Sorbonne is an old literary university in France that I visited a long time ago. It dates all the way back to the 13th century. It is also a staple in France's literary culture, so I couldn't think of a better name for a world to hold the story I write ^_^.
A fair bit of early warning most if not all my stories are very graphically violent. I advise to read at your own discretion ^_^.
Chapter 5- The Gangster
The easy part of Grey's journey had ended, the only targets left served in the war with him. "Only four left" Grey thought to himself. Grey and Millia heard whispers from the streets, whispers about the one known as the gangster. The gangster was rumored to be a member of the elite group Grey fought for in the war. It was a slim chance but that's all he needed.
After entering the city Grey has Millia just wonder around with him. Grey notices after a while that two men have been following them everywhere they go. "Millia, go get us a hotel I'll meet you there later" Grey tells her. As Millia runs off to get a hotel room, Grey makes sure they loose sight of her in the crowd and then he walks into a back alley. The two men follow him in. As they walk around the corner, Grey isn't there, a few seconds later he walks up behind them. "Can I help you gentlemen" Grey asks. The two men look at him and one replies "Mr. Calpreze sends his regards."
One of the men pulls a knife on Grey, Grey grabs a nearby trash can lid and uses it to parry the knife swing the violently strikes the man in the face with the lid. The second man picks up a broken piece of lumber and strikes the trash can lid until Grey drops it. The seconds man swings the lumber again hitting Grey in the side, he swings a third time but Grey rolls out of the way, instead of hitting Grey the lumber hits the side of a building and splinters into pieces. The second one finally pulls his knife and goes to stab Grey, just before he does Grey picks up a piece of the splinter wood and dives it into his side and pull it back out. As the man bends down out of reflex Grey drives the wood into his throat. The first man runs up and swing the trash can lid down at Grey. Grey rolls out of the way, picks a small piece of wood and stabs the man in the cartilage behind the knee cap, after the man falls, Grey picks up a brick off the ground and bashes the man's skull in with it.
Grey staggers to his feet finally and lifts his shirt, when the man broke the wood a piece split off and impaled him in his side. Grey bites his bottom lip and tears the piece of wood from his side. "Vincent Calpreze, so the rumors were true. It really was one of my team mate that was the gangster" Grey says. Grey stumbles back to the hotel and lets Millia tend to his wound. As Grey sleeps Millia searches the streets for whatever she can find on the gangster. Grey awakens at the same moment of Millia's return. "The red light district, that where the gangster is Grey" Millia tells him. "Millia, you didn't have to do that for me, but thank you" Grey replies. Millia smilles and promises to wait at the hotel for Grey's return. "....Milllia, If I'm not back by nightfall leave this place and don't look back. The remaining members aren't like Francisco or Serves, they where apart of my special unit. They are every bit as well trained and dangerous as me, so there is no guarantee I'll win" Grey explains.
As Grey sets out to face his most powerful advisory yet he looks around, looks at what he needs to change. The poor still suffer and die in the streets, no rights, no hope. He thinks of Millia, her father abandoned her, her mother died. How she had to steal food so she didn't starve, and even then, she would bring half of that food to him. Now she s helping him get his revenge. Not because she wants the power promised, because she has bore witness to the oppression, she wants it to change too.
As Grey walks into Calpreze's compound he notices that there are pipe lines running as far down the corridor as he can see. He garbs his bandage on his side and soaks it in kerosene, then wraps iit around a stick on the ground. He lights the stick on fire and lays it on the ground. As he makes his way down the corridor he is greeted by four of Calpreze's elite fighters. Each of them draws their knives. Grey pulls the two knives he got of the men he killed a few days ago. The men come at Grey, The first one to reach him kicks him into the pipe and goes to stab him. Grey dodges the attack, and kicks the mans wrist so he'll release the knife wedged in the pipe. The other three men push Grey back so the first one can reattain his knife. The four men continue to push Grey down the hallway in an attempt to corner him, so he can't fight back. They push him all the way down to where he had entered. Grey runs through the barred door and slams it shut. He runs back up the stairs as one of the men begins to pick the lock. One of the men hear something crackling, he looks under the pipe lines and notices the torch underneath them. He then comes to a horrifying realization. He remembered his knife penetrated the pipelines further down the hallway. Before he can alert the others the entire corridor ignites and explodes.
Grey navigates the destroyed corridor removing rubble back to the point where the pipe was originally punctured. There is a room on the other side of the wall still intact. Grey follows it to a door at the end. Grey opens the door and is greeted by Vincent sitting at his desk. "It's been a long time soldier. I'm sorry, Grey that's what they call you now right?" Vincent says. Vincent stands up, takes out his knife, and throws it across the room. Grey takes him up on his challenge and unstraps his sword and throws it behind him. As Grey charges him, Vincent picks up a statue from his desk and swings it at Grey. Grey duck below the swing and pushes Vincent's desk into him in an attempt to pin him against the wall. At the last second Vincent rolls over his desk and kicks Grey in the head. Vincent pulls out one of the drawers from the desk and swings it at at Grey, Grey dodges, kicks Vincent into the desk, grabs the drawer, and swings it at Vincent, Vincent rolls out of the way and catches Grey with a right hook to the face. Vincent grabs the letter opener on his desk and swings at Grey. Grey grabs his arm, twists it behind his back and slams his head into the desk. Vincent then elbows Grey and grabs a gun out of his desk. Grey recovers right before he pulls the trigger and wedges his fingers between the gun chamber and hammer. Grey then slams Vincent on his desk pointing the barrel at him. "Wait, don't you at least want to hear my last words" Vincent says."I just did" Grey replies while separating his hand from the gun, allowing it to go off and spread Vincent's brains across his desk.
Chapter 6- The Father
There are but three men remaining n Grey's quest for vengeance and reformation, all that is left is to destroy the three most powerful assets of a country, it's Admiral, it's General, and it's King. The three men on his list match these three positions of power. The first is Admiral Milliardo Kruze, better known to the couple as Millia's father. "Your father will not be easy to reach Millia......I'm sorry Millia, are you ok with this, with the fact that your father has to die?" Grey says. ".....Grey......we're family right Grey?" Millia replies. "Family, yeah we're family" Grey says smiling. "My dad was never my family.....he left me and mommy, and because of that mommy died. So whatever happens to him, that's what he deserves for being a bad man. Your my family Grey, not him" Millia says smiling.
They set out for a port town where Milliardo is rumored to be docked. The couple arrive at the town to find out they are about two hours to late to catch Milliardo. They rent a ship to try and catch him, shortly after leaving shore they are attacked by a pirate ship. The pirates move in to board the ship. Grey grabs Millia and jumps to the pirate's ship and cuts the boarding ropes. He then sets Millia down as three pirates run up to him with their swords. Grey grabs the first one's arm and drive his sword into the ship's mast, He kicks the second one in the stomach sending him flying back, and grabs the third one spins him around and brings him up with his sword pressed against his neck. "Enough I don't have time for this, who's in charge here!" Grey demands. " Impressive my friend, that would be my Captain Arturo Lasky. At your service" Arturo replies.
"It's been a long time Arturo" Grey says grinning. "Well if it isn't my old friend with no name" Arturo replies. "Pirating? why I thought your were a respected member of our Navy?" Grey asks. "I was, until I spoke out against what they did to you that is" Arturo says laughing. So what brings you to my ship my old friend? Arturo asks. Admiral Milliardo Kruze, He is Millia's father and my blade needs to have in intervention with his face Grey says smirking. "Five ships against the armada of thirteen with none other than the Goliath leading it. That's suicide, that insanity, that's gonna make one hell of a story at the pub, we're in" Arturo says laughing. As the weeks pass while catching up to the armada, Millia and Grey enjoy the peace knowing in their hearts that just a few days remain before the battle. As Grey stares at the sea from the deck, Arturo walks up to him. She's quite a girl isn't she, me and my crew have taken a shining to Millia. Arturo says smiling. Yes, she is special isn't she, no matter who someone is or what they do, she always find the good in them. Grey replies. “The armada is ahead” Millia shouts from the crow's nest.
As they sail closer to the armada the crew takes cannon loading positions. As they move on the ships of the armada they destroy the rudder of each one, making ramming it to board far easier. Three, seven, ten ships fall in less that 45 minutes of the battle's beginning, for every bit as exceptional of an admiral as Millia''s father is, Arturo was ten fold. Arturo and Grey board one of the two remaining ships between them and the flagship Goliath. Upon board they are attacked by it's crew, three crew members come at Arturo and Grey from the front, while one comes from behind. Arturo grabs the wrist of the first one from the front and stabs the one behind them in the foot with his sword then ducks, Grey draws Arturo's sword and stabs the second one in the chest running him through and spinning the blade out in a circular maneuver to decapitate the third. At the same time Arturo draws his flint lock pistol to shoot the one who attacked form behind in the chest.
They continue to make their way through the ship's crew until they reach its captain and his first mate. The first mate draws two knives while the captain draws his sword and both charge Grey and Arturo. Arturo ducks below the first mate's attack while Grey impales him with his sword, the captain swing at Grey, at the same time Arturo stands back up and cuts the captain in half. Grey draws is sword from the first mate and return with Arturo to his ship. No more ships stand between them and the armada's flagship the Goliath. But the sheer firepower of the Goliath is holding Arturo's fleet at bay. “It's no good, at this rate the Goliath will escape, or hold us at bay until reinforcements arrive.” Grey says. “There is only one way to get you close enough old friend.” Arturo replies smiling. Arturo orders his other four ships to hand over all their reserve gunpowder to his ship. “Are you sure about this.” Grey asks Arturo. “The seas have always been good to me from an admiral to a pirate, I have no regrets.” Arturo says smiling. Arturo orders his men to load all the gunpowder stored on the enemy vessel onto his ship as well. Arturo looks at his men. “This is where we part ways, It has been an honor to serve with you all.” Arturo tells them. Arturo's men jump back onto his ship, the first mate looks at Arturo. “We all go down together sir.” he says smiling.
Arturo calls for full sail, they will give Grey and Millia the opening they need by ramming the Goliath. Grey holds Millia's head against his chest so she doesn't see what happens next. After Arturo's ship makes contact with the Goliath it explodes, Grey will not let their sacrifice be in vain. Grey grabs Millia and orders the ship captain to get close enough for them to board. Grey jumps on board and is instantly attacked by Milliardo's three captains on board. Grey puts Millia down as the first of the three captains reaches him. He grabs him and body slams him into through the hatch fencing and into the blazing inferno caused by Arturo's sacrifice. The other two captains come at him, he grabs the sword of the first captain, spins him around and impales the second through the heart, He then wraps the rope for the mast around the first one's neck and cut the line causing it to pull the captain into the air and strangle him to death.
Milliardo finally steps out to confront Grey. “Why do you do this, was this not our dream, to bring peace to this land.” Milliardo asks. “At one time, yes...But nothing has changed, the people get a new master but not a new chance at life.” Grey replies. “I see talking any further will resolve nothing, so we shall she who is correct based on the strength of their will.” Milliardo says. Millardo Draws his sword and lunges at Grey, Grey grabs his wrist and slam Milliardo's head into the mast post. Grey Draws his sword to stab Milliardo in the back, but Milliardo dodges his swing and drives Grey's face into his knee. Milliardo picks his sword up and swing at Grey once again, but Grey ducks and tackles Milliardo through his captain's quarters door. Millardo kicks Grey off and he stumbles back into Milliardo's table while Milliardo lunges at him again. Grey rolls backwards over the table, Milliardo leaps over the table to swing at Grey again, Grey holds his sword behind his back to block the swing and spins out of the attack and back over the table. Milliardo throws his sword at Grey to distract him and pulls out a grenado. Grey dives out of the way of the sword and at the same time pulls out the pistol that Arturo gave him and shoots the grenado. “That one was for Arturo” Grey says. The grenado blows up in Milliardo's hand immobilizing and mortally wounding him. “Grey.....Grey.....” Millardo says bleeding profusely. Grey walks over to him. “Can I ask a favor Grey......Protect my daughter.......that is all I ask......give her the life that I couldn't.........please old friend....” Milliardo says. “With my life old friend” Grey replies. Milliardo smiles then passes away. “Goodbye daddy” Millia whispers crying while looking on from afar.
Chapter 3- The Banker
The first stop and the first true target for Grey was Serves D'Angenlo. During the war Serves financially backed Grey and his allies. The entire time Grey was fighting, Serves was setting him up to take the fall. Paying off officials to warrant Grey's arrest and making sure he didn't get a trial. He got richer after the war using his influence to buy out banks, but all that money did was make him easier to find. All Grey and Millia had to do was ask around, everyone they talked to pointed them in Serves' direction. Serves used his vast wealth to buy an estate. Grey also discovered Francisco financed a group of mercenaries known as the Black Wolves as his own personal guard.
Grey wipes through the lower ranked members of the group as if they weren't even there, as he made his way up the estate, he was never forced to draw his sword. He reached the top and was greeted by the eight founding members of the group. The first two come at Grey, the first swings his sword. Grey grabs his arm and forces his blade into his partners face, Grey draws his sword and cut the second member in half, Grey then throws his sword to impale a third member
The remaining five members watch as Grey pulls the sword from the face of his slain foe. The five come at Grey, one swings his sword, Grey ducks and cut the back of his knee and grabs a second member behind the first's leg and trip him. Grey then plunges the sword through both men the first in the chest and the second in the torso. As Grey goes to stand another members attacks, Grey slams him through the nearby window and drives his neck into a jagged edge of the broken glass. As Grey tries to regain his composer another member comes at him, Grey pulls the dying member back into the room and out of the window seal, removes the glass lodged in his neck and drives it into the oncoming member's skull.
The last member runs at Grey, Grey slams him against the wall and drives his elbow into the bridge of the man's nose, causing the bone in the nose to shatter and impale his brain and his skull to fracture at the same time, killing him instantly. Grey finally finds Serves hiding in his office. "Hello Serves, did you miss me. I missed you" Grey says as he drags him to his safe, carrying a bucket of kerosene. "You love your money so much, burn with it" Grey says as he pours the kerosene on Serves' money, then Serves himself. Grey lights the money and Serves both on fire, and watches as Serves burns to death in his own pile of greed.
Chapter 4- The Bishop
Grey meets back up with Millia who tells him about the holy city where Francisco Bennet resides as the bishop of the holy church. ".....Grey, Francisco....he told the guard captain to kill mommy...when we are in the city, can we stop to pray for her?" Millia asks. Grey smiles and nods "Of course we can." As the two stop to pray, Grey thinks about Francisco. After the war Grey was considered a living god. But after his incarceration, Francisco started to pass his skill in the magical arts off as miracles, and began proclaiming anyone who worshiped Grey was a heretic, and deserved death. Turning the people against him meant that no one would help him, or question his life imprisonment. "He must've killed Millia's mother because she always brought me food and shown me kindness. I will repay his understanding with a horrible death befitting of a man of his belief" Grey thought to himself.
Suddenly they're silent prayer is interrupted by the start of a sermon led by none other than Francisco himself. The couple sit in the back of the church silently waiting for the mass to end so Grey can send Francisco to see god. As the mass ended Grey had Millia leave with the others. "I was wondering who killed Serves, never imagined it would be you though heretic" Francisco said frowning at Grey. " You look dissapointed, you'll be happy to know that I came all the way from hell to tell you we have room for one more" Grey replied.
"Burn Blasphemer!" shouts Francisco as he unleashes a stream of flames at Grey. "Blasphemer? your the one trying to pass parlor tricks off as miracles, and I'm the one committing blasphemy!?" Grey retorts dodging his attack. "What the people don't know cannot harm them, they needed guidance and I was here. Besides even Jesus had to perform miracles before his words took merit" Francisco shouts while hurtling bolts of lighting at Grey. Grey dodges and rolls behind a pillar. Francisco cuts the pillar down with high speed gusts of wind, while following it with a barrage of wind gusts. "nimble as ever heretic, lets see how you handle this though" Francisco says as he turns the room to Ice.
Grey uses the Ice to get a speed advantage since he cannot kill Francisco at a distance and Francisco is defenseless at close range. As Grey closes the gap between them, Francisco uses earth magic to elevate the ground in Grey's path. Grey maneuvers around the earth being raised in spot after spot. After a while and it becomes far too late to do anything about it, Francisco realizes that Grey was moving in a pattern to close the gap and use the raised earth to get a clean strike at him the entire time. Grey strikes with precision slicing Francisco's stomach wide open. "Let's see if you come back after three days then Jesus number two" Grey remarks. The followers of Francisco come to the church, and see Francisco crucified to the front doors. Above him etched into the stone "which is more terrifying, the god you cannot see or the devil standing in front of you."
Prologue
"A war hero, a legend, a god, and now...nothing more than a criminal. You will die here, then you will be buried on a hill side in a pine box. You should have just played ball, you should have just let it go. But look at you now imprisoned, you know we wanted to kill you right then but it was just bad timing on the army's part. This is the village where you will be staying until the day you die. Welcome to hell....That was the last thing my so called allies told me before sticking me in here 10 years ago. The villagers look at me like a caged monster the guards want to beat me but are to afraid to open my cell. There is a little girl who comes in everyday with food for me, she is always wearing the same cloths. I assume she is orphaned and the villagers or guards don't seem to care. She used to come with her mom, I heard some of the guards raped and killed her though. Her dad is one of my sworn enemies, He doesn't care for her, only his new found power. When she talks to me the guards beat her and throw her out, helping me is heresy it looks like."
Chapter 1- The Killer
The little girl comes in with food as she does every day for the past 7 years, she is followed by the guards, the prisoner looks at them as they surround her, she tries to fight back knocking the keys of the guard and kicking them towards his cell. The prisoner unlocks the cage and gets the guards attention. He picks up a stick off the ground, the six guards turn away from the girl to attack the prisoner. The prisoner breaks the stick across the first guard that reaches him the second guard he stabs in the eye with the broken stick, then pulls it out and stabs the third in the throat, the prisoner lets the stick go and breaks the second guards neck. "Three left" he remarks. The fourth guards trows his fist at the prisoner, the prisoner breaks his elbow at the joint, and using the bone freshly protruding from the elbow, he impales the man in the throat with it.
The prisoner chase the last two guards to the cliff side he looks at both of them and asks them "where is this village located." Neither man answers so he grabs one of them breaks his leg and throws him off the cliff side. "Unless you want to be next I suggest you get a lot more talkative" he tells the second guard. The second guard attacks the prisoner with a knife, the prisoner wraps the chains attaching the shackles on wrists around the prisoners neck and begins pulling his arms in the opposite direction of each other until the guards vertebrae snaps and he dies.
The little girl walks up to the prisoner. "Why did they attack you to begin with" he asks. The little girl holds out the key to his shackles she had stolen from the captain of the guard. and smiles. "Everyone says your bad, but mommy said you were a hero. Mommy's gone now and I have no one, all the villagers are mean. Especially the guard captain...he killed mommy" the girl says sadly. "It was at that moment, I knew what must be done, I would have my revenge, the world did not change, I fought for nothing. I will kill my allies, then this little girl will rule this land, she has the kindness needed and cannot be corrupted by power, since she has gone all her life without it." The little girl tells him where the village is, but knows nothing of the outside world. He decides they will ask the guard captain the only way the prisoner knows how, violently.
Chapter2- The Butcher
As the prisoner and the girl approach the barracks at the top of the mountain where the guard captain presides, he becomes lost in his thoughts, trying to imagine the looks on their faces when he comes to kill them, wondering how many he can kill before the others catch on. As he returns to reality he notices they are nearly there. They make their way to the top floor where the captain is waiting for them. The prisoner recognizes the captain for the war, he was known simply as the Butcher. "It's time to die prisoner" the captain says as coming at the prisoner with the same axe he used to slaughter his enemies and their families, they were simply trying to protect. The captain swings his axe at the prisoner. "Killing defenseless villagers has dulled your skills butcher" says the prisoner dodging his swings. The prisoner grabs a statue off the captains desk, after the captain takes another swing the prisoner hits his wrists with the statue. The captains grabs his wrist and the prisoner starts to beat him with the statue until he loses consciousness.
The captain wakes up a while later with shackles on his hands and feet, and rigged to his axe. He looks around and all he sees is the river behind him, he begins to beg for his life. "Save your breath, you'll need it" say the prisoner who kicks him into the river and waits for the bubbles to stop coming up before heading back to the barracks. The prisoner searches the barracks for anything useful, he finds a map of the land and the most useful thing of all his beloved sword, hand crafted for him, unusable by anyone who does not have the same hand to hand style as him. He looks at the little girl who is smiling. Millia, she says her name is Millia then asks for his name. ".....I don't have one" the prisoner replies. " Grey, I'll call you Grey" Millia says smiling.
End
