Fantasy Project Anima

[From Darkness]

Fast. This one is fast. Even though his attack grazed her a bit, it was far from dealing significant damage on her. If anything, it seems that the fight in her spirit lit up even more. This is bad. He's bad at dealing with this kind of person. Right when he was thinking that, he noticed the needles flying toward him, yet failed to react perfectly. Three of the needles were deflected by his quickly-erected barrier, but one managed to went past and hit his shoulder. The sharp projectile lodged itself deep into his flesh, carving pain on his face.


"Seems that you're good..." He grinned, yet still maintaining his calm face. "I don't want to do this if I could, but I still don't want to kill you. This might hurt. Please forgive me!"


He lifted his hand up in the air, and yet another glowing magic circle appeared, this time filling the ceiling of the room. And then, sword of light, as big as the pillar holding the church, lunged down from above. Then one more came from the magic circle on the ground. They alternated in places, sometimes from above, sometimes from below, but they all had one target: Fang. He planned to stab her on non-lethal place, just so she would be wounded enough to stop her from moving.

 

[Srion Receno]

Seeing the needle hit his shoulder she smiled happily, she had hit him even if it was the only one she got, she had got him! her movement had a lighter feel as she the flipped the handles on her swords slightly, as she gave him a cute smile after he said she was good. "if you want me to stop you will have to kill me!" she said as she prepared for his next attack, she may stop if she was pinned by her limbs to the wall or something she giggled at this thought.


watching the swords come from the ceiling and floor she moved dodging them as she started to make her way to him again. as one sword came up from the floor she jumped up into the air. turning as she hit the ceiling she pushed off from it, putting the two swords together she aimed for him as she smiled.

 

[From Darkness]

Although her movement was fast, being in one place made him easier to track her trajectory. When she lunged back at him, swords pointed, he materialized the swords of light on his hand and used them to parry her blades. But now, instead of deflecting them, he crashed the light and her steel together such that his pressure was enough to stop her blade from continuing any further. In effect, he managed to prevent her from pulling the sword back.


"I got you now," he said with a sad tone. From top and below, numerous swords of light pierced forth, aiming to graze her side ever so slightly and trapping her between their magical blades.

 

[Srion Receno]

As soon as there blades met she knew she messed up, watching her blade connect with hers she quickly tried to pull away. She only seen one way out of this, she let go of her swords, but it was to late as she felt a slight sting as a few of the blades that came forth trapped her. she winced as she moved cutting her self even more. not feeling like getting cut up more she stood still as her hand moved to her dagger slowly. "why do you sound so sad hmm? you caught the person trying to kill you" she said with a cute smile, even though she was caught at the moment she was still excited about this fight.

 

[From Darkness]

Arthur gave him a gentle look. With a firm swing, he threw her twin swords to the corner of the room, far from her reach. "I told you many times that I don't want to hurt you. It's over. I've thrown your weapons away. There is no need to fight anymore." The swords on his hand disappeared. He extended his hands to her, his face begging for her to stop. "Please, join us. You have an entire life to live for."

 

[Srion Receno]

She looked at him from behind the blades and gave him a small smile. "im sorry even if I did want to stop i couldn't" this life had been pounded into her since she was a kid and she had grown to love it, even if she did want to change it would take more then the kindness of this man to do it. As the words left her mouth her hand took the dagger causing her to turn to shadow and pass through the swords untouched. she moved to his out stretched hands aiming at his chest, she couldn't kill him..not yet. quickly she changed direction and went to put her arm around his chest as she brought the dagger to his throat.

 

[From Darkness]

If there was something that could change Arthur Lancwein's expression, what had just transpired surely qualified. His eyes were wide from shock, and his usually fast reaction halted by his disbelief. Rather than the fact that she was holding a blade on his throat, the impossible power that she had just demonstrated was what sowing fear to his heart.


"What...what did you just do?" He asked, bewildered.

 

[Srion Receno]

"I showed my true self" she whispered in his ear, it wasn't all lies she was in a since a shadow. She still had to wait for the prince to finish or she could just call out it would halt all fighting. She turned back to normal as she stood behind him thinking.


"come on sit with me" she said in a soft voice as she moved them to the bed. She forced him to sit on the bed in front of her as she held the dagger to his throat. She was on her knees only moving her free arm to over his shoulder a bit as she looked at the door.


"call to him it should halt any fighting still going on" as she said this she put her head slightly against his, she was acting calm yet any movement he made could be his last. Now we will see what the prince's deal was about wanting him dead.

 

[From Darkness]

Arthur complied with with her request, quietly sitting on the bed while the blade was still held on his throat. Call to him? What did she mean? Who was that 'him'? It could be the answer to this mystery. What he knew was that Lancaster was fighting her accomplice outside. He could call him, at the least.


"Alright then. Lancaster!" He shouted loud enough for the other party outside the door could hear him. "Enough fighting! Just open the door and let whoever you're fighting to go through! We'll talk about this!" It wasn't really a talk with her blade on his throat, but it's a good enough description of this situation. At the least, she didn't seem to want to kill him soon...good.


The door slowly opened, and the light from the church slowly crept into the room, which was darker due to less torches set up on the pillars. There was a single shadow standing. That build...it was not Lancaster. Who...


"What, you haven't killed him yet...? Godamnit,"


Gills didn't even finish his words before he lunged forth with unexpected speed, his rapier pointed forward like a shot arrow. At that moment, Arthur could see this new attacker's face, even if only for a slight second.


That face...he couldn't remember, but it seems familiar...


The rapier pierced deep into Arthur's chest, piercing where his heart should've been. He choked on his throat, unable to form coherent words. His body trembling as it reached expiration.


"You...you...could it be..."


"Die, DIE, you motherfucker!"


The Prince stabbed his rapier deeper into his chest, before pulling them back out and stabbed him right on the face.

 

[Srion Receno]

Seeing the figure she knew right away that it was the prince. And as soon as he spoke she growled at him "you said not to kill... " she was cut off by the surprise of him stabbing the priest in the heart. She felt a ping of saddens which was strange but it quickly left her as he pulled it out and stabbed him in the face.


After a bit she moved back laying the priest body on the bed as she got off. "you really hatted this man Huh? " she asked as she walked over to him. She went and picked up her swords "what happened to the priest you were fighting?" she asked as she put her dagger and swords in there sheaths.

 

[From Darkness]

Gills stared at the High Priest's corpse which was still laying on the bed as if sleeping. For a moment he seemed to be in a deep thought before Fang snapped him out of it. "Huh? Oh. I hurt him a bit, but it shouldn't be lethal. He should be knocked out right now, I left him near the door...oh wait!" He just realized something and ran toward the room entrance. At the spot where he'd left Lancaster before, there was no sight of the middle-aged priest anywhere. What was left was some pieces of rocky structures which looked like the armor he'd made earlier. "Damn...he must've ran away. But it's fine. Anyway, I managed to destroy that High Priest, so let's go down."


He went down the stairs without waiting for her, and he kept on going until he reached the ground floor. The twins' bodies were still laying there, the surviving brother still laid unconscious. "Brothers, eh..." He sighed. "Fang?" Gills called to her softly. "You were crying when you fought them earlier. Did they remind you of your family? Brothers, maybe?"

 

[Srion Receno]

She watched him run off then after one glance at the priest she fallowed him saying nothing. Passing were the armor was she looked down only for a moment, what will he do now? She shook this thought from her mind as she walked on, coming to the twins she shrugged at his question. "no idea I didn't even know I was crying...i don't remember much of my past other then this" she walked past him then stopped "Crimson...my name is Crimson" after saying this she started to walk on not sure what to do now.

 

[From Darkness]

"I...see..." Gills said softly. "You know, you said that the brother became crazy before. But that's actually not true. What you've seen back then, it was his grief toward losing his loved one. It was his love for his sibling. That was what made him fought like he was possessed by madman. After all..." his voice was turning softer and softer, as if they were whispers. "...if you called him crazy, then what do you think I am...?"


"There are twenty-four princes in this Kingdom. Don't you think that was excessive? The King might have lots of adventure with his love, but to have twenty-four children fighting for succession is just a work of madman. I was born in that kind of world. I am Argillys Frauvert Serion. My middle name, Frauvert, came from the noble family my mother belonged to. We had land on the southern part of the Kingdom. For a while, I lived there, not even knowing who my father is. After I got older, I was taught the way of royalties. But I never thought of the other King's children as my siblings. After all, we are in rivalries to succeed our Father the King."


As he told his story, he unsheathed his rapier. The blade was glowing yellowish hue, the yellow light pulsating and spiraling around the tip of the blade. "Fang...no, Crimson. You are not allowed to leave. After all..."


"Your work is not done yet."


"UNLEASH!"


The yellowish hue started to rotate faster and faster around the blade, until they formed another layer on it. One could feel power emanating from it, power worth tens of Magic woven together into one. And the one who held that power, Gills, swung it down. Toward the church's stage. Toward the piano. No...toward the ground beneath it.


The impact made by the jolt of yellow was devastating. It made a loud bang, and made the church shook like earthquake. Dusts filled the air, blown out by the impact. When the dust finally settled, what was left a large crater on the ground where the stage once was. But there was something else inside. In the darkness within the hole, a faint light could be seen. Gills looked back toward Crimson. His face was sporting that smile he'd shown her sometime ago when he mentioned the name of the High Priest. The smile filled with bloodthirst.


"Come with me, assassin. We'll finish this job."


He jumped down into the hole, toward the abyss within. But what awaited him was not an endless darkness, but the feeling of gravity being slowed down by Magic. He floated down slowly until his feet reached the bottom. In front of him was a cave with stone wall, clearly man-made with the help of magic.


At the left side was a figure in black robe. From the look of it, the figure seemed to be a woman.


At the middle of the cave was a large crystal made of pure concentrated Magic. Light occasionally pulsed within, with cables from within the crystal connected to the ceiling of the caves. Lodged inside a niche on the crystal was a coffin made of oakwood.


The one commanding most attention was a man sitting on a wooden chair at the right side. On his face was carved what seemingly looked like years of fatigue, but no one could mistake that face for someone else. Inside the barrier erected around him was the High Priest Arthur Lancwein himself. His eyes were staring at Gills with disbelief in them.


"This...is the truth. The truth known only by that wretched High Priest." Gills murmured. Anger boiling within his words.

 

[Srion Receno]

She stood there listening to him speak, she had thought that he may be crazy but not because on the family thing. she turned to look at him and was going to answer him, until he said she was not allowed to leave causing her to put her hand on the hilt of her sword. seeing the his blade start to glow she gripped the hilt of her sword, was he going to attack her now that they were finished?


Seeing the power coming from his rapier from him she couldn't help but smirk, her job was not done yet they killed the priest this man was crazy. As he swung the sword down on the stage she put her arm up to keep the dust from her eyes. she was confused now but when he looked at her with that smile, she had known there was something wrong with him but when he jumped down the hole she shook her head and fallowed him down.


When she hit the bottom she was even more confused what was this place? and how was the priest alive?


"what...is going on here?" as she asked this she held the hilt of her sword.nun of this made since. it was as if she dropped into some crazed world, though confusing it was also the most fun she has had in years.

 

[From Darkness]

"It's the oldest trick in the book," Gills replied. "Don't you think that it is too easy for us to infiltrate his place. The identity of Arthur Lancwein was only an illusion, a shadow double created by his Magic. It was a safeguard to make sure that even if the enemy somehow managed to defeat him in battle, he will not die."


Arthur flinched on his chair. This can't be. There should be no one but him, Lancaster, and Sharia who knows about this. How did...did Lancaster betrayed him?


"Before you thought that that priest betrayed you, High Priest, know that he had fought for you until the end. Nay, it was not his fault. I had known about this place all along, but I bid my time. I can't fight you alone. Even when I know that you are down here, even when my entire being screamed for me to come at you straight and kill you with my own hand...I bid my time. Because I can't fail."


The black-robed woman had been glaring at the Prince for a while now. Without warning, she had raised her hand and pulled out a pouch from her belt. Magic circle appeared on the air as she splashed the content of the pouch, water, toward it. The Magic circle amplified the water, launching forth tendrils of water which went toward Gills. However, just like with Lancaster's spikes, a swipe of his rapier stopped the water in mid-air, not letting them reach even a bit closer. The water evaporated instantly.


The High Priest's eyes were opened wider than ever. "Another of that weird power...first that lady, and now you. Just what is going on? Who are you...?!?"


"Aah, you might've forgotten about me. It's intentional. I've bid my time for nine years, deliberately hiding my presence from public eyes and, by extension, from you. All for the sake of this day." Gills smiled full of satisfaction. "It's worth the wait."


"Red Fang!" He called to Crimson. "Now, finish your job. I'll take care of this last guardian of his. You take Arthur Lancwein down!"

 

[Srion Receno]

Crimson was to confused to do much as the prince spoke to the priest, the prince had held back information again and just how strong was this priest? how strong was the prince? her eyes went back and forth between the prince and the priest. everything that was said didn't explain why he was doing this.


Hearing him call to her she jumped slightly as she came out of her thoughts. "right sounds good" she said as she took out her swords and pointed them at the priest. she may have been confused and getting tiered from the use of magic but she was still wanting this fight, to fight the strongest target she has ever had...this will be one fight she would have to go all out in before her body crashes.


Looking at the priest she smiled at him "this time ill get to kill you"

 

[From Darkness]

The black-robed woman had entered battle with Gills, to her own detriment. Her offensive spells were ineffective against Gills's rapier, and her other tricks were limited as she could've hit the High Priest accidentally.


Sitting on the chair almost motionless, Arthur's eyes went to Crimson and silently plead for her to help him. With trembling hand, he pointed his index finger toward her, and a Magic link was established between.


"Can you hear me?" Arthur's voice, sounding weak and distant, echoed in Crimson's mind. "As you can see, my real form is frail. This is because I'm focusing my Magic toward the crystal. I can't move from here, and that's why I used my Magic to form a double for my public appearance. I beg you. Do not fall to this madness. Do not follow that guy's words. He knows too much...there is something that he is hiding. Please. Stop this. Stop him."

 

[Srion Receno]

With him in her mind she couldn't think her feeling were mixed between her job and saving this man.... Wait feelings this has never happened before. She looked at the priest and started to slowly walk to him. What was the prince hiding? What was going on? Sadly madness was all she knew before this, but now what was she feeling. She continued to walk to the priest with a blank expression, her swords down at her sides.

 

[From Darkness]

There was a loud thud coming from the left side of the cave. Gills's battle had ended with him being victorious, as the black-robed woman was sprawled on the ground unconscious after being knocked out by his attack. Yellowish light spiraled around his rapier just like before. He gave Arthur an angry glare, and seemingly satisfied that Crimson was getting closer to finish her job.


"I know what you're thinking. How could I know so much? Well...you might remember if you heard my name. I am Argillys. Argillys Frauvert Serion. We've met before nine years ago."


If any recalling of this man was vague in Arthur's mind before, the mention of his first two names cleared it instantly. The fact that he was a royalty wasn't even important. His middle name. Frauvert. The middle-class noble living in the southern area. He remembered it. He couldn't ever forget that place. That time.


"So...it's you..." It was this revelation that finally prompted him to show emotion. Fear. Doubt. Disbelief. But mostly it was fear. Not fear for his life, but the fear of something greater. These emotions were transferred involuntarily by his link to Crimson. "...STOP THIS MADNESS!" He roared. "Are you...are you really doing this? Don't you know the consequences?!"


"Aah, I'm clear about that." Gills replied. And then, slowly lifting his sword up to the air, the yellowish hue started to spiral faster, just like when he used that power to destroy the stage before. "Fang. Look carefully. This is what you've been asking me from the first time I requested this job. This is the thing that the High Priest...no, the entire Kingdom is hiding from everyone. The truth. This is my desire. This. Is. My. Purpose!"


"STOP IT!"


There was nothing that Arthur could do to stop him. With a swift downswing, energy burst forth from the rapier, shooting toward the coffin on the crystal. The force broke through the thick oakwood, pieces of the broken lid falling down one by one, revealing the content within.


Inside the coffin, suspended in the space likely by magic, was a young woman dressed in white dress. A strip of cloth covered her eyes, serving as blindfold. Her body was restrained by ropes, tightly binding her from neck to her feet, wrapping her shoulder, waist, knees, ankles, rendering all of her parts immobile. Another rope was tied on her mouth, denying her of speech. She looked like a corpse, but if one looked closely, they could see that she was indeed still breathing.


Gills turned to face her, his face showing a gentle smile, as if a large burden had been lifted from his shoulder. "I'll let you decide the rest."

 

[Srion Receno]

What was this feeling it wasn't her own...is this what fear feels like? She stopped a few feet in front of the priest then turned a bit as the prince spoke. She watched as he sliced open the coffin to reveal a women in white and bound by ropes.


Looking at the women for a moment the. At the prince she put her head down covering her face. The feeling of the priest was still in her mind clouding her own thoughts. "why was that women in the coffin?"

 

[From Darkness]

Argillys didn't reply her immediately, his gaze still focused on the woman in white. His eyes full of longing, as if looking at old friend. And old, old friend. His hands wanted to hold her in his arms, to comfort her, to keep her near. Yet he can't do it yet. Not yet. Not while that man was still alive...


"Do not do this," Arthur's voice pleaded on Crimson's mind. "You've seen what you shouldn't have seen. There's still time. Stop that man from freeing her. She's..."


"In this Kingdom, the King took wives from the seventeen nobles supporting the royal family. One reason was to secure a successor candidate worthy of the throne. However, there is one more reason, the true reason of this tradition. It was to find a certain woman. A woman that can only be born from one of the seventeen noble families. We couldn't know which family will bore her next, nor can we know when she would come. The King took all of the noble families' daughters as his wives for this reason. And finally, one was born. In the land at the south of the Kingdom."


Arthur gulped. He knows...but that shouldn't be. They never stated it when they took her away nine years ago. They never stated it. Only the King and the High Priest could've known this. How...?


"The holders of Anima. The one who have the true power that kept the Kingdom united as one. That, is her identity. But I don't care about that. It is insignificant."


"Stop him," Arthur pleaded again to Crimson. "Do not listen to him. That girl need to stay here. You can't free her."


"I don't care about power and all of that. All I want...is to free her."


"Stop him. Do not free her...she's..."


"Because, in the end, all she has ever been...she's..."


"SHE'S THE HARBINGER OF CALAMITY!"


"SHE'S MY SISTER!"


Both men yelled to the top of their lungs, their bare emotion showing in their entirety. Anxiety. Hatred. Doubts. Urgency.


Fear.


Hope.

 

[Srion Receno]

Her mind was spinning, what did she get her self into, it was sapost to be a simple kill mission nothing else. She tightened her grip on her swords as the men went back and forth, she could only look down at the floor. This girl is a human like her like them yet the priest shoved her in this and kept her like this. she was a crazy and blood thirsty assassin yet the sight of this women there and there feelings showing made her spirit weak as memories she locked away came back.


"she is a human being and you treat her like this....Take your sister" her own hatred and saddens was beginning to show as the memories if being locked away came flooding back. "take her and leave" she looked at the prince then turned to the priests. "you call your self a priest and this is what you do! Lock this girl up just because of what she is? " her voice was calm yet threatened to break as she looked at the priest.

 

[From Darkness]

Both men fell quiet after hearing Crimson's statements. Both of their own minds, their own thoughts. Yet both spoke at the same time, their reply firm and clear.


"No."


"I can't leave just yet," Gills said angrily. "The rope was a seal put by the Kingdom. The position of the High Priest is the key that maintain that seal. This guy...from the moment that he succeed as the High Priest, his life has been forfeited to be the seal that restrained the Anima holder. Slowly feeding on his own soul, before long he would die. Just look at him. Unable to move himself, living his life only to maintain his public double and supplying the energy for the seal," He drawn his rapier once more. "There can only be one way to unbound my sister; his death. Nothing else could do."


"Such is the fate of the High Priest," Arthur replied weakly. "From the moment that I succeeded this position, I know that my life had come to an end. But this is a necessary evil. That power has to be controlled. Maintained. Without this power, we will fall prey to the other Kingdoms. No...even if we have no need for this power, it still need to be contained. For if it manages to break free, this Kingdom...no, this entire world will be destroyed. I cannot die yet. No. I have been sworn to safeguard this power, even with the cost of my life!"


Magic circle appeared below his feet. Even doing that clearly exerted much pressure on him, as he started to cough uncontrollably. At one point, red liquid started to trickle on the ground whenever he coughed. Blood.


From within the Magic circle came forth swords of light. Instead of stabbing from the ground, they floated in the air, rotating around Arthur, casted to guard him and attack anyone who dared to get near.


"Kill him, assassin, Fang...no, Crimson," Gills called to her. "Kill him. Or else, I will be the one who'll do it. For her sake...for my sister's sake!"


"Stop him, assasin, and leave this place," Arthur pleaded to her through the link. "I might not be long in this world. I have to find a new person to inherit the position of High Priest. Please. Just give me some time. Please stop him and take him away from here, far, far away. This is to keep the peace of this world!"

 

[Srion Receno]

Her head started to spin as they talked what should she do... Ignoring there words she looked up and took a deep breath to calm he self. She then looked at the priest, the blood on his mouth from coughing...he was dying and as for the world... It could burn for all she cared.


"why would I want to stop the world from being destroyed" she smiled at him "it's a lot more fun when there is chaos" she faced him, she will take his life to finish her job and...to stop the feelings that had invaded her mind. She moved tword him as she smiled, she had no fear as she looked at him.

 

[From Darkness]

Arthur Lancwein stared at her coming to him as if he was in a daze. The swords rotating above him pointed their blade toward her, but they did nothing. Even when she got near enough to stab him with her swords, they still did nothing. He was seeing the figure he had known would come to him all this time.


She was Death itself.


"I...am pathetic. Even with all those big words of saving the world and such, I am still a human after all." He started to tremble, and his next smile was the most genuine that he had ever given in his entire career as the High Priest...no, in his entire life. "In the end, I still fear Death."