Orestes was dead.
Valfredo still couldn't believe it.
"Surrender," Friedrich said. "Now it doesn't make sense to fight anymore."
"So... are you going to kill me?" he asked terrified. "You will never be able to face Alda, she's too strong for you—"
"Where does this sudden concern come from? Has being one step away from death made you more human, Valfredo? A really strange thing for people like you."
"Oh, so that's what you've come to..." he commented disappointedly. "Now you treat us as if we weren't human."
"Spare me the crocodile tears, the Rote Mäntel have always discriminated against human beings. Have you forgotten? I didn't. I will never forget the talk about the inferiority of humanity and the need to enslave those who don't know Magecraft."
"I didn't make those speeches—!"
"But it was you who spoke to me about loyalty. You are loyal to the Rote Mäntel, aren't you? You never question authority, do you? Then you're true to those ideas. Then you don't question those who put them into action. So you're like all the other magi who work for the Rote Mäntel."
"I was just trying to survive—!"
"Bullshit! This is all bullshit and you know it very well. You were never ashamed of being loyal to those killers, you never thought of criticizing them or doubting their actions. No. You always justified them. You are like them, Valfredo."
"So this is how you want to end it? Do you want to kill me? I thought you weren't that kind of person..."
"I am not, in fact... but I know how to make certain sacrifices, especially when it comes to sacrificing garbage for the good of all humanity. You and your friends have always spat in the faces of human beings, as far as I'm concerned you don't deserve a shred of pity. No. Compassion is given to those who know how to show it in turn, but the Rote Mäntel don't know pity or benevolence. You treat humans like cattle and, as if that weren't enough, you kill each other. You're just good at destroying. How can you feel compassion for people like you?"
Valfredo gave a barely audible chuckle.
"Do you find it funny?" he asked irritably.
"More than you think, Friedrich. You're right... we kill each other. You're right. Speaking of which... do you still remember your brother Clovis?"
That name sparked an aggressive reaction in Friedrich. A punch hit Valfredo's face.
"Don't you dare mention my brother, you piece of garbage!"
"Well, it doesn't matter now... I'll die anyway, so I might as well tell you the truth: your brother's death was, in a sense, premeditated."
"My brother committed suicide—"
"Because he had lost his daughter, right? Little Freda had fallen ill with tuberculosis, one of the worst possible diseases. Coincidence? No, my friend... that disease was Alda's idea."
"What?!" he exclaimed in shock. "What the fuck are you saying?!"
"I'm only telling the truth, Friedrich. Alda used Magecraft to make Freda sick and force Clovis to commit suicide. It was all her plan—"
"Bullshit!" Friedrich shouted. "No sane person would make a child suffer like that just to commit political murder! No sane person!"
"Well, Alda has never really been 'sane'... you know that too..." he said with a grin.
"Son of a bitch!" Friedrich hit Valfredo in the face. "You're a fucking son of a bitch! You are all monsters! Fucking psychos! Tell me why I should have pity on you, Valfredo! Fuck no, you can forget it! I will have no mercy...!"
Friedrich, then, saw a strange satisfaction that was painting the man's face. The anger began, little by little, to subside. Friedrich lowered his fist.
"But that's what you want... isn't it? You want me to kill you, don't you? You want to force me to go down to your level..."
"If you want you can also keep me alive... after all, I'm in no hurry to get out of here, are you?"
"Be quiet. You make me sick, Valfredo," he said in disgust.
"Don't blame me, it was Alda's work—"
"And you? You followed her. You are on her side. You defended her. Think you can wash your hands like this? No, forget it. You are to blame as much as she is, Valfredo. I won't let you live, I can't... and I can't let someone like Alda live. Letting her breathe would be like insulting my brother and niece. I can not."
"Then kill me, Friedrich. What are you waiting for? Come on! Let's get it over with and kill me! What does it cost you? I know why you hesitate! You are afraid of being like us, but in truth you are only holding back a murderous instinct that is latent in your soul. But look at you…" He paused briefly with an amused laugh. "Look at you, Friedrich! You're pathetic! You play at being a hero... at being... at being... what are you? The defender of humanity? The protector of those fragile and decaying human societies? What are you, Friedrich? What do you pretend to be? Stop hiding and embrace your true nature. You're like me, you're like Alda, you're like all the magi of the Rote Mäntel."
Friedrich saw Specter approaching. The woman had assumed her original appearance and had just brandished her weapon. Friedrich moved away from Valfredo and exchanged a quick glance with the Servant; she immediately understood what to do.
Friedrich went away and α Specter approached Valfredo, who exclaimed:
"You'll still be a killer, even if she's the one who kills me."
Friedrich didn't answer.
Specter beheaded Valfredo.
The blood that bathed the arena made that blue lighting change into a red one. A rumble announced the disappearance of the magical barrier that had isolated the arena.
Friedrich didn't allow one last look at the body of his enemy. He left the place followed by Specter.
"Are you okay, Master?"
"I'm tired. All this suffering has to stop."
The entire battle between Valfredo and Friedrich had had a man who was well hidden as the spectator. His name was Takahiro Nagasako, the Master of α Lancer.
He had already got an idea of the strength of his future opponent, but he didn't know how to attack him or where to attack him. The whole Adocentyn looked like a labyrinth of buildings, making a battle in such an awkward place was really risky, but at the same time profitable.
"Hit and run..." Takahiro reflected, lighting a cigarette. "I can use the city to my advantage: I attack him and leave."
As soon as he entered the arena where Friedrich had fought, he sat down on one of the seats for the public. Next to him appeared Lancer, a Servant with Egyptian features and adorned like a warrior princess.
"So this is your plan, my beloved?"
"Yes, more or less." He rested his head on her legs. "I don't want to face him without first knowing if I have what it takes to win. Hit and run. This is the plan, princess."
"And what if you find out he's stronger than you?"
"Then I'll have to change my focus and take care of the weaker Masters," he replied quickly.
"A very good plan, my beloved." She stroked his head lovingly. "So you can make your wish come true."
He didn't say anything.
"You have a wish, don't you? Money? Fame? Power, perhaps?"
"Fame and power are useless, while I don't need money. I've never had any and I've never regretted their absence."
"So why are you fighting?" she asked curiously.
"First of all because I was forced, and second..." He paused briefly. "If there really is an object capable of fulfilling every wish, I want to use its miraculous powers to do good to people."
"For example?"
"Anything that makes this world a better place, I still have to think about it," he replied.
"Do you want to be a champion for others, my beloved?"
"I don't want to be a champion, I just want to do the right thing." He got up and put out his cigarette. "I lost everything when my father wasted an entire inheritance on gambling. I grew up on the street with my older brother, Yuji. I know what it means to suffer, I know what it feels like to be an outcast... the world is full of people like me."
The Servant immediately noticed that her Master's expression had changed; melancholy had impressed itself on his face. "Are you all right, my beloved?"
"I was thinking... of one thing..."
"May I know what it is?"
"A year has passed. Only a year has passed since Yuji's death."
"Do you have other relatives?"
"My mother died when she gave birth to me and my father committed suicide when he found out that he would never be able to pay all of his debts. Cousins? Never had. Uncles? Few and almost all too stingy to help anyone like me. A nice family picture, isn't it? I don't have anyone and I don't need anyone."
"You need me, my beloved," she said in a caressing tone.
"To win this war, of course."
"A war that we cannot lose, I would like to add. I've seen α Specter's abilities, she's strong enough... but her defense lacks substance, if you understand me. She has no technique and is also someone who tends to underestimate her opponents."
"You have a good eye, princess."
"My father often told me so. I suggest avoiding a prolonged confrontation. I think I understand Specter's weaknesses, but her Master is another story. That guy is really... peculiar. He has the spirit of a warrior, but also the soul of a hermit. A strange combination."
"So?"
"You have to be careful of such distinctive characters, they are the most problematic."
Takahiro lit another cigarette. A plan to attack Friedrich Wolff began to take shape in his head. He turned to α Lancer and said:
"Okay, I'll be careful. But I want to try to corner them, what do you think?"
"I'll do what you want, my beloved, and if things go wrong, I'll take care of saving you."
The woman stood up. She stroked her Master's face and kissed him on the lips. He accepted that gesture, but didn't give it a romantic value; he had no particular feelings for his Servant. For Takahiro, her attitude was little different from a computer program. It was a standardized course of action with no real meaning. He agreed to be treated as α Lancer's lover and accepted that kiss; but both were empty boxes to him.
As soon as the lips parted, she said with a smile:
"My beloved Master, I will accompany you in this war and dedicate all of myself to your desire."
Valfredo still couldn't believe it.
"Surrender," Friedrich said. "Now it doesn't make sense to fight anymore."
"So... are you going to kill me?" he asked terrified. "You will never be able to face Alda, she's too strong for you—"
"Where does this sudden concern come from? Has being one step away from death made you more human, Valfredo? A really strange thing for people like you."
"Oh, so that's what you've come to..." he commented disappointedly. "Now you treat us as if we weren't human."
"Spare me the crocodile tears, the Rote Mäntel have always discriminated against human beings. Have you forgotten? I didn't. I will never forget the talk about the inferiority of humanity and the need to enslave those who don't know Magecraft."
"I didn't make those speeches—!"
"But it was you who spoke to me about loyalty. You are loyal to the Rote Mäntel, aren't you? You never question authority, do you? Then you're true to those ideas. Then you don't question those who put them into action. So you're like all the other magi who work for the Rote Mäntel."
"I was just trying to survive—!"
"Bullshit! This is all bullshit and you know it very well. You were never ashamed of being loyal to those killers, you never thought of criticizing them or doubting their actions. No. You always justified them. You are like them, Valfredo."
"So this is how you want to end it? Do you want to kill me? I thought you weren't that kind of person..."
"I am not, in fact... but I know how to make certain sacrifices, especially when it comes to sacrificing garbage for the good of all humanity. You and your friends have always spat in the faces of human beings, as far as I'm concerned you don't deserve a shred of pity. No. Compassion is given to those who know how to show it in turn, but the Rote Mäntel don't know pity or benevolence. You treat humans like cattle and, as if that weren't enough, you kill each other. You're just good at destroying. How can you feel compassion for people like you?"
Valfredo gave a barely audible chuckle.
"Do you find it funny?" he asked irritably.
"More than you think, Friedrich. You're right... we kill each other. You're right. Speaking of which... do you still remember your brother Clovis?"
That name sparked an aggressive reaction in Friedrich. A punch hit Valfredo's face.
"Don't you dare mention my brother, you piece of garbage!"
"Well, it doesn't matter now... I'll die anyway, so I might as well tell you the truth: your brother's death was, in a sense, premeditated."
"My brother committed suicide—"
"Because he had lost his daughter, right? Little Freda had fallen ill with tuberculosis, one of the worst possible diseases. Coincidence? No, my friend... that disease was Alda's idea."
"What?!" he exclaimed in shock. "What the fuck are you saying?!"
"I'm only telling the truth, Friedrich. Alda used Magecraft to make Freda sick and force Clovis to commit suicide. It was all her plan—"
"Bullshit!" Friedrich shouted. "No sane person would make a child suffer like that just to commit political murder! No sane person!"
"Well, Alda has never really been 'sane'... you know that too..." he said with a grin.
"Son of a bitch!" Friedrich hit Valfredo in the face. "You're a fucking son of a bitch! You are all monsters! Fucking psychos! Tell me why I should have pity on you, Valfredo! Fuck no, you can forget it! I will have no mercy...!"
Friedrich, then, saw a strange satisfaction that was painting the man's face. The anger began, little by little, to subside. Friedrich lowered his fist.
"But that's what you want... isn't it? You want me to kill you, don't you? You want to force me to go down to your level..."
"If you want you can also keep me alive... after all, I'm in no hurry to get out of here, are you?"
"Be quiet. You make me sick, Valfredo," he said in disgust.
"Don't blame me, it was Alda's work—"
"And you? You followed her. You are on her side. You defended her. Think you can wash your hands like this? No, forget it. You are to blame as much as she is, Valfredo. I won't let you live, I can't... and I can't let someone like Alda live. Letting her breathe would be like insulting my brother and niece. I can not."
"Then kill me, Friedrich. What are you waiting for? Come on! Let's get it over with and kill me! What does it cost you? I know why you hesitate! You are afraid of being like us, but in truth you are only holding back a murderous instinct that is latent in your soul. But look at you…" He paused briefly with an amused laugh. "Look at you, Friedrich! You're pathetic! You play at being a hero... at being... at being... what are you? The defender of humanity? The protector of those fragile and decaying human societies? What are you, Friedrich? What do you pretend to be? Stop hiding and embrace your true nature. You're like me, you're like Alda, you're like all the magi of the Rote Mäntel."
Friedrich saw Specter approaching. The woman had assumed her original appearance and had just brandished her weapon. Friedrich moved away from Valfredo and exchanged a quick glance with the Servant; she immediately understood what to do.
Friedrich went away and α Specter approached Valfredo, who exclaimed:
"You'll still be a killer, even if she's the one who kills me."
Friedrich didn't answer.
Specter beheaded Valfredo.
The blood that bathed the arena made that blue lighting change into a red one. A rumble announced the disappearance of the magical barrier that had isolated the arena.
Friedrich didn't allow one last look at the body of his enemy. He left the place followed by Specter.
"Are you okay, Master?"
"I'm tired. All this suffering has to stop."
The entire battle between Valfredo and Friedrich had had a man who was well hidden as the spectator. His name was Takahiro Nagasako, the Master of α Lancer.
He had already got an idea of the strength of his future opponent, but he didn't know how to attack him or where to attack him. The whole Adocentyn looked like a labyrinth of buildings, making a battle in such an awkward place was really risky, but at the same time profitable.
"Hit and run..." Takahiro reflected, lighting a cigarette. "I can use the city to my advantage: I attack him and leave."
As soon as he entered the arena where Friedrich had fought, he sat down on one of the seats for the public. Next to him appeared Lancer, a Servant with Egyptian features and adorned like a warrior princess.
"So this is your plan, my beloved?"
"Yes, more or less." He rested his head on her legs. "I don't want to face him without first knowing if I have what it takes to win. Hit and run. This is the plan, princess."
"And what if you find out he's stronger than you?"
"Then I'll have to change my focus and take care of the weaker Masters," he replied quickly.
"A very good plan, my beloved." She stroked his head lovingly. "So you can make your wish come true."
He didn't say anything.
"You have a wish, don't you? Money? Fame? Power, perhaps?"
"Fame and power are useless, while I don't need money. I've never had any and I've never regretted their absence."
"So why are you fighting?" she asked curiously.
"First of all because I was forced, and second..." He paused briefly. "If there really is an object capable of fulfilling every wish, I want to use its miraculous powers to do good to people."
"For example?"
"Anything that makes this world a better place, I still have to think about it," he replied.
"Do you want to be a champion for others, my beloved?"
"I don't want to be a champion, I just want to do the right thing." He got up and put out his cigarette. "I lost everything when my father wasted an entire inheritance on gambling. I grew up on the street with my older brother, Yuji. I know what it means to suffer, I know what it feels like to be an outcast... the world is full of people like me."
The Servant immediately noticed that her Master's expression had changed; melancholy had impressed itself on his face. "Are you all right, my beloved?"
"I was thinking... of one thing..."
"May I know what it is?"
"A year has passed. Only a year has passed since Yuji's death."
"Do you have other relatives?"
"My mother died when she gave birth to me and my father committed suicide when he found out that he would never be able to pay all of his debts. Cousins? Never had. Uncles? Few and almost all too stingy to help anyone like me. A nice family picture, isn't it? I don't have anyone and I don't need anyone."
"You need me, my beloved," she said in a caressing tone.
"To win this war, of course."
"A war that we cannot lose, I would like to add. I've seen α Specter's abilities, she's strong enough... but her defense lacks substance, if you understand me. She has no technique and is also someone who tends to underestimate her opponents."
"You have a good eye, princess."
"My father often told me so. I suggest avoiding a prolonged confrontation. I think I understand Specter's weaknesses, but her Master is another story. That guy is really... peculiar. He has the spirit of a warrior, but also the soul of a hermit. A strange combination."
"So?"
"You have to be careful of such distinctive characters, they are the most problematic."
Takahiro lit another cigarette. A plan to attack Friedrich Wolff began to take shape in his head. He turned to α Lancer and said:
"Okay, I'll be careful. But I want to try to corner them, what do you think?"
"I'll do what you want, my beloved, and if things go wrong, I'll take care of saving you."
The woman stood up. She stroked her Master's face and kissed him on the lips. He accepted that gesture, but didn't give it a romantic value; he had no particular feelings for his Servant. For Takahiro, her attitude was little different from a computer program. It was a standardized course of action with no real meaning. He agreed to be treated as α Lancer's lover and accepted that kiss; but both were empty boxes to him.
As soon as the lips parted, she said with a smile:
"My beloved Master, I will accompany you in this war and dedicate all of myself to your desire."
Lancer's devotion, as touching as it might be, did not open a breach in Takahiro's heart. He kissed her. She clung to him with her arms as he barely touched her hips.
There was no passion in Takahiro's gestures. It was just work.
There was no passion in Takahiro's gestures. It was just work.
 |
| 'Just work' by BikoWolf |
I would like to remind you that if you want you can read the complete PDF of Fate/Yggdrasil by clicking here. 😁
