Lights in a Starless Sky - A Honkai Impact 3rd Fanfiction

Act 49: Secco

Secco: the Italian word for 'dry', a section in an opera usually accompanied by continuous instruments and moves with great musical freedom.

9:49PM: Dark Side of the Moon
FOURTEEN HOURS REMAINING UNTIL THE STARLESS NIGHT

Opening his eyes, Perceval felt weak in the head and tight in the chest. Judging by the groaning and yelling around him, the other warriors must have woken up from the dream world that the Herrscher had put them in. 

But that left another problem. 

While they were asleep, the Herrscher was free to do as she liked with the warriors. Looking to the golden chains binding his wrists and stretching his back as he knelt, Perceval was unable to break them through brute force alone. Not only that, but they seemed to be stemming from the Oath of Judah which was no longer in Theresa's possession; but in the hands of Kiana, who amplified its power with the Aspect of Binding. Having slain everything but Binding, Domination, Corruption and Apocalypse; this was the Herrscher's chance to make do. And the only one seriously harmed was Fu Hua, who was unaffected by the power of Sentience, but was now bound in midair; blood dripping from her lips and her legs. Even so, Perceval had sustained injuries too. 

His left gauntlet was destroyed; with shards of soulium buried in his skin, and his cloak was tattered: stained with crimson blood which turned the royal blue fabric a wine purple colour. A cut just above his right eye draped a curtain of blood over his eye that ran down his cheek and neck. And despite her overwhelming pain, Durandal was unable to scream as she had worn out her vocal chords. 

Perceval felt his anger rising and tried to keep it down, only to slightly lose control of the Honkai in his body. Flinching as he expected the sting of pain, he was met with absolutely nothing. Either he was dreaming, or something had changed. With excruciating pain that caused him to yelp in agony, Perceval craned his neck around to look at his left hand. 

There were no circuits of Honkai. 

It should have been impossible. Perceval's maximum output was a miniscule three-hundred Honkai Welts; even a slight deviation would bypass his Stigmata and cause the Knight to suffer mild Honkai Sickness followed by the burning of his skin due to his innate attribution with fire. But even as he contemplated this, Perceval realised he had not regained control. With an output of five-hundred, he should have essentially killed himself right now. 

'I'm not dead... I'm... Not dead...?' 

Only two options arose. His armour was insulating his body or King Arthur's Stigmata was providing nearly complete Honkai Resistance to the level of a Herrscher, or possibly even Durandal. His body wasn't experiencing any kickback; unlike when he had Charlemagne's Stigmata. Perceval lifted his head to watch as the Herrscher of the End held Durandal in her hands: the Valkyrie writhing in pain, attempting to cry out in agony as her body pulsed with violet lightning. No-one else could move due to the effects of the Power of Binding and Power of Domination, but Perceval was somehow strangely growing lighter. If he forced his power to go over his comfortable limits, it was possible he could shatter the chains. 

If so,

"... Knights of the Round Table..."

Perceval whispered under his breath: calling Caliburn into his still armoured right hand.

"Guide my blade..."