Eduranki
Severe Cold (-30 °C/-22 °F)
(BGM)
“She has become even more of an embarrassing brute,” muses the beautiful Maid out loud. Whether she is heard or not in the midst of the wildly rampaging winds matters not to her. “She could have reproduced one of my Noble Phantasms, but instead she goes all out, claiming the greatest sacrifice. Perhaps she likes her vessel more than she lets on.”
Her head turns towards the distant Concepción Hill, were the ruins of a certain two-story house still smoke.
“Kundry has died as she lived: incapable of finding validation through her deeds. Goodbye, my pitiful child.”
To her side, the homunculus, Elisabeth, holds the Vhymeister sister to help her withstand the wind. They are both transfixed on the distant visage of the unraveling and reshaping of creation. Magdalena trembles but refuses to look away, imprinting in her mind the vaguest visage of the Truth her parents told her is the much longed aim of all magi. However, the families of Villarrica were never too shackled to the search for the Root. That likely explains why her abject terror outdoes the fascination such a sight inspires in all intelligent beings. On the other hand, Elisabeth…
The homunculus is a bit startled by the arm that wraps around her shoulders and the head that leans on her own.
“You are truly a daughter I can be proud of.”
The Maid’s breath tickles Elisabeth’s earlobe, and her nostrils catch an indescribable aroma like sweet incense, or a minty perfume. The quietest moan escapes Elisabeth’s plump lips as she squeezes her whole body tighter (and Magdalena in the process).
“Alas, I cannot shower you with love as I would like to. Not in this form.”
“Stop that,” pleas the artificial woman, her voice more a whimper.
“Oh, but you are asking me to cease being myself.” The Maid’s voice trickles with sultry amusement. “But enough of that. What do you think, my child?”
It clears she means the power just unleashed and still ravaging the sky of Valparaíso. Elisabeth hesitates to answer straight away.
“It’s scary.”
“Yet it is not fear that I see in your eyes.”
Elisabeth blinks, but remains sadly unable to take a look at herself in the absence of a mirror. The Maid smiles at the short-lived woman’s child-like bafflement.
“Do not fret. That, too, is part of the wish you seek.”
“Ah…um.” Elisabeth’s sheepish posture and expression would surprise her siblings. “More, more importantly, can we really win against something like that?”
“Oh, that is something you, my dear, do not need to worry about,” easily dismisses The Maid. “That thoughtless girl’s reproduction is merely that, a lesser imitation. It is beautiful to watch, but nothing to fear.”
“However, the fact remains that Rider will fall well before schedule, and that flashy demonstration from our reckless antagonist will stir a major reaction from a number of actors. It is only proper to declare that the original plan is no more. That unfortunately also means we no longer have the time to talk at length as I would have liked.”
“What…is going to happen?” Elisabeth surprises herself, being able to look away from that distant, lonely star to properly discuss strategy with The Maid.
“Be reminded that Berserker believes his current plan was born of clairvoyant inspiration. Without Rider around, he will take a direct stake on the maintenance of the Grail and the completion of this temple. He will come soon; you must not be here when he arrives.”
Elisabeth nods. This she understands better than anyone.
“Take the passage out of here and hide; you know which one.” Another nod. “Once I deal with Berserker, I will find you.”
The Maid pauses.
“Of course, we must always consider the possibility that I fail to deal with Berserker.”
“But that’s—”
The Maid quickly raises a hand to halt the other woman’s words.
“Should that come to pass, then forget about me and do as you wish. Your life will be in your own hands.”
“But—”
“You, too, have a wish you long to make into reality, do you not?”
The words are like a punch in the gut. Elisabeth takes a deep breath, bringing her hand to her generous chest and closing her eyes. Yes, even the likes of her has something worth fighting for.
“What…what should I do?”
The Maid shakes her head.
“I will not show you the path to the future you seek. However, I will grant a single warning: placing your fate in my student’s hands is the easiest option, but also the most risky. He will either grant you the freedom you seek, or destroy you with his own hands. You have been warned.”
Elisabeth shudders. The words of The Maid are like sacred oracular truth. The homunculus knows this wisdom bestowed is not a gift. Should she have slain the Master of Saver when she had the chance, to spare herself this haunting fate? Well, it’s too late for that.
Around them, the rampaging winds lose steam, as the world reasserts its proper (?) form. The blood tint in the sky gradually dissipates to be replaced by the frozen city’s dull blue and gray tones. Naturally, the solid icy surface of the Pacific Ocean has been transformed into a swaying carpet of floating fragments of ice knocking and crashing into each other. Just as naturally, there is neither sight nor trace of Rider’s Noble Phantasm, that pride of Nazi occult R&D.
“Credit where it is due,” speaks again The Maid, this time to everyone around her. “Rider is relentless and hard-working. For that and only that he has my utmost praise. Now it’s time for you ladies to leave.”
“What…what was that? What is going in this place?” Magdalena’s very valid questions are a desperate plea for some semblance of common sense in this maddened world of ice and cold.
“…perhaps it would be better for you to simply let what you just saw permeate your mind as a gift from fate.”
The Maid takes Magdalena from Elisabeth’s hold (no longer necessary with the winds calming down). Her embrace is an oasis of relief in the frozen world. Immersed in a feeling she has not experienced in years, Magdalena hopelessly surrenders and sinks into the soft, warm feeling. She will lament it later as an unacceptable moment of weakness, but will console herself in the fact that there is no resisting this person (?).
“I will not stop you if you choose to pursue it, but I do not find a particularly enjoyable or even worthy ordeal. You have other ambitions that inflame the passion in your heart, do you not?”
The Maid’s hand lifts Magdalena by the chin. The Villarrican is wrapped in delight for all the senses: the touch of the softest skin, the most enticing aroma that awakens one’s lust, the mellifluous voice that caresses the ear and addles the mind into imagining the sublime taste of her kisses, and the gleam of inhuman corundum eyes that leave all jewels to shame. At point-blank, subjected to The Maid’s undivided attention, she is the embodiment of all that is desirable.
“This is a realm of trials, but also a place to make your wishes come true,” she continues the Siren’s song. “There are no laws of man here to restrain you, no common sense, morals or rationality to hold you back; I offer you a frozen garden in which you may do as you will.”
Elisabeth looks away from the scene, perhaps to avoid being drawn into the devil’s lure.
The Maid’s words should have raised an alarm in Magdalena’s mind. They will, later, when she goes over this scene with a rational mindset. Right then and there, she is haplessly enraptured. When The Maid rewards her with a chaste kiss on her forehead, it is like electricity striking her body from head to toes, making shudder in orgasmic bliss.
“Go with my blessing. Let love guide you, dear child.”
The puddle that is Magdalena cannot offer even token resistance when pushed away by Servant strength.
“Now, away with you; it is no longer safe for you to be here.”
With a wordless gesture, The Maid commands Elisabeth to take the other woman into the temple’s main chamber, to the secret passage only the two and Caster know. She then regards the ever-silent Avenger.
“That is all it took for her to forget that brother of hers. How adorable.”
Something that could have been a snort echoes out of the helmet. The Maid turns away from the other Servant with a twirl of her criminally-short skirt, to again admire the frozen landscape that is her garden.
“The caged Cherufe will rest unperturbed for a while. It will be interesting to see what becomes of him without his ‘maiden’ around to restrain him. So, what are you going to do now? After that excessive effort against Rider, the girl should be easy pickings.”
Avenger’s answer is crossing his arms and leaning against the wall behind him. The Maid regales him with the briefest of laughs.
“I take it that is the honor of a king? Truly, even in that deplorable form, you remain worthy of my love.”
“What are you after?”
The Maid has no need to react. After all, she already knew the question was coming.
“You know me, sweet child. I seek one and only one thing.”
With hands on her hips, The Maid admires the playground she has assembled—a vast garden of selfishness.
“To embrace all of mankind with my passionate feelings.”
(BGM STOP)
*** ***
Unknown Location
Severe Cold (-30 °C/-22 °F; external temperature)
“That…that is insane.”
Liria did not spend long in seclusion inside a hostel room. The moment she caught the first glimpse of what Maria intended to unleash, she hurried back to the common area. The two old acquaintances watched the beginning and end of the world together.
“Really? I would say few things make more sense.”
“That’s not…I don’t get what you’re saying, but that’s not what I meant.”
“What you mean is that even after witnessing this, you feel it is not enough.”
“…I dunno what I hate more: that creepy clairvoyance of yours, or the fact that you’re always right.”
“Yes, people were always wary of me. Everybody has things they would rather others not know.”
“Even you.”
“Especially me, Liria. But you are absolutely right: while impressive, that was but a mere reproduction lacking the conceptual weight of the Sword of Rupture. Defeating Archer with that power, let alone Alter Ego, is probably impossible.”
Lily sighs.
“That girl, the vessel, must absolutely obtain Saver’s Noble Phantasm.”
“So her Noble Phantasm is even stronger than that?” Liria questions with blatant disbelief. What could possibly be stronger than the abominable power before their very eyes?
“It is not a matter of sheer destructive power, merely the right tool for the right job. It is a conceptual weapon embodying ‘the means by which Saver saved the world’, and we literally need her to save the world again.”
With that explained, Lily regards her fellow blonde next to her.
“You seem to be taking all this in stride, Liria. I expected a puddle of your urine on the floor by now.”
“Of course that won’t happen, idiot.”
The Servant mock gasps. “Don’t tell me, your lewd body has evolved to a point that it can only secrete lubricant—ow.”
“Not in the mood, brat. You know, for all that you call me lewd, maybe I should just push you down and teach you just how lewd I can be.”
“As long as you do not charge me afterwards.”
“Eh?” Liria almost uncorks her head off her neck, so quickly she turned it towards the other girl and her most unexpected response.
“Well, yes. In life my body belonged to the gods, but I would say my duties to them I fulfilled ‘with flying colors’ as you people say. I would say by this point I am allowed to offer my body to whomever I desire.”
“Um, Lily, you are creeping me out. Please stop creeping me out.”
“Then again, there is that horrendous stench like 3600 unwashed Gutian foreskins. It is an absolute mood killer.”
“Now there’s my Lily. And that is an awfully specific number.”
(BGM)
“I must apologize, Liria.”
“Aaand back to creeping me out. Since when do you apologize?”
“I promised you sanctuary, but it seems I have to go out after all.”
That does catch Liria’s attention, telling her that the time for good-natured barbs has ended.
“What is it?”
“Well, that reckless child’s overt display of power has stirred a sleeping beast. That one will not be in a state to be reasoned with, and Saver is not in any condition to handle another Servant after that effort.”
“Oh fuck, you mean the Herald. Ah well, if we gotta fight—”
“You are doing none of that. For starters, Assassin is no good with dogs.”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“And you still need rest.”
“Oh, but I’d say I’ve already recovered a little. I’m sure I can—”
“It is not just your body that needs rest, Liria.”
Liria goes awfully tense when the other girl takes her monstrous right hand in both her own. Lily’s hold is firm, but very, very warm.
“You have a lot in your mind right now. Rest your body, settle your thoughts. The time will come for you to release those strained emotions.”
“Can you defeat the Herald?”
“Why are you even worrying about that? Dwell on the truly important questions, like how many fingers in how many holes you will use to relieve yourself while I am away.”
“Oh, fuck off.”
“I thought you intended to do that to me?”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll rock your world when you come back,” retorts Liria laughingly while shushing away the insolent young Servant. “Don’t worry about me; I’ve still got Presence Concealment, they won’t find me that easily.”
Lily is still laughing by the time she closes the door behind her, leaving Liria Colhuán to stare at it in silence for the good part of a minute.
It did not elude her.
“Can you defeat the Herald?”
Lancer Lily did not answer that question.
*** ***
Caster’s Workshop
Day 03
Evening Phase – 10
Severe Cold (-30 °C/-22 °F; external temperature)
(BGM)
The cave has been immersed in silence for a while. We are all sweating like pigs—this environment cannot be healthy—, but we cannot find it in ourselves to complain. It is a vague thing, the feeling of sweat trickling down my skin.
I can’t take my eyes away. It is beautiful and terrifying, perfect and twisted, glorious and so very lonely. It is everything and nothing; I really cannot put any concrete words on it, I’m just rambling in my mind.
“It’s scary. No, it’s fucking terrifying,” Senta murmurs by my side.
“Yeah.”
“No, you don’t get it.” Senta sounds heartbreakingly sad and defeated. “Even after watching this, I still have the utmost certainty that my creator is stronger. And that’s scary as fuck.”
I…don’t know what to say to that. It’s really too scary to think about.
“It’s…it really sucks. Not having hope.”
We are already holding each other; there is not much more I can do for her.
“Life without hope is no life worth living.”
We never noticed Caster turning their attention to us. The translucent veil does not conceal their calm smile.
“Whether you live a day or a hundred years, you can’t get anywhere without faith.”
“Faith and hope are two different things,” I muse.
“Are they, really?” Caster posits mysteriously before taking a few steps towards the kitchenette. Inevitably, my sight fixates on the vapor curtain, which seems to vibrate under the overwhelming force of the very image it displays.
“That’s…it’s not gonna stay like that forever, is it?” Senta asks the question I admit I have in my mind as well.
“Oh, no, of course not. It is not like it’s the real thing; the World will soon reassert itself,” Caster replies from the other side of the wall.
“Do you know?” I ask the Servant. “What price will she have to pay, for that power?”
“You ask too much of me. Besides, if the girl has made her choice, what point is there in dwelling on it after that fact?”
“Isn’t that a bit too callous?”
“Really? Did not take you for the type to care that much.”
“What do you know about me?” Even I realize I sound a bit too petty right now.
“Enough,” declares Caster as they step into our sight, now carrying a tray with small clay cups. “Here you go.”
It does look like tea at first glance, but…
“What is this?”
“Like I said, an herbal infusion. You should drink it quickly, we don’t have all the time in the world.”
The way they say that…Senta too becomes quite taut next to me.
“What do you mean?”
Caster shrugs.
“Master’s orders. Ah, don’t get me wrong: the orders don’t involve you, but now that you’re here, I have to include you.”
“Priestess. Rider is likely to be defeated this very evening. Should that come to happen, you must disappear until I reach out to you. The Fourth Reich must not take a hold of your Noble Phantasm. Do not let them.”
“So, I can’t stay here any longer, and you probably shouldn’t either.”
“Wait, wait, what’s going on?” Senta takes the word, pushing herself off me. Her attention has been completely pulled out of the screen—the fact that the sky seems to be normalizing at last (well, what’s normal in this singularity thing).
“Our maker is now making a move against the Sovereign? But she—!”
Caster smiles.
“See? The geas has been removed. She has decided there is no reason to conceal herself anymore. Oh, I think we still can’t reveal her identity, though.”
Ah, so it is really as I suspected. Sometimes it sucks to be in the right.
“The Maid is the Master of the Singularity, isn’t she?”
The Servant nods.
“Indeed, she is the creator of Senta here, as well as the person who summoned me and the others.”
“And the one who froze the whole damn city.”
“Yes. She is the one who brought the Grail to this land and built the underground base, among other things.”
“I thought you built the base,” inquires Senta.
“Oh, I guess I helped. Now is really not the time for the full explanation. Drink your infusions while we decide where to go from here.”
“No, no, no, I’m not drinking anything before you tell me what it is.”
Caster sighs and rolls their eyes like I’m being unreasonable for being suspicious or something.
“It should help you hasten your intake of ambient magical energy if you activate your circuits, but more importantly, it should help you sidestep your current exhaustion by turning your fat reserves into energy. I believe the modern term is ‘ketosis’.”
That’s…more normal than I expected. Senta is looking at me.
“…you’re not diabetic, are you?”
I shake my head.
“Ah, then it should be fine…?”
If it does what Caster says it does.
“Any side effects?” That you are willing to tell me.
“Um.” Caster brings a finger to their lips. It’s supposed to be a cutesy gesture or the likes, but if this person is a man, then it’s just kind of weird. “Well, it does not replace a proper meal.”
Well, yes. It’s a little like drinking booze to stave off the cold.
“But more importantly, any ideas on where to go?” Caster seats on a cushion in front of me. “I would like to see sweet Liria, but I have no idea where she is.”
“You seem in a bit of a hurry,” Senta points out. Caster shrugs.
“It’s the orders. For all I know someone could already be on its way here. I’d rather not be here when Avenger or, gods forbid, Berserker himself comes here looking for me.”
Somehow, I’m starting to get the idea that this “Fourth Reich” is far from a solid monolith. Rather, isn’t it falling apart on its own? Assassin and Senta already turned their backs to it, and now The Maid is pulling off some move behind their backs, and Caster’s allegiance clearly does not belong to the Nazis, unless they’re pulling off a hell of a performance.
It should be relieving, but it only makes things more confusing. Who is and is not an enemy? Who is the one we are supposed to stop?
“On whose side are you really on?”
“Oh, I merely do what I believe is right,” Caster easily replies. “I am a Servant. I am loyal first and foremost to my own beliefs.”
Of course, an ambiguous an answer as it could be.
“So, any ideas where should we teleport to?”
“Teleport?”
“Oh, yes!” Caster suddenly sounds rather enthusiastic. “It turns out I can teleport in and out of my workshop! I was so surprised when I figured this out; you see, we did not have that kind of magic in my time anymore. Oh, it is truly a shame I have to abandon my workshop, but I might as well make the last teleport count!”
“Um, guys, it’s cool to know we can teleport and all, but, um…what about this fella?” Senta intervenes, shamelessly poking Seigi Nomikata’s forehead. “How long is he supposed to stay out of it?”
“Oh, he is just tired. I would say he underestimated his recent use of magical energy. He really could use some rest,” Caster points out before bringing their fingers together like that rich asshole from The Simpsons. “Or you could give him some of my infusion before waking him up!”
Are they perhaps a little too insistent on having us drink that thing, or is it just my paranoia?
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Originally Posted by Arashi_Leonhart
