Chapter 84
"I would rather have eyes that cannot see; ears that cannot hear; lips that cannot speak, than a heart that cannot love"
Robert Tizon
This short chapter is dedicated to the most sympathetic character in this story. Hopefully this chapter will bring you to understand him even more. And hopefully, this is a good chapter.
I can remember it all just like it happened yesterday. Master told me to go prepare myself so his friends can use me for some more hours. He said, they paid him extra, so it's only normal for them to get extra treatment. When I was preparing myself in my room, a tiny and dirty little room, I heard an explosion from the outside.
Panic arose, and I heard screams everywhere. I didn't know what was going on, I was too scared of the screams, so I chose to hide beside my drawer, hoping to not get killed. The screams lasted for some more minutes, and it finally stopped after one last final explosion.
I encouraged myself to go outside and look what happened, but before I could do so, the door in my room opened. Someone opened it. I was too scared to move, more so when I saw who's coming. He was a towering man, with a skull head. Blue fire and red fire embalm his whole body, covered by some armor. He towered me by a great number of heights. His hands, with two scary looking swords on them, are enormous enough to crush me into pieces. His shadow is more than enough to eat me alive. The moment I laid my eyes upon him, I knew, he was a demon. A great one.
But something is different from him. His hollow eyes, although they look as if they come from the bottom of abyss, feel so gentle and warm. His eyes erased my fear the second he looked at me with them. But, there is something more inside them that made me feel good, but I didn't really realize it at first.
"YOUNG LADY" He politely said to me. For the first time in my life, a man treated me with honor, not lust like every other men I had met before, "HOW POOR OF YOU, SO YOUNG YET YOU HAD TO WORK IN SUCH A DIRTY BROTHEL LIKE THIS. BUT FEAR NO MORE. THOSE LOWLIVES, I HAVE SEIZED THEM. YOU ARE FREE NOW"
His looks are nothing if not inhuman, but his words feel kind. He made me feel unafraid of him.
"WOULD YOU TELL ME YOUR NAME?"
"I have none, Sir. I was never given a name.'" I answered. That moment, I could tell that he was sympathizing with me. His face is expressionless, probably because it is only a skull, but he definitely feels sad for me.
"THEN, MAY I HAVE THE HONOR TO NAME YOU?" He politely asked again. How gentle of him, to treat me like I'm his queen. And there's no way I can say no to him.
"I don't see a reason why I should refuse your offer, sir"
"I'M GLAD" He fell quite for a moment, probably thinking for the right name. And then, a name escaped along with his voice, "ISABEL….I THINK THAT NAME WOULD SUIT YOU"
"Isabel?" What a beautiful name. There's love and genuineness in it. Maybe that name is precious for him.
"YES, AFTER MY LATE WIFE" He said as if he was remembering sad things, but it was his late wife, of course he would feel sad, "YOU HAVE A DARK DEEP EYES LIKE HER. AND A SOFT DARK HAIR LIKE HER. SHE WAS THE LAST PERSON THAT LET ME KNEW OF LOVE. I WOULD FEEL GRATEFUL IF YOU ACCEPT THAT NAME"
"Isabel...sounds beautiful" I said with passion. He named me after his late wife, and seeing how much of a gentle man this person is, I would be honored to have that name, "Then, from now on, I'm Isabel. Thank you, sir"
"DON'T MENTION IT, ISABEL"
"And, may I have the honor to know your name, sir?"
"I AM CALLED NAGHT SIEGER" He introduced himself, "DO YOU HAVE ANYWHERE ELSE TO GO?"
"No, Lord Sieger. I don't"
"THEN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO STAY AT MY HOUSE? THERE'S A LOT OF CHILDREN AT YOUR AGE. YOU WILL BE WELCOMED THERE, AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN HAVE A GOOD LIFE" He offered me, still with his gentle manner.
"You named me, and now you are going to shelter me?" I asked without understanding his intention, "Why are you so kind to me, Lord Sieger?"
"BECAUSE YOU ARE KIND TO ME ALSO, BY LETTING ME NAME YOU" A simple yet deep reply from the noble man, touching the heart of the little girl and gracing a mark there, which will remain forever.
"Very well, then I shall come with you...and stay by your side, until the day when sun doesn't shine anymore" I welcomed his hand after he offered it to me, then we walked away. That night, I embraced my new life.
A demon with the heart of a man, that was my first impression of him. Never before someone treated me so gently, so caring. He made me feel honored. He made me feel wanted. He didn't lust upon me.
From the moment I looked deep into his eyes, I knew, my heart was his. And it will always be his.
My heart is for him and him only. Him, who rules the night.
Fifteen years later, somewhere in the forest surrounded Endless Tower...
"Wait, wait! This isn't supposed to happen! This cannot be happening!" Amidst the tears the night sky is shedding, a male hunter crawls in the dirty ground as thunder roars thousand feet above. The hard violent rain has befalling upon the island once known as the sanctuary of the forsaken all night long. Dirt and blood are flowing in the earth, carried by the water. And from behind the hunter, a towering figure could be seen slowly approaching.
The light flashed by the thunder shows his gigantic size even more. The hulk of a man with red fire embalms his body on his flame manteau. Carrying the blue Twin Edge on his right and red Twin Edge on his left, his once caring eyes show no mercy. Although the rain slowly cleanses his Twin Edge from their stains of blood, the hard violent rain doesn't stop his fiery rage and stature to cease even a bit. Every step he takes, he trembles the earth below him.
"Lord Sieger, wait! I didn't mean to do that!" The hunter cries for his life, although the reigning thunder seemingly bested his fearful voice, "This is all Crothen, Beelzebub, and Matthew's fault! I didn't mean to do all of this! I was only following their order!"
"REGARDLESS THE FACT, WHAT THEY TOLD YOU TO DO WAS TO KILL YOUR OWN BROTHERS AND SISTERS?" The deep cold voice from the Lord of Night is the only reply the hunter got, "ANSWER ME, FLINT. I'M ASKING YOU"
"If I don't do their order, then they would kill me!"
"AND WHAT MAKES YOU THINK IF YOU DO THEIR ORDER, I WON'T KILL YOU?"
Another roar of thunder belittles the hunter's voice, but it's not like he really got a proper answer to enlighten the angry demon standing before him. Less than five minutes ago, Flint and ten other hunters sneaking around the forest of Endless tower, trying their luck to reach the tower ruled by Naght Sieger. But much to their chagrin, suddenly Naght Sieger showed up from behind one of the tress and sliced one hunter, whom he once regarded to be his own children, into half. The other ten prepared to attack back, but Sieger bested their speed easily and detached five heads in two strikes, leaving five remained. The other five became frightened and ran away, Flint was the fastest during the escape. But as he kept running, he realized no one was following him from behind. There were none of the other hunters behind him. The thunder must have coevered their screams, leaving only a long blood trail behind his feet down from the forest. And that was when his fear got the best of him and he could run no more, he crawled.
"I REMEMBER WHEN YOU WERE JUST A LITTLE KID, YOU WERE KIND AND HONEST. BUT NOW, LOOK WHAT MATTHEW AND HIS JEALOUSY HAVE TURNED YOU INTO" Naght Sieger dryly reminds the hunter, "WERE YOU THERE WHEN MATTHEW AND THE OTHERS ATTACKED LAST NIGHT?"
"Y, yes!"
"WHAT DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU THRUST THE FLESHES OF YOUR OWN FAMILY LAST NIGHT? DID YOU FEEL NOTHING? DID MY THRONE LUST YOU THAT MUCH?"
The hunter wants to open his mouth, but his eyes tell no lie. The rain just getting harder and harder by the second he tries to make a defense for himself. He realizes Sieger was right, he felt nothing. Maybe his jealousy turned him into a heartless man who was too blind to see his own family. And he is going to receive what he deserves when Sieger raises the hilt of his blue Twin Edge to the air so the hunter can see it clearly among the rain.
"Wait, wait! Lord Sieger, wait! I'm your child! I'm your family, remember?!" The hunter pleads for his life…to no result…and for the last time.
"SO WAS THE OTHER TEN I DETACHED JUST NOW" Sieger stabs the hunter right on his head, killing him in an instant while at the same time, nearly splitting his head into two. The tall demon pulls his sword from the hunter's head and let the rain washed it. But for a warrior on his caliber, spotting a presence even amidst the relentless rain isn't a big deal.
"HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN STANDING THERE, RANDGRIS?" Naght Sieger turns his back as another thunder flashes in the dark sky, giving him a better look of the silhouette of the standing Valkyrie not far from him.
"Right before you asked that hunter, Sieger. But truth be told, I witnessed the whole thing" Randgris dryly replies, "And I must say, disappointing"
"WE ARE ENTITLED TO OUR OWN OPINION"
"But, what I said just now isn't an opinion. It's a fact" Randgris coldly casts a gaze to the swordsman, "The last time I went here; I thought you promised me and yourself not to kill humans any longer"
"THE LAST TIME YOU WENT HERE, MY CHILDREN DIDN'T PUT MORE SINS UPON THEMSELVES BY CUTTING EACH OTHER'S THROAT"
"So, what's your point? Are you trying to tell me killing them by your own hands is better than seeing them killing each other?"
"I AM BUT A SINFUL DEMON, RANDGRIS. HELL IS THE ONLY PLACE AWAITS MY SOUL ONCE I'M PUT TO REST FOR ETERNITY. I FED THEM, PROTECTED THEM, CLOTHED THEM, SHELTERED THEM, AND LOVED THEM. IF THE ONLY THING THEY COULD DO TO HONOR THEIR OWN LIVE IS ATTEMPTING TO TAKE MY THRONE BY WASTING THEIR LIVE, THEN IT WOULD MATTER NOT IF I KILL THEM BY MYSELF. THE LEAST OF ALL, MY CHILDREN WOULDN'T PUT MORE SINS UPON THEMSELVES THEN THEY ALREADY DID"
"How cold of you to say such thing, Sieger. I cannot believe the man standing before me is once the kind honorable man many Adler look up to for generations" The valkyrie sadly states her disappointment, represented greatly by the crying night, "Ivan, Tristan I, Dominique, Frederica, Tristan II, Marie, Joseph, Tristan III, and Fiorentin…just to name a few"
"ARE YOU DONE POINTING OUT YOUR ARGUMENT?" Naght Sieger escapes a challenging tone, "WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE NAMES YOU MENTIONED, RANDGRIS?"
"The man before me…he is just the shell of his former self. You are Gaeris Adler no longer, you've completely became Naght Sieger himself"
"GAERIS ADLER AND NAGHT SIEGER ARE THE SAME PERSON, ARE THEY NOT? HAVE YOU NOT NOTICED THAT FACT FOR THE LAST NINE CENTURIES?"
"They are a different person. Gaeris Adler was a benevolent man who shared his love and gentleness with almost every person he met. He put others before himself, and he despised killings. He was also a very noble man, a true warrior. Despite having the physical figure of an enormous demon, he is still a human. He never lost his heart…until last night" Randgris slowly shapes her right hand into the valkyrie spear she uses for combat before engulfing it with black fire, "You are now just Naght Sieger and Naght Sieger only. A heartless demon embarks into the path of destruction, driven by your anger, sadness, and guilt. You are hardly the only human I ever respected"
"GAERIS ADLER…HAS BEEN LONG DEAD" Naght Sieger prepares his Twin Edge, "HE BECAME NAGHT SIEGER WHEN HIS FATHER, EISENHEIM, ENACTED A CURSE ON HIM AFTER HE KILLED HIS OWN BROTHER USING HIS OWN HANDS, DRIVEN BY HIS JEALOUSY. NAGHT SIEGER HAS BEEN NAGHT SIEGER AND NAGHT SIEGER ONLY ALL ALONG, RANDGRIS"
"True, the man known as Gaeris Adler had been banished from the Adler family long ago. But his heart remained even inside Naght Sieger. Gaeris Adler never really became Naght Sieger because he kept his heart inside him" Randgris puts a sad smile on her face as she looks at the demon, knowing what she said would hurt him deeper than any weapon could, "If there is nothing left from you other than a demon called Naght Sieger only, then I shall smite you for the sake of humanity…and for yourself"
"THEN, I WELCOME YOU TO TRY" In a wink of an eye, much to Randgris' shock, Naght Sieger has already stood behind her with his red Twin Edge moving to kill her. Randgris quickly blocks the attack and throws a counter slash using her valkyrie spear, but Sieger casually dodges it.
Casting an AGI Up as a preparation, Randgris takes her speed advantage to execute a barrage of stabbing towards the towering figure, but Sieger stops it using his left hilt. Randgris sends another stab but the ruler or Endless Tower stops it for the second time using his hilt only. The valkyrie further attempting to bring Sieger down by using a downward spiral quickly after Sieger blocked another stab, hoping to catch him off guard. However, the demon stops her kick easily using his hilt again.
The servant of Odin agilely moves closer to the ground, trying not to get surprised by her opponent's capability, and stabs the demon from below only to see another hilt stops her. But Randgris is a relentless foe, so she continuously throwing another stab after stab by spiraling herself near the ground.
Naght Sieger welcomes every stab she throws at him using his hilts only. The valkyrie is almost taken aback seeing how the behemoth blocks her attack effortlessly. Sieger doesn't even try to attack back. "How could he?! This many attempt to hit him but he receives not even one hit?!" Randgris then realize a more shocking truth when she sees on Sieger's feet, "And…ever since I threw my first stab…he didn't even move an inch from his previous point! I couldn't even make him move?!"
But Randgris expected no less from The Lord of Night. Naght Sieger isn't called a master swordsman for nothing. If you battle him, you have to prepare yourself for a roller coaster ride experience. A beast he may look, but he is hardly an idiot.
As Randgris chooses to fall back so she can plan another attack, Sieger takes his turn to attack her using continuous bash using both his Twin Edge in turn. Seeing how the falling rain was knocked everywhere just by one single blow from Sieger, Randgris alarms herself and chooses to dodge every slash the demon greets her with rather than meeting its impact.
And without Randgris predicting, Naght Sieger forms a cross with his Twin Edge and unexpectedly unleashes a Bowling Bash right to Randgris' direction, shattering away the ground and the trees above it forty feet to his front. Fortunately, the valkyrie managed to escape before the merciless blow wasted her.
"The attack just now…what an impact; Sieger is serious" The servant of Odin is trying to get any idea to fend the demon off, "I have to be more careful the next time I get into a close range combat with him, he is unpredictable"
"WHAT IS WRONG, RANDGRIS? WHAT TAKES YOU SO LONG TO THROW ANOTHER FUTILE ATTACK?" The Ruler of Endless Tower taunts the valkyrie, "DID YOU NOT SAY YOU WOULD SMITE ME? I AM NOT TRYING TO TALK YOU DOWN, BUT YOU CANNOT DO THAT JUST BY THROWING LITTLE STAB ONE AFTER ANOTHER"
"Then, how would you like to take my place and attack first? Or do you prefer us to spend the rest of this rainy night staring at each other?" The valkyrie doesn't take the bait Sieger threw at her. If she cannot hit Sieger by using her own effort, then maybe an opening after a number of attacks from Sieger himself would allow her to turn the table.
"AS YOU WISH" Naght Sieger advances to a stance, and again unexpectedly unleashes a powerful attack, in the form of Bedivere. The wind slash brings every single shred of rain falling from the sky directly to the ground as it closes itself to Randgris.
The valkyrie takes a quick notice and teleports herself to behind Naght Sieger with her spear ready. Not wanting to lose the momentum, Randgris performs a quick thunderous stab and hits Naght Sieger right on his back. But much to her dismay, her stab stops the moment her spear touches his flame manteau. "This is not good!" The valkyrie prefers to quickly pull off her spear before Sieger can ignite a counterattack, however, she finds herself into even a more dangerous position, her spear got stuck on his flame manteau, "It got stuck?! At times like this?!"
"FLAME MANTEAU IS NEARLY IMPENETRABLE OF MAGIC" Naght Sieger slowly explains. His voice is loud enough even the wailing thunder cannot bellow it, "YOU SHOULD HAVE AIMED MY HEAD USING YOUR VALKYRIE SPEAR, RANDGRIS. ALTHOUGH THAT WOULDN'T KILL ME EITHER"
Randgris suddenly feels coldness on her skin, in fact, the area surrounding her is cold. "What is happening?!" The valkyrie gives a harder attempt to pull her hand off of the flame manteau as she witnesses the glittering rain has turned into hail, "The rain became hail?! Is this Naght Sieger's doing?!"
"WIDE FREEZE" Naght Sieger explains without turning his back, "A SOUNDLESS SPELL WHICH COVERS THE AREA SURROUNDING THE CASTER WITH ICE. THAT IS WHY THE RAIN IS NOW HAIL. AND BEING STUCK LIKE THAT SURELY DOESN'T HELP YOU TO EMBRACE THE IMPENDING DOOM, HELL JUDGEMENT"
And Sieger told her the truth. The cold temperature of the forest suddenly turns hot; Randgris realizes what is going on in here, especially after the flame on the flame manteau becomes hotter. And before Randgris could react, the flame manteau explodes in an earth shattering explosion and blows the entire forest. The oxygen covering the area helps the hard rain and hail deals greatly on making the explosion even bigger and more powerful. Trees are burned, rocks scattered everywhere, even to a certain height the rain and hail were vaporized. And smokes are clearly on sight.
After the smokes are quickly cleared by the rain, Naght Sieger is the only one left standing with Randgris nowhere to be found. Nonetheless, Sieger can tell that Randgris somehow survived the Hell Judgment. Preparing both his Twin Edge as a precaution for a surprise attack, the ruler of Endless Tower slowly moves from his previous point with care. Surprisingly, he finds the rain is getting harder and harder to the point that he can't really see anything five feet away from him. Only then he realizes this is Randgris' doing perhaps by using her thunderstorm above the sky so the rain will get harder and harder, but he was too late to notice. As a thunder strikes one more time in the rainy sky, Randgris emerges from beside Naght Sieger and violently stabs him right on his left shoulder, bleeding him in the process.
This time Randgris was successful on hitting him because his left shoulder isn't covered by his flame manteau. Only a small point of it, but it proves pivotal. Sieger shows no sign of being in pain; however Randgris knew she dealt the hit just fine. Knowing that now is the right time to maintain the upper hand, Randgris quickly pulls her Valkyrie spear and rampages on Sieger's upper torso with her one hand Sonic Blow, forcing the demon to slowly falls back as she gives him the taste of twenty spear slashes in less than ten seconds.
Continuing her literal raid, the valkyrie executes a perfect Holy Cross to Sieger before pummeling him for the last time with Brandish Spear. The last attack managed to make Sieger backs out several steps before stopping and calmly looks at his wounds before staring at the valkyrie.
Naght Sieger quickly moves and readies himself to use his Twin Edge to perform Percival, intending to finish Randgris off as he moves closer to her. The valkyrie prepares herself to welcome the insanely quick attack by casting an AGI UP and executes a two hand quicken casted only on her right arm. And as the two unseen attacks finally meet, all hell breaks loose.
The first clash they had blasts every single tears of sky around them. The second of their movements dispatch the air and the remaining trees around them. Clash after clash is being thrown by both fighters amidst the crying night, but all they could hit is their respective weapons. The blue Twin Edge strikes the Valkyrie spear before the red Twin Edge hits the same Valkyrie spear, again and again like that. It seems that Randgris is proving that she is one step ahead of Sieger when it comes to speed; dealing two swords with one spear is the clear evidence of that one.
Knowing if he insists on continuing the duel would do no good on his part; Naght Sieger quickly breaks the clash and lifts his swords to the air. Three Garm like ice creatures pop out from below the ground and waste none of their lifetime to chase Randgris. The valkyrie throws three Jupitel Thunder to finish them off, but much like Sieger's previous pattern of attacking, they were merely a decoy for his next attack, The Soul Strike of Darkness.
Ten dark souls come out from the eye in both The Twin Edge and invisibly hit Randgris, successfully knock her down to the wet ground…only to see Naght Sieger executing his last touch, The Meteor Storm. Eleven merciless meteors wail from the lightless night and mercilessly maim the valkyrie who can hardly move because of the previous dark magic. The meteors befalling from the sky left an insanely deep creature after letting the entire island heard series of loud explosions and impacts. Leaving only the valkyrie soundless lying body down the crater for Naght Sieger to see.
But Randgris is hardly an amateur; before Sieger casted The Meteor Storm, she has already casted The Lord of Vermillion. And without the behemoth demon got any chance to protect himself; the violent thunder spell strikes from the teary veil of this world, unarguably destroys the point where the once caring man standing into pieces and breaks the ground. The roar of the thunder is so loud that all the previous thunder showing their existence above the ground was bested.
Nonetheless, Naght Sieger still stands. His expressionless face can tell nothing, but the damages Lord of Vermillion gave to him cannot be hidden. Several burns could be seen on the part where his flame manteau didn't cover. But the same could be said for Randgris. As she flies to get out from the crater, burns and wounds can be seen on her.
But to be fair, both great fighters are injured and exhausted because of this encounter.
"YOU CASTED GANBANTEIN ON YOUR PREVIOUS POINT SO HELL JUDGEMENT WOULDN'T KILL YOU RIGHT AWAY BEFORE EXECUTING YOUR CONSECUTIVES SURPRISE ATTACK, CORRECT? THE SAME WITH THE LORD OF VERMILLION, YOU CASTED IT RIGHT AFTER THE SOUL STRIKE OF DARKNESS HIT YOU. IMPRESSIVE, I EXPECTED NO LESS FROM ONE OF THE STRONGEST VALKYRIES TO EVER EXIST IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND, ALBEIT HER OWN INJURIES" The towering demon spots Randgris current condition perfectly, "YOUR LEFT ARM IS BROKEN, THAT'S WHY IT IS DANGLING RIGIDLY. AND ALTHOUGH THE RAIN PRETTY MUCH SWEPT AWAY THE EVIDENCE, YOUR HEAD IS WOUNDED AND BLED AT ONE POINT. SOME BROKEN PARTS ON YOUR HELMET PROVED IT. AND YOUR LOWER TORSO IS IN SO MUCH PAIN. DID THE METEOR BURN IT?"
But the servant of Odin replies with style, "Pretty impressive, you realized all that in one look. How about your wounds, Sieger? Your upper torso is still bleeding, and so is your left shoulder. I could also spot at least dozen burns in the parts which your flame manteau didn't cover. Are you hurt?"
"PHYSICAL PAIN COULD HURT ME NO LONGER, RANDGRIS. NOT AFTER WHAT I HAVE BEEN THROUGH. NOT AFTER GOD SHOWED ME HIS HELL ON EARTH"
"It's shocking, Sieger. I mean it" Randgris expresses her dismay by slowly shaking her head, "Aren't you a man of God? Do you believe in God no more?"
"I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN HIM, RANDGRIS. UNFORTUNATELY FOR ME, HE FORSOOK ME LONG BEFORE I EVEN REALIZED" The valkyrie can tell there's a deep sadness and disappointment in every word Sieger just stated. It hurt him saying cruel things like that about The Maker, "I CANNOT BELIEVE IN ANYONE OR ANYTHING MORE, RANDGRIS"
"So, did you close your eyes for things that would bring you happiness?"
"THE ONLY THING THAT BROUGHT ME HAPPINESS IN MY WHOLE LIFE AS A DEMON IS MY FAMILY. AND NOW, THEY HATE ME EVERY INCH OF MY CURSED BONE BECAUSE I TREASURED THEM TOO MUCH" Naght Sieger sadly states in the middle of the hard rain, silencing the valkyrie. Unknown to perhaps anyone but Randgris, the hard rain signifies the demon's crying heart more than anything could. Perhaps the sky cries on his behalf because he cannot cry anymore, "WHAT I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO DO WAS TO LIVE AS A HUMAN DESPITE BEING A DEMON. I AM SUCH A FOOL. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FOOL EVEN DURING MY DAYS AT PRONTERA. PERHAPS JUST LIKE MY FATHER CURSED ME TO BE, I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED I AM A DEMON LONG AGO, SO I WOULDN'T SUFFER THIS MUCH PAIN INSIDE MY HEART"
Randgris got her eyes widened seeing how deep Naght Sieger has fallen into desperation. The way he spoke just now indicated that he no longer believes in anything or anyone. Not only Naght Sieger is bringing death to people, but to himself as well.
"I see, so you're hopeless now" Randgris takes a stance, preparing herself to resume the battle, "I've seen what you did your whole life. It seems to me that your guilt has blinded you from everything , Sieger. Even from the forgiveness and hope you've been dying to grace. Maybe, only in death you will finally find your salvation"
"PERHAPS, BUT WHO WILL BRING DEATH TO ME?" Sieger sounds challenging more than ever, "YOU? PLEASE SPARE ME THE LAUGHTER"
Sieger dashes, blasting through the rain and throws a powerful blow to Randgris. Randgris blocked it but the demon has thrown another blow and slashed her hip, wounding it as blood spurted from her wound. Randgris ignores the pain and executes a downward spiral slash, perfectly slashing Sieger's lower torso. Sieger punches Randgris' face as his retaliation, with his hand still gripping his blue Twin Edge he inflicted a deeper wound on her part. Randgris quickly arises and blasts a grand impact slash, nearly knocking Sieger to the ground. Nonetheless, his blood splattered all over the ground because of the slash. It is really hard to take Sieger down to one knee, let alone knocking him out cold. The rain cleans their blood stains pretty quickly, leaving no single trail of their injuries although their wounds and pains are still there.
Using her superior speed, Randgris trading slashes with Sieger whenever their threw their precious weapons to prove their worths. Sieger aims to Randgris' neck but the valkyrie defends it and rolls up front as she throws a stab. Sieger avoids it and slashes towards Randgris shoulder but the valkyrie falls back before blowing another slash. Sieger blocks the attempted slash and boots the valkyrie, nearly knocking her down for the second time. The towering demon continues by stomping to the ground to crush Randgris, but the maiden warrior adamantly recuperates before the stomp hit her and stabs Sieger on his leg.
The servant of Odin jumps to the air and throws a rolling kick on Sieger's upper torso, forcing him to go three steps backward. Delivering a sonic blow, Randgris forcefully makes Sieger defend himself from the barrage of slashes after slashes. When Randgris thinks she got the upper hand because Sieger is continuously defending, Sieger breaks the nearly invisible raid by throwing a surprising Ywain, blowing all the rain falling from the sky for five seconds and violently sending Randgris flying to the air before she crushed several feet away to a line of trees. Luckily for her, she managed to blocked the Ywain, although not completely, and it saved her life from being doomed. She is still injured nonetheless.
Sieger carefully looks at the point where Randgris was sent, he knew Randgris wouldn't die just like that. And he was right, Sieger spots a single flash of light as he prepares a defensive stance. Randgris emerges with an insane speed and her Brandish Spear ready. The attack meets Sieger's Twin Edge and blasts the demon, sending him straight to a boulder behind him before crashing into some more trees inside the forest. Still, he didn't even fall down to a knee. The ground below him was violently dug by his foots, it as if he pulled the ground away with him.
Randgris, no matter how much she hate to admit it, is impressed on the fact just how much attempt it would take to bring the herculean demon down to one knee. It seems defeating an entity regarded as The Lord of Night is just as hard as defeating a god or goddess. Naght Sieger is truly worthy of being called a godlike.
"You believe not in live, yet it is so hard to bring death upon you" Randgris lowers her weapon, indicating her no longer interesting on resuming the battle, "That means, deep down in your heart, you want to believe"
Sieger too, lower his swords. The battle tonight is the fiercest he has ever had in years. He doesn't know how to reply to Randgris, he is too tired of thinking about his burden and battling a valkyrie at the same time. The hard rain is finally starting to slow down, giving some refreshments of thoughts for both great warriors. As it were that the rain swept away their problem for a moment. Randgris knew, the wound in all over Sieger's body is nothing compared the one inside his heart. And not even this rain can sweep away that pain.
"PLEASE GO" Sieger politely asks the war maiden, "I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU ANYMORE"
It pains her seeing a once noble man in a state like this. Randgris, just like almost everybody, believes that Sieger deserves happiness after all the suffering he got, regardless he killed his own brother and his family to claim the throne. He has atoned for his sin, but Sieger himself never believed so. And until someone truly shoes him light, anything she does to convince him otherwise would mean nothing.
"Alright, I will. But please remember this, Sieger" The valkyrie sighs and turns her back before looking over her shoulder. A warm smile in her face amidst the cold rain fascinate even the saddest of heart, "Your hope, and your forgiveness, they will come to you. I knew they will, because deep down in your heart you still believe on them"
"FAREWELL, RANDGRIS. PLEASE SEND MY BEST REGARDS TO SARKHAN AS WELL" Naght Sieger genuinely replies, "AND FOR EVERYTHING, THANK YOU"
With that being said, the valkyrie flies to the darkness of night with the teary sky embracing her figure. Something inside her tells her, the moment Naght Sieger thanked her, is the last time she will ever see the noble man in this lifetime. And for that, she sheds a little tear on her eye, hidden under the rain…
Naght Sieger quietly returns to the first floor of Endless Tower, where Isabel has been waiting for him. "Lord Sieger, you're wounded! Let me heal you!" The dark haired high priest rushes to his side, but Sieger stops her.
"THERE IS NO NEED TO. I NEED NONE OF YOUR PITY"
"This isn't a pity! This is…" Isabel stops the moment Sieger stares at her. His presence is more than enough to trembling her in fear. But, that doesn't stop her completely, "Just...please, let me heal you..."
After some moment of thinking, Sieger slowly nods and let Isabel cast her healing spell on him. As Isabel is doing her job, many thoughts cross both their mind.
When Sieger decided to completely annihilate the rebells by his own hands, Isabel couldn't conceal her surprise. Sieger told her if there is someone who would end all his happiness in this world, it would be himself. No one else is allowed. But deep down, Isabel knew, Sieger is doing all this just because he is upset of his fate...and his family's fate.
All hope seems lost when the giant demon raises his swords once more to hunt his own family down, one by one. Isabel knows Sieger is strong enough to take all the challengers in the island all by himself and still walk out victorious...and alive.
It's as if, those wonderfully happy days when everyone is living happily on the tower is now a faraway dream, a dream that is so dear yet so far.
And as a woman, Isabel wants to do something to comfort him. Unfortunately for her, she realized the fact that Sieger views her only as a daughter, not as a woman. Whereas she views Sieger as a man, not as a father.
"It's done" Isabel slowly says, but it's not like she got Sieger's attention, "Are you going to have a rest, Lord Sieger?"
"NO, I WILL PREPARE FOR MORE THINGS TO COME. I'M AFRAID THERE IS NO TIME TO REST"
"Then, do you want to eat something? I'll cook you something"
"THANK YOU, BUT NO THANKS. YOU SHOULD TAKE A REST, ISABEL. YOU LOOK TIRED" Naght Sieger never completely loses his gentleness, "YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE FORCED YOURSELF TO STAY AWAKE FOR ME"
"No" Isabel slowly shakes her head, "This is the least I could do for you"
"YOU KNOW" Naght Sieger gently caresses her face. And she let him does so, "YOU SHOULD FIND A MAN AND MAKE A HAPPY FAMILY YOURSELF. YOU ARE YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL, YOU SHOULDN'T WASTE YOUR LIFE IN HERE"
"I'm not wasting my life. I'm here, with you, how could anyone say I'm wasting my life?" the high priest slowly touches the hand he is using to caress her, "My happiness lies here, with you. As long as I can be by your side, then I need nothing else"
"WHY, I'M FLATTERED" Sieger amuses himself spending some time with his last child, "A BEAUTIFUL GIRL JUST CONFESSED TO ME"
"Why thank you, a gentle man just called me beautiful" Isabel plays along.
"BUT YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL, ISABEL"
"Not more beautiful than your words, Lord Sieger"
It's moment like this that makes life precious, and who would not want to hold on this kind of moment as long as they can. But it is often that life doesn't go in the direction of how we want it. Moment like this doesn't last forever.
"ISABEL, I WANT YOU TO LEAVE THIS PLACE…NOW" Naght Sieger asks a surprising favor to the woman he regarded as his daughter, "IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS FOR YOU TO STAY HERE ANY LONGER"
"What?! Why?"
"THINGS ARE GOING TO BE DANGEROUS AROUND HERE. AND YOUR LIFE MIGHT BE THREATENED. I ADVISE YOU TO GO TO AMATSU AND SEEK REFUGEE TO PRINCESS FIORENTIN"
"What is this all of a sudden?" Isabel notices Sieger is going to do something, "What are you planning to do?! Why can't I stay?!"
The demon stares at the young lady, but find her hard to deceive, not to mention Sieger himself doesn't fancy telling lies, "I'M THINKING TO END ALL OF THIS. I'M GOING TO OPEN THE SEAL OF THIS ISLAND, COMPLETELY"
The thunder outside roars once again, representing the shock inside Isabel, "What?! But, if you do that...then everyone from around the world will gain the instant access to come here! Not only you, but the others at the island would be an instant danger!"
"THAT IS THE POINT, ISABEL" Sieger calmly replies, "IF BEELZEBUB, CROHEN, AND MATTHEW WANT MY THRONE THAT MUCH, WHY NOT LET ALL THE WORLD COME AND HAVE A TRY?"
"Lord Sieger...how could you say that?! They are...they are still our family!" Isabel cries, not believing what the demon is going to do, even the slightest bit.
"THEY ARE NO LONGER OUR FAMILY. DO YOU FORGET WHAT THEY DID TO YOUR BROTHER AND SISTER LAST NIGHT?"
The question shuts the high priest up. But after some moment, she opens her mouth, "Then, let me help you. I can be useful for a lot of things…"
"NO, I WANT YOU TO GO"
"Lord Sieger…"
"DON'T SAY ANYTHING ANYMORE, ISABEL"
"But, I don't want to leave you!" Isabel shouts at the demon.
"YOU ARE THE ONLY FAMILY I HAVE LEFT!" Sieger approaches the high priest and pull her shoulder so he can have a better look on her and so she can hear him better, "DO YOU THINK FAMILY WOULD KILL EACH OTHER?! YOU ARE THE ONLY CHILD I HAVE LEFT; I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU! NOT IN THIS LIFE, OR THE NEXT! I DON'T CARE IF I DIE, BUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO DIE!"
"But you think it's alright for you to die?!" Isabel bravely responds, "I don't want to lose you, Lord Sieger! You are also the only family I have left!"
The herculean figure is silenced by her voice. Isabel then let out everything she has been wanting to say, "How could you act so egoistical like that?! Do you think everything would be okay if you die?! Do you think everything would be solved?! Do you think everyone would be happy?! I wouldn't be happy! I don't want you to die! I never want you to die! I don't want you to leave me! I don't care how low you rate yourself, you are precious to me! You made me happy, you made my life worthy! I want to be with you! Everyone has gone! Either Matthew killed them or his men killed them, they are all gone! You're the only one left! Please….don't leave me alone…."
Sieger feels like being stab in the heart, she was right. After what befell upon their family, all they have left is each other. And what she said, he couldn't argue a single word. "THAT IS WHY" The demon sadly concludes, "I CANNOT AFFORD LOSING YOU"
Tears start streaming down Isabel's cheek, she couldn't contain her sadness any longer, "Wouldn't you...wouldn't you let me stay with you? I...I don't know where else to go! All my life, I only got you by my side! Please, at least...let me be with you..."
Naght Sieger is in lost words. Hurting the lady before him is the last thing he would have ever done in this world. He doesn't want to part with her either, but her safety comes first. "PLEASE, DON'T...CRY..." Naght Sieger slowly loosens the grip on her shoulder and gently strokes her hair, "WHY…DO YOU CRY FOR…A SINFUL BEAST LIKE ME? I'M...UNWORTHY OF YOUR TEARS...OF YOUR FEELINGS…."
"No, you are..." Isabel tries to come up with words, but she couldn't, "It's because I..."
Before she can confess her true feelings, Naght Sieger gently hugs her, buries her deep in his chest. He could feel her slowly trembling in sadness, but he could do nothing about it. In a second, Isabel returns the hug. She cries on his embrace, letting him feel her unending and unreturned love by her tears. Every tear she shed that night, tells the story of her feelings better than anything ever could.
My heart was his, my heart is still his, and my heart will always be his. There is one thing that will never change in my life, ever since the night my dark eyes lay upon his gentle eyes. I love him, more than anyone or anything in this world. I don't care if he never knows of my feelings, being with him is more than enough.
But as time flew, my feeling was inscribed deeper in my heart. I want him to look at me with his gentle eyes. I want him to smile at me with his warm smile. I want him to touch me with his love. I want to be something to hold for him. I want to be his. I love him.
Lord Sieger, please lean on me whenever you feel tired. Please ask me for my help whenever you feel the need to. Please let me feel your warmth for I will let you feel mine. Please let me comfort you, because you are the only one who made me feel worthy. You are the very first man to ever treat me with honor.
If I ever told him those, would something be different? If I ever let him know of my feelings, how would he react? Will he accept me? Will he reject me?
Why does he keep underestimating himself? Why does he keep underrating himself?
Is there any chance for my love to reach him?
Is there any chance for his heart to feel my heart?
Is there any chance for me to meet him again, and tell him how I feel about him all these years?
For so many years, the Ruler of Endless Tower has been longing for the forgiveness to atone the sin he committed in his previous life. And his guilt has blinded him. It blinded him from the forgiveness he seeks, the hope he wants, and my love for him. Hopefully, it won't blind him for one last salvation.
That night, with my departure, Naght Sieger is the only one left in the Endless Tower...but not for long. The moment he reopens the seal of Endless Tower, that day, havoc would be unleashed.
That night, the sky isn't the only thing shedding tears. My heart also does so...my heart cries for its lord...for him, who rules the night.
There, I hope the last part wasn't too cheesy. Please let me know what you think about Randgris vs Sieger and this chapter overall. C u next chappy! (^^)