Chapter 93 : The ghost of Russia

January 2, 2021

Moscow. Sergei Rybakov was in the library reading a book by Vladímir Majakovskij, it was Formidable Laughter. He was so immersed in reading that he didn't even notice the presence of another man who sat down next to him.
« Sergei. »
Sergei looked up and saw this man in his forties with a thick beard and little hair on his head. This man with the crow's nose was dressed very elegantly and passed him a ruined wooden cross. Sergei seeing the object said:
« What's this thing? »
« The relic. »
« Impossible. »
« No, this is it, believe me. Vasily told me it's this. »
« Where did he get it? »
« A Polish magus, Lesław Szymczyk, provided it to him. »
« You mean the one who founded the Warsaw Academy of Magecraft? »
« Yes him. »
« Did Guryev give you this and nothing else? »
« Exactly. He only gave me this relic. »
Sergei took a look at that old cross a little bigger than a hand, it was certainly ancient but Sergei feared it was a fake and asked:
« How can I trust Guryev? That's a man with no honor. »
« Trust me, that's the relic. With that you will summon a Servant. »
« Sorry, you're right Igor, I don't want to offend you. After all, we both belonged to the Order of the Blessed. »
« Yerzov and Rybakov, together we were invincible, but then you left. »

« I had to do it. »
« I don't blame you, but I'm sorry. »
Sergei closed the book and put it back on the shelf. Intrigued, Igor asked him:
« Do you only like Mayakovsky? »
« No. I also like Ogarëv and Parnok. »
« Parnok? »
« Don't you know Sofija Parnok? You are truly an ignorant in poetry. »
« I don't have your same obsession. »
Sergei and Igor came out of the library, it was snowing outside, walking on the streets of Moscow, Sergei, clutching the relic that would have allowed him to officially enter the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil. Igor was visibly worried about his friend, he knew that his intent was to fight the war but he didn't know the reason and so he asked him:
« Why do you want to fight? »
« I don't think you would understand, Igor. »
« You can't know if you don't tell me. Tell me. »
« I've been having nightmares for two months now. »
« What kind of nightmares? »
« I see the end of the world, I see myself fighting against a girl who hates me and who, although seeming weak, manages to beat me in a clash and I see a lot of suffering. »
« Therefore? »
« I have seen a cup full of blood, I have seen death and I'm afraid that those images will become reality. I have to fight this war, it's my destiny. »
« Sergei ... »
« I know, it sounds crazy, but believe me: it isn't. »

« Sergei, I will always be on your side, you are like a brother to me, but be careful. The Holy Grail War is not a game, you could die. » 
« Maybe ... or maybe not. The only way to find out is to fight it. »

Sergei Rybakov by Bikowolf

 

My choice, a somewhat gloomy thought

There's a moment when I look at what I'm doing and I'm frightened. I'm frightened because I fear that the choices I make may somehow be wrong. I've always been afraid of making mistakes, my ex-girlfriend (two / three years ago) told me that she has always noticed this huge flaw in me: I don't act for fear of making mistakes.
Only now I realize that she was right. I'm afraid of making mistakes. Whenever I make a choice I'm afraid I have made the wrong choice and therefore I'm always doubtful, sometimes slightly paranoid, and this disturbs me.
I'm writing this blognovel. What if it was a mistake? What if I give up and focus more on studying?
I like studying philosophy at university, of course, but I can't deny to myself that I've aspirations that distance themselves from philosophy.
I like to write, but I don't like to write about philosophy, I like to tell my stories and make them known to the world. I've been writing since I was little, I've been creating stories since I was little, but maybe ... maybe I'm doing everything wrong.
Maybe I should step back and leave it all behind. But then there's that voice ... that voice that tempts me. Every time I study and concentrate I hear a voice (it's a thought) that pushes me to create something new. Today, while studying Wittgenstein, I started thinking about a story about a man imprisoned in a room and forced to communicate via email with someone else. He does not know who's writing: a person or a machine? And then there's a whole story that unfolds and that must reveal the mystery, the enigma.
That voice is a temptress. It causes me to leave everything behind and simply create something new, to use this fantasy that I have in my head and that seems to be about to explode.

But then ...

There is the real world and that's an asshole. The real world is about money, not dreams, but dreams that make money; the real world doesn't encourage you to follow your dreams but to follow what makes you survive; we have to sacrifice our dreams for money instead of our life for dreams.
So what's the moral of the story?
Alan Watts would say:
 
"Much better to have a short but happy life than a long but miserable life."
 
True. But everyone is free to choose what kind of life to have and this is also right. I personally think this:
We have one life, one bullet in this rifle, one shot. If you waste that single shot, it's over. There is nothing after. It's over. So in this one life, what's better? To follow yourself or to follow others?
 
I have already made my choice. 

Chapter 92 : Start a war (part 4)

January 20, 2021

Hamburg. After having had the opportunity to speak with Friedrich Wolff, Kumahira Yukiko, headed towards the church of St. Michael where some members of the Rote Mäntel were gathering to prepare for the ritual to summon the Servant. It was night and Yukiko was alone. She approached the doors of the church but two men stopped her, one of them said:
« I'm sorry, miss, you can't go through. »
Inside the church the ritual had already begun, in a few minutes the Servant would appear, but Yukiko was in no hurry. She walked slowly away with a predatory grin, waiting for the end of the summoning.
The Rote Mäntel managed to summon Caster. The Master was a young magus ready to win the Holy Grail War of Yggdrasil for the sake of their organization, the Servant was restless, something was troubling him.
« What's going on, Caster? » Asked the young Master.
« There's a Servant. There's a very powerful Servant. » He replied, intimidated.
Caster opened his book, took out his goose down and summoned beings made of ink. The men in the church were confused but at that moment the doors were destroyed, the two guards who were outside had been killed and Yukiko entered the church. The Master was young and inexperienced and with a bold tone he exclaimed:
« You must be a Master! There is no problem, I am not afraid of you! I will kill you! »
Yukiko remained silent, she had completely ignored the words of the young Master. She looked at Caster, made a smug face and said:
« You are very weak, Caster, my Servant will kill you in a moment. »
The ink beings attacked Yukiko but at that moment Berserker appeared: a girl with coal-black armor, full of scales, with a battle skirt similar to that of a princess and with a helmet in the shape of a dragon's head .
Berserker killed the ink beings with a few strokes and then her fists were wrapped in red flames that tended to black. Caster, intimidated, thought of immediately using his Noble Phantasm but Berserker hit him with such a powerful punch that he flew out of the church.
The young Master used a Command Seal:
« Caster, I'll strengthen you! »
Yukiko didn't stop him, she knew Berserker would kill Caster anyway. The other men in the church surrounded Yukiko and she said:
« You can't stop me in any way, you are like dung compared to me. »
Then she recited a magic formula:
« Jag är Oövervinnlig. »
The men cast their spells in unison but these had no effect on Yukiko. The girl killed those fools by splitting their heads, tearing their hearts and breaking up their limbs. The young Master was shocked, that fragile girl looked like a demon.
« Stay away! Monster! » He shouted, frightened.
« I don't need to come over there to kill you. » She said, smiling.
Berserker joined Yukiko, clutching Caster by the throat, who was unable to react, he was like a wounded rabbit.
« Servants ... shouldn't be so weak ... » said the young Master, traumatized.
« Compared to Berserker, all Servants are weak, especially if there are incompetent Masters like you with them. You are the living proof that the Holy Grail War is not made for everyone. »
« Caster! Caster, react! I order you! »
« A writer should not be a Caster, otherwise this is what happens. Your dearest Nostradamus has become Berserker's bitch, but don't worry, you will die together. »
« WAIT! Have mercy on me! I didn't want to participate in this war! » Shouted the boy in tears.
« You're really pathetic. Don't you really have anything interesting for me? Can you at least fight a little? »
« I want to live! Please, let me live! »
The young Master was on his knees, in tears and was peeing on himself, it was a pitiful sight but Yukiko had no compassion. She nodded to Berserker and she threw Caster's body next to the young Master. Yukiko left leaving Berserker in front of the two of them, the last words she addressed to the boy were:
« Even the devil will throw you up. »
Berserker used her Noble Phantasm:
« Ashes of Camelot! (My Hell is Eternal) »
Berserker launched a powerful vortex of fire from her hands that burned the young Master and his Servant together. Part of the church was completely destroyed.  
This was the way Yukiko loved to start a war.

Yukiko Kumahira and Berserker by Bikowolf

 

Berserker kills Caster by Bikowolf

 

Chapter 91 : Start a war (part 3)

A luxurious hotel room, certainly something that only the Coven could afford. Alessandro Serpi was tired from traveling by plane and only wanted to sleep. He put his bags aside without even opening them and lay down on the double bed. Saber appeared:
« Do you want to sleep a little Master? »
« Is that a problem for you? I think I have already given too much for today. »
« The sun has just risen. »
« But we have just arrived. Is it possible that you don't have a conception of tiredness? »
« I'm a Servant. I depend solely on your magical energy and you have a lot of it. You are a very strong magus, you know? »
« I belong to a family that has been practicing Magecraft for many generations. »
« So you're some kind of aristocrat? »
« It's more or less like that among magi, yes. It's all about biology. »
Saber snorted and said:
« Why don't you just call yourself "magicians"? It's all simpler like this. »
« Because a magus is not like a magician. A magician can do real miracles, they do what we call magic, and they overcome the limits established by thaumaturgy. »
Saber then asked curiously:
« Your family is made up of magi, did you say? »
« The Serpis are a very ancient family, in Italy there are at least twenty families of magi, and there are just as many in France, Germany and in every other country in Europe. »
« But are you the strongest magus of the Coven? »
« No. The Grand Master Giovanni Monteverdi X is much stronger than me. » Alessandro yawned.
Saber, noticing that he was struggling to keep his eyes open, let him sleep peacefully.

That afternoon Alessandro got out of bed and realized that Saber was in front of him with a completely different suit: she had black tights, Mary Jane shoes, a dark blue miniskirt and a pink sweatshirt, with a hood. The girl had taken off her laurel wreath and the weapon was also gone.
Confused, he asked her:
« What are you doing? »
« While you were in bed I took the time to visit Londinium. Barbarians have really modernized! »
« What?! You went out and you didn't tell me anything?! What if they attacked you?! »
« Impossible. Here in Londinium they are all so kind. Even though they told me it's called Lon-don. Strange name. Londinium sounds much better, don't you think too? »
« Saber ... you had to tell me! You had to wake me up! »
« Relax, relax, I have something for you: here. »
Saber gave Alessandro a miniature of a blue phone box and then he asked:
« What is this stuff? »
« I don't know. They told me it's from a doctor but I didn't understand his name. Do you like it? I find it cute. »
« Saber, listen to me, you can't do that. Promise me you won't do it again. »
« Can I promise that I will do it only a few times? »
« Saber! »
« Okay, okay, there is no need to be so paranoid. And then I'm glad you have enough magical energy to keep me in this form. You really have to be some sort of Super 
Magus. »
« If you like to believe it ... »
Alessandro went into the living room, opened a suitcase and took out a glass container full of salt, then spread a map of London on the floor and spread the salt on it. Saber, curious, asked him:
« What are you doing, Master? »
« I want to know how many other Masters are present in London. »
Saber stroked Alessandro's head and the latter, unnerved, exclaimed:
« I'm not a dog, you know? »
« But you have been very good. You're acting like a strategist, I like it. »
« I'm just doing the most logical thing. »
Saber smiled, proud of his Master's initiative but the latter was not happy to be treated like a child. He got up from the floor and said, snapping his fingers:
« Revelare. »
The salt formed several heaps in parts of the map and Alessandro, noting the position and the number of heaps, commented:
« There are only four. Five more are missing. They will probably be in London shortly. »
« Master, can you locate magic energy with that magic? »
« Yup. »
« Can you also try to locate the Holy Grail? »
« I can try. »
He snapped his fingers again and said:
« Signum Videre. »
The salt began to spin randomly on the map of London without ever stopping.
« I can't locate it. » Alessandro said, disappointed.
« I was wondering one thing: isn't it risky to fight a war in a city full of civilians? »
« Obviously. However, it's possible that battles will take place in isolated places where no one can poke their noses. »
« I hope you're right, I can't stand hurting those who don't know how to defend themselves. »

Alessandro Serpi and Saber by Bikowolf

 

Stupid thing, stupid notes ... yeeeh 😐

During the correction of the first 78 chapters of the first arc I counted the number of words just for fun. In total there are 76,872 words. Yeeeh ... 😬😬😬

Chapter 90 : Start a war (part 2)

January 26, 2021

Friedrich Wolff had therefore arrived in London with his Servant. Once in town the first thing he did was to find himself a place to stay, a hotel. Friedrich had already been to London and knew how to find his way, so he had no problem finding accommodation. He made himself comfortable in a well-kept hotel room where there was a bathroom with a bathtub, a toilet and a sink; the bed was single and there was a fairly large living room with a modern TV and a brown sofa.
Friedrich placed his guitar near the exit door. He opened the windows to let the air flow, opened the closet to check if there was anything belonging to the previous tenants, ran the tap and tub water and then checked the toilet drain. Everything seemed in order.
Specter appeared:
« I didn't think a nomad like you had enough money to afford a place like this. »
« I did several jobs. »
« Something immoral? »
« I'm not that kind of person. »
« What kind of person are you then? You don't seem like your typical good boy. »
« I am the type of person who loves to live freely. »
« Then why did you agree to participate in this war? »
« There is something weird. » He replied: « That Yukiko knows something and is intriguing me. »
« In fact she had talked about Nidhoggr and a cycle of eternal return ... but do you really care about these things? »
« You know something about this? »
« I know many things. What are you referring to? » She asked, smiling.
« Do you know what Yukiko was talking about? »
« Do you believe her? »
« I don't know. »
Specter chuckled, approached Friedrich and murmured:
« Liar. »
« Why? »
She sat on the bed and, crossing her legs, explained:
« Ever since you met that girl, you left Hamburg, you went to Berlin where you spent most of your time researching in a dusty library and then decided to go to Paris to meet a friend of yours that you couldn't find and then you decided to come here to London just to be able to talk to that girl. You believe her. »
« Okay, I believe her. But you didn't answer my question: do you know what Yukiko was talking about? »
« I'm not a divinity, therefore I cannot confirm or even deny her conjectures, however, I can tell you that they are not new to me. In the Gnostic doctrines Abraxas was considered a divinity for half cock and half snake and was protected by the Uroborus, considered a being that represented the totality of time, space and the primordial ocean. The Uroborus was not bad or even good, but represented the beginning and the end of a cycle and its beginning again. It separated the earthly world from the dark one, coincidentally just like Nidhoggr. »
« What if it's true? »
« IF it were true then it would be a big problem for you. »
« Why? »
« Because you can't escape the Uroborus. Beyond him is the void. »
At that moment Friedrich, taking a look at his Servant, thought it would be smart to try to understand her limits immediately and then he asked her:
« Can I check your combat parameters? »
« Do you think I'm not strong enough as Servant? »
« I don't know the characteristics of your class. »
« And how do you want to know them ...? »
Friedrich touched her chest, closed his eyes, and could feel the exact strength of his Servant. Specter, however, took the opportunity to grab his hand, carried him forcefully on the bed and jumped on him.
« What are you doing?! »
« I'm a demon who has special needs, Master. »
« You're joking, right? »
« Just looking at you, I want to rape you. »
A blade came out of Specter's arm and she placed it in front of his throat.
« This "bad boy attitude" of yours excites me. »
« No, no, no, no! Forget it! Remove this blade from my throat! »
« Why? Don't tell me you're still a virgin? »
He punched her in the head.
« Ouch! This will make me a bump! »
Friedrich was embarrassed and red as a pepper.
« The nymphomaniac Servant had to happen to me. »

Specter by Bikowolf

Specter and Friedrich Wolff by Bikowolf

 

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