The End of the End: Ceasing DaysNight 5Libyssa, 182 BCHannibal laid motionless on the floor. His eyes were shut, and he could feel that his heart had stopped beating long ago. However, he still had a consciousness. This confused him. The poison worked, he had died, and yet his will yet lingered. He decided to get up, but when he looked back down his body was still there. The yells of Roman men had abruptly stopped. A voice called his name from behind him.
"Hannibal Barca." He turned around. The person in front of him was dressed in a formal tunic, with a long cape dra
.ped over it. He wore a plain white mask covering his face. "You truly have inspired me."
"And who would you be?" The situation was unusual, but Hannibal remained calm and collected.
"Nothing more than an admirer. Though, some day, I feel as if I'll be much more."
"Any reason you've come to speak with me? After my death, no less?"
"I just find it sad, that your legendary tale of challenging the mighty Roman Empire ended in such an anti-climax."
"Life is a challenge, but it's never fair. There is only one opportunity to make the most of it. It would do you well to remember this advice."
The man giggled under his breath. "That's what excites me, though... You will have to be patient, Hannibal Barca, but in due time you will see my vision... of second chances. You, my friend, will be the first of many."
"I don't follow."
"You will, trust me. You may return to the light of Sanctum now, and that's where you will learn all that you will need to know."
"This is your idea of the Afterlife, I assume."
"Oh, no... What I promise is much more than that. You are defined by your accomplishments, by those that you have defeated. I present to you the longest odds you have ever faced, in life or death – a victory that will resound through the ages! Join me!" The figure held out his hand. Hannibal took it. The yelling of the invading roman soldiers became audible again as the entire world faded into particles, then into mist and finally the world was completely blank.
Thursday. 9:30 PM. The night was unlike any Alexis had ever experienced. The stars were out, ever beautiful, and the boy she loved was at her side... and yet, the tension and fear could not be more prominent. Every remaining master, in the same odd kind of way, knew that this next coming battle would end it all.
Her servant's words echoed:
Seven mages enter. One mage leaves. Her feelings of excitement, relief and fear accumulated into an overall acceptance, that she might very well perish that night. With Saber by her side, she was content with this.
Even so... She thought to herself.
...I've come this far already. I'm not losing now. Now fully rested she fully opened her eyes and faced the campfire. "Can you sense anyone yet, Saber?"
"Not as of yet." He spoke softly. "But we could be dragged into combat anytime. Keep your wits about you."
"Who do you take me for, some novice?" She smiled.
He smiled back. "Not remotely."
9:43 PM.
Krauss returned to their planning table after a forty-minute errand. Hannibal was still looking over their diagrams and maps of the city, just as usual. Yet now, he felt as if there was something missing that they once had at the beginning of the war. The feeling seemed vague at first, but he pieced it together as he cleared his mind. Just last night and all previous, they had been two tacticians working together, side-by-side. Two great, yet vastly different minds that both had ideas of their own, and in their teamwork they developed strategies that yielded victory after victory. Yet now, when he had used a command seal to bring their ideas ever closer and to remove their weakness of remorse, he felt as if they had lost that spark that gave them the edge.
Now they were a pair like any other in the Sanctum Wars- A master and a servant. It wasn't an issue of tactical disadvantage, where their chances of success would suffer, but rather an issue of humanity. No matter how much Krauss convinced himself that Hannibal was nothing more than a peon to serve his needs, there would always be a fragment of lingering doubt in the back of his mind. Death or destruction did not scare him, yet... this did, somehow.
When his thoughts re-focused on the task at hand, he remembered the paper folder he held that he had spent the previous hour compiling. It was a few assorted documents retrieved from the Mage's Association, obtained through covert means. He opened it up and placed its contents on the table next to the maps. He picked them up, one at a time, then read out loud for his servant to hear.
"...Serena Morky, aged twenty four. Intermediate elemental and alchemical mage, noted for her proficiency with spells regarding water and silver respectively."
Hannibal recognized her picture. "She was the master of Lancer we fought on the second night."
"Correct." Krauss noted. He placed the paper to the side, out of the way. "...No longer active." He took out the next paper in the stack.
"Madame Maxine Harkess Cline, headmaster of Teyan Academy, aged thirty seven. Expert mage, but not a member of the association. Her rise to lead the academy was quick and unexpected. A known master, but not one we've faced." Hannibal listened in quietly and attentively. He put the paper to the side above the last one, creating a new pile.
"Keiji Oshiro. Thirty three." He spoke again. On the document, there was a blank space where his face would have been displayed. "The enigmatic new head of the Oshiro family. A philosopher and a scientist, he's only known by his strange experiments in artificial mana generation. Direct contact with him is near impossible, as the vast majority of his communications are second-hand, through his butler." He stopped for a moment and stared at the paper. "I've been summarizing the documents thus far, but this is all that's written. I can't gauge what this man is capable of, until I see him myself..."
"Samuel Mahagany." A few pages of information remained. "...Dead. He was to be a master in the war on behalf of the Mahagany family." He thought back to last night. "...We defeated someone who took his place."
"David Arnold Schindler. Aged thirty five. A military veteran and extremely powerful mage since young age. Known as a tutor to train children to be capable magi, and possibly future members of the association. Recent sightings confirmed him as a participant, master of Berserker... You can sense his presence as we speak, can you not?"
Hannibal closed his eyes. "As you know, Krauss, there was a battle between Berserker and the Conzette family's representative, which destroyed the latter's mansion."
"Can you decipher how it ended?"
"Yes... I can no longer feel the radiating pulse of mana signature of the Berserker class. He is dead, his master as well."
"The Conzette master defeated him."
Rider nodded. "If I may..." He implied that he wanted to speak.
"Yes?"
"...There are five servants remaining. Lancer and Berserker are gone, the rest are still here. I can feel it."
"Even Caster?" Krauss noted. "His master is dead."
"He won't last long, but what I'm concerned about is Archer."
"How does he stand out? We haven't come across him."
"His mana signature is changed somewhat. He is on life support, Independent Action."
"So his master is also dead." He sat in his chair, thinking of the information presented. In his mind, he formulated one final plan.
In a street corner far away, a rogue servant stepped through crowds of the homeless and depressed. His head was low, but in his pockets his fists were firmly clenched. The image of Saber was burned into his mind.
A red cloaked man stood as far as possible away from his master, who was designing the final iteration of his weapon- a tool of revenge. Even though Assassin knew he could de-materialize, he felt as if this was an event he had to see with his own eyes. As feared and anticipated, a surge of dark, violent mana spurred from the golden staff as he vanished away to safety, still observing as his master was consumed by its deep red glow.
The fresh scar from the lightning bolt on Keiji's face was invaded with an onslaught of uncontrolled power as he screamed out in pain and madness. His brain suffered damage and the exposed skin on his body was severely burned with radiation. Thus, was the natural consequence of attempting to make a pact with dark mana. Once it had stopped and the smoke had cleared, Assassin cautiously re-appeared to take a closer look. The mess of a man who took his master's place horrified him to no end, yet also brought forth great fascination.
"...So this is how it ends, Keiji." The man in front of him growled and picked up the staff. An oppressive aura poured out.
Saber stood up. "I can sense someone. A servant, a powerful one."
"Can you identify it?"
"Not yet... I'll have to get closer. He seems to be alone, so one-on-one I can take him. I'll just run over and scout him out, maybe to size him up. I should avoid combat right now." He turned north. "I'll be right back. Stay here, Alexis." She nodded, and then he took off.
For a few minutes, she tightly gripped her coat as the night grew colder. From behind her, she heard some slow rustling, which began to approach the campsite. She stood up and retrieved The Anthology, then flipped to spark and aimed in its direction. From the darkness, a man emerged. He was thin, of average height, and his age seemed to approach his later years. He didn't appear as a threat like any of the other masters did. The man held his hands above his head, one of them gripping a papyrus scroll.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"Don't be alarmed, I'm a civilized person. I'm alone, not accompanied as of now, and I'd just like to talk for a few minutes."
She distrusted him.
This is the fifth night... Anything could happen. "Why should I trust that you won't attempt to kill me while my back is turned?"
"Because of this." The man calmly and slowly opened the scroll to reveal its contents to her. "This is a Mage's Contract. Upon signing, it becomes physically impossible to disobey its terms. I'll summarize it for you, but you can double check if you don't believe me." Alexis closely studied the paper as the man recited out loud: "The two masters of the Sanctum War who sign this contract will, until after the elapsed time of Three O' Clock AM, do no harm to each other. This includes physical contact, magecraft of any kind, and especially the actions of the masters' corresponding servants- they too may not attack one another or their corresponding masters until this time has passed. This is, essentially, a ceasefire to perhaps give way to a peaceful and civilized conversation among this bloodbath of a war. After 3 AM, we will once again be enemies, but until then I'd just like to talk. There's nothing hidden within the contract, as you can see, and no loopholes of any kind."
Alexis took the paper and examined it. At the bottom, the first signature was already filled in, "Zain Krauss". Alexis looked up at the man as she slowly signed her name, "Alexis Diana Conzette". The scroll burst into flames and imploded.
Zain slowly lowered his arms and sat down on a log, facing the fire. "...So you set up this site?"
"Yes, I did." She sat opposite of him. Alexis noticed his command seals- one was used up, same as hers.
"As you can tell, I'm a master in the Sanctum War, same as you." His voice seemed distant. "So far, it's been nothing but fight after fight, one victory after the next. All along the way, I've seen nothing but death." Zain looked at her, memorizing her young face and the fact that she, too, would soon be nothing more than another victory for him, and another limp body left on the ground. He did his best to erase any lingering feelings of remorse- it was remorse that he took from Hannibal with his command seal, and therefore he could not let himself be affected by it either.
"For me..." Alexis responded. "It's been a fight for survival. Every night comes another mage and servant that want to take my life."
"Remember this. We're not all monsters."
"We're all enemies, though, even you and I."
"I haven't forgotten that."
The mana reading lead Saber to the exit of the forest where the landscape blended back into cityscape. Its source was an aged yet muscular man sitting on a bench, wearing old jeans and a leather jacket. The disguise let him blend in as a human, but to a servant he was making it obvious with his constant releasing of null mana. Saber slowly approached him.
“You haven’t done a very good job blending in, I was able to track you down from across the forest.” He prepared to shed his own modern disguise to draw Durendal, but an ominous force stopped him… A command seal.
“How rude of you...” The man softly chuckled and slowly stood up straight with his hands in his pockets. “We haven’t even been introduced yet and you’re discussing combat.”
Saber scowled and stepped back a step. “You’ve emitted an unusual amount of mana, even for a servant, for just sitting on a bench. Why did you bring me here?” His heart nearly stopped when he realized his mistake.
…Oh no, Alexis! She’s alone! He turned around without a word and got ready to head back.
“Oh, don’t worry about your master.” The man interrupted the action. “She’ll be fine. She and my master, and by extension you and I, are entangled in a mage’s contract. It’s a ceasefire, she’ll be perfectly safe.”
He looked at him, distrusting, but the bond he felt pressing on him was clearly noticeable.
I guess I have to believe him. From his tone, it seems he just wants to speak… Unorthodox, but not unheard of. “So.” He turned back around. “What is it you want to discuss?”
“Not much…” The man looked over the balcony behind the bench, to the lake that a nearby bridge passed over. “I don’t get much of a chance to speak with other Servants, you see…”
“You mean to say that you’re lonely.”
“Yes, you are right.” There was a pattern to this man’s speech that seemed unnatural for a heroic spirit to have. He was calm, relaxed, yet powerful and intimidating. He came across as an old general or a hardened veteran with plenty of stories to tell. “You see, kid… I lived a very long time ago. Throughout this current war I haven’t had much chance to slow down and look at how much everything’s changed.”
“Don’t try to bluff me. Upon materialization servants are provided with the necessary information to function in the modern day. You should know all that you need to.”
“You’re missing the point…” He gazed longingly out into the lake. “There’s a distinct difference between
knowing it, and seeing it for yourself.”
Saber didn’t have a response to this, but he stood there analyzing every word looking for a code to decipher- a code that actually didn’t exist. Even still, caution was paramount in his situation. “Do you have a point?”
He sighed. “Do I have to?” After a few moments of silence, he came up with something else to say to fill in the time. “What’s your view on this?”
“I believe a servant has one role to fulfill, and that is to serve his master. That takes precedence over all else.”
“That response… It says a lot to me, actually. You must have been a knight, correct?”
“What of it? There were many knights in the past.”
“Yet every Sanctum war only has one
Saber. Greetings.” Even in his bound state, Hannibal took pride in his ability to sift out at least a few bits of information. He continued to bide his time conversing with the young knight.
“So you reject my offer?” Zain stared at the dying campfire.
Alexis crossed her arms. “Of course. Perhaps your cause is indeed noble, but I have no reason to believe you’re telling the truth. I won’t just sit quietly and let you take the key; I didn’t make it all the way here to give in on the final night.”
“…Most likely a wise decision.” He stood back up and pressed his arm against his back to regain his posture. “I’d expect no less from a master who’s survived this long, young as you may be.”
“In all honesty,” She rose to meet him eye to eye again. “I’ve had some help along the way. I’ve grown close to my servant, and we’ve seemed to have made it through by some odd combination of skill and luck!” She chuckled a little. Though she knew Zain was an enemy, they both realized that under different circumstances they might have been friends.
Zain’s eyes darkened. “I’m sorry, Alexis Conzette.”
“What is it?” She felt an electric heat rise up.
“Tonight your luck has run out.”
All she could feel for a moment was an excruciating puncture through her shoulder, before she immediately blacked out.
Archer lowered his bow after confirming that his target was struck down. He slowly emerged from behind a faraway tree to meet Zain.
The old master looked down at Alexis’ body. Her shoulder was shot straight through with a flaming arrow, which was now stuck on a nearby tree trunk and fizzling out. “…You missed her heart, Archer.”
The callous man managed to smile at the body despite the pain bottled in. “I wasn’t aiming for the heart.” He picked up the body and slung it over his shoulder. “Your servant did a good job concealing my mana signature. It seems almost as if it’s Berserker sitting on that bench and not Rider.”
“Well, bear in mind your cover won’t last much longer.”
Archer turned away towards the city in the distance. “Don’t you forget that
our contract won’t last much longer, Krauss. Enjoy your victory while it lasts, because I’m coming after you next.” He vanished into the forest.
Zain no longer felt remorse at this point. All that was left was the objective- the Key. Now it seemed as if it already was his.
Hannibal felt a current in the air, and received a mental message.
It’s done. Finish up talking, it’s time to move on.“Well…” He coughed. “It’s been a nice conversation, Saber, but I must be going now. Our contract should end later this night.”
“I suggest you prepare yourself, then.” Saber looked at him with uneasiness. “I won’t hesitate the next time I see you.”
“Neither will I.” He de-materialized, leaving Saber alone.
Krauss headed back to his house, in the direction opposite to where Archer ran off. He was alone in the forest, and the air around him seemed to grow colder. He noticed the trees and plant life begin to wither and fade to gray. The air became harder to breathe when he heard footsteps from behind him, followed by a low, quiet hum.
A man emerged, clad in scarlet clothing and wielding a silver flute. He was playing a soothing, yet also seemingly threatening song with it. He raised his lips from the instrument to speak. “How incredibly cunning of you… You used a mage’s contract to lull her into a false sense of security, then let someone else with a grudge against her have his way. I could almost see the blood spewing out as you stabbed her in the back.”
Krauss stared at him coldly, and then reaffirmed his stance. “There’s no use of honor on the battlefield. You either turn the tides in your favor, or you drown in them as they’re tossed upon you.”
“You are… You’re a disgrace.” The red-cloaked man angrily grasped the flute. “How long have you used deception to get your way?”
“When necessary. Why do my morals concern you?” He kept the conversation going while he thought of a plan.
Whatever he has planned, I should be able to deflect. He readied a spell silently.
“People who go back on their word…” The man approached Krauss, “…Are the scum of the earth.” [This is relevant cause of pied piper’s backstory fyi @_@]
From behind, a pack of frenzied rats charged at him and aimed for the neck. They were deflected as Hannibal emerged, striking back with his rhomphaia. They stood back to back.
I can move out of his range by just elevating myself above the forest. Then again, even with the elephant Hannibal wouldn’t do well alone against those hordes of rats.Out of nowhere, Hannibal sensed a foul emission of mana erupt from a spot not far away- one even stronger than that of the servant. “Krauss, someone else is incoming. Watch for the rodents as well.” He tore through a few pouncing rats and moved closer to the red-clad servant, Assassin.
Krauss focused some mana into one of his bracelets.
Aegis aureum, arma aeternus… A flat, sharpened circle appeared in front of him, which he levitated and orbited around his body at high speed, tearing through the surrounding rodents like butter. From the side lunged in a humanoid figure. Krauss sent the forcefield in front of him as a shield. The figure jumped on top of it and began angrily clawing at it until it shattered. He jumped away, grasping his hand as one of the bracelets rusted over. The figure in front of him was slouched over with a wide stance, snarling like a wild animal. Upon closer inspection he was certainly human, with Asian features and a torn lab coat. Around him any mage could pick up on his repulsive aura, brimming with uncontrollable mana leaking out at an alarming rate.
This doesn’t make any sense… Krauss thought.
The way he’s consuming mana he can’t possibly stay standing for more than a few seconds, no one can recharge that quickly. Is he getting it from another source?“Fascinating, isn’t it?” Assassin spoke up. “This is my master, Keiji Oshiro. He’s completely lost his mind.” Keiji snarled and gripped the grass below him, eyes fixated on Krauss. The scar on his eye glowed with anticipation; he seemed as if he no longer was human at all. "It truly makes you re-evaluate our dynamic. Now that I'm the mastermind and he's the beast, can you really say which of us is master, and which is servant?" The servant chuckled a bit, then twirled the pipe through his fingers. "Of course, I suppose this is the fate of greedy mages who seek limitless power. Perhaps at the end of the war, it will be
your fate as well!"
Keiji let out a scream as he charged once again in Krauss's direction. Before he could react, his arms were pinned against the wall as crazed mage tried to bite at his neck.
Damn, I have to think fast... the ears. He clenched both fists, which were still being pushed against the tree bark.
Myrias. He remotely shot multiple rounds of invisible force fields into Keiji's ears, causing massive influxes in air pressure before scattering. He scampered back, screaming in pain as he clenched his ears. Hannibal ran in from behind and pierced through his stomach with the rhomphaia, then backed away to target Assassin.
As he ran the elephant materialized, running alongside him, tramping nearby trees. Assassin leaped into the air and landed on its back. As it tried to shake him off, he played his flute, and more rats appeared, covering its body and biting all over. While it was distracted he jumped off and played more, giving off odd emissions that further flustered the animal. Once it had shaken off the rats, it began to rampage uncontrollably. More trees were knocked down, and Hannibal could no longer command it. He instead ducked under it during its fit of rage as Krauss protected him with a few
Erigo forcefields, which were used afterward to pin down the enemy servant. With one decisive strike, Hannibal finished him off. As a result, the elephant calmed down and the surrounding rats all died.
The forest became suddenly quieter. Krauss slowly walked over to Keiji's dying body, which was still squirming and frothing at the mouth. "Hannibal... Do you feel this is truly the fate of those who thirst for limitless power?"
His servant did not give a response, for by his master's first command seal, he may not tell any truth that would impair his victory.
After not receiving a response and realizing the truth behind it, Krauss let out a frustrated sigh. He
**** his knuckles and faced Keiji. He sought to put the mana leakage he sensed to good use, and began to cast a different kind of forcefield spell to capitalize on it.
Alexis, I've just finished talking to a servant... Alexis?No response.
She was speaking with someone else before, and I didn't want to interrupt her... Where is she now?He could feel the rate of his mana restoration decelerate slowly. Finally, he could make out a small transmission from her. "
H... Help..." His heart nearly stopped. Suddenly a bright yellow light was shot into the air, signature of the Archer, from another part of town. Without a word, he ran off.
Her vision returned slowly, all shapes reduced to blurs which took time to refocus. When they did Alexis found herself resting against something cold and metal, a car. She was in a dark garage; most of it was cleared out due to it being closed off from shoppers. Her sense of touch returned, much to her dismay, as she felt pain and aching around her body, primarily from her neck, forehead and left arm. She did her best to get off the ground, and then got a better look at herself through the car's side view mirrors. Her face was bruised from what appeared to be a few beatings from when she was unconscious. In the reflection she saw a man appear behind her, who forcefully kicked her in the back and pushed her into the concrete floor. She groaned in pain as he pressed his foot against the back of her neck, keeping her on the ground.
Archer knew exactly what he was doing. The visions of his master flared up again, Maxine's delicate yet powerful face still looking at him through his memories. Those moments were brief, but they gave him an old, familiar feeling of having a friend by his side after centuries of waiting in darkness. This woman was no longer alive, however, and just as quickly as the warmth this woman brought disappeared, a cold, sinister wind took her place, and so revenge was all that was left for him to seek. Rage and justified cruelty was now the only thing left to keep him warm and alive. And so, with each beating and bruising he delivered to the helpless mage he felt a little more alive.
The cold suddenly returned, now in the literal sense, as the previously trivial draft that flowed in the garage suddenly began to twirl and rotate in unusual ways. This wind was signature of Saber, a knight defined by the roaring wind, but now it was twisted with distress. Once the current became audible, another noise accompanied it- a rusted, hideous screeching noise of a blade being dragged across the floor, held loosely in the right arm of a re-materializing warrior clad in black armor, Saber. He said not a word, but his unrelenting gaze into Archer's eyes spoke of far greater hate than any man or servant could put into words.
"...Hello again, Saber-Class." Archer still had his foot pressed against Alexis' neck. She gave no resistance, only repeated cries for help which were received by her servant as mental messages. They tortured him to hear. "I believe this scene speaks for itself." The knight Archer spoke to began to shiver. He was certain this onslaught of torture would get a reaction out of him, and his prediction was quite correct. Anyone from his position could see his hands quiver as they began to more firmly grasp the rusted sword. "A few nights ago, you took something away from me." Archer spoke again. "You took from me the very last thing I had. Now..." He kicked Alexis in the head once more. "...I'm taking it from you."
Saber could hold back no longer. The scream he let out echoed throughout the entire area, as well as its surrounding floors, as he raised his blade and unleashed a blinding shock wave that tore through the air, followed by a burst of wind. Archer preemptively ducked under. Behind him, the car Alexis rested beside was cleanly cut in half, lengthwise. As its top half screeched along the ground the bowman leaped behind it for cover and drew his weapon. He shot two arrows; one glanced off of Saber's armor and the other struck through, grazing his torso. The knight dodged the next few and ran at him, swinging his blade in an erratic, unpredictable way.
Sometimes he would harmlessly strike at the ground to bring up rubble, feign the next few swipes and quickly strike at the torso or leg. Some of these struck, many missed, but all of this was done with extreme speed and fury, leaving no opportunity to counter. Archer began to use skills derived from martial arts to utilize the bow in deflecting strikes and, at the end, swiping at his enemy's feet to bring him back to the ground. He shot an arrow while he was down, hitting his non-dominant arm. Saber got up, and the fighting continued.
Now fighting one-handed, he felt the adrenaline fading and his focus returned to staying alive and fighting wisely. He remembered a useful incantation.
“Be sure that thou eat not the blood; for the blood is the soul, and thou shalt not eat the soul with the flesh” ...Saint Basil, let your blood guide me. As he ran, his armor released a thick red liquid from its broken parts and began to re-assemble itself. It was now thicker, as per its blessing. Archer turned around and let loose a volley of arrows. He ducked under the first two, sidestepped the third, dodged four, five and six, and landed a full strike before his enemy could shoot more. The man slid across the floor, painting it with a wide trail of blood, then clambered to his feet and began shooting again. Saber walked towards him, intent on finishing the job. Most of the shots glanced off, the rest didn't penetrate far into the now reinforced armor. Saber raised his blade.
Behind him, all the shots that dotted the walls and floor vanished, and reappeared in Archer's quiver. Interrupting his attack, he loaded all ten into his bow and struck him; the strike was at point-blank range, tearing straight through the armor, sending him sliding back and forcing him to drop his sword. Archer slowly stood up. Resting in Saber's flesh, the arrows vanished again and returned to the quiver. He held a frustrated and infuriated look as he slowly took out one last bolt and loaded it into his bow, then drew it back slowly.
The knight was in great pain, his chest opened through the force of the attack he had to sustain. He felt himself immobilized, unable to reach the sword, unable to protect himself or his master. He had failed. All he could do now was close his eyes and pray to his god that he would have mercy on his master.
Behind the vehicle Alexis cried. Through the physical pain, and through seeing her loved one brutally defeated, crying was all she could do. The Anthology had disappeared since she had last fallen unconscious, it was nowhere to be found from her position.
There isn't any possible way we can win... I'm going to die here. However, at this point one last lingering gem of hope showed itself, a symbol on the back of her hand. She had one remaining command seal.
...No. I can't let myself give up. She held her left palm with her right hand and squeezed tightly to stop herself from passing out and to stay focused.
SABER. BY MY COMMAND SEAL, I ORDER YOU: DON'T LET HIM DEFEAT YOU.His eyes flared open.
So she's taken away my ability to accept my death... That's my girl. Time began to run out. The sword was far out of his reach, and he knew he couldn't move his body in time.
One option left. Hold on tight, Alexis. He looked at his hand and began to clench it in a throbbing fist, then slammed it against the floor as hard as he possibly could. The floor they stood upon gave way, causing them to fall through onto the floor below.
Before Archer could re-draw his bow, Saber seized Durendal amid the cloud of smoke and split his skull wide open, killing him instantly. As the bow and quiver fell to the ground and vanished in a glow of light, Archer's limp corpse landed with a thud and lit ablaze, then shortly fizzled out, his remaining ashes caught within the wind current and whisked away.
Saber silently sat back and looked over at Alexis. "I'll... I'll be okay!" She reassured him, but her bruises looked serious. As he worried for her safety his vision warped and became fragmented, then mixed in with old memories...
Roncevaux PassThe darkening orange sky beat against his weary eyes as the blood on his hands and face began to dry up. The Saracens were still many, but they were now scattered. Roland fell down on his knees and dropped his sword. As he sat there more and more of his friends were sent to their graves. The screams of the soldiers on both sides became drowned out and intermixed with the deafening ringing inside his own mind. His mortal wounds continued to bleed and fester; the oliphant horn lay at his side, already having been blown, yet they all knew that their help would come far too late. For the first time in his life, Roland had lost that spark in his eye that was signature of his reckless bravery and unwavering determination. In its place was an empty shell of a man- of a boy- and because of his brash decision he would never truly reach his potential, nor see the faces of his comrades any longer. He made one last incantation, perhaps mankind's most sacred quote of all:
"I'm sorry." He fell to the ground and died.
In a few minutes a tall man, cloaked in a jet-black robe, stepped over his new grave. He took a look at the sacred blade Durendal, then to its owner. "...So your name was Roland. Your story is a tragic one, but not unlike many others. I know you can hear me... I'm willing to make you an offer."
An old man had been nearby when the battle at the garage had taken place. When he was positive the fighting was over, he approached. On his way he carefully stepped over the rubble and walked as if he didn't want to upset the environment around him. When he approached Saber, the servant opened his eyes and became re-focused on the current situation.
"Can I help you, mister?" Saber sat up in a more comfortable position against the wall.
"...It sure has been a long time. It's so odd, seeing you here of all places after all this time."
"Should I recognize you?"
"No, your memories should have been reset. You see, long ago during the Italian Renaissance, I was a master in one of the Sanctum Wars. It's been a while, but I still can recognize your face- you were once my servant, the Saber. Now it seems you've returned again as someone else's servant..." The weary man stared at his hands. "I, too, am a servant now. It's quite strange in that way."
Roland was startled by this blatant, and began readjusting himself before the man sat down beside him in a friendly manner. "Don't worry, I'm not hostile." He looked distant for a moment. "My master's gone, now, and I'll soon follow her, wherever she's going."
"That's... sad to hear." He twiddled his thumbs and leaned forward, getting lost in the story. The man's voice was soft and soothing, like a father. "I suppose I shouldn't be talking, I've killed a few people myself."
"She... lived a life of rage and frustration. In this sanctum war she wished for nothing more than the destruction of every other mage that opposed her. In that sense I was the worst possible heroic spirit for her to summon. Personally, I fail to see the point in all this mindless killing. I've done my best to find an alternative to the Sanctum War, that's why I wanted the key way back then. Of course, I failed, but I was given another chance as a servant. However, I've had no luck." He let out a disappointed sigh. "Violence breeds violence. I know your story, Roland, you understand that moral better than anyone else. The 'Ideal City' was my noble phantasm, and I dare say there isn't a goal any more noble than that. Most of us aren't knights or idealists, though, so the world will continue to spin on its regular axis of violence and revenge."
"It's sin nature. People don't change."
"Seems you've been no exception. Must have been a thousand years now, and you haven't aged a day." He chuckled.
"I'm no different than them, I'm just as violent as the rest."
"Maybe, maybe..." He put his hand on Saber's shoulder, then looked him eye-to-eye. "At least I know you've got something good to fight for." After saying this Caster's mana finally ran out, and his body faded into a cloud of silver.
Saber looked at the moon. "See you real soon, Leonardo." He stood up and helped up Alexis. "Only one master left, we're almost done."
She was drained, but still she smiled at him. "Yeah. Can we stop by the mansion for a moment? We should rest up before closing the curtain tonight."
"That sounds good."
There wasn't much left of Conzette Mansion's front courtyard as a result of the previous night's battle, which arose suspicion from the police. Earlier that day it was the target of a brief investigation, but that yielded little evidence or any clues ad to what caused the damage. By nightfall the area was once again cleared out, making it easier for Alexis and Saber to return to it.
Forty Five.
Thirty.
Fifteen.
Zero.She counted in her head as she stepped down the familiar stairwell. This time it wasn't in synch with the actual passing of forty five seconds nor the surrounding clocks, which at this point all read exactly 1:54 AM, but she sustained an even pacing nonetheless. She stumbled through the library doors and properly laid down on a couch near the far end.
"Saber, I need-"
"The Book of Salvation, correct?" He reached into her desk. "I remember it."
"Yeah, thanks." He handed it to her and she began slowly casting the spell on herself, drawing some extra mana from the magic residue on the walls once again. The pain settled in again, but the relief of finally being home overwhelmed her as her bruises slowly cleaned. After she held proper control of the spell she donated a large sum of its output to Saber's injuries, healing them both.
"This scene looks awfully familiar." Saber smiled and sat next to her. "If you'd like to take another nap, by all means, do so."
She giggled a little and looked around. It seemed like a long time ago that she left the mansion, due to its unsafe nature. She was reassured by the notion that only one master and servant remained, so she could take it a little easier and focus on one single final fight. She laid there for the next few hours- she didn't fall asleep, but her thoughts drifted to things such as the key and what she would do when this was all over. These thoughts comforted her. When the healing process was finished she felt more rested, despite her lack of actual sleep.
During these few hours Saber spent his time, once more, reading some of the books in the library. They weren't history stories, though, more lighthearted works- romantic fiction, adventure, and others of that sort.
Hannibal was de-materialized at this point, and Kain was nowhere near his apartment- He was visiting an old lighthouse on the far outskirts of the city, which would occasionally signal to incoming boaters peculiar enough not to stick to the coastline. Inside he sat, looking through a dictionary-sized magic tome he found dropped near the young master's campsite. It was a collection of basic and intermediate spells for rookie mages to learn, but arranged in an odd order as if to be used on the fly. During his readings he turned to the back cover to check for a signature, but he instead found a written note. "I believe in you" it said.
There was something different about this girl and her servant. A small part of him knew that he and Rider both shared a similar quality.
"...Krauss." Hannibal spoke up through a mental message.
"Yes, General?" He spoke out loud. No one else was on the bottom floor.
"Archer is dead... Saber is still alive."Krauss turned around and inched out a slight smile. "I had a feeling." He stood up from his chair and walked outside once again, embracing the chilly wind that greeted him.
So why HAVE we re-positioned to a lighthouse, anyway? Do you have history here?"I must have a clear mind at this point; the finale is the most crucial part, after all. The sea calms me, that's all." In the vast ocean that he stood in front of, he could feel the endless power of the prize that reached back to him.
Friday, 4:59 AM
Alexis walked through the library doors back to the staircase, but briefly turned back. She knew for a fact that this could be the very last time she saw this library. After a brief moment of memories drifting through, she accepted her fate and shut the door behind her.
Zero.
Fifteen.
Thirty.
Forty Five.On the other side of the house she approached her family's garage. The motorcycle was still where she had left it. Saber approached and tested it for being tampered with. "So... Do you know where our final target is?"
"The Anthology was taken shortly after I was knocked unconscious, the enemy master has it right now. The bad news is, I'll be stuck with this for now." She took out a small red book, labeled
The Abridged Book of Flame. "The good news is, though, we can track it." She sat on the motorcycle behind him, and they rode off. "Follow my lead!"
The skies darkened and the winds picked up, and there suddenly grew an immense tension in the air. Krauss and Hannibal stood side by side in front of the lighthouse, anxiously waiting for their enemy's arrival. In the distance a light sped across a nearby highway.
Alexis held on tight and looked to her left. The entire bay was in clear view, and the moon seemed gigantic above the waters. It was a sight that could calm like no other.
"This is it, Alexis." Krauss spoke out when she was in earshot. She didn't say a word. "I must apologize for my treachery earlier this evening, but in real life a sense of honor is what gets us killed. I'm sure you'd understand." Rider pulled out his blade. In response, Saber pulled out his. "Victory belongs to those who never hesitate. I believe now... that it's finally time to find out which one of us is Sanctum's chosen."
It's all or nothing now. One way or the other, my old life ends here.
Aegis aureum, arma aeternus.
Two razor-sharp forcefields levitated by his palms, which he threw at her at high speeds. Alexis managed to dodge as they flew past her. Hannibal spun around the rhomphaia and pierced it into the ground. A line of sharp, mountain-like spikes erupted in between Saber and Alexis. The two Aegis forcefields turned around and flew at her again. After stepping out of the way she found herself standing against a cliff. While she attempted to regain balance, Krauss ran up and punched her in the stomach, sending her over.
The cliff, luckily, had a slope for her to land against, but its bottom was a ledge that lead straight down into the ocean after a long fall.
Saber and Rider immediately went at it, blades clashing in a furious exchange of blows. Tall stone spikes would erupt around wherever the rhomphaia would touch the ground, creating an uneven and chaotic battleground. The battle intensified as the two began to use their peaks as stepping stones to seize the height advantage. During one of these matches Saber slashed at Hannibal's pillar, causing him to fall to the ground. As he changed Durendal with power, a massive animal tackled him, destroying all rocks in its path and pinning him against the nearest wall. He and the elephant pushed against each other, two forces of massive physical strength angrily competing. Once grasping the fact that the animal possessed more raw power, he ducked under and rolled out of the way as it obliterated the wall behind him. Hannibal leaped onto a rock, then boosted himself to the top of the massive steed.
...So he's a rider.He charged in at the servant and locked his sword into the elephant's tusks, letting loose multiple attacks in an attempt to shatter them. The elephant ducked under and struck him hard enough to send him flying into the lighthouse's base, leaving a massive hole where the brick supports would be.
Saber found himself in a small room for recreational use. He noticed a familiar white book and immediately grabbed it, then ran out, avoiding Hannibal's line of sight.
As Alexis managed to get a firm grip on the slanted dirt ground, she saw Krauss lower to her altitude, standing straight on a circular floating forcefield. His eyes seemed to have a younger gleam to them, like the future was that of youth once more. A wall of dim light materialized behind her. It grew a pattern of sharp spikes and slowly closed in on her. The only thing on the other side was the cliff, which held a certain fall to her death. Alexis closed her eyes and stepped off the platform.
"ALEXIS!" While feeling the deathly wind rush past her, she heard Saber's voice. He threw the book down after her. As soon as she touched it, it flipped to
Warp and she vanished out of the sky.
Sustaining her airspeed, she re-appeared on the ground, but was sent flying upward. She turned around midair and sent out numerous volleys of Spark and Ignis at Krauss, then held her book and put her faith in her servant. Saber ran from under and caught her, and they both landed in the dirt relatively safely.
Krauss deflected every attack that was sent his way, then reset all four bracelets to resting position. Hannibal, atop the elephant, signaled for him to join him. Krauss climbed on top next to him and kept a careful eye on the target.
Alexis and Saber stood up side by side. She flipped to the Book of Thunder. He applied Saint Dennis' blessing. The four challengers engaged each each other once again. Krauss and Hannibal created fortifications and traps of forcefields and stone spikes. Saber cut them down, and Alexis counterattacked with Smite and Shockwave. The knight avoided one of the elephant's strikes, used its tusk as platform and confronted Hannibal on top of it. The two locked blades again, but Saber felt his wrists being bound by Krauss's magic. The rhomphaia slid past the blade and slashed his torso repeatedly.
Alexis prepared to intervene, but Krauss struck the Anthology out of her hand with a
Myrias spell. After a few seconds of brutal strikes, Saber broke free of his binding. Even still, he was kicked off the elephant and sent back to his master brutally beaten. He coughed out a bit of blood, while looking at her. He didn't seem afraid, but the expression resembled sorrow more closely. He sighed and pulled out the Oliphant horn.
"Wait... that's-"
"My last option, yes."
She grabbed his arm in a vain attempt at shaking it out of his hand. "We had an agreement!"
"Our contract states... that I'll do whatever it takes to win the war for you. If I use this, you will still win the war."
"You'll die!"
"It's my duty as a servant."
"Not as mine." She looked over to her hand, but then realized as she saw it blank- her last command seal was already gone. Utterly defeated, she fell on her knees and stared into space. "Please, Saber, don't..."
His hand shivered as he stared at the Noble Phantasm. It harbored unsettling memories for him.
Last time, the ones I loved died because I didn't use this in time. Now... I won't make that mistake. He thought this to himself repeatedly, but the more he thought about it the more he knew that he was wrong. As the memories of his old life swarmed his brain, he felt the overwhelming command to put it behind him. And so he did; he firmly grasped the horn, turned it around and threw it to the ground as hard as he possibly could. It shattered to pieces, and its fragments fell into the ocean beyond.
"I may be dead wrong in doing this... But I won't betray any of my master's commands." He smiled a little. "Especially not yours. Come on." He held his hand out to her. She didn't say a word, but her mouth seemed to word out a silent "Thank you". She took the hand presented.
The Anthology rustled slightly. Krauss prepared and unleashed an Erigo spell to send them over the cliff, but it was interrupted by Alexis.
Azzitire. The Erigo fizzled out before it could reach them. "Ready?" She asked Saber.
"You know it!" He replied, taking the blade with one hand and Alexis' wrist with the other.
Warp. They vanished and short forward at an upward angle, reappearing behind Krauss and Rider. In midair Saber shot out a bust of holy energy from durendal, which tore through the air and beheaded the elephant. Hannibal raised two rows of mountains to both sides of him, then charged headfirst. He relentlessly attacked from every possible angle, with all his might trying to overcome him, but Saber found and opening and slashed him through the heart.
It was a sobering moment for him. In those last few minutes Hannibal observed as his entire strategy fell through.
...Well I'll be damned. Maybe next time..."You were a worthy opponent, Rider-class." Saber spoke up, resting his sword. "It's been an honor."
"You too, Saber. You would have made a fine knight."
"And you a fine general... We've had a good run."
"I suppose." Hannibal's wounds poured out crimson blood, and he felt his lungs collapse. He heard a faint voice even now, in death- Krauss's.
END IT. "...Yet, I am still a servant." While Saber was off guard, Hannibal picked up his slender blade, spun it once and pierced Saber's neck from the back.
Alexis' heart completely stopped. Once she finally processed the event she let out a horrified scream. Hannibal withdrew the rhomphaia's blade from his neck and lost grip of it, then finally fell to the ground. Saber staggered away, gripping his neck as he stumbled to the ground. She knelt beside him as he stepped up on one knee. His body began to gave in, but instead of being overtaken by pain he did his best to make a crooked smile, though the tears were too much to fight back. Due to his ruptured neck he found himself unable to speak- the most terrible of fates, as there were many things to her he still wanted to say, but he found one way to say them- he took her hand, where her command seals were, and kissed it with as much composure he could manage. All he could do was smile at her while she gave in from the sadness and wept into his shoulder. When she opened her eyes, Saber was dead.
The servants' bodies lingered for a few moments, then Sanctum began to reclaim them. The battlefield's winds started to mourn his death by creating a furious cyclone. Saber became a cloud of golden dust, and Rider started to erupt into a pile of ashes that became carried up into the wind.
Krauss could do nothing but stare. These were the very same ashes he used as a catalyst in the first place; they belonged to his own father. He could see something else getting caught up in it, so he stepped closer... It was an old picture of his brother, the very same one that had disappeared in the summoning circle. He reached for it, but it became caught in the cyclone and flew out to the ocean, far away from his reach. After a few moments lost in thought he turned around. The young mage was firmly grasping a rusted blade, which became pelted with tears.
Eventually the winds died down and only two remained- the two masters. They began to stare at each other for a moment. Words escaped them, for there was nothing to talk about. Only the battle. Only the key.
Thus, came the final battle of the Sanctum War. It was nothing more than a showdown between two mages, not unlike any other. Soon strategy blurred into instinct, a constant exchange of attack and defense, using every possible tactic. All techniques were revealed, and their secrecy soon rendered obsolete by the quarrel's drawn out fashion. Eventually there did come a time where one overcame the other. Their venue gradually moved towards the shores, where Alexis cast a spell of "Shockwave" and pushed Zain into the beach's water. He surrounded himself in shields as she cast a relentless barrage of "Smite", which struck from all sides before soon breaking through his defenses. Without yielding even for a moment, the lightning bolts tore through his body and the ocean current around him. Zain's vision lost its sense of shape, only recognizing colors. The blue of the night began to slowly shift to the yellow of sunrise. His body sank into the depths of the sea and the lights from the skies fractured as if to say "Goodbye".
His mind was now completely detached from his material body, but his vision didn't return and still he could see nothing but the golden light. And as he drifted, he began to ask himself.
All this time I was completely content with the thought of my death; that the Sanctum War was a win-win scenario on my end, that I would either destroy the empires of death and order, or die trying. So why is it that only now do I wish I could go back? Why don't I welcome death? I believe now that it's not at all like I understood it. Wherever I'm going, whatever comes beyond death... Perhaps that is where I'll find my answer.The gold faded to black, and the four bracelets sank to the bottom of the ocean where they laid rusted forever.
Home
Search
Calendar
Login
Register
