Magical Tournament Seventh Intermission: Jour (Day) – Encounter with the [Demon Empress]

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Seventh Intermission: Jour (Day) – Encounter with the [Demon Empress]

Une.

“Haa… I felt I was going to die……” Said the black haired [Raubtier].

He was hidden in the [Skygate]; the only building sturdy enough to remain almost intact to Katastrophe’s attack.

“Her [Ratatoskr Drive] and her [Polter’s Geist] sure are deadly…. I experienced in my own “flesh” after all.” Said the [Raubtier] while recalling some of his memories.

*Mmmhh….”

Then someone moved. It was Ártemize regaining conscience.

“You awake?” Asked the male Raubtier.

He had covered her with his coat and also used his kilt as a pillow.

“Eh?! Where am I?! Who are you!?” Shouted [Camael] as she immediately floated in mid air.

As she was looking for her sword to gain a stance, she noticed it was gone, as well as her equipment.

“Calm down, calm down. I am no enemy and you are inside [Skygate]. Actually, I saved you from a sure death you know.”

Said the Raubtier with a wry half-smile.

“!!!”

Then she recalled the slight moment she regained consciousness and saw him saving her.

She didn’t lower her guard, but didn’t show bloodthirst to him.

“I see. Anyways, state your name and your intentions.” Said Ártemize to the male Raubtier.

“Alright. My name is Engel Falsch, and my intentions are no other than save you. I was just passing by and then saw you being attacked, so I helped you in said predicament.”

Said the guy while picking up his kilt and coat.

“Lies. Besides the obvious that you couldn’t be just “passing by”, to go against the army of [Arche] and also against [Gabriel]…. You must have a clear objective.”

Said [Camael] while intensely gazing at him.

“I am no liar. I was passing by…. In the snowy mountains below [Tower Of Babel], then felt some strange interference and came. Then I saw you there and helped you due to a hunch.” Explained the [Raubtier] named Engel.

“Wha?! How is that even thinkable? Do you think I am a fool?!” Questioned [Camael].

“Of course not. I’ll show it to you.” Said Engel as he in the blink of an eye closed distance with Ártemize and then-

“WHA?!” She shouted.

It’s because now they were in said mountains. As far as she could see everything was pure white.

Then she looked upwards and felt there the presence of Katastrophe.

Guessing she was fighting or rampaging in [Tower Of Babel], it was the same as confirming she was below it.

“Ho-How? The magic that allows you to teleport freely has been lost since the time the [Yotse] walked in this world!!” Exclaimed Ártemize genuinely impressed.

“Who knows?” Said Engel as he shrugged his shoulders with a mischievous smile.

“Well, I just asked due to the rush of the moment. Not that you will tell me.” Added Ártemize.

“Right. Anyways, can you wait for me here? I forgot something up there.” Said Engel as he pointed [Tower Of Babel] with his finger.

“? Yeah… I’ll wait here. Not that I can get out of here without my equipment.”

Said [Camael] as she sat in the snow.

Then the male [Raubtier] disappeared again in thin air.

(What in the world did he forget there?) Asked [Camael] in her mind while gazing the partially black sky.

Deux.

“There should be a bastard around here I haven’t killed yet…” Said the [Demon Empress] in a full voice of hatred and bloodthirst.

She was wandering inside the [Skygate] while trying to discharge her anguish by killing any [Arche] that was there. Then-

“Alright. This should be alright.” Said someone near her. Because of the bookshelves she didn’t immediately see the person.

She quickly moved to see who was there so she could enjoy the expression of despair in the face of the one she was going to mercilessly kill.

Then she saw a man clad in a black robe crouching in the floor.

“??” He then stood up and looked behind him.

“DIEEEEE!!!!!!! AAAAAAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!” Suddenly shouted Katastrophe. She was wearing the [Night God Claws] so she used them to pierce the man’s chest.

“EH?!”

But suddenly she was stopped.

She could not pierce him. Moreover, her full-force charge was stopped with a single hand.

Then the man let out an enormous amount of pressure that made Katastrophe go pale and retreat.

(W-W-W-W-W-W-WWWWWWWWHA-AT WA-AS TH-THAT??!!) She thought as fear invaded her. She had never met someone with such pressure and presence.

She honestly felt fear from the bottom of her heart by the first time.

That made her stop all process in her mind and gave her a reset.

She immediately calmed down and then started to analyze the situation.

In how to escape of course. She knew that it was useless to even think to go against such a being.

So she started to consider the options.

Besides that her [Demon Eyes] were being jammed, it was hard for her to even use [Phantom Stealth] to run away.

She had still active her [Ratatoskr Drive] so that should help and she was near the entrance too.

(But…. How do I distract him?) She said in her mind.

She thought that at least a distraction was needed for her to gain the slight second to leave.

“Sorry. I was too distracted in something to even notice you were behind me, and also you tried to attack me in that way, I just acted in reflex.”

Said the man with a gentle smile.

(What?! What happened to the dreadful aura?! I feel nothing coming from him…. How?)

The pressure he had let out in that moment was gone. As if only a normal person was standing there, there was no pressure coming from him.

(Still, he’s jamming my [Demon Eyes]. He exactly knows who I am or at least about my eyes… And he also has one.)

She thought that while looking as his eyes, which one was pitch black.

“Wh-Who are you?” Asked Katastrophe while being wary of him. No normal person could do such a thing to hide their pressure in no time.

“Just a wanderer. I had business here and then boom and bang everything went crazy so I thought of saving the books in case something happened. They are valuable after all.” Said the man while holding a book in his hand.

She then looked around her and all the books that were supposed to be there, had disappeared.

“R-Right…..”

Honestly, she didn’t know what to say, or what to do next.

“……………………”

“Well….. I’m going then.” Said the guy as he just left from the front door.

Katastrophe just stood still there as she saw him leaving.

“Oh, and it’s better if you hurry and take all the [Blue Meteorite] and the [Black Orihalcum] in the vault now. I’ll be demolishing the tower after all.”

Added the man in the black robe as he got out of the building.

Trois.

In the same moment she lost sight of him she flew with great momentum and went into the vault, saved all the metal she found and left as fast as she could.

She didn’t know if what he said was true, but if he had enough power to destroy the [Skygate], she didn’t want to be nowhere nearby.

(Damn! Damn! Damn!)

Suddenly she felt great pressure behind her as she flew away. Out of curiosity she turned around and-

“Wha?!”

She saw then an enormous pitch-black sphere floating above the building. It wasn’t as big as the tower, but the overall mass was wider.

Then strange cracks in the sphere appeared and stopped halfway.

“????!!!!!”

Suddenly the sphere was cut open- No. It opened by itself as if it had a mouth and then slowly engulfed the tower and-

*CHOMP!*

“!!!!!!”

*CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP! CHOMP CHOMP!*

The black sphere “ate” the [Skygate].

“Haa…Hahahaha…. Hahahahahaha…. ”

Katastrophe could only laugh to such demonstration of power.

Quatre.

“Phew…. That was difficult. I’ve never tried something like that before… Moreover, WHY I DID IT??!!!” Shouted the man in black robe, the [Raubtier] Engel while he appeared in the snowy mountain.

“What are you talking about?” Asked Ártemize who has there waiting for him. She looked slightly annoyed.

“Nothing. Forget that.” He said as he looked around.

(When I encountered her I acted in reflex due to our usual training but…. I would have never guessed she had such little resistance against my pressure…. I was too absorbed in teleporting all the books to my dimension under the effect of the [Red Meteorite] in the walls of the [Skygate]… Haa… I hope I didn’t do something irreversible…)

Thought the [Raubtier] as he looked around restlessly.

“Wait… You… Where’s the other one I sent here? I can’t found her.” Questioned Engel to [Camael].

“Ahh… You mean that bitch. Well, I buried her in the snow down there.” She replied with an annoyed voice.

“What?! I took my time to save her and you do that?! Crap!” Exclaimed the guy as he went down where [Camael] pointed.

He melted the snow and then took out the one he saved.

“Well, I don’t care what you do with her; [Gabriel] is not of my concern, but, can you at least give me my equipment so I can leave?” Voiced Ártemize.

“Eh? No. I can’t let you go now.” Said Engel with a “what are you saying?” expression.

“What!? Who are you to declare that!? I warn you that battalions of [Arche] are in my search now!” Shouted [Camael].

“Heh… Well, that’s impossible.” Said the [Raubtier].

“Why?!” Exclaimed [Camael]

“Because for them you, as well as she, are dead.” Said Engel.

“And it’s my duty to keep it like that.” He added as Ártemize was left confused by those words.

Cinq.

“Today was an unbelievable day… And the worst too…” Muttered Katastrophe as she exited the workshop of her castle, the [Sky Rune Castle].

She had left there all the materials she had got and ordered the blacksmith to create her swords.

After the deep impression that the man in black robe left her, she started to feel again hatred towards the ones that killed her best friend.

(They must pay…) She though while heading to her private room. Then-

“Hello there, [Demon Empress].” Said a mocking voice behind her.

She immediately turned around and in the blink of an eye equipped her claws.

“Woah, woah! Calm down there.” Said the person… Or shadow of a person that was before her.

“Who the heck are you and how did you enter here?” She questioned with her guard on.

“Well, Let’s not go around the branches… My name is [Utgarda-Loki], a [Divinity]. Even being one, I hate the [Divinities], so, won’t you join me in a plan to destroy them?”

With a mischievous and dangerous smile the man who called himself [Utgarda-Loki] stretched his hand in hope to create a devastating alliance with the [Demon Empress], newly named as [Babel’s Ruin].

Six.

Some days later in a certain meeting room-

“Welcome Miss. Magician. Please. take a seat.” Said [Mikhail] while leading a strangely dressed woman into the room.

“Cole; Ms. Cole is fine.” Said the woman as she took a seat.

“So, do you have them?” Asked Ms. Cole.

“Ye-Yes I do. Here is it.” Said [Mikhail] while giving a white metal case to Ms. Cole.

She opened it and-

“Woah… Amusing.” Voiced the woman while looking into the case.

“Those are the [Lanzen], the most powerful artifacts in the world. Now they are all yours.” Said [Mikhail].

They were five shining spears in total inside the case.

Then, one of them started to shine more.

“Wha-What’s going on?” Asked Ms. Cole

“Oh…. It seems that one of them has chosen you as its wielder.” Explained [Mikhail] with a surprised voice.

“It looks like [Zeus’ Lightning] has taken a liking to you.” He added with a shining smile.