"He's not chasing us?" "Is that bastard looking down on us?" "Nah I doubt that. He must be dying to get his damn claws on us at this point." "But then why isn't he here?" The Nameless Circle's trio stopped running down the halls and turned around. The Demon Lord Alistair was nowhere to be seen.
"I'm going to assume that he can't run after us because he really can't." "What does that mean?" "Ah I get it." Shirayukihime's light bulb lit up as she realized the weakness of the Shield of Achilles.
"He can't run because of that Divine Armament." "Yup, most likely it's related to the epics of Achilles. The tendon injury named after the hero.
For using that Divine Armament his movement is highly restricted. Basically a price for invincibility." "A trade off." "So we basically just need to run from him and he can't catch us unless he deactivates it." "But then why not just deactivate it instead of moving around with it?" "Maybe he has a time delay between activation and deactivation." Most of these are just guesses but that was probably it. The Shield of Achilles has a cool down between activation and deactivation. Not knowing what will happen Alistair is being cautious so he's putting up that shield at all times even if it meant his movement will be restricted.
"Right when we fight him again after we accomplish the third objective I want to try something." "Eh?" "Just listen up." Akatsuki quickly filled in Inaba and Shirayukihime to his plans. They gave a nod after listening to the logic behind it.
"It's worth a try." "As expected of the schemer." "So it's unanimous? Alright then let's go find that Impaler Prince and have a rematch." "..." She was watching the game Lord of the Vampires anxiously without moving her head away from the image projected by the clairvoyance sphere.
"Lady Theia no matter how abnormal these three are I do not believe that they stand much of a chance against master Alistair." One of the maids point out the facts coldly. "...But." She wanted to believe in the Nameless's victory. Though the boy named Kurogami Akatsuki may not be a good person in personality he was not going to give up just because the odds were against him. If it was him maybe he could do it. Theia did not tell him the full reasons as for why she wanted out of the Upper Garden but currently in the Upper Garden two powerful entities were waging war against each other sending the lands into chaos. The Water Dragon God, Owatatsumi kami also known as the Ryujin was waging a War game against the Kuzuryushin, the Nine Head Dragon God. The reason as for why they were fighting has long since escaped them. Originally it was a War Game that took place in a separate dimension inside of a game board. The location they started in was the highest Garden of it all the Celestial Heavens. A place fit for only the greatest of gods and demons. However, overtime due to the clash of their powers the battle escalated out of control and the game board was utterly destroyed. The two escaped dragon gods not satisfied with the results showed up in the Upper Gardens and continued to clash in the seas of this Garden without stop. The violent tremors of the earth and the ragging seas that threaten to swallow everything whole is like a scene out of the Apocalypse. Just seeing the two dragon gods in battle Theia was struck by fear and wanted out of this Garden, thus she seeks solace in the Lower Gardens that is the furthest away from here.
"Win...please achieve victory Kurogami Akatsuki." "Aaaah there's nothing here for shit!" Yelling out his frustration without a care Akatsuki complains as they went through every single room.
"*Sigh* there's really nothing..." "Is there anything from the story of Vlad III that can give us a clue?" "Not really...I think he's just expecting us to search every corner..." "That stinks..." At this point most of the left wing has been cleared. Every room has been rummaged through thoroughly and still the Impaler Prince did not turn up.
"Do you think we may be overthinking this again?" "Not likely...I mean Akatsuki-san's explanation was sound." "Issue here is really just us not being able to find it then." "So we're going to have to go to the right wing...?" That would mean to encounter Alistair once more without the Impaler Prince in hand. Seeing as Alistair can't run and chase he must be camping it out in the next wing waiting for Nameless to show up.
"...What are the chances...right?" Inaba attempts to be optimistic but it wasn't too convincing as her shoulders drooped. "The second issue aside from that shield..." "Are those blades of wind..." Close combat against Alistair is as dangerous as it can get. Similar to bringing a knife to a gun fight where the knife user is out ranged and shot full of holes.
"Any ideas on how to get by it?" "I crushed them underneath water." That was the only time did the wind cease to strike. Logically thinking about it the tidal wall was slow as it advanced pass Inaba, so it acted as a stationary object. However the wind blades are thinner than a human hair along with their agile speed. It should have easily slipped around the wall of water and struck Inaba.
"It should have cut her to pieces..." "Right? It should have cut her to pieces..." "Why are you two repeating that!? Did you want me to be cut to pieces!?" ""Eh?"" They gave her a puzzled look as if the answer is obvious.
"Ah you two are meanies!" She took out a giant paper fan out of nowhere and attempted to slap Akatsuki first but her strike is caught.
"Wait that's it!" ""Hm?"" "He can't hit us if he can't see. The range is as far as the user can see in a literal sense!" That means that as long as they obscure Alistair's vision he cannot use his blades of wind. So long as his barrier was active Alistair cannot attack either.
"So we'll need to rely on Shirayuki-san to deploy Cold Mist right?" "Leave it to me." Going back towards the way that they had come from the right wing of the mansion awaits.
"Shit bastard's already here." "Took you lots long enough. I was getting tired of waiting." Instead of encountering Demon Lord Alistair in the right wing he had waited here in the entrance way of the mansion. The possibility of that happening wasn't really unexpected since to get to the right wing one would have to go through the entrance way that joined the two sides of the mansion together.
"To obscure his vision fully will take some time." Already white mists have started to seethe from Shirayukihime as the temperature around her dropped below zero into the negatives.
"I'll stall him then. Inaba." "Got it." Inaba took out a yellow card from her pocket and raised it into the air. "Lucis." Alistair hisses as a bright light fills the room like a flash grenade. This temporally caught him off guard as Akatsuki jumped down from the second floor and smashed his fists onto the Shield of Achilles!
"Useless!" The blinding effect of the light had worn off far too soon as the howling of the wind increased in frequency. Attempting to catch the invisible blade that came from his side Akatsuki had injured his left arm as the violent wind tore his jacket's sleeve to shreds! "Bastard." Clicking his tongue Akatsuki bounced back and lands onto the red carpet. Once more he kicks himself off the ground and with his left leg he catapults Alistair to the door of the mansion.
"Oh?" Since he is still surrounded by the fortress level defensive barrier the collision did not leave any signs of a wound.
"Damn that thing is hard..." Rising off the ground Alistair stood up once more. From his right side Inaba comes charging into the fray with a lance that had a transparent tip that made it seem to have been formed out of sea water.
"Nng..." Seeing that her attack had no effect Inaba withdraws and stands near Akatsuki.
"It really is tough..." Even with the stab of the lance the Shield of Achilles did not bulge as it stands firm without being pierced.
"Oh an Arrow of Tsukuyomi?" "That thing's an arrow...?" It looked just like a lance. But in a way Akatsuki could see it as an enlarged arrow so long as the bowman had a bow that can fire it.
"You're not just some random Nameless Circle are you?" "What? Finally starting to admit that we're not just trash?" "The girl here with the Arrow of Tsukuyomi seems special. That ice spirit up there also seems quite formidable. But you are in a completely different category." As he praised Inaba and Shirayukihime's abilities Alistair's tone completely changed when he comments on Akatsuki. It was a tone filled with questionings for the unknown.
"What are you really?" "I'd like to know that myself." As far back as Akatsuki can remember his body was far too durable. But the results of his bio scans showed that he was human. The only abnormality about him is his body that did not falter under any circumstances. A simple blade is not enough to cut the skin. No matter the weight his bones will not break. In fact this may as well have been the first time that he has been injured.
With his endurance combined with his brute strength Kurogami Akatsuki was known as the number one problem child of his world.
"Enough about me." Akatsuki tore off the ripped sleeve of his dark jacket.
"This was my favorite jacket too I'll make you pay for it once we're done." Again Akatsuki kicked off the ground as he shatters it beneath his rocketing leap!
"Five." With his sleeveless and injured left arm Akatsuki hit the damnable shield. "Four." Each smash caused the floor beneath Alistair to crack and be crushed!
"Three." From up high Inaba comes crashing down with the lance held in reverse. She nailed the lance down as it hit the hard shell of the shield bouncing it off.
"Two." Each of Akatsuki's strikes had the destructive powers of a meteor crashing down from the heavens. "One." On the final count of one zero follows. A dense fog covers the whole area of the mansion entrance way. Realizing the time Akatsuki and Inaba retreats back. By the time the dense fog had cleared both Akatsuki and Inaba were nowhere to be seen. Alistair can only sigh as another one of his weakness is discovered. The blades of wind required the means of locking onto a target through vision with his vision obscured the ability won't work. "I hate to say this but this Nameless Circle is quite a giant pain to deal with." "Especially that Akatsuki." Shirayukihime stands in front of Alistair fearlessly with a hand to her hip.
"Are you not going to go after them?" Alistair deactivates the shield as he had been buried 6 feet deep into the ground. He floats up into the air and got out of the crater that was about the size of an inflatable family pool.
"I resign here." With this Shirayukihime's name is erased from the Contract of players. She can no longer interfere in this game.
"Did you lose in a game against that boy?" "Fair and square." "...You are also not just a mere spirit are you?" The absolute pure white girl Shirayukihime plays dumb as she shrugs her bare shoulders. Her dress looks to be covered in frost as diamond dust breaks off.
"This was also my favorite dress too. Ah I guess I'll just have to use some of the rewards money to get a replacement." "Do you honestly believe that you all could win?" "No Akatsuki said that we won't." "Hm?" This time even the Demon Lord was mystified by the answer given by Akatsuki through Shirayukihime.
"I guess you'll just have to wait and find out as this game goes on." As a bright light shines beneath Shirayukihime's feet she was teleported away.
"Kurogami Akatsuki...what are you really?" A grin breaks out on Alistair. What was this feeling in his chest? It was an emotion that he has long since forgotten about when playing War Games.
"Interesting what fun shall you provide me with Kurogami Akatsuki?" The host of the game feels to have been changed from Alistair to Akatsuki in that instant. The one having the most fun at this very moment may as well have been the Demon Lord himself.