Here it is at last – the next chapter, so hard to write and… You'll see. Thank You for reading this far!
Special thanks to hyperomegasonic26 for all the fantastic ideas used in this story!
Chapter 13: Broken World
"Aren't we all broken here?"
"Maybe you're right…" Her smile was sad and defiant at the same time. "Sometimes this whole world seems to be broken."
Drawing runes around such a large area, while dodging a multiple weapons, coming from all possible directions, was not an easy task. But Scáthach was not an ordinary warrior and at this moment she could easily repel or avoid all of Archer's missiles.
They were too close to the Grail to risk any unexpected damage. Maybe the King of Heroes has chosen their battlefield with an intention to cause as much chaos as possible? Or rather he planned to corner his opponent and force her to call Berserker to fight alongside his Master?
No, Berserker was not allowed to come near Archer. Scáthach did not even want to know, what would happen, if two world-destroying Noble Phantasm collide. She was sure, that her Servant will obey the order to stay away from this duel.
Gilgamesh only laughed at her efforts to raise a protective barrier around their battlefield.
"Truly… to worry about the others in your situation? Shouldn't you be focused more on surviving right now?"
"A victory at the cost of others is not a true victory. You should know such things, as a fellow guardian and king. Have you forgotten about your role and started to only think of yourself?"
Even if Archer felt offended, he did not show it; a thin smile, full of superiority, stuck on his face.
"Oh? So, like this pathetic Saber, you see a path of kingship as a duty, a service to humanity?"
"No, a king should not serve his subjects, if this is what you mean. But he should show them possibilities and let them choose the right way."
"A foolishness," he gave her a snort of disgust. "A king knows better what is good for his people."
"Even if he truly knows it, he should teach them, not force them to obey. If they have a choice and still choose to follow you, you're a good king."
Gilgamesh started to laugh, so much, that his arms were shaking uncontrollably. He stopped firing his weapons for a moment to regain his composure.
"Are you mad? The heavens are above the earth not without reason. You don't apologize to ants for stepping on them – so gods and kings don't apologize to humans for their decisions."
"I've killed some gods and kings." Scáthach shrugged. "There's nothing special about them. And you should know, that a true leader don't trample the grass, but helps it to grow. If you don't know even this simple truth, you're like an ignorant child to me."
Archer was about to response, but something visibly disturbed and annoyed him. He turned around and glanced at the temple behind, a pure hatred in his gaze.
"Tch… That woman! She dares to command me!"
What was even worse - it seemed that only Scáthach's barrier was blocking the power of the Ruler's Command Seals. Archer found this fact humiliating as hell.
"Hey, your enemy is here!" The warrior queen did not want to tarnish her reputation by a surprise attack and faced him fairly, now in the close range. Gilgamesh had to use one of his swords to block their attacks. Only a few blows were needed to tell, that he could not possibly match her fighting skills.
"Why have so many weapons if you can't truly master even one of them?" – Scáthach asked and suddenly accelerated. She managed to break through his defense and could already see a spark of surprise or fear in Archer's eyes.
"You're so sure about it?" He seemed to quickly recover from the shock. "Enkidu!"
Using all her abilities to escape, and runes to bend the space around her body to make the chain miss the target, she was able to avoid first blows. But she couldn't run eternally and she soon ended immobilized, defenseless like a fly, caught in the spider's web.
"I must acknowledge your skills, witch," Gilgamesh said honestly, playing with a strange key in his hand. "You are powerful enough to have this honor. You will die from my greatest treasure. Ea."
In the forest on the other side of the lake, where Rin and Shirou were hiding for now, licking their wounds after the last Balmung blast, Berserker suddenly stood up and stared at the temple. He was visibly nervous, or even torn apart by some serious dilemma.
"Archer?" Tohsaka walked up to the Servant, alarmed by his unusual behavior. "Scáthach is in danger?"
He nodded and tensed even more. Just looking at him was making the girl feel insecure.
"Why don't you go to her? Don't worry about us, just go."
He did not answer, but, judging from his worried expression and hesitation, the situation had to be extremely serious out there. And the reason to stay must have been even more important.
"Archer?"
"I can't."
"Why? A Command Seal binds you or something?"
"More. I can't. Trust me."
Rin sighed heavily and shivered, when a strange source of mana appeared on the other side of the lake, out of the blue, like coming out from another dimension.
"What's happening?" – Shirou asked, trying to see any details in a strange blaze, which lightened up the whole mountain with some dark colors.
"This is a Noble Phantasm? Seriously?" A mix of admiration and fear in Tohsaka's eyes. "It's so powerful, that it's actually scary…"
Rin stared at Archer, like she was trying to find the answer on his expressionless face. But he only kept watching the distant lights, with his black eyeball twitching nervously, determined to obey Scáthach's order to the very end.
The energy was twirling, like around some gigantic drill, tearing the earth and heaven apart.
It was not the full power of this blade, not even an important part of its full capacity. But it was already terrifying.
Scáthach stared right into the eye of the cyclone with a calm expression.
Is it enough to kill me?
Perhaps it was. Perhaps her deepest wish will be granted just now. Perhaps she has finally found the one to kill her.
Then why she wasn't smiling?
Right, she's almost forgotten the most important thing. This was not the end she dreamed of. Not the right person. She will die, someday, in a way she'll choose for herself. This golden tyrant was not the savior, but the enemy, who should be taken down at all costs.
She lowered her head, gathering magical energy and trying to find the best combination of runes to free herself from this irritating chains. The time was running out quickly, too quickly…
"Enuma Elish!"
"Excalibur!"
"What?" Scáthach raised her head again, just to see Saber, who was standing proudly on the way of this unstoppable hurricane, and tried to block it, even if just for a moment, with the wave of energy of her own holy sword.
"I'm giving you all I've got, Saber!" – Ilya shouted, the red circles of Command Seals reached Arturia, increasing the power of the blast. But it was still not enough, they all were about to die here.
"How boring." The King of Heroes gave Saber a nasty smile. "Get out of the way, filthy, corrupted mongrel."
She will not make it, there's no way. Despite this thought, the warrior queen was still fighting with the chains. And this naïve child... She shouldn't have been here, it's not her fight. She's just like her stupid brother, who always plays the hero.
Arturia groaned painfully, feeling that she's already reached her limit. But she bravely withstood the pressure, too stubborn and proud to let go.
"Good, Saber. Just hold on a little longer…" A familiar but unexpected voice sounded behind and the second holy sword joined the clash. "Balmung!"
"Rider?" Ilya blinked. "How? Why?"
"It's not important as long as he saves your skin, right, child?" – The warrior queen did not intent to reject any help in this desperate situation.
"You're totally right, teacher!" A smudge of blue energy materialized next to her, taking the form of a Servant. "But… hey! It doesn't look like kicking Archer's ass, you know?" Lancer put on a brave face, as usual. With a combination of runes and strikes of his spear, he managed somehow to free Scáthach at last. "Not at all."
"Oh? Maybe this Master of yours is not such a coward to let you come here at last?"
"It's… complicated." Cú Chulainn chuckled. "Let's just say that this cute little girl over there is stubborn enough to make him forget about my insubordination."
Scáthach only smiled in response. She was bleeding from many minor wounds, looked pale and tired, but it only made her bloodlust grow stronger. She was angry at herself for almost giving up in the most important moment. She'll never make that mistake again.
The moment, when three great Noble Phantasms clashed, was hard to describe. The ultimate weapon wielded by the King of Heroes was so powerful, that the two strongest swords from the Western legends were able only to neutralize one blast. Archer was far from going all out, yet still both swordsmen were left exhausted and Saber, who wasn't connected to the energy coming straight from the Grail, had lost almost all her mana in this single attack.
"How dare you...?!" Gilgamesh was truly mad right now, because some mere mongrels have just ruined his fun. "You will not survive the next one."
"There won't be the next one, King of Heroes," Scáthach said, spinning both of her spears so fast, that human eyes could not keep up with their movements.
"You'll never learn, won't you?"
"The same trick won't work twice." Her red eyes were shining brighter than before. "Come, Sétanta! Watch and learn!"
A wide, wild smile appeared on Lancer's face, when he joined his teacher in battle.
"Finally! Remember when we used to cause hell together?"
"Of course. And I've waited far too long for a chance to do it again!"
Finally, the three red spears stroke, one by one. The first one was to distract the enemy and stop him from using his Noble Phantasm or this problematic chain again. The second one, strengthened with runes, was to break Archer's defense – to partially dispel or just weaken his golden armor, for a moment needed to land the next blow.
The final hit belonged to Scáthach. With Cú Chulainn covering her back, she was at last able to fully use her speed and she fell on Gilgamesh like an angry panther. It was impossible to avoid her last attack. The spear of the warrior queen found the heart of the golden Servant and pierced through his core.
"It seems that I've miscalculated… again," the King of Heroes said, losing more and more energy with every single breath.
"You don't pay attention to people," Scáthach explained. She was breathing heavily, exhausted after their long and fierce exchange of thoughts and blows. "That's why you actually don't know anything about your enemies… or even friends."
He chuckled faintly and chocked with blood.
"I've had only one friend… and it was more than enough."
Something in his voice made Scáthach cool down in an instant.
"I can see it now," she said, without pity but also free of hatred towards him. "You're truly broken. And you're trying to hide your endless despair under this gigantic ego of yours."
Archer's eyes narrowed dangerously, but after a short while he just smiled peacefully.
"Aren't we all broken here?"
"Maybe you're right…" Her smile was sad and defiant at the same time. "Sometimes this whole world seems to be broken."
When Gilgamesh finally lost his material body and vanished into the cloud of mana, the warrior queen at last let herself show some weakness and fell unconscious into Saber's arms.
Cú Chulainn stared at Siegfried, who was watching Archer's end with an enigmatic expression on his face. When it was over, the Dragon-Blooded Knight dispelled his sword and prepared to leave, like nothing unusual had ever happened.
"Wait!" Lancer stopped him, not sure, how to react. "Why are you here? What's the meaning of this?"
"My job is done." Rider shrugged. "Ruler couldn't control Gilgamesh through your barrier, so she wanted him dead. And I volunteered to help you, that's all."
He turned his back to Cú Chulainn, clearly having nothing more to say. But everyone, who knew him well, could feel a lot of emotions in his ostensibly calm voice. There was a joy of seeing them again and fighting on their side, along with regret, that this is their last time together.
It was the perfect moment to end the problem before it even started, having Siegfried here, surrounded, unarmed and without the witch to mess around with her spells. Just like they promised to help each other, back then, on the roof of the Tohsaka mansion…
He knows, what I'm thinking, Lancer realized and clenched his teeth. He allows me to kill him. No, it's more. He asks me to do it.
As if to confirm this theory, Siegfried glanced at Cú Chulainn over his shoulder and tossed his long hair aside to expose his back. The vulnerable spot was now clearly visible even from a distance, like a shooting target, inviting Lancer to throw his weapon.
Lancer knew that it has to be done and he tightened the grip on the spear until his fingers hurt. But… he couldn't strike. He just couldn't do it.
This is wrong. He's a hero, not a wild animal. And I'm not an assassin to cowardly stab a warrior in the back! Even if…
Even if it has to be done.
If Rider was disappointed by Cú Chulainn's decision, he did not show it. He just slowly walked away and dematerialized just beyond the reach of a spear throw.
Back on the temple grounds, Siegfried could feel the power of Command Seals in use, filling the air with the characteristic tension. But no pressure followed the sensation, no ultimate order to obey. Assassin and Archer were already gone, so if those spells were not for him…
Saber? Too bad I'm late.
Ruler was walking there and back again, next to the remnants of the main building, a ravel crunched under her feet. When she acted also as a Master, she was far more dangerous than any Servant, who participated in this war. She could feel the presence of Siegfried nearby, but ignored it completely, mumbling something under her breath and making plans for the next battle.
Maybe she just trusted her own powers or her obedient puppet this much?
"Jeanne."
She turned around to face him and at this moment Balmung pierced her chest with an extremely strong strike.
Ruler only coughed painfully, spitting blood, and reached out her hand to the treacherous Servant. Her golden eyes were looking at him with a strange mixture of anger, disbelief and pain, but there was also a promise of vengeance in this fading gaze.
"I'm sorry." Rider did not allow her to use magic again. He pulled his sword back, tearing apart her chest even further. He though that there was ridiculously much blood inside this small, artificial body. Her knees surrendered and she was about to fall, but Rider held her limp body, not letting it hit the ground.
Minutes were passing in silence, but he waited patiently, enduring the heavy gaze of the dying girl and almost bathing in her blood.
Then she moved again, at last, and it was different than before.
"Siegfried…" Her eyes were like two bright amethysts now and the tears started to flow freely, when she clung to him. "I know what she's done. I'm so sorry…"
"Don't be, Jeanne. Your heart is still pure, as always."
She needed a moment to calm down. After a short while, she wiped the blood from her face and took a deep breath.
"This body will recover soon and she'll be back," she said simply, her voice sounded stronger and more decisive than before.
"I know." Rider's calm demeanor helped Jeanne a lot to make her decision.
"This is why I have to destroy her completely."
"Yes."
"So you must go, away from me, or you'll be…"
"It's all right, I'll stay with you." He gently kissed her forehead and stepped back. "I'll be right here."
"But you will…"
Then she saw his smile and understood. Siegfried's magic circuits already barely resembled the ones of a Servant and a spirit of an evil dragon hovered over him like an ominous fog. These were most likely his last moments of sanity in this humanoid form.
Jeanne nodded and drew her sword. Rider was watching the girl with a calm expression, standing right behind her, as he promised. She kneeled before the blade and said calmly:
"O' Lord, I entrust this body to you…"
Her eyes were closed now, her voice strong and sweet. This was the prayer of the holy virgin, coming straight from her heart, and nobody could deny the noble beauty of this scene.
Soon the flames arose around both Servants, bringing them a purification they desired.
No more words were needed. Holding their hands, they smiled one last time, sure that neither the Dragon Witch, nor her pet, will be a threat to their friends and this world anymore.
Sakura woke up with a feeling, that she's been sleeping for over a year or longer. It was like someone had poisoned her body and imprisoned her mind in some extremely long nightmare.
"Jeanne? Shirou?" She stood up slowly; her body was numb and cold after a restless lethargy.
She could not sense Ruler or Assassin anymore. But Shirou was not so far away, safe and in a company of someone well-known to her, with no evil intentions. Good that he had an ally, when Medusa was no more there to guard him. Sakura smiled, not so worried anymore.
She looked around and shuddered on the view of a total destruction of the temple. What kind of charm was strong enough to make her sleep during such a catastrophe?
Finally, the girl noticed a simple golden cup, which was standing on the ground, totally out of place, in a circle of the burnt ground.
"It's almost full." She picked the vessel up and hugged it like a caring mother. "I see. So it's too late."
Rin was slowly walking through the forest, with her head lowered, so sad that it was painful to look at her. She was staring blankly at her own hand, on a pale skin, where her last Command Seal was carved not so long ago. What kind of a Master was she, to lose her second Servant - and a friend – in such a short period of time? But the worst in this situation was an overwhelming feeling of emptiness. Until she lost Siegfried, she had no idea, how many warm and positive emotions, especially the sense of security, were coming from him through their bond.
Berserker was walking right behind her, visibly weakened but not damaged in any way, and it was a clearly good sign. Scáthach must have survived this impossible fight, but she barely managed to supply her Servant with mana right now.
The last in their miserable procession was Shirou, lost in his thoughts and cursing his weakness, that made him left Sakura alone in this madness.
"Rin!"
A familiar figure was standing on the road between the trees, evidently waiting for the girl to come closer. His body was awfully damaged and on the verge of collapsing, but Tohsaka would not mistake that faint smile for any other and ran to this Servant without hesitation.
"Siegfried!" She still couldn't believe her own eyes. "But how?"
"Well, you're not the only one who uses the jewel magecraft here, Master." He glanced at the Ether attached to his sword. The magic stored within the crystal was fading rapidly and not much remained from Rider's material body, already destroyed by the flames of Jeanne's Noble Phantasm. Yet he still managed to survive this long, just to say goodbye to his Master.
"Siegfried… Will you stay with us? Maybe if we make another contract…?"
"No, it's too late. My core is shattered. It's a miracle that I'm still here. Or rather Jeanne did not want to truly hurt me." He sighed, but there was no sadness in his words, rather relief. "Besides, there's no need in this modern world for someone like me. A reckless guy, who always seeks troubles and ends up killing everything in his way."
"Don't say that, it's…"
Rider raised his hand to interrupt her. Not much time left for him, so it was his turn to speak now. But he only sighed again and murmured:
"Damn, I screwed up again."
"What?"
"In the end I couldn't do anything for myself. I haven't even said what I wanted to say."
"So do it now. What are you waiting for?"
He hesitated, like he was trying to find a courage to speak up his mind. It was the end, after all, his last chance to do as he pleases.
"I've just wanted to say, that… I love you, Rin. As a Master, as a friend and as a wonderful woman. Thanks to you, my heart is not hollow anymore." His smile, so calm and full of affection, was priceless. "Take it, please. It's for you."
He put a ring on her finger. It was the simple, golden ring, but it looked ancient and Rin could easily detect a powerful magic emanating from its surface.
"Thank you. For everything. But what's this?"
"You'll see back at home. Take care, Rin!" He smiled and kissed her hand, but she could barely feel his touch. It was only a mist already, just an echo from another time, dispelled by the single blow of the wind.
Tohsaka turned around and looked at Berserker, tears burned her eyes and her lower lip trembled.
"Rin?"
"I couldn't save him. Why he had to die like this again? Sacrifice himself to avoid conflict… Always repeating the same story. This is so unfair! Why it's always like that, Archer? This world is broken or something?"
He had no answer for those questions – all he could do was to stand still, hold the girl tight and let her cry.