"Gladius!" An astral sword appeared in the hand of Alessandro Serpi.
"Pretty," Henry said wryly. "But I don't think that ridiculous magic sword will be able to deal with this weapon."
Alessandro immediately noticed that there was something strange in his opponent's sword, he could not say what it was for sure but he knew he had to be cautious. As soon as the two weapons collided, the difference in physical strength between the two was immediately evident; Henry managed to corner Alessandro and forced him to back away.
Saber, aka Caesar, and Rider, aka Augustus, looked at that battle with different eyes: the second didn't understand why Alessandro didn't want to kill Henry, the first had understood the Master's intentions but was still worried about his well-being.
Ina, meanwhile, was heavily troubled. Seeing Alessandro fight while she was doing nothing made her uncomfortable, she would've liked to be of help in some way.
The clash between Alessandro and Henry wasn't on par. Alessandro was refusing to use dangerous Magecraft just to avoid killing the boy, while Henry hit without any hesitation and had the clear intention of killing the opponent; however he had noticed that the Servants weren't intervening and it intrigued him slightly.
When it came to physical fights, Alessandro had the worst. Henry was physically stronger and was also significantly faster than him. The pace of the duel, which wasn't the fastest, was already too complicated to follow for a magus who had never fought without using Magecraft.
Henry was noticing some hesitation in his opponent, who preferred to stay defensive rather than attack; it bothered him a little, but it also intrigued him.
"You really are an idiot..." Henry murmured.
Alessandro was disarmed.
Henry prepared to behead the opponent.
"Adversarium Ferio!"
The powerful magical thrust threw Henry against the wall of a building. That attack, while quite powerful, wasn't enough to make the tenacious Mage Hunter give up.
"You're finally taking the initiative, Alessandro, I was afraid I was fighting a mollusk."
"Perhaps it's not yet clear to you that I've no intention of killing you," he said gravely. "You don't have to fight me, you don't have to stay here—"
"Wai—let me understand, the only reason why the two Servants and that little girl don't attack me is just because you don't want to kill me? And why does a magus show all this affection for life? I mean, considering the mess you made in London, it seems to me a bit too late for acts of kindness."
"I didn't choose to—"
"I know you participated in the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil that took place in England, your name is on my list."
"Your list, huh?"
"Yes and, from what I understand, you are a member of the Coven—"
"I am not anymore. You should update that 'list'."
"Maybe… but that doesn't excuse you at all. I know that the Coven committed crimes during the war, I'm forced to hold you responsible for what happened."
"So there's no way to make you change your mind?" he asked troubled.
"I don't understand why you care so much about such a thing, you're a magus! People like you have never had human life at heart, why should I believe I'm dealing with a different person?"
"Listen to me, Henry—"
"No! You must listen to me: you don't know me, you have no idea how much I have suffered because of you magi! Don't assume you can talk to me like we're old friends or some shit like that. So take your weapon, raise your head and face me!"
Alessandro reluctantly evoked another astral sword. "You're right, I don't know you... but you don't know me either."
"True, but this isn't a fucking psychologist session, we have to fight not talk to each other."
"Do you really think there is no other way?" Alessandro was stubborn, he had no intention of continuing the battle. "You can consider me a magus 'like many others', but you cannot accuse me of committing crimes that I've never done. I know I made mistakes during that war, but I'm not a killer— "
Henry then attacked Alessandro violently. The sword stroke was so powerful that Alessandro's astral weapon shattered.
"Defendere!" the boy exclaimed snapping his fingers.
Henry's blade collided with that magical barrier.
"Idolon!"
A ghostly figure, identical to Alessandro, tried to grab Henry, but the latter moved quickly and, with a blow, made that kind of ghost disappear. Henry tried again to hit that barrier, yet another failure made him nervous and he exclaimed:
"Enough of this nonsense!" The Mage Hunter's sword was shrouded in a veil of golden light. "Now I'll kill you!"
Saber immediately recognized that light, even Alessandro had no doubts when he perceived that magical energy escape from the blade.
Henry exclaimed, "Ex—!"
Ina came to the attack and hit Henry with such force that the boy flew at least four or five meters and fell to the ground with a thud. Alessandro, astonished, saw that Ina's arms and hands were covered with a thick armor of rock.
"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes, I..."
"Sorry, but I couldn't leave you alone."
"No... it's okay, thank you," he said in a low voice. "I don't want to force you to fight, it's not fair..."
"And I can't leave you alone..." she exclaimed faintly, her face red and sweaty.
"Ina..."
Henry appeared behind the girl and slashed.
Saber's intervention was lightning-fast.
The two blades collided. Saber kicked and Henry was pushed away. Alessandro stood in front of Ina and, after thanking the Servant for her perfect rescue, snapped his fingers exclaiming:
"Gladius!"
Alessandro, with his astral sword, attacked Henry. As soon as the two blades crossed, Henry pushed forward and tried to disarm the opponent; Alessandro, therefore, moved with a flowing rapidity of legs and made the enemy lose his balance. Henry, being somewhat agile, attempted to fall to his feet, but the magus was ingenious enough to anticipate him and exclaimed:
"Adversarium Ferio!"
The powerful thud marked the end of the duel.
Henry lost his weapon and found himself with Alessandro's blade pointed at his throat.
"Come on... kill me..." he said in a low voice.
"No. I already told you it's not my intention. I don't want to kill anyone. I'm not here by choice... just like in London, I was forced to fight. Now I'm here and it's my intention to make sure that Ina returns home safe and sound."
"I have very little interest in your Indian girlfriend, I must kill those who have made the poor people of London suffer—"
"Then I'm not your target. If you kill me, you will get nothing. It is not I who started the Holy Grail War and it is not I who caused all this suffering. Those responsible are Yukiko Kumahira and, in this case, Vergil. What do you think you get by killing me or other innocent magi? I don't know you, Henry, but I know you're a good person..."
"And how do you know for sure, mm? Do you think you know me? Well, that's not it—"
"I'm just giving you a choice... nothing more."
"A choice? What choice?" he asked sharply.
"Are you only interested in money? So kill those like me, but if your interest transcends money... if you believe in justice, then you can listen to me and eliminate the problem at its root. The choice is yours."
"So what are you asking me, exactly?" he asked puzzled. "Do you want me to become your ally in this war? Is that what you want?"
"I can help you, Henry. Believe it or not, I can really help you get justice... because I want justice too."
Henry thought for a moment. He immediately thought of a trap, but Alessandro's gaze wasn't like that of the other magi he had killed. A magus was generally cynical, treated humans like cattle, and had no trouble fighting. But Alessandro was not a magus like the others. In his eyes there was an almost alien humanity.
Henry heaved a sigh.
Alessandro understood that he had managed to persuade him.
"Okay, I trust you." He paused for a short while during which he stood up. "However, I want to know what's going on here. I want to know everything and I want to know who is responsible. Will you tell me everything?"
Alessandro smiled. "You'll have to get comfortable, because this is a really long story."
"Pretty," Henry said wryly. "But I don't think that ridiculous magic sword will be able to deal with this weapon."
Alessandro immediately noticed that there was something strange in his opponent's sword, he could not say what it was for sure but he knew he had to be cautious. As soon as the two weapons collided, the difference in physical strength between the two was immediately evident; Henry managed to corner Alessandro and forced him to back away.
Saber, aka Caesar, and Rider, aka Augustus, looked at that battle with different eyes: the second didn't understand why Alessandro didn't want to kill Henry, the first had understood the Master's intentions but was still worried about his well-being.
Ina, meanwhile, was heavily troubled. Seeing Alessandro fight while she was doing nothing made her uncomfortable, she would've liked to be of help in some way.
The clash between Alessandro and Henry wasn't on par. Alessandro was refusing to use dangerous Magecraft just to avoid killing the boy, while Henry hit without any hesitation and had the clear intention of killing the opponent; however he had noticed that the Servants weren't intervening and it intrigued him slightly.
When it came to physical fights, Alessandro had the worst. Henry was physically stronger and was also significantly faster than him. The pace of the duel, which wasn't the fastest, was already too complicated to follow for a magus who had never fought without using Magecraft.
Henry was noticing some hesitation in his opponent, who preferred to stay defensive rather than attack; it bothered him a little, but it also intrigued him.
"You really are an idiot..." Henry murmured.
Alessandro was disarmed.
Henry prepared to behead the opponent.
"Adversarium Ferio!"
The powerful magical thrust threw Henry against the wall of a building. That attack, while quite powerful, wasn't enough to make the tenacious Mage Hunter give up.
"You're finally taking the initiative, Alessandro, I was afraid I was fighting a mollusk."
"Perhaps it's not yet clear to you that I've no intention of killing you," he said gravely. "You don't have to fight me, you don't have to stay here—"
"Wai—let me understand, the only reason why the two Servants and that little girl don't attack me is just because you don't want to kill me? And why does a magus show all this affection for life? I mean, considering the mess you made in London, it seems to me a bit too late for acts of kindness."
"I didn't choose to—"
"I know you participated in the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil that took place in England, your name is on my list."
"Your list, huh?"
"Yes and, from what I understand, you are a member of the Coven—"
"I am not anymore. You should update that 'list'."
"Maybe… but that doesn't excuse you at all. I know that the Coven committed crimes during the war, I'm forced to hold you responsible for what happened."
"So there's no way to make you change your mind?" he asked troubled.
"I don't understand why you care so much about such a thing, you're a magus! People like you have never had human life at heart, why should I believe I'm dealing with a different person?"
"Listen to me, Henry—"
"No! You must listen to me: you don't know me, you have no idea how much I have suffered because of you magi! Don't assume you can talk to me like we're old friends or some shit like that. So take your weapon, raise your head and face me!"
Alessandro reluctantly evoked another astral sword. "You're right, I don't know you... but you don't know me either."
"True, but this isn't a fucking psychologist session, we have to fight not talk to each other."
"Do you really think there is no other way?" Alessandro was stubborn, he had no intention of continuing the battle. "You can consider me a magus 'like many others', but you cannot accuse me of committing crimes that I've never done. I know I made mistakes during that war, but I'm not a killer— "
Henry then attacked Alessandro violently. The sword stroke was so powerful that Alessandro's astral weapon shattered.
"Defendere!" the boy exclaimed snapping his fingers.
Henry's blade collided with that magical barrier.
"Idolon!"
A ghostly figure, identical to Alessandro, tried to grab Henry, but the latter moved quickly and, with a blow, made that kind of ghost disappear. Henry tried again to hit that barrier, yet another failure made him nervous and he exclaimed:
"Enough of this nonsense!" The Mage Hunter's sword was shrouded in a veil of golden light. "Now I'll kill you!"
Saber immediately recognized that light, even Alessandro had no doubts when he perceived that magical energy escape from the blade.
Henry exclaimed, "Ex—!"
Ina came to the attack and hit Henry with such force that the boy flew at least four or five meters and fell to the ground with a thud. Alessandro, astonished, saw that Ina's arms and hands were covered with a thick armor of rock.
"Are you okay?" she asked worriedly.
"Yes, I..."
"Sorry, but I couldn't leave you alone."
"No... it's okay, thank you," he said in a low voice. "I don't want to force you to fight, it's not fair..."
"And I can't leave you alone..." she exclaimed faintly, her face red and sweaty.
"Ina..."
Henry appeared behind the girl and slashed.
Saber's intervention was lightning-fast.
The two blades collided. Saber kicked and Henry was pushed away. Alessandro stood in front of Ina and, after thanking the Servant for her perfect rescue, snapped his fingers exclaiming:
"Gladius!"
Alessandro, with his astral sword, attacked Henry. As soon as the two blades crossed, Henry pushed forward and tried to disarm the opponent; Alessandro, therefore, moved with a flowing rapidity of legs and made the enemy lose his balance. Henry, being somewhat agile, attempted to fall to his feet, but the magus was ingenious enough to anticipate him and exclaimed:
"Adversarium Ferio!"
The powerful thud marked the end of the duel.
Henry lost his weapon and found himself with Alessandro's blade pointed at his throat.
"Come on... kill me..." he said in a low voice.
"No. I already told you it's not my intention. I don't want to kill anyone. I'm not here by choice... just like in London, I was forced to fight. Now I'm here and it's my intention to make sure that Ina returns home safe and sound."
"I have very little interest in your Indian girlfriend, I must kill those who have made the poor people of London suffer—"
"Then I'm not your target. If you kill me, you will get nothing. It is not I who started the Holy Grail War and it is not I who caused all this suffering. Those responsible are Yukiko Kumahira and, in this case, Vergil. What do you think you get by killing me or other innocent magi? I don't know you, Henry, but I know you're a good person..."
"And how do you know for sure, mm? Do you think you know me? Well, that's not it—"
"I'm just giving you a choice... nothing more."
"A choice? What choice?" he asked sharply.
"Are you only interested in money? So kill those like me, but if your interest transcends money... if you believe in justice, then you can listen to me and eliminate the problem at its root. The choice is yours."
"So what are you asking me, exactly?" he asked puzzled. "Do you want me to become your ally in this war? Is that what you want?"
"I can help you, Henry. Believe it or not, I can really help you get justice... because I want justice too."
Henry thought for a moment. He immediately thought of a trap, but Alessandro's gaze wasn't like that of the other magi he had killed. A magus was generally cynical, treated humans like cattle, and had no trouble fighting. But Alessandro was not a magus like the others. In his eyes there was an almost alien humanity.
Henry heaved a sigh.
Alessandro understood that he had managed to persuade him.
"Okay, I trust you." He paused for a short while during which he stood up. "However, I want to know what's going on here. I want to know everything and I want to know who is responsible. Will you tell me everything?"
Alessandro smiled. "You'll have to get comfortable, because this is a really long story."
 |
| 'The duel' by BikoWolf |
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