FATE/LÚNASA FÓMHAR

"August Harvest"

Chapter 23: Meeting of the Heroes

By this time, Nero had guided the few remaining survivors out of the city and well into the outskirts. Most of the citizens were women and children, with only a small handful of men accompanying them. The majority of Roma's men were conscripted to be soldiers, and the women had to make the extremely difficult choice of leaving the elderly behind so they could save the children. That was why most of the women were crying profusely – they had to give up on their aged parents or relatives, and it left them devastated.

"Do not worry, my good people," Nero declared. "Though it was a most difficult trial for all of you, I assure you that those who have passed on would not wish for you to grieve so. Stand tall and know that you have survived through a true miracle, and are alive to carry on Roma's legacy."

"Miracle, nothing!" a despairing mother cried out. "You didn't have to leave anyone behind, Your Majesty!"

"Wrong! I had to entrust Caesar and Cleopatra with a most dangerous mission! If my intuition is correct, then they are no longer among us to tell of their tale of bravery! Then there are my soldiers – your fathers, brothers and husbands! Not to mention the thousands of people I failed to protect! Did you think I would flee to safety without a heavy heart!? Nay! Quite the opposite! But it was out of necessity! Believe me when I say this, but we share the same tears, anguish and frustration in this moment! Do not think that you are alone in your suffering!"

"Uh… Forgive me for that outburst…"

"Umu. Think nothing of it. Not even I have an inkling of why this tragedy has befallen us, yet it will be most difficult for me to conduct a thorough search when I have to ensure your safety."

"So what are we to do now, M'Lady?" one of Nero's female retainers wondered. "Is it possible for one of the other factions to grant us citizenship?"

"Muu…" Nero pondered deeply. "That is the only viable option we have, though I fear it would be suicide if we were to venture to Zhou."

"That means Uma is our only option."

"Indeed. I have heard of overcrowding issues there, but Parvati is a most benevolent woman. If I explain the situation, she will surely welcome us with open arms, despite our past as bitter rivals."

A man then asked, "But what if Uma has been attacked the same way we have? If Uma falls, then we really would have no choice but to seek shelter in Zhou!"

"How dreadful…" another woman moaned fearfully. "I don't know what's worse, being eaten by those horrible monsters or Wu Zetian treating us like garbage."

Nero remarked, "Nothing is certain until we see for ourselves. Do not let doubt cloud your minds. Stay calm and focus on shepherding the children. Once we are within proximity of Uma, I will go on ahead and investigate the situation myself."

The present…

"And there you have it," Nero concluded her story with a forlorn expression. "Just like that, my beloved Roma is in ruins, and I only have around 100 survivors left to guide to safety."

"How awful," Parvati gasped. "Zhou and Uma actually fared better in comparison."

"Oooh… What cruel irony! To think that the grandest of the three factions would have the most fatalities! What in the world were those creatures that robbed me of two Servants and thousands of people!? Why was my entire city transformed into an arena of blood and senseless carnage!? I demand an explanation for this!"

"Please calm yourself, Nero. I understand your frustration, but you need to maintain your focus. We will all do our best to fill you in on what has happened."

"Ngh… Very well. You and Wu Zetian are in the same position as me, so I have little right to wail with such fervor. So then, what is the plan? Are we to venture somewhere?"

Lucius nodded and said, "Yeah. All of you are coming with me to my faction's safehold. Not only that, you're going to be amalgamating what's left of Roma into my group. Parvati and Wu Zetian have already agreed to do so with their factions, so it's only fair that you do the same, Nero."

"Quit your waffing this instant, Lucius. I have no intention of playing second fiddle to you."

"Oh? I guess you'll be fine with finding a safe spot on your own then."

"Ugh… Damn! Fine! If that's your condition, then I have no choice but to accept! Not for myself, but for my scared and confused citizens!"

"Excellent. I knew you would see reason for what it is," he smirked delightedly. However, he then frowned and glared at her while muttering, "This isn't another demand per se, but I just have a little favor to ask of you."

Her brows widened in curiosity as she wondered, "Oh? Why, do tell! I may be in a foul mood, but depending on the nature of this favor of yours, I may be gracious enough to grant it!"

Lucius visibly cringed, then asked, "You think you could change out of that ridiculous getup?"

"What!?" Nero cried out dramatically. "In what universe is a swimsuit of this caliber considered ridiculous!? It is only fitting that a maiden singing of her glory on the open sea should be dressed appropriately!"

"Show some fucking dignity, woman! How do you plan on rallying your people when you are not taking yourself seriously!? No one in their right mind would want to listen to a mental case garbed in naught more but a few flimsy strips of garish cloth!"

"Uuuh… Remiss as I am to admit, you do have a point. One as gifted as myself may possess many roles, but it is also wise to know when to dial back on my more carefree personas. In this time of need, it is imperative that I exercise my authority as Roma's lone remaining ruler, and my state of dress should likewise reflect that. Give me a moment to change, then I will rally everyone to meet at your faction's stronghold."

Several hours later, Nero and Parvati informed their citizens of what happened and the current plan of action. Since no Fomorian idols were left to give them any food, everyone had to work together to scrounge anything they could find in Uma before leaving. Tension began to rise when everyone saw that there would be enough for about three days' worth.

"Worry not, good people!" Nero barked, having noticed this unsettling atmosphere. She had changed back into her usual red dress and translucent skirt by now, so she really did look like a proper leader. "I swear on my honor that I will secure a new food source! All I ask is for your continued patience and cooperation!"

Parvati added, "If need be, we Servants will hunt the local wildlife. There is no cause for concern at this moment. Please bear with us, and we will get through this together."

Most people began to calm down when they heard this. Once they were ready, Lucius, Connla and Beowulf led the way through the confusing tunnels back to the massive treasury. Heroine X was still sulking about her spaceship, which was exacerbated when she knew she had to leave it behind. Nero promised her that she would repair it eventually, but they needed to deal with this crisis first. Thus, X kept to herself in the back while keeping an eye out for any other possible assailants.

Connla was so excited to reunite with Nursery Rhyme and Jack that she often kept running ahead of her partners. Lucius laughed, "Hah ha ha ha! What is the hurry, missy? The treasury is not going anywhere!"

"But I want to make sure everyone from Zhou is doing okay," she replied. "Not only that, I really want to get back in contact with Lord Gilgamesh. The longer I hold off on calling him, the angrier he's going to be."

"Gilgamesh, hm? Is he also a Servant from this Chaldea place that you hail from?"

"Yes. He and I aren't the only ones either. There's Ms. Da Vinci, Sakata Kintoki, Sir Mordred, Lord Sigurd, Lord Ozymandias, Lady Nitocris, Queen Medb, and even multiple variants of my father Cuchulainn. There are so many Servants there that I haven't had the chance to meet everyone yet."

"Oh hoh. You Master's roster possesses quite the pedigree."

Beowulf cracked his knuckles and asked, "Are there any good fighters there?"

"Hmm…" Connla mumbled. "I'm not totally sure. I know that Cuchulainn Lancer likes to have a good fight. There could be someone, but I just haven't met them yet."

"Is that right? Sure sounds like quite the rowdy place."

"It's lively, at the very least. That's why I want to hurry and get this incident resolved as soon as possible. I have such terrible luck that I always wind up getting involved in outrageous Singularities like this. The only time I ever feel safe is within Chaldea's walls."

She closed her eyes and thought about Ritsuka, Mash, Roman, Da Vinci, and all of the other staff and Servants. She had a feeling that news of this incident had already reached them by now, and that they would be working with the other Servants on Okeanos to save her, Jack and Nursery. She hoped that all of this pell-mell with warring factions, Fomorian idols and evil Celtic gods would not overwhelm Chaldea's resources.

Lucius noticed how somber Connla looked and thought, No wonder she is so eager to escape from here. She was literally wrenched from the safety of her home and thrown into a foreign world where strife and sacrifice are the norm.

He then smirked to himself.

Perhaps it is a place I should see for myself.

Back on Okeanos' primary island, Gilgamesh remained inside the cottage and spoke with Roman and Da Vinci for a long while. All of the other Servants were scattered across the islands hunting for the stone idols to destroy them. As the day dwindled on, Gilgamesh and the Chaldeans received word of everyone's success, except for Cuchulainn Alter's. It was understandable though since the Berserker's search took him underwater, plus he wasn't the sociable type anyway.

"Looks like Emiya and Cu Proto's search was successful," Da Vinci said as she listened to a recording of their report. "But this is rather interesting… Just from seeing the Fomorian idol in person, Cu has a good idea of who is responsible for this Singularity. If we have a name to work with, then we can pinpoint any potential weakness of theirs."

"No need to tell me. I already know the culprit's identity," Gilgamesh muttered.

"Do you, now? Mind sharing with the class, Your Majesty?"

"Hah hah hah. Don't be so impatient, woman. A mystery's merit hinges on figuring out the unknown for yourself. To jump ahead to the end would disrespect the author's effort to build a compelling story."

"That might be true for fiction, but we're dealing with a real threat here."

"Same difference. If you want the answers, you will have to look elsewhere."

"So you're just bragging that you know everything. Typical King of Heroes."

"Hmph. I merely say so since I am the only connection the runt and her cohorts have to the outside world," the king retorted. "If the need arises, then I will divulge the secret to her."

"Well as long as you have the girls' welfare in mind, then do as you please," Da Vinci nodded.

The moment Gilgamesh reclined in his chair, he heard the front door swing open. He looked over and found Cuchulainn Alter sauntering into the living quarters that had been repurposed as a temporary war room. The grumpy Celt glared at the relaxed Sumerian king, then grunted, "You seem to be enjoying yourself."

"Of course I am. Only I would have the percipience to find pleasure in such chaos."

"Whatever. I'm not in the mood to argue with you."

"So then, what news do you bring?"

"No sign of Aspidochelone anywhere, but I did manage to wreck a Fomorian idol that was located underwater. I had to defeat a Shadow Servant resembling Saint Martha though."

"The holy woman who tamed Tarasque, hm? Not surprising."

Cuchulainn raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

"Emiya's team contended with Saint George, while the other Cuchulainn and his group fought Chevalier D'Eon. All staunch Christians perverted into Shadow Servants, I may add."

"Shit… Does Connla know what's going on?"

"She contacted me several hours ago. Said she was conducting an infiltration mission to destroy a statue inside the Phantasmal. She said some strange things though, such as entire nations being built around the idols, and of how people are sacrificed to them in order to produce food and resources."

"I knew it. This has to be his doing!" the Berserker seethed darkly, then slammed his fist on a nearby table. "If the kid runs into him, he'll slaughter her without remorse! I have to get in there and kill him before that happens!"

"Calm yourself, Mad Mongrel. Judging from my conversation with the runt, she does not seem to understand who she's truly up against. If I know her well enough, she will exercise extreme caution and stay close with her newfound allies for support until she reunites with us. Not even a god would want to challenge an entire bevy of Servants, after all."

"Yeah… Wait a minute. You know who the mastermind is, so why didn't you tell her yourself!?"

Gilgamesh glared at Cuchulainn angrily. "Are you as mad as your moniker suggests? If I carelessly revealed the truth to her, she would have run off to confront him on her lonesome! When dealing with someone of her character, omitting such details is imperative if I wish to keep the reigns on her selfless behavior!"

Cuchulainn snarled in frustration, but silently agreed with Gilgamesh's logic. He sat down on the sofa, then asked, "Do you know when the kid will contact you again?"

"I can't make any guarantees, but she promised she would call me as soon as-"

Beep beep. Beep beep. Beep beep.

Both men, along with Roman and Da Vinci, jolted in surprise when they heard the high-pitched beeping sound. Roman cried out, "That must be her!"

"Connla!" Cuchulainn gasped. It had been far too long since he last saw his daughter, so even just seeing her on the monitor would greatly help with reducing his elevated stress levels.

"Oh, what impeccable timing, runt. Let's see what you have to say this time," Gilgamesh smiled and answered the call.

"WHOOO~OOOAH!"

That was the reaction Nero, Parvati, Ashwatthama, and all of the citizens following them had when they entered the massive treasury. Medusa remained unmoved as always, remaining by Parvati's side as the elated goddess ran along a sandy dune and exclaimed, "I don't believe this! Look at all of this gold! Oh my, are those pirate ships filled to the brim with gemstones!? Medusa, look at this! It's Michelangelo's Leda and the Swan, said to have been destroyed due to its erotic nature!"

"Please calm yourself, Lady Parvati," the Rider muttered. "Running around like a giddy child is unbecoming of your fine stature."

"I can't help it! I've heard of many treasures that are considered lost, but if they had been here all this time, why, imagine how much the world would change!"

"Umu! To think that we were a hop and a skip away from such a momentous discovery is both fascinating and embarrassing!" Nero agreed as she picked up a Faberge Egg nestling atop a pile of gold coins.

"HEY!" Lucius shouted lividly. "Hands off my property, Nero! I found this grand coffer first, so all of its contents rightfully belong to me!"

"Says who? An honorable man like you should disperse the wealth equally."

"Well I am not a man of honor, so the wealth will not be distributed whatsoever."

"My goodness. The Founding Father would be ashamed if he were to learn of your flagrant greediness."

"Pah! Lord Romulus would be more understanding than you think! He would say something like, 'All is Roma' and smile quietly while watching us squabble like petulant children!"

"Ugh… You probably have a point there…"

Meanwhile, Beowulf stretched his arms and remarked, "Ahh, good to be back. That job took longer than I thought, but at least the other stone idols have been destroyed. Now we don't have to worry about any of those freaks ambushing us from behind."

"Damn straight," Ashwatthama agreed.

"I guess…" Heroine X mumbled, still feeling dejected.

Suddenly, a third man's voice interjected, "That's actually quite a shame. I was having a grand time testing my mettle against an unending army of otherworldly demons."

The group looked over to find a certain red-haired Chinese martial artist approaching them with a casual grin on his face. None of them were sure who he was, but then they heard Elizabeth cry out, "Li Shuwen!"

"Oh! I see you and everyone else from Zhou made it out okay," he remarked. "Not that I had any doubts, mind you."

"Don't laugh like it's no big deal! Where the heck have you been this whole time!? Once everything was settled, you just took off!"

"Ka ka ka ka! Unless I am in the employ of a lord, I have a terrible tendency to sit still, young lady! After Zhou's downfall, I made haste to Uma to fend off numerous monsters. Though I wish I could have joined in the fight there, I regret to admit that I suffered quite a vicious wound while safeguarding a fleeing family."

Li took off his shirt and showed them a distinct scar running along his upper shoulder blades. Elizabeth yelped, "Holy crap, that looks bad! Are you gonna be fine!?"

"Worry not. Before we parted ways, the people I rescued were generous enough to administer treatment. So long as I have ample rest, my energy will return to me shortly. Judging by the increasingly tense atmosphere looming around us, my instincts tell me that things will get most exciting again."

"I guess so. In the blink of an eye, all three factions have been totally wiped out. Plus we still have to find this pig who had the nerve to crush my dreams of defeating Wu Zetian and avenging Uncle Vlad!"

"In due time. If I were to judge someone whom I've never met yet, then I'd say that our perpretrator will make himself known shortly. His hastiness to crush each civilization here tells me that he is ready to enact whatever sinister plan he has in mind, yet he cannot do so when there is an army of Servants ready to challenge him."

"Oooh…" Elizabeth became peeved, but understood Li's wisdom and calmed down.

"Heh!" Beowulf suddenly interrupted their conversation. "So you're the Master of the Single Strike, Li Shuwen, huh? Don't think I've made your acquaintance yet. I'm-"

"The Grendel Slayer Beowulf, yes?" Li replied. "I've heard whispers of your misadventures as a Rogue Servant. Had I possessed the same freedom to move about at my own leisure, I'm sure our paths would have crossed at some point."

"So you're thinking the same thing I am."

"Indeed. It is almost as if fate is playing some sort of game, making us meet like this. I'm not sure why, but I'm experiencing a flash of déjà vu when I see those grotesque scars etched upon your flesh."

"You too? I've never seen you before, but there's this nostalgia washing over me. Well, better not to worry about it when I can just figure it out while punching your face into the ground."

"Ka ka ka!" Li laughed. "Those are some fighting words! Then how about we save our little spar for when we are certain that this incident has been corrected?"

Beowulf nodded. "You're on."

Ashwatthama heard their discussion and interjected, "Hey, don't you fellas leave me out of this conversation! A battle to determine who's the strongest isn't complete unless I'm around to participate!"

"Interesting," the Scandinavian hero grinned. "I still have to settle my duel with you anyway."

"A rowdy piece of shit like you stands no chance against me!"

"Keep telling yourself that, chump."

Li interrupted, "You're both wrong. Brute strength and unbridled anger always pale in comparison to years of dedicated discipline. You'll soon see for yourselves."

Behind the three men, Elizabeth and X shrugged and grumbled together, "Boys will be boys…"

At the same time, Connla ran along the stretching sand dunes to reunite with Jack and Nursery. The young Caster hugged her friend and cried out, "You're home! I was getting so worried, thinking you weren't going to make it out of Uma!"

"I was worried about you too. I constantly thought that you guys might run into trouble after leaving Zhou. Did everything work out all right?" Connla asked.

"Yep!" Jack nodded. "There were some scary-looking animals that found us, but I dismembered them super easy!"

"Aside from that, a lot of people were upset about what happened," Nursery explained to Connla, "so I told lots of stories to keep their minds off of things. I even went ahead and told them about your grandfather."

"Is that right?" the Saber murmured, thinking about her earlier discussion with Parvati and Lucius.

"Once we made it here, I think everyone's mood started to improve. Who couldn't resist smiling when there's so much shiny stuff to look at?"

"Well then, I suppose we should move on to the next step."

"You're right. What are we going to do now?"

"The living people must be tired after such a harrowing experience and dangerous trek through unknown territory. Let's have them rest for the night while we Servants discuss what to do from here," Connla said. She took off her wrist communicator and added, "I need to fill Lord Gilgamesh in on what has transpired as well. This might be a good chance for all of us to coordinate an attack against Aspidochelone."

"Aspidochelone? What are you talking about?" Wu Zetian wondered.

"I have to concur. I have not heard of such a name before," Nero said.

"Oh dear…" the Saber moaned pitifully. "That's quite the explanation in itself…"

"Let me take care of it. You focus on contacting Gilgamesh," Parvati assured, then said to the others, "Nursery Rhyme told me about the nature of this 'world' that we live in. It is, in fact, not some kind of dark planet that we are on, but the innards of a massive sea turtle."

"Wha-?"

Any Servants who weren't aware of this stared at the Pseudo-Servant with flabbergasted looks on their faces. Ashwatthama in particular dropped his jaw so low that an insect could easily fly inside. Even the unflappable Medusa appeared shaken, and she shakily asked her sovereign, "Are you sure about this? Do you not think she was lying to you?"

"I don't think so. I've always felt that something felt particularly 'off' about this world – how it is always dark and damp, or how no sunlight can ever find its way here, or how there are sometimes quakes when there are no geological formations to be found. If we really are inside a Phantasmal, then it's the most logical explanation for all of these peculiarities. On top of that, Connla, Nursery Rhyme and Jack the Ripper are all Servants who come from the outside world."

"Pah! We don't believe it! There is no such thing as an 'outside world'!" Wu retorted. "They have quite the nerve to spew such terrible lies upon our face!"

Nursery stomped her foot and shouted, "We're not lying! We really were swallowed by a huge monster!"

"Then prove it! Show us incontrovertible evidence of this world that you hail from!"

"Well… that is…"

"We don't have solid evidence," Connla replied calmly as she pushed a button on her transceiver. "But we do have testimony from the other Chaldean Servants. Feel free to ask Lord Gilgamesh or anyone else about the outside world - I'm sure they'll gladly tell you all about it. This communicator also has video feed, so they can even show you around Okeanos."

"You're kidding…" Wu whimpered, suddenly feeling distraught. She was compelled to sit down as she moaned, "We can't believe this… Played for like a fool by a mastermind… all while calling the innards of a monster our home… It is enough to retch all of our insides in one go…"

The transceiver eventually came through, and an enlarged holographic image of Gilgamesh projected itself on the wall. Connla bowed and said, "My apologies for the late report, sire."

"Certainly took your time getting back to me, runt," the Sumerian king chastised her. His features immediately softened when he saw the crowd standing around her, and he said, "Looks like you have been quite busy though. Did you go through the trouble of assembling so many mongrels as a form of apology?"

"Hm… I wouldn't say that's 100% accurate, but they are definitely Servants who have joined our cause against the Celtic god and his Fomorian army. They're basically the remnants of those factions I told you about earlier."

"Remnants?"

She told him everything that had happened, and he raised his brow in curiosity. He smiled and muttered, "I see. So the god turned against his own lambs and sentenced them to be slaughtered. Nary a hint of hesitation or guilt, either. Your presence there must have really riled our foe into taking action."

"So much death and destruction… because I was here…" Connla whispered sadly.

"Enough with the self-depreciation. Continue with your report, runt."

"Y-Yes, sir. We are all currently in the treasury inside Aspidochelone's stomach, and we need to figure out a way to get everyone out of here."

"Hmph. What an outrageous incident this has turned into. We have gone from rescuing you three to evacuating an entire island's worth of people who are trapped many meters beneath the sea."

"I'm so sorry for the trouble. But I really don't want to abandon everyone just to save myself."

"Why are you apologizing? If anyone is to grovel in remorse before my feet, it is the one responsible for this mayhem. As the Pseudo-Servant of the Celtic God of Light, and as my prized retainer, it is your duty to ensure this foul mongrel faces the justice he deserves. I expect nothing more and nothing less than that out of you."

"I totally agree. I want to live up to Grandfather's expectations and punish this god," Connla declared.

Just then, someone off to the side pushed Gilgamesh out of the way. A moment later, Cuchulainn Alter's face appeared on the screen, and he barked, "Are you out of your mind, kid!?"

"Father!"

"You are not fighting that bastard! I absolutely forbid it!"

"Why? Grandfather gave me his powers for that reason, so-"

"I don't give a shit about that! You listen to me good! You're going to stay put and wait for me to retrieve you! If my old man really did change your Spirit Origin, then as his son, I should be able to take those powers for myself and fight the enemy! There's no need to risk yourself like this!"

"Well… You do have a point… But how are you going to 'retrieve' me in the first place? There has to be a way to make Aspidochelone come to the surface, and we would need a large enough exit to get everyone out. Only then would it be safe to fight the god at full power."

"Don't worry about that," Cuchulainn confidently grinned. "We haven't been sitting around twiddling our thumbs. We all went around Okeanos and destroyed the Fomorian idols scattered across the islands. With nothing giving that monster energy from the outside, it will be forced to come back up. That's when we'll make our move."

"Your move? Do you have a plan in mind?"

"Yeah. First of all, we're going to-"

Without warning, the entire ground vibrated violently. From Gilgamesh and Cuchulainn's perspective, the video feed thrashed about everywhere before the transceiver landed on its side. They heard multiple cries of shock and astonishment coming from the large crowd of survivors in the distance. Cuchulainn smashed his hand on the panel and demanded, "What happened!?"

"Ungh…" Connla groaned, got on her hands and knees, and turned the camera back upright. "Some kind of massive earthquake hit us all of a sudden. But since we're not on solid ground…"

"Aspidochelone is moving somewhere."

"I think so too, but I have no idea what's happening outside. Can Chaldea pool its resources into tracking the Phantasmal?"

"Already on it!" Da Vinci replied. She had been listening to the conversation and already told the technicians to follow Aspidochelone's magical energy output. After analyzing the readings for a minute, her eyes widened in horror as she exclaimed, "I knew it! Its signature is ascending from Okeanos' depths! It's rising to the surface!"

Gilgamesh rapped his fingers on the arm of his chair, then muttered, "Impudent fool. Once it shows itself, it will soon come to understand that it is living on borrowed time."

"But the other Chaldean Servants haven't returned from their expeditions yet!" Roman exclaimed. "We won't be ready to enact our plan until they're all assembled!"

"Quit your pathetic howling, mongrel. A true strategist knows when to implement improvisation tactics when needed. If the other Servants cannot fight on land, then they can make do with their sailing vessels. All I have to do is relay the coordinates to them, then immediately depart to take my own position."

"I guess so. Then the coordinates are…"

As Roman and Gilgamesh spoke with each other, Cuchulainn snapped at Connla, "You stay calm and make sure no one does anything stupid until we get there! That means double for you, kid! Do NOT go and fight that god on your own, you hear me!?"

"I-I can't make any promises," she uttered. "Who knows what could happen in the meantime?"

As she said that, she heard a woman's bloodcurdling scream and looked over. Way over at the entrance to Aspidochelone's esophagus, a new horde of Fomorians swarmed towards the stricken humans who had been sleeping until now. The other Servants were already advancing on the monsters and either slaying them or guiding the absolutely frantic citizens elsewhere.

"That's the path back to the mouth… Why would they be showing up there?" she wondered, then thought, I don't recall seeing any stone idols back when Jack, Nursery and I were exploring that region.

Parvati ran up to her and kneeled over her before asking, "Are you okay?"

"Mm. I've told everyone in Chaldea what's happening. How are things over there?"

"The others have the situation under control, but no one has any idea why the Fomorians have spawned from there."

"There has to be a statue somewhere in that area. Do you have any ideas, Lady Parvati?"

"I don't know if this is much, but I've been picking up some sort of faint signature further down that particular tunnel."

"What sort of signature?"

"Even though it's far away, it's exuding an exceptionally higher level of Divinity compared to the other idols."

Connla rested her hand on her chest, then silently prayed, Is she right, Grandfather? Can you show me the way somehow?

After a few seconds of deep concentration, she felt a peculiar heartbeat-like throbbing resonating within her soul. She blocked out all of the noise and bedlam surrounding her to focus on this sensation. It grew stronger and stronger with each passing moment, and she visualized Aspidochelone's internal structure to determine where it could be originating from.

"… Of course!" she cried out. "There's still one place we haven't checked!"

"Really!? Where!?" Parvati yelped.

"The brain!"

Cuchulainn heard Connla and Parvati's discussion, and his chest seized with total fear. His eyes widened as he shouted, "Wha-!?"

"Oh," Gilgamesh murmured. "Not bad, runt. I thought I would have to be the one to scry for the enemy god's location inside that behemoth. Giving your king one less chore to deal with is most noteworthy. I'll have to make a mental note to reward you with a piece of candy for your effort later."

"Um, candy aside, this is a major discovery!" Connla replied. "While everyone from Chaldea is dealing with Aspidochelone, I can go and kill the mastermind at the same time!"

"Well, regardless of your father's pleas, I declare that you may do as you please. It is your life to jeopardize, after all. My only order to you is to make it back alive."

"I understand. None of this would have happened had I not shown up. Because I'm a Celtic Servant, the enemy god toppled every civilization here to try and be rid of me before I could reveal the truth. I think it's the least I can do for all of the pain and suffering these people have had to endure."

"Then do you know whom you are up against?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but I have Grandfather with me for support. I'm sure I'll find out sooner or later. Please take care of the rest!"

"W-Wait!" Cuchulainn growled, but the feed quickly cut out as Connla ended the call. He shoved Gilgamesh off of him and barged for the front entrance while roaring, "THAT IDIOT!"

Just as Connla deduced, the final and grandest Fomorian idol of them all was located deep within Aspidochelone's cranium. The beast's skull was actually hollow, its original brain long since discarded and replaced with the idol's incredible magical output. Countless black veins stretched for miles within the mixed pea-green and navy blue space, all congregating upon the giant statue. Pure mana coursed through the thin blood vessels.

However, the man who stood before the idol could tell that there wasn't much energy left to sustain his bestial sailing vessel. Soon, the Phantasmal would run out of air and return to the surface of Okeanos. The many 'heroes' that he sensed both from inside the monster and throughout the islands were luring it into an obvious trap, yet the god's control over the beast had gradually faded each time the other stone statues were destroyed. He could no longer command Aspidochelone to surface elsewhere. All he could do was abandon it the same way he did to the factions that sustained his existence through countless years of sacrifice.

This is inevitable. Though it was sooner than I expected, the Phantasmal's time has come for it to be my greatest sacrifice.

He closed his empty black eyes. No sign of remorse or pity could be seen on his stoic face.

With the destruction that is soon to follow, I can return to the darkest corners of human history and try again. How long I must wait is indeterminate, but I am patient. The only problem is silencing the God of Light. Even in the hadal depths of the ocean, I cannot escape his radiance.

The god opened his eyes again, then flexed his fingers and curled them into a fist. He murmured only a single phrase under his breath:

"DiDòmhnaich Crum Dubh, plaoisgidh mi an t-ugh." †

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

† - "Crooked black Sunday, I'll shell the egg." The origin of this phrase is unknown.