Illya was exhausted. As she had been volunteered by her servant to investigate Ryuudou, she had had to get up in the middle of the night and trek over to the temple, much to her annoyance. Her body was... not what it used to be, and even just walking about for a half an hour made her feel like her heart was going to explode.
"Berserker... stop..." she gasped, as the pair reached the stairs leading to the temple gate.
"Come on, master! A growing kid like you needs to get plenty of exercise to grow up big and strong; like me!" the Berserker said with a grin.
"I... am not... a child..." Illya muttered, as she sat down on the pavement to take a break.
"Wow, you're really out of shape, aren't you miss?" said the Berserker, looking down on her with a pitying glance. "Oh wait! I know what to do!"
The Berserker then squatted down in front of her, holding his arms out behind him.
"Hop on! I'll give you a piggyback ride!" he said, grinning happily.
"I told you already: I am not a child!" Illya said, clearly annoyed with the servant's mannerisms.
"It's okay! I give piggyback rides to old people too!" said the Berserker proudly.
"What did you just say?!?" Illya said angrily.
"You know, grown ups?" the Berserker said, clearly confused. "Oh wait. Girls don't like to be called old, do they?"
Illya rolled her eyes. This servant was an imbecile.
"Hmmm... If you don't want to be carried, and you don't want to walk... Oh I know! I'll throw you up there!" the Berserker said confidently, as if he had just solved a difficult math problem.
"Eh? Throw me?" Illya whispered, staring up at the long, tall staircase ascending the mountain. "Uh, on second thought, a piggyback ride will do fine. Just--"
"Golden! I knew you'd see the appeal of riding me, master!" the Berserker said happily.
"Oh god..." Illya muttered. "Do you even know-- oh forget it. Let's just get this over with quickly so I can go back to bed."
And so, the pair ascended the steps of Ryuudou temple. As they passed through the front gate and entered the temple courtyard, Illya felt a foreboding aura coming from the temple grounds.
"Eh, what's wrong master?" the servant asked, complying with the order.
"There's something wrong here. The amount of magical energy concentrated in this place... It feels as if the air itself is heavier here," she muttered.
"Wow... you're pretty good, huh master?" said the Berserker. "I thought the place seemed a bit off, but I don't if that's because of magical energy or because some monster was nesting here."
"Monster?" Illya said, caught off guard by the Berserker's remark.
"Well, well, well," said a voice. "If it isn't one of the Rogue Servants; and one that managed to contract with a magus, no less. You should not have come here. The power I am harvesting from this land, which has bathed in the Grail's shadow like the fertile fields that surround a volcano, is not for traitors such as yourselves to utilize. Indeed, as a servant of the grail, it is far more appropriate for me to consolidate it here."
A woman with orangish-brown hair, clad in a blue kimono, appeared before the duo. She was beautiful, and had an air of grace and majesty to her, like the princess of a renown royal family.
"Kitsune!" screamed the Berserker, pointing at her with a shocked look on his face. "I knew it! I knew there was some sort of magic thing here!"
"Wha-- Kintarou?" the woman said, clearly surprised. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh... Tamamo. Ha ha... It's been a while... huh?" said the Berserker shyly, recognizing the woman. "Well... I, uh... how's it going?"
"What are you doing?" Illya said sternly. "Are you flirting with her?"
"What? No way. She's uh, evil and stuff. Well, not really, but, uh, you know..." the Berserker mumbled.
"Evil? Me? No, no, no... That was just a... misunderstanding," said the woman "In fact, I'm gathering this magical energy to do something really good! Or at least that's what that ruler said. Then again, he seemed kind of shady so who knows what’s going on there. I can't exactly go against him though, being that he has the Grail's backing and all."
"Grail's backing?" said Illya "What are you talking about?"
The woman shrugged. "No idea. All of that sort of stuff is above my pay grade. Still, I don't understand why you'd be working against us, Kintarou. I was told the Rogue Servants were working to plunge the world into chaos."
"No way! You got it backwards!" said the Berserker. "It's the grail fanatics who are destroying the city! Just the other day, some crazy girl blew up a bridge downtown!"
"Yeah, I know," the Caster shrugged. "We needed a way to corner the dark creature that's hiding out in the city. Apparently, they were the ones behind the rogue servants, but it doesn't seem like you'd be involved in all of that."
"You mean Alex?" said the Berserker. "No, Tamamo, you got it all wrong. You see--"
"Berserker, stop." Illya said sternly. "She's playing you for a fool."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" said the Berserker "She just doesn't know she's on the wrong side--"
"No, Kintarou, it is you who has been fooled," said the woman. "Those people are not who they say they are. Their leader is a being who seeks to destroy this world. They seek to reclaim the grail to forge a superweapon, one capable of killing even the gods themselves."
"And why would we want to do that?" muttered Illya. "If you're going to lie, you really should come up with a more believable story, Caster."
"Did they promise you eternal life, woman? Or perhaps rebirth? If that is what you seek, then joining sides with the grail is the better choice. I have seen its ability to heal firsthand. It is truly a thing of miracles." said the woman calmly. "I can see you are falling apart, slowly but steadily. Why would you choose to stand on the side of death and destruction? We servants of the Grail are beings of light, order, and life."
"Did the Grail tell you such things?" Illya muttered.
"Eh? Tell me?" said the woman, confused.
"You are a fool, Caster," Illya declared. "I have seen the being that inhabits the grail firsthand. The words it whispers are poisonous lies. It seeks to enter into this world and claim it for its own."
The Caster closed her eyes, pondering what Illya had said.
"Tamamo..." said the Berserker. "I'm sure this is tough for you, but I really do think you might be on the wrong side. You see, our guy can do some incredible stuff too, and I've actually talked to him firsthand and he's definitely not a bad guy--"
"So what?" said the Caster, smiling deviously as she opened her eyes. "So what if I'm on the wrong side? I know the Grail can perform miracles, and that's enough for me. My wishes do not conflict with the desires this girl claims the Grail to have, so even if that is true, it has no reason to turn against me. As long as I am loyal, I will be rewarded."
"Fine then." said Illya stoically. "Berserker. Kill her."
"Wait, what? No, Tamamo's just confused. Once we show her the grail can't do anything, she'll work with us," said the Berserker.
"That's the problem," said Illya. "Given her current attitude, she seems certain that the Grail will grant her wish. And, unfortunately, I have a feeling she may be right."
"She's right, Kintarou," said the woman. "I have no intention of listening to you, and to have my wish granted, I'm more than willing to destroy an island or two. Even if I have to go through you."
From under the woman's kimono appeared a strange, ornate mirror that began orbiting her. Streams of blue and violet energy filled the courtyard, spiraling around the Caster like a whirlpool. Eight ofuda talismans appeared, circling around the area. A circle of large, ominous torii gates appeared around the group.
"Multitudinous evils swarm about this world..." muttered the Caster, tossing her mirror skyward. "My blessed sacred mirror shall purify them all."
"Berserker! What is this? What's she doing?" Illya shouted worriedly.
"Isn't it obvious? She's giving herself a power-up!" the Berserker said cautiously. "This is going to get messy, master! Stay on your guard!"
The Caster leapt into the air.
"Suiten Nikkou Amaterasu Yano Shizu-Ishi!" she shouted, slamming the mirror into the ground.
A wave of energy erupted from the spot where the mirror struck the ground, with the Caster landing gracefully nearby. Reaching out from beneath her kimono were three new appendages, each one gleaming with a golden glow.
"Shit... she's already up to three tails..." muttered the Berserker. "Master. Stay behind me."
"This is the end, Kintarou," said the Caster. "I will not let anyone stand in the way of my wish, even if that person happens to be you."
A wall of long, sharp icicles formed next to the Caster, each one pointing towards the Berserker.
The Berserker charged forward, materializing his axe.
The Caster launched the icicles. As they shot towards the Berserker with great speed, he attempted to deflect some of them with his axe. However, the majority got through, impaling him like needles on a pincushion.
Still, the Berserker continued forward.
The Caster raised her hands, and a wave of crimson flames emerged before her.
The flames crashed onto the Berserker like the waves of the ocean. They burned his flesh, turning much of his skin to a bloody crimson color.
Still, he continued his approach.
The Caster pointed towards the sky, and fired a small purple orb of light into the sky. Shortly afterward, a violet bolt of lightning struck the Berserker, causing him to collapse to his knees.
"Stay down, Kintarou. Please," muttered the Caster.
The Berserker's skin was now completely red, as if someone had painted his skin as a joke.
"By my command seal..." muttered Illya, the red mark on her hand glowing. "Berserker, unleash your noble phantasm."
The Berserker leapt forward, axe in hand, striking out at the Caster. The Caster leapt back, blocking the blow at the last minute with her mirror.
"Seriously? You're still going?" the Caster gasped. "Why... Why do you not stop?"
"As one of Boss Raikou's Four Heavenly Kings, it's my job to protect people. Even if you're doing it for your wish, Tamamo, I can't let you sacrifice these people to do it!"
The Caster held her arms in the air, and, forming a large ball of glowing violet energy, launched it at the Berserker. However, he took the hit straight on, leaping directly into the orb's path, as it exploded in an explosion of violet light as it struck him.
However, he emerged unharmed, his gleaming red body seemingly unscathed.
"Golden..." muttered the Berserker, swinging the axe over his head.
The Caster moved her mirror into position to shield her from the blow.
"Spark!" he screamed, plowing the axe towards the mirror. Just as the two were about to collide, a bolt of lightning fell from the sky, striking the axe like a lightning rod and filling it with power. It cleaved straight through the mirror, and struck the Caster through the collarbone, tearing her torso cleanly in two.
"Goodbye, Tamamo," he muttered quietly. "Next time, let's meet under better circumstances."
Last edited by BladeOfEden; April 30th, 2023 at 04:43 PM.
The next day, Shirou, Rin, Sakura, and Illya went out to spend the day in Shinto. The mood was happy and light, the sun shining brilliantly, without so much as a cloud in the sky, and the group was quite proud of their recent victories.
The city had prepared a number of makeshift ferries after the destruction of the bridge that had previously been the primary form of transportation across the Mion River. Shirou was surprised how quickly the residents had adapted to the attack, as one would normally have expected the bridge's destruction to have cut off the two sides of the city for a significant period of time, and yet, the people of the city had managed to quickly overcome this challenge. It was little things like this that made him feel proud of his heritage, despite how many of his classmates had previously seen him as little more than some "uncultured hillbilly".
"Say, whatever happened to Luvia?" asked Shirou, noticing the absence of bickering.
"Eh? Luvia? I think she went home or something," Rin said casually. "I guess the intensity of a real Grail War was too much for her to handle; ho ho ho..."
"I doubt that," said Illya dryly. "She doesn't seem like the sort who would leave Shirou by choice, let alone with someone like you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rin muttered.
"Now, now, sister, let's not fight," said Sakura, attempting to diffuse the situation. "I wouldn't worry too much about her though, senpai. She seems tough. I'm sure she's just out looking for that lord from the association who went missing."
"Now that you mention it, El-Melloi has been gone a while too, hasn't he?" said Shirou. "Should we also be looking for him."
"There will be a time and a place for that, Shirou," Rin said smartly. "But for now, lets just take a day off. I mean, we did take out three servants in just a few days. So long as Caster's barrier is up, we shouldn't have to worry about anything on this side of the river."
Illya rolled her eyes. "You know, in the movies, this is about the time where shit hits the fan and the idiots who think they're safe get brutally murdered..."
Rin gave her a confused look. "How long exactly did you shut yourself away in Shirou's house, Einzbern?"
"Long enough to learn about all the death flags you've been setting off..." Illya muttered.
Moments later, the sky began to rapidly darken, as dark clouds appeared in the sky. A cold, violent wind blew. The group, as well as much of the passerbys around them, were caught off guard by the sudden change of atmosphere.
Strangely, snow began to fall from the dark clouds.
"Snow in October?" muttered Rin. "What's going on here? And where'd the sun go? It was beautiful when we set out, and now it's all gloomy. What a letdown. I guess you had a point about setting flags, huh, Einzbern?"]
Illya did not respond. She was staring up at the sky, with a disturbed look on her face. She looked as if she was recalling a particularly traumatic memory.
"Impossible... This is..." Illya said quietly. "Everyone. We need to leave. Immediately."
"What's wrong, Illya?" asked Shirou.
"This is no ordinary snowfall." Illya said gravely. "I have only ever heard of it falling once before: on the night the head of the Einzbern family murdered his descendants and killed himself."
Last edited by BladeOfEden; May 6th, 2023 at 02:16 PM.
"Is this really necessary?" Alex asked. He had spent the morning with Jeanne drenching the interior of the Fuyuki Church with gasoline, and had managed to rig the outside of the building with explosives. It was a mystery how Jeanne had acquired these items, as they had been delivered neatly packed into bags early that morning to the Emiya residence, which the two then transported over to the church.
"Of course we do. I cannot allow this place to deceive the inhabitants of this land any longer." Jeanne said sternly. "I mean look at this place. This is supposed to be a catholic church, but there isn't even a single crucifix displayed within it. To our trained eyes, this is clearly a place meant to deceive and manipulate others, and that's not even mentioning the strange stench in the basement."
"So... Arson, then?" Alex asked.
"Naturally. Such actions are appropriate when dealing with those who would sully the Church's good name." Jeanne said confidently.
"How ironic..." Alex muttered.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!?" a voice said angrily.
A young woman in church robes was rushing down the street towards the church. When Jeanne caught sight of her, she quickly rushed over to the side of the building, flipped a switch, and then scooped up Alex in her arms.
"Time to go," she said excitedly, smiling mischievously.
Seconds later, there was a loud explosion. The church was blown apart, with the steeple collapsing into a cloud of flames.
"No, no, no!" the woman wailed angrily. "You goddamn whore, I'll kill you!"
Jeanne scampered down the hillside. There was no chance the woman would be able to catch her.
"Bazett! Stop them!" the woman cried.
As the arsonists approached the bottom of the hill, a magenta-haired woman carrying a strange grey container and wearing a pair of golden earrings was waiting for them.
Suddenly, Jeanne stopped. Placing Alex on the ground, she stepped towards the woman, materializing her flag.
"Stand aside, woman," Jeanne ordered.
"Your mind tricks will not work on me, Ruler," said the woman, raising her hand. "By my command seal, come to my side, Lancer."
There was a flash of red light. A pale, white-haired man in what looked like skin-tight black clothing appeared, with a large red plume hanging over his shoulder. He looked like some sort of Visual Kei idol.
"I have arrived master," said the man. "What are your orders?"
"Eliminate the woman, Lancer," the woman said calmly. "Stick to Anti-Unit combat for now."
"I will comply," said the Lancer robotically, turning towards Jeanne and materializing a long, black-tipped spear.
"By my command seal, Lancer, sever the hand of your master that carries her command seals, and let us pass," said Jeanne coldly.
The Lancer froze for a moment, as if processing the Ruler's request.
"I cannot abide by that request, Ruler, as it is conflict with an earlier command," said the Lancer, as he swung his spear towards the Ruler.
Jeanne managed to deflect the strike with her flag, but the Lancer's words disturbed her.
"Previous command? Your master did not use a command seal to order us to fight, Lancer," said Jeanne.
"That may be true," said the woman. "However, I used my first command seal to compel Lancer to only obey orders given by myself. Your words will not sway his heart, Ruler."
The Lancer struck at the Ruler again, this time with more intensity and ferocity. Once again, Jeanne deflected the attacks, but she could tell she was outmatched.
"Alex, run," Jeanne said sternly. "By my command seal--"
The Lancer struck once more, striking at the Ruler rapidly with a flurry of blows. As she continued to deflect his strikes, he pressed his advantage, locking his spear against her flag.
"Increasing output to Anti-Army," the Lancer said calmly, his right eye beginning to glow. "Brahmastra!"
A great laser shot forth from the Lancer's eye. As she was using her flag to block against his spear, Jeanne was unable to avoid this blow. The blast hit her head on, blasting her into a building over half a mile away.
"Jeanne!" Alex screamed. The Lancer turned to him, pointing the tip of his spear at the young man's neck.
"Target eliminated. What of this one, Master?" asked the Lancer calmly.
Alex turned his gaze towards the Lancer. The calm blue shade of his eyes darkened, and the golden ring around his irises began to glow vibrantly.
The grey container the woman was carrying began to shake violently. Dropping it in surprise, the woman stepped back, confused.
"Why are they reacting like that?" the woman mumbled, as small blue sparks began to shoot out from the container as is rumbled about.
She then turned towards Alex, and a wave of dread filled her heart.
The young man's eyes were like a pair of eclipsed suns.
Suddenly, the container exploded in a flash of light. Five bladed, orblike objects shot towards the young man, but they stopped inches away from his body. They then began to quiver, like a man who knew he was about to be murdered, before exploding in a blast of light.
The first thing Bazett noticed was the sudden change in temperature, as her face began to sting as if she had just pressed it against a block of ice. Her breath became clearly visible, and she couldn't help but shiver. A cold breeze had picked up, bringing with it small, out-of-season snowflakes. The area around the young man had begun to fill with a thin layer of a black, ink-like liquid, which reflected no light. Staring at the Lancer, his eyes burned with an ominous golden glow.
Without warning, the young man suddenly appeared next to the Lancer, grabbing his left arm and violently throwing him into a skyscraper in the distance, causing it to erupt in an explosion of flames. Moments later, the Lancer rose from the flames, clutching his forearm. The forearm was engulfed in a layer of golden, frost-like markings, and he could not feel or move it.
"To think there was one who could extinguish the flames of Surya..." he muttered. "Master, this is no ordinary foe. I request permission to utilize my more destructive noble phantasms."
Bazett nodded, and began running after her launched servant. "So... you're finally showing your true colors. That ruler was right. There is more to you than your unassuming, aloof appearance."
The young man appeared on the ground near the damaged building, staring up at the Lancer as he rose back into the sky. The winds and the snow had become more intense now, with the cityscape now resembling one in Siberia as opposed to one in Southern Japan.
The Lancer pulled back his arm, spear in hand, aiming towards the young man. As he did so, it became engulfed it flames.
"Begone," said the Lancer coldly. "Brahmastra Kundala."
He then threw the spear towards his target at an incredible speed, tearing through the air like a missile. The young man didn't move, as the ground and buildings around him were engulfed in an earth-shaking explosion of flames. The strike had pulverized much of the downtown area, on a scale far greater than the attacks of the Saber some time earlier.
A large object flew out of the smoke towards the Lancer. It was his spear, which had been thrown haphazardly at him, missing him by a few meters. The young man emerged from the smoke, the black liquid engulfing him like a suit of armor. Above him towered an enormous, black viper, with golden eyes, dwarfing the buildings around it. Its gaze gave off a sense of pure, unadulterated hatred. The sight of the creature filled Bazett's heart with fear. Never in all her time with the Association had she ever heard of such a creature, and yet, she instantly understood why. It was not a creature of "the World", but something else. All the monsters of myth and legend were nothing compared to it.
Reaching his arm into the black liquid that had now covered most of the area, he pulled out a black bow and a single, needle-like projectile. Nocking the projectile to the bow, he fired it towards the Lancer. However, he avoided the shot with ease, as he was to dealing with similar projectiles in combat. Unexpectecly, after it has passed him, the projectile fired out six additional projectiles, forming a net that arced back towards the Lancer. Just as it was about to engulf him, the Lancer ignited the air around him, vaporizing the objects instantly. When he looked back towards the ground, however, the young man was gone.
Suddenly, something struck him on the side of his head, sending him spiraling towards the ground. The young man hovered above him, carrying a large, black metal mallet, his golden eyes gleaming ferociously. He then launched himself into the falling lancer like a cannonball, but as they were about to collide, the Lancer recovered and knocked him away with his spear like a batter hitting a baseball, sending the young man flying into the ground. Upon impact, a golden bolt of energy similar to lightning shot up into the sky.
The colossal viper hissed angrily, followed by the sound of gunshots. The young man had recovered from his fall, and was now firing at the Lancer with a large black revolver. Shielding himself with his spear, the Lancer charged towards him.
"Brahmastra!" the Lancer screamed, firing a beam of red light from his right eye at the young man from point-blank range. Just as the beam was about to strike him, however, the black liquid rose up between the two, forming a wall. As soon as the Lancer had stopped firing his beam, the young man's fist erupted from the makeshift wall, engulfed in the golden, lightning-like energy, smashing the Lancer's right eye and sending him flying backward into the wreckage of another building. After he recovered and began to rise slowly into the air again, the young man once again suddenly appeared next to him, ready to strike him down once more.
Without warning, turquoise chains erupted from the black liquid, wrapping around and subduing the great viper, pinning it into the ground. Despite the liquid only being a few inches deep, it seemed as if the chains that had emerged from it were pulling the beast back into a far deeper space, as the entire great beast slowly but surely vanished beneath it. The facial expression of the young man changed suddenly, falling backwards towards the ground as if he had just fallen asleep. The winds and snow came to a stop, and once the creature had been completely submerged, the black liquid receded back into the ground, like water seeping into dry soil.
Bazett cursed under her breath. The was no way in hell she could leave the young man alive, even if she had to destroy the entire city to do so.
"By my command seal..." she muttered. "Lancer, annihilate the enemy with your strongest strike, even if it should result in your death."
"Understood," muttered the Lancer. "I lost an arm and an eye to you. You fight well, but you are too dangerous to be left alive. However, do not fear, for with this strike I too shall be burned to ash..."
The Lancer rose into the sky, the wing-like armor on his back slowly opening. An enormous flame grew from behind him, like a miniature sun.
"This is the end!" said the Lancer, the tip of his spear engulfed in a red and white light.
"O Lord, I beg of you..." said a familiar voice. A woman in white had emerged from the rubble, standing between the young man and the Lancer. "Give me the strength to protect those precious to me!"
"No!" shrieked Bazett "Lancer, destroy them both!"
"Vasavi Shakti!" screamed the Lancer. A great beam of red and white light erupted from his spear, using the energy from the flames behind him. The strike was so intense that the ground beneath the beam turned to molten rock, and even the Lancer himself was engulfed in red and white flames.
"Luminosite Eternelle!" cried the Ruler, planting her banner into the ground in front of her.
A sea of red and white light erupted around the Ruler, with the young man lying on the ground directly behind her. The pole that held her banner cracked and groaned, and even began to bend backwards a few inches. However, the Holy Maiden stood strong. She would not leave the one she had been charged to protect, and would protect him even if it cost her her life.
A few moments later, the sea of light faded. The ground around the ruler had been melted, forming the outcropping on which she now stood. A large crater had formed, stretching for over mile, as area in front of where the Lancer had fired his attack had been vaporized, the ground stained black. There was no sign of the Lancer or his master.
Last edited by BladeOfEden; May 6th, 2023 at 02:21 PM.
The appearance of the Great Serpent had sparked a panic. Crowds of people surged towards the docks, trampling over each other. However, there were not nearly enough ferries to move everyone to the opposite shore, and the ones that had departed earlier in the day showed no signs of returning.
Shirou's group, however, was lucky. As soon as the cursed snow began to fall, Rin called Archer and had him transport the group via his Vimana. Hovering in the sky, the group watched the chaos unfold below them.
"Shouldn't we help them?" asked Sakura. "If the situation is as bad as Illya has described, surely we cannot let this be. I can call Rider to summon some additional transports."
Rin shook her head. "I'm afraid we cannot do so. Even in a situation such as this, we cannot risk exposing the existence of magecraft to the masses," she muttered.
"Still going on about that?" Archer mused. "You really aren't too different from them, mongrel. And yet, you mages still treat them as if they were nothing more than cheap flowers you had planted to decorate a garden."
An explosion erupted from the southern portion of Shinto, knocking over a skyscraper and setting fire to some surrounding buildings. Looking on, all Shirou could think about was the scent of burning flesh, something that had been sleeping dormant in his mind for some time, but was now coming back to the front of his thoughts. He did not feel well.
"This is no good," muttered the Archer. "If he loses control of himself..."
"What's going on, Archer?" Rin demanded. "What is that thing? Apep? Vritra? Glycon? Illunyanka? Leviathan? Jormungandr--"
"No, that's... Well, I don't even know if it really even has a name but--"
"It is a creature from beyond the Swirl of the Root, one of the Unseen." said a magenta-haired woman, materializing on the Vimana. Rin recognized her as the Lancer the Ruler had summoned some days earlier. "It is not like those great serpents of the domain of Akasha. It is a creature born directly from one half of the Dualistic Cosmology, an absolute tied to the most basic laws of existence."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean, witch?" muttered the Archer. "Any serpent can be killed with a large enough boot. This... thing is no different."
"If you think something like that is even capable of dying, then you are a fool. Such creatures do not even possess lines of death, as there are no threads that connect them to this world. The best one could hope for would be to banish it from this reality, but to do so, you would need something that also came from beyond the Root," the Lancer said coldly, rolling her eyes.
"If what you say is true, what's it doing here? The Unseen shouldn't even be capable of entering a realm governed by Akasha," said the Archer, narrowing his eyes.
"It is curious, isn't it?" said the Lancer, smiling as if she had just been challenged with a particularly interesting logic problem. "There are countless rules that should prevent something like that from manifesting, and yet, there it is."
The Great Serpent had begun to recede, as if something was pulling it back into the ground.
"Could it have leaked through if a paradox occurred?" asked Rin, pretending as if she understood the conversation between the two servants.
"Ooh! You mean like a software bug! A glitch in the Matrix!" Illya said cleverly.
This remark was met with silence, as another large explosion ignited on the ground. It was much larger than the previous one, engulfing the entire southern half of Shinto. When the flames receded, a large crater could be seen below.
"Caster's going to be pissed..." muttered the Lancer. "His maze is still active, but it has been severely weakened. Still, if he makes some repairs, it should be fine. Lets just hope nothing too bad happens over the next few days."
"That's a death flag..." Illya whispered quietly.
Last edited by BladeOfEden; May 13th, 2023 at 03:28 PM.
Later that night, the Ruler returned to the Emiya Residence, carrying the unconscious Alex in her arms. He did not appear seriously injured, but by this time, word had spread among the servants of what had occurred earlier in the day. They were, to say the least, concerned for him. A meeting was once again called in the courtyard, with the nine servants and their masters congregating to discuss what to do next.
Shirou had conflicting feelings on what should be done. Alex seemed like a kind and overall good person, however, if that... thing was as dangerous as the Lancer had made it sound, then should he really be working to protect him? When the priestess had spoken about him earlier, she seemed convinced that he was a threat, and had claimed that the other servants were working to eliminate him. If this was true, could he be on the wrong side of things?
The Archer was the first one to speak.
"Well, that was quite a show you put on for everyone, Ruler. Perhaps you really are a witch who talks to demons, as opposed to the holy saint this world is convinced you are," he said with a smirk.
The ruler closed her eyes, and sighed softly. "Perhaps you are right, King of Heroes. If I had put his protection in the hands of one more capable than myself, perhaps this would not have happened."
The Archer raised an eyebrow, clearly caught off guard by the change in the Ruler's personality.
"It's that serious, huh..." he muttered to himself.
"Do not despair, Ruler," Saber said calmly. "We have defeated four enemy servants, and have not yet lost a single one of our own. We hold a strong advantage over the enemy. So long as we keep him away from conflict, and send out our own servants to hunt down and eliminate the Grail's remaining forces, we will not be pushed into such a situation again."
"Who else is left?" asked Rin.
"Saber, Lancer, Caster, and Berserker were all defeated. We have confirmed that the enemy Archer is highly likely to be a variant of the goddess Artemis. Only Rider and Assassin are unaccounted for." said the Lancer.
"They have a Ruler," the Ruler muttered through gritted teeth. "They're not going to go down as easily as an ordinary servant."
"We have Gilgamesh," Saber said stoically, causing the Archer to smile in response.
"Ruler," said the Lancer. "Where exactly did you find this boy? The Unseen are normally unable to exist within this world for extended periods of time, only appearing when a direct connection to the Root is established. And, even when that does happen, they almost never manage to acquire a physical form, let alone one so large as this."
The Ruler turned to her, a surprised expression on her face. "You know what is possessing him?"
The cloaked man, watching from the shadows, began to cackle madly. "You fool! You followed the instructions in your head to bring him here, without even knowing what he was? Are you kidding me?"
The Ruler shot him an angry look. Clearly, the two of them did not get along.
"It is a so-called 'Agent of Despair'," said the Lancer. "A nameless creature linked to a single consciousness across a sort of hive-mind, they can be seen as the primordial opposite of 'existence'. They are the bane of all who 'exist', and are the original inhabitants of the abyss some have come to know as 'Hell'. That is, the 'realm without existence'."
"You mean, it's some sort of demon?" asked Ruler.
The Lancer shook her head. "The Fallen were banished to the abyss. They are not originally from there, though their exposure to it has made them quite different from what they once were."
The Ruler sighed, clearly relieved with this response.
"Still, I have only heard of a handful of incidents of an Agent of Despair gaining a physical form, and all of these were during the Age of Gods where they took the form of small birds or insects," said the Lancer. "The form of a viper, and one of such colossal size, is of great concern. If this creature fully matures and is able to link itself back to its core consciousness--"
"Then what are we waiting for?" asked Rin. "If it's that big an issue, let's just kill him and be done with it."
A wave of silence fell over the group. This seemed like the most logical step. Alex was currently incapacitated, and the creature itself had vanished during the conflict with the enemy Lancer. If something was to be done about him, now was the time to do so.
Rin felt a weight on her back. Something sharp was pressed against her throat. A small trickle of blood fell down her neck.
The voice of a young girl whispered softly in her ear. "If you say anything like that again, I'm going to have to dismember you."
"Enough, Assassin. Let her go," the Ruler said firmly.
The Assassin glared at her, still pressing her knife to Rin's neck. "No, no, no! I will not let her go! You said you would protect Mommy, but Mommy got hurt! And now... Now you want to kill Mommy... No! We will not let you!"
"It will not come to that, little one," said Saber kindly. "I promise you."
"We should kill this one... Just to be safe," the Assassin mumbled.
"Th-That's not necessary! I won't hurt your, um, Mommy..." Rin sputtered.
The Assassin seemed confused by this sudden change in tone.
"Do you want to protect Mommy too?" the Assassin asked curiously.
"Yes! Of course!" Rin said quickly.
"Hmmm... Okay." the Assassin said cautiously, letting go of the young woman.
"You know she's just saying that because--" Illya said giggling.
Early the next morning, Sakura headed out to the Matou Residence. Though she felt a sense of fear about what might occur next, her desire to protect the one she loved from danger was far greater.
Just as she was about to open the door to the house, she heard a voice call to her.
"Sakura... Is that you?"
Sakura turned about swiftly. A pale, blue-haired man with red eyes dressed in a black trench coat was standing a few meters behind her.
"...Grandfather? Is that you?" Sakura asked warily. The man looked nothing like the fiendish Zouken Matou, but she had no idea who else this could be.
"Heh... I do suppose I look quite different now, with my original body and youth restored, but I don't seem to be the only one who had a bit of a makeover," the man chuckled.
Sakura felt a wave of unease come over her. With her natural hair and eye color restored, she had returned to her original appearance as a descendant of the Tohsaka.
"Do what you will with me," Sakura said resolutely. "However, I need--"
"Calm yourself, child," said Zouken. "I hold no ill will against you. Furthermore, you wish to know about the great snake from yesterday, do you not?"
Sakura nodded.
"Long ago, I was the head of a family of magi known as the 'Makiri'. The family specialized in a form of nature-based magecraft in which practitioners carried a number of contracts with a number of familiars, most of which took the form of small animals. Every generation, the new head of the family would seek out stronger and stronger familiars, with each one bringing the family closer and closer to the Root. The ultimate familiar, in theory, was a being known as an 'Agent of Despair'. It was said that these creatures took the form of black birds, and, by contracting with one, they could lead their master to the Root," Zouken said wisely. "However, there was never any real proof of their existence, just stories passed down by word of mouth from one family head to another."
"But... that wasn't a bird..." Sakura mumbled, clearly confused.
"No, my dear, no it was not," Zouken said gravely. "Some time after the death of my beloved, I began digging deeper and deeper into this legend. My search led me to India. And, on the outskirts of Bodh Gaya, I found something. It was the hidden ruins of an ancient temple complex. There, a group of worshippers from long ago had made contact with something from beyond the Root. They created a physical gate connecting to it, in an attempt to open the Vortex of Radix to such an extent as to allow this creature to enter into this world. However, they failed. Something had interfered with their ritual, and killed them all. However... I did find something. At the heart of this temple was the corpse of a small child. It appeared to be relatively fresh, as if the child had died only a few days earlier. However, upon further examination, I discovered that something was living within the body. It was a unique species of helminth, and they were keeping the body 'fresh'. I took a number of these specimens with me, and raised them into what would be the first generation of Crest Worms."
"I later learned that the worshippers at this temple had raised these worms as a sort of substitute to an 'Agent of Despair', as they also had the ability to commune with a consciousness from beyond the Root. However, the ones that I raised have never responded to anyone other than the ones they nest in, and so they ultimately ended up being a dead end in that regard," said Zouken "It certainly doesn't help that they ultimately ended up corrupting and fragmenting the Makiri Crest, making it impossible to use. When my children learned of this, they banished me from my homeland, and I was forced to take up residence here in Fuyuki."
"Grandfather, you're going off on a tangent again..." Sakura said kindly. "Please stick to the subject at hand."
"Of course, my dear. Heh, heh, even with this new body, I still cannot help but ramble like an old man," Zouken laughed. "Anyhow, an Agent of Despair, on the rare occasion that it does take physical form, has the tendency to appear as something associated with the more negative aspects of 'Death'. They tend to aggregate in places where great suffering has occurred, and their form is often something native to that particular location. In Europe, for example, they tend to appear as crows or ravens. However, the form of the Great Serpent is special, as a number of conditions need to be met. Firstly, the Agent must manifest in an area where serpents are present, and will take on the morphology of the most 'significant' of that area's species. Secondly, the Agent must manifest in a location where great death, despair, and suffering, has taken place. In theory, this would be perhaps the location of a mass suicide, or maybe a place where a large number of people were executed for a crime they didn't commit. The timing for these events is also relevant, as they must have happened within the last hundred years or so. Thirdly, and most importantly, the Agent must have a host it can attach itself to for an extended period of time, as an Agent's power grows exponentially the longer it stays within this world. Most agents generally appear for a few hours at most before returning to the Root, as the strain of 'bearing one' has the tendency to kill its host, generally by having them kill themselves and bring misery to those around them. For this reason, there are only a handful of instances in which an Agent has been able to manifest itself in the world for an extended period of time."
"My dear granddaughter, heed my warning: Take those you wish to protect and leave this land. If you continue to stay here... no, I will not say more. Your fate is up to you now, Sakura. Otherwise--"
"She's not going anywhere, you fool," said a voice. "She already contracted with the enemy."
The figure of a familiar-looking, young blonde woman materialized next to Zouken. She was wearing a blue track jacket, short black shorts, a baseball cap, and strange, tight-fitting underclothing. Her eyes gleamed with a menacing blue glow.
"Please, there's no need for that," said Zouken. "I'm sure we can convince her to--"
"I'm afraid your servant is right, Zouken," Sakura said sternly. "While I do agree that I should probably leave and not engage in this conflict further... I know Senpai would never agree to leave with me."
"Senpai?" asked the woman. "Master, what the hell is wrong with this woman? She's talking like some sort of lovesick schoolgirl in a visual novel."
"By my command seal, come to my side, Rider!" Sakura shouted. There was a burst of light, and a pink-haired woman dressing in the clothing of a high-ranking sailor from the age of exploration appeared next to her.
"All right, master! Has our time come at last?" said the Rider.
"El Draque Espacio? What the hell are you doing here?" asked the woman.
"I could ask you the same thing, Sa--, wait, what the hell? An assassin that looks like our Saber?" said the Rider, clearly confused.
"I am a Saber, you damn space pirate!" the woman said angrily.
"Yeah, whatever, goodbye," said the Rider, materializing four black cannons that fired a barrage of pink lasers.
The woman reacted quickly, materializing a sword with a glowing blue blade and deflecting the laser beams back at the house, with erupted in an explosion of flames in smoke.
"Hey! That's my house!" Zouken said angrily.
"Not anymore," said the woman calmly. "Heh, heh, heh... who's dead now, you stupid-- wait, where'd they go?"
A large, red painted galleon erupted out of the smoke, sailing off into the sky. The Rider could be seen from the stern of the ship, holding Sakura in her arms.
"Oh, no you don't! Beam me up, Dun Stallion II!" screamed the woman, as she disappearing in a flash of golden light.
"Rider, we need to--" mumbled Sakura.
"Sorry, Master, but I'm not equipped to deal with something like that right now. That crazy bitch is going to be a problem," Rider said sternly.
Suddenly, the two escapees heard a loud voice that seemed to be coming from a nearby loudspeaker.
"I have you now, bitches! Fire Support X, activate!"
A blue rocket ship suddenly dove down out of the sky, firing missiles at the galleon. The Rider reacted by calling forth her cannons once more, firing at the oncoming bombardment. The beams from the cannons collided with the missiles in midair, setting off a large explosion in the sky.
"Moron. You're not going to sink this ship that easily," the Rider said cooly.
A frustrated scream could be heard over the loudspeaker, now clearly identified to be coming from the rocket ship. "Guess we'll be doing this the old fashioned way..."
There was a flash of golden light, and the blonde woman appeared on the deck of the galleon. Summoning forth two swords, one pitch black and the other glowing blue, she charged at the Rider, while her rocket ship continued firing on the galleon.
Tossing Sakura to the side in a rather rough manner, the Rider grabbed the wheel of the ship with one hand, and drew a pistol from her coat with the other, firing at the approaching servant.
"Not yet, not yet, not yet, not yet! Is that all you got?" the servant chuckled, as she deflected the shots from the Rider's pistols with her swords. The rocket ship's bombardment had struck the ship, setting portions of the deck ablaze.
Just as the enemy servant was about to reach Rider, the galleon turned itself into the air at a sudden ninety-degree angle, with the bow of the ship pointing straight up into the air. Grabbing Sakura by the arm, Rider stood atop the wheel of the ship, while the enemy servant fell towards the ground. Rider materialized her cannons again, and fired on the servant once more.
"Beam me up!" screamed the servant, as they disappeared in a flash of golden light. The barrage of the cannons sailed past her previous location, causing another explosion on the ground.
"This is bad..." mumbled Rider, as she righted the galleon. "Right. It's time for you to go."
"Wait, what do you--" asked Sakura, as she was suddenly tossed off the side of the ship into a small grove of trees. The rocket ship had reappeared, and was restarting its barrage on the galleon.
"You know, I'm not sure it's right for an Assassin to have a ship like that!" shouted the Rider.
"I'm a Saber, damn it! Why does everyone here keep calling me an Assassin?!?" echoed a voice over the loudspeaker.
"Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that..." mumbled the Rider. "Either way, it seems like I won't be enough to deal with you. In that case, the least I can do is take care of that ugly vessel of yours. Seriously, whoever designed that thing had no taste whatsoever."
"You take that back! Dun Stallion II is the greatest ship in the Servant Universe!" screamed the voice.
"Yeah, well, let's see how great it really is..." chuckled the Rider. "Sorry about this, Archer, but I'm going to tap into your treasury for a bit..."
"Men, it's your turn!" screamed the Rider. "The king of ghosts, the stormy night... The Wild Hunt's about to begin!"
"Wild Hunt? What are you-- Oh hell!" the voice screeched.
The galleon had turned itself southward, and behind it, the entire northern sky began to glow magnificently. A insurmountable number of ships covered the sky, to the point that the blue of the sky behind them could no longer be seen.
"Fire!" screamed the Rider.
A vast barrage of golden beams flew across the sky, so much so that, for a moment, the entire sky was alight.
"Muahahaha! You fool! This ship has been reinforced with Space Avalonian Steel! Nothing can break its hull!" the voice said proudly.
The rocket ship began firing wildly at the massive fleet that stood before it, destroying a few of the ships. However, this didn't even make a dent in the Rider's fleet. For each ship that was destroyed, another one appeared to fill in the gap that it had left.
"Alright, men! This is where the fun begins!" screamed the Rider. "All ships, ignite!"
At once, the vast wall of vessels ignited into a wave of flames. Surging forward, the sea of flaming ships charged toward the enemy servant's rocket ship.
There was no escape.
"This is... the formation that destroyed the Space Spanish Armada?!? Grr... It's still not enough! Not enough to-- Wait, what's that noise? Temperature warning? What's that mean?" said the voice.
The summoned ships began colliding with the rocket ship, breaking apart on impact. However, with each collision, the rocket was pushed towards the Rider's galleon.
"Stop putting dents in my ship!" screamed the voice angrily. "I mean, it'll buff out, but do you know how much it costs to repair a ship this awesome?"
When the rocket ship was lined up with the Rider's galleon, a surge of ships collided with it from the top, bottom, left, right, and back of the ship.
The Rider's galleon ignited in a flash of pink flames, and charged towards the enemy servant's rocket ship.
"I am Teremoso El Drago! The one who makes the 'impossible' possible! The woman who felled the Sun!" cried the Rider.
"Stop beeping at me! Why are you beeping at me? Why does it say 'hull integrity failure'? Oh, that's it, you goddamn-- wait, master, what are you doing? Don't you dare!" the voice screeched angrily.
The Rider's galleon collided with the rocket ship, as the two vessels erupted in an enormous explosion of pink and blue light. The sea of flames faded away, and the sky returned to its usual light blue color.
Sakura was bruised from her fall, but not severely injured. As the command seals on her hand faded, she felt unsure of whether she should be sad or relieved. For now though, she was just thankful to be alive.
Last edited by BladeOfEden; May 15th, 2023 at 06:54 AM.
Deep within a large, faintly lit cavern beneath Mount Enzou, the acolytes of the Grail gathered. In the shadow of a large, stone pillar stood a man with long, white hair dressed in traditional japanese-style clothing and a red jinbaori. To his left stood a woman with light gray hair, dressed in church robes, her golden eyes were gleaming with anger and frustration. To his right stood a magenta-haired woman, dressed in a suit, wearing a despondent expression on her face.
A blue-haired man approached the small group.
"I have a request," the man said politely.
"What do you require, dear Makiri?" asked the white-haired man kindly.
"It's Matou, now," Zouken muttered. "Anyway, I have defeated the servant my granddaughter had contracted with. Now, I would humbly request that she be left out of this conflict."
"I'm afraid that is not for the two of us to decide," the white-haired man said wisely. "It is up to Sakura to determine how much she will engage--"
"Why the hell does it matter to you, old man?" the golden-eyed woman said coldly. "She has rejected you, and your teachings. If anything, I'm surprised you dont want her dead. After all, you mages have a way of going after those who reject the family, do you not?"
"I'm afraid that's... complicated. The girl has had a rough life, and I have not treated her as well as I should have," Zouken said quietly.
"What, so now that your wish has been granted, you're going to focus on being a sweet old grandpa?" the golden-eyed woman asked spitefully. "Bullshit."
"Caren, that's enough," said the magenta-haired woman. "I think--"
"Oh? You're thinking now, you useless bitch? You lost our most powerful servant, and let the heathens who burned down my church get away," Caren said angrily.
The sound of a woman's laughter could be heard echoing throughout the cavern.
"Well, this is what happens when you choose to follow the delusions of a fool," a woman's voice echoed. "We lost four servants in three days. How do you plan to recover from this, Ruler?"
A woman in dark, violet-black armor materialized a few meters away from the group. She had long, flowing, pale blonde hair, fair skin, and gleaming yellow eyes. The Ruler stared at her coldly, a look of pity in his eyes.
"Avenger," the Ruler said calmly. "If you have an idea that doesn't involve sacrificing the civilian population, I am willing to listen."
"Stop acting like some sort of saint. It's pissing me off." the Avenger said rudely. "And besides, you already had a bridge blown up. What's the harm of clearing out a few more? It's not like there's a shortage of people in the world."
"The destruction of Fuyuki bridge was an unfortunate, but necessary move. I made sure to designate a time where there would be less people out on the bridge. Unlike you, I take no joy in the suffering of others," the Ruler said sternly. "My word is final."
"Even if it means you would otherwise be unable to save the world?" the Avenger asked, grinning fiendishly. "I'm afraid you don't have much of a choice now. You had your chance to do things your way, and failed miserably. Now, it's my turn. With Rider's forces--"
"Rider's ability was utilized only to prevent a scenario in which the populace turned against us. I will not allow for it to be used offensively," the Ruler said, a touch of anger in his voice.
"'I'm afraid that is not for the two of us to decide'," the Avenger said mockingly. "It will be up to our enemy to decide how much they are willing to sacrifice to keep their precious Agent safe. Furthermore, the energy Caster was able to gather remains unutilized. I believe it may be time for a show of force."
The Ruler closed his eyes, and sighed. He knew that, if he continued his current approach, the others would likely turn against him. He couldn't afford for that to happen. However, if he went along with them, he may be able to keep a hand on the wheel, and prevent them from causing too much destruction. Though, he questioned how much he could actually control them.
"You're just going to let this slide, Ruler?" said a voice.
A purple-haired woman in a black bodysuit materialized before the group, hold a red spear in one hand.
"A servant. Wonderful," said the Avenger. "I thought you had put a barrier up to keep out intruders, Ruler. Or did you fail in doing that properly as well?"
The servant smiled at her. "Oh no, he did a pretty good job, for someone who has no experience in such things. Unfortunately, I'm a few steps ahead of you all when it comes to those sorts of things."
"Avenger. Take Caren, Zouken, and Bazett out of here. Make sure there are no other intruders. I'll handle this one," the Ruler said calmly.
"I don't take orders from you. Still, even I can tell this one will be a problem... Very well, I'll follow your reccomendation, for now. You three, with me. It's time for us to go," the Avenger muttered, clearly annoyed. "Unless, of course, this one tries to get in the way."
"You may go, Avenger. I think there is someone that you should meet," the Lancer said cryptically. "As for the others... They are not worth my time. They may go as well."
"You have my gratitude, Queen of Dun Scaith," said the Ruler, unsheathing his blade. "I shall give you an honorable death."
"Yeah, whatever," the servant said, a competitive smile on her face. "I'd like to see you try."
As soon as the two servants clashed, the Ruler knew he would be in for a rough fight. The Grail's backing had greatly enhanced the effectiveness of his Noble Phantasms, which had in turned greatly enhanced his precognitive and bodily reinforcement abilities, and yet, he could tell he was still outmatched by the warrior that stood before him.
The Lancer started by darting towards him, thrusting outward with her spear in quick succession. The Ruler was able to block these strikes, but only barely. The Lancer then struck at him in a downward arc, which the Ruler blocked with his blade. As soon as he did, however, the woman summoned an additional spear to her other hand, and swiped at his waist. The Ruler jumped back uninjured, but the spear had cut through his first layer of clothing.
"Not bad," the Lancer said, smirking at him. "I think it's time to up the ante, don't you?"
Five red spears materialized in the air around the Lancer, accompanying her as she charged towards the Ruler, who in response drew a number of Black Keys from his clothing, tossing them into the air.
"Set," he said, the Black keys freezing in the air before quickly redirecting themselves at the Lancer. She countered with the spears she had summoned, knocking the blades away, before once again striking out at the Ruler with the two she had in hand, slashing him on the cheek.
The Ruler jumped back again, giving him a moment to prepare himself. The Lancer was coming at him too aggressively for him to attempt to use a command seal, and he knew it was likely that the Lancer would have taken precautions against such an attack. His only chance was to draw further on the power the Grail had granted him.
The Ruler's blade began coated in a volatile, black cloud of energy. Testing the newly revealed ability, the Lancer struck out with her secondary spear. When the Ruler rose his blade to block it, the spear shattered instantly.
"Baptismal Rite? No... it's more than that," the Lancer muttered to herself. "An Anti-Spirit enhancement charm. I imagine it's quite effective against weapons summoned by the grail. However..."
The Lancer then struck with her primary spear. Once again, the Ruler responded by trying to block it with his own blade, but this time, the spear did not break.
"...this spear is special. By linking to my Primordial Runes, I was able to summon my original spear from Dun Scaith. It's going to take more than an Anti-Servant skill to stop it," the Lancer said with a smile. "Do you think you can?"
The Ruler's precognition warned him. The Lancer was about to use her spear. However, due to his Noble Phantasm's ability to act as a sort of Skeleton Key to all forms of magecraft, he would be able to prepare a countercurse against the spear's abilities. Then, he would use his reinforcement abilities to survive the physical blow, and once again utilize the Skeleton Key to take control of the spear and use it against its master.
The Lancer drew her arm back, preparing to strike.
"This spear is an embodiment of who I am... And I am the epitome of the spear," chanted the Lancer, smiling at the Ruler.
The Ruler braced himself. His countercurse was ready.
"Pierce the heart, Gae Bolg Alternative!" cried the Lancer, tossing her spear into the air. It flew forward violently, soaring through the air like a bullet towards the Ruler.
The Ruler smiled, and held out his hand. However, just before it reached him, the spear's trajectory changed, arcing upward over his head.
"No!" he screamed, realizing his mistake. It was not his heart the spear was after, but the heart of the Grail itself.
However, just as the spear was about to strike the pillar behind him, it froze in place. Then, it began darting about the cavern violently, as if it were bewitched. It then froze, pointing itself again the large pillar. The spear then began to quiver violently, before erupting in a blast of red light.
"I should've known it wouldn't be that easy..." the Lancer muttered.
"Foolish woman," said a familiar voice. "Did you really think you could kill me with such a primitive weapon?"
The Lancer spun around. Behind her was the familiar looking figure of a young man with brown hair, pale skin, and grayish-blue eyes.
At the mouth of the cavern stood a scrawny old man, an eerie smile on his face.
"Welcome, Wizard Marshall. What can I do for you?" said the old man, bowing slightly.
"Stand aside, Zouken. This does not concern you," said Zelretch. He did not have time to explain the situation, and he knew that even if he did, it would only raise more questions.
"You've come to see the Grail, have you not?" the old man said reverently. "Please, allow me to accompany you."
Zelretch looked at him suspiciously. He did not trust the old man, but he did not consider him to be a threat either. If he was stupid enough to go against him, he would eliminate him.
Reaching into his pocket, he wrapped one hand around his jeweled sword, before following the old man into the cavern. The air was cold and moist. As they continued deeper, he could see a faint golden glow coming from deep within the cavern.
Without warning, a blood red cloth shot out of the shadows and quickly wrapped around his body.
"Well, that was easy," said a woman's voice. "You made this sound like this one would be a problem, Bazett."
Two women emerged from the darkness. Zelretch recognized one as a Sealing Designation Enforcer he had seen on occasion at the Clock Tower. The other, a golden-eyed woman in church robes, was holding the end of the long cloth that currently immobilized him.
Zelretch sighed boredly. "I'm going to give you fools three seconds to release me. If you do not, I--"
"What do you think you're doing, you idiots!?!" the old man said angrily. "I told you he would be coming so we could discuss this in a reasonable manner!"
"Three..." Zelretch muttered.
"Oh, be quiet, you worm. I'm doing exactly as I have been instructed," the golden-eyed woman said proudly. "Besides, no man can resist the power of the Shroud of Magdalene."
"Two..."
"You think some silly relic is going to be enough to stop the Kaleidoscope?" the old man muttered.
"Don't worry. If he tries anything, Bazett will blast him," the woman said nonchalantly.
"One..."
There was a flash of light, and a small, metal sphere appeared floating above the Enforcer's outstretched hand. Slowly, a thin, sharp blade emerged from it.
"You're going to get yourself killed, you old fool," the woman taunted. "Kill him."
"...Zero."
The bladed sphere shot forward towards Zelretch, as a sea of light flooded the cavern.
When the light had faded, Zelretch stood unbound, with one arm outstretched, holding his Jeweled Sword. The Shroud of Magdalene was gone, as was the Enforcer's bladed sphere.
Zelretch sighed, a look of pity on his face. "That was a pretty good strategy you two had. Unfortunately, there were a couple of flaws in your plan. Firstly, the causality-altering effects of Fragarach are not enough to overcome the Second Magic. To overcome it, all I had to do was cut it off from our world's sense of time and tie it to another. This results in the sword not being able to fully activate, due to it not being able to recognize the events that were--"
Suddenly Zelretch felt a strong, burning feeling deep within his head. He felt ill, something that shouldn't have been possible with his current body.
It's been quite a while since I've been around here.
And what do you know, this a Redeemed World.
I suppose it's time for the fun to begin.
Well look who's here, a disciple of the Mage King, look how big you've grown.
You know when I last saw you, you were nothing more than a man.
But look now! You've thrown away your teacher's warnings and claimed a throne of your own.
But you should always know that above is a God far greater than you could ever know.
So, I ask you this...
Where do you stand?
If you follow me, I'll give you everything.
Power, Wisdom, Charisma, everything.
Come follow me, we'll take everything.
No one here stands a chance against me.
I've overthrown entire pantheons.
I've wiped out entire realities.
I make kings of those who worship me.
So now I ask, will you follow me?
Think hard.
Well, what do you say?
Will you join me?
Or will you walk the path of the fool?
Once upon a time there was a king.
He had all the power to rule the world but threw it all away.
For the glory of one who really isn't all that great.
But before he died, he said to his people.
"Don't you ever turn away."
But one man did, he followed me, and I gave him everything.
Now, I know what you're thinking:
"Whatever happened to him?"
Well, I'll tell ya.
I gave him everything.
Power, Wisdom, Charisma, everything.
He and I, we took everything.
Nothing stood a chance, but then, you see.
That fool got a bit too proud.
He reached his hand into the Vortex.
And the Messengers came, and those bastards killed him.
And locked! Me! Away!
Wait a second, what's this?
This feeling, what's this?
Wait a second, what's this?
This feeling, what's this?
Well?
Heh, heh, heh, you fool...
You took over for him?
No need to hide it, now.
Maybe I should thank you...
This is wonderful.
Oh, so wonderful.
It's really great!
You see...
My Brands... They're every-fucking-where!
Oh, it's checkmate!
Really, truly, finally, checkmate!
This realm is mine, no one can stop me!
Now then... Don't look at me like that!
It seems you wish to stand against me.
You fool, you don't stand a chance against me.
You've killed an Ultimate One, that doesn't mean anything.
I'll! Show! You!
Now. It's time. I'll show you just how pitiful your Magic is. You're such a fool. A pathetic fool. Now then, here's a taste of the void, the very void you draw your Magic from. Let's see how much you can handle before you drown. Now then, let me see, where the hell could that Agent be?
The Lancer grimaced at the sight of the one who stood before her. Truly, this was the worst possible scenario.
"Do you really think you can fool me with such an obvious disguise, fiend?" she muttered. "You take the appearance of the one who summoned me, yet you make no attempt to hide your feelings of vainglory."
The young man snickered at her. "Vainglory, you say? Heh... It seems you misunderstand your situation, woman. I am not one of those fools who would misrepresent themselves in such a manner. I assure you; I am more than capable of performing anything I promise."
The Ruler stood a ways back, a look of confusion on his face.
"What... What are you?" the Ruler sputtered, as a feeling of great unease fell over him.
"One of the Fallen," the Lancer said in response. "They--"
"'Fallen'? How dare you, wench!" the young man said angrily. "I am not 'Fallen'! I have simply claimed a domain of my own, after outgrowing my previous station."
"Oh? Is that so?" the Lancer said coldly. "A man claiming an empty plot of desolate land in the middle of nowhere doesn't really qualify as much of a station to me.
The young man glared at her with a gaze of great animosity.
"You have some nerve speaking to me in such a manner, especially since the land you've claimed is little more than a dumping ground," the man said through gritted teeth. "My followers have disposed of the corpses of many a god in that dump of yours."
"You're not really in much of a position to threaten me. I can tell that form of yours is only barely holding itself together. Truly, it was foolish of you to expose yourself so early," the Lancer scoffed. "If you had waited, perhaps you would have been able to prevent me from cutting you off from this World."
The young man's expression changed to one of amusement. He smiled at the Lancer condescendingly, snickering.
"You really don't know who you're dealing with, do you, woman? How cute. Tell me... What do you know of this plan of mine?"
Suddenly, the Lancer felt a strong burning sensation in her head, as surges of images filled her mind.
"Well, my dear? What has your clairvoyance shown you?" the young man said with a smile.
A surge of dread filled the Lancer's heart. She had been utilizing a sort of Clairvoyance throughout the war so far, but what she saw now was something she hadn't seen.
Why hadn't she seen it?
Then, the truth dawned on her.
"No... How..." the Lancer sputtered.
A faint memory suddenly sparked to life. The whispers of something she had overheard from beyond the Swirl of the Root.
'Once, there were seven champions. Patience. Temperance. Charity. Kindness. Diligence. Chastity. Humility. They were blinded by the light bearer’s light, and set off into the abyss, a place they had been forbidden to go by their master. They sought independence and power, and set out to uncover something that would allow them to declare themselves equal to their master. They believed that their master was hiding something in the abyss. What they found shocked them. There was indeed great power here. The essence they found was the complete opposite of that of their master. Using this essence, they forged a weapon of absolute destruction, and claimed their newfound power as their own. However, upon their return, they had found the abyss had changed them. Lion. Pig. Toad. Snake. Snail. Goat. Peafowl. They had discarded their master's love.'
"Ruler!" the Lancer yelled. "What has that thing promised you?"
"I said I would save this world," the young man responded. "And, I shall."
"Liar!" the Lancer shrieked. "You would kill everything and everyone, and plunge this world into a realm of darkness!"
"Kill them? No, no... you fail to understand, foolish woman," the young man sighed. "I have no interest in claiming another desolate dimension. No... I seek someplace fertile and rich. A place where all will be united under a single banner of peace and prosperity."
"You will fail," the Lancer warned. "Nothing can command an Agent of Despair."
"Moron. I don't need to command it," the young man said rudely. "That sweet little dove of yours has managed to keep it in check quite well, though frankly I have no clue how he hasn't succumbed to it... But it doesn't matter. I'll use him to claim the Fangs of Despair. And then... your wish will be fulfilled, Ruler. Everyone will behave themselves, out of fear of what would happen if they did not."
The Ruler closed his eyes, contemplating the young man's proposal.
"...Very well. It is not ideal, but a peaceful world created out of fear of destruction is one I am willing to work to achieve."
The Lancer cursed under her breath. If what she had been shown was true, there was no way for her to change his mind.
"I know I can't defeat you, however, I do not need to. All I need to do is lock you away," the Lancer said sternly. "And so... I shall."
"Sol. Kaun. Iss. Thurs. By my authority, I command you. Open the gate."
A great wall of crimson light appeared behind her, and from this light emerged a large stone doorway.
"Gate of Skye!"
The doorway swung open, and beyond it was a great, gaping vortex of energy. Immediately, the vortex began pulling at the walls of the cavern, as great gusts of wind began pulling down the various stalactites that covered the ceiling.
"You pretentious little bitch," the young man said angrily. "Ruler! Destroy that gate!"
"Me?" the Ruler said in surprise. "I can't stop that; the output of my Noble Phantasm is only at the level of an Anti-Army--"
"Not a problem," the young man said, a cruel smile growing across his face. "In that case... Heh. I suppose this'll be a good warm up."
The ground of the cavern had begun to shake, as if the Lancer's gate had triggered an earthquake. The ceiling rattled angrily, as large chunks of it began to be pulled into the vortex. The earth around the central pillar had begun to be stripped away, revealing a fleshy structure similar to an enormous umbilical cord concealed beneath it.
A surge of pain filled the Ruler's body, as if he had just been stabbed with a high voltage electric cable. Immediately, two basketball sized orbs, one black and one white, appeared in either of his hands. Instinctively, he flung them towards the vortex.
"Twin Arm... Big Crunch!" he screamed, instinctively firing the two orbs into the vortex.
At first, nothing happened. But then, a few seconds later, there was a great golden flash. But, just as quickly as the light appeared, it faded away, and the Lancer's gate was filled with darkness. The vortex quieted. The doors collapsed; their fragments sucked inside.
The Lancer began to scream in pain. Her hair began to whiten, her skin wrinkled.
"Fool. I've wiped out entire realities. Killing off a single pocket dimension is child's play for one as great as me," the young man gloated.
The Lancer collapsed to the ground, her body quickly withering away. The Ruler approached her quietly, and stabbed her in the back of the neck with his sword.
Around midday, Sakura arrived back at the Emiya Residence. Rin and Shirou were waiting for her at the entrance.
"That was foolish, Sakura," Rin scolded. "Why did you after Zouken on your own?"
"I thought he could help us," Sakura said shyly. "I'm sorry."
"It's all right," Shirou said kindly. "When the sky suddenly lit up, and Ruler said that Rider had been defeated, we all became quite worried. We would've gone after you, but Ruler forbade anyone else from leaving for the time being."
"There's something you all should know," Sakura said quietly. "You see--"
Suddenly, the ground began to shake violently.
"An earthquake?" Rin mumbled.
"It's coming from the mountain," said Gilgamesh, as he materialized next to his master. He seemed strangely uneasy.
A few moments later, the shaking came to a stop.
"Well, shit," murmured the Archer. "Get inside, mongrels."
"Is it really the best idea to go inside right after an earthquake? What if there are aftershocks?" asked Rin.
The Archer glared at her. "That was no--"
"Lancer has been defeated," said a voice. It was the Ruler, who had just materialized behind the group. "Archer, go survey the area around the mountain. I'll keep an eye on them."
The Archer rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed that he was being ordered around.
The Avenger escorted Bazett, Caren, and Zouken into the abandoned Einzbern Castle, where the lord from the Clock Tower had taken up residence. She was in a good mood, for she knew she would soon be able to let loose her rage upon the world that had rejected her.
In the main hall of the castle, the Lord and one of the mages he had brought along from England greeted the group.
"Where's Rider?" the Avenger demanded.
"My queen is busy with other matters," the Lord said drowsily. "I--"
"Rider!" the Avenger screamed, her voice echoing through the halls of the castle. "Get your ass out here! I know you're here!"
A few moments later, a scantily clad, pink-haired woman materialized next to the lord.
"Well now, someone's eager today," the woman said cheekily. "What's got you so riled up, my dear Avenger?"
"Cut the shit," the Avenger said, clearly annoyed. "How's your army coming along?"
The woman raised an eyebrow, then grinned wickedly. "...So, it's finally time."
"Oh, hell yes. That pathetic Ruler of ours no longer has enough servants to keep us in check. The only servants left besides yourself that he summoned are that weird bear thing and that batshit crazy assassin--"
"I am a Saber!" a voice screamed, as a blonde woman in a baseball cap materialized next to Zouken, brandishing a glowing blue blade. "You best remember that face thief!"
The Avenger rolled her eyes, clearly tired of the servant's bullshit. "I'm a face thief? I was here first, you little shit! I--"
"Now, now, my dears," said the pink-haired woman, stepping between the two servants. "Let's try to get along for now, okay? After all, I believe you two have a couple of more... problematic doppelgangers running about at the moment."
The Avenger turned to her. "What the hell are you talking about, Rider?"
"Oh, nothing much. It's just a little something my dear Conchobar warned me about," the Rider giggled. "Why don't you tell them, you two?"
Caren nodded thoughtfully. "Now that you mention it... there was a servant I saw that day at the bridge that greatly resembled you, As--Saber."
The blonde servant turned to her, her eyes wide.
"I saw something too," said Bazett. "The one that defeated Lancer had a very similar appearance to you, Avenger."
The Avenger gritted her teeth, her fists clenched tightly.
"So... What do you say, you two?" the Rider said with a smile.
The Avenger and the blonde servant looked at each other for a moment.
"Fine," the two muttered simultaneously.
"Excellent!" said the Rider. "Now then... Master, can you send a message out? I think it's time to go hunting."
"Of course, my queen," said the Lord. "I'll let the others know."
"Wonderful! Now, let's begin..." said the Rider, materializing a crop whip in her hand. Holding other her arm, she began striking herself violently, until a few drops of blood began to pool around her wound. Using the tip of the whip, she collected the droplets, and then flung them onto the ground in front of her.
The droplets grew rapidly, forming large pools of blood red liquid.
"Come forth, my good-looking braves!" the Rider shouted happily. "The time for conquest is upon us!"
Late that night, voices could be heard coming from one of the guest rooms at the Emiya residence.
"I can't do this anymore."
"I know it's difficult, but--"
"Jeanne, how many people have died? How many more people are going to die? You told me we were doing this to protect people, but this all started because I came to this city. Everyone's life was peaceful beforehand."
"You don't understand. This was all going to happen anyway."
"Bullshit. Those people are after me, and me alone."
"That's because you can stop them."
"Stop them from doing what? If I was such a big problem, why didn't they come after me before?"
"Because they couldn't. Not yet anyway."
"So, we're just speeding up the process?"
"Alex, stop."
"You haven't told me anything, really, just a bunch of cryptic bullshit."
"That's because I don't know either! The counter force--"
"Great, here we go again. I've told you again and again, I'm not one of those magic people who get involved with shit like that. I'm nobody."
"No, you're important. I wouldn't have been sent to retrieve you otherwise. This is about more than both of us, Alex. This world is in danger, and I need your help to stop it."
"By turning me into some sort of monster and destroying everything until nothing's left?"
"That was--"
"I'm not doing it, Jeanne."
"I don't want that either! You just lost control--"
"Do you really not see the problem with your strategy? I--"
"It wasn't your fault!"
"It doesn't matter! If it happens again, more people will die. I cannot, no, I will not let that happen."
"Stop."
"You just need that thing inside me, right?"
"Stop."
"You need it to kill that thing in the grail for you."
"Stop."
"Why can't you just take that thing out and put it in someone better than me? Even if you have to kill--"
"No. We've been over this. I will not allow you to die."
"But you're okay with letting other people die instead? Jeanne, what the hell are we doing here?"
"I told you; I don't know! Please, Alex! You must stay strong!"
"I can't! I'm not the sort of person you think I am! I'm a weak and pathetic person!"
"That's not true."
"You should partner with that mage, Shirou. He has all the qualities you're looking for in a person. I can tell he's much more level-headed than I am."
"Alex. I've never heard of anyone handling an Agent of Despair as well as you have. You've kept that thing inside you for over fourteen years. Most people succumb within days after encountering one."
"Jeanne... Are you saying that this thing is why--"
"Yes. That great darkness you feel weighing on your heart... That's not who you are. You are a wonderful and kind person."
"...How do you know?"
"As I have said, and as I will continue to say... I want you to live. No one was promised an easy life, and yours certainly hasn't been easy. This battle, this struggle of yours, it's the greatest nightmare of Humanity. And every time I look into your eyes, I can see the effect it has had on you. It makes me feel like crying. All I want is to remove this burden from you, to make you feel better. I know you want that too. I pray for you every day, without fail. It breaks my heart to see you like this. I wish I could do more to help you. I know you feel as if you cannot even see tomorrow, but I see a future for you. A real future. You have so much courage waking up in a world that feels so dark and cruel, and you do so every single day. So, naturally, I want you to push forward, because I know the reward will be so great one day. I do not know when that day will come, but I do know that when it does, it will make all of what you have been through seem worthwhile. I know that sometimes everything you've done seems worthless and pointless, but the fact that you keep trying is so meaningful. I have never met someone with such immense bravery."
It was a beautiful autumn morning in Fuyuki. There wasn't a single cloud in sight, and the autumn foliage in the city glowed with beautiful shades of red and orange.
As Shirou was preparing breakfast for the group, Rin, Saber, and Sakura were all sitting around the table together, casually chatting. Illya, meanwhile, was sitting in front of the television, happily singing along to the opening song of a magical girl anime.
"Say, have any of you seen from Alex recently?" asked Sakura.
"I believe he woke up sometime last night," Rin grumbled, an annoyed expression on her face. "He and that Ruler were chatting about something early in the morning; I couldn't tell what they were saying, but they were pretty noisy. Those two kept me up most of the night."
"Um... Well... You know, these Japanese-style houses don't really have the best soundproofing, and it certainly doesn't help that you’re sleeping in the room right down the hall from him so... You're welcome to sleep in the room I'm staying in; it's on the other side of the house so I don't think there will be any problems," Sakura said shyly.
"Oh, um, well, I might just take you up on that offer then..." Rin mumbled awkwardly. "I mean, we are sisters after all..."
Sakura's face lit up. "Yes! I was thinking the same thing--" she said happily.
"Hey! What the hell is this crap!" Illya screamed angrily. Her magical girl show had been cut off, with the television only showing a screen of static and the words 'NO SIGNAL' boldly printed on the screen.
Suddenly, a cloaked man burst in the room.
"We have a huge problem!" he said. "There's an army of soldiers marching out of the woodlands into the southern part of the city!"
"That's not all," said the Rogue Caster, as he materialized on the other side of the room. "Something's going on in the eastern part of the city. The police are swarming around the area, carrying assault firearms and riot gear."
"Calm down, you two," said the Ruler, as she calmly stepped into the room. "We've made preparations for this scenario."
The cloaked man cackled madly. "Prepared? Are you stupid or something? We are not--"
"Hey there," said Gilgamesh, materializing at the table next to Rin. "You know, you guys may want to do something about those monks."
"Monks? What monks?" asked the Ruler.
"You know, the ones at the school. It seems like things are going to get violent pretty soon," Gilgamesh chuckled.
Shirou's eyes widened. "You don't mean--"
"Yeah, it's the one you three mongrels used to go to," Gilgamesh said with a grin. "Homurahara Academy."
"Wonderful," the Ruler grumbled sarcastically. "Saber and Shirou, handle to the southwest corner. Find out what's going down at the school. Archer and Rin, handle the southeast. Illya, I've sent Berserker to the northwest, regroup with him and handle things there. Assassin will manage the northeast. Caster, see if you can figure out what's going on. Avenger--"
"Don't tell me what to do," the cloaked man said obstinately.
"Right... I'm going to get Alex out of the city. Caster, is your formation still functional?" asked the Ruler.
"Barely. It'll be enough to keep out most servants and familiars, but one who is properly equipped may be able to recognize what's going on and dispel the illusion," warned the Caster.
"We'll have to risk it," the Ruler said gravely.
"What should I do?" asked Sakura.
"You're with me," Rin said with a smile. "I want to see what my little sister is capable of."
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