Chapter 381: Only You
Celes wasn’t stupid, quite the opposite from it. But in her anger, she wasn’t about to let this go.
"I think you went a bit too far this time..." Nora said, poking Laz’s cheek after seeing the expression on Celes face.
"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Celes yelled at Nora, surprising everyone. She got up and stood in front of Laz while pointing her finger at him.
"IF YOU EVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS AGAIN, I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL..." Celes raged as she pointed at Laz.
Laz could only sigh.
’She still isn’t getting it. I really am trying not to be the villain here, but do I have any other choice?’ Laz thought to himself. He wasn’t looking down on Celes or her feelings for her people, but this kind of attitude was going to get some, if not all, of these girls killed in the future.
That was something Laz wanted even less than playing the villain.
"DON’T YOU FUCKING..." Celes didn’t finish her statement. Laz slammed his fist out straight into her stomach and blasted her backwards like a folded shrimp.
Seeing this, every one of the girls were at first shocked, then enraged. They stood up and faced Laz, fists clenched and anger apparent on their faces.
Joan ran over to Celes and helped her up. Laz had held back but only in the context of not meaning to kill or maim her. Compared to before though, Celes had felt this punch throughout her entire body. It took everything she had not to throw up in front of the ones she was suppose to be leading.
"You fucking talk a lot for someone so useless. Guess what princess? This isn’t your time anymore. You want to argue about fairness? Want me to play nice and neat and within your rules? Well fuck you. I don’t fucking have to. In fact, not a single fucking person here can make me. I can do what I want, when I want to whoever I want. All I have to do is want and I can have it. But you? HA. You scream and cry and demand things but you don’t have the tiniest bit of strength to get it. Doesn’t matter who owns this place. Doesn’t matter who you are related to. For someone as weak as you, you are and will always be... nothing." Laz mocked her as best he could. It really wasn’t in his nature, but hard times called for hard measures so he tried his best. He also did it in front of everyone to add an extra layer of embarrassment.
"What I want right now... well fuck. Your immature little body won’t do a thing for me so I’m just going to take this with me and go have some fun. I’m done training you little shits and done playing nice." Laz grabbed Nora’s ass and yanked her close, much to her surprise. He then kissed her in front of everyone, lifted her up over his shoulder and started to walk away with her, like a cave man dragging away his selected mate.
Even if Celes was trying to convince herself that what she saw last night never happened, having this happen to the woman she always thought of like a big sister right in front of her pissed her off to no end. The sound of her grinding teeth was like stones scrapping against one another.
As for Nora, she was as red as a tomato as she let Laz carry her away.
"Stop..." Celes called out, somewhat weakly as her breath was still coming in hard.
In response, Laz turned around and slapped Nora’s ass as though mocking her before turning around again.
"I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Celes lost it and summoned her palace while taking on her ink black battle form as she charged forth before Joan could even stop her.
In the distance, Wilma and Gretchen looked on in both shock and wonder.
"She.. and he?" Gretchen asked, clearly understanding something.
"I guess so... I didn’t think. Well... I mean. He is a man, right?" Wilma responded.
This was what their attention was on with no concern being spared for Celes’ attack.
Laz calmly set Nora back on her feet before taking on his own battle form of the Asura. The void black tattoos spread out over his now grey skin as the black hair turned a blood red stained shade of white. His golden pupils could clearly see every tiny detail of Celes’ attack, down to her own breathing. He didn’t summon his palace or even the apocalypse ring, instead choosing to fight her in almost the most basic way possible.
It wasn’t that Laz was looking down on her, it was instead because she wasn’t an enemy he had to kill that he didn’t go all out. If those things were added to the mix, Laz didn’t know if he could control himself.
As for Celes’ she was truly and fully trying to kill him, her own sanity having snapped at his latest provocation.
This was actually what he wanted in the first place.
Laz unleashed his aura as the bloody tinge of battle lust covered the grounds. Everyone felt it within themselves as they could feel their own blood begin to stir with the provocation. While they continued to hold themselves back, Laz knew that just a few more pushes would get things going.
As for Celes’ her battle form had the look and feel of a shadow from the darkest depths of night. Her entire body was black, all bits of distinction washed away as though a heavy layer of ink was coated on to her. While one could still make out that she was female, there was nothing else there to show her identity. On this now slightly overcast day, it was like a creature of darkness had appeared to fight a monster of nightmare.
Just as Celes was about to reach Laz, Nora swung her hand out from the side and slapped Celes across the face, sending her flying off to the side in surprise.
Everyone jumped at this development.
"Who asked you to interrupt my fun? The master and I are going to have play time so why doesn’t the little girl just go fuck off, hmm?" Nora said, smiling at the shadow creature Celes who was more surprised than hurt. Once she got the meaning of Nora’s words, Celes seemed to lose it even more. But now, she was standing against her big sister and the bastard who her sister was calling master.
Laz had to stop himself from smiling at this development. He knew that Nora understood what he was trying to do, but that she would play along so well? He would have never guessed.
"Let’s go baby. I want you to treat me like your little whore tonight. In fact, how about I grab a few of the others as well? I know how much you love to destroy pretty young things. And since this place is now yours, you can have whatever you want!" Nora encouraged, much to the dismay of the surrounding spectators.
’Brilliant!’ Laz complimented Nora in his mind as he let a wicked smile cover his otherworldly handsome and evil face.
"Mmm... pick a few of the younger ones. I’m feeling hungry tonight," Laz responded in a low growl, trying to make himself seem menacing.
It worked as all of the girls now crowded around Celes, obviously siding with her over Laz. There were a couple who hesitated though, ones who had been with Laz in the shower. But even if he had moved them that night, years of being together with their sisters was a much stronger bond and they went to join Celes’ group as well.
"HA. I love it when they resist. Come on then. Let me break every last one of you!" Laz laughed as he charged forward, much slower than he could have.
Seeing him come, all of the girls let loose their energy. While technically speaking Celes’ was the strongest there, a few others had entered the beginning stage of the void palace realm and released their palaces while entering their battle forms. For everyone else, they just entered their battle form as they stood strong.
"THOSE BELOW FOUNDATION STAGE STEP THE FUCK BACK. LEAVE THIS TO US!" Celes yelled, taking charge for the first time. Considering the circumstances, no one argued.
As Laz came for Celes, Joan stepped in, her almost transparent palace behind her as her body took on the form of a ten foot giant, covered in flames. Swinging her fist, she attacked Laz first.
He met her fist to fist. And to everyone’s surprise, Joan’s hand snapped back loudly before he stepped inside her range, slamming his other fist into her stomach and sending her reeling back. He then turned to face the next girl, one of Joan’s group who had grown horns on her head while her legs looked like that of a cow with hooves and all.
Again, Laz met her fist for fist and sent her spiraling off as well.
One after another ran to stop Laz but his steps didn’t falter at all. Unknown to all of them Laz let the apocalypse ring materialize behind him, swirling with it’s four symbols as battle rage soon flooded the area. Laz had learned that not only could the ring help suck in power to keep his palace charged, it also had other effects like this one that could affect others, in this case making them anger and unafraid like the berserkers of old.
In a normal battle, that would have it’s advantages and disadvantages and he probably wouldn’t use it that way, but for this training, it was exactly what he needed.
As it’s effect spread out, the ones Laz sent flying crashed into others who had just been getting up and sent them tumbling again. For those who had just found their feet, they got pissed at the human cannon balls while those who had been thrown got pissed at being handled by those getting up.
Before anyone knew it, they no longer focused on Laz but actually started fighting with each other.
Finally, Laz again faced just Celes who had recovered herself. Nora had disappeared somewhere in the meantime leaving the two of them alone.
"YOU BASTARD," she hissed, her hatred evident. Laz didn’t say anything back, nor did he continue walking forward. Instead he looked around as though admiring the carnage he had created. Even if they were in their battle forms, they fought using only fists and feet. While far more dangerous than in their human forms, they fought to fight without the intent to kill. But just to make sure, Laz watched on while ignoring Celes.
"WHY?"
"Hmm?" Laz turned to look at Celes who’s colorless eyes seemed like they wanted to bore holes into him.
"Why did you do this?" She asked. The moment he no longer showed hostility towards her, she sensed his aura had changed. The ring disappeared as well, leaving Laz just in his battle form as he contemplated his answer.
"You didn’t give me a choice."
"I swear I will kill you one day," Celes growled, angry at the suggestion that this was her fault, even if it was.
"Then so be it. If you can kill me, I can die in peace knowing that there is someone stronger than me to protect them," Laz smiled while waving his hand towards the chaos in front of them.
YOU? PROTECT THEM?" Celes could feel her anger returning.
"Hmm. You’re probably right. It’s not really protecting them but showing them how to protect themselves," Laz reached out with his hand and sent a blast of energy forward, knocking down a girl who was about to stick her three inch long fangs into another girls neck.
Seeing this and remembering what she had heard about the morning group, Celes finally understood that she had lost, wholly and completely. This was the same thing that happened this morning, the thing she was trying to prevent. Sister fighting sister. In her mind, it was a terrible thing to do. But the moment she regained her calm and looked out at them, she started to understand.
Their movements were trash, their stances poor and their coordination horrible. Despite this, they each fought as though their lives depended on it, using their own abilities over and over again as they got comfortable with them. Things broke, people scream, curses flew, but everyone kept fighting with Laz only stopping the worst of it.
"You’re not weak you know. But you’re fighting style it all wrong," Laz said, not looking at Celes.
"Are you going to teach me?" She asked back, also not looking at him.
"Yes."
"Even if I use what I learn to kill you one day?"
"Yep."
"What about the others?"
"No. Only you. And you can teach them once you fully understand their strengths and weaknesses."
Nothing more was said as they watched on. Having her pride shattered, being embarrassed and losing miserably that was the thing that finally made Celes relent.
Off in the distance, Gretchen just shook her head.
"She is such a masochist," the older lady complained while Wilma watched on and laughed. Nora just smiled as she stole even more gulps of the two women’s private drinks.
