Chapter 89 : Start a war (part 1)

Alessandro was speechless, he was in front of Saber who was the legendary dictator Gaius Julius Caesar. The girl patted him on the forehead.
« I know I'm more beautiful than a divinity but don't you think you are exaggerating? We have a war to fight, don't we? Then we go! Let's go fight! »
« Yes ... no ... wait! Wait a moment! »
« What's up? »
« We must first prepare and we must know where this war will be fought. »
« Here, right? »
« No I don't think so. I don't know. »
Saber wanted to fight, she was delighted at the idea of ​​starting the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil but Alessandro didn't share that same joy and so he told Servant to calm down and follow him to his quarters. Saber sat in Alessandro's room and the first thing she noticed was the presence of a dozen books on a desk.
« Are you a reader? » She asked.
« I like reading, yes, but not always. »
« I also like reading, when there were shows in the amphitheater I was forced to make a presence in order to cultivate my public image, but I didn't like horse racing and so I took a book and started reading it. »
« What did you read? »
« Poems. »
« I didn't think that Gaius Julius Caesar liked to read. »
« Obviously I like reading, that's how I learned to write in an excellent way. I composed poetry, did you know? »
« No. »
« I composed poetry, I wrote history and military tactics books. I love writing! I also love reading! »
Alessandro was surprised at how Saber was bragging about her tastes, but he certainly could not have expected anything more from a dictator who had cultivated a great cult of personality in ancient Rome.
Someone knocked on the door, Alessandro opened: it was Marco Lombardo.
« You summoned the Servant, then. Well. »
« What should I do now? »
« Here. »
Marco Lombardo gave Alessandro an envelope with several sheets inside.
« Inside you will find information about the hotel and the room you will stay in during the Holy Grail War. The Coven will pay for you, don't let yourself be seen around with the Servant. »
« But where shall I go? »
« In London. »
« London? »
« Yes. Apparently the war will be supervised by a certain Yukiko Kumahira who is staying in a hotel opposite Regent's Park. You will leave today. »
« Wait ... I've never traveled in my life and ...  »
« I don't want to hear protests, Alessandro. Go and win for the Coven. »
Marco Lombardo left closing the door behind him and leaving Alessandro alone with Saber, who was intrigued by the unusual reaction of her Master. Generally a Master had to be happy to fight to get the Holy Grail but this time it was completely different: Alessandro Serpi seemed not to want to fight.
Saber asked:
« Master, do you want to tell me something? »
« What are you talking about, Saber? »
« You are acting strange. Do you want to fight this war? »
« Forget it. We go, now. »
Alessandro began packing his bags leaving Saber with the doubt that she had a Master who didn't want to fight the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil. That was a problem.

Saber and Alessandro Serpi by Bikowolf

 

Chapter 88 : Saber

January 25, 2021

Alessandro was in the chapel of the Coven Abbey. He had just drawn the magic circle and placed a Roman sword in the center, everything was ready for the ritual. The relic had been delivered to him by the Grand Master himself. Alessandro had only to pronounce the enchantment formula and the rest would have happened by itself, he would have obtained a Servant to fight the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil.
He was sitting on a bench and thinking about the letter he had received from his mother.
« Why did she write to me? I thought she was busy making a new life. »
It was four years since she made herself heard, it was four years that Alessandro received nothing from his mother, why did she send him a letter that January 12? It made no sense.
« But why am I thinking about it? Why am I thinking about it right now? Maybe it's a sign? »
He looked at the sword on the floor.
« Maybe I shouldn't be fighting this war. Maybe my fate is to have a normal life again, it doesn't make sense for me to be here, right? »
But then Alessandro thought back to that nefarious day when his mother forced him to join the Coven with the excuse that she wanted to rediscover youthful love, that woman preferred a life of leisure to her son. Alessandro was sixteen without a family: his father and mother had abandoned him to his fate.
« But is this really my destiny? » He asked himself.
A moon beam that passed through the windows illuminated that sword making it shine as if it were a sort of divine object, Alessandro was fascinated by the brightness of that perfect blade, that white reflection seemed to invite him to perform the ritual, to evoke the Servant. He couldn't betray the Coven, it was his only family, he knew he was being manipulated by the Grand Master but he didn't want to be completely alone.
« I must be quick. I will end the war immediately and go home. »
Alessandro approached the magic circle, opened his hand and began to recite the magic formula:
« Deum benedicite mihi, benedicat anima mea, benedicat mihi in gladio, ferrum et sanguine, protegas me, in hoc belli! I invoke the Servant! »
The magic circle gave off a very strong red light and Alessandro was overturned by an incredible shock wave. When he recovered he found himself surrounded by a curtain of black smoke from which came out this girl with white hair and red eyes, with a smooth skin and a face like that of a goddess, she had a laurel wreath and a armor surrounded by an aura of power. She had a beautiful sword with her that her scabbard. This girl smiled and exclaimed:
« Bow down to me! Look at me in all my splendor! I am the First of the Twelve Caesars, Pater Patriae and Divus Iulus. I am a descendant of the gens Iulia, the blood of Aeneas and the Goddess Venus flows in my veins! I am Gaius Julius Caesar and I belong to the noble Saber class! »
« Gaius ... Julius ... Caesar? » Alessandro was speechless. He never expected to summon such a powerful Servant.
« I see you are speechless, I take it as a compliment. Now answer this question. »
Saber stood in front of Alessandro, crossed her arms and with an arrogant but exalted smile, asked:
« Are you my Master? »

Saber by Bikowolf

 

🎄 Merry Christmas 🎄

Merry Christmas to all my readers!
Spend time with your loved ones and have fun! 🎅

Chapter 87 : The lair of fears

Alessandro Serpi was lying on the asphalt, it was night, he looked around, he recognized the Westminster Abbey that was in flames, around him there was London reduced to rubble: abandoned buildings, in ruins, streets broken by immense chasms and corpses burned around the city. The moon was full and a giant black snake flew undisturbed devouring the stars.
Alessandro got up and saw the body of a girl, he did not know her name but his heart ached to see that body lying on the ground, pale as snow and immobile as a statue. The boy approached the girl and looked her in the face: he did not recognize her. Suddenly this girl's eyes opened, she took him by the throat and lifted him off the ground with inhuman force.
« You killed me. » She said in a ghostly voice.
Alessandro tried to free himself but was thrown near Westminster Abbey. The girl once again said:
« You killed me. »
« I don't know who you are. I didn't do anything to you! I swear! »
Alessandro was scared like a child and tried in vain to run away from the girl but his legs were like concrete and he couldn't move, she took him and forced him to look into the flames of the church. Among the fires and embers a girl with long pink hair and green eyes emerged, a girl with a gothic dress, Kumahira Yukiko.
« You created this hell. It's your fault that you are now suffering. » Said Yukiko.
« I'm the one you have forgotten. I'm the one you betrayed. » Said the unknown girl.
« I don't know what you're talking about. I swear! I do not know! I know nothing! Leave me alone! Please! » Shouted Alessandro, scared.
« In this game of life and death only the strongest will win. »
Yukiko took Alessandro by the chin and with a sadistic grin said:
« In this game of life and death, only one will break the cycle. But who will it be? »
« Let me go! »
At that moment Alessandro awoke in his bedroom in the Coven Abbey. He was sweating and agitated, got out of bed and took off the top of his pajamas which was completely wet, his hair was damp and his heart was beating madly. He sat down on the first available chair and tried to relax. He didn't know the girls he had dreamed of and yet he was sure he had seen them somewhere before but he couldn't remember where. Someone knocked on the bedroom door:
« Today is the lesson. »
Alessandro had to teach the Coven newbies a lesson, he had just remembered.

January 12, 2021

In a class with at least thirty-two students in front of the desks, Alessandro had to take a lesson, even if he wasn't an elderly member, he was still a very talented magus who was entrusted with the task of welcoming the new members of the Coven and in some cases he had to teach to beginners.
« Today we will talk about demons. Surely you have already heard of these mystical creatures that belong to another dimensional plane. Angels and demons exist but do not belong to this world. They are like visitors from other worlds that we call Heaven and Hell. »
« So they're like us? » Asked a student.
« Yes, they are living beings, and they are also sentient, but on the contrary of us they have a higher quantity of mana and in some cases even unlimited. Have you ever read Johann Weyer's demonology texts? He wrote the De praestigiis daemonum in which he classified the different demons based on their strength, their power, their sphere of influence and their ability to manifest themselves in the human world with or without human form. Weyer theorized the existence of at least 45 million demons. »
The class was shocked.
« According to Gregory of Nice, however, the demons are at least triple. Why? Because like humans, demons also experience emotions and like humans also reproduce, even if they do it much faster. »

« I read that according to the ancient Persians Angra Mainyu is the strongest demon of all. It's true? »
« Are you talking about Ahriman? Well, he's certainly a very powerful infernal prince but he's not the strongest of demons. Ahriman, according to the Persians and the Greeks, was able to present himself in this world, he was so powerful that he could break the chains of Hell and enter the human world. However, there are demons so powerful that they cannot even have a human form because it would be like trying to contain a supernova in a box. I'm talking about Abaddon, known as the King of the Abyss and Ruin, but there are many other even stronger demons such as Paymon, who are said to even have the ability to corrupt angels and command two hundred legions. »
« Two hundred legions? » Asked a confused student.
« It means that if Paymon were to enter this world, he would carry one million two hundred thousand demons. An immense army. But before, one of you had talked about Ahriman and called him "the strongest demon of all." well, this is difficult to believe considering that here in Rome we have texts by scholars who claim that Lucifer, the first fallen angel, and the first demon of Hell, is the most terrible being that has ever existed. And do you know why they say it? Because Lucifer is so powerful that he's almost as strong as a god, but at the same time he's charming, very beautiful and he is also the most intelligent of demons. So clever that it's almost painful to think that he's forced into Hell. Even Dante Alighieri pitied him. »
« But can demons materialize alone in this world? »
« Many demons must be summoned but others have been sealed in this world by some confreres of the Coven. Generally demons disguise themselves under human faces but we of the Coven know how to identify them. »
« And how will the priests and nuns defend themselves? »
« It's we who defend them. The pope has always used exorcists in the name of the Holy Church of Rome to fight demons even though we of the Coven have always advised not to send amateur exorcists to deal with demons. »

« Why? » Asked a student, curious.
« Because people with a weak mind fall into temptation more easily and some end up becoming victims of demons. Men are possessed and women raped. It's always the same story every time. During the Sabbath women offered themselves to demons to get pregnant by them, it's a tradition of the witches that we condemn. »
Then Alessandro noticed that Marco Lombardo was also in the class, listening to him. The lesson ended and the boy had the opportunity to have a chat with the elderly man.
« How did the lesson seem to you? »
« Interesting. You are very good at explaining. »
« Newbies are always very careful. »
« I want to give you something, maybe it will interest you. »
Marco gave Alessandro a letter. He turned it over and saw the mother's name, gave the letter back to Marco, puffing:
« I don't want to talk to that woman. »
« But she's your mother. »
« I don't have a mother. » 

Alessandro Serpi and Yukiko Kumahira by Bikowolf

 

Chapter 86 : The living dead

The night rain was drenching the noisy Tokyo. On an empty building site, on the third floor of a building under construction, Tetsuya Murakawa could see the spectacle of lights distorted by individual drops of water. He lit a cigarette and wiped the blood from his face, before him, on the floor, there was the corpse of a man who, just ten minutes ago, was about to kill him, his name was Kazuya Togasaki and he was a friend of his. Tetsuya had shot him in the head after having beaten him up and now he was calm, sitting on a pair of beams, smoking the cigarette.
He heard the sound of police sirens, got up and with his hands in his pockets went down the stairs to the ground floor where he met the policemen who ordered him to raise his hands but he, ignoring the orders, advanced with his hands in his pockets and the expression of a sadistic killer. The first shot started, Tetsuya was so quick to avoid the bullet and with one fist he broke the first policeman's chin. The other three began to fire but Tetsuya used one of them as a human shield. He killed two policemen by piercing their bodies with his bare hands, the last man standing trembling with fear shouted:
« Monster! »
« You're not the first one to call me a monster, you know? »
« Stay away from me! »
« You're not very polite, dickhead. »
Tetsuya took that cop, took his cigarette out of his mouth and put it out on his forehead and then, with a terrifying force, threw him at a protruding beam, impaling the policeman. Tetsuya was a magus who should have died that day.

January 10, 2021

Tetsuya had returned to his apartment, wiped himself from the blood and took a hot shower. He opened a suitcase containing several false documents, he planned to travel to China under the name Sheng Zhen. He cut his beard, and prepared both contact lenses and a wig to wear. He had to hide from the other T6 members who were looking for him.
He heard a knock at the door and shouted:
« Fuck you! Go the fuck away! »
A girl's voice said:
« Murakawa Tetsuya, I have something for you. »
« Can't you hear me ?! I said GO THE FUCK AWAY! »
« Don't you want to see what I have to offer you?" »
« Listen, honey, when I'll need a whore to suck my dick I'll let you know! But today is not the right day! Go away, bitch, or you'll get hurt! »
« All right, but know that I'll find you anyway, Sheng Zhen. »
How did that girl know the false name he would use? Who was beyond that door? Tetsuya was not the type that was easily frightened and so he became furious, opened the door and saw Yukiko Kumahira who smiled mischievously. He didn't know her but the black gothic dress didn't enchant him. He took the girl by the hair and pulled her inside the apartment, locked the door and prepared to hurt her but she didn't seem to be intimidated by him, in fact, she sat on the bed, crossing her legs, and quipped:
« Know that I'm still a virgin, don't go so strong with me. »
« You're a whore who likes to play, I see. »
« And you're not really my type, especially with that little thing you have between your legs. »
« Ah! You like making jokes! Well, if you love so much to hear the sound of your voice, how about using that mouth to tell me what I want to know. »
« All right. What do you want? »
« How did you know about that name? Do you work for T6? »
« I'm the one who has the key to paradise, your paradise. »
« What did you smoke? »
« Ah, ah! I like you, Tetsuya. You really deserve a chance. »
Yukiko threw a spearhead at Tetsuya's feet and said:
« That's a relic. Use it to summon the Servant and fight the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil in London, just so you can fulfill your wish. »
« What do you know about my desire? »
« I know enough. But ask yourself this question: do you know what you want? If you know it then you will know that it's right to fight to get what you want. Every dream deserves to be realized. »
The girl headed for the exit, turned the key and opened the door.
« Who the hell are you? » Tetsuya asked, puzzled.
« Yukiko. Kumahira Yukiko. »
« Are you a magus too? »
« I'm an imitation. Just an imitation. »
Yukiko left leaving the man with that spear fragment.

Tetsuya Murakawa and Yukiko Kumahira by Bikowolf

Chapter 85 : Archer

January 24, 2021
 
It was early morning and Hisae woke up to leave the house early and practice the ritual to invoke the Servant, she knew an abandoned building in Kyoto where she could prepare everything needed to perform the spell. She drew the magic circle on the ground and placed the shred of the red cloak in the center of it. She walked away and got in position to cast the spell but at that moment her cell phone vibrated. It was  a friend of hers who belonged to the family that the Sunaharas faithfully respected and served:
« Hello? »
« Don't say "hello" as if nothing had happened! Today we had to go out shopping, remember? »
« Right, you're right, but I have an urgent commitment. My father sended me to run errands outside Japan. Family things, you know. »
« Are you okay? You have a strange voice. What's going on? »
« Nothing. I'm just a little tired. I'm sorry I have to go. Bye, Rin. »
« Wait-! »
Hisae ended the call and turned off the phone to avoid being disturbed. She didn't want to participate in the Holy Grail War but she didn't even want to involve loved ones. The time had come: she opened her hand and recited the magic formula to summon the Servant:
« Listen to my call, hero of another time! I am your Master, I am the one who will guide you in this glorious battle to get the most coveted trophy of all! Entrust your powers to me, give me your strength and become my sword and my shield! I evoke you! »
The circle lit up a pale blue and a glow forced the girl to put her hands in front of her eyes. From a thick curtain of smoke came out a man with a medieval knight's armor, a long red cloak and short black hair and with mustaches. He was Archer. He bowed before Hisae, leaning his fine bow with golden decorations on the floor and said:
« I'm Sir Thomas de Camoys, first Baron of Camoys, Knight of the Garter and Peer of England. Answer my question: are you my Master? »

That handsome man with a virile appearance and princely charm made Hisae blush, she remained stunned for a while and stared at him.
« I'm Hisae. Sunahara Hisae and I'm your Master. »
« Excellent! Lead me, then, Master, I belong to the Archer class and with me victory is assured! »
« You are an English Servant. Let me take a look at something. »
Hisae touched Archer's chest and closed her eyes. The manifestation of a Servant was possible only thanks to the magical energy of the Master who evoked it and the Master could know both the abilities and the parameters of his Servant in order to study a way to be able to use it in battle. Touching Archer's chest, Hisae, although her eyes were closed, she could feel the strength of the Servant, every magus could do such a thing.
« Your values ​​don't seem horrible to me. You're a strong Servant, maybe we can win. »
« Do you want to see my Noble Phantasm too? »
« No, but I deduce that it will be strong enough. »
« So what do we do, Master?" »
« Well! I have no idea! » Exclaimed Hisae with irony.
Her cell phone vibrated again.
« Strange, I thought I turned it off. »
She took a look and saw a symbol on the black screen that resembled a tree surrounded by nine circles. Below it appeared an message:

"Welcome to war, new Master! You are one of the nine chosen who will fight to get the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil. The war will officially start in London when all the Masters have reached the city."

« London, huh? Well, I guess it's time to get ready. » 

Hisae Sunahara and Archer by Bikowolf

 

Chapter 84 : Family comes first

The family comes first. The honor of the family comes first. Nothing is greater than the honor of the family. What matters is winning for the Sunahara family, this is what Hisae had learned from her father and for this she devoted herself day and night to the practice of Magecraft to be able to prove herself worthy of the respect and love of her family. Not being loved by the head of the family, Kazuo Sunahara, meant being seen as foot weights, like pieces of garbage that had to be tolerated despite their uselessness. Hisae didn't want to be treated as a nullity but at the same time didn't want to put in a bad light her younger brother, Hiro, who since he was a child it was obvious that he was incapable of knowing how to channel his own mana, he would never have been a strong magus.
Hisae begged her father to give her the opportunity to train her little brother and make him worthy of family love but her father told her these exact words:
« A fast runner can't stop to help the slower one. You run and you prove yourself worthy of this family, forget your brother, I'll take care of him. »
Hisae was forced to accept her father's orders with submission.

January 23, 2021

On the news, they talked about a girl who had committed suicide by throwing herself out of the school window. Hisae was watching television with her little brother when her mother came, Chieko:
« Your father wants to see you, Hisae. »
« All right. »
Hisae got up and left her brother alone to watch television. She went to his father who was in a room lit only by four lighted candles, Kazuo was meditating and when he heard his daughter arrive he grumbled:
« Don't make too much noise. »
« Sorry, Father. »
« Sit down, I have to talk to you. »

Hisae sat down in front of her father who handed her a piece of an old red cloak where the coat of arms of the first Baron of Camoys was drawn on. The girl asked:
« What is this? »
« Your chance to make the Sunahara house famous throughout the world. That is a relic with which you will evoke a Servant. »
« A Servant? Why are you giving me this thing? »
« You will participate in the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil, Hisae. You will do it and you will win for the sake of your family. »
Hisae didn't want to participate in the war, she didn't want to abandon her little brother and then she said to her father, in an attempt to make him change his mind:
« I'm still young, I don't know if I'll be strong enough to fight. »
« You've just turned eighteen, when you had Hiro's age you were stronger than your uncle Kunisada, in two years you will surely become even stronger. I trust your skills. »
« I'm honored, father, but ... »
« You're not allowed to oppose my choice. »
« I don't want to oppose it, it's just that ... I'm not sure. »
Kazuo cast a cold glance at his daughter, like that of a man who was about to use his hands. The girl became intimidated and, bowing her head, accepted the responsibility of fighting the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil in the name of the Sunahara family.
 
That night, after taking a shower, she closed herself in her room and lay on the bed looking at that piece of cloak that was on her chair. She didn't want to fight the war but was forced to follow her father's order. Hiro knocked on the door.
« You can enter. » She said.
« Sister, why were you so silent at dinner? Something wrong? »

She got out of bed and answered immediately, feigning a smile:
« No, no, you don't have to worry, I'm fine." »
« Ok, sorry. »
Hiro was about to leave.
« Wait. »
« What's up? »
« I'll leave for a while, Hiro. I don't know how long I'll be away but I just wish you knew one thing: you're not weak. You are a formidable boy and one day you will be a great magus, you just have to believe in yourself and in your abilities. All right? » She burst into tears.
« Are you okay, sister? » Hiro was worrying about her and she hugged him.
« Hiro, promise me you won't stop believing in yourself. Promise. »
« Yes. I promise, Hisae. »
« I love you. »
« I love you too. »

Hisae Sunahara by Bikowolf

 

Chapter 83 : Imitations

 

Friedrich returned to the airport. Specter, the Servant with whom he had contracted against his will, had hidden herself and followed him. Friedrich decided to leave the flight to New York and took the first bus available to get away from the airport as much as possible, he wanted to avoid fighting.
The bus left and Friedrich settled into the seats at the back and then noticed suspicious men entering the airport.
« Danger avoided. » He said with a sigh.
A girl with long, straight pink hair and green eyes was sitting right next to Friedrich, the boy composed himself, realizing that perhaps she had heard him. The girl had a gothic dress with the right sleeve longer than the left, yet by the way in which the right arm was placed on the leg it did not seem that she was amputated and therefore it was difficult to understand the reason for such a stylistic choice.
« Kumahira Yukiko. You can call me Yukiko if you want. »
Friedrich became red as a tomato when he saw her gaze, she realized that he was staring at her.
« I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't want to! »
« You find me beautiful? I'll take that as a compliment. »
« I'm Friedrich Wolff. Pleased to meet you. I'm sorry if I was staring at you, it's just that ... I was fascinated by your black gothic dress. I really like it. »
« Thank you. » Her smile was as sunny as a ten-year-old girl's.
« You're Japanese? »
« Yes and no. I consider myself a citizen of the world. I don't like having a nation of belonging. »
« Do you like traveling? »
« Generally yes. But this time I have a precise goal. I go to London. »
« London? I have been there. It's a beautiful city. »

« The first time I visited London, I was just a child. I remember my father showed me the beautiful Westminster Abbey. I bet that will also be your goal. »
« Why? »
Yukiko pointed to Friedrich's chest and at that moment he realized that the girl was aware of the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil, otherwise she would never have been able to recognize the symbol. He prepared to flee but she stopped him, grabbing his hand and told him:
« You and your Servant will participate in that war. This is the first time I've heard of the Specter class. It's curious. »
« Are you a Master? »
« Not yet, but soon the melody will change. For now, though, let me ask you: why do you want to fight? »
« I don't want to fight. I was forced by Specter. »
« So you want to give up the Grail? »
« I don't do anything with such an object. »
« So you are not interested in finding out more about this world? » She asked with a grin.
« What are you talking about? » Friedrich was confused.
« This is not the first Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil. This is the first of this world but it's the second view from a different perspective. »
« I'm not following you. »
« Do you know the eternal recurrence of the same of Friedrich Nietzsche? »
« Are you talking about Thus Spoke Zarathustra? »
« The universe is born and dies continuously, always returning to itself. Everything returns as it was before, this is the true miracle I witnessed, but it's an imperfect miracle because Nidhoggr pretends to be the ouroboros. »
« I don't understand. »

« No? It's a pity. »
The bus stopped at that moment and Yukiko got out of the vehicle:
« Maybe we'll talk again when we meet again in London, Master of Specter. »
Friedrich was confused and perplexed, he didn't know whether to accept Yukiko's words and consider them true or simply ignore them and break the contract with Specter. Curiosity was too strong, he could not simply ignore those words spoken with that seriousness. That girl knew better and Friedrich wanted to find out what was happening. So he decided to participate in the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil.

 

Yukiko Kumahira and Friedrich Wolff by Bikowolf

 

Deleted tags

The "Servant" and "Memories" tags have been deleted to avoid confusion during the publication of the new chapters. I was suggested to do so in such a way as to avoid inconsistencies, perhaps they will be republished later but for now the situation is like this.

Chapter 82 : Specter

 

Friedrich had reached the airport, he was ready to return to New York, shortly before he had moved to the hotel to take the case in which he had his classical guitar. The boy didn't regret refusing Herbert's request, he did care about his brother but didn't want to take orders from a member of the Rote Mäntel just to enact a foolish revenge. He considered himself a free spirit.
An hour had passed and Friedrich was still sitting, waiting for his flight, regretting that he had left the hotel early. He got up to go to the bathroom just a moment, took his case behind and headed for the first public bathroom he could find. He was washing his face and after drying himself he heard the barking of a dog, he turned around, there was no one. There was no dog in sight when he opened the bathroom door. He heard barking again, coming from inside.
« What the hell is it? »
There seemed to be a dog on the other side of the wall but how was it possible? Friedrich touched the wall, it was solid, it wasn't fake. He still heard barking and suddenly saw a strange symbol appear.
« A demonic symbol. The symbol of Glasya-Labolas. Good thing I remember the demonology lessons. » 

Friedrich walked away, took the guitar case with him and tried to open the door. The handle was blocked, the door did not move. He was locked inside the bathroom, then Friedrich stirred and saw that red, magical arms that wanted to grab him were coming out of the symbol. He then used Magecraft and said:
« Feuerwolf! »
A fiery wolf appeared from nowhere and bit one of those arms. A female voice that seemed to come from the seal exclaimed:
« You are a conceited magus! You can't hope to escape! »
The wolf spat a fireball at the demonic seal and it was burned completely. The arms disappeared and Friedrich could relax but only briefly.

The female voice said:
« I smell the scent of your sin, magus, I know perfectly well that you are avoiding the Holy Grail War but I am interested in it and you will make me participate, willingly or not. »
« You're a very interesting demon. You demons are superior to human beings, from what I know, since ancient times you have managed to manifest yourself without our help, why would you ever need me? »
« You are very informed, magus. »
« I also recognized your seal: you are Glasya-Labolas the demon who teaches all the arts and sciences, you predict the future, you are a born executioner and you can make friends and enemies fall in love. I know enough things about you, yes. »
« Yes, I'm Glasya-Labolas, I was locked up in a crypt here in Hamburg, I felt the presence of a magus with a fragile soul. I need you. »
« You need me? What can a demon do in the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil? »
« I am a President of Hell, my desire is to be able to become King of Hell. I felt that the Grail realizes every desire so it will also realize mine. But the only way to get it is to agree to participate in this game that you mortals call "war". »
Friedrich knew perfectly the nature of demons: evil creatures, devoid of pity for human beings, who from the time they discovered how to cross the gates of Hell began to spread death and suffering in the mortal world. He couldn't trust Glasya-Labolas but at the same time he knew he was trapped. His Magecraft seemed to be ineffective and he would never be able to face the demon in a direct confrontation.
« How do I know you don't want to fool me? »
« Do you think I'm so mean? »
« I think you're one of the worst demons. »
« Ah, ha, ha, ha! »

 

The arms appeared again from every corner of the room but this time Friedrich was not quick enough to avoid them and was grabbed by the legs, the arms and even the throat. He was carried over the wall into a dimension that was not the mortal one, something that could be understood from the desolate landscape, from the soil black as coal and from rivers as red as blood, the arms dragged him into a wooden hut surrounded by mutilated bodies and human bones. The door closed and Friedrich felt his chest burn, a Command Seal appeared, the floor began to shake under his feet and a purple magic circle lit up, a curtain of smoke rose and this demonic creature with almost pale skin appeared, she had pointed ears and black hair and red eyes. She was a demon in the flesh.
« I am Glasya-Labolas, the first of my class. For the duration of this war you will refer to me as Specter! My class! »
Friedrich had been shocked by the magical energy that the Servant gave off. He stood up, moved the sweatshirt and looked at the symbol on his chest then said:
« So how do I remove this, now? »
« What?! No, wait! You can't do this! »
« Yes I can. If I use all three Command Seals I will break our bond and you will disappear, right? »
« Yes, but wait! Think about it! Come on, we're all friends here, right? »
« You literally forced me to make a deal with you. I didn't want to be your Master. »
« Wait up! I can do what you want! » She went up to him and whispered: « I bet you're a virgin. »
« First order … »
« WAIT UP! Ok, I was joking! What do you think of this? »
Specter snapped her fingers and showed Friedrich the image of some assassins sent by the Rote Mäntel to attack him at the airport. The girl then said:
« They're looking for you, Master. They'll kill you. »
« What am I seeing? »

« This is one of my personal abilities: it allows me to see events of the near future, very close. Will you still refuse me? How will you fight them by yourself? Do you really think they won't hunt you for the duration of the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil? »
The idea of working together with a demon didn't exalt Friedrich, his intent was to get rid of Specter as soon as possible, he had no intention of participating in the Holy Grail War.

 

Friedrich Wolff and Glasya-Labolas by Bikowolf

 

Chapter 81 : The lone wolf

His name was Friedrich Wolff, he was a young magus, a boy who had betrayed the Rote Mäntel and who had decided to travel the world to learn about new places and to make a new life, and yet he was back in Hamburg. His hometown.

 January 20, 2021

Friedrich had gone to the Hamburg cemetery to visit the grave of his older brother, Clovis Wolff, who had committed suicide in November, probably because he was not strong enough to endure the sad loss of his daughter, who had died of tuberculosis. He hadn't taken part in the funeral but he didn't want to disrespect his beloved brother and so, that sad January, he brought flowers to the grave and remained silent, with his hands in the pockets of his jacket, his head bowed and his eyes closed. He prayed some prayers, the first one that crossed his mind, and then he left the grave. A man, at the exit of the cemetery, was waiting for Friedrich: Herbert Schmidt.
« Why did you come back, Friedrich? »
« I'm here just for my brother. »
« But you didn't show up at the funeral. »
« I was in New York. »
« Were you afraid to come back?" »
« Will you blame me? The Rote Mäntel are not known for their goodness. They love revenge. »
Friedrich passed close to Herbert and then left the cemetery. Herbert followed him along the road.
« I'm sorry for Clovis's death. »
« So? »
« I also cared for him, he was my disciple. »
« But he wasn't your brother. » Friedrich said, coldly.
« I know you don't like me, but I need to talk to you about something important. »
« I already know what you want from me, I'm not stupid. »
Friedrich turned to Herbert and without saying anything else shook his head slowly and then resumed his step.
« What do you mean? » Herbert asked, confused.
« I have heard that the Rote Mäntel and the Coven have put their hands on the research of a friend of mine, a French magus. Does the name Dorian Benard tell you anything? »
« So you also know about war. »
« The Holy Grail War? Yes I know it. But I'm not interested. »
« Did you really think I wanted to get you involved?" »
« What do you want from me? »
Friedrich was getting nervous and Herbert told him:
« He didn't commit suicide. Your brother didn't commit suicide. »
Those words shocked Friedrich more than anything else. He hated the Rote Mäntel and considered Herbert a rather unpleasant person but he certainly was not a liar, when he saw his grim expression he asked:
« What do you mean? »
« Clovis has always been loyal to the cause of the Rote Mäntel but his daughter's dire situation caused him to lose his mind, he turned against the organization and threatened to make some of our secret operations public if we hadn't taken care of the child. »
Friedrich, in a burst of anger, took Herbert by his tie and dragged him to the wall and said:
« Measure your next words, because I could hurt you a lot. »
« I didn't do anything to Clovis! Believe me! But the Rote Mäntel didn't want to risk and so they killed him! They made it look like a suicide. » Exclaimed Herbert, agitated.
« Why are you telling me this? »
« Because I want revenge. The Rote Mäntel want to take part in the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil, I stole the relic to summon a Servant, I want you to have it. Help me complete this revenge: for Clovis! »
Friedrich was shocked and angry at the same time, he could not understand anything. He didn't know whether to trust Herbert or not, he didn't even know if the story of Clovis's murder was true or not but he was sure he didn't want to take orders from Herbert.
« You forgot, Herbert, that I left Rote Mäntel because I don't want to take orders from anyone. I'm me and I'm not going to play your game. Do you want revenge? You take part in the Holy Grail War. Don't count on me. »
« Don't you want to avenge Clovis? »
Friedrich let go and left, saying:
« I'm not your dog, just consider me a lone wolf. Find someone else. »

Friedrich Wolff and Herbert Schmidt by Bikowolf

 

December update

I just did an exam on Foucault, nothing funny: an asshole professor who made me wait 3 hours to interrogate me and then in a 700 page book he just asked me questions on the ten pages of the preface. What the fuck! 😑
However in the end I got 28 and fuck him!  
However this should be the December update, I didn't do it yesterday because I had to study. Today I publish the new chapter! Enjoy the reading! 😁