* Umineko – Life

* The House in Fata Morgana – Morgana's Curse

* Umineko – Life

Ruler and Orianna Levent were fighting their way through the obstacles put on their path by Ivan.

Thankfully, they were meeting relatively little resistance; it would seem the magus' main forces were the automata army and the Treasure Golems he had already thrown their way. Thanks to Brynhildr, they had managed to get through those and now the only enemies showing up to slow them down were a variety of familiars.

They had all sorts of shapes, from more realistic ones such as wolf-like creatures and large birds of prey, to exotic if not completely alien designs. One of those was a feathered scorpion with carnivorous plants growing out of it. But overall, their fighting power was low, to the point that even a non-combat-oriented Servant like Ruler and a simple Executor could defeat them.

That did not mean they were having an easy time getting through, however.

"Follow me this way!" Ruler told his aide as he took a sharp turn to the left.

As great as it would be to run to their objective in a straight line, Ivan wouldn't let it happen. This Ark was part of his body and he had shown before that he could manipulate it at will; in other words, the layout around them was prone to changing. They would every so often see a wall arise in front of them, or another one would disappear to reveal a horde of familiars. The silver lining was that he couldn't operate these changes very fast, or else he would have been able to trap the two of them completely.

Nonetheless, they were fighting tooth and nail to make their way through. To reiterate, they were not the most battle-suited pair; even as far as Executors went, Orianna was more prized for her voice than for her physical abilities. They didn't need to kill all their opponents per say, all they wanted was to get through – and Ivan knew that. That was why their enemies only came in groups that would make it harder to ignore them.

"Sir, leave me behind." Orianna eventually said without hesitation. "Even without my help, you can break through their defenses. I'm only slowing you down."

In fact, without Ruler, Orianna might not stand a change against so many enemies. But because she was tagging along with him, Ruler must have felt as though he should keep an eye on her.

However, he didn't even look at her when she said that.

"Nonsense. In this place, there is no safe haven for us. I would be leaving you to die."

"But our mission is to prevent the catastrophe from your vision. You need to find Lancer of White as soon as possible."

"The difference in time is not worth your life." The old man stated calmly. "Besides, you still have a role to play. I cannot let anyone else fulfill it, so let's put aside thoughtless sacrifices."

It was true that she couldn't say for sure how much it would help, although she didn't treasure her life as much as he seemed to imply. She was in a dangerous business after all. But the old man wasn't wrong: maybe she just really wanted a way to be useful, this time around. And this situation seemed desperate enough that; however, for whom it was desperate wasn't certain.

After all, just as Ruler had said, for Ivan to throw so many wrenches in their plan meant that they were a threat.

Even so, she wasn't completely confident in that interpretation. She though that, if he truly were cornered, Ivan Pedilefey would be giving them a tougher time. If anything, it felt like they were being toyed with. This Ark was his body... so it was very much like running in the palm of his hand, in a way.

"...!" Because she was thinking that, Orianna was looking down at the marble white floor; and thanks to this, she was able to see it. "From below!"

She had though it was weird that less and less enemies were appearing: a hand and then an arm emerged from the ground right where the old man Servant was running. Ruler reacted to her warning and hastily jumped away. As for Orianna, she switfly hurled a couple Black Keys toward the arm and punctured it – or so she thought, but after reaching their target the blades sank into the arm and disappeared.

"I didn't think you would be able to get this far." After the arm, a shoulder emerged and then an entire man's body. "But I suppose that's my fault. You are the arbitrator sent by the Holy Grail. It goes without saying that it's giving you power."

Ivan himself had appeared before them this time.

Well, half of him at the very least.

That wasn't a manner of speech: even though his silhouette was that of an entire human body, only the left side looked like him. The other half was featureless and seemingly made of white clay. Had he really appeared with only half of his body, or was that another artistic trick of his?

Ivan must have read this question on her face:

"I hope you'll forgive me, I can't honour you properly with my whole person. Since I'm needed somewhere else, I can only give you half of my time." He chuckled at his own joke. "How do people call it these days? Multitasking?"

"So he's really making fun of us..."

Orianna was on her guard but she couldn't truly do much here, could she? She had already seen how ineffective her attacks were.

"I care not if you choose to keep hiding, I do not have any business with you." Ruler said.

"Really? Even though the culprit you've been looking for is right in front of you? You're going to make me sad, you know?" Ivan shrugged.

"You are the last obstacle on our road, I presume." The Servant of the Grail glared. "Then we will not waste time with you; our objective lies beyond and so we will pass through!"

"I won't let you do that~." Ivan announced with a toothy grin. "Otherwise, I would have come here for nothing."

Then, he bent over and rushed forward faster Orianna could have expected.

Actually, it seemed as though he was gliding along the surface of the ground, which allowed him to reach a high speed instantaneously. Ruler and Orianna were on each side of him but his primary target was obvious: Ivan's blurry figure dashed toward the old man.

He was unarmed but that façade wouldn't fool Ruler – the Servant of the Grail made a point of avoiding being touched by the magus and skipped away. To cover his retreat, he revealed a shroud and swung it toward Ivan like a whip. Whether that kind of attack would have any effect on him was unknown, but at the very least Ivan wasn't taking his chances: he ducked and half his body sank into the Ark, evading the holy artifact. The way he was moving around was very disconcerting, as though he was swimming through the white stone.

Instead of chasing after Ruler, the magus conceded the distance between them and buried his arms into the ground.

Neither Ruler nor his aide knew what to expect from him, and indeed what happened next took them by surprise: the arms that Ivan had just buried resurfaced close to Ruler. They shot out from the wall and the ground like two long vines and slithered in the air like snakes. Before Ruler could react, one of them touched his side; a part of his thigh and pelvis were torn apart.

Before the same could be done to the rest of his body however, the old man frantically skipped away; Ivan's arms pursued him. They could freely come out from any surface and moved erratically. It went to show they couldn't take him for a normal opponent within the usual limits of the human body.

However, on his end Ivan was also forgetting something fundamental: he had another opponent here.

While his attention was focused on Ruler, Orianna approached him and prepared to strike. Weaker than her peers she might be, she was still highly trained in combat. She wasn't versed in Eastern martial arts, but Europe also had a long tradition of wrestling and fighting styles that used to be for self-defense rather than for sport.

Unsurprisingly, Ivan noticed her approached – his eye turned toward her. Not his entire face, but only his eye which shifted place to appear on his temple. That was quite the uncanny sight but Orianna wasn't disturbed in the least – she stared that eye down and raised her fist.

Then, she struck with her leg.

"Gh...!" Ivan was taken short by her feint and grunted in pain her kick collided with his face.

Orianna hurriedly retrieved her foot though, lest something bad could happen to it. And indeed, looking at her boot, a part of it had been torn off. When he had seen her approach, Ivan had been ready to absorb her fist, that was why she had managed to hit him through a surprise attack. But as she had feared, there was some amount of automatism to it. Any attack that hit him would be ingested with a certain time lag.

Nonetheless, she had successfully distracted him and had inflicted a bit of pain as well. That alone was gratifying.

She knew it wouldn't be enough to take him out though.

This time, Ivan turned his entire attention toward her.

"My bad, are you perhaps envious of him?" He asked cheerfully.

Ivan didn't even move; Orianna felt something pointy reach the sole of her shoes. She didn't bother wondering what it was and rolled away with all her strength. Even then, she barely avoided the blades which erupted from the ground. Those were real swords and spears, not creations made of clay.

She instinctively increased the distance between them even though it was pointless in the face of such attacks. Worse yet, she made the mistake of getting closer to a wall. On this Ark, every surface was a source of danger. She realized her blunder when it was too late: the tips of many blades appeared in every direction, in far too great a number for her to avoided them in time.

But once again, she wasn't fighting alone: thanks to her distraction, Ruler had escaped the vine-like arms and saw her predicament. He unrolled a shroud and threw it her way like a rope and Orianna seized it without hesitation. By a hair's breadth, she avoided being turned into a pincushion.

Ruler pulled her toward him and they once again stood side-by-side.

However, it didn't feel as though they had made much progress.

"My, my, my, my... This is more difficult than I anticipated." The one who said that was Ivan, however. "Ah, I mean entertaining the two of you while attending my other business. This 'multitasking' thing might not be for me."

"That freak..." Orianna clicked her tongue; he was fighting them with only half of himself, that was already a nigh-impossible feat. "Sir, what should we do?"

"I'm afraid it's just as he has said." Ruler sighed. "Getting through him without eliminating him first will only make the task harder."

"But we can't seem to harm him." Orianna replied, more as a conclusion than a retort. "My offer still stands, by the way. If you can slip past him somehow, don't hesitate to leave me behind."

"I believe we've already had this conversation..."

"No, I'm not telling you I'll throw my life away." Orianna looked at the old man with an unwavering gaze. "What I'm saying is, you can leave him to me."

"..." For a moment, Ruler raised his eyebrows; he must not have expected that kind of confidence from her.

On his side, Ivan must not have appreciated being left out of the conversation anymore, for he interrupted them:

"At any rate, at any rate~, I hope it doesn't upset you that I can't give it my all right now. Hm? Or maybe that makes you happy?" He smiled mischeviously. "Maybe that makes you feel as though you can stop me."

"Your plans will be ruined one way or the other, fool." Ruler admonished him. "I haven't fully figured out your intentions but your actions are bound to hurt many."

"I suppose... no, I hope so. That's what makes it all the more interesting, is it not?" Ivan tilted his head. "This Ark is the fruit of decades of labour. It's the achievement of a lifetime, so I would hate it if you did something to it now. And if it didn't affect as many people as possible, then the time and love poured into it would be wasted."

"And yet, it is that ridiculous ambition that dooms you. If one tries to harm humanity as a whole, they will meet resistance from this world itself."

"Oh? So you know about it? No, actually I should have expected this. But, are you truly hoping for the Counter Force to intervene? If so, why don't you stand on the sideline and wait for it to act?"

"I would have failed my duty if I waited for harm to be done. But even should I fail here, your plan will lead nowhere!"

Saying so, Ruler took a resolute step forward and brandished a Black Key.

But Ivan seemed to laugh to his face while holding his chin in pretense of pondering.

"I wonder about that. Will it intervene? Will it not? In the end, the will that rules this world is the will of Mankind. It is scared – it's terrified of disappearing. Extinction and despair are what prompts it to move. However, if it is the hopes and dreams of humanity – no, dare I say Humanity itself, then maybe it won't even acknowledge it as a threat."

The magus spread his arms wide and let himself fall backward; instead of hitting the ground, his body sank into it. But his voice could still be heard, albeit it came from every direction at the same time.

"Actually, even if it fails, I don't mind it. As long as there is a spectacle to be enjoyed, then it will have been worth it. This is the proof of my love."

"Coward." Orianna rushed forward. She didn't have a target to aim for, but if Ivan left the way wide open for them they had to take what they could. "You don't truly care about the consequences of your actions; you're like a child."

It was because of people like him, who were ready to hurt the entire world for petty reasons, that she had come here.

Ruler had had the same though as her and was running next to her. However, neither of them believed that this detestable man was letting them through, even for his own amusement. As they ran they kept an eye in every direction around them – it could come from the floors or the walls, or even from above or behind. But since there was two of them, they could cover each other's blind spots.

Suddenly, more blades emerged from the street they were in and began moving around. It reminded Orianna of that cartoonish image of a shark fin moving around in water. But these were just as dangerous as an actual shark, if not more. They could change their trajectory at the last second; even so, she did her best to avoid them. As a matter of fact, the shroud Ruler had used to save her before was still in her hand and they were still making the best out of it.

Even in the middle of this life-threatening situation, Orianna kept talking.

"And you actually aren't that good at planning things out. You have the advantage of preparation and information over us, but you act like you're fully improvising. For all your impressive defenses, you've let all your enemies into your base. And instead of taking us seriously, you're treating it like a game."

Then, no more blades came their way.

Instead, the scenery ahead of them shifted: nature bloomed. It was hard to believe and, at first, the Executioner thought it was an illusion. The ground and the walls of this street were overran by grass. In this unusual garden which grew in front of their eyes, there were plants of all shapes and colours. The more striking ones were those large enough to swallow her – for indeed, they had mouths and teeth and they seemed eager to use them.

But those carnivorous plants were simple enough to get past and they couldn't move from where they were.

The real danger was elsewhere: the ground around them was covered in what looked like puffy mushrooms. Once Orianna and Ruler were deep within the garden, they all reacted at once and released a greyish steam-like substance. She didn't even need to wonder what its effect was; if she breathed those spore in, it was over.

That being say, it was a very thoughtless attack to use against them.

After all, guarding against illness and poison was a very common role of blessings: the Servant of the Grail revealed a new shroud, purple in colour and large enough to wrap around the both of them. The barrier formed by the holy relic didn't allow a single particle of spore in, although it made it harder to deal with the plants. Anyhow, they managed to hack their way through.

"You talked about love before, without having any idea what that word actually means." Orianna continued. "You don't spare any love for anyone in this world, not even those you call your comrades. You're only stroking your ego and pretending you're more than what you really are – a child playing games with rules that amuse only him."

...

...

"Your face is familiar, you know?"

Ivan's voice wasn't surrounding her anymore. It came from a specific direction: below Orianna's feet.

The Executor and the old man had already exited the garden and arrived into a larger road. They had to be getting close to their objective now, but their greatest obstacle yet appeared abruptly: the ground around Orianna shifted. Even though she noticed it, she didn't have the time to react before walls arose on every side and trapped her. It wasn't only walls either – the light of day vanished when a small ceiling finished isolating her.

She was now stuck inside a small, dark cube.

She didn't know what the situation outside was; if Ruler had been captured in the same manner, that would be problematic. But if Ivan had singled her out, then the old man could keep going. As for Orianna herself, this was a precarious situation indeed.

"I rarely forget people's faces."

From the sound of Ivan's voice, he was inside the cube with her. But where? It was too dark in here to see anything. He could be in the ground or on the ceiling for all she knew.

But he was a whimsical man.

If he decided to attack her, chances were he would have to approach.

Just a bit more...

If he got just a little closer...

"How long ago was that? Ten years?" Suddenly, the voice was clearer. "No, if I remember right... it was twelve years ago. That's right, there were a lot of people gathered at the time. I killed most of them though."

"..."

"I don't remember being friends with you, so it's a chance you survived that battle. But for you to appear here again... this is quite the unfortunate turn of fate, don't you think?"

"...Are you upset? I didn't think it was that easy to get under your skin." Orianna asked calmly. "But you fell for it."

"...?"

Ivan Pedilefey was right behind her, she could feel it.

In other words, it was time to give him a taste of her own trap.

The truth was, everything she had said before had been an attempt at taunting him. She had no idea what could enrage that man, but she didn't even need to piss him off in order to attract his attention to her. After all, that Ivan seemed to focus on whatever was in front of him at the time; just like when she had attacked him before.

As long as she made her presence known to him, there had been a chance he would make it personal.

And that was exactly the occasion Orianna had been looking out for.

* Stop music

Swiftly, she spun around and wrapped something around the puzzled magus. There was no reason Ruler should be the only one with a holy shroud on his person. Once she had confirmed her target was wrapped into the crismon red cloth, Orianna stabbed him with the three Black Keys in her other hand. What she felt wasn't the sensation of stabbing someone; as expected, he had absorbed them.

But that was fine.

In fact, it was perfect: Orianna joined her hands together.

Then, she sang.

"Kyrie eléison."

All at once, there was a curt scream of pain and surprise, and the walls around her returned to the ground. The sunlight was shining on her again, as well as on the half-human, half-clay figure of Ivan Pedilefey. The Black Keys stabbed into his chest were alight with an ethereal blue flame – the holy power that purged demons and purified evil. Normally, they shouldn't have this property against Ivan who is only human.

However, in this very moment, the magus was 'evil'.

The cloth she had wrapped around him wasn't just any common relic but one of the strongest Holy Shrouds there were: the Shroud of John. It wasn't the original though; she didn't have that one in her possession. But since Ruler had the ability to create holy artifacts, he had managed to replicate the one matching his name. Its ability was very simple: anything within it was considered as an enemy of the Church, and an existence that must be purged in the same vein as demons.

In other words, it was a relic that created a weakness to sacraments.

"Christe eléison."

Ivan Pedilefey could brush off most if not all physical attacks, but what of attacks aimed directly at his soul?

"Ghh... ahhh..." Even as he smiled, the suffering was visible on his face. Since he didn't attempt to get rid of his chain, he must have been frozen in place. As a matter of fact, the Black Keys he had absorbed earlier must be tormenting him as well. "I...I see... so such a thing was possible as well... ha... haha... I dropped my guard..."

More Black Keys were hurled and stabbed into him, courtesy of Ruler. The old man walked toward Ivan with his hand held toward the magus. A holy light was shining from his open palm. Then, while Orianna kept singing her prayer, the Servant of the Grail pronounced the Baptism Rites.

"I will kill. I will let live. I will harm and heal. None will escape me. None will escape my sight. Be crushed."

The pain in Ivan's expression heightened, enough to wipe off his smile and make beads of sweat pearl on his forehead. Despite the Shroud, his essence wasn't so evil that he would be destroyed in an instant. Even so, he must be feeling his soul burning away.

"I welcome those who have grown old and those who have lost. Devote yourself to me, learn from me, and obey me. Rest. Do not forget song, do not forget prayer, and do not forget me. I am light and relieve you of all your burdens..."

However, Ruler suddenly stopped.

The incantation wasn't complete, yet he fell silent. Ivan's body fell over and he laid limply on the ground. Orianna stopped singing and gave the old man a quizzical look.

"His soul has left his body." Ruler said grimly. "But not by natural means; he has removed it from it. This is nothing more than a corpse now."

"He would abandon half of his genuine, biological body...?" Although she mused that out loud, the idea actually didn't sound so farfetched considering his personality.

"His body means nothing to him, he has long since abandoned being human. What he is, I cannot tell; by toying with his own existence, he has forsaken the right to belong anywhere."

"..."

Orianna looked down on what had used to be Ivan Pedilefey. Life had left his eyes but there was still something mocking in the expression he made. Ruler crouched down next to him and covered that face with his hand.

"But even if he has ran away, there has to be a punishment for his sins." His hand glowed brighter. "Do not pretend. Retribution for forgiveness, betrayal for trust, despair for hope, darkness for light, dark death for the living. Relief is in my hands. I will add oil to your sins and leave a mark. Eternal life is given through death. –Ask for forgiveness here. I, the incarnation, will swear. –Kyrie eléison."

The holy light burned Ivan's body. It was hard to tell whether this was truly a punishment for him. At any rate, there were only ashes left of this half of him.

"...By the way, didn't I tell you to run if you had the occasion?" Orianna squinted at the Servant of the Grail.

"I do not remember saying I would." Ruler stood back up. "We musn't waste any more time. Before he can recover from this, we have to find our target."

Orianna nodded and silently turned back toward their objective. There was only a little left. What they would find there, she had no idea. But they had lost more than enough time playing Ivan's stupid games.

...

However.

She had barely taken a single step that the air filled with a scream. She couldn't tell what creature it had come from but she was shaken by an unexplanable sense of dread. Her whole body had frozen in its track before she even noticed; she felt a cold sweat. The next moment, she could feel something else.

"This magical signature..." Ruler seemed to be having the same reaction as her.

He raised his head.

The sky had turned dark, even though there wasn't a single cloud.

Then, what was it that eclipsed the light of the sun?

The old man turned toward Orianna and shouted at her to pull her out of her stupor:

"Seek shelter!"

Chapter LXXXV: Darkest Design

Inside the Ark, far from the gaping wound through which light spilt into its belly, there was only shadows.

However, even in this unfathomable abyss, something was shining. It was something of an eerie sight: two bright red dots that moved around frenetically, sometimes disappearing and reappearing. Could those eyes see clearly in the shadows? If they didn't, at the very least they weren't slacking either.

'Lancer of White' was scurrying around and Ivan watched him do so in silence.

The ashen giant had gotten inside thanks to the Black Faction's unnecessary intervention. But that wasn't an issue; since the time was nigh, it was just as good as any method. If he had never found his way in by himself, Ivan would have simply created an entrance specially for him. On the other hand, it seemed the Servant had decided to search the entire belly of the Ark before turning his attention to him. Or maybe he hadn't even noticed Ivan? As it was, he was completely obsessed with his hunt.

It was only a matter of time though.

When finally those bright red eyes settled on him, Ivan understood that the time had come.

"Welcome." He spread his arms wide to greet him, although he only had the right half of his body to do so. He had dispatched the other one to take care of Ruler. "You must be tired of searching, aren't you? You've been in this state for a while now, after all."

"..."

The answer came not in words but in a low rumble. The eyes got closer at a worrying speed, yet the magus was not afraid. He could hear the giant's steps approaching; he was walking on the same ledge Ivan stood on. In the span of a heartbeat, he was right in front of the magus. He couldn't actually see him, yet the pressure exerted by his presence alone made it impossible to miss him.

He didn't attack Ivan on sight. Perhaps he still had enough restraint to acknowledge him as the master of this place. At any rate, the ashen giant was observing the magus with the same scrutiny and tension as a predator laying in wait. That was understandable though; a part of him must be dying to kill Ivan on the spot.

"Where is it?" His voice sounded like two rocks being rubbed against each other. "It's close... I can feel it... I can feel its presesence... I can hear its voice... I know it's here...! Give it to me... tell me where it is...! If you don't..."

"If you need to settle down, I can offer you a cup." Ivan was undisturbed by the Servant's killing intent. "But if you want a definitive answer, come this way."

The magus turned around and began walking without hurry. The ashen giant could track him without issue and Ivan knew this place too well to need a light; and thus, they made their way in the darkness toward a destination only Ivan knew. It wasn't a hidden room or anything of the sort. In fact, it was in plain sight: the place he was taking the giant to was the centre of the ship, where a giant pillar arose from the bottom to join the Tower on the surface.

It was the same pillar in which his Grail Shard had used to be embedded, although that spot was higher up. Right now, they were quite close to the bottom of the Ark. If someone shed a light over the ledge Ivan was using, they wouldn't actually be able to see the bottom as it was buried under heaps of artifacts and items he had slowly accumulated over the years. But the object of the giant's obsession wasn't amongst them.

This specific part of the central pillar was special: Ivan had used a special Mystic Code to create fog and darkness around it as to prevent anyone from finding their way to it. After all, it was the most important part of this ship; the Ark had been built around it.

"Where...?! Where is it...?!" Behind him, the Servant was losing patience.

"Don't be afraid, I'm not here to trick you. On the contrary, I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. For years. For decades. For most of my life, in fact." The magus chuckled. "This Ark, my beloved Ark, was made specifically with this day in mind."

"I don't care...! Give it to me..."

"Hmmm, I suppose that the closer we are to our objective, the harder it is to control ourselves." While he was saying that, Ivan was trying to hold another conversation with someone else. "You needn't wait any longer, though – we have arrived."

Ivan's feet stopped.

This place was still plunged in obscurity but the pillar was right here in front of them. Actually, he no longer needed to conceal this place; with snap of his fingers, the Mystic Code was deactivated and the artificial darkness vanished.

Since they didn't have a flashlight or a lamp with them, the Ark's belly should still have been pitch black.

However, there was something here which emitted light – it came from the pillar.

How to describe it?

It was stone.

Or rather, it was a mix of stone, brick and cement, but in its current state it was hard to make out those details. It was starkly different from the rest of the Ark, which was pure white. If anything, it had a more realistic brown-ish colour. But exactly because of that, it was a strange thing than to see it mixed with the marble-like stone that made up the ship. It had been made part of the pillar – or maybe it was more accurate to say that the pillar had been built to be part of it.

If that was all there had been, however, it wouldn't have been much to write home about.

As mentioned, the stone was emitting a faint yet persistent light. It was different from the Grail Shard's glow. After all, even though it was illuminating the two men and the path they stood on, it was hard to tell whether the stone was truly shining. Rather it looked like it was the one being illuminated, that was how clearly they could see it.

And then, there were the voices.

Some people were more sensitive to it than others, but until you stepped inside the Ark, you wouldn't hear them. Ivan was so used to them that his ears were filtering them out and he treated the same as silence.

The ashen giant's face was now visible

"... ... ... ... ... ..."

The murderous impulses and instability he had shown earlier were nowhere to be seen. Although, that wasn't to say he looked happy, despite finding his heart's desire at long last. His face was perfectly calm, as though he had turned into an ancient statue. He was staring at the stone with a composure the magus had never seen him have – however, his breathing was getting heavier by the second, hinting at the emotions stirring below that mask.

What kind of emotions?

Ivan didn't know. Even though it was important for someone like him to recognize the feeling of others, the look on the Servant's face was completely undecipherable to him.

Then, the hunter slowly raised his hand as he stepped toward the stone.

"...This is something very important to me, you know?" Since the giant wasn't saying anything, Ivan filled the silence. "I was young then, when I found it by chance. As soon as I saw it, I understood the very root of my existence. Even though I didn't have a place to call home at the time, I still felt I had returned to where I belonged."

"..." Finally, the ashen giant touched the stone. He stayed in that position, motionless.

"I also heard all of 'their' voices. Well, I suppose anyone would. But I reckon you'd hear them better than anyone. Are they the ones who guided you here?"

"...aaah..." Was it a sigh or a rattle the Servant let out?

"At any rate, this is what I dedicated myself to after I decided to take this immeasurable treasure with me. This Ark. This Holy Grail War. And you as well. In that sense, you could say my life has revolved around it; that makes something we have in common, doesn't it?" Ivan smiled widely and fearlessly walked up to the hunter. "Are you happy, at last?"

* Fata Morgana – Morgana's Curse

"'Happy'...?" Finally, a word escaped the Servant's mouth and his lips curled up. There was no trace of warmth in that smile. "...I knew it... as I thought, something was wrong from the start...! Even though I knew my 'name', there were so many pieces missing..."

Something in the air changed.

Ivan noticed after a moment: the voices had quieted down.

But more than that, when the ashen giant stepped back from the stone, something about him changed. The magus had the eyes of a Master, so he saw it. Something dark, darker yet than the place they were in, emerged from the Servant's shadow and crawled up his body.

Ivan shuddered.

He didn't even understand what this emotion was called, although it was simple fear. He didn't find it uncomfortable, however. Just like everything else, he could hardly describe how much joy it gave him. Besides, it wasn't a strange thing to feel in presence of him.

It was the human in Ivan who was seized up with fear.

After the shadow had covered him up to his head, it suddenly came apart: the ashen giant's appearance had changed.

His bright thistle hair had grown out uncontrolably into an unruly mane.

Above his head, small beads of light seemed to be forming a halo - or was it a crown?

His skin, which was the colour of charcoal, was now covered in strange patterns that seemed to depict human figures and some sorts of constructs. It was a very fascinating sight, as though an ancient rock painting had been tatooed onto him. But, precisely because of that fact, it was extremely eerie: Ivan thought he could hear the voices again, this time coming from the figures.

"This is all a farce... A sordid, disgusting joke...!" One thing which hadn't changed was the hunter's piercing eyes and the aura around him. "'Lancer'... Yes, that's what you lot called me. You're the one who called me that. And I believed you, since so many seats were already filled. But all along... yes, every waking moment, I knew something was wrong! In the first place, there is no way someone like me could be summoned as a Lancer!"

The ashen giant held out his hand; in it appeared a gigantic spear, the same kind he had used until now during the Holy Grail War. But the next moment, that very same spear changed shape. The edges bent and became sharp like knifes. The middle part became thinner and flatter. And once its shape had become more curved, a string formed and linked the two ends together.

What he now held in his hand was a bow wrought in pitch black metal, so massive no normal human could ever dream of using it.

"But this is where the joke ends. I see now – I understand your schemings. You must be proud of yourself." The hunter's eyes turned to the magus. "You've built this place for us and brought me back into this world; for that I shall commend you, but for that alone."

"...I see... if you understand, it spares me the explanation... I take it you've remembered everything?"

Ivan had a mighty hard time following the Servant's words, once again because he had to split his focus with his other half.

Because of that, he didn't notice the way the hunter was looking at him

"...!"

Before he knew it, the magus' body was pierced by many arrows. It wasn't only because of his lack of attention: it had happened in an instant, faster than any human could react. The mere contact of those black darts was scorching; a pain far greater than that of a simple wound.

"Remembered...? Yes, I've remembered – I know that you little wretch are the one responsible for this farce!" The Servant's eyes were gleaming with rage and contempt. "When you had me summoned, you also messed with my mind! You had me believe I was the Lancer of White and you tried to clip my wings by fragmenting my memories! Did you think I would overlook it simply because you've guided me here?!"

The impact and the wounds he sustained made Ivan lose his balance: he fell backward into the void.

Rather than worry about his condition though, he meditated over the hunter's aggression.

Well, he had known something like that might happen. In fact, it had been more than likely since Ivan was indeed guilty of obscuring that man's identity from himself. But that couldn't be helped: if he hadn't kept him in the dark, the ritual would have been fulfilled as soon as the Holy Grail War had started. There was no way Ivan could have spoiled his own pleasure by revealing the highlight of the show so early.

That was why, he didn't feel bad about it one bit.

On the contrary, he couldn't contain his excitement – not even him knew what would happen from now on.

Even after riddling Ivan Pedilefey with holes and making him fall to unknown depths, the ashen giant wasn't nearly satisfied.

He doubted that had been enough to kill that man for good anyway. But if he ever showed his face in front of him again, the hunter would ensure his death, for good this time. No matter how much time Ivan had spent preparing this Ark, the way he had done so was unforgivable. After all, if he had been ready to tinker with the giant's mind, there was no way the latter could believe it had all been for his sake. But even if that were the case, he still wouldn't be thankful to him.

That was not the only unforgivable act he had committed against them.

But at any rate, Ivan was nowhere to be seen for now and so the ashen giant's thoughts quickly shifted to something else.

It would be hard to describe how he felt now that he had finally recovered every missing part of himself. It was like a gaping hole had been filled up at last, so he ought to be happy or at least excited. But he was neither, really. At best, he felt a strange relief at the thought that the other emotions stirring inside him could finally be unleashed.

There was a lot he had to do.

But what should he start with?

The first thing that came to mind was his Master. Perhaps because Ivan's self-indulgent actions still lingered in his mind, the hunter felt the urge to go and find the vampire. But that would have to wait – there was a greater urge boiling inside of him. It was something as natural the lack of self-control after thirsting and starving for a long time.

After all, even though he was breathing this air again, even though his feet were treading this earth and his eyes grasped the light of the sun, until now he had been little more than a hound held by a chain.

He wanted to announce his return to this world – a gesture to say 'I'm here'.

"...The hunt has begun."

With a triumphant roar, the ashen giant spun around and bolted through the dark belly of the Ark. He had no reason to remain in this place anymore – no matter how many more secrets it might hold, there was nothing here that interested him. All of the people who resided on this ship and those who had come to assail it; all of them were up there on the City's level.

Instead of heading straight for the crevice made by Neo Helios (which at that moment seemed to be coming apart), he shifted his course and abruptly lept upward with enough power to reach the ceiling.

But rather than crashing against the layer that separated the deck from the hold, a hole opened for the giant just as he had willed it. Sunlight poured into the dim depths of the ship and illuminated the pitch black silhouette ascending toward it.

Ivan had used to be the only one able to manipulate the Ark in such a way, but there was no reason the Servant wouldn't be capable of it either. The white ship cradling the City in the Tower's shade was now his territory. His hunting ground – his kingdom. Thus, although it didn't feel very natural yet, he had known without even thinking about it that this place would obey him.

After a couple more leaps against the walls to bridge the gap, the ashen giant stood in the open air again, surrounding by white buildings.

Not so long ago, he had been roaming these streets like a maddened demon, but he now saw them in a different light. A mix of disdain, ridicule and a strange thrill in his chest. Left and right, humans and Servants were waging battles – he could feel them. Yes, they were fighting for the sake of the Holy Grail War.

However, the hunter didn't care about that anymore.

The Holy Grail... such a thing wasn't useful to him at this point. Although it might still be a useful tool in his hands, he didn't need the Holy Grail as an excuse. Bloodlust overflowed from him. Indeed, he didn't need such an excuse to slaughter each and every single one of them.

He spotted the tallest building in the viscinity and switfly ran up to the highest vantage point it offered. It was far from the being the best spot to overlook the entire City; the Tower would have been preferable, but he was currently far from it and he wouldn't be able to contain himself for so long.

And after all, it didn't matter.

"Hiding is meaningless. There is nowhere to run to." A carnivorous smile adorned on his face. "Cower in fear and remember your sin! Wherever you are, I can reach you!"

For a hunter, there was only one natural thing to do: the ashen giant drew his bow and he aimed it heavensward. At first, it seemed that there was no arrow to fire. But a proper hunter would always have something to kill their prey with – there was a black spark running from the bow and along his arm.

Much in the same way he had used to create many spears as 'Lancer of White', the giant materialized a large arrow that wouldn't look out of place on a ballista. However, that wasn't enough, not nearly good enough. This Ark belonged to him, and so did the energy running through it – he took as much of this mana as he wanted.

As the flux of magical energy flowed toward him, the arrow grew in size and its shape became instable. Before soon, it was more akin to a bolt of obsidian lightning. But that didn't satisfy him yet.

More...

More...

...

When it was finally to his liking, the arrow had grown to such proportions that the Servant and his bow were eclipsed by it. Swirling and wild like a living shadow, the 'arrow' was ready to be unleashed at the sky. If a thunderbolt was a manifestation of the heavens' wrath, then this one would be a message of fury from the depths of the earth.

"Soar and tear the sky asunder."

With those words, he released the bowstring and the ungodly arrow ascended toward the blue firmament. As it rose, it let out a strident sound that could give the demons of Hell a run for their money. Higher and higher – eventually, it had soared beyond even the clouds, and at that moment the light of the sun vanished and the sky turned dark. But the sun hadn't gone anywhere; something was hiding it from view and was hiding the Ark in its shadow.

Naturally, that something was the arrow the giant had just fired.

Well, not exactly: it wasn't only one arrow anymore.

After all, it was a message to tell them he would find them and kill them now matter where they hid or ran to.

What was now plumetting toward the Ark was a rain of black arrows.

Most people across the Ark saw it.

"The hell is that...?!"

Honda Tadakatsu didn't even need to look up: his senses were blarring alarms in his head to warn him about that imminent threat. Even so, the scope of it was so large that at first he couldn't even wrap his head around what it could be. But when he looked up and saw that black rain of death, his heart skipped a beat – something this huge would reach every corner of the Ark. There was no way his Master would be able to defend against that.

In fact, even telling her to hide was too slow.

In a hurry, he pulled his spear out of Odysseus' body and darted down into the street, where Elena and Hatsuyo should be fighting. Of course, he hadn't kept an eye on them, so he didn't spot them immediatly; maybe it was a silly worry to have, but the pressing reminder of what was about to happen made him look around frantically.

They hadn't gone far off though.

But something felt amiss.

"What is she doing...?"

On her end, Hatsuyo hadn't noticed the shower of arrow coming at all.

Her mind was all too enraptured by the high she was feeling. The sight of the limping Elena trying to get away; the power in her hand... all she could think about was to catch up to her victim and tear her in pieces. Somehow, it felt like a wonderful idea and she found herself grinning and even laughing.

"Master!"

A voice called for her but she couldn't hear it. Everything else around her might as well not have existed right now.

In high spirits, she dashed forth – but before she could reach her target and fulfill her ambition, someone grabbed her arm and abruptly held her back. When she looked behind her and saw that man clad in shadowy armour, she didn't recognize him at first. In the elation that dazzled her mind, she was even ready to attack him as well for interrupting her.

"Oi, Master! Pull it together!"

But when Honda shouted at her with more intensity than he had ever done before, Hatsuyo was struck speechless. The euphoria that had possessed her a second ago was starting to wane, but she was so confused she could only blink at him. Meanwhile, the realization of what she had been doing struck her.

"Lancer...?"

"We don't have the time for an explanation!"

Nor was she given the time to completely get back to her senses: the samurai lifted her off the ground and broke into a sprint. It was at that moment she noticed how strange the sky looked; and how close it seemed to be. One, two, five, ten, fifty... even if time froze, she wouldn't be able to count how many arrows were. Yet, for some reason her first thought was to hold out her hand toward Elena – not for the magus but for the sword Hatsuyo had left behind.

"Tch...! There's no time...!" Honda quickly came to that conclusion; no matter how far he ran, they weren't safe unless they were ready to jump off the Ark. "Master, no matter what, stay behind me!"

The Lancer jumped onto a building and finally dropped his Master on the ground. He didn't spare her a second look: he was turned toward the rain of death about to reduce them into mincemeat. Even now, it hardly connected with Hatsuyo's brain that this was her Servant, as she had never seen him in that form before.

That is, until he brandished his spear.

"If we can't run, we fight!" The weapon glowed bright green as Honda held it with two hands. There wasn't any more time – it was now or never. " Tonbokiri – Tonbo Matsuri!"

Hatsuyo heard a subtle yet unmistakable vibration.

Honda swung his spear toward the black rain, not once but dozens if not hundreds of times. His arms were moving so fast her eyes couldn't keep up. With each swing, the sound of slicing could be heard as well as the vibrations. For a second, Hatsuyo thought she was hallucinating: it seemed to her as though she could really see a swarm of green dragonflies flying around above their head in a mad dance. But when she blinked, they were gone without a trace.

Then, the rain hit the ground.

All around them, the arrows stabbed the white stone as more kept falling and piling up, so much so that it seemed as though black walls were rising up. There was only a narrow space where Hatsuyo and Honda stood where no arrow fell; as if someone was holding an umbrella above their head.

But the umbrella in question was Tonbokiri – even now the samurai was not slowing down and he kept slicing through the oncoming arrows, until the light of day peeked through the other side.

Odysseus had noticed the dark rain before Honda thanks to having his face was turned to the sky. Unfortunately, because the samurai's spear had been nailing him to the ground, he hadn't been able to act immediatly. No, actually, even after the Lancer had pulled out his weapon and rushed off to his Master's side, it had taken a few seconds for the bowman to gather his energy and stand back up properly.

The difference may not seem great, but deep inside his heart he cursed those few seconds.

How many times had he died?

Four... no, five times. Because of how their fight had turned out, he had lost an unnecessary amount of lives near the end.

And then there was his punishment for failing to kill hatsuyo Toriyama; a shard the size of a pencil stabbed in his chest.

He wasn't in his best shape and he felt it with every movement. In a different situation, he would have retreated before things got this bad, but it couldn't be helped since his Master been so close by. But it was the worst time to be reaping what he had sowed – even though he hadn't taken a good enough look at the threat, his instinct was telling him a grim tale.

Thus, no matter how weakened he had become, he forced his body beyond its limit and raced to find his Master. He didn't even know how Elena's battle with Hatsuyo had been going or what state she was in, which was all the more reason for him to hurry.

He too landed down in the street, just in time to see Honda leave with his own Master under his arm.

And, further away, he saw Elena.

In her most vulnerable state, with nothing but soot to cover herself and with a sword stabbed through her leg. But alive; it wasn't too late.

He had to hurry...

The shower of arrows was closing in.

There was little time left. But if he could reach her, then...

(Hurry...!)

Once again, he cursed his own weakness at the most important time. He was breaking into a sprint, even using his wind to the fullest to go faster. On her side, Elena was trying desperately to stand up. It was hard to tell whether she had noticed the arrows or not, but she couldn't move around well because of her wound. She noticed Odysseus from the corner of her eye; her mouth moved but the bowman was too focused on reaching her to hear her.

He was almost there.

Just a bit more - he reached out his arm to grab her.

However, the next thing he saw was that arm flying off, ripped by an arrow.

The first drops were falling – more darts pierced through his body, but Odysseus didn't care. It didn't matter how many hurt him and how, he would keep coming back to life as long as he had the mana to do so. Even though his body was being torn apart, he stubbornly kept going to reach her.

"I still haven't–"

This time, he heard Elena's words.

But those were the last to ever leave her mouth: an arrow pierced through the back of her neck, and many more followed. The expression she was making in that moment was burned into Odysseus' eyes. Beyond her pride, beyond the confusion and anger, he saw fear and a desperate call for help – for his help.

But he couldn't do anything.

Both Master and Servant disappeared under the downpour of black rain.

In another part of the ship, the two Golem Dragons Ivan had set up for Ruler were practically crumbling at this point. They had held up admirably well thanks to the artifacts keeping them together and the multiple cores they were made of.

But at the end of the day, they had been hastily put together and didn't stand a chance when caught in the middle of a battle between Servants. To add insult to injury, they had been less enemies and more obstacles in the four-way battle between Brynhildr, Chi You, Ravana and Ganelon (four-way because of the two Servants of White's inability to cooperate).

The Eastern Golem Dragon was still flying but most of its body was collapsing and it couldn't seem to control the air pressure around it.

The Western Golem Dragon didn't have a head and a neck anymore and was attacking using its long 'tail' as a whip.

As for the Servants, they were all still standing.

The white knight was as stubborn and resilient as ever; Brynhildr had thought him close to exhaustion during their duel, but it was obvious now that this man was unfatiguable. Surprisingly, he had mostly ignored the Valkyria to focus on the Saber of Black as well as his own teammate.

Ravana had been hindered by his colossal height which had made him a prime target for the dragons. In return, he was the one who had done the most damage to the golems. That being said, it was obvious that he was not using his full power, probably because he couldn't afford it with how much magical energy he was consuming.

As for Chi You, she seemed to have a personal grudge against both Ravana and Ganelon. However, she had not neglected the Valkyria either; the six-armed warlord was blitzing across the battlefield, shifting from one opponent to the other in the blink of an eye but always a danger to look out for.

In the midst of all this, Brynhildr's main objective was to stand her ground. From the above descriptions, one might think she had a lot of leeway to slip away and didn't have to fight much. But that would be undermining the sheer chaos of this battle where she became a target as soon as she entered someone's field of sight.

In truth, she wasn't fighting with the intention of killing her opponents. Although it was part of her role as Servant, she had been forced to redefine her priorities. She had already done Ruler a favour by helping him escape this mess, which meant her next objective was to reunite with her Master and, ideally, her other allies. However, since she had accepted to throw herself in this current situation for the sake of Ruler, she had left this new goal up to chance.

No... she was leaving it up to faith.

She had failed to find Ewald by herself earlier. Now was the time to trust that he was in good hands and that their teammates wouldn't abandon him to a miserable end. In other words, she was currently fighting to bid her time.

And eventually, she was rewarded with the voice she had wanted to hear so badly.

Lancer, where are you?

Her heart lept in her chest.

I'm the one who should be asking that! Ewald, I've been looking all over the place for you! Where are you?!

I'm... well, I think I'm coming toward you.

As if on cue, the Valkyria heard something soaring across the sky and approaching her position. She immediatly recognized the flaming chariot and she flew up to meet it. It was dangerous to get distracted like this in the middle of a battle, but she had to make sure of it with her own eyes. And indeed, although the golden chariot was moving fast, she saw three familiar faces on it – her eyes met with Ewald's and a weight melted off her shoulders.

But this wasn't exactly a heartfelt reunion.

"Coming through!" Phaeton shouted something that brought back some memories to Brynhildr. The charioteer didn't slow down one bit; on the contrary, the chariot doubled down. "Can't stay here! Gotta get away!"

And the panic in his voice wasn't something she liked.

No one seemed to be chasing after them; but she should have noticed sooner.

Indeed, if not for how preoccupied she had been for Ewald's safety, she would have noticed as soon as she had looked up. The sky was a strange colour and something was coming down on their head. The other Servants down below must already have seen it and that was why they hadn't attacked while her back was turned.

Her warrior's instinct instantly informed her of how dangerous that rain was and about its scope. She now understood why Phaeton was in a hurry: he was trying to get away from the Ark. And so should the Valkyria.

These arrows held a strong curse toward the divine... no, toward all life forms.

Thus, she wasted no time and made a sharp U-turn to follow after the flaming chariot. Even at her top speed, she was slower than it and it had a sizeable lead, but she didn't mind. If anything, she was staying behind out of concern for its passengers. And for good reason: were they going to make it?

The chariot was fast, but they were in altitude and the shower of arrow was closing in on them.

Although Brynhildr should be worried for herself, her eyes were fixated on Phaeton, Michael and Ewald.

Maybe because of a premonition, she decided to fly lower than the chariot.

After all, it was very hard to tell exactly whether they would escape or be caught in the black rain. Whichever it was, it would happen by a hair's breath. Fortunately though, at least one person seemed to have a better estimation – or maybe Phaeton was hoping to turn the tides regardless of the result, for he made the chariot flip on its side.

It was a strange and abrupt maneuver but a very good call: the flaming chariot had practically reached the Ark's edge and only needed to cross a few more metres. But at the exact same time, the first arrows struck them; thanks to the chariot's railing, the passengers weren't harmed.

However, the impact made the vehicle spiral out of control. Although if it was only for a second, it went without saying what would happen to the people on board. Michael managed to hold himself to Phaeton and stayed on the chariot - but while it looked like he had also managed to grab Ewald's hand, the freelance magus slipped away and fell off the chariot.

"Ewald...!" The blood drained from Brynhildr's face when she saw this.

Her wings moved instinctively and she dived down after him.

The arrow rain was almost upon her as well but she soared as fast as she could to reach him. Thankfully, Ewald had been flung beyond the Ark's border. Otherwise, he would have crashed on the City before she could catch him. But if he landed in the sea or crashed against the ship's hull, the result wouldn't be much different.

When she flew over the railing, she felt the arrows whistling dangerously close to her. In fact, she was hit by a sharp pain in her wings and her back, on the spots where the darts had grazed her.

Even so, she had successfully made it outside the range of the black rain.

Now, she was nose-diving so close to the hull that the sligtest change in her course would make her crash into it. But her objective was right there: she made her spear vanish and opened her arms wide.

And at last, she was close enough to swoop in on Ewald and wrapped her arms around him. For a second after that, she still wasn't sure whether she had managed it or not; it then took another second to confirm that she was indeed holding a living Ewald; after the third second, an intense relief and anger flooded back at the same time.

"Everytime I look away...! Why do you always seem to fly close to death when I'm not watching you...!?" She squeezed him in her arms.

"...too tight... I can't breath..."

Neo Helios had vanished and the three Servants who had conquered it now stood on the edge of the Ark. All at once, they noticed the concentration of mana in the sky above and looked up. But as for what was about to happen and what they should do about it, they were at a loss.

"That magical signature..." Ashurbanipal frowned and glared daggers at the sky. "What is Lancer thinking?"

"Hey, even for him, that's a bit..." Fergus had an incredulous look on his face. "Actually, that's very bad; if that's targeting the whole ship, then the others will–"

"Do you only understand now?!" She clicked her tongue. "What is his Master doing? At such a time, he should be the one reeling him in! And better yet, what is Ivan–"

But Ashurbanipal was interrupted in the middle of her sentence: a bright crimson light suddenly shone around her and took them all by surprise. In the blink of an eye, the light surrounded her and, when it disappeared, she was gone with it.

"Looks like she's been called back..." The warrior said before looking back up; the black rain was approaching dangerously fast. "I don't think my Master's in danger, but... what am I supposed to do? ...Hey!"

He called out to Galahad who walked away but the knight ignored him. He had just fought to keep everyone on the Ark safe from Caligula and now something like that was happening again. Perhaps he still could defend them all – his shield could extend to cover the entire Ark. But he had neither the time nor the energy for that. All he would accomplish then would be to drain himself and Leo dry of mana.

Therefore, there was only one thing he could do as a Servant.

Leo, are you alright? Where are you right now?

...

But no answer came.

Galahad called again and again. Leo's side was completely silent.

A terrible feeling washed over the knight but there was no time left – he raised his shield.

However, before the rain of arrows fell upon him, he saw something in the distance: on the top of a building, a massive silhouette as dark as tar laughing with delight.

* Stop music

After the rain had fallen, the Ark was quiet.

Not that it had been very busy in the first place, but after the storm which had abruptly come and gone, it seemed as though time was suspended.

The City had been painted over in black by a blanket of arrows, a startling sight after getting used to its immaculate white. That was only for a short moment though: the arrows, made of mana, eventually vanished one after the other, and all that was left behind was a sorry sight.

The Ark was riddled with holes. Even though it had been sturdy enough to withstand the legendary battles taking place on board of it, the arrows had left their mark with ease.

Nonetheless, the houses still stood, the only silver lining of this dreadful event. Thanks to that resilience, they had made for good improvised shelter. However, seeing them in their current state was still enough to send a chill down your spine. A little more and they might not have held out so admirably. The City that had once seemed like a place where people could live looked like ruins now.

In the middle of these quiet, dented streets, a lone pair of footsteps echoed.

He was taking the time to bear sight of this dreadful scenery, but he knew where he had to go.

Ahead in the distance, he saw the dark figure of a giant perched on top of a building. The giant saw him as well – their gazes crossed and, even though they were seeing each other for the first time, there was a strong mutual loathing in their eyes.

"I should have known from the start."

When he stood in front of the building in question, Ruler stopped and looked up toward the hunter with a deep frown. The dark Servant answered to his indignation with a malicious grin stretching from ear to ear. And he had good reason to be laughing at him: the old man had been too slow to prevent the destruction around them, and that was only a foretaste.

Without the need for any word, the giant was clearly asking the Servant of the Grail what he could possibly do at this point.

But that was only vain mockery; it was his duty as Ruler to eliminate him before it was too late. Even if he was too late to prevent the hunter from arising, the worse hadn't come to pass yet – he could still be stopped.

"To think you were right here under my nose this entire time. I searched for answers and desperately grasped what I could; I should have known better!"

If he had listened to his curiosity that day and had confronted him, he would have had his answer right away. After all, now that he stood in front of him, the giant's true name was unveiled as plain as day.

There was a strange glow in the old man's eyes; flames of wrath and judgement.

"Servant Avenger, King Nimrod!"

Thank you for reading.

So, yeah.

~Legends Storyteller