Re;Kingdom, Starting a Life With Amnesia From Zero
Arc 4 – "Eternal Contract" – Sanctuary Arc
Chapter 51 – "Battle for Roswaal Manor Begins"
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Engulfed in the light, the man's body was floating on a non-existed cloud, which levitated him while his consciousness was greatly shaken. Despite his brains on functioning correctly as before, his final thoughts would have been around the lines of "What's going on?".
Though he wanted to calm down the situation and fix everything up, he wasn't able to do so as of right now. Currently, his limbs were unable to accomplish simple tasks his body would order. His eyes were closed, yet he knew that he was laying down on the soft ground. With various thoughts on his mind, he simply wants to rest down, and so he did.
Was there really something to care about? As of right now, his sole existence was exhausted of everything. Fighting for a cause unknown to himself, risking his own life for a royal election camp which has no relationship to him whatsoever, yet he continued.
"Otto…!"
A voice rang in the darkness.
Even though the last memory he had was that he was being swallowed by light, his consciousness remained in a dark world. His body fell down into an abyss of his own despair, darkness.
Whatever the space may have been where that young merchant found himself, there was absolutely nothing but himself.
Just now, did he start thinking about whether his actions are right or not.
Just now, did he start considering if it's okay to continue like this.
Just now, did he realize that he should've never acted like a hero.
He had no energy to try and fight the darkness. He had no motivation to get out of the shadows. He had no reason to fight for Emilia and Jens, yet there is a feeling deep inside him, which told him to continue.
That feeling was capable of overcoming whatever obstacles would block the way between him and his purpose.
There was something about both "Emilia" and "Jens" that gave him a feeling of pursuing his goals, and vanquishing that which obliterates all happiness and good in the world.
A little spark, it flickered.
Within his consciousness, somewhere deep in his mind, there was a flickering light, something which sparked, heat that scattered in the darkness, an emerging light from within. It was a spark that could possibly ignite a flame, and then would enlighten the entire world for him. Just as he gazed upon the beautiful light which flooded his consciousness, he felt palms of human hands touch his stomach.
Otto : "Ouch!"
Suddenly, a piercing pain shocked him. The powerful shock caused the man to wake up from such day dream.
The little spark, which had a promising charm to it, yet far away, disappeared as it was swallowed by the light of reality. He opened his eyes, thus the miraculous light which lied ahead of him vanished. But in trade of that, he was able to see the real world.
There was blood streaming out of his stomach as he gazed upon the muscular hands and arms that tried to stop the bleeding. With no moment of hesitation, the man immediately realized who this companion could be.
The one aiding the man assist was a person with a heart of gold, yet the power of a tiger. Despite being a young age, he's a true guarding which pursues his goals, and takes it as a matter of light and darkness, life and death, good and bad.
Garfiel : "Brotto…! Hang'n there! Yer ain't 'n the state of fightin'…"
His jade colored eyes were being overflown by sorrowful tears which streamed down to his chin, fell down, and scattered upon the gray colored surface. He was being overwhelmed by stress, and thus was panicking. His hands which he placed on the man's abs were shaking greatly, as if terrified.
Otto : "G-Garf…?"
The man tried to speak, but due to his consciousness being greatly shaken by the emerging light which he recalled, words weren't coming out of his mouth as smooth as before. Instead, as he tried to speak, he realized that it would have been better if he would just lay down.
Garfiel : "Don'tcha worry Brotto… I-It's fine. Yer belly… I-It's bleeding..!"
His words trembled in fear. His gaze was locked upon the stomach of the man. Otto on the other hand, did not question anything what so ever. With a peace of mind, Otto simply closed his eyes as he awaited for the situation to get better.
Otto : "Bluagh….!"
Intending to cough, he instead of vomited a huge amount of blood out. Blood streamed out of his mouth as if one of his internal organs were completely demolished or crushed. Hearing this, Garfiel finally moved his gaze from the not-so good looking stomach to Otto Suwen's face, which was completely covered by blood. Trying to stop vomiting blood, the man with gray hair pressed the palm of his hand against his mouth, blocking his mouth and sealing his lips.
Garfiel : "O..Otto…"
Calling out his name in anxiety, Garfiel's pupils were trembling as they gazed upon the worst. Otto Suwen's life was in a great danger. In fact, he was fatally injured, and if he wouldn't be healed as of right now, his life would be lost.
Otto : "T… Ain't lookin' good…"
Affirming the situation, Otto removed the hand from his mouth, and placed the hand covered in blood on the ground. In addition to that, he rested the back of his head against stone brick ground.
The merchant moved his gaze from his hand to the sky, a beautiful evening. Orange and blue colors flooded the clear sky, along with some small clouds. It looked so peaceful, as if nothing wrong could possibly happen. However, that was obviously not the case.
Never being this injured, Otto braced himself for the worst. He knew that if this would continue, he would die. A horrifying thought, but it wasn't a mere speculation, it was reality. There was no way to prevent such destined death. Garfiel was not capable to recover Otto completely, and there was nobody in sight, thus…
Garfiel : "Don't 'cha dare to die 'n my watch', yer hearin' me?!"
Cerulean light, with a shade of lime, started to emerge from Otto's body as he spoke out such words.
The muscular kid pressed the palms of his hands steadily against Otto's stomach. Suddenly, there was a feeling unfamiliar streaming through Otto's body. It was a feeling as if all weight was taken away from Otto, as if every burden faded.
Otto : "Huh…?"
As he realized the unfamiliar experience, Otto made a noise in confusion. However, as he did so, he also realized that the ability to speak returned to him. Most of the pain, along with most of his wounds were diminishing, slowly.
Garfiel : "Did'cha fuckin' hear me? Yer ain't dyin' here!"
The hands of the gold-haired boy were shining bright. Mana from the atmosphere was being absorbed by Garfiel Tinsel, and was all being stored up in the palms of his hands.
Moving his sight around, Otto realized that they were in a forest. What forest didn't matter as of right now, but the fact that they were in a forest calmed Otto greatly. In addition to that, a glimpse of happiness blossomed deep within him as he realized the former.
Mana has various natural habitats. Deep in the mountains, there is more than enough Earth Mana. In the depths of the ocean, there is countless amount of Water Mana. Far into the skies, there is a ridiculous amount of Wind Mana. Within the depths of a volcano, there is an amount of Fire Mana unimaginable.
In a forest, there is always a huge amount of both Earth, and Water Mana. Otto Suwen learned such thing from his older brother, Oslo Suwen. His older brother was a hero to-be, a merchant that would never deviate from a plan. Despite being heroic, he was also really intelligent, knowing all about the capabilities of Earth Mana, and how to manifest magic covering Earth Mana.
With that one lesson of Earth Mana which his older brother taught him in the back of his thought, Otto realized that not all hope is gone. Instead, there is a possibility that he would survive from such calamity. If Garfiel Tinsel is capable of collecting enough Earth Mana, he can convert such mana in healing magic, but it would burden a lot of agony on the muscular kid's body.
Otto : "Garfiel… What are you… Doing?"
Still, Otto's mind couldn't possibly understand. He and Garfiel are nothing but strangers to each other. They met only today, yet there is some chemistry. Gazing at the boy who was desperately trying to heal the merchant, there were countless wounds and blood stains on the boy, yet he continued.
Garfiel : "Ain't 't obvious? I'm savin' yer ass!"
Hearing that, Otto raises a brow. Obviously, Otto knew what he was intending to do, but that wasn't the meaning behind his question. Thus, he speaks out once more.
Otto : "Why…?"
Garfiel : "Yer kiddin' me? Yer saved ma ass 'gainst that motha'fucker Adam, 'ts only natural to save yer ass 'swell!"
Scattering sparks of yellow light started to form around the silhouette of Garfiel's muscular arms. While still crying and being somewhat panicked, he closed his eyes and raised the palms of his hands slightly.
The little sparks started to form light, and such majestic radiance started to emerge from the kid's hands.
A healing sensation is what Otto felt in his stomach. In a matter of seconds, the wound on his belly closed and the crimson stains of blood vanished.
Otto : "That healing power… You're element is Earth, but how are you healing this good?"
Earth Mana covers the power of changing the terrain. It exists to change the territory with the power of a person's gate. Despite being capable of healing, it's primarily focused for defense like raising earthen walls.
Then, how can this healing be this powerful?
Garfiel : "Ma amazin' Divin' Protection 'f Earth Spirits. Yer should be fine now, but don't do anythin' reckless, yer hear me?"
―The "Divine Protection of Earth Spirits" is a passive power which is always present. Having such blessing allows the user to manipulate "Earth Mana" with ease thanks to earthen spirits. As long as the user has his feet on the ground, he can manipulate the effects of earth. For example, he can cause the earth to cave in with a single step, reduce the effects of Earth Magic, and accelerate the recovery of wounds and stamina.
The reason why Otto Suwen recognized this Divine Protection, was because he had once read about the contents of it during his stay at the Royal Capital.
Otto : "Garfiel… You saved me…"
Garfiel : "Hell yeah I did."
The young merchant lifted his head before he started touching his wound with both hands. There were scars, but they were completely covered with new-grown skin. His clothes were ripped and scratched, stains of crimson blood were on the green merchant uniform of his.
Lifting his body as confirmation whether he was fully healed or not, Otto felt a levitating feeling within his body, as if something had been healed within him which didn't had a physical form. It was a feeling which was capable of giving one the will to keep striving forward.
Otto : "What… did you exactly heal… Garfiel-san?"
Garfiel : "Brotto… What'r ya talkin' 'bout? The Amazin' me healed ya wounds, there wasn't anythin' else to heal, right?"
It was a weird question which Otto Suwen asked for those who didn't experience what Otto experienced. The feeling that resided deep within the young merchant, was a feeling which gave one the mental strength of fighting for his own beliefs, for things which make him happy, for things which he treasured.
Otto : "Garfiel-san… Do you've the ability of healing one's Gate, or perhaps Od?"
The "Od" is a life energy that dwells within a living being from birth, making it the opposite of mana, which is magical energy that exists in the environment. It varies from person to person in terms of quantity and size which represents the lifespan of an individual. It also serves the purpose of storing some portion of mana that flows through the gate, so having a large capacity is especially beneficial to those who can use magic. Od can be used in place of mana to cast magic, however unlike mana, using Od is like using one's lifespan, and so it isn't recommended.
The Gate is an invisible portal-like apparatus that exist in every living thing. It allows mana to pass through the body and be stored in the Od. Whether one can use magic or not entirely depends on its condition; be it either fully or partly open. Most people only have partly functioning gates so magic is out of reach to them. In addition, there are some with defective gates which keeps them from releasing mana at all. Overcasting magic can also lead to damaging the gate, and then the permanent loss of magic if the user continues to do so without treatment. However that is difficult to obtain and if the gate breaks before that then nothing can be done.
―Healing either those was something which not many individuals were capable of.
Garfiel : "I… Dunno!"
Otto : "Ram-san has lectured me for a week for two while I was staying at the mansion. I've also did personal research regarding this subject, but putting that aside… Ram told me that there were only little amount of people capable of restoring one's lifespan or an non-existent organ."
Garfiel : "Otto… Why yer even thinkin' 'bout 't? All of a sudden, yer comin' up with weird shit Brotto…?"
Otto : "The "Blue", also known as Crusch-sama's knight has the ability of repairing the Gate of one person."
The royals of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugunica pass down titles on the best Magic Users of Lugnica.
The element of fire, "Red", was given to Roswaal L Mathers when he had repelled the attack of Endbringer thanks to his capabilities with fire magic. It was around five years ago when Roswaal had fought one of the Endbringers which cause terror throughout the world, and since then he had carried the title of the "Red", the best fire Magic user in the Dragon Kingdom.
The element of wind, "Green", was given to Sinon Elysia when she had guarded the Watergate City Pristella against the Witch Cult. Not much is known about Sinon due to her recent missions in the east, but she's considered to be an exceptional Wind magic user.
The element of earth, "Yellow", was given to Taliyah, who had disappeared from a young age. The government of the Dragon Kingdom had announced that there was a new title-holder for "Yellow", yet the reasoning remained secret. Since her disappearance, many people had considered her as "Dead", yet the remains of the Lugnician government had refused to pass down the title of "Yellow".
The element of water, "Blue", was given to Felix Argyle who is capable of using "Immortal King's Sacrament", which is a branch of Water Healing magic that had the ability of returning beloved ones from the dead. Even though Felix wasn't capable of using the resurrection ability, Felix had given the title for his exceptional performances during the many achievements of the glorious Crusch Karsten, the "Valkyrie".
The element of light, and the element of darkness, "White" and "Black", remain not given. The "Color Titles" is a system which is being considered active since one hundred years ago. But, not even once were "White" or "Black" given to any person. Some people say because they believe Lugnician Royals are exceptionally intelligent, and consider none of the magic users of the difficult elements good enough. Others say because there hadn't been any Yin or Yang user that had performed exceptionally, but…
Otto : "The "Divine Judgement" of the "Holy Dragon" Volcanica is capable of restoring the Od, but I've never experienced such phenomenon."
Garfiel : "Restorin' the Od is crazy shit Brotto! It sure would be sick of having that skill, but I highly doubt that ma amazin' self can bend the rules of life!"
Otto : "W-Well… Some people also say that the "Sage" at the Watchtower is able of healing both!"
Garfiel : "Yer overthinkin' it Brotto, I'm blushing becuz yer sayin' imma that cool, but I think yer just havin' a recoverin' moment after what just happened… After all…"
Turning his gaze away from the innocent merchant, there was a glim of anxiety within the young boy's glance.
Garfiel : "We're still in a shitty shitshow…"
Putting his current thoughts aside from his current problems, Otto tried to recall what had happened to him before he had lost his consciousness.
Upon arriving at the square of the Sanctuary Temple, they had brawled against the "Washuu King" Furuta Washuu. However, as they were at the brink of winning the battle, the light of the Sanctuary had engulfed everything, even their consciousness.
After that, he had woken up here, in a forest, where there was nothing but shadows, a cold breeze, and stains of blood.
Otto : "What happened exactly? How did we end up here in the first place?"
The young merchant placed the palm of his right hand on the boy's naked shoulder. Immediately, their gazes met, and the spirit of the atmosphere took a turn.
Garfiel : "Y'all collapsed becuz of the shinin' light. But ma amazin' self was able to resist it, probably 'cause im that cool. Before I could understand what happened, I headed for Furuta so he wouldn't run away, but he had released some kind of magic I don't bother understanding. I got injured, you, Qrow and Legend-san…"
Otto : "You dragged us here?"
Garfiel : "Don't skip an entire interlude like that…!
Like a reflex, Garfiel pushed the hand away from his naked shoulder after he had interrupted him. Garfiel Tinsel, he looked somewhat sad, or perhaps anxious. Pushing his hand away wasn't out of anger or annoyance, but simply because Garfiel wanted to stand up.
Lifting his body up, Garfiel brushed away the dust and the blood stains from his clothes as he continued with his story.
Garfiel : "Before I was able to heal myself, a parade of Demon Beast had overthrown ma hometown… I grabbed y'all and dragged us here."
Otto : "What about Jens and Emilia-sama!?"
Garfiel : "When the light faded away, they were already gone…"
Listening carefully to his story, Otto nodded several times before he had the story illustrated chronologically in his thoughts. Then, the merchant scratched the back of his head and glanced nervously at Garfiel.
Otto : "Well, that's kinda good I suppose. I hope they're safe- Wait… Where are Legend and Qrow-san?"
Garfiel : "They're… at my home."
Otto : "…Oh."
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The Kremaldy Forest, also known as the "Forest of Never Returning" was a forest which surrounded the mansion partly, and surrounded most of the Sanctuary. It was one of the two forests which were in the possession of the Roswaal Family.
The "Forest of Never Returning" has two sides. It is said that those who enter the forest will never return due to the amount of dangerous things within the forest. In addition to that, those who enter the forest to disturb tranquility from within, will be swallowed by the miasma of the forest.
Garfiel's home was only several meters away from the Sanctuary Barrier. The Sanctuary Barrier existed to keep the Witches of Sin within the graveyard of the Witch of Greed.
The Mansion of Roswaal was several kilometers northeast of the Sanctuary, and also from Garfiel's home.
It was a little home, primarily made of wood and leaves. The floor was made of stone bricks, the interior was mostly empty, and the windows had broken glass. There was a single bed, but it wasn't the nicest bed.
Otto : "Ah… This isn't good."
Qrow was sitting on the floor while covering the wound on his stomach with his hands. Both palms were covered in his own blood, but luckily the wound itself was covered by bandage.
Legend on the other hand, had a massive wound on his right shoulder. His skin-tight blue suit was covered in dark, red blood. However, aside from that, he was still conscious, and the wound didn't bother him that much.
Legend : "It seems that ultimately, luck was on our side. Perhaps that's something to be joyful about."
Qrow : "Call it however you want, the situation isn't looking particularly "joyful", now is it?"
Moving his disgusted gaze towards Legend, Qrow spat out his words as if he was disgraced of the the current circumstances.
Legend : "Consider it luck, if it wasn't for Garfiel, you would've been dead. He dragged our unconscious body all the way to here, don't you understand the basics of common manners?"
The young boy put on a joyful smile as Legend tried to be grateful for his actions. Though, to Garfiel, there was no need for such gratitude, since he considered it something completely normal.
As a response, he wavered his right hand and kept smiling.
Garfiel : "Ah it's 'right mate, there's no need for thankin' 'chother. That which matters is…"
As Garfiel lowered his gaze, Otto Suwen noticed a sorrowful glim within his glance. Thus, the young merchant slightly tilted his head while awaiting the continuation of his sentence.
Garfiel : "…What'yer'all thinkin' 'bout doin'?"
Legend : "Don't misunderstand Garfiel-san. There's absolutely no need to get involved in this affair. As a matter of fact, I can assure you to rest calmly while we'll be taking care of the problematic situation."
To such words, Garfiel narrowed his eyes slightly, and moved his gaze at Legend at an instant. Like that, their gazes had met, and so did their motives.
Garfiel : "Yer tellin' me to quit fightin' this?"
Legend : "I'm not ordering you. After all, I'm not your commander or something like that. As a matter of fact, I think that we are closer to acquaintances, allies, or perhaps friends rather than something like commander and soldier."
As Legend spoke in such a friendly matter, he scratched the back of his hand while smiling nervously. However, the glance in Garfiel's eyes did not change what so ever.
Legend : "In addition to that. There's like, no reason for you to get involved in all of this. We will be taking care of the situation at the Sanctuary and the Roswaal Manor. You're free to do whatever you want, but you must understand that dying recklessly does not make you a hero."
Garfiel : "But I'm not like y'all."
Intercepting with a single sentence, a silence had occurred within the room. Each glance was locked and loaded on Garfiel Tinsel, who spoke in a way that could've been considered sad.
Garfiel : "Ma sis' is all the fam I've left. Y'all are involved in this in some way or 'nother, I ain't tryin' to be a hero or that kind of bullshit. I care 'bout the fam which was always there for me when they could… Frederica, she…"
Qrow : "Family… Only comes around when they need something."
Before Garfiel was able to finish his sentence, the man named Qrow Branwen had interrupted him with a lecture.
The man glanced at the kid while grinning at him as if he knew exactly what Garfiel was talking about. Noticing that, Garfiel frowned at the man.
Garfiel : "The fuck yer talkin' 'bout? Not everyone's born in a family of bandits, y'know?"
Qrow : "Ah, so you're not that stupid. Nice."
―The name "Branwen" was known all around the world that they had wandered. It's a bandit family which had caused great terror across all Kingdoms and Empires. Yet, it appeared that the Branwen Twins had found redemption once they had joined the "Warriors".
Initially, the Branwen family existed of knights, assassins, warriors, which were born to become strong. Once every year, the Branwen family had hosted a festival where all Branwens around the same age would fight each other, and the remaining victor would become the head of the family.
―But…
Legend : "Anyway, so to put it frankly, the fundamental truth behind your actions and deeds, is Frederica Baumann, correct?"
Trying to get a understanding of Garfiel's motives, Legend tried to connect the points and fill the space between the dots by summarizing that which he had comprehended from before.
Garfiel : "Like, she's all I've left. Once I heard that she got back with that clown, I had to do something. But, before I could've done anythin', y'all already got to the Sanctuary."
Noticing a glim of sorrow in his gaze, Otto placed the palm of his hand on Garfiel's right shoulder. Doing so, their glances met.
Tilting his head, Otto Suwen responded with a question.
Otto : "So is that why you trusted me and everyone that easily? Is it because you have that much faith in your sister?"
Garfiel : "Fred's a good person, she wouldn't put faith in 'diots, ma right?"
Otto : "To be honest, I don't know Frederica that good. Actually, I don't know everyone that well. All I care about, are my friends, and you know… Since you saved me, does that mean… you think I'm a good person as well?"
―"Good Person" is something which depends on each and everyone's own perception of that word, and their perspective of that one person. For one, a "Good Person", for another, a "Bad Person". An excellent example for such person would be…
Garfiel : "Don't be stupid… Even I don't know why I saved ya ass."
As he said so, Garfiel squeezed in Otto's left butt cheek, causing him to panic in an instant, and take a few steps back.
Otto : "Idiot! This isn't the time to touch my private space!"
Infuriated by the actions of the young boy, Otto Suwen gave him a scolding while stomping the ground in embarrassment and anger.
But as he did so, a genuine smile rose on Garfiel's face before he continued with his sentence.
Garfiel : "But what I do know, 's that yer a friend, and someone just like me!"
At first, Otto was left in confusion, until he realized that they had quite a few things in common.
―Both of them had close to zero reasons to participate in all of this.
―Both of them cared about nothing but their close ones.
―Both of their motives, were unknown.
Legend : "So, what's your choice? Are the two of you sure to participate in this battle?"
Interrupting their friendly moment, Legend rose his hand before their gazed had already been locked on his muscular body.
Garfiel : "Yer kiddin' me? I ain't no pussy, yer hearin' me? Despite my age, I got bigger balls than all of you probably."
Hearing that response, Otto moved his face as close as possible to Garfiel's ear, and yelled at him for making such a remark.
Otto : "That's just inappropriate and horrible to say! Don't you feel the slightest bit of shame!?"
Garfiel : "F'ck off Brotto, ya were sobbin' your eyeballs out just a moment ago."
Turning his face towards Garfiel, Otto clicked his tongue in annoyance after hearing that remark, "Tsk!".
Garfiel : "But even now, yer still badass Brotto."
Otto : "Huh?"
Widening his eyes in surprise, the gazes of the two friends had met. The looks on their faces were different, but their feelings for each other were the same.
Perhaps that was another reason why they were more close than anyone else.
Garfiel : "Yer out of place 's fuck. Tha hell yer even doin' here? But, even when the odds 'r not in ya favor, ya keep fighting forward."
Otto : "…"
He tried to speak, but not even a single sound had left his mouth. As a matter of fact, he was quite shocked by the unexpected words of Garfiel Tinsel. Such words caused a joyful smile to rise on Otto's face.
Garfiel : "I mean… Ya did need a punch or three to finally understand that."
Scratching the back of his head nervously, Otto grinned awkwardly as he was reminded about that one punch.
Qrow : "Very touching."
Speaking in a somewhat disrespectful matter, Qrow had interrupted their friendly exchange, and took a sip of the alcoholic drink remaining in his flask. Before he would continue speaking, Legend was already a step ahead of him.
Legend : "Anyway, what I meant to say… if you don't want to fight this battle, there's no need to do so. It is very important for you two to know, that you're not obligated in this everlasting war. Many people had tried to put an end to all of this, but a conclusion was never met."
Opening his arms while explaining the circumstances, Legend spoke in a rather formal matter while he had his gaze locked on the two young men.
Otto : "Everlasting war? Mind explaining that?"
Legend : "Furuta Washuu, commonly known as the "Washuu King" and apparently, also as the "Crazed Prince", has always been in conflict with two other kings, the "Leo King" and the so-called "Lost King". As of right now, it appears that the former two have created an alliance with the "Sunstrider" Vincent, to destroy the "Lost King" Jens."
Otto : "Mind elaborating a lil bit? I'm not quite getting the gist of all this. What exactly is their goal, and what have they to do with Roswaal?"
Legend : "There is only one person who can explain you all the details…. And that is "Jens"."
Despite having the same name, Jens and "Jens" are two entirely different persons, while still being the exact same individual. However, the actions of the two were also extremely different.
Based on the information given, many people had told that "Jens" was an important figure in history, and had accomplished many, while also having committed many sinful crimes. Yet, the details regarding what he had accomplished and what crimes he had committed, remain a mystery.
Though, Jens is a cheerful person, who had been brought to this world with not even a single memory about his past life. Being thrown into the fray like that, it's only natural to be anxious about the past and the future.
Jens and "Jens" are different, but how exactly? That was a question which had wandered everyone's mind who came across Jens at least once.
Qrow : "Are you seriously going to tell them all of that right now? If I were you, I would rather explain what we're up against instead of talking about fairytales and myths."
Legend : "You're right. My sincere apologies, but we should focus on the goal at hand. Which is securing the "Sanctuary", succeeding the "Trials", and being victorious at the "Battle of Roswaal Manor"."
―The three "Obstacles" seemed simple, but they were close to impossible, due to everyone being divided from each other. Instead of combining their strength, they were forced to be torn apart. If all parties would unite, there wouldn't be a problem clearing the "Obstacles"
Legend : "But the "Battle of Roswaal Manor" is going to be a problem… Only because of that damned Clown."
For one, "Damned Clown" would mean Roswaal L Mathers, the one who tricked everyone into this malicious tragedy. But, for another, for someone like Jens and Melissa Lestrange, "Damned Clown" would mean Furuta Washuu.
Qrow : "As expected of that clown. Today proves that Roswaal and Furuta's connections with all-sorts of organizations are beyond our expectations."
As he spoke out, he took a sip of his flask, which was to be expected.
Otto : "Connections?"
Qrow : "You didn't notice? People of various origin and different nations had come to the "Sanctuary" to stop us. The "Blood Hunter" Elsa Granhiert from the Northern Holy Kingdom of Gusteko is one of them."
Scratching the back on his head, Otto tried to think of all the people who they had encountered during the stay at the "Sanctuary"
―The "Green Warrior" and the "Blue Warrior", Lethias Greenway and Sapphire Northshire. Origins unknown, but they do have some connection or another to Jens as far as Otto knows.
The two were both beaten by Yang Xiao Long during their encounter. Yet, their current circumstances remained a mystery to Otto Suwen.
―The "Washuu King", The "Crazed Prince" of Gusteko, Furuta Washuu.
To defeat him, there are a lot of combatants required, yet… There was this spark of hope deep within him, which made him wanting to belief that defeating the "Washuu King", remains a possibility.
In addition to that, once Otto Suwen had realized that the one who he shared a roof with was also the one who had caused great terror all around the world and had almost killed him once, disgusted him.
Never did Otto want to hate someone, nor did he ever belief that he was capable of killing someone, but with Furuta… the situation has changed. Never before, did Otto want someone dead that bad.
However, as he's not just "Furuta Washuu", but someone with multiple names and titles, that malicious man is connected with various nations, kingdoms, empires and organizations. One of those organizations is "V", which is a personal squad of clowns that do nothing but follow Furuta's words.
―The "Blood Hunter" of Gusteko, Elsa Granhiert.
Her unique way of fighting, along with her skilled maneuvers, and the murderous intent of killing, makes her an even harder and scarrier opponent than anyone he had faced.
―The "Damsel of Distress", Ash, who's origin remains unknown.
He had faced her, and had almost defeated her with the help of Garfiel Tinsel. Yet, she had escaped, and is probably somewhere near recovering from her wounds.
―The "Lionized Hero", Adam Taurus, who's the leader of the Demi-Human Alliance.
Both Otto and Garfiel had faced him. His obnoxious attitude, along with his arrogant personality are probably his most iconic features. Yet, that boy possesses immense fighting skills, and is not someone to mess with.
In addition to that, it was Yang, Weiss and Blake's mission to kill him. During their battle, Weiss and Blake had left due to their circumstances, and Yang and Adam remained. Even though Yang was beaten up until she had lost her consciousness, once she had woken up, she was alive, and Adam Taurus was gone without a single trace left of him.
―The "Clown" of the Dragon Kingdom Lugnica, Roswaal L Mathers.
Despite knowing that Roswaal and Furuta are behind all of this, both Otto and Garfiel hadn't faced him yet, and honestly, both of them weren't hoping to do so.
―The "Illusionist", Emerald Sustrai.
She was there, at the entrance of the Sanctuary once Roswaal and Elsa had made their first appearance. But, ever since, she hadn't reappeared. Yet, that doesn't mean that Otto wasn't afraid of her.
Then…
Otto : "Qrow. Didn't Tattletale brought you to the "Sanctuary"? Does that mean, you know the two lads Lethias and Sapphire?"
Qrow : "I do. Me, Kanade and Tattletale knocked them out, and brought them to the "Roswaal Manor". They're tied up in the basement of the Mansion, so there's no way that they'll escape. After all of this, we'll interrogate them and ask for as much information as possible."
At least that was something to be joyful about, is what Otto thought.
Both Lethias and Sapphire were the first two that they had encountered. Luckily, they were beaten rather easily by Yang Xiao Long. As it was confirmed that they were imprisoned within the mansion, Otto let out a sigh of relief.
Garfiel : "Tha "Blood Hunter", yer referin' to that crazy 'ssassin, right?"
Legend : "Her black hair is a rare trait in the northern kingdoms, thus her appearance is considered to be somewhat iconic to the Granhiert family. On the other hand, there's still little known regarding the family's origins and their race."
Without exactly confirming his words, Legend gave an explanation to who she is, and where her roots reside.
Otto : "Isn't she just a woman?"
Qrow : "No… That which she is right now, is far beyond human."
To those words, Otto and Garfiel moved their glances so both would meet one and another. Then, as to affirm they both heard the same words which Qrow spoke, they took a step back while still looking each other in the eyes.
Legend : "It is true. The "Blood Hunter" Elsa Granhiert originates from the Kingdom Gusteko. By doing some research, we had found out various things. For example, the organization which she's part of are "Black Rose of Gusteko"."
Qrow : "It's an organization which is absolutely obedient to "Mama". One of the most mysterious individuals walking on this planet. There's only little known about her and her motives, though only recently she started to come in contact with Roswaal."
Paying attention carefully to the information given by both Qrow and Legend, Otto tried to remember as much as possible, as it may be useful in the near future.
Then, as he nodded his head, Garfiel started talking.
Garfiel : "Enough 'bout that psycho… What 'bout the others who were attackin' ma hometown? What 'bout the bull-dude?"
Qrow : "Adam Taurus?"
As the young man mentioned that name, Legend moved his gaze towards Garfiel while placing his own hand on Qrow's shoulder.
Legend : "The young man has been contaminated by the will of slaughtering everyone frivolously. Adam Taurus had shown his masterful display of swordsmanship and skill in using his semblance. His development in combat is far beyond our expectations, and sadly enough… His beliefs don't match with ours. He's the leader of the Demi-Human Alliance who cause terror all around the world obliterating racist nations like Volakia and the Schnee Dust Lands."
Qrow : "Despite having a good intent for equality, the young man Adam beliefs that it's time to turn the table on who's tyrannized. After all, Demi-Humans aren't havin' a good time outside here."
Then, the young boy Garfiel raised his hand as he spoke out a question loud and clear.
Garfiel : "Yea, 'bout that… What's 'p with Demi-Humans? Aren't I one?"
Legend : "You sure are kiddo, an amazing one!"
Trying to not give Garfiel a bad impression regarding Demi-Humans, Legend wavered his hands and smiled nervously.
Qrow : "Sorry but, did you hit ya head when you were fighting? You've no idea what's up with Demi-Human?"
Garfiel : "Not at all. Is that somethin' bad? What's up with ma brothas?"
Legend : "Perhaps it would be better to explain that matter at a different time? After all, I believe that we've more important affairs to attend to. For example, we still need to find Roswaal, come in contact with the others, and secure the safety of the mansion and the Sanctuary's citizens."
The young boy Garfiel shrugged and shook his head.
Garfiel : "Yer talkin' big like 't ain't no deal."
Legend : "Don't misunderstand please, saving everyone from today's tragedy will be extremely dangerous, and most of the Emilia Camp will most likely end up being hurt, if not dead."
Stomping the ground while pulling a few hairs, Otto shouted at Legend.
Otto : "That doesn't calm me in the slightest!"
Garfiel : "Oi Oi Oi, don't jump to conclusions like that."
As he spoke out those words, Garfiel grabbed the shoulder of the young merchant, and pulled him away from Legend and Qrow. As he did so, Otto noticed Garfiel's furious gaze locked on the two people in front of him.
Otto : "What's up?"
Garfiel : "Think. These people showed up out of f'ckin' nowhere, I ain't gonna keep listenin' to them 'itout any explanation y'know?"
Widening his eyes in shock, Otto comprehended the thoughts of his young companion.
It was true, the two in front of them were just as mysterious as Jens.
Their motives are very, but their origin and their reason for being here was beyond understanding. After all, they claimed that they came here to protect the live of Jens, to save everyone from Furuta.
But, was that the truth?
Legend : "Did I leave such a horrible impression when you saw me for the first time? My sincere apologies for that, that wasn't my intention whatsoever."
Otto : "T-There's nothing to apologize… But…"
As Otto lowered his gaze, he started thinking about whether the people in front of him were people to trust, or people to face.
Otto : "Who exactly are you two? What are you doing here? What exactly… is going on?"
He spoke out nervously, demanding for answers. The young merchant had locked his gaze on Legend and Qrow, who were capable of overpowering the young boys easily, yet they didn't. Perhaps that was a reason why Otto tried to negotiate, or at least exchange knowledge.
But, as he spoke out, all he received was eyes turned towards him. Anxiously, the fingers of Otto were shaken. Until,
A warm feeling was entangled with the fingers of Otto. With that warm feeling, all of Otto's anxieties were diminished, blown away in an instant. It was as if, someone took his hand, and would never let go. In reality, this was exactly what was going on.
Garfiel took Otto's hand, and looked joyfully in his eyes.
Garfiel : "Otto 's ma friend. If ya keep lookin' 't him like that, there's nothing to negotiate, nor any reason to fight together against the enemy. After all, tha both of ya are just as suspicious as that Clown."
The heart of the young boy was burning with passion, he was young, pure, and would strive to keep everyone safe, and preserve life.
There were only little amount of people like that, one would consider those people as "Heroes", others as "Fools", and others as "Sages"… But,
Legend : "Allow me to savor the atmosphere with tranquility as I introduce me, explain my reason for being here, and why… I am who I am."
The man with a blue skin-tight suit raised his body, and stood right in front of the two young boys. Beside Legend, there was Qrow, still sitting on the ground while covering the wound of his stomach with his bare hands.
Legend : "My real name is something I won't give due to various reasons. But please, believe me as I say that it's for your own, good will."
Otto : "What reason is that?"
Legend : "I believe there's no reason for me to explain something which you should understand."
The young man closed his eyes before continuing. He took a deep breath, and then had locked his gaze on Otto's.
Legend : "Gluttony."
Upon hearing that, Otto was left agitated. He had an anxious look on his face as he heard one of the seven "Deadly Sins".
The last time he came in contact with one of the "Deadly Sins", was at the Royal Capital of the Dragon Kingdom of Lugnica, when the Royal Election Ceremony would start. That was the day, that the "Witch Cult" had attacked the Royal Capital.
As the attack of the Witch Cult continued, the Royal Election Participants came up with a plan to recover the Capital's greatness, by defeating all Sin Archbishops. Though, Sin Archbishops are far beyond human, thus only monsters themselves can fight abominations like Archbishops. However, Otto wasn't a monster, he was a simple merchant.
Otto Suwen had faced the Sin Archbishop of "Gluttony", Ley Batenkaitos, and had defeated him in the end. But as he thought he had won, he had encountered another Sin Archbishop of "Gluttony", Roy Alphard. And then, there was another Sin Archbishop of "Gluttony", Louis Arneb, who had decapitated Haku Segmunt.
Legend : "I believe my theory was spot-on. My sincere apologies that you had to face such monstrosities like "Gluttony". But, I hope you now understand my reason for refusing to give my actual name, right?"
Otto : "Continue… please."
The young merchant was too troubled since he had almost forgotten about "Gluttony". As he was reminded about it, Otto couldn't think clearly after that. Fragments and images of that day were still flowing through his mind. Thus, it would've been the best to keep it as it was.
Legend : "As you say… I was born in a Kingdom far beyond the Great Waterfall. I wasn't born out of love, or the desire to have a child, but out of force. My mother was a malicious woman, but her husband was just as obnoxious. My miserable mother decided to run away from my father, only to have her beaten up by thugs hired by my own father. Then, my mom gave birth to me, and right after that, she was murdered."
Otto : "…"
The young merchant noticed a sorrowful expression scarred on Legend's face as he tried to give a rough summary about his past, but he decided to not interfere with his story.
Legend : "That is when I realized how cruel this world is we live in. But, a man had shown me the light. It was a man who desired nothing but to preserve life, to fight for that which is right, to sacrifice whatever it takes as long the outcome is for humanity. That person introduced me to the "Wardens", and before I knew it, I was the leader of the "Wardens". I trained day and night to become one of the strongest, just so I could protect that which I treasure."
Garfiel : "…"
Legend : "But, during the times of war, that person disappeared. Before I could realize what the situation was, the "Sunstrider" took control over the "Wardens", and mineself was mutated into a monster. I had lost control, and had acted absolutely obedient to that prince. Until… Well…"
Otto : "What do you mean? You were basically brainwashed from what I understand, right?"
As Legend started stuttering during his story, Otto found a perfect moment for a question.
Legend : "Something like that, yes. But, the technique behind it was more complicated. That malicious prince took control over our bodies thanks to a power that remained unknown. Perhaps some kind of magic, or maybe one of his allies. Anyway…"
Qrow : "Yeah yeah, very noble of you Legend. My situation, is somewhat different."
The young man stood up, and pushed Legend's arm away from his shoulder. As he took a sip from his flask, he was about to start talking, but apparently, there was no need to that.
Otto : "Oh I know you."
Qrow : "You do?"
Surprised by the merchant's comment, Qrow widened his eyes slightly.
Otto : "Qrow Branwen, the younger brother of the most dangerous bandit Raven Branwen. He's the uncle of Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose. Based on the information given, I would assume Team STRQ was torn apart since the moment that the "Sunstrider" took rise?"
The young man had a thoughtful look on his face. He wasn't thinking about what to say, but he was rather thinking about how to say it correctly.
Qrow : "Hmm… Everything started the moment Summer Rose, the mother of Ruby, passed away. That was the moment when my sister fled."
Garfiel : "I see… Yer also in it to protect all of us?"
Qrow : "As a matter of fact… Few hours ago, I was on a mission in the Water Gate City Priestella, but I took quite a heavy hit while fighting some combatants of the "Sunstrider". Before I noticed what happened, I found myself here, not too far away from the "Sanctuary". It was thanks to Tattletale, that Little Bird never disappoints. She's a key to our victory, and may be one of our most valuable players in this little game of "Pawns and Kings"."
Understanding their perspective, a smile had risen on the face of the young merchant.
After that, he clapped his hands, and put on a serious expression.
Otto : "Alright then. What do we do next?"
Legend : "Hmm… The consciousness of Jens is currently within the "Sanctuary", I would assume he's taking the "Sanctuary Trials", so there's nothing we can do there. Actually, it seems Emilia-sama and Tattletale are there as well."
Garfiel : "How'd ya know?"
Instantly, Legend moved his glance away from Otto, and moved his gaze towards Garfiel, who had questioned his words.
Legend : "The "Divine Protection of Bonds". It gives me the ability to know whether someone is dead or alive, fighting or injured. Though, the only necessary requirement is having a bond with them."
Otto : "How do you know about Emilia-sama then? Didn't you met her just today, and your "Divine Protection" has already her on your list?"
Legend : "My apologies for not stating clearly… I'm also capable of recognizing the Aura of others from afar. Since me and Tattletale know each other from long ago, I can witness her surroundings as well. That's how I found her in the first place."
Both Garfiel and Otto were still somewhat doubting the clarity of their words, and what exactly was the truth and not. Yet, they had no choice but to believe them for now.
Then, as he noticed Garfiel's doubts, Legend quickly moved the subject to the most important task.
Legend : "Anyway… Since they're taking care of the "Sanctuary", it would be the best for us to make our move towards the Mansion of Roswaal. Reuniting with the others is also essential for our plan. After all, I think they could need our help, since the pawns of the "Washuu King" and Roswaal are making their way towards the Mansion."
Qrow : "That's true. Who knows what kind of people we would have to face there."
Garfiel : "That doesn't matter. Whoever the fuck stands in ours way, they'll be crushed!"
Cracking his knuckles, Garfiel raised his body and put on a prideful expression. His eyes were glimmering in excitement while thinking about destroying his enemies.
Otto : "Alright, let's do this."
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Within the dark Kremaldy Forest, the group of Otto were approaching the lands of the Roswaal family.
As the Head of the Internal Affairs, Otto Suwen was dealing with a lot of paperwork during his free time. In addition to that, he had also a lot of business to attend to within the Mansion, as he was partly a representative of the Mansion during the times of trading and covenants.
Due to his position, Otto Suwen had learned a lot of ways to get into the Mansion. Secret passages weren't as secret as they used to be, but there were countless ways to die within those secret passages.
Otto : "There's a cavern which leads straight to the Second Floor's Main Hall."
He spoke out nervously. The young merchant was somewhat anxious about that which was yet to come, but he was confident that as long he gave his everything, that all would end up okay.
Garfiel : "Yer the leader here, better make't count!"
The young boy, who had met everyone only today and had risked his life in fighting evil enemies, was covered in wounds. There were scratch marks, wounds, and old bloodstains on his body, but he kept striving forward.
Garfiel Tinsel, who had astonishing physical fighting capabilities, and the ability to turn himself into a massive golden tiger, was a young boy with the heart of gold. He wouldn't fight for what's good or bad, he would fight for what he believed in.
Qrow : "Make sure to follow the plan exactly as discussed. No footstep must be misplaced, or we might end up being all dead."
The young man who spoke was Qrow Branwen, a former member of the "Warrior" team STRQ. He was affiliated with various governmental business, like secret missions beyond the borders of Lugnica, and was present as the Fighting Academy of the Capital along with his niece Yang Xiao Long.
Otto : "Yes… We're here."
Approaching a ruin, the group glanced down at the collapsed building as they listened to the words of the young merchant.
Qrow had his doubts whether this was an actual secret passage to the mansion, but such doubts were washed away as Otto Suwen had pointed towards one of the stone bricks.
Otto : "The secret passage is right here."
The young man pressed his finger against the stone brick, and the ground beneath their feet started to shine cerulean. The sudden flash of light caused a short moment of panic for the young Garfiel Tinsel.
Before comprehending what exactly was happening, everyone blinked their eyes a couple of times before realizing, that their environment had been changed completely.
As the cerulean light flooded their surroundings, the mystical enchant of the ruins had lifted. They found themselves in some kind of corridor within a building.
Legend : "Marvelous… That ruin, was it a magical gate?"
Otto : "Something like that, yes. Beatrice-sama had opened various doorways to enter the Mansion."
"Beatrice-sama", Legend whispered. That name was not unknown to him, it would be more accurate to say that he had heard the name "Beatrice" before.
As a matter of fact, Beatrice was the caretaker of the Forbidden Library within the mansion of Roswaal. She refused to act nicely towards Jens, and preferred to stay within the Library. However, she was a master in Magic, and was capable of creating various wormholes towards the Mansion.
Qrow : "Where are we exactly?"
The young man whispered to Otto as he placed the hilt of his weapon in his grip.
Otto : "This ain't the Main hall, this seems more like… Roswaal's personal Library?"
Glancing around himself, they were surrounded by one wall, and two bookshelves. As the young merchant looked over the titles of the books, he recognized the titles from before. He had studied within this library few times before Otto was ordered to go and attend at the Royal Election.
The room was dark, as the curtains were closed and no candles were lit. But there were a several bookshelves within the room, the carpet was bloodred, and the ceiling was marble white. Most of the rooms looked the same, but this room was one which Otto recognized.
The young boy opened the door, only to realize that it was locked.
Otto : "Eh…"
But, that was something which had shocked him. Why of all times would a door like this be closed. Before he could realize what was going on, there was a sound which echoed through everyone's consciousness.
-There was a powerful explosion, which had blasted the door in sheds, and had incinerated the insides of Roswaal's personal library. In addition to the door, the group of Otto was also blown away.
Recovering themselves from their knees, Otto, Garfiel, Qrow and Legend raised their bodies and had entered their battle stance as they gazed at the smoke.
Qrow : "An attack…!"
Legend : "Prepare yourselves!"
A silhouette was forming within the smoke, and before they would realize what that explosion was, and who the silhouette was, a voice rang out to them.
??? : "Yeeeees. It seems it's finally time for the final shoooooooowdown!"
Stepping forward out of the smoke, Roswaal L Mathers had walked forward. He glanced at the group of Otto with his two different-colored eyes, while having a wicked smile carved on his face.
The hands of the clown were flashing crimson red, meaning that he had casted some sort of "Fire" magic an instant ago.
Otto : "Roswaal… What's the meaning of all this? What are you even doing, working together with the enemy, are you out of your mind!?"
Swinging his hand to the rear, Otto shouted at Roswaal and demanded for answers, but all that he received was a blink of an eye.
Roswaal : "I'm simply following the ordeal of the "Washuu King". Our goals match, so there's no reason for me to not work together with him."
Qrow : "The resurrection of Echidna?"
Roswaal : "Yes, that too is why I follow the "Washuu King"."
Widening his eyes in response to the unexpected words of Qrow Branwen, Roswaal glanced towards him.
The relationship between Roswaal L Mathers and the Witch of Greed Echidna was something which nobody was exactly sure of. However, at this point, it wasn't a surprise that they were somewhat connected.
As far as Otto had theorized, Roswaal L Mathers was overly concerned of Echidna, and his only reason for following the "Washuu King", was because Furuta was intending to release all the "Witches of Sin" out of the "Sanctuary".
Otto : "… Were you connected with the Witch Cult?"
Roswaal : "Whyyyy of courseee. Furuta-sama ordered me to break the defenses of the Capital, and so I did. I acted according to Furuta's plan, myself had stayed in the shadows while acting as a method of transport for the Witch Cult. Opening a mystic Gate to the Capital was the only possibility."
The young merchant tightened his fist as he listened patiently to the words of Roswaal. His eyes were streaming with tears as he glanced at the clown.
Otto : "How could you? Aren't you ashamed of such obnoxious actions?! People died, innocent civilians were being toyed with, while you're not even showing the slightest trace of humanity… At this point, you're beyond redeemable."
The clown raised a brow at the words of the young merchant.
Roswaal : "Hoooh? Yours hate for the Witch Cult, how did that came to beeee?"
Otto : "I've faced them myself at the Capital. The Sin Archbishops of "Gluttony"… they were beyond human… As I gazed in their eyes, I noticed no trace of humanity left in their souls…. Same goes for you."
It was true, Otto hadn't met a person who lacked in humanity as much as the Sin Archbishops of the Witch Cult, except for Roswaal L Mathers.
Legend : "That isn't exactly true now, is it? After all, you have something which I came to destroy…"
Garfiel : "Legend-san, what'cha talkin' 'bout?"
Raising one hand and taking one step forward, Legend spoke out.
Legend : "Roswaal L Mathers is in possession of a Gospel. Otto-san, I'm sure you know what I'm referring to, right?"
Otto : "A Gospel? You mean… The same Gospel which the Sin Archbishops have?"
Legend : "Yes… The only thing which remains a mystery, is why this Roswaal has a gospel, and why this Roswaal wants to resurrect The Witch of Greed Echidna."
Placing a finger on his chin, Otto put on a thoughtful look. Then, as he realized something, he snapped out of his thoughts, and widened his eyes.
Otto : "Now that you say it… Echidna passed away more than four hundred years ago. If that Gospel is Echidna's, or partly hers, then… It is passed down from generation to generation."
Qrow : "That would've been the case, if that damned clown wasn't a mother fuckin' psycho…"
The clown widened both eyes once he realized that Qrow knew more than the others.
Roswaal : "Oh… That's troublesome…"
Unexpectedly, there was a twist in his voice.
As if a great scheme of his was send into the abyss, Roswaal's way of speaking changed drastically at the words of the young man Qrow Branwen. In addition to that, he raised one of his brows.
Qrow : "Jens will be the one to confirm whether my theory is correct or wrong. But there's no doubt, that the one before my eyes, is NOT Roswaal L Mathers."
―The person in front of them, the one who acted as the partner of Emilia during the Royal Election, was "Roswaal L Mathers". But, as Qrow stated, the one before their eyes, was not the "Roswaal L Mathers" he was supposed to be.
Hearing such words coming out of Qrow's mouth, both Otto and Garfiel were shocked by such statement.
Otto : "Hueh!?"
Garfiel : "What'cha sayin'!?"
However, Legend's expression didn't change in the slightest. In fact, all that changed physically, was that he had narrowed his eyes slightly. But other than that, there wasn't much that changed about Legend upon hearing such words.
But, the one before them―
Roswaal : "QROOOOOOOOOOOOOW!"
Unleashing a powerful scream at the words of Qrow, Roswaal put his hands together, and released a powerful inferno. A flaming spiral flooded the library before they would realize it.
If nothing would've happened, all four of them would've been incinerated and turned into ashes. But,
Qrow : "Raaagh!"
The young man, Qrow Branwen, instantly jumped ahead. Standing in front of Legend, Garfiel and Otto, he unsheathed his sword. But, doing only that wouldn't have saved their lives.
Thus, the gears within the sword of Qrow started to work like a circuit. His weapon started to make a noise, which wasn't able to be heard due to the fire flaming.
―In an instant, the sword had changed into a marvelous scythe.
As it formed a scythe, Qrow started to spin it to direct the inferno to another direction. The speed of the spinning scythe was unbelievable. If one's finger would get between it's trajectory, it would've been cut off with ease.
Roswaal : "You… What do you think you're doing here? Qrow, Legend, the two of you are out of the loop. There's nothing here for you to do. Vanish. Disappear. SCATTER!"
Swinging his hand to the rear, Roswaal released a blast of furious winds, blowing everyone and everything away.
With this, everything which was still set ablaze was turned to ash, and that which wasn't was blown into the corners or even out of the windows, which were at this point all shattered.
Otto grabbed Garfiel by his shoulders with both hands, and the young boy placed both his feet steady on the floor. Thanks to his "Divine Protection", there was no way that a breeze could blow him away, even when not standing on soil.
Legend and Qrow were both able to withstand such "Wind" attack, and witnessing that, caused Roswaal only to grow more angry.
Roswaal : "My sincere apologies Echidna… But at this point, I've no choice but to destroy everything!"
Apologizing to that which wasn't there, there was a glim of sorrow to be seen in Roswaal's gaze. However, nobody of the group felt any sympathy towards a person who betrayed them since the very beginning.
Otto : "Why can't we just calm down and speak about our feelings like normal human-beings do!?"
Trying to act normally, and come up with a regular solution, Otto opened up his arms as he spoke towards the clown. But, before the clown Roswaal could respond to his offer, Qrow intercepted.
Qrow : "Because that man is no "Human". I expected from you that you would've know at this point. But it seems I was wrong…"
Garfiel : "What'cha mean he ain't no "Human"?"
―Whatever this "Roswaal" was, there was no doubt that there's only little to no humanity left within him.
Roswaal : "UR GOAAAAAAA!"
※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※
Upon entering the "Roswaal Mansion", there was a marble hall, the "Arceleno Hall". Then, you could simply follow the stairs, or head towards the western-wing or eastern-wing.
If one wouldn't know how the interior of the "Roswaal Mansion", that one person would get lost very easily. To a stranger, the mansion would've been considered as a maze, or perhaps a labyrinth.
After all, each and single door of the Roswaal Mansion is connected with each other, thanks to Beatrice. Due to her magical affinity being "Yin", she acts as the guardian of both the Forbidden Library and the Mansion.
However, the ones who had entered the Mansion, were unsure whether what would happen next was in their favor or not.
Weiss : "Empty? There's nobody here…"
As they were ordered to guard the mansion, the group of Weiss and Ram had separated from each other to save as many lives as possible. Also, as one group is outside, it's necessary to exchange information between groups to know who or what's approaching the mansion.
Contrary to their initial expectations, the main hall of the Roswaal Manor was completely empty. Not a single soul except for theirs was able to be seen.
It was stated multiple times that the villagers of the Sanctuary were evacuated, and that they would be grouped within the mansion, but that appeared to be some kind of deception. At least, that's what they thought.
Frederica : "The villagers of the Sanctuary Village were evacuated to the mansion, weren't they? I can't find a single one of them, at least not here."
Angel : "Ram is outside, her "Divine Protection of Clairvoyance" could assist us in helping the civilians. Ram can't be far―"
"BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM"
―There was a massive explosion which caused everyone to feel the tremors underneath their feet. Such extraordinary blast was possibly capable of obliterating whatever was caught within the explosion, thus…
―The ceiling above the stairs had collapsed.
Witnessing that the 1st floor had broken down due to the explosion, Weiss Schnee lifted her rapier Myrtenaster, and with rapid finger gestures, she pushed both herself, and her group backwards thanks to her "Semblance of Glyphs".
Black and white glyphs that radiated cyan-colored light were formed underneath their feet, and before they could comprehend what happened, they were brought to safety.
Both dust and smoke had overwhelmed the group, which caused them to enter their battle stance.
Weiss : "…!"
―From the smoke which had swallowed the entire main hall, a silhouette was able to be seen. The hand of the silhouette was consumed by lime-colored sparks.
Usually, this wouldn't mean anything. But, as a master in magic, Weiss recognized the sparks, and knew exactly what was about to come next.
Roswaal : "Ul Fura!"
An explosion of furious winds had blown away the smoke, and the silhouette was confirmed to be Roswaal L Mathers himself. The blasting winds were powerful enough to blast away those caught in its trajectory, and that was exactly what had happened.
Otto Suwen, Qrow Branwen, Garfiel Tinsel and Legend fell from the 1st floor, and landed on the ground of the main hall. In front of them, was Roswaal L Mathers, while behind them, was the remaining group.
Weiss : "Qrow… Legend?"
The young woman was in surprise as she saw Qrow and Legend in front of her while they were supposed to stay at the Sanctuary along with Emilia and Jens. There was a small expression of confusion on Weiss' face, but that was easily washed away after realizing that their opponent was Roswaal L Mathers himself.
Frederica : "Garfiel!"
The leopard woman raised her body in shock as she witnessed her younger brother appearing at the wrong time and the wrong place. She widened her eyes, and her fingers started to tremble in anxiety.
As she called out his name, her younger brother Garfiel Tinsel turned his face immediately, and responded just as surprised.
Garfiel : "Sis?!"
Roswaal : "Al Goa!"
Spears of furious flames were formed out of thin air, their heat was enough to set an entire forest on fire. There was a good amount of dread in the air as he unleashed a tide of fire.
Grabbing the coat of Qrow and the shoulder of Legend, he tossed both of them backwards as he had observed the circumstances.
As he did so, Otto Suwen placed the palm of his right hand on the floor. Before he was able to call out the incantation, dark brown and yellow sparks started to scatter around the young merchant.
Otto : "Dona!"
A thick wall of mud rose from underneath, and formed a protective shield. Otto was relying a lot on his magic, as that was his most efficient skill he was granted with. However, the earthen barrier had shattered into pieces, and the flames scorched Otto's left leg.
Otto : "Ruaaaagh!"
Garfiel : "Brotto!"
As if it was second nature, Garfiel dashed towards his friend, and extinguished the flame on his leg. Then, before he was able to say anything to him, he had already taken a grip around his shoulder, and tossed him backwards towards the other group.
Then, he pressed his battle shields around his arms, and took a pose of a legendary warrior. Placing his left foot backwards, he lifted his chest, and took a deep breath before dashing forward towards the clown.
Aiming for his face, Garfiel pressed his feet off the ground and tried to hit a single punch on his face.
―A light had emerged the entire hall.
Before Garfiel Tinsel was able to understand what had happened, a woman appeared between him and Roswaal. As the light faded, he was able to take a look on who had grabbed his arms and had stopped his attack against Roswaal.
She had two different colored eyes, one white and one brown. As she had taken full control over Garfiel's hands, she pushed him slightly backwards with her strength. An umbrella was attached to one of her three belts.
With a single addition to her facial expression, she had grabbed her umbrella in an instant, and pushed the young boy backwards as the umbrella expanded itself.
Legend : "That's Neo, she's part of the Blood Cloud, a very high ranked assassin which acts according the will of the "Sunstrider."
Qrow : "Neo…"
As he whispered to himself, Qrow lifted his body and grabbed the hilt of his greatsword. Affirming the strength in his grip, Qrow locked his sight on Neo, and dashed forward.
He pressed his feet off the ground, and in the blink of an eye, he vanished. Not literally though, his speed was far beyond that which was considered normal.
Appearing right behind Neo, his eyes were still locked on Neo, and there wasn't a single change in his expression. He kicked her on her back as powerful as he could, and the impact of that kick caused her to be blown forward.
Noticing that, Garfiel took that moment as an opportunity, and tried to land a punch on stomach while she was still mid-air. However, she had predicted such an attack. Thus, she had expended her umbrella, and the mighty punch landed on the umbrella.
Roswaal : "Tch!"
Turning his back towards everyone, Roswaal took a sprint into the western wing of the Manor. The reason was unknown, but those who had witnessed that, assumed because he had something else to do. Clearly, the group of heroes were stalling him from something important.
―Weiss Schnee and Legend were one of those people who understood that.
Weiss : "Everyone who's capable of fighting, aim for Roswaal. Those who can't, rally with the group outside."
Legend raised his body, and dashed forward as fast as he could, right through the battle of Neo, and started chasing Roswaal. Blake and Angel followed Weiss, who were heading towards the western wing as well.
As those combatants had moved their gazes away from the battle of Neo and Garfiel, only two individuals remained before the battle.
―Otto and Frederica.
Hearing the words of Weiss, Frederica widened her eyes in disagreement. It was true that she wasn't a powerful combatant, but she refused to let her younger brother fight alone.
Frederica Baumann dashed forward as her bare hands transformed of those of a beast. The expression in her eyes had changed from a lady, to that of a ravenous predator.
Frederica : "Hiyaaa!"
Swinging the beastified claws towards her, Neo simply stuck her umbrella in the stomach of the female demi-human. In addition to that, Neo spinned two times before kicking on the jaw of Frederica.
The young leopard woman fell on the ground, but immediately raised her body and stood back on her feet. She was angry, and was prepared to fight alongside Garfiel and Qrow.
But then,
Otto : "Ur Dona!"
The young merchant had casted an Earth Magic spell. Thus, a thick wall of earthen mud had raised from the floor. The wall itself didn't do anything, until―
Otto : "Raaaagh!"
Releasing a powerful scream, the young merchant Otto Suwen let out all the powerful that was left within him.
Then, as he screamed, the wall was launched towards Neo.
Neo : "…?!"
As she widened her eyes in shock, the earthen wall was heading right at Neo, and if she wouldn't react in time, she would be crushed between the wall and whatever may be behind her.
She opened her umbrella, and aimed it at the wall, which was being send flying towards her.
The moment that the wall hit Neo's Umbrella, a radiating, shining, white light had absorbed all the mana within wall, and thus, the Earthen Magic had vanished, which caused Otto to frown at her.
―Neo, the Silent Assassin was opposing Garfiel Tinsel, Otto Suwen, Qrow Branwen and Frederica Baumann.
Qrow : "Hmm… This situation fuckin' sucks… They better catch Roswaal before he escapes."
Otto : "They will… I'm sure about that."
Garfiel : "Yea, but first of all, we gotta fuck this freaky girl up."
Dashing forward as fast as he could, he aimed for a direct hit on her shoulder, so that it could be possibly dislocated.
As she observed Garfiel's movements, Neo simply stepped aside for that moment, and then jumped. Pressing her feet against the back of Garfiel, she jumped towards Qrow and Frederica.
―Neo's technique of fighting was very complicated to understand. Being capable of reading someone's movements clearly, accompanied with acrobatic movements, that woman was one of a kind assassin. In addition to that, the only weapon she had, was an umbrella.
Qrow : "Ruagh!"
Swinging his greatsword towards the neck of the woman, he slashed right through her, and her body had scattered into a thousand pieces of glass. Then, that glass faded into light. Out of that light, Neo appeared from.
The woman gave a gentle tap on Qrow's neck, which disabled the ability of using his right arm. Not comprehending exactly how, Qrow gazed down nervously while his arm had released the grip around the hilt of his weapon.
Otto : "Cha Blockin'?!"
―Blocking someone's Cha is considered to be an ancient technique, which only masterful fighters can apply during actual combat. Blocking someone's Cha literally caused some nerves to be disabled temporary, most commonly limbs.
But, as she did so, she had left her entire body vulnerable. Thus, Qrow had kicked her on her chin, sending her flying backwards.
Landing on her back, the woman immediately raised her body as she glanced furiously at the group. Right after, her neapolitan colored Aura started to glim before fading away short after.
Neo : "…"
―Still, the woman hadn't said a single word.
But the murderous intent of killing was carved in her gaze, and the malicious aura of that woman was too obvious. There was something which was seriously on the mind of the woman, something which made her capable of killing. But what exactly that was, was yet to be seen.
Her exact role in the enemy's team was also something quite mysterious.
So far, Jens and the others of the Emilia Camp had encountered this woman once at the Royal Capital during the great attack of the "Witch Cult". She didn't come alone though, Emerald Sustrai and Cinder Fall, The "Fall Maiden", were there too with her.
However, Qrow had seen that woman another time as well. Just a few hours ago, before he was brought to the "Sanctuary", he was fighting this woman when he had encountered the "Warden" Glory Girl at the Watergate City Priestella. In that situation, she was part of the "Wardens" group, lead by the "Sunstrider" Vincent Volakia.
―Putting it simply, there was no doubt that Vincent Volakia and Neo were somehow connected.
Qrow : "There's no point in fighting her… No matter how many times we beat her, she keeps getting up over and over again."
Hearing those words, Frederica widened her eyes in slight surprise before turning her face to the young man.
Frederica : "…You know her?"
She spoke with anxiety in her voice. The leopard woman wasn't quite sure whether their enemy named "Neo" was as troublesome as she imagined she would be. Though, based on her "Physical Illusion Semblance" and her "Chi-Blocking" ability, it was a fact that she was an extremely difficult opponent to beat.
Qrow : "To put it simply, we're acquaintances, and let's keep it like that."
Garfiel : "So crushin' her skull 's the only option, right?"
Coming up with a close-minded solution, the young boy opened his arms in confusion. However, as he suggested a solution, the young lady before their eyes narrowed her eyes in disgust.
In an instant, the woman became one with her dash, and rushed forward as fast as she could. She had her umbrella in the palms of both her hands, and aimed for the top of Garfiel's head.
Swinging her umbrella with a vertical gesture, Neo's eyes expressed the murderous intent of killing. However, her attack was blocked with ease by Garfiel, who lifted one of his shields.
As the steel edge of Garfiel's shield collided with the umbrella, Neo's entire body along with her umbrella scattered in thousand glass pieces. This was the work of her "Semblance".
Garfiel : "Yer kiddin' me?! Stop freakin' messin' me with me!"
Then, as he screamed in annoyance, the scattered glass pieces were lifted, and had formed the appearance of the young woman.
The neapolitan-colored girl was ominous, and fought like a ravenous beast. Though that was quite frightening the haunting look on her face was far worse.
In her left, brown colored eye, along with her right, white colored eye, was absolutely contaminated by malice. The thirst to shed blood was overwhelming for someone that wasn't used to fighting.
Yet, there was a change in her glance.
Suddenly, her eyes widened as the main entrance doors of the mansion opened.
Neo was facing towards the door, thus those posing her had to turn around and open a weak spot for Neo. However, that wouldn't have been the first fear they would have that right moment.
As natural sunlight overwhelmed the hall, Frederica along with Garfiel and Qrow narrowed their eyes slightly. Neo on the other hand, had her eyes wide open with zero emotion in her glance.
"Who was the one entering the mansion right now be?", was what Frederica was thinking.
Just a moment ago, they had arrived at the territory of the Mathers. She had discussed the plan with Yang and Ram, and they decided that they'll look around the territory.
Then, why are they returning? And if it isn't one of them, then who was it?
Neo : "…"
Qrow : "Tsk…"
Frederica : "Oh…"
Otto : "Fuck…"
Garfiel : "Ya gotta'be kiddin' me!?"
The aura of a venomous flower had emerged in the atmosphere once the presence of a woman was felt. The young woman, with long black hair tied into one tail and dark purple eyes, was one to-be feared.
Upon seeing that woman, a fear of being slaughtered at the hands of a masterful assassin. One that had caused great terror in the Southern Empire Volakia and recently in the Dragon Kingdom Lugnica. She was known for her unique fighting techniques and her obnoxious relationship with murdering.
Such fear had already overwhelmed both Garfiel, Otto and Qrow.
Elsa : "It seems I've arrived at the peak of the scene, didn't I?"
―The "Blood Hunter" of the Northern Holy Kingdom Gusteko, Elsa Granhiert.
―But that which had crossed everyone's mind first, was how Elsa got passed through Yang, Nathan and Ram's group.
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