Please, please, please take your time. The last thing anyone wants here is for writing this to stop being fun for you. You aren't obligated to anyone to write quickly or efficiently. However-- I think it would be helpful for you to try writing up a chapter or two of buffer? Meaning you would always have a few more chapters written than you do released, helping you keep a steadier update schedule and (hopefully?) reducing stress. Especially because when this story started your pace was somehow averaging at 10k words a week. That is quite literally insane and I hope you aren't still holding yourself to those standards, but I digress. This may not be very compatible with your style of working, but if your work decides to randomly start putting you through the teletubby custard machine again, it might be nice to have a backup plan.
Uh... I can't speak Japanese either, but I'm pretty sure you can get the basic idea from the images without the text...? It's Yu and Tomoe playing video games together.
The translated version doesn't even exist yet. This came out two days ago.
Uh... I can't speak Japanese either, but I'm pretty sure you can get the basic idea from the images without the text...? It's Yu and Tomoe playing video games together.
The translated version doesn't even exist yet. This came out two days ago.
Uh... I can't speak Japanese either, but I'm pretty sure you can get the basic idea from the images without the text...? It's Yu and Tomoe playing video games together.
The translated version doesn't even exist yet. This came out two days ago.
The problem though, and this is less a gripe at you, more one at the limits of purely text-based communication, is that when you put something like "THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION", in caps and all, and the image in question includes a lot of text, it tends to cause one to focus primarily on said text and ignore the rest of the image, which in turn furstrates people who cannot read the language. Add to this that not all readers know the characters off by heart, nor any nuances to them, and it's easy for the real "message", as it were, to get lost in the confusion.
Again, I'm not blaming you here pre se, but it's the kind of thing that can trip people up, so perhaps less use of the caps I guess? I don't really know what best to suggest to avoid problems in the future, this is one of those issues wherethere's no clear answer, because now that you've informed me more, I can understand what you were going for, and that it was not malicious, but as someone who did get tripped up by it, I also see the flaws, but don't know how best to fix them, you know what I mean?
The problem though, and this is less a gripe at you, more one at the limits of purely text-based communication, is that when you put something like "THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION", in caps and all, and the image in question includes a lot of text, it tends to cause one to focus primarily on said text and ignore the rest of the image, which in turn furstrates people who cannot read the language. Add to this that not all readers know the characters off by heart, nor any nuances to them, and it's easy for the real "message", as it were, to get lost in the confusion.
Again, I'm not blaming you here pre se, but it's the kind of thing that can trip people up, so perhaps less use of the caps I guess? I don't really know what best to suggest to avoid problems in the future, this is one of those issues wherethere's no clear answer, because now that you've informed me more, I can understand what you were going for, and that it was not malicious, but as someone who did get tripped up by it, I also see the flaws, but don't know how best to fix them, you know what I mean?
I did think the "Consort Gamer" part did an okay enough job of getting my point across, which was: Yu plays video games! With Tomoe! But I do get that you may have thought it was something more serious or genuinely lore-based, so I'm really sorry for being unclear. Hopefully there aren't communication problems like this in the future. Thanks for explaining the issue more thoroughly, at least.
So! Over the past... month? I've been writing this piecemeal when energy and mental health allowed. I've been in counseling for pandemic depression, dealing with work and unhelpful coworker (who is no longer an issue), had multiple medical issues, and finally got my first COVID shot last week which was a nice pick-me-up. So what I'm saying is, it's a small miracle I got this done and am kind of proud I did it.
This has been outright revised like three times when I cut off excess plot, and outright removed certain character intros. I decided to keep it snappy for the last bit.
In other news, beat Ooku, Kama came home, and that might have influenced the last burst of writing. Really hope you guys find it worth the wait! Next chapter ends the event, and the fighting will probably only take up the first half thanks to the huge turnaround you'll all see below. Which means I can pack the aftermath in too and get us back to Chaldea shenanigans faster!
"Nnh…" Ritsuka shifted. He was in a comfortable chair, that much he knew. That said, he still felt like he'd been run over. "D… did someone get that license plate?" Wearily, he forced his eyes open.
Tamamo-no-Mae gave him a flat look, patting what looked to be a paper talisman into place on his arm. "If you'd been hit by a truck, this would be far harder to fix. Refilling energy is simpler than compound fractures."
Ritsuka straightened his posture. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he shook his head. Then he looked around the room. "...people are missing."
Asako huffed, folding her arms. "Yes, they are. Your Caster went insane and when we stopped him, tore off on some kind of quest."
"That's oversimplifying it," Touko mused dryly. "There were a few other things happening as well. It seems that the scion of a Dead Apostle was a major component to the enemy's forces, which BB revealed. A 'Child of Ainnash', she called it." She frowned. "At the least we needn't contend with the entire Forest. Still, Child or not - it's a threat to the likes of Asako and yourself. Not to mention it poses several possibilities as to the nature of the transformation Seraphix' employees underwent."
"For whatever reason, they're resistant to damage. They heal pretty fast, even if the weapon's cursed like Cu Chulainn's spear," Charlie piped up. The knight sat next to Passionlip, wrapping a bandage around her leg.
The Alter-Ego looked at him with uncertainty, but a faint flush crossed her cheeks.
"Full destruction will render them inert, however," Touko added.
Ritsuka blinked when Lugh crawled into his lap, kneading his legs before curling up. Without giving it much thought, he started to pet the now-tiny elemental.
"Um. But your sword…?" Passionlip's voice died out, but she didn't shy away from Charlie.
"Hm? What about his sword?" Meltryllis' attention had been caught.
"If he is Charlemagne, then his blade must be the holy sword Joyeuse. However, I too wield a holy blade and it is of no greater or lesser effect," a man's voice boomed nearby.
Ritsuka tried to twist his head to look, but winced at the tightness in his muscles. Immediately, a warm hand lowered to his neck and heat began to sink in from the point of contact, relaxing them.
"Easy," his father murmured.
"Thanks," Ritsuka rasped. He blinked, slowly remembering. "Oh."
Shotaro looked away, a mix of embarrassment and shame on his face.
"It's okay, Dad." Ritsuka gave the best smile he could. "You were just trying to save everyone. I can't blame you for that."
"If you wish to make amends, simply do better in the future! Second chances are rare enough, so make the most of them, umu!" Nero butt in.
Ritsuka took his father's hand in his, and left the other on Lugh. He smiled at Shotaro, and Shotaro finally seemed to relax minutely.
"Rosepetal's got a point," Meltryllis drawled, flowing over. "Gawain, step into his line of sight. He can't turn his head to greet you, you great oaf."
"Apologies, young Master!" Ritsuka heard heavy footsteps, and a knight in silver armor entered his field of view. "We didn't have time for a proper introduction, and my compatriots already went with my brother."
"After he tried to kill the woman on the loveseat, yes," Meltryllis droned. Her eyes narrowed. "I wonder what she did that provoked such ire?"
Gawain blinked.
Ritsuka felt a headache come on. "One thing at a time." He pointed at the unconscious woman. "Who is she, and can we wake her for answers?"
"Kiara said she's Mable Macintosh, and-" Asako looked to Tamamo-no-Mae.
"Nope. Whatever got its claws in her stalled her circuits and flayed her psyche. She's undergone a physical reversion, but for mental? She's going to be out unless someone can give salvation, drag her back from anti-enlightenment, or puppeteer her brain into something resembling sanity." Tamamo held her arms in front of her in an 'X' shape. "As Tamamortifying as it is, I lack any curses to do that."
'Tamamortifying,' Ritsuka mouthed to himself. "Okay. Second. Kiara? And I assume you're Gawain of the Round Table." Ritsuka felt a pit of dread in his stomach. "And you met Matthew."
Gawain perked up. "Indeed! He seems a decent sort. Mostly." He paused. "I wonder if the young woman committed some sin he saw upon her soul? Unfortunately I have not known my little brother overlong so my picture of his character is in flux."
"He'll die for the people he cares for, but kill for them first. If you're an enemy, beg for a swift death," Ritsuka rattled off. "Wait. 'Little brother'?"
Asako snickered.
Gawain brightened. "Ah. So like an affectionate Mordred. Well met, then!" He smiled. "Thank you for clearing that up, Master of Chaldea."
"He knocked himself out through overusing his magecraft," Emiya noted from his seat at the computer. At least that was in Ritsuka's line of sight. "But he's up and about and we can ask him directly when he returns."
"Right. So Mable was involved in whatever shady thing Marisbilly Animusphere had going on here. That's my best assumption," Ritsuka said, unfolding a finger. "And Gawain was with this 'Kiara' person, who Matthew must approve of at least a little or he'd have gone for her too."
"Yes, and Andersen!" Gawain added.
"Hans Christian Andersen, Caster. Kiara Sessyoin is a therapist and Chaldea employee," Touko interjected quickly. "Both went along with Cu Chulainn, Gilgamesh, Hakuno, Matthew, and Rin to the Observatory in the depths of Seraphix. Kyrielight's agitation stemmed from that."
Ritsuka bit his lip. "Right. Okay, so that's all of that caught up. So why would Charlie's sword be better against the transformed?"
Touko gave him an unimpressed stare.
"What?"
"Whyever would a blade holding the spearhead of the weapon that killed the Christian messiah have a greater effect against something so close to being one of the Dead? It isn't as though it is very nearly a Sacrament in its own right."
"Oh! That explains it! We're not just dealing with crazy computer people, it's a borderline Dead Apostle outbreak!" Asako exclaimed, pounding her fist into her palm with a wide smile. Her eyes widened as the implication of what she said hit her.
Gilgamesh had to admit, this current excursion did not want for dramatics. The past hour or so had (despite a near misstep from his 'Master') provided no shortage of new and intriguing things to observe. Not least of which was Matthew's outburst.
The boy leaned slightly against the Hound of Ulster. His expression was smooth, yet the underlying brittleness of it was palpable to an experienced judge of men. A storm of turmoil was brewing, and Gilgamesh found himself in the rare position of weighing his priorities. On the one hand, watching whatever dam Morgan erected fall would be fascinating. On the other, the fallout could result in more damage than would be appreciable.
Deciding that such observations were best left for the moment, Gilgamesh turned his head to survey the rest of the group.
BB stood apart from them, visibly perturbed by Hakunon's close proximity. Eyes turned away, chin upward, trying for all the world to appear nonchalant and - oddly - failing. It was almost as though the virus had somehow regained some of her more humane emotions, in a way. One of many things that contradicted his observed memories.
Another was the state of Kiara Sessyoin. As the King, he could easily discern the source of her newfound power, and the reason for it. For a being such as that, reverting the transformation entirely was child's play. However. Across timelines, she never failed to put herself first. Almost all roads seemed to lead to the Third Beast, or some variant thereof. Against all odds that path was closed now - likely due to Morgan's timely (and pinpoint) intervention. The peace in her bearing did not come from certainty as the only human, but from resolve to better and preserve those within her own reach. Though that was no cause for interest. The difference and rarity of the change was. If Gilgamesh wished to observe a so-called saint, Jeanne d'Arc sufficed well enough.
Unsurprisingly, the cur's current Master stood with arms folded as light splayed across the group. Intensity consumed her gaze while she studied Matthew, and Gilgamesh watched the thoughts play across her eyes at leisure. Oh ho-
"Caster. Why didn't we wait for Ritsuka to wake up?" Rin asked. "He's your Master, right? And why leave Asako behind?"
"She's like, twelve," Matthew shot back.
"Magus," Cu Chulainn noted idly, scratching his neck in calculated boredom. Some of Matthew's edges softened.
"Baby magus," the younger man replied irritably, letting himself fall into the banter. "And Ritsuka has enough nightmares already. He's going to get more along the way - we've got two of seven Singularities down and they won't get easier." Matthew looked down. "He doesn't need this on top of it all. I'll report it secondhand."
"We will," Hakunon corrected him. She folded her hands in front of her waist, fingers downward. Her black dress seemed to ripple across the floor. The slightest frown crossed his favored subject's face. "So what is it that we're walking in on? I'd like to know beforehand if possible."
Andersen slowly turned his gaze on Matthew. "Something that hits rather close to home, I would wager. Much like the enemy Lancer's words to the red Archer. After all, expending that sort of effort on no less than five simultaneous spells isn't done lightly."
And that caught Gilgamesh's attention. That, and the absolutely venomous look Matthew gave the child-shaped author.
Matthew opened his mouth-
"It's basic observation. Vlad's attacks landed nowhere near a single target, yet he was convinced they did. However, according to Nero he is immune to mental interference. The trade-off for that is susceptibility to magecraft in general, and the sheer outrage at his words is more than enough for me to identify you as the primary cause," Andersen continued. "So if one cannot ensnare the mind, the senses are the next logical step. I am unsure as to how, but the results speak for themselves." Blue eyes shone with interest. "So? Would I be on the mark?"
Matthew inhaled, and exhaled. His hands balled into fists, any reclaimed equilibrium gone.
And this was Andersen being gentle. The author hadn't taken a single shot against Matthew's character. (This, in turn, was another point of interest. Such a fascinating puzzle that slowly drew together.)
"If he put it on the line, it sounds like it might have been necessary," Cu Chulainn offered in that same carefree tone, sliding his arm around Matthew's shoulders. "After all, I saw what that vampire could do in Orleans. He's hell on wheels in open air, let alone an enclosed space."
"Well, there was a forest of spears that erupted from the floor and kept trying to stab us all," Kiara noted. "And who knows what surfaces they could have emerged from besides?"
"...yeah." Matthew swallowed. "I won't. Get into the shit he said. But I used Aoibheall to imitate vibrations in his ears and to jostle the spears in the right places. Air for that, and water to imitate liquid at the right viscosity on the right spears. I didn't have a way to imitate scent, but I bent the light using my runes to show that image. To avoid him picking up on it, I used a cloak of my own magical energy by forcing it out and overlapping everyone else. It could be passed off as me just being agitated and going all-out." He lifted his head. "So really, it was two spells and dual use of a mystic code."
"At its finest level of control, it would seem," Gilgamesh mused aloud. He looked at the ornament on Matthew's throat with renewed interest. To think that the elements could be bent in such a manner… old magic and new thought. It seemed Chaldea's methods were used at least by their most pernicious Servant result.
Matthew's expression soured once more. "Sure."
"And that version is just enough of a tank that you couldn't nail him with a few spells and blows and call it a day." BB spoke with absolute certainty. "It was all about wearing him down."
"The arrows Archer used didn't seem to have much effect until the black arrow of tears." Kiara's eyes fell for the first time.
"Black arrow of-" Gilgamesh cut himself off. "You allowed him to fabricate your dagger?" He stared at Matthew.
"Part of the plan. Asako coordinated us so Gawain and Meltryllis cut down any obstructions, I gave Emiya access, and then Touko was meant to use a similar move to what Olga did in Septem against Flauros when Mash stabbed him." Matthew leaned into Cu Chulainn's side a little harder, and the Lancer's arm tightened.
Gilgamesh didn't understand. To allow the faker to trace one's treasures, that- It was- Why-
"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Andersen said flatly.
He watched Matthew with such intensity that Gilgamesh could tell what was coming.
"And even beforehand you were ill at ease. Your flippancy and sharpness alternated to hide it, but something sits upon your heart." Andersen folded his arms. "And then we have your attack on the sleeping Macintosh. What could she be party to that would trigger such a bestial response? That which we approach, perhaps?"
Matthew's fists trembled. "You'll see." His voice pitched low, dark promise coloring the words. His eyes dulled to a flat green, as of newly-dead leaves.
"Which is a yes. You have the bearing of one who has suffered indignity. 'Chaldea' is an organization that wishes to save the world utilizing magecraft and science, and both require experimentation for advancement." Andersen's voice cut through the tense air like a blade. "To that end, you yourself were most likely subject to painful and invasive procedures. Given the disparity in distance, something similar in scale if not nature lies ahead. Why not give it voice? We are, for the most part, trapped. Is it not something else that you can brush off so easily?"
...the line of thought was beginning to become tiresome. In response, Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes. "Have a care, mongrel."
"I shall not!" Andersen erupted, eyes blazing. "He hears and sees so much, yet closes his senses! He smothers his pain beneath braggadocio, but when it surpasses his control he lashes out! The potential to grow is there, yet it is stifled! Mother-henned, sheltered, yet abused all the same! His heart is an infected wound; any can see it! For it to heal, the boil must be lanced and drained!" The author rubbed his throat with a rueful glare. "Though such is not my purview. All I do is observe and critique, and my heart is a demon that loves bad ends."
Matthew looked up, peering at Andersen. A flicker of light returned to his gaze. "But you're trying anyway."
"Hmph. Beautiful tragedies are my preference. Ugly catastrophes are common. The humdrum normalcy of everyday happiness, likewise. If an ending has meaning, can embody the whole of its story- then that is worthwhile." Andersen's glare was scathing. "So! My estimation of you is thus: a tattered scrap of a boy, hiding beneath the glamour of the fair folk and behind the arrogance of a prince. Your wounds continue to seep and fester. Gradually, you let others bandage them and your own experiences force them closed. This is not enough." He whirled on Kiara. "This is your job, woman! Put him in proper shape, why don't you!" Andersen grunted, folding his arms. "Honestly. Such an unsightly thing. So scared of honest connection, yet reaching all the same. Screaming your pain and hope into a world you struggle to love."
Gilgamesh felt a twinge in his jaw where his teeth began to grind.
For a moment, the elevator was silent.
"Wow-we-hrk!" BB's jaw snapped shut, and her lips sealed under a pattern of golden runes.
Somewhat mollifying.
Then an umbrella crashed upon Andersen's head with unforgiving force. Hakunon's eyes blazed. "That! Was! Uncalled for!"
Andersen squawked, struggling to escape the parasol's length.
Gilgamesh watched as Rin sidled a little closer to Matthew, expression a little less wary. Cu Chulainn leaned his head on the Caster's without a hint of shame.
Kiara sighed. "It's neither the time nor place for that. But if I can return to Chaldea, I'll look into it." Her expression brightened. "After all, far be it from me to let someone you like alone."
"Ah!?" Andersen stumbled away when Hakunon paused her royally-sanctioned admonishment.
Kiara's eyes slid shut and she smiled as a saint. "After all, you have much in common. You're still screaming, too."
Hans stared at Kiara in shock and some betrayal. Matthew's stare zeroed in on the author with newfound calculation.
And the King, who observed it all? Well. What else could he do in the face of such a turnabout?
"Night!" Musashi called as she went to the room she shared with Medusa.
"Goodnight," Mash replied. Fou curled on her shoulder, so she kept her gait steady while she walked to her own quarters.
The film had been a pleasant distraction. So too had been the training.
But now she was alone with her thoughts.
Galahad was down, and there was a real chance he would never wake again. Because she wasn't strong enough.
Matthew had no spirit; he was merely transformed by contact with- with a force of nature. He could operate on his own, even though Morgan had responded. It wasn't a full possession, but more… hrm. She didn't have the words to formulate exactly what he was. And she lacked the knowledge of how he came to be, both originally and what he was now. He was a Servant connected to the FATE system, that much was certain.
The point being: he could operate on his own, unlike her. Or so she thought. Even with Galahad so damaged, she was fully functional. If she tried, she wagered she could even unleash Lord Camelot under her power. But why had it hurt Galahad to do so?
Around and around her thoughts spiraled. Around and around she walked. But there were no answers for her to find.
Not here, at least.
Mash's head snapped up. A woman's voice, distant and soft. Gentle. It wasn't Da Vinci, or any of the other Servants. It wasn't Ophelia. Nor was it hers.
Answers. Strength. Power. You have the strength. You need the power. You desire the answers. Are you willing to risk yourself for them?
Mash looked around, placing a hand on Fou's sleeping body. Whoever this woman was, she didn't know her at all. She was needed here. Her duty was here. Her friends were here. Her brother was here. Her Senpai-
Mm. A deeper desire. After all, a shield protects, no? My, my. If she had a face, Mash knew the woman would smile. You really are everything my Matthew has seen.
Mash's breath caught.
I'll give you your answers. And if all goes well, I'll give you a way to fully stabilize Galahad's wounds until he is healed.
The door next to her flickered with a strange light. Colors spiraled through the cracks, shifting as the illumination ebbed and flowed.
And naturally, I'll send you where you're needed. With your brother, with your 'Senpai'. The voice, Morgan's voice, paused. They will need you soon.
"...how?" Mash whispered.
Morgan giggled inside Mash's head. Let us say that an alliance is struck. Not a 'bargain', but 'cooperation'. She huffed. I suppose he was a bit too old and experienced to catch off-guard like BB was. Ah, well.
Mash straightened her shoulders. "You wouldn't hurt Matthew if you could avoid it. You set up the territory so he wouldn't have to."
I've done many things so he wouldn't have to. Morgan's cheer went dead. But as has been… explained… to me, that in turn may well have hurt him more. So I will try to consult those who are more human than I. I do not claim to understand humanity as well as some, but I like to think I do better than others. Her tone turned from something dark to more of a pout at the end.
Mash considered Matthew. "You… could have done worse," she offered hesitantly.
Sweet of you. The smile was back in Morgan's voice. Right, then! Armor on and face forward, darling! You're off to see a Wizard! She paused. Well, more a Magician. Chop, chop!
With a flash of light, Mash's armor returned to her body.
Fou bolted upright, head lashing back and forth before his tiny eyes narrowed. "Kukukyu. Foufu." He started to give a squeaky growl.
And Mash opened the door.
____________________________________________________________________________
Morgan huffed, folding her arms as she sat in a chair within the tower. "So! Andersen went and tried to flay my baby's heart, and you have the gall to tell me he had points. Points! Plural!"
The dark-haired magus planted a fist on her hip. A near-mirror to the 'Rin' in Seraphix, her eyes narrowed. "Yes, points. And if he tries to do anything like that to Ritsuka or Asako, I will go there myself and teach him restraint with my own two hands."
She wore a long skirt with edges the color of seafoam, with a necklace of tiny shells. Her top was a blue so deep it was almost black, blending into her skirt. Long sleeves ended with the same seafoam edge, and the soft susurrus of the waves echoed as cloth swayed. A smooth blue gem the size of an ear rested on a silver brooch upon her chest. She was a margin taller, and her face carried laugh lines. Her eyes were as deep as the ocean.
"Mm." Morgan tilted her head to and fro. "Well. It is a haphazard way of reading people. Not in accuracy, but it seems a good way to do more harm than good. To me, at least."
"As he said, the harm could benefit in the long run in some cases," the other woman acknowledged. "But no mother likes to see her child lambasted for things outside their immediate control."
"Right." Morgan inhaled, and exhaled. "So. Things have proceeded as well as we could hope around there."
"Aside from the deaths, yes. If they'd had enough mana to work with, then Shotaro could have prevented them and Ritsuka been spared the drain on his od." Rin Tohsaka tapped her brooch meaningfully.
"Eh. Mash needed to be apart and stew for a bit. Otherwise, getting her to the Kaleidoscope would have been far more complicated." Morgan shrugged. "And it's not as though those lives were priority."
Tohsaka's glare tightened. "Really."
"Mmhm. None of them would offer anything to Chaldea worth pulling them out for, a majority of those who would die worked on both Prototyping and Project: Dowse, and honestly… BB was there to slow production and protect the pieces in play. Charlie is important to your son, Cu Chulainn is dear to mine, your husband was there, and the young lady is likely someone who would fit right in with the ever-expanding band of misfits." Morgan shrugged elegantly. "It is what it is. Life happens, and so does death. Humans are quite good at both."
"I see." Tohsaka frowned. "Do you ever think you might be a bit too cavalier with human lives?"
"Oh, no. I had Merlin check the angles and decide if I should deploy one of the children from Fuyuki to tip the scales," Morgan mused, checking her nails.
The other woman froze. "...what?"
"Well, the fewer there remain of those who worked on Project: Dowse, the better off we all are. Aside from the 'ethical' concerns - which are barely concerns to me, but are key in setting poor Matthew off - it is an active threat to Gaia itself. Despite all else, I am part of the World's nervous system and beholden to protect it." Morgan looked up, pupils slitted like a cat's. "Do keep that in mind. I can play at humanity with the best, and am quite eager to parlay and make peace. However, if the safety of the World is the question? I am all too willing to let blood be the answer."
Rin Tohsaka stood in stunned silence.
"This is what it means to sit on the Council, Rin. We are kind in our ways, but none of us are safe. And we all have functions to fulfill."
"...what if the question is what becomes of humanity?" Rin asked, finding her voice once more. She'd let her guard down. Something like this happening at the Clock Tower, she wouldn't have blinked. But she'd allowed herself to project an image onto Morgan that was… half-formed.
"Well, that is a question. It's part of what I'm working towards, really." Morgan made her way to the window, and lightly rolled her wrists. Thunder echoed in a distant space. "Message received," she muttered. She turned. "To answer that, I'm trying to make such a question irrelevant. Changing the past too directly is contradictory to the progress of both the World and humanity. However, changing one crucial aspect that had minimal bearing upon our timeline - something that can be easily replaced in nature - allows me to set up means to change the future."
"I… see."
"Now, enough of questions. The statement that matters is this: human history is kindling, and the World itself is ablaze. To that end, the Beast which spawned it and she who usurped it have painted a target on their backs for Alaya and Gaia alike." Morgan's smile grew dangerous. "More fool them."
Slowly, Rin's lips quirked. "With that, at least, I can agree."
____________________________________________________________________________
The doors slid open. Without hesitation, I began to walk forward. The service elevator didn't bring us directly to the Observatory, but it was close enough.
"...this looks like storage," Hakuno remarked. "Please tell me we didn't suffer through Andersen's little tirade during an entire 'wrong-turn sequence'."
I didn't answer. Instead, I trailed my fingers along the wall as I walked. A little further… a little further…
A spot for ventilation between the Observatory and storage, which is more or less-
Forcing the monotone whisper back, I splayed my hand over the spot where it began. My other hand moved to Aoibheall, and I felt more than saw the ruby ignite.
In seconds, an orange glow spread from my palm, melting straight through the wall.
"...well, that's no issue for the Servants - but how am I-?" Rin began.
I clenched my fist, and with an effort of will sent the residual heat screaming into the observatory to dissipate.
The lights were on. There was no one in there, not walking free. Steeling myself, I walked in. I faintly noticed the others following, despite my heartbeat hammering in my ears.
There was a central console in the middle of the room. It looked… well. Like a console back at Chaldea. Lots of keys, one long monitor. Above it was a metal panel, doubtless hiding the circuitry that made up the hub. But from each side, coffins surrounded the room. I didn't need to count them.
One hundred and twenty-eight.
Not all of them were used up before the project began.
That's enough.
To trace the heartbeat, life is required. As microcosm, so macrocosm. Differentiation was required.
I clenched my fists, forcing down my bile with a swallow. The back of my eyes burned.
...for some reason, I thought my 'siblings' and I were special. That what happened to us was something that wouldn't be visited on 'humans born from the womb'. That kinship would protect them from each other, at least when it came to experimentation and science.
I really was a sheltered naif in that regard.
Hakuno made a beeline for the command console, eyes fixed upon the screen. Even from where I stood, apart, I could see the azure glow that consumed her gaze.
Rin walked around hesitantly, observing the coffins. A slight frown crossed her face. "What are these? What's inside them?"
"They bear a resemblance to the Rayshift Devices that allow the Masters of Chaldea transport amongst the eras," Gilgamesh replied. He stopped next to me. "Well, craftsman? What is here that would provoke my wrath?" The force of his regard weighed on me. It was like standing before a star, the pull of gravity drawing me in even as the light and heat burned inward. "Your assumption must have some merit. What happened here, beyond testing for the methods which Chaldea itself uses?"
"Don't think he's up to explaining right now," Cu Chulainn replied, guiding me away with a hand on my back.
And then the rest of our party entered.
BB strode right in without the slightest care in the world. A quick glance around and a shrug, then she went to loom over Hakuno's shoulder while she interfaced with the computer.
Kiara froze at the threshold. Her eyes widened ever so slightly while Andersen walked past her. After a moment, her composure returned and she kept moving forward. "...so this is the secret beneath Seraphix."
"Yup," BB replied, popping the 'p'. "These are the prototype coffins for Rayshifting. After a few... mishaps… the failures and successes were kept for a secondary project. Ultimately, it resulted in the current situation." She smirked. "But you knew that already, didn't you?" she directed at me.
"June eighteenth, 2014." Hakuno's voice cut through the mounting tension. "The seventh summoning attempt was a partial success. While details have not been released, the subject will be retained as proof-of-concept for further trials. However, the Demi-Servant program will be closed and thus free up no small amount of funding. Perhaps the remains we retained from prototyping will be of use - there is something we may be able to utilize from past data. Although the disposition of failed candidates indicated a lack of aptitude as Masters, they have been fruitful subjects for testing Rayshift capabilities. Vegetation results are down twenty percent from a sixty percent negative outcome. Further adjustments to be made before trials for confirmed candidates. Signed: Research Director, Beatrice Di Purgatoriello."
...magus names strike again, huh.
Rin folded her arms. "So… this is where Chaldea performed human testing for this 'Rayshift' technology. What did it involve, anyway?"
"Spiritron conversion and temporal transplacement," Hakuno responded. She looked up, and her already pale skin turned sickly.
Rin's eyes widened. "Ah… oh. I see."
"Rin… it gets worse."
"So much worse," BB muttered in a borderline-gleeful tone. "After all, this is how SE.RA.PH overlapped Seraphix." A manic grin split her face and her eyes flashed scarlet. "So. Look up a little something called 'Project: Dowse'. I'm sure you'll find it enlightening."
____________________________________________________________________________
Mash stepped into an office straight out of a British period drama. Shades of brown for wallpaper and wood, matching furniture, towering bookcases. Knicknacks on the desk offered a variety of color - but upon examination, the small toys seemed hand-carved from precious stones. They surrounded the centerpiece of the ensemble: a shield.
The armament was the size of Mash's torso, a simple triangular shape in opposition to her own snowflake shield. Similarly, the design was deceptively simple: a flat plane of white, divided by a red cross. However, within the red lay scratched etchings in some language she didn't recognize.
After a moment, she summoned the shield - Lord Camelot, the Round Table. Mash turned it to observe the letters upon its face. After a moment, she decided that at the very least, the words upon the strange shield were in a different language. Though she couldn't read the scrawl upon Lord Camelot, she recognized the forms from Matthew's invocations traced in the air.
"Well spotted. That's not the tongue of the Fair Folk, but Enochian. Not the most common of languages, even within the Clock Tower." The voice, a pleasant baritone, paused dramatically. "Though that isn't to say it's outside all expertise. In fact, in Archaeology alone it is very nearly a requirement to study the few remaining works regarding the King of Magic himself."
Mash held her shield before her and stepped back, keeping the strange man in her view. A grey-haired humanoid with a deathlike pallor smiled at her in amusement, his bright red eyes almost twinkling. He folded his hands behind his back, appearing utterly defenseless. That said, his bearing was not devoid of pride or strength - his height and broad shoulders belied a frame that had weathered the years.
The man - the Magician - bore an air of conspiratorial fondness. The longer Mash stayed in the realm he occupied, the more it felt as though she was about to be let in on some great inside joke, some secret only a favored few could know. Or perhaps the joke is on a cosmic scale, she thought in a near panic. Despite the almost-ordinary nature of her surroundings and the way every facet was designed to lull and soothe, she felt tension tighten the muscles in her shoulders and neck.
Mash was intelligent. She could read context as well as anyone. Morgan had said she was off to see a Wizard or Magician. There were gems upon a strange desk in a room that was clearly not Chaldea, when all other places in the present were cinders. She knew full well who addressed her.
Hesitantly, she set the bottom flange of her shield on the floor. She stepped out from behind it ever so slightly. "Apologies for the cold greeting, Lord Wizard Marshall. I was taken by surprise."
"Well met, Miss Kyrielight. After some deliberation, I was convinced to observe your struggle - yours, your brother's, and your Master's." Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. The Old Man of the Jewels, wielder and master of the Second True Magic, and Wizard Marshall of the Magus Association.
Just for the moment, Mash was glad Matthew wasn't there. He would have done everything possible to provoke the man on principle.
Zelretch cleared his throat, commanding her attention with minimal effort. "So. I won't go into detail, but I've decided to gamble on this particular possibility." He frowned slightly. "'The operation of parallel worlds.' Do you know what that means?"
Mash shook her head, momentarily mute with stress and a pinch of fear.
"It's rather complex, but the relevant part applies thus: when I observe a timeline directly, it becomes 'the real one'. This does not erase all possibilities, but it does cut out a multitude of permutations. For example, there is a timeline I observed regarding a Holy Grail War in Trifas - where your friend the Evil Dragon fought and won." Zelretch began to pace across the room leisurely. "There were, perhaps, permutations where he paired with a certain Saber, or a Berserker. Perhaps even with a Caster. But the one where he was saved by Sir Astolfo holds true. Why?" Zelretch turned to her. "Because I saw it. Likewise, there are a multitude of threads spanning from the Incineration of Human History, surprising as that fact may be. This is one of two I have observed - the other where the incineration began in the year 2015."
"I… see. So by doing this, all other possibilities where it began in 2019 - like this - are moot. To put it in terms of Schrodingers' Cat, all things were possible but you opened the box." Mash swallowed nervously after speaking.
Zelretch appraised her. "Mm. Not wholly incorrect, and an adequate response for someone who is less than a novice in the ways of the Second. I'll give it a passing mark for brevity and relevance, though the complexities, again, far exceed it." He smiled. "And so we arrive at the meat of the matter. I am here to offer you a path to your allies, and an edge in your great fight. For all that Galahad was a force of nature, you have but a shield he used in life. His blades, his spear, and a multitude of other options are sealed due to the Class container you inhabit."
Mash watched as the Magician once more gave a deliberate pause.
"Tell me: Galahad was not known for hauling the Round Table itself around as a greatshield, and neither was he known for slapping it down in the middle of a room so the knights could have a nice drink and chat. So what is most entwined with his legend?"
"Blessed by Joseph of Arimathea, the Vulgate Cycle indicates that Galahad used the Shield of Evalach. However, given the time he was active is supposed to be 600 AD…" Mash trailed off.
"Mm. Joseph of Arimathea was rather long-lived, wasn't he?" Zelretch smiled mischievously. "Now, some iterations of Galahad as Shielder would be sure to use such a blessed artifact. In fact, in comparison to Lord Camelot's defensive power- Ah, but I'm getting ahead. Tell me, what 'gifts' did Galahad possess in his adult life? Beyond the usual knightly ones, of course."
"Erm. Exorcism, healing the ill and wounded… he was also said to be attended in some fashion by angels." Mash shifted. "But given the area was in the Age of Fairies-"
"What do you think ended said Age? It wasn't merely Arthur's death, young lady." Zelretch walked to the heater shield, and placed his hand on it. "Galahad turned his back on such things, and used artifacts which would be attributed to the Church. This shield is a sacrament on par with the Seventh Holy Scripture itself. Within rests a shade who, upon contact, will merge and blend with the wielder's will and answer it. It exalts rather than denies humanity, and so despite coming from a different source can rival that which cradled the Sword of Promised Victory in its own right."
Mash stared.
"The quest for the Grail, the Lance of Longinus, the Shield of Evalach- all of these are aspects of Galahad's life. Should he have manifested as a Ruler, he would have scratched the bottom echelons of what it meant to be Grand, though the qualifications are absent. After all, the Grail itself would have been enough."
Remembering the sheer power Romulus displayed in Septem, Mash nodded solemnly. That title wasn't one given lightly.
"So. This shield would impart to you those aspects of Galahad - the holy powers of God's Perfect Knight-"
And Mash recoiled, stepping backwards.
"Hm?" Zelretch raised one snowy brow.
"I can't." Mash balled her hands into fists, letting the shield fade. "I can't handle that kind of power."
"By its nature, which is curative in most regards, you most certainly would." Zelretch gave her a searching look. "Ahh. You fear a repeat of the events in Septem. Morgan informed me of what occurred." He shook his head. "Were it not for Galahad's actions, things would have played out differently."
She opened her mouth-
"In most timelines, Galahad sublimates into you fully. Sometimes you are gifted with his name, other times you must find it. One where he persists individually is unique. After all, despite his determined slumber, he must be on hand to counteract any outlandish move by Morgan Le Fay."
-and shut it with a click of teeth before drawing a deep breath through her nose.
"Because of this, the strain of using his powers to their fullest manifests. You will have noticed an increased ease of utilization?" Zelretch nodded. "That is because rather than being split between 'two Galahads' in one body, they are now able to revolve around 'one Galahad'. That 'Galahad' being you, Miss Kyrielight. Now, through a judicious application of methods well beyond human ken, the spirit inside you can be healed. That won't solve your problem." Throughout his lecture, Zelretch hadn't moved, hand still on the shield. "This will. Think of it as… an alternate. Not an 'Alter' in terms of the dark Artoria you met in Fuyuki, but a variant nonetheless. The power you use now is 'Galahad of the Round Table'. This shield is an emblem of 'Galahad of the Holy Grail'."
"I don't understand," Mash admitted.
"Well, you can cede control to Galahad - as shown in Septem. And Lord Camelot is simply too potent to let rust. So give unto Galahad what is his…" Zelretch tapped the shield. "And you shall receive, as 'Galahad', what is yours. A rotational form. When utilizing the power you have now, it will be through Galahad's influence. And this?" Zelretch picked the shield up and finally approached Mash after the long talk. "This is yours." He paused once more, letting silence wrap itself around her in a stifling embrace. "If you take it, you will be every bit your brother's equal, even when he masters his darkness. In fact, the function will mirror his own. If you don't, you will need to contend with the abilities stretching between the two of you, endangering Galahad until his consciousness fades. This is the compromise the Fairy Queen and her advisor managed to uncover."
Despite it all, Mash hesitated. "Then… what is your part in this?"
"Hmph. I'm merely delivering what I found, cast upon the facets of time and space. That, and giving passage to those who need it." Zelretch smiled, a playful light entering his eyes. "And should the lot of you resolve the most current crisis spawned by the common foe of mankind, I could be persuaded to engage in a touch more interference."
He leaned in, and Mash felt herself relax ever so slightly.
"I have, you see," he whispered, "been known to be somewhat meddlesome."
Mash's tension broke with a hysterical giggle.
Zelretch's smile warmed. "So. Will you take this holy relic, and bring the fight to the Ars Goetia? After all, it was made to slay demons. Pity to let it sit idle when so many twine about time's axis, burning humanity in hellfire."
Mash considered it.
She didn't have Morgan to hint at what she should do. She didn't have the voice of the world telling her how it would affect the greater good. She didn't have the ability to simply ask the shield what it was. All she had was her resolve, her determination, and her loyalty to cause and companions. So even though she was still a little scared, still the slightest bit wary of the Old Man of the Jewels…
"If Morgan got you to do all this, Senpai and Matthew must be in a lot of trouble," Mash said. "Not to mention all the people at Seraphix."
She took the shield, and smiled.
"I can't look away from that."
Zelretch stared at her for a long moment. In that time, Mash felt a prickle of fear. However...
He burst into booming laughter.
As he calmed, he smiled broadly. "Well said, young knight!" He turned on his heel, still keeping one eye on her while he raised a hand. "This may take a few moments. Your Seraphix's temporospatial placing is strange, even by my standards."
Mash waited, primed to launch into action. And in her grip, Evalach began to glow a faint white.
____________________________________________________________________________
"We have received contact from a parallel history. This is unprecedented, even in a world where the likes of the Wizard Marshall walks the earth." Hakuno swallowed before continuing. "It is confirmed that the lone surviving Caster from Batch Five is host to a 'Morgan' from a timeline wholly unlike that native to our timeline. The projected power is immense, and any other such Servants would be considered an 'ace' for our own purposes. However, utilizing the stars alone will not yield the analysis we need to contact such places. In fact, the process would tread upon the very edges of Magic, if not emulate it outright." She looked up and at the others.
Gilgamesh frowned in mild interest. "So this… Purgatoriello?" He waved a hand at Hakuno's nod. "Yes. So she sought the Root, as all magi seem prone. Thus far, the only difference is that the craftsman's foster mother served as catalyst."
"It gets wo~rse~" BB sang excitedly.
Hakuno shot her an acid look, and the purple-haired girl quieted down with a pout.
Then she continued. "I propose this: the Texture on which we walk is the Age of Man as we know it. Accessing another in a perpendicular manner is nigh impossible. If all else fails, we might be able to prolong humanity by sending out knowledge to another history. But to do that, we must penetrate beyond this layer. Our best chance…" Hakuno winced, hesitating to give voice to what she analyzed. "Our best chance is through the mapping of the meridians. The ley lines through which mana flows, or as I propose: the very World's magic circuits, upon which our own were patterned by the King of Magic himself. If we were able to trace them, we may be able to sink deeper - beyond the Wandering Sea, perhaps even to the Reverse Side. There, where the remnants of Gods and Fairies remain, we may be able to enact this miracle, and perhaps even find aid."
She felt Gilgamesh's ire like a physical thing, slowly starting to burn. The baleful sun of glory and blight rose; the storm of judgement stirred.
"By reclaiming some of what we have lost, we may yet preserve. This is a backup in the face of a worst-case scenario. To preserve what we have up to the year 2020: I propose Project: Dowse. We will… we will use the diversity of circuits provided to us by way of the failed candidates. Even those who lost their consciousness to the Rayshift projects are viable for this. By mapping their own circuits and combining them with the coffins into magic wands, we can create an observatory that sees not the stars, but the inner sea of the planet." Hakuno stepped back. "There's more, but that's what's relevant."
"So. After all is said and done, humanity has turned on its heel to cower at the feet of gods once more." Gilgamesh's tone was icy. "To beg for succor in the face of annihilation, rather than face the threat head-on. I see. Indeed, I see." Slowly, he turned his head to Matthew, and Hakuno felt a chill down her spine. "You were nearly right, craftsman. Such a thing does provoke me, but not to rage or wrath."
Matthew jolted, then looked at Gilgamesh in confusion.
Rin backed away slowly, making sure to interpose Cu Chulainn between her and Gilgamesh.
Kiara did the opposite - she stood behind Matthew, her eyes flickering a pale gold. Andersen remained where he was.
"No. I have somehow found myself disappointed. The humans of Chaldea, for good or ill, have managed to tread the edges of what they call True Magic. The Rayshift systems alone are testament to that. Observing and confirming existence in other eras, translocating soul from present to past - and yet they believed that they must bow to gods for aid." He paused. "Or at least the mongrels of Seraphix did."
"Guess you know how I feel, even if it's for different reasons."
Hakuno's head whipped around to stare at Matthew.
The boy wore a grim smile, though he was still pale under the king's regard.
"Hoh?"
"The bar's on the floor, but they keep digging anyways. Even if you expect nothing, mages still find a way to disappoint you."
Gilgamesh paused, a tightness in his expression loosening. His gaze did not soften, but the threat of violence was no longer immediate.
There was a long heartbeat, even as Hakuno calmed herself. As anxiety-inducing as Gilgamesh's rage was, his disappointment was on another level. Not that she didn't understand why, given what she knew of him...
"Hm. Just so. I grant you my empathy in this regard, craftsman." He frowned, a bit of the danger returning as pressure in the room fluctuated. "Tell me- what became of those who ran this experiment?"
Matthew shrugged. "Most of them are gone. Either converted or imprisoned in the root chamber, and then the Berserker happened."
BB's mouth opened into a small 'o'.
"So the issue has mostly resolved itself," Gilgamesh mused. "Convenient. I cannot see the World as it is permitting such meddling in its vital functions."
Given what had happened, Hakuno didn't think it had. But her job wasn't done.
"So… they succeeded," Kiara murmured. She looked at Hakuno. "That's how this happened, yes? Some others - they spoke of a 'me' from another possibility. Yours?"
"Yes," Hakuno agreed. "Though I don't have the details."
"And they're irrelevant anyways. It won't happen. I saw to that personally," BB said with a grin. "And the irony is delicious, I assure you. My client thought it was a great bit of work, and far better than an alternative."
"I see. By using the diversity of the magic circuits to create one hundred and twenty-eight wands, Seraphix emulated in microcosm the biological diversity that makes up Earth itself. Through that and sculpting them to function, they were used as dowsing to locate and map the ley lines. The ocean was the most viable place, as the sheer depth meant there were untouched leylines to tap. That we were relocated by the Singularity to the Mariana Trench is no mistake. If anywhere was to have the strongest connection, it would be here." Kiara's gaze unfocused, then snapped into clarity.
"Didn't know you were much of a magus. Thought you tended more towards medical stuff, yeah?" Matthew peered at her curiously.
Kiara gave a small smile. "Call it an 'enlightened perspective'."
Hakuno watched the others for a moment.
"There is more, then?" Andersen asked in an arch tone.
"A little. The world contacted was ours, yes. But given the time, it was after the Moon Cell had infiltrated the internet and so-" Hakuno cut herself off.
"So once it all came 'round, it hijacked here. And thus: SE.RA.PH 2.0!" BB cheered. "Naturally, this was concurrent with the incineration of humanity. Since SE.RA.PH is basically a computer's Reality Marble, making a bubble in the fire was child's play. In fact, some may say that it serves a similar function to the 'Origin' that magi here seek." BB shrugged. "And that's all she wrote. Awful human experimentation, abuse of resources, gross misconduct. Just Magus Things."
"So the contact point for the Moon Cell is here," Rin realized aloud, perking up. "Didn't you come looking for that? Well, what are you waiting for!? Get started, and we can watch your back!" She turned to Cu Chulainn. "Lancer! Once Hakuno gets going, you are to let nothing disturb her unless absolutely necessary! And that's if she needs to intervene, got it!?"
The blue-clad Servant nodded once, grinning. "Can do, Master. Oi, Matty- care to help?"
Matthew looked at Hakuno, then gave a slight smile. "Sure. Just- after we're done. We…"
"This has to be shut down. Can we save them?" Rin asked. The look in her eyes showed she knew the answer.
"...they've been like this for longer than the few months since this started. I…" Hakuno trailed off hesitantly.
"I did not feel any souls when I stepped into this room. The framework remains, but the spark is gone," Kiara said softly. "The only mercy we can give them is a painless end."
Gilgamesh folded his arms. "Hmph." Golden portals bloomed, the openings facing outward and up. "Begin, Hakunon. We will buy you time."
BB jolted. "Time for what!? There's-"
Shadows writhed, lunging out in serpentine tendrils from the topmost corners of the room. Upon revealing themselves, they were pinned in place within the span of a breath. With crunching and groaning metal, sword and lance and axe transfixed root and branch alike.
And something like blood dripped from scaly forms that had joined them.
"Ah. I should have known that I couldn't pull one over the King of Heroes. Such eyes are befitting of an Archer. Or a Caster, true. Perhaps even a Grand?"
The shadows boiled near the entry door. A serpentine head bulged forth, disgorged from the darkness. It was the size of a large van, with bulbous yellow eyes that cast their own glow over the room. Slowly, the maw opened - revealing a man in a dapper black suit. His blond curls supported a black bowler with silver ram's horns curled to each side His eyes were like the snake's - a haunting yellow with slit pupils. His smile was small and intimate, as though he were about to offer a heartfelt compliment.
"...Astaroth, then." Matthew's shoulders rose as he bristled.
"Clever, clever. The only reason we haven't utilized our heavy ordinance is because the risk of overpenetration and damaging this room were too high. So if you disco-" He was silenced by the barrage of weaponry that flew towards him, making him move to the side in a sinuous twist. "Or we can simply fight. I can work with that."
Raising a cane topped with a snake's head, the darkness at his feet began to bubble. A multitude of eyes opened, and sibilant hissing filled the room.
"I am Astaroth of the Seventy-Two Demon Gods. Though I may lack the sheer 'punch' of an overseeing pillar, I assure you…"
Hakuno turned from the fanged grin, laying her hands on the console and beginning the connection as quickly as possible.
"You won't live to regret leaving the bulk of your forces behind."
And Hakuno did her best to focus on the harmonization through the echoes of steel on scale. The Moon Cell was waiting, and she had secrets to unravel.
____________________________________________________________________________
Begin Rotation.
Ritsuka bolted upright, feet on the floor. Adrenaline flooded his veins as the very words sank into his skull. Even without comprehending, his body understood the threat behind those two words.
"We need to go. Now." He left no room for argument. "They're going to attack here, and we don't have a way to reinforce our defences."
"How?" Emiya asked. There was no judgement or consternation in his tone, only the question.
"I… 'begin rotation'." Ritsuka looked around. "Do those words mean anything to you guys?"
Nero took a sharp breath. "Ah."
"...mm?" Tamamo-no-Mae waited for a moment, then her mouth slowly pulled into a rictus grin. "Well. Seeing as our local thespian's at a loss for words, I vote we follow our illustrious leader's order and go for broke!" she offered with strained cheer.
"Do we have a battle plan, or do we just run?" Asako asked, already stalking for the door.
Touko moved, faster than Ritsuka had ever seen her before. She seemed almost to appear behind Asako as she laid a hand on her shoulder. "Part of the plan should be to let the more durable Servants take point." She looked at Ritsuka with the slightest gleam of curiosity in her eyes.
I am Astaroth, of the Seventy-Two Demon Pill-
This is my victory, Shakyamuni. Let your ring rain down-!
Was this what Matthew had to contend with? It was on the barest edges of Ritsuka's consciousness, and even then it was almost too much!
"Three groups. The Demon God's gone after Rin and the rest; they'll need backup." Ritsuka did some quick calculations. "Asako. Take Dad, Aunt Touko, Nero, and Tamamo. Head topside." He looked at the Servants in question. "Aunt Touko, Dad, you're on guard duty for Asako and Mable. Nero, Tamamo, the controller on top of the tree is undefended. If you can get up there and take him out, do it."
"Of course," Nero replied, shaking off her shock. "Between the two of us, Twice doesn't stand a chance!"
"Hmph. Better us than Hakuno," Tamamo agreed begrudgingly.
"Group two. Emiya, Charlie - your job is to bring down the Tree."
That earned a dumbfounded stare from the Archer. As for the Saber-
"Right. Go full tilt and unleash my blade when I have a clear shot?" Charlie nodded. "If I have a conceptual advantage like Touko thinks I do, then it's the best option. And Emiya can give me cover fire. Not to mention if the enemy Servants come after us, he has access to a variety of artillery to counter."
Emiya schooled his expression into a blank mask once more. "Very well."
"Gawain, Passionlip, Meltryllis - we're going to back up Matthew and Rin's group."
The knight perked up. "Of course! Though, getting down there may be-"
Ritsuka turned to the larger Alter-Ego, causing her to shrink back a little. "Can you use your hands to dig through the floor?"
"I-er- y-yes!" she stammered out.
"You carry me, Passionlip leads the way, and Meltryllis covers our flank for any surprises," Ritsuka rattled off, pointing at Gawain. "It's not much of a plan but we're crunched for time." A cold prickle pinched down the back of his neck. "We need to go now."
Meltryllis gave an over-wrought sigh. "Sounds like someone set off the enemy commanders and made them think we're a threat." She scowled, sliding one bladed leg behind the other. "Personally, I blame BB."
The very foundations of the oil rig began to shake.
"Move, move, move!" Ritsuka belted out, windmilling one arm at the door before starting to run.
Gawain scooped him up with ease, and Passionlip took the lead by slapping the door out of the wall with a single hand. Out of the corner of his eye, Ritsuka saw Touko do the same for Asako and Mable get slung over a suddenly bipedal Lugh's shoulder.
They crossed through, Servants keeping the humans away from the tattered metal of the former entryway.
Ritsuka's chest clenched.
And as though timed (timed, and not done because of the strange warning he'd gotten)-
The world warped. A shaft of light, so dense and solid it couldn't be seen through, pierced the room behind them. Ritsuka shielded his eyes, the brilliance too much to withstand. The deafening roar blocked out all sound, the heat diverted only by Gawain's sturdy body. A miracle of timing, preserving their bodies even as their safe haven was eradicated in a single blow.
"We're going! We have our assignments; let's get topside so we can see any more of this coming!" Charlie barked out, cheerful demeanor gone.
Ritsuka furiously blinked the sunspots from his eyes, trying to regain his vision.
"Passionlip, Meltryllis, Gawain! Ritsuka's in your hands. I'm counting on you to keep him safe!"
"Worry about your own tasks," Meltryllis shot back. "Lip!"
"Y-yes! Um… the oil rig might not be very stable after…!"
"This is the last fight. Trust me, after this the rig will be the least of our problems!" Ritsuka called out.
And besides, it was a Singularity. Once all was said and done, history would correct itself. That was what Roman had told him of such things, and as far as Ritsuka was concerned, he was the expert.
"Augh, my eyes! Grr, let's give that bastard what for!" Asako snarled in a squeaky, pained voice. "We'll see you on the other side, big bro! Servants! Mobilize and wipe out everything!"
She really does take after Mom, was Ritsuka's last coherent thought before falling, caged by Gawain's grip as he followed the plunging star that was a burrowing Passionlip.
Ah, wait.
"Adjust course! Thirty-five degrees upward and forward, and hold!" Ritsuka barked out.
Faintly, he was aware of the Servants correcting the path.
There. Now he could focus on rubbing his eyes until they stopped being horrible.
...he really wished Mash was there.
____________________________________________________________________________
Screaming. A chorus of agony and despair, twisting and ululating through the vastness of space. Thick as miasma, a wall of sound.
That was what greeted Hakuno within the space carved by the Moon Cell.
Forcing her eyes open, she gazed upwards. Higher, higher, and higher still. And the higher she looked, the easier it was to open her eyes. Not from adaptation, no. But from shock.
"So. This is the one that laid Shakyamuni himself low."
Slow, sarcastic clapping.
The bodies that made up the tree writhed, lashed together by rotten strips of bark. The plant matter bit into flesh, stitching limb to torso to face to buttock to back to-
"Ah, ah. My eyes are up here."
Hakuno stumbled backward, forcing her attention onto the speaker who quieted the screams.
The dark-skinned man wore an ornate tunic open at the waist. Gaudy and golden, it only served to accentuate his body rather than cover it. The smallest strip of gilded cloth covered his crotch, leaving all but a thin strip of waist bare. Long, black hair curled down to his feet. Atop his head were the stubs of what would have been horns - if they hadn't been snapped off into jagged remains.
And with all of that, he might still have been considered handsome.
If not for the missing parts of his body.
A hollowed-out eye, several exposed ribs, a leg vanished below the knee, a hand floating in midair corresponding to a bare shoulder-
"Hm? Oh, yes. Sorry, I didn't have time to freshen up before you arrived. Do call next time, won't you?" He smiled. Again, it would have been charming, enticing even to her. But several of his teeth had been torn out, and even at the distance she stood at she could see the dried blood. "You see, when roughly half of your essence is torn away, it's hard to look good."
Hakuno finally found her voice. "So… you're what's turning the wheel?"
For that's what the branches of the 'tree' held - the Chakravartin, the great wheel of Saver. The intricate design, the twining rods that turned with the surety and speed of the passing ages.
"Well done you. And here I thought you'd all accept it as a given that a gnat like Twice H. Pieceman could handle all of this on his own." And with that the being gestured at the tree, the Chakravartin, and finally himself.
He addressed the Buddha by name. Given the context… and the form of the tree… "You're the Demon King."
"Well, yes. Naturally. Did you need confirmation, little one?" The man raised an arrogant brow, displaying the empty socket beneath for all to see. "Mara to my friends - and I do hope we can be friends. Though after what your dear patron did to me, I must insist on some quid pro quo."
"Who?" Hakuno furrowed her eyebrows. "Nevermind. What is that thing behind you? Is it how you-"
"Ah, ah! Questions lead to answers and those never helped anyone." Mara smiled widely. "So! Let's have a nice chat of meaningless things while your associates futilely resist against Astaroth. I'm sure that your little saferoom we temporarily allowed you is long gone. Though from what I can sense, those in it managed to evacuate." He paused. "Hrm. I'm unsure whether to be pleased or disappointed. The young are simple to corrupt, but bending a Master like yours is a project I've yearned to do. The one at Manaka's side already drowns in vice. Murder, deceit, theft, fornication - why, he'd be perfect if he drank a bit more."
Hakuno balled her hands into fists before forcing herself to relax. "So Twice isn't the mastermind."
"That pissant only got as far as he did because Shakyamuni took pity on him and decided to pat his ass until you came along and put paid to them both." Mara gave an indignant sniff. "He's empty of whatever drove the original. Ultimately little more than corrupt data. He thinks he's doing what's good for others, but plainly? That's bunk. Manaka whipped up a whisper of a ghost, offered it a deal, and he took it. Then she was going to bind us together and make us a lovely Beast, but…" He smiled. "Regardless, I think we've talked enough. Now, what is it your heart desires most?"
HACKING START.
Hakuno whipped her head around to see the line of text fly between her and Mara.
"Oh, is that my cue?"
OK!
As though on an invisible wind, data scattered like flower petals in random directions.
First, a rapid snare.
Then, a sharp harpsichord began playing in the background.
siht gniyojne uoy reA
"Helloooo Senpai!"
A massive steel pole slammed into the floor at Hakuno's feet, stretching up into the digital abyss.
BB spun around it with a manic grin, holding on with one hand just enough to slow her descent. Black vapor and pink light streamed behind her, creating an unholy backlight to her inexorable fall.
"YOU!" All pretense of charm fled Mara's face, and the myriad wounds began to seep with ichor. "Damn you, damn you, damn-!" Rage overflowed, and the promise of violence seemed to surge around him. Empty space rippled and echoed over his body, and a darkness void of stars filled in the hollow.
"Oh, ew! Senpai, you weren't meant to see him!" BB whined. "All you were supposed to do was get your memories! But, that's why I'm here! As a kouhai of proper standing, it's my duty to see you through to the end!" In a blink, she landed on her feet with catlike grace.
Hakuno withdrew her parasol and opened it overhead. Several small screens opened before her, numbers streaming across them. "What's going on? What is he talking about?"
"Welll, I tried to thwart Manaka from wreaking havoc on the Moon Cell. So I just, you know. Took a piece of him away so he couldn't Advent!" BB held her hands in front of her palm-down, like a cat's paws. "Manaka took exception and uh. Punted me back to the Far Side. But! I came back to save you so it's fine!"
Hakuno's eyes widened. She grabbed BB's arm, and began to run. "Move! Move, move, move!"
BB let out a wild laugh as they narrowly evaded a brilliant arrow. Cubes of data erupted from the floor, a chasm split where their feet trod. Devastation carved a path, only to stop short.
The Chakravartin groaned in protest as the Tree reached upwards and forced it to rotate, the screams building once again in concert.
"I'll be taking back what you stole. WITH! INTEREST!" Mara roared, flinging his disembodied hand wide. The ring above gathered speed, blood from the bodies soiling the rim. Slowly it spun, 'branches' wrapping around, turning, and releasing it in disgusting sinuous synchronicity.
A hail of arrows fell.
"I couldn't have asked for a better outcome!" BB snarled joyfully. With a hop, she scooped Hakuno into her arms. "All the pieces are in place! Every part of my plan has come together!"
Hakuno gasped, unable to do anything when BB began her mad dash towards Mara. The floor beneath them began to turn pitch-black.
____________________________________________________________________________
The best counterpoint Chaldea has is in position to cut down the Child!
Charlie ran forward, blade sweeping side-to-side. In its wake, dust was all that remained. The spearhead within Joyeuse's hilt gleamed. Twig, root, and vine fell before him.
With a titanic groan, a low-hanging branch came down in a brutal overhead. The air pressure grew heavy with the danger of impact.
Shouting, Charlie leapt upward and stabbed with the point of his blade. It sank in-
And light shone in myriad colors. Veins erupted along the wood, carrying the rainbow of Joyeuse. Cracks echoed and wood fractured. Dripping ichor fell only to evaporate upon contact with the air.
Arrows landed in the bark near him, and Charlie boosted himself up and over the branch as they exploded.
"A little more careful, Archer!" he called.
Emiya didn't respond, only nocking another arrow into place on his bow.
Charlie turned his attention back to the tree, grimly satisfied with the new amputation. "One down, who knows how many to go."
He didn't know why the former humans weren't fighting, but…
The way they were staring up at the ring was unnerving.
____________________________________________________________________________
The best people to handle your puppet and his Berserker have arrived!
Twice reeled back when the star rose over the branches. Flames dissipated, and a woman in red fell upon him with a burning sword and hateful eyes.
He shimmied to the side, narrowly avoiding a vertical bisect. "How-"
His question was answered when a rain of icicles cut off his retreat, creating a fence behind him.
"And here I thought you couldn't fall further," his former Caster opined. Her mirror floated behind her while she landed next to the swordswoman - the one Twice now remembered. "To be saved by a god, forsake that god, and then to fall in with this sort of crowd."
"Come! Berserker!" he called, feeling the first prickles of fear along his spine.
With a mechanical roar, the living fortress descended from the upper branches.
Tamamo-no-Mae tilted her head. "If I slow him down, can you remove him?"
"Hm. Hmmmm?" Nero tilted her head in return.
The fox sighed. "Just use the King of Knights' Mana Burst or something. You're related, aren't you?"
Nero bristled. "Of course we are, and I shall! Don't presume I don't know my own powers, Tamamo!"
"Whine, whine, whine; use that Privilege and let's get it over with so we can get back to our Hakuno!" Talismans floated in the air around the shrine maiden.
Nero's sword ignited, and she raised it to a ready position, eager to meet Lu Bu's charging spear. "Fine!"
The air began to warp around the talismans. "Fine!"
Twice stepped backward, suddenly aware of how high he had placed himself on the tree. And of how enclosed the space was that he had called Lu Bu to fight in.
"GRAAAAAAH!" The mountain of a man charged down, only to be slowed by the thickening air.
And that was when Nero's sword slammed him into an upper branch and set the battlefield ablaze.
____________________________________________________________________________
And as if that wasn't enough, your vampire went after one of those most likely to kill him!
Flames raged, blanketing the platform of the oil rig. Asako huddled inside the church with Mable Macintosh's unconscious body, hand on her left arm. Lines splayed down, incantations ready for her to pull and unleash.
What a joke that was.
The monster outside- she couldn't tell if it laughed or screamed. The wound Emiya left was highlighted by orange letters, ones that matched those marking Chaldea's boundary.
Touko idly puffed on a cob pipe, her coat fluttering amongst the flames. To her right, Asako's father raised his hammer once more.
Gouts of flame spiraled forth, consuming spear after spear.
You're my backup. It's only natural that I give you preference on par with your brother, if not exceeding it.
She shivered once, then stood. With some effort, she wrenched her attention from the absolute carnage and set to laying Mable out on a pew so she could rest comfortably.
Quick and efficient, as her mother had shown her in teaching basic first aid. No broken bones, barely bruised. The woman may not be in her own body, but the body was sound.
Her eyes flicked back once her task was done.
Vlad III reeled, rot spreading from the puncture in his torso. Metal rusted, and even from the distance she was at Asako saw the putrefaction of flesh illuminated by the fire's light.
Her command seals burned the back of her hand.
With a scream, Vlad launched himself at Shotaro. Lance raised high, he came down in a storm of armor and tattered red cloth. Flames clung to the fabric, painting him like a devil in a deep orange glow.
Red fog whipped around Touko as she lifted a bag, snaring Vlad's ankle and diverting his momentum into the flames.
Asako clenched her fist, gritting her teeth.
Spears erupted from the ground, creating a break in the flame that Vlad raced along. He roared in defiance, charging-
But the wound still spread. Armor fell away, revealing chest and muscle and sinew that burbled away in accelerated decay. The runes remained.
It was a battle of attrition now. If he could survive long enough to get to the church, to her Servants - he could strike them down. If not, then they won.
But… where were the others? The vassals that menaced them? The other Servants?
Steeling herself, Asako glimpsed out at the sky, where the wheel sat in silent menace.
Why had no more arrows fired?
____________________________________________________________________________
Then, naturally, your little Demon Pillar brought the worst asset to set against the ones I escorted to the observatory!
Cu and Gilgamesh repelled Astaroth's initial surge without issue. Cu rapidly pressed forward with short, sharp jabs of his lance, forcing the demon onto the defensive. Gilgamesh's armory rained down, creating a wall where the myriad serpents conjured were impaled.
Shadows melted and weapons faded to gold. In and out, back and forth, like a tide of light and darkness. Pushing and pulling in a cycle of blood and violence.
I was otherwise occupied.
There will be no second strike-
"There won't even be a first!" I snarled, pinpointing the source of the 'words'. Turning on my heel, I lashed out with a kick.
With contemptuous ease, the man caught my foot in his open palm. Bloodshot eyes stared from a haggard face. He wore an orange overshirt of some kind, with black pants. Red hair was tied in a short, spiked ponytail that wasn't long enough to fall down.
"call_beam(256)."
A bright light snapped into his shoulder, causing him to lean back just enough to free my leg. I hopped backward, keeping Rin behind me. "Appreciated!"
She didn't waste breath replying, merely releasing another beam that he swerved to avoid.
"Tears of Gerda, spill." A shimmering barrier spread behind me, and I saw Hans out of the corner of my eye. With a slight motion, he… lit a match? And flung it at some encroaching branches.
They went up in seconds, recoiling instinctively.
"I will defend the Master! Loose your powers, Faerie Prince! Li Shuwen is no opponent to disregard!"
I blinked, noticing a hand forcefully poking my sternum with its knuckles. "Eh?"
The man scowled, pulling back to repeat the punch.
"...going to guess you don't have a magic sword or blessing from whoever's in charge, huh," I clenched my fist, and yellow light lit up the space between us from the topaz upon Aoibheall. I grinned. "Honey? You've got a big storm comin'."
And the air warped, wind obscuring sight into a swirl of color from sheer pressure.
Li Shuwen was blasted backwards off of his feet, slamming into the wall behind him when the gale shredded his shirt and bit into his skin. Blood flowed from the myriad cuts, but he was durable enough that the spell was far from a fatal blow.
"Time to play keep-away from the Master, huh," I muttered. My eyes widened and I jerked my head back, narrowly avoiding spittle and fang.
Immediately a sword blossomed from the inside of its throat, rendering the snake into fading black mist.
"Stay aware, craftsman!" Gilgamesh barked. Golden portals hovered around me. "Tell me, must I tend to everything on this field!?"
"Ha!? What's going on!?" Cu Chulainn swept with his spear, causing Astaroth to hop over the length of it. With a quick twist, he blocked the riposte from the thing's cane, and he slid to the side when Astaroth spat a jet of bright green fluid toward his eyes.
The projectile continued onward and melted into the floor.
"We've got it covered! Get rid of the asshole in the awful hat!" I yelled.
"HE'S MY SERVANT! I GIVE THE ORDERS!" Rin roared. I heard her turn, heels clacking on the floor. "LANCER! PULVERIZE THAT WRETCH!"
...more or less what I said, but… Wait.
"Andersen, where's Kiara!?" I squawked.
The author didn't reply. He didn't have time.
A flood of serpents approached, Gilgamesh wrenched more portals open with a grimace-
And the ceiling caved in.
Golden claws flashed, scooping the onslaught into a ball, squeezing- And a cube fell to the ground, no larger than a paperweight.
Astaroth stumbled, shock writ on his face. Water sluiced by his feet, and he barely shuffled backwards when Meltryllis appeared out of the flow with a bladed upwards kick.
"Come! This stage is set for a prima donna! Lancer, Saber, I permit you to be my partners." She smiled eagerly, eyes glinting. "After all, a lady should have men of sufficient standing waiting upon her."
Passionlip lashed out with a claw, easily dodged by Li.
Gawain charged, blade shining ever so slightly. With a roar, he brought it down on a larger serpent, beheading it in one stroke,
Meltryllis giggled with a twirl, pressing her advantage and penning Astaroth closer and closer to Cu Chulainn. Kick after kick forced him to dodge rather than parry. Each one drove him a little more into the path of Gae Bolg's crimson thorns.
The Demon God's eyes darkened, and shadows writhed along his limbs.
And Ritsuka rolled to my side, the rings I'd crafted glimmering darkly on his fingers.
"...so that rumble?"
He nodded, face pale and drawn. Right, too much magical energy use. But our options-
I thrust him behind me and lashed out with a punch. Li made to swat it aside, but red light consumed my vision while white flame enveloped my fist. With a shout, he pulled back and disengaged, favoring his now-charred hand.
"Damn it all, was there nowhere safer to be?" I hissed.
"Aside from with you?" Ritsuka joked weakly.
I paused, long enough for Passionlip's bulk to obscure Li Shuwen. Driving my heel into the ground, runes were painted around Ritsuka in a circle courtesy of my illusions.
"Stay there!" I barked. Sweating slightly, I closed my eyes and opened my ears.
For Li Shuwen, no second strike is needed. With my bajiquan-
I whirled, and with a flicker of my armlets a sword sprouted into my palm.
Li wove back, eyes firmly on me. Passionlip stood to my side, and-
A wave of cloth spread, concealing Andersen, Ritsuka, and Rin. Golden portals shone as it fell over them.
Then the hail of swords renewed, forcing Li back.
I let out a short breath. I chanced a look at Gilgamesh.
The bastard wore smugness like a crown, his smirk irrepressible.
"...thanks," I forced out.
The smirk turned to a grin.
____________________________________________________________________________
Arrows rained down around Hakuno and BB, shards of light that fell from the slowly rotating wheel. Cubes of data sprung up in their path where wreckage was sown.
"And yet none of that helps you," Mara hissed. "You've placed yourself in the seat of my power, and made both yourself and the woman you risked so much to save targets."
Hakuno spun around, lifting a hand. Shields sprang into existence at her mere thought.
They were not enough to stop the barrage, but deflecting it away from their position - that she could do.
"Oh, I could go on and on. How I let myself get suckered into an obvious trap to secure the trust of certain parties, how I've been working with Morgan and Merlin to get rid of you from day one," BB continued blithely, sidestepping a bolt.
The wheel ground to a halt.
"But for now, there's two things that really matter."
Hakuno felt something snap into place. The thing she'd been reaching for, the source she'd sought? Knowledge flowed into her, filling in the empty spaces.
"First, I've bought time for Senpai to reconnect to the Moon Cell. After she got disconnected, you guys got free reign. With how things went, you got off easy."
"Altera!" Hakuno's scream was cut short. Blood blossomed from her stomach. Slowly, the small hand withdrew.
The short blonde in a seafoam dress smiled. Behind her, a mirror image to Sakura watched in horrified tears. Then eyes flashed crimson, the world blurred, and she was enfolded in gentle darkness.
"With the computing power of the Countess of Lovelace, don't expect a repeat." BB twirled her rod and smirked up at Mara.
Slowly, he cast his gaze around.
"Even if you're not the Senpai I knew. I'll save you. Whatever it takes. Because even if you followed different paths… you're the same person."
Hakuno clenched her fists, the ring around her finger beginning to tighten.
"Why did the firing stop?" Mara asked, too-calm.
Hakuno looked up, following his gaze.
Arms enveloped Chakravartin, holding it in place. Then, the hands attached encircled the rim. Ever so gradually it began to turn. Not under whatever power Mara had used, but guided. Arms that shone like light through a prism, undulating with radiance.
Eyes gazed down upon the tree, and Hakuno saw. The bark flaked away, and body after body began to fall. Gently, massive palms of that same rainbow radiance appeared to catch and cradle them while the structure fell apart.
"What have you done?" Mara whispered.
"I love you, Senpai."
"What I had to." BB's eyes shone a devilish red, and all form of mirth was stripped from her face. "Which is the second part. You might have been able to turn the wheel. Fueling it with the souls the Spawn of the Dead Forest enveloped, you could ape your enemy's attack. But you could never use it." Her expression cracked into a manic grin. "Not like she can."
____________________________________________________________________________
Mable gasped, eyes snapping open. Asako stepped back hurriedly, watching with trepidation while the woman grasped at her throat and shoulders.
After a moment of panic, their eyes met.
Outside, screaming began. Not of the monsters.
Asako ran for the church's doorway, and flung the wooden panel wide.
Everywhere, bark was shed. Like scabs peeling to reveal healed flesh, it fell. Armor collapsed to dust.
Everywhere, people hatched from their prisons like butterflies from their chrysalis.
Confusion reigned. The Chakravartin was still, but the Tree flailed its mighty limbs.
Touching her throat, Asako reinforced her vocal chords and cast a spell.
"ALL SURVIVORS INDOORS!"
Flames halted the onslaught of spears, and her father advanced.
She began to plan.
____________________________________________________________________________
"I observed your suffering with one thousand eyes."
She saw. The everyday pain of these, her coworkers. Their anguish as they were forced into corruption, into shattering the precept against murder again and again.
She saw the pain of Hakuno, stripped from her home. She would never return, only become a part of this new tale.
So too, saw the pain of BB - striving so long, and without true thanks all for this moment.
"And with these one thousand hands, I shall take it away."
The hands continued to gently disassemble the profane tree, the mirror to the Child of Ainnash that Mara had infected outside.
Hakuno stood firm, parasol in her grip. BB stood at her side, showing her eagerness for bloodshed but hiding the love which motivated her.
And outside, the Masters continued to fight against a fragmented Evil.
"Rise like the lotus - rise like that flower which blooms above the mud."
Kiara held her hands in mudras to ward off demons, even as her golden eyes narrowed.
"My name is Kiara Sessyoin. Whatever I may have been, whatever I may have become, I accept this fate in full."
Mara stared at her, his one good eye open in shock and terror.
"Let my compassion be your strength!" she cried, feeling warmth suffuse her body.
"NO!" Mara screamed, lunging for her.
"This is the heart of Guanyin! Om Mani Padme Hum!"
And the tree- no.
And the victims of Mara and Astaroth were enveloped in gentle light, warded from their tormentors. Hands reached, grasped, guarded. Soothed, gentled, healed. A thousand arms gave protection to the weak, and shielded them from malice.
And overhead the Chakravartin turned, undoing the harm by reversing the corruption inflicted not by seduction, but by brute force. Her hands spun it with the ease of water turning a wheel.
Mara came closer. Closer.
And a wall of numbers interposed itself.
"Hey, half-face!"
Kiara watched as Mara whirled.
Hakuno aimed her parasol. "You got to have your fun." Her eyes flashed violently. "Now it's our turn. BB!"
With a cackle, the AI launched herself at the crippled Demon King.
So continued the battle.
____________________________________________________________________________
The plants on the walls began to writhe, and Ritsuka felt the sweat pour down his face. It wasn't the same as when he fueled his father's Divine Constructs, but supporting Gilgamesh, Meltryllis, Passionlip, and Matthew simultaneously was beginning to have an effect.
"STAND! STILL!" Matthew shrieked, enveloping an entire area in blistering fire.
Li Shuwen wove around it in one quick, smooth movement. He didn't reply, eyes glazed over.
"Gotta be… something…" Ritsuka whispered. He jolted at a hand on his shoulder.
"Stay strong," Rin ordered, brushing her blonde hair away from her face. She jerked and pulled him along with her, covering them in the protective cloaks Gilgamesh had dispensed.
A torrent of scales flooded by in a single form, as wide around as three coffins side-by-side.
Atop it stood a winged man with the horns of a ram, blonde hair curling down his back. He wore not a stitch of clothing, but carried a spear.
"I suppose you think yourselves clever," Astaroth spat. His eyes were the same as the pillars in Orleans and Septem, geometric shapes with pupils. He pulled back his arm. "But even if you've released the humans, all you've done is make collateral! Even half-dead, Mara is still the candidate that girl chose for a Beast!"
What!?
"What!?" Rin squawked, echoing Ritsuka's thoughts.
"Whomst?" Matthew skipped back next to them. Passionlip clambered to their side, followed by a sliding Meltryllis, and the knights charging in.
"It doesn't matter."
The serpent coiled around the observatory, taking up almost all of the space. Li Shuwen narrowly dodged the coils, circling to find an opening.
Gilgamesh landed in front of Ritsuka and Rin, in front of all of them. A look of distaste was on his face.
"I have more than enough power to kill you here. And then I'll go in that computer, and kill those annoying AIs. And after that?" Astaroth's gaze turned to Ritsuka. "Your little sister and father are next."
Fire burned in Ritsuka's belly.
"You'll all RUE disregarding me! To be so cavalier-!"
...they didn't find out what they would rue.
Gilgamesh's distaste turned to mild surprise in the blink of an eye, only to be replaced by a deep satisfaction.
Midair over the serpent began to spin. To warp. To fracture. Fractals collided in a pattern Ritsuka knew by heart. It was the same power his mother had used rescuing him from the Matou manor.
The gate opened.
A star fell. White light descended upon the demon.
"SEEEEENPAIIIIIII!"
The serpent let out a hissing yowl, head flailing.
Astaroth flew backwards, slamming into the wall. The front of his body was a mass of bruised flesh, sizzling with smoke.
The point of impact severed the great snake in half. Carnage rippled to either side; torn flesh smoking as it cauterized. Bone crunched into fragments.
And through it all, Ritsuka felt his mana rapidly replenish.
"Wh-what? How? She's supposed to be here!" Roman babbled. "Our connection's solidified! That means the circle's established! That means-!"
"HELL YEAH!" Matthew cheered, zipping forward on dragonfly wings.
A blur of white shot out from the smoke, meeting him in midair.
A pale gauntlet grasped a silver armband. An empty hand grasped stainless armor.
She wore armor of white, with red cloth accentuating. A backdrop of crimson, with every non-metal piece the same red of roses. Like blood and bone made holy, she stood arm-in-arm with her brother.
The tiny form of Fou wiggled on her shoulder, crouching and ready to pounce.
Astaroth wrenched himself from the wall, gasping for air as he recovered from the stunning strike.
Mash Kyrielight raised a heater shield with a simple red cross upon it - a cross emblazoned with a language Ritsuka had never seen.
"Demon God!" she called, releasing Matthew. "I implore you now! Come and face me, with everything you are! Against all that I am!"
Astaroth spat. "And what are you, exactly?" he sneered. Despite the bravado, he was shaken.
Ritsuka stepped forward, away from Rin's reaching hand. Faintly, he was aware of Gilgamesh keeping her from following him.
"She's my Servant. Mash Kyrielight, Shielder!" he announced.
Mash smiled, countenance radiant.
The remains of the serpent continued to thrash. Astaroth stood, spear in his grip.
Ritsuka raised his hand. The seals burned bright. "Mash! Matthew!"
The knight raised her shield. The fairy hopped from foot to foot.
"GET RID OF HIM!"
Golden runes bloomed around the two.
And six rays of pure radiance erupted from Mash's back.
Aaaaand...I was sorta close! With my guess on the atrocity in the Observatory, I mean! But that's not saying much...as BB said, it's 'Just Magus Things'.
EDIT: In the sense of using Circuits to recreate a world, even if I was off on the 'how' and 'which world', and on getting more information/options from elsewhere, even if 'the gods/the reverse side/going to the reverse side to facilitate ease of better magecraft' wasn't what I was going for.
She wore a long skirt with edges the color of seafoam, with a necklace of tiny shells. Her top was a blue so deep it was almost black, blending into her skirt. Long sleeves ended with the same seafoam edge, and the soft susurrus of the waves echoed as cloth swayed. A smooth blue gem the size of an ear rested on a silver brooch upon her chest. She was a margin taller, and her face carried laugh lines. Her eyes were as deep as the ocean.
She wore armor of white, with red cloth accentuating. A backdrop of crimson, with every non-metal piece the same red of roses. Like blood and bone made holy, she stood arm-in-arm with her brother.
More like Paladin!Mash. This is less 'Galahad, Shield of Camelot' and more 'Galahad, the knight given powers of healing and exorcism by the Christian God and who was attended by angels and died by rapture along with the grail and the spear'.
Now obviously the Grail and Spear are absent, because this is a Shielder vessel - not a Ruler or Lancer one. But the whole 'healing the ill/wounded, yeeting demons, and attended by angels' bit is still on the table.
Adding my two cents here, one of the oddities of Galahad in FGO is that he shouldn't technically be summonable as he's kinda sorta alive according to the most popular myth. He didn't die, once he found the grail God himself sent his angels to take him to Heaven, while he was alive.
This side of him has been conspicuously absent in FGO.
The author has taken this and dialed mash up to 11, she's a "paladin" in the DnD sense. The pillars will be hurt quite a bit now. So this means that the uphill climb just got worse
Kiara's ascension (?) gave me chills when I got to it.
I suppose that's it for this sub-singularity, all that's left is to chew gum, kick some ass and go back home.
I wonder how Manaka and her band of villains will react. This is the 3rd victory for team Chaldea. One of the weaknesses of Part 1 FGO(and honestly, part 2 too) is that the villains keep taking the L all the way to the end. Altho Part 2 did include the poisoning from Vitch as a counter attack that led to Lb3, so there is that...
Anyways, great chapter! Eagerly waiting for the next one
Name: Guanyin (Kiara Sessyoin)
Class: Saver
Alias: Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokiteśvara, Kannon Bosatsu/Kanzeon Bosatsu, [The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World, The Last Prophet
Alignment: Neutral Good
Basis: Buddhism, Eastern Religions
Origin: Heaven
The 'Kiara' of F/GO's true nature, codified. A saintlike young woman who, uninterrupted, would have lived a quiet but fulfilling life respected by her small community. Driven from society due to her abilities outperforming in the fields of medicine(and thus threatening capitalistic interests), she ended up on Seraphix.
In several timelines, it is here she would be overwritten by another 'Kiara' by the intervention of a Demon God, and embrace the depravity of a 'her' from yet another time entire.
Needless to say, this did not come to pass.
Burdened with a curable illness while residing in a particularly 'carnal' Buddhist sect, she was saved from a doctor who entered from the outside. This was the first point of divergence from her Lunar identity, and one native to the timeline of F/GO.
The second (and local to the specific timeline of INarM) was the attention of the Queen's Advisor, Merlin Ambrosius of Avalon - seeing the myriad worlds before him and coerced to share and/or act by his queen, Merlin relayed what he knew.
The third and final point was the exodus of the AI known as 'BB' in the aftermath of the Moon Cell's overhaul at Manaka Sajyou's hands.
And so Kiara Sessyoin's fate was sealed. Morgan could not countenance such a threat as even an immature Beast, and the solution was simple. Plant the seeds of full enlightenment, and let them take root.
Thus BB, unnoticed, implanted the data of the Bodhisattva of Compassion and Goddess of Mercy.
Guanyin, one of the most beloved figures not only in Buddhism but across much of Eastern Asia. Vowing to hear and answer the prayers of all those who suffer in need and soothe karmic woes, she is known in one particular sect as the 'Barque of Salvation'. The tales of her are myriad. She exemplifies love, mercy, and compassion. Some say that she was a Zhenren. Due to accidental conflation of religious iconography, she often takes the role of protector to women and children. This is due to association with Hariti, a demon that once devoured children before switching to pomegranates and becoming a guardian of women and the young. All see her as champion of the sick, poor, and unfortunate.
(It may also be noted, unrelatedly, that she is a main figure in the epic 'Journey to the West'.)
Parameters:
STR: D
END: EX
AGI: C
MAN:B
LUK:A
NP: EX
Skills:
Charisma (A)
Counter Hero (C)
Five Approaches to Meditation (A)
Enlightenment of the Pomegranate (A++): Tied to Hariti's treatment as an aspect of Kannon, this skill is not unlike Shakyamuni's 'Enlightenment of the Sacred Fig'. The 'bodhi' granted by Buddha to repel evil powers and black magic, as well as heal the sick. In exchange for a reduction in rank, which causes the slightest vulnerability, the power of healing is vastly amplified. Thus the aspect of 'compassion' is exemplified: giving up protection so that the Bodhisattva may offer aid and succor to others. Mental Interference is still negated, and the holder of the skill can resist temptations just as well. However, there is the chance that she could be felled through 'scratch damage', and Divinity can also prove a stalling point.
Observation of Suffering (B): As part of Guanyin's vow, she is innately capable of seeing that which causes pain to any sentient being. Likewise, she is also given an almost instinctual accuracy in tending those pains. Gently and slowly drawing out the poison of the past, soothing wounds of the present, and kindly ushering the target towards a future where even if enlightenment is impossible they may yet find fulfillment. That said, she can also observe the absence of suffering, and even the reasons for it.
Bodhisattva (EX): The authority of love, compassion, and mercy. While she herself is not a turner of the wheel, should the Chakravartin be present she is fully capable of utilizing it to usher those around her towards enlightenment. However. It is not something she would normally do, given it is often against the targets' wills. That would go against her vows - for enlightenment is, in and of itself, a choice each sentient being must make and strive for. It is not something to be unleashed as a weapon.
Beyond that, it presents Guanyin with an aura of kindness that cannot be mistaken. Those who reject such love and those who are inured to it (through their own love or boundless malice) are immune, but all others are prone to trusting her and letting slip their darkest secrets. (Of course, such secrets are treasured appropriately and the wounds that fester tended. So goes the vow.) As an aside, those who knew of the 'other' Kiara Sessyoin are granted a sizable bonus to resist the effect, though not immunity.
Noble Phantasm:
Om Mani Padme Hum (She of the Lotus Jewel) (EX): The manifestation of Guanyin's cosmic power, if only but a little. She too is very nearly a Buddha, and has all the power that implies. The sutra exalting her describes her as being given one thousand eyes to observe the world, and a thousand hands to aid it. A power of salvation unlike the Transmigration into One, it is devoted to relieving earthly and karmic suffering. By standing as an example of holding the Five Precepts and giving mercy and compassion to all, it is a nearly unstoppable healing ability. Externally inflicted corruption, transmutation, destruction - all are reversed within the confines of Guanyin's thousand palms. Spiritual pains are soothed as well. Exemplifying mercy, this does not so much put any affected on a path to enlightenment as 'give them a second chance to start fresh'. So long as a spark of life and personality remains, this Noble Phantasm can take root - death of the 'self' or body is still beyond that final boundary. In other words, where there is a will there is a way.
It must be noted that due to the sheer disruption of causality invoked by this Noble Phantasm, it is not invoked lightly or often. Only when all other routes - through skills, knowledge, or outside aid - are exhausted does it become considered. It is not a True Magic, but it is still orders higher than what mortal magecraft or science can accomplish at this point in the Age of Man.
She wore a long skirt with edges the color of seafoam, with a necklace of tiny shells. Her top was a blue so deep it was almost black, blending into her skirt. Long sleeves ended with the same seafoam edge, and the soft susurrus of the waves echoed as cloth swayed. A smooth blue gem the size of an ear rested on a silver brooch upon her chest. She was a margin taller, and her face carried laugh lines. Her eyes were as deep as the ocean.
"Tears of Gerda, spill." A shimmering barrier spread behind me, and I saw Hans out of the corner of my eye. With a slight motion, he… lit a match? And flung it at some encroaching branches.
FGO being a 5 year old game(and well into it's decline imo) probably means we'll never see any new servant classes get added to the game, so reading this profile was really enjoyable!
She's clearly a support oriented Servant, so I can't help but theorycraft what her kit(and class?) would be like in game...
Hmm, Saver class(unnerfed) could deal neutral damage to all classes and receive half damage from all(including from berserkers)?
Enlightened Kiara's skills:
S1: Enlightenment of the Pomegranate (A++) - Skill cooldown 7-5 turns
-Increase healing effectiveness of self by 30-70% for 3 turns,
-Increase debuff resistance for self by 30-50% for 3 turns,
-Increase attack of entire party by 10-20% for 3 turns
-Further increase attack of entire party vs Evil OR Demonic trait by 30-50% for 3 turns
-1 hit invincibility for self(no cooldown on this)
(Maybe the 1 hit invincible to signify how the skill lets her help people but her protection can be bypassed?)
S2: Observation of Suffering (B) - Skill cooldown: 7-5 turns.
Timer buff on self for 3 turns:
-At the end of each turn remove 1 stack of Burn, curse or Poison damage from the entire team.
-Heal 300-500 health per turn for entire party
-Charge all allies np gauge by 30%(Last part is so that she wouldn't be forgotten in the "meta" like poor Reines was)
(Uhh, this one is hard cuz her np kit already has a debuff cleanse and heal, but hell, Medea lily is 300% all in on healing so why not)
S3: Bodhisattva (EX) - Skill cooldown: 7-5 turns
(Uhh, ok, ignore the upper line, THIS is the hardest skill to convert into an ingame kit. Also, I'm not used to making servant kits so making a kit for an EX skill is kinda hard)
-Apply taunt on other 2 allies so the enemies CAN'T hit Kiara? (1 or 2) turn?
-If the taunt successfully lands on the allies, give them 20-30% np gain up, 50-100% star gen up and defense up?(50% for 3 hits lasts 3 turns)
-Gain 10-25 critical stars
-Remove 1 set of buffs from all enemies(not ALL buffs, just the latest buff they applied ala Santa Nightingale S1)
NP: Om Mani Padme Hum (She of the Lotus Jewel) (EX)
Arts NP
(More tools for the greatest card type in the game, but uhhh, blame the blue elephant DW released last anniversary really)
-Teamwide debuff cleanse, activates 1st(Jeanne is crying)
-1.5k team wide heal
(yes I know its not a big phat heal, but her s1 and s3 exists, she had a loaded kit and Tamamo and Nightingale and Jeanne are on their death bed as is)(scales on NP level, 1.5k at np1 and 3k at np5),
-Debuff immunity for 3 turns,
-100% Buff removal resistance for 1 turn
-Damage cut for 3 hits lasts 3 turns(OC scaling, 2000 at 100%, increase by 1000 each OC).
I can't help but wonder if I designed her to be too OP?
But then I look at Castoria and wonder if Kiara is OP enough to do justice to the Savor class?
Seriously DW I am a certified Artoria SIMP but what the HELL is that dummy kit? The current OP OP OP Hybrid Stall team combo of Castoria, Himiko and Merlin can't be even touched because Castoria will be putting up 5 hit anti purge invincibilites for 3 turns EVERY 3 TURNS on the clock.
You legit need a buff clear gimmick on the boss fight consistently (from break bars or on nps) to even hurt this team, and unlike full stall teams, Himiko can pack a wallop at the drop of the hat(or Merlins Hero creation), sooooooo yeah...
Honestly, considering how Saver class was such an untouchable insurmountable wall in the original Fate/ Extra, what I designed is probably underwhelming at best. But between her loaded kit and the fact that she'll be taking 0 damage(or half damage from all classes) probably means she should be "OP" enough.
So I'm a bit confused as to how Mash's upgrade works. I understand that it's tied to the Shield of Evelach and that it contains some kind of shade of Galahad that'll merge with the wielder, granting them all the holier aspects of his legend. As I understand it, its meant to be an alternate version of her standard canon power-set. But what's stopping Galahad, the one inside her, from going 'not allowed to use it lol', since it was his originally? Hell, what's the guarantee that the Galahad inside the Shield of Evelach is any more amenable than him?
So I'm a bit confused as to how Mash's upgrade works. I understand that it's tied to the Shield of Evelach and that it contains some kind of shade of Galahad that'll merge with the wielder, granting them all the holier aspects of his legend. As I understand it, its meant to be an alternate version of her standard canon power-set. But what's stopping Galahad, the one inside her, from going 'not allowed to use it lol', since it was his originally? Hell, what's the guarantee that the Galahad inside the Shield of Evelach is any more amenable than him?
So that relies on two assumptions. First, that Galahad is conscious (which he isn't at the present moment). Second, that the spirit in the shield is in fact Galahad. There is one Galahad active at this time. Essentially, I revealed exactly what is inside the shield when Mash invoked it at the end of the chapter. I'm not doing further stats until after next chapter, but that's definitely something I'll part with to clear that up.
Given the choice between letting her use it and rotating with him to use Lord Camelot or being pissy and letting neither happen, Galahad will likely choose the former once he's aware again. I have an entire scene regarding it plotted out in my head (though I haven't written it out yet). It will likely be part of the denouement of the event next chapter, given what the basic themes of the next handful are.
So that relies on two assumptions. First, that Galahad is conscious (which he isn't at the present moment). Second, that the spirit in the shield is in fact Galahad. There is one Galahad active at this time. Essentially, I revealed exactly what is inside the shield when Mash invoked it at the end of the chapter. I'm not doing further stats until after next chapter, but that's definitely something I'll part with to clear that up.
Given the choice between letting her use it and rotating with him to use Lord Camelot or being pissy and letting neither happen, Galahad will likely choose the former once he's aware again. I have an entire scene regarding it plotted out in my head (though I haven't written it out yet). It will likely be part of the denouement of the event next chapter, given what the basic themes of the next handful are.
