Section 4
Nick walks through the busy city. During the afternoon, Souya is especially crowded, full of students, people going to or leaving work, people just hanging around. Nick's only objective is to meet up with his friend.
He said he would be in the main area with all the billboards. But where is he?
Nick wanders around some more. He's not very familiar with this city since he lived in an urban town, instead of the bustling city.
Sorta cold too. October sucks. At least the city and all the people give off heat.
Suddenly, as he's waiting, someone grabs him from behind.
"Hey~! Glad you made it!"
Nick spins around and is greeted by the familiar face of Tomo. His best and only friend he's known for a while.
He's wearing a gray sweater and black pants. His black hair flows freely in the wind. Tomo's gray eyes staring back at him.
"What's that look for, Nick?"
"Finding you was a pain."
"Why didn't you just call? I know you don't really like phones, but still could've saved you a ton of time."
"I figured I'd look around the old fashion way for you. No need to call."
"Jeez, you're like an old man. Hating technology and stuff. You're 21, you need to get used to it before it eventually takes over the world!"
"I'll deal with that when it happens. I just dislike technology, that's all. I can still use it just fine."
Nick crosses his arms.
"So, what's the plan for today, you wanted to talk?"
"Yeah, but let's talk in that cafe over there. I'm hungry."
"Of course you are, you're paying for your food, I refuse to be stuck with the bill again."
"Fine.~"
The two head over to the cafe and take a seat inside.
"So, how have you been lately?" Nick and Tomo haven't seen eachother in a while, so it's only natural he'd ask.
"I've been fine. Man, I've been busy lately. The Agency has been relentless. Or more accurately, vampires have been relentless. Plus all the training and stuff, I've barely had any free time."
"That sucks, I've pretty much only had free time lately. It's been boring."
"Lucky. I'd kill for a month off."
The waitress walks over and takes their order, then walks off. Not long after, she brings them their food.
"So, I wanted to ask, but you've been with plenty of women right?"
"Not really… Well yeah, but those were only one night stands. Nothing came of them. I've never had an actual girlfriend, nor do I want one right now."
"Well still, you've been with plenty of women."
Nick becomes annoyed.
"What's your point?"
"Ah sorry! There's this woman I'm into, and we've been talking lately. I want to ask her out, but I'm not sure how."
"Where did you two meet?"
"She's a nun, the magic kind not the normal kind obviously. We met when I just got back from a mission and was fixing my gear. She helped me with the purifying aspect and we got to talking. Ah, she's so cute!~"
Why am I giving him romantic advice?
"Couldn't you just ask her to lunch? I'm assuming she gets a lunch break every day. Or just ask her to go to dinner or something after work. I mainly just picked women up at bars, before they got drunk of course."
"BUT I CAN'T JUST ASK HER OUT!? WHAT IF SHE SAYS NO!?"
"Dude, you'll never get anywhere unless you ask. If she says no then that's that. If you think she's into you, then go for it. Also quiet down."
"Sorry, sorry. Yeah I guess you're right."
"Next time I see her, that's what I'll do. I'll ask her out!"
Nick smiles.
"I hope it goes well for you."
The two continue to chat until sunset.
They walk out of the cafe and roam the streets. Night has now fallen and the city has become less busy, but still, adults walk home from work, teens hang out with friends, people just walking, soaking in the night air.
Tomo looks over at Nick. "So, what are you gonna do with your night?"
"Oh I don't know, probably read."
Tomo laughs.
"Typical Nick."
"I'm gonna play a video game I just bought. It's pretty fun."
"Sounds fun."
The two continue to walk to the train station. Nick lives quite far away so he has to take the train to the city.
"Well, today was fun, but this is the last train, so you should get going."
"Yeah, I suppose so. I'll see you la-"
"BOOM!"
"What!?"
The two turn back around to see smoking rising into the air.
"An explosion?"
"I smell burning meat."
"Come on, Nick! Let's check it out. I have a bad feeling!"
"Same here!"
The two run back toward the city, the open area is up in flames and inside those flames… are vampires.
"Dead Apostles? Why are they attacking? Who's stupid enough to attack such a populated area!?"
"PLEASE, HELP ME!"
They look over to see a woman backed into a corner, an inhuman being stumbles on over to her to consume the woman.
"Tomo, you can cover everything up, right?"
"Yeah, the agency can deal with the cover up. Go wild."
Nick manifests his blade and takes the undead out with ease.
Nick points to another part of the city. "Run that way! You'll be safe there!"
"Thank you!" The woman says between sobs and runs off.
"Hey, Nick! I'm gonna go further ahead to see who's the bastard causing this! You focus on getting as many people out of here as you can!"
Tomo now wears a black cloak holding a scythe like the grim reaper. His black hair matched his outfit perfectly.
"Got it!"
Tomo runs off into the flames while Nick runs toward the people.
As fast as he can, he slays the vampires and gets people away from the scene. This can all be cleared up later using magecraft, so none of this matters right now. Besides, most people are in hysteria right now, so most can't think straight and won't remember too well later.
Why are there so many? Even if this was just some strays running loose, they seem too coordinated. There's definitely a leader somewhere, but what rank?
He continues to run now towards some tall buildings. What's a kid doing here? Where's his parents, whatever, no time.
Nick quickly grabs the kid and runs him to safety. A set of parents seem to recognize the boy and run over.
"Oh thank you! We lost him in the crowd and we were worried sick! We wanted to look for him but there's all this fire and those creatures and-"
"Don't worry, he's safe now. Get out of here now."
Nick runs back into the fight. He can hear the clashing of blades in the distance.
Tomo must've found the cause of all this. I should try to get over there now. Everyone seems to be safe.
Nick runs as fast as he can over to the noise of two swords clashing.
"Tomo!"
The white haired vampire with the machete sword continuously attacks Tomo.
That's a Superior Dead Apostle! What is one doing here!?
Raising his hand, fire bursts out of the vampire's hand. Right before it can hit, Tomo uses his cloak to shield himself from the flames. His cloak and weapon were made specifically to deal with the dead, so naturally, it can defend well against them too.
A crater has formed. Did they hit a pipe and it exploded? Or is this just their raw power? Need to find a way down.
Nick jumps down into the pit, ready to fight. The vampire notices this and shoots fire directly at Nick.
"!"
Nick dodges and continues his assault.
"So cold…"
"?"
In an instant, ice shoots out from his feet and spikes form above him.
"SHIT!"
Nick's leg gets stabbed by the spike, sending him to the ground. There's now a hole in his leg, and Nick is in a great deal of pain.
"Gah!"
Nick looks up and sees that Tomo managed to avoid the attack. He dances around the icy field, carefully avoiding the ice being shot at him.
The two begin to clash once again in close combat. The vampire seems to be a knight of some kind, one very old and good at his job. Looking at his eyes reveals just how fast he's thinking to keep up and plan ahead against a Burial Agency member.
Ice once again shoots up from behind and Tomo blocks almost all of it, suffering an injury to his side.
He backs off from the fight to catch his breath and plan his next move. Vlov seemingly does the same.
Nick has managed to heal his wound and now stands to help fight. The Dead Apostle sees this and now aims at him. Blue flames burst out and toward the white haired man.
"Shield."
Blood forms a wall to protect him from the flames. Solidifying in an instant. The flames move around the wall since they can't manage to burn through.
The wall disperses once the fire stops. But that's not the end. The knight charges in straight afterward, bearing his blade down on Nick. His sword emerges from the shadows, he grabs ahold and blocks the attack entering a brief lock. Nick's sword was similar to a knight's armament that one would use in the medieval ages. The blade shines red with a black hilt and guard with a gray cross shape in the middle of the guard.
"That sword..?", the vampire coldly says in a questioning tone, almost like he recognizes it from somewhere.
With Nick's mind, he shoots blood spikes at the vampire. With all this death and destruction, blood is bound to be everywhere.
Nick looks slightly behind the knight to see Tomo slowly sneaking up.
"Hold him off for a bit longer!", Tomo says almost silently, unable to raise his voice at the moment.
Nick looks back at the vampire. Wildly clashing their blades, both trying to find an opening in their opponent's defense.
"You are quite a skilled fighter. I am Vlov Arkhangel. A former knight of the dark ages."
"Nick Ketsueki."
"Very well then, Ketsueki, come with all you have!"
Ice forms and shoots at Nick, intending to kill. In response, he shoots his own spikes of blood, intercepting and mutually destroying their constructs, however, the blood can simply reform due to it being a liquid. An endless barrage down at Vlov. He bats away the hardened blood, it's not much use against someone as strong as him, but a good enough distraction.
Nick runs in and thrusts his blade forward. Aiming to pierce the vampire's heart. In a quick response, he blocks the sword with his own, halting Nick in an instant. Tomo from behind the vampire gives a thumbs up and readies his scythe. Nick sends the blood out in the field, and around him all around Vlov's body. Binding his legs and arms so he can't move.
Nick then gets out of the way of the incoming attack from the reaper.
"HAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Tomo's scythe lights up, bathed in holy light, ready to execute any vampire in his path!
Vlov notices this and gets visibly worried. He stretches his hand out and a weapon manifests in his hand from the ground. A massive lance, probably about double his size in length. It is too late for Tomo to stop, and Vlov is fast enough to react. Breaking out of the blood with all he has, Vlov spins around and right as Tomo's attack hits, Vlov hits the reaper. The two trading their most powerful attacks.
Nick is unable to see what happened due to the smoke filling the air from the two attacks. All he hears is a body hit the ground, but from further away than where Vlov was. The smoke clears to show Tomo, laying on the ground about 15 meters away, while Vlov stands there stunned, damaged by the Executioner's attack.
"Tomo…TOMO!"
Nick runs as fast as he can over to his downed friend. It's far too late. He has a hole in his chest from the lance and is barely alive. He won't last long, another minute or two.
"Tomo!"
"Nick, I'm sorry, I used all I could, but he's still alive."
"Don't worry, you did enough, take it easy now."
"Heh, 'take it easy,' you say?"
Nick realizes what this means, and his face is filled with concern.
"Nick, I'm sorry I couldn't continue being your friend…Who would've thought my best friend would be a vampire?"
"You knew?"
"It was obvious, dummy…your strength and your red-eyes were a give away for someone like me who's experienced."
Nick looks down in shame.
"Even so, I still couldn't protect you… What about that girl, huh!? Don't you want to make it back for her? Don't you want to live!?"
Tomo lets out a weak laugh.
"That…would've been nice…but things never go the way we want."
His body grows even more limp. "I've done all I can. Please…live…", Tomo's eyes close shut with those last words, never to open again.
Nick crouches there wordlessly and unmoving. His best friend is dead, and it's all Vlov Arkhangel's fault. His lifeless corpse now lays in front of him. Surely the church will be here soon, but for now, Nick must kill the enemy right here.
Nick stands up and faces the monster.
"He perished, didn't he?", Vlov asks.
"Yeah."
"I should have held back a little. He managed to hurt me with that last attack."
Nick's vision turns red.
You're the one who killed him!
Nick steps forward.
"Vlov Arkhangel, I challenge you."
"Foolishly throwing your life away for some revenge. You humans are fascinating."
"Yeah…"
Manifesting his crimson sword once again, Nick gets ready to end this, end the vampire's life and avenge his fallen comrade. Grieving can wait til later, for now, all he wants to do is kill the vampire right in front of him…
Olga Marie's eyes flutter open. All she can see is pitch black. After a second, her eyes adjust to the dark space. She sits up and a blanket falls off her body, but not just any blanket, it's Nick's jacket.
"Huh?"
She looks up and sees Nick reading a book.
"Oh you're awake, Olga."
"Yeah…how long have you been up?"
"About an hour. We were sleeping pretty well considering it's 6:24 PM now. The sun must have already set by now."
"Crap, we slept too long. But we're still alive, which means the runes worked."
Olga can't seem to will herself to remove Nick's coat from on top of her body.
He went as far as doing this for me… She thinks to herself.
"When I woke up, I saw you were shivering from sleeping on the cold ground, that's why you're wearing my jacket now. I also found this book laying around. H.P. Lovecraft is the author's name. Pretty interesting to read."
"How can you even read so well in the dark like this?"
"Your eyes will adjust soon enough."
"Wait, that book is in English, how are you able to understand it?"
"I know many languages. Does that surprise you? Alice can speak and read both Japanese and English. And Mash knows multiple languages too."
"Yeah, that's fair. Didn't take you for the type to be bilingual though."
Olga stands up and walks over to Nick, her white dress almost looks like a ghost flying through the dark. She picks up her orange uniform and puts it back on, returning to her normal getup.
"Here, thanks for lending it to me."
She hands Nick's coat back and he takes it.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yep, when you are."
"How are your wounds? Any better? No actually, how are you in general?"
"I still feel the pain, but it'll pass thanks to your help. As for my mana…no, this won't be a problem."
"Alright."
The two walk out of the room, Nick peaks around the corner and sees nothing in sight.
"We're clear. Let's break for the exit."
The two quickly but quietly run toward the way they came in.
"Dammit, he blocked it off! He must've known we'd try coming back.", Olga kicks the ice in frustration. But stubs her toe after kicking it and recoils in pain.
"We can find another way out. There's gotta be something."
"You'd better be right about that. Are you sure you can't just bust through this?"
"Yeah, I can't. It would cause too much noise, and I'm not sure if I can shatter this solid ice in the state I'm in now. Plus, considering it's dark out. He can leave and follow us. We need to be quiet about all this. Escape while he doesn't know and regroup with Chaldea."
Olga sighs in disappointment.
"Yeah, let's go back into this hellhole.", she turns around and begins walking. Her heels clicking with every step.
Nick follows her, seemingly uneasy about something…
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU PEOPLE!? WHERE ARE WE!?"
After hours of rest, we now sit around a campfire in the dark, trying to formulate a plan. Not long ago, the Servant we rescued woke up and emerged from the tent she was in, completely undressed and not at all fazed by this fact.
But I can't shake off the fact that she's got a good body, it's almost identical to the Jeanne d'Arc that came to us. This one seems to be on her own, though.
"A-Agh, come on! At least wear something b-before leaving your tent!"
I see Ritsuka is no longer an innocent boy, that's why he turned his eyes away from the woman in embarrassment. I, however, can't keep my eyes off her, but I can't let this turn to ogling. Alice looks more or less unfazed by all this and Mash just looks surprised.
"Answer me, or I will kill you all. Where. Are. We?" The woman that resembles Jeanne opens her hand and a bright, orange flame begins to take form in her palm. Avenger manifests.
"Pardon my intrusion, fellow Servant. My name is Edmond Dantès, Avenger. This is Chaldea, they have been tasked with taking this Singularity down."
"Chaldea? That one shady organization trying to play world savior? I wouldn't stop hearing about you dullards at the Throne."
"Yes, that is our goal in all this.", Mash replies.
The unnamed Servant crosses her arms. "With that out of the way, I don't suppose you really do pose a threat to me at all. But you were still stupid enough to get me outta that cell, so now you'll have to bear with my shit for the rest of this trip!"
She looks up at us. "My name is Jeanne d'Arc, by the way. I'm an Avenger Servant."
"Even if that's your name, you're not acting, or dressing saint-like at all now…"
"Hah, as if I was ever a saint. There's not a moment of my life when I don't curse God for letting me burn at that stake, so I decided that I would live again, just to spite him! And if you call me a Saint one more time, I will BURN YOU TO DEATH, YOU BITCH!"
"Hey, don't call Serena a bitch. What's your deal?"
"I thought I made myself clear. Is this not how I'm supposed to look like to you?"
"I don't think so, because I believe someone else already carries your name. How have you come to be?", Edmond questions.
"I cursed God for letting me partake in his Holy War and letting me burn at the stake, like a witch. I thought I was trying to save my country, but all it did to me was have myself branded and accused of crimes I never committed, by the same men I served alongside. This injustice will not stand a second time! It's why I despise every last one of you living humans."
"Ah, I can almost grasp your frustration and hatred, the trademarks of an Avenger Servant! Kehahahahaha!"
Romani pops up from Mash's wrist. "Two Avengers in one Singularity huh? That's not a lot of variety. But I have to wonder, why is your class specifically being sent there…"
"It doesn't matter. I still want to kill that disgusting vampire that left me to rot in his cell for months on end!"
"That is our next move, my fellow Avenger. We were just resting until you woke up."
Jeanne smiles. "I have but one request: Don't try to get in my way when I see him."
"So, what is the plan here?"
"We still need to come up with one, but first…", Alice raises her arm and clothes pop out of this air.
"Put these on. They should fit you. And Serena, stop staring, it's rude."
"Sorry." I look toward the ground, my face bright red.
Jeanne grabs the clothes and puts them on. She now wears a black zip up dress with a black and blue fur coat on top of that. She wears fancy boots with heels on her feet.
"Do they fit your size?"
"Yeah, almost too well. But it'll do for now."
"Wait, those were yours, Alice? How come I never saw you wear these?"
"I thought I'd have more time to myself and go out. Of course, that didn't work out, so I ended up using just the boots and fur coat."
I imagine those clothes on her body.
"I don't think you would look awful, though, blue isn't your color. You look best in gray and black."
"I think Jeanne will make better use of 'em than I will, though."
Jeanne sits down. For the sake of these narrated journals, I'd like to start referring to this one as Jeanne Alter from now on. She looks just like the Jeanne I know, sounds just like her, but her skin is pale and her hair is white.
"So Jeanne, how did you end up in that situation?"
"Sure, might as well tell you."
"The Counter Force was what brought me here, giving me the instructions to await for the arrival of Chaldea, and safeguard the innocents if possible. I know my ways around here since France hasn't changed too much since my time, but I eventually came across a little being attacked by a vampire, a vampire that could use both fire and ice. I fought him, and lost. Worst of all, he kept me imprisoned in that dungeon where you found me for these last few months, and I'm still low on mana now. So now I'm a burden to you, simple as that."
"I'll form a contract with you. What's one more Avenger going to do to mine, and Chaldea's mana storage, right?"
"What a fool you are. But go ahead, that vampire needs to die anyway."
The two form a contract and Jeanne Alter signs in relief.
"Ah, my body feels a bit warmer now. Must be your mana. Give me some time, and I'll be fighting in full strength."
"Yeah, don't mind it. We need all the help we can get."
"I believe I heard the two girls over there are called Serena and Alice, but I don't know the rest of you. Now you do the introductions."
"Ugh, this place is like a maze. And it's so creepy."
"Well yeah, it's a vampire's lair. Dead Apostles are just like this, they live in dark, precarious places that are dangerous for a human."
"How do you know so much about these things, anyway? I don't see a normal person researching them so much. Oh wait, you had a friend in the church, right?"
"Yeah, on top of being alive for a few thousand years, I know quite a lot. I'm an expert."
"Very funny, but now's not the time for your usual sarcasm."
"…"
"Yeah sorry, this really isn't the time for that. But really with my magecraft and all, stuff involving blood interests me a lot. You have your own interests, I have mine. For example, you seem to like reading those adventure novels in your spare time."
Olga freezes in her tracks.
"How do you know that? I've never told anyone I like reading them."
"You've mentioned it before in passing. But besides that, the one time you made me slave away bringing boxes to your room, I saw one on your desk."
"Ugh. Dammit."
"Heh."
"Well, I like those! Got a problem, Nick?"
"No problems with that. You can read whatever you want, Ms. Esteemed Director."
"I'm seriously gonna kill you one of these days."
"Aw, but how will you fare when I'm gone? You can't do a thing without worrying about me first and foremost."
Someday, I'll stab you in your sleep. How will you like that, Nick?
"Olga? Something the matter?"
"Nope."
The two continue to wander the dungeon. They eventually stumble on a hallway that leads to another room.
"This is it. We may be able to get out this way."
They walk toward the door and Nick peeks in and sees no one.
"We're good to go."
They walk into the room and it's near empty. It's mostly just a room. There are some pillars and a box in the middle of the room. But on the ceiling, is a hole that leads to the surface.
"There we go. Hey, Olga? Can you fly?"
"Of course not. Can you?"
"Nope, I can throw you though."
"Hard pass."
"Oh wait, I can platform us with my Hemomancy. That'll work."
Nick pours out some blood and forms a platform. The two walk over and stand on it and it begins to rise. It can't move very fast due to their combined weight, but it's still slowly but steadily rising.
"Wipe that smug look off your face, Nick."
"Once again, my genius is unmatched."
"Shut up you idiot. How are you even an adult?"
"You wouldn't understand. You're two years away from adulthood."
"I'm glad we are leaving this hole so I can get away from you for a bit."
"Tsundere."
"Yeah? Well you're a-"
Several ice spikes shoot toward the two, breaking the platform they were on. Nick grabs Olga on his arms as they fall, managing to land on his feet while keeping the Director safe from a painful fall.
"Nonononono, not now!", Nick utters under his breath.
"I figured you two would come out of wherever you were hiding eventually. So I waited here. I was correct with my actions."
"Vlov…"
"We meet yet again, Chaldea."
"So, you waited for us until we eventually rotted or came here?"
"Correct. I figured once you realized there was no leaving through the way you came in, you would eventually find your way here. I am glad I was correct in my assumption. Have you fully healed, boy?"
Nick averts his eyes.
"You have not? This will be easy, then."
Vlov raises his arm and the two prepare to battle.
"Wait!"
"Hm?", Vlov lowers his hand. "What is it?", He says with a somewhat annoyed look on his face.
"How about a challenge? You're a noble knight, aren't you? How about a wager?"
"What kind of wager?"
"If Chaldea wins this fight, you'll tell us where Altrouge is located, you know where she is, right?"
"Indeed I do. However, that is quite the price to pay. What will I receive when I win?"
"Two Servants, myself, two normal humans, a middle tier mage, and the Director of Chaldea, all for you to drink from. I mean, if myself and Olga lose here, Chaldea stands no chance against you. You could easily chase them down now that it's night. What do you say?"
"Two Servants alone would certainly fix my lust for blood and warmth. And on top of that you and your team…"
"This is not a one on one duel, is it?"
"No. That's why I said Chaldea. If they ever arrive that is."
"I shall use multiple members on my side too then."
Vampires walk over to his side and wait for further orders. They seem to be Ghouls, but still, Vlov alone will be hard enough to beat, but also beating these Ghouls? No matter, there's no choice. This is Nick's final bet. If it fails, Chaldea loses. This at least gives Chaldea an advantage if they somehow win.
Olga Marie walks to Nick's side.
"What's the plan?", she asks her white haired comrade.
"You support me. Kill those Ghouls and attack Vlov when you can. I will be the main attacker; I will give you orders as we fight as well."
"Got it. Ready when you are."
Vlov and Nick look at eachother. Nick picks up a pebble and rests it on his thumb. "Once this hits the ground, we begin. Got that, Vlov?"
"Very well."
Nick flips the pebble in the air. Time slows down.
Keep it together. If I lose my cool again, it's over. Just kill him here, I've done it before. After everything, I cannot die here, I refuse to, my goal cannot be left unfinished. The whole reason I've kept on living is for this goal, dying now would be a waste. Arcueid can't help me right now. I can't let Altrouge do as she pleases. It all comes down to the two of us to kill the monster in front of us.
The pebble lands on the ground…
Instantly, Vlov descends on the two. Olga jumps back and begins firing her gandrs while Nick takes the blow with his sword. The ground crumbles under the weight, yet he withstands the machete.
Magic bullets fly past and land their mark on Vlov, dealing little damage. At the same time Ghouls begin to encircle the two, Olga switches her attention toward them, blasting them down with little effort. It would be a serious problem if their numbers grew too large.
Red and black blades clash over and over.
"You seem to be better this time around."
"Yeah, more room to actually attack, plus backup."
Vlov smiles a little.
"Then let this be our best battle."
Nick knocks his blade back and punches Vlov in the stomach, sending him back a few meters. In response, Vlov stretches his hand, sending fire their way. Nick swings his greatsword, cutting through the flames and advancing at the same time Vlov does. Using his Hemomancy, he picks up the blood dropped from before and forms sharp blades which are sent right at Vlov.
He turns around to burn away the blood, at the same time, Nick goes to attack his back. Noticing this, Vlov jumps high into the air, briefly looking down at both Nick, now looking up, and Olga, who is killing the extra vampires. Ice forms above him in the form of spikes which then rain down on the battlefield. Olga pulls out a handful of tunes from her pocket, glances at them, then throws them to the ground, casting a shield which surrounds her.
Nick on the other hand pulls out more blood and forms a shield above him. Vlov descends like a meteor after pushing off the ceiling. Dodging backwards, he reforms the blood into a giant spike and sends it back toward the vampire, who blocks it with his sword. Nick once again reforms it into a bubble surrounding Vlov, he runs in and slashes through the blood, creating a small opening to cut easier. Vlov foresaw this and struck back even harder right before the swing, sending Nick's sword to the side and out of his hands.
Momentarily surprised, he reforms the blood into a blade and continues the sword fight they were having. One hit a sword, next a spear, then a scythe. Blood reforms into many weapons, all to attempt to catch the vampire off guard.
"Meaningless!"
The area grows cold and ice covers the ground nearby. Manifesting a lance, Vlov attacks Nick, who barely blocks in time and is sent flying toward a wall at high speeds. Blood forms around him to slow his body and at the same time, ice shoots at him with the full intent to kill.
He begins to outrun the ice, one hit could be fatal in his current state. Both low on mana and energy, no spare blood to consume to regain his power. The ice makes an impact with the wall, destroying it like it's nothing. Fire is next blown in front of Nick, stopping him. The incoming ice stabs through his left arm.
"GAH!"
Nick falls to the floor and Vlov instantly takes this chance to kill with a thrust from his lance.
"Hah!"
Vlov gets slashed from behind by none other than Olga Marie using the unnamed greatsword owned by Nick. Her body is off balance, so the slash didn't do too much damage, the sword is nearly as tall as her, it being 152cm long and really heavy. The attack was quite sloppy, as she knew nothing about wielding a blade. Vlov spins around to kill the feeble woman behind him.
Olga uses all her strength to throw the sword over Vlov, with Nick catching it with his right hand and stabbing Vlov through the back. Olga, sensing it's too cold for a normal human, retreats far away, blasting Vlov with more bullets.
Nick grins in excitement.
That woman! What an idiot you are, Olga!
Getting back up, he grips the hilt with his left, and drags the blade upward, nearly splitting Vlov in two. His left arm is weak, therefore he couldn't muster the strength to fully split him. The blade exited just before the shoulder. Seeing his failure, Nick retreats to where Olga is.
Vlov easily heals his body and turns back around to look at the two.
"Dammit! This is going nowhere! I have a plan!"
Nick quickly relays his plan to the mage. "That ultimate move of yours, drop meteors on this place to cave in the roof, the moon will boost me. I can fight better that way."
"Huh? Are you an idiot? That'll make him stronger to-"
Olga realizes something she had missed up until this point. She gets a shocked expression and looks at Nick, who is looking back at her with a somewhat worried but mostly confident look in his eyes.
"Got it, cover me while I charge the spell."
"Yeah."
Olga begins to chant, energy gathering around her. Vlov senses something's very wrong and uses all the projectiles he can. Nick takes every hit aimed at the woman, blocking some while getting wounded from others, Olga can hear him wince in pain, but keeps going anyway. If she stops, or fails, the battle is over, the world will end.
"Stars, Cosmos, Gods, Animus, Antrum, Unverse, Anima Animusphere!"
The spell manifests outside of the base, directly above to be specific. Bright and big enough for probably the whole country to see. Meteors begin to fall, tens of meteors. As per the price, Olga drops to the ground, not as drained as the last time, but still definitely not able to move as she could a few seconds ago. Nick hears what's coming and brings the blood over to him to form a shield around the two.
Vlov notices too and looks up. The ceiling crumbles and collapses. Giant pieces of his base fall onto the field, loud noises boom through the area. No one would blame anyone if they thought a bomb went off. This could definitely be heard miles from here. Vlov takes a defensive position and forms ice all around himself, continuously reforming it as the meteors and rocks fall on him. He couldn't be called a Superior if he couldn't survive this.
The two can hear the building crumble outside, but that doesn't matter right now. Nick and Olga look at eachother, she undoes her collar and exposes her neck to him.
"You need blood to heal and get stronger, right? Drink mine."
"Olga, you-!?"
"Shut up and do it! I just figured it out and haven't exactly processed it, but you're a vampire who fights to protect humanity and that's enough for me. Just, don't take enough to kill me, you can sense that sort of thing, right?"
"Yeah, I don't intend to kill you, and you won't turn into a vampire either. You're really fine with this?"
"JUST DO IT, GODDAMMIT!"
Nick grabs her shoulder and moves her head a little to the side. With his fangs exposed, he gently bites into her neck.
"Deep breath, Olga.", Nick whispers into her ear.
"Ah…"
Olga lets out a small wince of pain, yet doesn't resist at all. To her, it feels like two rods just jammed into her neck, it hurts, but for some reason, she doesn't feel much more than pressure. She can feel blood exit her body as he drinks. She gets lightheaded and her vision blurs.
The blood around them cracks right in front of them, Vlov shatters it with his blade. For a brief moment, he looks confused and surprised, but his sword descends all the same, Olga can't do anything, she's too weak and if Nick tries to defend, he runs the risk of accidentally ripping her neck off. Not that he could defend quick enough anyway. They will both be killed here, despite everything and all their efforts to win…
Blue fire shoots from above in between the three. Vlov jumps back and Edmond Dantès descends into the cavern. Forcefully making Vlov retreat from the two. He glances back over his shoulder and sees the two, Nick still drinking.
He shows no hostility at all toward that woman. She's not fighting back either, is she allowing this? If so…
"Hurry that up if you don't want to be discovered by the rest. We saw the meteors and came running. Since I was the fastest, I will let you off the hook this time, vampire."
Nick seemingly agrees with his eyes and Edmond goes to attack the vampire.
Nick carefully removes his fangs from her neck, and she falls onto him, conscious, but really weak. With using a lot of her mana, plus now losing a lot of blood, her body is barely able to move and she grows sleepy. She'll live, but can no longer fight.
"I'll find a way to repay you for this when I get back. Thanks, Olga."
Nick carries her off to the side and deploys a barrier of solid blood around her to keep her safe from any projectiles that may come her way.
He, now full of energy, no longer thirsty, steps back into battle.
"Are you ready, fellow vampire?"
"Yeah. Time for you to die."
Vlov stands before them looking royally pissed. Now that Nick is back to full power, and a Servant is here too, the odds are against him. Nonetheless, Vlov manifests his lance and prepares to fight once more.
Once again forming ice above him, they are launched at Chaldea, Edmond bouncing between them, knocking them out of the air, then rushing Vlov. Fire burns at his hand and is released toward the vampire, Vlov raises a wall of ice to protect himself. Nick runs in and cuts away at the ice, leaving an opening for Avenger, while he circles Vlov and attacks his back.
The Count flies at Vlov and slash's at him with his hand, while Nick slashes his sword at his back. Vlov, at a high speed, manages to block both attacks. He certainly is stronger now due to the moon boosting his body.
The three enter rapid speed combat, trying to find any opening they can on the other. Fire from both Vlov and Avenger goes flying all around. Risking hurting himself, Nick repositions farther away and stretches out his arm, carefully aiming his hand. Wind begins to form, all around his hand and arm.
"Avenger, hold him still!"
Edmond grabs Vlov's coat and begins to incinerate him the most he can.
Like a cannon, a hard blast of wind comes out, hitting Vlov square in the chest, then it curves up into the night sky. Vlov seems heavily injured from this attack and Edmond continues his assault while Nick catches his breath for the intense power he just used.
Vlov regrows the missing parts of his body, but at a slower speed.
Ice surrounds him, attempting to stab Edmond Dantès who immediately retreats.
"This has certainly gotten more complicated than I had hoped. I will kill all of you.", Vlov exhales, his breath can be seen due to the sheer cold surrounding him.
"Oh yeah? Then you should have killed me when you had the chance!"
The three look up to see who the voice came from. A woman wearing black with a black cape, exactly like Jeanne d'Arc's armor, falls down from the ceiling, with a hole above them. She lands on her feet and looks at Vlov. She smiles an evil looking smile.
"You look like shit."
"You…", Vlov looks directly at her. He will not let her get away once more!
Vlov, in an instant, rushes down the girl with his sword in his right hand. He raises it and brings it down on the 'saint.' In response, she pulls out a flagpole, blocking the attack. He is still physically stronger than her, but the flag is able to provide good cover when she blocks with the pole.
A gunshot rings out, a bullet to his head. This barely does anything to the vampire, but he still falls back slightly. Looking up, he notices four people. Alice, Ritsuka, Mash, and I stand up there looking down.
"I'm heading down to help!", Mash says.
"Got it, Serena, Ritsuka, you two stay up here with me. It's far too dangerous to go down there for you two."
"Got it, I'll support them from here." Ritsuka first points at the wounded Servants and Nick, healing them from their injuries.
I'm…useless, aren't I? I think to myself. There is nothing I can do here. And…I won't ever be able to do anything. Not against monsters like this. What can a crappy katana and my mediocre sword skills do against anyone? My Mystic Eyes…I don't want to use them. I hate them.
Alice looks over and notices my face, and she seems to be quite worried, but can't do anything right now. She needs to focus her all on the vampire right in front of her.
Vlov looks around, clearly noticing he's heavily outnumbered.
Those three humans up top will not be able to do anything to me. The girl with the shield looks inexperienced from her stance alone. And the new Servant, I have fought her before. My top priorities are the two Servants, and this enemy vampire.
Vlov steps forward.
"Not so fast!"
The witch's flag flies in the air, it begins to glow, much like how the real Jeanne's would glow when about to protect her comrades. But this is Jeanne Alter we are talking about. She, instead of holding it up high, points it straight at Vlov.
"Haine Éternelle!"
His body crouches down slightly, he grabs his chest in pain.
"So? Enjoying the feeling of having your body decompose, vampire? Perhaps this is a burning sensation to you? Fiend!", her face contorts into a devilish smirk. "You're overtaken by weakness, I can see that! The time where this flag had the duty to protect the ones I cared most is long gone, now all it does is cause harm to everything and everyone!"
Vlov is noticeably struggling now. In a last ditch effort, he stomps his foot on the ground and ice consumes all. The entire room is brought down to low temperatures. Mash is fine because she is a Demi-Servant, and the Servants are fine as well, temperature does not affect them easily. And naturally, Nick is fine too. He has killed Vlov before, therefore can withstand this same as last time. His lance is drawn, and the final battle against Vlov truly begins.
Ice is thrown everywhere, and Mash does her best to block what she can. The rest are burned away by the two Servants who can use fire. Jeanne Alter lifts her hand and attempts to burn where Vlov is standing, but he dodges that, along with Edmond's attack.
Nick cuts down what he can. Now fueled with blood, he is able to move faster than before.
I can't use Hemomancy anymore due to what I have protecting Olga. All I can use now is my blade.
Nick joins the battle once again, closing the distance and swiping with his crimson blade. Meanwhile both Jeanne Alter and Dantès attack too. Both from range, blue and orange fire surrounding the vampire.
He stretches his hand and blasts the area with his own blue flames, which are avoided. His body is rapidly deteriorating. And he feels so exposed. Letting out a massive scream, more vampires come out of nowhere, all aiming to attack Chaldea. Alice shifts her attention to them instead of Vlov. There's just too many of them.
Mash diverts her attention to the new enemies as well. She must protect the active Servants while they battle with Vlov. Mash goes to attack a certain vampire, one glowing orange.
"Shit wait! Not that one!", Jeanne Alter yells out to the girl, but it is too late to stop her heavy shield.
"BOOM!"
The vampire explodes, sending Mash slamming to the wall.
"Mash!", Ritsuka cries out from above.
Vlov notices the downed girl. "Blood…I need blood!"
He rushes toward the defenseless Mash. Running right past the Servants. Within a moment, Ritsuka presses a button on his arm. A bright light shines, and a Servant is summoned to protect the Shielder.
It's none other than Amakusa Shirou Tokisada! He quickly throws black keys at the incoming vampire, stopping him in his tracks. Even more keys appear above Amakusa using magic circles to stay in place. The launch straight at Vlov, pinning him right where he stands. The Servant begins to speak
"I will kill. I will let live. I will harm and heal. None will escape me. None will escape my sight. Be crushed. Those defeated, those grown old, I welcome you. Devote yourself to me, learn from me, obey me, and you can rest. I am light and shall relieve all your burdens. Ask forgiveness. I the reincarnation shall swear—"
Vlov suddenly begins to move again. Busting free from the black keys and running his lance through the priest Servant..
Argh- ! I was this close to fully stopping him…but that must've hurt him, right? Amakusa thinks as his Spirit Origin vanishes, returning him to Chaldea.
"That young man almost had me. Impressive, humans. But I will have my power restored!"
He grabs Mash off the ground, she struggles but is unable to break free.
Edmond Dantès is too busy surrounded by the undead to help. And Jeanne Alter has already begun to run over. Vlov begins an attempt to bite into her neck.
"RRRRRRRRAGH! I WON'T LET YOU TOUCH MY SHIELDER!"
Descending from above is a furious Ritsuka. Using reinforcement magecraft in his entire arm and curling his right hand into a fist, he punches Vlov in the face, knocking Mash out of his grasp. He lands on the ground in front of him, thinking he has saved Mash, but forgetting that the Dead Apostle is still standing. Vlov raises his hand, ready to burn Ritsuka into ash.
"La Grondement du Haine!"
Fire erupts around Vlov, stakes burst through the ground and stab right through him, almost like he is being burned at the stake.
"NOW!", Jeanne Alter screams, signaling the others to take this chance.
Even more stakes float in the air and come down on Vlov. Ritsuka grabs Mash and runs away to avoid the incoming attacks.
Edmond dives in. "Enfer Château d'If!"
Clones of Edmond appear and burn Vlov even more. His screams can be heard throughout the lair. Nick runs in to seal the last blow. He raises his sword into the air.
"DIE, VLOV!", he screams before stabbing Vlov through the heart.
The Noble Phantasms vanish, and Vlov stands there unmoving.
"Even with all your persistence, I've won again this time. I'd be screwed if you were at your peak today, Vlov Arkhangel."
His body begins to burn away.
"You fought well too, 'human.' Now head to Saint-Émilion. It's where you'll find Altrouge, but I cannot assure you that you will achieve your victory."
And with those last words, Vlov's body vanishes.
The hall falls silent. Nick runs over to where Olga is and uncovers her. She is sound asleep and perfectly safe. He quickly covers her neck with a bandage before anyone can notice the bite mark.
"I'm sorry I bit you, I really am.", Nick whispers to Olga, stroking her hair for a moment.
"Is that the Director?", Ritsuka asks.
"Yeah, she drained herself when she fired off Anima Animusphere. She'll be fine, though."
"That's a relief.", Mash says while walking over to him.
"Still, we managed to win that fight. Honestly, Jeanne Alter, if you had not used that Noble Phantasm on him. It is very well that we may have lost. How powerful is it?"
"It can kill normal humans and the undead no problem. It's not as effective when used on something like that Dead Apostle, though. Must be why I lost so badly the first time. But here, he was weakened enough for my Noble Phantasm to put him in his place, it's like a dragon's breath."
"I really need to know how Sieg will react when we bring this one home to him and his Jeanne…", Ritsuka wondered upon hearing Jeanne Alter's description of her devastating trump card.
I watch as they all talk down there. Even Ritsuka helped. He is just a normal human, but even he managed to attack that thing which very well saved Mash. I'm so useless, I'm such a coward… I wasn't like this before, why now? Was it my fear of death given to me by Amakusa Shirou? Or is it just because I don't want to kill anyone that looks human? Even so, Ritsuka was able to act, I wasn't. I'm ashamed of myself.
"Serena, don't look so down. It's okay to be scared, you know?"
"I know, but I just hate standing around like this. I could've used my Mystic Eyes, but-"
"You don't like to use them, yes I know. But, I'm more than happy to keep protecting you as long as I need to. I want you to stay safe, and if you feel unsafe in combat against these vampires, then don't fight them. You'll find some other way to help the rest of us."
"Alice…"
"So, you've actually defeated Vlov. You've impressed me, Chaldea."
Everyone immediately gets on guard, facing the wall a little girl is now crawling through. Her body bends in ways it shouldn't. But of course, she is no ordinary human. She is Altrouge Brunestud.
"Wow, there are quite a number of you.", Altrouge takes a bow, slightly lifting her skirt like a true princess. "I am Altrouge Brunestud, Princess of the Dead Apostles, daughter of the Crimson Moon. So nice to finally meet you, Chaldea. Except for you, white hair, though, this is the first you've seen me in this form."
Edmond begins to charge his hand in blue flame and Altrouge looks over at him, her neck snapping over in an instant. "Is that any way to treat a Princess, Count? Allow me to remind you that my guards are nearby. The moment I am attacked, your head goes flying. That goes for all of you. Am I clear?"
We all remain silent.
"By the way, you two women up above. I know you're there, so don't try anything. Who knows, Black Knight might be up there with you!"
Alice looks around in shock, but sees no one. Is she lying? Maybe not, better to not risk it.
"I'm not here to fight you, Chaldea. In fact, I could care less about you."
She walks over to a small patch of ice on the ground. She bends over and picks it up. "This is what I'm after. You killed Vlov, so I am here for his 'remains.'"
"His Idea Blood?", Nick says.
"Right you are! I have no use for it, but it will power the grail quite a bit. You killing Vlov only helped me. Of course, it's not the real Idea Blood, but it's basically a refund for the mana I used to create him, plus whatever he collected too. Hm?"
She tilts her head while looking at the ice.
"He's told you of my fortress' location, hasn't he?"
"Yes, those were the terms of our skirmish."
"Well, he's always been that sort of person. A proud and noble knight first and foremost. I don't blame him. It doesn't matter if you know where I am. You can't stop me anyway. Come on over if you want. I can even prepare a nice dinner for all of you if you wish."
"Can't we just kill this kid right now? We're sure to overwhelm her when she's alone!", Jeanne Alter says in an annoyed tone.
"No, she has brought her other guards here with her. I can feel us being watched. They are just hidden in Altrouge's shadows."
"Right you are, white hair!"
"Altrouge, may I ask you something?", Nick asks.
"Very well. I'm in a good mood. Speak."
"How do you have the power of shadows? I don't recall you ever having something like that. According to the Agency's records, you had no special abilities at all."
A 'True Ancestor' working for the Burial Agency? This one keeps getting weirder. Maybe he just has connections, no one is that dumb to work for their enemies.
"I can't tell you that. It's a secret!~"
"I have what I need, and don't intend to stay much longer. Go home, or invade my territory. It'll be quite fun to watch all of Chaldea die in a simulated world like this one.~"
The young black haired girl sinks into the floor. The last thing she sees is Nick's eyes locking with hers. She gives a smile and vanishes.
"…"
"That's our enemy, huh? Altrouge Brunestud.", Ritsuka thinks out loud.
"Correct, Master. She may look young, but I assure you, she's dangerous. Though, I would argue her bodyguards are stronger."
"She walked in here like nothing. And then, even though she was surrounded, did not show a hint of fear. She was taking us lightly.", Mash says.
Nick picks up Olga into a bridal carry.
"Let's just get out of here. I've been in this hellhole for too long."
"Agreed."
With that, we leave Vlov's dungeon and head back to our camp. Alice and I walk on the surface while the rest navigate the dungeon.
We reach the camp and turn in for the night. Edmond and Jeanne Alter go into spirit form and rest while also keeping watch.
Nick however stays in Olga's tent with her as she sleeps.
So, she knows I'm a vampire? I guess I totally gave it away, but I was desperate there. Her blood tasted pretty good though. I guess it makes sense with how good of a mage she is. The more mana, the better the taste. Altrouge though, something is very wrong with her. That power is what I'm worried about. How did she manifest a new power out of nowhere? Maybe she had it this whole time and it only just awakened?
Nick stands up.
"I need to let her rest. And she won't like it if I stay here with her."
He walks over to the tent flap and looks back one more time at her sleeping face. Then leaves the tent, returning to his own…