Orleans

"...How do you have the armour of Fafnir?"

Nicholas tilted his head in confusion, staring at the badass mofo looking down on him.

It was Siegfried, a legendary Dragon Slayer... as if he hadn't met nearly half a dozen of those by now.

He totally didn't want the pulsing green lines on the dude's body, he wanted the guy's big sword even less...

"Can you please return Balmung to me?"

"

"Eh...Do I have to?" Nicholas drawled, inspecting the weapon in his hands, "You an absolute unit already..." The teenager felt absolutely zero shame in praising the man's well developed musculature, "Especially considering how tall you are… Just punch anyone dumb enough to fuck with you."

"...?" Confusion took over the man's features, "I do not understand your words."

"Join the club." They were joined by Atalanta who threw her hands up in frustration, "He's been commenting on everything we pass but somehow, somehow everything that comes out of his mouth is rubbish! What does 'This shit bussin'.' even mean?! And he keeps calling the wyverns 'mid'... What does THAT mean?"

Nicholas smacked the legendary hunter in the back of the head, "Uncultured pig."

"Grrrrr..."

"...Ah, so that's how it is." The man coughed blood, leaning against a piece of rubble, "You've come to finish what you started."

"Nah, we got sidetracked cause Miss Calm and Reasonable over there..." Nicholas pointed at Atalanta with his thumb, "Told me we'd need the legendary Siegfried if we wanna do something against how many lizards that pedo's got roaming around Orleans."

"...Then I must apologise... I am far too injured to be of proper aid." Siegfried spoke bluntly but started trying to move, groaning.

Nicholas ignored him and continued talking, shrugging his hands and regarding the hero with a faint smile, "Course I told her we could smack those lizards alone but then she told me you were a dude... So I decided to take a detour."

Siegfried looked at him befuddled, "...I have a wife."

"Technically I got one too." The pale haired teenager answered without missing a beat, "But Chaldea's got way too many chicks now and... Bill's gone... Shit was simpler back in college when I could just memorise shit and do my own thing cause grades was too good... and cause I won them a few championships."

He could just spend his time doing whatever came to mind cause the coach covered for him like a total bro, now there was this nagging voice at the back of his head reminding him the fate of all of mankind depended on them.

And even though he punched it in the face or punted it, it would appear again after some time.

"...What is this 'college' you speak of?"

"Cool place... minus the hoes, you'd like it." Nicholas answered flatly before holding out a hand, "Think you got it in you to go back in?'

Siegfried closed his eyes in thought but made his decision quickly, nodding to himself and looking at Nicholas with a strained smile, "Alright... Better than succumbing to my injuries."

As the man took his hand, Nicholas' gaze passed the red wing-like marks on the back of his hands.

The command seals.

A sort of magecraft that could go against nature, if only for a bit.

Technically, a master could use them to command, empower or call contracted servants in emergency situations even if there was great distance between them but Nicholas had no use for those parts.

Why would he give a potentially good fight to another person?

That would be against the code composed using all his awesome genius.

But they could also a heal an injured servant...

"You could be my servant, if you want. I don't mind using these and you could bash in shit way harder."

They'd just come back after a few hours anyway.

"Aren't those meant to be treasured?" Siegfried asked slowly, struggling to keep his footing but doing it anyway through sheer fucking will, "I wouldn't wan-..."

The Dragon Slayer underestimated just how starved Nicholas was for 'bros' and had his eyes widen in surprise when the teenager put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a firm nod.

"I... I'll do my utmost to repay this... but let me ask, did you fell Fafnir?"

"I wrecked the black bastard."

"Could you two hurry this up? I don't know why Gilles is distracted but he could realise what I'm doing at any moment." Atalanta impatiently tapped her foot against the ground with crossed arms, "You can form your bonds later. We have to get back to... I don't know, stopping a madman from burning down the nation? But that can wait, this is clearly more important."

"You think I'd give up a bro over France? ...Bitch this country ain't worth even one Bill." Nicholas shot back, multitasking the two brain cells meant for his two fists and shaking hands with Siegfried.

-

Orleans had turned into a hellscape, having once been a prospering city that remained the location for several important struggles between two mighty nations who clashed time and time again over different claims.

The King and the Bishop stationed there had been burnt to death by a woman they wrongfully put to death who had then gone on a rampage against the city's denizens, giving those unlucky enough to be caught in the wake of her return deaths that would horrify many, driving away others.

She drove back both invader and protector, torched fields, and declared herself the Dragon Witch.

In a testament to this, the citizens of the once-prosperous city had been replaced by wyverns, undead and other beasts while in the main castle, a vile magus toiled in forbidden arts, torturing and sacrificing to otherworldly beings.

Now, the sane thing to do would be stay the fuck away from such a city and just never think about it, right?

The remaining English didn't think so considering the city was currently under siege.

Arrows blotted out the skies, prattling off scales but piercing through eyes and wings, and stones flew into the battlements, blowing through the structures and momentarily drowning the cheers and cries of the contingent responsible for it.

"So this is where they choose to hide?! Laughable! Hand over my Master and his bag!" The King leading the dumbas-... brave soldiers and knights of Britannia shouted indignantly, waving around an obsidian blade pulsing with crimson energy, "Or I will crush you all! Like that traitor and those knock off vampires before you! First Orleans! Then France! AND THEN THE WORRRLD! ALL SNACKS ARE MINE!!! WARRRR!"

"Mom... You're embarrassing me! Stop with this shit already! This isn't even about snacks anymore! YOU JUST HATE THE FRENCH!!"

The King swung his majestic blade at the high walls, releasing a wave of dark energy that ripped through the walls, exploding them with force that sent rubble flying into the already ruined city.

"Onwards men! To victory! OR DEATH!!"

"""UWOOOHHHH!!"""

Her dumbas-...er, brave soldiers swarmed the walls, their cheers thundering above the clash of claw and steel as they cut down undead and faced the descendants of dragons with a vigour impossible for mere men.

And then, in came riding a knight in black... only to be forgotten about instantly.

-

Martha crouched on one knee, shielding her eyes from the blaring Sun with a hand as she peered off at the city standing tall in the distance, "There seems to be a battle going on..." She glanced back at Atalanta with narrowed eyes, "You told us all was silent?"

The legendary hunter seemed as surprised as them though, her ears twitching to the sounds of battle, "When was... So Vlad, Carmilla and Chevalier were taken down? What about Lancelot or Charles?"

She bit her finger and continued, "We knew the English were rallying but this is... just absu-..."

"Awesome as fuck."

Nicholas cut her off with shining eyes.

"Wait... No, I see Vlad and Carmilla... Hmmmm... This might be tough for you, people of Chaldea...People of Chaldea?" Atalanta looked back at them with confused eyes, tilting her head before counting on her fingers, "Isn't there one less among you?"

"Nicholas Senpai threw Gudako senpai into a village after Martha told on her and told her to have an... er... 'I have no enemies' arc? ... I don't understand that last part very well. Miss Kiyohime is over us."

Mash pointed up at the badass flaming Eastern Dragon flying overhead.

"Those fuckers have a lot more balls than I thought they did." Jeanne Alter commented, putting a hand on her sword.

The normal Jeanne smiled gently at her words, gripping her flag with both hands, "Enemies though we may be, the traits of some among them are admirable."

Nicholas stretched his arms with a small grin, "This here's what I signed up for."

"I shall do all I can, Master... This I swear by the chance I owe to you." Siegfried rested his blade against the ground, putting both hands over the hilt, "Let us fight, for an oppressed people."

-

Hope you enjoyed the chapter.