[] Don't open the Box. You'll crush him with your barehands. He doesn't deserve what laid within.
You watched him come for you as you dismissed the Box. You won't let him see the miracle hidden within. You called it a miracle but it was just a final curse that would affect only the accursed. You didn't need it to beat him as he was right now while he was impeded by several curses at once.
A normal Servant could easily shrug it off with their innate abilities of class skills but for Conrad? It just raised your survivability by a notch given he was taking damage over time. His size and power increased upon absorbing the Belials. His mind was fractured and he had no other desire than to kill you.
He was just like a Berserker if that's the case.
You dodged his clumsy strike before he turned and tried crushing you. Your body reacted and you rolled away just as fast before looking up at him. He opened his mouth and a red spear thrust out, barely held back by your shield as you were pushed back.
Drawing your gun, you ran back while shooting him. The bullets did little to deter him and only succeeded in enraging him. You dashed away from his next strike as blood weapons descended on to you.
You were forced to jump in the air before his hand shot outwards. Wrapping his claws around your waist, Conrad snarled as he tried crushing you then and there. You gasped in pain as your flesh and bones screamed in protest.
You fired your gun straight into his eyes as his flesh burst from the curses. He cried out in agony but still kept a grip on your body.
"Let... Me go!" You screamed as you aimed for his eyes.
"You'll die here! I'll make sure of it!" Conrad howled as he squeezed.
The ground shook and the ceiling rumbled. Pieces of the ceiling fell all around you two as something struck the Castle without warning. A piece of debris struck Conrad's head hard enough that he let you go.
He fell down on his knees as you crumpled to the ground. Coughing out blood, you slowly got as he slowly got up. You rushed him and reinforced your body enough that you were able to slam into him with relative force.
Staggering back, he tripped over a piece of debris and fell down. Running up his chest, you jumped and smashed your shield into his skull.
He writhed in agony as the curses assaulted him on all levels from physical, mental and psychological aspects of his being. You watched him regenerate from your strike before you took off your shield to hold it with both hands. You swung down and slammed it on his head, the sickening feeling of Aegis smashing bone and teeth filling your hands.
You slammed your shield one strike after the other as you grit your teeth. Blood caked your front as splatters tainted your face. You kept smashing and smashing your shield as Conrad groaned in pain, his arm finally shooting out to push you off.
Your shield scraped on the ground before you threw it. Aegis flew and took out a portion of Conrad's skull before you jumped up with your silver arrows manifesting behind you.
"Stay down!" You screamed as the arrows lodged themselves into his chest and stuck him into the wall.
The Dead Apostle struggled, ripping his flesh and bones through the arrows so he can free himself. You watch him bleed out and his entrails being dragged as he staggered forward.
He healed as you held out your hand.
"Holder of Truth. Enlighten mankind. Keeper of the Flames of Olympus, Ancient Prometheus, flourish thy blessing and scatter," You chanted as heat and power coursed through your body.
Conrad swaggered towards you as he swung his claw.
"Cry of Titans!" You snapped as he was engulfed in the purifying flames. He burned like a bonfire but this only succeeded in setting him on fire.
The ground split and had magma rise up and take him. Conrad suffered as he burned both inside and out, his howls echoing through the Sanctum as another blow caused the castle to rumble.
You fell down your knees as the ceiling broke and collapsed. Conrad was crushed and burned but you doubt that will kill him. Steel and stone buried him as Caster's workshop became brimming with life.
The metal orb which hung on the center crackled with electricity and began to spin. What the hell was happening? You took another step before you found that your body lost its strength. You fell down on your knees as if someone cut your strings.
Power left you as your body grew heavy. You had no more fuel. Nothing more to give... You beat Conrad but... Whatever this was, you had to stop it.
No good. You were losing consciousness. You fell face first into the ground. You were slowly drifting off.
{Hostiles have been neutralized.}
{Emergency Mode deactivated.}
Wait. Not yet.
{Overheated Core has been detected. Unit will now initiate minor self repair.}
{Consciousness Suspension has been initiated.}
{Shutting down}
Rider... Ri...
.....
....
...
{..... Rebooting.}
{All systems are green}
{Reactivating Unit.}
.....
....
...
You stirred. You slowly regained consciousness as you heard the rumblings of the ground. It was rising. You were riding alongside the golden orb that crackled with electricity. You could hear the sounds of battle... Of steel and magic clashing together while claw and teeth ripped through flesh and blood. You could hear them as you slowly raised your head and felt your command seals burn.
You could feel the wind, the snow and the cold surface of the ground beneath you. You blinked before looking to see that you were on the level of the castle's rooftop. The golden orb continued to turn as dark clouds gathered overhead, the distant rumble of thunder echoing in the heavens.
Letting out a shaky breath, you slowly got up your feet as you saw Caster smile your way. You looked to the side and found the castle under... Siege? Warriors rushed in by the dozen, druids hurtled flaming balls towards the battlements and crushed ramparts with their spells.
It was an army. An actual ar-
"GRAGH!" You cried out as you fell down your knees.
Pain... Your Od was being tapped into as your breath hitched. It was painful. It's too much for you to bear.
"It's a shame about Conrad. Truly. But I am impressed that you reduced him to such a state that I had no choice but to use him as fuel for my work," Caster said as she stood by the golden orb.
"Caster..." You hissed as you held your stomach.
"Your Servant has come for you and she raised quite the Army. To think she would go as far as to tap into the Dragon Vein beneath this mountain as I have. I guess that's just how it is!" Caster laughed as she shrugged. She then smiled your way, "I've studied you a few hours ago and I still can't help but be fascinated on your creation. I've studied Homonculi and automata but none of them have come close to you in sheer utility. It seems like you're a specialized product compared to the more generalized Homonculi I studied... No, labeling you as such isn't right though."
"Fuck you," you snarled as you pulled your knife out.
"Clay made into flesh and given a mockery of life. But that isn't any different from what I do," Caster said as she tapped her cheek, "If anything, your creator would be the Victor Frankenstein of the modern age rather than me. Whoever they are, to succeed in such a feat could only be a masterful individual."
"What do you know?" You spat as you tightened your grip on your knife.
"I looked at your body. A body made of minerals and rare earth, with the best conductivity for prana... And then you were given flesh, made to resemble a human before being given the tools for your purpose. And then there's your core..." Caster said as she walked towards you, "A mass produced mystic code which acts as your heart and storage for your prana. It's what gives you life... But in that case, where did your soul come from?"
"I... I don't understand," you said as you shook your head.
"Is it artificial? A byproduct of your creation? Or perhaps someone provided your body with a blueprint to generate it. How exactly does it work?" Caster kept talking as she smiled your way.
"It doesn't matter. None of it does! This ends tonight, Caster! You're going to die here!" You snarled as you rushed her.
"Such passion... Almost like you're human," Caster giggled before her hand shot out of her sleeve and caught your wrist, "A Mud Doll pretending to be human. Why there's Legends about that. Were you constructed based on them too? A Pretender! We have ourselves a Pretender here!"
She shoved you into the ground before looking at the orb.
"I'll make good use of you, little Doll. Now witness me as I crush your Servant like the bug she is!" Caster laughed as she had the orb shudder and lightning fall down upon it.
A stream of energy spread outwards. The orb was glowing...
"Now watch! My true Daughter shall rise! Witness and despair, Little Doll!" Caster laughed as the being inside the orb open her eyes. Caster held out her hand in a frenzy,
"Rise, rise, rise! My Reborn Monstrous Daughter!"
You got up and let out a shaky breath as you held your arm. The Creature had descended from the orb, brimming with prana due to Caster's preparations. She bore the appearance of the girl you fought in the parking lot.
Except this time she held power that was much stronger than last time. You looked at the girl's face and saw that she had a sorrowful look as she fixed her gaze in you. She tightened her grip on her mace as electricity coursed through them.
"Victor Frankenstein... Do you truly believe in your works that much?" You began talking as you stepped back
Caster raised an eyebrow at that before frowning, "What?"
"You succeeded. You created life where there was only death. You granted life to which had died, so do you see yourself as God?" You questioned her with a narrowed look, "Have you given it thought? What drove you to reach this point? How many lives you needed to make her? Even the Creature itself knows..."
Caster gnashed her teeth and swept her hand through the air, "What nonsense are you talking about?! I did it! Now my enemies will fall before her might!"
"Does she think the same?" You asked her with a firm tone.
Caster narrowed her gaze as she hissed, "Of course! I created her! She should answer to me!"
The Creature simply stood where she was... Waiting patiently for discussion to conclude. However she waited no longer than that point and turned to you with the same regretful expression.
False Life
[] "You're unhappy, aren't you? Then tell her. Tell her why!"
[] "You don't have to fight if you don't want to. You're your own person. It's your choice."
[] "Can you really follow a person like that? Creator or no, you disagree, right? Otherwise why would you be making such a remorseful expression."
[] Write in...