Chapter 112. Helplessly Strong
The wind mercilessly whirled through the streets, swirling up dust devils and stirring up the uncleared debris from the riots. Kariya pushed through this apocalyptic landscape, coughing and spitting foul phlegm from her mouth.
Passersby recoiled from this living corpse, crossing themselves and muttering prayers. No one wished to test their fate by approaching a being with such inhuman appearance. With each step, Kariya descended deeper into the dark heart of the chaos that had engulfed London.
Broken storefront signs gaped like menacing chasms of gaping mouths. Charred car skeletons littered the intersections, reminders of the street battles between Muggles and those who had embraced the Dark Mark. Fires, looting, and riots - the city writhed in the agony of a civil war unleashed by the sudden rise to power of Voldemort and his Death Eaters.
From a gap in the wall, a brick narrowly missed her, causing Kariya to quickly slip into a filthy alley. It was only here that she could finally catch her breath from the writhing worms of pain inside her and regain some semblance of composure. Kariya pressed herself against the wall, murmuring half-forgotten incantations.
Her emaciated fingers traced the lines of a complex mystical circle in the dirt. With a twisted tongue, Kariya squeezed out the ancient words of invocation, feeling the reality starting to slip away, like an invisible fabric pulled taut. The world around her trembled, and light and shadows melded into a kaleidoscope of colors... and then burst into a pristine new form.
Before Kariya suddenly appeared a figure that made him cower against the wall in primitive horror. It was a miniature girl in a bright scarlet dress, with tousled locks of red hair and an innocent face adorned with mischievous freckles. Yet her presence literally flattened the space of the alley with an invisible gravitational wave.
In her small hands, the girl casually held an ancient golden chalice, which glimmered in the dim light. And her crimson eyes coldly and mercilessly scrutinized Kariya, the sick and tormented man at her feet. The corners of the child's lips twisted into a disgusted grimace.
"Ha! So this is it... My name is Draco. Beast of Sodom and Offspring of Depraved Life. My class is Beast," the girl laughed with a piercing sound, interspersed with strained coughs. "And I am forced to descend to this miserable human world for the sake of summoning such a pathetic creature?!"
Kariya felt the air around them shimmer with crimson flashes of energy, accompanied by the shrieks and howls of countless creatures. The girl brushed a lock of hair from her face and contorted her features so grotesquely that her face became almost unrecognizable.
"Ha-ha-ha! What a plot! You have received such a lucky ticket, you pitiful mortal. No one has ever had the honor of commanding me - the one who once wiped Babylon off the face of the earth!"
Draco took a step forward, and the chalice in her hands suddenly filled with an indescribable crimson glow. Kariya desperately pressed himself against the wall, frantically scanning for an escape. What kind of terrifying creature had he just summoned?!
"But enough playing around, pathetic mortal. Since you dared to summon me into this world, you will pay the proper price! Prepare yourself to taste the wrath of my Dragon's Blood!"
A suffocating silence hung in the air, broken only by Kariya's heavy breathing. He sat, leaning against the wall, desperately trying to make sense of what was happening. How could this have happened? How had he, worn down almost to death by Zouken's rituals, ended up with such a monstrous Servant?
Draco impatiently waited, tapping her foot on the dirty floor. Her eyes gleamed with righteous anger. Finally, unable to bear the prolonged silence, the girl raised her voice in indignation.
"Hey, you pitiful wretch! Do you not have the strength or the courage to speak to me? I am the greatest evil in this world, the one who brought destruction to Babylon itself!"
Draco let out a ringing laughter, filling the alley with an eerie echo of laughter, interspersed with guttural screams and the roar of unseen creatures.
"And here you sit, silent like a lamb before the slaughter! Come on, unleash your will and praise me as you should! Or are you so pathetic that you are not even worthy of beholding my greatness?!"
The girl approached and placed her hands on her hips, looming over the slumped Kariya. Her authoritative tone gradually gave way to annoyance.
"Stop grinning like a deranged old cow! If you're unable to say anything worthy, it's better to keep quiet! Your insignificance insults the very fact of my summoning!"
Kariya opened his mouth to say something, but only produced a feeble croak. Draco dramatically rolled her eyes and turned away, clutching her temples.
"Oh, it's giving me a headache from such incompetence! And I am supposed to accomplish great deeds with this miserable creature? Better I take matters into my own hands!"
Kariya slowly stood up, leaning against the wall. Draco muttered something incomprehensible, crossing her arms over her chest. Without sparing her a single glance, Kariya shuffled towards the exit of the alley.
"Wait!" Draco followed behind, looking around in surprise. "Where do you think you're going, mortal? And what is this mayhem happening outside?"
Kariya stepped onto the sun-drenched street. The city still writhed in the agony of recent disorder and clashes. Smoke from recent fires billowed in the sky, and charred cars blocked the roads.
"I seek what I was summoned for," Kariya replied curtly, without looking back. He trudged forward, stepping over broken glass and asphalt debris.
Draco fidgeted with impatience beside him, surveying the apocalyptic landscape with astonishment.
"But what has happened here? Who could have caused such chaos?" she asked, looking around nervously and clutching the chalice tighter.
"War," Kariya answered shortly, pausing at a crossroads. "Human war. War for life. War where everyone is forced to fight for their own existence."
Draco raised her eyebrows in surprise, not expecting such a ruthless assessment. Kariya moved forward again, pointedly ignoring her.
"But if you could embrace the whole world, you would see - there is something greater than this endless war of all against all. There are things worth living and fighting for, regardless of any hardships."
Draco rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed by Kariya's grand speeches about human nature and the meaning of existence.
"I don't care about your petty human quarrels and misfortunes!" she burst into laughter, mocking him. "Just look at yourselves, pitiful creatures! You rush from cradle to battle, just to satisfy your pride and greed."
Draco clicked her tongue and playfully tossed the chalice, deftly catching it in the air.
"But in the end, all your wars are worth no more than a sparrow's breath! For humans are nothing but tiny grains of sand in the vast ocean of Life, which will continue to surge forth, like my Dragon's Blood!"
She performed a graceful pirouette, spreading her arms wide. The air suddenly filled with swirling crimson mist and the chilling cries of countless unimaginable creatures.
"I am the true essence of primal Chaos, rejecting all human conventions and steeped in an endless cycle of deaths and rebirths! So what do I care about your futile self-destruction? Ha! I was, am, and will be, enduring any of your wars and cataclysms!"
Kariya simply shook his head wearily, no longer wishing to argue with this embodiment of madness. Draco continued to enthusiastically gesture, praising her destructive power and boundless might. Kariya watched her antics gloomily, suddenly feeling a deep exhaustion.
"Enough," he finally said, raising his hand. Draco fell silent halfway through her sentence, frowning. "You only confirm that summoning you was a mistake."
"What?!" Draco flared up, raising the chalice. Eerie cries of unseen creatures echoed through the street. "How dare you speak to me like that, you pathetic..."
"Quiet," Kariya moved towards her, his eyes burning with determination. "You are a mad, senseless embodiment of chaos and destruction. With a Servant like you, I cannot fulfill my true purpose."
Draco blinked in astonishment, fluttering her eyelashes. Kariya continued ruthlessly:
"All you spout is sheer nonsense. I only see a fanciful delusion, craving bloodshed and destruction. You have long lost touch with reality. And with a Servant like you, I cannot achieve my desired goal."
Draco inhaled sharply through clenched teeth. Her eyes blazed with righteous anger. She raised the chalice, which immediately overflowed with a crimson surge of energy.
"How dare you reject me, you insignificant mortal?! I have wiped entire civilizations off the face of the earth! I..."
But Kariya had already turned away, walking away. Draco tried to follow, but found herself unable to take a single step and join him.
"Hey, stop!" she clung to the chalice so tightly that her fingertips creaked. "Stop, I said! I... I have not been truly summoned yet! You must accept me as your Servant! You must..."
But Kariya simply waved his hand and turned the corner, leaving the infuriated Draco bewilderedly stamping her feet in place. She fiercely slammed the chalice onto the asphalt, sending up a cloud of bloody splatters.
"He will curse the day he summoned me!" Draco growled, clenching her fists. "I will show that wretch what the Queen of Draco is capable of!"
Suddenly, explosions and cries could be heard from the direction of Big Ben. Kariya and Queen Draco simultaneously turned their heads, puzzled. In the distance, panicked shouts of people, the roar of artillery and tanks could be heard. Amidst the noise, the only distinguishable sounds were the rattle of machine guns and the clanking of tracks.
And then, as if someone had switched on a spotlight, the sky was illuminated by a blinding beam, punching holes through buildings. Smoke and dust obscured the view, but Kariya managed to discern a crowd of people rushing towards them at full speed.
"Quick, move aside!" he shouted, grabbing Draco and carrying her away.
Kariya cast a fearful glance around, trying to find something familiar in this nightmare of ashes and plaster. His companion suddenly froze, raising the chalice before her. A spark of primal fear ignited in the girl's eyes.
"Stop!" she hoarsely exclaimed, addressing Kariya. "The enemy is close. They're following us closely!"
Kariya's blood ran cold as he looked around in horror. Two humanoid figures in black cloaks emerged from the frozen haze, moving towards them. They seemed to emit interference, distorting the space around them. The rumbling and crackling accompanied their advance, filling Kariya's ears with an eerie cacophony.
"Target acquired," the figures spoke in unison, their voices sounding unnatural, mechanical. "Unregistered individuals spotted in the combat zone. Initiating extermination."