One slash
The archbishop avoided
Two slashes, three hands caught in the cross strike, the archbishop still moved away
Taking in Betelgeuse's unnatural body movement and the fact that the archbishop could bend to a 180-degree angle, Natsuki Subaru was handling the situation quite well, so far.
"Oh But to this day, I CAN STILL NOT UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN SEE MY UNSEEN HAND!" Eight more summoned and the raven-haired boy had to move backward. The hands collided on spot and made way to the nasty-eyed boy.
"Give it some time and I'll be able to obliterate them all at once!" Subaru retorted while clenching his teeth
"SLOTH SLOTH SLOTH!" twelve more and the boy was on the run, he was in quite the haste, luckily the boy was aided by his newfound Divine Protection of Swiftness as well by a minya to block a few of the hands, the midnight boy was on track.
"Sloth this, sloth that, just shut up already, unless verbally assaulting my ears is your main prowess's!" Subaru kept his pace, running to the wall of a nearby building, using the brick as proper footing, Subaru launched himself toward the archbishop, a Minya to the front of himself, the nasty-eyed boy would attempt to blind side Sloth.
The crystal moved quickly, making short work of three unseen hands in its way, only stopped on impact with the fourth of the purple, almost tentacle like, arms. "Clever but not clever enough usurper!"
Subaru paused at the words of the archbishop as he had already lunged himself forth, catching the boy off guard the archbishop did not reach to punch or attack the boy but to grab the sword and fling it away with one of his violet-colored hands, only problem, the jet-black haired boy wouldn't let go of said sword. Grabbing onto the edge of the midnight blade, Sloth flung the sword into the sky, Subaru in follow was moved upward in sheer velocity.
"Woahhhhhagh" Now thrown afar, the hazel-eyed boy got full view of the battlefield, littered with crushed rubble, and torn apart buildings, a few corpses lay limp, and Sloth smiled sadistically. "God, I need to stop being thrown into the air" the nasty-eyed boy remarked. Thinking quickly, Subaru called out the spell Murak, one of the three spells his loli sensei had taught him. While not perfect at first the hazel eyed boy was able to properly slow himself, enough to land anywhere in a twenty meter range from Sloth, while not slow or precise the magic had worked and Subaru landed quickly to the ground, holding the sword Rjyuk, the boy developed a hell-bent look.
"I've had just about enough with being thrown around!" The nasty-eyed boy announced as he moved sharply away from a few unseen hands
"Then allow me to indulge once more!" The archbishop smiled roughly and threw five more purple laced arms towards Subaru
"Damn it!" Subaru moved quickly to the right, avoiding the arms and made a quick sweep of the ground where one had attempted to grab his leg. (I can't get a single hit on this guy! It's like he leveled up or something!)
(You're kind of right Omee, think he assimilated more of his witch factor recently) But to Reid's words Subaru couldn't afford to get distracted, and once again moved to the right in avoidance of a few unseen hands, his pace continuous.
(Not long before you run outta mana Omee, you want to try something rash?)
"Rash, oh of course! If it gets to the guy quickly, I don't really care!" The midnight boy replied aloud as he continuously avoided the archbishop's onslaught
(Atta boy) If the sword god could, he'd be smiling right now, (Try this one Omee)
Suddenly Ryjuk began to glow a bright purple, and at once a dark fog rapidly and violently appeared from the blade, engrossing what was left of the city square.
Only Subaru could see through it, the little white outlines of the ground and rubble, the only other object in sight a red line that laced a figure, the figure of sloth.
Moving to the outline which to this point moved and gawked in utter confusion. Subaru capitalized and moved quickly instantly understanding what Reid had done, the boy made his move, piercing his sword into said red outline.
"Y-you gh-" The archbishop in the body of a man with brown hair and pale skin looked to Subaru in complete disbelief, the black fog cleared and the nasty-eyed boy had a perfect view of his piercing action. "I cannot! I Can'NOT allow YOU to beat my love- DIE DIE DIE!" But as the archbishop summoned a black grueling force from his back a collection of purple crystals grew from the piercing and moved to cover Sloth.
"M-y" Struggling while coughing blood, Petelgeuse made a final statement, "My- bra-in Tre.. mbles-" The amethyst rock covered the sin archbishops mouth as he began to fall backward, the sword leaving swiftly and Sloth hitting the ground, Petelgeuse's Romanee-Conti shattered into a thousand pieces once more.
Subaru exhaling a large sigh fell backward to his legs, using his arms has support and sitting legs apart the raven youth couldn't help but bother to stare to the position the archbishop had previously been.
"Reid" pausing while looking down, Subaru spoke in a low tone, "Was the guy I just killed possessed by any chance?"
(Yes) The red head replied blankly from the sword
"So, I just killed an innocent man!?" The nasty-eyed boy grew a depressed look, mixed with a tad bit of shock
(You didn't omee)
"But he was possessed-"
(Willingly possessed, Omee, you killed a lunatic regardless) The sword god clarified to the raven youth, making sure to add a confirming tone
"Oh…" Subaru paused once more
(Hm) Reid could only reply blankly, he could feel what the boy was feeling as that was their contract bound by the sword, but understanding the boy was a topic of itself.
"Reid" Subaru was again called out the sword god, "I don't think I like killing people, in fact I don't really want to do it ever again, even if that guy was a total bastard"
(Leaves a bad taste, eh?) the first sword saint asked in a comfortable tone
"Y-yeah"
(Well don't try to think on it too much Omee, life's just full of surprises, ya don't want to be caught up by one death after all)
"I get that, but-, one thing im still trying to understand-" Subaru still in a dress continued, "How did that guy not die, at first I mean, didn't we kill him? Or didn't I? I mean it sure as hell looked like it!"
If the sword got could, he'd have a murky smile on his face, (best idea I got is that its apart of his abilities, must be a combination of his witch power's an' the fact the guys a great spirit)
"A great spirit, as in like, Beako?" Subaru replied a tone of awe
(Right, you are Omee. Guy must be able to to transfer em self from vassal to vassal, kinda like how a river'd flow down multiple streams, but once one of em streams gets all clouged up the water goes to another, and to another, and then another, eventually till the thing's overflowing with wat- WHICH MUST MEAN THAT'S HOW IT WORKS) Reid with a sudden burst, Subaru could feel the ghost of the swords sudden enthusiasm
"What flow? His power? Whats going on Reid?!" The hazel-eyed boy at a loss responded quickly
(it's REAL simple Omee. Everytime that guy dies, he goes to another body, and when he dies he becomes stronger as he get's close ta bein one whole again) Reid announced his thesis full of confidience
"Which means that I'll have to keep killing the guy till there's no available body?!" Subaru replied in an exasperated and slightly pissed tone
(Right you are once again Omee, now hurry to it, got a feeling th' bastards gonna try to pull a quick one on us) The sword god replied with a slight chuckle and commanded his contractor
"Ugh" Subaru exasperated as he got up to his feet, "What a pain in the ass!"
"Im not really content on stayin' here ya know?"
"I understand that, but it is in your best interest if you stay behind, a man with golden hair responded to the merchant queen in full earnest.
"Doesn' mean a thin ta me, just let me oversee my operations at least, ya'know so I can make sure th' Iron Fang does right" Anastasia replied with a determined tone
"Ana-bo we'll be fine, trust us!" The large beast man, Ricardo chuckled at his lady's words
The amethyst haired merchant let out a defiant grunt, "Yer really makin' me worry like this?"
"Why worry, we've got em tactics by o'er side?" The black cladded wolf-man responded with a smirk
"Tactics that aren' set up for the city, yer gonna do more damage then good!" The green-eyed girl folded her arms as she stared to Ricardo, shaking her head and then looking to the Pearlbaton trio
"Mimi thought Momma didn't like field work?"
"She doesn't-" Hatero was cut off
"Listen all were tyna say, is that yer probably better watchin' and strategizin' from a far in this situation'" Ricardo finally moved to end the conversation, a grim look in his face, the demi-man looked off to the distance for a second as the rest of iron fang prepared their weapons and got to their feet.
Anastasia now accepting her defeat folded her arms and walked up to Ricardo, "Make sure ta tell me everythin', use the metia we have, we gottem' for a reason ya'know"
Ricardo chuckled, reaching to a pocket to reveal the small mirror like device that was the metia, "Don't cha worry a thin' ana-bo, we'll be back safe an' sound before ya'know it"
The merchant sighed, calming down a bit Anastasia relaxed her posture and moved her left hand to meet the left temple of her forehead, "And if- if ya see Subaru"
The dogman now raised a curious eye, "And if we see em?"
"Tell that bastard he's going ta' have hell ta' pay if he runs off one more time!"
Ricardo chuckled once more, gaining a large grin in the process, "Don't cha worry yer pretty little head ana-bo. If we fin' th' guy, I'll be sure to let'em know he's been worrin' ya!"
"What? Guy hasn' been worryin me one bit- if anythin', he should be worried for emself!" The merchant queen replied, a slightly flustered look on her face.
"Sure thin Ana-bo" Ricardo replied sarcastically, a mocking smirk on his face
"Ya ya" Anastasia waved her hands in dismissal as The Iron Fang began to set out
"We'll see you soon!" Tivey cried out
"You can count on Mimi to beat those creeps!" The other Pearlbaton cried out
The merchant bearing wavy violet hair smiled as the mercenary group set out. Today they would win, they had to, right? The group had just as many advantages as the guard in the city, now that they were temporary allies and all.
The green-eyed girl looked around her, without the commotion that was Mimi, and the lively group she had come to know and love, these types of situations always felt off, the ones where she would watch from afar, playing as many tactics and laying as many plans as she could. All Anastasia could do now was hope for their success; after all the Sin Archbishop of Sloth couldn't be all that much too powerful. The merchant recalled her time with Subaru, and the battle the nasty-eyed boy faced against the creep; easily defeated, in not less then two minutes, so surely, if Subaru were a novice fighter, then The Iron Fang who had an abundance of experience would be able to easily slay Sloth. But prior events still bothered the young CEO; the question of Rolan for example, whose offence with a spear was undefendable; or, the fact that the Sin Archbishop was back, after dying a man with the same name appeared once more. The world turned in the merchants' queens head, as she quickly looked for answers or clues that may benefit her and her allies.
Anastasia moved towards the building behind her, a large grey building with Kagragi architect, it was the temporary head quarters for iron fang, a previous guard station when with age came to be owned by a private owner who now would lease the structure to the top paying customer.
Sighing, the merchant girl went to open the door, but… it was cold, the ground was… cold… and around her… frost? At midsummer season? That was, fundamentally wrong? So that must mean magic right? But who would caste magic when-
"Is that Ms. Hoshin?" An eager, child like voice cried out
"That is! That is!" another child like voice responded
"Ah how great of you too! Such diligence will surely go rewarded! Perhaps making you a finger of some sorts will be satisfactory!"
That voice, it wasn't familiar to Anastasia one bit, none of the three were, but judging by the speech, and by the wording-
The merchant queen quickly turned her head too see three figures, two short in stature, wore complete purple robes with purple cloth to cover their faces, and in the middle, a bald man with bushy eyebrows and a slender figure, but with his smile, the violet CEO knew who he was in a instant.
Now in panic, Anastasia moved quickly to slide the door- which she did, but not without frost bite, a warm pain oozing through her right hand. But as the sliding door opened, the sight- the stench-, all the men and women who worked for her, who were part of the Hoshin company were.. dead..
In such a short time frame two!?
"Damnit, Ricardo left five minutes ago, how did'cha bastards manage to get here and- do- this…" A horrified look in her eyes, she began to stumble back, chocking on her own spit, she fell, only she was caught.
Turning to attempt to hit one of those bastards, only to be met with nothing, "While yes yes, it may be such an unpleasant sight for a figure as slothful as yourself, oh but to allow such things to happen?!" The archbishop mocked the merchant queen, bringing his hands to his face and bending sideways, "SLOTH, that is the reason, had you played attention Ms. Hoshin, any sooner, such a thing wouldn't have happened!" Now moving towards her, hands folded behind his back, the archbishop with a crazed smile walked up towards the fox-merchant
"Ge- gedda way- from me-" The green-eyed girl fell to her back, raising her left arm to defend herself, the right to support her, although a half hearted attempt, as the girl had no chance.
Sloth kept his smile, now bending over face to face with the merchant queen, "I wonder why, just why! Why does Reid live once more within that boy? WHO THAT VERY BOY REFUSED SUCH GRACIOUS LOVE!"
"what are… ya-"
Petelgeuse moved in, his eyes darted directly in towards young CEO's, "So I ask you, apostle of Greed, just why do you fathom that boy? And further, why does he deny her love!? Such gracious, unyielding, pure love?!"
Authors Note:
Short chapter but one hell of a cliff hanger
Let's see if I can write two fics at once, seems like a challenge lol