True Magician (FatexDxD)

Rondel.

- I deeply apologize, but why are we doing this? - I asked with a twitching eyebrow, staring ahead of me-we could just go our separate ways and never meet again.

What was happening now? I was in some sort of arena with restraints, spectator seats and all. On the bleachers sat the companions of the Japanese warrior and himself, who were looking anxiously toward the other corner of the arena, where stood a...

-Battle is the only way to find out the true intentions of your opponent. - With a savage grin on her face, the lolita declared, clasping her huge halberd in both hands.

- But I-

- Don't even try to escape, Romani, or whatever your name is. Itami covered everything: Servants, magic, the Holy Grail War, everything. You're an Apostle and can definitely fight me," she interrupted me, "And don't you yourself benefit from this situation? This way, you can avert all suspicion from yourself. Or is everything we saw in that basement your doing, Demon King?

I rubbed my temples.

In theory, her words made sense. This lolita, Rory Mercury, from what I understand, can save me a lot of trouble thanks to her status. Being an Apostle, she has a pretty wide range of options. That guard at the entrance to the city spoke of her with the utmost respect and awe, which means people like her are listened to.

Our viewers have said nothing but await the outcome of events. I suppose that's to be expected, considering who exactly will be fighting.

From Rory's words, it's clear that the Japanese had already shared with everyone about the Nasuverse. This means that they have realized, as ordinary humans and non-humans, their inability to interfere in the affairs of the divine. After all, Solomon is the Apostle, in local terminology.

I activated the magical chains, which the Apostle in front of me immediately noticed, judging by the look in her eyes. She gripped her halberd tighter and a grin appeared on her face.

Well, I'll have to live with that. You don't have to take the Servant's form; this one will suffice. I didn't promise anything spectacular, did I?

-0-

Itami's nerves were stretched to the limit, and cold sweat slowly dripped from his forehead. His gaze did not open about the masculine figure of the man across from Rory, who did not show the slightest bit of fear or worry.

The reason for this was weighty. A very weighty one. The face of Rory's opponent was worn by two beings. And the feats of each of them made Itami admire and fear them at the same time.

Goetia and King Solomon. Beast I and Great Caster.

Itami would never have thought that characters from anime and manga could exist in reality. As an otaku, he had of course watched and read works from Kinoko Nasu, the man who created his own universe, the Nasuverse.

When Itami saw him there, in one of the squares of the city, he couldn't believe his eyes. The very real Romani Archaman of the Chaldean Security Service, with the features of Solomon, whose reincarnation he is. Every detail on his clothes, every facial feature, every muscle matched what Itami saw on his screen.

But after a second, he seemed to vaporize. And just when he was about to chalk it up to fatigue or the need for his hobby, his shoulder was tugged by Rory. As it turned out, she'd seen him too, because she'd followed his stunned gaze, and in her eyes he'd vanished just as much.

But Rory, unlike Itami, didn't write it off as a play of her mind and after drawing the obvious conclusion, she began to question him. She realized that Itami knew the man, and so he had to tell everything.

Every member of his small group, as well as Lelei's teacher, listened intently from the very first second he touched on the subject of magic. Itami even thought for a moment that if he stopped, he would be instantly chewed out.

Magecraft, Alaya and Gaia, Servants, Dead Apostles, Root, and most importantly, Magic.

Magic, or True Magic, was what they were really interested in. And Itami understood exactly why. Magicians can influence the world itself and aspects of it, and are capable of things that the gods themselves are incapable of.

Itami saw the faces of his companions and guessed roughly what they were thinking during the story.

Tuka and Yao thought about 3rd magic, remembering those they had lost relatively recently. They wanted to bring back those dear to them. Lelei and her teacher became interested in the very concept of True Magic and the Root. The mysteries of the Nasuverse had awakened in them a thirst for the explorer. Rory, on the other hand...

She wanted to fight and test the power of a Servant. The idea that in a fictional universe that turned out to be not quite fictional, there were those who were head and shoulders stronger than the gods themselves really excited her. So, of course, she set out to find him.

At first it didn't work, and it was as if Romani Archaman had become a ghost himself, impossible to find. It only made Rory more agitated, indignant, and loudly stomping her feet, showing more emotion than she had during the battle in Italica. But at one point she froze and turned her head to the side, as if she had heard and sensed something. No sooner had Itami called out to her than Rory burst from her seat in a direction known only to her.

When Itami arrived on the scene, he realized why she did it. There was blood in some nobleman's mansion, in one of the hidden rooms. Fresh blood. And Rory herself was hovering in mid-air, holding her halberd and pressing it with force against something invisible.

And it was then, a couple moments later, that he saw Romani Archaman again, whose face was... annoyed? Of course, Itami wanted to find out exactly who he was looking at, and if he was involved in the atrocities going on in the room. However, he was quickly interrupted by Rory, who stated that she would find out for herself. And her method had been reduced to simply a battle between her and Romani.

Itami, looking at the arena, was worried for Rory's life, because if he turned out to be Solomon or, God forbid, Goetia, nothing would save her.

And so, the first movement.

In a brief flash of light, Romani disappeared and was right behind Rory's back. Rory herself reacted quickly and swung her halberd, aiming straight for his stomach. And as the giant blade almost reached Romani's body, and Itami thought some epic anime scene was going to happen in front of him...

That's exactly what happened.

A huge black halberd bigger than Itami himself was stopped. There were no flashy or colorful magical flashes, no cool and flashy martial arts techniques. Everything was far more... surreal.

There was silence throughout the area. So much so that Itami could clearly hear his heartbeat. Everyone's incredulous gazes were directed at the scene before them.

The finger.

All he did to ward off the attack was put out a finger. An ordinary finger, covered by nothing but a white, thin glove, stopped a weapon that screamed death to all upon whom it was exposed.

Every member of Itami's group, and certainly himself, couldn't believe what was happening. Now they were really worried for Rory's life since they had heard Itami's story. They tensed up and clenched their fists, wanting to dissuade Apostle Emroy from fighting. In truth, Rory herself...

- Oh? Not bad. Very good. Now I'm really horny," she said excitedly, looking Romani straight in the eyes, "Will you show me more, Romani Archaman?

The excited and wild smile didn't leave her face as her eyes never left her opponent's gaze. When Rory's body was outright trembling with excitement, Romani just....

- Ahhhh... So you're one of those? - He muttered with a stoic face, and then rolled his eyes - Don't you think you're too small for such words? I mean, I realize you're an apostle and all, but-

- Small? - Rory said quietly and ominously, interrupting Romani. Her bangs covered her eyes, and the smile on her face froze as if frozen in time.

Itami, hearing Romani's words, cringed. Tuka, Yao, and Lelei shook their heads, and Mimosa, Lelei's teacher, giggled softly. The tense atmosphere from a few moments ago had completely dissipated, giving way to merriment.

- A little one? - Rory repeated quietly, looking Romani straight in the eye.

Even from the stands, Itami could clearly see the look that the Apostle of Emroi was sending to her opponent. In it burned brightly the challenge to respond in agreement, as well as the promise of immense pain in this case.

- Can we not do this? - Romani waved it away, completely ignoring the stare - I don't want to go to jail just because a little girl got to me.

At the moment the last words came out of his mouth, silence hung around him again. But this time it was drenched in anger and bloodlust.

- Aaaah! - Rory screamed after a few seconds - You're dead!

She started swinging her halberd frantically, now really trying to chop Romani apart. Her teeth gritted loudly and her eyes were bloodshot. But even though she was putting all her strength into every blow, which Itami could clearly see, her opponent was only amused.

Romani, with a very smart and arrogant look, as if he knew all the secrets of the world, blocked all her attacks, commenting on Rory's behavior every now and then. And of course, every time he did so, he added either 'little' or 'girl', which made Rory even angrier.

At some point he decided to call it a day, apparently having had enough of Emroy's Apostle. And what happened next practically made Itami close his eyes to avoid feeling shame. Even if he himself hadn't participated in the action. For the silence dissipated, replaced by swearing, promises of death, clapping, and giggling.

- I will remember this, Romani Archaman! You have my word!

And the rage-soaked cry of one Apostle Emroy echoed around the neighborhood.

-0-

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