Chapter 18: Chapter 18: Training - Success? Failure??
How long had passed...
How much blood had he spilt...
Morgana asked herself these questions endlessly, her own Ether long spent, the glorious succubus queen now worn and fading, her ability to linger in the human realm soon to be completely over.
4 hours left.
That was all she needed to hang on for; what was a bit of blood or damage to her spirit?
"How can I linger, slacking in the corner when you..."
"A mere human..."
"Keep fighting so hard with your broken body?"
She long had passed since her eyes were filled with awe and surprise, now weary, bloodshot and oozing a thick red stream of bloody tears.
Her body, like his falling apart, cracks forming on their bodies, the inside of their skin, pink flesh, red muscle and white bone...
Each time his arm broke, she fixed it.
When his muscles snapped, she healed them.
As his veins ruptured, she closed them.
Yet, she continued, because their connection wasn't one way. For the first time in millennia, she felt connected to someone other than her blood family.
When her lips cracked, he fixed them.
Each time the scars on her body tore open, he closed them.
As her eyes oozed blood, he healed them.
Unlike Morgana, he didn't have any special magical spell, or specific ability, using mere memories of the past.
Lancelot's Ether transferred into her body a very basic and amateur way of treatment. Yet, this very treatment kept Lancelot alive in the war between the strongest existences for so long with his human body.
A simple first aid technique using Ether...
The amount of healing and Ether was never enough to help the Queen of Succubi.
Yet the mere action caused her heart to tremble for real; no acting or relying on fate and other things that might have guided her before.
Lancelot himself made her heart throb; why else would she sacrifice her own body and spirit, causing herself immense pain for this man?
Because he's her Lord? Please, they met less than a day ago.
For others, it was folly, foolish, an idiot's actions.
However, for Morgana...
His actions solidified her trust and hope in this man; originally, this moment tested his character; could he endure the greatest pain in his life?
Or would he flee, choosing the path of death?
[Lancelot]
'Morgana'
Their minds were almost in sync, but her eyes widened as his body twisted in the air before crashing down, his hands and arms trembling.
Crack!
Another set of purple phantasmal swords is broken...
"Kuha..."
More bloodshed from his lips... His pale face caused her to feel distressed.
"Phew... Haa.... haa...."
Lancelot released a long sigh, his terrible breathing a massive understatement. He looked towards Morgana, seeing her horrible state, only to smile bitterly.
Suddenly a strange purple aura encircled his left hand.
He ordered her to return...
[How!? You were only Mesmerised and hit with my Deadly Charm a moment ago!]
[How are you free?]
[You cannot send me back... your body... there are 2 hours left... you will die!]
Morgana slowly faded into particles, little glittering lights of purple from her feet, as she returned to the Lord Realm.
"Haha.... d-don't worry....."
Lancelot looked at her with a bitter smile, his body barely performing the basic movements of the Tyrant's body with the sword-like extensions of his arms.
"You've been testing me... So....watch me until... the end, ok? Haha..."
[Lancelot! Stop! This Queen orders you to let her stay!]
[Lancelot! Lancelo--]
"Haha... watch from there, don't worry... I can feel something; see your Lord in all his glory and make your choice, to follow him until death or let me find a new Commander."
His eyes sharpened, a dark grey light shimmering from them; he took several deep breaths before restarting the movements, his sword dancing, cutting across the air, swaying and flowing like a raging ocean, a gentle river...
The swordplay of Lancelot seems to fuse with his former water-like style and this vigorous and powerful Tyrant style.
His slashes began to build up power, each one stronger than the next.
"I will fight for my destiny, what I believe in. Not yours!"
Woosh...
"I am not your puppet or tool to fight against Avalon!"
Woosh...
"MORGANA! I AM YOUR LORD, AND YOU WILL FOLLOW ME!"
WOOSH!
A burst of powerful air left the blade like a bullet, purple light in a blade arc slicing across the centre targets and punchbag simultaneously, causing them to tremble.
"Not enough!" He bellowed, blood, spit, and his head rattling.
Woosh! Woosh! Bang!
Purple lights danced around his body; each slashed a clear target, defence, attack, parry, block.
His movements became faster, the bones in his legs creaking, the muscles screaming as they filled with unbearable heat.
Yet he pushed on, determined to be the master of his fate.
Not Arthur! Not Morgana! Not Avalon! Nor God!
Lancelot would guide his fate, starting from this step! As his purple blades of light rain on the training room, crushing the pillars, slicing their empowered stone, leaving small gashes, slowly blade after blade after blade...
The gashes became deep grooves.
"Haa...Haa...."
"..."
Thud!
He dropped to the ground; his body painted red, countless wounds oozing dark blood, his veins struggling to pump the blood to his various body parts while every one of his muscles began to convulse and cramp.
The pain was agony, yet he couldn't even move or scream.
Only a dry howl came from his bloody mouth before he collapsed.
A smile painted on his lips...
His smile was caused by two simple lines of text emitted from the glowing tattoo on his left hand.
[Title Gained: Lancelot of the Endless Waltz (Unique)]
[Skill Physique: Blade Waltz - Tyrant Body ]
Silence filled the small room, his breathing slow and slightly disturbed, the blood seeping into the mats while his phone began to vibrate. It was the number registered for Sebastian.
"Silly fool..."
"Why did you misunderstand me..."
The outline of a beautiful woman, her long black hair with purple highlights cascading over her naked body; this time, her horns, wings and tail were hidden.
Morgana was in a simple humanoid form; gently, she leaned down, stroking his cheek with her left hand while lifting the bloody black phone with her right.
Clack!
She opened the flip phone, placing it to her ear.
"Lord Lancelot, sorry to bother you. It is Sebastian." His voice sounded urgent; the time was currently 4 pm, two days since he met the old man.
Her eyes looked at the sleeping Lancelot, her hand still stroking him, injecting Ether into him slowly to avoid any damage and injury to his organs, letting them fully accept the powerful energy created by his new physique.
"What's the matter? Disturbing your Lord must be for a good reason; answer me!"
Morgana was only gentle with Lancelot; if he was awake now, he might understand his worries were a little stupid, but after his many betrayals, the fear existed.
She could leave the Lord Realm the moment he finished; it seemed he trusted her enough to let her out after he spoke his piece and gave her a choice.
"Ahem, excuse me, M'lady, but you are?"
"This Queen is Lord Lancelot's... Lancelot's... Faithful..." Her fingers began to curl his soft silver hair, brushing away the dirty filth expelled thanks to the training manual.
"Lancelot's Future Wife... Tell me, it's about the second-hand troop, right?"
"..."
A moment passed, and Sebastian didn't reply, but he seemed to take a deep breath as if mulling over her words before he finally spoke.
"Understood, there has been a match, but..."
"But?"
"The Demi-human is an Albino Frost Hare, a physically weak and useless troop. Both susceptible to weakness and disease..."
Morgana's face filled with a wide smile before she looked down at Lancelot with her golden eyes brightly shining.
'Lucky bastard... You will get the second most perfect partner for our Succubus Training Manual...'
"Buy her, no matter the cost; even if sick, we will accept. Ensure she has no sexual diseases; those are the only rejection."
"Ah...."
She was seemingly shocked by her words and the mention of sexual diseases, confusing him as sometimes lords wished to do those things with beautiful female and male commanders and troops.
However, normally, it was impossible due to loyalty or merely rejecting the Lord due to differences in race.
Once again, he was quiet for a moment.
"Understood, her price is 300 silver, and she is a virgin, sold to the trader due to being too weak to fight in Avalon.
"Her troop summon artefact is on offer for 150 silver. Should I make an offer for both?"
Her smile of Morgana became wicked, twisted as a strange darkness filled the entire training room.
"Accept the offer and take both. I will meet you in the parking lot in 2 hours."
"Insist on a Blood pact parchment."
"A blood pact!?"
Sebastian's loud cry cut off the phone; Morgana didn't care for men other than Lancelot, even more so when she needed to heal his body, to prepare him for even more enhancement.
She returned the phone to the ground, stroking his face and hair with a delighted expression.
Although she couldn't use most of her power in this human form, she had no restrictions on her body remaining outside the Lord's Realm.
"I will make you into the strongest man in existence..."
"Whatever you dream... I will support you.
"My cute lord."