CHAPTER 12:
THE EDGE OF DESTRUCTION
Sirius frowned. "Sorry, what happened?"
"That rather appalling woman your godson spoke of, Celenike…she tried forcing Astolfo to murder him, along with the others. I had Jackie kill her, slowly. After confiscating her Command Seals, of course," Reika said, giving a rather unnerving smile, despite the fact that she was speaking of killing another person.
"Good riddance," Mordred sneered. "How are the others?"
"Well…given Astolfo is lacking a Master, Sieg seems to be volunteering. Well, another Servant the Black Faction has lost is only a good thing. That's…three down? Saber, Berserker, and Rider? Two defected to us, and a third now dead," Reika said.
"Doesn't mean a damn thing," Drake said, as she manned the helm. "Numbers are not all that determine a battle. Look at Thermopylae. A pissy little army of Greeks led by 300 Spartans managed to hold off hundreds of thousands of Persian soldiers because they chose the right place to fight. Yggdmillennia have had seven decades to prepare. Then again, if what Jeanne d'Arc thinks is true, then so's that bilge rat of a priest. So, our best chance of winning is to be a fly in the ointment, a wild card, the unexpected storm blowing up out of nowhere. You know that old saying about no plan surviving contact with the enemy? Well, we're the enemy here."
"Do you think you could do any damage to that fortress?" Sirius asked.
"Tough question," Drake remarked. "My Noble Phantasm is Anti-Army, not Anti-Fortress. Ditto Mordred's. And that thing is most definitely a fortress. If we attacked with our Noble Phantasms simultaneously, we might just be able to do some damage. Still, that damned thing's not without defences, as you saw with Astolfo."
Mordred, who was looking over the side of the railing, frowned. "Okay…that was a serious dick move."
"What was?" Kairi asked, joining his Servant at the railing and looking down. "Yeesh, look what fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down."
Sirius joined them, as did Reika. "What in the name of Merlin's saggy nutsack is that blobby thing?" he asked in disgust, as he watched a mutated mass of meat attack a much smaller figure.
"I don't think Merlin's scrote was saggy. He was too much of a pretty boy for that. But I think that used to be Berserker of Red," Mordred muttered. "I saw some bitch with cat ears, I think it was Archer of Red, lure him to…well, that's Ruler down there. I think that priest really has it out for her, whether he's a Ruler or not. Oi, Drake, you reckon you can give her a hand?"
"Well, I suppose," Drake said, quickly bringing the Hind down closer to the ground. "AHOY THERE, YOU SCURVY LAND-LUBBER!" she roared at Berserker.
The creature turned to her. "Another oppressor? You too shall receive my love! Spartacus will crush ALL OPPRESSORS!" he roared back.
Drake grinned, dashing onto the bow as the Berserker lumbered towards them. As Sirius watched, ghostly ships emerged from ripples in space nearby. Cannons also appeared, massive and intimidating. "HEAR ME, SPARTACUS, AND ENGRAVE THIS INTO YOUR MEMORY! I AM FRANCIS DRAKE, EL DRAGO, AND I AM THE WOMAN WHO BROUGHT DOWN THE SUN! GOLDEN WILD HUNT!"
With that, she fired off her flintlocks, a seemingly futile gesture against the mutated Berserker. But that was the cue for blasts of energy to lance forth, pelting Spartacus with searing light. Mordred then yelled at Jeanne, "Look, I know you wanna be neutral, but I don't think the rest of the Red Faction give a fuck! Climb on!"
Jeanne, after a moment's hesitation, leapt on board with supernatural strength. "Get us out of here with all due haste, Rider of Red!" the saint demanded. "That won't keep him down for long!"
"I can see that, Ruler," Drake said grimly, rushing back to the helm and raising the Hind to what she hoped was a safe height. Spartacus' body was swelling and rippling and glowing in rather ominous ways. "Sink me, what will it take to kill this bastard?!"
"It's his Noble Phantasm, Crying Warmonger," Jeanne said grimly. "It absorbs damage, regenerates it, and stores up mana from the attacks. But after a certain point of catastrophic damage, well…" She gestured at the blobby form of what was once the rebellious gladiator.
"He starts looking like something out of a Resident Evil game," Reika remarked. "Can he die?"
"…I don't know, at least as far as attacks against him are concerned. An Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm might be able to do it, but I can't be sure. And with all that magical energy stored away…"
"He's a bomb with a hair-trigger," Kairi whispered in horrified realisation. "Shit. If he goes off too close to Trifas…"
"Not only that. I think that, when he does rupture…he can do it as a directed blast, possibly Anti-Fortress in level. If he decides to unleash it at Trifas…"
"All those people," Sirius whispered in horror. "Yggdmillennia has a lot to answer for, but there's still the Forvedges, the people of Trifas…and Harry's still at the castle!"
Astolfo sighed in relief. "Thanks, Sieg! You really saved my bacon by making a new contract. And…Assassin, was it? While I don't like the fact that you killed my Master so…messily, I'm grateful you stopped her from making me kill my friends."
Jackie smiled at the crossdressing Rider. "You're welcome. Harry said you were a bit weird, but a nice guy. Your old Master was a mean bully, and a bad woman."
Sieg grimaced, even as the female Homunculus they had rescued from the battlefield, who have the name of Toole, cleaned up Celenike's remains. It was his first time witnessing death, after all, and a particularly brutal and horrific one. "Did she deserve to die?" Sieg asked.
"She and Darnic," Harry said grimly. Celenike's death may have been brutal, but she reminded him too much of Bellatrix Lestrange. Someone like that shouldn't exist in the world. Though he wondered why the liquid from the tanks seemed to be looking a touch muddy. "Don't get me wrong, the Forvedges we're definitely sparing, and Gordes, while a pompous prick, I'm not sure he deserves to. Ditto that creepy little sod Roche. But Darnic…he merges with infant souls to remain eternally young. That being said, how are we going to get these Homunculi out of here safely?"
"I'll deal with that," Toole said stoically. "However, you should make haste. If what Celenike said was true, then Caster had detection abilities built into the Bounded Field here. He may realise something has gone wrong soon, unless he is busy with another matter."
"I was," came the voice of Avicebron, who was in the door, flanked by Roche. A number of golems also entered the room, not the bulky combat models, but the slender ones used as servants. More of the combat models emerged from other entrances. "However, it seems that I came here at the right moment." He then snapped his fingers, and suddenly, the muddy liquid around them enveloped them, turning into restraints, rock-hard, restraining the three Servants, Harry, and the two Homunculi who could do anything more than breathe or sit up.
"What the hell?!" Harry yelped.
"My security system, which I enhanced after your escape, Potter," Avicebron said. "On my command, I can have golems secreted throughout the room in liquid form solidify to restrain those on my will. Just as well Celenike perished. I was admittedly preoccupied when I sent her to intercept you. She is…was a most irrational woman, and would have killed you. You and the Homunculus are very valuable to me. One of you will become the reactor core for my Noble Phantasm, Golem Keter Melkuth."
Harry stared at the impassive golden mask of Avicebron, and the delighted-looking face of Roche. "You bastards," Harry said. "You're willing to sacrifice my life, just to create your stupid bloody Noble Phantasm?!"
"Shut up!" Roche retorted. "You don't get to talk to Teacher like that, you traitor!"
"You will not die, merely become one with my Noble Phantasm," Avicebron said. "I'm still undecided whether to use you or the Homunculus."
"Sieg…" growled Eve as she struggled against the muddy restraints, electricity crackling around her. "His…name…is…Sieg…"
Avicebron scoffed quietly. "He has no name, any more than you do, Berserker. Victor Frankenstein wished to make you his Eve, but he never gave you a name because he saw you for what you are, a failed creation, not even approaching perfection. I intend to use my Noble Phantasm to recreate Eden. And I will not let either of you stand in the way of what has been my most fervent dream since…WHAT?!"
Avicebron's usually calm and measured tones suddenly rose in shock. And Harry soon saw why. Sieg was flaring with energy, before the Homunculus was consumed in light, and the sound of the golem restraints shattering. In the brief moment of blindness that followed, there was a snarl of pain, and then, as Harry blinked the glare from his eyes, he saw that Avicebron was now pinned to a wall of the laboratory, his mask slipping off, revealing a tanned face with a golden beard, and golden eyes(1). Blood dribbled from his mouth as he stared at his killer in astonishment, anger, and even awe.
His killer appeared to be Siegfried, his sword pinning Avicebron to the wall. And yet, Harry knew it wasn't. "…Sieg?"
"I see…" Avicebron rasped. "Siegfried donating his heart to you did this…you're a Demi-Servant…yet another disappointing life, to end it without completing my Adam. And yet…to see something like this…" He chuckled painfully, motes of light wafting from his body. "At least I have seen…something truly…impossible…and wondrous…before the end…" Then, to Roche, he said, "…You were…my best…student…Roche…carry on…our…" And with that, he faded away completely. With Avicebron's death, the restraints on the others melted back into muddy slurry.
Roche screamed, in utter dismay, "TEACHERRRRRR!" He turned on Sieg angrily. "YOU MONSTER! WHY DID YOU KILL TEACHER?! HE WAS WORTH MORE THAN EVERYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD!"
Sieg just looked at the young boy pityingly, before knocking him out. Then, he flared with light, and Sieg's body returned to normal. Panting with exhaustion, he began carrying Roche, with more than a little effort due to his exhaustion, over to the others. "What do we do with him?" Jackie asked.
"…As much as he is a vicious little bastard, we'll leave him be for now," Harry said. "He has no Servant, and he's only a kid." He looked at Toole. "Can you look after him?"
The female Homunculus nodded. "What will you do now?"
"…We'll need to find a way to ensure your safety," Harry said. "Plus, we're not sure we can trust the priest in charge of the Red Faction, as he may be a Ruler Servant left over from the previous one. We've already warned the Black Faction, but I'm worried about the Forvedges. I don't think they actually meant me any real harm, did they Eve?"
Eve shook her head. "Hmph!"
"They now only have Lancer and Archer on their side. Berserker, Assassin and Rider are on our side, Caster and Saber are dead, and…"
Jackie suddenly yelled, "We need to get out of here now! Berserker of Red is about to explode!"
"Set me down here, now!" Jeanne demanded.
"What do you mean? You can't stand against whatever he intends to unleash, it's suicide!" Sirius protested angrily.
"I have a number of Noble Phantasms at my disposal. Luminosité Eternelle is one of them." She brandished her flag. "It is a symbol of how I rallied my troops in life with hardly any wounds. It effectively allows me to throw up a protective barrier around myself and anyone nearby. At the very least, while I won't be able to block Spartacus' blast entirely, I will be able to protect Trifas and at least part of the Yggdmillennia citadel, if only because of how I block the attack." Jeanne seemed to lose patience, before leaping off the Golden Hind, and yelled up at them. "Get away from here, now!"
"You heard the lass," Drake said, bringing the Hind up from the ground.
"We need to get to the castle, now!" Sirius yelled.
"There isn't time! You should've given them Portkeys to evacuate with!"
"I didn't think they'd have a ticking time bomb to deal with! I thought the Servants would be enough to deal with any problems!" Sirius grimaced. He should have thought this out more. But between Azkaban, his frustration at being cooped up in 12 Grimmauld Place, and his confidence Harry would be able to handle what came their way, conspired to have him believe things would work themselves out. And that stupidity could cost Harry his life…
Harry sent Astolfo to retrieve the Forvedges, as he could use his Hippogriff to get them out of the castle easily. Meanwhile, he, along with Sieg and Toole, were directing the golems left over from Avicebron's attack, those that hadn't dissolved, to help carry the Homunculi out. They were just carrying them out when suddenly, they heard a distant roar of "THIS! IS! SPARTACUS!" Eve, on instinct, flung Harry and Sieg down to the ground, covering them with her body, an ultimately futile gesture if Spartacus' attack was powerful enough.
What they heard next was…well, it was difficult to call it anything as mundane as a mere sound. It was as if reality itself was vibrating some eldritch note, an unpleasant droning twanging roar filling the air, and their bones. It was as if the very Devil himself was playing a chord on some hellish instrument. Even with his eyes shut, the violet glare all but blinded Harry. He only knew that survived because the only sound he could hear was the bass thud of his heart in his chest. That, and the weight of Eve's body partly on his own.
He found himself helped to his feet by Eve, blinking his eyes to get rid of the afterimage. He almost jumped at the touch of a hand. "…Okay," he suddenly heard the voice of Fiore. "I just healed your eardrums and eyes."
He blinked, and found Fiore being carried by Astolfo in a bridal carry. Harry looked around. Sieg, Eve, Jackie, and the Homunculi looked to be relatively unharmed. However, a significant amount of damage had been done to the castle. "…What about Trifas?"
Astolfo nodded. "It's okay. I saw it from above, and the blast seemed to miss the town. At best they're going to deal with shattered windows. Something or someone managed to block part of the attack, I think."
Fiore looked at Harry. "Thanks for sending Rider to fetch us both. I don't know whether our room was damaged by the blast, but still…"
"You're welcome. As long as you're not going to kill me, I won't kill you," Harry said. He then looked up at the sky, where the Hanging Gardens of Babylon were fast approaching. "Besides…I think we have more urgent priorities, don't you agree?"
Eve's grunt was really only an affirmation of what they were all thinking. Shirou Kotomine, whether he planned on something like this happening in the first place, or else was merely taking advantage of the situation (the latter was most likely), was moving in towards his prize. Still, there was some hope. Hovering just behind and underneath the Hanging Gardens was the Golden Hind. Which meant that there was still some possibility to salvage this mess…
CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:
Okay, I know I said the next chapter may not be out for a while. But I found the inspiration for this one at least. The next chapter may not be for a while, though. I know you might be getting sick of me saying it, but it has to be said.
Now, Sieg has transformed for the first time, and Avicebron has bit the dust. I didn't think Avicebron wouldn't leave his workshop, or at least the Homunculus lab, unattended for very long if he knew something was up. But I didn't know how to resolve the situation, until I remembered Sieg and his transformation. So I thought having Sieg transform for the first time and skewer Avicebron was a nice solution to it.
It was also an apt way to deal with Avicebron. Avicebron…I would have more sympathy for, if he didn't betray Roche like he did. Sure, Roche is a misanthropic little sociopath who needed a kick up the arse, but being basically eaten by a massive golem? I actually think of Avicebron as one of the duller Servants (not just of Fate/Apocrypha, but of the Nasuverse in general), despite the whole saga with his Noble Phantasm in the second half of the series. He doesn't even really seem like much of a villain, even with his misanthropy. Even his monomania on completing his mega-golem isn't really focused on as much as it could have, at least in the anime, and he comes across, in the end, as a poor Xerox of Shirou Kotomine, given his obsession with bringing Paradise to the world. I'm not that sure about the light novels and how much they add to his characterisation.
Anyway, I thought this, oddly enough, was a more fitting end for him, dying at the hand of one he intended to exploit. Yeah, he sort of does so in canon, with Sieg being one of those attacking the mega-golem, but I also felt it fitting that, not only does he die with his dream unfulfilled, but he dies without betraying Roche. I also wrote in that bit where he admires Sieg's Demi-Servant form as he dies to give him a touch of humanity he sorely needed, and make his death just a little more heartwarming.
Review-answering time! I have to admit, I'm actually a little chuffed at the reaction I got for Celenike's death, even if it put one or two of you off your meals. I tend to write Jackie as just plain adorable in the fics that feature her (probably as an antidote to her canon appearances, where her adorable nature is vastly outweighed by her more macabre tendencies), so I needed to write a scene that showed that, while adorable and potentially redeemable, she is still Jack the Ripper.
1. While Avicebron's face in life is partly shown in the anime, the face of his Servant form never is, beyond a single golden eye. Given the blond hair spilling out of his hood, compared to the dark hair he has in flashbacks, I feel that he looks like Liquid Snake from Metal Gear Solid, but with a darker tan and a beard, along with golden eyes. This is mainly because Liquid's voice actor in English, Cam Clarke, is the same as Avicebron's.