The news of Julius's battle spread quickly. The firework shows that occurred in London was not something which would easily go under the radar. Moreover, the damage to the Big Ben, as well as videos of the battle which were circulating online showcased massive explosions and clashes of magic in the air and at the top of the clock tower, helped lead the public to the realization that Julius had been battling the terrorist. The man who had torn down three monuments already. "The Greatest Knight" even came out and made an apologetic statement, expressing his guilt for not being able to catch the terrorist. but also, his guilt for damaging part of the Big Ben with his, "Wandenreich."
The public's reaction to this was more than just a little bit mixed. On one hand, Julius had stood up two, and managed to thwart the power of someone who could blow up massive structures effortlessly. Not to mention, he did it with minimal damage, as well as zero causalities. It could only be seen as a victory from a completely rational standpoint.
However certain biases and the nuances in the situation made it more complex than that simple explanation would have you believe.
There was the simple fact that despite Julius victory in this situation, it didn't come without a cost. A portion of the Big Ben was still damaged, and although it could be easily replaced, it would never ever be the same as it once was.
The Big Ben would never completely be whole, every again.
Looking at it through that lens, the terrorist, Wraths, goal had succeeded. He had defiled the monument of the Big Ben, and this time, he didn't even need to do a majority of it by his own hands.
He didn't need to completely destroy the tower, in order to destroy the fragile symbol that it was.
It didn't help that the shattering of this symbol, of the Big Ben, had been done at the hands of two Magicians in battle. It joined the terrorist attacks that had slowly begun to spring up around the word, in that it only helped further push the public opinion that if it wasn't for Magicians, then things like this would never happen in the first place.
"Because of these children of the devil, you are forced to suffer daily."
The words of these terrorist, the ones who had attacked the coffee shop, and blamed it on Kami and her friends, were now circulating amongst non-magicians.
And it was at a rapid rate. The idea was becoming less and less crazy and was being seen as more and more logical.
It wouldn't be long before the "Justice" of the world, was called into question.
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An hour or so before the fight between Julius and Wrath.
"Cold-blooded killer? What the hell gives you the right to say anything like that?" Suijin slammed her hands against the table as she said it.
They had arrived at their destination, a restaurant in Fujinomiya that was esteemed for ramen. They had come here in order to discuss matters relating to, The Castle of Dreams, however, they had become sidetracked in this argument between Suijin and Yuri.
"When you've seen the things that I've seen, you recognize these things."
For a brief moment Suijin paused. She knew about Yuri's past. His traumatizing backstory. As a child, his parents were Magicians, and so, like all magicians, they faced troubles from people all around them. It didn't help that they were pretty poor, and because of that fact, they were forced to live in a bad neighborhood where crime ran rampant.
The neighborhood also happened to be a battleground between magicians and non-magicians. It was a place that truly showed of the nastiness of hatred. Gang beatings, meaningless arrests, constant jumping's, murders every other week.
Both sides of the conflict were at their nastiest.
And during one of these nasty encounters, both of Yuri's parents were killed. He had seen his fair share of killers, and firsthand. Suijin had every reason to believe his words.
However, the idea of calling someone else, a student of Theta, one of her underclassmen, a, "Cold-blooded killer" did not sit right in Suijin's heart.
"And how can you be so cruel. You barely even know him, and yet you go as far as to accuse him to be a murderer."
There was silence for a few seconds, as Yuri tried to figure out an adequate response to Suijin's questions.
Suijin spoke her next words in a quiet, hushed tone. "You know, with the way that you two both cast aside your wants in pursuit of a mission or goal...You two aren't that different."
Yuri once again remained silent, but this time, it was because he himself had long realized this truth. Raiden Chisaki, and Yuri Hanami, were not all that different. In fact, they were strikingly similar.
"Which is why I was able to recognize that look in his eyes. One of emptiness, one that has lost all of its purpose, and is simply waiting to be given his next order. Do you know why that is? Because for so long, I wore that same look. That same expression. I wore it until you pulled my out of it." Yuri recalled a darker time in his life, where he had no purpose. A time where there was no one there to give him a purpose. Something to live for, even if it came at the cost of his own humanity.
And when Suijin had reached out her hand and asked for him to not throw away his life, he did just that. He accepted her kind words, and his cold heart had been melted by their warm interactions. And so, he accepted her request, and instead of throwing his life away, he devoted it to Suijin. To protecting her.
The two lapsed into silence, stuck in a stalemate. Neither able to completely refute the others claim.
And so, Genji finally interrupted the conversation, bringing it back on topic.
"So, guys, about the castle, Ichijo said that he got a few volunteers that would like to help plan the defense of the festival. According to him, they all had signed up in a group."
Suijin nodded for her to continue after she apologized for going off track. Yuri did the same.
Genji pulled out a small piece of paper from her pocket and read off the names.
"Hikaru, Masayoshi, Phi, and.....Raiden."
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After my body had lost the warmth from Yuki's embraced, I returned to my almost robotic patterns of movement. Yuki continued to walk with me, leading the way to my room. She held my hand tightly, and it was the only thing serving to tether my shattered mind to reality. We waited for the main congregation in the lobby to head off toward the east wing of the building, where my parent's room and guest rooms were. Then, we ascended the twisting staircases up to Yuki's room. Which was on the third floor of the building.
Her room was large, and extremely well furnished, although this went for literally everything in the house. Just like in my secret basement, there was a massive television attached to the left wall. However instead of having a desk attached to it, her room was instead set up in such a manner that she had three couches gathered around the center of the room, along with a coffee table and carpet. Once couch faces the Tv directly, will the other two faced the entrance and window.
Tucked off in the corner, there was a large queen-sized bed. It was decorated with stuffed animals.
I took a seat on Yuki's bed, and a few stuffed animals rolled into my field of view. A small T-rex and a panda. I winced to myself.
I had given Yuki that panda on her birthday. Why had she kept it. Even when Takeru had demanded she throw it in the trash, had told her that gifts from me mean nothing.
"What exactly happened in that room?" Yuki broke the silence. She sat on the couch, facing away from me and looking at the TV. She was looking at my reflection through the glass of the screen. The way she asked the question insinuated that she already had an idea and was testing to see if I'd tell the truth.
"Nothing." I lied.
Yuki shook her head. "For your entire life, you have never been able to successfully lie to me. You think that will change now, sweetheart?"
I didn't respond to her words. There was no point. In my peripherals, I could catch sight of shadows moving outside the mansion. Immediately I tensed up. Was it, a threat?
Yuki noticed them too. She could read my intentions and knew that I was going to leave. Before I left, she asked me, "Do you really believe that Kami, the princess, your sister, will allow Raiden Chisaki to die?"
I didn't respond to her question as I rushed outside. When I arrived at the front yard, I could sense the magical energy of 6 people, spread out throughout the yard. I paused, taking a deep breath. In that moment, from my left, and attacker launched out, propelling themselves with a fire spell. As the attacker approached, I turned in one swift motion and sliced their head off. Blood sprayed over my already bloodied white shirt.
From afar, the action may have looked like I just let sanguinary thoughts take over, but in truth, I didn't feel anything. The only feeling in my entire body was that of the recoil from drawing my blade straight through bone.
As the rest of the shadows jumped about, I faced them emotionlessly.
And I slaughtered them.
Every last one.
In cold blood.
Like a true weapon.