So about Manaka. She has a plan in place that I used mixing what we've seen of her and Goetia's capabilities.
In Labyrinth, her soul goes through the Reverse Side and crosses timelines to get to the Labyrinth until 666 calls her back. This is done by possessing a body native to that world after sleeping in the site of the Greater Grail.
Goetia incinerated human history, creating an incredibly unstable timeline where the time locks are endangered if not outright incapacitated. Thus the Singularities.
Since she already used a fraction of the Second Magic on accident, you could say her arrival is something like that. Or that she used another method entirely. Point being, if she is capable of using that function then with the right circumstances she could use the time travel one as well, with some caveats - such as the timeline being so unstable no Counter Force has the power to stop her.
As stated in her conversation with Goetia, she does have a plan, and I haven't revealed all of the 'how' of it - such as dealing with the immense danger once she reaches it. For the 'what', she wants to get to the initial split between the World and Humanity before Alayashiki can form in a concrete manner so that she can circumvent the Counter Force/Red Shadow and obtain the secrets of Magic (referring to the five remaining ones).
Now, how she'd deal with Sefar exists and will be revealed much later. But the point being, she has a plan.
The more Chaldea progresses, the easier it is for her to reach that time using her own power and the incineration. As the timeline would still be unstable but no longer On Fire, that is when she'd have to strike. So the best time would be after Goetia fell, and the second shortly before.
Now as for the 'why', she wants the power to keep her Eternal Camelot an extant timeline and just camp there with Saber Proto for ever and ever. This would doom the INaRM FGO timeline to being pruned while keeping her own as a fully realized Lostbelt. So she can win, and it's only good for her.
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The Pact of Fairytales is a slow-growing escalation match. (Heh, slow.) Manaka is using the Beasts (omitting IV and VII) as a scaling threat, but with a twist. II, III, and V are all pseudo-Beasts she constructed from existing figures by gluing divine power onto them or in the case of TamaVitch making an amalgam. Each has a weakness that keeps it from being on the level of I or VI.
VI is still relatively young, and isn't as entrenched as Goetia. It will likely Advent in the latter half of the story, after the pseudos. Unlike Goetia, it won't have a place to cement itself like he did with all of human history, so its Authorities will be restrained to one Singularity. I guess you could say he is like Olga; gradually approaching completion despite activating early.
The point being, Manaka has tailor-made each threat to be connected to the Singularity in question. For Orleans, she made Goetia give Prelati his book and the Grail. This resulted in the utter upheaval of the entire Singularity. For Septem her brainchildren were Remus=Fenrir and Daji-TamaVitch. Boudica was Flauros' doing.
Okeanos, London, and America will each have one to two new players she directly chose. The Singularities themselves would respond and change in kind.
Manaka is very, very on top of things. Everything going on is Working As Intended.
It just so happens that her plans dovetail with Morgan's right up until the absolute end.
This will be an escalating scale of difficulty for Chaldea to handle, if not scale of immediate devastation if they fail.
Oi, @Blinktwice13. Given the results of the Saint Graph modification, and there's no way Sigurd would leave her behind, how's Brynhildr going to react when Chaldea inevitably summons Siegfried?
Well, Brynhildr is already contracted To Ophelia so she's going home. Siegfried is at Chaldea as of Halloween, but as he's not a major character I haven't given him focus.
Seeing as she's not suffering her full tilt Yandere curse anymore, she'll probably see similarities but I wouldn't expect a love triangle or anything.
Well, Brynhildr is already contracted To Ophelia so she's going home. Siegfried is at Chaldea as of Halloween, but as he's not a major character I haven't given him focus.
Seeing as she's not suffering her full tilt Yandere curse anymore, she'll probably see similarities but I wouldn't expect a love triangle or anything.
I wonder how Penthesilea reacts to Altera and Romulus? Since Mars and Ares are the same being, Romulus is her half-brother, and Altera kicked her fathers' ass and took his sword as a trophy.
The Romans ported as much as possible over from Greek mythology and plastered it all over their own, so there are a lot of similarities, but they are not quite the same. Mars and Ares show this better than most, with Ares more strongly exemplifying the warrior ethos and the destructiveness of war, and Mars being the god of soldiers and farming, or at least the protector of the fields.
The Romans ported as much as possible over from Greek mythology and plastered it all over their own, so there are a lot of similarities, but they are not quite the same. Mars and Ares show this better than most, with Ares more strongly exemplifying the warrior ethos and the destructiveness of war, and Mars being the god of soldiers and farming, or at least the protector of the fields.
Yes they are. In Nasu, Mars and Ares are the same being.
EDIT: Oi, @Blinktwice13. Something just occurred to me. Chaldea currently has Touko and Siegfried, and Sitonai will be coming back with them, correct? Then they can make their own Greater Grail. Siegfried can provide Das Rheingold since it's the source of his Golden Rule skill, Sitonai is Illya, who as a Justeaze-model homunculus has access to Justeaze's memories with some help from Matthew, and Touko can study Illya to reverse-engineer a suitable Justeaze-model homunculus. With all of these, some aid from miscellaneous other Servants, and the Lesser Grails thus far obtained, reverse-engineering a Greater Grail should be within Chaldea's grasp.
Let's say that won't happen, if only to avoid the curse that Das Rheingold carries.
Also studying Illya in that manner would come close enough to experimentation that Matthew would flip his shit on Touko and everyone else involved regardless of how invasive it was.
Short version: not happening because of potential bad times all around.
Australia. Specifically the Aborigine, or native peoples - the ones there before the country/continent was colonized. The only European Goddesses are Morgan and Baba Yaga, the rest are as local as I can make them.
As for how they function, they're more representatives of a region than anything. The other gods (Chinese and Vietnamese for example) still exist, but there's nine chairs at the table and only nine goddesses can fill them. So imagine that the others are still around and hounding the Council for improvements for their cultures.
Kind of how elected positions are supposed to function, but instead they're just the first from each general region who answered the call rather than got voted in.
Mostly luck. The goddess I came across filled a role I wanted filled and fit nicely. In particular, she's one of the non-combatant members of the council. I did a wiki dive for those three because I wanted representatives that I hadn't seen before. (Admittedly this is not a high bar since I haven't read much from the regions the religions came from.)
Since it won't really spoil anything for her, here- Kunapipi. She's a Mother Goddess often conflated with the Rainbow Serpent, which is a reoccurring figure throughout Australia. It's actually pretty interesting stuff, and I'm going to go looking for more material before she shows up in Okeanos.
Since it won't really spoil anything for her, here- Kunapipi. She's a Mother Goddess often conflated with the Rainbow Serpent, which is a reoccurring figure throughout Australia. It's actually pretty interesting stuff, and I'm going to go looking for more material before she shows up in Okeanos.
The unnamed female Servant is a Servant summoned "After" the Holy Grail War in Fate/Requiem. Her Class is unknown. The Servant's True Name is unknown. Erice and Koharu deduce that she is probably from Australia.[1] A cherubic young girl dressed in exotic clothing. Her arms and legs are...
typemoon.fandom.com
She isn't named on Wikia, but I saw discussion naming her as the Rainbow Serpent, so...
...I'm going to go with a more grandmotherly interpretation from what I saw on Wikipedia, given I didn't see the materials for her. That said, that's an awesome character from a design perspective alone.
A/N: Meant to finish this yesterday as promised, but had a socially distant Halloween get-together. Hope this is enjoyed!
Minor content warning for mild gore in the fight vs. Vitch and fight vs. Remus and Fenrir. A little disturbing content during the Council of Evil but nothing too bad. Also minor character death (which is to be expected considering the character in question and his status). He's a Servant, he'll be back.
Major Content Warning for hardcore body horror in the fight against Flauros, part 2. Specifically, Olga/Vivian's PoV.
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Matthew was running on fumes. Cu Chulainn could see it, he knew Ritsuka could see it from the startled sound he made when Matthew rejoined the fight, and from the look in Flauros' eyes he could definitely see it.
Whatever rejuvenating effect this 'suddenly, a lake!' thing the former Director had done, it wasn't enough to counteract everything Matthew had spent quieting a mountain.
So Cu Chulainn felt mildly justified when he wove behind the other two, made eye contact with Hakuno (who seemed on board already, thank goodness), and grabbed Matthew by the back of his neck.
"Wark!?"
The Director's eyes widened. "Cas- Lancer!?"
He spun, and flung Matthew behind Hakuno with a single stroke. "All apologies, Matty!" He held Gae Bolg up at a diagonal, intercepting a sweep of Flauros' obsidian blade. "It'll just be us, then," he explained to Olga Marie. Vivian? Director Animusphere? He'd go with Olga. Short and sweet, less ornamentation.
Matthew rolled to a dead stop next to Mash and Ritsuka, the latter still supporting the former as her limbs seemed to have disconnected for the moment. He didn't move for a moment, then slowly lifted a hand and flipped him off.
"There goes that adrenaline," Cu mused darkly, lunging forward and flinging the blade off of his lance.
A series of complicated emotions flickered across the girl's face as she tightened her grip on her blades. One looked vaguely familiar and the other Brigid's tits that was Excalibur.
The sheer majesty, the promise of victory it exuded, the light of a thousand glorious battlefields - it couldn't be anything else.
She said she was 'Vivian' of a 'Gatekeeper' class, but Cu Chulainn already had issues remembering anything past the usual seven. It wasn't something that came up in a standard War, but he had the feeling he'd need to keep it in mind for the future.
Flauros' sword ground against his weapon, reminding Cu that the demon in front of him, comparatively slower and now grounded, might still be a threat.
The eruption of black flames helped with that.
Cu disengaged, the whorl of fire barely missing his arms. The heat alone battered against him, revealing reddish numbers encasing his forearms and hands as his revealed flesh turned a slight pink.
"Fah. The ash that decorates you should show how useless it is to resist. Even your protections are nothing against the flames of the seventy-two gods." Flauros' maw split into an approximation of a grin.
Cu's eyes flicked downward, and then back up. He exchanged a brief look with OIga, who was circling around behind Flauros with a confused look.
Flames shot upward and behind, and Cu dashed away to keep Flauros and his target in sight-
To see the flames shoot wide of Hakuno as she stood in front of Ritsuka and the Kyrielights.
"Your screams are as music," Flauros taunted in a purring growl.
Matthew, sitting up and leaning against Mash's leg, gave a slight smirk. One hand was submerged in the 'lake' that enclosed the cone of Vesuvius, and where the water touched his skin it glowed. The other gleamed with runes etched on his skin.
Oh, that bastard. Cu could kiss him. Or strangle him. Probably kiss, later.
The murder could go to Flauros. In fact-
Cu lunged forward, lashing out with his spear. Water kicked up behind him, and he saw Olga go in with both of her blades.
Flauros hopped backward, dodging the twin cleaves Olga made at his ribcage, only to put his remaining wing in slashing distance of Cu Chulainn and Gae Bolg. Magma sputtered into the air, only to turn to stone as it hit the lake below, followed by the splash of the severed limb breaking the surface.
"HRAGH! What is the meaning of this!?" Flauros' eyes cast about the battlefield as black flame spiraled around his body, catching the point of Gae Bolg.
Cu swept the spear through the water, quenching the fire. He squinted against the cloud of ash that Flauros began to shake off of his body like so much dirt, ignoring the slight scald of it.
The lake surface trembled, and small bullets of water began to spray upwards with great force. Bead-sized bubbles rocketed upwards and began to streak through the air, bending trajectory to find a target. For the most part they avoided Cu Chulainn, but they tore through Flauros' body causing steam to erupt.
Flauros reeled with a confused snarl, the orange veins across his body slowly dulling even as he tried to reposition himself. He darted from spot to spot, but was unable to remove himself from Vivian's lake. Without his wings, his mobility was sharply reduced, Cu noticed.
With a roar, the streaming water evaporated.
Black flames danced around his body, diving into the water and exploding the surface into steam. Serpents of fire wove through the lake, disrupting the surface and boiling it away.
Flauros fell to all fours, dropping the obsidian blade. His body twitched, growing as the orange veins cracked and spat gas and ash. Black flame whirled around him, forming a shroud that partially masked the crunch of stone with its crackling howl. Joints warped, extremities distended and collapsed, and all along he grew larger, glowing brighter with hellish light.
At the end of it all, a massive leopard of fiery rock towered over them, limbs plunged into the lake surface.
The water began to slowly bubble, disturbing Cu Chulainn's footing. He managed to stand, but…
"Codecast: Water_Walk!" Hakuno swept her arm behind her, forcing the surface to stabilize and keeping the three she protected from sinking.
"Lass, maybe we ought to-!" Cu began.
"...debut." Olga finally said, golden eyes sparking with rage.
What?
"This was my debut! My first fight with these powers! And you're making me look like a fool!" Olga yelled, driving the blades of her swords into the lake, stabilizing the area around her for several meters as the water stilled. The swords began to glow.
"You speak as though this were any great feat," Flauros rumbled, sending a vortex of fire at her in clear dismissal.
Olga tore the blades out, waterspouts clinging to their hilt as they glimmered in the sunlight. Light, mist, and spray met Flauros' blaze and crashed into it. The attacks halted each other, locking Olga in place as she struggled against Flauros' cascade.
Cu took the opening as Flauros lifted a paw to swat at Olga, darting forward. He closed the distance in less than a heartbeat, driving the point of the spear into the back of Flauros' ankle and dragging it upward. With a wince he ignored the heat of Flauros' 'blood', letting the fire resistance spell do its job.
Flauros stumbled, only for a tumble of burning stone to fall over Cu Chulainn.
"Cu Chulainn! Disengage!" he heard his Master call, and he sprang backwards accordingly.
The stones fell into the lake, and Olga took advantage of Flauros' distraction to push harder with the tornadoes of water she had wrapped around her swords.
With a cry of frustration, she brought them both down in an overhead swing, cutting through the flame and slamming the massive lava construct into the lake, forcing the water to glow and bubble with the heat. (In the near distance he could hear Matthew mutter about 'convection', but that wasn't a pressing concern.)
Sweat started to drip down Olga's face and Cu Chulainn latched onto what she had said. 'Debut' - this was her first fight with these powers, and she was sure to overextend herself easily.
He glanced behind himself and saw Hakuno with a slight amount of strain showing. She had also been flinging those 'Codecasts' around and maintaining them. At this rate the battle of attrition may well be in Flauros' favor, especially with what had happened to both Mash and Matthew.
They needed something. Some decisive strike, some overwhelming advantage-
An utterly inhuman roar echoed from the near distance, and the air snapped with the chill of winter.
Cu Chulainn felt safe craning his neck to look, given even Flauros had whipped his head around to see the source. Olga Marie's jaw had dropped.
Ice climbed up the Demon Pillar, which Cu had somehow forgotten due to it not attacking the rest of them.
"HERE'S SOMETHING I LEARNED AT THE FUN HUT!"
A white comet soared upward from the earth, shedding waves of frigid power. It was flanked by a white bear the size of a small elephant clawing its way up Valac, and why and how did Heracles get to the battlefield.
The son of Zeus let out another bellow of mad fury, serrated club held high as he leapt.
"IT'S CALLED A 'WOMBO COMBO'! SHIRO! BERSERKER! GET HIM!"
...while this was going on, Cu Chulainn couldn't help but notice that Flauros was staring in stupefaction, leaving his now-massive eyes open wide and well within leaping distance.
It might as well have been an invitation scribed and sealed.
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Gilgamesh banked around the flurry of bronze spears, struggling to evade the eruptions of metal from the massive fox. The air thickened with smoke and ash, which would have choked him if not for loosing the bag in his lap and releasing another wind to keep it at bay. Fascinatingly enough, the rings Ma- his craftsman had made were performing more than adequately in keeping him safe and directing the north wind to wreak havoc on Daji's body.
Well, it was Tamamo-Vitch, wasn't it? Fascinating. (His eyes told him what that was. A possibility from so far away, dragged across space and time. With a mystery he was sure to be excluded from, even he would be tempted to peek. A ninth of a fragment of a goddess. Interesting, interesting.)
Amaterasu hung in the air like a glorified beacon. For all she wielded a sword, she did not move from her position, only idly parrying anything that came close to her.
Daji-Vitch let out another howl of rage and terror, belching hot coals skyward in a greasy stream that Gilgamesh avoided. Soon he would need to search through his treasury again to find an appropriate counter to safeguard his vehicle. He could survive a fall easily, but the very idea of losing a treasure and to fall at all were anathema to him. Even if not a true Beast and stripped of reason, there was still enough for Gilgamesh to give the battle due attention.
Romulus wrenched a hand upward, and a wall erupted from the construct below in a roar of pale gold light. The coals splashed against it and were dispersed in a shower of ugly orange, the heat of them setting the ground below ablaze with choking smoke and oily flame.
From what Gilgamesh knew, Amaterasu could end this with one strike. She was the sun itself, and even as an avatar she had sufficient power to smite nearly all comers. So if she wasn't, that was either because she did not wish to or because there was a limit he couldn't see.
A shield sprang from the Gate of Babylon, and several spines ricocheted from its surface as it moved under its own power, keeping them from piercing the Vimana's wings. It shuttered back and forth, intercepting a sweeping tail and reducing the impact as Gilgamesh's vehicle went spinning.
With a glare, Gilgamesh dug his fingers into the throne and arighted the flying machine in a matter of seconds. He funneled the North Wind into the fox's face in retribution, focusing the cold to where it would do the most damage.
Metal warped and cracked under the mixing temperatures, causing greasy flame to leak out with black smoke. The fox roared again, the land beneath its feet smoldering.
The countryside they fought in was alight, but the spectres of smoke that Tamamo-Vitch had summoned were contained in the confines of 'Per Aspera Ad Astra', the city Romulus had created. Even there, they could not spread and rise to get the fighters.
Gilgamesh pondered for a split second whether it would be worth drawing Ea, just to put an end to the tedium of the fight. The majority of his armaments were of little help, and killing the Beast by inches did not suit him.
The thought was almost immediately dismissed in disgust. Until and unless it became a sufficient threat on par with the Bull of Heaven, Ea would not be drawn against this writhing thing.
(Gilgamesh felt no pity for it. Seeking its own identity was laudable; attempting to wrest his garden and its contents for its own amusement and ownership was not.)
(And he had seen the echoes of her nails in his craftsman's neck. That would have to be answered for in as much blood as the king could squeeze from her body.)
Golden structures erupted, towering and branching as they encaged the almost-Beast. Within the span of seconds, a great and brilliant tree of light grew. It rose tall and strong around Vitch's body, limbs wrapping around tail, leg, and neck alike.
Romulus aimed his crimson spear at the squirming construct, his eyes burning with concentration and intent.
The branches constricted, rapidly cracking through Vitch's shell by drawing on the power of the Lancer's magic circle. For everything that poured out of the bronze nine-tailed fox, the light never faltered or withered, but shone all the brighter almost in defiance of it.
With a sweep of his hand, Gilgamesh used his rings to recall the winds back to the bag of Aeolus. After it was shut, he replaced it in his treasury, pushing the bag gently through a rippling portal.
He circled around - the woman had hid herself inside the construct, which meant she could emerge. Her Advent was to create a treasure to hide within, rather than a direct metamorphosis. It granted her great power, true, but her defenses relied on the mass of metal and mana she hid within. Suitable for a coward that only trampled on the weak.
The land around them smoldered, the plants of the field blackened and all animals either long fled or charred into ash. Wisps of smoke trailed the ground, struggling to take form. This is what would become of a garden in her care - proof that she was no more fit to rule than the mongrels who aped at kingship. Perhaps even less fit.
Gilgamesh tilted his head as he watched the branches born of Romulus' light continue to crush the bronze beneath it. The fox was swift, outside of her armor. It would take something faster than the branches Romulus had brought forth to ensnare it.
The soft clink of chains echoed in his ear, and the king smirked.
Yes. That was appropriate. After all, this was an endeavor he could admit his friend would smile upon. And restraining her so that Romulus could finish the job quickly and efficiently…
Well. It wouldn't feed his spite, but it would grant him the freedom to investigate Vesuvius if need be. Flauros had powers he didn't expect, and it was possible that Ritsuka Tohsaka's forces would be overwhelmed. He owed the creature a thrashing for how it had dared stand on his level without permission.
(Gilgamesh knew if Tamamo-Vitch were a true Beast, rushing to another battle would be out of the question. But her reason had taken a direct blow from Amaterasu, who still hovered as a silent sentinel. Not to mention, he had taken a more tactical position for the fight than usual. Was this what it took for him to use a modicum of caution? That question echoed in the voice of his dear friend.)
Mind awhirl, Gilgamesh urged the Vimana to dive closer, confident in the spreading branches of Romulus' tree to keep the tails pinned. With a negligent wave, a halo of shields encompassed the Vimana to deflect any spears.
With Romulus' measures in place and Amaterasu's diatribe having sent the false Beast into an identity crisis, it was up to Gilgamesh to bring this little fox hunt to an end.
He had every intention of doing so rapidly - he had better uses for his time.
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"...I'm gonna glitter-bomb her entire room when we get home," Nobunaga said in an almost dreamlike tone.
The massive wolf loomed over them, spasming wildly. Frost dripped from its jaws like saliva, and yellow eyes lolled in its head.
Brynhildr was passingly familiar with Fenrir, and this was the worst shape she'd ever heard of him being in. He was of a size with Spartacus as he was now, but bony, mangy, and downright underfed. She was more moved to pity than apprehension despite his stature.
She blinked as Sigurd took her free hand in his. Both Gungnir and Gram were drawn, but-
"He isn't attacking. What do we do?" Sigurd asked calmly.
Fenrir's body wrenched, and a discordant howl echoed through the shattered capital. Its yellow eyes flashed, and the ground beneath its feet began to ice over. The thick layer of freeze began to spread as it took halting steps forward. With a growl, it lowered its head.
"And it's things like this that make me wonder if Divine Spirits can contract rabies," El-Melloi II droned with a narrow glare.
"No, but they can apparently be weakened and driven mad," Sigurd noted, letting go of Brynhildr's hand to grip one of his daggers.
Brynhildr felt the man's sigh. "Truly, wit is wasted on you."
Nobunaga grit her teeth, and swept an arm out from her. Rows upon rows of flintlocks flipped out of the air, trailing crimson smoke as they manifested. "Go for soft spots?"
"Eyes and nose. Ears are good, fire closer for noise. He may be divine, but he is also still a wolf," El-Melloi II noted. "Brynhildr, Sigurd, we'll leave the direct combat to you." His voice echoed slightly in Brynhildr's ear. "I'll coordinate while Nobunaga keeps the heat off of u-"
"THE SOURCE OF WINTER IS FOUND! COME, OPPRESSOR! FEEL MY EMBRACE!"
The mutated form of Spartacus launched overhead, and body-slammed down on top of Fenrir. The weakened wolf scrabbled as Spartacus bellowed, setting grips wherever he could with his many, many arms.
"Or we take pot-shots wherever Spartacus doesn't cover. We can do that, too," El-Melloi II sighed. "I have the feeling that this is going to get-"
A spire of ice erupted from Spartacus, running him through and taking up most of his chest cavity.
"...complicated."
Brynhildr dashed forward, light flickering across her spear despite the cloud-cover overhead. The wind picked up, driving her forward as crackles of electricity danced around her body. Spires of ice erupted like trees in her path, but she sent them shattering with a single thrust, lightning crashing in a sprawling net towards Fenrir and Spartacus.
Spartacus writhed, laughing heedlessly as he held tighter. Fenrir was unable to gain purchase on the stone beneath him, and so both were caught in the flood of lightning Brynhildr unleashed.
Fenrir howled, twitching wildly as the lightning hit, muffled by Spartacus' bulk. He tried to plant his paws and get up, struggling-
Sigurd closed in, lashing out with Gram across the back of the front right leg and severing muscle. Dark ichor splashed out as Fenrir collapsed again, ice erupting from his body and driving the Saber back while inflicting more and more injury to Spartacus.
Spartacus, meanwhile, continued to grow around Fenrir, the spires of ice locked in his body. Bright purple light seethed beneath his skin, and his laughter boomed from a multitude of mouths. He looked more like a monster than anything resembling a man - an amalgam of limbs, mouths, eyes, and muscle. He grew, and grew, swelling as light rippled beneath the surface.
"Shit!" Nobunaga's voice echoed in Brynhildr's ear as Sigurd hacked at ice that tried to close them in. Brynhildr spun to aid him, and they sent the crystals flying- "He's gonna blow!"
"That's- damn it all, he's accumulated too much magical energy from his injuries, that's exactly what's happening! Brynhildr, Sigurd, fall back!" El-Melloi II barked. "Do we have any kind of defense, anything-"
Brynhildr and Sigurd's eyes met, and they nodded. Her beloved knew the old Runes almost as well as she, and there was one thing they could do.
In a flash, they were beside Nobunaga and Zhuge Liang, and Brynhildr placed her hand on the ground. The rune blossomed beneath her fingertips, and its mirror image spread from Sigurd's to her right.
A towering wall of stone and dirt erupted from the ground, and Brynhildr placed her hands on it. The rune spread across it, and she felt Sigurd's power flow through the wall alongside her own.
Spartacus' laughter rang out louder and louder as the violet light crested the barrier in front of them.
Nobunaga bit her thumb. "Tch… might have to cut loose to…" She shoved Zhuge Liang behind her and stood between Brynhildr and Sigurd. "If it looks like that's gonna breach, move back. I'll take the rest of it." Dark fire glittered in Nobunaga's eyes. "I'll finish things here if I have to."
"HAHAHA! THIS IS WHY I AM HERE! AN END TO THE OPPRESSOR! WATCH, COMRADE! WATCH THE SHAPE OF MY LOVE!"
The earth rocked beneath the Servants' feet as violet light shone over the wall of reinforced earth, cracks beginning to form at the first brush. Shrapnel flew overhead as the wind howled, vaporizing in the gale.
Brynhildr clenched her jaw and held on, keeping the wall standing. Sigurd supported her all the while.
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Nero spun elegantly, dodging another swipe of the blackened axe. Remus' roars echoed through the theater as her blade clashed with his weapon, sending sparks flying.
He was flung backwards by a strike to his stomach by Cleopatra, sending him into the path of the rampaging gold serpent. With a roll, he evaded the surging flames and raised his axe high, sparking with malice-
Only for the air to take on a crimson tint and force the aura to fizzle before he could say a single word. Nero took advantage, letting a petal-strewn wind buffet her onwards as she aimed the point of her blade at his stomach.
"NERO! CLEOPATRA! FALL BACK, NOW!" Ophelia cried out.
Nero's reflexes, honed to perfection in her theater, let her fling herself away. Cleopatra followed suit, her white dress billowing among the petals-
And a torrent of violet light erupted, breaking through the walls. Columns were pulverized, drapery disintegrated, and Remus was caught in the crossfire.
Cleopatra's jaw dropped as Nero wrapped an arm around her waist, dashing to Ophelia and snatching her up as well.
The flood of freed energy continued, even as Remus staggered out of the flow.
His body was torn, muscle hanging from bone, but he still held his axe in hand. The air behind him cleared of dust in a torrent of wind, showing the debris of the theater.
That was when the golden serpent fell upon him, wreathed in flame as it slammed into the ground, impacting his axe with jaws spread wide.
Ice erupted, tearing the remains of the building to the ground and forcing the thaumaturgy to end. Nero wasted no time in repositioning herself, leaping atop a nearby wall where the roof had been removed by a mix of winter and battle. Cleopatra, freed from her grip, followed under her own power.
In the near distance, Fenrir twitched in the bottom of a crater, pillars of ice erupting from the ground in all directions. His body was torn and savaged, muscle and bone exposed to the elements. Were he a living being, such would spell his end - innards unspooled beneath him, half-dissolved into ash. But he remained, chains tethering him to the spot as ice crawled across the corpus and congealed.
Remus let out a cry of rage, flinging Cleopatra's serpent away. He stood tall, the burns decorating what remained of his body. Crystalline bones and organs glittered, exposed to the air.
"He survived all that?" Ophelia whispered. "How?"
"Ugh. He's a child of Mars; I should've accounted for Divinity," Cleopatra grumbled. "...where'd Spartacus go?"
A hail of bullets fell, cracking what lay beneath Remus' skin in streams of red.
"He's gone," Nobunaga replied coolly, making herself known. "He took on too much damage, and couldn't contain the magical energy."
Nero exhaled. "...please look after Ophelia." She leapt down from her perch, igniting her blade as she charged forward.
How? Spartacus' power should have obliterated Remus and Fenrir both. She felt that wave of energy; it was only due to her theater and moving the group out of the path that they survived.
She glanced for a mere second to where Sigurd and Brynhildr struck at Fenrir with gleaming blades, directed by El-Melloi II as they evaded erupting ice structures.
"Nobunaga took the remainder of the attack into a burning field," El-Melloi II's voice echoed in Nero's ear. "It was a mere flicker of a Reality Marble, but she used it to envelop and nullify the wave we received. Otherwise, we would have died as well. As things stand, however… this turning into a battle of attrition won't be to our advantage."
As the magus spoke Remus bolted from the battlefield, trailing blood and frost. Nero pursued him with her blade at the ready by her side, flames dancing along its length.
Remus' legs blurred in long, powerful strides as he dashed for Fenrir, gaze locked on one of the three chains that dangled down his back. The closest one was almost silvery despite the spatters of ichor and ice collected around it, and it moved the least despite Sigurd and Brynhildr's constant assault.
"It's Glepnir!" Ophelia called into Nero's ear using El-Melloi II's spell. "One of the chains used to bind Fenrir until Ragnarok! He must intend to bring Fenrir back under his control!"
And that was the last thing Nero needed-
"I'll show you the power of Isis!"
Cleopatra wheeled out of thin air, heel dropping directly on Remus' head. As she landed, she pirouetted into a backhand that glimmered with starlight as it exploded across his chest, sending him skidding back several feet.
The pharaoh bared her teeth and balled her hands into fists. "You're not going one step more!"
Remus lashed out with his axe, narrowly missing Cleopatra when she ducked beneath it and scythed another wave of starlight at his legs from her heel as she spun on the ground.
And that bought Nero the time she needed to close in - with a blast of flame from Aestus Estus, she rocketed forwards and swung her sword at Remus' back.
Cleopatra spun out of the way, hands raised as starlight wove ribbons around her to deflect a chop of the axe as Nero brought her burning sword down across Remus' back.
Flesh tore and the sound of breaking stone echoed when Nero made contact, crystalline shards soaked in blood falling as she took Remus across the spine with all her strength.
Remus stumbled, only for Cleopatra to cup his face in her hands. The brother of Rome's founder wore a look of shock on his face for a brief moment.
Then a surge of light exploded, and a shower of blood and ice blew back from Cleopatra. Her hands were stained, but the rest of her was untouched. Remus' body fell, dissolving into snow as it collapsed to the earth. After a moment, powder rolled across the ground.
"Cleopatra, Nero, fall back! Fenrir is preparing something!" El-Melloi II called. "We need a counter-response!"
Nero looked upwards, seeing the clouds begin to circle. Fenrir let out a howl as ice formed a shroud that crept towards the heavens, snow and blood spinning into a morbid cyclone that obscured his body.
"Shit." Nobunaga landed at her side. "Do we have something to handle pissed-off winter gods?" She paused. "Besides me. Bullets aren't getting through that, and pulling everyone into my burning fields would be… bad."
Nero didn't understand what that meant, but was willing to take Nobunaga's word for it.
Nobunaga's eyes were calculating. "Oi, chainsmoker. You think Miss Valkyrie has an ace we can use? That wind and lightning bit might counteract this some."
"From the data I have, aside from Ophelia overusing her eye - which is not on the table." The magus' tone shifted aggressively mid-sentence, indicating to Nero exactly what Ophelia volunteered. "Brynhildr has the most unknowns. Sigurd's requires a measure of aim and precision that isn't possible with that wind wall, my own powers can't contain it…"
Nero saw Brynhildr's body shoot skyward, her spear glinting as white electricity danced around it. The valkyrie's black wings flapped, keeping her steady in the localized windstorm.
"Hit it hard and make it count! Spartacus wore both of the bastards down, but Remus managed to hold on!" Nobunaga yelled.
"I love you. I love you. I love, I love, I love-!" Brynhildr's voice echoed through the air.
The spear glowed a brilliant white, expanding as wind whipped around it, a cage of electricity blooming along its length. It stretched, grew, and towered until it matched Fenrir's cyclone of winter. The winds clashed, sending sprays of sparks and ice flying across the ruined capital.
Nero ducked, holding her sword over the Servants next to her as the flames melted the ice before it came in contact.
"I destroy what I hate. I will protect what I love. That is the nature of this power!" The spear turned ponderously, lightning sparking from it across the heavens as the pressure in the air grew, wind whipping across the ground and sending dust and snow flying. Brynhildr gripped the weapon behind its head, backing up with two beats of her mighty wings.
Runes sparkled across Brynhildr's arms as she reared back one final time, Nero barely making out their existence on her glimmering armor.
"By this command seal!" A flash of red echoed across the heavens. "Go! Brynhildr!" Ophelia cried out in the distance.
Nero watched as the spear fell, clashing against Fenrir's cyclone.
"Gungnir!"
The head pierced through, and Brynhildr plunged like a bolt of lightning. The weight carried her down, falling towards Fenrir's open jaws as the wolf stared skyward blindly, maddened by anguish. Light fell to meet the bloodied beast, roaring and cracking through the air-
"Romantia!"
Brynhildr let go, and the spear plunged down, through Fenrir's gullet and out through his guts. Frozen organs shattered with the sound of breaking stone as brilliant lightning echoed, strafing the ground below.
The titanic weapon impaled the wolf-god to the ground, stilling its movements as wind howled and lightning roared. Fenrir was motionless, transfixed.
Gradually, the dirty fur began to clear. Translucent ice replaced flesh, bone, and organ, and the wolf-god let out one last exhale - almost as though relieved. A puff of snow exited the malformed snout.
Finally, the body remained as a massive sculpture of ice for a heartbeat or two. The spear shrank, flying back to Brynhildr's grip - denying the structure its main support. It collapsed with the roar of an avalanche, causing the very ground to shake as dust and rubble rose around it.
Nero looked around at the remains of the capital. Once-proud Rome was a shambles of stone and ice, devoid of life or people. She let out a long breath.
"I know."
Cleopatra caught Nero's eye. "It doesn't feel like a victory. Rebuilding will take months, if not years. But the people of this country live. Once the others finish the war, you can rebuild."
"If nothing else, they say when Singularities are over that history will assert itself," Nobunaga pointed out. "So… yeah. You probably won't remember any of this, and it'll be like it never happened."
Nero looked out over the blasted landscape. "Somehow… I don't feel like that's quite true." She ducked her head as the others came closer. "I want to remember you all."
Cleopatra hummed. "Who knows. Perhaps a 'you' will. That said…" She grimaced, holding up her gore-soaked hands. "Is there someone who can help me with this? I don't want to get it on this dress. Removing blood from white is impossible!"
Nobunaga flopped over. "Seriously!?"
Nero looked at the crater where Spartacus had expired. She had no particular attachment to the giant, but she respected his drive to destroy that which brought harm to others. At the very least, she owed him a measure of respect for what he did for her country - wittingly or not.
"He perished on his terms. Few are so lucky," El-Melloi II noted, approaching alongside the Norse couple. "Though I will admit, I'd rather not have had such a close view of it." He shuddered.
Brynhildr gave a soft smile. "We've won, Emperor. By all our efforts."
"Which leaves Daji and Flauros," Ophelia chimed in. She stood near them all, gingerly replacing her eyepatch. "I just hope that the others fare better. We've taken enough losses."
____________________________________________________________________________
The Vimana pitched and rolled around the bronze colossus, and Gilgamesh bared his teeth. Lances erupted from the fox with great force, and vents blasted out smoke and soot that he barely kept at bay with wind and blade alike.
Tamamo-Vitch had remained in hiding, despite the branches crushing the metal beneath them. Light curved around metal, biting in and crumpling every dent and fissure Gilgamesh had rent by calling the winds.
He racked his brain, eyes scanning the horizon. How would he bait her out? His mana was not infinite, though he'd yet to truly dig into his reserves. Expecting Romulus to maintain his circle indefinitely wouldn't solve the issue, and Gilgamesh could not rely on Amaterasu. If Vitch remained within her fortress, then there was only one recourse-
No. No, there was another.
Fou yawned and rolled into Gilgamesh's lap, still steady despite the Vimana's maneuvers. He opened an accusing eye and almost seemed to scowl.
"Hmph. Do not look at me so. Why should a king waste words on a cornered fox?" Gilgamesh scoffed. He raised his voice. "You hear me, fox!? You are but one tail of a monster of myth, a creature far lesser to those I have slain! Come and face me, cowardly creature!" He bared his teeth. "A cast-off, power discarded once its use was met! Neither your origin nor her lover desired you! So come and meet my blades! You, who trampled the king's garden - come accept all that would ever await you!"
"...up."
Gilgamesh tilted his head back. "Fuahahaha! Does it sting, mongrel!? You are neither the Bull of Heaven nor the creature of the Cedar Woods! What fear have I for you? I, who own all the world's treasures - those same things you yourself covet! I embody your sin far more than you ever could, if only I desired to turn my fangs against mankind as a whole! You are but a sham, one who clings to myths that never belonged to her! A reflection of a fragment, a piece of a facet! Come and be shattered by the king, little Tamamo-Vitch!"
"I SAID SHUT UP!"
A torrent of molten metal erupted in front of the Vimana, coating the wings and tearing it to shreds, ignoring Gilgamesh's defenses entirely.
Gilgamesh leapt, dodging the extended claw as he landed gracefully on the back of the bronze fox. He tore an axe from a portal, and barely blocked a sweep from a jian that glowed a hellish orange.
Tamamo-Vitch stood in a black qipao, hair flowing behind her as her tail lashed with malice. "You could never… you would never…" She bared her fangs. "You could never know what it was like! To want an identity of my own! To be 'me', and not just a piece of 'her'! To be feared in my own right! To love on my own terms!" The jian crashed again and again, and a flood of smoke wrapped around Gilgamesh.
He felt the fumes drag at his body, his very origin. With a gesture, a flurry of blades transfixed the echo of a woman in white, and he ducked a sweeping halberd only to blast the warlord wielding it away. They dissolved like memories in fog as Gilgamesh cast his sight around. He forced the smoke away with the wind from the craftsman's ring, revealing a flat plain of metal. One chance, that was all he needed-
Blazing agony raked from his stomach up his chest as the sound of rending metal echoed, Vitch's claw tearing his breastplate from his body. Gilgamesh reeled back, shocked at the sensation.
"Romulus=Quirinus outplayed me," Tamamo-Vitch growled, darting forward and barely missing Gilgamesh's throat as a pale shield erupted from one of his rings, blades shooting across her skin and leaving the barest divots streaked with blood. "But I'll take you with me at the very least!"
She darted away as the arrowhead passed her, golden chain barely grazing her cheek. The would-be Beast's eyes widened.
"This is one treasure you will never hold," Gilgamesh grit out with a fierce glower. "But it shall ensnare you."
The chains spiraled through the air, forming a web that Vitch wove through, bloodied claw and jian firmly in her grip as she stampeded forward.
"Oh really!? Speaking of treasures one will never grasp, what about you!? I managed to get my claws into that fairy prince fairly easily! Though I wonder if you could ever say the same!"
Gilgamesh dodged her swipe, eyes burning with rage. "Damn you!"
Branches of light erupted around them, forming a cage as Romulus descended. A sheen of radiant bark sealed the metal away beneath their feet, causing Vitch to yowl in outrage.
She whipped her head towards Gilgamesh, rushing in desperation. "Maybe…! Maybe…! With a familiar like the King of Heroes…! After all, it's not like I haven't tasted your heart!" Her eyes were mad, hungry, ecstatic-
"Fou?"
She halted.
The little creature perched on Gilgamesh's shoulder, idly licking his paw while staring the 'Beast' down.
And that was when Enkidu ensnared Tamamo-Vitch, pinning her in place as it wound around her limbs, neck, and waist.
With a soul-rending shriek, she flailed in the chains' grip, writhing fruitlessly as smoke and fire billowed from her mouth.
Then she stopped.
The crimson head of Romulus' spear emerged from her stomach, dripping with orange flame.
"Khh...huh…?" Coal-fire dripped from Tamamo-Vitch's mouth as her eyes stared at the weapon uncomprehendingly.
"Not bad, Hero-King~!" Amaterasu landed, her brilliance dimming and shifting to blue. In the blink of an eye, Tamamo-no-Mae was worn as a cloak, right in front of the severed tail. "You managed to tie up this little stray pretty well, mikon~!"
Tamamo-Vitch's eyes widened, her breath quickened-
Bark spread across her body as Romulus wrenched the spear from her back, a look almost akin to pity in his eyes.
She gasped as it spread over her torso, her legs, and down. Down, down, down beneath the feet of the goddess and the Servants. Down the giant metal fox, grinding away with the soft crackle of spreading life.
Tamamo-Vitch's eyes were covered by the spreading bark, wide in terror and incomprehension. Then their light was gone.
'Tamamo' wrapped an arm around Gilgamesh's waist, and he let Enkidu return to the Gate with a thought. Then they leapt away, falling from the height of the colossus until they reached the ground.
Romulus shone among the branches of the giant tree, the trunk engulfing the fox's body entirely. The limbs were as roots, anchoring it to the ground, and branches cradled the sky. The sun shone gently through the verdant leaves, and a soft breeze banished the remains of smoke. The battlefield was utterly transformed.
"Rome as a tree, growing upwards until it reaches and surpasses heaven," Amaterasu said appreciatively. "As a solar deity, I admit to some admiration for growing things. Watching humanity grow is an enjoyable pastime - when I don't devote my attention to destruction." She smirked as Gilgamesh stepped away from her. "That would have ended far sooner if you had brought the heaven-splitting star out to play."
Gilgamesh scoffed. "As though that was required." He raised his head, squinting at the horizon. "It seems as though some of our compatriots were successful." He turned to look at Fou. "...he sent you along to oversee me, then." The king narrowed his eyes.
Fou sneezed, blinking rapidly. "Fou?"
"Hmph. It was hardly necessary, but the sentiment is sweet. He need not fear reprisal." Gilgamesh turned his gaze to the far distance, narrowing his eyes. "Should they prolong things any further, I will return the favor. After all, it would not do for Hakunon or my craftsman to endure such stress. Not to mention finding an equal to Ritsuka Tohsaka will be tiresome. His sister is young yet, and lacks the demeanor I've come to appreciate."
Fou squeaked and hopped down to the ground, trotting through the scorched grass. In his wake, ripples of new sprouts nudged from the ground.
"...I'll need to ask Morgan how she managed to get him to accept Matthew as a master in full," Amaterasu murmured with an interested gleam in her eye. "Or what the silver in his fur or the red eye represent."
"Hmph. Do as you like." Gilgamesh touched the gash on his chest, grimacing at the blood. "So. That is the power granted to these 'Beasts'."
"If nothing else, you can ask Matthew to fix your armor," Amaterasu teased. "And to patch up anything else."
Gilgamesh shed the remains of his upper armor, letting it fall into the Gate of Babylon as it rippled beneath him. Then he reached into the Gate and withdrew a small bottle. He flicked the cap off, and downed the elixir within. Rapidly, the wounds closed until only a thin coat of blood remained.
"That works too," Amaterasu muttered.
"Indeed it does," Gilgamesh remarked. "As for the armor… I shall take that under advisement." He smirked. "After all, I was instrumental in downing the fox. That should suffice to earn that level of goodwill."
Romulus remained up in the treetop, shining against the sun.
Ritsuka grit his teeth as Cu Chulainn leapt off of Flauros, drawing his spear from the giant magma-leopard's 'eye'.
The demon roared, black flame dancing along the lake's surface. The fire washed over Olga Marie, having no real effect as she dashed forward, water rising in her wake to launch liquid spears that served to distract Flauros.
"...she doesn't have enough energy to take him down, does she?" Ritsuka asked aloud.
"Well, she's providing me with enough to keep Flauros occupied with illusions," Matthew replied in a faux-lackadaisical tone. "Cu's spear won't let him heal, but we need something else. Either something big enough to break him, or something that can weaken him enough for us to finish the job."
Ritsuka's eyes narrowed. If Olga Marie could ignore the flames, then Mash… And then there was Gae Bolg. If the curse treated the magma as 'flesh', then a certain something else could-
"Hakuno?" Ritsuka asked. He jerked his head at her to get her attention.
"Yes? I have enough mana for one more strong spell, just to be warned," she replied with a strained voice. She watched as Heracles slammed into Valac, ice flying from the Demon Pillar.
"Right. Do you have healing spells?"
"Yes. One in particular if you want me to bring either of those two up to speed," she said with a nod. "It was used by a man who was an enemy of mine, but it's far too effective to be precious about it."
Ritsuka looked to Mash. "Mash, if we get you up and running, can you hit Flauros?"
Mash breathed slowly, a determined light in her eyes. "I will."
He looked to Matthew.
"Hey boss, I'll cover the run no problem, but what's she going to hit him with? No offense sis, but defense is your forte, not- well, offense." Matthew gave Mash a worried look. "I don't know if anything Hakuno gives you is going to make that shield do what we need it to this time. Not saying that the fortress keeping us from being buried in a pyroclasm wasn't-"
"I was thinking you could loan her something," Ritsuka interrupted.
Matthew blinked, a series of emotions crossing his face. "Oh. Wait, shit, that won't be fast enough, not with a target that size!"
"Not if Flauros isn't distracted, and not without help. Assuming it's born of natural functions, could Fairy Runes accelerate it?"
Matthew froze.
"Matthew?"
"I don't- I have enough to do illusions, Cu was right to toss me here, I can't do something with that kind of cost unless I'm etching it directly on Flauros." Matthew's breath was fast. "I don't- Wait." His eyes gleamed. "I don't have to."
Ritsuka grinned. "Loop her in."
Hakuno made a sound of surprise as she understood. "This could work!"
"At the least it'll slow him down enough for Illyasviel and Heracles to come back and help finish him off," Mash grit out. "And I won't lie about it - I don't mind stabbing him with that knife, not after all he's done."
Matthew leaned forward, putting his free hand to his boot and drawing out the blade of the Fisher King. He gingerly took it out and handed it hilt-first to Mash. "Right. I'll get Olga and Cu filled in with a whisper, and you just sit back and watch us work!" A vicious, fey gleam entered his eyes.
Hakuno turned to Ritsuka. "Master?"
Ritsuka raised his hand. "Hakuno Kishinami, host of Ada Lovelace! By my third and final command seal, heal Mash!"
With a flash of red, a point of light hit Hakuno in the sternum. Her eyes flashed brilliantly, the moon itself reflected in their depths. "Understood!" She held her hand up toward Mash, the ring on her finger gleaming brilliantly. "Accessing victor's spoils. This is one of my strongest spells! Codecast: recover();!"
As gleaming green binary code enveloped Mash, Ritsuka heard Matthew whisper under his breath with a growing fire in his chest. They'd do it.
Olga Marie doubled back, noting the spear of light rising from the ground.
"Hey, Fuckface!" Matthew barked, his form resolving into something solid, his wings beating frantically behind him.
Flauros breathed a tide of fire that washed over him, only for it to have no effect.
"Like that could get through my armor!" Matthew jeered, a thin coat of sweat on his features.
Olga grit her teeth. She knew her part in this, but didn't like the idea of one of those she'd come to save in such danger.
"Though, maybe I'm being a little harsh," Matthew admitted in a coy tone.
Olga Marie stilled.
"...you've piqued my interest. How so?" Flauros rumbled, a sheet of flame setting the lake to boil once more.
The sound of the girl and her Berserker tearing into the Demon Pillar echoed over the roaring flame.
"Well, you did blast all of those scientists to kingdom come," Matthew replied sweetly. "And that saved me a lot of trouble, let me tell you! Can you imagine how long it would have taken me at that point?" He grinned evilly. "Not to mention... I'd be willing to bet you're the one who took out Marisbilly, and that's worth a treat on its own."
Olga Marie clenched her jaw. So he still hated him… but what changed his mind about her?
You were neglected and dismissed. Your hand in his suffering was non-existent, and he might have decided you were a kindred spirit.
...my gratitude, Vivian.
Of course.
Flauros rumbled thoughtfully, the flames banking and coalescing around his paws. "Though I cannot accept the credit for the latter… you are welcome. One thing I did wish to agree with you upon vocally was the uselessness of humanity. Their current wretchedness is beyond compare. Your suffering at their hands was pitiable, to say the least."
"Yeah… too bad you had to egg them on." Matthew's voice turned icy again as he planted a hand on his hip.
"A whisper here or there is hardly incitement. If I gave them an idea, it was their own decision to follow through." Flauros bared his teeth, almost offended.
"But you don't deny it," Matthew hissed, eyes glowing hatefully.
"And so fades my interest. Perish, misbegotten construct. One such as you - an amalgam - has no true place in the world of man or magic." Flauros drew his breath.
"Heh. Yeah, I'm done with you too. I owe you for getting rid of the people who hurt me, true." Matthew folded his arms. "But here's the thing."
Flauros paused, flames dripping from his maw as Matthew hovered in front of his good eye.
Matthew smiled, innocent and joyful. Olga shuddered at the sight.
"You missed one."
And Flauros yowled, flames shuddering along his body as black lightning coursed from his front right paw. Mash flickered into vision, the dagger in her grip as she rammed it into the side of the extremity. Flames washed around her to no effect, only serving to illuminate her determined grimace.
"I repay my debts." And with that chilling pronouncement, Olga leapt into action.
Water blasted into Flauros' chest, quickly and precisely scribing the rune needed while she used Arondight to trace it. The instant Olga Marie finished the last flourish, the rune snapped into azure light.
That was when the end began.
Black lightning coruscated around Flauros' body, dulling the orange glow of magma as his body hardened to stone and chipped away, rolling down into the depths of her lake.
Valac came down with a crash, Heracles riding the falling Pillar as it dissolved. Upon closer examination, he rode a polar bear, which in turn rode the pillar, and Illyasviel rode upon the Berserker's shoulder.
With a roar, Heracles slammed his club into the stone that formed Flauros' body, sending a pulverizing shockwave through it and sending it asunder. Debris rained as Mash raised her shield, body moving in slow, jerky motions. The dagger returned to a small sheath on her hip as she deflected a boulder, only for Olga to drag a hand towards her.
The sword traced a line from Mash to Olga, and a current responded. Mash let out a surprised cry as the water swirled around her legs and dragged her away to rest at Olga's side.
"Mash. You seem well, given the circumstances," Olga offered over the din of collapsing earth.
Mash shivered. "I'm… not at a hundred percent. The only reason I'm standing under my own power is because Hakuno used a powerful healing ability of hers. I think I understand why Galahad was easing me into using his powers, now. Lord Camelot…" She trailed off.
"The True Name of your shield," Olga murmured, keeping a sharp eye on the disintegrating black rock before her. Her grip tightened on Excalibur and Arondight when a hand burst from a clump of stone.
"Kyrielight."
Olga crouched, blades held back-
Black flame spouted, only to dissolve in a crackle of smoke. Trembling, the hand heaved, lifting the body attached from the pile of rubble.
Illyasviel dismounted Heracles, a wary look in her eyes. The giant himself growled, teeth bared. He was mirrored by the polar bear as the two flanked the small girl.
Ritsuka approached with a pale cast to his face, Matthew slung over his back. The faerie prince wore a contrasting look of malevolent glee, eyes sparkling with barely contained malice.
Remember this: he was not, and will never be human. This does not mean he cannot be reasoned with or that he lacks empathy. But there are things which he will always be beholden to - always must a debt be repaid in kind.
Or, Olga thought as Lev hauled himself forward, repaid threefold.
The man was a haggard shell of himself, courtesy of the gash across his foot that oozed pus through the cut on his shoe. His clothes seemed to turn into mush and drape over his skeletal form. Lev opened his mouth, and with a soft patter, teeth fell from his skull and onto the surface of the lake. Blood followed in a steady drool from the sockets left behind. His eyes turned yellow as she watched, a thick green crust oozing downward from the corners.
The most damning part was the Rune of Acceleration she had carved into his chest. The catalyzation of natural processes, it would increase the speed of growth, maturity, and ultimately rot. It required an active process to enact itself upon, and the curse had been a valid target. Rather than the work of seconds, Lev as he stood before her bore the work of weeks under the curse. Weeks without a team of trained magi to help curb the worst of the wound, to keep it contained to the point of impact.
Lev was what would have become of her father if he lacked the resources Chaldea amassed. A walking ghoul, a testament to suffering bound in human skin.
For a brief moment, Olga Marie felt a surge of pity and horror. Then she recalled the heat of the bombs, the despair she felt upon being thrown into Chaldeas' maw - and the pity vanished beneath the surface of her thoughts, leaving only cold clarity.
Lev Lainur Flauros wheezed, looking around. "Are you satisfied?" he rasped. He let out a retching hack, and Olga realized with dawning horror that he wasn't dying. He was incapacitated, in absolute agony - he dropped to his knees as a crack resounded, the joints unable to hold his weight any longer - but he wouldn't die.
A flash of uncertainty crossed Matthew's face.
And that brought another thought to Olga. Matthew was innocent. Not in that he had no intention to bring real, lasting harm with his knife. No, in the sense he had no frame of reference for just what he made. To him, it was just a way to nullify threats. Remove all power and victory was obtained.
He had given no real thought to how it worked, and as Vivian said - he was not devoid of empathy.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Cu Chulainn appeared behind Flauros, a grim look on his face as the wind whipped around his moving form. His spear plunged forward, tearing through Flauros' chest and ribcage, erupting in a spray of black, congealed ichor.
Flauros stilled. He gave Cu Chulainn a look of utter disdain and revulsion before spitting into the waters of the lake, blackened bile and blood slipping past his lips.
Hakuno stared at the tableau, and Olga couldn't blame her.
Flauros gave one last rattle, and Cu wrenched his spear out, thick blood clinging in ropes. The once-Demon God collapsed, body dissolving before Olga Marie's eyes into a flurry of ashen flakes that scattered on the breeze. The pus, blood, and rot all faded away in a snap of flame and ash.
For a long moment, there was silence. Olga Marie released 'Demesne Vivienne', allowing the waters to flow away gently and deposit the fighters on the mountainside. Slowly, they all drifted down.
Vesuvius remained quiescent.
Illyasviel opened her mouth, then closed it.
Ritsuka took a deep breath. "Matthew."
Mash visibly swallowed as Matthew lowered his head.
"You're forbidden to use that knife outside of severe emergencies. I don't want to put anyone through that if we can avoid it."
Olga looked to Mash, but her expression remained firm. She would do it again, to preserve the people she cared for. She would hate it, Olga knew, but she would still execute the punishment as needed.
Cu Chulainn didn't say anything. He merely slung his spear over his shoulder and gave the spot Flauros had been a measuring look.
"And here I thought I'd seen some terrifying things," Hakuno murmured. "That was… disturbing."
Illyasviel shrugged. "To be a magus is to walk with death. Flauros played a stupid game and got a stupid prize." She smiled brightly. "Besides, I got to see Berserker again!"
Heracles grunted, placing a hand on Illyasviel's head, dwarfing her entirely.
"...you might have some valid points," Matthew muttered. His eyes flicked to Olga, then returned down. For what it was worth, Ritsuka didn't set him on the ground, and he didn't fight to get away.
Ritsuka turned on his heel and quickly walked over. "Mash, are you alright? Dir- Ol-" He stumbled over his words.
Olga Marie gave a smirk. "Unfortunately, as I'm still legally dead, it would be difficult for me to reclaim my position. Also, once I settle into my skin a bit more, I have a new duty to defend Avalon itself. Sadly, it seems as though the current administration will remain in place for the foreseeable future."
And if she found the burdens of expectation for her new role all the lesser, and the company more tolerable (if odd and energetic), that was for her and her alone to know.
"Olga, then," Ritsuka murmured. His eyes shone. "But, ah-"
Ritsuka nodded as Cu lifted Matthew off of his shoulders. "Yeah. Our part, at least." He paused.
Cu hummed in question as he cradled Matthew in a bridal carry. Matthew's eyes were distant, and he didn't complain or comment.
"So… the mortar left. How do we get to Ophelia and the rest?" Ritsuka asked in trepidation.
Olga blinked slowly. "Wait, Ophelia Phamrsolone is awake? How?"
Mash tilted her head. "Wait, you didn't know?"
"I knew where you lot were and that you were in trouble, and the short notes of Morgan's game. Not what Chaldea's been doing." Olga Marie folded her arms. "Ophelia was near me when the bombs ignited. Surviving would be a stretch, let alone recovering this quickly."
Ritsuka jabbed a thumb at Matthew. "His fault. Her and Kadoc. And the means to revive more is still intact."
Olga turned her gaze to Matthew, whose eyes returned to focus on her. Sheepishly, he waved with a small smile.
Olga Marie sighed, a weary smile crossing her face. "Honestly, I'm not sure what I expected."
Matthew gave a tired chuckle as Cu leaned his cheek on his head.
"...right, so how are we getting back?" Illyasviel asked aloud.
Hakuno shrugged. "Search me."
And then the Privileged Animal fell out of thin air onto Ritsuka Fujimaru's head.
Tohsaka, actually.
Right, Tohsa- wait, what.
And then both of them vanished.
For a split second, silence reigned.
"Huh. Guess Fou's going to cart us to wherever one at a time." Matthew noted this in a tired voice.
Olga Marie opened her mouth, only for the fluffy animal to land on Mash, and vanish once more with his 'passenger'.
"Can you…?" Olga asked haltingly.
Matthew shrugged as Illyasviel went next, her bear in tow.
The grey giant growled.
"She's fine. Fou's a good boy." Matthew yawned sleepily.
Heracles went next, Fou nestled in his hair.
Hakuno blinked slowly, the last aside from Olga, Cu, and Matthew. "You guys… are really interesting." Then Fou trot out from under her long skirt, and both vanished.
The world bent around her, and Olga Marie stared at clear blue sky, wrapped around the branches of an almighty tree.
"Olga Marie!?"
She turned on her heel to see Ophelia, her uncovered eye wide in shock. A collection of vivid Servants stood alongside her, expressions of mild confusion on their faces.
Then Cu Chulainn appeared, Matthew still in his arms. Fou let out a yawn and snuggled into Matthew's hold, closing his eyes.
Behind Ophelia, Romani Archaman's hologram stared at Olga Marie in a mixture of awe, shock, and the beginnings of joy.
Olga Marie gave a sharp 'harrumph'. "Honestly! It's not as though I was dropped into Chaldeas! You should have known better than to have counted me out, Doctor!" She planted her palms on her hips.
Mash giggled helplessly as she leaned on Ritsuka's shoulder, and Olga Marie smirked.
Matthew let out a light snore, causing Ophelia to look at him with some concern.
Ah, well. She'd yell at him for impropriety later. They had time.
____________________________________________________________________________
Goetia's stolen eyes slowly slid open. Manaka leaned forward in her seat, the circle of stone chairs placing him at the top and forcing her to do so to look at him.
(As though he would have another station in his temple.)
"Flauros is intact and in the Information Center. The host body, however, is well beyond repair." Goetia leaned back, observing the remainder of Manaka's little 'group' with distaste.
Prelati was her doing, but Goetia had grimly put his foot down regarding the spellbook. Raum was interested, but the rest of them had near-unanimously concurred that permitting the Evil Sea God access to the World at large was sheer idiocy.
Daji's chair now sat empty. Her end had been ignoble, decimated in her weakened state by the Grand Lancer. While such fractures in the armor of the 'Beasts' was required to fit the pact they were all signatories to, it was still enough for Goetia to view the others with disdain.
The Third leaned forward, grey hair tied into a flowing ponytail. She adjusted her glasses and slowly licked her lips. "Well. At least the more consistent members are pretty enough," she purred. "I'm sure I'll get some fun out of tearing their hearts apart." Desire's eyes were bright as she fiddled with the short pole in her grip. She wore a white top etched with gold and a black skirt, and dark heels on her feet. At her neck was a pin - a pink heart backed by crossed red feathers.
"Hm. I'll need to confer with the others," Conquest mused. She leaned back, her black armor wrapped around her body like a skeleton. Feathered pauldrons adorned her shoulders, and long pink hair cascaded down from a black, spiked crown. Her gold eyes weighed the images over the stone table in a calculating manner. She drummed elegant fingers along her bare thigh. "Though if they do make it to me, I call claim on Cu Chulainn. Whether my own summoning bears fruit or not, having the original at my heel would be invaluable for the coming war."
Desire scoffed. "As though I'd let such beauties slip through my fingers."
The Berserker who had been given London stared down at the images, not engaging. Though not a Beast, she had been given a level of power that still concerned Goetia. Toying with Phantoms rarely bore fruit. Her rich red hair was bound close to her scalp, and she wore a long dress of crimson velvet. Shards of mirrors studded the gown, and the cloying scent of smoke clung to her like a funeral wreath.
The chair for the one who would hold Jerusalem remained empty. Manaka had merely smiled upon questioning.
Babylonia's overseer was the only one Goetia felt a fraction of kinship towards. He favored her with a patient look, only for the young girl to tilt her face slightly away. Her kimono clung to her, wreathing her in white. A long lance lay at her side, crinkled paper dangling from the head of it.
(One born of humanity that embraced their godhead, only to be entrusted with a bloody, thankless task. Goetia wondered if she too hated her forbear.)
"Huh."
Goetia grit his teeth. Flauros had been a light touch, and though he didn't agree with every step the Pillar took, he understood them.
He had no such understanding of their emissary - the lone one unbound by the Pact.
Clad in stylish clothes, hands adorned with leather gloves, Beryl Gut tilted his head in amusement. His pointed ears accentuated his inhumanity, and cold, dark eyes gazed at the table as he approached. A black overcoat, black undershirt with red insides, red trousers - all trimmed to his body. His hair was slicked back, but the veneer of a flashy gangster hid a starving beast that craved blood.
"Looks like not finishing Kitten off paid dividends." Beryl's eyes gleamed with interest. "Damn, but I've never seen someone die that hard before. I mean, I heard stories from Fuyuki about the worm magus, and maybe Scarred Red - but damn. So that's what the power of the faeries can do." He smiled, fangs slightly prominent. "And thanks to the little miss, all those geasa the Queen put on me are gone." He tilted his head at Manaka with only a slightly derisive air. His eyes flashed with malice before the hunger returned, viewing the images that hung over the stone table. "I call dibs. If there's a way to keep him, the kid's a natural born killer."
Desire bristled. "Excuse me? Someone that young and beautiful clearly belongs to me."
Conquest's eyes gazed heavenward as the Beast and the beast bristled at each other. "Spare me. At least I have a pragmatic desire for my target."
"You're all annoying." The white-clad goddess' voice was barely a whisper, but her blue eyes chilled the conversation. "They will never make it to my kingdom. This is a waste of my time." She stood. "And you are all wasting yours. Plots, extravagance… the only true way to deal with 'heroes' is to present inevitability. Not all tales end well. Such is the nature of 'tragedy'." Plucking her spear into her grasp, she strode into the dark of Ars Paulina, shortly to return to her sphere.
"So now you've seen what we're up against. Prelati and Daji fell." Manaka folded her hands in her lap. "I expect all of you to do your best. Especially you, Beryl."
Beryl gave a sneering smile. "Oh really? And how'd I earn such high expectations… Miss."
Goetia knew the man had no love for women. Being saved by one who looked like a young girl had to rankle. Personally, the First Beast would have left him to rot - such a wild card was not worth holding if it could so easily turn against the wielder. Especially with what he knew was coming.
"Why, I've arranged for a special Servant for you!" Manaka hopped out of her chair and twirled, smiling beatifically. "After all, your allies are all getting the Servants they longed for, right? So you should get an Assassin!"
Soft clicking as of well-shod shoes echoed through the area.
A flash of fear crossed Desire's face, and she vanished in a spark of pink light.
Conquest wore a perturbed look before dissolving into a storm of black feathers.
The keeper of London seemed to reflect upon herself until she faded from sight, not giving any other response.
"Oh my. So this is my Master?" A low baritone rolled the words in his mouth like a fine wine. The speaker walked from the shadows until he stood in front of the remaining group.
The speaker had short, spiked brown hair. Eyes the color of dried blood weighed Beryl with a playful light, and he smirked with pointed teeth. Smears of red encircled his eyes, giving them depth and amplifying the heat of his gaze. He wore tight leather pants and sturdy boots, with a leather jacket open to expose his abdomen and chest but closed in the center. He wore a belt with a golden buckle, and a sash of black feathers wrapped around his body.
"Mm. I think we might be compatible, yes. You look like a man who knows how to sate his hungers." The Assassin's voice was smooth like velvet and deep like the sea.
Goetia's expression pinched. To think, Manaka was entrusting Beryl with…
"And who might you be?" Beryl's gaze never left Assassin - a predator recognizing another, no doubt.
"If there's to be introductions, reciprocity is required- wouldn't you say?" Assassin winked flirtatiously. "I'm sure there'll be many chances for that in our relationship."
"Beryl Gut." Beryl folded his arms and smirked. "And to be honest, I prefer a different kind of stabbing."
"Mm. But it's penetration all the same, isn't it?" Assassin's expression did something strange that Goetia found discomfiting. It was a mixture of something bordering on orgasm and pure bloodlust. "I don't know about you, but I'm all for a bit of mindless self-indulgence." With supernatural quickness, Assassin composed himself. "But I won't tantalize you much longer. My name is Aleister Crowley, Assassin-class. I… dabble in the mystic arts, but have some knowledge of spycraft." Crowley winked roguishly.
Beryl weighed Crowley with his gaze a bit longer. Goetia saw it when it happened - when Beryl chose what Crowley was.
Not competitor, not enemy-
"I'll take him," Beryl announced with a wide grin.
"Ah, please do," Crowley crooned.
-but a companion for the hunt.
To her credit, Manaka looked… discomfited. "I didn't expect such behavior like this." A slight frown crossed her features.
"Not to worry, Lady Manaka. I'm a growing boy, after all." Crowley strut forward, Beryl not moving an inch as the Assassin stepped into his personal space. "A little development is to be expected."
Beryl smirked. "Oh, I bet you're gonna be a scream."
"I aim to please," Crowley returned with a lidded gaze.
Goetia decided he had better things to do than to watch depraved flirting. As he drifted through Ars Paulina, he dearly hoped the two would leave. Soon.
____________________________________________________________________________
I sat not too far from the edge of the city - or what was left of it. There was a crater nearby. According to Ophelia, Spartacus had overloaded his magical energy and nearly took out Remus and Fenrir on his own. Though, she didn't mention how the two had become separate.
Gilgamesh stood to the side, speaking with Hakuno. She looked exhausted, in more ways than one. He showed the closest thing I'd seen to concern on his face as they talked quietly.
"Well, now."
I blinked as Tamamo-no-Mae knelt next to me, the dirt somehow not touching her clothes.
She gave an impish smile. "It seems that things turned out as well as they could, hm? Spartacus' death was unfortunate, but to be honest… it was the way he would have preferred. Not to mention, I doubt he would have fit in Chaldea as he was."
"So there wasn't a way to reverse the effects?" I wrapped my arms around my knees. It didn't hurt the way Lancelot's death had. I hadn't been there, and the results spoke for themselves. Spartacus had been a time bomb in a literal sense, from what I could see.
That didn't mean I didn't regret his passing.
"Mm. His Spirit Origin wasn't damaged, though. That I can tell. So if Chaldea summons him, he might remember you all." Tamamo hummed. "Though, I can tell that's not the only thing bothering you."
"...I'd never seen my knife work on a person before. At first, it was hilarious. Flauros had been this untouchable chessmaster, and here he was: laid utterly low. Everything was taken from him. I'd seen Marisbilly, but he managed to keep going. And the less said about Zouken, the better." I narrowed my eyes. "I knew the curse was strong, but…"
"Oh, there's a reason that decay is so feared. Decay without death in particular. That curse of yours rots away legacy, power, and structure without distinction." Tamamo folded her hands in her lap. "It really is fearsome. If it had been made by one of my peers, well. Such an artifact would be sealed away and never let to see the light again. I'm sure the Mage's Association would happily do so regardless."
The slight weight of the knife in my ankle holster pressed close, almost like a shackle.
Tamamo looked up, and I followed her gaze.
Brynhildr rested her head on Sigurd's shoulder, both wearing happy smiles. They held their hands together, in their own little world.
"They slew Fenrir together. Sigurd empowered her with the runes she taught him, and she aimed her spear at the enemy. For two who were beloved enemies for so long, it was a true victory."
Gilgamesh, still speaking to Hakuno, folded his arms. His chest was bare, but devoid of injury.
"Mm. Did you know that Tamamo-no-Mae was an avatar of the goddess Amaterasu? A solar deity. Tamamo-Vitch was the name of one of her tails when she cast the eight away, keeping one for herself. That was the base of the Beast known as 'Daji'."
I frowned. Why was she speaking in the third per-
The context snapped together.
Uh. Oh.
I turned back to the smirking goddess.
"Ritsuka and Mash both passed with flying colors. Resourcefulness, determination, kindness. You aren't devoid of those qualities, but I was a little worried that Flauros' death wouldn't teach you anything." Tamamo - no, Amaterasu - hummed idly. "Ah."
I looked back to where Gilgamesh and Hakuno stood on the outskirts of the celebration, such as it was. Ritsuka had joined them, an earnest look on his face. Hakuno's expression softened, then lit up in surprise. Olga Marie giggled into her fist as she watched.
"Hm. He probably told her he's a descendant of Charlie. He was a dear friend of hers, you know?" Amaterasu sighed. "And it seems as though everyone else is doing well."
Nero stood by Ophelia and Mash, the three talking cheerfully. Ophelia kept checking Mash over for any sign of injury, and Mash let her. Nero's stance was straight and proud, eyes glimmering as she asked Mash for details. Caligula had returned, and sat at Nero's feet with something like pride in his distant eyes.
Illyasviel sat on Heracles' knee, chattering away to the silent giant as he pet Shiro the bear. The softest smile I'd seen on his face graced her as the three stayed together.
El-Melloi II took a long drag on a cigar, resting against a wall that let him oversee the rest. Nobunaga leaned against it, arms folded with a smug smirk. The two seemed to be exchanging friendly quips.
Caesar lay on a large slab of stone, separated from the hard surface by a thick blanket courtesy of Baba Yaga. He looked better than he had when I'd seen him last, and Cleopatra sat behind him, offering her lap as a pillow. She gently carded her fingers through his hair as he smiled up at her, an adoring look on her face.
"The Singularity begins to unravel." Romulus stepped up next to us. "Look at the sky."
True to his words, the ring of light that was ever-present began to glitch at the edges.
"Due to the circumstances, I still retain my duties as a Servant of the Station of the Crown," Romulus murmured. "Until such a time as they are discharged, I fear our ways must part here. You are the last to whom I needed to say farewell. My children are strong - they will be of great help to Chaldea."
I nodded slowly. "Right. And Hakuno- what about her? She doesn't have Nero, or Tamamo, or even BB." I looked to Amaterasu.
The goddess sighed. "Morgan reached across space and time to fulfill a desperate wish. This is her answer. However, all things come with a price. It is likely you will be called upon to help pay it."
Romulus hummed. "And there is yet more to come, young man."
Cu Chulainn jogged through the ruined city, Fou coiled on his shoulder. His gaze caught on me, and his eyes sharpened as he adjusted course to approach.
"Well, I've seen what I needed to." Amaterasu stood. "Best of luck, little hero. You'll need it." She wiggled her fingers at me playfully, stepping away. A stray sunbeam crossed her path, and she melted into light.
Romulus reached down and offered me his hand. With a firm pull, he hauled me upright. "Off you go, then." And with that, he gently nudged me forward.
I walked forth, an ache in my joints. ...I should probably look into finding ways to track how much energy I've used. Clearly I was terrible at it.
"Finally gracing us with your presence, Matthew?" Olga drawled. She folded her arms, silver-scale dress shimmering in the spring sunlight.
Cu stopped at my side. "Didn't manage to find anything, sorry." He grimaced. "Maybe I can try elsewhere…"
I squinted at him. "Eh?"
"Food?" He gave me a long look. "After all that fighting, you need to eat. Not to mention everything else."
"He has a point," Ritsuka chimed in with a knowing look. Hakuno stood at his shoulder, looking a bit more relaxed than she had prior. Gilgamesh just looked smug. And shirtless.
Did he always have those markings? ...I might have a weakness for red tattoos.
No! Bad Matthew! Gilgamesh is not your friend! Bad!
I shook my head rapidly. "Sorry, still a little out of it.'
"Clearly," Olga muttered. She sighed. "Well, this is goodbye for now."
"WHAT!?" Roman's image appeared, a dumbstruck look on his face. "But Director, you-!"
"I am the Gatekeeper of Avalon. My place is there. I will help when and where I can, but the price for my life is my duty." Olga Marie looked away and upwards. "You're on your own for administrative duties, Doctor."
Roman gave a wail as Da Vinci came into view, gently patting his head. "There, there. Once we get Wodime woken up, he can take over the paperwork."
"And I wish him the joy of it," Olga snapped. The barest trace of bitterness was in her voice. She huffed. "Well, you three."
Ritsuka stepped forward, as did Mash - though supported by Ophelia.
"You're managing to not do terribly. Try not to die before I save you again, alright?" Olga met each of our eyes in turn. "...I'd be upset if you did."
"Well heaven forbid that we eat dirt without your permission, Olga," I taunted.
Mash gave me a dark look while Cu gently cuffed the back of my head.
Olga Marie smirked a little. "That's correct. Keep up the good work." Her outline began to shimmer, as though ripples on a lake. "I'll be in touch, so try not to miss me!"
"Take care!" Ritsuka called, waving as she vanished.
Cleopatra gave Caesar a mournful look as golden sparks began to leave his body. "Someday, my love."
He smiled. "Chaldea sounds like quite an adventure. Enjoy it to the utmost, yes? And it sounds as though they need a proper administrator - I wouldn't mind whipping them into shape."
Meanwhile, Illyasviel wandered back over to us, waving behind her. "Bye, Berserker! You'd better come home soon, okay!?"
Heracles smiled. As soon as I am able. He flickered and faded in the wind.
Caligula exhaled, gold streaming from his body. "Thank… you… all…"
Nero crossed her arms. "Someday, you all have to come back. Then I can show you all of Rome's splendor!" After a moment's hesitation, she stepped over to Hakuno. She handed her what could only be the Grail of the Singularity, gently touching her hands as she wrapped them around the artifact. She stepped away as the world seemed to fizzle around us, bubbles of light swarming our vision.
Hakuno bit her lip as she watched Nero walk away.
Overhead, a mortar flew - Baba Yaga saying goodbye.
"REMEMBER! REALITY IS AN ILLUSION, THE UNIVERSE IS A HOLOGRAM, BUY GOLD! BYEEEE!"
Illyasviel shuddered.
Then the world followed suit, shaking apart at the seams.
In the shadows, BB watched with an almost lonely gaze. Out of sight, out of mind.
"Two!"
She looked at Hakuno, then turned away, melting into the dark.
"One!"
And Septem blended around us, a riot of color. I saw flickers of images, all revolving around the great tree that had encompassed the Second Beast.
Then the world returned, and we were in the coffin chamber in Chaldea.
The door slid open, and Roman ran in. "You're back!" he cried happily.
The coffins slid open. Ritsuka struggled out of his, only for Cu Chulainn to grip his elbow and hoist him out. Sigurd gently did the same for Ophelia as she daintily exited her capsule.
Da Vinci followed in. "Welcome, welcome. I'll be registering the new arrivals~! Hakuno, Illyasviel, Cleopatra, Brynhildr?"
Sigurd stepped near his wife. "Apologies, Master. I-"
Ophelia gave a small smile. "Go on, Sigurd. I don't blame you at all."
Roman rubbed his neck. "Right. Mash, Ritsuka, you need workups immediately. You too, Ophelia!" He ran around them, ushering them out. He paused. "Matthew, how are you feeling?"
I shrugged. "Tired, but fine."
He paused. "I still want to see you in my office as soon as you can. Just to make sure."
"Okay." I nodded in response.
"Oh, so we'll need a quorum on catalysts to use for summoning - we got a new charge with the latest Grail-" Da Vinci began, trailing off as she led the new arrivals out.
That lead to everyone filing out of the room, leaving Cu Chulainn, myself-
"Craftsman."
...and Gilgamesh.
I narrowed my eyes at the King of Heroes. "...yes?"
Cu slung an arm over my shoulders.
"I wish to prevail upon your services - my breastplate was mangled by that mongrel fox." He folded his arms. "I am rather attached to it, all things considered. The materials will be compensated or provided, depending on ease of access."
I blinked slowly. "What."
He- that almost sounded like-
Gilgamesh smirked. "I will permit you to peruse my treasures for use - supervised, of course. It would not do for me to force you to use subpar materials."
Fou tottered out the door, visibly tired. That transport chain he ran must have worn on him even more. Poor little guy.
Gilgamesh cleared his throat, reminding me of the task at hand.
"I- uh- sure!" I swallowed. "After all, keeping everyone in fighting shape is the duty of everyone here, right?"
He smirked. "As you say. Also, I commend your craftsmanship." He raised his hand, showing off my rings. "They were quite useful in my excursion." He held my gaze for a moment more, still radiating smugness. "You're welcome."
"Eh?"
"For the gift." He gestured at his torso. "I've noticed you appreciating what is shown, as you should."
I felt heat rise to my cheeks as Cu Chulainn snickered.
Gilgamesh strode away. "Whenever you overcome your shyness, my craftsman, you may find me in the former administrator's bedchambers. I found them almost as much to my liking as you."
My jaw worked slowly.
"Come on, Matty." Cu squeezed my shoulders. "Let's go see Medusa and Musashi."
I nodded, following. It had been a time.
_____________________________________________________
Did I make Aleister Crowley a Double Summon Assassin that is basically a straight copy of Belial Granblue? To ensure a source of terrifying horny evil in the absence of Kiara as the Demonic Bodhisattva? Yes, yes I did. And I feel that I have all the implications of who and what that Servant is neatly laid out in his intro. Get scared.
Babylonia's overseer was the only one Goetia felt a fraction of kinship towards. He favored her with a patient look, only for the young girl to tilt her face slightly away. Her kimono clung to her, wreathing her in white. A long lance lay at her side, crinkled paper dangling from the head of it.
(One born of humanity that embraced their godhead, only to be entrusted with a bloody, thankless task. Goetia wondered if she too hated her forbear.)
"This was my debut! My first fight with these powers! And you're making me look like a fool!" Olga yelled, driving the blades of her swords into the lake, stabilizing the area around her for several meters as the water stilled. The swords began to glow.
To be fair Olga, while you may have the power to throw down at this level; you need a lot more combat experience then just flailing about and cribbing from Vivian.
Brynhildr was passingly familiar with Fenrir, and this was the worst shape she'd ever heard of him being in. He was of a size with Spartacus as he was now, but bony, mangy, and downright underfed.
"THE SOURCE OF WINTER IS FOUND! COME, OPPRESSOR! FEEL MY EMBRACE!"
The mutated form of Spartacus launched overhead, and body-slammed down on top of Fenrir. The weakened wolf scrabbled as Spartacus bellowed, setting grips wherever he could with his many, many arms.
Translation: 'Sup B****h?'
The fun thing here is that Fou just 100% bluffed her. He doesn't currently have the power to smack down Vitch (well without doing things he doesn't want to) but she doesn't know that.
Desire sounds like Celenike Icecolle Yggdmillenia/Rider of Black's first Master from Apocrypha. IDK who is the Servant part of her, but must be a Divinity of some sort?
Conquest is pretty much obviously Medb, maybe fused with Morrigan (crow motif). Probably yandere for Cu. Probably America again.
The Babylonia overseer is Erice, maybe fuses with her mother, Izanami.
Assassin, Aleister Crowley... Ahhhh, I am on one hand happy to see him, and on other hand annoyed to see him as enemy. His Toaru incarnation is wonderful. I hope he's as fun here.
We haven't seen the Oceanos and Jerusalem overseers, I think?.. Or is Desire slated for Oceanos???
