And I'm back, with Chapter 15.5.
What can I say, I like my omake(s).
Getting away from all the serious stuff is good once in a while.
XXX
Finn Deimne was working at his desk, the many day-to-day affairs related to his Familia needing his personal attention laid out in tall stacks before him.
A short while ago, his Familia's youngest member, Fuzen, had paid him a visit and requested to be allowed to remain a member of the Familia. Knowing him, the boy had done something related to his honour and the Familia was probably going to be involved, in one way or another.
This is what Finn thought after putting everything together.
Little did Fuzen know, however, that this was his plan all along.
Throw out such a talented individual?
As a Captain, he would be ashamed to do so.
Naturally, he needed to be watched closely.
He did try to kill Ais, after all.
He had, however, sworn on his honour that he would not try to kill Ais as long as he remained part of the Familia.
Finn was aware he could be trusted on that matter.
Still, him going berserk on their princess was not the only problem here. Riveria had told him and Gareth about what she had found out when she sought him out a couple of days ago.
Oh no, him going out of control on Ais was not the only problem here. The boy had many, many problems.
But they could work it out.
This is why Fuzen was the child and they were the adults. It was up to them to help and guide him, not the other way around.
Yes, we will do whatever we can to help him. He's young. He will stubbornly deny help, but we'll just have to try even more stubbornly. Finn sighed, letting go of his pen before stretching his arms upwards to get rid of some of the tension building up in his shoulders.
"...Yeah, he isn't the first trouble child we had here. We can figure something out-"
ROARRRRRRRR!
Instinctively and within a fraction of a second, Finn covered his ears as the windows of his office shattered into pieces while simultaneously standing up. As expected of the Captain of the Loki Familia, Finn Deimne was immediately replaced by the Adventurer Braver.
Source: Monster. Proximity: Close. Threat: Unknown, High. Size: Giant-class. Conclusion: Subjugation impossible, cannot risk civilian casualties. Immediate extermination required.
As the roar to an end Finn heard the whoosh sound of something flying outside his office and ran to the now shattered window. Just as he came to a stop and look out, the creature flew past him and his mouth opened in shock and awe both.
The source of the ear-shattering roar was a dragon, one which highly resembled the drawings Finn had once seen of dragons in eastern art: it had a long, thick body not unlike that of a snake, electric blue in colour. It's head was gigantic and could probably swallow a human whole. Unlike the drawings Finn had once seen, this dragon had no hair or mane around his neck, yet it did possess two horns running across the curve of it's skull, their tips then curving upwards. A pair of arms, short and stocky but somehow fitting the image Finn thought, could be found below it's head.
Most intriguing to Finn, however, were the lines of pulsating energy resembling lighting, running across both sides of it's long body as well as it's steel-like horns, which crackled with electricity.
ROARRRRR!
It roared once more, just as ear-deafening as before and Finn covered his ears again, however he never took his eyes off the Monsters, which flew just outside his window. It's body must have been some eighty to one hundred meters long, Finn noticed.
Yet, for all his confusion and shock, there was yet one thing which would shock him even more, and that was…
"GIVE ME COMPENSATION FOR MY SWORD, YOU STUPID LIZARD!"
...Fuzen, hanging onto the Dragon's tail while angrily flinging around a blade-less sword hilt.
Finn felt the corner of his mouth twitch at the sight before him.
…What was I saying about figuring something out…?
In the distance Finn could already hear the city in an uproar, the civilians screaming in fear as the dragon flew higher, way above the Manor, and was now visible to most of the city.
This was bad: though Orario was the Dungeon City, the people living here could have never imagined a Monster of this scale would appear in the sky above them.
They panicked.
Soon it would result in mass panic, the least favourable outcome in any given situation.
"Finn!" Gareth and Riveria stormed inside the office, just as confused as him about the sudden appearance of a Monster in the middle of the city. They awaited his command.
There was only one he could give.
"Prepare for battle." He ordered calmly. It was his duty as Captain to remain calm when all others failed to do so. "Riveria, gather the mages. We are not in the confined space of the Dungeon, we need long-ranged attacks."
"Understood!" Wasting not one second Riveria ran off to execute the order.
"Gareth, have everyone of Level 3 and above grab a bow and arrows from the spare armoury then spread out and be prepared to attack. Melee fighters are to provide help and assistance to the civilians."
"Got it!"
Ok, then…
Finn jumped on the window frame and then higher up the Manor until he reached the roof of one of the towers. From there, he could have a better view on both the unknown dragon and the direction it would take.
At the current moment the imposing dragon was still flying above the Manor with Fuzen hanging onto it's tail. It was some thirty to forty meters above Finn himself.
Many things were still a mystery, like how a Monster popped out into the city like that out of thin air as well as why it was near their Manor. Still, all that could easily explained by Fuzen himself, seeing how he must have been the first to meet said Monster as he was holding onto it's tail.
"Fuzen, elaborate!" Finn shouted.
For a couple of seconds Fuzen was quiet, not replying to the Captain. Just when Finn was about to shout again, he decided on his words. "It is my Magic!"
...Magic? That Monster?...What?
Though his mind was sharper than anyone else's, probably the sharpest in the city, Finn nonetheless found himself at a loss for words. For a thousand years the Gods have descended to the Lower World and granted mortals their Blessings. For a thousand years, Magic awakened within those Adventurers attuned to it. For a thousand years, Spells as unique as their users had been categorized and documented.
Yet, in the history of those one thousand years, not once had Finn heard of a Spell that could summon a Monster.
Had it popped out into the real world by it's will alone?
Was it sentient or controlled by Fuzen?
What were it's strengths and weaknesses?
Did it use Fuzen's Magic pool as it's catalyst to be summoned?
If so, then surely it must have disappeared by now, seeing how the boy's Magic stat had only just been unlocked.
If not, however, did it mean the Monster had it's own Magic pool?
That and a hundred other questions ran simultaneously in Finn's mind, trying to make heads or tails of this whole situation.
What can we do? How can we contain this situation quickly? What are our options?
"...Fuzen, can you control it?!"
"Does it look like I can?!" The boy shouted back.
Guess that answers that…
By now Finn had noticed the ashen-grey clouds forming in a spiral just above Orario, slowly but surely expanding in size. This couldn't be a good sign, not when it had been a normal, sunny day until ten minutes ago.
He felt uneasy, but nonetheless focused on the matter at hand.
"What happened?!"
"...I said the incantation of my Spell-Whoaa!" The dragon twisted in mid-air, breaking off from it's circle-like flying pattern and then flew higher into the air. It roared yet again, and the lines of energy on either side of it's body lit up like a Christmas tree.
A second later, the electricity crackling around it's steel-like horns increased in sheer volume, and then…
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Five times, almost simultaneous, lighting bolts fell down upon the city, all striking at random locations. All five lighting bolts were blue, and Finn knew for a fact that blue lighting tended to be the hottest possible lighting, while yellow tended to be the least hottest.
Had anyone been injured from those attacks?
He could not say, yet he certainly hoped not.
To his own shame, Finn pondered on the financial repercussion this situation would bring to his Familia once it had been dealt with for a fraction of a second. He knew it was stupid to do. All that paperwork truly had left it's unwanted mark on him, thinking about something so insignificant at a time like this.
"And then this stupid lizard appeared!" Fuzen informed, finishing his previous sentence.
"Try to control it!" Finn said. It was about all he could say at the current moment.
"I'm a swordsman, not a fricking pet-owner! God damn it!" The boy shot back, not letting his iron-grip on the Monster's tail loosen.
He had had enough of this charade.
He placed the blade-less hilt in his mouth and began to climb up the dragon's body.
It was slick and cold and felt rather gross, however he managed to hang on by increasing his grip power with his Ki and plunging his fingertips into the dragon's scaly skin. Slowly yet surely, he had climbed from it's rather active and wiggling tail up to the lower side of the Monster's back and could now crawl on all four on it's long, tube-like body.
Oh, you're going to experience hell for shattering my sword, you stupid lizard.
"Fuzen, what are you doing?!" He heard his Captain's shout in the distance, yet only barely. The dragon was flying ever higher into the air.
By now, they must have been over a hundred meters into the air.
...Doesn't matter. I'll reach it's head and pierce it's skull with my other sword. He thought but then stopped his ascend up the Dragon's body.
...It already shattered one of my swords, but only when I have pulled it out of the scabbard. What if the same happens to my Utegiri?
He pondered on the possibility, then a second later shrugged and continued crawling on. I'll just plunge the hilts in it's eye sockets if that happens. It is going to experience hell, one way or another.
"No one shatters my swords. No one."
Though he said that, however, climbing up was hard. It was slick and it thrashed around in the air like a chicken with it's head cut off. Truthfully, Fuzen's focus was more directed at trying to hang on than trying to climb higher up.
M..t.. c..l.m..n..e! As if he didn't have enough on his plate, the voice decided to intrude his mind as well.
It's sudden intrusion, combined with the fact that Fuzen himself was shocked, confused, angry and pissed at the same time almost resulted in him loosening his grip on the slick, scaly skin of the Monster and falling down to his death. Only by instinct did he manage to increased the Ki in his hands and tightening his grip, preventing a very uncomfortable situation from happening.
I don't have time for you right now, damn it! Go away!
The Monster roared again, shooting off into the sky with unexpected speed, Fuzen barely hanging on. The thunderclouds above Orario had spread at least twice in size than a minute ago and they were whirling around violently, crackling with lightning.
Before they knew it, eight more thunders could be heard and eight lighting bolts fell on Orario and it's surroundings. As the Monster now flew almost as high as the Tower of Babel in the air, Fuzen saw how the lighting bolts reached as far as Melen, one such bolt striking the sea not too far away from the harbour.
Ma.t.r ca. .na.e!
...Wait, what?
. . !
"...You got to be kidding me…" Fuzen muttered, his confusion only growing as he was starting to make heads and tails of this whole situation. "Don't tell me…"
Master, call my name!
"...You? It was you getting on my nerves this whole time?" Fuzen looked over at the dragon's head. It's eyes were wild and showed his own lack of control over his actions. The deafening roaring, the thrashing he did in the air, everything pointed at this.
Master, my name! Call my name!
"...Ikazuchi Jigen Bussei." Fuzen called out, but...nothing happened. He couldn't be wrong, that was the Spell's name, after all, as it was written in his latest Status. So then, why was nothing happening?
Master, my true name! Call out my true name!
True name? What the hell is this lizard going on about-Whoa!
The sky itself roared with the sound of continuous thunder, lighting bolts falling down upon the earth in quick succession decimating everything they fell down on. In the distance even a fire had broken out, Fuzen noticed. This was getting out of control, and fast.
He tsked and focusing on the task at hand, climbed higher up the dragon's body all the while it flew even higher into the air. How high were they now, exactly? Fuzen didn't know exactly.
How tall was the Babel again?
They had already flew higher than it, so there was that.
Slowly but surely, he had almost reached the head of the Dragon, just when it's horns crackled with electricity, countless other bolts of lighting falling down on the city and it's buildings. Strangely enough, however, despite it's two lines of energy running across each side of it's body, Fuzen did not get zapped in the least.
Now standing atop the Dragon's head just between it's gigantic horns, Fuzen looked down and met the creature's icy-blue eyes. "You're going to pay for shattering my sword, you dumb lizard."
One might wonder why the boy was this absorbed in his sword getting shattered. A weapon was just that, a weapon. It could get nicked, and it could break. That was just reality, unless one would possess a weapon of the Durandal attribute.
The reason, however, was quite simple: as a Disciple of the Lighting Sword Style, Fuzen had learned how to direct his Ki onto his blade, allowing it to become sharper as well as increase it's durability.
Though it could not cut through everything, this little boon on his weapon was a great help in every situation.
However, there was one other matter which was linked to his honour.
A Disciple's blade was never supposed to get nicked, for if it was it showed a lack of focus, of control, of inability to control their Ki as they wished. Thus, one could say that the Dragon actively provoked Fuzen when he managed, through unknown means, to shatter his sword.
This could be seen as the dragon's might being greater than the Lighting Sword Style, as well as the creature's focus and determination also being greater than Fuzen's own.
And that, the boy could not allow to stand, no matter what.
Master, my name!
"Name this, name that, you've been intruding my mind for so long now because of your whining...Put a lid on it already!" Unsure if he should draw his other sword for risk of it shattering Fuzen decided to punch it's head instead. Granted, his Strength was quite low even when enhanced by Ki, but it should at least draw the creature's attention to him.
"Ikazuchi Jigen Bussei!"
With even greater frequency than before the sky roared and unleashed it's wrath upon the earth, by now turning into a full thunderstorm, lightning bolts striking in quick succession at random. Even from his height, Fuzen could see the people below him, scattering in all directions, looking for shelter inside shops and houses.
Tsk...What can I do to stop this? Saying the Spell name doesn't help. I'm more or less certain this stupid lizard is the one intruding my mind. Name…? Does it want me to name him? Do I fricking look like someone who ever owned a pet?
Master, my name! I cannot...contain thy power...without my true name!
"…! My...power? This?" The boy looked around.
The roaring skies, the wrath of heaven, the fear of the people below him...He looked at all that was happening around him...and he frowned in response before hitting the dragon's head again. "Do I look like a fricking mage to you?! I'm going to grasp the Heavens with my sword, and my sword alone! You are unwanted! Go away!"
In response the dragon roared, and the skies turned ashen-grey, the lighting crackling inside the thunderclouds before being once again unleashed upon Orario.
Fuzen looked upon the city, and tsked.
He was going to grasp the Heavens, but...this wasn't how he wished for it to be.
Not simply striking fear into the hearts of others. No, that was not enough. He wanted something more than that, something...higher. Not what was going on now, scaring mere weak civilians.
...God damn it, why do I always have to do things for others? Tsk…
A name, was it?
What kind of name?
Does any name work? Even human ones, like Joe or Fritz or something?
Or does it have to be something resembling the dragon's nature?
Ryuu, maybe, the easterner word for Dragon?
Tenryuu, meaning Heavenly Dragon?
...No, he is slick and gross, definitely nothing Heavenly about him.
Him? Her? Is it a male or a female? Neutral? Something else?
ROARRRRRR!
...Roar this, roar that….Can it already! You're just as loud as you are unwanted, you stupid beast...
"RAIJU!" He shouted the one name more fitting than any other. Raiju. Thunder Beast. "Shut up already, I'll cut you up!"
Whoosh.
"...Wait wut?" In the blink of an eye the dragon beneath him dispersed into nothing, and Fuzen began his unexpected fall back towards the ground. "...Hey, neat." He looked at his right hand and noticed that his blade had returned to the hilt he was hanging onto. It looked to be in perfect state despite having been shattered into oblivion.
This made him nod, pleased with the turn of events.
For a second.
Then he remembered he was falling down.
...Oh...shiiiiit….I can't fly. I...cant fly. I can't fly! I CAN'T FLY!
"Oh crap...Oh crap...Oh crap…!"
Just as he was falling down, ever approaching his inevitable demise, Fuzen noticed that despite all of the dragon's thrashing around, he mostly flew upwards from his original position.
In other words, he was going to fall right into the Manor's garden.
For a second he tried to see if he could somehow position himself to fall within the pool, but unfortunately, that pool was on the other side of the garden than where he would fall. And even if it wasn't, he had already fallen down half the distance, and only some two hundred meters remained.
Aware of his lack of options, Fuzen sighed, accepting the circumstances and turned his back towards the ground, looking up at the sky above him for one last time.
God damn it, I was so close...In the end, I still could not...Sigh...Well, at least the others will find all my body parts, me falling in the garden and all...
He fell and fell, and knew the impact would come any second now.
He exhaled, and relaxed his body.
Fuzen was not one who accepted defeat, but even he could not escape the inescapable. Falling from that height would kill him. No reason to try and fight against something like that. Better to just relax and let it happen-
CRASH!
"Gah!"
The crash had come as anticipated, but instead of his back getting the brunt of it the impact had come from his right side. Did he somehow changed his position in mid-air?
He was most certain he did not.
Then a moment later the world before him spun around as he tumbled across what felt like grass, over and over and over again.
Finally, as his back hit something made of steel, he came to a halt.
"...Since when is falling down into Hell this...anticlimactic?" he asked as he laid on his back, looking up at the sky above him.
Sky? Shouldn't hell be like...all fiery and stuff? He blinked a couple of times, unsure of what was going on. Going by the atrocities he had committed in life, he was sure he was damned for an eternity in Hell.
So then, why...?
A moment later a shadow fell over him, and golden eyes met hazel.
"Are you okay?!"
...Since when do Angels share the face of Wallenstein?
"Fuzen?" Ais asked again, shaking his shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Slowly, he understood what had happened and lifted his upper body up, looking at the girl. "You have...Ahem…" It was shameful, but after an experience like that, it was understandable that even his voice would crack. "You have my gratitude."
"...Mhm." Ais nodded. There was not much else she could say.
The tension between them was still there, after all, even after an event like that. Then she looked towards the ground, and with a raised eyebrow, pointed a finger at it. "What's...that?"
"Hm?" Fuzen looked as well, and noticed he was holding...the dragon, in his left hand. Somehow, the creature had shrunk down to the size of an eel and was now snoring without a care in the world. How it did appear in his hand, Fuzen could not say, however he felt irritated at how carefree it looked after all the troubled it had caused.
As such, he lifted it up and smacked it once against the ground.
"Gah-! That hurts…" It spoke, as it's eyes shot wide open at the sudden impact and he looked around, taking in his surroundings. Then, after he noticed Fuzen his mouth opened wide and his eyes glimmered with awe. "MY MASTER!"
"...Who the heck are you calling Master, lizard?"
"Why, who else could be the Master of one as glorious as me but you yourself, my Master?!" The lizard replied with excitement, his tiny stocky arms flinging around wildly. "Oh, finally, you have heard my calling and called upon me, Master! Oh, to think I can finally lay my eyes upon thine marvellous form from this perspective~! Gah-!" Once again, the dragon got smacked against the ground by a stone-faced Fuzen. "M-Master, what was that for?!"
"You irritate me greatly." Fuzen replied as he got up to his feet, holding the dragon up by his tail. "Explain. What and who are you?"
"Hehe, to think I would have the honour of introducing myself before you, my Master~ This form is hardly suited. Allow me to change myself to closer resemble thine own glorious form~!"
Breaking free from Fuzen's grasp by flying up the dragon crackled with electricity, ever increasing in volume, to the point where he became too bright to look upon. A couple of seconds later the spectacle came to an end, and a humanoid form fell down on his feet in front of Ais and Fuzen.
He was tall, even taller than Bete himself, somewhere at one meter eighty five in height. The humanoid was also thin but muscular, wearing a sleeveless version of Fuzen's own haori, in the exact same turquoise colour but without the shirt. His pants and boots were also the exact same as Fuzen's, with no visible changes.
His hair was long and black mixed with the slightest hue of blue, the middle part swept back between the two steel-like horns which ran along the curve of his skull, only their tips pointing upwards not unlike when he was in dragon form.
His arms, shoulders and his eye sockets were all covered in the same glittering, icy-blue scales that made up his body in dragon form, almost shining by how they reflected the sunlight off of them. A scaly tail was also wiggling around behind him, resembling the tail he had in his dragon form, splitting into fins at the ends.
Finally, after inhaling once, the man opened his eyes and revealed the same shade of hazel eyes Fuzen himself had.
Then he smiled, revealing a mouthful of white, sharp teeth, taking a knee in front of Fuzen and spreading his arms wide open to his sides.
"My Master~! I am thine Magic, Ikazuchi Jigen Bussei! I am born of you, my Master, and thus a part of you! Master is the glorious individual who will grasp the Heavens, and as such, I am in turn also an illustrious and superior existence which shall bring even the world to it's knees before you, Master, if you so desire! I have long called out for you, and now finally, I could manifest myself in this world which you will stand atop of! Finally, finally, I can help mine Master to topple the world!"
"...You...are Magic?" Ais asked first yet in the span of a single moment, the humanoid's excited expression turned into a cold, uncaring one, not unlike Fuzen's usual endeavour before raising his palm at her.
"Shoo, shoo, go away. A thief like you is staining mine Master's noble visage by existing so close to him. Shoo, make thyself disappear."
"E-Eh?"
"You. Lizard. How do you know of Wallenstein being a thief?" Fuzen asked, narrowing his eyes at the creature before him.
"My Master, of course I know! I share all of Master's knowledge, including thine past and the information you have on all of your current Familia's members!"
"You...share my knowledge?"
"Yes! I have this privilege, my Master, for I am born of you!"
"…"
"Also, my Master, I am not Lizard, but the very name you have chosen to bestow upon me! Granted, it is not my true name, but I am called, as per your wish, Raiju-Gah!" A single strike of a scabbard between his horns later and Raiju fell face down into the ground.
"F-Fuzen, why did you do that?" Ais asked, unsure of what had just happened.
"He's dangerous, a lunatic and needs to be exterminated. I gathered he would resist extermination if he were conscious. This way, we can deal with him cleanly and quickly." He replied and then drew his sword, walking up to the unconscious humanoid. Kicking his shoulder Fuzen turned him face up, and before Ais had any time to intervene, slashed at his throat without any hesitation.
The blade cut through, however...no blood had been drawn.
Instead, he had turned into...electricity, losing his human shape for a couple of moments before reforming himself back, the slash on his throat now gone.
Another moment later, Fuzen fell to his knees, gasping for air.
Ikazuchi Jigen Bussei.
Translating as Celestial Manifestation of Lightning Embodiment.
A Spell, in human form.
A Magic, unlike any other.
And apparently, as Fuzen just figured out, a leech that shared his Ki.
Screw.
My.
Fricking.
Life…
XXX