Wanderer's Game

I thought the idea of a fully grown dragon by itself was terrifying enough. Clearly, I was wrong, because the utter hatred in Ludwig's eyes has my hand shaking more than I'd like to admit.

The dragon in question is seemingly stretching ancient bones, flexing his wings, raising his arms to the side and unleashing a deafening roar that has my ears ringing. He floats a few feet off the ground, a looming presence that has Sirzechs and I on guard.

Through an animals jaws, a human voice speaks out to us, thinly veiled hatred seeping from every word.

"If Lucifer is truly dead, if I have wasted the last ten thousand years in this pit, then I will sate my fury with you in his stead. His sin will not go unpunished."

Every word is followed by a plume of smoke, and as he finishes his speech, my eyes instantly catch onto the glint in his throat, Mana quickly coalescing around his maw.

"Sirzechs you better have something!-"

Catching onto the danger as I have, Sirzechs moves forward and throws both of his hands to the side, a large wall of Destruction quickly taking shape in front of us to block Ludwig's breath.

I say breath, but the truth is it's much less his breath than it is a weapon of pure annihilation. Green fire spills out from the sides of Sirzechs' barrier, anything it touches being utterly scorched and burnt beyond recognition.

The consoles that once held him, the walls and flooring of this cell, an unfortunate member of Clan Botis. All are scorched and rendered char.

The only thing keeping us remotely safe is Sirzechs' impromptu wall, an immovable object to Ludwig's unstoppable force, his Clan Trait destroying the Mana in his breath before it can reach us.

"I don't suppose you have another plan we can work with, General?" I say, a hand in front of my face as I prepare to summon the Doppelganger.

"Sorry, but they don't teach us dragon slaying at the Academy!" He spits out, a small bead of sweat on his brow as his outstretched hands tremble slightly.

This is putting strain on him. How long can he keep this up? I thought his Mana reserves were infinite, that he was utterly untouchable. Once again, I realise how silly I was to operate on canon standards.

He's barely a hundred years old. A beacon of power, raw talent made manifest, but incredibly unrefined. He's not even close to his peak, but Ludwig's been around since the Conception.

...Fuck it. The only chance we have is Sirzechs dropping the training wheels. I can't afford to have him neutered by stand-asides. If I want to make it out of this hole, I'll need to keep Ludwig occupied for a few moments, no matter how dangerous it is.

"Stick to the original plan, then. Two minutes is all you'll get, General. If I die, then I'll haunt you for the rest of your fucking life."

Despite the harrowing situation, despite the heat radiating from every angle around us, Sirzechs cracks a smile as he turns to me.

"If you finally die, I'll be impressed."

He shifts one of his arms slightly and begins charging up a spell in his palm, muttering a countdown as Ludwig's annihilation beam seemingly begins to die down.

"Go!" He shouts out, and the both of us split off from either side of the barrier, a bright flash of light immediately following after.

Ludwig, not expecting the fucking Mana flashbang, shifts his gaze, eyes covered by a membrane that stops him from being entirely blinded but giving us more than enough time to take up our positions.

-50MP!

The instant Sirzechs' distraction goes off, I Sonido beneath Ludwig and cast a Circle of Life. Now I'm trapped in here with him.

"The Circle is up, get to work General!"

I don't hear his response, nor do I care for it, as I hastily duck underneath a wide sweep of Ludwig's tail, my Doppelganger appearing shortly after to help me hold back his oncoming fist.

I only hold him back for a second, but it was a second I desperately needed to slip beneath him once more. A bipedal dragon, unlike the quadripedal counterpart, has a much more protected underbelly, but the flesh is still weaker than every other part of their body.

Weak enough that I just might be able to cut through with-

"Crush!"

-3308HP!

My body collides with the invisible barrier of the Circle, bouncing back a few inches away from Ludwig's foot after he slammed his fist into my side.

Unable to roll away in time to dodge his imminent stomp, I instead command my Doppelganger to throw me, giving me a window to Sonido across the Circle and situate myself behind Ludwig.

He's faster. I thought this transformation would make him slower, but he's only gotten even better at everything. I think my shoulder is broken, arms all floppy, a few ribs are fractured. Thank fuck VIT boosts damage resistance.

Staring one another down, I cast a Prayer and dismiss Caduceus, abandoning any hopes of piercing his hide with the blade, instead settling for something akin to blunt trauma with my, admittedly untrained, fists and magic.

Seeing my arm in a mess, Ludwig surges forward, fist raised and dropping down on me from the sky. I can't Parry him, not while he's in this state, our Stats are far too vastly different, so I instead settle for the next best thing.

-700MP!

-700HP!

12000HP!

The Freikugel burns away at the outer layer of his scales, his fist scorched and glowing. Having not expected such an attack, Ludwig twists his body mid-air, my Freikugel now hitting nothing but the ceiling of his cell as he watches it in intrigue.

I think I hate the way he's flying around so much. It's starting to become a nuisance.

-3300MP!

His body falls to the floor like a rock as purple lightning coats him. Wanting more, I amplify the effects further, the force of Gravity pushing down on Ludwig enough that he kneels, an indent being carved into the ground beneath him. Slowly, I can hear his bones creaking, caving under the immense pressure exerted upon him.

-2300MP!

"You have been tainted. Lucifer's stench lingers on you. I must cleanse the rot." He cries.

"Of course Lucifer's stench is on me, I'm a Devil you vindictive cunt! We all smell like him!" I shout, unable to stop myself.

Before I can cast a Freikugel in my other hand and burn him to death, Ludwig breaks the hold I have on him with raw fucking strength and lifts himself into the sky, a cry of exertion and a flourish of his wings following.

He pays no attention to my words as several hundred Magic Circles quickly form in the air around him. Sigils I can't begin to comprehend are scrawled on each one, and they rotate almost hypnotically.

Given the trajectory, I'll have no room to dodge, no room to move. He's using my Circle against me, and I don't want to use up my Prayer again just yet, not before this attack. I'll need to think outside of the box.

"Judgement!"

Time seems to slow to a crawl as I summon Thorn into my right hand, thousands of miniature dragons slowly manifesting from the Circles as Ludwig drags his arm down.

Deep breath, Alistair. One shot. For the love of all that is unholy, don't fucking miss.

12000HP!

With LUK guiding my hand, Thorn finds her mark. The bullet lands squarely in Ludwig's exposed eye, the organ bursting open on contact, poison quickly seeping into his system through the open wound.

His green scales grow even greener with sickly venom, glowing lines of ichor tracing throughout his body as I take in another deep breath and brace my body for impact.

The spell finally comes but it's far weaker than intended, Ludwig's focus broken enough that it's power is almost entirely drained. The hundreds of explosions following suit still damage me, but don't leave me a paste on the ground, and that is more than enough.

-2637HP!

Blood is seeping from my nose, my lips, my head. Burns are littered across my body, but it is fuel. The fruits of my continued survival. As I cough away the smoke, Ludwig screams out in an odd mix of pain and joy.

"Weak! You can do better than that, boy!"

I only managed to pop his eye because nobody truly knows how Thorn works, and he didn't expect me to make the shot on time. I knew it would piss him off, but I didn't expect him to enjoy this fight.

12000HP!

The poison from Thorn gives me the healing I'd been desperately waiting for, and though I want nothing more than to cut in close and extend the sickness with Caduceus, I'll be lucky to even scratch his scales with it.

He knows this, clearly, because the next thing he does is rip out the remnants of his eyeball and instantly appear in front of me, fist raised mere inches away from my head.

-50MP!

I Sonido away, the burst of speed throwing me to the opposite end of the Circle, but to my horror, he's already there waiting, his tail slamming me into the ground the second I appear beside him.

-3210HP!

"I can read you like a book, half-breed!"

Before he can wrap it around me and crush my ribs like a grape, I make use of all the blood in my surroundings, several amorphous tendrils quickly sprouting from my body. With them, I throw aside his tail and lift myself into the air, my wing spreading shortly after.

12000HP!

"Pathetic!"

He says, eyes glued to the admittedly shameful wing I use to keep myself afloat. He clenches his fist, vigor reaching new heights as he cocks his arms like shotguns, sigils glowing in his knuckles.

My confusion at his actions quickly turns to annoyance as he throws punch after punch through the air, several more draconic constructs following each strike that I only barely manage to dodge or Parry.

For the next part of my plan, I need him close. I need him damn near point blank, but this fucker won't take the bait, even after I exaggerate the effort of each dodge. He's right, he's read me like a bloody book.

Unfortunately, Ludwig wasn't quite idle while I was making my move. Having seen my obvious ploy to lure him close, Ludwig seemingly ups the ante and begins charging up his beam once more, Mana forming around his mouth, the air going frigid as he does so.

However, before I can Sonido in any direction, throw up a barrier or try and block the oncoming destruction, Ludwig instantaneously appears at my side, having used the beam as a feint to kill me in one hit while I tried to avoid the spell.

DANGER!

His fist slams into my head with enough force to shatter my skull, my body cratering into the ground after the unexpected strike. Limbs twitching, body unresponsive, I can only watch as he floats above me.

-9840HP!

User is in Critical Condition. Stat Skill: Unlimited Brain Works has been activated.

The faintest of sensations slowly returns to my fingertips, cold pain washing over my body, undoutedly the best feeling in my life, a reminder that I'm not dead just yet.

"I commend thee, half-breed. You have outdone yourself."

He drops to the floor beside me, dust kicked into the air upon his landing. Feet bigger than my own body kick me aside so that I lay facing the ceiling, his baleful eye burning down at me.

Circle of Life: 12 Seconds.

Not much time left, brain is nothing more than mush. Come closer, you fucking prick.

DANGER!

Jackpot.

As Ludwig's fist falls towards me, my death mere seconds away from arriving, I use every last ounce of strength in my body and summon Death's Cradle.

"Repent!"

Before his fist makes contact with the pristine coffin, the limb is tightly ensnared in the deathly vines and the Blight rapidly takes effect on him, my body fully repaired milliseconds after I cast Death Wish.

12000HP!

I watch, undeniably gleeful, as his scales soften, his Stats plummet. With the playing field as even as it will ever be, I throw myself into the air once more, flying directly onto his head as he struggles against the vines.

Not trusting my own power, I summon my Doppelganger alongside me, the both of us prying Ludwig's jaw and holding it wide open. Shortly after, I summon the amorphous blood tendrils yet again and cram them down his throat.

A half-second later, I change the form of the blood to be that of saw blades and use every ounce of Mana I have in me to wreak havoc on Ludwig's internal organs.

My grin only widens further as blood spills from his maw in hacking coughs. I force more and more blades inside him, having taken heavy inspiration from Jack and broken through his tough exterior without even touching it.

It won't kill him, it won't even fatally wound him given his status as a dragon and their bullshit resilience, but it'll hurt, and that is more than enough for me.

Ludwig, in pain and almost shocked that I'm still standing, tries to charge his annihilation beam again as I hold his jaw agape, but the Blight and the blades stop him from forming anything close to a complete Magic Circle, his eye aflame with agony.

Before I can revel in my triumph for too long though, his hand wraps around my body. With all the force Ludwig can muster, he crushes my chest in his grasp and throws me to the ground, but just as I feel the pain, I finally cast a Prayer and right my trajectory mid-air, dropping to the ground softly.

12000HP!

Then, like the gates of Heaven opening up to a weary soul, the Circle of Life falls and I feel a hand rest on my shoulder, as the longest two minutes of my life finally end.

"You did well, Alistair. Thank you."

------------------------------------

General Sirzechs walks past me, his eyes shadowed, his fists clenched violently. From him, I can see small wisps of raw Destruction emanating, a vague cloud forming around him.

Ludwig, still heaving in pain and shock from the effects of the Blight, looks up and almost snarls at the General on his approach.

"You fight like cowards, yet you carry yourselves like noblemen."

"Spare me the insults." He says, "This is your last chance to surrender peacefully."

The second he finishes, Ludwig laughs, interrupting my own complaints about letting the bastard live.

"Millenia I spent, trapped beneath the surface. Isolation became the only companion I've ever known."

He coughs, the Blight finally wearing off as his scales return to their natural shade. He stands taller, straighter, and every breath is heaved as his fury reignites on every word.

"Centuries of anguish, of regret! And for what!? The only thing that gave my life meaning is gone!"

Instead of falling into hopelessness through his lack of purpose, Ludwig turns that anguish into fuel for his flames, his fury eclipsing anything I've ever seen before.

Could this anger have anything to do with the reason why he's so fucking strong for no apparent reason?

"I was born for nothing more than my Lord's entertainment. An experiment. The moment I grew a will of my own, I was tossed aside."

Seemingly nearing the end of this tirade, Ludwig shifts his stance slightly and blows more smoke from his nose.

"So I will not spend another day in this cell! I swear, on the blood of my ancestor, the Dragon King Fafnir, today I will have my freedom!"

Huh. Well, the strength makes sense now. And the experiment line. I guess Lucifer fucked around during the Conception with some dragon's blood.

"I see. If you will not surrender willingly, then I have no choice but to kill you."

Ludwig laughs one final time.

"You will try."

And yet again, before our eyes, Ludwig seemingly grows even taller. His fury becomes raw, tangible Mana, his body emitting steam as he fuels himself with nothing but pure, violent anger.

This is desperation. He's using everything in the tank, every shred of Mana in his body, every muscle and fiber pushed to their limit. The only thing he has left is his hatred, and it seems to be bleeding him dry.

Sirzechs and I both notice the way Ludwig's mouth glows yet again, the glint in the back of his throat, the coating of his eyes. He's going to try and burn us out again.

"This is it, Demi-fiend. Prepare yourself." The General says, as several magic circles begin to coalesce around his arms before engraving themselves in his skin, glowing vibrantly. Oh fuck yes. This is happening.

Instantly catching onto Sirzechs' plan, I stand beside him and charge my magic circle onto the both of my hands, the aptly named Freikugel EX ready to fire as Ludwig heaves and shakes, green fire rising from around him.

Then, as if a signal had gone off for us all, we fire our spells in sync.

-700MP!

-700HP!

The clashing of beams is enough to send a shockwave in all directions, Ludwig's breath almost beating out the Freikugel and Sirzechs' Destruction as blinding light emits from the epicenter.

The sheer force of Ludwig's breath has my arm trembling, forcing me down to a knee. HP and MP rapidly drain as every speck of strength I have is pushed into the Freikugel.

Just as I begin to worry Ludwig will overpower us, that we'll be left a burnt husk in his wake, Sirzechs seemingly reaches a second wind, his own beam of Destruction meshing with the Freikugel, instantly obliterating any resistance Ludwig made.

In the span of a split second, Ludwig's annihilation beam is vaporised, and our combined spell disintegrates Ludwig's jaw upon making contact with it, the Buné only barely managing to dodge to avoid the rest of his head being taken off.

"Now's your chance, General!"

With one last surge of effort, Sirzechs darts forward and raises his fist. Ludwig tries to swipe at him, but the second his claws come close to Sirzechs I Sonido forward and bat them away with my own fist, shattering my hand but leaving the Buné exposed.

I then watch, transfixed, as the General finally makes impact with Ludwig's chest, his nigh infinite Mana reserves pushed into this one single strike as time seems to slow down dramatically.

For a brief moment, the world itself seems to lose all sound, all colour, as his knuckles slam against Ludwig's scales.

A half second later, everything turns red, and I'm left blinded by the awe-inspiring release of Mana, the entire cell and everything ahead of Sirzechs being vaporised by a tidal wave of Destruction.

There's no scream when Ludwig perishes. No cry of pain, no anger. Just the raw silence that follows after Sirzechs' blast. Not even dust remains.

Renown Enemy Slain!

5000EXP Kill Contribution!

Level Up x14 (42 Stat Points)

Looking at the General, I can't help but notice something during that attack. If I didn't know any better I'd say Sirzechs' body was flickering slightly, as if he himself was becoming Destruction in that moment.

No matter. I can focus on just how utterly absurd his strength is another day, I'm too busy heaving my lungs out in exertion. In all my life, I've never been so desperate to just pass out and sleep for a week.

Prayer is still on cooldown for a few seconds, so as the skin in my hands bubbles and burns away, I can only grit my teeth and live with it as Sirzechs slowly approaches.

"Good hustle out there." He says, raising a hand for a high-five, before he quickly catches onto the flash-boiled skin on my melted gloves and palms and awkwardly shifts his hand down.

"...right. Anyways, you weren't lying about being a cockroach. I swear you should've died three times over in there."

"Don't remind me." I say through gritted teeth, "Having my chest crushed by a dragon isn't exactly a fun way to spend my weekend."

12000HP!

He laughs out in response, an arm around my shoulder as he seemingly revels in being alive after all that turmoil.

"Well, you're one of the few people who can say they fought a dragon and lived! That's something to be proud of, no?"

That joy quickly washes away as a third, uninvited voice joins in on our conversation.

"He's right. You may even be knighted for such a feat, or perhaps recognised as a High Class Devil, considering just who your opponent was."

Roygun fucking Belphegor saunters in through the broken doorway, and I can already tell she saw the whole fight and didn't lift a finger to help just from the look in her eye and the words on her lips.

"I'm sure Lord Bael would be more than willing to grant you such status, especially in the face of your burgeoning power. You truly do put the Phenex to shame." She says, almost coy, a smile on her lips.

"I'm so glad you've got such high praise for me. Did you end up helping at all with the prison, or have you just been watching us this whole time?"

As if offended by my words, she scoffs in indignation, her eyes creasing.

"I'm hurt you think so little of me. I only arrived in time to see the tail-end of your little spat, and I only came here because the men topside were growing worried."

Somehow I don't trust her. Maybe I'm just being paranoid and looking for reasons to be on edge. Something about her irks me, and it isn't just her connection to Zekram.

Thankfully, I don't have to deal with her much longer, as the General steps forward and dismisses her almost instantly.

"Your concern is appreciated. Return to the surface and let Lilith know the attack was thwarted. I'll be there myself shortly." He says, his tone brooking no disobedience.

"By your command, General Gremory."

And just like that, as fast as she appeared, she's gone. I've no doubt Zekram is going to enjoy the report she gives on just what happened down here. Problems for later. I've still got a few more talking points.

"What do you think Ludwig meant by betrayal, General?"

Surprised by my abrupt question, Sirzechs blinks for a moment before answering.

"Well, it was obvious, no? He thought Lucifer imprisoning him was a betrayal and kept a grudge."

...I can't help but feel like there's more to it than that. That there's something we don't know about him. I say as much to Sirzechs not long after he responds.

"The way he spoke of regret, of his own free will. The way he mentioned being an experiment. I'm not so sure, it just... it feels like maybe there's another layer to the story, one that we aren't privy to."

"Maybe there is. At the end of the day, it's not like we'll ever know for sure, what with Lucifer dead and buried."

And the conversation seemingly ends for a brief period. For a few seconds, there's silence between Sirzechs and I as we stand in the cell, the General now clearly mulling something over.

After an agonising wait, he speaks yet again.

"Sorry," He mutters, "about Daimadosu. I got so caught up trying to stop you from killing him that I lost focus on just what he was here for. If I'd been more aware or-"

"There's no use apologising now. We've already moved past the problem, though I'll admit I'm quite pissed he got away."

To my surprise, he chuckles.

"You aren't the only one. I'm probably gonna get a lashing from the High Council for not capturing him. And for killing Ludwig... oh fuck I am gonna be in so much trouble."

Seeing the despair on his face, the way he seems to dread the future despite how happy he seemed mere seconds ago, I can't help but laugh as we slowly walk towards the exit.

"That's sounding almost entirely like your problem I'm afraid, General. I wish you the best of luck with them."

His hand falls upon my shoulder, his grip far tighter this time, and his eyes speak of a thousand betrayals.

"If you think I'm not dragging your ass into that meeting with me then you've got another thing coming."

"...please tell me you aren't being serious, General. I haven't had a full night's sleep in what feels like weeks."

He doesn't respond with words, instead walking away a few paces faster than me.

"If I have to spend another day with the High Council I'm handing in my resignation from the Satanihilus!"

He doesn't seem to care, instead flourishing his wings as he takes a short glance at me.

"I'll meet you on the surface, Demi-fiend!"

Shortly after he says that I'm left alone and with a pending appointment with the Council by the sounds of it. And a meeting with Zekram. Oh, and I still need to have that meeting with Ajuka.

...yeah, fuck that.

I'm going back to Grayfia. I'm sure the Council would understand, I did just help kill a bloody Dragon after all. I've earned a long night's sleep after all the shit I've been through today.

Emergency Quest: Jailhouse Rock has been completed!

2000EXP!

x5 Level Up (15 Stat Points)

New Skill Unlock:

Dragonkin: Dragons and all variants of them are less likely to try and kill you on sight, even though they can smell the blood of a dragon on you.