You willing to take feedback for this? If you'd like, I can read through a few chapters and post with my two cents on it.
You willing to take feedback for this? If you'd like, I can read through a few chapters and post with my two cents on it.
Hi, sorry for the late reply, haven't been visiting this thread for a while since I'm currently not motivated, and not sure if I'll ever write again anytime soon. Yes, if you're still interested, a feedback would be appreciated.Originally Posted by InsertNameHere
Oof.
Chapter 16: Russia vs Scandinavia(7)
"It sure is noisy up there."
Napoleon mused. Seemingly to start a conversation.
It's been a few days since they last talked about the attempt to escape, and the Lostbelt war. Nowadays, the tremor can be felt more and more frequently from the upstairs. But today, the commotion can be heard instead.
"I don't sense any valkyries in the vicinity. Which means the party's getting started. It's sooner than I thought, but it worked to our favor."
Whispering an incantation, Sitonai moved to open the cell's door.
"Come, Mr. General. We'll use this opportunity to escape now. The Queen's attention is solely toward the opposing Lostbelt, and I can feel the enchantment in this dungeon weakens. she'll less likely to notice."
"Where are we going?"
"To the north. Remember what I said about us needing more allies? There are other Heroic Spirits summoned to this place by the Counter Force. We could find one further north."
"J'ai compris. But if I may ask how do you know that?" Pondered Napoleon.
"I don't know who it is, but I can sense a strong Divinity close to Skadi from that direction, so they could be powerful ally to us."
----
Meanwhile, just outside the castle gate, Skadi was seen attending the valkyries coming from all directions. They heeded the summon of their queen and leaving their posts joining in the ranks.
"Eenie, meenie, miney, mo."
With a swipe of her wand, the valkyries in her vicinity were granted her runes, enhancing their capabilities.
"Umm... Your Majesty, what was that?" Ophelia asked Skadi, confused with the Queen's tune.
"It is something I picked up from the villagers. Children tend to hum it whenever they count something, flowers, livestocks, and more. I find it quite comforting to do so myself."
"I... see?" Ophelia was still taken aback, but chose not to pursue the matter.
Before the Queen, lined up armies of mass-produced Valkyries, filling the ground and air alike, waiting their turns to receive her blessings.
"I'm almost finished. Once it is done, these valkyries shall have the same strength with the three True Valkyries. No doubt it will level the odds against that abomination."
Skadi was referring to the Tsar. There was no sign of him crossing the boundary of Lostbelt yet, so she took this opportunity to boost the strength of her army. They consist of valkyries and the giants, though the Queen only focused on imbuing runes to the valkyries.
Skadi continued, "Afterward, we shall regroup with Thrud and her sisters halfway there. Their last message indicated they've crossed the entrance, so they're at least out of Russia."
"Understood, Your Majesty." Bowed Ophelia, with 'Sigurd' beside her.
"Me and my Servant shall assist you in this fight. I'm certain his sword will be enough to pierce the massive body of that Tsar."
Hearing his Master's remark, 'Sigurd' chimed in. "Heh, frankly, all these gatherings and strengthenings are a waste of time. It's faster if I just go by myself and get it over with."
"Saber."
"It is alright, Ophelia. It really puts me at ease hearing such confidence from you, Sir Knight. However, I can't risk anything at this point, for the enemies will soon enter my territory. I shall spare no effort to see them be defeated with absolute certainty."
As they continue talking, a mass-produced valkyrie came to the queen's side.
"My Queen, I'm afraid I'm bringing bad news; the prisoners have escaped."
"What?"
Skadi turned pale at the news. Ophelia, on the other hand, had a mixed feeling about it. She felt uneasy hearing the cannon-wielding Archer escaped, yet somehow relieved. 'Sigurd' merely sighed.
"...Of course, I was too occupied to imbue runes to the army, that I neglected to maintain the one in the dungeon."
Resigned with the fact, Skadi responded to the valkyrie.
"Let them be. Right now, our top priority is to intercept that monster of a Tsar. We can't allow that thing to reach the settlement and harm the villagers. And I doubt they will be foolish enough to come at us with the size of this force."
----
"Looks like the valkyries have gathered in front of the castle. No doubt to intercept the enemy."
Napoleon looked at the castle from the hill distance away. He could observe the situation on its entrance clearly, thanks to his Clairvoyance. Sitonai stood nearby.
For a moment, Napoleon was taken aback watching the shieldmaidens bloated the sky. "That much manpower could only be possible if the queen recall every valkyries stationed in each village."
Sitonai added, "Not only that, each and every one of them is blessed with powerful runes, greatly enhancing their capabilities. This shows that the Queen herself personally leads this army."
"Oui. I spotted her in front of them, oh, and there's dear Ophelia and her Servant. Looks like the army is slowly marching toward that giant entrance over there." Napoleon gestured at the direction of wall of storms, where an anomalous portal formed.
"That's the border of the Lostbelt. On the other side, is the territory of another Lostbelt, a whole different world brought to life by the Tree. The same way this one did. Their enemy will soon emerge from there."
Hearing Sitonai's explanation. Napoleon thought of something.
"Say, do you think there are others over there that could be the same boat as us?"
"If you're talking about Rogue Servants, there's a high chance they also manifested there. But we don't know their situations at all. For all we know, they could've been dead already." Said Sitonai as she mounted her bear.
"Figures. I just think it would've been nice if we could gain more allies from the other side, y'know?"
Sitonai dismissed Napoleon's proposal. "Let's focus to the ones we know and can reach at the moment. It should be obvious, but we can't risk getting spotted by Queen Skadi's army, and even worse, caught in the middle of this Lostbelt war."
"Yeah, you're right."
Agreeing to Sitonai's assessment, Napoleon continued walking with her to the north.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hey everyone, I'm back. Well, semi-back, maybe, probably...
At any rate, I managed to summon some motivation to continue this, after playing Avalon le Fae. A bit short than I had expected. I hope I will write soon, since if anything, I want to see this through until the end of first Lostbelt war.
Cheers.
Last edited by OnesFleetingGlory; June 29th, 2023 at 08:36 PM.
Sorry for the delay, I've got a bunch of stuff on my plate so I won't quite have as much time to review this as I would like. But I'll give you my overall impressions of each chapter as I read them- use them as you see fit. I know I can be a bit of a hair-splitter at times, so I'll try to keep the nitpicks to a minimum.
Prologue
Simple, straightforward, and to the point in establishing the premise. While some of what Daybit revealed in LB7 about CHALDEAS may or may not conflict with the need to eliminate Chaldea outright, that would ultimately defeat said premise and so I have no problems with it beyond that quibble. Besides, with my own plans I'm not in a position to be lecturing anyone about canon divergences (to say nothing about my own amateur status).
Chapter 1
Some of the dialog format feels a little awkward and the tenses occasionally jump between past and present, it's relatively minor and on the whole the chapter captures the ripple effect caused by Chaldea's absence in the Russian Lostbelt. (The odd format seems to pop up a lot in other chapters, but as I mentioned before it's not that big of a deal. Odds are I'm the only person that's overly hung up about it and it would be silly to cater the story to me specifically. I have my own work for that.)
Chapter 2
I'm continuing to see typos here and there (e.g., "conveniences" rather than "inconveniences"), but again it's not enough to detract from the overall quality. It might help to have a beta reader and/or copy editor to catch these kinds of issues, though- I've got experience with that sort of thing so I'd be happy to volunteer if you'd like. And I think you've succeeded in making 'Sigurd' appear as gruff as he is impudent, as you put it.
Chapter 3
"That’s Lan Ling for Yu, always sincere to a fault." I have no idea if you meant to say "Yu" instead of "you", but even if it is a mistake you should keep it anyway- it's an amusing pun in its own right. I think you've done a good job of looking at Yu's motivations and how they clash with Qin's potential expansionist ambitions.
Chapter 4
If memory serves, Arjuna Alter didn't start shortening the Yuga cycles until Limbo suggested it to him. It's been a while since I last read through LB4 though, so it could be wrong. But if I am right, I suppose that this being set before Pepe's break with Alter given that Ashwatthama is not yet a Lokapala would justify the change. Plus, Pepe would practically be knocked out of the war if he didn't catch onto Douman's plotting sooner than in canon.
Chapter 5
Knowing just about everything about the other Lostbelts other than Beryl's would definitely give Kirschtaria a significant advantage; however, I recall him showing at least enough trust in Daybit for the two of them to agree that in the event that his plan to ascend humanity failed, Daybit would go ahead with his own (and vice versa). That being said, having Daybit be absent from his simulations would explain why he wasn't mentioned in his dying monologue. I like your explanation of how Kirschtaria and Caenis would deal with the other Olympians following the conclusion of the Lostbelt wars too, it's cunning and in character for both of them.
Chapter 6
Of course there's the elephant in the room- Beryl's reason for agreeing to be resurrected was the prospect of seeing Mash again. I'd imagine that's going to make him not merely dour, but completely apathetic as to whether he lives or dies at best, and it seems that you agree with me even if I would make the reaction more extreme. But seeing that he didn't know of her death until he already became Morgan's puppet, then I can understand it not pushing him to outright suicide- Morgan's control over him would be too strong for him to simply throw the war to spite the Alien God. Come to think of it, her presence would also pose major alterations in what happened with Morgan when she was still Tornelico/Aesc (since none of her other companions could safely enter the Great Pit), and needless to say Castoria's pilgrimage would be practically stillborn without Ritsuka to aid and comfort her (although I'd suspect that Oberon-Vortigern would just get creative to ensure that she completed her pilgrimage in that situation- I'd like to see how such a thing would unfold).
Chapter 7
I have no real complaints with how you did things with this chapter. It would be nice to know what Camazotz has been up to following his defeat by Daybit and Tezcatlipoca, though. Perhaps he might be used as another form of defense for the Lostbelt? And I see you remembered that accord between Daybit and Kirschtaria.
Chapter 8
The Crypters' dynamic is as solid as it is in-game while still reflecting the altered circumstances of the story. I was surprised Beryl didn't think of the Calamities as one of the factors making his Lostbelt terrible, although knowing him in this work he simply might not care. And all in all, your assessment of their relative strengths is spot-on.
I'll try to get through the rest of them whenever I have the opportunity, but so far what I've seen is looking pretty good.
Thanks for the feedback INH. Yeah, I admit I'm not good in constructing the dialogues, and was a bit confused with picking the tenses, but I had settled with past tense. And there are indeed typos I missed after I reread the chapter, so thanks for pointing them out.
The 'Lan Ling for Yu' bit was indeed intentional, just me having fun with Hinako's name.
About Yuga Kshetra, it's true I used my own take on the world. the Yuga cycles made by God Arjuna used to last for hundreds of years, meaning that was already shortened before the Crypters came into picture. So calculating backward, in my story is that ever since the Tree's appearance, he got enormous source of power to accelerate the cycle faster to the point it lasts only months. And I made Pepe figured that out sooner, and so prevented Altjuna from taking in Limbo's advices. He's already pretty smooth with words, not to mention how he won over the fairies in LB6 that he became a respected figure there, so it's not hard to imagine he succeeded in dissuading Altjuna.
Regarding Kirschtaria's stance on Daybit. They're technically competitors on paper, so they had to act like one. While he had an alien logic that made him resort to awaking ORT as the only way, he didn't write off Kirschtaria and the others as irrelevant and let them compete, especially Kirschtaria. And as I had Daybit thinking on Chapter 7, he will acknowledge Kirschtaria's vision once he prevailed over him.
For Beryl, I figured he would be disheartened with Mash's situation, but personally, that wouldn't be enough to make him commit suicide, and he's just the guy who wanted to have fun, in a sadistic way. For Britain, there will be a lot of political power play from the inside, which I doubt can be resolved before the other Lostbelts invade. Right now, I hope to gain better insight once NA released LB6 fully.
So once again, thanks for your assessment. I'm glad that you think it's good. I just finished another chapter and will post it soon.
- - - Updated - - -
Chapter 17: Russia vs Scandinavia - Intermission(Land of Fiery Ice)
It had been sometime before the True Valkyrie sisters entered, that Beowulf and Billy gang had crossed the entrance, to the other Losbelt. They noted how bright it was compared to Russia. The blizzard was gone, and the cold dissipated a bit. A sign that they've entered Scandinavia.
The Yagas murmured as they took in their new surroundings, unable to fathom the sudden change of environment, but nevertheless walked forward.
Billy remarked, "Well, this is a strange land alright. Blue flames decorating the mountain, a large, black sun looming on the horizon, it's straight out from a fantasy book. Boss, I don't suppose you know where we are?"
Beowulf grinned as he answered, "We are in Scandinavia. Well, this sure takes me back to the time when I was alive. Though the scenery differs, the geography is familiar enough like back when I came to Hrothgar's aid."
"Yeah? So, does that mean you got Fame Boost around here, boss?" Asked Billy. He was referring to a phenomenon where Servants gain additional stats when they fight in their birthplace.
"No doubt. I can feel my body lighter and nimbler, even with weapons. And no pesky blizzard to obstruct the view."
Beowulf said, as he brought his fist together, as if raring for a fight.
"I don't know what that means, but if you're stronger, then that's good for us all, boss. We're happy for you- Hang on, are those..?"
Before a Yaga could finish his words, a group of masked giants suddenly approached from a distance. The Yagas were instantly on guard with their swords and rifles.
"Looks like there are giants that got left behind here." Said Billy, as he brandished his beloved Thunderer.
However, Beowulf raised a hand. "How about you guys leave this to me? It's actually perfect. I can test out my newfound vigor. Plus they're giants, which is just the kind I hunt for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!"
After he declared, Beowulf leaped toward the giant on the front, wielding his sword and mace. The next instant, the giant's head rolled on the ground.
"Hell yeah! I haven't let loose in a while! This is great!"
Beowulf continued the assault, targeting each giant with fervor. Be it shin, shoulder, head, even at the center of the chest, he aimed for giants' body parts haphazardly, yet his weapons sliced through with little to no effort as though a knife cutting a butter. The giants attempted to catch him, but he easily swatted them away while cutting them down. The Yagas could be seen cheered for him from the sidelines.
Billy sighed, though not dejected. "'Sure, go wild, then.' ...is what I was about to say, but I guess he didn't care for answer."
------
Not long after, a pile of mutilated giants formed on the field.
"Phew, that was quite a workout."
Beowulf remarked, completely satisfied as he stretched.
One of the Yagas applauded him. "You rock, Boss! We've never seen such a one-sided fight against many opponents that large!"
Billy chimed in, "That's good, and they helped proven that you are stronger around here alright. We can rest easy a little when there are threats around."
But then he added, "Then again, this place will soon be a battlefield too, so we need to find safe place to lie low, and at the same time observing the situation. So we best keep moving."
"Wait, what about those bodies, Sir? Can we not salvage some for our ration?" The Yaga who represented the group gestured to the pile of giants.
"No Matvel. The giants are out of the question given how poisonous their blood is, so it's not safe." Rejected Billy.
The Yaga named Matvel was taken aback. "Huh? but didn't the Boss say that he hunted them down for breakfast and more?"
"Uh yeah, he's right actually, I got carried away by the situation. I did hunt giants down back then, but in order to protect my people, not for food." Finishing his stretching, Beowulf confirmed Billy.
"I see. That's too bad." Matvel acceded in disappointment.
"It's alright, we still have plenty of supplies to last us for days. Meanwhile, we'll look for some place to camp and then think for the next move."
The group resumed their journey. Billy approached Beowulf in order to discuss about their own situation.
"Hey dude, I was wondering for a while. Isn't possible that we can find other like us in this place? You know, Rogue Servants?"
"It is highly likely. And given what about to come, we're gonna need all the help we can get. Once we found a safe place, that will be one of the goals we'll try to achieve, and the Yagas can help us search while they're observing the war. Who knows how long the battle will take, but I prefer we can meet potential allies before it gets hotter."
"Yeah, I agree, but we also need to proceed with caution. At worst, we might bump into a Crypter and their Servant, or this land's Lostbelt King. There's also the possibility that the Rogues are taking the Lostbelt's side, like Atalante did." Cautioned Billy.
"We'll cross that bridge once it comes to it. We can ask the Yagas to search for people like us, and report back once they find them, but they must not make any contacts with who they found, since they can't be certain if they're friend or foe. We'll be the ones to judge that. Oh right, could you brief them that right now? It can save time since they can take action immediately as soon as we found the right place."
"Aye aye, Boss. Good idea."
With that, Billy returned to Yaga group and briefed Matvel about their plan.
"Scandinavia... I wonder what kind of people we'll find here?"
-----
"Is that a village?" Pondered Billy as he spotted multiple buildings on the distance,
Some kind of settlement, but the place is surrounded by a large wooden fence, connected by a large gate. They could finally meet with this Lostbelt's inhabitant.
"From the looks of it, it's made to protect the resident from outside threats. Given the giants we met before, it's only natural for them to be constructed in such a way."
Matvel asked Beowulf, "What do we do, Boss? Do we enter the village?"
But Beowulf rebuffed him. "No, too risky. Making immediate contact without knowing their situations would only draw suspicions, and outright hostilities. Right now, let us keep our distance from that village and make a camp."
"Understood, where do you suggest we-"
"KYAAH!"
"A scream?!" Matvel exclaimed.
"Sounded like a child. The rest of you stay here, I'll go take a look."
-----
A little girl ran through the meadow in panic, trying her best to escape the giants hot on her tail.
Oh no oh oh no, they saw me... Why do things never turn out well for me?! Just when I found what I need...
One of giants started to approach her, reaching out.
"Eeek...!" The girl kneeled and clasped her hands in prayer, begging for mercy.
"Oh no you don't!"
Suddenly, a naked muscular man came into view. He sent the giant flying backward.
He made short work of the giants that had chased the girl.
"...I-I am alive? There's no more Bergrisar around?" The girl cautiously opened her eyes.
"Hey kiddo, you okay? What are you doing here in the wilds?"
In front of her stood a tall man extending her hand. Behind him could be seen the fallen giants.
The girl started, "Y-yes, thank you. I had to look for medicinal herbs around here, but.."
"That's amazing!" shouted the girl.
Visibly excited, she continued." I can't believe it! The Goddess must have sent you! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved my life. That's so amazing! How did you do it!? Usually, anyone the giants see ends up getting pancaked, but we are not even a little bit squished!"
"I see, that's, uh, good to know." Responded the man carefully.
The girl caught herself, "Oh, uh, I'm sorry. Ahem. You're supposed to introduce yourself when you first meet someone, aren't you. I remember learning that."
The girl took a breath, before continuing herself. "My name's Gerda!"
Last edited by OnesFleetingGlory; June 29th, 2023 at 08:37 PM.
I've got a bit more time on me, so I'll continue with my assessment of your work. And my offer to act as your copy editor remains open should you wish to take it.
Chapter 9
The tenses are still a bit mixed up here, but you've already addressed that in your last reply. No further point in beating a dead horse. Kadoc's insights show quite well in being able to know which of Atalante Alter's buttons to press in order to get her on his side; now if only that insight extended to his Servant's feelings. You have a point about Kadoc's magecraft being complementary with Atalante Alter's abilities as well, I hadn't thought about it that way. The only real hiccup I can think of beyond that is the matter of the Phantasmals/Demonic Beasts: while the Yagas have tamed a few of them, ones like the D'yavol Tron are for the most part feral and uncontrollable to my knowledge. Mentioning how Kadoc might be able to direct them with his magecraft might've been able to smooth that over a bit.
Chapter 10
Ophelia always was more inquisitive about the nature of the Lostbelts than the other Crypters who weren't "in the know" to some degree, so it makes sense she'd put that much thought into the British Lostbelt situation. And the tension between Ophelia and "Sigurd" is thick enough for me to cut it with a knife. I like that. Napoleon and Sitonai seem like they have the start of a good dynamic going on as well.
Chapter 11
Obviously since he doesn't know about PHH from Ritsuka, it makes sense that Paxti wouldn't be quite as uneasy about his world or as hostile to the Tsar- though even so it seems like that's not enough to change who he is at his core given his concern for his mother. I'm assuming the Yaga bullets didn't work because the bullets are tailored primarily towards killing demonic beasts, and since that's not what giants are they're not doing the damage they usually would. And Skadi has a point with her assessment of Anastasia- she may be strong, but she can't be everywhere at once and trying to fight all the giants by herself can only fail. RL gets in the way of coming up with ideas for me as well, to say nothing of actually translating them into the written word without losing the particular vision I have for them.
Chapter 12
I can relate to your concerns about action and fight scenes. There's only so many ways you can describe "A hit B, and B is now dead" without it being repetitive, and it doesn't help that I'm a visual thinker who wonders if perhaps he should've done this stuff as a comic (well, before realizing that he's someone who never quite advanced past the "stick figures" stage of artwork). But I think you did well with what you had to work with. Nice of you to remember that Beowulf isn't the kind of king who would remain concerned about his people if he had to leave them behind. I do have to wonder if they'd actually be able to leave their Lostbelt- we're told that beings from a Lostbelt can't cross into PHH under normal circumstances in LB6, but I don't know if that would be applicable here.
Chapter 13
It's amusing to see Atalante Alter and Anastasia butt heads like this knowing that the former doesn't realize Anastasia sees her as a rival for Kadoc's attention. And it makes sense that Salieri could not only weaken Ivan with his music, but also empower him. It's equally unsurprising that "Sigurd" might take interest given his track record in killing gods and beings on par with gods. And RIP Valkyries, we hardly knew you.
Chapter 14
This feels like it could've come from the main game with the way it's written. Short as it may be, it gets the job done very well.
Chapter 18: Russia vs Scandinavia(8)
A whole day has passed since Tsar Ivan was awakened. With his monstrous body, accompanied by thunderstorm, he was marching toward the light that had bridged the two Lostbelt. The light had been expanding so much that it could no longer be called an entrance, as the storm walls dissipated and the land beyond Russia began to be visible. Scandinavia could then be seen by the residents of Russia, and vice versa. The two Lostbelts' borders had completely vanished.
Far behind the Tsar, a small horse-drawn wagon could be seen followed the mammoth, pulled by a horse. Its passengers were Kadoc and Anastasia. They'd prepared rations back in the palace beforehand, coordinated with both Atalante Alter and Patxi to keep the residents safe and calm, then made their way toward Scandinavia, following the tsar in a safe distance.
"Say, Kadoc, what is your plan once we crossed into Scandinavia?"
Anastasia started a conversation. Kadoc, who was the coachman, responded.
"Not much. We'll rely on the tsar's destructive power to wreak havoc there, drawing the enemies solely to him. We can sneak in during the chaos to pick off the survivors one by one, and then finally the tsar himself."
"I see. But what if we were found out?" Anastasia pressed on.
"Then we'll have to risk it and go near the tsar so that they can't gang up on us, in which case, I'm gonna need you to carry me around."
"Very well, I've always wanted to princess-carry you whenever I got the chance." Anastasia answered him in a teasing manner. But instead of getting flustered, Kadoc frowned.
"Give me a break, remember that these few months we've spent quite a lot of time brainstorming on how defending our Lostbelt, gathering the necessary pieces with the locals, and even using the tsar himself. I'm honestly still burnt from all that, so sorry if I can't come up with something clever now and have to improvise."
"Yeah, my bad. I didn't mean to mock you. Let's change the topic. Let's see... how about your time back when you're still teammates?"
"...Why do you care about that?"
"We don't have anything to do now until we reach Scandinavia, so might as well chat to kill time. Unless you have other things that you want to talk about?"
Kadoc sighed at his Servant's persistence. "Fine, fine, I'll indulge you. I've told you each of the Crypter's information, and what they're good at. "
He continued, "Our team was assembled by Mr. Marisbury, the founder and first director of Chaldea. He told us that we're handpicked as the most suitable to be Team A, the leading group to accomplish the mission, that being resolving and correcting anomalies across human history. Although, I was actually the last one to join, so I couldn't help but feeling like an afterthought."
"I see, but then you all died, and in a cruel twist of fate, got resurrected in order to destroy the very history you had been entrusted to protect."
Kadoc chuckled, "When you put it that way, it is indeed ironic. The Alien God gave us its grace in exchange of doing his bidding, being ordained as pioneers of humanity's new future, with the apostles under its command oversee our competition."
"Do you regret it?" Pondered Anastasia.
"I would be lying if I said I don't, but it's the only way for me to come back to life. My genuine regret is that I didn't even get the chance to do a single mission when I was in Chaldea. But there's still one member of Team A that survived back then, her name was Mash Kyrielight. Alien God told me, that after the incident, the world was on the verge of destruction under a nefarious plot, dubbed as Incineration of Humanity. And she managed to prevent it."
"So this Mash Kyrielight, what kind of person was she?"
"She was supposed to be a Master just like us, but Marisbury had her excluded from taking active roles in battle, mostly acting as the mission control, observing the situations.
But there was actually more to it, which I only found out recently. From Alien God's record, she's actually a test subject for Demi-Servant experiment."
"Demi-Servant..."
"It was an attempt to create a Heroic Spirit that only requires minimal dependence to a Master and Mana consumption, thus easily controllable. But the experiment was... unspeakably gruesome. The experiment didn't show promising results, and Kyrielight was relieved from it after a long time. But during the incident, she miraculously awakened her powers, and fully became a Demi-Servant. That's when Chaldea gained a fighting chance of their predicament."
"And as Demi-Servant, she saved the world all alone?"
Kadoc corrected her, "Not alone, no. She was aided by Chaldea's surviving staffs, resolving Singularity by Singularity, but that's not all, she was supported by the only Master who survived the incident. If not for him, they wouldn't be able to prevent the Incineration of Humanity. A Master is crucial for empowering a Servant, after all. But he was said to be quite exceptional when it comes to commanding and contracting with new Servants whom he met. The record said the amount of Servant easily reached triple digit."
"Really now. Who was he?"
"He was Japanese. I think his name was... Fujiwara? Fujimura? ... Oh, I remembered, it's Fujimaru, Ritsuka Fujimaru. He saved the world once, so at least he deserved to be recognized."
Hearing this, Anastasia was confused.
"Was he that good? I think you're giving him too much credit, Since none in Chaldea put up a decent fight."
"Am I? Well, not that I saw him in action myself, but I could gauge up his capabilities, which was undeniably impressive. According to the record, aside of his high Rayshift affinity and coordination with Servants, he could also summon fractions of power from those he contracted with, as shadow version of the Servant, but still powerful enough to combat Phantasmal Beasts and Mystics from Age of Gods, allowing him to fight evenly alongside Kyrielight. It's a very powerful ability, like having your own army of superheroes. It is more than sufficient to help Chaldea taking down the Singularities."
Anastasia frowned this time. "Kadoc, are you sure you're not mistaken?"
"Why?"
"Someone like you've described would've stuck out like a sore thumb. When I was leading the assault to the Chaldea base, I utterly ransacked it. I've encountered some Servants, among them including sharp-dressed man with tobacco pipe, and a beautiful woman with mechanical arm, but no Master commanded or supported them, so they went down easily. The other humans didn't display the kind of ability you described, either."
"...."
This shocked Kadoc. "... Nastya, you did ensure the base is completely annihilated right? No one survived?"
Anastasia answered, "I did. Both me and Macarius combed the place thoroughly and sealed all the exits. No signs of anyone escaping."
"I see, I guess you just didn't personally kill him, and he was slaughtered by Oprichniki elsewhere."
I really hope that's the case, I don't want to get chewed by others for this oversight, or worse, the fact that a survivor from Chaldea could interrupt the competition without any of us knowing where and what they are doing.
Hurriedly putting the thought to rest. Kadoc changed the topic.
"Speaking of Macarius, he sure was in a rush, no sooner than we finished the preparations he immediately dashed toward the tsar's direction. He could be following the tsar closely somewhere as we speak."
Anastasia responded to Kadoc's pondering, "He told me he wanted to spectate the battle while still has some free time. His superior, which I believe is the Alien God, could call him any time at a moment's notice, so he must make the most of it."
"Huh, didn't know he had that side of him."
During their conversation, Kadoc noticed that tsar had reached the border that separated Russia and Scandinavia. The bright scenery could be seen from where they
"Looks like we've arrived. Let's maintain our distance just enough to observe the battle. We will act accordingly based on the situation."
"Yes, Master. Now it's our turn to go on the offensive. I wish us all luck."
? ? ?
This is a weird feeling.
No, that is not accurate. Rather, I could not feel anything at all, yet somehow aware of myself being 'here'.
Why? How did this happen?
Why am I the only one escaped? Why everyone else insisted on staying behind?
They did tell me that the device could only fit for one person, and that I was the most crucial figure needed to survive.
But what's the point? Wouldn't it be better for me to stay with them, fighting the invaders till bitter end?
I feel so powerless. So pointless. Even if I somehow managed to escape, what could I do on my own?
.....
No, no. Calm down. I need to have faith. There is no way she would resort to this without some kind of backup plan.
She is a genius, she definitely thought of something before sending me off into... whatever this place is.
I hope they all make it.
Still, I have every reason to be panicking now. Where in the world am I? What happened to my body?
She didn't instruct me anything before I entered the device, only that I had to lay low for a while.
Is this place... Imaginary Numbers Space? Was it always this dark?
Then again, I can't feel my body, so I doubt I could 'see' in the first place.
I might as well be just a disembodied consciousness.
But... how long must I wait? If I am here in this state for any longer, deprived of all senses, I might go insane.
"...hic...hic..."
...? Is someone crying? Wait, wait, I can 'hear' something?
Does this mean I'm regaining my senses?
Okay, focus, find the source of that sound.
Everything is starting to get brighter. Good, I'm starting to be able to see.
There's... someone in the distance. A little girl? It seems she's the one who have been crying.
She is... crying uncontrollably. Why? What happened to her?
For some reason, there is something familiar about her.
I want to reach her out. I need to reach her out. I want to know what makes her so sad.
...It's no use. No matter how hard I try, I can't close in, I can't even call out to her.
My sense of vision and hearing have returned, but it looks like I'm still a disembodied consciousness.
I can only stay here helplessly, seeing and listening to the girl. It's frustrating.
[Do you want to do something for her?]
...? Did... someone just talk? Are they referring to me?
Who are you? Can you hear me?
[Yes, we can hear you, just like how you can hear us. Not so for that girl.]
I look at the girl again, and she's still crying. It seems she cannot hear them, either.
[What we are is of no importance, what matters now is whether you want to help her or not.]
Is it not obvious? Of course I want to help her. She looks so sad.
[Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do at the moment. It is impossible to interact with her in this place. You will have to focus on your current predicament first.]
True, I'm not planning to be stuck here forever. I need to return to my friends, to my comrades-in-arms.
[Correct, but you will be brought to a different place from where you originally were. Your friends will have to fend for themselves.]
!!! That's... I... Alright, she did tell me I have to lay low. All I can do now is to believe in them.
[Good, you managed to stay calm. Not to worry, some allies will welcome you where your destination is. You will soon be there.]
That is good to know. But... what about her?
[Although she remains weeping, she will suffer nothing else here. You only need to focus on your fights ahead, and you will eventually save her.]
Save her, huh. I don't really get how they are connected, but... glad to... hear it.
Huh... am I feeling dizzy? Am I... going to lose... consciousness?
[Do not be afraid. That is the sign of you arriving at your destination.]
I... see...
[May fate favors you this time, Humanity's Last Master.]
Chapter 19: Russia vs Scandinavia(9)
I could feel my family’s grief.
I could feel my household’s sorrow.
“Why? Why couldn’t it be a boy? God, why must You deny us so?”
“The child is not to blame, yet this is the fourth daughter, and a son has yet to grace us.”
“What do we do? What do we do?”
Whispers were often heard throughout the house.
My family did not speak to me of their discontent, and they cared for me all the same as they did my older sisters. But their disappointment couldn’t be any clearer.
Feelings of guilt began to sprout, and my daily lives started to feel harder despite my effort to stave them off.
No, this will not stand. My family has assured me of my innocence. They are proud of me.
I cannot dwell on this forever. I need to distract myself from such thoughts. Starting with talking to ‘that thing’.
I’ve felt a strange presence dwelling in our house. A ghost? A spirit? Whatever it was, my family were not aware of it. It was as though I was the only one who could see it. Not even taking pictures of myself could reveal its existence.
I had tried to call out to it, but it did not respond, only silently stared at me. Perhaps it was interested in me? I wonder if pulling pranks on other might make it to react?
It’s also a good fun, so if I could talk to it in the process, that would be icing on the cake.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Are you dreaming again, Kadoc?”
Kadoc was snapped out of his daze at Anastasia’s urging.
They’re in the carriage pulled by Bicorn, going into the Scandinavian Lostbelt. It was Anastasia’s turn to take the rein.
He could see in the distance that the Tsar was still passing halfway through the border. They still have time to prepare.
Kadoc answered Anastasia’s question. “Yeah, I am. It was about you.”
To that, Anastasia feigned surprise. “My, how flattering. Then again, Masters tend to catch glimpses of their Servant’s past through dreams. Is that what happened?”
“That’s right. I saw your childhood, as you grew up in a tense tsardom.”
This wasn’t the first time, that Kadoc dreamt of Grand Duchess Anastasia’s past, but the content of the dream is different from the ones before, which were depicting her painful demise. It seems to take place way before that tragedy.
“Oh dear, how embarrassing. You’re correct. My childhood wasn’t a sad one, but the succession crisis often made my family on edge. Mama and Papa painstakingly bore children for the sake of a male heir, and they failed four times. You can imagine how poorly that affected us.”
She continued. “And so, I devoted to pranking others in order to distract myself alongside them from such thoughts. The maids would get exasperated at my stunts, the tutors would admonish me for my lack of restraint. But that didn’t bother me, all I cared about was for them to not worry too much about that, and living the moment, which worked through my masterful pranks.”
Anastasia puffed her chest, seemingly proud about her ‘achievement’. Normally, Kadoc would scoff at her attitude, but there was more pressing matter he wanted to know.
“Thankfully, it’s all resolved after my little brother, Alexei, was born. My family were all joyful of his birth, celebrating him over and over, me included. Everyone had their expectations for the newly born Tsesarevich.”
Anastasia ended her story there. Kadoc understood, for what to follow afterward was life of struggles and sufferings, culminating in the execution of her family.
But that’s not what Kadoc was most curious about. It’s the familiar that is on Anastasia’s side as she was summoned.
“Nastya, could you tell me more about Viy?”
That question piqued Anastasia’s interest. “Oh? Why, did he show up in your dream too?”
“Obviously. I saw you trying to talk to him, but it didn’t work, and it’s also part of the reason why you played pranks.”
“Right you are. Sadly, none of my actions caused this kid to react, and he was all but forgotten once Alexei was born. The only time he ever did anything was, well, when I was dying. And so, we ended up forming a contract. I didn’t know what happened after my death, but I figured he delivered unspeakable deaths to those soldiers.”
Kadoc put two and two together. “Thus, he became your familiar, your Noble Phantasm.”
Anastasia nodded, then pouted. “Yes, though I wish he would form contract earlier, then I could’ve protected my family. Did you know that the Romanovs were also dabbling in magecraft? Viy here was the ancestral familiar that had been watching over my bloodline. For some reason, neither Papa nor Mama ever mentioned him. I know all this from him, and it seemed I was the only one capable of contracting him after a long time.”
“I see.” Kadoc pondered about the meaning. The Romanovs were swiftly executed without awaiting proper trials. The common consensus was due to the fear of Tsardom regaining prominence during the Revolution if it were delayed longer, but knowing her father, Nikolai, who had abdicated the throne willingly, it is doubtful that they would become immediate threat. Could there be another motive? Something related to magi that pressured the higher-ups to carry out the execution? Were they after Viy?
“I’ve observed at his powers for some time, and at first I thought it was all about freezing and breaking, but were there more to that?”
“Yes, Kadoc. The freezing powers were influenced by my nature, but Viy’s true ability is his eyes, the Mystic Eyes of Clairvoyance. It is said to be able to impart weaknesses to objects, making them more fragile and brittle, that the act of freezing alone will destroy them, even if not shattered.”
“Mystic Eyes, huh.” That sounded valuable enough to pillage. But if only a handful of the Romanovs aware of this, then how did they plan to secure them? Did they gun down the whole family as to provoke it to action?
“…Oh well, I guess it’s pointless to think about that right now.” Kadoc dismissed his thoughts. There were more pressing matters to attend to, like invading the Scandinavian Lostbelt.
He observed the situation. The monstrous Tsar has passed through the boundary between Lostbelts completely. Their carriage increased the pace to follow suit. There will soon be battle- no, war, up ahead. They could join in the fight, but it’s better to watch from the sidelines plan their next actions.
“Nastya, the Tsar will remain in that state for a few days, so we should let the enemy think that he’s on his own, and we’re still in Russia. We’ll use that to our advantage to plan our next moves.”
“Agreed. But Kadoc, we’re unfamiliar with that land. Where do you think we should make our base?”
“We’ll focus on entering the Lostbelt first and trailing behind the Tsar, all the while concealing our presence. We’ll take that chance to observe if there were settlements nearby. Once found, we’ll take care of the inhabitants and claimed the place for our own.”
“That’s rather bold plan, Kadoc. Is it one of your ‘improvisations’?”
“I won’t deny that. But I have faith in your powers and Viy. We could flee using my Command Spell to boost you up.”
Anastasia giggled. “I see. Well, as much as I would find princess-carrying you fun, let’s hope we could save up your Command Spell for other things.”
“Yeah, I hope so too. Alright, we’re about to pass through the boundary. Let’s brace ourselves, Nastya.”
Kadoc switched place with Anastasia, firmly holding on the rein of the Bicorn, the change of the wind and the brightness of the sun became noticeable.
“Yes, Kadoc. Let’s see what this land has in store for us.”
And so, Kadoc and Anastasia left the Russian soil.
Last edited by OnesFleetingGlory; March 30th, 2024 at 09:29 AM.
Chapter 20: Russia vs Scandinavia (10)
-Earlier before the Tsar crossing the border-
"Well, things have gone surprisingly smooth.”
Beowulf pondered while sitting in a living room.
It was the house of the little girl he saved. As a gratitude, she invited him to her house in the village.
But that's not all.
"They have, Boss. I would've expected some misgivings from the local residents, but the worst they did was giving us curious looks, probably due to the Yaga's appearance. Never in my wildest dream I expected anyone to openly welcome us like this."
Sitting on the opposite of the table was Matvel, the Yaga who became their representative.
After the rescue, Beowulf explained his situation to the girl, whose name was Gelda, and then the two entered the village. Billy and the rest of the rebel had stayed outside to monitor the situation, but then Beowulf came out and told them it was fine for them to enter.
"To be honest, Boss, we were all worried sick about that. I thought they would ambush us once we're all inside.”
"Right, that would be the logical thinking. But it's fine. I already scoured the village when I was on my own, and they don't even have proper weapons, only gardening tools at most. If they were hostile, we could easily overwhelm them.”
Beowulf replied, reassuring the bewildered Yaga.
"And besides, remember that most of them are children, with only few young-adults, at their oldest. There is no one older than that here.”
"That's-- you're right. I should have been more shocked by this place's, uh... 'custom.'"
These villagers are livestocks.
According to Gelda, those who have grown into certain age will have to leave the village to become Giants' food. Gelda was still too young to leave the village, but she had to gather herbs for her sickly friend. That was when Beowulf saved her.
Matvel spoke up. "They said the custom is meant to appease the Giants. They needed to consume humans in order to keep them from running amok. Such was the decree by the Goddess, spoken through her envoys."
There were hints of sadness in his words.
"Their way of life is so different to us Yagas, yet I can't help but pity them. Although our life back in Russia was harsh, at least we have freedom on how to live by. "
The Goddess they were referring to was likely to be the ruler of this land, the King of Scandinavian Lostbelt. And that means her 'envoys' are those Valkyries. Hearing that, Beowulf quickly devised a plan: they need to get away from this place soon, predicting that this place was going to get caught in battle. Not only that, they also need to replenish their supply, given how inefficient the Yagas' diet is. So he hoped that they could procure some of the food from the locals. They don't know if gold worked here, but it still worth a shot. At worst, they'll just hunt down Giants some more. After ordering the group, Beowulf and Matvel waited at Gelda's house.
"Giants... goddess... envoys... There are so many new things I learnt, in a quick succession at that. To think that there was life, let alone a whole new world beyond that wall of storms. So this is what that foreign mage was talking about.” Matvel spoke in admiration.
The Yaga was referring to Kadoc Zemlupus. They had encountered the mage back in Russia when he recruited Atalante Alter, along with Beowulf and Billy. In an attempt to persuade them, he had divulged the truth behind their current predicament, and how to best resolve it. Beowulf and Billy declined, but Atalante has been swayed due to her love for children.
Still, it didn't change the fact that they were in an unfamiliar land.
Beowulf needed to remind him of their purpose. "Matvel, your eagerness to learn is remarkable, but now we must remain vigilant as we navigate this place. Don't forget your goal to find new place to live, one that can only be realized once the Tsar is death.”
"Yes, Boss, I'm aware. We're not to confront the Tsar ourselves, only to observe from a safe distance as he's gradually weakened in the war.”
"Correct, and also, me and Billy won't be around forever to lead you. Sooner or later, you'll have to think and act for yourselves.”
"Boss... “
It was an undeniable fact. Servants such as them had limited time in this world. They're called into this world, this Lostbelt for some purpose. To save its residents? To do away with the Lostbelts? Either way, they naturally didn't belong in this world. People around them might have that misconception given their lack of needs for sustenance, but once their tasks were deemed finished by the world, they would be forcibly dismissed. Beowulf had to make sure the Yagas were prepared for that fact.
“I understand, Boss. You have been telling us that over and over. Still, it feels so surreal…”
Beowulf nodded. “It is what it is. Now, let’s discuss about our next move.”
——————————————————————————-
Meanwhile, Billy and the other Yagas talked with the villagers, as well as scouting the outskirt of the village to keep tabs on the war. Their main goal was to replenish the supply. They could manage to get by using the wildlifes of this Lostbelt, but it was more convenient to procure already preserved food than to prepare them raw if they could help it.
While the adults were doing the negotiations, some of the Yaga children were chatting with the human children, including Gelda, who was visibly excited, understandably due to the Yaga's trait.
”Wow, you're all furry. Are you guys descendants of the old gods?”
One of the Yaga kids was confused with her question. “Old gods? Uhm… No, we aren’t, and we only know of one God. As for how we look, we were taught that our ancestors were used to look like you guys too, but then they decided to evolve into what we look like now as to survive the harsh climate of our homeland.”
It was Gelda’s turn to be confused. “Ee-vol…? What a strange word, so you mean that your great-great-grandparents were once humans?”
“Yeah, or so we saw in history book. By the way, is it alright for us to have your food?”
“Gladly. Thanks to Mr. Beowulf’s help, I could treat my sick friend Laura, so I should repay such kindness. You can even stay here for some time if you like.”
The Yaga boy was taken aback by Gelda’s offer. What she did would have been unthinkable in Russia, where it was all about ‘survival of the fittest’. Someone like her would have been taken advantage of among the Yaga society. The boy, who had only been taught about hunting and surviving all his life, began to learn about a culture different than his own. However…
“That is very kind of you, but I must decline. Mum said that we need to keep moving, so we’ll be leaving soon.”
Hearing the boy’s rejection, Gelda sighed. “Aww, that’s too bad. I wished to hear more of you guys, and where you came from.”
“Yeah, likewise. I can’t promise anything, but maybe if given the chance, maybe I can visit you again?”
Gelda lighted up at the boy’s suggestion. “But of course! A year or so I should still be around. So then-“
“Boris, hon! We’re almost done with the talk! Go meet up with others at the plaza!”
A grown-up Yaga called out at their direction.
“Oh! Uh, yes Mum! I’ll be right there!” The Yaga boy named Boris answered back.
While scratching the back of his head, Boris turned his attention back to Gelda. “So yeah, looks like we’re gonna leave soon. You were saying?”
Gelda was hesitant for some reason. “ Uh, um… there is something I’m curious about, and I feel weird to ask. But since you guys are gonna leave, it’s now or never.”
She spoke. “Can I… pet your fur?”
——————————————————————————————-
"Boss, I have a report.”
A Yaga entered the living room where Beowulf and Matvel stayed.
“The villagers are exceedingly accomodating, they’re willing to give us some food. And, they don’t want the money, saying that they don’t need that much to begin with.”
Beowulf wasn’t surprised. Knowing the ‘custom’ that was going on in the village, he figured that the villagers wouldn’t need that much food, or gold for that matter. Not with how few the population was.
“Also, Mr. Billy spotted several things while scouting outside the village, telling me to deliver messages as he remained to keep watch. It reads: Three Valkyries are spotted flying low to the east, where a huge army of Valkyries is also spotted in the distance to that direction. The three seem trying to regroup with them. As for the Tsar, he is about to cross the border. A clash seems imminent.”
Beowulf took a moment to think of the situation. (Three Valkyries… they’re probably stragglers from the initial attack from Scandinavia. And the army stationed to the east, they’re likely attempting to intercept the Tsar there, holding their ground. There could be even mightier force among them compared to the initial assault. The Goddess, the Lostbelt King herself might take part on it. And also…)
“A Crypter.”
If what Kadoc had told them was true, then there was another Crypter residing in and tending this Lostbelt, assuming that one Crypter was indeed assigned with a Lostbelt. Chances were they could fell the Tsar through their combined strength. In which case, the rebel group needed to move soon.
“Well done. Tell Billy and the others that we’re moving out soon. We’re heading southeast.”
The messenger bowed and then left. Matvel who was also present in the room couldn’t help but be curious.
“Why southeast, Boss? We’re not going to confront… whoever is in charge this land, right?”
Beowulf shook his head. “No, Matvel. I’m not foolish enough to face a whole army when we’re here to survive. That will only happen depending on the result of this war. For now, I suggest we should observe at a safe distance how it goes, and then act accordingly. If we’re lucky, both the Tsar and the army will annihilate each other without us lifting a finger, or we could pick off both sides who’re weakened. But the most optimal result will be the Tsar’s demise.”
——————————————————————-
So warm. So bright. It seemed that I had entered the enemy’s domain.
The invaders’ land was different than mine. It was also covered in snow, but there where no perpetual snowstorm to be seen. I saw a bright black sun loomed high above, and mountain range engulfed by blue flame. Such a wondrous land.
It was incomprehensible. A harsh, unforgiving land such as mine would be unappealing to live in. What do they invade for? To expand their territory? The reason did not matter, they had committed a grave sin of invading my land, and for that, they shall die.
The song kept beckoning me to fight. It was unnecessary, for my mind was set to annihilate them, and claim this land for myself.
——————————————————————
“It is good to see you alive, my children.”
Skadi, leading the army of mass-produced Valkyries along with Ophelia, was relieved to reunite with the three true Valkyries, of whom she thought had died during the last assault.
Thrud spoke up. Her tone was grave. “Thank you, your majesty. Sadly, our Svanhveit, the Swan Mystic Code took the brunt of the blow to protect us. Right now, it is impossible for the three of us to maneuver freely in the sky, and so we cannot participate often in the upcoming battle.”
However, Skadi was not worried, and instead, conjured her wand. “It is alright, dear daughters, for I could help you with my runes.”
Skadi swung her wand to the direction of the True Valkyries, all the while chanting primordial runes. The Mystic Codes which were charred, regained their former luster.
“Whoa, it looks good as new! Thank you Your Majesty!” Hildr, with somewhat relaxed tone, expressed her gratitude. Thrud was about to reprimand her, but found herself too tired to even come up with a scolding.
Skadi dismissed her wand. “You are welcome, Hildr. However, loath as I am to admit it, this is but a temporary fix, one that would let it recover in time, so you cannot overexert your Svanhveit lest you would destroy it along with yourself.”
Hearing that, the three Valkyries became sullen. This battle would seem to require all of their might in order to achieve victory. Perhaps they worried too much, and that wouldn’t be necessary since Queen Skadi’s support was more than they could hope for. “Understood, Your Majesty.”
After finished reassuring the three, Skadi brought their attention for the upcoming battle. Sensing her intention, Ophelia approached Skadi, but ‘Sigurd’ remained on the spot instead of following suit.
“Now, let us assess the situation. Just a moment ago, I sensed that monstrous Tsar entering Scandinavia. Our strategy is to hold our ground here, in which the distance is right in the middle of the castle and the boundary. Thrud, Hildr, and Ortlinde will lead separate army to assault him from three ways. I wished we could take advantage of the giants like before, but my control over them is currently diminished as to strengthen the barriers in some villages nearby. It should be enough to ward off hostile entities such as the Tsar, so you all can focus on the fight without worrying about the villagers.”
Nobody knew at the time, but ‘Sigurd’ was grinning under his mask hearing Skadi’s trouble.
“In exchange, I shall support you all with the full might of my runes. Here in Scandinavia, my runes can work at its fullest. It could more than compensate the absence of the giants. As for you, dear Ophelia, do you and is Knight have something?”
Concluding the strategy, Skadi addressed Ophelia, wondering if the Crypter had something in mind.
To that, Ophelia shook her head. “I trust Saber will be able to think of a strategy to fell that monster on his own. Your Majesty need not to worry, he will still help the Valkyries.”
In truth, however, Ophelia would have wanted to talk strategy with her Servant, but that currently was not possible, not with this ‘Sigurd’ who kept her uneasy.
“Hmph. I don’t need to strategize dealing with that thing. I’ll simply beat it up until it’s dead.”
Ever the arrogant warrior, ‘Sigurd’ gloated of his raw power. Ophelia could only close her eyes and gritted her teeth.
The Valkyries who had been tasked to lead their respective armies, discussed among themselves.
Thrud addressed the youngest among them. “Ortlinde, there was something I wanted you to do.”
Ortlinde was surprised to hear her older sister called on her name. “Yes, sister Thrud? What is it.”
Thrud told her and Hildr not about the tactic of the battle, but something equally important in the future.
Ortlinde was shocked at the task Thrud gave her. “But sister, that’s…!”
Before she could spoke anymore, Thrud interrupted Ortlinde. “No, I won’t hear any complaints. This is something that I could entrust to you alone.”
Hildr spoke up next. “Yeah, while I have my reservations, I agree with sister Thrud. You’re the one most suited for the job, Ortlinde.”
Feeling overwhelmed by her older sisters, Ortlinde relented. “…Very well, if you two say so.”
Satisfied, Thrud then changed the subject to the upcoming war. Her gaze were fixed on the giant silhouette in the distance, ever drawing closer. “Now, my sisters, let us avenge our brethren, let’s show that monster the true might of the Valkyries. In the name of Her Majesty, Queen Skadi, and Allfather.”
The Valkyries once again took flight, ready to battle.
Chapter 21: Russia vs Scandinavia (11)
It was the third day ever since the two borders of Lostbelts connected.
In the beginning, Scandinavian side had taken the initiative in order to bring a swift end to this fight, sending away their largest army. Although the enemy had put up an admirable resistance, their forces had ultimately been put down. All that left was cutting Russian's Fantasy Tree.
Or so the impression they had. Their enemy Lostbelt King, who they learnt to be Tsar Ivan the Terrible, emerged from the underground, with the size that could rival mountains, and annihilated them. Now the tables had turned, with the Tsar making his way into Scandinavia, with much slower progression. The opposing Lostbelt began its invasion.
--------------------------
Sometime after Beowulf and the other rebels left Village 23, a wholly different scene played out in another settlement.
"Phew, that was quite exhilarating."
The white-haired princess extended both arms to the sides, as though she had done a warm-up exercise. Icy air pervaded her surroundings.
Before her lied a garden of ice statues. Humans, or so what they once were. Their expressions varied, some were in shock, others were confused, but there was one prominent expression displayed by most of them: Terror.
"I've done far better result than what I did back in Chaldea, if I do say so myself. It helps that these lowlifes hardly put up a resistance."
The Grand Duchess continued to admire her surroundings, skipping about in-between the frozen figures, like an artist did their latest works of art.
What was once a population of Village 60 had now been turned into an exhibition of ice sculptures. Houses, trees, and villagers were all encased in ice. It must have been a quick death to them. Seemingly satisfied with her works, she walked away from the frozen humans while humming a tune.
However, the same could not be said for the person behind her.
"So Kadoc, what would you like to do to this place?"
Anastasia spoke as she turned to her Master, expecting him to set up a base, or loot the place, or both.
But no orders came. Instead she saw her Master showing an incredulous look.
She looked at his face. His eyes were not one of admiration. Those were eyes of lamentation.
Kadoc did not hear Anastasia's question, as he was transfixed by the scenery before him. He could only refer to what existed before him as tombstones.
"..."
Kadoc was in the midst of realization.
These people. They were ordinary villagers, and humans.
Not soldiers, not the kind whose mindset were tempered for hunting and surviving, but for living in peace. They raised livestocks and grew garden for their own sustenance, things that were impractical in Russian Lostbelt, thanks to its harsh climate preventing ordinary lifestocks and plants to survive.
Not only that, Kadoc had spent months in Russian Lostbelt, surrounded by beastmen-like Yaga, so the presence of other humans barely registered to him except with his fellow Crypters. He had thought after what he had done in Chaldea, there would be nothing else that could faze him. He realized now how wrong he was.
Granted, he had not been present when Anastasia enacted the slaughter, so this was his first time committing such atrocity directly.
The people who had been alive before him were now dead.
This was the reality he currently faced.
They were no fighters, just what you would typically expect from someone living their day-by-day life mundanely. It was such a contrast to Russian Lostbelt, where it was all about survival of the fittest. He didn't even consider how different the lifestyle of other Lostbelts was.
"Master?"
At the beckoning of his Servant, his mind returned to reality.
He met her gaze, which was now showing concern.
He swallowed his thoughts, telling himself that this wasn't the time to be weak of heart.
Focus. This is all for her sake, and mine.
In fact, he had resolved himself to be the enemy of Proper Human History. And the other Crypters. The sooner he got used to this, the better.
Hoping Anastasia wouldn't notice his discomfort, Kadoc replied.
"Right, good job. I think this place also has storage or barn. Let's check that out first before building a workshop, Nastya. "
This time, Anastasia was the one who paused, as if to ponder something. Her eyes were narrowing, trained at Kadoc before answering.
"... Yes, Master. Let us go."
As they explored the village, they talked about the situation before they entered the place.
With the Tsar fully stepping inside the opposite Lostbelt's territory, the enemy would naturally have all their attention towards him.
While they were distracted, Kadoc and Anastasia snuck in shortly after, and to their luck, immediately found a settlement of which they decided to take supply from. Naturally, its residents had to go. Which led to it becoming Tomb of Ice.
Before entering the settlement however, they were repelled by a strong Bounded Field. From what Kadoc could gather, it was a rune which structure was so unearthly, that its Mystery could be traced back to the Age of Gods. It was as though a Divine Spirit created it. It seemed to be designed to repel those with hostile intentions, so the villagers weren't subjected to its effects.
"The Bounded Field was especially bothersome, but it's still no match for Viy's Mystic Eyes."
Kadoc recalled what Anastasia had told him.
Mystic Eyes of Clairvoyance, the eyes that Anastasia's familiar Viy possessed. Said that it could create weaknesses in both magical and physical defenses. It was thanks to him that they could bore a hole in the otherwise flawless Bounded Field to bypass it, albeit temporarily.
If Viy's Mystic Eyes was this strong, then as long as he could aim for the weakness, no matter the opponent, then victory wasn't impossible to grasp, even against a Divine Spirit.
BOOM!
While thinking, he felt the ground shook. No, the shaking was happening for sometime, but this time it was particularly intense and sudden, enough to tumble the surrounding ice statues.
"Augh, that Tsar just have to spoil the fun." Anastasia complained sarcastically.
Kadoc guessed. "Looks like the battle has begun."
Anastasia urged Kadoc. "Then let us plunder this place as much as we could, before we miss our opportunity."
Kadoc agreed with her. No matter the result of the battle, they must strike while the enemy was exhausted, so it would be best to follow the Tsar closely to observe the war's progress.
"Right. Let's load up what we could to the carriage. The battle ahead might take longer than before."
------------------------------------
A fortress appeared in the middle of Scandinavia, glittering in blue due to its glacial origin. The height was about half of the queen's castle, but the width was twice of it, and the structure was sturdy enough to withstand multiple Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasms, reinforced with several protection runes. Its purpose was to halt the approaching mammoth, as well to serve as shield for the queen.
Ophelia stared in awe at the inner wall of the fortress. "To construct a fortress this massive under an hour, as one would expect of Goddess of Winter."
Currently, the main force led by Skadi prepared to intercept the advancing gigantic mammoth in the distance. For that, She saw fit to build a fortress as their base. The process was done in less than an hour, using her Authority over snow and ice. All that was left was to fight the Tsar.
Thankfully, he didn't start to go on a rampage after entering Scandinavia, instead walked straight towards the Fantasy Tree. Was it caution? Wary that he might fall into a trap? The reason didn't matter. A number of envoys were sent to scout the Tsar's movement, and reported that he was about to reach the fortress in a couple of hours.
"To think that we would be on the defensive this time..."
Ophelia lamented as she caressed her right eye through the eyepatch.
"But that would mean the Tsar was the last potential threat from Russia. Once he falls, there wil be nothing in the way towards cutting his Fantasy Tree. Well, except Kadoc."
Touching her chin, Ophelia was reminded of the enemy Crypter. She pondered of their whereabouts. Either they stayed in Russia to guard the Tree or followed the Tsar here.
"They have better chance to sneak in under the Tsar's rampage in order to take advantage of the chaos to attack me or the Queen. But his Servant isn't an Assassin, so they wouldn't be able to conceal themselves well."
She checked the Queen's troops. All Valkyries and envoys were assembled on the ground, listening to the queen. She could see Skadi giving instructions to them once again. Her Servant, 'Sigurd', just leaned against the wall at the corner of the fortress, folding his arms. Apparently, he was fed up with Ophelia's constant reprimand that he chose to remain quiet until the battle. During this time, it would've been ideal for Master and Servant to discuss strategies, but Ophelia wasn't so thriller of the notion.
Skadi's voice could be heard. "Heed my words, my daughters. Our troops is no longer as abundant as before. And I could only send out the Giants to the opposing Lostbelt because I can let them attack indiscriminately without concern of attacking others in my domain. A more delicate command would be difficult without guaranteeing the safety of humans in Scandinavia. "
With regretful tone, Skadi continued. "We will no longer have the Giants assist us, but in exchange, I shall support you directly from here, know that my blessings shall grace you in battle. So are Ophelia and her Knight."
Seemingly finished, Skadi concluded her speech. "That would be all, my children. Show your true strength as divine envoys, and protect our world against that looming menace. To victory!"
At her command, the Valkyries swarmed into the sky, and split into three directions, towards the gigantic Tsar. Ophelia and 'Sigurd' would stay near the Queen for protection, as they made their way atop the fortress.
------------------------------------------------------------------
The second battle between Russia and Scandinavia begun. The Valkyrie troops who're split into three armies charged toward the Tsar from three different directions. Sensing hostility, the Tsar began to conjure thunderstorm around its body, acting as natural shield.
Seeing that, Thrud proclaimed with pride. "Hmph, with Her Majesty's blessings this close, such storm might as well be sparks."
Confidently, she led the envoys into the storm wall. Hildr's and Ortlinde's troop followed as well. Their bodies could now withstood the thunderstorm thanks to Skadi. With the creature's enormous body was right in front of them, the Valkyries began their assault. Multiple copies of Gungnir glowed with divine grace, courtesy of Skadi's rune, piercing the thick hide of the giant beast. The wounds inflicted were small, but many. The Valkyries were encouraged to increase their assault, and the beast began to bleed.
However, a growl could be heard from the Tsar, and he began to move.
"DAMNED...INSECTS!"
The massive trunk that had rested in front of the Tsar, began to swing violently, claiming numerous envoys' lives in the process.
"Curses, everyone get away!"
Taken by surprise, Thrud issued an order to all Valkyries to distance away from the Tsar. Uncaring, he remained to flail his trunk to all directions, killing more of the Valkyries who were too slow to dodge.
"To think that monster could move so nimbly with such size..."
The thunderstorm was one thing, but the force behind his swinging trunk could easily broke through their defenses. Not to mention the only apparent weakness the beast had were around its forehead, which was protected by the trunk.
Tsar Ivan kept moving his trunk, tracing infinity sign in the air. Not only that, he kept advancing while protecting himself with his trunk. If left alone, he could reach the fortress eventually.
"Oh darn, we were this close..." Hildr, who was with her own army, clicked her tongue.
Despite Skadi's support, they still found themselves at a disadvantage. Thrud noted that the wounds they inflicted on his body began to close up, meaning that they must land consecutive fatal hits if they ever hoped to defeat this moving mountain.
Thrud issued a command. "Everyone, do not falter! Encircle that creature and attack anything you deemed weak!"
They could not prolong the battle without inflicting significant enough damage to the enemy. The legs, the rear, the underbelly, they needed to poke every possible soft spots the beast might have. They had been unable to do such a delicate move during the fight at Russia, as the thunderstorm had repelled their attempt. But now with Skadi's blessing, they could find potential weaknesses without concern. Their efforts were rewarded, as the Tsar once again began to bleed on various parts of its body. This in turn increased the Valkyries' morale.
"Good, everyone! Our assault is working, keep attacking at the same place, and he's bound to fall!" Thrud enthusiastically commanded the Valkyries, hopeful that all would be settled here.
-----------------------------------------------------
At the freshly built fortress, the Queen and the Crypter oversaw the battle. The Tsar was proven to be indomitable. Even facing such onslaught from the reinforced Valkyries, the Tsar still steadily moved towards the fortress. Skadi began to show concern at the scenery unfolded. But as time went by, she could see that the Valkyries' relentless assault began to affect the Tsar. Despite him flailing around his trunk, several wounds began to show all over her body.
"Your Majesty, it's working." As if reading her mind, Ophelia commented on the situation of the battlefield.
"Indeed, Ophelia. That monster might have overwhelmed the Valkyries before, but in this land, and my blessings, they are several times stronger." The queen was referring to Fame Boost, a strengthening granted to beings native to the land. And with the Tsar weaker due to leaving Russia, no longer were they in disadvantage.
"It is too early to relax, queen."
As if to spoil the mood, 'Sigurd' voiced his disagreement. It was the first time he spoke after their departure from the castle.
Irritated with the sudden negativity, Ophelia glared at her Servant. "Explain yourself, Saber."
"There is nothing more dangerous than a wounded beast driven to the corner. The dolls should know better than to relax around their prey."
As if to prove 'Sigurd''s prediction, Ophelia gazed at the enormous silhouette that was the Tsar, slowly extending upward.
Ophelia's face turned pale. "Oh no... "
-----------------------------
*HRRAAAGH!*
The Tsar suddenly let out an ungodly roar. He raised both of his forelegs, with his trunk high towards the sky, then slammed it hard onto the ground as his forelegs touched the earth, causing a tremor so massive that the entire Scandinavia rumbled for a moment. The resulting shockwave thrown the Valkyries' formation into disarray. Worse still, the tremor raced through the ground, scattering the snow and ice covering the land, and headed directly towards the fortress. A loud crash could be heard as the racing tremor collided with the fortress.
-------------------------------------------------
"Guh!" Ophelia gripped hard at the ramparts of the fortress to support herself from falling. As she opened her eyes, the scenery was covered in snowy powder caused by the impact.
She checked on the queen and her Servant, and the two were standing still, seemingly unfazed from the resulting collision.
The ice fortress she built was meant to halt the advance of the enormous behemoth, so it was protected by the runes in addition to its natural sturdiness. Fortunately, the fortress remained intact, protecting the three inside
The Tsar, apparently determining his target, started to walk faster. His action was not unlike a bull preparing to charge in.
The Valkyries were still in the middle of gathering themselves, but they vaguely realized that the behemoth ignored them and made way towards the fortress, with increasing speed.
Ortlinde was the one to recover, and so issued a command. "...! Envoys, regroup! Chase after him!"
The Tsar sprinted towards the glacial fortress. If let be, he could trample the three of them underfoot.
Impatient, Ophelia decided to take action. "Your Majesty, may I?"
Skadi closed her eyes, thinking of a decision. Soon, the Tsar would arrive at her fortress, but several protection runes were destroyed after tanking the impact of earlier attack, and needed time to reinforce the fortress with more runes. And with the Tsar gaining momentum, the fortress wouldn't last facing the charge head-on.
"Yes Ophelia, show me your Knight's power."
"Thank you. Saber, my Servant, slay the monster." Ophelia issued her first command for sometime.
Hearing his Master, the swordsman grinned while cracking his knuckles together.
"About time. I was wondering if you will hold me back until it's too late."
'Sigurd' leapt high up to the sky, tracing an arc toward the rushing mountain.
As he descent, 'Sigurd' put up his fist while whispering something ominous.
"Grovel." A flame flickered for a moment.
BOOM! A punch landed square on the trunk of the beast.
What transpired afterward was beyond expectation. The Valkyries, Queen Skadi, and even Ophelia herself were startled at the outcome.
The beast fell forward, as though the strength of the punch forced it to kneel down, stopping it dead in its tracks. 'Sigurd' smirked menacingly. "I shall put this overgrown mammoth down for good."
----------------------------
"... Kadoc, did you see that?" Anastasia asked as the monstrous Tsar fell down by a person's hit.
The Master-Servant pair had arrived distances away from where the battle took place.
"Yes, clear as day." Kadoc witnessed the unbelievable scene played out. He had banked on the Tsar's charging move to destroy the ice fortress, but someone botched that prediction.
"Who is that? A Servant? A native of Scandinavia? Or a Lostbelt King? Either way, they're strong." Anastasia was curious now.
Kadoc reinforced his eyes to see better. "Seems to be a guy in combat suit, carrying a... crystalline blades? He's wearing a mask, so I can't glean much of his appearance. I heard from Ophelia that her Lostbelt King was a queen, so we could rule that out. That means he could be Ophelia's knight, whom she proclaimed as the strongest."
Anastasia blinked. "Huh... strongest indeed. I was certain that almost no one could stop the monstrous Tsar beside a Lostbelt King. This could be bad, Kadoc."
Hearing a hint of concern in her voice, Kadoc answered. "As I told you back then, Nastya, it was an all-out gamble. There are no absolutes, even the Tsar himself. Even I count ourselves lucky that the Tsar had single-handedly wiped out the invading force, let us snuck in to the enemy's Lostbelt, and forced them on the defensive. It's still too early to determine our loss, so let's keep observing until an opportunity presents itself."
Anastasia could only nod. "I hope you're right."
Kadoc changed topic. "What do you say we eat a bit? I could prepare the meat with some magecraft and campfire."
"I'll take you up on that offer. But be warned, my palate is quite refined." Anastasia grinned mischievously.
"Go easy on me, we don't have much means to produce such food." Kadoc could only laugh sheepishly.
This is one last chance to replenish themselves before a decisive battle.
-------------------------------
"Um... Boss? Did my eyes play tricks on me, or did a person just make a mountain tripped?"
Billy the Kid asked, semi-rhetorically, to the leader of the Yaga rebel, Beowulf.
Their current position was miles away from where the battle occurred, opposite of Kadoc's position. After they left Gerda's village, they followed the direction where the Valkyries flew, and found out that the battle had begun. Beowulf, Billy, and Matvel observed the situation discreetly.
"No, you are right. Even without an Archer's clairvoyance, a moving mountain definitely fell sideways." Beowulf dispelled Billy's disbelief.
At first, they thought that the newly built fortress was done for when the Tsar suddenly moved faster towards it, clearly intended to bulldoze the building. But their concern was unfounded.
"That's quite a feat, though. I may be famous for slaying giant monsters, but that mammoth is in a league of its own. Anyone who could pull that stunt is either the other Lostbelt King, or an exceptionally powerful Heroic Spirit, perhaps the Crypter's. Billy, could you perceive their appearance?"
"Sure. It's a guy with a mask in a combat suit, wielding crystal-like blade and daggers."
Hearing Billy's description, Beowulf pondered. "Blade... Daggers... he's most likely a Saber. Until now, the Tsar's strength was uncontested. But with that guy around, this Lostbelt has better chance to win. Depending on how it will unfold, we might join the fray as well."
"So you are suggesting...?" Billy asked, knowing what their next plan is.
Not answering Billy's question, Beowulf addressed the Yaga beside him. "Matvel, remember what we discussed. Me and Billy will approach the battle after it's nearing the end, and I want you to lead the others further apart from here."
"Yes, Boss." The Yaga bowed with respect.
"Also, don't wait. It's better this way. Like I told you, we can't lead you forever, and sooner or later you will have to accept the role eventually. Lead your people and find a place where you can live to the fullest."
"Yes, Boss. It has been an honor. " A bit teary eyed, Matvel ran back towards the other Yaga, probably to take command immediately.
This time, Beowulf answered Billy. "So there you have it Billy. Whaddaya say we go confronting our fate? "
Billy replied with nervous grin. "Sure thing, Beowulf, whatever fate has in store for us, let us fulfill our duties as Heroic Spirit."
"Great to hear. Then, let's continue observing the battle as it unfolds."
Last edited by OnesFleetingGlory; April 12th, 2024 at 02:52 AM.
Chapter 22: Russia vs Scandinavia (12)
The mountain that was the Tsar lied down on its belly, with Sigurd on its trunk. His fist left a mark on its surface, but otherwise unscathed.
"Ho... you're quite sturdy, aren't you? I was certain that strike would puncture your trunk.”
‘Sigurd’ sprinted along the trunk towards the crown of the beast, readying the demonic sword Gram, but the trunk was suddenly cracked upward like a whip, launching ‘Sigurd’ high up in the sky. The monstrous Tsar used the opportunity to recover his footing. Sigurd landed slightly away from the Tsar, but he quickly dashed forward to close the distance. The Tsar's body began to spark, this time emitting lightning dome around the beast.
"New trick, hm? You'll soon learn that it's futile.”
Sigurd readied the fragments of Gram and punched them towards the Tsar in rapid succession. While they did not penetrate the hide, but to the surprise of onlookers, the enormous beast was slowly pushed back through sheer force. They were unaware that the might vested behind the punched daggers surpassed that of the three Valkyries' spears combined
As the fight between the man and the monster ensued, Skadi observed alongside Ophelia from atop the fortress, while playfully swinging her wand to reinforce the defense. ”Your knight is remarkable, Ophelia. I would even proclaim that he would have no need of my runes.”
“It is an honor, Your Majesty.” Ophelia answered neutrally, bowing her head.
"Seeing him fight with that sword certainly brings back memories. “ Skadi began, as though she reminisced.
"Gram was once Odin's sword, as bright and powerful as the sun itself. It was a prize given to Sigmund, and then passed on to his son. With such ancient and newly reborn armament at his command, Sigurd is truly powerful.”
“…Yes, Your Majesty.” Ophelia remained neutral with her response.
"Although he is probably better at killing dragons than giants, I didn't expect his strength to be that... overwhelming. To the point of rivaling a demigod. I could perhaps attribute that to his mother, but is it also because the nature of his summoning?”
“…I believe so, Your Majesty. Him being summoned in the strongest Class, amplified his abilities closely to his prime in life.” That was the most plausible excuse Ophelia could muster.
Ophelia knew the truth. That which lurked within Sigurd. That which possessed the flame capable of destroying realms. Certainly, the exterior showed the figure of a famed dragon slayer, but inside, hid a soul so destructive, so scorching pervaded the Saint Graph of her childhood hero.
No matter what, the queen must not know about it, lest Ophelia would become the target of her wrath, despite her boundless compassion.
Truth be told, if it were up to her, she would have revealed it all, to rid herself of the all-consuming flame that had been haunting her ever since her second life. But Wodime had told her that it would have been useful down the line, and so she endured.
I must persist with this. It is for Lord Kirschtaria.
It would all be fine. Right now, she focused to the enemy before her; the Tsar whose body was fused with an ancient being. If her knowledge served, it was a species who had ruled the surface of Earth before the emergence of mankind. In other words, a Prime One. Its size, its strength, are capable to oppose the Mystery of Nordic Age of Gods.
That was where she also begrudgingly grateful of the nature of her Servant. His might was what was needed to fight such calamity on equal ground.
As the mountain got repelled back by ‘Sigurd’s long-range beating, the Valkyries and envoys who had chased the Tsar from behind arrived not long after, resuming their assault.
Thrud clicked her tongue. "Mmgh... As much as it vexes me to receive help from that insolent man, I cannot deny his strength. If it weren't for him, the fortress would've been demolished along with Her Majesty."
"Focus, Sis. We need to make up for our blunder last time." A rare reprimand came from Hildr.
Thrud agreed, putting aside her grudge and focused on attacking the Tsar. However...
"Ah? Oh no, elder sister is..." Suddenly, a warning entered her mind. It stunned her during the fight.
This in turn prompted Ortlinde to respond. "Calm down, sister Thrud. I am as shocked as you are, but we are still in the middle of battle.”
"... You are right, Ortlinde. We will address that later. Right now we need to see this monster fall down.“ Making good of her words, Thrud dove downward, with spear in hand, intending to ram the Tsar. However…
ZAP!
"Argh!?" As she touched the hide, lightning bolt was shot upon her, pain jolted throughout her body.
"This is...! He covered his body in electricity!?” She flew back to gain some distance. Not only the thunderstorm getting intense, but the entire body of the Tsar was now coated with lightning.
"Back off, dolls. If you want to help, stay out of my way.” ‘Sigurd’ spat.
After the beast got pushed back far enough from the fortress, ’Sigurd' took out his crystalline sword, and charged towards the behemoth. Thanks to its size, he had no problem climbing up the beast’s leg. The problem was its skin now coursing with lightning, where a touch was deadly. ‘Sigurd’ was not bothered. His Saint Graph was quite sturdy, which let him focus to get closer to his target; the crown of the beast.
“INSOLENT BUG!”
Crackle crackle!
However, a lightning appeared from above, crashing down toward ‘Sigurd’. He managed to dodge at the last minute.
The attack surprised him. “Attacking your own body to keep me away, huh? Clever.”
The Tsar was aware that the lightning strike could not injure him, but would injure annoying fleas crawling over his body. This was perhaps his strongest defense.
For the first time, ‘Sigurd’ felt conflicted.
"Even with this much mana I poured into this vessel, it is still not enough. And if I use too much, this vessel will break, and it would have been easier to incinerate him away with my real body, but Ophelia's Command Spell means I can't do either of those. What a pain.”
'Sigurd' fumed at his predicament.
Meanwhile, the Tsar attempted to resume his advance. ‘Sigurd’ switched back to his daggers, keeping the gigantic beast at bay.
The Valkyries took the opportunity to hurl spears towards the beast, but the mantle of lightning repelled the spears from reaching its hide.
“Impossible… how can this monstrosity be so powerful…?” Undaunted, the envoys kept hurling spears.
But the only thing that kept the Tsar in place was the daggers punched by Sigurd.
They’re effectively in a deadlock.
————————————————
"Zut alors, it seems we're late to the party, mademoiselle.”
A tall man in military uniform just reached at the tip of a hill northside of Scandinavia, beholding a raging battle in the distance. Beside him was a girl riding on a polar bear.
"Doesn't matter, Mr. General. It's not like we are planning to join the fray immediately."
These two were the Heroic Spirits of Pan-Human History, Archer Napoleon Bonaparte and Alter Ego Sitonai.
"Oui, I know. But still, would have been interesting to know how the battle started."
A little while ago, after managing to achieve their goal, they felt huge earthquakes, and so went to the source of the tremor.
"That's one hell of a mammoth. Its size could rival mountain range. And what’s with all the thunderstorm? Is that thing from another Lostbelt?” Napoleon pondered at the surreal sight of a being.
Which then Sitonai confirmed. ”Most likely, seeing that the Valkyries are attacking it in drove. The strength of that mammoth could easily rival a Divine Spirit. Step-Mother, Queen Skadi would be challenged against that, even with an army of envoys. Although, someone else is fighting it on the ground, and he seemed to manage just fine. Can you see who, General?”
"Wait, let's see…" Using the Clairvoyance gifted to Archer class, Napoleon scanned the person.
"Yeah, I figured as much, that's Ophelia's Servant, a dragon slayer if I remember right. It’s Sigurd.”
"Sigurd?"
As the general finished talking, a voice was heard from behind the two. A woman with long platinum hair walked towards them.
"Yes, mademoiselle. In Norse mythology, you two were spouses, correct?"
She was Brynhild. The Eldest Valkyrie, and a Heroic Spirit of Pan-Human History. Earlier, Napoleon and Sitonai had managed to find her sealed in a palace of fire. According to her, she had been captured and imprisoned by the three Valkyries Commander out of pity, unbeknownst to their queen. After the rescue, she joined the two in fighting this Lostbelt.
"Indeed. However, since he turns out to be an enemy- no, even if he wasn't, I would still feel the urge to kill him, as the legend dictates. Which is why, it is convenient that things end up this way. I can use this urge as motivation to kill him.”
Hearing her declaration, Napoleon chimed in.
"Is that so? Then that means you are currently single, I take it?"
"Eh?" Brynhild was taken aback by Napoleon's remark.
"Frankly, mademoiselle, I was entranced by your beauty the moment I laid my eyes on you. I'm helpless to do anything but to drink it in! I would love to know you bette- ouch!"
A sharp pain was felt on the Emperor of French's shin. It was brutally kicked by Sitonai, who had dismounted from her polar bear. She smiled menacingly.
"That is not a very gentlemanly move, Mr. General. Besides, what about your proposal to that Crypter?"
Recovering from the pain, Napoleon gestured as if he remembered something. "Yeah, you got me there, mademoiselle. You are right, my heart does belong to Ophelia. But I couldn’t help myself.”
Sitonai’s menacing smile twisted into a frown. “That you are openly a lech? I was curious of what you might say, but I feel stupid now.”
Napoleon floundered to make an excuse. “No, no, don’t get me wrong. That wasn’t a profession of love. I was being chivalrous.”
“Were you now.” She still did not buy it.
Sensing the sudden drop of reputation, Napoleon began on a rant. “Just because I've found my true love here doesn't mean I'm, uh, immune to other women's charms! But that's still not the same thing as professing true love… Look, I'm a passionate guy, and sometimes, I just can't help myself! Whatever I used to be like, that seems to at least be the case now!”
“I’ve heard enough. Shirou, maim him.”
Obeying his master’s order, the polar bear trounced at the emperor.
“Whoa whoa! Down boy! Easy!” Napoleon ran around avoiding the bear’s claws and fangs.
After a long sigh, Sitonai turned to address Brynhild. “Miss Brynhild, I told you about this before, but right now, we are in the middle of a Lostbelt clash. This land, this Lostbelt used to be isolated from outside world. But that was no longer the case since three days ago. Another Lostbelt invaded, and connected the two realms for a fight over the continuation of their existence. We were all summoned by the will of Human Order to fight these Lostbelts.”
Finishing her explanation, Sitonai waited for Brunhild’s response.
“And Sigurd, my love, sided with these Lostbelts.”
Sitonai nodded. “Correct, which is why we sought out your help. Needless to say, your Noble Phantasm is meant to kill him. So it would be useful in the off-chance we confront him and his summoner, dubbed as Crypter.”
“If I may, mademoiselle.” Napoleon spoke up, while being carried by Shirou on the back of his coat. “When do you suppose we confront him? Or if at all?”
Sitonai signaled Shirou to let Napoleon go, and answered. "Right now, our options are either to fight them now, which is ill-advised, or to wait it out until either of them fall.”
Sitonai made a sound proposition. Preferably, Napoleon would choose the latter. But even then, they were going to either fight Ophelia and the queen with her army, or the towering mammoth with lightning at its command. However, the victor would certainly be exhausted to some extent, so the fight after wouldn't be as disadvantageous to them.
"I'll pick the latter, mademoiselle. But then, either of them might prove quite a challenge even weakened. Even with Miss Brynhild here with us now, it's gonna be a long shot."
"I agree, General. It would've been better if we had a Master to support us, which is not an option. But fortunately, we might not need to fight them by ourselves."
As Napoleon cleared his coat from the snow, Sitonai spoke. ”I sensed more presence not far from here, two Servants to be exact. If we're lucky, we might have ourselves even more allies."
"Hmm? Oh, you're right. I found them.” Napoleon glanced around, and spotted two people walked sneakily in the distance. One was a half-naked muscular man, the other was dressed as a cowboy. It seemed the cowboy spotted them as well, waving his hand towards them.
"You know, little miss? I think you're right. They saw us too, and looks friendly enough."
"That's a good sign. Let's meet up with them. Just in case, keep your guards up, and try not to attract the fight that is happening over there as we approached them."
---------------------------------
"Boss, I spotted some people on the nearby hill. Three of them."
While making their way steadily on the battlefield, Billy reported to Beowulf.
"Enemies?"
"Not necessarily. I'll check them out.” Billy nonchalantly waved at the direction he had indicated.
"Negative. They waved back, and now walked to our direction."
Beowulf felt more relieved than worried. ”Alright. If they’re Servants, then even better. Honestly, I knew we’re bound to meet a fellow Heroic Spirit of Pan-Human History soon. Realistically, I don't like the odds with just the two of us against a whole flying army or that monster Tsar, no matter how weakened they will be, even with my Fame Boost. So gaining new allies is always a welcome. Let's meet them, but with caution."
Billy slapped his gun. ”Aye aye, Boss. My Thunderer is always at the ready to intercept."
Soon, the Rogue Servants alliance grew larger.
—————————-
Seeing how the fight played out, the Scandinavian Lostbelt King pondered on her options.
They’re effectively on a battle of attrition. If this went on any longer, it might be to the detriment of her allies. While the enemy was kept from advancing, she could not measure up the stamina of the opposing Lostbelt King, and ‘Sigurd’ and the Valkyries had no way of injuring him.
After weighing up her options, she decided.
“Ophelia, this cannot go on any longer. For victory, I shall bless them with all of my grace.”
“…! Will that be fine with you, Your Majesty?” Shocked, Ophelia questioned Skadi. As far as she knew, Skadi had given her utmost blessings to the Valkyries, the envoys, and the fortress where they stood. She had no idea what else she could offer.
“I have my reservations, true. But even if I were to join in the fight at the frontline, my attacks would be pale in comparison to my children and your Knight. However, Lord Odin bestowed upon me another power that came with this body.”
Skadi put her left hand to her chest, eyes closed.
What she did not tell Ophelia, however, with the burden she endured to maintain the order in this Lostbelt would put a heavy strain on her body. But she did not care, because if the giant monster ran rampant in this land, it would all be pointless.
Steeling herself, Skadi now addressed the enemy before her with .
“Tsar of discarded Russia, I shall no longer treat you as a mindless beast. I shall view you as a divine entity, and an opposing ruler of another realm. For that, you deserve to face my full power.”
With that declaration, the Goddess-Queen of Scandinavia began to chant perhaps her most powerful spell.
“O power that is tied to my name. Answer me and open the gates. Come to me, my castle of shadows. <Gate of Skye>!”
A massive gate, enough to surround the entire battlefield, appeared high in the sky. Unknown constructs began to jut out from above, and purple hues began to envelop the allies of Scandinavia.
“Now, my subordinates… slay our enemy!”
The Valkyries and the envoys received the blessings even greater than they already received. “This is the Queen’s…! Everyone, do not fear! The Queen has bestowed her ultimate gift to us all. We shall repay her with victory!”
Powered by Skadi’s pinnacle of blessings, the Valkyries and envoys dashed toward the Tsar, ignoring the streams of lightning thrown, and pierced the hide with their spears. This time, they’re assured to win.
Sigurd was no exception. “Khh… it is irritating to be forced to accept that goddess’ blessings like this. Fine, I’ll just settle this quickly.”
Shaking off his body, Sigurd ran at top speed toward the Tsar, once again trading his daggers with sword. As he dashed through the snow, he was bathed in lightning, but they did not affect him whatsoever.
Meanwhile, something was happening with the Tsar. He aligned the trunk between his tusks, with magical energy built up at the tip.
“RUSSIA... SHALL... PREVAIL!”
Thrud was the first to notice. ”This sensation... That thing will unleash the attack from back then! Everyone! Protect the Queen!”
The Valkyries scrambled towards the fortress, passing through the running ‘Sigurd’ and creating a wall of shields.
Sensing the danger, Skadi supported the Valkyries’ defenses with her own spell. “Divine Irons, come to me and form a protection against my adversary!”
A mountain of shields were conjured in front of the fortress, complementing the Valkyries’ own defensive formation.
Thrud commanded her fellow shieldmaidens. “Everyone, brace yourselves! Protect Her Majesty!”
Ophelia intending to help as well. She still remembered vividly how the burst of lightning had wiped the entire army, consisted of envoys and giants that they had sent to invade Russia days ago. Could she do something with her Mystic Eye? No, too dangerous. Her target was a massive, ancient beast on par with a Divine Spirit, not a human or even demigod. The backlash would be unbearable. And she still needed to keep ‘Sigurd’ in check, requiring her to be in a good condition. She was left with one option.
“Forced Saint Graph Ascension. My knight, kill the monster before you.” She issued a command.
In the frontline, ‘Sigurd’ could feel his body changed, the armor lost several parts, magical energy welled up at his core.
“Well well. Phase two limiter released. Authorization granted to Heroic Spirit Sigurd for full employment of the demonic sword Gram.”
On cue, the sword glowed brilliantly, its blade grew in size reflecting its sealed power. ‘Sigurd’ could now unleash its Noble Phantasm.
“My thanks, Ophelia. This washed away the unpleasant feelings from that goddess’ blessings.”
As he made his way towards the Tsar, the beast just finished charging up its most devastating attack.
This time, while aiming at the fortress, the Tsar spoke his attack’s True Name.
“<ZVERI… KRESTNYY KHOD>”
“Heh.” Seconds before the attack, ‘Sigurd’ leapt directly in the line of fire, readying his sword towards the Tsar.
“<Bolverk Gram>!” A glow of green appeared.
His sword met head-on with the beam of lightning conjured by the Tsar. A green light managed to mitigate the stream, but the lightning was still powerful, the swordsman was engulfed. It then clashed with the wall of Divine shields and envoys, yet the majority passed through and hit the fortress wall. Both Skadi and Ophelia braced themselves as well For a moment, the scenery turned blindingly bright.
A moment after, the lightning faded. The enormous purple gate was also no longer present in the sky.
Half of the fortress melted away, but Skadi successfully defended herself and Ophelia. She crouched down, panted. Maintaining the fortress was too much for her, and then she had to defend from the enemy’s ultimate attack. It would have been fine were she not preoccupied with keeping the giants and the sun of Scandinavia in check.
"Thank you for your support, Your Majesty, are you alright?” Ophelia showed concern towards the monarch for the first time.
She could see her face pale, her eyes drooped, the exhaustion couldn’t be more apparent. She looked at Ophelia.
"Yes, I'm fine, I just need some rest. The blessings of that scale is quite taxing at my current state. More importantly, what is the situation?”
Ophelia glanced at the battlefield. Like before, the ground was scorched black. The fortress had more than half of its part melted away. The once white plains were now charred black, just like that time.
However, the mountain of a Tsar in the distance was lying down unmoving. Something was different; the upper part of the creature’s head was obliterated. The telepathic contact from her Servant further confirmed it.
“It is fine now, Your Majesty. Saber has confirmed the beast’s death. The battle is over.”
“Thank goodness. What a battle this is. Now, what of my daughters?” Picking herself up, Skadi scanned at the battlefield herself.
The Divine Irons she had conjured were gone, and the Shieldmaidens…
…Were all lying on the blackened ground in front of the fortress. Some of the envoys were burned beyond recognition, while the three Valkyries, Ortlinde, Hildr, and Thrud had their bodies half-charred with their Mystic Codes destroyed beyond repair.
“Oh no! My children!”
Skadi hurriedly jumped to the ground and approached the collapsing Valkyries. She checked their conditions. They were still breathing, but unable to awake. She immediately casted a rune for healing, but the effects were inadequate due to how exhausted she was.
“They’re still alive, but the injuries are severe. Could they survive this? Even my blessings weren’t enough to completely protect them…?”
Skadi felt dejected and mournful, as she was down to her knees. She began to feel inadequate of her position as the ruler.
Ophelia arrived at the scene as well. She approached the saddened monarch. “Your Majesty…”
“I am a failure… After what was entrusted on me, how am I going to answer to Lord Odin?” Skadi lamented.
“Three thousand years, and still I could not develop my people beyond mere hundred villages. I cannot even let them live to old age. All of my love, all of my Authority are used to appease the rampaging giants and the sweltering heat of the sun. Even this battle drained me of the few magical energy I had left to maintain order. I knew all along that I was far too weak to be a queen.”
Her voice was dripping with sorrow. A rare display of vulnerability from the otherwise dignified and gentle queen.
For a brief moment, Skadi’s state reminded her of herself. Someone whose admiration drove them to do their best in the face of hardships.
Feeling the unexpected empathy, Ophelia attempted to comfort the goddess. But someone interrupted the moment.
“What’s this? Are we having a pity party?” A familiar, petulant voice was heard.
‘Sigurd’ appeared from the front. His armor was nearly in tatters.
“I was wondering about the Queen, seeing that the blessings wore off moments ago. How pathetic of her after that pompous declaration, she couldn’t even protect her dolls.” ‘Sigurd’ spat, unashamed.
Skadi remained silent, too drowned in sorrow to respond.
Ophelia sighed, baffled at her Servant’s usual impudence. “Mind your tone, Saber. If it were not for Her Majesty’s enchantments, all of us would’ve been dead. We managed to avoid the worst case scenario thanks to her.”
“Whatever you say, Master.” The swordsman dismissed her words, and changed topic.
“Hate to admit, but that monster did quite a number on me. Even with with my limiter released, that beam-like lightning was like the smite of a god. Although I looked like this, my Saint Graph almost collapsed from taking it head-on. But for better or worse, had that goddess not imbued me with her blessings as well, I would’ve been entirely annihilated, Saint Graph and all.” ‘Sigurd’ pointed at himself. Or rather, his body.
“Too bad, huh?” ‘Sigurd’ addressed Ophelia, who understood the meaning behind his words. Rather than the Tsar, he was referring to himself.
While frowning, Ophelia played along. “It’s fine Saber, as long as you remained victorious. Though I prefer you to be more considerate with Her Majesty, seeing what she is going through.”
‘Sigurd’ shrugged in response. “Yeah, yeah. You got it.”
Ophelia thought of carrying the surviving Valkyries and envoys back to the Castle, to tend to them. But it was not over yet.
“Urrgh… Grrh….”
A familiar growl was heard in the distance, although with a smaller voice.
Beside the corpse of the gigantic mammoth, emerged a hulking human-like creature. He carried a staff as tall as him, somewhat functioning as a cane to help him walk, given his unsteady gait. He slowly made his way towards the three.
“Oh? You’re one tough elephant. I should’ve aimed a bit higher back then, that would’ve pulverized you.” ‘Sigurd’ addressed the new figure, in half-joking manner.
Ophelia pondered for a moment. “...Is that?”
Taking a closer look, Ophelia saw the figure had wide tusks as pauldrons, a faceless head wearing a crown. If he emerged from that being, he would be...
“The Lostbelt King of Russia, Tsar Ivan the Terrible?” Ophelia said, half pondering.
“I’m not... done yet.” The fallen Tsar, whose body was separated from the ancient beast, spoke hoarsely.
“Though I did not remember how exactly I ended up here, I managed to confirm that you’re indeed invaders.” While on the verge of collapsing, the Tsar addressed his adversaries.
“I suspect... that I was used by that mage. I wouldn’t have walked this far away without consulting to my loyal advisor.”
Mage... is he talking about Kadoc?
Ivan continued. “Regardless, you’re still my enemy as much as he, attempting to overtake my land. It is only right for me to fight until the bitter end. And I’ll gladly do so for Russia. Prepare yourselves.”
‘Sigurd’ was the first to speak up. “Well, I see you still got some fight left even after being deprived of your pet. If you wish for death, then come.” He readied his sword.
“Hold.” A sharp, piercing tone was heard from the opposite direction of Ivan.
Queen Skadi rose up from her position. Her voice was breaking, yet resolute.
“Saber, stand down.” Sensing the queen’s intention, Ophelia ordered ‘Sigurd’ to not intervene.
Clicking his tongue, ‘Sigurd’ complied.
Queen Skadi walked towards Tsar Ivan until they were in fair distance away from each other.
She spoke up. “I take it you are the ruler of the other side of that wall of storm? Of Russia?”
“Indeed. And you are the Tsaritsa- no, the common term would be, Queen of this land?”
“That’s right. You claimed that you were under some kind of spell while attacking me and my army?” Skadi asked, intending to size up the enemy monarch.
“I did. But that is no longer relevant, an enemy is an enemy. We will clash eventually.” The Tsar answered indignantly.
“I agree. Then I suppose we have no need to talk things through.”
Skadi came up with an idea. “Shall we settle this decisively? I propose a duel. Monarch to monarch.”
“A duel? Fair enough. While you are not injured, I could tell that you yourself are so tired, you could barely stand.”
Thus, Ivan declared. “I accept. Behold the power of the Yaga...! The power of the Tsar...!”
He conjured the lightning from the heaven. It seemed that the lightning powers were his to begin with, not of the beast. It would make sense for the Tsar of Russia, whose body evolved into a Yaga, to command certain Mystery far above average mages.
“Good.” Skadi pointed her wand as though ready to recite a spell.
However, the intense lightning faded out as fast as it was conjured. Tsar Ivan stood still for a moment, before crumbled to dust. Queen Skadi, on the other hand, collapsed to the ground, lying on her back.
Ophelia was dumbfounded, then ran towards the the collapsing goddess. “Your Majesty! Are you alright?!”
Queen Skadi opened her eyes. “No, I’m afraid not. I could barely lift a finger since I just ran out of magical energy. A prolonged battle, even if one-on-one, would be too taxing for me, so I casted a rune that will absolutely ascertain victory.”
Ophelia put two and two together, and realized to her horror. “Don’t tell me, death rune...?”
The queen nodded. “Normally, I truly despise that rune. It is a sudden, cruel, insulting way of death. But with how the situations are, and for the sake of all people in Scandinavia, I went against my principle to use it. Now it’s well and finally over.”
The queen raised her hand, caressing Ophelia’s cheek. “Thank you, Ophelia. While it pains me to do this, I might not be able to oversee the land for some time. Until then, take care of them for me.”
Her arm fell, the queen closed her eyes.
Ophelia panicked. “Your Majesty?! Queen Skadi!”
“Don’t waste your tears, Ophelia. She merely fainted.” ‘Sigurd’ stood beside Ophelia, assessing Skadi’s condition.
At his remark, Ophelia breathed a sigh of relief.
“Foolish goddess to the end. She could’ve let me kill that elephant to save her strength. Her pride and honor will be her downfall.”
As much as it irritated her, Ophelia couldn’t help but agree with ‘Sigurd’. She was perhaps not at her most sound of mind, after witnessing the horrifying condition of the Valkyrie sisters.
Right now though, they were in a predicament. The only ones who were left standing at the end of this battle were her and ‘Sigurd’. With so many wounded, She was confused with what would be the best course of action.
But above all else, she knew that they were at their most vulnerable. She placed the queen on the ground, and stood up.
“Saber.” She addressed her Servant, whom responded by drawing his sword.
“I know you’re hiding in there. Show yourself.” She shouted to a certain direction.
Not long after, appeared white-haired boy dressed in black, accompanied with a similarly white-haired girl, clad in white robe.
The boy clapped, in a mocking way. “Congratulations on managing to slay the Lostbelt King, Ophelia. That is quite an achievement.”
The opposing mage from Russian Lostbelt, Kadoc Zemlupus, and his Servant, Caster Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov, made their entrance.
A/N:
The next one will be the climax between Russia and Scandinavia. I’m surprised I managed to make myself write all the way up until this point. IRL stuff and lack of motivation held me back from thinking up the narration and ideas, yet I made it. To those who’re interested in this story, thank you for reading. Until next time.
Chapter 23: Russia vs Scandinavia (23)
“There goes the elephant.”
Anastasia Nikolaevna Romanov stood distance away from the battlefield, mused at the sight of gigantic mammoth fell over. Beside her was her Master, Kadoc Zemlupus.
“What now, Kadoc? Shall we greet our fellow Crypter and Servant?”
It would be perfect timing. Their adversaries were fresh from a massive battle, their literal armies were practically wiped out, only Crypter and Lostbelt King were still standing. However…
“Not yet, the Tsar is still alive. Ophelia will still have to deal the finishing blow.”
Kadoc said resolutely. The Tsar needed to die for the best possible outcome. And Kadoc wanted to discuss with Anastasia before the inevitable duel.
“Let us ascertain several points first.” Said Kadoc as he watched Tsar Ivan’s real body emerged from the mammoth.
“We managed to determine who the Saber is. That Noble Phantasm he spoke of to finish off the mammoth is already a reveal itself.”
Sigurd’s strength is way more than I had anticipated. I had thought the Tsar’s rampage would eliminate him, and then wounded Scandinavia’s Lostbelt King considerably, but turns out it’s the opposite.”
Kadoc started. “He is a legendary Nordic warrior, a Dragon Slayer of Volsunga Saga fame. Although. There are several accounts that likened him to Siegfried, but some say they are one and the same. His tragic end aside, he is still a formidable Saber wielding the demonic sword Gram, and him eating the dragon Fafnir’s heart means he has the dragon reactor core. Even after all that, no doubt he still has energy to spare. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect him.”
“Phamrsolone still has her Servant, but her Lostbelt King is incapacitated. Either way, the Tsar managed to cut down their forces down to size. Sigurd is undeniably exhausted and injured, whereas we managed to save our strength. What do you say your odds against him?”
“To be honest, for as weakened as he is, sending a Caster to fight a Saber, known as the strongest of standard Class in a direct fight is foolish.”
The Grand Duchess spoke bluntly. Kadoc nodded, fully aware of the situation.
Normally, a Caster would first build their Workshop somewhere brimming with magical energy such as leylines, reinforcing defenses, creating a magical fortress for themself, then wait until the enemy besiege them, letting them fight in the Caster’s own turf. Such is the traditional strategy of a Holy Grail War.
But this battle throws that notion to disarray. The fighting forces are on a whole new scale, involving a whole country with many additional variables to take into account.
Still, Kadoc remains confident, or at least think that they still have a chance to win against the Nordic Dragon Slayer, once the Russian Losbelt King falls.
“What Class you are in is no longer an issue, Nastya. Surely you remember what comes after the fall of a Lostbelt King?”
———————————
After witnessing the short-lived duel between the Lostbelt Kings, Kadoc and Anastasia revealed themselves to Ophelia Phamrsolone.
“Kadoc Zemlupus. I knew that you wouldn’t be too far away from the raging battlefield. I had expected you to attack us from the shadow all the while we’re occupied by that monster. Did you hesitate? Or simply cautious? Ultimately, it was a mistake. You lost your Lostbelt King, and your Fantasy Tree soon will perish without being attended to.”
“….” Kadoc’s response… was not what she expected. A smirk.
Ophelia wanted to confirm. “Why are you smiling? Am I wrong?”
“You can’t be further from the truth. And the truth is, we and our Lostbelt King were less cordial than you might expect.”
Ophelia’s expression grew puzzled. She was starting to wonder that the Tsar’s death was part of their plan.
“At first, he welcomed us as honored guests, thinking that we were his salvation sent by God to solve Russia’s predicament. But after we explained the situation, and what he got himself into, he stubbornly refused to take part in this war, and even prevented the Tree from taking root.”
Ophelia realized. She recalled how the Tsar’s howl in-between the roar of the beast, proclaiming of protecting Russia, but not a word about winning the war between Lostbelts.
“Was it concern for his people? Was it his faith? We could guess the reason forever, but the fact remained. That is why we needed to manipulate him into fighting on our behalf. And if possible, taking you all out with him. But I always knew that it wouldn’t be that easy.”
Confused with his plan, Ophelia asked him. “But with your Tsar death, you won’t have a Lostbelt King to command the Tree. Did you not think-“
“Do you know what determines a Lostbelt King in Russia?” Kadoc interrupted with his own question. “It is a special skill called Emergency Prerogative. An authoritative ability over the land of Russia. It is the very skill that prevented Orochi from taking root, even with a Crypter’s own command. That skill will be granted to whoever Lostbelt native that is acknowledged as the strongest.”
———————————————
Back in Russia, the Tree rumbled while exuding a faint glow. The Yagas who have taken shelter at the base of the tree began to panic.
“What in the world?! What’s with all this earthquake? I thought we were safer here!!”
Patxi, who was tending to his mother hurriedly carry her out of the makeshift ward. He joined the other Yagas who exited.
“Calm down, everyone! Follow my lead and go toward the capital!” A shout, which belonged to Atalante, was heard, drawing Patxi and the others’ attentions to her.
She stood on top of nearby tree so that the Yagas could see her, and quickly command the Yagas to flee from the gigantic Tree. Patxi followed suit while carrying his mother.
Atalante stayed to make sure no one was left behind, while observing the shaking gigantic Tree.
“What does this mean? Has the Tsar fallen? What became of those two?”
Atalante couldn’t contain her curiosity of the other side of the boundary.
———————————————
Kadoc spoke. “Now that Anastasia has fully become the Lostbelt King, we can finally have Orochi taking root on Russian soil. This in turn amplifies her Spirit Origin further.”
The Grand Duchess’ visage of white robe were engulfed in darkness, which then took shape behind her, two dots not unlike eyes adorned it.
“The familiar from before…? Its magical energy is much more massive than back then.”
“Correct, now with the Tsar gone, I have received the authority over land of Russia, including its Fantasy Tree. Now I do not need to worry of scurrying around building a workshop, when I could just fight you with this power.” Anastasia’s words were brimming with confidence.
“You are essentially saying that you have the power of a Lostbelt King.” Ophelia went silent and looked at Sigurd’s direction, signaling him that to ready for battle.
“About time you guys wrapped up the talking. I don’t have much patience for small talk with enemies. So, you’re claiming that you are as strong as a Lostbelt King? As that monster? So what? I’ll still kill you.”
Anastasia raised her right hand, mockingly challenge the black knight. “Go ahead then, mask. I’ll have you freeze all over for your insolent words.”
————————————————
“Well, if that isn’t the gloomy Crypter and his precious princess.”
Billy mused at the scene several distances away from the battlefield. He and Beowulf met with Sitonai’s group during the Tsar’s fight with Scathach-Skadi’s forces.
“Huh, you mean from Russia? Are they here to personally fight Ophelia?” Napoleon concluded with confidence.
“Obviously. A Lostbelt clash will end up with the two Crypters facing off against each other after all.” Sitonai chimed in while sitting on her polar bear. She then addressed the newly acquainted Berserker.
“By the way, you said that you were leading a group of stragglers from Russia? Is it alright to leave them unprotected this long?”
“Not to worry, girl. I had a substitute leader, Matvel to take care of them, and they are taking shelters, safe from the giants and beasts roaming about. And also from this war.”
“I see.” Sitonai relaxed a little at Beowulf’s assurance.
Brynhild was the only one who had not spoken a word. Instead, she intently watched as the battle unfold. Her attention mainly fixated on the black knight wielding the green sword.
“Sigurd…”
Hearing her mutter, Beowulf got curious. “So, that lady is the lover of that knight down there? And she is the one capable of killing him?” But instead of talking to her, he asked the general beside him.
“Yep, or so she claimed. Then again, it was also supported by Volsunga Saga. Madame over there is surely obsessed, for the lack of better words. Which is why we freed her from her prison to increase our chance to defeat him.”
“She’s gonna have to wait for her turn, since that Crypter seems really eager to duke it out.” Billy joined in the conversation, while also reporting the current situation.
Beowulf then asked another question. “What do we do? We wait until one of them is dead, then finish off whoever left?”
Sitonai nodded. “To be blunt, yes. With the Lostbelt King and her Valkyries incapacitated there, this is our best possible chance.”
Napoleon approved, given the limitation of their abilities. “Here’s hoping. But to be honest, just how far do you think that dainty princess could hold on her own against a Saber class?”
“I wouldn’t dismiss her that easily if I were you. Sigurd has already been exhausted from the fight with that mammoth. And he is clearly injured from that battle. She could have a fair shot against him.”
“You have a point. Still, you couldn’t underestimate a cornered, wounded animal. They will be desperate to do anything, which makes this battle all the more unpredictable.”
Regardless of their differing opinions, they all agreed to sit back and watch as the battle between two Lostbelts reach its zenith.
————————————————
The duel began. ‘Sigurd’ made the first move, perhaps the most pragmatic move ever in a one-on-one fight between Servants; to aim for the Master.
Seemingly taking it to heart, Sigurd threw his short sword straight at Kadoc, which found its way burrowing into the Crypter’s chest. It was over for the Crypter… if it were actually him.
The Crypter of Russian Losbelt turned to ice and shattered. It was Anastasia’s power that caused an illusion of Kadoc to manifest. The real deal hid himself away somewhere else.
It was a deception the two had planned before. He needed to catch the enemy off-guard by letting himself be seen, undefended. The trick paid off, as Anastasia managed to land freezing ice straight toward ‘Sigurd’’s shoulder after he made his move. The wound was shallow, but it proved that it’s possible to harm the legendary Dragon Slayer.
“Heh, crafty.” The swordsman mused.
Anastasia, however, was less enthused. “How disappointing, Sir. I thought you knights were the type for honorable fights.”
“Why, sorry to ruin your fantasies, snow girl. But you’d do well to know that not everything follows your little fairy tales.” ‘Sigurd’ reprimanded snarkily.
Anastasia acted dismissive. “Duly noted. Shall we resume?"
Anastasia prepared more ice stakes around her, shot straight toward ‘Sigurd’. But the knight was ready, as multiple green shards shot out, sniping the ice stakes.
“Tch.” Anastasia clicked her tongue as her ice stakes were destroyed.
Undeterred by the wound, Sigurd wasted no time to close in the distance between him and the Grand Duchess. He could always punch the shards of demonic sword her way, but the opponent being a Caster means she would be at a huge disadvantage fighting in close combat.
However, Anastasia remained calm, and unleashed a blast of freezing wind toward Sigurd. The cold and chill that permeated the air slowed the swordsman’s movement. Feeling restricted, he threw the shards, which Anastasia dodged with elegance of ice skater. The shadow behind her approached, grew upward, and a shadowy arm was raised to hit the struggling Sigurd.
“Annoying.” Sigurd spat.
Swiftly and calmly, he drew his large green sword to act as a makeshift shield, but then the sheer force behind the arm caused him to be planted underfoot. Not wasting time, the black familiar kept pounding at the Dragon Slayer with both of its hands. Suddenly, ‘Sigurd’ deflected one of the hands to the side as it was bearing down onto him, and swung his sword vertically, intending to bisect the familiar in half. The shadowy familiar, however, was quick enough to tilt his body sideways to avoid the sword’s shockwave.
Even with exhausted and damaged Spirit Origin, Sigurd’s strength is still beyond that of average Saber, his sword carved through the ground like a hot knife through a butter. A gap formed on the ground. Without missing a beat, he leapt and swung Gram toward the big familiar.
“Viy!” The Grand Duchess shouted. The black familiar was struck, his form contorted in an odd way after receiving the Dragon Slayer’s blade. However…
“Hngh?!” Sigurd was startled by sudden bright light emitted from the dark familiar’s eyes, which halted him for a moment, which the familiar took advantage of as he swatted ‘Sigurd’ away with his shadowy limb.
“Good one, Viy!” The Grand Duchess praised her familiar. Viy returned to Anastasia’s side, and they both prepared more ice and wind attacks, with the familiar’s appendages shielding them.
“Heh, now you’ve done it.” ‘Sigurd’ took his stance, and proceeded to dash again with sword and daggers both. The battle did not seem to end anytime soon.
Kadoc was not bluffing. His Servant was indeed stronger than during their first meeting. It would’ve been more reasonable for a Caster to survive the onslaught of ‘Sigurd’’s slashes due to them originating from even an older era. But the Grand Duchess’ history did not hold a candle to ‘Sigurd’’s legend in Mystery. Even more so given what he actually was, which only Ophelia was privy of. Not only that, she wasn’t even fighting in her own land of Russia, and ‘Sigurd’ already had his first limiter released. The power of a Lostbelt King was truly phenomenal.
But that was not the only source of her anxiety. Even if the enemy turned out to be much stronger than expected, she was sure that as long as they are Servants, she could assist ‘Sigurd’ in defeating them. Except she could not this time.
(I am certain I have her on my sight, but why am I unable to use my Mystic Eye?)
Ophelia was flustered. Her Mystic Eye of Reversion underneath her eyepatch should at least be able to hinder the Servant’s combat capabilities. It’s a Jewel-rank Mystic Eye that could reverse strengths and weaknesses, by forcibly culling the possibilities of observed target, thus limiting their options. But the magecraft wouldn’t activate no matter how many times she poured mana into it. The only factors that could hinder it would be if the target had Mystic Eyes of the same or even higher rank than hers, or the target’s mind is single-minded enough to pursue their desired action, which was not impossible.
Whatever it was, it interfered with her Eye. The battle seemed to be on a stalemate, unthinkable when a Saber facing a Caster in a direct fight. But it was currently unfolding, and she had to decide fast. Behind her was the incapacitated Scathach-Skadi and the three True Valkyries. Even if they retreated, losing a Lostbelt King whose reign was the only thing that could keep the realm in order would be a devastating blow. Her Lostbelt wouldn’t hold on in the long run. And if she carried the queen while retreating, she would need to tend to her wounds while fending off pursuers, which include the Rogue Servants, all by herself alongside ‘Sigurd’. And that still didn’t take into account of what ‘Sigurd’’s would think of it all.
“Lord Kirschtaria…” She muttered solemnly. The only practical way was to win this fight now. She still had one more card up her sleeve. It was now or never.
“…Saber, you must win this battle, right here and now.” With determination, she declared.
“Forced Spirit Origin Ascension. Final limiter release. Vanquish all who hinder our way.”
Hearing his Master’s command, ‘Sigurd’’ grinned under his mask.
The mask began to open up, burst of mana swell all over his body akin to a flame. The green crystalline sword now turned red and began to emit heat that melt surrounding snow.
“Final limiter released. Commencing eradication utilizing Heroic Spirit Sigurd’s full capability. Ah, how liberating, I feel lighter. Too bad snow girl, you’re as good as dead.”
‘Sigurd’ swung his sword toward Anastasia. Blade of flame razed the ground.
“….!!” Anastasia was startled, and hurriedly had Viy protected her. The wind and ice around Anastasia were blown by the heat alone, and the flame charred the familiar’s shadowy body, making him shriek.
Now the tide has turned. Aside from more intense attacks, Sigurd’s flame kept dispelling the wind and ice Anastasia manifested. Viy was also struggling to protect his contractor as the flame-imbued sword kept hurting his limbs, even strengthened. Anastasia was forced into the defensive.
“Hahahaha!! Where did that all confidence go, little girl? Is it too hot for you?” Feeling superior, the swordsman began to gloat.
(Damn right. GODDAMN HOT!) Anastasia shouted internally. She was more irritated than worried.
{Nastya, calm down. You’re losing your speech pattern.}
Kadoc spoke to Anastasia through their mental link. He was observing the battle as it unfolded.
{I AM PERFECTLY CALM, MASTER! I’m just irritated with the sudden power-up that guy has.}
Anastasia composed herself, while reevaluating the current situation. Kadoc voiced his thoughts.
{Still, a flame? I don’t recall Sigurd ever have the property of flame in his legend. That should belong to his wife, Brynhild instead.}
{He ate a dragon’s heart, right? Maybe he can now use fire like dragon’s breath.}
{That’s a bit reaching, but not impossible. Either way, it is a poor match to your ice, Nastya.}
{I agree. I could barely keep up with his flames, all my wind and ice are repelled by the head, and Viy felt it worse than before.}
{The silver lining is that he seems to have no intention to use his Noble Phantasm again. Maybe because of the exhaustion and injury, or he is that confident. I think whatever that limiter thing is, it’s their actual trump card.}
“If they have trump card, we also have one ourselves.” Anastasia declared.
Normally, this trump card is unusable against older Mystery, which the Dragon Slayer is included into. However, with him injured and exhausted, and Anastasia’s own Spirit Origin being boosted on the level of a Lostbelt King, Kadoc was willing to bet on it.
Now was to decide the timing.
“Taste my world-burning sword!” ‘Sigurd’ charged in, feeling his power was now absolute. He cornered the Grand Duchess bit by bit. Even the familiar was wary to attack him recklessly. But in that moment…
“Viy, activate your Mystic Eyes. Aim straight toward his Spirit Core.”
“What?” Ophelia couldn’t believe what she saw.
The instant Viy’s eyes light up, ‘Sigurd’ was momentarily stunned. Its limb quickly turned blade-like and pierced cleanly into ‘Sigurd’’s chest. And also his Spirit Core.
The Dragon Slayer growled, all the while being held in place through the stabbed wound. His intimidating aura vanished alongside the heat. The sword fell down, returning to its green hue.
“That’s a payback for what you were trying to do to Kadoc.” Anastasia spoke with disdain.
“Mystic Eyes? Is that why mine couldn’t affect her?” Ophelia finally figured out the reason of her Mystic Eye being ineffective.
“It’s over.” On Anastasia’s word, Viy violently retracted its limb from ‘Sigurd’’s chest, blood gushing and dyeing the ground red. But he stood still instead of fell over, unmoving.
——————————————————
“Looks like it’s the Caster’s victory.”
Billy declared the result of the battle. As Archers, it was up to him and Napoleon to observe the duel from far away as to not reveal their location.
“Huh, one should never underestimate an underdog. Then again, the Saber was visibly worn out from the previous battle with that monster.” Napoleon mused, clearly impressed by the Caster’s deed.
“Good point. Under normal circumstances, it is almost unlikely for a Caster to defeat a Knight class Servant in a straight fight. Especially when it’s a renown warrior like Sigurd. Perhaps there were other factors beside exhaustion. The Caster perhaps hailed from an even more distant era, or she received some kind of buff.” Billy got curious.
Meanwhile, Napoleon addressed Brynhild. “Too bad, madame. Looks like you don’t get the chance to do the deed yourself.”
“…” The blue valkyrie looked dejected.
“Hm? Wait, the knight looks weird.” Billy continued to spy, and noticed something was amiss.
“What, to die standing? That’s actually common in legends.” Beowulf dismissed the assessment.
Napoleon though, chimed in. “No, I agree with the cowboy, something else is going on. You should be able to tell even without clairvoyance.”
Sitonai, however, was distracted by something else. “Guys, is it just me, or is it getting warmer now?”
————————————————
“Heh.. hahaha, HAHAHAHAHAHA!” The still-standing knight suddenly laughed maniacally, facing upward. Not only that, the aura surrounding him became hotter and hotter.
“Well done, little girl! Never had I imagined the likes of you capable of struck me down!”
“What’s going on…?” Anastasia withdrew slowly from the laughing knight, whose chest was hollowed out, but radiating a scorching heat.
{His Spirit Origin is clearly crumbling, I’m certain of it. But what is this sense of dread?} Kadoc pondered through the mental link.
“No, no no, nononoNONONONO! You were supposed to be undefeatable! That is why I released all of your limiters!” Ophelia, who had been keeping her composure throughout the fight, now on her knees, breaking down.
The world darkened, no, perhaps it was more accurate to say that the sun in the distance darkened, as if something was inside it, wriggling to break free.
“The sun is…?” A hand emerged from the now blackened sun, which texture were peeling off. A gigantic figure rivaling the Tsar’s Prime One appeared beneath it.
“I am free! I AM FINALLY FREE!” The newly emerged being roared, its voice echoed throughout the realm. Everyone was stupefied.
“Now. Gods, humans, behold the return of the king of fire giants, Surtr, and be burned to ashes.”
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A/N: Well, this took forever. There are some changes in IRL that are gonna keep me busy for a long time, so this is gonna be slower to update, if at all. Thanks for reading.
I just finished reading up to the last chapter and bro, it was- no it IS peak, I had "In the Air" playing when 'Sigurd' and Anastasia started fighting, evolving to using "Hypothesis Cosmos" when his last limiter got released, gave me legit goosebumps, it really felt like VN tier writing.
Really hope you continue this, had me really itching for more!
Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad that you enjoy it. I'm an amateur tbh, and this fanfic happens since I have yet to find a fanfic about Lostbelt Wars, so I decided to make one. Unfortunately, I've been very busy IRL, so this might be way slower to update. Thanks again.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
