Author's Note: Hi everyone, depending on the reception of this story, as it nears its conclusion, I may write a sequel. Please give me your comments and reviews, and submit your own characters if you have any ideas for Servants or Masters you would like to see in a sequel. Thank you for reading my story. :)
Chapter 43: Ripe For Conquest
(Day 11 of the 6th Grail War)
"Master, what do you desire from the Greater Grail?" Genghis Khan sat atop his horse, now at a cliff top where Isilda sat overlooking armies of Mongolian warriors.
"I want to win the Grail War for the Einzbern Family. It's all I have in life." Isilda's red eyes fell upon the army as they formed up into numerous assault groups.
"No wish?"
"The victory is its own reward," she said.
"Tell me why not riches or power?"
"My Family head created me with only one purpose in life. The victory. My life is meaningless. I will die in one year." Isilda had moved closer to Genghis Khan. Genghis Khan signalled to his men to be quiet, so he could listen to her. They complied immediately.
"Why will you die? You seem perfectly healthy to me."
"I am a homunculus. My body is not meant to last a full lifetime." Isilda touched her hand, pressing her skin and flesh. It was all made by alchemy.
"Tell your Family head that once I win the Grail War, his land will be a part of my empire. You will use your wish to live forever, and rule as my second in command." Genghis Khan surveyed the distant landscape. He dreamed of owning it all.
"Why Genghis Khan? Why would you do that for me?"
"Because you are the first Master who let me fight this Grail War on my own terms. You respect me instead of trying to control me." Genghis Khan breathed in the forest air and sighed. The allure of a successful campaign filled him with anticipation.
"I understand. Thank you, Genghis Khan. May your conquest be swift and successful."
"Always. After this, I will rule with fixed laws and bring order to the world. My friends, family and I will stand proudly above all."
Sipoonkorpi National Park contained a network of Mongolian encampments. Each housed a different battle group, 10,000 strong, called a Tumen, the largest body of men Genghis Khan believed could remain organized while carrying out a full scale invasion. Across Helsinki, these massive armies waited for the order to strike.
"As a Homunculus, I can provide you with a lot of Mana. The Old Church can supply mana as well, as it was built over a leyline, the very reason the Clocktower chose to house the Greater Grail there in the first place."
Genghis Khan smiled. "This is sufficient." Being one who mastered warfare, he understood the cost of war. He gazed upon every one of his summoned warriors Each was an investment.
Isilda continued, "however, your army will need to consume the souls of the populace as the invasion progresses, or we will run out." Isilda advised Genghis Khan.
"Agreed. Mana is my biggest concern. We will strike fast." Genghis Khan raised his scimitar and bellowed at the army before him. "You are my Ravening Horde. You will break their forts to splinters and crush all who resist."
The army raised their weapons and roared in response. They worshipped their Khan. Banners flew and horns blared.
"Genghis Khan, I wonder how will your army with bows and swords, defeat modern military?" Isilda asked, now wearing Mongolian armour. Genghis Khan's smiths fashioned it from hardened leather and iron, laced with silk. They coloured her armour coloured maroon, a nod to her magus clothes.
"They are an extension of my will. They possess my power to a lesser extent. It grants them great strength, speed and reflexes. Furthermore, they are spirits, who do not need food, water and rest, but the mana which you so graciously provide."
Isilda brought her fist to her chest, saluting Genghis Khan who gave them the order to attack. The first wave of Mongol warriors charged out of the forests, and began to sack the surrounding buildings. Though equipped with medieval weapons, they were magical, and managed to overwhelm the law enforcement forces.
Isilda bowed before Genghis Khan. "I will take 20,000 men and crush them. In your name."
Genghis Khan grinned. He brought his hand to Isilda's shoulder. "Khan of the Maroon Horde. Take your army, and return only when your lust for battle is sated. We will rule together, eternal and golden."
Isilda rallied her army and set forth, promising Genghis Khan only victory.
Genghis Khan's army seized the nearby districts within the hour. Buildings burned, and rubble littered the streets. The Finnish military began to mobilize, though they were dumbfounded by the appearance of long dead Mongolian warriors in Helsinki. Against military forces, the Mongolian warriors progressed more slowly, and suffered losses. By now 3 of the assault groups activated. 2 from Sipoonkorpi and 1 from Helsinki Old Church. Isilda's army fought elsewhere, causing mayhem and flanking the defenders.
The Finnish army established a barricade by mid-day on most fronts to contain Genghis Khan's army. Bombs and missiles blasted away at Mongolian encampments. The Mongolian warriors called for support from Genghis Khan. It came in the form of engineers who operated the trebuchets assembled days ago. They used chunks of rubble as ammunition, smashing the barricaded positions with boulders of brick and concrete. At one battlefield, where rubble was scarce, Genghis Khan ordered his men to cut down the trees in the forest, soak then in the lakes nearby and wait for them to freeze in the cold. Once frozen, they made sufficiently heavy blocks of wood and ice to shatter the barricades.
Genghis Khan sat in the forests of Sipoonkorpi. His eyes glowed red as he called out to the heavens. "Gods, bring back the rest of my loyal Generals. I call upon the greatest of my empire. All of you, long dead champions of the Great Khanate, rise and march to glory."
The ghosts of 28 more Generals emerged from the woods around Genghis Khan. Their armour glowed gold, fiery from being freshly forged. They breathed in the air with their newly formed lungs, eyes opening after centuries of death. Bones that withered in tombs now coated in muscle and skin. They took their first steps, heard their first sounds, and tasted the living air. "The time of destruction is upon our enemies!" they declared, as Genghis Khan raised his scimitar to greet them all.
He knew some of them personally, while others were the inheritors of his empire hundreds of years later. Genghis Khan valued them all, and now they would see his wishes come true. Behind them, thousands of troops materialized, their armour and weapons enchanted with potent magic. The full might of the Mongol Empire descended upon Helsinki.
Mongolian warriors rushed towards the Finnish tanks. They braved storms of gunfire to attach gunpowder charges to the tanks. The charges ripped the tanks' hulls to shreds in a roar of fire and ash. The beleaguered Finnish army faced a supernatural foe that knew no retreat or surrender. They were being pushed back, as more assault groups joined the fray. The Generals greeted them on the battlefield, each wielding a Noble Phantasm that represented their rule.
Bloody fighting began on the streets as gunfire and arrows were traded. The Mongolian warriors had weaker firepower than modern weapons though they were also more resilient due to their magical enchantments.
Aasaa watched as Shiori got ready to depart Suomenlinna, as daggers of depression pierced his lungs, suffocating him in hopelessness. He projected her a reinforced boat, and with her Servant, they were ready to leave. A tear flowed down his cheek, as she got on the boat. Losses in a Grail War were expected, but nothing could have prepared him for this. The joy they shared mere days ago lay dead in the recesses of his mind, nothing more than grey, faded memories. Losing Simo Häyhä already dampened their chances significantly. Without Shiori and Florence Nightingale, their chances of winning against Genghis Khan vanished.
"Shiori, Genghis Khan wants to kill all the Servants to use the Greater Grail. I will bring you to safety, and then trade myself to buy you immunity from him." Florence Nightingale said, fully intending to let herself go, so she would be safe. The boat sailed out to sea, moving with solemn resignation through floating chunks of ice. Shiori did not reply, the guilt of having to make Florence Nightingale sacrifice herself guilted her conscience. Alas, she needed her safety. She hated herself, though it presented a way out, and she needed to stay true to her goal of surviving the Grail War.
News of the first stages of Genghis Khan attack in Helsinki reached Aasaa. He knew of the army marching from Sipoonkorpi, the mounting losses and rising flames. He chose to not tell Shiori, not wanting to have her bear the guilt of abandoning them in this difficult time. He considered any act of persuading her a form of manipulation, and he could not bring himself to manipulate her. In her broken state, she wanted safety, and the right to live, something anyone should be given. Now, she set sail from Suomenlinna, unimpeded.
"Master, we can't win, I have counted 30 Generals and 120,000 warriors." Hou Yi materialized, returning from a scouting mission.
"We can't flee either, he will hunt every Servant down and use the Greater Grail to rule the world."
"How are you certain he will use it for that."
"From his history, that is the most likely wish he has." Aasaa turned back to the fortress. "We are going to fight him, no matter what. We head back to Helsinki today."
Aasaa once thought the hardest challenge he faced was facing Genghis Khan. Handling Shiori's despair presented to him a different kind of fight. He saw her leave, wanting nothing to do with the Grail War or him, even. A hope had sprouted in him, from the time they spent together, from all the things he taught her. He dared dream she had risen above her fear of dying in the Grail War. What happened yesterday proved him completely wrong. Nevertheless, he worried about her, concerned if she would make it out safely. With gritted teeth and an aching his heart, he steeled himself to face the horde without his friend.
"So that's it. You've lost her and now you are going to die a hero standing up to Genghis Khan." Hou Yi placed his hand on Aasaa's shoulder.
Rin and Shirou emerged from the fortress to speak to their son. "Aasaa, we could destroy the Greater Grail, and stop this." Rin suggested.
"Genghis Khan controls the Old Church. We need to fight our way through," said Aasaa.
"We could also go for his Master, and wait him out." Shirou pondered.
Aasaa and Hou Yi decided they will fight through Genghis Khan's army to protect Helsinki's population, while Rin, Shirou, Misa and Gordafarid worked on breaching the Old Church's defences. Their planning was haphazard at best, they did not know where Genghis Khan's Master hid. Nevertheless, they were forced to act now, as Genghis Khan's armies tore ever deeper into Helsinki. Soon, he would be unstoppable.
Aasaa and the others sailed towards Helsinki on projected boats, as the Mongolian ship they stole faded to mana. Their stay in Suomenlinna came its bitter end.
They came to the fortress looking for hope and the means to fight back. Instead, they broke apart. With heavy hearts, and dying hopes, they sailed past the area of sea Simo Häyhä downed in. Aasaa felt the air drop in temperature by over 20 degrees. Snow began to fall for the briefest moment as they passed. He hallucinated a silhouette walking on the water, patches of ice beneath his feet. The silhouette only grew firmer as time passed. The White Death rose from the sea, his wounds healed. "I can sense the pain of my people. If that fool thinks he can come and bring war to Suomi, let him know we are more than prepared."
Aasaa could not believe his eyes. Simo Häyhä, ravaged with wounds and left to drown without a Master, stood before him. He was as resilient and devoted to his country as the stories said, and now that Genghis Khan launched his full-scale invasion, his return could not be more fitting.
"Simuna... You're back?" Aasaa asked, reaching out to touch him. A solid gloved hand clasped his outstretched palm, gripping firmly.
"The freezing waters of Finland healed me, restoring my mana and strength. Such is the depth of my connection and loyalty to this land," Simo Häyhä said, clearing the ice in their way with his Territory Creation. "Go and fight him. I have to tend to something first."
Simo Häyhä watched as Aasaa and the others sailed off. They did so with more hope now, their chances improved with the presence of one more Servant on their side. The White Death made sure they were far away before he proceeded to his task. If he told them what he needed to tend to, they would turn around to save her. It would prove troublesome, for right now, he needed Aasaa and his team at the frontlines against Genghis Khan.
Shiori and Florence Nightingale sailed towards Estonia, when a Wire Hawk cast a shadow above them.
Mongolian General Borokhula flew overhead, and fired an arrow that pierced Shiori's shoulder. Blood poured from it and stained her jacket, as she clutched the wound in agony. The fear of death rose from its dark recesses and gripped her racing heart.
"We watched you leave," Borokhula said. "Who will save you now?"
Florence Nightingale raised her pistol to shoot the Wire Hawk. Borokhula responded by gaining altitude before blowing a war-horn to call more Wire Hawk mounted Mongolian warriors. 6 more arrived.
They flashed their glistening talons, eager to slash at them with razor precision.
Florence Nightingale offered herself. "My Master has decided to concede the Grail War. I will go to Genghis Khan and surrender after I see her to safety."
Shiori struggled through the pain and whispered to her, "I don't want us to die."
"I will protect you."
More arrows flew at them. Borokhula apparently received orders to kill them regardless. With fading consciousness, Shiori realized Genghis Khan would not let her surrender unscathed, and considered returning to fight. Florence Nightingale took 4 arrows for her, shielding her. A Wire Hawk buffeted their boat, threatening to plunge them into the icy waters.
Praying that the boat would not capsize, Shiori came to a realization. Her foes would not let her go. They planned to kill her. Or worse. Running was futile. It made sense, as she recalled some historical notes from Aasaa. Genghis Khan did not forgive, and once his opponent resisted, he would execute them no matter how much they grovelled. That was his philosophy, the price of resistance. She had to fight, or die.
Florence Nightingale fired uselessly at her foes who were too far away, too mobile for her. She prepared to use her Noble Phantasm when a voice called out.
"White Death."
The air swirled, freezing winds turned the water to ice in seconds, as the Wire Hawks were drawn into the swelling blizzard. A figure dressed in white uniform walked towards Shiori and Florence Nightingale, making soundless steps across the frozen platform.
Disbelief gave way to astonished joy as Shiori and Florence Nightingale called out to Simo Häyhä. They were saved by the soldier who would even death could not stop.
His Wire Hawk now crashed in the snow, Borokhula staggered towards them with his spear. "Impossible, Genghis Khan himself killed you."
"Not even Genghis Khan can kill me. What will you do?" Simo Häyhä put on his white mask, covered his head with the hood of his parka and disappeared into the snow. Several screams followed, and he returned before Florence Nightingale and Shiori, sheathing his bloodied knife.
"Their corpses will rest in the ice forever. No one threatens my homeland or my people," Simo Häyhä helped the injured Shiori up, now partially healed by Florence Nightingale.
"Shiori, Aasaa has returned to Helsinki. Genghis Khan has raised an army and intends to wipe Helsinki off the map to claim the Greater Grail. What would you do?"
Shiori remained silent, as sleet and snow swirled around her. None of it hurt, in fact, she found it beautiful, watching the ice dance in the sweeping winds. She vowed to not run from the Grail War any more. After all, her friends were fighting, and she owed her life to Simo Häyhä. She bit her lip, casting away the fear of death with the white-hot resolve to fight for survival. Genghis Khan drove her into a corner, and she refused to lie down and die. When cornered, even the weak and scared rise to fight. "I'm going back to Helsinki. We will heal the wounded, together."
"And there's the heart of someone who rises to defend their homeland." Simo Häyhä froze a path all the way to Helsinki's coast. With Shiori and Florence Nightingale, he walked down the icy path to defend his homeland's capital.