Disclaimer: Black Clover is owned by Yūki Tabata, Studio Pierrot, and Shonen Jump.
Saga 9: Screaming for Vengeance Part 4
Geatland Hills, Ulster Territory, Spade Kingdom, Dawn
"Ugh... my head..." groaned William as he blindly stumbled about the campsite laid with knocked-out Ulsterians and those who were awake at this ungodly hour were still fornicating with each other (regardless of species) like rabbits, "... I remember the noble gatherings and other soirees I went to for publicity a few times... being less... alcohol-rampant then this..." he gagged on his vomit before swallowing back in, "... I can hold my drink just fine... but drinks around here... are a lot stronger than those found in the barrels of Clover Kingdom's wineries..."
It really doesn't matter, Patry snarked, slightly drunk from his host's influence, everyone from both sides of the border were still drinking and sleeping with other people. I saw em, and I am glad that you never went that far.
"With a face like mine, do you really expect me of all people to be remotely kissable?" asked William, referring to his [Port Wine Curse] that he'd had since he was a child.
For once, I am grateful for such thing existing, Patry remarked as a stinging sensation shot up from his host's right buttock, ... still, that didn't stop the rouge witch Scathach from tattooing our buttcheek while we were drunk.
"I think I requested... a lily?" the Golden Dawn Captain recalled through the sludge that was his brain drowned in a malady of mead and whiskey, "what it may be printed... it is not my proudest moment."
His legs gave out, William then instinctively grabbing onto whatever was nearest to him for support to not fall flat onto his face.
What he ended up grabbing was a tarp to Scathach's tepee, which the Captain ended up yanking off with such force to reveal said witch sitting before a crystal ball protected with Makarov at the other end.
Who's that? the Vice-Inquisitor spoke to Scathach, another drunkard?
Scathach looks back to see William staring at the orb that was before her. "... Is it too much to ask for you to forget what you saw and just walk away?" she asked, "... or is it that you are now sober at what you're seeing right now and the former is now impossible?"
William shakes his head, for which all three parties present collectively let out a frustrated sigh.
... Fine, Makarov clicked his tongue, let him in. I'll come up with a Plan C.
The witch then snaps her fingers, tendrils of shadows picking the tarp back up to drape it over her tepee frame.
"... Okay, who's that you're talking to?" William asked as he looked at who were present at the crystal ball, slightly sobered up upon hearing something crucial going on, "... and is one of them naked?"
Not the first, Patry rolled his eyes.
He's not the only one, spirit, Makarov spoke directly to Patry, much to the latter's shock, my [Aura Magic] lets me see disembodied spirits as easily I can exorcise them.
Fair enough... the elven ghost groaned, ... I'll just listen in.
With that, William was now dragged into the Vice-Inquisitor's Demon-hunting operation. He was informed of everything that was going on, while Scathach was in charge of managing inter-operative communications between several channels of covert ops and inside collaborators. One of them was a former/recent victim that survived an attempted murder and he himself was now the most important piece in their operation.
... Wow, Patry remarked, he survived all that?
Duhat has proven himself worthy, Makarov spoke to Patry, then again, he had to contend with my subordinate months prior.
The conversation continued on, with Duhat's intel of a man named "Krieger" being the main culprit, but his illegally contracted Demon's name was still unknown, due to it disguising itself as someone else that it had murdered earlier this week and taking further measures to obscure it's true self from both public and prying eyes alike. Making the situation even more dicey, the most recent reports indicate that the whole dormitory where Krieger lives and owes is rigged with a set spell that if tampered with any outside interference, a sinkhole will open and kill everyone inside the falling building.
We're already having our inside collaborators find a way to dispel such diabolical trap, Makarov explained, normally, MASS can bring anyone back, but I rather not suffer any collateral damages if possible in this operations. Relationships between the three city-states are dicey enough as is, with my boys and girls hunting down any Ulsterian or Libratian Contractor that looks at them funny after Grinberryall got razed to the ground and out of its people to use as "target practice", but with Ulster killing and eating whatever stands in their way and Libratium kidnapping the Wilderbeasts to use as [Siths] or [Chimeras]... I rather not, rock the boat more than it needs to.
"I'm more surprised that said boat isn't rotting away at the bottom of the proverbial ocean," snarked William, "how is it that you all haven't... eh, destroyed each yet?"
"Call it 'can't live with them, can't live without them'," Scathach smirked, "we're bloodthirsty, but none of us are due for genocide. Except for Grinberryall. Those guys are dicks."
"I'm curious, why?" asked William.
Aside from housing Contractors prior to legalization and Adaptors? Makarov explained, they just had to go and piss off Ulster. Tried to enslave them and take their lands for mining and agriculture. In turn, those guys returned the soldiers' heads to their families by the cartload. They stopped after the 1 millionth head was delivered to them 30 years ago, but in hindsight, nothing really changed aside from Ulster being well... more Ulster than usual.
"As for Libratium, they were once a vassal state to Grinberryall, ruled by the Zogratis Clan whom served the Grinberryall Royal Family for generations," explained Scathach as she lit a smoking pipe, "as soon as the people there heard the Grinberryall go all bye-bye? Every last Zogratis clansman, from the old to the youngest of infants got lynched in the streets. They didn't even need our help overthrowing them! They were that pissed!"
Don't weep for them, Makarov sternly remarked, the Zogratis clan were marked for extermination by the Order of the Spade Cross for their heinous acts against all of creation. Conspired to bring forth the Qliphoth to the living world and destroy it through its ascension. I myself enjoyed slaughtering them to the last, fleeing man.
I'm conflicted, Patry remarked, to which Makarov nodded, I mean, it sounds like they deserved it... but I really can't tell who's the bad guy here in this story.
Don't consider this a story, Makarov replied, it's merely a report. Numbers and statistic written on a sheet of parchment.
"That depressing notion aside," sighed William, "... what can we do?"
The culprits will most likely make an escape attempt as soon as they're pursued, Makarov ordered, Plan C is you and your group to link up with the Thaumaturges that I have stationed around Libratium.
"Wait, how will we get there? I can't see a city from all the way out here!" William pointed out, to which both the witch and the Vice-Inquisitor laugh.
"Don't worry your little head about how you'll get there," Scathach spoke, "we had a Plan D just in case if Makarov's boys aren't enough to block the exit."
Well, that's reassuring, Patry scoffed half-sarcastically.
"That said, due to the fact that I am now... deeper into this mess that I already am..." sighed William, "... please keep me informed, for I need to tell my fellow Magic Knights of this on a beat-by-beat basis."
Whomever are willing, I welcome their aid, Makarov nodded, you two, keep in touch.
Scathach then hands William a small, smooth gem to him with a wink. "Consider this free involvement of me getting to touch your firm and smooth ass."
William shudders at the implication at the fact that Scathach might've molested him while he was drunk and getting tattooed.
We're both defiled forever... sobbed Patry.
Morning comes, everyone slowly drags themselves out of their drunken stupor, both sapient and semi-sapient alike as both reached for last night's leftovers for breakfast. Nozel himself was dragging the incapacitated (and with several fractured bones) Salim from the [Lamia] tent by his ankle and raking the ground with him.
"... I lost my virginity to snakes and children..." sobbed the penal Silver Eagle Magic Knight.
"Tell that to someone who actually cares," Nozel dismissed his parole's sobs.
As soon as everyone is finally awake, The Thing resumes with the chieftains and their representatives all gathering before the planted and rusted [Hrunting] and the very last of Grendel's scales.
"Mornin' everyone!" Fergus greeted everyone coming in, still chipper as ever after a night of fucking too many woman, "who slept with who?"
"If you must know, my subordinate Salim slept inside a snake pit," Nozel deadpanned, to which Fergus laughed.
"My seeds are in good hands," Cath Palug remarked with a nod.
"Went night owl again," Scathach spoke before giving William a wink, the latter looking away bashfully.
"Enough talkin' who fucked who," Dagda recalled everyone back to The Thing, "start The Thing already!"
Those who gathered began to speak their concerns. Most of them were negligible at best, due the issues ranging from who shit on someone's tent (the top of the tarp, not the tent itself), land disputes (really which areas have been most infested with [Lindwyrms] that keep devouring everyone whole, solution ultimately boiled down to "run the fuck away unless ones' fetishes lied in vorarephilia"), and the most ridiculous of all, a child custody battle between an elven Thaumaturge and a Jotun Ulsterian over their child.
"Are these kinds of things common around here?" asked Nozel in a shade-like manner.
"It usually ends with one parent getting killed over an inevitable duel," answered Fergus.
"It's stupid, even for me," Cath Palug retorted, much to the Clover Kingdom Magic Knights' surprise, "how is a child supposed to be raised with just one parent?"
"Pot calling the kettle black there, ainnit?" Jericho rolled his eyes at Cath Palug's reputation as a child eater (and anyone else who he could fit into his mouth).
"Eh, both me parents were dead when I was 2," Fergus shrugged, "rest of the tribe pitched in to raise me with the rest of the laddies and lassies."
"Monogamy is a death sentence around these parts anyway," Scathach pointed out, "putting that little matrimonial crisis aside... I'd like to share something."
"This outta be good," Fergus licked his chops in anticipation of what the witch Chieftain has to say.
"There are rumors of a Demon within Libratium that I have been acting a consultant to Makarov via my own request two months prior," she explained, "so far, only the Contractor has been identified. He goes by Krieger, but his contracted Demon remains unknown as of now."
"And this involves us how?" asked Nozel.
"Come to think of it, it feels as if you've left out a few details of my prior... accidental involvement," William pointed out.
"Wait, you're involved?!" Jericho exclaimed.
"Questions later, answers now," Scathach defused the situation before it spiraled elsewhere, "... anyway, Krieger has been a person of interest due to him being the last walking Earth Temple Acolyte who might've survived the Diamond Kingdom's internal purge of dissidents 10 years prior."
The Magic Knights widened their eyes in shock. "... And you're staying that he's here of all places?!" Nozel remarked.
"Even better," William added, "he's a dormfather at Libratium. Meaning that he's a legal citizen of a sovereign nation... but technically a criminal due to him failing to register as a Contractor let alone disclose the identity of his Demon."
"So we're going to kill a man over an records fraud?" Jericho pointed out.
"Oh no no no," Scathach rebuked his sentiment, "he's already killed a person and attempted to kill another, but he survived without the culprit's knowledge," she pointed out, "and said murder victim? The unnamed Demon is disguised as him as we speak. And so far, the dead man's wife and three daughters are eating it up in this little cuckold play."
"... Okay, then he needs to go," Jericho instantly agreed before he turned towards William, "but why mention this until now?"
"First of all, I was still drunk," William bowed his head, "I stumbled into this by complete accident. Thankfully, all present parties were understanding enough to not kill me on the spot in order to retain secrecy... and our involvement."
"So says the strongest Magic Knight..." Nozel rolled his eyes, "... out of the woods and already into the hornets' nest."
"Secondly, this might be a good opportunity for everyone involved," proposed the Golden Dawn Captain, "think of it this way: not only we will earn Ulster's respect by subjugating a powerful foe like a Demon, but also show an act of goodwill towards Libratium, allowing us to secure two powerful allies for the price of one diplomatic show of force. Like a team-building exercise."
Both Jericho and Nozel looked towards Fergus, who he was nodding in approval. "Right on the yul sack!" the Offsprings' Chieftain grinned, "ye fight with us with that blight, yer welcome ere' as fellow warriors! Just save sum for me and don't run away!"
"Count me out," Cath Palug huffed, "I will not involve myself with a nation-state that make mockeries of nature that they call 'creations'."
"Well, there's your answer," Scathach remarked, "yer pretty good at thinkin' on yer feet, aintcha?"
"Leading the Kingdom's strongest Magic Knight Squadron taught me how to adapt," William boasted mildly, "and all that, while hung over."
I'm honestly surprised myself, Patry remarked, ... still though, Demon subjugation right out of the gate to impress possible allies? Kind of a ballsy move.
Call it immature... William grinned back, but honestly, I genuinely want to go all out without mercy to the evil ones that deserve the universal wrath. Feel what my friend Yami usually feels when he's fighting for what he believes in.
... Yeah, Patry nodded with a smile in return, me too. Who knows, maybe that Demon might know a thing or two on what happened to my people on that day. Figured that those uglies know a thing or two about each other and what they did.
One can hope, nodded William as he instinctively balled his fist.
"Nervous, are you?" asked Lugh, who've remained quiet throughout the whole meeting.
The Captain of the Golden Dawn snickers to himself. "... Can't fib, I'm nervous as they come," he grinned, "but what can I say? I'm a bit excited too."
"I'll help," sighed Nozel, "but only to get away from this basket case of crazies."
"When will we be dispatched?" asked Jericho.
The witch smirks in a teasing manner. "You'll know when."
Magia Academia, Libratium, Spade Kingdom, Afternoon
On the second day of the workshops, things were significantly calmer than the rush to yesterday. Albeit only because the repeat applicant numbers have gone down significantly.
Thankfully, Peony wasn't one of them. Nor any of Lotus' daughters. Except for Klein, who needs to have his arms and legs replaced at MASS after his workshop accident involving swords the size of buildings falling atop of him edge-first (how he didn't get injured much worse is beyond her or anyone's knowledge; she asked).
But you know, Elf!Fana remarked, you'd expect the dads in the room to be a bit more alarmed when they heard the news. Is MASS such a deterrent to mortal death that no one cares anymore?
I sort of expected that from Krieger, but not Lotus, Fana thought, sort of recalling the patriarch's lackadaisical and semi-bipolar behavior in these days, I mean, even if he got used to the crazy going on around here, I remember him long enough to immediately spring into action when a child gets injured, or expected to nearly strangle the daylights out of someone near him in Peony's case at the clusterfuck happening at the Evocation Workshop.
I'm more surprised that she didn't get eaten alive in there given that 300 people got shipped out to MASS from there, Elf!Fana pointed out, also, I think she's just as strong as us now. Her mana has gone through the wringer and came out a badass.
"Oh look, there she is now," Fana pointed towards the portal leading to the Evocation Workshop, the middle child already fraternizing with other students twice as larger than her but with a sense of genuine equality in their looks, "... aw, she made friends."
So she had already earned their respect for surviving, Elf!Fana deadpanned, so which workshop? Gonna get blasted by Kouha again?
"... Hmm..." the girl pondered as she looked around, only to spot a barren portalside labeled "Necromancy Workshop", "... haven't seen Dune in a while. Let's go pay him a visit!"
Fana then walks into the portal and ends up in the cramped corridors of the Demonology & Heretical Studies Department, looking a bit cleaner and organized after Dune's papers were published and managed to claim a minor claim to fame and funding. Still dim as a barely-lit cave and frightening as a midnight graveyard though.
Ahh, sighed Elf!Fana with a hint of sarcasm, smells like home.
In front of them, Luciel's familiar, [Cnámh Sith] in its bipedal/humanoid skeleton form, walked up to them holding up a sign that read "follow me".
"Man, she's that busy?" asked Fana, to which the bone familiar nodded before it led them to their allotted workshop.
She then enters the door opened by the skeletal familiar, meeting Mariella of all people in the small chambers surrounded with bookshelves and a humble cauldron sitting atop a drawn magic circle at its center.
"Oh, fancy meeting you here," the girl greeted.
"Hey Mari," Fana replied as she looked around the room, "... we're the only ones here?"
"They weren't kidding. This workshop ain't the most popular," she sighed, "... even if Contractors were legalized, I think people are naturally inclined to stick to what they know best rather than completely branch out."
Suddenly, the magic circle explodes into a pillar of fire before petering out to reveal a deeply-tanned-skinned young man in semi-tattered with a mane of reddish-pink hair that reached all the way down to his waist, crouching on the rims of the cauldron with his toes.
"Oh, a new face," he spoke as he faced Mariella, "friend of yours?"
"Family," she replied.
"Okay. With that out of the way, name's Agi the Fire Dragon. Don't wear it out," spoke the workshop advisor, "and the two of you are my only applicants to this dreary class of Necromancy. Tell me, new kid," Agi asked Fana, "without me telling you, what is Necromancy and what did you hear about it?"
"Eh..." Fana scratched her head, "... I really don't know aside from it being a very... gloomy practice of having to do with something about gaining knowlege from dead people?"
"Eh, that's more less the basic of basics when it comes down to it," Agi shrugged, "Necromancy, for starters, isn't solely [Dark Magic]-adjacent, or otherwise my hatchling-kin Eiha would be teaching this workshop instead of Enchantment," he pointed out, "Necromancy is about many things. Common depictions often include raising the dead en masse or using the powers of Necromancy to control the concepts of life and death itself and make it your bitch."
You know, I think the latter is what Patry was planning while the Eye of the Midnight Sun was still a thing... Elf!Fana remarked upon hearing what Agi had to say, ... what? I wanted my friends back living and breathing. Is it too much to ask?
"However, the latter is a taboo for the school of Necromancy," the Fire Dragon pointed out, "here, we respect the cycle of life and death as it is. Stripper rules here, people: 'look, but don't touch'."
Fana now has an image of a revered Fire Dragon going to a strip club at a red lights district in her mind, not knowing how to take this mental image stuck in her brain.
"The dead however, we act as intermediaries," Agi explained as he lit a torch on his palm, "Necromancy is meant to be a bridge. A way to... talk and learn. You learn Necromancy to unlock the world's hidden mysteries just as a way how Divination solves today's mysteries. In a way, Necromancy is a little bit of everything from every school of magic known throughout history, since, after all, the dead used to be mages that practiced other schools of magic such as you all and yours truly," he explained, "if today's conventional magic is to make innovations and fill in the gaps, Necromancy is all about filling in the blanks left behind. Hindsight to everyone else's foresight. Looking back to see where it went wrong and how can we learn from it today."
"It's true," Mariella said to Fana, "... I been... making amends to my past victims during my days as a Krypteia inductee."
"Wait, you were a part Diamond Kingdom's secret police?!" Fana gasped, "but I thought you were a freelance assassin!"
"At the Diamond Kingdom, they make no such distinction between the two," she explained, "as soon as they caught wind of my skills, I got press-ganged into joining when I was 8. It wasn't my proudest moment and with me no longer having to commit state-sanctioned assassinations, I had the time to talk to my prior victims and... well, find some closure."
Fana looked concerned at someone who was just around her own age to have eyes akin to an adult soldier. Elf!Fana wasn't exactly shocked by such things, but somehow, a feeling of empathy through similarities was sort of forming between the two.
"... I can't live on without knowing who I killed," she sighed out, "and at first, I only joined to learn some spells from Dune considering how varied and versatile they were, but upon getting into it? Needless to say, I was expecting my victims to loathe me, and they do."
"I had to replace her heart after it stopped beating from the sheer stress of all of her victims coming to attack her brain all at once," Agi explained, "after that, I had to put up a few ground rules and visitation rights."
Fana was too afraid to ask how many did it took for it to kill someone hardened as Mariella.
... Fana, ask me, how many people did we kill altogether? Elf!Fana asked, I think I killed a couple dozen Magic Knights when I was sent to secure Magic Stones throughout Clover Kingdom.
I... Fana's mind flashed towards the young Mars, ... I... around the two kids were scores of bodies strewn about the pavement and the brick walls of the laboratory, ... I don't want to remember.
Agi lets out a sigh. "It's a good thing you came here then," he looked towards Fana, "your body heat is fluctuating between hot and cold between places throughout your body that screams PTSD. You guys can start whenever you feel like when you're ready, but know this," the Fire Dragon pointed out, "life cannot be lived unless problems are confronted and solved. Baby steps. But take in every step you take. Sparks like you two have to grow into flames first."
Fana calms down for a bit before letting out a deep sigh. "... Yeah," she nodded, "give me a moment to get ready."
Mariella was already using her [Ice Magic] as a catalyst to form a crystal bowl that formed visages of the faces of her past victims. "Tell me," she asked the reflection projected in her catalyst, "... was it wrong for me to have killed you?"
While she was forming a dialogue with her past sins, Fana readied her [Fire Magic] and forms a torch in her hands.
"Alright, focus," Agi instructed, "whatever past that needs to be answered, concentrate on that."
A faint image of a young man with spiked hair formed within the blaze. "... Mars?" whispered Fana upon seeing him, "is that you?"
The flame effigy didn't speak. However, it did reach out towards her before petering out into something more wilder and out of control. The other children that were present back at the lab was now breaching through the veil, in an attempt to get out and live once more, as indicated by Fana's flames growing out of control.
"Aw shit," Agi clicked his tongue before he grabbed the flames with his bare has and bending and pulling on them as if they were made of cloth, "alright, settle down you fucking brats. One at a time."
The grabbed fire roared incoherently.
"Yeah, so what? Jealous that she lived while you guys ate shit?" Agi hissed, "sorry pal, even if you guys were raised to solely just die, life doesn't work the way where it gives freebies to everyone that wants one. World ain't fair, the weak die, and even if those scientists said the same thing, I don't exactly tip the odds in my favor just to prove myself right. However, break any rules between life and death? You answer to me, and no fucking mortal being has ever walked away when they tussled with a Fire Dragon!"
The fires die down and behave like a disciplined animal, stopping it's rampant growth and establishing an eye-to-eye level for a civil dialogue.
"Now then," Agi stated cooly, "let's try again."
First, a small boy forms in the flames held by Fana.
"Uh... hi," Fana spoke awkwardly, "... it's been like what? A few years since we last met?"
Lucky bitch, spoke the flame boy, you have a name. It meant that you had a family while most of us were raised here since we were babies.
"Wait, you don't have a name?!" Fana remarked to her shock.
Did you bother learning while your eyes was solely on your boyfriend? the flame boy clicked his tongue, if you must know, I was referred to as "Number 44" by that Morris bastard. And fun fact: I was the first to die on that day when the scientists pitted us against each other. Took a nasty blow to my gut before my throat got cut open.
"... Oh," Fana weakly replied, "... I don't know what to say."
We don't have much to talk about, spoke 44, all that began started with pain and ended with pain. I have nothing worthwhile about me, and me and others like me despise you for having a purpose outside of what we're told, he pointed, raised to be strong to protect the people of the Diamond Kingdom? They didn't even know we existed. We were used Fana, and you got out with your boyfriend- he stopped himself upon realizing of who he and the others were trying to broke through looked like, ... oh, my god. Mars shit the bed, didn't he?
"... Months ago," Fana sighed out, "and no, I didn't win. I remember dying at Mars' hands before Morris threw me out like yesterday's garbage."
Elf!Fana then takes over, changing her eyes to that of smaller irises and her ears becoming pointed slightly. "And through some miracle, I ended up in her body found by my friend," she explained, "and yes, my name is also Fana."
... I don't know whether to laugh or apologize, 44 replied in bafflement, we kinda assumed that whoever survived at the very end would last until old age but... to hear Mars dying before that and Fana surviving through a sheer miracle... I kinda don't want to believe that our deaths were for nothing.
"I lost my whole people to noblemen," Elf!Fana explained, "then I lost everyone else to a Demon with a black sword," she shared, "world's gone to shit, but we're still alive and it's not any better than being dead. At that point, we just sort of... tolerated each other before realizing that all we have left are each other. Needless to say, she's my new friend outside of my usual social circle."
Then answer us, 44 stated, was there a purpose to our lives?
Elf!Fana shrugged. "The ambiguity itself is purpose enough. Wind doesn't blow the same way twice just as fire doesn't stay in one shape," she answered honestly, "me and the others tried to grasp the blank unknown to make something worthwhile out of it, but now... I realize that we might've been flying too close to the sun and lost our vision."
Elf!Fana finally remembered that day. The wedding between Licht and Tetia, with Fana herself as the flower girl.
"... They would both chew me out if I just kept hating everything that wasn't me," the elf ghost sobbed, "we have to change, no matter how we lived our lives or else we're going to die alone and miserable," she pointed out as she wiped her tears from her eyes, "... I think that's the worst way to die."
44's flame effigy pondered in confusion. ... I think I get it, he stated, ... I never learned how to hate, or anything for that matter. But I think I learned one thing: me and the others aren't the only ones who suffered the worst, the nameless boy pointed out, ... but, if you're a bad person that is now trying to do good right now... I think... that's more meaningful than just hating everything.
A room with gray bricks flashed in both their minds. But unlike Morris' laboratory, this room... didn't feel oppressive or haunting. It felt as if... both Fanas were in full control over it. A blank slate that can be used for anything. An empty room where possibility itself was the only law that mattered.
This is all we got, 44 stated as Fana's grimoire penned itself a new spell that was indecipherable but somehow, understandable just by looking, all of what just happened... we ain't gonna get over it. But at least we stop being dicks now.
... Yeah, a girl with a "73" tattooed on her right arm remarked, hating forever feels really tiring.
Me too, spoke another boy with a "54" tattooed on his neck, suddenly, nothing else mattering... feels liberating.
That's all we have to say, 44 replied, if you see Mars again through this... tell him that we're sorry for talking shit about him behind his back. We were kept stupid to know any better anyway.
Fana regains control after her elf counterpart allows her to, her irises going back to normal size and her ears back to being rounded. "... You guys... thanks," she sobbed slightly, "... it really means a lot."
44 gives her a thumbs-up before the others dissipated back into an unknowable blaze. After the effigy was dismissed, Mars came back into full view.
"Mars!" Fana exclaimed, trying to catch his attention, "Mars, is that you?!"
... F... Fana... the flame effigy groaned out as her patchwork grimoire wrote down another spell, ... take... take this... he shivered, ... I sense... I sense death!
"What are you talking about?!" she cried out, "what do you mean 'death'?!"
I named... this spell... Mars groaned out, fluxing in and out of reality, trying to hold on, ... after the baby... if we got out... hurry... I don't have... much time-
Fana's flame effigy explodes as its embers slowly fell to the floor. "Mars?!" she choked in distraught, "MARS!"
She then broke down crying, both in relief that she finally saw him again and the fact that Mars was somewhere else in the afterlife that was even worse than the limbo that the other kids were at.
"Well, first that ever happened," Agi remarked, "normally, souls either linger or lash out, but explode mid-dialogue? ... Yeah, that's sus as fuck, bro."
Mariella lets out a sigh as she comforted her peer-family member. "I'm sorry," she apologized, "loss is hard to bear."
Fana wiped her eyes as she looked at her grimoire with two new spells. The one given to them by 44 was still undecipherable, and from what she could decipher of what it is said, the spell is a [Fire Necromancy Magic] with a subtitle labeled [Memento Mori] next to an unreadable chicken scratches that was the spell's main name. Also, below the page where the spell was written, a note from the other kids was written:
"Go and kick some ass for us. - From us without names," Fana read before she sobs once more, heartfelt at their forgiveness.
"What about the other spell?" Mariella peeked towards Fana's grimoire pages, "... [Galatea]?"
"At least I can read this spell clearly," sighed Fana as she then readied her new spell, "[Crystal Necromancy Magic: Memento Mori - Galatea]."
A small, doll-sized crystalline doll in Fana's likeness is formed. The doll opens its eyes in a pair of glowing fireball-like orbs inside the crystalline doll's eyelids, slowly orienting itself to stand straight like if it were a newborn calf learning to walk.
"... Fana?" the doll spoke, much to everyone's surprise before the doll looked at itself, "... holy hell, this spell actually gives me a body walk around in."
"A bit small," Mariella picked up the doll containing Elf!Fana's soul with her hands cupped together, "... but honestly, this spell, in any conventional sense, is honestly brilliant."
"Nice to meet you, Mariella," the [Galatea]-Fana bowed her head, "... finally, I am now able to speak without having the thoughts of me murdering your whole family in my head at all times."
"Yeah, that's good," the ex-Krypteia assassin sighed out in relief, "... it may not be in my place to say this, but thank you for taking care of Fana while we were away."
"Likewise," Elf!Fana replied with a smile before facing Fana herself, "... finally good to see you for real... friend."
"Yeah..." Fana wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, "... Mars gave me this chance to make better of myself. I won't let any of you down."
The [Galatea] containing Elf!Fana's soul smiles back. "Could be a bit bigger, but it's just the start," she remarked, "so Mariella, did you learn any new spells from conversing with the dead?"
She shook her head "no". "... Unlike those kids, the ones I've purged had families and dreams," Mariella pointed out, "I've taken both away from them, so they're not as quick to forgive."
"Mariella's the usual pace for Necromancers," Agi pointed out, "behind Divination, Necromancy is the second-slowest workshop around. And unlike Divination, no one can't handle the amount of time needed to handle both speaking to dead people and actually learning stuff from them," the Fire Dragon then looked at Fana, "I heard from Kouha that you're one of the few that managed to come up with a Abjuration spell in a spur of a moment. Are you a fast learner or is this just dumb luck? I honestly wanna find out."
Both Fanas then let out a relieved sigh. "You know..." Fana spoke as [Galatea]-Fana perched itself on her shoulder with [Salamander] on the other, "... I think having two different spirits in one body is a... unique perspective," she remarked, "it makes me want to... you know... know more about myself."
"That's the spirit that we're always looking for!" Agi gave the two Fanas a thumbs-up, "alright, shall we call it a day?"
"No," Mariella spoke, "please, let me continue."
"Your call," [Cnámh Sith] then took Fana outside of the workshop and to the halls of the Demonology & Heretical Studies Department while Mariella continued with her Necromancy under Agi's guidance.
"... You know," I kinda wanna try to meet my old friends beyond the veil someday," spoke Elf!Fana through her [Galatea] body, "who knows? They had to like you a bit to you know, use you as my new body."
Fana nervously chuckles. "... Won't they hate me?" she pointed out, "given that I'm, you know, human?"
"Don't worry," smiled the [Galatea], "I'm sure Licht will like you."
As they continued walking down the dimly-lit halls, both Fanas spots Luciel ahead of them. "Miss Rosengarten!" they spoke at the same time.
"Oh, hey," the elven Contractor spoke, "enjoyed workshop?"
"Yeah," she nodded, "... it was a bit of an emotional storm and a half."
"Necromancy always tends to be like that," she sighed, "... ever since MASS, no one wants to even acknowledge death anymore. Necromancy's got a bad press since then, for us being 'downers' and 'stuck in the past'..." the elf rubbed her temples in slight frustration, "... I get it, the Zogratis clan hurt us real bad. But pretending that it didn't happen doesn't make things any better."
"I guess," Fana sighed, "oh, by the way, is Dune around? I kinda wanna thank him for introducing me to this workshop."
"Uh..." Luciel looked towards the side, "... Dune isn't even here," she revealed, "... in fact, he hasn't shown up for the past two days."
I sense death.
Mars' words started replaying inside Fana's mind ad infinitum at the worry of Dune being missing.
"... Fana," she spoke to her elven half occupying [Galatea], "... something's wrong."
Ulster Territory, Spade Kingdom, Evening
"Oh boy... oh boy..." Mikhael mumbled to himself as he flew across the sunset skies over Ulster, his trip being slowed down by him helping the locals and any injured animal that he came across. He couldn't help him. Mikhael was always compelled to help the helpless for it was his virtue/sole purpose of existing (hence his double-life as a chamber-pot cleaner for Hage, a job that no on wanted to take, but it was necessary in order to keep the village clean). "... Gotta get a grip..." he muttered, "gotta find her before it's too late-"
Suddenly, the corner of his eye spots a limping knight in rusted armor with an antlered helmet, all alone in the open steppe, helpless and vulnerable. Mikhael wanted to prioritize on finding his chosen child, deep down, he knew that if he didn't live up to his virtue of [Charity], then the title of Archangel becomes a farce to him.
Mikhael's sole purpose was to do good for goodness' sake. That alone was enough to deviate from his actions before he knew what he was doing. "Hello there!" spoke the flame-winged Archangel, "do you need my help?"
The Green Knight remained silent even as the Archangel landed before him.
"Your leg looks real banged up," Mikhael looked at the leg bent to its side as the Archangel then lit a small flame in his hand, "hold still, I'll get you patched up-"
The Green Knight lashes out his two-handed broadsword wrapped in briars, forcing the Archangel to step back. "What's wrong?" asked Mikhael, "I was only tryin' to help!"
The vagrant in the rusted armor lets out a hellish roar that echoed throughout the open plain, emitting a massive shockwave similar to a strong gale of wind that blew across the open for miles.
"What is this feeling?" Mikhael remarked as he felt the Green Knight's mana suddenly surge from 0 to his own level in an instant, "... so much hate and bloodlust... it's making the Devils look like crybabies in comparison!"
The Green Knight slams his blade into earth, shooting up an entire tree that was more akin to a tower that reached God itself. However, said tree then exploded into cinders, within the blast being Mikhael, completely unharmed and his devil's food cake that he'd carried with him (only one slice left) being utterly ruined.
"... So be it," declared the Archangel as he unleashed his celestial might, "[Flare Magic: Beacon]!"
A tower of holy flames engulfed the Green Knight, its silhouette crumbling away like firewood before completely was reduced to dust.
"I didn't want to do this," Mikhael spoke, "... but you had to be stopped-"
Suddenly, at the patch of burnt earth, an armored hand bursts from below, digging itself out to reveal the Green Knight, completely rejuvenated and just as unholy with its primal rage as ever.
"Whoa, this guy recovers fast," Mikhael gulped in surprise, noting how it had instantaneously regained its mana output back to the Archangel's level in an instant, "... you're angry, aren't you?"
The Green Knight swings down its sword, to which Mikhael grabs it between his hand before melting the steel into unrecognizable blob of slag and the briars scorched to ashes. However, even with the loss of the blade, the Green Knight's sword grows back, blades and thorns alike, as if it were made of living organic tissue.
"What are you angry at?" the Archangel pressed the question towards the aberrant, the latter who kept swinging its blades with the force of hurricanes, growing back its sword with each swing that disintegrates it upon making contact with the Archangel of Fire, "... I can sense your soul... it's not that of a living being's anymore," he noted as the Green Knight refused to stop swinging his blade, destroying everything in its path sans Mikhael, leaving only behind a field of flowers and acres of forests that were all set ablaze by Mikhael's mere presence, "... you're like a vengeful wraith... blind everything else but revenge... but for whom? What is this beauty that I find so... so horrid?!"
The flowers that burned around Mikhael were indeed beautiful. In fact, they were too beautiful. Almost to the point where they were developing a soul of their own each, creating life of joy from unfathomable hatred coming from the Green Knight's wrath. However, even as the Archangel's flames continued burning the unnatural nature that were ushered in by the knight errant of nature, they continued growing back, each bud just as immortal as the Green Knight itself.
"... So you won't answer then," spoke Mikhael, for which the Green Knight let out a howling roar that echoed to the rising of the moon above, "... very well. For everyone else's sakes, I will stop you right here!"
Mikhael then manifests his lance of translucent flames into his hands, for which he then clashed against the immortal knight of nature's wrath gone wild.
Terra Cotta Dormitory, Residential District #2, Libratium, Spade Kingdom, Night
"Anything?" Loki!Lotus remarked as he fiddled with a bronze lantern while Krieger was in his room, looking over Dune's diary and trying to figure out what's said in this encrypted language.
"Chicken scratches! All of them!" the dormfather barked in frustration as he slammed the book shut, "... I can't work like this. Not while my head is being squeezed like a lemon getting fucked by a juicer!"
"Love you too, Krieger," Loki!Lotus cooed in an overly-smarmy manner, "I was going to kill this bastard's old lady tonight, but you had to stop me just because you want all of your bases checked."
The dormfather sighs in frustration as he walked towards the door. "I'm going to boil some milk," said Krieger, "want a cup?"
"Damn right," the disguised Demon smirked as the dormfather walked downstairs to get his comfort drink of choice.
10 years. For 10 years he'd lived with a massive shadow stalking behind his back ever since that fateful day. 10 years, he thought he could put the whole past behind him and start a new life with his nephew, his only family left.
But they had to come literally knocking at his doors months prior. They, the ones who murdered his whole community of Acolytes without batting an eye, had the audacity to come back into his life that he desired peace for, only for the ugly sensation of vengeance to flood his heart like rotten rain blighting whatever decency he had left in his soul.
It was at that night when they first slept into his beds is when he decided to take Loki's offer. After all, if he can't live with a peace of mind anymore, then no one will.
As soon as Krieger reached the bottom of the stairs and entered into the dormitory's mess hall, a small ball of flame lit itself in the darkness, spooking him.
"Hello Mr. Krieger," Fana spoke as she lit the wicks of the candles on the three-pronged candlestick set next to her, the girl's eyes looking at him with a dispassionate expression hinting no emotion coming from her, "we need to talk."
To Be Continued...
Author's Notes: Shorter chapter than usual, but figured that this would be a good place for a cliffhanger before we let the plot explode.
Anyway, this chapter was a riot to write, only for the whole buildup to reach the climax of this little convoluted conspiracy to kill someone and their family. It'll have to end soon, and everything will come to aground in the next chapter.
So yeah, William and the rest of the Clover Kingdom Magic Knights are now caught up in this mess, all because William couldn't hold his liquor and stumbled into the secret meeting that Scathach was having with Makarov. It's a miracle that he didn't lose his mask (let alone, keep it on the whole time) and Ulster is the kind of place where one could end up finding either a pot of gold or a super-rare Relic just by getting drunk enough and collapsing somewhere. When Makarov said "another drunkard", he sort of expected someone to inevitably find them while completely wasted, and it just had to be Clover Kingdom's Magic Knights. Dumb luck or bad luck? We'll see.
As for Fana's Necromancy course, she now found her spear to her Abjuration's shield... albeit, it's more of a Swiss-army knife more than anything. 44's [Fire Magic Memento Mori] and Mars' [Crystal Magic Memento Mori] are more versatile then one thinks, so look forward to how they're used in the inevitable brawl. And as for [Galatea] being Elf!Fana's inhabitable body where she could physically interact with the real world, thought it might be a neat idea, in all the ways possible. Yeah, she's gonna fight without having to be tagged in. In a way, it's Mars' way of approving the new friendship post-mortem.
About Green Knight VS Mikhael, that's mostly gonna be relegated into the background, and for Mikhael to not meet up with his "chosen child" too soon. You know who it is. But I'm not telling.
So, with Krieger officially now cornered, and all of the players slowly gathering towards the clusterfuck, let's see how the revenge-crazed Earth Temple Acolyte worms his way out of this one. Death approaches.
References:
- William recalling the noble soirees being wild as Ulster drunken ragers is a reference to real-life 17th century decadence, particularly Metternich's "diplomatic gatherings", which is basically the noble's take on a wild teen party (the reason for such revelry is that Metternich is a massive party animal himself and he knew that the only way to get a political upper hand is when everyone's drunk and happy to be one-night fuck-friends; it worked as it was intended to).
- Fana's (and Elf!Fana's inhabitable body) [Crystal Necromancy Magic: Memento Mori - Galatea] is named after the Greek mythological ivory statue that came to life and it means "she who is milk-white", and Pygmalion's literal object of affection.
- The Necromancy's low popularity is allegorical to Europe's cultural behavior post-WWII, which can be best described as a "continental PTSD of Nazis to the point where the EU actively stifle any form of dynamism (religious, political, social, etc) to keep everyone peaceful". Europe is a great place to live if you have no ambitions the size of a 401k.
- Fana's little greet to Krieger at the middle of the night is a reference to JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Phantom Blood, specifically, episode 2's ending scene, where Dio runs into Jonathan Joestar waiting for him back home, candlestick and everything.
Hypothetical Voice Actors:
- 44, 73 and 54: Megumi Ogata (JPN) Amanda Céline Miller (ENG)
And as usual, please leave a comment or a review, for I'd love to know what my readers think!