Chapter 12
Shinto was silent like a grave. The myriad of beasts that lied in wait all held their breaths as to not give away their positions. Yet, with the sheer amount of them, it was hard not to see the whole city awash with red. No matter what they did, their presence had already been accounted for. It was like a tide that crept up the shore despite a king ordering it not to. The wolf-men, urged by their desire to protect their bounded territory at all costs, overflowed from the great chasms in the ground. They knew that the fourth night was closing in, and they had sensed the atmosphere of finality that hung over the city like a thick blanket.
The Christmas Carnival was approaching its end.
They were like scavengers circling a nearly dead corpse. Though appointed as “guardians” they were nothing more than pagan spirits, monsters from days of old that had been turned to a different purpose by humanity. Enslaved by magi for over millennia, the natural hatred they bore for men was their driving force. It was what made their blood boil, and what made them hunger for the flesh of those approaching them. Though they had been tasked with protecting the origin point of everything in this false world, they still were predators. And tonight, their instincts were allowed to run rampant.
Inhuman roars and growls spread like ripples in a blood-soaked lake. The silent night had ended. What awaited after this was carnage. After all, this was the final night of this world. Either it would be remade, or it would be destroyed. There was no in-between. That was why these creatures had been allowed so much presence here, their nigh infinite numbers covering the streets without decline. And within that seething mass of predatory desires, the simple desire to tear apart any intruder manifested as an overbearing aura of ill-will towards all men.
Howling, roaring, growling, snarling…
That was the symphony of beasts that laid in wait at every corner of Shinto. Instead of black horde, this one was red. Yet, the resemblance was uncanny. Events had always a habit of repeating themselves, and this night was no exception. The only thing that was different was the actors themselves. This repetition, born out of the wish for punishment and a single man’s pen, would present them with the same hell they had already once walked through.
Only this time, it would be the final time.
“… I still can’t believe we got roped into something like this. It’s as if the whole world turned mad in a blink of an eye.”
Gazing at the sight of innumerable monsters, she sighed heavily. Her eyes scanned over the whole of Shinto, making note that everywhere, new tonttus seemed to be rising from the ground, as if they were preparing for something.
“Well, we can’t blame anyone but ourselves, right? We all decided to follow him, idiots that we are,” another voice answered her from her side.
The two of them had to admit their own fault now that things had escalated to this point. At any time, they could have simply walked away from this all, and refused to look back. Yet, here they were, standing tall against the horde of murderous monsters that had swarmed over half of the city. It was a primitive spectacle worthy of such basic tale, old as time itself.
Still, she cannot help but to admit that all this is getting her quite excited. The city of black, waiting ahead. The monsters of red, ready to do battle. And falling snow of white, crowning their last stand against world that tried to crush a single man. Such a fairy tale setting was hard to come by these days, and it was made only that much sweeter that the whole fiasco had only one source of origin: love. The very same reason that the two of them now stood here, at the edge of an all-out war.
“------ Still, their numbers aren’t anything to turn your nose up at. Will we really be alright? I don’t know about you, but if I’m going to do this properly, I’ll probably have to blow my ten years’ worth of savings in this ‘project’,” she said, rummaging through her pockets.
Walking briskly towards the opposing end of the bridge, she let her eyes focus on the mass of monsters that was straight ahead of them. Others were gone already, having taken a different route. What was left behind was the transforming dream, from a paradise to a nightmare. The holiest night was violated by the appearance of a tradition much older, much colder, becoming something barely recognizable. Shinto was almost literally drowning in blood. It was a fitting metaphor for the death of this Reality Marble. Even the creation was clearly relieved that everything was heading towards the end, one way or another.
Most likely, there are no more actual people left. Minor characters aren’t focused on to anymore. The only thing the author can pay attention to are the protagonists and their allies, and the army of beasts they oppose. If he slips now, the whole trick will blow up in his face. Therefore, this muted world has been frozen to its last great fanfare, the eternally falling snow glittering in the golden lights of the city. This ever-lasting night will continue until a conclusion is reached, weaving together reality and fantasy to bring together a final dream for a man who sits in the chair of the accused.
The judge, the jury and the executioner have been assembled. All that is left is to decide the verdict.
“I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t dare to show my face afterwards if I didn’t give it my all. Can you imagine the scorn you’d get? Hah! That’d be a sight to see,” the other voice besides her laughs. Beyond that slight mockery, she can still feel a tinge of worry creep into the words.
It was no surprise. After all, the monsters that cover the whole city of Shinto are not pushovers. If it was normal humans, they’d need an army of sorts to take out a single one. They were rabid guard dogs, and the city that was now under assault was their territory. Any and all trespassers would be swarmed upon and torn apart without any shred of mercy. Yet, it was that very mass of seething rage that they would now have to assault, to blow a hole into, despite what seemed to be an infinity of opponents. No matter how she tried, she couldn’t count them all from the slowly expanding mass of red.
If she had to guess, this was most likely the cause of humanity itself. As the owner of this legion became more and more famous, his guard dogs had to cover wider and wider area, even if only in fantasy. Now there were enough guard dogs to affect the lives of every single human being on this blue marble called earth. It was a staggering number that could have just as well been infinite.
“So you’re just after my humiliation? My, my. You really did pick up the most bothersome aspects from him,” she said, shooting a fearless grin towards the other person’s direction. “Can I even trust you to watch my back?”
Grasping two chains that she found inside her pockets, she pulled out what seemed like silver snakes grasping for air. Fitted with diamonds the size of eyeballs, these chains seemed to go on for forever, eventually ending in two biggest diamonds in the bunch. Then, with a smile, she flung the chains over her shoulders so that they crossed across her chest. The prismatic reflection of the light passing through these kings of jewels was a sight to behold, making her seem like an angel descending down from the heavens. If not for the magical energy that radiated from the jewels like they had been a nuclear reactor, one might have mistaken them for vanity pieces. But in the hands of this Billionaire Princess, they were nothing but a taste of what was to come.
“If this was a normal night, I’d be inclined to say ‘Yes.”
The other voice answered with a hint of sarcasm, but she saw that the person besides her was also wearing a similar smile. She saw that her ally’s skin was already starting to crack, as fragile wings slowly but surely started flapping, separating themselves from the host body. Pollen, much like a dust of dreams, was being spread to the air, and it made her ally glow in a manner not unlike herself. If this was coupled with the book that this ally was holding, she was a sight that did not lose to the competition in the slightest.
“… Yet, this isn’t a normal night, is it?” the voice besides her said, and giggled slightly. “This is a night we face impossible odds in vain hope that the true hero of this tale reaches the end. And we didn’t even get to kiss the boy. I suppose that makes us the losers of this sorry story.”
“Damn right it does,” she laughs as they both take the final steps forward. “Just two sore losers who don’t know when to give up!”
“--------------! ---!, ------!”
Now, they had breached the barrier. They had entered the forbidden land. Stepping out of the bridge, into Shinto, was the signal the monsters had been waiting for. Thousands and thousands of animalistic stares turned towards them, and fangs were bared like stars in the sky. They have sensed the breach, and now they hurry to destroy the intruders. Hundreds of legs strike the ground as the mass starts slowly but surely heading towards them, accelerating in speed as they do.
However, in the face of this tidal wave of blood that is about to crush them, the two standing at the foot of the bridge simply smile at each other.
“Anfang.”
Their voices echo in the distant night.
There is no turning back now. Both of them have made their choices. Now that the border has been breached, they will show no mercy to the monsters that are charging towards them. All will be struck down in the instant they are in the range, and there will be no stopping even if they run out of ammo. They will get the job done, no matter what it takes, to punch a considerable hole to the enemy lines. All this just to give the others a chance.
But a job is a job, and these two were going to give it their all.
“Here they come. Don’t leave any alive,” she says. The one besides her scoffs.
“Right back at you. You always did have a thing for stuff in red,” her ally answers.
They both break into determined smiles, and prepare themselves for the oncoming onslaught. Every passing second brings the crimson horde closer and closer to them, yet the magnificent sight of innumerable monsters does not intimidate them one bit. Instead, they stand tall and raise their hands, preparing to do the one thing they know how to do best.
“Okay. Are you ready, Nee-san?”
“Of course, Sakura. In situations like this, just follow your older sister’s lead. I’ll show you what it means----“
Matou Sakura and Tohsaka Rin let their prana surge like wildfire, blue glow covering their raised hands and bringing forth the miracles of their magecrafts. One wrapped in the prismatic diamonds of wealth, the other covered in a skin of pure white butterflies, promising sweet death.
“--------- To fight without mercy!”
The two sisters stand back-to-back, facing the approaching horde with nary a care. The diamonds sing and the butterflies take to the skies, and for a moment, these two end results of a different time-line find the same wavelength. For one night, and one night only, the quarreling, jealous sisters that could never agree on anything, unite their voices into a ballad without equal.
“Please, Nee-san. You’re the one who goes soft at the wrong time,” Sakura laughed, and her spine seemed to radiate with iridescent light. The reformed crest of Matou family had been driven full of power. “I’m the one who absorbed both grandfather and Nii-san. It’s me, if anyone, who knows how to be merciless.”
“You don’t say?” Tohsaka Rin asks, her own Magic Crest already fully charged. “So, are you saying you want to make this a competition? To see which one of us truly is the Queen of Fuyuki City.”
“You mean this wasn’t already one?” Sakura asks, cocking her eyebrow.
Both of them laugh wildly, having seemingly forgotten the horde of tonttus that is only meters away from them, and closing in every second. For the first time in many years, these two sisters of this timeline are enjoying something together. But their story is not the one under scrutiny tonight. Indeed, they are but bit players… and yet, they are about to put the whole story itself into jeopardy.
The light of the diamonds intermingles with the light of the butterflies. All triggers are released, and before the tonttus even know what hit them, a whirlwind of destruction spreads forth from the duo, pulverizing anyone that dared to come near them.
Red and black. Blue and white.
The two sisters, harbingers of beautiful destruction, have descended upon the horde of Christmas.
****
Calico M950 sang its song of death, cutting down monsters left and right even in the inexperienced hands of the boy wielding it. Still, though some sort of innate understanding of how this weapon worked, each shot found their target in a deadly manner, hitting hearts, brains and spinal cords alike. It was a dealer of death who never missed a shot, showcasing just what sort of natural talent a single human being could possess. Not a single bullet was wasted against this army of red, and though by any normal standards, they should have ripped the boy to shreds, he was still standing. Even the hound dogs could do nothing against a young man whose bloodline whispered into his ears, urging him to fight even further.
A quick burst of fire flashes in the night, lighting it up once again. Ten bullets were divided between five targets, and each fell down to the ground, dead before they hit the snow. Claws that hungered for his flesh did not reach fast enough, and thus, they are cut down.
Shirou, holding onto the weapon like it had been a lifejacket in a storm, retreated back two steps, only to feel his back hit another. Knowing that he could trust himself to be defended from that side, he opened fire at the advancing creatures once more. Behind him, he heard how two pistols, both older than he was, opened rapid dual fire against the horde of beasts. Like scythes of grim reaper, these guns delivered their sentence onto the masses, not even stopping to catch a breath.
“You know, boy,” Emiya Kiritsugu spoke, continuing firing with his other gun while reloading the other with one hand. “You aren’t half bad with that gun. Have you ever considered a line of work where you’d use one?”
“I can’t say I have, old man,” Shirou answered, continuing his grim task. “I’m really not the type to handle a gun with ease in the first place. It’s only now, when there’s so much at stake, that I feel I can let myself go.”
It was a strange conversation between two, who should have known each other. But here, in this world, they had been brought together only by a set of circumstances outside of their reach. Still, even in the midst of battle, they were able to talk with each other like it had been a mere Sunday walk, nothing out of the ordinary for either of them.
Then again, it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. While Emiya Kiritsugu was a trained assassin, the boy guarding his back had his own skeletons in his closet. The biggest one being the reason he so easily handled a gun he wasn’t trained for. Were it not for a certain Yakuza princess living up in the hills of Miyama town, this banken of a young man would have fared much worse in this battle.
But protection and killing were in his blood. He had simply forbid himself from following that road.
“Oh? Sounds like you’ve got more at stake than the survival of that tattooed boy?” Kiritsugu asked as the two switched positions, Kiritsugu covering Shirou as he reloaded.
“Well, if these things head over to Miyama town, a certain tiger will be in trouble. I can’t have that,” Shirou admitted, aiming the Calico at the nearest opponent and pulling the trigger. “Not to mention I have a younger sister here in Shinto. If anything happens to her…”
“---- Ah, I see.” Kiritsugu smiled. “Then it’s up to us to make sure everything goes smoothly. Both for him, and for you.”
The two of them continued to move, pushing forth deeper into the enemy ranks. The seasoned veteran of warfare, followed by the man with nothing but innate talent. Their ways were completely in odds with each other, but as they fought together, it was as if there had always been a connection between the two. These two grim reapers, like father and son, ran across the battlefield to overwhelm the crimson beasts at every corner. And soon they were joined in by a third one, as Hisau Maiya, armed to the teeth, retreated from the side-street, firing upon the monsters chasing her as she did.
They were the rear guard, holding back the enemy that was trying to go after those who had already headed deeper into the city. Here, on the streets of Shinto, they had put together a trap of death. Following the scent of Avenger, tonttus tried to take a direct route to their target… only to be captured in a crossfire created by the two gun-wielders. And if anyone got past that line of defense, then—
“Darling! If you want, we could invite Shirou-kun later for Christmas dinner!”
Silver threads filled the skies, spanning over the whole block and rivaling the falling snow with their beauty. The crimson beasts only had a second to look up at this display of magnificent alchemy, before they were pinned down by the very same threads, raining from the heavens with a wrath of god. Hundreds of beasts were trapped simultaneously, and the maestro of this grand trap then administered their deaths in the shape of a single homunculus sweeping across the snowy ground, her incredibly heavy halberd cutting down swaths of monsters with a single blow. Irisviel, standing tall above one of the buildings, smiled at the sight of Leysritt barreling through the streets like a plow truck, leaving behind nothing but death and destroyed ground.
“Ma’am, please restrain yourself,” Sella called out to Irisviel. “The night is still long, and if we overuse our magical energy, we will run out before everything is finished.”
“Ah, sorry, Sella. I was kinda getting caught up in the moment,” Irisviel said and giggled. Sella could only sigh at the sight.
Together, Irisviel and Sella had magnified former’s abilities to the point that she could have easily spread her net of silver wires over Shinto as a whole. However, if they wanted to be able to trap these beasts too, they had to concentrate the effort. Thus, it fell to Leysritt to act as their ground agent, administering executions with her halberd in a deadly efficient manner. Meanwhile, Shirou and Kiritsugu were left with cutting down the forces coming after them, thinning out the horde considerably.
“Also, I have to voice my opinion on the idea of inviting that young man over,” Sella continued, scrunching her nose. “I think it is a terrible idea. In my opinion, he is bad influence to Lady Illyasviel. A commoner like him should not have the privilege of dining in the same table as her. Much less on Christmas Day!”
“Aww, come on, Sella! It’ll be fun!” Irisviel said, casually snaring up another batch of beasts. “Plus, I saw that you took a real shine to Shirou-kun while he was there, always sneaking glances at him. It might be your chance, you know?”
“W-what!?” Sella blushed furiously, and almost cut her connection to Irisviel accidentally. “I did not! I was m-merely making sure he wasn’t doing anything suspicious! Yes, that’s all!”
“Reaaaally?” Irisviel grinned smugly at her maid. “You’re blushing, Sella.”
“Sella really did it. She couldn’t keep her eyes off,” Leysritt’s monotone voice chimed in from below. “Sella is lewd.”
“Silent, peanut gallery!” Sella growled, throwing a snowball at her ‘sister’. “Just concentrate on cutting down those monsters!”
Despite their playful banter, the red shadow down below kept growing and growing. It spread around them, heading straight towards them like a tidal wave that could not be stopped, even with their combined efforts. Though some of the monsters had already grown wiser, and were heading after the real target instead of them, the amount of tonttus they had killed was attracting some attention. The smell of blood also drew the beasts near, and thus, they were left with an advancing force that had completely forgotten their original purpose. Instead of chasing Avenger, these beasts now concentrated on this one street, ready to seek out those who were killing them.
“So, it’s decided! Shirou-kun and Ayako-chan will be dining with us tomorrow!” Irisviel announced happily while weaving her silver strings on the sky into even more complex shape. “A happy family Christmas is just what we’ll need!”
Words of magecraft spread unbound across the glowing sky. The silver threads that had been naught but a net before suddenly took a shape, concentrating in a single spot. It was like watching a star draw into itself right before rapid expansion. Anyone watching the spectacle could feel the raw amount of prana poured into the strings, a sign of danger that would soon follow.
“So, we’ll just need to get this over with!” Irisviel announced as she snapped her fingers.
Silver threads were shot down from the concentrated point like a lightning spreads from the sky. They hit the streets, scattered like wildfire, and in a manner of second skewered any living enemy that was within their incredible range. Howls of pain and agony could be heard all around them as the strings coiled around tendons and muscles of these beasts, ripping them apart and slowing them to a crawl.
That was all the chance the ground forces needed. Like death from the skies, the gunslingers on the streets descended upon the fatally wounded monsters, determined to finish the job.
****
Blessed arrows and a holy red cloth intermingled, cutting into the ranks of the advancing monsters with all the fury the two girls could monster. Caren Ortensia and Mitsuzuri Ayako stood back-to-back, assaulting the red horde with strike after a strike. Ayako’s quiver, though modified by Emiya Kiritsugu before the dawn, was already in danger of running out of arrows. Though they kept multiplying after one was taken, she still used them in such amounts that the spell was having hard time keeping up. This went doubly for the shroud utilized by Caren, as the amount of enemies was simply too vast for her to contain on her own. Thus, these two had come together, paralyzing and immobilizing any opponent that got too close. The arrows Ayako used, blessed by Caren herself, were enough to slow the beasts down for a minute or two. The cloth, in the meanwhile, could stop them dead in their tracks.
But this was simply prolonging the inevitable. They weren’t destroying any of their foes. And with the limited firepower they had, it was only a matter of time before these two would be overrun completely.
“AzoLto!”
Flames ran over the captured group of creatures, flash-frying them to the bone and leaving only charred corpses behind. Fingers snapped in unison as the two Salamander Skin Gloves continued to produce their musical harmony, sending out another wave of flames to obliterate the horde momentarily stopped by Caren and Ayako.
This was the trump of the trio’s strategy. While Caren and Ayako would work on stopping the creatures, Azaka would use this chance to kill the beasts before they could recover. It was a simple tactic in its core, but so far, it had proven very effective. Being creatures of snow and winter, the tonttus had very little in defense when it came to fire-element attacks, as employed by Azaka. This made the black-haired girl their worst nightmare when it came to magi.
Holy armaments combined with magecraft born from ESP. It was a synergy that was hard to come by anywhere in the world. But when these three came together, they produced a harmony that was unmatched. The creatures assaulting them, powerful as they were, had no defense against it. They simply charged and died, their instincts driving them forward despite the hordes of burnt corpses littering the area around the trio.
“How are you holding up?” Ayako suddenly asked, sending yet another arrow straight through the forehead of one charging creature. “You’re sweating pretty heavily, Azaka-san!”
“I can… handle… this much---!” Azaka growled as an answer, producing another whirlwind of flames that swallowed up the immobilized foes. “Everyone is doing their best! Right now, he’s headed to the center of this all, where the most dangerous enemy waits! I can’t fall here to small fries like these!”
“— Ah. Fries.” Caren suddenly said, before a faint grin appeared on her lips. “They really are… fried.”
Azaka, despite her best efforts, couldn’t keep a straight face, but giggled uncontrollably as she dealt with yet another group of stunned monsters. As she spun around and kicked the snow, sending her out of the way of a claw that was reaching out towards her, she shot a mock-angry glare at Caren.
“Stop it! If you keep telling bad jokes like that, you’re going to get me killed!” she complained. Caren cocked an eyebrow.
“And what makes you think I am not trying exactly that?” she asked smugly. Azaka grinned at the nun.
“You know, I’ve heard of some pretty bitter exes, but you take the cake, Caren-san.”
“Exes? What are you talking about?” Caren asked, tying up two monsters charging at her and swinging them back to the main horde with a twist of her cloth. “The competition has just started, Miss Kokutou. And I have no intention of losing.”
“— Uwah. Scary. You two are really in a league of your own,” Ayako said, shivering a little. “Boy am I glad I don’t have such nutty competitors to deal with.”
Both Caren and Azaka looked at each other, before shooting a pitying look to Ayako. The brown-haired girl was left dumbfounded by this reaction, but was unable to demand an answer, as yet another large force tried to overwhelm them. Ayako answered with a barrage of arrows, and Caren’s holy cloth slithered in from between them, trapping any and all creature that hadn’t been hit. Azaka finished this combo by jumping overhead the two and launching two billowing clouds of flames straight at the core of the group, incinerating the monsters in a blink of an eye.
These three had willingly stayed behind on the main entrance to the Shinto centrum. This was where the main concentration of enemy forces would barrel in if they managed to escape the dead-lock prepared by the rear guard. While Avenger and the rest had pushed forward, Azaka, Caren and Ayako had decided that this would be the best spot to stop the advancing horde. After all, while you could sneak into the centrum through the smaller streets, the sheer amount of enemies would make it impossible for large amounts to get through. Instead, they would trickle in, one-by-one, as long as the main road was closed.
Therefore, this trio put in all their effort to protecting this one particular spot. For the sake of that tattooed youth that was headed towards the origin point of this catastrophe, this dream that should not be.
But, if it was just the three of them, they would not be able to hold the ground forever. Azaka would eventually run out of strength. Ayako and Caren would falter at some point. It would be then that the three of them would be swallowed by the crimson tidal wave.
----------- Therefore.
“KIHIHIHIHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!”
A screeching laughter, a shriek that made even the tonttus shiver in momentary fear, assaulted the streets as a red and black shadow charged forth, carving up hundreds of enemies in the blink of an eye. Behind it, silvery glint of white moved with a grace and speed of wind, dozens of platinum blades striking down foes left and right.
It was a violent, beautiful sight to behold.
Two little girls, mirror reflections of each other, mowed down enemy after enemy like they had been leaves in a tornado that they created. Scars ran deep into the asphalt as the two continued their relentless assault, not stopping to even catch their breaths. Their teamwork was perfect, one utilizing raw ruthlessness, while other cleanly finished up the survivors. However, such pinnacle of synchronization came with a price. No more pieces could be added to their union, or the whole thing would have come down like a tumbling house of cards.
That was why Illyavenger and Illya worked alone, separate from the trio. This way, they could kill far more monsters that stood in their way. After all, they were not protecting something; instead, they were simply here to destroy.
“H-hey, you two!” Ayako shouted, watching the two kids spread their carnage. “Watch it! If you bounce around here and there, the main force won’t concentrate here! And that’s the whole idea! Otherwise those two will be flooded by these monsters!”
“Oh, worry not, Ayako.” Illya smiled sweetly as her silvery blades cut of the head of yet another monster. “The enemies will concentrate their forces here. The path they should follow is laid ahead of them. Those that get through are only a minor mistake in calculations, and can be taken care of by those two.”
“Yeah, but… there’s still a lot of them,” Azaka commented, wiping sweat from her forehead. “And I saw even more gathering in the park… I mean, residential district. If those come here, instead of going after the others, we’ll be in big trouble.”
“The park? Hahaha! Don’t worry about those shitheads!” Illyavenger laughed crudely as she mounted one of the beast, her curved daggers digging deep into the creature’s head. “I’ve got a surprise there, waiting for them!”
“… Surprise?” Caren asked, sounding suddenly worried. “Illyavenger. What have you done?”
“Ooh, nothing much,” Illyavenger snickered. “Just invited one friend over. I told her I’d pay a good price if she held fort over there, and got rid of all pesky beasts that tried to head out here. I had to utilize some tricks, but I was able to summon her here.”
“Summon…?” Azaka muttered and shivered as her hands launched another cloud of flames. “That… that really doesn’t sound good.”
“Don’t worry ‘bout it, princess!” Illyavenger said and cackled. “Just let yourself go and enjoy the fight! Tonight’s the night we’ll paint this town crimson! Well, more crimson than it already is! Kakakakkihihiahahahahahaaa!”
And leaving behind that shrill, mad laughter, Illyavenger charged the advancing enemy forces once more. A howling hyena descended among the wolves, ready to rip and tear apart anyone who got in her way. Behind her, her silver-haired cousin followed in suite, her blades dancing in the air with bloody precision.
****
As Azaka had presumed, a great number of beasts had amassed in the residential area of Shinto. They were like a teeming mass of insects when viewed from above, innumerable and horrifyingly strong when working united. However, despite all their apparent strength, this large batch of monsters had fallen into a deathly silence, as if anticipating something. There we few forces in this world that could have caused the beasts to remain so quiet, and only one of them should have been present in this story. That was, at least, how the hands writing it had intended. But, some of those forces were powerful enough to force the hand that writes, and thus, another actor had taken center stage, forcing herself into the moonlit spotlight.
“— How disgusting. All these frothing beasts gathering here to bask in my splendor. Do they have no shame?”
Here, in the center of the residential district, a force that should not be now existed. Like moths to a flame, the crimson beasts gathered around this presence, leaving a small circle untouched in the middle of the vast, swaying sea. In the center of that circle, the incarnation of the moonlight above stood tall, emanating an aura of pure destruction. A savage beauty that had no reason to be here… and yet did.
It was a witch. A witch in white, shining like a princess of an alien kingdom from a faraway land. At her back, protecting her lunar beauty, stands a lion, towering over the beasts that have gathered to witness the spectacle.
“I have decided to grace this pitiful dream with my presence, and this is how you reward me? By ogling my royal self like mere peasants? Why do savages never learn…?”
The arrogance pouring from the voice of the witch was palpable. It was a sickening tone, one that would have made any human being shudder in disgust. There should not have been anyone in this world, no king or no queen, capable of such condescending tone. Yet, there she stood, in the middle of the monsters like a princess exacting her will to the masses.
“… I have to admit, I’m surprise, Hime,” the lion spoke up, his deep voice cutting the night. “I would have never thought you’d accept the proposal of that brat.”
“Oh, please. Can I not have some fun every once in a while? This is a rare chance, after all.” The witch answered, her mouth curving into a sneer. “It has been quite a while since my royal self could afford to play like this.”
That word caused the monsters that had amassed to shudder in momentary fear. Despite the impossible, captivating beauty in front of them, the tonttus were unable to shake off the feeling of dread that has overtaken them. Their natural instincts screamed for them to concentrate their attack here, to tear down the white witch that now threatens their territory. And yet, at the same time, their hostility was also spurred by their fear. Fear that if they do not act now, it will be too late for any of them.
“So once in a blue moon, even the two of us can act like heroes…” the lion chuckled quietly, shaking his head. “My, my. What a troublesome and whimsical princess you are, Hime.”
“I need to have my fun every once in a while, Banchou-kun. Thus, tonight, my royal self shall do something very unlike me…”
The teeming mass of beasts stirred. Letting out an unified roar, they charged forth, intending to rip apart the two standing at the center of their gathering. Whether it was hostility born out of anger or out of fear, it no longer mattered. The tonttus had taken their first and last step, and they had decided to attack the pair. Fangs gleaming in the dark and claws reaching out to rip the flesh, they fell upon the two like a crimson flood, ready to destroy everything in sight.
And what they met was a wicked sneer that mocked their very existence, alien arrogance that held nothing but contempt against this dream that has been allowed to exist.
“— Sing songs of praise, peasants! For tonight, and tonight only, your princess has returned to the surface of this pitiful planet!” The witch sang aloud, casting aside the white hood that covered her beautiful visage. “Wash your necks and gather around, for the climax of this sorry tale shall be told here and now—!”
Moonlight sang with her, and destruction rose up towards heavens. The invading monsters scattered into the winds as tiny particles, torn apart by the sheer power of wind caused by the witch raising her hand and striking the ground. Destruction from so long ago was recreated, as the lunar beauty answered the charge of the monsters by annihilating them in one strike.
“—Not enough, not enough! If you are to amuse your Princess, then this is nearly not enough, lowlives!”
The vampire clad in royal garb of white and gold shouted out with a voice of pure wickedness. In this storm of white wind and iridescent light, the Princess of the Pale Moon unleashed the full extent of her might, and leveled down the chunk of the residential district along with the beasts that threaten her.
And at her back, the lion wearing white jacket, his golden hair buffeted by the violent wind, raised his eyes to meet the hell that now surrounded them. A grin spread to his face, and somewhere deep within him, a flame of hellfire began to burn brightly.
“Calm down, Hime. Tonight, we will be the heroes. We have all night to weed out this scum,” he said and prepared himself. “So why not take this chance to enjoy yourself completely?”
“Well spoken, my Master,” the vampire answered. “Then… I shall allow you to display your might as well. Go ahead and do not hold back. I want to witness the full extent of sins you carry.”
Those words are an order that he cannot disobey. With a quiet smile on his face, the lion steps forward, and his demonic aura spreads over the residential area. Before the monsters that remain know what is about to happen, it has already become too late for them. Fire pouring from his mouth, the lion took one final step, and slammed his hands together. What followed… was hell.
A fiery pit of agony. The flames of torture written down in the scriptures of Buddhism. Commanding the savage force lying deep within him, the lion turned the ruins of the residential district around them into a conflagration much like the disaster that should have happened here, originally. Flesh, bone, ground and air; all is burned and all is destroyed. Under the watchful eye of the princess that commands him, the lion unleashes the power within him.
“Let us start, monsters of North,” the lion spoke, his voice rumbling with satisfaction. “Tonight you shall experience death unlike any other.”
And the witch at his back laughed.
“Entertain us, peasants! This night shall be a one to remember!”
Thusly, the wrath of these two villains, taking up the mantle of hero for this Christmas Eve, fell upon the unfortunate fools that dared to take a step into the forbidden zone of Shinto.
****
------------ And so the curtain falls to the final battle.
Recreation of the original four nights, all the actors have taken their places and performed splendidly. Just like another tale that spins anew the events of old, this too, can only act within the limits given to it but the person who requested it. Neither the wish-granter nor the author can affect it beyond that. Thusly, the events that play out are mere repetitions. But, even though they are repetitions, that does mean they are worthless. There is a certain beauty to it, like to all things. And in the midst of mirages of the past, something new might be allowed to born.
This is exactly why everything has led up to this point. For the sake of something new.
The red monsters, though few in number, have finally reached their target. The tattooed man they hunt to prevent him from succeeding is some hundred meters away from them. In other words, they have all but succeeded in their task. All they have to do is to assault the building he has holed up in, and tear him apart, thus restarting this ordeal from the very beginning.
The fangs they bare at the night sky can already taste the flesh. They have struggled this long, survived against all the odds, to reach this place. Guard dogs that they are, hint of satisfaction is born within their hearts. They have not failed their master. There is nothing more useless than a dog that cannot even protect their yard. Indeed, now they are sure they won’t be cast aside like many before them. In other words, they feel relief.
… And yet.
All the surviving monsters came to a sudden halt.
In unison, they stopped dead in their tracks, unable to advance any further. The crimson tide that would not obey even a king does not understand. The end is right there, almost within an arm’s reach. And even still, they cannot take another step towards their end goal. The building still stands tall, and no tonttu has crashed in to hunt down its prey.
The stampede eventually freezes in place. Something stands in their way. Magnificence of the guardian they now face has captivated them completely for the moment. Blue-and-white uniform flaps in the winter wind, undisturbed by the claws of the monsters it opposes. A flag has been struck to the ground, and it bears the symbol of sincerity, announcing that no monster shall advance any further than this.
---------- Return to the land of cold where thou cameth from, o’ beasts of knowledge.
What awaits you here is naught but blade of tempered steel.
“… Come one and come all. We shall protect this building with our lives if we must.”
The last guardian speaks up, her rose-tinted hair billowed by the cold breeze.
Behind her, a squadron upon squadron of soldiers, donning similar uniform of white and blue, prepare their blades. Their commander, standing tall and bright, is like a spearhead pointed straight at the previously advancing beasts. Faced with such a grand sight, the monsters know that this is one opponent they can never defeat. The blade she carries gleams in silver, promising death. But the thing that most disturbs them is her eyes.
There is no doubt in Sakura Saber’s eyes. If it is for the man she now protects, she is ready to lay down her life.
--------- And that is one thing that the monsters she faces are never able to comprehend.
She knew that after tonight, she that is here shall be no more. These four nights have been a daydream for her, discovering both love and heartbreak. Many would succumb to melancholy at such a thought, and be unable to hold their head so high. But for her, this time has been a blessing. These days have been more than she could have ever hoped for. Therefore, she will do her utmost to protect it till the very end. For the sake of the man she loves, and for the dream she was allowed to have. And… for the sake of the faint connection she can now feel in her soul.
She refuses to see it end in a tragedy.
“You, who would never know what self-sacrifice means, step forth,” Sakura Saber spoke calmly, and held out her sword in front of her. “I was denied of my final charge in my life. I will not allow it to happen again.”
And thus, the chrysanthemum blade is struck down, announcing the attack. The soldiers behind her, Shinsengumi, the warriors of old, charge forth, preparing to cut down all the foes before them.
In their lead is a single rose-madder girl.
With her, the final battle comes to a definite close. The fading world has served its purpose. What happens now is the truth, and the choice that it presents. The actors bow out, and leave the stage.
The only ones left are those who started it all… and who now must end it.
****
Somewhere at the far end of the café, a bell chimed, announcing that a customer had entered the establishment. Otherwise, nothing but silence permeated the place, cut every now and then by the small thud of a glass being put down on the wooden surface of the counter. Dust hung heavy on top of the old furniture, and the night outside was driven away by the warm glow of the few old lamps that brought light to the otherwise dim place. The only thing that seemed to be missing was the melancholic sound of a lonely piano in the corner, used by some washed-up blues singer to earn himself few dollars to spend on booze.
Now that he was inside, Avenger dusted off the snow that gathered on top of him. He stretched his toes, allowing the warmth of the café to permeate him to the bone. With a simple nod, he greeted Chikagi who was tending the bar, and then headed over to the single empty seat and sat down. Other than him, there were only two customers in the establishment. One as big as a barn door, other small as a young kid. Avenger offered them no attention as he ordered himself a beer. Instead he waited for Chikagi to fulfill his request, and then took a long and hard sip, enjoying the taste of alcohol falling down his throat.
Next to him, the smaller of the two customers quietly lit his pipe, and the smoke rose up in the air. The quiet rattle of the burn inside the pit brought some more life to the atmosphere, but not by much.
For five minutes or six, there was nothing but silence in the Zeidgeist. No one bothered each other, and no sounds could be heard from the outside. It was as if the world beyond the door no longer existed.
Finally, Avenger spoke up, putting down his beer.
“So… I figured one of the people responsible was you, Rider,” he said. “But really… you too, Caster? Then again, I guess it sorta does make sense. This wasn’t event or anything… just a story. Simple as that.”
The child-like man next to him chuckled with his deep voice. His blue eyes looked Avenger from head to toe, before returning his attention to his pipe. Meanwhile, the large Servant clad in fur and leather, and wearing a helmet made out of gigantic ram’s skull, grunted approvingly, and ordered another ale from Chikagi. The culprits of this tale had been now exposed, and all they could do was admit their fault and leave it at that.
“Bravo, Avenger! Once again, your thick-headed, rash nature shines through, and you complain about the ending only after witnessing it,” Caster said and snorted. “Such attitude is almost that of a fledging literature critic. You should be proud of yourself.”
“Cut it out, you third-rate novelist,” Avenger shot back, taking a sip of his beer. “If you can’t even write out a proper Christmas story, don’t switch the blame to me. You’re the one orchestrating it, right? I mean, Rider’s too simple for finer points of this all.”
Hearing that, Rider let out a low growl, like rumble of earth. However, this only seemed to serve as amusement to Caster.
“Well, he did borrow me the power of his wish-granting Noble Phantasm. That turned my story into an actual play of sorts,” Caster explained. “The only thing missing was you, the protagonist. And as luck would have it, you’re a bothersome drunkard who passes out after single night of drinking!”
Something clicked in Avenger’s head. Having listened to Caster speak, he was now able to connect the dots. That was, indeed, the same voice he had heard back in Ahnenerbe, before he was transported in this Reality Marble of sorts.
“So it was you, huh? Kids shouldn’t drink, you know,” Avenger said, and Caster scoffed at him.
“Despite how my body looks, I’m much more eligible to drown my sorrows when it comes to the two of us,” he said. “But once again, I applaud your worthless deduction skills. You’ve put the pieces together after the truth has been revealed.”
“So, let me get this straight,” Avenger said, now turning towards the two. “You dragged me somewhere after I passed out, used your Noble Phantasms together to create this ‘storybook world’ and threw me in it. Okay, I get that. But… why? Just to punish me? Don’t you have anything better to do, Rider? Especially this time of the year.”
To Avenger’s surprise, the two culprits fell silent for a moment. It was Rider who finally responded, his deep voice sounding like it came from the depths of the earth.
“… It is because I was asked to. Nothing more, nothing less,” the giant said. Avenger’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
“Wait. Asked to? By who?” he exclaimed, now honestly confused. “Who the hell has time and energy to fuck with me like this!?”
“Well, I think the intention should be obvious, even to you,” Caster answered, tapping out the ashes from his pipe. “You were thrust into a world to show how better it would have been if you had not been summoned. If you think about it, there would be only one reason to do that: to show you how much you’ve screwed things up by existing.”
“… Yeah, I guess so. That’s what I initially thought, too,” Avenger said, staring his beer. “I mean, it became pretty clear everyone’s doing hell of a lot better if I’m not around.”
Caster snuck a glance at the tattooed youth.
“I hear a ‘but’ in there somewhere.”
“Yeah. I said ‘initially’, didn’t I?” Avenger answered. “Because being here, while intended as torture, actually showed me something else. If I’m not around, there are actually people who’ll miss me. Not only that, but I still have enough worth that strangers would help me. No matter how much I screwed up the world by tainting the grail, those things are still facts. So suck it.”
Caster and Rider laughed at his choice of words. Avenger grumbled under his breath and took another sip of his beer, emptying the glass. He was about to order another, but realized that at some point, Chikagi of this storybook world had disappeared.
“You got us there,” Caster said as he put away his pipe. “Rider and I tried to rearrange things as fast as we could, but eventually only option left was to restart the events completely. And even that you thwarted. So I guess this means that we lost.”
“Actually, that reminds me,” Avenger spoke up, looking at the two. “What the hell was up with people I know suddenly showing up? Where did they come from?”
Caster made a non-committed shrug, and sighed disappointedly.
“Unfortunately, it seems that my real body in the real world was found by Caren Ortensia. It did not take her even a full day to hunt me down with the help of that little she-devil, Illyavenger. I believe they coerced my actual self to sending them here, along with Kokutou Azaka,” Cater explained. “You could say that out there, I have already lost. Such a shame, that.”
Hearing those words, Avenger felt something warm in his heart. The moment he had disappeared, people had been looking for him. It was something he could have never imagined possible before. But now, having spent these four nights in this storybook world… he had learned that even such strangeness was possible.
“So… what now?” Avenger finally asked, after a moment of silence. “Is this the end? Will I be waking up soon?”
“Well, that depends,” Caster answered smugly. “Have you understood what this was all about?”
“Huh?” Avenger tilted his head in annoyed confusion. “This was meant as a torture for me, right? By… whoever, it seems.”
“Was it now? I only said that it would be the only answer if you thought about it,” Caster said with a strange tone. “Since it seems things are still going on even as we speak, well… looks like your tiny brains have yet to comprehend what’s truly the meaning of all this!”
Avenger growled and spun around on his chair to face the two Servants.
“Lookie here, you shitheads! I didn’t come this far just to be slapped in the face with some riddles! Why don’t you— huh?”
At some point, the world around Avenger had changed. He hadn’t realized it before showcasing his anger, but he was no longer in Zeitgeist. He was no longer even in a bar. There weren’t two Servants whose powers had been used to trap him here. There was literally nothing around him but whiteness. The only things that seemed to exist now were him and the bar stool he was sitting on. Somewhere, somehow, the world had completely disappeared, leaving him behind in confused anger.
“… What the hell?”
Avenger scratched the back of his head, looking around, trying to find something he could focus his eyes on. However, no matter where he looked, there was nothing anywhere to see. Just pure whiteness, stretching to infinity. And in the center of it all was him, along with his useless bar stool.
“This… this is getting a bit creepy,” Avenger said to himself, turning around frantically. “The hell’s going on!?”
There was no answer.
Just white.
Infinity without reason, like some sort of anachronistic hell where nothing could exist. Avenger even began to realize that it was most likely not white that he saw around him. Instead, it was the closest representation his brain could give to him about the “nothing” that had overtaken the world.
Had the storybook world died? Was he now inside his own mind, trapped because of Caster’s machinations? Or was this the last revenge that Rider had dealt him, eternity of nothing inside an empty wish? Or was this all… something connected to the person allegedly behind them both?
“If someone’s out there, show yourself!” Avenger yelled out angrily. “I’m not getting stuck in a place like this! Not after all that!”
“Ah, welcome. Would you like a drink?”
Sudden female voice took Avenger by surprise, and he spun around on his stool, coming face-to-face with the source of this voice. To Avenger’s great confusion, who stood before him was no one else but Katsuragi Chikagi. This wasn’t even the one whom the world he had been thrust into, but the twin-tails revealed that this was the Chikagi that knew him.
“What’s wrong, Avenger?” Chikagi asked, tilting her head. “You look a bit pale. Which is pretty strange considering your skin color.”
However, Avenger was already past games like this. He knew that in this void of existence, real Katsuragi Chikagi had no possibility of existing. Therefore, the person before him could not really be her.
“You… who are you?” he asked, his voice nothing but a growl. Chikagi snorted amusedly, putting her hand before her mouth.
“Well, that didn’t take long. You’ve become a bit sharper, Avenger.”
That was enough for Avenger. He stood up from the stool and kicked it aside, confronting the thing wearing the visage of Katsuragi Chikagi. Anger flashing in his eyes, the tattooed youth pointed his finger straight at its face.
“I’ve had enough of this bullshit! Can’t anyone here give me a straight answer!?” he yelled, his voice echoing in the nothingness. “Who the hell are you!?”
”My, my. Still rash as ever,” the thing infront of him said and giggled. “What’s the matter? Don’t you recognize me… lil’ bro?”
With those words, the image of the girl before Avenger started melting like water on a canvas. The green in Chikagi’s hair fell down to the whiteness in big splotches of pain, revealing the pitch black underneath. The soft pink of the skin washed downwards as well, leaving behind only ashen surface with myriad tattoos covering it. The color of her eyes turned into tears that ran down her face, revealing the spoiled bronze behind them. Even her clothes seemed to corrode and fall to the ground, losing their color and leaving behind nothing but deep red tatters that covered the most important areas.
The girl in front of Avenger grinned so that her protruding canine tooth showed.
“Long time no see, Avenger! Ukekeke!”
Avenger could barely understand the sight that stood before him. It was so outlandish, yet something in it felt oddly familiar, like a dream you once saw but can only now recall faintly.
“Illyave… no, huh!? C-Chikavenger!?” Avenger exclaimed in utter shock. The girl before him nodded earnestly.
“Yeah! We meet again, lil’ bro!”
“Wait, wait, waitwaitwait!” Avenger held his head, trying to wrap his mind around this new development. “This is… huh? What!? How can this… what the HELL are you!? I don’t have any older sisters!”
“Well, no, not really. But think back,” Chikavenger said, grinning like Cheshire cat. “At one point, I was there. You were like a little brother to me during those times. Mind you, you didn’t speak much back then. You didn’t even really think. You just… were. But if you had, you would have known that you really did have an older sister.”
A ripple of freezing realization ran up Avenger’s body. His hands fell against his body, and he stared at the girl before him like he had seen a ghost.
And… in a sense… he had.
“……………………………………………………… Master?”
Avenger’s voice was a quiet whisper, like first words of a newborn child.
“Ah, you remembered! You remembered me!” Chikavenger said and hugged Avenger tightly. “I thought you might not have any recollection, but you did have! I’m so glad. Now Onee-chan doesn’t have to feel so sad anymore! Ukekeke!”
“No, wait… what the hell!?” Avenger pushed the girl away, and took two steps back, frenzied look on his face. “You aren’t alive! I saw you die! You were cut down by Rider, just like me! How… how the hell can you be here!? And why do you look like that!?”
“Well… think about it a bit, Avenger,” Chikavenger said, mysterious expression on her face. “The way you look symbolizes something. So what would it mean if I, and on that matter, Illyavenger look like you? Surely it holds some meaning, right?”
One-by-one, the gears in Avenger’s head locked in place and started spinning. The realization drained all the strength out of his body, and with his legs giving out from under him, Avenger fell on the whiteness. He could only stare up at the girl what was like a spitting mirror image of him, only using a different body. Knowing that, and what she had just said… even Avenger could answer the question presented.
“… All the Evils of the World. But which world? That’s the trick, isn’t it?” he said with a hushed voice. “I represent the evils of mankind, and what is wrong with my world. You and Illyavenger… you represent the mistakes and evil of your respective domains… right?”
“Bingo! You’re good at this, lil’ bro!” Chikavenger cheered. “That’s right, we’re in similar positions as you are. We’re the collective representations and culprits of all that is wrong with our worlds. Illyavenger represents those of a branching timeline that should never be, a continuation of events that should have been buried. Meanwhile I… well… I represent the same for this world. The world of Christmas you experience every year.”
“So, in other words… you’re responsible for everything that’s happened so far?” Avenger asked, barely believing what he was wearing. “Down to that first time, five years ago? You made it all happen, and… oh god… You have a physical body, don’t you? You were the one who re-summoned Rider. You were the one who put him after me on that first year.”
“That’s… almost right. You see, it wasn’t my intention for him to meet you. He needed to transport Illyavenger to somewhere safe, where she wouldn’t meet you. But… looks like fate had other plans! So, here we are. After all these years, you found me,” Chikavenger curtsied and winked at Avenger. “The culprit to these Christmas mistakes.”
Avenger felt like he had been hit to head with a hammer. He curled up in a ball on the “floor” of nothingness and stared into the white void, unable to get the words he had heard out of his head. This had all been her fault? All these events? The collection that started everything? Those troubled times that followed? The events that led him and Azaka together? She… was the reason for all that? His former Master from the Third Grail War?
“… Why?”
Avenger’s hoarse voice suddenly broke the silence.
“Why are you doing all this? To have revenge because I failed you?” he asked. Chikavenger put a finger to her chin, and tilted her head.
“Well, not exactly revenge, no. If that was it, I’d just put Rider after you and be done with it! Ukekekeke! Easy as that!” she said, laughing her annoying laugh. “If you really want to know the reason, you’ll have to think about it. Onee-chan knows you can do it! Just wrack those brain cells, and it’ll come to you. Go for it, lil’ bro!”
Avenger shot a glare at Chikavenger under his brows, his eyes burning with anger.
“You know… that personality is seriously starting to grate me. Can you stop with that condescending attitude?” he asked with a voice like a growl.
“Noooope! Ukekeke! That’s just how Onee-chan is, Avenger. That’s the kind of person I am now,” she said. “Besides, shouldn’t you focus on something other than my personality? If you don’t realize the reason I’m doing this, there ain’t no way for you out of here. That’s the sort of situation you are in! Realize or be trapped. Don’t you worry, though. You have a whoooole eternity to ponder about it!”
“If I don’t realize, I won’t get out, huh? What’s with this sadistic game…” Avenger asked, glaring at the girl before him. “It’s the same thing as those two said, right? This story wasn’t made to torture me. It was made for another reason.”
“Exactly! Good job, Avenger! You’re getting closer and closer. Ukeke!” Chikavenger said, showing her twisted grin once more.
Avenger strengthened his grip on his legs, and drew them closer. The reason why he had been cast into this world? The reason this whole thing had been started? His original Master wanted him to realize something? If you put it like that, the answer seemed so simple. There was no other possibility for this storybook world to exist other than his punishment. A showcasing of how better life would be if he didn’t exist. But wasn’t that what Caster had said was simply how he would view it? Did that mean that in the eyes of someone else, the purpose of this whole ordeal could be something different?
So what reason would anyone else have to throw him into such world, where all his flaws and mistakes became so glaringly obvious? It had taken the help of those who loved him, and whom he loved in return, to even get to this point. So what reason could there be…
“It’s been a bitter experience, right?” Chikavenger suddenly asked, bringing her face close to Avenger’s. “All you’ve had is the confirmation of how many reasons everyone has to hate you. If you didn’t exist, she would be rich. If you didn’t exist, he would be happy. If you didn’t exist, they would be alive. Those sorts of things, when revealed straight to your face, could drive anyone mad, right? It’s one thing to be the target of hatred for a whole village, but when you come face to face with the sin of your own existence, there’s no reason not to curl up in a ball and wish the world away, is there? So tell me, lil’ bro, now that you’ve seen such a world: do you feel like killing yourself? Maybe sparing the rest of the world from any other mistakes you might make?”
“… No. I was told I should live. I was told that people actually needed me,” Avenger said, but there was little strength in his voice. “I was told there were still people who love me.”
“If you ask me, what the lot of you are doing doesn’t really sound like love at all, you know? You’re spreading your feelings across so many targets you don’t even know what to do with them! You say you hate guys like that, but aren’t you one like that yourself? Ukeke!” Chikavenger inquired, pushing her face even closer. “You push and you pull to different directions, yet you end up at the exact same point! Now how ironic is that? So tell me, lil’ bro, how does love like that, which you hate, prove anything? Base lust really isn’t the way to go when it comes to confirming your worth as existence, you know! You might as well go for greed, and then ‘whoops!’. You’re at a point where you should just go die again. If you really think that justifies you existing, then you’re sorely mistaken. If anything, it just proves how much damage you do by simply being there! Tell me, lil’ bro, is this whole situation fair to those girls?”
Avenger gritted his teeth together, but found no answer within himself. He knew that what Chikavenger was speaking was the truth, in a way. Azaka. Caren. Sakura Saber. Illyavenger. All four of them were people he held affection for, and all four of them had tried to save him from this place. And how did he reward them? By giving everyone hope, acting like all those men he so much hated. He loved Azaka, yet he also knew he loved the rest of them. Was that truly love? Or was it just his base instincts, his lust after women, affecting his decisions? If presented with such a choice, wouldn’t most men go for “F. All of the Above” option? It was in human nature to want everything they could get, and only going against such greed could someone be called a decent human being… right?
“If you ask me, lil’ bro, you just refuse to accept how despicable human being you are,” Chikavenger continued. “Here, in this storybook world, you were given plenty of reasons to see that, and yet you claimed that you want to go back? After all that? It’s like you learned nothing! You just continue do all the mistakes you’ve done before, living in a world where people died because of your existence! Now tell me, how does that make you feel? As human being, shouldn’t your own existence disgust you at this point?”
Avenger raised his eyes, his face having become a mask of melancholy. What greeted him was the face of Chikavenger, only few inches away from his own. The two of them stared each other straight in the eyes, and the tattooed girl continued her speech, all the while mockingly grinning at him.
“So, for what reason do you want to go back? Your existence harms people. Tell me, for what reason do you want to go back? You play a game of pretend-love with people who are hurt in the process. Really, for what reason do you want to go back? You are in no way a decent human being.”
A darkness that descended to cover his mind. Accusations and truths that he could in no way deny. It was like a cloud that permeated his head, not allowing him to see anything that lied ahead of him, in the future.
Yet, it was because of that darkness…
… that Avenger could see the tiny speck of light that shone in the vast distance.
“For what reason?” Avenger asked, smile spreading slowly to his lips. “Because that’s what being human is about. Your existence may hurt others… you may hurt others… but if you can be loved and love back despite all that… that just means you’re a human, damn it!”
Pushing away Chikavenger, Avenger felt strength returning to his limbs. He stood up from the ground and face the girl before him with nothing but determination shining in his eyes.
“In other words, that was the reason why you put me here, Master!” Avenger said, grinning at the girl. “To teach me that despite everything that’s happened, it’s still okay for me to love and be loved, no matter how strange or faulty it might be! I’m a human, after all!”
Chikavenger cocked an eyebrow at this burst of clarity.
“Oh? And what’s your proof, lil’ bro?” she asked. Avenger snorted and pointed up, looking rather smug.
“What? You mean you can’t hear it?” he asked.
Chikavenger, however, tilted her head in confusion.
“Hear what?” she asked.
With a big grin on his face, Avenger drew a deep breath…
------------- And began to sing.
“Do you hear the lovers sing? Singing the song of worthy men? It is the music of emotions, which were lost and found again! When the feelings in your heart, find an echo in the dark! Even if you are apart, you will have that spark!”
As Avenger sang, one-by-one, voices joined him. They were silent, almost non-existent at first, but the longer he sang, the more powerful these voices got, until you could have sworn there were more people in the void with the tattooed youth.
“I won’t fall into despair, as long there’s people who know me. Evenif they’re rare, I trust that there are those who see. No matter what’s done, there’s always a one, to believe!”
Eventually it wasn’t just voices. Here and there, mirage-like apparitions started fading into the existence, slowly taking a more corporeal form. Azaka, Caren, Sakura Saber, Illyavenger, the people of this storybook world… all of them appeared, and as they did, they joined Avenger’s proud song.
“Do you hear the lovers sing? Singing the song of worthy men? It is the music of emotions, which were lost and found again! When the feelings in your heart, find an echo in the dark! Even if you are apart, you will have that spark!”
And that was not enough. Beyond the actors of this final Christmas play, other people started appearing too, joining the song. Servants, Masters, demon hunters, vampires… people from all corners and stories, joining in for one powerful proof to throw against the face of Chikavenger, who stood there, listening to the finale with a mysterious smile on her face. Somewhere in the distance, music bellowed almost as loudly as the singers, edging them even further in their grandiose number.
“The greatest gift to give is understanding someone’s there. There are people who can live even though they know they can err! As long as there’s someone whose world they can share!”
Finally, the song reached its apex. All of them were there, and all were united in this one moment, through this one song. In the very forefront of the whole group was Ruler, and she was holding the flag of France high above their heads, tears streaming down her face. It was as if that single flag acted as the symbol of this whole situation.
“Do you hear the lovers sing? Singing the song of worthy men? It is the music of emotions, which were lost and found again! When the feelings in your heart, find an echo in the dark! Even if you are apart, you will have that spark!”
Then, just as quickly as it had begun, the song ended. The images of friends and allies faded away, back into the nothingness, having given their all to support Avenger during this one time he needed them. Spurred by this newfound courage, Avenger stared right back at Chikavenger, not flinching a bit under her scrutinizing stare. Silence may have reigned again, but this time, it was filled with anticipation.
“I think I get it now. Sorta,” Avenger said, nodding to Chikavenger. “You made this all to show me that people can be loved, no matter who they are… right? The reason being, well… the fact that they are human. Right?”
“… Good going, lil’ bro. You finally got it,” Chikavenger answered, leaning back on her bar stool. Before Avenger had even realized it, the two were back sitting in the nothingness. “Even if it took you five years to understand… you’ve now realized that simple truth.”
Avenger scratched his head and sighed. When he looked back at the girl, a flash of gloom still appeared in his eyes, a repetition of the exchange from before.
“I know, I know. Hell, I think I’ve sorta always known,” he spoke. “Still, it doesn’t mean I can totally stop hating myself from screwing everything up.”
“Of course it won’t. That’s because you know the realities of your existence. You know that because you exist, some people die. You know that some people suffer. If you didn’t exist, many people would have it better… but you’re hardly alone in that. Humans, as a rule, take something from others by coming into existence. We need to reserve our space in this world, and that space is thus taken away from others. See? Lil’ bro, you’re doing just what everyone else does,” Chikavenger explained. “We do this without even understanding it, and that’s why our past is full of things we come to regret later. After all, regret is just manifestation of our wish to turn back the hands of time to do things differently. But no human can do that. That’d be approaching the realm of god, and the way we are now, it’s merely a daydream, you know? So, instead, we take our regrets and they eventually become part of us. Just like our past. Because humans are sum of their existences, whether we want it or not, our pasts define us. We cannot exist outside the existence given to us by our own past, outside what we were before. We are always at end of our time, slowly going forward, and thus, where we stand is supported by that pillar we call past. In other words, whether we want it or not, our pasts will always define who we are.”
Chikavenger smiled solemnly, and looked somewhere beyond Avenger, into the great non-existent whiteness surrounding the two.
“Yet, on the other hand, we are never restricted by our pasts. We are restricted simply by what we refuse to learn, the views we refuse to hold. Our restrictions as a person come simply from our own mind and what information it allows itself to use. That is what defines the paths we walk forward to. And, you guessed it, what we allow ourselves to know is damn little. Our world-views can be narrow as hell!” Chikavenger chuckled, turning her attention back to Avenger. “And that’s why we need other people so much: Because they are the mirrors we use to justify our existences. If our pasts define us, and if our world-views restrict us, others are what allow us to simply exist. If there were no other people, you might as well not exist. In fact, your existence wouldn’t matter, and thus, its worth comes to a complete nill. We use others to gauge our perceived to us, and thus, denote the very fact that we exist and have some sort of ‘worth’ in this life. That simple fact should already make it clear how desperately we need other people.”
Avenger frowned, gazing at the white floor in front of him. Even though he heard these words, he wasn’t still sure he could agree with them. He understood what the girl before him wanted to say, and yet…
“But… the worth others give us might just be hatred. It might be nothing at all. Not every person on this damn blue ball is fortunate enough to have friends, you know?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at the girl.
“Of course. There isn’t a single human being that’s universally loved. Everyone is hated by someone. There is always someone you cannot stand. But think about it: if they have some sort of emotion at the mere thought of you, that means your worth is already that much. It doesn’t matter if it’s positive or negative, it means that you’re acknowledged as existing being,” Chikavenger answered. “Even those who do not think they have any connection whatsoever just don’t understand what true “isolation” means. It means being separated from everything, separated from reality itself, to the point that your value as existence is erased. It means the erasure of your existence. And if you’re a human living in this world, that’s no longer possible. Everyone is connected somehow. Somebody holds some opinion when it comes to every person on this planet. And in that way, we can all exist, whether in good or in bad. That’s irrelevant, really. What’s relevant is that we, as humans, make it possible for all of us to enjoy the greatest gift this life has to offer us: being able to exist. Even if it’s painful, or maybe just because of that, it truly is the one, true purpose we can all take great pride in.”
“So, what you’re saying is…” Avenger lifted his eyes from the floor, and looked at Chikavenger. “… it’s okay? This all… it’s okay?”
“What I’m saying, lil’ bro,” Chikavenger said and put her hands on his shoulders. “Is that you’re allowed to exist like this. You have a past that defines you, both in good and in bad. You have a world-view that tries to differ you from the norms of that past. And you have people who acknowledge your existence, and better yet, love you as you love them back. You shouldn’t be tied down by your regrets. You should enjoy the fact that you have this blessed of an existence. Because that’s what you, and everyone, deserves.”
Avenger looked down at his hand, closing it into a fist and back. Small smile spread onto his lips, and something warm continued growing within his heart. The small speck of light he had seen in the thick darkness was rapidly growing brighter, and soon it would be enough to overwhelm the blackness trapping him down.
“I sometimes hate myself. I sometimes hate what I’ve done. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t learn to love what may happen in days to come?” Avenger asked, directing his smile at the girl in front of him. “Because being loved is a blessing that does not ask about your past. So I can allow myself to do that, despite everything?”
“Despite everything, lil’ bro,” Chikavenger said and ruffled his hair. “So go out there, and enjoy. You’re existing, after all. You don’t really need to come back suffer through a Christmas like this again.”
The light was now growing even brighter, and Avenger could feel it harder to see.
“Wait, go out there?” Avenger asked, looking a bit confused. “What… what about you, Master? You made this all for me, right? Where does that leave you when this dream is over?”
“Me? Hm, well… I dunno? Ukekeke!” Chikavenger laughed. “Guess I’ll just have to see!”
Avenger tried to narrow his eyes once more, to see through the light to the face of the girl who had once summoned him, despite him being anything but useful. However, the light was already too bright. All he saw was more of the same encompassing whiteness that had already been there. Therefore, he simply tried to shout after her.
“But…! If existence is that greatest gift, what about you!?” he asked. “Why are you fading?”
“Like I said, I dunno!” Chikavenger said and cackled. “All, I’ve wanted to do is done now! My time in this play is over! So this actor bows out, and you continue. Isn’t it great, lil’ bro, you’ll finally see the end of these things. Or, in other words…”
Eventually, even voices were swallowed up by the light.
Avenger was left with the echo of the final words of his former Master, ringing in his head.
Words meant to grant him the salvation he had been seeking for:
“… You can stop worrying.”
And so, this sorry tale of Christmas finally came to a close.
**** Epilogue ****
“… Wow. All that, just for you? That girl was something else.”
“Right? She was my Master, after all.”
“I’m just glad it’s all over. I don’t think I could take another Christmas like this.”
“Please. You only started taking part a year ago. You have no right to complain.”
“W-what!?”
Snow scrunched underfoot as the group headed towards the hill, sun climbing up the bright, crispy blue sky. The cold air made their breaths appear as vapor in front of them, like a cloud that surrounded their forms as they traversed the street of Miyama town. Somewhere far away, festival bells could be heard clinking together. The early celebration at the Ryuudouji temple was beginning. Both Christmas and New Years were woven together in some sort of strange amalgam, making it easier to swallow them.
He didn’t complain. After all, this allowed them to easier take care of celebrating both. There was no longer need for overly grand parties that everyone attended. Whether it was big or small… everyone could do just what they wanted.
“So, have you given it thought? I will be holding the sermon right after we have finished here.”
“Um, well… I think I’ve heard enough of those speeches back at school, sorry.”
“Ah! If it’s anything like your dad did, count me in! Kakakaka!”
Locks of silver hair swung in the air as golden eyes turned to look at him.
“What about you, Avenger? Would you like to come hear me speak?” Caren asked.
Avenger adjusted this scarf, trying not to make eye-contact with the nun. He knew how important holding the Christmas Day sermon was to her, and to be frank, he liked listening to hear her play those organs of hers, but still… if he went, he’d spent a good chunk of the morning there. And church wasn’t exactly the most exciting of places.
“Ah! Onii-chan, you’re trying to play dumb again!” a high-pitched voice complained. “Not fair!”
Illyavenger, walking at the edge of the group, shot an angry glare at Avenger. Caren, who was walking next to Illyavenger, nodded once and quite firmly. It seemed that the silver-haired nun had found a strange ally in the petite Servant.
“It’s called ‘being considerate’, you know? You should try it sometime,” the girl walking between Caren and Avenger said, cocking an eyebrow at the other two. “It might open your eyes to some intricacies of human interactions.”
As usual, Azaka was not mincing her words. Still, the difference in how she acted from before was as clear as night and day. Instead of the hidden thorns, there was a playful note to her tone, and it did not go unnoticed by Illyavenger and Caren. The former was openly cackling, while the latter hummed amusedly. The silver-haired then turned to look beyond Avenger, opening her mouth again.
“Well, if Avenger pleads fifth in this case, how about you? Would you like to come?”
“Umm… maybe? I never went to Christian sermons while I was alive, after all…” Sakura Saber answered.
The rose-haired Servant was dressed in her usual kimono, which did not look that out of place in the wintery scene of Fuyuki City. In fact, if not counting Azaka, Sakura Saber seemed to be dressed most sensibly out of all the people in this group. With two people seemingly wearing nothing but rags, and one bona fide nun, a kimono seemed very normal choice.
Hearing Sakura Saber’s answer from his right side, Avenger turned to look the rest of the group walking on his left side.
“So… when am I gonna hear the explanation to this?” Avenger asked, pointing at Sakura Saber with his thumb. “It still don’t make much sense.”
“Oh, that? We just did this,” Azaka said and giggled, showing Avenger the back of her hand. There, three red markings could be seen. “We figured giving it a try was worth the shot, and surprisingly enough… it worked!”
“So you’re a Master, huh?” Avenger said before cackling loudly. “Better watch out, Sakura Saber. You might end up in manual labor with this boss!”
“I think we’ll just let you do that,” Azaka shot back. “Meanwhile, Saber and I can concentrate on taking it easy.”
“For once, I agree with you,” Caren commented, and everybody laughed.
The group drew silent once more as they approached the stairs leading up to the Ryuudou temple. It was not for any reason as real reverence to the place. They all knew the bespectacled young man who was in charge of proceedings today, and planned to make as much fun of him as they could. No, the real reason as to why they fell quiet was because of the group coming down the stairs as they began their ascension. It was a collection of some very familiar faces.
On the very left, there was Saber, dressed in white and blue. Next to her was Emiya Shirou, and on his right side, Tohsaka Rin. Next to Rin was Matou Sakura, and holding the other end of the line was none other than Illyasviel von Einzbern.
Odd sense of realization spread over Avenger and the group with him as they climbed the stairs up, eventually passing by Shirou and his retinue. For a split-second, all ten people were perfectly lined up on one step; five headed down, and five up. However, other than that, there were… startlingly little differences.
Perhaps just because of that, as they passed each other by, both Avenger and Shirou raised their hands in a mixture of greeting and farewell, not even looking at each other. It was mere acknowledgment of each other’s existence, and the fact that both now, in the end, were with “families of their own.”
The shadow had finally caught up to the owner.
Few minutes afterwards, at the top of the stairs, first words in a while were spoken again. The one to speak them was Sakura Saber, who looked up at Avenger with a slightly quizzical look on her face.
“So… what next? You’re no longer limited to the constraints of Christmas, Avenger,” she asked from the tattooed youth. “Have you thought about what happens after this?”
“Oh, the usual, I bet.” Avenger grinned at her.
“The usual?” Azaka asked, tilting her head in confusion.
Avenger looked up at the blue sky, which seemed to be that much closer. The family around him had all their eyes on him… and for the first time in quite a while, Avenger felt no guilt about it. No, he simply felt warmth, knowing there were people who were dear to him… and who he was dear to.
“You know how it is,” Avenger answered. “Old stories end and become dusty tomes in a library. Meanwhile…”
“… New stories might just begin.”
Though this is not the version I wanted to use, that will have to suffice if I want to release this on Christmas time. So, here it is. The final update. No more days to go. No more Christmases to suffer over.
It's been five years since I started these Christmas Countdowns, and unfortunately, every year my schedule has gotten busier and busier, and I've had less and less time to prepare for these. So, to end on a high-note, this year's Christmas Countdown shall be the final one. The tale of Avenger's yuletide suffering has come to a close, and all the plot-threads are (hopefully) tied back together. It was extremely fun ride to make these things, and I enjoyed it immensely. However, when you devote 8 hours a day for whole Christmas to doing stuff like this, it gets exhausting. Therefore, though I'm tired, I'm also glad. I hope people reading these enjoyed them as much as I did creating them.
As for the future? Well, summer will show. A tale in a medium very different from before shall start, and we shall see what comes of it...
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Originally Posted by Tobias
