[FF] Grail Works, Ltd.: Fate/Anarchy (Type-Moon/Scion crossover)

[Xamusel]

...what's your time zone, Kieran? I'm PST -8, to be sure.

[Kieran]

I'm on Eastern Standard Time - which can make coordinating things with RB tricky, sometimes . . .

. . . So, what did you think?

[Arbitrarity]

Sorry I didn't respond earlier, Thanksgiving has been some time. Also response procrastination, since I tend to spend a bit of time cross-referencing things when writing up, even if I read the chapter. Starting with RB.

No new information with Mordred here. We can hope they actually hit the Heart of Winter, but it doesn't seem likely, since it was reportedly getting further underground. Hopefully between Jeanne and Mash they can block that 15 plate cannon (well, 13 now, maybe less) when needed. Then again, I'm not sure how much prana that costs. It seems like it should be a fair bit, but it's likely not effectively more than a high-rank Anti-Fortress NP.

I'm not quite sure if you should be able to just move out of a Reality Marble. I've only ever seen them be destroyed (usually because Ea) or end due to user's choice. They do have some mapping to real space, of course, since we can see Iskandar in F/Z engaging with Gilles' giant monster from the outside. But that bubble seems to take up a lot less space than the subjective space that Ionion Hetairoi itself takes place on.

Interesting that Erik gets a powerup from being near Unlimited Blade Works. Likely something about his portfolio and relation to EMIYA's origin.

Erik violating Newton's third law, like everyone else. For some reason Prana Burst bothers me less, even though it accomplishes the same effect.

First numbers are losses, second are remaining? In some respects it's probably good Erik didn't fully commit troops here, he definitely needed some information about the Hanging Gardens' capabilities. Definitely living up to the EX Anti-World here. Not having Astolfo here hurts a lot, though admittedly the magic-absorbing NP only works during the full moon.

On to Kieran.

Rude, I thought Erik negotiated that Fiore not get shot. Oh well, nobody sticks to their promises, particularly not Assassins.
Spoooooons.
I have no idea what word starts with "lah", is semi-formal, and refers to a female or Fiore specifically. I cannot visualise XX referring to "Lass" or something.
Annnnd Murder on a Misty Night. Against two female Servants. Yikes. Twinmyniad might have been better used slicing to a specific point in the Hanging Gardens, but I guess Basmu isn't cheap to summon, and they don't know exactly where they would need to go. Galvanism pumping Fran might be enough to make this matchup not terrible.

So our battlefield state is a mass melee on the ground, with Siegfried, both Archers, Vlad, Mash, and Rin. XX, Fran, Mordred, and Erik are on the Hanging Gardens. Godafried and Fiore are presumably hiding nearby, Caules is probably also somewhere safe, the rest of Black seems to be alive somewhere. Amaterasu is unaccounted for, which makes sense given her skillset.

[Kieran]

Sorry I didn't respond earlier, Thanksgiving has been some time.

Likewise, which is why the chapter was so late, yesterday (also, needing to write 8 pages).

Also response procrastination, since I tend to spend a bit of time cross-referencing things when writing up, even if I read the chapter.

It never hurts to double-check.

On to Kieran.

Rude, I thought Erik negotiated that Fiore not get shot. Oh well, nobody sticks to their promises, particularly not Assassins.

That's true . . . Something I hadn't considered, and I'm not sure RB has, either.

Spoooooons.

. . . I admit, I'm baffled.

I have no idea what word starts with "lah", is semi-formal, and refers to a female or Fiore specifically. I cannot visualise XX referring to "Lass" or something.

Well, it's not necessarily accurate - but, given the nature of the forum, "Lancer" springs immediately to mind . . .

Annnnd Murder on a Misty Night. Against two female Servants. Yikes.

Yup. That is an entirely accurate summation.

Twinmyniad might have been better used slicing to a specific point in the Hanging Gardens, but I guess Basmu isn't cheap to summon, and they don't know exactly where they would need to go. Galvanism pumping Fran might be enough to make this matchup not terrible.

True, and true.

So our battlefield state is a mass melee on the ground, with Siegfried, both Archers, Vlad, Mash, and Rin. XX, Fran, Mordred, and Erik are on the Hanging Gardens. Godafried and Fiore are presumably hiding nearby, Caules is probably also somewhere safe, the rest of Black seems to be alive somewhere. Amaterasu is unaccounted for, which makes sense given her skillset.

Again, that seems to be an accurate summation - and RB was started on the next chapter before he left for his camping trip, so hopefully, it won't be too long a wait to see what happens next . . .

[Arbitrarity]

. . . I admit, I'm baffled.

(Though she quickly bottled that thought up and marked it down as the adrenaline-rush of a near-death experience and being abruptly woken while spooned together not that long ago.)

Well, it's not necessarily accurate - but, given the nature of the forum, "Lancer" springs immediately to mind . . .

Hmmmm. Pseudoservant shenanigans? Given Spiritual Evocation's field, not impossible, though I have no idea about compatibility. Doesn't seem right, but XX is from the future, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[Kieran]

Ah - that "spoon." Got it - thank you.

Hmmmm. Pseudoservant shenanigans? Given Spiritual Evocation's field, not impossible, though I have no idea about compatibility.

Possibly, and that last part would be the sticking point, wouldn't it . . .?

Doesn't seem right, but XX is from the future, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

*Shrugs* Everybody (so far) has asked me to "keep" Fiore, so to speak - but long-term, obviously, there are problems. Even if I can BS my way past the deceptions and hurt feelings, somehow, Fiore will be either a paraplegic magus, or an utterly normal girl; neither of which is really conducive to long-term survivability, given the Works' job description and modus operandi . . .

(. . . And let's not even mention Frid's luck in particular, shall we? )

While no solution is set in stone, I admit that Fiore's becoming a Pseudo- or Demi-Servant would be one particular fix. After all, it's been demonstrated that Shielder doesn't need Mash's glasses.

[Xamusel]

Kieran, let me be honest... you rock at your chapter writing, man.

Now if only I had more time to work on updating my fanfics... and working on the stuff for this universe. (/)_-)

[RanmaBushiko]

Sorry I didn't respond earlier, Thanksgiving has been some time. Also response procrastination, since I tend to spend a bit of time cross-referencing things when writing up, even if I read the chapter. Starting with RB.

No new information with Mordred here. We can hope they actually hit the Heart of Winter, but it doesn't seem likely, since it was reportedly getting further underground. Hopefully between Jeanne and Mash they can block that 15 plate cannon (well, 13 now, maybe less) when needed. Then again, I'm not sure how much prana that costs. It seems like it should be a fair bit, but it's likely not effectively more than a high-rank Anti-Fortress NP.

They definitely damaged the chamber it was in, at the very least, with how much icy rock they hit. So there's a fairly good chance that they actually got it, or at least damaged it heavily.

I'm not quite sure if you should be able to just move out of a Reality Marble. I've only ever seen them be destroyed (usually because Ea) or end due to user's choice. They do have some mapping to real space, of course, since we can see Iskandar in F/Z engaging with Gilles' giant monster from the outside. But that bubble seems to take up a lot less space than the subjective space that Ionion Hetairoi itself takes place on.

In this case, the Hanging Gardens only got pulled MOSTLY into it. Part was still very much out of the Reality Marble, not that EMIYA noticed that until it was too late. And it being EX Anti-World...

Interesting that Erik gets a powerup from being near Unlimited Blade Works. Likely something about his portfolio and relation to EMIYA's origin.

A God, keeping him suppressed by Gaia, being nearby a zone where the seal can't exist, because Gaia isn't able to influence it? What did you THINK would happen?

Erik violating Newton's third law, like everyone else. For some reason Prana Burst bothers me less, even though it accomplishes the same effect.

First numbers are losses, second are remaining? In some respects it's probably good Erik didn't fully commit troops here, he definitely needed some information about the Hanging Gardens' capabilities. Definitely living up to the EX Anti-World here. Not having Astolfo here hurts a lot, though admittedly the magic-absorbing NP only works during the full moon.

You know those scenes in the Thor movies where Thor throws his hammer, and flies using it? In SCION, you can DO THE SAME THING! IF YOU CAN SURVIVE THE LANDING ONCE YOU FALL! Of course, that's a VERY big IF. In this case, Erik? Yeah, he's NOT going to survive that sort of fall without being badly hurt. His favorite War Beast, however...

And yeah, no Astolfo does hurt. But that's the point. Unfortunately for him... he's come down with a case of dead.

Rude, I thought Erik negotiated that Fiore not get shot. Oh well, nobody sticks to their promises, particularly not Assassins.
Spoooooons.

*Chuckles* Oh yes, definitely, in regards to both.

I have no idea what word starts with "lah", is semi-formal, and refers to a female or Fiore specifically. I cannot visualise XX referring to "Lass" or something.

As Kieran went over it well, with his point, SOMETHING needs to be done to keep Fiore around.

Annnnd Murder on a Misty Night. Against two female Servants. Yikes. Twinmyniad might have been better used slicing to a specific point in the Hanging Gardens, but I guess Basmu isn't cheap to summon, and they don't know exactly where they would need to go. Galvanism pumping Fran might be enough to make this matchup not terrible.

So our battlefield state is a mass melee on the ground, with Siegfried, both Archers, Vlad, Mash, and Rin. XX, Fran, Mordred, and Erik are on the Hanging Gardens. Godafried and Fiore are presumably hiding nearby, Caules is probably also somewhere safe, the rest of Black seems to be alive somewhere. Amaterasu is unaccounted for, which makes sense given her skillset.

Yup. One War Beast, three Servants, against two Servants with cheats and hacks, as well as plenty of Basmu, poison chains, etc. until Shirou's prana runs dry.

*Shrugs* Everybody (so far) has asked me to "keep" Fiore, so to speak - but long-term, obviously, there are problems. Even if I can BS my way past the deceptions and hurt feelings, somehow, Fiore will be either a paraplegic magus, or an utterly normal girl; neither of which is really conducive to long-term survivability, given the Works' job description and modus operandi . . .

(. . . And let's not even mention Frid's luck in particular, shall we? )

While no solution is set in stone, I admit that Fiore's becoming a Pseudo- or Demi-Servant would be one particular fix. After all, it's been demonstrated that Shielder doesn't need Mash's glasses.

There's a few options we've gone over. Quite a few, to be fair...

Kieran, let me be honest... you rock at your chapter writing, man.

Now if only I had more time to work on updating my fanfics... and working on the stuff for this universe. (/)_-)

Oh yeah, his is GREAT, I'll agree with you there.

[Kieran]

There's a few options we've gone over. Quite a few, to be fair...

So many - and still thinking . . .

Kieran, let me be honest... you rock at your chapter writing, man.

Oh yeah, his is GREAT, I'll agree with you there.

Well, thank you kindly, gentlemen.

Now if only I had more time to work on updating my fanfics... and working on the stuff for this universe. (/)_-)

Classes first; there's no rush.

[Kieran]

So many - and still thinking . . .

As an aside/addendum to the above discussion, we have talked about replacing Fiore, as well - since there's so little detail on her in general, as opposed to some of the other TYPE-MOON characters.

The problem with that, boiled down to essentials, is this: all the magi we know enough about to use (Luvia, Olga Marie, Reines) in the Works are too deeply entrenched in the Clock Tower to (usually) make it feasible (the canon F/GO Marie is a potential exception, but Reines is a bloody Lord - sort of) . . . Others - like Fiore, or Caren Ortensia - are either too little-known, or way too complicated story-wise, to figure out how to feasibly bring in.


. . . At least, as they are - given the Kaleidoscope and what TYPE-MOON has already done in general, and the Works' concept in particular, we have some leeway in regards to that; but at the same time, you have to be very careful not to make them too different, or there's no point, is there?

*Sighs* In any case, we'll keep trying . . . It's a pity, though; as likable as Fiore is, the idea and probable results of partnering (or pairing) Frid with a more aristocratic type like Olga or Luvia, if not an outright sadist like Reines or Caren, is kind of amusing to contemplate . . .

[Xamusel]

Honestly, I'd love to see more of Fiore, Kieran. Please include her as much as you can.

[Arbitrarity]

Don't forget Bazett (though that would not be a good romantic pairing). Also Gray, even if she isn't a magus (though Waver is already overworked)

I do like Fiore though. I don't think Frid would really have a good time with the tsunderes.

Hmm. I don't have many good ideas for pseudo-servant-ness though. Only women I immediately remember from history that might make weak pseudo-Servants are Rosalind Franklin, Marie Curie, and Ada Lovelace. I suppose you don't have to have same-gender, of course. Divine Spirits have the issue of usually wholly overwriting the host body personality. And most powerful Heroic Spirits tend to be a bit binary (see Jeanne in Apocrypha).

[Kieran]

Honestly, I'd love to see more of Fiore, Kieran. Please include her as much as you can.

We're doing what we can, I promise - but as noted, it's not proving to be easy . . .

Don't forget Bazett (though that would not be a good romantic pairing).

Fair point. I've also considered Fujino Asagami, periodically; her, we could Pseudo-Servant, and have effectively little change (since it'd be herself possessing her) . . . Whether that's a good or bad thing is, of course, debatable.

Also Gray, even if she isn't a magus (though Waver is already overworked)

Oh, Gray is far from forgotten; there's a good chance she - or Miyu - will show up in my next work . . .


Bit of a spoiler: An addition to the mechanics in 2nd-edition Scion is the use of Legendary Titles, which can affect and accomplish certain things. For example, Arturia might be able to invoke the title "Once and Future King" to survive something that otherwise would kill her; "Rightful King of the Britons" might help her in social situations where British people are involved, as they unconsciously recognise her authority, etc.

. . . While Frid's specifics are still largely a matter of debate, a title he has/will have, due to his nature, is "Protector (or perhaps Gatherer) of Strays."

I do like Fiore though.

So do I - she's just really more problematic than she first appears. I had to figure out elements of her style of magecraft from watching Caules in the Lord El-Melloi II Case Files, for heaven's sake! (Bio-electricity, in case you're wondering - explains his interest in Fran . . .)

I don't think Frid would really have a good time with the tsunderes.

No - which to an extent, is the point . . .

Honestly, though - a woman who will not let him slack off, or give him a swift kick when needed, is probably a good idea.

Hmm. I don't have many good ideas for pseudo-servant-ness though. Only women I immediately remember from history that might make weak pseudo-Servants are Rosalind Franklin, Marie Curie, and Ada Lovelace.

None of whom are documented, and I prefer, if at all possible, not to make things up when I don't have to . . .

I suppose you don't have to have same-gender, of course. Divine Spirits have the issue of usually wholly overwriting the host body personality. And most powerful Heroic Spirits tend to be a bit binary (see Jeanne in Apocrypha).

Yeah - hence the problem.

It would also help if they were compatible with the pantheon Frid ends up part of; for example, if he draws on the "druid" aspect (Celtic or Gallic pantheon), then Nero (much as I love her) is a terrible idea - historically, she wiped out the last of them.

On the other hand, if Frid ends up part of the Greek pantheon . . . Well, it'll cause issues with Rider, but Hestia then becomes a possibility. As Olympians go, she's about as meek and mild as they come - and "Fiore" does mean "fire" . . .



. . . Of course, the real temptation with the Greco-Roman pantheon is to have Luvia-as-Astraea showing up, looking for her "husband."



Frid: Wait - the myths have you as being a celestial maiden . . .?!

Astraea: All the cases you've seen in which history got something as simple as gender wrong, and this surprises you?

[RanmaBushiko]

Chapter 44: Of Gardens and Mecha




Metal Gear Rex, MK3
Rapidly approaching the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
July 4, 2004






The "BANG" as the massive mech hits the Hanging Gardens is intense, as it plows through a weak point in the Hanging Gardens, reverberating through the entire construct and sending the mech itself hurtling several yards down into the Gardens’ structure. The Hanging Gardens' structure struggles, as Semiramis rapidly works to push itself up through another meteorite-like blow. The massive war machine skids, as Erik's favorite War Beast slowly bleeds off momentum using the massive claws on the feet, forcing itself to slow to a halt somewhere within.



"Oh, come on, what NOW?!” Semiramis' voice echoes through the Hanging Gardens. “What did—that MECH?! Oh, THAT'S what your little trick was... " "Master, Jack the Ripper, we have another pair of guests, it seems. Master, I'd suggest that you let me deal with that war machine personally!"



"Oh, looking for a rematch already, Assassin of Red? Amusing—well, if you want to hunt me down, you can!" Erik shouts, using the speakers, while testing the war machine's systems. After he does so, he chuckles, shutting down the external speakers, then looks over systems.



"Looks like everything SEEMS to be okay except for one of the hydraulics in the left leg, Erik,” Mordred reported before as he spotted it, “if the yellow outline is any indication. You sure we're going to be okay?"
Erik grins back at her by way of answering, and then asks, "You want to handle the articulated lasers, while I handle the main crossbows? The hydraulics in the leg won't be a problem."



Mordred grins, adjusting her controls, then blinks in curiosity as Erik pulls up a second set of details on a monitor, followed by a third. "Whoa, that looks cool. That involved with a trick on this, or something?"



Erik nods at her. "Would you rather see me repair my War Beast, or would you rather see another one of my three tricks built into this? You got to experience one, so far."



"Hmm,” Mordred muses, grinning. “Well, I've seen one neat one, even if you seemed irritated earlier... Let's repair it for now, and save it for later—gotta save neat stuff for the leaders, right?!"



"Yeah, great plan!" Erik grins at Mordred, first tapping the side of the cockpit with a finger, then focusing, before the leg shifts to show it being green again. "Only minor damage to a side hydraulic, we didn't have to worry too much."



Mordred nods, and grins. "So, we hunt for what, first? We've got that... Assassin of Black on... Damn it, why can't I remember what she looked like?"



Erik adjusts a monitor, showing footage from the truck's fight the day before. "Her—the one with almost whitish hair? Kinda purple, or pink-ish, too..."



Mordred blinks, and then nods. "Yeah—hard to focus on her, but... Jack the Ripper, that's what she called herself. If I don't focus and look at her, I start to forget things about her..."



Erik nods, then raps a couple of buttons on the cockpit, before the cameras show only dim outlines outside, as the outside lights shut off. "Let's see now... nothing on infrared; or on ultraviolet frequencies of light, either... Perhaps radar?"



A smile appears on Erik's face, as radar shows several corridors branching off from this one. Mordred smiles as well. "Oh, this is going to be just great. Think we can find that pain in my ass, Jack the Ripper, so we can finish her off?"



Erik nods, rapping several more buttons, before an automated voice, sounding like Tamamo, goes "Stealth Mode, Activated". Erik smirks, and moves his favorite War Beast forwards, the smirk on his face widening as nearly no noise is heard from its movement.



"We're on battery power, at the moment. Roughly 30 minutes of it. Actual combat will mean I need to go out of stealth, but as long as we're like this, both Assassins shouldn't be able to find us easily." Erik whispers. "Catch is, we're the only thing making noise in here, so we're more likely to be heard if we don't whisper."



Mordred nods, giving him a thumbs-up in the dimly lit cockpit, as Metal Gear Rex MK3 starts slowly stalking the corridors.









15 minutes later...






“So, Erik?” Mordred whispers, quietly. “What's the difference FOR low power mode?”



Erik pulls up a screen for her, showing her that the railgun is offline, as well as half the systems, before answering, quietly. “The railgun takes up absurd amounts of power, though the Lasers are far second—mostly it’s how much power the Radiant Wave Surger system takes up, to cover the entirety of my War Beast.”



“And... Why aren't we just using those flying drones to find our target, or targets?” Mordred asks, quietly.



Erik sighs, softly. “Assassin of Red destroyed most of them already. It's radar until we can get or find backup—depends on if Mysterious Heroine XX got up here or not. If you'd like me to open up the cockpit, and try using my telescopic senses ability to check, though, I can. Just watch for enemies in case someone takes advantage of thi...Wait. There's fog in front of the cameras, suddenly. Wasn't it foggy for you due to Assassin of Black?”



Morded grins, and nods her assent. “Indeed. Means she's near, too, I think...”



Erik pauses, glancing around, then blinks. “She's on the other side of this wall, I suspect. Want to make a fun entrance?”



Mordred grins, and nods. “Then point the articulated lasers in front of us, as I adjust to face the wall, then we'll cut through. Like a hot knife through butter, by carving a giant circle in the wall, until we can punch through. Then? We break the wall down on her.”



“BLASTED TREE!” A scream erupts from the other side of the wall, as Jack the Ripper is punched through the wall like a hot knife through butter.



“Huh.” Erik mutters, staring. “Time to make an entrance, then—if not as badass as it could have been?”



Mordred grins and nods at Erik, smiling.



“THERE YOU ARE!” Erik shouts, as his War Beast's engine comes back to life, and two massive spotlights highlight Jack the Ripper perfectly.



“Mommy, I'm not feeling so...Why is there li—” Jack the Ripper, in all her youthful glory, slowly turns to see the war machine next to her. “I think I'm going to go back and fight those two, okay? You can have fun with Miss Semiramis!”



With that, Jack the Ripper bolts, desperately trying to escape the war machine... Until she runs into an icy wall in the hole she was planning to escape through.



“Oh. I guess that's a no to me running off, then? It's not fair, that you're trying to entrap me like this!” She says, desperately, as she slowly starts backing up, trying to avoid the massive war machine.



“Well, there's a tiny, TINY little problem with that.” Erik grins with teeth. “You wanted to steal the Lightsaber prototype I gave Mordred to borrow, and give it to your 'Mommy', little Assassin. You crippled my Servant, nearly destroying her Spiritual Core. You nearly killed Mordred—Saber of Red. You didn't die to my truck I gave to her to drive after you with.”
As Erik lists issue after issue, Jack the Ripper steadily pales more. “Oh. So this—?”
“—Is your death? Yeah, pretty much. No hard feelings, though. It's not like you can WIN against my War Beast, after all...”



Jack the Ripper desperately bolts, as Erik smirks. “Want to give her time to run, Mordred, or shall we let the chase begin?”



“Nah, why let her hide? Let's flush her out now.”



Jack the Ripper, meanwhile, is racing to the end of the corridor, only to pause and stare. Both entrances are also sealed shut with ice.



“No fair! You're not allowed to take away my hiding spots!” She pouts at Erik, then dashes back towards him.



Thumpthumpthumpthumpthump



Then stops, going still at the massive amount of crossbow bolts in a line in front of her. Slowly, she looks back up at the massive war machine with a pout on her face. “That's just not fair! I can't throw knives that fast! Mommy, please tell them that they're not playing fair?”



Bzzzzzzt



Six lasers carve at her, as she desperately dodges to the sound. “What?! THAT'S NOT FAIR, THIS IS EVEN MORE MEAN THAN THAT LIGHTSABER THING!”



With a snort, Erik grins. “That's the point. You're trapped, trying to run like a worm from a bird.”



Jack the Ripper almost pauses, blinking, then continues doing her best to dodge while shouting back “Why does it feel like you're quoting something there?”



With a chuckle, Erik's grin widens. “It's lyrics from a song, honestly.”



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRM5avFAv9A (Grand War ~ Fate Apocrypha)



“Hmph. I'm not sure about songs like that, but I know I'm going to beat you. Servant Assassin of Black—name, Jack the Ripper.” She says, staring up at the war machine before her.



“Wanting it for your tombstone, then?” Erik grins, as he pulls the war machine's head up, to roar, a roar that shakes the walls around them.



Jack the Ripper's eyes widen, as she desperately dashes forwards, towards the wide open space between the War Beast's legs. Six lasers stop her, sending her into a backflip that desperately dodges the first, before throwing her to the side as the six lasers continue tracking her, carving lines through the stone and walls surrounding them like a hot knife through butter.



“It's not fair! Shiny lights shouldn't CUT things!” Jack the Ripper shouts, as she desperately dodges, twisting and rolling as lasers try to carve into her.



Two laughs erupt from Metal Gear Rex Mk3, as Mordred and Erik laugh at the same time, to her plight. “So what? Just because divinely crafted lasers weren't a thing in YOUR era...” Erik grins, and as Jack the Ripper dashes forwards again, opens fire with the crossbows.



Desperately, Jack throws her knives, forming and throwing them in a desperate attempt to stop the crossbows shooting constantly at her, even as lasers keep slicing at her. Then, her eyes widen as she smirks slightly, the fog around her thickening rapidly. “Then let's see if your light beam things can work against FOG!”



Within the fog, several stomps are heard, as the massive war machine backs off down the corridor. “Oh, running away, then?”



In the distance, Erik's voice is rather loud, in a rather mocking tone. “Oh, woe is me! The fog is so thick! I cannot see through it at all! Whatever shall I do?”



“Yay! I win!” Jack the Ripper shouts. “Now that you can't find me, I'll be going off the-”



“It's a pity, however,” Erik's voice interrupts with sheer GLEE, “that I have RADAR!”



“Eh?” Jack the Ripper turns towards the machine in confusion, as she narrows her eyes. “Is the long barrel on the right shoulder glowing? What's that glowing thi—”



BOOOOOOOOM



The explosive hits her face, sending her flying back against a wall. Her left arm limp, Jack the Ripper slowly pulls herself up. Her still weakened right arm, slowly pushes against the wall as she stumbles forward, staring.



Her entire body is a wreck, as the fog fades a bit more, showing half her body being almost mangled from the massive explosion. Yet, somehow she still lives.



“Mommy... I think I messed up...” She whispers, as she stares at the war machine slowly stomping its way towards her.



“My, oh my, that you did,” Mordred's voice echoes gleefully.



Jack pauses, her eyes widening as she recognizes Mordred's voice. “It's a pity I'm not out there to kill you with my sword—but we get to crush you like this, together, so I'm not complaining one damned bit.”



Then, Jack grins. The fog roils, as it deepens as much as possible, then she pushes forwards with everything she has left.



“MARIA!” She dashes twelve steps forward, and then a dodge to the right, pushing herself past a laser carving the space where she’d been.



“THE!” Roll to the left, twist past two lasers, dodge fifteen crossbow bolts as she rolls over them mid-air followed by rolling on the ground to dodge a third laser.



“RIPPER!” With her good arm, she lunges forwards with her favorite knife, as she aims straight for the cockpit.



And inside, Erik smiles, then flicks the switch for the Radiant Wave Surger.



“YYYEEEEAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!!!!”



Jack the Ripper screams, a long, tortured scream, as her weakened arm flat out vaporizes against the metal hull of the war machine she thought she could injure.



“NO! STOP IT! PLEASE! MAKE IT STOP!” Desperately, she pulls herself away, as the fog outright vaporizes while touching the metal plating, leaving her staring up at Metal Gear Rex MK3. Then, to her surprise, the red haze around it fades.



“It's a pity you had to fight me, hmm?” Erik's voice echoes, as one of the legs lifts up. Jack slowly pales, and then struggles to move as the leg shifts over her, then slowly steps on her.



“NO! I won't die like THIS! MOMMY, SAVE ME!” Jack screams, as the pressure increases—doubling, then tripling, as the machine puts more and more weight on her.



“Now, let's see how well you handle getting crushed. And, hey! You get to die to something as legendary as my favorite War Beast!”



“NO! I WON'T DIE HERE! DO YOU HEAR ME?!” Jack the Ripper screams.



Inside, Erik glances at Mordred, with a grin. “Well, want to see a side effect of one of those neat tricks?”



Mordred grins, and nods. “Hell yes!”



Erik nods, before pulling screens back up, and flicking several switches. Two more sets of hydraulics buried deep within the leg of the war machine roar to life, forcing the leg crushing Jack the Ripper to be three times stronger, as Mordred's grin widens.



“Time to die, Assassin of Black!”



“By the power of my Command Spell, my lovely daughter. COME TO ME!” Then, to their irritation, Jack the Ripper disappears from underfoot.



“Well. Damn. And here I was showing you neat abilities for this.” Erik sighs. “At least we took her ARM...” For a long moment, Erik sighs, then turns the spare hydraulics back off.



“Yeah, we'll get her, Erik. Plus, you're an AWESOME God, to make neat stuff like this!” Mordred grins. “Let's find Semiramis, shall we?”



Erik nods, pulling up screens from drones as they move through the Hanging Gardens—and in one...
Jack the Ripper is shown, briefly, being held in her Master's arms, long brown hair dangling in the image.



For a moment, Erik frowns, saving the picture. “Hmm ... I'll remember her, but I'll have to get Scylla to try and ID her, as well as my wife. Long brown, slightly curly hair is distinctive, if nothing else... but why do I feel like I should KNOW her from some of what I played involving the Fate series...?” Erik pauses briefly, thinking, and then shrugs. “Ah, well. Maybe I'm wrong? It's been a long time, after all.”



“Well, I don't recognize her, but considering my spotty memories about what I DID get to remember involving the other iteration of this Grand Grail War, I'm not exactly surprised about that.” Mordred sighs. “Let's just keep moving?”



Erik nods, and sighs, “Yeah, fair enough.” With those words, Metal Gear Rex MK3 continues moving through the Hanging Gardens, being as subtle as it can be for a giant multi-ton War Machine.



“You know? Do you think my Prana Burst could move this thing?” Mordred asks Erik, bemusedly.



“Let's switch places later, and find out, shall we?” Erik's voice is amused. “Now... Let's see what's going on elsewhere in the Hanging Gardens, if there's any spy drones left, shall we?”



“Yeah, one moment,” Mordred fiddled with the control panel. “Let's see now... Most of the spy drones are wiped out, with only 13 remaining. One's watching where the Greater Grail wound up, another is watching Assassin of Black's Master's general area, but most are in the throne room. Lemme check if anything is going on in the—huh. Assassin of Red and Berserker of Black. This should be interesting...”






Throne Room
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon






Semiramis sits in her throne, idly sipping from a cup of wine as she watches several images projected from the eyes of her doves. One, showing that “XX” woman who had torn a hole through part of her Hanging Gardens, another, the Berserker that had injured her fellow Assassin, yet the third, desperately trying to find Erik's “War Beast” that had injured her so badly prior.



The doors’ suddenly slamming open lead to her dismissing her images, as she smiles. “Oh? Finally, someone finds me to fight. Did you have fun with my Bašmu?”



“Uuu!” Berserker of Black, otherwise known as Frankenstein's Monster, growls in answer—mace in her hand, crackling with electricity, she glares at the one standing before her.



“Won't you surrender to me?” Semiramis smiles.“I'll promise you that if you surrender, I won't hurt your Master...”
Berserker shakes her head, silently, then dashes forwards, using the ambient mana in the room to almost make herself as fast as a Prana Burst would move her.



Then the room seems to explode, and takes the cameras with it, as prana lasers slam into her.



“Well, crap. We're missing the fight!” Mordred sighs. “Let's find it, and quickly, Erik!”



It takes a long time to actually find the doors—time that leaves them listening to bangs, going off louder and louder, as the fighting within the main throne room of the Hanging Gardens continues.



As Mordred and Erik reach the doors, they stop, staring at a tree of lightning that encompasses likely the entirety of the throne room, sparks shooting out by Metal Gear Rex MK3 as both occupants stare.



“Well. Damn. That's one hell of a trump card they had... That could've done serious damage to my own armies...”



“Yeah, I can only imagine. Shall we make our entrance, then?!”



“Yup—ramming speed!” Erik grins, and punches through the massive doors for the throne room, and the wall surrounding it, then pauses to stare at Berserker of Black's slowly dissipating body, as golden motes fade away from it.



“Uuu…Beat. Her. Please?” Frankenstein's Monster asks, as she reaches towards Erik's war machine with one arm, before her wrecked body fades out of existence.



Slowly, Erik whistles, as Semiramis sighs, putting her face in one palm. “Could you NOT have waited for a few more minutes, at least? Given me some time to fix my throne room before you showed up? Hmph.”



“I mean, if you'd rather we talk things out, we can for a bit. Anyways, I have a bit of a beef with you and the shit you pulled. Didn't you promise to not hurt Fiore? Why the hell did you do it anyways?” Erik admits, as he opens the cockpit, showing himself inside.



Semiramis' eyes widen in surprise at Erik opening it, even as he towels himself off. Mordred's eyes widen for a completely different reason, as she gets a single flash of memory, then fumbles for a nearby keyboard.



“She was still in the castle, then?” Semiramis stares at her invaders, and then sighs. “Damn it. What, are you going to ask me for to give back the Greater Grail or some foolishness like that?”



Erik pauses, and then laughs. “Hah! Hilarious, but no—no, I don't think so.” Erik pauses, thinking, before sighing. “Let's be honest. I've got a sneaking suspicion that with the sheer number of Servants summoned, there's not one set of wishes, but TWO that could be granted.”



Semiramis pauses, blinking in surprise. “Two, hmm?”



Erik nods, and settles back in his chair, studying her face to face. “Yeah. Two. From everything I understand of it, it takes six Servants to actualize the Manifestation of the Soul, for a wish for the Master and Servant—and seven, to punch a hole to Akasha.” Semiramis' eyes widen with surprise and interest at that. “Now, I'm not sure how things normally go, but we have a whole lot extra lying around, and with how I'm going to be granting several groups wishes with cloning technology...” Erik trails off, studying Semiramis for a moment. “We might be able to get more wishes than one single batch out of this. Possibly even more if I linked one of my own Relics to it, to attempt to flood it with extra power.”



At Erik's last admission, Semiramis pauses, and smiles softly. “And so you're willing to arrange things with myself and my Master, in case we win?”



“To be fair, you're the famous queen and demigoddess. I've got plenty of respect for you, and none for those that hurt you in life. As for your Master, I have suspicions regarding him. Though I would like to know his WISH...” Erik trails off, as he thinks.



“And yet, you're not sure what you want in return for my little screw-up,” Semiramis muses, calmly.



“One way, I could verify things using you and your Master, to help me realize more about what's going on... That would prove a nasty theory to be correct.” Erik nods at Semiramis' blinking. “One involving the nature of Gods in this new universe I've found myself in. The other would let me have a chance in case you win. And between your Hanging Gardens and my Wolfen, I'll admit that the fight would be far closer than I'd like.”



Semiramis sighs at that. “And your teaming up with me isn't allowed? Or myself and my Master?”



“Norse Gods have RULES about Guest Rights, ones that I'm not allowed to break—especially as one of the last of the pantheon.” Erik rubs his forehead. “And most of the Red Faction has holed up in my Wolfen, much to the dismay of my food stocks.”



“Hmm. Wait. Crap. You ARE running low on food, aren't you?” Mordred murmurs, even as Semiramis starts laughing.



“I see. So you've wound up with most of them taking advantage of your hospitality! Interesting... The perils of being a ruler, I suppose.” Semiramis leans back into her throne, amused.



Erik simply nods in agreement. “To be fair, I have to worry about a lot more than this, after this. So it's a struggle to decide what to do here.”



“And not attacking me? Berserker of Black asked for you to avenge her death, after all.” Semiramis smiles.



Erik sighs softly. “Let's put it this way. One of us could win here, right now. If I overloaded my War Beast's systems, I could have killed you that first fight at the cost of a heavy drain to my reserves, or heavy damage to the systems involved, as cheap as that would be. But as dangerous as you are to me, you're also a massive threat to the Masters of Black, and all THEIR bullshit, too. First that damned Rider that could move in and out of reality with short bursts to dodge my Wolfen's main weapons, and then Berserker, who could manipulate electricity like that? I'm not amused with the sheer amount of bullshit they had that could have damaged my own equipment. Add in Darnic and Vlad...”



Semiramis pauses, her eyes narrowing. “You're worried about Darnic, even now?”



“Vlad the Impaler is also commonly written in fiction, as a vampire. Or as a person who made a deal with demons for power, in video games. And Darnic has brought up a Noble Phantasm that Vlad refuses to think about using—I'm worried it could be a personal strength boost of some sort, myself.” Erik admits.



Semiramis frowns at that, folding her arms under her chest. “Damnation. You're not wrong, either. If those books or those games influenced how he's summoned enough, he could be a massive, terrible threat.”



Erik nods. “And if it was a worst-case scenario, like a Dead Apostle...”



Semiramis flinches, and then studies Erik intently. “Little wonder you're talking things out with me, first—you can't be seen chatting with us normally, but face to face is easier to hide the results in.”



Erik simply nods. “Yes indeed.”



“As for my Master's wish and what you said earlier...” Semiramis thinks aloud.



“Perhaps I should answer that, myself?” Shirou Kotomine asks, as he walks into view, stepping around Semiramis' massive throne.“Thank you, Semiramis, for ensuring the Greater Grail got on board. I've ensured it's stored properly.”



“Erik, look down.” Mordred murmurs, even as Erik blinks at the new arrival. At Mordred's words, Erik glances down to text on one of the screens that has writing on it.
“Her other Noble Phantasm's range is the entire throne room, at least. HURTS. Entire room to poison. Might be water, not sure. Maybe humidity? All blood felt like poison. Pretty sure we died to each other, other version of this.”



Erik blinks, and then looks back up, surveying the entire room with a careful eye, before returning his sight to Shirou and saying, “Sorry about cock-blocking you there a bit, earlier today.”



At Erik's words, Shirou blinks, before he laughs.



“It was definitely a surprise to have you call me during such a meeting, for sure. Still, you aren't rude, for a God.” Shirou admits. “Still, you're a God nevertheless, and not one I serve...”



Erik chuckles softly. “To be fair, I completely respect your God, and his Son in his dealings with mankind. Jesus was a good man, from what was written about him. I never got the chance to meet either, but if I had, I would have taken it.”



Shirou's eyes widen in surprise. “Oh?”



“To be completely honest, my mother taught me to read from a Bible. From there, I learned that Gods should try to help mankind, and guide them. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any information on if Jesus and his Father existed, from my own pantheon or my wife's former pantheon. Considering how they liked to deal with other Pantheons that would step up, however... It's likely they wound up going into hiding.” Erik pauses, then chuckles. “I DID, however, deal with a fake claiming to have been Jesus, one that was more like Lucifer in his dealings with mankind.”



Shirou blinks in surprise. His mouth opens and shuts for a moment, as he stares at the God before him, before his mouth widens into a smile. “Thank you for dealing with that imposter, then.”



Erik nods. “It's a pity I lost the bastard's ashes to the surprise dimensional jump to this iteration of Mars. Otherwise I'd give you some as a gift for dealing with the Heart of Winter for me.”



“I made sure to have Semiramis vaporize straight through the frozen room you spoke of, and there were no others, according to her. It should be dealt with.” Shirou smiles at Erik, folding his arms. “Still, you'd like to ask for a test, as Semiramis told me? Would you tell me what it is?”



Erik studies him, nodding. “If you're willing to guarantee a truce while we test this, and then while I return to my War Beast here, certainly.”



Shirou nods, before Erik jumps down. “It's a simple test, to be honest. I want us four, including Mordred in my War Beast, to pray to each other. Not quite like a prayer to your God. But...”



“You've figured out something involving us Servants, haven't you?” Semiramis asks, her eyes narrowed.



Erik nods. “Mordred, who's still in my War Beast—when she prayed to me, it felt similar to a God who prayed to me as a joke when we were partying. If I'm right...”



“Very well, then. We'll agree to do this, the four of us—if that's fair to the one in your war machine?” Shirou Kotomine smiles.



As each pray to each other, Shirou with bemusement, Erik feels the types of prayers and focuses on them, while Mordred, Shirou and Semiramis glow for a moment with power.



For a while, Erik's eyes are closed, as he thinks over the feelings he's gotten. Finally, he opens his eyes, and studies them. “Semiramis feels like a Demigod would, with this, if ascended. Mordred feels... More like a spiritual being rather than the descendant of a God specifically... While you, Shirou, feel much like a Valkyrie would—or perhaps an Angel?”



Shirou nods, a wide smile on his face. “Well. I'm glad to know that my faith in my Lord isn't wrong. Semiramis, as we discussed.” Shirou smiles, moving backwards, as chains launch towards Mordred in Erik's War Beast. As he jumps back, he flings several Black Keys towards Erik's shadow, a smile on his face.



That dies the moment Erik pulls out a mirror and flings it; leaving the Black Keys shattered midair, a mirror bouncing off of Shirou's gut, and Semiramis getting a mirror to the face before it lands back in Erik's hand. “You know? I love how Ricochet Rebound lets me attack multiple things, or people.”



“Get him, and destroy his toy!” Shirou shouts, as Semiramis narrows her eyes, lasers of prana launching at Metal Gear Rex MK3, as well as chains trying to capture Erik.



The chains fail, as Erik disappears with Rainbow Bridge.



“Nicely done, Erik!” Mordred grins at him from the pilot’s seat, and then adjusts herself. “You wanted to see if Prana Burst could work with this, right?!”



Erik nods, as he sits, as Mordred thumbs the controls for the speakers.



“Well, looks like it's my turn to try this thing out, isn't it? LET'S DO THIS!” Mordred shouts, and launches the war machine forwards.



Unlike the fight before, with Erik against Semiramis, this is nowhere near as clean cut. Mordred attacks with the crossbows and lasers, attempting to carve Semiramis in half while doing her best to dodge the retaliatory attacks from Semiramis doing the best she can to simply carve the massive machine in half with magic lasers.



“Shit, it's HARD to move this thing to dodge! I don't think I can do this too often, Erik.” Mordred mutters, while keeping the fire up.



Erik nods, and looks over at Semiramis. “It's a pity that you've chosen to try this route, you two. I'd hoped to make a better working relationship. But, since you've chosen this path...” Erik winces at a chain struggling to yank the war machine in the air, as he pulls his seatbelt on. “I'll consider the debt you owe me for hurting one of those Masters to be settled if you don't use the Greater Grail until we've settled this between us.”



Shirou Kotomine shakes his head, as he leaves. “Finish them, Semiramis.”



Erik's eyes widen, as Semiramis smirks. “Radiant Wave Surger, now!”



Divinely crafted, the Radiant Wave Surger pushes itself to the test, as Sikera Usum flares, doing its best to turn all liquids around it in its surroundings into poison. And it barely holds, as Semiramis' eyes grow wide in shock.



“You... You could handle this?! DIE! DIE, DAMN YOU!” With a scream of rage, two massive snake heads form, desperately trying to bite into the armor—through the armor—but they evaporate on contact with the reddish glow around the war machine as well.



“Damn you! I didn't want to do this, but... Master! HANG ON TO SOMETHING!” Semiramis screams, as she focuses her power.



With those words, the Hanging Gardens twist, as she rotates the entirety of the structure; so that rather than being on the floor, the massive fortress hangs sideways in the air.



Leaving Metal Gear Rex MK3 fumbling as its claws furrow through what is rapidly becoming a wall rather than a floor… And then it falls, leaving Mordred and Erik shouting as each desperately tries to keep from falling. For a moment, the claws catch on the floor-turned-walls, multiple times.


But the Radiant Wave Surger betrays them, as the foot claws are affected too: melting floor, wall, columns, and eventually leaving it to fall through the air below the Hanging Gardens.




“Switch places with me!” Erik shouts with a snarl, as he undoes his belt. It's a moment before Mordred and Erik are replaced, as Erik snaps his fingers over controls, and lets out a massive parachute for the war machine, leaving it floating down towards Trifas below.




“Well, shit.” Mordred sighs. “I didn't think she'd pull anything like THAT.”




Erik nods, sighing as well. “Yeah, me either.”



“Also, no offense? I love your mech's design, but it almost HURTS to move,” Mordred admits. “Maybe you could make something lighter, or more like a horse or something? Something COOL, though, if you could.”




A pause, as Erik thinks over things. “You want some more movies to watch, later, then?”



Mordred cheers and nods. “Hell yes!”



Erik grins. “I think I'll introduce you to the Batman series next... Maybe Nolan's stuff...”



“Erik? What about using that Rainbow Bridge, to get back up there?” Mordred asks, as they watch Trifas slowly approach.



Erik puts his face in his palms, for a moment. “Me damn it, I forgot. Then again, she would've just tilted the damned Hanging Gardens again, too. We'd need to land a lot more to keep her from pulling that stunt later... Oh hey, look at the sunrise.”



And, as the sun indeed rises over Trifas, they settle back as the war machine they're in drifts to the ground—even as a light shines on the console, showing 1/3 instead of 1/∞ for ammunition for the Radiant Wave Surger.



Author's Notes:



Yeah, so. Radiant Wave Surger. It's written the way it is for good reason. Roughly, without that whole “Functioning as a Relic” bit, it does 7 Aggravated damage a pop. And Jack lost her one functional arm to it. Trust me, that's going to be a pain for Shirou to heal up.



Also, you readers all get hints to the other two abilities for Metal Gear Rex Mk3, spread throughout dialogue.




Legend Calculation notes:
Started with 21 legend
Mechanical Panoply: 3 legend
Frozen Panoply: 3 legend
Ricochet Rebound: 1 legend
Rainbow Bridge: 1 legend
13 legend left

[Xamusel]

...ugh. Well, I suppose I can't be blamed for going first. RanmaBushiko, you need to work on your grammar rules adherence. In the first main paragraph alone? That's where it comes into trouble. You're switching tenses more than you should.

Other than that? Good chapter that you've released.

[RanmaBushiko]

...ugh. Well, I suppose I can't be blamed for going first. RanmaBushiko, you need to work on your grammar rules adherence. In the first main paragraph alone? That's where it comes into trouble. You're switching tenses more than you should.

Other than that? Good chapter that you've released.

And I fixed that. Thanks. Glad you enjoy it, though. I had a lot of work on the chapter, and I'm glad Kieran helped get most of the errors out of it. And, of course, there's consequences to all this, as well. *Chuckles* Glad you enjoyed it though. Is the plot progressing well, in your opinion?

[Xamusel]

I sure think so, yeah. I hope that we get a decent resolution within the end of this calendar year.

[RanmaBushiko]

I sure think so, yeah. I hope that we get a decent resolution within the end of this calendar year.

I'm not sure we'll QUITE hit the end by the end of this calendar year. But we'll be definitely closing in on the end. Between the rest of the major fights, SOME more plot development, and the like, as well as the average writing speed of 1-2 weeks a chapter, each of us? (Considering most of Kieran's writing time used to be the weekends, and now every Sunday is our D&D game, a good chunk of his writing time is taken up. And some chapters are just MASSIVE writing block for me, to get it done RIGHT, rather than badly written...?) At the very most, we'd have another 20 chapters written. Maximum. More likely another 10 or 12 chapters, to be more honest with you.

Considering we're ending the arc for this battle, come next chapter from Kieran or me? We've got a couple more major fights coming up, and not TOO much more time between them.

So let's say 2 chapters for to finish up this arc, then another 3-5 before the NEXT major fight scene... a couple for that... I'd say about 10, 12, before we start clearing up towards the end of the story. MAYBE. Keep in mind a lot of this is guesswork, and me going 20 pages in open office per chapter now, on my end of things. And some chapters might take longer, or shorter, to get from scene to scene/arc to arc.


But, as vague guesswork, we've got another 12 or so chapters before we can finally hit the final arc of this story, and the clusterfuck to ensue. After that... I'm not sure HOW many chapters it's going to take. But we're likely going to see at least 5, 6 epilogues as a result of the huge mess to come. So there's a very, very vague hint to how long it's still going to go.

[Xamusel]

Hmm... thanks for that estimate as to when you'll be done with it. I hope that you guys manage to finish this behemoth of a story soon.

Speaking of behemoths of stories, I hope you don't mind my asking about how my plotting purposes will work in the Grail Works stories I'm planning out. I shared the info three days ago, to be fair... in the Mission Dossier.

[Kieran]

. . . And for those curious about just who XX was worried about - the one who'd never pass up an opening like "Just kill me now?" There's a potential answer here.