I don't own the Familiar of Zero, otherwise this would have been in the anime.
AN: I'm back again, and I finished this chapter much sooner than I expected. It's much longer than the first. However I am a bit hurt at the lack of reviews. It makes me a sad man. Just like Sad, Sad Larry
Warning! Brutal fight scene in this chapter. It's exciting. You'll notice that Saito is noticeably more bad ass.
Enjoy the story, read and review, and Semper Fi!
Saito sprang up from his sleep. He looked around the room with a confused expression. He was lying in a pile of hay.
"Finally you've decided to wake up." Saito quickly glanced at the voice. It was the pink girl.
"Damn it, it wasn't a dream."
She gave an arrogant sneer and walked to her armoire. "I've thought about it long enough to get an ulcer but it seems that I'm stuck with you as a Familiar. You should be honored." As she began to undress, she noticed one glaring problem.
Her door was now open. "WHERE DID THAT FAMILIAR GO!"
Saito was walking down the hall trying to find his way outside. He was NOT planning on staying here. Where ever here was, Saito knew it wasn't where he belonged. He was glad that he wasn't just running in his underware but dressed with pants, his nylon sweatshirt, and his running shoes. (They were his only shoes now) Then he heard that pink girl's scream. Saito broke out into a run. Saito ran down a stair case, skipping two steps at a time. When he reached the bottom Saito abruptly stopped. It would be horrible if people caught him running away. He knew he was much less likely to be noticed if he walked casually by.
There were two people, a girl in a brown cape and an effeminate blond guy in a black cape holding a rose.
"You know that I've been told that I'm very good at baking soufflés." The girl told the blond guy.
"I would love to have a chance to sample one of them." He charmingly responded, to which the girl's excitement visibly rose. Saito began calmly walking past, a slightly annoyed look on his face. Saito didn't know why but for some reason the blond man reminded him of his older brother.
"You really mean it?"
"Yes, of course I do Katie. Don't you know by now that I'd never lie to you?"
"Ohhh Lord Guiche."
"There is absolutely nothing hidden behind my feelings for you." That's why he reminded Saito of his older brother. Self-confident, pretty boy good looks, knew how to woo a woman. All Guiche needed was more physical strength and four girlfriends who didn't know about each other and it would be a perfect match. "Hmm? It's that peasant boy that Louise summoned."
Saito stopped walking. They still noticed him. "In case you couldn't figure it out from my outburst during that summoning. I am not a damn peasant you effeminate idiot."
Saito walked away before he heard Guiche's response. The instant he knew that they couldn't see him anymore he started running again until he got to another room. "It's been a dream that I could be like this with you Kirche the fever. A beautiful dream." The man said. He was clearly infatuated with the girl.
"Tonight it will end with more than just a fever." It was Miss Cleavage, however Saito didn't pay attention to the two, since he saw something much more important. The exit. Saito made a mad dash for and burst out the door.
There were two moons.
"Oh my god this isn't Earth." Saito said as he stared up at the captivating dual moons. The twin moons made Saito realize something very important; running from here would get him nowhere. "I'm stuck here for now."
Saito saw his things, still in a pile. He sullenly jogged to them. It was a mess, and no one bothered to do anything with it. 'Better than it being stolen.' Saito thought to himself.
Saito quickly righted his bed frame and placed his soft memory foam mattress and pillows on it. They were the most expensive things he had ever bought himself. Saito chuckled to himself one of the lessons his parents taught him, "People appreciate more what is earned through their own blood, sweat and tears than what gotten for free." This mattress was proof of that. Saito righted his dressers and pushed them underneath the bed beneath the starry, twin moon sky. He grabbed his camping knife, a double edged, 7 inch spear-point, fixed blade knife, the handle had brass knuckles, a memento to the modification his great uncle made to his combat knife in WWII. It was in its nylon sheath with a Kydex insert.
As Louise, flanked by Guiche, came outside, Saito noticed that markings on his left hand lit up as he held his knife. He felt great, stronger, lighter and faster than ever. As they approached Saito quickly stashed the knife in his pillow case. He didn't want them seeing that he had a weapon; they'd probably take it away.
Saito saw the look on Louise's face and knew one thing for sure; he did not want it to stay angry. After all, if this really was a new world all of the talk of magic earlier might not be a joke either. Saito waved at them, "Good evening Louise and effeminate guy. You two are really slow, should get out more and get some exercise." Suddenly Saito felt himself float up out of reach of his bed. "DAMN IT LET ME DOWN!"
"Just give yourself up." A smooth voice said with annoyance. "This is the second time I've had to keep you afloat." It was Guiche.
Saito fished in his pockets seeing if he had anything in his pockets that he could throw at the arrogant mage. Keys, wallet (definitely useless here), cell phone. His cell phone, a 6 year old RAZR. He checked it, knowing that it wouldn't have reception.
"You summoned a Familiar that escaped from its master?" Kirche incredulously asked, laughing at Louise.
As Guiche maneuvered Saito above his head, Saito prepared to throw. "I SAID LET ME DOWN!" the phone flew from Saito's hand and slammed into Guiche's head. Guiche dropped his rose shaped wand, and Saito fell right on top of him.
Saito and Guiche were dazed. Louise looked down and grabbed the phone her familiar threw. She looked at it. It was made of metal, and there seemed to be a light coming from a square on it. She jumped when it suddenly darkened. Louise saw that it could be opened up. She began to slowly open it, seeing a darkened rectangle, until it suddenly flipped open and lit up. Louise looked at the painting that had appeared. She had never seen anything like it. It was a painting of three young kids in front of what looked like massive constructs behind them. "Where is this?" Louise thought aloud.
"Now what's this Zero?" Kirche asked as she took it out of her hands. "I've never seen a locket like this before, or a place like that."
"That's weird, I've never seen a locket like this before." The man who was on a date with Kirche said.
"Give that back Kirche!" Louise Sternly ordered.
"And why should I?"
"Thank you." Saito calmly said as he deftly took his phone from Kirches hands. It seems he had gotten up while they were arguing. Saito also had Guiche's rose behind his ear. He didn't want to be floating again. "Also, don't use magic to make me float around like that anymore, it's annoying, and why was I floating in the first place." Saito looked down at Guiche. It seemed that he was unconscious. 'I didn't even throw it that hard; he must be made of glass.' Saito thought to himself.
"YOU WERE RUNNING AWAY!" Louise shouted.
"MY STUFF IS DOWN HERE! SORRY I WANTED TO MAKE SURE NONE OF IT WAS STOLEN!" It was a lie, Saito knew that he was running away, but just the sight of the two moons dashed any hope of a quick and easy escape. However, Saito was going to make sure that they didn't know that he was trying to escape.
"EITHER WAY YOU SHOULD HAVE ASKED YOUR MASTER FOR PERMISSION FIRST YOU STUPID FAMILIAR!"
Saito glared at her, and quickly realized that the pink girl wouldn't change her tone. No matter what argument he used she wouldn't change her mind. She was very arrogant, and wouldn't be willing to change her mind just because of her pride. There was something else underneath it, but she hid it under all of her pride in being a noble. Saito, however, couldn't just stop. He had to get the last word in. He stood tall, looked down at Louise, and said with as much fake contempt as possible, "Why are you shouting, we're not even 5 feet from each other."
"Did you just CHASTISE ME?" Louise was shaking; this kind of attitude was unacceptable from a peasant. No, it was even worse, this was her Familiar! "DON'T YOU DARE TAKE THAT TONE WITH YOUR MASTER!"
"This argument is pointless." Saito said as he picked the unconscious Guiche and held him up. "Do any of you know where his room is?"
"ARE YOU JUST IGNORING ME!"
"Yes, and I'll keep ignoring you until I get this annoying idiot back into his room." Saito said, shaking the unconscious Guiche a bit.
"YOU STUPID FAMI… huh?" Something was pushing her leg. Louise looked down, and a mole with a blue triangle on its head nudged her out of its way and looked up at the unconscious Guiche.
"Is this idiot your friend little guy?" Saito asked like he would a baby. The mole nodded. "Wait… did you understand me?" The mole nodded again. "Know where his room is?" The mole nodded again. "Take me there." The mole scampered back inside.
"Are you just going away?" Louise spat out.
"Don't worry your Royalness, I'll go back to your room later. I just wanted to make sure my stuff was okay." Saito dismissively told her as he followed what he assumed to be Guiche's Familiar.
Louise growled to herself. She hated everything about that Familiar.
"Being told off by your Familiar? I expect no less from Zero." Kirche arrogantly announced.
"Shut up Streetwalker." Well, maybe there was one thing she liked about her Familiar.
Saito had just dropped Guiche off at his room, and was back outside at his bed. It was actually pretty cold out, even with the sweatshirt he was wearing. Saito reached into his pillow and pulled his camping knife out. 'Although to be fare, I suppose with the brass knuckles I put on them it turned it into more of a weapon.' Saito thought to himself. The runes were glowing again, and with it came feelings of power and lightness. Saito put it on his bed and let go, and the feeling left. Saito put one finger on the knife, and the feeling of power returned.
Saito decided to test if the feeling was real of an illusion, and firmly gripped the knife. He eyed a tree; it was about 100 yards away. Saito's average time on the 100 yard dash was 11.23 seconds, and his all time best was 10.93 seconds. Saito got ready to run. "Test one start." Saito told himself with a grin, and went off full blast. Saito's eyes went wide as they watered, he wasn't expecting to go this fast! He could go faster than a race horse on meth! He was going too fast! He wouldn't be able to stop before the tree. Saito grit his teeth as reflexes he didn't know existed suddenly took control. He jumped, landed feet first on the tree, shaking it down to the very roots, and jumped off it. He did a small flip mid-air and landed on his feet.
Saito was panting, with his adrenalin pumping full force. He looked back at the tree; he was at least 30 feet away. "How the hell did I do that?"
Saito looked down in awe at the knife he had a firm grasp on. Saito stuck it behind him, in his pants. The runes on his hand disappeared. Saito lifted his sweatshirt over the handle, hiding it from sight.
Saito looked up at his things, all still outside. Saito ran back to his bed and dressers, noticing how painfully slow he was without the runes glowing. He flung he dressers open and went through everything, touching everything he had, seeing if it made the runes glow. He touched every shirt, every pair of underwear, pair of pants, even the hideous sweatshirt he got for Christmas. Until he reached the locked box. Saito fumbled with the keys in his pocket, and quickly opened the box and firmly grabbed the Beretta. Even with the lock that kept someone from putting bullets in the weapon, the runes glowed. Saito smiled, having figured out what made the runes light up. "Weapons." Saito whispered to himself.
Satisfied, Saito locked the gun back into its box. He jumped onto his bed, and kicked off his shoes. Laying down, Saito smiled at the beautiful, starry night sky. Then he saw the duel moons, and his smile disappeared. Thoughts filled his head of a world with only one bright glowing orb in a sea of stars. Saito rolled over, so he wouldn't have to look at the reminder that he was far from where he belonged. Saito embraced the comfort the memory foam bed and pillow gave, smiling at the odd choice of gift he received on his last birthday. New sheets, the ones he was using. He grinned; his parents always got him something practical, never toys or games.
"Luxuries are something you earn yourself, they aren't just given!" The words his mom told him when he asked why. Saito knew that these words would mean a lot more in this world than his own.
"Especially with the way those idiots have been treating me." Saito grumbled to himself as he closed his eyes and prepared to drift into Drea…
"WHAT ARE YOU STILL DOING HERE?" A horrific scream rang.
"AHHH!" Saito fell off his bed. He looked up and saw Louise. "When I said I'd go to your room I meant in the morning."
"A Familiar is supposed to stay near their Master! A Familiar is supposed to serve their Master! I need you in my room now!" Louise ordered.
"Look, I'll serve you tomorrow morning, but for now, I just want to sleep in my own bed under the stars. So go away. Or better yet, magic me home. You can even keep all of my stuff!"
"I can't just send you back, and I don't even want any of this stuff!"
"Then goodnight!" Saito dismissed her as he got back into bed.
Louise did not take that well. "You are not sleeping there!" No answer. "Are you listening? Hey! Pay attention, you can't just ignore your Master!" She kept shouting for a good two minutes, before she finally tried to push Saito out of the bed. However he would not be moved, keeping a firm grip on the bed. "Fine! BUT! You are not getting any food tomorrow!"
Louise woke up to a loud noise. She got up with a groan and saw a man putting a bed in her room. "Hey, wait, who are you?" She groggily asked.
"Good morning to you too gorgeous." Saito greeted with a grin. "Did you forget me already? I did say that I'd serve you in the morning, didn't I?"
Louise threw her blankets off of herself as she yawned. Saito noticed that she looked quite captivating and elegant right now. "Oh, you're that peasant familiar I summoned." Now if only something could be done about the useless flaps of skin called a mouth that she had.
"Look, is there anything you need?" Saito asked, annoyed at being once again being called a peasant.
"Get me my clothes." She sternly ordered.
Saito lazily walked over to her dresser, and grabbed everything she needed to wear and tossed it to her.
Louise put on her panties, right in front of Saito. Saito raised an eyebrow to this, silently questioning whether she saw him as so inferior that it didn't matter that he saw her naked, or if she just got off on this sort of thing. Then she threw her shirt at him. "Dress me."
"What are you, a four year old? Put your own damn shirt on!" Saito angrily said as he threw it back at the noble.
She scoffed at him. "The Nobility never dress themselves! That's what they have servants for!"
"Screw the Nobility, and screw…"
"Well then, I guess you won't be needing food today."
Saito closed his eyes and smugly said, "Didn't you already say that last night?"
"Your right, I guess you won't be leaving the room either." She angrily said as she approached her familiar.
"Nothing you can do will trap me in here." Saito said arrogantly, his eyes still closed. Then he felt with surprising force someone pulling him down by his shirt, and as he opened his eyes he saw a Louise wrapping a collar around his neck. He froze for a second, not believing what he was seeing. She grabbed a chain, and pulled roughly down on it. Saito fell forward onto the floor, grumbling as he grabbed the chain and prepared to pull it out of her grip.
Saito roughly yanked the chain, and to his dismay Louise was no longer holding it. It was already fastened to one of the posts on her elegantly hand carved wooden posts of her bed. Louise walked towards the door as she dressed herself. "I'll have a servant come by later so you can relieve yourself into a chamber pot."
Saito marched towards Louise. "Take this damn leash off of GAH!" He reached the end.
"If you're well behaved I'll consider it." She confidently told her Familiar as she finished dressing herself.
"YOU CAN'T TREAT A HUMAN BEING LIKE THIS!" Saito angrily screamed at her as she left the room like it was nothing.
Saito glared at the door, then turned towards his dresser. He could always shoot the lock off of the collar. Saito walked over to his dresser until he felt that there was no more slack for him to continue. He began pulling, trying to drag Louise's bed and reach his own. Saito felt himself choking as he desperately tried to get to his means of escape.
Saito stopped pulling, he was sure there were marks on his neck from this damn collar. He had to think of another way to get to his Beretta. Saito turned around and looked at the bed post he was chained to. He grinned as he grabbed his knife, still tucked in the back of his pants. This was the perfect way to get payback and test to see how much harder he could hit with the runes activated.
Louise was LIVID. Her stupid familiar had broken her bed, AND had broken her window! And for what? She didn't do anything wrong, everything she did was in her rights as that commoner's Master. It was like that THING was incapable of understanding how things worked in the world. She had to find that stupid peasant and make him pay. Louise began walking past Kirche, and prayed that Zerbst harlot didn't say anything.
"Louise the Zero, oh so upset! What happened, did your Familiar run away again!" No such luck.
"Be quiet Streetwalker! I am not in the mood!" Louise hissed. That new nickname for Kirche was the only good thing about her stupid Familiar. Louise kept marching ahead, searching for Saito. Until she saw a growing crowd.
"Misunderstand? Let me make it simple. You. Are. Two-timing." It was her Familiar! Was he needlessly antagonizing someone else?
"Two-timing?" Louise didn't know who this voice belonged to.
"So there really is something going on with this first year!" A third voice? It was Montmorancy.
"Please Montmorancy! Do not contort your face, one that is as beautiful as a rose from mere anger! This is all a misunderstanding." Guiche's voice desperately begged.
"Oh how could you? You told me that I was the only one!" Louise could see that it was a first year.
"Both of you calm down I can explain!"
"You're a big LIAR!" Both girls shouted as Montmorency punched the cheater.
Louise watched the scene, unable to hide the satisfaction on her face at Guiche being put down.
"Stop right there!" Guiche shouted as he stood up. Louise looked at who he was shouting at, and suddenly her anger returned full force. It was Saito. "You can't just walk away from this!"
"Why not? I wasn't the one who was two-timing. Pretty sure this is just your problem." Saito confidently said as he crossed his arms.
Louise noticed that he was wearing a black, fingerless glove on his left hand, and that he had had slight bruising on his neck, probably from her collar. 'I didn't think I put it on THAT tight. Wait, how did he get it off?' Louise thought to herself before she shrugged it off.
He was so infuriating! Sure Guiche deserved what he got, but why did it have to be her Familiar! Everywhere that fool goes he just causes trouble. It was almost like he was a spiraling mass of chaos!
"Your Familiar is causing more trouble; this must be sooo humiliating for you Zero." Kirche said with a self satisfied smirk. Louise simply scowled at the Germanian woman. "All that Familiar does is cause trouble. First insulting a noble, running away, hitting Guiche, and now this?"
"He also broke my window, and my bed." Louise quietly growled to herself.
"Oooh, he must be good!" Kirche said with a suggestive wink.
"It's not what you think!"
"You're challenging me to a duel?" It was Saito. Louise's eyes widened. Her Familiar was going to do what!
"That's right; I hereby challenge you to a duel! You are nothing but a mere peasant, and a familiar to boot! Yet you have mocked me on more than one occasion, and you have made two noble ladies cry. You cad!"
"Cry? They were livid with you." Saito said with a grin. Everyone around Louise burst into laughter, even Kirche giggled a bit.
"Prepare yourself! I will await you at Vestri Square!" Guiche promptly stormed off.
'Oh no, what has just happened?' Louise thought to herself. Her Familiar had just gotten into a duel. She couldn't let her Familiar go and get itself killed! She had to save it. Louise began pushing her way forward when she saw a maid standing next to Saito. She was visibly shaking.
"I am looking forward to wiping that smug smirk off of his face." Saito confidently spoke.
"Y-you-you're going to get killed." The maid said with a shaky voice.
"What's wrong Siesta? You don't think that idiot has what it takes to beat me, do you?" Saito told her with a cocky smirk.
"If you truly anger a noble..." She turned and ran.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? I saw all that!" Louise shouted as she stormed up to her Familiar.
"Yo, Louise."
"This is no time to be "yo"-ing me! How can you just go promising duels like it's no big deal?"
"Like this?" Saito said mockingly.
Louise roughly grabbed and started dragging Saito. "We are going to apologize."
Saito ripped himself from Louise's grip. Saito stuck a finger into Louise's face. "Why would I apologize to him? I didn't apologize to my own brother when I revealed to his girlfriends that he was four-timing, why should I apologize for revealing a two-timer I barely even know!"
"I order you to apologize to Guiche!"
"Just because you order me to do something doesn't mean I'll do it! Haven't you noticed that yet?"
Louise grit her teeth. "So stubborn… But you know what? You can't win. You'll be badly injured. Actually, you'll be lucky to come back alive with just injuries."
"I'm sure I can beat that pretentious ass. Hell, I've been preparing for the MCMAP (1) for years, no way am I losing to that idiot!"
Louise growled. "WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!"
"Hey, where's Vestri Square?" Saito asked. It infuriated Louise. He was ignoring her AGAIN!
"Over there, that way." A cubby blond with an owl told Saito, pointing. It was one of Guiche's friends, Malicorne.
"MALICORNE!" Louise shouted.
"Thank you very much." Saito cheerfully said as he ran off at full speed.
"I respect you for actually showing up." Guiche confidently said.
"Don't say that you respect me unless you actually mean it." Saito said as he brought up his fists. He knew that Guiche would definitely use magic to try and beat him. It was a given. Guiche was a mage, you'd have to be a fool to think otherwise. Saito, however, had decided to avoid pulling out his knife unless he absolutely had to. Either way, Saito felt that he could win without the runes help, since he had always been proficient at fighting.
"WAIT!" It was Louise. Saito groaned, she was going to try to convince him again to not fight. "Guiche! Stop this right now! You know darn well that duels are forbidden!"
'Oh, I guess she's given up on convincing me.' Saito thought to himself with a grin.
"True, but only duel between two Nobility are forbidden. He is a peasant, so there's no problem."
"But that's because… A case like this has never occurred before."
"Louise, stop trying to prevent this fight. It's going to happen." Saito said as he cracked his knuckles. "But thanks for the concern."
"STOP TALKING! I'M TRYING TO KEEP YOU FROM BEING BEATEN TO A TATTERED HEAP!"
"No matter what you say the duel has already started" Guiche said as he swung his flower, releasing a single rose petal.
Saito watched attentively as magic occurred before his eyes. He was right; Guiche would be using magic for this fight. 'All I have to do is dodge his magic and get close enough to that narcissist to beat his teeth in.' Saito thought to himself as he took a fighting stance. A human sized statue rose, and in its right hand was a spear.
"My name is Guiche the brass, therefore a brass golem, a Valkyrie to be precise, shall be your opponent."
Saito waited for the golem to act first. It charged forward with a left jab. Saito reflexively went forward and deftly dodged to his right, grabbing the Valkyrie's arm with his left hand and pulling himself forward as he ran towards Guiche. Saito grinned as he charged towards the surprised Noble, and threw a vicious right hook. He hit the flower bearing noble's shocked face with all his might, sending Guiche to the ground. Saito looked down at his opponent.
"Your doll isn't as fast as I thought it was going to be." Saito said as he backed up, and situated himself so that he could keep an eye on both Guiche and his puppet. Saito saw something very important. Guiche's Valkyrie was on the ground, still. Once Guiche got up and raised his flower, that's when the golem started moving again. Saito bent down and quickly picked up a rock. He was now fully confident that he could win.
A crowd had gathered to watch the duel. All of them were awed at what the Familiar had done. The Familiar had just displayed enough speed, finesse, and strength that made the commoner suddenly look a lot more intimidating. Guiche noticed as well.
"You don't think it's strong enough?" Guiche said as he waved his rose again. Saito could tell that the mage did not want to be humiliated again. Two rose petals fell, and from them appeared two more identical Valkyries.
Saito's eyes widened. "Ah crap."
Saito backed up. His earlier confidence had been badly damaged. He tried to think of a new counter. 'Alright, he is controlling three golems at the same time.' They began their charge. 'So that means that Guiche is controlling the movements of all three golems at once. So I have to hope that he has trouble coordinating three bodies at once, and interrupt his train of thought. That way I can get in close again and take him out.' Saito jumped back from the first Valkyrie's punch, then pulled it forward, forcing it to follow its momentum as he got on its back. He jumped over the second Valkyrie's spear thrust, as well as the Valkyrie itself. Saito landed with a roll to the third Valkyrie giving a kick. It hit Saito square in the chest. Saito was lifted off the ground, and strait into the hard, brass back of the second golem.
Saito gasped, the air knocked out of him as he fell onto his knees. Saito looked up and saw the third swinging its spear to hit him square on the back. He quickly rolled out of the way and jumped to his feet. Only to be greeted by the first Valkyrie's fist meeting his face. Right before the fist made contact, Saito saw that the punching Valkyrie was moving in the same way he was when he hit Guiche. Saito was thrown back by the punch to the ground. Saito laid there for a second.
Everyone watching believed that the Familiar had lost. Louise was about to speak up when Saito suddenly stood up, panting.
Saito spat out some blood and a tooth and said, "Your golems hit like sledgehammers, I have to say that I'm impressed." Saito grinned, showing his red tinted teeth. He was still tightly gripping the stone in his right hand.
"Going to give up?" Guiche asked with a smirk on his face.
"I've been training to become a Devil Dog for years, no way am I surrendering to you." Saito said as he prepared for the golems to attack.
Guiche gave a simple wave of his rose and the attack resumed. Saito spun past the first, and was greeted by the second thrusting its spear forward. Saito grabbed the spear and pulled himself forward, preparing to throw the stone at Guiche. The third golem was sending a spinning kick as the stone left Saito's hand. Guiche waved his rose, sending out another petal that quickly became another golem, the stone hit the new golem instead, doing nothing.
Thankfully, Guiche's focus on his third golem was broken, and Saito was able to deftly dodge its kick. Saito quickly righted himself and got ready to dodge the three golems' assault again, knowing he needed to end this soon. He had already forgotten about the new golem behind him.
The fourth golem gave a vicious kick to Saito's back, sending the Devil Dog off his feet and strait into the other three Valkyries. A powerful fist met Saito's chest, a merciless kick to his shoulder, and an aggressive punch to his left side. Saito was flung from the brutal assault, and landed face down. Saito pushed himself onto his knees, and coughed up some blood.
"Guiche, please, enough already!" It was Louise.
'She sounds concerned.' Saito thought to himself.
"Leave him Louise, step aside." Guiche commanded.
Louise looked down at the panting Saito, on his hands and knees. "Come on now, that's enough. You did really well, okay? I've never seen a peasant like you before."
Saito spit and got to his feet. "Relax, the fight hasn't been decided yet." Saito coughed up a little more blood, and gripped his chest in pain. 'Damn it, at least three broken ribs.' Saito thought to himself.
"What, did you expect it wasn't going to hurt? This makes no sense, what are you doing why are you doing this!" Louise desperately asked. Saito grinned. She was concerned.
"Don't be so worried Louise." Saito groaned. "I'm a Devil Dog. It takes more than this to take me down. I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."
Louise growled a bit. "It doesn't matter if you have another trick up your sleeve, you can't beat him! You, you, YOU STUPID DOG!" Louise pushed Saito.
"Heh, you're right, I'm just a stupid Devil Dog."
"You're going to keep fighting? Then take this." Guiche confidently said as he swung his rose, creating a large sword right in front of Saito.
'He's MOCKING me!' Saito angrily thought. For a normal person, picking up the blade would have been suicide. It wasn't a small, light sword, but a heavy, sluggish two-handed blade. It would slow any normal, inexperienced person down and make him all the less threatening, and Saito knew that. He also knew that it was a weapon, and should activate the runes on his hand, making him abnormal. However, there was no way he would use a charity weapon. No, he would use his knife.
"If you want to go on just pick up this sword, but if not, then you have to tell me that you are very, very sorry." Guich said with a grin.
"Stop this Guiche!"
"I'm not done yet. So wipe that shit eating grin off your ugly mug." Saito said as he approached the sword.
"NO WAIT!" Louise shouted as she grabbed Saito's hands. "You can't! If you pick that up Guiche won't show you any mercy! I am your Master and I am ordering you not to fight!"
Saito pushed Louise out of the way. "You should know by now that I don't obey you. I don't bow down or listen to any of the crap you say." Saito said as he grabbed the sword. "I'm not going to bow to this idiot either!" Saito shouted as he pulled the sword from the ground. Saito firmly gripped the sword, feeling the pain leave his body. "AND I'M NOT GOING TO USE YOUR CHARITY EITHER!" Saito screamed as he threw the sword towards the ground, tip first. The blade penetrated to the hilt in an intimidating display of power.
"You're going to throw away your only weapon? Foolish." Guiche mocked.
"I brought my own." Saito calmly said as he reached behind his back and lifted his sweatshirt up, revealing the handle of the Brass knuckled dagger.
Saito firmly gripped it in his right hand and brought it forward in a reverse grip. He pulled off the sheath with his left hand, the runes vibrantly glowing. Saito felt the same sense of power he always felt from the now hidden runes as he felt once again all of the pain leave his body.
"You threw away the sword for a dagger! WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM, ARE YOU BRAIN-DEAD!" Louise shouted.
"SHUT UP AND LET ME FINISH THIS!" Saito viciously screamed as he charged forward at inhuman speed. Before Guiche could even react Saito had already thrown a punch at and crushed the golem closest to him.
As Guiche began maneuvering them Saito spun, digging the blade into the top half of the second Valkyrie. He then viciously pulled the blade down cutting clean through the brass statue. The third golem thrust the spear forward, but with the enhanced speed granted by the runes the Valkyrie might as well have not made a move at all. Saito grabbed the pole of the spear and pushed himself up, letting the blade simply shear off the head of the golem. With the spear still firmly in his grasp, Saito jabbed at the last golem quickly three times. He pierced it on each attempt. Saito threw down the spear and turned toward Guiche with a grin.
"Got anything else?" Saito asked, the remains of Guiche's four Valkyries surrounding himself.
Guiche waved his rose with a terrified look on him. Saito grinned when only three more Valkyries appeared. 'Magic must have a limit, and he's reached his.' Saito thought confidently. He charged forward, effortlessly cutting the three down. Saito walked unopposed towards Guiche as he sheathed his camping, no, his combat knife.
Guiche backed up slowly, terrified. Saito calmly put his knife back from where he grabbed it, and ran at Guiche without the extra speed the runes gave. Saito threw a hard left at Guiche's chest, feeling a crack as it made contact. A right punch strait into Guiche's chest, rewarding Saito with another satisfying crack followed by two more punches into his gut, making Guiche double over. Saito brought his knee up to meet Guiche's nose, and Saito felt it shatter under his assault. Guiche's face was brought back up to Saito, who threw two last punches, both making contact with Guiche's face. It launched Guiche off his feet and he landed roughly a few feet away, unconscious and bruised.
The entire crowd was in awe of the incredible display of power. Most of them were unable to believe that a commoner had so overwhelmingly beaten a noble!
Saito, however, gave a grin and said, "Pretty sure this means I win. Don't worry, I'm not hurt that badly."
Saito suddenly kneeled forward and vomited some blood. He stared at it as Louise dashed forward, his eyes feeling heavy. "Are you alright!"
"I…Said…I…Was" Saito began, but didn't finish. 'I should have pulled the knife sooner.' Saito thought to himself before he collapsed.
"AHHHH! WHAT'S WRONG!" Louise screamed. Then she heard it.
Snoring.
(1) MCMAP, stands for Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. Look it up. It's also know as Semper Fu
AN: As you can all hopefully tell, the violence in this is much more brutal than it was in the Anime and amazingly its also more brutal then Light Novels. (Note, the Light Novel describes Wardes getting filled with holes by the Zero) Anyway, I am satisfied with it, since in a fight like that a person would be spitting up blood. Also, I thought it seemed slightly more bad ass. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it.
Also, some of you might notice that I've taken things out of both the Anime and the Light Novel. A lot of it direct quotes of the characters. This chapter didn't really deviate from the canon, at all. However as time goes on this fic will stray more and more from the canon.
Anyway, the next update won't come as soon as this one did. You should still read and review though.
This is Lee, and I'm out!