Betrayal

Haha! I'm back!

(I'm sorry for the late post… I actually wanted this chapter out by yesterday but there was no time)

My face started having allergic reactions a couple days ago (it's gone now though), that wasn't fun.

Anyway, I had some IRL stuff to deal with… homework, allergic reactions, existential crisis… you know, the normal teenanger stuff.

I tried another 10k word chapter but ended in a failure…

From now on, if I ever leave a while I'll update you guys accordingly.

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The pieces have been set.

Arthur's own armor had shown itself in the light once more.

Equipped with both the current innovations of technology along with the aesthetic of the olden knights of the middle ages it created a modern blend of old and new.

Behind him were the three knights he was going to take to raid and kill whichever Suspect housed the abandoned school.

Charlie, Lancelot, and Fidelis.

Each of them wore a distinct short cowl with a symbol and color that represented them.

Arthur looked at Lancealot.

He was his third most trusted person after Fidelis and Oliver amongst the knights.

But even with his trust he held a suspicion.

His doubts couldn't be proven however, and more so since the raid planned was happening right this second.

"May I ask who this is King Arthur?"

Charlie pointed at the black cloaked man leaning against the wall in the corner of the room.

"He is just an addition… Don't mind him too much."

"As you wish King Arthur."

He glanced at Takahiro once more before focusing on the mission. Sometimes he couldn't help but think if their relationship was actually strained in any way.

Takahiro acted like nothing had happened.

The information gained in return was substantial however.

He never got why he withheld the information but it mattered not.

In the file was both important information about one the Cult's main reservoirs of information hubs that constantly sent out information to the lower ranks.

How did he know this? The information inside the files gave him everything he needed to know.

After Arthur had left and read the info, he had sent an emergency meeting with some of the other knights to send their squad in to prepare to take over or destroy the base.

This would delay the destruction of the gangs and like, but this was far more important than glorified police work.

The 'feeling' in the room slowly shifted into a sharp - almost butter cutting - concentration as everyone tensed at the upcoming battle.

-Wrrrmmm…

The low humming of the advanced armored truck resonated everyone into a trance-like parallel thinking.

' 'We'll win, for the glory of Britain…' '

Of course there was a stray that didn't catch the hint that was engraved into the bones of the straight lanced knights.

…

Takahiro contemplated the upcoming battle, a habit that formed and consolidated through the years of battles and preparations.

His mind lingered from one thought to the next, not particularly favoring any of them.

'Is this enough knights?'

He sized the modern age knights up, comparing them to his opponents thus far.

Minute and precise observations helped him in guessing their muscle mass, strength and other attributes that added into their 'existence'.

Some preferred speed, others endurance…

Everyone was different but the systematic teachings like most modern schools that were implemented into the British government made most into a somewhat similar physique.

Even in a prestigious and secret organization like the Round Table had their fodder, the knights behind the members at the Round Table were just that, fodder.

Stronger but still fodder nonetheless.

Takahiro closed his eyes.

A shadowy figure resembling the appearance of a mannequin appeared.

The figure slowly morphed into a man with wild white hair, mental asylum's outfit and a beast-like face.

'Even the imitation has that aura…'

It was like a mirage, one born from the sheer presence the man held.

A lion… no a tiger?

No… that wasn't right either…

It shifted and changed.

Soon an amalgamation of all beasts was created.

It had no face.

It had no body.

It was fear.

Fear itself had chosen this screw-loose man as its avatar upon the mortal plane.

'If she's anything like him… could we win?'

The Cult had various members in its grasp. From outliers to simple hooligans there was a unique variety that every member had a trait that kept them fresh from the last.

But at the top were the anomalies, people who were born for greatness but still sided with the Cult out of coincidence or circumstance.

But it mattered not. 

Today they were his enemies and tomorrow they may be friends.

But today was still today so he'll do his best to kill them.

The silence persisted until the truck came to a stop.

Arthur got up from his seat and started ordering people into their positions.

Soon a line of soldiers surrounded the parameters of the school.

'...'

Takahiro looked at the flimsy line of defense with an apathetic look.

'So… pathetic…'

Crack-...

"?"

He looked around only to see the four knights and king ready to fight. Takahiro put the sound to the back of his head, it wasn't of any importance compared to now.

It was overkill.

Arthur was a bona fide Gold Rank and with three of his Knights this was practically a guaranteed victory.

The surroundings were bleak. With trees missing their leaves, black crows cawing in the background and dark -almost black- dirt under their feet, it made for a horror worthy scene.

"Team Lance One, ready to go."

Arthur tapped his ear piece and got the three confirmations.

"We're ready."

Lancelot said, even though everybody already heard the confirmations.

Arthur turned back, looking at Takahiro almost as if expecting him to follow them and their lead. But alas, he didn't and stared at the departing Knights.

*

*

*

"Mm…"

Mary awoke groggily, the noose on her neck did nothing to the hardened neck that seemed to keep her alive against her will.

'They aren't being subtle…'

She whipped her hand and cut the rope easily and her arms acted like weapons of mass destruction.

With a new 'necklace' as an accessory she started stretching.

"Hm…!"

-Creak!

Rather than bones popping it sounded like metal bending and stretching instead.

"Hah…"

As the warm afternoon rays of lights came into the large glass window, Mary stepped toward the broken mattress that had an array of weapons, unpolished and rusty from the dried blood.

-Fwip!

One knife, two knives…

Three…

Until three turned into five.

As she lazily juggled the rusty knives, she suddenly stopped.

-Woosh~

With one of her arms stretched out, a knife fell down onto her delicate skin.

-Bam.

Rather than piercing through her skin, all it did was create a small concave that only at best tickled her.

 "Now then… shall I deal with the intruders?"

It was uncanny, the knives stood at a balance and ever so slightly moved along with her body. The knives themselves seemed to have wills standing at their rusted tips like a circus performance.

-Fwip!

In an instant she gathered the knives and shot them at the door.

-Woosh!

-TING!

"..."

"...I didn't expect a warm welcome, but isn't this a bit too harsh? Dark Mary the Victim?"

His aura commanded respect.

The epitome of modern knights stood at the destroyed doorway in all his glory.

King Arthur. He stood with his prized sword, Excalibur, out that defended him.

'Could he kill me?' A small thought whenever she met someone strong had come out once more.

But all of her opponents have failed and she got stronger.

Veins popped as she swung her arm back for a massive release of power.

The wind started moving, howling at the force about to come.

"I'll take this one on."

Lancelot stepped up with his sword in hand, ready to rend and destroy the attack quickly.

As the air pressure shot towards him, he stood firmly and cut the wind, leaving both walls around him to shatter.

Lancelot rotated his arm with his sword into a circle.

"Hmm… Have I gotten rusty?"

"Perhaps it's due to the amount of missions with mere gangsters we have had."

Fidelis replied, taking his sword out of his sheath, gleaming in the golden rays of the sun.

Mary stood still, anticipating the four Knight's attacks.

Charlie and Fidelis rushed at her, the two swords aimed for her chest.

Her arms hardened like a rock and parried the two swords away.

-TING!

Sparks flew.

"My oh my little lady. What are you made of that makes you so strong?"

Lancelot asked, intrigued at the composition of the girl. One might have mistaken him for a child predator with how intense he looked at her.

The muscles squirmed beneath Mary's skin, absorbing the energy and redistributing it throughout her body.

"Huu…"

Steam came out from her mouth. The excess kinetic energy turned into steam that she exhaled.

"Is she an experiment of some kind that went rogue?"

Charlie said under his breath, confused at the strangeness of Mary.

"Why don't you run?"

Arthur asked, staring straight into her dull eyes.

Mary tilted her head back and forth, assessing the question slowly.

"...I seek death…?"

She answered almost like she was asking herself, it felt insecure and confused the Knights.

Arthur shook his head lightly and focused on the fight instead of asking questions that would lead to nowhere.

"On my mark attack."

"3… 2… 1…"

He counted down.

"Go!"

The Knights burst into the slightly spacious room trying to surround Mary into a pincer.

She blocked the attacks of Arthur and Charlie at the front with her veiny and muscular arms.

But the two attacks aimed at her back missed.

Her body seemed almost liquified at how she twisted and turned her body away from the sharp swords.

Arthur ripped her hand from Charlie's sword before throwing her away as well.

Landing on her feet, Mary tightened and loosened her fists.

'I see…'

"Since we're gone with formalities now… shall we actually start?"

In an instant the 'aura' surrounding the four Knights changed the air around them to a standstill. It was sharp, their very thoughts seemed to manifest outwardly onto the world itself.

"Huu…"

Mary got into a boxer's stance.

-BOOM!

Their fight began.

*

*

*

What a dilemma I'm currently facing.

I leaned against a tree, trying to not show any discomfort on my face or any emotion for that matter.

I thought I got rid of this… I guess my inexperience no matter how talented I am left a 'residue' of some kind.

Explosions constantly emanated from the abandoned school building almost every second. The very foundations of the building were collapsing by the minute.

Was this the difference between true Gold Ranks and Quadsi ones?

I could break an entire floor if I was in my peak condition using my katana with [Iai] but this…

Another wall broke.

This… was something else.

I guess not all Gold Ranks are as weak as Aurore Roux… an exception doesn't make the standard afterall.

Minutes upon minutes passed, adding up to over thirty minutes.

As I watched the other fodder patrolling I noticed something strange.

'Too… methodical…'

Whose knights were they again?

Lancelot?

Their movements from an outsider's perspective might appear fine but through their minute movements they seemed like puppets.

'Mind control?'

Using my usual combinations of techniques I quickly snuck up to two of Lancelot's knights and knocked them out.

'I'll apologize later…'

Catching their bodies, I dragged them over to a tree.

I increased the voltage of my glove before placing them on one of their heads.

"[Raise your right hand]"

'He did…'

I used even less power in my voice that even a normal person could resist.

Wait…

"...Raise your right hand…"

Once again the knight raised the hand up into the air.

I slowly reached my index finger onto the surface of the cornea.

He… didn't blink. He's brain dead.1

Are all the knights under Lancelot brain dead? Why? For what reason are the knights being so meticulously kept alive through the use of mind control?

Something isn't adding up.

I ignored the uneasy feeling I got from Lancelot before because I trusted in the process someone would need to go through in order to be a Knight at the Round Table, but perhaps I was overestimating Arthur- no… the Round Table's capabilities.

"Argh!"

My head turned toward the shout.

Suddenly the situation turned for the worst.

The knights were being overwhelmed by Lancelot's knights.

-Clang!

-Bang!

Swords were drawn, guns were fired, and lives were lost in a matter of seconds.

The knights behind me shifted, trying to get up from the tree.

I cut their heads before going to help the knights.

In two minutes I went around cutting the heads of the knights.

Blood dyed the August ground a crimson color.

Even within two minutes, ten people died and more were injured.

Keeping the casualties at the back of my mind I sprinted towards the battle scene.

Why didn't I go to that battle?

Because I was too tired?

"Shit…"

A curse came out as I forced my body to move faster than before.

*

*

*

The concrete walls and the foundations of the school itself fell apart.

Arthur's eyes gleamed as the girl before him was almost dead.

The amount of times she had absorbed the impact of the swords was uncountable. But with the steam coming out, her water levels were steadily dropping.

Her body couldn't keep up.

Cuts adorned her body, her clothing could be described as mere rags but one thing never changed: the look in her eyes.

Her dead, almost fish-like eyes stared at the Knights with an indescribable feeling.

Arthur felt the exhaustion.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem but he had worked even harder than before trying to perfect everything about the Round Table so that he wouldn't worry about his upcoming absence.

But this exhaustion was nothing, he had endured worse.

For a split second- no… for an instant his guard dropped.

-Squish…!

Looking down he saw a sword.

'How…?'

~~~~

A/N:

A random quote I found: "Showing up is hard work. If you don't even show up then how will you find success?"

I hope this inspires some of yall, whoever may need it.

Ahem. With the final Arc approaching the manga, I have quite a split view on where to go from here (The FF). Though I'll most likely choose the route on my own I wait to know your guy's opinion on the current state of the manga? (Chapter 202)

Also does anyone know how to download the VN for Garden of Sinners and Mahoyo (/ Witch On The Holy Night)? (I'm pretty sure Mahoyo is coming out on steam in a couple of weeks though)

Plot holes… the mistakes and bane of all authors… Argh!! 

So many… things to fix… responsibilities, my mortal enemy!

Oh yeah, I haven't said much, but what are your guys guesses as to who Jack's 'God' is?

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Question: Has my writing, storytelling, etc… skills gotten better?

Yes

No

Pump out the next chapter!

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