All Hell Shall Tremble (High School DxD - FGO Reincarnation Chapter 2)
As our lips disconnected, I heard a dissatisfied shout, and someone jumping on my back.
"Yooo! Are you too already celebrating without me?" Gudako cried out playfully. The Cheerful Chaldea Master was wearing a red Chinese dress, her hair style into twintails by two white flowers.
"W-Were not celebrating, Gudako-chan." Mash stuttered, before boldly continuing while blushing. "That was just... encouragement." She said with her head held high.
"Well, I need some 'encouragement' too~!" Gudako wiggled her eyebrows like an old man.
"Gudako, please stop playing around. And Michael, game face time." The other Chaldea Master, chastised his sister, as well as his friend and lover. His clothes were a knight's uniform of a cool king. His black hair was long, with streaks of white, that reached all the way down his back. "Time to be epic and save the world." Rituska said with a confident grin.
"Sure," I said as I leaned my head back, taking Gudako lips with a deep kiss. They stopped and I playfully tapped her butt, making the redhead jump off my back. "And Ritsuka's right, we need to be ready. You guys know Olga will be on pins and needles right now, so speed up."
Gudako and Mash playfully whined as Last Masters of Humanity headed to the Rayshift room.
As they were walking, I wrapped my arm around Ritsuka as I pulled him close.
"Final battle, bud. How are you feeling Mana-wise?" I asked just to be sure how long he can manage his most expensive Noble Phantasm.
"I can deploy the castle." Ritsuka smirked. My eyes widened. "Yeah that storage method you worked with Da Vinci worked. We're going colony drop, baby."
"Hell yeah!" I cheered as Ritsuka and I fist-pumped. Gudako and Mash smiled at the interaction. I then pulled Ritsuka close, and quickly whispered. "And afterwards, yeah, I can't wait for the celebration and see that maid-bikini outfit."
Ritsuka blushed as his eyes widened.
"Dude!" He whisper-shouted, as he gestured with his eyes toward Gudako. She was going to be a menace come the after-battle. He didn't want her to start lewding on him before. I kissed Ritsuka's cheek anyways.
"Why are you whispering? I'm the one who suggested it to him." Gudako said with a mischievous grin.
Ritsuka's jaw dropped, his face more red before he looked from me to Gudako, then back. Ritsuka pouted. I smiled, but wasn't ashamed. My boyfriend was cute crossdressing. Gudako and Mash laughed out loud good-heartedly.
The mood between the Masters high in joy and confidence.
"Hold it right there. There's a security clearance needed for going beyond this point." At the door leading to the Rayshift room was the last Chaldean Master, Hakuno, was looking at the group, at me, with a humorous yet welcoming smile.
"Oh no, what do we do officer~?" Gudako said with a shit-eating grin. "We need to get to that room~!"
Ritsuka and Mash rolled their eyes at the interactions, while I just shook my head in amusement.
"Then you'll have to pay the toll." Hakuno said playfully, as she went and kissed every Master before her.
She got to me, held me against her, with one hand on my waist, and another holding my other hand. She suddenly turned taking me with her, and I ended up in the woman's position in a slow dance, being held from falling. That's when Hakuno captured my lips.
"The Director seemed to be in a very good mood today." She whispered.
With the power of the Divine Spirit I housed as a Demi-Servant, I looked beyond the door to see Olga Marie looking sternly at the monitor, while ordering checks and other things about, with a cup of coffee in her hand.
"How could you tell?" I said. "She looks grumpy as always."
"I can tell." Hakuno said with a smile that knew secrets.
"Right," I gave a sheepish smile. I know I shouldn't act in favoritism, and I try not to with my lovers. "But, you know, she's the boss and has the most pressure on her." I said. This position was starting to become awkward from how long Hakuno kept us in it.
Hakuno just raised an eyebrow.
"I promise to make it up to you once, we're all back. Together." I promised.
"You better." She gave me a peck on the lips.
"Hey, not fair!" Gudako whined, as Mash agreed with her and nodded.
Hakuno finally let me up, as Rituska and I chuckled at the girls antics.
We all entered the Coffin Room for the Rayshift. A view window was up above, for the command room.
I saw Olga Marie, who gave me a a tight nervous smile, before quickly resuming her confident firm expression. She had easily learned to fall into her role as Director, when things were serious. She didn't have time to fall into fear or indecision. So she didn't. And she knew she could depend on me, and the Avenger Loop Skill.
Everyone can depend on me.
Da Vinci was behind and next to Olga, she smiled at me, giving a thumbs up and a nod. I chuckled. Yeah, it was good to have her at my back as well.
Next to the Caster Servant was Romani Archaman. The moment our gaze met, there was a solemn look between us. An understanding of what must be done. We nodded at each other, words could not describe how much he meant to me. As a mentor and a father-figure. I probably wouldn't have managed to have a harem, and ensure everyone was happy without him. Although he made me swear never to tell anyone he taught me.
Funny that he made me swear on that, and not the whole 'him being King Solomon' thing.
We were all gathered here now. It was the final battle at the Timeless Temple of Salomon.
Finally it was time.
"To everyone in Chaldea, I thank you all for managing to get this far." Olga Marie, Director of Chaldea Security Organization began. "Now I just need you to keep going a little long. The reversal of the Human Order Incineration is in sight. We can finally end this nightmare and save mankind. Masters, prepare for Rayshift deployment!"
"Hey, Meredith, I have another paper for you to look at, please."
Meredith Ordinton sighed as her acquaintance... colleague? Student? Study buddy? Yeah, study buddy worked better. It made it feel less that they were exploiting each other, and just two people that liked to study magic together.
Her study buddy, Michael Chaser, had come to her with another spell formula he wanted her to crack. It was a formula that represented an object sealed in a separate spiritual space, with the goal being removing what's inside without damaging the object or the space its sealed in.
"Honestly, how many times are you gonna make me do your homework for you?" Meredith said playfully as she stretches.
"It's not homework," Michael said with a patient smile. He had a hurried air around him, like he needed to move onto the next thing, but he always slowed down when interacting with Meredith. Like coming to talk to her was calming for a Mysterious Mage, that was seen as a potential rising star in Golden Dawn. "I came to you as your the only one who can help me." He shrugged.
"Oh? And here I thought you just liked me for my beauty, you only want me for my brain~." Meredith joked. She couldn't imagine herself this open with most people. Or anyone really. Le Fay wouldn't believe that she was semi-flirting with a man.
Michael shrugged. "Well even if you're the genius I need, that genius does come in a beautiful package." He easily said back.
Meredith's face became as red as her hair, at how just... casual Michael's words were. That she was desirable wasn't something he needed to elaborate on. It's not attention she was used to. Heck, she's not sure if Michael was actually hitting on her, or just... joking around like he would with a friend.
"J-Just go do your 'popular guy' thing, with the other Magician from famous linages." Meredith waved him off. "Come back later like usual, I should have the formula done like usual." She said. "Seriously though, how are you coming up with these formulas? They're some of the most complicated stuff I've ever seen. Not even the artifacts Chairman Woodman has me look at, are this complicated."
"Hmm," Michael shrugged. "I hunt down Stray Devils when I'm not doing classes."
"...I don't see how those two correlate." Meredith said, tilting her head. "Do you happen to run into the ones with Sacred Gears?"
Michael was like that. He seemed to do random things, that turn out to improve someone's research, or help someone out in unexpected ways later on.
When he first arrived at Golden Dawn a few months ago, his entrance was a bizarre one. He just showed up the Golden Dawn's Headquarters, handing the Chairman a letter, asking him not to open it till the written entrance exam for him was made.
Chairman Woodman humored Michael, and did so. Only to find that the paper within the letter already contained all the answers to the written test the Chairman had just created.
Michael was given a practical exam for Investigation Magic afterwards, and passed with such flying colors, he was given an exemption for the normal rules of entry. In effect, he was freely allowed entrance into the Magician Organization on his skills alone.
"I happen to have some talent in Divination and Predictive Precognition." Michael had said at the time.
Many Magicians were had been interested in forming a connection, to a new and talented Magician. Like many others, Mcihael was interested in studying Sacred Gears, and there were mages that tried to entice him with their own Sacred Gears, as some Magicians in Golden Dawn did have them.
Meredith remembered the infamous Zerbst trying to charm Michael with her Salamander Spirit Independent Avatar-Type Sacred Gear.
However unlike what Meredith expected, beyond a single conversation, Michael didn't interact with Zerbst again. That was the case with many Magicians that Michael showed interest in. He would approach them, interact with them, and if they interested him, he'd do them a favor, solve a problem they have, or just pay them money, and act to study their Sacred Gear for a while, before moving on.
Of course, after it got out that the people Michael sought were only those with Sacred Gears, it made him a bit isolated, as some did want to hide that the might have one. But Michael didn't seem to mind, and changed his routine after that, talking to those that weren't academically inclined.
Rather he focused on those that were trying to accumulate power, the ambitious, or those desperate to learn magic. He had a bit of a cult following from always bit kind and helping. His looks weren't too bad either.
And while it's known that Meredith had a Sacred Gear, everyone thought it was just another Holy Power projectile type of Sacred Gear. Meredith had her suspicion that Michael knew it was more than that, but... he never mentioned it. He never asked her to show it to him, after she initially refused. She had this feeling that he'd figure out what she can really do.
Yet, him focusing on her skill as a prodigy in Sealing and Security System, she found herself joyful at the acknowledge meant. He went to her for aid in his projects, not her friend, Le Fay.
Le Fay who was seen as someone far more skilled in many other fields of magic. Yet Michael was only interested in her.
Well, Le Fay had left Golden dawn recently, so Michael can't ask her even if he wanted to. The thought came to Meredith.
Yeah, she's probably seeing too much into his actions, but she can't help but feel like a desired maiden around him.
"You're a good person, Meredith." Michael said out of the blue, in response to her previous comment.
"Bwah? W-Where did that come from?" Meredith said, keeping her composure. She wasn't blushing at the sudden compliment.
"Nothing," Michael chuckled while shaking his head. "It's just that, your mentality isn't as cruel as the average Magus-I mean Magician. I couldn't help but note it." He smiled, in that annoying look that made her want to throw a book at him.
"...Are you actually researching Sacred Gear effects on Reincarnated Devils?" Meredith asked in a low voice, as she thought on his words.
While studying Devils wasn't exactly a taboo, per se, it tended to bring attention most wise Magicians wouldn't want. That of the hellish kind.
Most mages try to avoid dealing with Devils, even with all the advantages it could bring, simply because there's always the possibility of being offered a place in that Devil's Peerage.
At best, you would be working with an amicable Devil that would accept your refusal with grace, and just have you as their Contracted Magician, allowing you to gain access to Devil Magic via Contract, in exchange for doing errands for them, or studying and creating specific spells for them, or being their magic fix-it guy or gal.
Its more or less accepted that being a Contracted Magician was basically, like being on a timer till you're in a Devil's Peerage.
As for the possible bad options if you refused? ...There are many things worse than death.
And that's not counting the very possible usual outcome of just being killed, after you succeed in finishing your research and, or Magnum Opus.
"Not exactly, no." Michael shook his head. "It's..." He paused and looked at Meredith. In that deep soulful way, as if he was reevaluating what he thought of her. "If my work bears fruits, I don't want you to get caught up in it. It's best if you don't know. Most people here don't even know we hang out, so this would be for the best. I'm some guy that took advantage of your kindness, and threw his workload on you."
Meredith emotions swirled into... a complicated confused ball at those words.
She was grateful to know that Michael seemed to care about her, to not want his research to negatively impact her. But what if he's lying and is just saying sweet things to manipulate her.
"You're not the only one with secrets, you know." She replied with a pout.
"I know." He chuckled and nodded.
...I could always tell him. Just show him. Meredith thought.
She could just used her Sacred Gear. Show it to Michael and see his reaction. Really see what he was like.
If he turned out to really have just been trying to control her, she could easily make him forget. Just seal and remove the knowledge from his head, using her nail as a focus.
Like the others before him.
Her days of routine, scanning sealed artifacts and resealing them, would return to how they always were. It was a bitter possibility, but she was used to it.
"Michael," Meredith spoke. "If I were to tell you what my Sacred Gear is, would you trust me with this secret research of yours?"
That was the moment of truth. Now how will Michael react-
"...Did you just pull a 'show me yours, if I show you mine'? Wow, Merry, that is surprisingly bold of you." Michael said with a raised eyebrow.
"That's not what I meant and you know it!" Meredith did throw at book at Michael. Her face felt on fire, her cheeks as red as her hair.
On Meredith's brow was a circlet of gold and jewels fitted around a central silver band. The Iron Crown of Lombardy, made of the Holy Nails used to crucify the savior.
She had revealed her Sacred Gear, Alphecca Tyrant, to Michael. She had explained what her Sacred Gear was, and what it was capable of. Her mental trigger ready to fire the holy nails at any moment.
Meredith waited for Michael's reacted, as his blank expression changed to...
"That doesn't make sense."
Confusion?
"Huh?"
"Why would God make something like that?" Michael was sitting close to her now, turning sideways on the chair to face her, one arm resting on the chair's back. "Seriously, brainwashing? Sure you can make the argument that religious teaching and indoctrination were like brainwashing, but that's an outside point of view. For your own religion and worship you wouldn't be thinking that your brainwashing your followers, but enlightening them."
"That's what your focusing on?" Meredith asked in disbelief.
"Yeah? Why?"
"I mean, aren't you worried of my power? Of what I might do to you?" Meredith pushed the point.
The dry look and raised eyebrow on Michael's face, made her lean back, and feel small. Like someone that asked an extremely stupid question in class, after a professor said 'there are no stupid question', and then immediately went back on that policy in response to said hypothetical person's question.
"Meredith, I'd like to think I've come to know you well enough in the times we've interacted. I mean unless you're suddenly gonna reveal you're secretly an supervillain out to take over the world, then I think I'm fine." He sassily deadpanned at her. "Unless..." Then worse, he looked at her with mischievous playfulness. "You've been secretly planning to control my mind and then use me for your sexual pleasures. My, my, Miss Ordinton. I didn't realize that innocent face hid such deviancy."
"Stop it!" Meredith completely flushed and breathing heavily from sheer embarrassment. Her heartbeat thundering in her red heated ears. Her crown was shining, as if ready to be fired, but Michael just kept that catlike smile on his stupid handsome face.
"So, given that we've established that you're still you, the kindhearted dork, and I'm still me-" Michael continued.
"The stupid jerk." Meredith interjected.
"I assume we can safely focused on the important discussion?" He casually continued. "Why would the Abrahamic God, who's all about getting his followers to choose him and choose to do good, make a Sacred Gear with the power to just control other people. That's paradoxical. Heck, the reason alcohol and recreational drugs are seen as bad in the three religions is because they can impair mental faculties. Meaning our ability to choose is compromised."
"I don't know." Meredith said, her Sacred Gear vanishing, as she couldn't help but feel at ease with Michael's reaction and presence. He... didn't change with her. He was still the same. An unconscious smile came to her face, as she watched him focus his topic of study. "Maybe God actually brainwashed the first group of people he met, forcing them to worship him, and the rest just continued doing so through indoctrination."
"Nah," Michael shook his head, then held his chin. "Gods almost 100% of the time, are unchanging in their nature. If they did that once, there would be multiple examples of them doing that again." He looked up and to the side, as he thought of something. "God did harden Ramses' heart when the Pharaoh decided to keep enslaving the Israelites. There's that as an example, but that doesn't seem as full on brainwashing, as just reinforcement of current emotions." Michael theorized. "And in the end, even if emotions overwhelm us, we still have to actually act on them. The actions taken can't be 100% inevitable on the strong emotions. People aren't just meat computers after all, since souls exists." Michael's bit his lip to the side. "But then again souls are like information digital records."
"'Souls are digital records'?" Meredith raised an eyebrow at that analogy.
"Spirit Inheritors are a thing." Michael said back.
Meredith thought on that... and slowly nodded. She could see the logic of how that could work. If souls hold data, and bits of that soul were to be made as a part of a new soul at birth, that Spirit Inheritor is gaining information that existed beforehand.
"Um, there's something you're not taking into account." Meredith pointed out, smiling in superiority at knowing something the 'Great Seer Chaser' didn't know.
"What's that?" He acted tilting his head like a puppy.
"Sub-Species." She said with a raised finger like a lecturer. "Sacred Gears and their abilities change over time, the more users it has. Gaining new functions over time."
Michael's eyes widened at this new information.
"So the original purpose was likely to just reinvigorate the faith of those disheartened by war or difficult circumstances." He said, while in deep thought. "I could probably check with Divination, if you..." Michael then paused, as if something else came to mind. That he didn't have time for academic fancy. That it wasn't as important as his goal. "No, that's not important." He looked up to Meredith with an intense look. She didn't feel... worried. It wasn't a hostile look, but it made wonder why Michael was looking at her with such hope. "Meredith, you said you could interact with the 'concepts' within a person, that's how the brainwashing works, right?"
"Um, yeah."
"Can you interact with objects within them?"
Meredith blinked at that, then spoke slowly and warily.
"Michael... removing someone's Sacred Gear will kill them." Meredith said to her... friend? She hoped he was her friend.
Michael shook his head. "There are probably ways to do that safely, like using Life Force to restore whatever part of their soul was injured from the removal, or whatever." He looked at Meredith with focus once more. "But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about removing Evil Pieces."
Meredith's eyes widened, as she began to connect the dots. That was why Michael hunted Stray Devils so incessantly. Why he was giving her those Sealing Magic formula puzzles.
He was searching for a way to restore Reincarnated Devils to their former species!
No wonder he told her the less she knew the better.
This... This is big. Like, world revolutionary big. Meredith wondered, before lowering her head. Am I allowed... to be a part of that, when I'm just some girl. I'm no one important.
"If you used your nails as an anchor, and combine it with your Sealing Magic, it can be done, right, Meredith?" Michael asked. "Can you please help me?" He extended his hand to her. "If you don't want to be involved that's fine. We just need to succeed on one Reincarnated Devil. Just one. And I'll copy the method and figure out how to do it without your Sacred Gear somehow."
NO! The thought jumped into Meredith's mind. She thought of her endless days in the archives, sorting through sealed artifacts, studying seals easily within her ability to break, doing so and then resealing them with her patches added to improve those seals. That was her life, but... this could be something more. Something... I want to be part of what Michael's going to do. I want him to depend on me.
"I can do it!" Meredith said. "I can definitely do it. I didn't consider using my Sacred Gear with my magic this way, but remembering your formulas, and with a little bit of experimentation, I know I can do it."
Maybe this was the start of her youthful adventure. Meredith giggled at the idea.
Then her mind turned to her friend Le Fay.
She remember her fellow genius telling her about going with her brother to join some group called the Hero Faction.
I can probably give her a call.
Meredith was preening.
She couldn't believe it. It's like every thing in her life was turning better since she met Michael.
It all started when searching for some equipment and items back home, after contacting Le Fay about her and Michael joining their group. Meredith found a letter given to her guardians, signed by the British Royal Family.
When she told her guardians that she might be leaving Golden Dawn, they tried to dissuade her. To tell her that she shouldn't put herself in danger.
That she really was of Royal Blood.
"Tell me, oh Great Seer!" Meredith said dramatically as she burst into Michael's apartment to see him having lunch. It was one of those foot long sandwiches from Subway. She was the only one keyed to Michael's apartment, something he granted her, after they had their heart to heart talk. "Of whose blood do you think I am!"
"Very disruptive people, if that's how they say 'good afternoon'." Michael deadpanned, before taking a bit of his... Meredith didn't know, what sandwich that was. There was a lot of meat; chicken, rips, pepperoni and steak were in the mix.
"That...!" Meredith paused, as technically that did count. Was that Divination, or just a generalization that hit from how wide the descriptors to the British Royal Family were? 'Technically correct. But seriously, guess!"
"I don't guess." Michael said back. "Mostly. If you want me to find out for you, we can do it right now, but I'll need a drop of your blood."
"Okay!" Meredith pricked her finger, and formed a finger-length glass slide to put it one, and placing it on the table Michael was at.
Michael paused in his meal, put the sandwich on a plate aside, and looked at Meredith with a completely unimpressed look.
"Meredith Ordinton," his used of her full name made her feel like she was being scolded. That it was Michael doing it, was sending mixed feeling in her. That they weren't of dread worried her. "As a mage, didn't anyone ever tell you not to hand your blood to anyone?"
"W-Well, you're not just anyone, we're friend, and I can just brainwash you if you try anything, so it's fine!" Meredith said quickly. Michael kept up his dry look, till Meredith started to squirm where she stood, her lips held in a flat line, as she looked away, not meeting Michael's scolding eyes.
Michael sighed after a moment, and Meredith relaxed.
"Seriously, please be more responsible for now on. Like serious, are you the type to be fooled by scam callers?" Michael said, as he got an iPad and opened up a map of England. Then he got a dowsing crystal that had the iPad pen's tip at the end.
"It's fine, Le Fay caught onto what they were doing that one time, and we punished them with being cursed to keep hitting their toes on corners." Meredith said in a petulant tone.
Michael froze as he held the glass slide in his hand, and slowly looked at Meredith.
Meredith looked away and whistled.
"You know, when I was learning about the prominient people here in Golden Dawn, Le Fay's name came up, the Pendragon Family are fucking weird naming her that, and not 'Morgan'."
"Ah, from what she told me, while she was born with a huge magic potential, her family don't like the name because, well, the bad history with it." Meredith offered.
"Right," Michael nodded. "So the point is, while Le Fay is known as a once a millennia genius," Meredith felt her heart tighten at Michael saying that. "From the personal account of people interacting with her though? She's an airhead idiot."
"Pffft," Meredith snorted, before quickly covering her mouth. "Y-You shouldn't talk about a lady like that."
"The point is, the one I thought, to act irresponsibly without thought would be her. Turns out she was your minder, not the other way around." Michael said as let the drop of blood slide onto the dowsing crystal. It glowed faint red for a moment. And after Michael waved his hand above it, casting a few Norse Runes that floated above and around the crystal, the dowsing crystal pulled itself down to the pad with it's stretchy wire, and started tapping on the iPad.
"I don't need a minder, and she wasn't mine even if I needed one!" Meredith huffed and crossed her arms. For a while the only sound in the room was the methodical, slow tapping of the dowsing crystal. "You know, when you said your an expert in Divination and Investigation Magic, I didn't expect this half-rigged set up."
"Using technology tends to save up on a lot of resources. I'd have to pull multiple maps and do this shit many times to get the result I want, but with this," the dowsing crystal tapped on Buckingham Palace and stopped. Michael looked at Meredith with a raised eyebrow, as she preened with a wide smile once more.
Michael took the iPad, drew up a list of all people currently living in the royal family's residence, or connected to it.
He placed the pad under the dowsing crystal again, and the crystal moved, scrolling for a moment, before stopping at one name.
"Huh," Michael chuckled at the prince's name, before the crystal moved to another name and stopped at it. It was a woman who served as a secretary to the prince. At least in the publically available papers. "I'm guess you've learned this certainly huh, your majesty?" Michael rest his cheek against his fist, as he looked at the energetic Meredith in amusement.
"Okay, it's ridiculous how fast that was," Meredith said as the dowsing crystal lost it's glow, and was pulled back up by the stretchy string contracting. Michael put the equipment away, and brought back his sandwich plate. "But yes! You're now have the privilege of speaking to royalty!" Meredith said dramatically, as she waved her hand forward, like she expected a knight to kiss her hand.
"Yes, yes, all hail, all hail and all that." Michael chuckled as he shook his head, and went back to his meal.
"Hey!" Meredith sat down in front of him. "You're suppose to treat me like a princess now, and curry favor and all that. The offer to be my knight is on the table~?"
"Sorry, I'm not good knight material." Michael chuckled, a melancholic smile on his face, with a far away look in his eyes. "I'm not good at protecting others. But I am good at destroying stuff." Michael said, trying to joke and bring the light-hearted mood back.
"W-Well, in that case," Meredith understood that something from Michael's past dug at him with her knight comment, but got that he wanted to joke and so continued playing around. "In that case, where's your tribute to the royal family?" Meredith said haughtily, with her head raised high.
"Fine, fine." Michael rolled his eyes, made a knife from that special Earth Magic of his that he can dispell easily afterwards. He cut a small piece of his sandwich, and handed it to Meredith. "There's you go, your royal tithe."
"What!" Meredith said even while taking the sandwich piece. "If you're sharing your meal, why aren't you giving me half!" She whined.
"British taxes is twenty percent." Michael said back, while nonchalantly focusing back on his meal and enjoying it.
"This isn't 20% of your sandwich!" Meredith said, as she took a bite of her own sandwich, and paused. "Oh wow, this is surprisingly good." She quickly pouted. "As your future queen, I demand half! No, 70%!" She said, playfully hitting the table.
"Oh wow, already letting the power go to your head. And thus she was known as Meredith the Tyrant Queen." Michael dramatically sighed. "Where did the gentle shy bookworm Meredith go? She used to be such a good girl."
"I am a good girl!" Meredith pounded the table. Then at Michael's amused grin, her face turn red as her hair, like it usually happens in these engagements with Michael. "S-Shut up! Disrespecting the royal family! That's imprisonment. Enforced servitude! It, it... Heavy Taxes! Give me the rest of your food!"
"Hell no!"
Meredith chased Michael around his room, with sandwich in her mouth.
"Meredith, I got your call, are you okay!?" Michael had come running in the heavy rain, with an open umbrella in hand.
Meredith thought the weather was appropriate to how she felt. She had just walked aimlessly before remembering to send Michael a message, when he asked her where she was. She hadn't shown up for her job today.
She was sitting at a bus stop. Thankfully alone. The rain seemed like a barrier to stop her from moving.
"Shit, you're soaked." Michael said, as he took of his jacket, wrapping it around her. "Come on, let's get you home-" He said, holding his umbrella above her.
"No." Meredith said firmly, even if her downtrodden expression didn't change. "Not... not my house. Your apartment." She looked at him with watery eyes. "Please."
"Okay, okay. Whatever you need." Michael said gently.
"They didn't want me." Meredith said, once they were back to Michael's abode, dried (using magic), and sitting down in the calm and quiet.
"Who?" Michael asked. He already knew, but gave Meredith the chance to talk, to vent.
"My father, my... his family. They were polite. I got to talk to him, but..." Meredith's gazed down, before looking up to Michael with tears in her eyes. "They didn't outright say it, but it was obvious. They made it clear. I was... a distraction."
"...I see." Michael glanced behind his window curtain, raising up the intruder prevention Bounded Field. It would warn him, prepare traps, counterspells, and even obfuscate any attempt by others to gain information on him, or his place. They will outright got to the other end of England, thinking he teleported there.
"It's fine. They only sent one person after me. I... made them leave. Made them think I wasn't a danger or worthwhile." Meredith said.
"...Yeah," Michael said after a moment, when his barrier didn't ping anything. "Good job." Michael said, as he went and got a chair to sit in front of her. "I told you to tamper your expectation." He said gently. "You never know how these things would go."
"...Michael, what do you want to do? Your ultimate goal?" Meredith suddenly asked, moving closer to Michael, grapping onto his shirt. "It's important, right? Monumental even, right? And... you want me for it? You need me, right?" Her voice was deep in its longing. she was holding onto him like a lifeline.
"..." Gently, Michael took Meredith's hand away from his shirt, and just held them. "Meredith," he began, chewed on something in his mind, before making a decision and guilt clawed at his heart. "I'm going to seal the Underworld." Meredith's eyes widened. "I'm going to send every single Devil back to Hell, and lock the door behind them. I will take back every human they enslaved, or if not I will at least make sure they can't make any more."
"Then...!" Meredith's eyes shined with hope, that she'd be wanted, needed.
"And that's why I think you shouldn't follow me."
Meredith felt her heart be crushed.
"Merry, I'm going to make an enemy of an entire race, and who knows many other others." Michael paused, thinking for a moment. "Definitely the Grigori as well, if I succeed." He looked back at her, with worry. "That's why I don't want you to follow me. I don't want you to get hurt. I can't protect you, I had people I was suppose to protect before, but I..." Michael lost the words in his throat. "I don't want to use you for your powers. I can figure something out. It won't even take that long. You're... Actually someone I consider a friend. Someone important, so I don't-"
"You won't!" Meredith stood up, with a determined look in her eyes. "You won't protect me. You won't need to protect me. I... I will protect you!" Meredith placed a hand on her chest. "Your goal, it's beautiful. It's something great, and I want... I will make it a reality." She spoke with passion, with longing to be accepted needed, and at Michael to his guilt, she spoke with adoration, hope and... love. "That joke from before? Rather than you becoming my knight, I will be yours." Meredith declared.
"So depend on me, put your faith in me. I won't fail you-" Meredith pleaded.
And before she could finish the words, Michael had stood up and hugged her, holding her to his chest.
"I know." He said solemnly. "And... As my knight my first order to you, is not to die. Not for my sake, or anyone else. Understand."
"Hmm," Meredith nodded into his chest. A small smile on her lips and glow in her heart.
It felt like she was where she belonged.
Meredith Ordinton wasn't sure of what to expect once she and Michael went to meet Le Fay.
Meredith was nominally accepted into the Hero Faction on Le Fay's recommendation, but Michael needed to prove himself.
However, before Le Fay could even tell him that, Michael asked her where Augusta the Purple Flame was. Tell her, he'll come back to their group once he felt ready to join.
Le Fay was surprised, but amused. And another a few days with the hell of Michael's Divination, they found her location in Japan.
Meredith followed Michael, expecting a difficult massive battle, as they attacked Augusta and her apprentice in their cottage, that they made their temporary logging in the countryside.
Meredith was told by Le Fay, that the Hero Faction would be watching Michael's battle in secret to evaluate him. She debated on telling Michael this, but there was no time, and he went ahead to confront Augusta the Purple Flame, while Meredith had the role of keep the witch's disciple, Walburga, back.
And the battle...
It couldn't be called one.
Almost instantly Michael launched dozens of Runechain Spells, that forced defend and summoned her Longinus, Incineration Anthem. The Holy Purple Flame Giant holding the Holy Cross, barely made it halfway toward Michael, when a Runechain Magic Barrier, made up of all 18 original Runes sprang up around the giant.
The Runes were all reversed, something Meredith barely remembered to mean it would cause the opposite effects, as everything was happening so fast.
The barrier formed instantly shrunk and closed onto the Flame Giant, holding it in place and crushing it.
Augusta tried to have her giant break through the magic field, or use her own spells when Michael's binding Binding Runes, these ones actual spelling and calling Norse Names, slammed into her limbs and body. Her limbs were frozen, her body was held back by an energy layer that disrupted any spell she tried to do.
Meredith suddenly remember that Michael doesn't cast her Runes on rocks or paper talisman. But rather he write them with magic on the air. And instantly at that. He barely need to just wave his arms for the Runes to be formed.
Is there any Norse Magician who could do that? Meredith tried to recall.
"You-!" Augusta shouted in outrage, before her mouth clammed shut from a gesture from Michael.
"Quiet, you're not who I wanted to talk to, to begin with." Michael said dismissively, a firm expression on his face, as he didn't even face the witch.
Rather to the shock of those watching Michael stepped up to the barrier, holding and straining again the Holy Cross the long it was contained within it.
"Hey, are you satisfied with where you are? Is this what God made you for?" Michael spoke, to the Holy Cross itself. "Is this your purpose? To just be used like some lab rat in a science experiment? Weren't you meant to protect humanity when they needed it? Be their light in the darkness?" He shouted.
Augusta began laughing. "Are, are you trying to communicate with it?" The witch laughed some more. "While true all the Longinus hold some sort of sentience, that's not something you can communicate with in words, you fool."
No. Meredith thought. Not if you used magic to aid in communicate and relay intent. She noticed the small Runes floating and circling around Michael's brow.
And shockingly to those present, the flames of the Holy Cross dimmed as it stopped resisting against the barrier. And the barrier stopped crushing against it.
"Come with me. I can actually do something for humanity. Actually do something to impact the world for their sake." Michael said with terrifying resolve in his eyes. "So that they don't become prey to the Supernatural anymore. So that they aren't seen as fucking prey by gods and monsters!"
The words hung in the air, waiting for the Holy Cross' judgement.
Then...
The Holy Cross's flame grew higher. Much brighter and much more intense than Augusta had ever seen them. Yet, the Longinus wasn't straining against the barrier. It was waiting.
Michael blinked a few times, as if receiving a message from somewhere. The Cross's intent, Meredith realized.
And in the next instant, Michael plunged his arm into the barrier.
"Michael!" Meredith screamed.
"STOP!" Michael shouted, halting Meredith in her tracks. She met his eyes, and took a step back from the sheer rage and intensity in them. "This is my trial. Don't interfere, let me do this!" He shouted, and at her worried look, he forced his expression to soften. "Believe in me." He said through gritted teeth.
"Yes, believe in the fool that's about to have his soul burned to nothing." Augusta laughed, and laughed.
The purple flames had incinerated his sleeve. His arm was burned and slowly evaporated like it was being cooked. Everyone could see Michael was forever going to be crippled down an arm, or worse. The flame could continue and burn away his soul.
And then Augusta wasn't laughing anymore as her face paled.
The Holy Purple Flame swept into Michael's arm, becoming a part of it, as the Holy Cross shrunk and disappeared into Michael's arm, that was now charred, with lines of glowing purple flame in the cracks. The glow coming from underneath the skin.
Yet Augusta felt it. Knew for sure, Incineration Anthem had chosen another.
Michael Chaser stood before Meredith, the witch and those witnessing the battle. He was the new Longinus Wielder, the holder of the Holy Cross.
"Begone." Michael said the word.
And without even a gesture, the ground under Augusta and Walburga glowed before a pillar of purple fire erupted and turned them to ash.
"So," Michael said, turned and looked at the Hero Faction hidden under the mists of Georg's Longinus, Dimension Lost. "You of the Hero Faction, tell me the purpose of your group."
AN: Yeeeeeah... This Michael variant went in, ah, different direction than his counterparts in terms of romance route. And just like I said, one down and one left.
