(Michael's POV)
CLANKCLANKCLANK
Currently I was–
My thoughts were cut off as Jeanne's training sword came in high.
I immediately blocked the attack,and then redirecting it.
I soon stepped left, as Jeanne adjusted and recovered from my block faster than expected, already swinging low.
I jumped back seeing that, trying to create distance,and prevent myself from being hit by Jeanne's sword.
I gotta say Jeanne is really aggressive in terms of fighting style.
She is always pressing forward.
Never giving me time to breathe.
But that made sense, if you know about her personality.
So Jeanne's natural fighting style was exactly what you'd expect from someone who tackled people as a greeting, relentless,and always highly physical In everything she does.
My style, by contrast, was more measured.
I would observe first and analyzed it.
And waited for the opening.
Then move.
Of course in a way it has some disadvantages, particularly fighting someone by the name of Jeanne who's basically a berserker,and someone who knows about me significantly.
Jeanne came in again three quick strikes, high-mid-high
CLANK CLANK
CLANK
I blocked all three, but the third one pushed my sword arm wide and she stepped inside.
I immediately twisted, using my smaller frame, slipping past her.
She spun, faster than I expected, and our swords clashed again from a completely different angle.
Jeanne really adapts quickly.
Too quickly.
And it's horrifying, considering her face shows it.
Jeanne was huffing, but instead of tiredness, her face shows excitedness. As if she were finally being released from a burden.
We circled each other.
Both breathing harder now.
Both using the techniques we'd been taught : the footwork, the guard positions, the basic combination strikes that the four instructors had drilled into us over the past hour.
The techniques worked.
Of course they actually worked.
When I applied the principles Grandpa and Nonno had explained, the efficiency improved noticeably.
More efficient movement,and less energy wasted, which meant lasting longer.
Jeanne then feinted left,
I didn't take it since i noticed a pattern whenever Jeanne was about to do a feint.
She grinned, surprised,and committed right instead.
CLANK
We locked swords briefly, both pushing, faces close,then simultaneously stepped back.
CLANK
Anotherstrike came,and I was able to stopped it.
Jeanne then jumped back,as she rushed forward and thrust her sword towards me.
SHING
Thankfully I was able to deflect it, but barely. Which the deflection i did, I suspected cause my training sword to develop some microcracks.
But before I could use the advantage that i gained, Jeanne, using her more athletic physique, launched another attack.
With both of us clashing our sword.
CLANK
You know it's horrifying a bit, that Jeanne wasn't really talking and instead she was dead set on fighting.
As if awakening her bloodlust.
As we clashed, our grips slowly slipped and finally both of our swords lowered.
Both of us breathing hard.
...
I'm done.
I can't keep fighting.
I looked at Jeanne.
She looked at me.
Her sword arm was trembling slightly.
With my hand trembling too.
Look like muscle fatigue seem to settle in both of us at the same time.
So i think were done.
We both turned at the same moment.
"Were done, right? " I asked.
"...Yeah,...we're done," Jeanne agreed immediately, with zero hesitation. As she also looked a bit tired.
Dad, Grandpa, Jeanne's Dad, and Nonno stood on the side.
With all four giving different expressions.
With Dad showing an impressed face, while grandpa was assessing our technique, while Jeanne Dad seem to be satisfied with the fight, while Nonno somewhat stayed quiet but he seems to be happy with it.
"Good effort," Dad said.
As Grandpa began to assessed my fight
"Your footwork needs work,but overall your technique is already good" Edgar said to me.
"Your guard drops when you go for the feint, thankfully Michael didn't use it fully to his advantage." Gerald said to Jeanne.
"You both lasted longer than expected, but it's a start." Nonno said.
With Nonno then softening as he seem to be satisfied with the first result of my fight.
"Can we stop?" I asked.
"Yes," Dad said. "Good work today, both of you."
Thank God.
Jeanne immediately dropped her training sword on the ground without ceremony.
I set mine down more carefully.
Same result.
But it really shows our personality and the way we do things and our relationship.
With her then looking at me and smiling.
I smiled as well.
----------
Later....
----------
After finishing my relaxing shower
I emerged from my room wearing dry clothes, hair still slightly damp, feeling approximately seventy percent human again.
The training had taken more out of me than I'd expected.
Not to mention the fact that when i went back inside the house, Jeanne had tried to shower at my room.
But Lavi thankfully intervened and had Jeanne showered in her room.
So thankfully nothing bad happened.
The adrenaline that had appeared when I was fighting Jeanne had disappeared after awhile.
And now the bill had come due.
I could feel my arms and legs aching, not to mention I'm really exhausted.
I have to sit down, and probably sleep before seven PM like an elderly person.
As suddenly my headache flared back up.
" Aagh."
I hold my head, since damn, this hurts a lot.
But after a few seconds it disappeared.
It's getting very annoying when i got these headaches.
I then decided head to my room's door to head downstairs.
And then after taking four steps out of my room
WHAAMM
Something hit me like a small, enthusiastic missile.
It was Jeanne as usual with her doing a full body tackle. Her arms around my neck, crushing my entire body under her weight.
Her hair absolutely soaking wet , clearly not dried properly, pressing against my face and neck, and cold water droplets begin scattering everywhere.
"MIKEY!" She shouted with her face on top of mine.
"Jeanne...your hair,it's wet !!" As a few droplets hit my face.
"I know, isn't it great?" She pulled back, grinning, her damp hair in total disarray.
"I feel SO refreshed! Don't you feel refreshed?!"
I wiped water droplets off my face.
"I feel wet."
"Same thing!"
It's really not.
She grabbed both my hands, swinging them slightly, still riding the post-shower energy wave that apparently Jeanne experienced while I experienced post-shower exhaustion.
"Today was SO fun!" she announced. "Did you see when I almost got you with that low sweep ? And when you did that sidestep thing...that was SO Cool, I didn't see it coming–"
"You adapted within two seconds."
"Because you're good so I HAVE to adapt!" She beamed like this was a compliment to both of us simultaneously. "Anyway," She was already moving toward my room, pulling me by the hand, " We should play video games after this! I'm too awake to just sit around!"
Yeah, I'm too tired to do anything else, I thought.
But also... Yeah.... I think I can still play some video games.
"Fine," I said. She beamed ,hugged me and then dragged me forward.
The droplets from her hair were still hitting my face.
I was too tired to care.
--------------------
Michael Room- After Jeanne Setting Things Up And Lavi Arrival
--------------------
I sat cross-legged on the floor of my room, controller in hand, staring at the TV screen.
With Jeanne sitting on my left, legs crossed, leaning forward with her holding her controller.
Lavinia sat on my right, having changed into a pale blue nightgown after her shower, looking considerably more composed than she had earlier, after her studies with Grandma.
Jeanne had set up the console and the game we're going to play tonight. Which she had brought them from her house to mine.
The game we were playing today was a fantasy RPG,classic dungeon crawler style with party mechanics, dice-roll systems, and decision trees.
Basically digital D&D.
Perfect for an evening where none of us wanted to move very much.
I'd picked Sorcerer as my class, obvious choice if you know about me.
Innate magic, high damage output, versatile spell list. But with a lower physical ability.
Plays to my strengths.
Jeanne had picked Paladin.
Also obvious choice.
With her being Heavy armor, holy damage, frontline fighter, protective abilities. With a weakness in term of speed and being close combat.
Absolutely perfect for her.
Lavinia had picked Magician.
Giving her high intelligence, support spells, battlefield control.
She'd read the entire skill tree before making the choice.
Very Lavi.
We'd been playing for about twenty minutes when Jeanne spoke up, not looking away from the screen.
"So devils are real."
...
Ok...i didn't expect that
That's a huge topic shift.
I glanced at her. "Yeah."
"And they're all evil, right ? " She moved her character forward, shield raised. "That's what dad said. Devils are the enemies of God and they corrupt humans."
I paused the game.
Both of them looked at me.
"Well...Grandma, Grandpa, and Dad have met devils," I said carefully. "Specifically, they've worked with at least one devil who they say is... not evil."
Jeanne blinked. "Really?"
"Yeah. If i remember correctly i think his name is Mephisto Pheles. He runs Grauzauberer,a magician organisation."
And from what I read and had heard from Grandma and her notes,and including my memories of my old world.
Mephisto Pheles was a devil who made a deal with a German person named Johan Georg Faust.
Where here,he took over the organisation that Georg run after he died,and became the chairman.
Lavinia nodded. "Grandma Vivienne had mentioned him. She said he's unconventional but very trustworthy."
Jeanne processed this.
"So..." She frowned. "Not all devils are evil?"
"Most are," I said. "From what I understand. The vast majority follow a system that's... not compatible with human wellbeing."
Considering Grandpa and Dad probably kill a dozen of them or more.
Though my words are probably an understatement of the century. Considering Devils probably feed on sin and corruption.
But there are exceptions.
"But some aren't," Lavinia said thoughtfully.
"That's important to know."
Jeanne nodded slowly, adjusting her mental framework.
"Okay. So. Most devils are evil. Some aren't." She looked at me seriously. "We need to be able to tell the difference."
"Yeah," I agreed. "We do."
I unpaused the game.
We continued playing.
The dungeon we were exploring had several branching paths, and we'd just reached a decision point,left corridor or right corridor.
A classic choice.
The game uses a randomizer system for skill checks and combat outcomes,essentially digital dice rolls that determined success or failure.
And in some cases chaos.
Which made things unpredictable.
And occasionally very frustrating and annoying.
The two corridors we can choose are interesting, since on the left the corridor we can see contained more traps, while on the right it's somewhat more ruined, with rubble blocking some of the paths to enter.
"Left," Jeanne said immediately.
"Right looks less trapped,and the rubble probably could be used as shield," Lavinia observed.
"Left has treasure," Jeanne insisted.
"You don't know that." Lavi replied back.
"I can feel it." Jeanne said as she rubbed her controller.
Meanwhile I looked between them.
And immediately said
"You two try to do something to convince the other one, I'm neutral."
I have no interest in stepping on this landmine.
And getting myself killed by the blast.
Not to mention both have their arguments, and considering the game is like DnD, it's really hard to say what is correct and what is wrong, since the system is probably like a DM who may screw the party and the dice system could be also be acting as a devil's advocate.
"Left," Jeanne said.
"Right," Lavinia said.
"Rock paper scissors," I said.
Both agreed,then immediately began playing rock paper scissors.
...
Jeanne won.
We went left.
----------------
Three Minutes Later...
----------------
The corridor was absolutely filled with traps.
Everything you can imagine :
Poison darts.
Spike pits.
Falling boulders.
Decoys.
My Sorcerer had to make a dexterity check to dodge the darts.
I pressed my controller,and the screen rolled a dice.
The result ?
Roll: 6
A Failure.
THUNK THUNK THUNK
My character took 40 damage and was now poisoned.
Fuck...
"I told you to choose right" Lavi said,seeing my character get hit.
"There's treasure at the end! So it'll be fine!" Jeanne insisted.
Lavinia's Magician attempted to disarm a trap.
Which requires a nat higher than 10
Roll: 10
Another failure.
The trap activated.
A boulder started rolling toward us.
"Uh oh!" Lavinia said panicked.
Jeanne's Paladin tried to tank the boulder with her shield.
Roll: 17
Success !
She braced, and the boulder crashed into her shield, stopping completely.
Jeanne pumped her fist. "YES!"
"You got lucky," I muttered.
"Skill," she corrected.
It was absolutely luck.
The randomizer loved her.
...
We continued down the corridor.
Which we faced many more traps.
My Sorcerer was limping, poisoned, having some arrows on his body, with him down to half health.
Lavinia's Magician had burned through most of her healing spells keeping us alive.
Jeanne's Paladin was somehow completely fine.
Because the dice loved her.
We reached the end of the corridor.
And there at the end was a chest.
"TOLD YOU!" Jeanne announced triumphantly.
I opened the chest.
And inside the chest :
Three gold coins.
...
Three...
We had nearly died fourteen times.
For three gold coins.
Jeanne seeing what was inside turned towards me and Lavi.
"...I vote right next time," With her smiling sheepishly.
"Agreed," Lavinia and I said simultaneously.
-----------
Meanwhile - Unknown Location
-----------
While Michael, Jeanne, Lavi,and their family was enjoying their time.
Someone was planning something against them.
Far away from their household.
Somewhere inside the Dimensional Gap,a realm where magicians live, in a place called The Emerald City.
The home of the growing wizard group known as Wizards of Oz.
In one of the buildings of the city, several figures stood in a darkened room.
The walls were lined with shelves filled with artifacts and books.
As a map of France spread across a table.
Not to mention another map was nearby.
With it being a map for a town North of France.
With the map showing different parts of the town. From the town square, small shops, churches, restaurants as well as the home of the residents there.
With that map specifically being heavily circled in red in a strategic way.
As in the room among the figures was Glenda.
The Witch Of The South.
The Witch who had tried to kidnapped Lavinia 2 years ago, but was stopped by Michael Grandparents.
Now she's here to try once again and this time, she had a thirst for revenge.
Glenda stood over the map, hands pressed to the table, breathing slowly, somewhat controlled.
She had been waiting for this moment.
Two years.... Two years of torture.
Her injuries from the fight with Vivienne and Edgar de Montfort had taken time to heal.
And it took a considerable agonizingly amount of time.
Not to mention the amount of resources she had to used to heal her injuries and it both wasn't cheap and easy.
The amount of time it took for her to get herself back together,was long.
But now she had fully recovered.
Stronger than ever, actually,and filled with hatred.
She traced a finger over the map.
Over the town in France.
Over the place where they'd taken her prize.
Where they'd stolen what was rightfully hers.
"Absolute Demise," she murmured.
One of the Thirteen.
A weapon that could kill gods.
A weapon that she could study to get her more power.
It was all she could think about, alongside her absolute thirst for vengeance.
Since for her the absolute demise should have been her.
Mine.
It was supposed to be mine.
I found her first.
I prepared her.
And they TOOK her.
Or so Glenda thought.
As Her hand pressed harder against the map, nails scraping wood.
Vivienne and Edgar de Montfort the two people who stole her chance to gain more power.
Her hands started to glow as the table somewhat cracked.
Scaring some of the magicians since they're Madam is very mad.
Those two people who were powerful and well connected.
But they aren't untouchable nor are they gods, afterall they're still humans.
She straightened.
She then turned to one of the magicians.
With them somewhat shaking.
"How many?" she asked.
A magician shakingly appeared.
"Nine have agreed to follow your plan. Five more are considering it."
Glenda smiled.
Not a pleasant smile.
But a smile that an insane person would make.
"Good."
She looked back at the map.
At the circled town.
Lavinia Reni.....No
Lavinia Reni de Montfort now.
They gave her a NAME.
Made her FAMILY.
...
That changes nothing.
She's still mine.
The Longinus is still mine.
And I will take back what belongs to me.
She turned away from the map, walking toward the far wall where Her staff and her robe are, with them being magically enhanced.
She had been preparing for this.
"Not yet," she said to herself. "Not yet."
But soon.
Very soon.
When they think they're safe.
When they've relaxed.
When the girl has bonded with them.
When taking her back will hurt them most.
That's when I strike.
Where she will get her revenge,and witnessing there faces when they found out about it.
Especially Vivienne's face, when she learns that her son and daughter in-law,as well as her grandchildren were killed.
She smiled again in the darkness.
With her having a wicked smile, imagining her revenge.
Patience Glenda.
You have all the time in the world to make it work, then after that you can enjoy your victory.
Especially after you obtained absolute demise, as well after you manipulate the girl 's memories, and make sure to erase any trace of her time with Vivienne family.
--------------
Back in Michael's Room
--------------
"Okay," I said, "let's head to a new dungeon."
"Ok Micky," Lavinia said.
"Let's go !!!." Jeanne said.
We went to the next dungeon, enjoying the night.
-------------
Meanwhile - Downstairs
-------------
Edward, Giulia, Charlotte, and Gerald sat in the living room.
The sounds of the kids who were in Michael room can be occasionally heard,and particularly shouts of frustration drifted down from upstairs. "WHY DOES THE DICE HATE ME !!?" But the adults didn't really pay attention, since they were currently having a conversation on some things.
Vivienne and Edgar didn't stay long as they went back home via teleportation spell about twenty minutes ago, with a flash of blue-white light in the backyard, and them then gone.
Isabella and Antonio had left as well courtesy of Vivienne teleportation spell. With Antonio still having some back issues, but nonthreatening.
Which left the four of them.
As Edward then took a sip of his wine.
As usual.
With Him then set the glass down and looked at Gerald and Charlotte.
"As I mentioned my parents will be visiting some... of their friends soon," he said . "well...old friends, overall people they've known for years through the supernatural community."
Gerald raised an eyebrow. "Anyone we'd know?"
Edward considered, and Replied back."Depends, how familiar are you with the major magical families in Europe?"
"Moderately."
"Ok then,well, one family my family knows are the Helsing."
Gerald blinked,and then asked " Wait you mean, the famous vampire-hunting Helsing ?"
"The same one. Though they've actually diversified in recent generations, after the vampire practically lost their influence in Western Europe, with at most a few isolated places." Edward swirled his wine.
"The Helsings, if they're available though. Since they're usually occupied with their own situations back in Britain"
" Wait what ? " Gerald blinked while looking shocked.
" Yeah... They somewhat have a problem in their hand as far as i know. But that's complicated. And i don't know much detail about that, with Mom and Dad knowing a bit more about it." Edward replied as he then thought of something to say next.
" Moving on from that," Edward continued.
" Another family I actually know personally here are The d'Artagnans–"
That statement made Gerald pause.
"Wait," he said looking shocked. "The d'Artagnans !? You mean the famous–! "
" Yes, The Famous Musketeers," Edward confirmed. " And The musketeer lineage is still active, and actually a good old friend of mine" He smiled, reminiscing of some old memories. "He has two daughters currently. Four and two years old."
Giulia nodded. "Actually we're considering introducing Michael to them,to build some connections."
Charlotte processed this. "For... what purpose?"
"Support network," Giulia said simply. "The supernatural world is complicated,and really dangerous,so having allies in this case,genuine ones, not just political arrangements are very important and beneficial."
She looked at Gerald and Charlotte meaningfully. "You understand that now, I think."
Gerald nodded slowly. "Yeah. We do."
There was a pause.
Then Gerald spoke again, looking at Edward with an expression that suggested he was choosing his words carefully.
"You know," he said slowly, "before I found out about you two know about the supernatural, before Christmas i thought you were..."
He trailed off.
Edward looked at him. "Thought I was what?"
"...I'm trying to find the right word."
"Take your time."
"An alcoholic," Charlotte supplied helpfully.
Gerald winced. "I was trying to be diplomatic." As he looked at his wife.
"He drinks wine at literally every hour of the day," Charlotte pointed out.
"That's fair, Edward does drink a lot sometimes" Giulia agreed to them, completely unbothered by Charlotte comment.
Edward stared at all three of them.
"I am NOT an alcoholic," he said.
"You're drinking wine right now," Giulia replied.
"It's 7 PM."
"You were drinking wine at 9 AM."
"That was a special occasion."
"It's Tuesday."
Edward opened his mouth.
but not a word came out.
He had no defense, to argue his case.
"I enjoy wine," he said with dignity. "That doesn't make me an alcoholic."
"Don't you have a wine cellar too, at the basement." Giulia replied back.
"A SMALL wine cellar."
"It has temperature control and a cataloguing system."
"...That's just good organization."
Gerald and Charlotte exchanged a look wondering at the couple antic's. With Gerald feeling awkward for causing it.
As Edward sighed and took another sip.
Proving their point further.
But He didn't care.
Giulia, clearly deciding to move past her husband's beverage preferences, turned back to Charlotte.
"About there still deciding on timing. The d'Artagnans are definitely a possibility, given the daughters' ages."
"Would Michael meet them?" Charlotte asked.
"Not now," Giulia said. "And clearly not immediately. They're a bit busy right now, but for the bigger family or more. We want to wait until he's slightly older i think,maybe eight or nine, before we start introducing him to the broader supernatural community's."
"Why wait ?" Gerald asked.
Edward spoke up. "Because right now he's still establishing his foundation about the supernatural world, considering things the fact he's currently focused on magic training, sword training, and understanding the basics. Still while he's more smart and mature, if we introduce him to too many variables too early..."
"It could be too overwhelming," Gerald finished.
"Exactly."
Charlotte nodded thoughtfully. "That makes sense."
The adults then went back to talk on some other things.
-----------
Meanwhile Back With Michael
-----------
" MIKEY LOOK OUT !!!" Jeanne shouted.
As currently We were having a boss fight
I immediately clicked my controller, and make a dice check to save myself from the boss attack.
Roll : 16
My character then was able to dodge the Shockwave created by the giant boss.
" Lavi, use your debuff spell now."
" Ok Micky." She then pressed her controller.
The screen begin rolling the dice to see if Lavi is able to successfully hit the boss with a debuff.
And finally.
Roll : 18
Lavi got a high roll, and immediately the boss was hit by Lavi debuff spell.
" Jeanne it's your turn now!! " I shouted.
" I'm already on it Mikey !!" As Jeanne pressed her button,to do a dice check for her attack role.
Roll : 20
Hell yeah, Jeanne got a D 20.
As Jeanne paladin, struck the boss.
We continue our assault.
And at last were then able to kill the boss of the dungeon.
Getting the dungeon loot.
I then turned back to Jeanne and Lavi.
"Another dungeon ? " I asked.
"Yup !!" Jeanne enthusiastically replied.
"Ok Micky." Lavi agreed to it.
"Ok then let's do this." I replied as we continue our game.
The De Montfort household continues their activities. As the night sky outside was illuminated by the town lights.
And unknown to them that an event is about to happened that would change their lives forever and permanently...
That is for the better in some way and that are bad...
________________________________________
Looks like a battle is going to happened soon, with Glenda returning to get her prize and this time Glenda brought some help with her to gain Absolute Demise.
Also yeah I'm going to add a few families in the story like helsing with them famous family and their existence being the inspiration for the dracula story.
To note i know there's a manga about helsing and then something being an organisation,but I'm not taking that as part of my fanfic.
Anyways, yeah sorry if it's a bit slow for me to release chapter, since i keep changing something,and fixing some stuff,but overall it's likely the next few chapters may be a long one. So yeah it'll take awhile.
But it's going to be somewhat worth it ( i think)
Ok see ya next in the chapter 👋
- AgentByteGOC