It was a peaceful afternoon. The sun was low in the sky, casting long shadows and golden hues. The sky was still clear and blue but with a touch of orange and pink near the horizon. A mild, pleasant breeze blew in from the north, caressing the skin and bringing with it a sense of calm.
This day was interrupted by the clash of steel coming from a secluded garden behind a large mansion away from a bustling city. The scent of roses and jasmine filled the air and several butterflies fluttered among the flowers.
Two figures clash blades facing each other, holding real swords in their hands. One was a young man with long indigo hair and a calm expression, wearing a light purple kimono and sandals. He held a long katana, a Japanese sword with a single-edged curved blade. The other was a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, wearing a tight green and white dress. She held a rapier-like sword, a European blade with a thin, straight blade and a half-round hilt.
She held her sword in both hands, poised to strike at any moment.
The young man spoke first. "I apologize for taking your time, but do you mind going along with this exercise?" His voice held little emotion. In fact, his face showed only a small smile. But that is lacking any sentiment. It was blank, just the same as the woman's face is too.
The young woman nodded, saying nothing. Instead, she started with a swift flurry of strikes, aiming for his chest and stomach. The man didn't make any attempt to block or avoid them all. Instead, he took a few steps backward to avoid being hit. The woman followed him, her attacks growing more aggressive. Her movements were slow and deliberate like she was taking time out just to study her opponent.
As soon as she could get close enough she threw several quick and hard slashes, aimed for his body and arms but not at his head. She knew that would be too risky so she tried to attack his legs instead. Unfortunately, she underestimated how good he was at dodging and the strikes only managed to graze his calves. He moved again and this time made another attempt to cut her with the curved sword.
However, his aim wasn't so good and the tip of the blade barely touched the side of her thigh. She jumped backward, evading it.
With her heart moderate and preventing adrenaline from coursing through her veins, she clutched her sword tightly in both hands, ready to strike with lethal precision. The anticipation witnesses the impending clash of blades.
Seizing the opportune moment, she launched a series of quick, forceful slashes, parred by the acted katana. Swift steel met again in a matter of seconds.
Step back, she held her blade in front of her keen eyes. The air stilled before the ground beneath her feet cracked as she launched toward him.
Without missing a beat, the man sidestepped, his movements fluid and seamless, as he retaliated with a swift, calculated strike of his own. The curved sword sliced through the air, its trajectory aimed directly at her only for sparks to emit from her sword meeting back.
Their blades push back against each other before the man overcomes her with another strike.
She instinctively leaped backward, evading his attack. Her eyes, now smoldering with determination, locked onto his gaze once more.
He then began to circle around his target, moving closer to her. Once more, their swords clashed and he slashed his blade down at her neck. She caught his blade mid-swing with the tips of hers.
He was already moving, attacking her with speed so fast that his movements blended into one another seamlessly. His movements grew faster. The blades clash again and again.
She charged towards him, making use of the short window when he had lowered his guard for a second. Without hesitation, she attacked with renewed force, forcing herself forward. Their swords clashed with a loud clang, leaving a ringing sound in everyone's ears.
Her sword came dangerously close to cutting off one of the man's fingers but instead met empty air as he quickly stepped to the side. Then, he took yet another step back, his sword held high above his head.
He lunged, aiming for her head with deadly precision, but she moved out of the way and avoided the fatal blow. They continued their duel, trying to catch each other off guard. Each time the young woman struck with her sword and he blocked, her attack grew fiercer. Now there was an element of surprise on both sides.
He swung, aiming the tip towards her neck. This time she didn’t move in time to block it. The sword went flying but was caught. He moved his sword back to the right position and slashed downward. His katana hit her on the wrist, almost slicing deeply into her flesh.
His sword stopped there but she ignored the pain and kept going. Her sword came down in another sharp, slashing motion which struck the ground. Sparks flew. Her feet fell on the floor with a loud thud and she rushed toward him again.
The man dodged again, evading her advances once again and this time the tip of her sword missed his abdomen entirely. Again, he blocked it with his sword. And again.
She pressed her advantage and started to attack. But he easily blocked each strike, blocking her every attack.
He moved slightly forward, allowing the tip of his sword to graze against the girl's shoulder. She was so close to the point that if he stabbed her, the blade would pierce through her flesh. But it didn't seem that was going to happen, as his sword went right past her and struck the wall behind her.
His arm muscles bulged from the strain, straining and pulling at his sleeves, before an unknightly kick from her slam to him. He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the pain. He couldn't do much about the harm. He needed to win. But even though he starting to feel the first tiredness, he wasn't giving up just yet. He kept pushing forward with relentless force and strength. They exchanged moves and strikes, striking every opportunity they got.
The flowers and the trees framed them perfectly, casting a shadow over them. The air smelled sweet, filling the gardens with the aroma of flowers. They breathed in deeply, enjoying their moment together without being bothered by people.
At some point, he lost count of the number of times they fought. Time seemed to stand still while the two of them battled against each other. They both wore serious expressions while fighting each other and their bodies worked together, moving in sync.
He seemed to have won at first. He was able to land a few hits on the young woman and he saw her stagger backward. However, this didn’t give him the chance he wanted. She immediately recovered and resumed the battle. As expected, she was better than he anticipated and she was winning. But it would take more than a few blows to finish him. There was something he had to do.
Suddenly, she moved her sword to the side. His katana moved with it, and as soon as they crossed paths, she took a swing with her sword. The blade struck his upper left shoulder, sending waves of intense pain running down his arm, causing him to grimace. He clenched his teeth and as he continued the assault.
But before his onslaught ended, her sword flowed in the air like fluid, her image almost looking like a lily dancing, before her blade harshly clanged against his Monohoshi Zao enough to send it away from his grasp. He grunted and stumbled backward, losing balance, and falling.
As soon as he lost his balance she moved in, raising her sword high above her head and thrusting at him in a rapid fashion. He looked up, surprised, and his hand instinctively shot up and grabbed her wrist. The sword stopped midway in midair, the edge of her sword pointed toward his throat.
For a brief moment, the two stood there, facing each other with one with her sword while the other down. They remained still, as if in some sort of stalemate, neither of them wanting to move. The two pairs of eyes met and it felt as if everything around them was still.
The tip of her blade barely grazed the skin near his throat. "You've lost," said her cold voice.
He suddenly smiled. His smile was gentle yet friendly, filled with cordiality. A look of please appeared on his pale features and he replied calmly, "You're a good match."
The young woman lowered the tip of her sword. She pulled it gently from his grip. A faint smile appeared on her lips. Her eyes were fixed firmly on the bloodstains that seeped slowly out from the cut on his left shoulder. Blood dripped down from the wound, staining the soft fabric of his clothes red. He slowly stood up, holding the injured wound lightly.
"Thank you for your assistance," He said politely. The wound gradually healing.
"No problem…" She paused, searching for words. "…Sasaki." She added, bowing slightly. She turned and headed straight toward the door. It didn't take long before she reached the doorway. Her hair fluttered behind her as she walked into the manor.
Sasaki Kojirou smiled dutifully. Chevalier d'Eon was an adequate training comrade, she managed to beat him, though not at all out, a swordsman of high skill. He contemplates who else in their extensive company of Servants can give him a match. He nods his head and follows her inside.
They need to prepare for the open war that will stain Coeur in blood.
~F/CO~
Principal Jules Quincy was not an ordinary principal. He was a powerful magus himself, a practitioner of the arcane arts, an aristocratic faculty member of the Mage's Association, and the head of Coeur Academy, a prestigious school for students in Rouen, France.
There are dark eyebags under his eyes, he prefers to stay up late, working on his research or reading ancient manuscripts.
He was sitting in his office, reviewing some reports, when he felt a sudden chill in the air. He looked up and saw a dark shadow pass by his window. He frowned. Then another pass by, and another. It's unusual for birds this big to fly near his window.
He was about to sip his coffee when his secretary open hurriedly his door, with an intense look on her face.
"Sir, there's an urgent situation! You need to see this!"
He followed her to the window, where he saw a horrifying sight. The school grounds were swarming with dark figures. Great numbers plaguing from the sky to the ground. All of their appearances were familiar to him. They were pale, fanged, and bloodthirsty, attacking anyone they could find. Vampires. Some of the wandering students and staff were caught in the chaos as victims, running for their lives, or lying on the ground, drained of their life force.
Quincy stiffened in shock of disbelief and fear. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. How could this happen? How could a battle invade his school, without any warning or detection? He had never prepared for this scenario.
He looked at his secretary, who was pale and trembling.
"How did they get in? How many are there?" He asked, his voice shaking.
"We don't know, sir. They just appeared out of nowhere from a magic circle. They must have been transported here. We don't know how many there are, but they seem to be everywhere outside. They're attacking the people, the grounds, the library, the cafeteria. We need to do something, sir. We need to stop them."
Quincy felt a surge of anger and fear. He knew that the school was not active on weekends, and most of the students and staff had gone home. But there were still some who stayed behind, either for personal reasons or for extra studying. He had dedicated his life to protecting the school and its students. He couldn't let them be slaughtered by these monsters. He had to save them.
He grabbed a cane from nearby and his coat, and headed for the door.
"Alert my group. Tell them to meet me at the building exit, while you contact Chaldea. We have to at least stall this invasion for them to arrive."
"Yes, sir. Be careful, sir."
Quincy ran down the stairs, dodging the lesser vampires that had infiltrated the building.
In a sudden tremor, the whole school was suddenly surrounded by a barrier of transparent energy, and a set of magic circles appeared simultaneously. His assistant had activated the school's magecraft defense system. Jules realized. A network of magical barriers and traps that would slow down or deter the invaders. He hoped that it would buy them some time, but he knew that it would not stop the enemies completely.
He reached the building door exit, where he saw a group of people waiting for him. They are a group of magus, a team of elite magi who serve as the school's security force disguised as school staff. All twelve of them are loyal and skilled, and they have fought alongside Jules many times before, honing their skills and mastering their elements.
"Sir, you're here. They just came through the school a few minutes ago and wreaked havoc!"
"I'm aware of that. Those are undead beings that feed on human blood. Vampires. They are vulnerable to fire, silver, and light. Use your magecraft to exploit these weaknesses. Don't let them bite you, or you'll incapacitated by them. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good. Clear the school of these vampires. Use whatever means necessary. Don't hold back. They are not human, but our enemies. Do you understand?"
"We do. We'll take care of them!"
"Good. Let's go. And may God watch over us!"
Quincy led the charge, blasting the nearest vampire with a spark of fireball. The creature shrieked and burst into flames. The other magi followed suit, unleashing their own spells. Lightning, ice, wind, earth, and water rained down on the vampires, tearing them apart. Some of them were hit and fell to the ground, either dead or wounded. Some of them retaliated, throwing their own spells or weapons at the magi.
They made their way to the center of the school, where they encountered the most resistance. The vampires were more numerous and more ferocious, fighting with claws, teeth, and dark magecraft. Quincy saw one of his magi fall, bitten in the neck by a vampire. He felt a pang of grief, but he pushed it aside.
Jules saw one of the vampires break through the defense system and land on the ground. He was a tall and muscular man, with long black hair and a scarred face. He wore a leather jacket and jeans, and he had a wicked grin on his lips. He looked around and saw a group of non-magi students who were hiding behind a wall. They were one of those who went back to school. They were young and inexperienced, and they had no chance against the vampire.
The vampire licked his fangs and ran towards the students, ready to feast on their blood. Jules saw this and felt a surge of panic. He had to save them. He shouted to his group, "Cover me!"
He jumped off the rooftop and flew towards the ground, using gale magecraft to propel himself. He aimed his hand at the vampire and fired a powerful blast of flame. The vampire saw him and dodged, but not fast enough. The blast grazed his arm, burning his flesh and making him scream in pain. He turned to face Jules, his eyes filled with rage and hate.
"Lowly human dare to hit me?! Who are you?" The vampire snarled, his wound quickly healing.
"I am Jules Quincy, the principal of Coeur Academy. And you are not welcome here." Jules sounded, eyes blazing.
"Ha! You think you can stop me? You are nothing but an unfortunate man. I will kill you and then I will kill your students. They will make a delicious meal for me and my friends." The vampire replied.
"You will not touch them. I will not let you." Jules spoke out.
"Then come and try, if you dare." The vampire declared.
With one quick movement, he drew his weapon of choice - a pair of swords, which were glowing with a red light - and lunged at Jules. He parried the attack easily and launched another blow at his opponent's chest. The vampire blocked it effortlessly, looking annoyed. Then he threw a sharp kick, aiming for his chest, but Jules sidestepped it and sent a lightning bolt straight at the vampire's shoulder. The strike struck true and tore his shirt open. Blood poured out of the wound.
The vampire screamed in agony and raised his sword to block the next attack. This time Jules was quicker, jumping forward and hitting his sword on the vampire's wrist, breaking it. The vampire dropped the blade and crumpled to the ground. In that moment, Jules kicked him in the gut and sent him flying, away from his students.
The vampire got up immediately, preparing to strike again. Jules blocked him with the cane, deflecting each blow of the vampire, and countering it with his own magecraft. Their exchange continued for what seemed like hours to the onlookers. Both parties tried their best to overpower the other, until at last the battle became fierce. The two magicians attacked each other fiercely, both trying hard to gain the upper hand. Each moved and parried each other's moves perfectly; neither of them could win against the other.
But he could feel the pressure increasing as the fight continued. It was hard to resist such overwhelming strength, especially since he didn't know his opponent's power level. He took a step back, as far from the vampire as he could manage, and tried to counterattack with his magical arts. Suddenly, he felt a strong punch at the side of his head. He heard a deafening noise and felt nauseous, as if someone knocked him in the head with a brick. Everything spun and blurred. Darkness was consuming his vision.
His vision started to clear up slowly, and he saw that the vampire was now hovering above him with his sword pointed at him, holding it with both hands.
"You fool! Your pathetic aptitudes won't work on me, mortal." Jules felt a sharp sting in the left side of his temple, sending pain down through his spine. He gasped in agony as he fell to the floor. His mind felt fuzzy, his body felt weak, and he couldn't breathe.
The vampire chuckled evilly and brought his sword down towards his head, just in time for the principal to react quickly and conjure an ethereal shield for the sword to meet and crack it.
The oppressor chuckled sadistically, "Stubborn, aren't you? Let's see if you shall survive in the next few seconds." He pushes strength to his sword, forcing the crack to enlarge more.
Jules groaned, before reaching deep inside him and spoke, "By the authority of the Hexagone, I invoke the spirit of the Revolution." His enemy blinked then widened when he felt an abundant amount of mana in front of him.
"This is my decree! Liberté!" A burst of shining flames sprouted from Jules' body, engulfing him. The vampire cried in pain as the fire engulfed his body, but he held onto his sword even tighter, his arms shaking. Finally, the flames dissipated and the vampire staggered backward. But he remained standing. He still clutched the sword in his bleeding hand.
"Impossible…" The vampire muttered, shocked. His legs finally gave out and he collapsed. As soon as the vampire landed on the ground, his body turned into ashes, and was swept by the wind.
The blaze burned everything within range of the flames, leaving only ashes and smoke. It looked like everything was destroyed. The walls and ground were completely scorched.
Jules collapsed, breathing heavily, feeling drained and exhausted. He lay there on the ground, gasping. He slowly opened his eyes.
He had no time to lay back, he needed to aid his students. He pushed himself back up and stepped into the vampires' sights and waved his hand. "By the power of the Hexagone, I summon the glory of the Sun King!" He shouted as bands of fiery energy danced on his hand. "Let the rays of the solar orb shine, and the darkness of the shadows fade!" He commanded again. The energy swirls and is concentrated into a whirling ball of flare, the surroundings begin to heat and gradually evaporate.
"Vive le Roi!" A single wave of red flames shot out and enveloped the entire campus, vastly reducing the number of dark shadows. The spell seemed effective enough to drive them off, as vampires affected by the blazing wave immediately vaporized, not even leaving ashes. The invasion was instantly held back for a minute.
Once the flames began to die out, the magi were able to look around them in wonder. The buildings were totally leveled. Many of the windows were shattered, but the classrooms were intact. There were some casualties, but otherwise, all of the students were uninjured.
The remaining vampires stared in disbelief at the flames. They weren't sure whether or not to return to the shadows. But the appearance of more reinforcements from magic circles convinced them to act the opposite. They face back and continue on, raid into the academy.
The attacks continued. Soon a few began to pour in of the school and crawl over the grass. They started to attack the students and teachers, and it didn't take long for them to overwhelm the defender magi.
Jules stared in incredulity, as several students were slain in the blink of an eye. His heart was torn apart because of the terrible sight, and he started to tremble. Unable to believe what was happening, he knew it was useless. The defenders are already starting to lose all hope.
Just then, he spotted someone in the back horde of vampires, a tall, dark-haired man with a scarred face and a wicked grin. He was wearing a black cloak and a silver pendant, and he was holding a staff. He was surrounded by a group of loyal followers, who shielded him from the surviving magi's range attacks.
Quincy recognized him. Slightly aged, but still the same face. He was Lucien, a former student of Coeur Academy. A former apprentice of his. He had been expelled for practicing forbidden magecraft, and had sworn revenge on the principal, and by extension, on the school. He had become a vampire and had gathered a horde of followers. He had been planning this attack for a long time.
Quincy felt a surge of rage. He had tried to help Lucien, to guide him to the right path. But Lucien had rejected his offer, and had chosen the dark side. He had betrayed him, and had endangered the lives of innocent people. He had to be stopped.
Quincy set his hands ablaze, and shouted.
"Lucien! You traitor! Coward! Murderer! Face me!"
Lucien turned to face him in surprise, and when recognition flashed his face, he smiled wickedly.
"Hello, Quincy. Long time no see. I'm glad you're here. I've been looking forward to this."
He raised his staff and unleashed a wave of dark energy. Quincy blocked it with a shield of light, that instantly fell apart and countered with a beam of fire. Lucien waved his staff and the flames dispersed and sent a swarm of bats at Quincy. Quincy also dispersed them with a gust of wind and charged at Lucien. Lucien met him halfway by firing a single beam of malicious energy.
Quincy managed to dodge but felt the energy touch his skin, burning him badly. He retreated back a couple of feet and felt a burning sensation in his arm and leg. He glanced at his arm and saw that it was completely burnt. The wound oozed blood. He cursed.
As he watched Lucien, the latter smiled in satisfaction. "So that's how you defend yourself?" He snickered and summoned his own minions. "I guess I'll have to teach you a lesson in return."
Lucien threw another fireball at him, but Quincy wasn't quick enough, and he barely managed to dodge it. He was forced to retreat, as Lucien's minions swarmed towards him. He dodged and ducked behind some debris from the burning building and used his cane to cast a water ball spell. He created an icy stream in the air, freezing it into ice spikes, and sent them to Lucien. But it failed to hit his target, as Lucien had already vanished in a white flash of light. Then, he appeared behind Quincy. Lucien grabbed the principal's shoulders with one hand and pinned him to the wall with the other. He held him down and stabbed with the tip of his nails into his body. The pain was excruciating and unbearable.
The principal screamed in anguish, and he started to cough up blood. He struggled desperately against Lucien, trying every possible trick to get rid of him. But he didn't seem to give him any chance at all.
Lucien pulled out his nails and slashed him hard across the stomach, tearing flesh, blood, and bone apart. The blood spilled onto his shoes. Jules suddenly felt numb all over. A wave of dizziness overwhelmed his mind and made him stumble backward. Lucien took the opportunity and attacked again, stabbing the principal in the shoulder. Quincy let out a piercing scream as he felt the painful stabs, and struggled to hold onto the pole of his cane, so he could use the cane to defend himself from further injuries. But his body became too feeble and he was unable to fight back anymore, and his limbs were growing weak. The pain made him feel extremely sick. His vision went blurry as the last of his stamina ran out. He tried to muster all the energy he had left in him but in vain.
Suddenly, he let go of the principal. The principal slid down the wall, as he coughed and gurgled, blood coming out of his mouth. He reached out to grab the cane that he had dropped a couple of seconds ago, and tried to pull himself back to his feet. He looked at Lucien, glaring furiously at him with pure hatred in his eyes.
"You will never win…" He spat. His voice was very hoarse and raspy.
But Lucien merely laughed. "You're too naive," Lucien replied coldly. He lifted his chin, revealing a pair of bloody teeth, and revealed his fangs as they glistened and sparkled in the sunlight.
Lucien shrugged carelessly, and he smiled. He pointed his finger, which glowed with an eerie glow, and pointed it at the principal. "What did you say? You're right, I will never win, might. But your students might not..."
Jules' heart froze, "What?"
Lucien simply grinned back and pointed towards the sky. Suddenly, a gigantic vortex of wind formed above his head in the clouds and spun wildly before he could even utter his last words. The swirling whirlwind started to condense downwards and the vortex grew larger and bigger until it eventually formed into the shape of a giant whirlpool with a radius of 30 meters.
Lucien closed his eyes and took a deep breath. In just one second, the wind was pushed to such high levels that the ground began to crack violently. A loud boom echoed throughout the air, as a shockwave spread out from the center of the vortex and blasted through the students, sending most of them flying. Some even fell to their deaths.
A massive wave of destruction followed, and the whole school became devastated. Not even a building was left in its entirety. All the students fled as fast as they could away from the area, as the shockwave was intense. Even those at the very ends, couldn't avoid getting blown away by the powerful shockwaves. Some of the vampires even flew up into the sky, only to be shredded into small pieces, falling back down to earth with broken wings. Their screams echoed in the air, and the sound was horrifying.
And finally, there is silence. It was silent and deafening as a single piece of debris landed somewhere far away from the school, breaking into countless fragments, and creating an immense crater, like a bomb went off. The dust settled, leaving nothing in its wake.
There was no trace of the school anymore. Nothing remained besides rubble.
All those who survived stood there quietly watching the aftermath unfold. Some of them gasped in disbelief. Others covered their mouths and cried with grief. Everyone stared at the site in shock and sorrow.
Jules gazed silently at the destruction that had occurred. A tear flowed down his face uncontrollably and dropped onto the ground below. This is just too much for an old man like him to bear. It feels like he can't take the horror that happened in front of him.
Lucien laughed madly while he wiped the bloodstains from his fingers. As if mocking his defeated opponent, he said: "Well done, Quincy. I never expected you to survive to witness all this. So many of your kind died because of you, and you still refuse to admit defeat? And now, look at what you caused. Your own students lost everything because of you! I am disappointed. I want you dead, and sooner and later, the entirety of Zegrath shall arrive!"
"Is that so…?" A voice echoed throughout the area, making the vampire's pupils shrink. He didn't notice any presence!
"That remains to be seen."
Just then, a blue flash shimmered, and something fast plummeted down to the ground in a loud clang in front of him.
Lucien looked and saw a pair of short swords, one black and one white, stuck in the ground near his feet. They looked like ordinary blades with identical patterns, but he felt a strange chill from them as if they were warning him of something.
Moreover, he noticed a peculiarity of them, an image engraved not belonging to anyone of this nation's ethnicity.
A symbol of Yin and Yang.