she could continue Elina attempted a killing blow only to have her grab the spear head with no effort as the blood from her hand began to drip from the spear. "Nice try" she resumed as Elina quickly got back to get out of her attack range, "But it's pointless. This new body provides greater strength, reflexes, and stamina and then there's this" she showed them the palm of the hand she used to stop the spear to reveal that the cut it left was gone before she continued, "he took this body's ability to regenerate and improved it tenfold making me as close as possible to immortal. So I offer you the chance to accept his judgment to see your fate on our crusade; will you have the honor standing by our side with his gifts or will you become one with ashes of a dying civilization". The look they gave her showed no sign of sign of surrendering. She entered an offensive stance as she said, "Such a shame. I was hoping that at least you would think about it Nowa after all this is the same village that you were driven out of as a child. The humans drove you out because you're part elf and the elves thought you would one day betray them and sent you away on a hopeful death wish because you're part human. You could find a place among us were you can belong".

Nowa just charged at her with a barrage of attacks only for it to stop when she grabbed Nowa's throat with her free hand. "It seems you want to become one with the ashes", Adelle said as she tried to aim her rapier at one of Nowa's eyes. Before Adelle could kill Nowa; Ru jumped toward her head, using its arms and legs to hold on to her while Nowa uses the chance to escape Adelle's grip. After forcing Ru off of her, Adelle tossed Ru to the ground to kill out of anger and annoyance towards the small monkey, but was stopped when she was stabbed from behind with what felt like a pitchfork.

She was then lifted from the ground with the pitchfork still buried in her lower back and was slammed headfirst into the ground as she heard the man responsible say, "Don't you think that you could try to kill my granddaughter and get away with it". Denarius took advantage of the situation to check to see if Nowa was okay as Adelle was on the ground wandering how someone of his age can retain that much strength passed his prime as a majin hunter.

*Back to Will*

A wall of stone formed around Will and Knight like a cage, a stone cage appeared with Nyx inside, and Kira was next to the cage with eyes changed to resemble those of someone who was made blind as she hummed a tune waiting for the fight to end with Nyx as the prize.

Hollow: How did I get into this... oh right a dream I had after watching an OVA.

Denarius: It doesn't matter. I can make amends for not being able for being able to help Nowa and I'll show the what happens to those who cross the veteran hunter.

Hollow: You do that. Thank you for reading the latest chapter of Where's Anne? Leave you thoughts with us and see you next time.