It’s Always Sunny In Trifas: A Trent and Xan Production

[Mockingly-Tricky]

Trent nodded and rolled his shoulders, picking up the Mystic Code that had been passed down through the Blackmore line. "Caw caw, motherfuckers."

Click to shrink...

Nice one liner.

While this chapter wasn't to fast in terms of development, it does bring up a question.

When Johan and Trent were dropped into Apo, Salem had not been released on NA yet.

Is their knowledge being updated?

 

[burningclaw2]

Nice one liner.

While this chapter wasn't to fast in terms of development, it does bring up a question.

When Johan and Trent were dropped into Apo, Salem had not been released on NA yet.

Is their knowledge being updated?

Click to shrink...

They probably knew of it from JP since there are people who play both and Salem was translated rather quickly as it came out back then.

 

[Xanothos]

Nice one liner.

While this chapter wasn't to fast in terms of development, it does bring up a question.

When Johan and Trent were dropped into Apo, Salem had not been released on NA yet.

Is their knowledge being updated?

Click to shrink...

Well-

They probably knew of it from JP since there are people who play both and Salem was translated rather quickly as it came out back then.

Click to shrink...

This, pretty much. While Trent is the one who actually plays JP (I've had consistently abysmal luck with emulators), I've kept relatively abreast of topics I'm interested in, and Lovecraftian stuff is distinctly in my wheelhouse of interest.

 

[Xanothos]

Chapter 8: The Gang Sabotages A Postpartum Abortion​

Gordes stood in the middle of a clearing in the forest, Rider of Black standing off to the side due to a Command Seal-enforced order from his Master, and a homunculus lying against a rock. Though there were a multitude of crows and ravens of all sizes in the trees, the Musik man assumed it was simply Blackmore watching from a distance.

As he advanced on the homunculus, his arms transfigured into metal, his stature (horizontal though it may have been) allowing him to loom over the boy. His face was twisted in anger, his cheeks splotchy and reddened, his mouth pulled into an outraged grimace. Despite his hands being held at the ready to strike, his fingers were curling and uncurling, almost as if he was imagining the homunculus's neck in them. "You, you! This is all your fault, you defective thing! If it weren't for you, Darnic wouldn't be breathing down my neck, and our plans for the War wouldn't be behind schedule!"

While the homunculus said nothing, Rider of Black's nose crinkled in distaste as he was forced to watch.

Then, as the alchemist drew back his fist above the homunculus, the various birds in the trees broke out cackling, their wings waving in the air as they chorused. As the group looked around at the sudden cacophony, a pair of large red eyes skulked toward them, and the cacophony broke as quickly as it started. It was replaced by a low, rhythmic croaking, that they soon identified as laughing. As the red orbs locked on to Gordes, the laughter gave way to a low rumble which soon became clear to the onlookers.

"I'm a member of the Midnight Crew! I'm a night owl, and a wise bird too! Home with the milk in the morning, singing the same old song! Rise with the moon, head to bed with the sun, early to bed and you'll miss all the fun! Bring your strife and trouble, it'll never trouble you, that's what it means to be a member of the Midnight Crew!"

As the figure went through that whole chorus, it slipped into a strange dancing lope, its arms waving as if directing, and the birds in the directions it pointed to reacting with loud squawks and screeches. As it stepped into the clearing proper, the birds all took flight, circling around it at the being's direction.

The light of the moon and stars made the figure's appearance all the more stark as he stood before them. It was a masculine form, clad in a button up shirt and slacks, the sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to where its upper arms would be. However, where it should have had visible skin, sleek black feathers covered its flesh, except for its mouth. Where its mouth should have been, was a large black beak, cruelly curved, set beneath the eyes like crimson lamps.

Its gaze locked onto Gordes and its head quirked to the side, the thing making something of a croaking sound as it loomed. The blond man coughed a few times and cleared his throat as he tried to puff himself back up, despite the fact that his face had rapidly lost colour. The man bobbed his head a bit as he adjusted his collar, and wheezed, "Blackmore, what exactly are you trying to achieve here?"

The figure stared at him, gaze piercing as it hunched forward, appendages that were a fusion of talons and claws wriggling a bit as if considering what to do with them. Its beak clattered a bit, and croaked, "Rawk, this pointless farce is to be terminated post haste, Gordes Musik."

Gordolf attempted to puff himself up again in the face of Blackmore's order. "Th-that homunculus is necessary for the plans of the Black Faction, he's to be a component in Caster's Noble Phantasm—"

"ScraaAaAaaaAaaw!"

The screech that the figure unleashed was fierce enough to launch a spray of spittle and phlegm all over Gordes' front. It took another step forward, as it continued, its beak open. "If Caster's Noble Phantasm requires components and such be gathered, then Darnic and the rest of the Black Faction should have gathered them before the War! CAAAAAW! He had sixty years to prepare, and all he did was round up a gang of misfits that he'd just as easily throw away if he thought it would benefit his gaining the Grail, the unenlightened mudman!"

The Master of Saber of Black stumbled back and away, but the corvine man took another step and held his arms wide as he gestured at the homunculus, screeching, "You, your son, the Forvedges, that dumb bitch Celenike, that autistic golem kid, Darnic would literally throw you all to the flames if he thought it would get him a step closer to the Grail. This homunculus today, your son tomorrow! If he had the forethought to actually plan for the Grail War, he'd have won the first day!"

When Trent mentioned Gordolf, the older man's eyes widened and his hands clenched into fists, his eyes filling with fear and rage.

Blackmore shuddered a bit and then reached out, his taloned fingers floating beneath Gordes's nose. "RAWK! Did you grow this Hitler-stache to impress Darnic? Because it didn't work for shit!" With that, he dragged his talon across Musik's upper lip, shearing the hair from it. The large man flinched and one of his hands came up to brush where his moustache had been, coming away with a small trace of blood.

The birdman then waved his arm back to the homunculus, and shrieked, "Not only that, but do you expect Ruler, a literal Saint, to actually just think that using what she would classify as an uninvolved bystander to fuel a Noble Phantasm is alright? Do you honestly think that?!"

Before anyone could interrupt, there was a huge crash and Mordred's armoured body slammed into the clearing, her body ragdolling to the ground. Trent looked over at her and remarked, "You didn't watch out for his Noble Phantasm, like I warned you to?"

"Shut up, bird bastard," she replied as she got up, Clarent held loosely in one hand, most likely grimacing something fierce under her helmet.

As she readied her sword and started to head the way she came, Saber of Black stepped into the clearing, his handsome face set in a stoic mask. He moved to stand beside his Master, the Musik man swelling up with his Servant there to support him. Gordolf cleared his throat and barked, "Saber, grab the homunculus, and let's return to the castle!"

While Siegfried moved to retrieve the homunculus and Mordred readied herself to try and hold him off, Blackmore quietly inquired, "Dragging an innocent boy to get sacrificed, at the behest of a lord…do you feel like a hero yet?"

The Saber flinched back as if struck, his face twisting in surprise. His mouth opening in shock when faced with those words. Before he could respond, Trent continued to drive the knife deeper. "Would you really be able to make your wish if you willingly sacrificed someone so callously?" Blackmore shook his head, his crimson eyes locked on to Siegfried as he clapped lightly, talons clicking against each other loudly. "My, my, what a hero!"

"Hey!" Astolfo interrupted, causing everyone to look to him. "I hate to admit it, but the bird demon kind of has a point! It's like how heroes share their meat with everyone, and the birdy boy's trying to explain it, but Saber, you're trying to make the homunculus meat to catch the birds in the bush! That's just not how being a hero works!"

No one had anything to say to that, the complete nonsense that the Rider had spouted managing to silence the clearing. Trent shook his head, coughed, then said, "Thank you for your support, Rider. I have no idea what you said, but I'm sure it made sense to you."

"Not a lick!" Astolfo cheered happily, hands placed firmly on his hips.

Before anyone could react further, Siegfried wrapped his arms around Gordes' neck, pulling him into a tight headlock. The blond man tried to struggle against the hold, slapping at the arms choking him out. When the Master was unconscious, Saber of Black nodded to them, his face set in a solemn look as he said, "Take the boy and go, please."

Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Trent wrapped a taloned hand around the arm of the homunculus and hoisted him over his shoulder. Nodding his head a bit, his eyes crinkling at the corners, Trent remarked, "Looks like you got some hero in you after all. See you around, Saber of Black."

He then walked into the darkness of the forest, leaving the clearing behind. Noticing that Mordred wasn't following him, he shook his head a bit, remembering that admitting his alliance with her would end badly for him.

---

Kairi took a puff of his cigarette as he leaned against a tree. Johan stood a few meters away, clear of the smoke zone. While Trent was off traumatizing people as an "enlightened birdman" and Mordred was off making sure Seigfried didn't interfere with said traumatizing, Johan, Kairi, and Jekyll were playing mission control...which had thus far amounted to precisely jack and squat.

Johan wasn't complaining, though. If one of Trent's plans actually went off without a hitch for a change, that would be nothing short of a miracle.

Of course, that was when a green blur was launched across the small clearing, impacting a nearby tree with a crunching noise. Even as Jekyll faded into view in front of his Master and Kairi unslung his shotgun, Johan's eyes fixed on the figure.

Golden cat ears folded back against flaxen hair fading to green. An ornate black bow was held at the ready, an arrow already nocked and pointing away into the forest from whence its wielder came. Booted feet maintained an impossible vertical grip on the tree as Archer of Red glanced between the three of them and immediately dismissed them as threats. The Chaste Huntress' leonine gaze pierced the forest, seeking a target none of the rest of them could see.

Well, until that target barreled into the clearing as well. The new Servant's eyes were concealed behind her reddish-pink hair, but the way her mouth was pulled into a vicious grimace told all that needed to be known about her mood.

As Berserker of Black rocketed towards Atalante, lightning-rod-mace pulled back for a blow, a trio of arrows sprouted from her body; two in her leading shoulder and one in the meat of her side. A fourth arrow ricocheted off of the bronze spike arcing up from her forehead, and then Frankenstein's Monster was on top of her prey.

All of this had happened in the span of something like four seconds, and as the two opposing Servants rejoined combat, Kairi grabbed Johan by the back of his hoodie, threw him over his shoulder, and hauled ass away from the impending battleground.

Johan, for his part, felt more than saw Jekyll's reluctance to leave Fran to fight Atalante alone, and quickly made a decision. Probably a bad one, in hindsight, but he made it all the same.

'You can support her if you want, Doctor. If we run into trouble, we have our Command Seals.'

Jekyll glanced back at Johan, and gave a sharp nod, hand fishing in his pocket for that vial. As lava filled Johan's circuits, Berserker quaffed his Noble Phantasm. Instantly the lava became plasma, and Jekyll's flesh burst.

As the duo passed out of sight of the battlefield, the last thing Johan saw was the hulking, black-furred form of Edward Hyde falling upon a shocked Atalante, claws flashing.

After running for a couple minutes, Kairi slung Johan off of his shoulder and tossed him onto the ground. Before the albino could even rise from where he'd been dumped, the older man spun and raised his gun, pointing into the shadows of the forest.

"Come out with your hands up," Kairi said gruffly, his empty hand fidgeting with a pouch at his belt. Quickly, the people he'd addressed complied, though probably not how the scarred mercenary had anticipated.

First to exit the forest was a brunette woman with a kind face marred by a frown. Of more note, of course, were the four mechanical arms seemingly sprouting from her back. Two of them were planted firmly on the ground, acting in lieu of her non-functional legs, while the other two were raised, as requested. The ominous glow emitting from the left arm and the shimmering energy blade sprouting from the right went a bit against the spirit of the request, though.

Behind Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillenia stood a brunet, bespectacled boy, his features quite similar to Fiore's. Caules Forvedge Yggdmillenia was a nervous looking boy, Johan observed from his prone position. Understandable, really; Johan wasn't exactly having a great time being in combat situations himself.

As hardened mercenary stared down protective older sister, the silence grew tense. Wind stilled, leaves froze, the hairs on the back of every present neck reached for the sky…

And into that silence, Johan voiced a sound that was meant to be a throat-clearing cough but sounded more like a toad swallowing a particularly disagreeable brick.

"...Parley?"

 

[Finagle007]

"Hey!" Astolfo interrupted, causing everyone to look to him. "I hate to admit it, but the bird demon kind of has a point! It's like how heroes share their meat with everyone, and the birdy boy's trying to explain it, but Saber, you're trying to make the homunculus meat to catch the birds in the bush! That's just not how being a hero works!"

Click to shrink...

That actually did make some sense to me. Too bad Charlie's not in this war... I'd really love to see an Apocrypha fic where Charlie showed up...

 

[Mockingly-Tricky]

The light of the moon and stars made the figure's appearance all the more stark as he stood before them. It was a masculine form, clad in a button up shirt and slacks, the sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to where its upper arms would be. However, where it should have had visible skin, sleek black feathers covered its flesh, except for its mouth. Where its mouth should have been, was a large black beak, cruelly curved, set beneath the eyes like crimson lamps.

Its gaze locked onto Gordes and its head quirked to the side, the thing making something of a croaking sound as it loomed. The blond man coughed a few times and cleared his throat as he tried to puff himself back up, despite the fact that his face had rapidly lost colour. The man bobbed his head a bit as he adjusted his collar, and wheezed, "Blackmore, what exactly are you trying to achieve here?"

The figure stared at him, gaze piercing as it hunched forward, appendages that were a fusion of talons and claws wriggling a bit as if considering what to do with them. Its beak clattered a bit, and croaked, "Rawk, this pointless farce is to be terminated post haste, Gordes Musik."

Gordolf attempted to puff himself up again in the face of Blackmore's order. "Th-that homunculus is necessary for the plans of the Black Faction, he's to be a component in Caster's Noble Phantasm—"

"ScraaAaAaaaAaaw!"

The screech that the figure unleashed was fierce enough to launch a spray of spittle and phlegm all over Gordes' front. It took another step forward, as it continued, its beak open. "If Caster's Noble Phantasm requires components and such be gathered, then Darnic and the rest of the Black Faction should have gathered them before the War! CAAAAAW! He had sixty years to prepare, and all he did was round up a gang of misfits that he'd just as easily throw away if he thought it would benefit his gaining the Grail, the unenlightened mudman

Click to shrink...

Trent, the actual fuck. Keep that kinky shit in the bedraum.

Hey!" Astolfo interrupted, causing everyone to look to him. "I hate to admit it, but the bird demon kind of has a point! It's like how heroes share their meat with everyone, and the birdy boy's trying to explain it, but Saber, you're trying to make the homunculus meat to catch the birds in the bush! That's just not how being a hero works!"

Click to shrink...

*wipes tear*
Truly a speech befitting a knight of Charlemagne. The wisdom and intelligence in this words is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Now if only someone could tell me what they meant.

 

[Crusader Jerome]

Chapter 8: The Gang Sabotages A Postpartum Abortion

Click to shrink...

Choose life, always.

 

[Mockingly-Tricky]

Choose life, always.

Click to shrink...

I can't tell if you're joking or not. In case you're not, please don't bring politics into a fanfiction thread.

In case you are, I have one line to say.

"But what if the baby is a douchebag?"

 

[Crusader Jerome]

I can't tell if you're joking or not. In case you're not, please don't bring politics into a fanfiction thread.

Click to shrink...

Not politics, religion. Does my username look like a joke to you?
(I won't take offense if you say yes. I agree.)

In case you are, I have one line to say.

"But what if the baby is a douchebag?"

Click to shrink...

Most babies, like not-Sieg-in-this-worldline, are blank slates when born. But God loves all babies, even the douchebags.

 

[Mizu]

Not politics, religion. Does my username look like a joke to you?

Click to shrink...

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with abortion, from a political or religious viewpoint, the author has asked you not bring it into this thread.

 

[Xanothos]

That actually did make some sense to me. Too bad Charlie's not in this war... I'd really love to see an Apocrypha fic where Charlie showed up...

Click to shrink...

Really? It made sense to you? Because none of us knew what the fuck Astolfo was talking about, including Astolfo!

Trent, the actual fuck. Keep that kinky shit in the bedroom.


*wipes tear*
Truly a speech befitting a knight of Charlemagne. The wisdom and intelligence in this words is nothing short of awe-inspiring. Now if only someone could tell me what they meant.

Click to shrink...

If you ever find out, please, let me know. XV

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with abortion, from a political or religious viewpoint, the author has asked you not bring it into this thread.

Click to shrink...

Technically, the author (me) has not asked that...until now, because I concur. Regardless of any religious themes this fic might have due to the Servants present, this thread is certainly not the place to debate ones beliefs.

I kindly request that neither political nor religious debate occur in this thread. Thank you.

 

[Crusader Jerome]

I did not intend to start a debate and will stop now.

 

[Finagle007]

Really? It made sense to you? Because none of us knew what the fuck Astolfo was talking about, including Astolfo!

Click to shrink...

Eh, I blame Xomniac's masterpiece. Luffy and Astolfo would get along very well.

 

[Mockingly-Tricky]

If you ever find out, please, let me know. XV

Click to shrink...

I took it to mean "You aren't doing good for the sake of doing good, and are instead furthering schemes."

It's either that, or Astolfo wanted a hot dog.

The meat part had me a bit confused.

EDIT: edited my my post commenting on Trent's appearance to better describe my feelings.

 

[C4d]

Trent Blackmoore, enlightened birdman-persons condescending speeches to the unenlightened mudmen will never not be entertaining.

 

[Mizu]

I'm kinda curious how Trent managed to go bird-face for that interaction in the woods, personally. Some element of his family magecraft, I presume - was it inspired by the Demon Pillar of Salem, by any chance?

 

[Xanothos]

I'm kinda curious how Trent managed to go bird-face for that interaction in the woods, personally. Some element of his family magecraft, I presume - was it inspired by the Demon Pillar of Salem, by any chance?

Click to shrink...

Yes to both questions. I'd give you a gold star, but I'm poor, so have an "Insightful" instead.

 

[Xanothos]

Chapter 9: Johan Spills His Spaghetti All Over A Katawa Shoujo​

As three pairs of eyes (well, two and a pair of shades) turned to him, Johan struggled to his feet. He rubbed the back of his neck, which was sore from the none-too-gentle landing he'd just experienced. "You're Fiore and Caules Forvedge, yes?" He knew the answer, but he was struggling, dammit!

"Indeed," Fiore responded in a calm, albeit guarded manner. "And you are?"

"Johan, one of the members of the White Faction." He scratched his head. "Kinda wish we'd have met under better circumstances, but when do things ever go according to plan?"

Fiore blinked. "So, that letter was your doing, then?" The glow started to fade from her robot limbs, but did not dissipate entirely. She frowned at him. "I must confess, there was...sensitive information in that letter I am not quite sure how you found, but that can wait for later."

In the distance, a sound somewhere between a roar and a howl echoed, followed by the crash of what sounded to be a tree falling. The Forvedges started and stared into the forest.

"Don't mind Berserker," Johan said dryly. "He's just helping out your Berserker, young man."

At that, Caules' head snapped around, an almost desperate look on his face. "Is it true? Can you really heal my sister's legs, like your letter said?"

"Caules!" Fiore reprimanded, an embarrassed look on her face.

"Me?" Johan asked rhetorically. "No. My Servant, on the other hand, has my fullest confidence."

It was at that point that a crow swooped down from the heavens and screeched, "SCRAW! I've successfully acquired cardboard!"

Johan glanced up at Trent's familiar. "Good to hear. Angriest Cat got attacked by Fran and Berserker is backing Fran up. As you can see, the Forvedges have encountered us. Do hurry back, would you? The less time we spend in a literal warzone, the better."

"Yeah, well I got one hell of a paper weight that I'm lugging around over my shoulder, so it'll be a bit, caaaw!" the familiar crowed before exploding in a shower of feathers, which then burnt up before hitting anyone.

Johan sighed, before turning back towards Fiore and Caules. "And that would be the dubious personage known as Trent Blackmore, though I'm sure you've experienced his handiwork before."

Fiore looked as though she was trying very hard not to laugh; probably remembering how Trent had first verbally then literally shat on Darnic. "A-ahem. Yes, his familiars have visited Castle Yggdmillenia before. He is...quite the memorable individual."

Kairi let out a harsh chuckle, his gun gone from his hand and secreted away in his coat. "That's puttin' it lightly. That boy ain't right."

It was at that moment that Mordred stomped out of the woods, Trent still in birdman form slung over her shoulder, with the homunculus slung over his shoulders in some bizzare fireman's pyramid. The Saber looked at her Master and the small gathering and explained, "Bird Bastard was going too slow."

"Hey, I'm lugging an entire person, and I'm not superhuman; cut me some slack with that sword of yours," Blackmore complained lightly from over her shoulder. He then remarked, "If you weren't wearing armour I'd spa—and the blood going to my head is a definite problem now."

Johan sighed. If this had been a sitcom, he was sure that this would've been the moment the Seinfeld theme would've played alongside a laugh track. As it was, they sort of just stood around awkwardly. Mordred then dropped Blackmore on his head, garnering a squawk as he flopped down atop the homunculus, who just groaned quietly.

Lifting his hand up, the birdman declared, "I'll admit, I deserved that."

"Don't you always?" Johan asked rhetorically. Meanwhile, Caules and Fiore were too busy staring in horror and not a small amount of disgust at the bird-headed monstrosity that Trent had become.

Kairi, for his part, merely pulled out a cigarette and fumbled with a lighter, nearly dropping it when another eerie howl echoed from the distance, this one carrying a tinge of frustration. Johan winced as the fire in his circuits flared briefly to lava levels once more, before petering off altogether. Trent himself shuddered as he picked himself off the ground, his feathers doing an odd dance across his flesh that he really wasn't fond of.

Pulling a vial out of his pocket and popping the top off, he toasted at the others as he threw it back. The change was sudden and somewhat shocking as the feathers all but fell out of his skin, leaving behind tender gooseflesh as the beak concealing his mouth fell off his face. Blinking a few times, red turned back to blue and the blond grimaced as he remarked, "Tastes awful, but damn if the good doctor doesn't work miracles."

"If you care," Carmilla flatly remarked as she strolled out of the woods, sunglasses still on despite the fact that it was night and clad in casual clothing, "the Archer of Red has been picked up by their Rider and they've fled. This might be the best chance to retreat."

Fiore's eyes snapped to Carmilla as she spoke, arms crossed as she processed all the information that was being presented. Caules, for his part, looked somewhat overwhelmed by all of the things happening in rapid succession.

Of course, that was the moment when Frankenstein's Monster jogged into the clearing, bodily carrying Dr. Jekyll like a blushing bride. At that point, Caules decided that maybe it would be best to stop thinking for a while. Seeing the look of utter bewilderment on the young man's face, Trent nodded sadly in understanding as he commiserated, "Sometimes, it just be like that on this bitch of an Earth."

Johan nodded in agreement, looking at both Berserkers with a complicated, constipated expression on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a brunet man wearing vaguely Grecian white and brown armor and carrying a bow emerge from the forest beside Fiore. Archer of Black, known by the name Chiron in life, bent to speak softly in his Master's ear. As he did so, the straw-like hair of his horse tail swished into view briefly.

Johan glanced around the clearing awkwardly, then coughed loudly. "Ssssso...shall we go somewhere that isn't a warzone and discuss our prospects of alliance…?" He was talking to Fiore and Caules, but it was less awkward to talk to the entire clearing collectively, dammit!

"Sounds like a plan to me," the blond former birdman agreed as he rubbed at the back of his neck with one hand and keeping the homunculus standing with the other. "Although, anyone got any pain meds? My neck's killing me."

"I can make something," Jekyll offered, still gripped in Fran's powerful arms, "though my lab is running low on reagents. Once I have made my elixir for Miss Forvedge, I shall require new stock if my alchemy is to be of any measurable use...other than the acid Assassin procured, of course."

Johan rubbed his jaw. "Not sure where we'd get stuff like that out here...might have to rob Caster of Black's lab if we get the chance." He frowned. "We'll figure something out; let's just head back to base for now."

"But all Caster of Black's lab will have is rocks…Or little kid bits if we get there after he kills his Master," Trent interjected, clearly having no idea as to what went into the making of golems.

"After he does what?!" Fiore not so much asked as demanded, face pale and full of concern.

The blond shrugged. "Well, this homunculus here," he began, hefting the person in question, "is the one who Caster of Black views as the ideal candidate for a heart he can sacrifice to power his Noble Phantasm. After the homunculus is his own Master, who trusts Caster of Black implicitly, even though he really shouldn't."

Still pale-faced, Fiore retorted, "Suppose I believe you. What evidence do you have to back your claim? Caster of Black seemed distant, true. But to sacrifice Roche?" Fiore frowned. "That...that would be an utterly Magus thing to do, wouldn't it?" Her rhetorical question was as bitter as it was sad.

"The hilarious thing? After doing it and seeing his creation, he'll regret it immensely to the point where it literally scars his Saint Graph. He'll mourn it and hate himself for it, to the point of wishing that he could somehow stop himself from doing it," Trent explained, his face twisting into an ugly scowl. "And then, he'll help fight a mammoth railgun grown from Ivan the Terrible's feet, but that's another story entirely."

Fiore blinked slowly, then replied, "If I pretend that I have half an idea what you're talking about, can we go somewhere further from Castle Yggdmillenia?"

Trent nodded, "Let's head to Bone Daddy's Crypt."

The stares he got were more than worth it for the slap upside the head he received from Carmilla.

---

Once the now-larger, but no less motley, crew returned to their base of operations (and Caules managed to coax Fran into setting Jekyll down), Johan and the good doctor showed Fiore to the alchemy lab. Trent stopped by briefly and was given a small vial of painkillers and sent on his way. Johan offered Fiore a chair, but she opted to remain supported by her Bronze-Link Manipulators, so Johan plopped down in it instead.

An awkward silence filled the room, only interrupted by the clinking of vials and a dry cough here and there courtesy of Johan, who was very busy studying the ceiling, trying (and failing) to conceal his perturbation.

After a while, though, the awkwardness must've become too much to bear, and Fiore spoke, her tone conversational. "So, Mister...Johan, was it?"

Johan snapped upright in his chair, overbalanced, and nearly fell onto the floor. After righting himself in the seat and loosening his collar (had it gotten hotter in the room, or was that just the burning humiliation?), he answered, "Y-yes, Miss Forvedge?"

Fiore smiled faintly, which did not help Johan's nervousness in the slightest. "I do not mean to pry, but once we came in here, you began acting...well, 'oddly' would be putting it lightly. Is there something wrong? Have I committed some past offence upon you that I have failed to recall?"

Johan's eye twitched. "N-no, no. Nothing like that," he practically stammered, meeting her eyes then glancing away, pale face flushed. "It's, it's...it's nothing. Nothing you n-need to worry about."

Fiore frowned and opened her mouth to retort, but what miserable scraps that were left of Johan's dignity were saved by Jekyll spinning to face the duo, a faintly smoking phial in his hands.

"I have created it!" he proclaimed, a vaguely manic gleam in his eyes, before realizing that he had an audience. He blushed and coughed into his fist, before proffering the vial. "A-anyways, Miss Forvedge. Drink this. There will be pain, but it will not last long."

Fiore nodded, accepting the medicine and tossing it back in one motion. She shuddered, and her face reddened and screwed up against the pain. Bright, cog-like lines flashed along her legs as she let out a pained grunt, her entire body tensing for a brief moment...and then she slumped to the floor, her magic Doctor Octopus arms powering down due to the forcible realignment of her Magic Circuits.

After a moment, she stirred, and then let out a gasp. "I...I can feel them. I can feel my legs!" With her exclamation, she shot to her feet, joyous tears in her eyes...and promptly toppled forward, her legs unused to carrying her. Johan and Jekyll both moved to catch her, and the three collided and fell into a heap of limbs.

Of course, this development did Johan's awkwardness no favors, but then the final hit to his mangled dignity came.

Fiore wrapped one arm each around Jekyll and Johan's shoulders, thanking them profusely with tears in her eyes.

It was a critical hit, and Johan's shattered dignity was mercilessly slaughtered.

---

Meanwhile, Trent sat outside, nursing a bottle of iced tea that he'd picked up from Trifas earlier, silent despite the fact that Mordred was leaning against the entrance to the crypt, pointedly ignoring him. The blond took a sip of his drink as he tried to figure out just what he was going to say before deciding to do as he always did and bull ahead.

"You know, when we first discussing things in the crypt, what I said was meant to be an olive branch," he admitted, not watching for her reaction.

What he got in answer from the knight was a snort, "The hell're you on about? Even you've admitted that you like insulting people."

"And, to be honest, I do. I'm rude, crass, blunt, and an all around asshole, but I admit it. However, what I said was meant to be an olive branch to you, in my own hamfisted and bullheaded way," Trent explained as he looked down at the odd tea he was drinking, unsure of the flavour.

Mordred's hand entered his vision and clawed around his collar, pulling him around to face her. Her green eyes were laser focused as she glared down at him, her brow furrowed in confusion. "So what? You think that you can just say all this and just brush it all off?"

"No, just figured that I'd at least explain to you as to what I was trying to do," Trent said with a shrug and took another swig of his drink. "I'm a simple man, figured I might as well try and mend this fence that I managed to break almost instantly."

"Tch, you're still a bastard," the Knight of Treachery opined as she let him go, and then walked back into the crypt, leaving him alone in the night air.

The blond hummed a little as he looked up at the night sky, and shrugged. "Well, she's not wrong."

"Quite," Carmilla agreed as she walked up beside him, spooking Trent and making him drop his iced tea. Looking between her and his spilled drink in sadness, she gave him a patronizing pat on the head as she remarked, "I'm honestly rather impressed that you went out of your way for that, seeing as you usually just open your mouth and don't stop any of the insults you're slinging."

"I'm an asshole, Carmilla, not completely stupid," the blond retorted as he picked up the bottle and got ready to get rid of the waste. "She deserved to at least know that I meant no harm, even if she didn't take it too well."

"Honestly, keep up like this Master, and you might just impress me one of these days," the Assassin remarked dryly as she left him to his business, Trent watching her sashay away.

The blond shook his head.

"Can't do nothing without catching shit, can I?"

No, he couldn't.

 

[Xanothos]

Chapter 10: The Gang Plans To Drop Acid​

Trent looked awkwardly at the homunculus who had joined him outside the crypt, leaning against the entrance as he stared up at the stars. The young looking lad let out a quiet groan as he asked, "What should I even do?"

"That depends on you, kid," the blond advised as he moved from leaning against the wall to a squat, turning his own gaze to the heavens. "You got all your life to figure it out and do it."

"And I only have a year to live! What can even do in that time? It's just so…little!" shouted the ashen-haired homunculus, his red eyes shimmering as he tried to rage at the arbitrary time limit tacked onto his life.

The Canuck shrugged as he pushed himself to his feet, shoving his hands into his pockets. "That's just how things are on this bitch of an Earth. We live and then we die, every day passes before we even realize it, with the events seeming so menial and pointless. It's why you need to do what you want to in life, so that you don't die while regretting things."

"That's…no, there has to be something more! My comrades didn't die for some humans with no point to their lives!" The homunculus rounded on Trent, tears shimmering in the corners of his eyes as he glared at the blond.

"Kid, I can't tell you anything that will make you feel better about their deaths." Trent could only shrug in the face of the homunculus's impotent rage. "Anything I say would be an empty platitude that would just make you feel worse. The only thing you can do is live on and find what you want to do with the time you have."

"How does that help! There's… I have no idea what to do! No idea where I should go!" The homunculus was shaking, his hands balled into fists as he roared.

There was nothing more that Trent could do other than shake his head. "Of course it doesn't help. You're grieving the loss of so many of those you empathized with, and you're struggling to find your path in the world. You're faced with two of the worst things for humans to deal with: existential angst and the loss of what was your family."

"Damn it…" was all the homunculus said as he weakly punched the wall beside him, making almost no noise as his fist hit it.

Rather than try and help where he'd most likely hurt, Trent turned towards the crypt and moved to head back in. He called over to the homunculus, "It might be unilateral on my part, but feel free to stick with us until you figure out what you're going to do. I don't think anyone would complain." He went to turn away again and stopped, letting out a sigh.

"Kid, listen. The world's going to be your oyster once we get things figured out and squared away here, and you'll have until the end of your days to explore it and live as you'd like. We've got one of the most ridiculous alchemists in history on our side, to the point that he's got a pretty good shot at extending your lifespan to that of a normal human. Will the road be bumpy? Of course it will, that's just how life is on this bitch of an Earth, but that doesn't mean you're alone. You got us now, for however much that counts."

With that said, Trent ambled into the crypt, wondering whether or not any of the others would be able to help the homunculus with his problems. As he headed into the darkness, a realization came to him.

"We still haven't figured out a name for the kid…"

---

After freeing himself from the tangle of limbs, Johan helped Fiore to her feet as well, his face still flushed with embarrassment. Jekyll, for his part, rose with quiet grace and set about cleaning up his makeshift lab.

"You'll need to make a habit of walking, so that your body can get used to balancing on its own," Jekyll remarked over his shoulder as he bustled about, vials and beakers clacking together. "My tonic will minimize the effects of atrophy, but the sooner you acclimate your legs to the task, the sooner you will be able to walk as though you were born to it."

Fiore wobbled on her feet, then straightened with a determined look on her face. "Thank you, Berserker of...White?" She cocked her head to one side.

The good doctor chuckled. "Please. 'Jekyll' is fine, at least while we are among allies."

By this time, Johan had recovered himself enough to interject, "Speaking of allies, we probably ought to actually discuss the details of our alliance. If you'd call your brother, and I can find-"

It was at that point that Trent walked in, looking vaguely unhappy, but it was his usual grimace. "How's it hanging, party people?"

Johan blinked. "Well, I was actually about to go look for you and Bone Daddy so we could talk about the alliance with them," he said, jerking his head at Fiore, "but since you're here, I guess I only need to find him."

"Sounds about right, I just got done trying to help the homunculus but instead just hurt him more," the blond answered with a sad shrug. "Story of my life, try and help and then screw things up."

Johan winced, and raised a hand, thought better of it, then cleared his throat. "Well...chin up?"

"Yes, well…" Trent cleared his throat, cracking one of his knuckles with his thumb. "I suppose that what we need to do is discuss just how we're going to go forward from here, once Mister Shishigou arrives."

Johan nodded, turning towards the entrance Trent had just come through. "I'll go find him, then."

---

Trent looked around at the gathered group, the Masters all eyeing each other warily while their Servants stood at the ready. Deciding that it was time to break the ice, he stood up and declared, "So, guys, I think the first thing to be clarified is the ease with which we can neutralize the remaining enemy Servants, something that I think I've got figured out. Any questions so far?"

"I'm more surprised that you actually managed to figure out anything other than how to piss people off," Mordred rattled from behind Kairi, arms crossed as she attempted to appear imposing.

"Unlike you, I'm capable of a lot of deep thoughts. It's part of being a functioning adult; Mister Shishigou can give you lessons after you get your driver's license," the blond retorted as he gave the armoured knight a minor stink eye. Standing up straight, he let his face fall into a more serious expression. "Now, to put it simply, we'll have the easiest time neutralizing Rider of Black, as we can simply kill off that dumb bitch Celenike and transfer the contract over to the kid."

Trent gestured towards the entrance, where the homunculus was still agonizing over his existential dread. "After that, Archer of Red would be the easiest as we can either have her assassinated or trick her into going after the Black Faction using her triggers. From there, Caster of Black would be the next most difficult to deal with, as he's simply something of a hermit and Assassin's modifiers don't do well against him."

He looked around at the others, hoping that someone would interject or ask a question. "Then we have Saber of Black and Rider of Red, who both have weak points that can be exploited but are powerful and dangerous regardless. Finally, there's the Lancers; Red is almost invincible until we find someway to get past his bullshit defensive Noble Phantasm, meanwhile Black has a lot of rank ups and powers due to being summoned here and getting a massive homeland bonus to pretty much everything. Any questions now?"

Kairi gave a sigh, stuck a cigarette in his mouth, and lit up. "I swear," he muttered, "I'm going through a pack a day with you around."

Fiore, for her part, interjected, "I have several, yes. While I understand your point about Celenike, I'd like you to go into more detail about the other things you've described. First things first: Archer of Red.You mentioned a trigger?"

"Correct. Archer of Red is incredibly protective of children, which we could leverage by using the danger that Roche is in due to his close association with Caster of Black." As he explained this, Trent sat back in his seat, keeping his eyes on Fiore. "Then, we can also the fact that the two of you fled Castle Yggdmillenia as proof of the child endangerment occurring there."

Fiore frowned at his words, then questioned, "And how is it that you know this? Know anything about us, and our Servants for that matter? As allies, I think we at least have the right to know what you know, and how you know it."

"Basically, me and Johan were tossed from our home universe into yours, and we've got the lowdown on y'all and your Servants. Want me to go further?" the Canuck asked, brows raised in askance.

Fiore blinked once, twice, then frowned again. "If you aren't willing to tell me, then just say so. There's no call to insult my intelligence."

At this, Johan interjected, "As insane and impossible as it should be, he's telling the truth. How else could we have known Assassin of Red was Semiramis, and her Master was the Ruler Class Servant summoned in the Third Holy Grail War, who is still at large, I might add."

"Right, we'll need to kill off Amakusa to keep him from achieving Lostbelt," Trent nodded as he joined in, thinking about how they were going to be killing a priest. It was probably sacrilege somewhere, but that wasn't his problem.

This time, it was Caules who spoke up. "Okay. Say we believe you. Just who and what are we dealing with, both Servant-wise and Magus-wise? We know Lancer of Black is Vlad III, Rider of Black is Astolfo, and Caster of Black is Avicebron, but Uncle Gordes wouldn't let his Saber tell us his name."

"You couldn't tell who he was based off his giant glowing tattoo scar? He's Siegfried," the blond declared with a shrug, not thinking it was too hard to puzzle out. "…Then again, a lot of magi can be stupid about the obvious answers, so…"

An expression of consternation crossed Fiore's face as she raised a finger, paused, and then lowered the finger and crossed her arms. "...I can't contradict you on that," she grumbled, "and that annoys me."

Johan gave her a commiserating nod. "Talking to Trent tends to be like that. You'll get used to it."

"As for the Red squad: Archer is Atalante, Rider is Achilles as Chiron over there knows, and Lancer is Karna of the Mahabharata," Trent answered succinctly, not leaving out a person. "Their sole acting Master was the Master of their Assassin, who went by Shirou Kotomine. His actual identity is Shirou Tokisada Amakusa."

"Of particular note is Karna," Johan added, "who has three Noble Phantasms: his armor-skin, Kavacha and Kundala, which reduces all incoming damage to a tenth of its original potency; his laser eye, Brahmastra, which is probably a match for the average Saber's sword-beam; and his spear, the most dangerous one. Vasavi Shakti, a god-killing spear that could probably blow up the entire country, along with everything and everyone in it. Which includes us, of course."

"The unfortunate thing, is that the only way to dispel Kavacha and Kundala, is to have him use his Anti-Country Noble Phantasm," the blond decided to lay the cherry on top of their current sundae. "Real talk, he's our biggest obstacle, if only because there's so very few things to cause him to use Vasavi Shakti."

"Now," Johan added, "Vlad III's Kazikli Bey can get around his armor by virtue of materializing stakes inside of Karna, but we can't count on him to do what we want, so we're gonna have to think up something ourselves."

It was at this point that Jekyll cleared his throat. "On that front, I am making progress with the acid that Miss Carmilla recovered from her...from Semiramis. However, acid created by Magecraft from the Age of the Gods is an extremely volatile reagent, so great care must be taken during the refining process. All the activity of late has rather limited my ability to devote time to it, as one would expect of a Grail War." Jekyll spread his hands. "Nonetheless, I shall endeavor to complete the…" Jekyll shot a look at Trent, before continuing, "...The 'Blueneck Butter', as Mister Blackmore insists we call it."

Johan snorted, but didn't say anything.

"Y'all're just jealous you didn't come up with it first." Trent pouted, even though he also found the name a bit corny.

"Naming sense aside, I think we've gotten a bit off-track," Johan commented. "There's one more point I think we need to cover: what happens when the other Servants are gone?"

The silence following his words threatened to become cloying, so he barreled on ahead. "Now, both Trent and I have forfeited our right to the Grail due to finding Mr. Shishigou's wish more ethical than using it for our own gain, and the Doctor's wish is for Incarnation, which can be done by other means, if Trent's knowledge is to be believed. As for Assassin…" He trailed off, looking to Trent to explain further.

The blond looked to the Assassin, mentally saying that she has the option of speaking up for herself, or letting him explain in his usual fashion. The silver haired vampiress cleared her throat almost immediately. "... While I'll admit that I'd be tempted to wish for eternal youth, it's far more tempting to be given the chance to live an incarnated life while knowing properly the distinction between evil and good actions."

"Which can be accomplished through the same means that I mentioned to Johan and the Doc. By the by, did you know that if you use all three Command Seals to order a Servant to incarnate it works? Fuckin wild, that Proto shit is," Trent declared in his usual idiom as he looked at the others. "So, what about you kids?"

Caules shrugged. "I just joined this war to support my sister. And Fran, well—"

"Hmm-hmm!"

"She just wants to stick with the Doctor, so Incarnation as well, I guess."

Fiore smiled. "As for me, as I'm sure you are aware, my wish has already been granted, thanks to Berserker of Red. As for Archer…"

Chiron stepped from where he had stood, behind Fiore. "My wish is to have my immortality returned to me, which I assume is beyond the capabilities of the Command Seals."

"I mean…" Johan glanced at Trent, then back to Chiron. "Probably? I don't pretend to be the guy who made the things, but I figure if the things could give immortality, he'd have just figured out a way to use them on himself instead of becoming a man-eating bug lich."

"Honestly, I don't really know of any way we'd be able finagle that, other than just keeping you around as a familiar and passing the contract off to agreeable people. Pseudo-immortality, as it were," Trent said as he scratched at his chin, unable to quite figure out how to help Chiron. "Honestly, the only way we'd really be able to do it would be if we had access to Hades's nanomachines, and we certainly don't…"

Chiron shook his head. "The immortality itself is not the point: that is not what I miss about the blessing of the gods. What I desire from blessing's return is the connection to my parents that it provides, nothing more. And that is something I doubt anything less than the omnipotent wish granting power of the Grail can provide."

At Chiron's mention of "parents" Mordred twitched, then got to her feet. "Feh, whatever. What about my wish, huh? You all just gonna ignore me here or something?"

"Mordred," Trent said, drawing all eyes to him as he looked at the armoured Saber. "I understand the reasoning behind your wish, and why you feel it's necessary, but I'm going to keep it real with you. When you talked with Artoria, and she refused to pass Excalibur to you, it wasn't because of any fault with you. She had come to find herself unworthy of being king, it wasn't out of hatred, or spite towards you. Artoria literally had no idea how to react to your very existence."

There was a flash of silver as the knight darted across the room and hauled Trent into the air by his collar, fury burning in her eyes. "Then why the Hell did everything go the way it did?! Where the Hell do you get off knowing all this! Why do I have to be the one who had to endure all that!"

As this was going on, Fiore and Caules looked on in surprise and horror. Fran growled, baring her fangs as she leaned forward. Johan sighed, and pinched his brow. "Don't get too worked up; this is pretty much the norm for the two of them. Frankly, they were probably overdue for another one of these by now."

"Because Morgan was a skank who didn't actually grow as person until around the reign of Charlemagne," Trent croaked from where he was hanging, already entirely too used to being manhandled. "Seriously, Mordred, you're not a bad person, you were just caught in the middle of a shitty situation between a super spiteful painted jezebel and her emotionally and mentally traumatized sister who didn't learn how to people properly."

Mordred's helm split away, revealing her face twisted into a furious scowl as she barked, "And what the Hell am I supposed to do with that? What the Hell is my wish supposed to be if doesn't mean shit?!"

"Why not live on in this time? Find what you want to do in this world and do that to spite Morgan?" the blond asked, letting his legs hang while trying to keep from kicking them.

"Bastard…" the shorter blonde growled as she let Trent drop, stomping back to stand by Kairi.

Carefully, checking to see if his collar was stretched, Trent looked around the group and asked, "Any other business?"

Johan coughed into his fist, then looked to Chiron. "Actually…"

---

In the dead of night, an arrow blasted through one of the Trifas Church's windows, slamming down into the mattress right beside the head of the person occupying it.

Atalante, both annoyed and confused by this development, pulled the arrow out and stared at the letter tied around the arrow's shaft. Nose scrunched in annoyance, she untied it and quickly scanned it, her brow furrowing as she read it.

The paper crumpled in her hand as her eyes blazed with fury.

"I'll kill him for targeting a child!"

 

[burningclaw2]

You know...is Prometheus still alive?

 

[Finagle007]

You know...is Prometheus still alive?

Click to shrink...

No idea, really. Artemis and Apollo are alive, but as for the others, who knows? As for Chiron's immortality, perhaps summoning Asclepius could help with that? If he can cure death (Medusa's blood and Artemis's essence required for full effectiveness), he may be able to grant immortality as well...

Also, there was one fault with Mordred that prevented her from becoming king; she's a Homunculus. She was only ten or so when Camlann went down, and just look at her. Even without Avalon making Artoria immortal, by the time she was old enough to step down, Mordred would already be dead of old age.

 

[burningclaw2]

No idea, really. Artemis and Apollo are alive, but as for the others, who knows? As for Chiron's immortality, perhaps summoning Asclepius could help with that? If he can cure death (Medusa's blood and Artemis's essence required for full effectiveness), he may be able to grant immortality as well...

Also, there was one fault with Mordred that prevented her from becoming king; she's a Homunculus. She was only ten or so when Camlann went down, and just look at her. Even without Avalon making Artoria immortal, by the time she was old enough to step down, Mordred would already be dead of old age.

Click to shrink...

Chiron stated his desire for his immortality is because it was the only thing he ever had from his parents. In a way Chiron's wish is derived from a desire to have his own parent's love.

I asked about Prometheus because I think it was Chiron's immortality that was used to keep him from dying from that bird eating his liver.

 

[Mizu]

Wonder which other Servant would like to be reincarnated, so as to have a second chance at life in a human body once more. Alexander comes to mind, going by his Fate/Zero depictions, but likely only in the sense that he'd then be able to try to conquer the world again.

 

[GAR for Archer]

You know, that could have had the Forvedge siblings attempt to incite Berserker of Red into attacking the oppressors once again after freeing him, if possible, if they were gonna switch sides anyway. I mean, it would lead to all sorts of complications, since the siblings could take it as more an attempt to lure them into doing as much damage as possible to their team before backstabbing them. They could also realise that they could attempt to do so anyways, since they are leaving the safety of their stronghold into what is presumably a magus' workshop, albeit temporary. Then again, they might not realise the last bit either, presentation matters. The human mind isn't a creature of logic, no matter what we would like to believe.

 

[Xanothos]

Interlude: Huntress and Snare​

Castle Yggdmillenia was all but surrounded by a lush, verdant forest, populated by alders and firs, poplars and oaks. The way the leaves swayed in the night wind, were one to observe it from above, was reminiscent of the wind-chopped waves of an ocean; a veritable sea of trees. A single side of the Castle was bare of foliage, flanked as it was by a sheer cliff, but all this did was enhance the impression of Castle Yggdmillenia being an island, a lighthouse of civility and class in nature's oceanic grasp.

Of course, the image projected by those austere walls was a laughable farce, but any normal person who got close enough to learn this was long condemned to an unsightly fate.

The person observing Castle Yggdmillenia now, however, was far from normal. And indeed, she was already keenly aware of the sins perpetrated within the castle...or at least the ones that mattered to her.

The branches of a tall and venerable tree swayed, as though disturbed by a strong wind. The Chaste Huntress, Atalante, bounded through the boughs with feline grace, Tauropolos readied in her hand.

'Caster of Black...I won't let you sacrifice a child for your own arrogance!' Her eyes were green fire, the golden lion ears atop her head were pulled flat against her scalp, and the equally golden lion's tail sprouting from the base of her spine lashed about in agitation.

No mistakes about it, Archer of Red was livid. Indeed, only the fact that Caster of Black had not yet sacrificed his Master prevented her from unleashing her second Noble Phantasm.

The letter that Archer of Black had sent was graphic and explicit in the real and present dangers to the child remaining in the depths of Castle Yggdmillenia. The emotion and fear that the two Masters of Yggdmillenia had managed to transcribe into their letter had tugged at her heartstrings while setting her instincts alight. They had no manner of saving the child as they were due to their position within the Yggdmillenia at the time, but her…

She could not sit idly by while a child was endangered, even if they were a Master of the enemy faction.

And so she surged from the treeline, low to the ground and weaving through the grass between the treeline and the castle. Almost immediately after she crossed the boundary, the ground began to rumble. What had previously appeared to be decoratively arranged, moss-covered boulders were quickly shown to be camouflaged golems, their forms unfolding as they moved to attack the Archer.

Several lumbered forward and swung their bulky limbs at Atalante, while others slumped down and fired volleys of stone shards from their backs at her. The Chaste Huntress danced between the onslaught of attacks, planting arrow after arrow into each of the golems as she avoided their every strike with effortless grace. Each arrow bit deep into the stone, rupturing the dense crystal of their cores and causing them to shut down.

In a span of seconds, two score golems had crumbled into nothing more than rock and moss, and as Atalante continued her inexorable advance, more and more constructs joined the fray, and more and more fell to her arrows. Were she not so focused on reaching the castle, the Chaste Huntress might have noticed how the golems seemed to increase in quality as she neared it...not that this helped them in any measurable way.

…

Unfortunately for Atalante, her keen focus also prevented her from noticing the narrowed eyes carefully following her passage towards the castle.

---

The metal-masked face of Caster of Black, Avicebron, snapped up as a female figure crashed through a high window and landed in the midst of his lab. The bow clenched in her hand marked her as the Archer of the Red faction, and doubtless the reason for scores of his sentinel golems becoming inactive in the past half a minute or so. Even as he backed away from his table, he waved forward a half dozen of his finest golems, wrought not of stone but of magic crystal. "Archer of Red, your act of disturbing me is…an annoyance. I'm in the middle of incredibly delicate but vital work."

The man waved imperiously towards the table before him, upon which rested a great hand of some sort, inanimate like the rest of the giant that it was attached to. His eyeless gaze bored into her as he continued, "More than that, your assault could very well awaken my master. While his enthusiasm towards golemcraft is exemplary, he has all the excitability of an undisciplined child."

"That is because he is a child, you despicable creature!" Atalante roared, loosing a trio of arrows in his direction, which were blasted out of the air by beams of condensed mana. "Do not pretend to care about him; I know what you are willing to do, what lines you are willing to cross in the name of your precious craft!" hissed the Archer, springing forward even as she strung and loosed another arrow.

Turning his head back to his work, Avicebron's fingers clicked as they danced about the back of the hand. His head quirked to the side as he continued, "Children are to be seen, not heard, Archer of Red. More than that, my work here is necessary. To drag humanity from its sinful malaise and into Eden… Can you think of no higher calling?"
Atalante gripped her bow so hard it creaked under the strain. "If such a calling requires the sacrifice of even a single child, then I'd rather consign the world to Tartarus!" Her voice started as a growl and ended as a feral scream, her mana darkening with each passing moment as it flared wildly around her.

"Noble Phantasm: Agrius Metamorphosis!"

A dark light flowed over her body, and when it cleared, Atalante was changed. Her skin and hair had paled considerably, and her green gown had vanished, replaced by a furred covering that would have been skimpy, were it not growing out of her flesh. Her hands and feet, in particular, were changed, becoming clawed and hooved, respectively. Finally and most distinctively, a boar's head was mounted on her right shoulder, violet runes gleaming on its flesh.

In the next instant, she exploded into motion, the ground shattering beneath her cloven hooves. In the span of a second, two of Avicebron's golems were shattered against the ground, and one more was launched at its master by a two-hoofed kick. The thrown golem was caught by another of its kin, even as the Caster turned to look at Atalante properly.

"Fascinating. A spirit core and Saint Graph capable of rapid and fluid transmutation between Servant classes, exactly the sort of material that would be useful for perfecting Adam. While my Master's magic circuits, or those of that homunculus would be wonderful for its completion, your spirit core would be an interesting variable as well."

If Atalante registered anything that Avicebron said, it was the implication that a child's safety was in danger. Of course, under the effects of the Boar of Divine Punishment's madness as she was, this only served to spur her on even more. He legs coiled beneath her, and the next second, she exploded through both of the golems, tearing through the air towards Caster claws-first. "CASTER!"

As she careened through the air towards him, a new voice cut through the din of battle. "Atalante, by the power of all three Command Seals, I order you to carve out your spirit core and present it to Caster of Black."

The Archer's arm slammed through her chest in an explosion of gore, her face twisting in confusion and betrayal as her flight came to an abrupt end and she slammed into the ground, her spirit core outstretched towards Avicebron. Collapsing to her knees as blood dripped from her nose and mouth, she craned her head around to look at the source of the voice, betrayal painted on her features like the blood on her chin. She took a few hacking breathes, trying to keep herself from falling apart as she tried to drag her way towards her newfound enemy.

"Kotomine… How? Why?"

Atalante's body broke down into golden flakes of light as Avicebron gently took the spirit core from her outstretched hand, scrutinizing it quietly as he made a satisfied noise.

Standing almost nonchalantly amongst the menacing golems was the one who had ordered Atalante to commit suicide, the man who had taken control of the Red Faction, Shirou Tokisada Amakusa.

He was harried and tired, his hair disheveled and his clothes rumpled, looking very much like he was on the verge of collapsing. Despite all that, the incarnated Ruler was smiling at Avicebron.

"You too, are a man of the Lord, who seeks to bring his glory unto this sinful world. With the miracles granted unto me by the Lord, and the golem you're creating, we'll pull humanity from this mire of sin that they've fallen into."

The Caster eyed him for a few moments before holding it up to mimic a toast as he replied, "A fellow man of the Lord, in search of bringing about Eden…yes, I believe that you and I will have a fruitful relationship."

At that moment, a small blond boy stumbled into the room, rubbing at his eyes and looking around the damaged lab. Avicebron vaguely registered that his new conspirator had vanished, sparing him the need to explain anything to his Master.

How considerate.

Roche, after staring at the not-inconsiderable damage, asked, "What happened, teacher?!"

"Nothing you need to worry about, Master. An enemy action was thwarted," the masked Servant remarked as he reached out with his free hand and gently rested it atop the child's head. A sound escaped the man's helmet, a breathy chuckle as he gave the hair beneath his covered fingers a ruffle. "Nothing you need to worry about at all."