Fate/Infinity Shuffle
Chapter 247 – Singular Fragments – Part 3:
Futaba kept chasing the leaping Flat. Mr. Hyde refused to let go of Dr. Jekyll.
"Get back here, you little-!"
Flat performed a quick sidestep to evade a hurled punch. Which, coincidentally, ended up striking through a stone wall, her arm now on the other side..
But Futaba barely felt a a thing.
"You think you can-?"
"Course I do!" Flat grinned before jumping and psinning, striking Futaba's back and making the Berserker finish the job by breaking through the stone wall and going into the neighbouring room. Futaba rolled over and glared at the giggling opponent.
"Why you…!"
"Wow, this is a spacious room!" Flat ignored her as he looked around the area. It was like a ballroom for celebrations and dances for parties. "Guess there's no point in waiting anymore." He grinned like a kid before summoning the same potion.
"Hmph. Finally fighting on equal terms?"
"Equal terms? I was already doing that."
"Hm?" The maddened Futaba had her curiosity perk right through. "…What the hell kind of Card are you using?"
"Me? Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde! Berserker Class!"
Futaba raised an eyebrow. "You can control your mad side pretty well then. Couldn't guess you'd already used your Noble Phantasm."
"Already? I was going to use that now!" Flat announced, summoning the potion.
"Wait, what?!" Futaba didn't like where this was going. If Jekyll was already in the Berserker Class, what the hell would happen if Flat took the potion.
Without missing a beat, Flat took one large gulp of the potion and breathed out white smoke. "Dangerous Game…!" And then, with his lungs full of air, he roared like a beast. "GRAAAAHHHHHH!" And unlike Futaba, his appearance changed dramatically.
His clothes vanished away as he become covered in black fur. The loud sounds of cracking bones emanated from his spine as it changed shape. His muscles expanded and long canines grew from his enlarged jaw as sharp claws replaced his nails. His eyes widened, now turned blood red like a mad beast of destruction. He didn't look too different from a werewolf, but he seemed far more apt for combat than the beast is usually portrayed to be.
Futaba was uncertain of whether to approach Flat or keep her distance, but once the beast made a gesture with his finger, saying 'come', her mind was made up.
"You're asking for it…!" With a clenched fist, she charged through.
Daisuke was still in disbelief. "What the hell is that thing?"
Hovering high above the castle. A brilliant, golden sky ship, shining with its natural splendour. It resembled an actual ship, used toc ross the seas, without sails but with long paddles. How it flew was a complete mystery. Daisuke didn't understand what exactly the various beams of light were doing or who was calling them, since not a soul seemed to be present within the vehicle.
"Is that some sort of Noble Phantasm? It must be, but I can't even…"
"Hey, my bow!"
Daisuke's heart nearly jumped out of his body through his throat. "AH!" He leapt out of surprise and fright when he heard the supposedly knocked out Archer in the platform up high. And that fright suddenly went away when he looked at her face. It was like he was afraid of a bloodhound about to lunge at his throat, only to meet the eyes of a puppy.
Gudako's frown was too cute to take seriously. "Did you steal it?!"
"Why would an Archer steal the other's bow?" She didn't need to know he didn't use bow and arrows for combat. "It's a side effect of my Noble Phantasm. Your armament is sealed."
"What?! Then…!" Gudako had to think of an alternate method of combat.
"Speaking of which: you should be knocked out. Quite literally. How are you awake?"
"Must be thanks to my Robust Health." Gudako didn't care for revealing such a skill. It was useless most of the time, even if it made her wake up much earlier than she should. "Alright. If this is the case." Gudako jumped off the high platform to be on the same level as Daisuke, even if still at a distance. She opened her hands and arrows were created out of a yellow glow from both her palms. One arrow for each hand.
Daisuke was confused. She shouldn't have access to her armament, arrows included, right? That would be the case if Gudako's skill, 'Bow and Arrow Creation A', didn't circumvent such a condition.
"Ascension." Gudako spoke, a whirlwind with all the colours of the rainbow surrounding her as a result. Once it vanished, she wasshown to wear a more complete and even regal armour, sleeves and gauntlets included. A red cape was added to her back.
"Getting serious already?" Daisuke took position, summoning his staff into his hands, easily repaired through an added touch of Mana.
Gudako smirked. "You should be as well."
The Rider and Berserker of the Singularities kept their brawl with the Lancer and Caster of the opposing team going. Natsumi had difficulty keeping up with Kane, due to the difference in power, but Aiko had some offensive advantage over Seo.
After blocking a strike from the flaming blue spear with her shield, Natsumi flipped backwards to create distance between her and the opponent. And that's when she spotted her teammate's opponent charging a stronger attack.
'Wind'
The swing of the sword initially looked like it did nothing, until a typhoon of green winds bursted into reality in front of her and made its way towards Aiko.
Natsumi didn't second guess her decision. "Chariot of Boudica!" A bright flash of light was followed by the neighing and galloping of two white stallions pulling a carriage of bronze. They dashed and quickly circumvented around Aiko, the chariot slamming into the typhoon and making it burst out of existence, not too dissimilar to how it was summoned. The carriage and horses vanished into a sparkle.
"Got you now!" Kane spun around like a top, building up momentum for a swift strike at Natsumi's body.
But the spear couldn't reach her.
"What?!"
Kane's eyes immediately noticed Natsumi's smirk and the clear, see-through barrier acting as a shield around Rider, with mirages of spinning chariot wheels spinning all around it.
"The Noble Phantasm…! Seo!"
Before Lancer's call, the Alchemic Caster was already firing an attack: a stream of lustrous water made its way to Aiko, able to dowse any potential attack. But the plan was ruined by the same exact barrier that protected Natsumi. Aiko moved forward with her fan coated in flames to a surprised Seo. But once swung, instead of the flames coating the opponent, the fire vanished.
"Eh?"
The flames were pulled into Kane's hand, where a Primordial Rune was engraved. She clenched a fist, dispersing the embers of the no longer existing fire.
"Seo, run, I'll hold them off!"
"Right!" The Caster didn't argue. She left through one of the doorways into the inner castle.
Kane put her focus on Aiko for a moment, and that was what allowed Natsumi to tackle Kane away with her shield.
"Gah!"
"Aiko, give chase!"
"Right!" Aiko stared at the doorway. And then her pupils became slit, like those of a snake. "Stalking Mode: Activate." And like a demented lover, she ran after Seo.
Yukika kept dodging away Ogami's attacks. It was a type of Magecraft that she wasn't used to seeing. Mana Blasts, Runes, and things of the sort were absent from his arsenal, instead relying on Guardian Spirits and Shamanism to attack.
She hurled a set of poisoned daggers at him, only for the spirit of an eagle to come and spread its wings, knocking the blades away. He then hurled his left foot at a distance, hurling the see-through spirit of a snake that bit down on Yukika's blocking arms. But the idea was not to attack her. Rather, the snake pulled Ogami all the way towards her like a rope. Once close enough, he spun over to kick with right leg, the spirit of an American bison appearing attach to his foot to deliver a much stronger strike.
"Hmph!" Yukika crouched down fast, evading the strike by a hair. Once both of his fee connected to the floor, the two drew their blades. A dagger clashed with a knife for only a fraction a second, the collision of metal releasing a brief spark.
"Will you just stay still?!" Kling, klang.
"Will you stop trying to stab me?" Klang, kling.
"No."
"Then no." The genuine giggle that came from the Assassin was admittedly cute, in Ogami's opinion. But he couldn't give her a pass. To finish the knife fight, Ogami summoned the companion spirit that couldn't be described as anything other than alien or mysterious.
Yukika was so surprised by this that she stepped back, blinking twice, her brain processing the being floating in front of her face.
"Now!" Ogami thrust the knife forward, aiming for the neck. But it was intersected by the palm. "What the-?!"
Yukika put on a pained smile. "I-It's an unexpected technique, isn't it?" Funnily enough, she was the one to suggest it to Kane during matches. Even though it hurt sharply, Yukika slid her pierced hand slightly upwards, increasing the size of the wound, much to Ogami's surprise.
"What in the-?!"
"Hm!" She focused her shaking hand, tensing up and squirting out a string of blood that landed on Ogami's arm.
And it burned.
"AHH!" The acidic pain made him stumble back, withdrawing the knife from Yukika's wounded hand. The Assassin clasped her hand in pain, a normal reaction, as droplets of the dark red liquid fell onto the floor.
But no matter the pain she felt, it was worth it. Because the one Ogami was feeling was nearly unbearable. He had been injured, and sometimes flat out defeated, many times before, but nothing compared to the burning pain of Yukika's blood on his skin.
Zabaniya: Delusional Poison Body.
All of Hassan of Serenity's cells, including mucus substances, such as saliva or blood, are extremely poisonous. Just touching her kills ordinary humans. As for those Installed with a Card, just touching doesn't end a battle. But if a mucus substance were to touch them thrice, it would be an immediate defeat. A kiss would be the fastest way, even if the most arduous. But a splatter of blood could work just as well, even if it took slightly longer for its effects to work.
Ogami glared for a second and took a deep breath, shutting his eyes calmly before opening them again.
"Tsago Degi Naleya." Once spoken, a new animal spirit appeared. Standing behind him, taller than any o the others, a mighty coyote, twice as tall as Ogami, stood with preying eyes, frightening Yukika to an extent. It was a presence that exerted some unknown pressure – a guardian deity, determined to assist.
But that wasn't the true point of the Noble Phantasm.
Yukika didn't understand how exactly it worked. But it looked like the sun, or at the very least a very miniaturized version of it, had come from above, hovering above the coyote and, subsequently, Ogami.
The blood on his arm dried, and the poison present within his system was evaporated by the heat of the sun, that was starting to affect Yukika.
"Can you handle the heat?"
Mash, Taiga and Akiko knew that their current matchup put them at a slight disadvantage. Both Fujimaru and Sisigo were flat out stronger than them.
Mash narrowed her eyes at the Rider atop the sphinx. "Taiga."
"Hm?"
"Go help Akiko."
"Eh? But what about you?"
"I have an idea. I'm going to ask for Daisuke's help."
"Eh? Daisuke?" The Jaguar warrior was confused. "But he's outside."
"I know." Mash struck her shield against the floor. "Lord…" Her weapon began to shine brightly in blue. Fujimaru was taken aback: she's unleashing a Noble Phantasm already? And on top of that, she's wielding a shield. Why was she deploying it to begin with? "Camelot!" A see-through brick wall manifested form the shield. It was the incomplete version, which saved up Mana in return for lesser effects. But for what Mash was planning, it was enough, if not better.
The shielder called upon strength in a yell as she did what Taiga and Akiko never saw her do with the Noble Phantasm active: she started running. The immovable castle wall was dragged along its caster.
The Fragmentary Rider was too surprised by this to even react, resulting in his sphinx and himself being tackled by the Noble Phantasm. Due to its defensive nature, of course, it didn't deal much damage, but it did what Mash needed it to do: it pushed Fujimaru. And as Mash pushed them along, it ended with them being slammed against the faraway wall, which broke and made the Shielder and Rider exit the Castle.
The three Players couldn't help but blink and stare at the event.
"Are my eyes ricking me? Did your leader…?"
"This is the first time I've seen her do this." Akiko confessed. But no one let that stop the battle. As Taiga joined to assist, the Fragmentary Saber slashed at the two, both blocking with the blades of their weapons.
"Ascension!" Akiko claimed while being pushed back, her body becoming coated in clear water for a single second before it burst away. Both her sword and arm turned into a material akin to crystal, and a white cape became attached to her body.
Sisigo pointed his sword backwards and smirked. "Wind Hammer." The invisible sheath of wind burst into a hurricane, pushing him forward like a rocket towards the two, and when close enough, the shinning sword was swung horizontally.
Akiko was the first to react, raising her sword as a golden glow manifested through it. Just like her opponent, she swung it when close, the downwards slash clashing with the side-swing and creating a powerful shockwave that shook the brick floor beneath them.
Akiko stumbled back. The strike with the added force of Mana Burst Sisigo had used was too strong for her body to absorb the force completely without recovering afterwards. And Sisgo took the opportunity, winding up his swing again and preparing to swing, only for him to be unable to.
"Huh?" He looked at his sword and found the unthinkable: Taiga stopped him in place by biting down on the sword and refusing to move. "what in the-?! Why are you not using your weapon?!"
"Because of this!" Taiga swiped the pole of her naginata against Sisgigo's right foot, making him trip and take a knee. "Akiko, now!"
The foot of the Singular Saber connected with the floor and she did er best to ignore the pain. Composing her body back forward, she took a fencing stance and her sword became coated in a marvellous golden shine.
"AhhhhhHHHH!" She cried in pain and determination as she performed multiple thrusts against Sisigo's body, piercing after stab. The King of Knightmares was pushed far away when Taiga let go of his weapon and the multiple attacks connected all in rapid succession.
"GAH!" He rolled over the floor once gravity pulled him back down.
Taiga spat out blood onto the floor. "Ugh. I think I cut my tongue with that."
The two stood side by side once Akiko stepped forward. "Only you to do something like that."
"Pretty sure a bunch of Berserkers would."
Akikoand Taiga grinned in unison while looking over the standing Saber. "Just take the compliment." Akiko giggled. Both raised a fist and bumped it before taking stances again.
"Man…" Sisigo stood back up. "You really don't go easy on an old man, do you?" But a toothy grin came to his face. "Glad that's the case. I see I can't just play with you two."
"Stop chasing me!"
"Never!"
Aiko kept on stalking Seo, no matter how many turns she took.
But that changed once Seo entered a spacious room. The Caster and Berserker were somewhat surprised by what was inside.
A werewolf-like creature fighting against a rather injured Futaba. Her knife had been lost, and thus resorted to fight with fists. One could spot many sounds through her body, except on her limbs that she kept restoring or evading damage through Self-Modification.
Futaba threw a quick jab against Flat's face, making the Berserker stumble back. Catching a glimpse on the corner of her eye, she turned to Aiko, noticing Seo's presence as well.
"Aiko, let's change!"
"Roger!" The Berserkers exchanged targets. Futaba and Aiko ran in opposite directions. Crossing and giving a quick high-five to each other.
In a panic, Seo retreated back into the hallways, using wind to boost her speed, as Futaba used the time of the chase to restore some of her health.
Flat's eyes were drawn to Aiko. A distorted voice asked "ArE yOU GoINg tO fIghT me?"
Aiko's snake eyes said it all. "Samadhi Through Transforming Flames." A pillar of blue fire burst out of her body. The flames twisted and turned, eventually taking the shape of a large snake. A great fire-breathing snake, a dragon even, sood in front of Flat.
The werewolf's crooked grin showed his anticipation for the battle.
I totally didn't get distracted by FGO, I swear.
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