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Kirin

In that moment, there was only silence.

Eighteen years had gone by since his birth. Fifteen since hers. Seven catalysts. Seven bullets. Ninety Nine souls, two partners, one curse. Zero noise. In that moment, there was only silence.

Eighteen years of training and prestige defined the life of Kirin Oshiro- a prideful young man destined to be the representative of the Oshiro family in the Sanctum War of twenty fifteen.

Fifteen was the age of the girl when she passed on. She had aspired to be something greater than they expected. Not a lowly servant, not even a mage's assistant, but a fully accepted mage of the association, with new ideas and fresh ideals. It was a lofty dream, it was, and she'd harbored it since the age of seven.

Seven catalysts were used to summon seven servants. The Saber, the two-faced mercenary who fought on both sides of the crusader's divide. The Rider, the delusional but well-meaning hero of old, and old by multiple definitions. The Assassin, whose one bullet sprung the entire world into chaos and lead to the deaths of millions of soldiers around the world. The Caster, a woman alone who sought peace and life, by her own means and meaning. The Berserker, a forge of a thousand cursed destinies and a thousand deadly blades. The Lancer, a heroine who never backed down. She fought until her own bitter end, fighting against a tyrant of a master in order to free her friend. There was one Archer, possessing ninety nine souls, wielding seven bullets.

Adlerflug, the falcon who scoured the landscape in search of a better way. Baumwachstum, a root of a tree. Steadfast, unyielding. Rehe Durchbohren, an unyielding deer who fiercely tore through all obstacles without question. Katzensprung, traveling below the earth. In hiding, or merely waiting for the right moment? Nobody knows. Lachstreppe would take another path when one was blocked out, with disregard to whoever would be taken down in the process. Fuchsdämon, the fox, the soul of the demon...

Zamiel Vertrag. The bullet forged by the demon. A small piece of Sanctum lies within. Ninety Nine fell due to its unholy power. Every time it fires, two die.

Two die, and one is left crying on the floor. There were two partners. A boy and a girl. It is always the same story, told in a different way- but each story brings something new, each brings the count closer to one-hundred. On the dawn of that day someone else will rise and try to put an end to the cycle. But this chosen one is irrelevant. The key is worthless; there is only the curse.

One curse. The girl was doomed from the very moment she saw her command seals. And it was a curse delivered. Upon the dawn of the war it was Isa who assigned them, and it was he who gave the final order, the last command seal. After that, his power was reduced to zero.

Eighteen years had gone by since his birth. Fifteen since hers. Seven catalysts. Seven bullets. Ninety Nine souls, two partners, one curse. Zero noise.

And in that moment, there was only silence.

Caster

Cody was speechless. Caster shut his eyes. "This world belongs to the enemy, Lazarus. Never forget this."

Kirin

Silence. Kirin was doomed to stare for what seemed to be an eternity, completely, utterly helpless. All he'd done to try to protect her was for naught. Every wound, every strike, every sigh in fake frustration whenever she'd make a snarky remark was a moment wasted. There was no key anymore, there was never a key. There was only keeping her safe.

It is said that once a noble cause is shattered, something will always take its place.

Some day, the world returned. Riza stood on the ground, beginning to stumble. Kirin couldn't even hear himself scream, and oh, what a scream it was. He ran in a fashion known only by those who have seen their world crumble- it is the run of a man desperately trying to pick up the pieces before they fall to the ground. The man never succeeds. Kirin fell to her side. Her body was cold, filled with stygian black liquid where her blood was supposed to be. She still had some form of life- it was below conscious thought, and more accurately compared to a breaking down of the human soul into its one fundamental need to love and be loved in return. As the black liquid dripped form her lips she cried, unable to speak. He joined her. For once in his life Kirin Oshiro was a truly and utterly broken man. He held her, he held her like no man had ever held a woman before. For while other forms of embrace would warm his soul, this in particular shattered it.

With her in his arms he couldn't even bear to speak her name.

And in that moment, there was only silence.

She was gone far too soon. He hadn't enough time to look upon her. There was no closure and no satisfaction to holding her. When he finally resolved to put her to rest, he found himself dripping with the liquid. It burnt like acid. He didn't even bat an eye. And for once, the silence was broken.

"It should have been me."

He rose.

"This was my fault. All of it. She never hurt a soul, do you hear me?!" He fell to his knees and started screaming into the sky. "It was all me! I killed Zoraya Krauss! It was my plan! I'm the one who forced her into this war! I'm the murderer! I'm the one who deserves to go to hell!" His face was drenched in tears. "Take me instead, damn it! Take me! She never..." He lowered his head. "...She never hurt you. She never hurt anyone."

And in that moment, there was only silence.

Through the snowstorm, Isa was staring. His seals were gone and there was a massive gaping hole in his chest, but he wouldn't miss this sight for the world. "This is magecraft... my son..."

Kirin looked back. There was hell in his eyes. After this moment there was silence no longer. There was one spell he could use to silence him forever. Zero noise. Silence. Zero. But there would be no silence today. He was silent for eighteen years, and now he would begin to talk. He would talk, he would shout, he would yell and he would scream. Mostly, though, he would simply cry.

The shouting came first, however. Zero was never cast.

"Inferno!" He rose his hand to the sky, neglecting his wand. Isa's body was caught ablaze, his flesh beginning to tear straight off. But before he would accept his death, the flames vanished. Silence.

"Inferno!" The spell came again. The cold of the snow came first, creating two extremes. The pain was unspeakable. But just before he could let go, Kirin stopped the spell once more. Again and again, he would shout, he would light the man on fire, watch him burn in agony and put it out, wait for the ice to accumulate and strike him once more. Over and over this continued. One blast. Two. Seven. Fifteen. Eighteen. Ninety Nine. At some indeterminate point, the charred body no longer screamed. Even then he was struck a few times. Now there was barely anything left to register it as a human corpse.

Kirin was completely drained of all mana.


In that moment, there was only silence. Silence, and the agonizing cries of Kirin Oshiro.