Advance: This Chapter is something else. I went full serious mode.
It was midnight, and Ark was walking towards his target that he had been delaying to deal with it for a while. Now, it was not the time to chicken out; it was time to finish the job.
The Mage didn't bring along Mordred, he told her to stay beside Gray and keep an eye on the young girl, the Knight was trying to figure out why Ark wasn't bringing her along and she tried her best to convince the Ex-Apprentice, but the young man was stubborn just like her and only told her to stay with a much more firm tone.
And that leads us here, the Mage walking along the sidewalk silently, his hood hiding his features. His bright emerald eyes staring ahead with a blank expression in them showing no emotions.
But in the male's head, he is currently having a war with himself.
He hated how this was turning out and just couldn't bring himself to kill Sakura... she deserves so much more than what she is going through now...
But even with his large arsenal of spells, none of them can cure or get rid of the worm that wiggles within her body. He hated that feeling, the feeling of being useless no matter how hard he tried, in his past life he felt this way plenty of times and hates it. Like how he couldn't do anything to save Mordred from her fate... Even now, that thought still eats at him.
Ark's footsteps echoed inside the Mage's ears as he tried everything he could to ignore the feeling growing inside him.
The feeling guilt and what might happen when he finishes his deed. The man already knew what might happen, but at the same time, his reasonable side told him it was for the best. Sakura will only be getting in the way with the grail piece inside her.
The footsteps stopped, and Ark looked up at the building that the Mage knew all too well, holding the most cursed thing he had ever seen, the crest worm. I'm just thinking about it angered Ark.
Being a person who has been around magic and spells for a while, this is insulting, to say the least, there are plenty of ways for immortality especially in magic, this version of it was just cruel and disgusting.
Well, maybe only in Ark's version of magic and spells, but the Pendragon knew he had to get this over with. Inside the man's head, a small voice told him there was another way and that he didn't have to kill Sakura.
This voice was his more somewhat heroic side, but it's never heard because of the much louder voice, the reasonable voice which always had plenty of points and valid excuses.
Sometimes, Ark would listen to the quiet voice; most of the time, he ignores it. The Mage never liked being the hero; it seemed to be too much work for him, but he also didn't like being the bad guy either. Just the thought of everyone hating your very existence didn't sit right with him.
So Ark was in the middle for the most part. Being in the grey area had its many different benefits, but there is no point in talking about it right now.
The mage stepped into the manor, and the feeling of being watched was strong. Looking around the house, it looks somewhat decent in size, but for appearance, it looked broken, and being a Caster also helped with his senses on finding certain things.
The whole house reeked of tainted magic. It was like using a forbidden spell that gave off dark energy and left dark residue everywhere. Not only that, but the cold atmosphere it leaves behind, that is the feeling Ark is getting off this house.
Ark paused and crouched down. He placed his hand on the ground and closed his eyes. After a few seconds, a complex rune appeared on the ground, which glowed a dark blue. The rune had a kite shield in the center of it and different symbols surrounding it.
The rune flashed, and the whole Manor was covered in a dark blue dome. Nothing is leaving this place alive; it's time to exterminate a few annoying pests.
With a scowl, the Mage walked up to the front doors and cast Ebony Flesh and, without a care in the world, kicked them off the hinges, sending the two doors flying into a wall.
The walls shivered and pulsed at the feeling of a powerful person stepping into the house. The person gave off so much magical feeling that the things within wanted nothing more than to suck up the person for all their Prana leaving them dry. However, the person who stepped into that house was not an idiot.
Ark suddenly burst into flames and raised his arms. The whole room lit up, and on the walls were crest worms, all of them were shivering and looking ready to lunge at him.
And so they did. The Mage, however, didn't let them have a chance. A spew of fire left his palms, and the moment it touched the worms, they're burst into flames. The Male can already hear the sound of some creepy old guy crying out in pain.
And so Ark continued through the house, burning all the insects away without a care in the world. To a normal person, this would be a challenge to clear out the infestation, but to Ark, this was a piece of cake. Reaching a door, he kicked it open and looked around. The place smelled of death like the rest...
Ark decided that after he made sure his tasks were done. He will burn this entire building to the ground, not like it was already on fire. He glanced back to see the halls slowly being swallowed up by his spells.
He... tried... he tried to find a spell to help Sakura, but there wasn't anything he could do. His morals were still there, but Sakura is interfering with his plans, and the Mage doesn't need her getting in the way.
This will cause a lot of stuff to happen and might even lose his alliance with Rin... but it was for the greater good. Ark walked down the burning hallway once more, not at all bothered by the flames that started to slowly consume the house.
Ark still has a heart; he never truly wanted to kill so many people, but some deserve it, and those that don't. Sakura was a victim, and she deserves to be happy...
Sadly, Ark had no way of saving her, and this caused him to hit an impasse on what he should do. He needs the grail piece for his reasons, and he needs to kill that worm inside her to make sure that slimy old prick stays dead.
Merlin's apprentice wasn't a stone-cold killer. Or at least that is what Ark keeps telling himself. He made a promise not to kill or hurt children, but that was all a ruse to make himself feel better, thinking he had some sort of honorable morals.
But the truth is, Ark has hurt children and even killed them. Every day, he keeps telling himself that he isn't a killer; he doesn't want to be the bad guy of the story, the Caster wishes to only be the guy that doesn't pick a side to be on.
But the reality of it is a bitch and it doesn't like the Pendragon. Caster would sometimes ask himself what his old siblings would think of him. Would they be scared, would they hate him, or would they simply be mournful that this world has taken away the brother that they once knew and loved?
Ark lowered his head as the sounds of dying insects filled his ears, but he didn't pay them any mind. They weren't leaving this place alive; none of them were. The young Pendragon found his target and entered the room. It was a basement, and the smell of it made the mage grimace slightly.
Walking deeper into the basement, Ark can feel the dark energy getting stronger and knew he had to prepare himself for what he will witness. Sure, he has seen much worse thanks to his time in Camelot, but just seeing this in person might cause Ark to hesitate at the last second.
After a few minutes, the male raised his hand, and a ball of fire hovered above his palm, lighting up the room. In front of him was another small set of stairs, but down those stairs is what he is looking for.
Ark's breath hitched at the sight and shivered slightly at the sight. It was Sakura; she was in a pile of crest worms that slithered around her naked body, violating the poor girl who is already too far gone by the looks of it.
Sakura flinched at the sudden bright light and slowly opened her eyes. This allowed Ark to frown when he spotted the dead look in the girl's purple eyes. The young girl's hair was all messed up and she was covered in a strange fluid that the mage didn't need to know what it is.
Ark slowly walked down the small stairs, while Sakura watched the man approach thinking to herself that maybe her torment will finally end... all her pain will suddenly disappear and she can finally rest in peace.
The Caster however had a pained look in his eyes as he stared at the girl before him. She didn't fully react to him at all, if anything she just accepts what was coming to her.
The worms quickly slithered away from Sakura's body leaving her naked, but she didn't care nor did she react. She watched as the man in armor kneels and look her in the eyes.
Green meets purple. One side is filled with nothing but sadness and hate, while the other side is completely hollow of any emotions.
"Are you here to end my torment?" Sakura asked blankly making Ark pause as his gut curled in disgust at what he was about to do. "You don't look like Uncle, you look like a knight that I've read about in those books I have read in the past," Sakura said slowly looking over the mage's armor admiring how elegant the armor is.
Ark gave the girl a watery smile at that. He still didn't say anything only letting the girl get lost In her memories which she seems very fond of. It's better than dying with pain and suffering.
The apprentice continues to listen to the girl talk and felt his heart clench, the thought of what he must do next infested his head.
"Look at you, such a coward, to think you're a supposed Pendragon, you are nothing like them, you can never be them." A dark voice that sounded similar to Ark said within the Mage's head. The mage is familiar with this voice, it's the voices that talked down at him, it has been a while since he has heard from it.
"I'm not a coward," Ark responded evenly. "I know I can never be a Pendragon, it's a name I can never truly carry." Ark raised his arm and summoned a Bound Dagger. Sakura saw this and watched the blade slowly raise over the Knight's head. "I never saw myself as a Pendragon to begin with, they are warriors with a heart of steel and fire in their blood, I'm but a simple mage who was trained under the guidance of the Flower Magus."
Sakura knew what was coming and simply smiled while closing her eyes. A single tear rolled down her cheek making the apprentice pause for a second. Shaking his head Ark tightened his grip around the magical dagger and did the only thing he could.
"I'm Merlin's Apprentice, younger brother to Mordred Pendragon, a soon-to-be Master of Spell." Ark brought down the dagger. "And one massive coward... with a heart filled to the brim with sorrow."
Sakura slowly opened her eyes and looked to the side and saw the dagger stabbed into the floor right beside her head. She looked to see tears rolling down the male's face.
"I'm such a fucking coward," Ark said slowly as the dagger disappeared. "I can't even do what must be done." Sakura watched as the Knight stood up and staggered. "No matter how much I tell myself, I'm no Pendragon, I never was In the beginning."
Ark looked at Sakura who stared back. The Caster's mask that he hid behind from everyone finally cracked and his true self was let out. To many, Caster is a mage with powerful powers unknown, able to wipe out armies with a flick of his wrist, create things people only dreamed of.
But in reality, Ark was broken having witnessed so much In the new life that he sometimes wishes he can go back to his old one... he is a broken Pendragon... just like the rest of them, just like Artoria and Mordred.
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Ark was leaving the burning building behind, making sure every single insect is dead and won't escape and cause even more damage. The mage passed by his barrier without a word, he continued to walk down the path before shifting his arms showing that he is currently carrying something or someone for that matter.
Glancing down, Ark made eye contact with Sakura who is currently wrapped up in a slightly burnt blanket that he was able to save from the fire.
The Ex-Apprentice wasn't giving up, he will find a spell to cure Sakura, he had to try, she deserves better. Himself? In due time his wish will eventually come true and maybe, just maybe his new family can help put themselves back together.
Advance: A little short, but this chapter is mostly to point out the decision that was made for Sakura's fate and what Ark is truly feeling on the inside.
Angel: We wanted to show you guys Ark isn't invincible which is something you don't see often in other books.
Devil: Character development if you will. We wish to truly explain how Ark feels and for you to truly understand what kind of person he is.
Advance: Anyways, be sure to leave some comments on your thoughts about Ark, good or bad doesn't matter to us. And we hope you enjoyed the chapter we have written up.