It was morning in the very well-known Academy Of Magic, and it appears that our dear Storyteller is dealing with a phone call, just like with the day before, while at a table together with his ladies.
"I am actually surprised it took this long to happen." Aristidis admits to the Queen.
(=At the beginning it was about Atom Eve, but then they decided to make the religion entirely about you, which resulted in even more people to join them.=) Henrietta explains through the phone, and sounds rather concerned. (=You know the respect I hold for you, but if this keeps on going as it does, the Church of Founder Brimir's Belief will be forced to deem them officially heretics, and the chaos that is bound to happen because of it will be...=)
The pitch-black Storyteller calmly gets up. "I understand, worry not. Tell the people I will be there in an hour to make an announcement, and I will make things crystal clear. Certainly better than that one emperor who was not clear enough to his subjects about it."
(=E-Even such a scenario exists within your Tome?!=) The Queen asks utterly surprised, understanding almost instantly that he speaks about something that actually happened in one of his stories.
"Not the most maddening part of that story, trust me." Aristidis tells her with a sweat drop, making obvious the fact he sees this a bit more seriously than amusing, and then his face turns kind. "Anyway, see you then!"
After that, he ends the call, puts the phone behind him, and looks at the girls. "Looks like people have started a cult in my name, calling me the god of gods, the god summoning god, and other such silly titles."
What they hear causes Louise's and Charlotte's surprise, with Kirche and Siesta looking at their two friends confused.
"Why the surprised faces? It's not far from the truth." The redhead tells them, and then adopts a pompous posture. "Actually about time for our love to be recognized as highly, if you ask me."
The pink-haired girl turns to her somewhat upset. "Don't you get it? The church doesn't take kindly to anything that has nothing to do with Founder Brimir. Even if it's about Aristidis."
"Correct. It can spell trouble." The blue-haired girl agree with her.
"Oh, I see." Kirche responds a bit concerned and with a hand over her chin, now understanding why her friends are so concerned about.
Siesta is in some disbelief. "C-Can't they just accept it? Aristidis has done so much for Tristain and its people, and-"
"Not how things work when it comes to religion, my dear Siesta." The mouthless Storyteller interrupts her, and then shrugs. "And in any case, I do not want to be considered what I am not, despite my godlike grandeur." Says in the end proudly while his whole being sparkles for the moment, which causes the expected sweat drops from the rest due to his known arrogance.
Aristidis begins walking away after explaining, and stops next to a car waiting for him there, which most likely appeared there while no one was looking, while opening his Tome to read for something, and while Alfred Pennyworth, from Batman, moves and proceeds to open the door for him, before looking back at them. "I am going there on my own for this one- need time to think in what way I will proceed with this speech of mine, and I will be back in approximately two hours. I would normally take you along, but you are probably going to be too much of an irresistible distraction for me, and also it will be a short business, so no reason to tire you with such a trivial thing."
"See you later, my beautiful ladies!" He finishes with a kind face and a waving hand, and enters as soon the car, with the butler Alfred beginning to drive him toward their destination.
The girls were a bit displeased for having to spend time without him, despite understanding the importance of his current duty.
"Aww, there he goes." The redhead utters sad.
Charlotte turns to her, her own expression neutral. "Just for two hours."
"Yeah, it's not like he will be missing for that long, get ahold of yourself, Kirche." Louise tells her redhead friend with a sweat drop and a bored expression, wanting to make her understand how unreasonable it is to be sad about it, despite in reality not liking the fact herself.
After a short moment of silence of them just looking at the gate Aristidis left from, the pink-haired girl, and the rest, turns her attention with a smile upward to the side. "Sorry about that, you may continue your story, Optimus Prime."
When saying that, the scene moves to show sitting next to them in a giant metal chair a towering, humanoid robot, over seven meters tall, with a predominantly blue and red color scheme, a powerful and muscular build, at the chest features an insignia, with his helmet-like head includes a prominent faceplate and glowing blue eyes, who was there all this time, but just now became apparent through the moving of the scene. [As said, Optimus Prime from Transformers, ready to continue his story, which the girls are also ready to listen with great interest]
Optimus Prime proceeds with the rest of his story. "After an arduous and perilous voyage through the vast expanse of space, spanning countless light-years, and enduring the relentless pursuit of the Decepticons, we finally reached our long-awaited destination. Earth."
~An Hour Later~At Tristania~
The scene cuts to Tristania, where at one of the city's squares, a wooden platform has been set there, where Queen Henrietta, some of her guards, along with Iroh and his son Lu Ten, from ATLA, stand on it, with a large crowd having been gathered before the said platform, filling the entirety of the said square, all awaiting for the Storyteller's important arrival.
That is when Aristidis is being noticed. Walking through the opening made by the guards standing in the way of the crowd, as both commoners and Nobles applaud and exclaim for the powerful being that honors them with his appearance once more.
He raises a waving hand toward all for a moment, greeting them out of respect for coming here to see and hear him, and as he walks up to the middle of the platform, with the Queen stepping aside for him, he notices how many of the people from the crowd wear black capes, along with a black cloth covering their mouth, and who applaud louder than the rest, making obvious the fact that those ones are part of the cult he has heard about, which makes Aristidis feel a bit amused at their attempt to mimic him even at that extent.
The Storyteller then raises immediately both hands up, signing everyone to stop, to which they all almost instantly do so in response.
He then manifests from nothingness a microphone in one of his hands as he lowers them, and brings it close to his mouthless area with a kind expression. "First things first, allow me to thank you all for gathering here today like asked by her esteemed Majesty of Tristain that is Queen Henrietta."
Henrietta smiles at him mentioning her as highly.
Aristidis continues, his face now mostly neutral. "Now going straight to the point, this new religion that has been made in my name. I will need you to dissolve it."
The people, but mostly those associated with the said religion/cult, gasp from shock at the sound of it, as some begin to chatter with one another utterly confused about the reason their figure of worship wants them to do such a thing.
He moves his free hand up and down a few times, signing them to calm and quiet down, which they slowly do so. "I can understand your confusion. But as extremely flattering as it is of you to revere me as a god, which is understandable due to the power I hold and all, it makes no sense of you to do so. I can do nearly anything, but that does not mean I can hear your prayers to answer them. Also, I simply want to just sit back and enjoy my time on this world unbothered, with no wars to be involved in more than I did. I do not say I will not give to your world more gifts once the time is right, but worshipping me as an actual deity is plain idiocy since I do not meet the requirements to really be considered one. Not that I am telling you to not revere me in general as a very important figure, but I repeat, do NOT consider me a deity, nor treat me like one, no matter how incredibly phenomenal I am." Says the last part with signs of pride.
The Queen sweat drops and smiles awkwardly with the way he said that last one.
There is no way his arrogance will not show even a little when talking about himself.
The pitch-black Storyteller narrows his eyes a bit in a serious manner, and looks left and right at the people. "Is what I said absolutely clear, and that you will live your life like the normal and common-knowledgeable individuals your Queen and I expect you to be?"
The people immediately nod hastily while uttering in agreement, with all of the members of the cult also removing their cloth-pieces off their mouths in response, not wanting to insult the powerful and benevolent being before them.
"Good." Aristidis responds pleased, and then snaps his fingers, which results in a wall of stone suddenly appearing behind him out of nowhere, much to everyone's astonishment, but also confusion as to why he summoned that there.
He turns his head toward it while putting both hands at the sides of his mouthless area with some enthusiasm. "Oh no! Oh no! Oh no!"
After saying the last oh no, they break through the wall two big-sized, a bit larger than the average human, anthropomorphic pitchers, filled with Tropical Punch Kool-Aid, with actual sized pitchers in their hands that are filled with as much, and marked with a fingerpainted smiley face, who exclaim in unison "Oh yeah!" and with their arms extended outward after breaking through the said wall. [Kool-Aid Man the original mascot of Kool-Aid, and Kool-Aid Man from Family Guy, here to share the work at hand]
As everyone watch with surprise and much of curiosity, the Storyteller turns to the people again with a joyous expression, and with an extended hand toward one of the two Kool-Aid Men, in which a drinking glass manifests for the former to hold, and the latter using the smaller pitcher to happily fill it for him, before the former lifts it before himself. "Now, everyone, to end this gathering properly, bring forth a cup or glass, and ready yourselves to be served an enjoyable, new-to-you drink, provided by me, and by its two great mascots, of course."
At the sound of that, the people that have gathered cheer, for they know the greatness that is the Storyteller's gifts, as the two giant pitchers step down to serve them their delicious Kool-Aid.
Henrietta steps next to the Storyteller, with the latter offering her as soon the glass, much to her short-lived surprise, and her accepting it with a smile. "This was much shorter than I expected it to be. Thank you for helping with the issue, Aristidis."
"You are welcome." Aristidis responds simply, before moving close to whisper in her ear as his expression turns seductive. "Since I am here, how about we go to your bedroom back at the palace, and have us for the next hour an... Important meeting?"
She blushes at that, as she then proceeds to chuckle while looking to the side a bit awkward about, and then turns back to him with a slightly more bold face. "You are so scandalous."
"Hello, kettle, the name is pot, have we met?" He rhetorically asks her with playful sarcasm, pretty much calling her out for being the same way herself, causing both to chuckle amused at the fact.
There is no need to put into detail what followed after that.
~An Hour Later~Back At The Academy~
As soon as the time scheduled reaches its end point, supposedly, the pitch-black Storyteller makes his sudden appearance in the middle of the courtyard, and close to the main building, via teleportation, with him sighing that moment with satisfaction.
"Smallish Louise!" Eleonore's serious voice draws his attention to the side that moment, where he notices at a decent distance her, with her arms folded, along with Cattleya and Professor Colbert standing in front of Louise, Siesta, Charlotte and Kirche.
The blonde Noblewoman continues. "You cannot be serious with this."
The pink-haired girl throws her hands up upset. "Why not?! It's not like I lack the magic to do so now. By the Founder, I can make the difference on top of that as well!"
Colbert doesn't like the sound of that. "Still-"
"I just now returned, what is the commotion about?" Aristidis interrupts as he now appears to be standing to the side and in a sense between them, with the group noticing him with startled surprise, before relaxing and showing a more welcoming demeanor toward him.
"Ah, Aristidis, just in time." Louise begins with a smile, and then her expression turns serious as she points a finger at her sisters and Colbert. "Please tell them I am not the weak girl I used to be, and that they have nothing to worry about."
"It's not that we think of you as weak, Louise-" Her pink-haired sister begins, the concern obvious in her face. "But as supportive as I am with you at everything, telling us you want to go in the front lines of a war is not something we cannot worry about."
The Storyteller understands as he turns to Louise. "Aah, it is about helping your childhood friend, who will be leaving in seven days for Albion as I have heard."
"Exactly." The pink-haired girl responds positively.
He then looks at the three grown-ups. "And you are against it due to the nature of war, along with the fact that despite her having the magic to handle herself in a fight-scenario without issue, you would still prefer it better for her to stay here, and simply enjoy the peace and the friendly company, since it is more ideal than the former."
"Yes!" Both Eleonore and the Professor exclaim, with Cattleya simply nodding in agreement.
The other three girls at the moment were somewhat troubled and unsure as to whose side to take in this.
"I can do that again once we end the war." Louise tells them, and then with a slightly pleading expression, and both hands clasped together, moves fast in front of the Storyteller. "Aristidis, dear, love, I know you said that you will not get involved with this war, but could you please reconsider? If we help her Highness to defeat the enemy, we can end this war faster, and she will have less to worry about from then on."
"Defeat the enemy, you say?" Colbert asks, drawing attention on him, before slightly narrowing his serious eyes. "In other words you will go there and kill the enemy."
The pink-haired girl realizes the error of her words there, and appears quite troubled. "I-I didn't mean it like..."
"It will not be the first time, really." Aristidis says with a quick shrug of his shoulders, much to everyone's surprise and confusion, before looking at each of them. "She shot down Wardes during the battle at Tarbes, remember?"
Everyone remembers that bit of information they forgot about for a moment there, with Colbert facing downward while disliking the fact of how the young girl stained her hands like that, while the blonde Noblewoman thinks about it for a bit more. "Killed by the hand of the lady he betrayed. I still find it fitting."
The Professor snaps out of his filled with frustration thoughts, and turns to her while all serious. "You don't say you will allow her to do this in the end, do you?"
He immediately after turns to Aristidis, hoping the wise and highly caring individual will not support on letting her go to war. "Aristidis?"
The mouthless Storyteller raises an eyebrow. "If the issue is about her killing people, then she can simply not do that."
That confuses mostly the grown-ups.
"She can choose to be by her Majesty's side, and play the role of the guardian." He explains. "There are multiple defensive spells within her Magic Book, along with restraining spells that can help her achieve that. No killing from her part, and can still be a proper support to the Queen."
Louise points at him enthusiastically. "Yes, that is exactly how I was thinking of this! Well, at least the defensive ones, I didn't quite consider the spells that restrain." She admits in the end with a sweat drop.
Aristidis narrows his eyes, and wags his finger up and down at her. "You need to remember considering ALL of the possibilities, pupil Louise. Every type of spell can be used in different ways. Have I not taught you about being creative?"
"You're right, sorry." She apologizes while rubbing with a hand the back of her head out of embarrassment.
Colbert cannot believe him. "You will let her?!"
"It will be under serious consideration." The mouthless Storyteller replies simply, much to Louise's confusion, and looks at her again as he puts a hand on her shoulder. "Before any decision is made, I suggest we discuss and think carefully about this, during these seven days before the Queen's scheduled departure. No need to be hasty here. After all, how can we know if she needs our help at this point or not, with everything currently at her disposal. Will it be appropriate of us to even bother suddenly making our appearance for the final battle that is to take place, with that in mind."
That puts the pink-haired girl into contemplation, now a bit unsure whether she should go with her original plan or not.
It also puts everyone else at ease, sinse their current worry was lessened.
Everyone but Colbert that is, who still dislikes the situation, for the Storyteller did not really deny her idea, neither appeared hesitant about the whole thing, treating it rather casually, as if nothing of special concern.
The Professor just hopes his fear about both of them taking part in the war, will not come to reality. Both for her not ending up scarred by it. And him forcing and showing the unimaginable upon both friend and foe.
"Since there is no hurry-" The pink-haired sister begins with a smile, drawing attention on her. "What everyone says to do something together for a change?"
Aristidis points a finger at her with some enthusiasm. "That is a great idea you just had there, Cattleya."
Kirche appears elated with that. "Ah, darling Aristidis thought of an interesting and amazing activity to be acting like that. I am already SO on board with this!"
"We will be doing some reading." He says simply.
"... Eh?" The redhead utters after a short pause in a questioning manner, confused with what she just heard, with the rest being somewhat the same way.
The pitch-black Storyteller looks at his group with a jolly face. "I did not get to read all of the books down at the vault the last time, and I really want to learn more interesting and juicy details from each."
He then moves close and crouches before the pink-haired girl, his jolly face close to her now troubled one. "Could we please do that? Pretty plea~se, loves?"
Louise sweat drops while raising her hands up defensively. "F-Fine, we can do that if you want it so much. But not for too many hours like last time." She ends it with a more serious face.
"Deal!" Aristidis responds pleased and with a graceful spin while stepping back, before beginning to slowly walk away as he now holds two fingers at the side of his head. "I will make us preparations for the night. It will be a proper book club of awesomeness!"
As they all watch him move toward the main building, Kirche is in disbelief.
"Really?" She questions, before moving both hands and head downward to hang there as she groans a bit exasperated, but then straightens herself up with a sign, and a somewhat more calm, but awkwardly smiling expression. "O-Ok, things can't always be about us all the time, girls. Like our lovely Aristidis respects our wishes, so we too have to respect his. Yes."
Her three close friends sweat drop at her for not really hiding her annoyance about the reading session that was scheduled for them, but understand.
"Not quite what I had in mind, but still not a bad idea." Cattleya says with a smile, and turns to her big, blonde sister. "What do you say, Eleonore?"
"Well, I suppose it will not do us any harm to visit that library again." Eleonore replies with a small shrug of the shoulders, with her then smiling with interest. "I actually have some interest to a specific subject in a book I happened to come across during our last search."
"Looking forward for tonight." Charlotte simply admits, with everyone but the Professor agreeing, somewhat sharing her interest.
Colbert puts a hand behind his head out of slight awkwardness, with everyone's attention on him now. "I'm sorry, but I won't be following you today down there. There is a research that I need to attend to in my lab during the later hours. I hope you understand."
After that, he turns and begins walking away as well. "I wish you a good time."
With everyone having made their schedule of the day, the early hours move on like normal.
If they only knew of the surprise awaiting for them all.
~During The Late Afternoon~
"Wow, the audacity of that one." The Storyteller responds a bit surprised and amused as he is seen at a cavernous place with both fingers at the side of his head, obviously talking to someone telepathically.
The pink-haired girl approaches him, while the scene shows her friends and sisters behind her and close at the underground vault's doors. "What was that, Aristidis?"
He removes the hand from his head as he turns to her with a happy expression. "Nothing, my dear pink princess, just communicating with my Tome-Personnel about their daily and latest news/reports."
Louise suppresses her need to yell at him for calling her names while her sisters are present and at hearing distance, and calms herself a bit as she sighs. "Nevermind that, by the way, did the people of your Tome find Fouquet yet?"
"Still nothing." Aristidis answers, his expression showing some concern, but mostly determination as he hits the palm of his hand now before him with the underside of his fist. "But we are not giving up just yet. She will be found by the end of this, whether dead or alive. Hoping for alive here, obviously." He adds at the end with a more neutral look and a casual manner.
She sweat drops at that, wondering what was even the point of him specifying the obvious.
"Louise, Aristidis!" Kirche yells at them, drawing their attention, before pointing at the doors behind her group with her thumb. "Are we going inside, or what?"
At that, the Storyteller chuckles somewhat amused as he begins to walk toward them, with Louise following a second later. "So polite of you all to wait for us, before officially entering. I will make sure Cinderella and the rest bring us some extra special treats for this night."
That earns him Louise's and Kirche's full of interest exclamations, and Charlotte's and Cattleya's more quiet utterings, while the scene moves up as it turns to black, moving on some time later.
~Some Time Later~
During the dark of the night, where people were either sleeping or busy, high into the sky a small, flying ship was making its way toward the academy, using both the darkness and elevation to hide its presence from the eyes below.
Not quite the precise case, though.
Upon the part of the academy's wall that is closest to the approaching ship, the Captain of the Oblivion Guard along with four other of his guards are seen there, the former using army-type binoculars.
And he has already spotted the flying ship up there. "Here are the mercenaries of the enemy. Right on time like the detailed report said."
One of the guards seems to be bothered with something. "Normally I don't question the Storyteller's decisions, but was it wise to not inform the Musketeers about this. Seems like something they should know about."
His captain lowers the binoculars as he turns his head to him. "His excuse is, that because the level of threat is low, alarming them would be both unnecessary, and a shame for forcing them into losing their rest for no reason. Those were his words, at least."
"Now-" He begins as he turns with his men toward the courtyard, and looks at something down there, before he proceeds to somewhat yell at someone. "Is this anti-aircraft weapon ready?"
What they were looking at, was the M45 Quadmount, a large, towed anti-aircraft gun of World War 2, which consists of four .50 caliber M2 browning machine guns, mounted in pairs on either side of an armored open-top gunner's compartment with electrical laying, where your typical modern soldier in uniform of green camouflage, who is currently at the gunner's position, has just finished checking the said weapon.
"Loaded and ready, captain of the guard." The said soldier responds with a thumbs up.
The Captain of the Oblivion Guard turns back at looking at the flying ship. "Alright. Prepare to fire the moment they get into-"
Before he finishes that line, he along with his men, and the anti-aircraft gun with the modern soldier vanish in an instant, as if never there to begin with.
Different scenes at that moment show more and more of the Oblivion Guards vanishing in the same fashion, including many other characters like Korg the Kronan, Erza Scarlet, Rev Runner, and so on, as the Musketeers who were patrolling together with them were both startled and confused because of the said vanishing act.
Meanwhile, on top of another part of the wall surrounding the Academy, the cat in boots Puss, from Shrek and Puss In Boots, along with the chipmunks Chip and Dale, from Mickey Mouse Franchise, were watching to their own surprise how their friends and associates of the Tome just disappeared.
"Wh-What is going?" Chip questions understandably alarmed as he looks around at the now empty of Tome-Personnel courtyard.
Dale appears more stressed about this as he puts both paws on his head. "We will vanish too?!"
"Calm down, you two." Puss tells them a bit more focused but still concerned, as he proceeds to put two fingers of his paw at the side of his head. "I will just inform the Storyteller about it, and he..."
After a short pause, his eyes widen from shock for a moment, realizing something serious as he then narrows those eyes of his. "I can't reach the Storyteller. Something really wrong is going on here."
In the meantime, the scene moves at the top of the main building, where a shadowy, and not so clearly shown presence is standing there, watching the whole thing and letting a very familiar, sinister grin full of sharp teeth show on his full of darkness face.
Not too long after, the scene cuts under the Academy, and within the forbidden vault's library, where Aristidis, Louise, Siesta, Charlotte, Kirche, Eleonore and Cattleya were reading another book of their choice each, before the former reacts with a small jerk of his head to a feeling that moment, which causes his confusion, before quickly letting the book he was holding upon the table in front of him, and taking immediately after his Tome from behind him to open and take a look at, drawing everyone's confused attention because of that sudden move of his.
"Is something the matter, Aristidis?" Louise, Siesta and Kirche ask curiously in unison, with Kirche saying darling in the place of the name, which makes them look at each other in slight surprise, with Charlotte a moment later pouting disappointed for not being as fast to be part of this, and with Cattleya giggling a bit at the former three's unintentional, unison act.
"Well, this is rather odd-" The pitch-black Storyteller begins while raising an eyebrow and putting a hand on his chin. "But I both felt, and now see the points representing my magic, having refilled to my current maximum in an instant. And I mean a lot faster than normally expected."
The pink-haired girl shrugs. "Maybe you have earned a new level of magic like those other times? Maybe a lost piece of your power, which was here and you happened to not notice receiving?"
He gives her a bored look. "Dearest, I love you, but even you know how that last thought of yours especially was an idiotic one, considering the light show that happens each time I receive such piece. It just cannot be missed."
As the pink-haired girl pouts angrily at his smart-a*s comment, the blue-haired girl is ready to voice her own thought about it.
"Could it be Kremant's doing?" She questions, drawing attention on her. "A way to gift you for your work so far, or for a more serious reason that is to present itself soon."
Aristidis approaches her. "I cannot really see him intervening in such a way, but still a good thought, very good indeed, my cute and charming lady in blue." Praises at the end while caressing with his free hand the top of her hair.
While the blue-haired girl enjoys the attention she is given, the pink-haired girl especially feels rather jealous with the praise the former received for the better thinking, before turning to the side with her arms folded and an annoyed "Hmph!"
The doors opening that moment draw everyone's attention toward it, and they see the orange cat in boots, along with the two chipmunks running straight to them, as the latter two yell alarmed and in a repeating manner "Storyteller" till reaching the point in front of him.
Before any of the confused group gets to ask about this full of concern appearance of the trio, Puss quickly proceeds with his report. "Storyteller, the guards and most of your people up there vanished from sight!"
That immediately causes their great surprise, even the mouthless Storyteller's. "Vanished you say?"
"Moments ago, right before our very eyes." The cat in boots adds, as he is about to list a few important examples. "The man of stone, Korg, that redhead Erza woman and the other weapon masters-"
"Even Kirby?" Aristidis interrupts while asking with a hand on his own chin, and now carefully assessing the situation.
"Even that pink ball, si." Puss responds with a nod. "And we could not even communicate with you when it happened, for some reason."
The pitch-black Storyteller is in mild disbelief after hearing that, and then gets serious while turning to the rest. "Everyone, out of the library."
As soon as he says that, he walks fast toward the exit, with the rest following after him, and once just outside of the vault, they stop when he does so and when he raises a finger in a commanding manner, with the former remaining as he is while focusing, before the scene cuts to different locations in the academy, where surveillance cameras immediately appear upon the different ceilings, and seeing through them the commotion that is currently happening.
Bandit-looking people, who will officially be called mercenaries from here on, dressed in green cloaks, with the one commanding them wearing a purple cloak, and carrying magic staffs, invaded without issue the Academy Of Magic, and are gathering all of the female students, servant-personnel, teachers, even the Headmaster Osmond along with the priest Julio inside the main building's cafeteria, most likely to pose as hostages, and all that while Agnes and her Musketeers are preparing as quickly as possible to wear their equipment and uniform after successfully killing the few mercenaries who tried to strike them down while resting in the bed.
Aristidis also notices Colbert hidden in his personal lab, who has already dispatched via a dove a message which heads on its way to the Tristania's palace.
"Unnecessary, but still a proper quick thinking, Professor." The Storyteller says quietly as he understands his thinking of calling for reinforcements, and then is about to tell of the situation to the group behind himself while keeping his focus at the said situation through the cameras, which only HE sees. "Mercenaries working for Reconquista invaded the Academy, and have taken hostages."
Most of the group exclaim from shock at the sound of that.
"Were they the cause of your men's disappearance?" Louise asks, trying to make sense of the previous fact.
"None of them possesses the power to do so, especially when considering the fact many who vanished were inside the building and five towers, and before the invasion even begins, no less." Aristidis states as he continues further. "Not to mention THEY would still not be able to actually kill some of them, especially someone like our cute, little Kirby. I already have multiple theories of what happened, and just as many countermeasures at the ready for any of the said cases."
As the group is concerned with the possible danger they are facing, other than the mercenaries that is, the mouthless Storyteller puts two fingers upon the front of his forehead. "For now, I shall take us to where Agnes and her Musketeers are. Everyone but Puss, Chip and Dale, put your hands upon my smooth body."
Everyone does so, with Eleonore being a bit more hesitant about it, with the pink-haired girl rolling her eyes at him. "Did you have to word it like that?"
"You know me well enough to know the answer." He simply answers, and then looks at the three anthropomorphic animals. "You three stay here and guard the vault. Just in case."
After that, the group teleports out of the underground vault, and straight to the grassy courtyard at a decent distance away from the main building, where the Musketeer Captain and her Musketeers notice them in their startling surprise, before the said Captain finds her composure quickly to approach him.
And she is in some serious mood. "The academy was invaded, the enemy has taken hostages inside the main building, and some of my soldiers informed me of your guards' sudden disappeara-"
"We learned about all not too long ago." Aristidis cuts her off as he explains and while bringing a palm in front of her. "I am in the middle of understanding the nature of the last one. Now-"
He stops himself upon noticing that moment the few dead Musketeers at the side past a few of her women, and without saying anything more, he proceeds to approach them, as they all watch him curiously.
The women do not stop him as he walks past them, and he ceases movement once in front of the deceased, some with deep-cut wounds, and others burned horribly mostly on the head and face areas.
The Storyteller keeps on standing there looking down at them, expressionless. "These were beautiful women once. With families, and dreams awaiting to be fulfilled. And I am not even allowed to revive them. Give them a second chance."
Those words are more than enough to make everyonecoul understand how sad and frustrated he actually is about this, with mostly his girls and Cattleya feeling bad for him.
The blonde Noblewoman decides to break the silence by presenting her question to the Musketeer Captain. "So, what you and your Musketeers are planning to do to deal with this hostage situation?"
Agnes looks at her. "For now the plan is keeping them preoccupied by announcing how they have nowhere to run to, and opening supposed negotiations, as one of my teams is planting bombs upon the windows on the back in preparation to ambush them from both sides once the time is right."
"Denied." Aristidis tells her as he is seen walking calmly past them, drawing their confused attention on him, making his way toward the main building by himself, with the scene showing him now only from the neck and down as everyone gets surprised while looking at his face. "Stand by the entrance, make not a single sound of interruption, and do not move past that point."
The scene moves past the entrance's doors and within the cafeteria, where the mercenaries are standing there, guarding the entry points, and the many hostages they have gathered at the side, tied and down on their knees, as their captain is leisurely sitting upon a chair next to them while enjoying a glass of wine.
The captain is a tall, muscular man with obvious burns on different parts of his exposed skin, possibly more under the clothes, a big, blackened eyepatch covering both the eye and part of his upper face, with his left eye made-out of glass which's pupil is colored pale so it can look like a sightless eye, and light-blond, short hair, and carrying by his side a metal mace, which appears to have been made in a way to be used as a magic staff as well.
Julio opens his mouth to say something to the mercenary captain, only to be interrupted by a sudden, powerful force opening the entrance's doors wide open, alarming the mercenaries, and everyone's attention, toward it, with the mercenary captain quickly getting up in response just as soon while bringing forth his personal mace-staff with both hands, as they all see the pitch-black Storyteller standing in the middle of it, his face devoid of emotion, and giving them a look so cold, that it gives the chills into most of the people within the room.
The light-blond man faces him properly, till a specific smell makes him grin like a madman. "The faint smell of ink, and enough to weight as much as a person. Just like I was told. You must be the Storyteller everyone is talking about nowadays."
In the meantime outside, Louise and the rest gather by the entrance's sides to secretly watch the whole thing taking place, before that moment Colbert approaches them fast from behind.
Needless to say, he is very surprised and confused with them due to the danger behind that now open entrance, as he draws the female group's attention on him with his appearance. "What are you all-"
The said group immediately shush him that moment with a finger over their mouth toward him, before turning back to watching in secret the cafeteria, much to Colbert's greater confusion.
The Professor moves close to see what they are watching with such intensity, with the scene moving back to Aristidis, who somewhat relaxes his expression, and begins casually walking to the side, the mercenaries alarmed keep their guard up for any trick he might throw at them, and once close to one of the three long tables, specifically the one across their captain and hostages, he sits down upon the very first chair next to the said table's corner, opens his Tome, puts a hand within the pages, pulls out a cup of warm tea, closes the said Tome, and takes a sip in a somewhat pompous manner, much to almost everyone's utter confusion.
"What's with the silenc-" The mercenary captain begins seriously, but then picks up the scent of what Aristidis is drinking, and is in utter disbelief, pretty much like everyone else. "Wait... Are you seriously drinking tea right now?"
The mouthless Storyteller eyes him with an empty look. "You have an issue with that? Taking into considering your little invasion of our privacy, this hardly amounts to a maddening behavior. Need to mention the hostage fact too?"
One of mercenary captain's men decides to speak his mind, showing a mocking smile. "What, does that upset you? Makes you feel angry, sir high and OH-so mighty?"
Nearly everyone but the mercenaries sweat drop at the audacity, wondering how stupid one must be to antagonize someone who could be considered as the Founder's equal, if not greater.
Aristidis simply begins stirring his tea with circling movements of the cup as he looks at it. "I am not angry. Just disappointed."
That moment, the glass eye suddenly is pushed out of the mercenary captain's eye-socket, with him placing a hand to cover the said socket, both annoyed at the feeling and confused, before realizing something as he moves his hand away while facing it, the scene now showing him possessing a working eye there.
"My sight..." He quietly utters in disbelief at the fact he can actually see after so many years, with a few of his men seeing it and sharing his feeling, before looking at Aristidis who now looks at him, making obvious it was he who restored his eye like that, while the man also being a bit weirded out by the being's overall appearance.
The pitch-black Storyteller continues. "Also, I don't get angry. I have people do that for me."
Falling from the ceiling and landing at the empty table between him and the mercenary captain that moment, which startles everyone, is a humanoid creature is mainly black and red, with its entire body covered in a sleek, slimy, and constantly shifting substance, a muscular build with exaggerated limbs and a hunched posture, wickedly clawed fingers, a distorted face with a large, sharp-tooth-filled mouth that is set in a wide, menacing grin, the mouth and teeth following the black coloration of the body, and two large, glowing and completely white eyes, which adds to the horrifying presence that is it. [Carnage from Marvel]
The less brave ones, like the hostage, female students, were immediately horrified by it, uttering in fear but not louder due to absolute shock, while the few braver ones were simply frozen in place, the very presence, and deadly intent emitting from what they can describe as eldritch abomination, unnerving them to the core, which includes even the crazy mercenary captain who is now wide eyed while looking at it.
"Or in his case, hungry." Aristidis half-jokingly adds, and then proceeds to tell the next line mostly toward the female hostages. "The following choreography contains violence and gore unsuitable for the faint of heart. Closing your eyes or moving your attention elsewhere is adviced."
While the more smart ones immediately understand his words and what is about to take place, much to their wide eyed expression, the Storyteller looks at the red/black symbiote. "Do as your name suggests."
The feral humanoid stretches its both hands to the side, and four tentacles come out of its back from above and below as it gleefully screams with its alien/monstrous voice the next line. "Let there be CARNAGE!"
It instantly leaps with a very quick movement forward, seemingly going for the mercenary captain, who just found his composure to be on guard, but moves past him much to the latter's confusion, and as he turns to look back at the creature, it has already taken out one of his men standing to his far side with one of its tentacle now shaped like a big and really sharp axe, cutting him in a sideward manner in half by the waste, as blood spills from the openings of the now dead man, some covering half the face of the one that was close, while at the very next moment the creature uses one of its clawed hands to forcefully pierce through that one man's eyes and middle of the face, and pulling it to the side to remove with a powerful move that part of the face off, and part of the brain too, as it proceeds to lick it with its long, grotesque tongue, and quickly chow it down as the new bloody mess of a man falls dead in front of it, an obvious, oversized hole now being obvious between the untouched forehead and jaw.
The two men hardly had the time to scream when it did what it did to them.
Most of the female students were fast enough to close their eyes as instructed before it happened, but the rest of them who were slower to act on it, screamed from horror upon seeing the gore before their eyes, with the more grown-up ones, including Louise and her friends, who kept their eyes open to see, not only they were shocked by the level of violence, but also from the power, speed and reaction of the creature called Carnage.
Carnage looks at his next victims. "Next in the line, no need to be afraid now! This ride is rated E for Everyone! And I am quite the ride as you will all soon see." It says the last part with some serious glee.
The rest of the mercenaries alarmed and around prepare to fight back using their fire magic, only for the red symbiote to quickly extend two of its sharp tendrils as it rushes forward, slicing off one leg from one of them, and stabbing another through the stomach, forcing them both down from the excruciating pain, the first one falling sideways while holding his amputated part, and the second kneeling while holding his awful, bleeding injury and insides, while the creature rushes fast toward the next target, dodging with ease the incoming fireballs the others were able to chant against it.
The remaining ones, except their captain, had their magic staffs suddenly sliced in half by the other two super-fast tendrils before they even realize it, leaving them weaponless and pretty much helpless, since most of them were relying heavily on their magic, as much to their horror look at Carnage, while at the moment it bit one of their comrade's neck off, decapitating him on the spot, and already rushing on to the next one.
As more fall victims to the red symbiote's savagery, one of the mercenaries standing relatively close to the hostages looks at them, then back at the creature, who is currently tearing a new one into another mercenary, and then takes in his hand the dagger he was carrying in his belt as he moves to grab one of them, planning to use one of the girls as a meat shield for him to run away safely from this madness, but as he reaches a hand forward, much to his surprise, and of the watching hostages, he is immediately stopped by an invisible obstacle which emits a soft light and diamond-shaped design upon being touched.
He tries touching it again, and it shows up once more, making obvious it has been set there at an unknown time to prevent anyone from reaching the hostages, with the mercenary getting desperate as he begins to uselessly strike at the magic wall, just for Carnage to stab him from behind with its claws, and with ease ripping him in two, and into the bloodiest mess so far, before the said hostages, earning him more screams of horror from the few girls who still watch at the whole thing, for some reason, with him chuckling in response to them, before going back to killing the mercenaries.
Colbert puts both hands over his head as he is now panicking at seeing how this slaughter affects his students. "No, NO, stop! Aristidis, stop your monster- STOP IT!"
But Aristidis was not listening to his wishes, as the former simply sits there watching at the whole thing with an eerily calm, and empty expression, and taking a sip from his tea while doing so.
No one ever thought they will witness the day where the normally benevolent Storyteller will show a face like that.
That of cruelty and the coldest heartlessness ever to be seen toward the ones he faces.
Completely... Unmerciful.
And that scares them.
In the meantime, the scene shows the mercenary captain now facing the red symbiote alone, all of his men already dead.
He casts fireball after fireball, without any of them hitting his target once, the creature being far too quick and agile for that to be possible, as it closes the distance between them at a much slower pace than normally expected, as if testing him, or playing with him.
"You monster...!" The light-blond man trails off upset, being at the end of both his patience and composure with that abomination, before bringing his magic mace closer to himself, and about to cast a fire spell to engulf this entire room, and turn that thing along with everyone else in it into charred remains.
Let's see it trying to dodge this!
But, before he even gets to finish the chant, Carnage is already in front of him, mouth wide open, and with one fast and powerful bite, breaks and eats most of the man's metal mace, as the former stands there witnessing much to his great shock part of his weapon becoming a snack, being rendered useless, with his magic now no longer an option of defense.
Without being given time to react in any way, the red/black symbiote slices both the man's arms off, and an immediate moment after both of his legs, letting him fall down onto the floor with his back as the unfortunate one proceeds to scream from the terrible pain of his missing limbs, his blood running freely from the awful injuries.
The mercenary captain immediately stops as soon as Carnage move to stand on top of him, sadistically looking at the man from above for a long moment with that characteristic, monstrous smile of its, before crouching down while opening its mouth to show its long, grotesque tongue, and give the man's face a good lick.
For once in his life, the man was utterly horrified.
Carnage retreats the tongue while moving its head back, and as it opens its fanged mouth, makes obvious its intention to bite his face.
Which instantly causes the mercenary captain's panic. "No... No-No-No!"
"Stop!" The pitch-black Storyteller commands with a raised hand the very moment the red symbiote was THAT close to munch on the man, causing the abomination to move its head back again, much to everyone's confusion and the amputated man's gasping shock of slight relief.
He then lowers his arm, and turns his head toward the exit to look at Agnes. "We already know who he works for. Do you need him alive for a more detailed interrogation?"
The Musketeer Captain looks at the now helpless man below the abomination, seeing how he looks at her while in shock, and actually hoping for her to save him from the situation he is in, all while he gasps weakly from the bloodloss.
After a few more seconds of thinking about it, taking everything that happened into consideration, she narrows her now serious and filled with aversion eyes, and gives her answer. "No."
Everyone else looks at her with widen eyes at her surprising and cruel decision, as Aristidis simply signs with a hand at Carnage to proceed.
The mercenary captain looks at the thing that is about to end him.
He used to think of his own self as a crazy monster, taking great enjoyment from burning people and villages to the ground.
Till he looked an actual one in the eyes.
Without losing a single second waiting, the red/black symbiote begins with savage delight to feast upon his face and head, with this part becoming an off-screen moment for the viewers, not even giving him a chance to scream again as he dies the very moment the creature took the first bite.
While that is going on, the Storyteller snaps his fingers, ordering that way his newly appeared Oblivion Guards and servant personnel of the Tome to go untie the hostages, with Louise and the rest snapping out of their shock as they move as soon after them to do the same.
While they untie them, as the Professor and the Headmaster tell their female student to not open their eyes no matter what, the few female students who are still looking at the horrible scene, have an unceasing expression of shock in their faces, making obvious the fact they were traumatized by the experience the red/black monster made them go through, with Colbert turning each of them around to stop them from looking more at the savagery still taking place, hating every second they witnessed, while wondering about why his students had to be shown something so terrible.
"Everyone?" Aristidis begins as he draws attention on him, his expression still as empty as it can be for a few more seconds, before changing it into a slightly annoyed face. "I am feeling tetchy."
~Not Too Long After~At The Palace Of Londinium, Capital Of Albion~
The scene shows the palace at the capital of Albion, and moves within to show sleeping in her current royal room and bed, and also dressed in her simple nightgown, the woman with the long, black hair and the pale skin, the leader of the Reconquista. Sheffield.
Suddenly, a strange almost-scratching knock by the window wakes her up, and alarmed lifts her body onto a sitting position while turning her head toward it.
The shadow of something the size of a child is seen through one of her windows' curtains, as it proceeds to knock on her window once more, obviously trying to get her attention.
She narrows her eyes a bit, being curious yet cautious about this, especially since this sudden visit is definitely about those mercenaries, and just to be safe, she reaches with a hand below her blanked as she gets off the bed, and throws with a single movement around the room six seed-sized and shaped objects, before the lengthy rune on her forehead reveals itself with a purple glow, which says Myozunitonirun, which results in those seeds turning into tall, muscular, dark-green and bipedal creatures with big, bat-like wings, two horns on their heads that curve backward, giving them a gargoyle-like appearance, with one of them moving next to the window to pull the curtain and open the part of the window the outsider was.
And what Sheffield sees upon her balcony there much to her surprise, is a thirty centimeters tall cockroach standing on its two legs, with its head facing forward, wearing a bright red cape decorated with luxurious golden threads around the edge, a tiny golden crown upon the top of its head, and possessing a scepter with a pure white gem embedded at the end, which it holds with one of its front leg. [Kyouhukou from the Anime Overlord, here to deliver]
The big cockroach bows respectful. "A pleasure meeting your esteemed majesty of the Reconquista Kingdom. You may refer to this one as Kyouhukou."
The woman expected anything to come her way. A big cockroach posing as royalty, is not one of them.
Kyouhukou continues. "Apologies are in order for disrupting the lady's sleep, but this one has been sent forth as a humble messenger, regarding the recent transgression committed against the Storyteller's Noble personage by your excellency. Alas, the utter disappointment is great and true, from the grievous offence inflicted upon the Supreme One's most important friend and ally. Especially when his lack of actual involvement with your war, is taken into consideration."
Sheffield just looks at the big insect for a moment longer, before lifting the finger that wears the Ring Of Andvari, with it glowing its purple light upon the creature before her.
But much to her surprise, it appears unaffected by the ring's mind control power.
"Do not attempt to bribe this one with precious jewelry. He has enough." Kyouhukou tells her while moving his scepter a bit to make it mostly a bit more apparent.
The woman moves the ring back as it ceases its magical action, understanding there is no point in it.
And that bug doesn't really appear as a powerful being like that Storyteller, to begin with.
It must be protected. Either due to the possibly magical equipment it uses, or even because of a spell casted upon it not long before.
The cockroach royal decides to continue. "Back on topic now, the Storyteller sends you the following as message. Continue like that, and I might consider to no longer hold myself back."
Sheffield understands now more clearly. Her action of sending those mercenaries appears to had the success she hoped for.
She would smile with the fact if she didn't have in mind how this might make her intentions obvious. The woman understands how dangerously knowledgeable the Storyteller is, after all.
"It was clear what this one said to her esteemed majesty?" Kyouhukou asks with a small tilt of his body.
The pale-skinned woman remains composed as she looks at him. "Yes."
The cockroach royal straightens himself normally as he seems pleased with the response. "Very good! Then we can move on with the punishment."
She raises an eyebrow at that. "Hm?"
Kyouhukou proceeds to elaborate. "The lady has done something inappropriate toward someone of great importance, so of course there will be repercussions."
That moment, a normal-sized cockroach comes fast into view after seemingly climbing its way from behind the balcony and next to him, with the said bug having stuck on its back some a smaller, metal box, which has a red button in its middle, and which confuses the woman as to what the carried object is supposed to be.
"The Storyteller told about how the following music is an... Entertaining representation of my kind." The cockroach royal tells her while turning to face his small subject. "He did not explain the reason, but this one must admit that it does have a pleasant sound and rhythm."
When finished talking, he presses the button, and then waves his upper front leg in a farewell-manner, before teleporting out of view as soon, through some way.
While she wonders what the last one was supposed to be about, not too soon after, a distant and distinct music catches her attention, the said music being from the Mexican song La Cucaracha, and moves outside at her balcony to see where it comes from, only for her eyes to widen upon witnessing the source of it.
What she sees at the distance is like a gigantic, dark-brown sheet, covering in a quick manner the landscape as it dangerously approaches the city.
The scene then moves close enough to show that supposed sheet actually being myriads and myriads of cockroaches, with certain groups of them carrying together radio boxes on their backs, which play the said music.
The guards by the walls and gate that spot them first are at loss for words, and immediately run away as they scream out of absolute fear and disgust, while the bugs were already swarming the said walls and keeping on going.
The civilians were next to begin running away screaming, the cockroaches swarming the roads, and entering from every possible opening inside houses and structures in general.
The sea of cockroaches covered every part of the city, with the people abandoning it without a second thought and as quickly as humanly possible, running for safety to the nearest woods, and even toward the mountains, because it is more preferable than being near those bugs.
At an appropriate height above the palace, Sheffield is seen being held there by two of her flying gargoyles, as the other four flying close by as guards for any possible danger, who moved her up there for her safety, just before the cockroaches reach her palace.
"A truly terrifying example of the Storyteller's magic." She says to herself as she watches with awe at the completely swarmed city below her, and then smiles evilly. "Master Joseph will be pleased with this."
No guard or civilian was killed by the cockroach invasion, showing that the bugs were not after their lives.
They left from the city an hour later, but it took to all the people two days to decide on returning back in their city and homes after that horrifying experience they went through.
{To Be Continued}