martedì 6 ottobre 2020

Chapter 159 : The path of Specter

 
Sheol had just shot down a military helicopter and took to the streets to start her hunt for soldiers and civilians, for her it made no difference, the important thing was to collect the souls of the dead, after all she was the personification of the Underworld, it was logical to kill relentlessly just to eat those lost lives but her "banquet" was interrupted by the unexpected arrival of a car from which Friedrich and Specter got out.
Seeing Specter, Sheol smiled with pleasure and asked her, with irony:
« Do you want to go for a walk with me? Lots of fire hydrants you can piss on, dog, they're basically all free. »
« Too much time… I've wasted too much time being afraid of you and my end. I know I'm weaker but I have to face you Sheol, I've to prove to myself that I have changed and if you're my rival then so be it! I'm here to fight! » Specter exclaimed.
« I don't think you listened to me, maybe Nebiros didn't tame you well. »
Specter, taken by anger, threw herself at Sheol using the blades of her arms but Sheol immediately brandished her sword and parried all the blows of the opponent and with a slight movement of her hand made a black magic circle appear under Specter's feet the latter was paralyzed; Sheol stroked Specter's face and said pretending to feel affection for her:
« Stop fighting, you're making a fool of yourself in front of your Master.
»
Specter raised a victorious smile and without warning two blades came out of her belly and wounded Sheol's stomach, the magic circle disappeared and Specter made a blade stick out of her foot and gave a flying kick while jumping backwards, the blade cut through the face of Sheol and she dropped to the ground; even Friedrich was impressed by that move of his Servant.
Specter then replied to Sheol with the same arrogance:
« What's going on, Sheol? Don't tell me you forgot that my blades are immune to those child spells, maybe you're really getting old. »
Sheol stood up, her wounds healed immediately; she said:
« I'm glad you won't be bored, now come forward!
»
Sheol struck several blows but Specter was able to dodge practically all of them and as soon as she found the opening she hit the opponent in the throat with a blade; Sheol, wounded in the throat, got on the defensive and Specter took the opportunity to injure her legs, putting her on her knees, then aimed for the head but Sheol's body turned to ashes as soon as she was hit.
« Where she went? » Friedrich asked worriedly, then he saw a pile of ashes take shape in the air and from there Sheol appeared completely healed.
Specter, mocked her opponent:
« We're two to zero, Sheol, you'll have to try harder if you want to defeat me.
»
« I know, unfortunately I'll never be able to outrun you, so I'll just have to change tactics. »
Sheol attacked Specter from the sky, tried to cut her in two but Specter was able to dodge the blow; Sheol immediately turned and threw a large ball of fire from her hand, Specter dodged also that blow and prepared to counterattack but Sheol suddenly appeared behind her and was about to kill her but luckily Specter managed to get some blades out of her back that parried the attack; Sheol, however, didn't stop and kicked Specter in the face, the girl fell to the ground but immediately got back on her feet but this allowed Sheol to try a lunge; Specter dodged the blow only by luck, stepped aside and backed away from the enemy.
« You're elusive, are you afraid of my sword? »
« Don't underestimate me, I'm still a demon of knowledge and I know enough about you, for example I know that sword and I know that that is your only Noble Phantasm but I also know that it's extremely dangerous. So I won't be stupid enough to get hit by that weapon.
»
« I thought so, but that makes our battle just your attempt to survive against me. It may not be reassuring for your Master. Don't you worry about his morale? »
« I'm more concerned about what you intend to do with the Grail. »
« You know perfectly well that I don't need such objects, the Holy Grail of Yggdrasil is an imperfect instrument that will never fulfill any wish
... not with these conditions, at least. As for me, you can also end this world by evoking Nidhoggr, indeed, I wish you to do so. »
« Why? If it all ends and starts again your participation in the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil wouldn't be guaranteed and… no. »
« Did you understand? I read it on your face that you understood where I want to go. »
« What are you talking about? » Friedrich asked, confused.
« She will never make it reborn. This is her chance… Sheol is waiting for the end. »
« Exactly. The universe will not be reborn this time, when Nidhoggr has destroyed everything I will make sure that everything remains dead for eternity. »
« How? » Friedrich could not understand Sheol's plan.
« Try to guess, human …  what do you think that void is where Nidhoggr makes you end up before he creates it all over again? I'm that void. I'm the total absence of life, I'm the place inhabited only by the past that doesn't allow the future. Irkalla, Kur, Hades, Hell ... they were all dark caves for you humans, they were places without light and without life. The afterlife is total darkness. So I don't care what Nidhoggr does, this is your last chance to save the world and events have already proved that you won't be able to do it or you wouldn't have met me. »
Terror made Friedrich's body shiver, his whole being as if crushed by an unbearable sense of imprisonment. Specter saw that her Master was having trouble and exclaimed:
« We can't lose, Friedrich! We will fight to the end! »
« Y-Yes you are right! The world will not end, Sheol, we will not let you win! »
Sheol shrugged in an indifferent manner.
« You're playing dice with God. » she asserted.
Specter kicked Sheol's stomach, a blade came out from the sole of the foot and pierced Sheol but the latter grabbed the opponent's leg and set about cutting it with the sword; Specter used that locked foot as a pivot to lift herself up and pull a knee against Sheol's chin, while the blade in her stomach opened an even more serious wound; Specter, in midair, landed on Sheol's shoulders and jumped backwards, two huge golden wings sprouted from her back and the Servant took off then exclaimed:
«  Caacrinolaas! (The Dog with Griffin Wings) »
Hundreds of thousands of blades broke off from the wings and fired at Sheol, she couldn't avoid any blade yet she was able to get back on her feet in an instant, her wounds healed and Specter was traumatized to learn that the her attack had been completely useless.
« It's not your fault, Specter, you're just too weak. Sheol said with an arrogant grin.
« You're right, I can't hope to defeat you but nevertheless I will give my best!
»
Sheol threw a fireball at Specter but the latter managed to stop it with a shield of blades; Specter attacked her rival with a series of blows, the blades were hurting Sheol both in the arms and in the legs but the woman showed no signs of abating, on the contrary, she seemed amused; Specter managed to reach Sheol's throat but was unable to cut it, Sheol dodged the blow and counter-attacked by throwing a fireball into Specter's stomach; between the two opened a distance of about twenty meters, Specter was exhausted while Sheol had not shed even a drop of sweat.
« Glasya-Labolas, I congratulate you on fighting with so much perseverance but your efforts are useless, I'm inevitable and you are dead.
»
« Master… how much magical energy do you still have? Do you think you can keep going?
» Specter asked, turning to Friedrich.
« You don't have to worry about me… do what you have to do.
» Friedrich was visibly tired but tried not to show it.
« Well. Then I'll finish this thing immediately! Classyalabolas! (The Thirty-six Legions of the Infernal President) »
The seal of Glasya-Labolas appeared on the ground, portals opened from which the deformed beasts, servants of the President of Hell, emerged and Sheol, slightly amazed by that move, didn't flinch and advanced towards the army of demons brandishing the sword and showing a grin full of vanity. Sheol killed one hundred demons with a single blow, killed another hundred with another blow, she eliminated two hundred with a gigantic fireball, many demons were coming out of the portals and many were dying at Sheol's hand.
Friedrich, meanwhile, was on the verge of losing consciousness but stood up leaning on the car.
« I can't give up now, we can still win against that monster. I'll use all my magical energy to the last drop to ensure Specter's victory. »
Sheol stopped killing the demons, she was bored, and targeted Specter, struck a sword blow but Specter was able to dodge it, got behind Sheol and wounded her back with her blades, dodged another blow with the sword and struck her legs forcing her to kneel; the demons attacked Sheol in unison but the woman was able to burn them all with her flames; Sheol attacked Specter again but the latter used another Noble Phantasm:
« Caassimolar! (The Smiling Dog of Hell) »
Specter's blades hit Sheol and caused her to hallucinate, the woman saw the face of a smiling dog and nothing else. Specter took advantage of that single moment to deliver the coup de grace; Friedrich could no longer stand up but he was sure he had triumphed, Specter would only have to cut Sheol's throat to put an end to the battle; Specter was close to the throat, the blade was ready.
« Make it or brake it! » she exclaimed.
She struck the blow but as soon as the blade touched Sheol's throat, Specter heard the woman utter words at an absurd speed, the words were incomprehensible but Specter recognized them:
« I am the Leviathan
My blood is ash
My body is a thousand lives
The right holds the Judgment
The left holds the Power
On my head there is the Right
Nobody sits on the throne of kings
Tremble you who observe my face
Seven-Headed Twisted Rule »
A shock wave pushed Specter to the ground and suddenly both she and Friedrich found themselves in an immense desert made of ash where burnt bodies emerged with screaming faces and terrified eyes turned towards the crimson-tinged sky illuminated by a black sun surrounded by seven stars; there was no vegetation whatsoever and the cold reigned supreme; From the sky it seemed to snow but Friedrich knew that it was not snow that was falling, further on, beyond a valley from which a column of smoke rose, Friedrich saw hundreds of thousands of steel poles, with quills like roses, tied to them , with chains, there were people still alive who were screaming in an inhuman way as a flame devoured their bodies; each pole had four people tied to it and a smell of burnt flesh mixed with the stench of a corpse was permeating the air, Friedrich couldn't bear that macabre sight and returned to Specter.
The blades that had pierced Sheol were burned and the woman was able to dedicate herself to the battle again without hallucinating.
Specter was visibly worried but wasn't about to give up but she knew her Master wouldn't be able to give her enough magical energy for another Noble Phantasm. Sheol commented, smiling wickedly:
« You didn't manage to defeat me in the end, but I congratulate you because you proved… acceptable as an opponent. »
« I don't need your pity, Sheol! » Specter exclaimed, furious.
« Huh? Where does that energy come from? Do you really think you're in a position to face me? »
« Caesar told me: I must aim high, I must reach the top and free myself! In this war I met Friedrich, I knew his humanity and I regretted having forced him to all this, these feelings are what push me to fight against you! I'll never again be a simple dog in the service of demons more powerful than me! I'll win against you, SHEOL! So don't take pity on me, don't insult me, don't treat me like I'm weak ... I deserve your respect, I deserve to be treated like your opponent! FIGHT ME!
»
Sheol sighed and replied with a bored look:
« Miracles don't exist, whether you're guided by emotions or by some divine hand, it doesn't matter because when you confront me with all these things ... these talks about humanity, respect and freedom ... are like wasted air. But please don't listen to me, try one last time to hit me, let's see what happens. »
Specter hit Sheol aiming for the throat, she wanted to decapitate her with a single blow but Sheol immediately counterattacked with a kick that overturned Specter then, raising her sword, said:
« Gevurah. (The Power of the Wrath of Mars) »
One of the stars around the sun shone, from that star began to come out millions of weapons of various kinds that were fired at Specter; the girl managed to dodge the first blows but realized that the weapons were chasing her. Her leg was injured, Specter fell, got up and started running with a limp. Another weapon wounded Specter's side, she endured the pain, and kept running. Friedrich couldn't bear that sight and channeled the last crumb of magical energy to strengthen Specter but Sheol didn't allow it, with a wave of her hand she threw a sword at Friedrich. Specter saw it immediately. Friedrich wouldn't have been able to avoid the blow. The boy tried to escape but Specter stepped in front of him, opened her arms to serve as a shield and the sword pierced her chest.
« SPECTER! » Friedrich shouted, shocked.
« No ... run away ... »
« NO! I'll not do that! » Friedrich embraced Specter.
The girl fell on him and he accompanied her to the ground.
« Specter! Don't give up ... please ... not after everything we've done ... »
Friedrich was in tears but Specter, extending her hand, wiped his eyes and consoled him:
« Don't cry for me ... I'm just a demon who forced you to take part in this war ... I used you as a tool to satisfy my selfish desire ... and I regret it ... for this I apologize ... Friedrich ... but I'm happy to have known you, you made me almost human and for this I'm grateful ... »
« I had already forgiven you, Glasya-Labolas ... and I'm also grateful to you ... »
« What… what could a demon have given you? »
« You. »
Shocked Specter didn't know what to say. She cried. She cried a lot, like a child and Friedrich hugged her in his arms. Sheol was approaching but the boy didn't care, but Specter whispered in his ear:
« Friedrich ... you can't die ... you have to tell Caesar what I know about Sheol's Noble Phantasm ... I can make you escape ... »
« How? »
« This is a Manipulation of Reality… but it's not that different from the others… and I know a way to escape… but you won't like it. »
« What do you need? »
« Your own Magical Circuit ... it will be a painful experience ... it will be like losing a part of your body ... but it is the only way out ... I will use my demonic seal and your Magical Circuit will act as a key to open a breach ... I'll go back to my world and you will go back to yours. »
« Specter ... »
« One more thing ... I don't know what will happen to you ... but know that I'll always love you. »
« I love you too, my demon. »
« Farewell, Friedrich Wolff. »
« Farewell, Glasya-Labolas. »
Specter drew her demonic seal on the ashes using her finger and in the meantime used a spell to wrest a Magic Circuit from Friedrich; the boy suffered enormous pain and screamed at the top of his voice; Sheol immediately understood what they wanted to do but couldn't stop them in time.
Sheol's world disappeared and with it Specter too. Friedrich, sweating and pained, struggled to get back on his feet as Sheol approached him commenting:
« Well, my compliments, human, but your plan isn't going as you planned, is it? »
« You're right ... » Friedrich nodded his head.
Sheol turned and saw army helicopters arrive and were heading towards her; without hesitation, Sheol destroyed them using fireballs and as soon as she turned away she noticed that Friedrich had already escaped by car.
« You're not running away, are you? If you want to defeat me, you're not running away ... you're just warning that Saber, the other Servant who wants to oppose me. Okay, human, roll the dice again ... let's see if you can win this time. »
 
 
 
                                                  
 
 
Both artworks by Bikowolf

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