AN: Here's Chapter 25 everyone, hope you all enjoy it. This chapter is basically a recap of what happened last time, so nothing big really happens aside from two flashbacks which extended beyond what I had initially plannede. Please review as it helps to inspire me to write :D
"BRAHMASTRA KUNDALA!"
Calling out the name of his Noble Phantasm, Karna threw his spear high into the sky.
Seeing this, the King of Conquerors knew what was coming. From the moment Lancer had readied himself he could tell just what type of Noble Phantasm he was up against, the power that flowed from it could easily be felt. He didn't think that Lancer would actually use it however, not when there was a chance he himself being caught in the blast radius.
"Boy..."
Knowing what he had to do, he telepathically called out towards his Master.
"I know, Rider..."
Waver gritted his teeth. As much as he wanted to, there wasn't anything they could do. Even if Rider were to release his Reality Marble now it wouldn't have done anything to stop the incoming attack. Even with the speed of Achilles, he wouldn't be able to reach them in time either.
Right now, there was only one thing he could think of. And he didn't like it one bit...
"Let me say this, I'm proud to have fought along side you my friend. And I would gladly do so again. Be sure to keep your head held high after this Master, for our comrades will need your aid now more than ever."
"Don't be foolish, I'm not your Master..."
He scoffed, taking one last moment glance at the large man beside him once more.
"I am your subject, and you are my King."
That made him pause for a moment. How strange it was, meeting the man before him as he did. To him, it was the first time he had met Waver Velvet, a stern yet reasonable practitioner of magecraft, but to his surprise it was the second time for Waver already. As described by him, they had once fought together back in another grail war years ago but eventually lost. That got him quite curious, and he was able to see what happened back then through the memories of his Master.
Still, memories could only go so far. It wasn't able to capture what the Iskander of that time felt in regards to his then young Master. But seeing the type of man he was today, compared to the man he was back then, he couldn't help but feel proud looking at the man known as Waver Velvet. He knew that his other self would feel the same as well.
After all, he was him. So he would know best.
"Heh... Hehehahaha!"
He laughed. Even with the incoming attack headed their way, he couldn't help it. Truly, what a person his Master had become compared to the young man he was.
Glancing at the long-haired man, the King of Conquerors spoke for the final time.
"Very well, Live on Waver Velvet. That is my command as your King, and as your friend."
"Yes!"
...!
With that, Brahmastra Kundala struck.
FATE/MAGNUS BELLUM
ACT III
Chapter 25:
Aftermath
"I see, so Rider was..."
Gathered inside the Sajyou Manor living room were Jeanne, Arthur, Sieg and Waver. It was now late in the afternoon, the latter having just returned together with Gray, Aya, Achilles, Sieg and Astolfo. With the blonde having collapsed before reaching the manor, the snow-haired girl decided to take the latter up to her room to rest. The others on the other hand decided to go out on a small patrol for the time being around the area, leaving Waver and Sieg as they recounted the day's events that happened to their group.
"Yes, just before Karna's Noble Phantasm struck, Rider sent both myself and Lancer out of the Reality Marble." He sighed, massaging his forehead as he tried to relax. "That guy, deciding that without even thinking about it. Even if there was no helping it I suppose..."
"Lord El-Melloi, I'm so sorry to hear that..."
Jeanne began, having no idea on what to say to the man who sat across from her.
Rider of Red... No, Iskandar's lost was a big one. From a tactical standpoint, they had just lost one of their biggest assets in the war. Bringing to their arsenal a rather powerful Noble Phantasm that could turn the tide of any battle so long as they played their cards right. She had suspected as much that was what his Noble Phantasm would be, summoning the army that he once commanded in life, as there was no other thing that really came to mind when it came to the King of Conquerors.
The idea of him falling in battle...
She hadn't known him long, but that wasn't to say she didn't grieve his loss as a person. Even though she was Ruler, a force who was suppose to be neutral in regards to the participants of the Holy Grail War, she couldn't help it. As such, the young saint could only apologize to Waver in response.
"No need." Waver began as he shook his head and crossed his arms. "There's no point in crying over spilled milk, we already knew the risks when we decided to head out the way we did. Myself, Rider, and including the others as well."
"I know, but perhaps if Arthur and I accompanied you all, we could have..."
Arthur himself silently nodded at this. Though he was still recovering from his incursion with the Rogue Saber known as Richard the Lionheart, he was still capable enough in a fight. He had suffered through worse after all.
He also felt that he had a debt to the King of Conquerors that needed to be paid. For being among those to help open his eyes somewhat. A small debt to some, but to him it brought new perspective to his life. Alas, the white knight could no longer do that. A feeling of frustration coming over him as he realized it.
"You both were needed here." Waver simply replied. "We've only recently established ourselves in this city, we needed people to guard this place while Caster fortified it. We never know when the enemy could strike after all, and I doubt that they don't already know where we are."
Jeanne merely sighed at this, knowing that he had a point. She supposed that regardless of what happened they just had to deal with it.
"At any rate, not long after we were back in the Mirror Realm, we saw that it was beginning to collapse. Sieg here can fill you in on that."
"Yes." Sieg spoke up for the first time. "While we were trying to find the others, I sensed strange magic occurring in the area. Shortly afterwards, Rider and I stumbled upon a isolated warehouse, where we encountered a strange girl who somehow managed to feel both like a human and a Servant."
"What? Are you sure?" Jeanne asked, this was news to her.
"Yes, it somehow reminded me of you Ruler. But in a different way I suppose."
Sieg replied. It was already common knowledge among the group about the young saint's special condition, in how she was currently possessing a human body in order to exist. Jeanne herself having decided to reveal said knowledge to them, seeing it as a sign of trust on her part.
"Her presence as a Servant was weaker compared to yours, the human half was more dominant in a way."
"I see, did you managed to find out why she was like that?" Waver asked.
"My apologies, but I wasn't able to." Sieg lowered his head at his failure. "However, I believe it has something to do with the Cards as when she suddenly lost her powers midway a class card appeared in the process. Unfortunately we weren't able to retrieve as someone, Assassin of Black I believe, arrived and rescued her before we could examine the card ourselves. I did however retrieve this before we regrouped with you all."
Taking out a card from his hands, Sieg passed it on to Waver.
"This was the Card that was holding in place the Mirror Realm. Or at the very least, I believe that it's one of them. There might have been more."
"Hmm, good work. Regardless of what happened with that girl, taking down the Mirror Realm was exactly what we needed to get away."
Waver smiled in gratitude towards the young homunculus, who was somewhat taken aback by this but simply nodded in response.
"I take it you're going to examine it?" Jeanne asked.
"With Caster's help of course, we'll need her magical expertise to get an understanding of what went on." Waver replied as he held up the card. "Don't worry, we'll take the necessary precautions. If this thing turns to be a trap, we'll get rid of it quickly."
"That's all I ask. We'll need to be careful now more than ever since we lost Rider and Lancer." Jeanne stated. "Speaking of which, how did we lose Lancer?"
Jeanne asked, changing the topic. As a Class-Card Servant, she couldn't sense Lancer's presence as the mediator of the Holy Grail War. She could detect his presence as a Servant thanks to her privileges, but not as a participant of the war itself.
So when the group returned without his presence as well, she immediately knew that the worst had happened.
"I don't know all the details, Gray can fill you in on that. But apparently-"
"Allow me to explain things."
Turning towards the source of the voice, the trio looked to see Gray standing at the entrance to the room.
"How is she?"
Arthur asked, the snow-haired girl directing her attention towards her ancestor as she spoke.
"Resting. Her grandmother is tending to her right now."
"I see..."
Everyone merely nodded in understanding at this. Despite her knowledge of magecraft, Aya was mostly an ordinary girl. No, that wasn't right. Even with her knowledge of magecraft she hadn't been part of something so dangerous as the Holy Grail War before in her life. It was only natural to assume that, with Lancer's death atop everything else she's experienced, it was only a matter of time before the stress got to her one way or another.
"Anyway, you were saying Gray...?"
The girl nodded and sat beside her teacher on the sofa. With that, the girl spoke.
"First, myself and Aya were headed to rendezvous with Lancer when we were ambushed by a woman named Angelica. We managed to gave her the slip but we then found Lancer being overwhelmed by both Berserker and Archer. Not long afterwards, Aya issued a Command Spell in order for Lancer to win, and he managed to take down Archer as a result. Lancer made sure to destroy Archer's card."
"Good work, that means one less problem for us to deal with." Waver nodded in approval. "At least Lancer managed to deal them a loss of their own."
"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that." Gray shook her head in response. "Not long afterwards Sieg and Rider broke the spell sustaining the Mirror Realm, the woman named Angelica, ordered Berserker to finish Lancer, and he produced a strange looking sword."
Looking towards Arthur specifically, she continued.
"A sword... bearing the same markings of the fairies as Excalibur."
Jeanne widened her eyes in realization whereas Arthur merely narrowed his in response. Waver, taking note of both their reactions, remained silent as he watched and listened. That statement alone implied a great deal of the identity of the Rogue Berserker.
"I see, I've had my suspicions for a time now, that Berserker might have been someone I knew well from the past."
All of it was clear now. From the day they first fought, Berserker suddenly going after him like the madman he was instead of going after Jeanne, his target at the time. The second time interfering his duel with Mordred that one night, going into a rage as he focused on his daughter. The third time during the assault on Yggdmillennia Castle, where Berserker was headed straight for him before being intercepted by Archer of Red.
Though all of these things could have simply been attributed to the madness common to the Berserker-Class, there was something unnatural about Berserker the moment he first laid his eyes on him. There was insanity, and just full-on rage and hatred. Both of which he had already experienced to the point he could tell either apart, and there was no mistaking that the Black Knight was of the latter category in regards to him and Mordred. Not to mention the general familiarity he exuded when they fought. Guinevere's words to him the other day reinforcing the belief that he could have been someone he knew.
With that, he finally came to a conclusion.
"With what I've witnessed of him and what you've said just now, I can only think of one person who could fit Berserker's description..."
Looking towards Gray, Arthur spoke.
"It's Lancelot... correct?"
Gray wordlessly nodded in response.
"Yes, the sword he used was none other than Arondight."
"Well now, that's surprising."
Waver muttered as he leaned back. He wasn't surprised by Berserker's identity per say, but rather the fact that three of the most well known figures of Arthurian Legend were all taking part in the same Holy Grail War. He couldn't tell if it was supposed to be fate or a complete coincidence that brought all three together.
"I see. So then, what happened next?"
Jeanne asked, getting the subject back on track and wanting to avoid it discussing it for now.
"Lancer fought as best he could, but Berserker was stronger at the time. He tried using his Noble Phantasm, but that woman Angelica performed a strange spell that somehow managed to redirect it. And that... was what eventually ended it."
"Wait what? What kind of spell?" Waver questioned, this being the first time he heard of it.
"I'm sorry, I don't believe that it's something we've seen before, but something completely new."
Gray replied to her teacher as the latter simply crossed his arms in frustration. In addition to the Class-Cards and the Mirror World, the Ainsworth's now had a spell that managed to counter something like Gae Bolg? He needed to find out more about the family once he had the chance. Even the smallest detail would help them greatly.
'Would Fiore know more about them? No, she said that the only one who really knew anything was Darnic. Damn it...'
"With Lancer dead, I decided that it was time to escape with Aya." Gray continued. "It wasn't easy, but we managed to do it. Likely because that woman Angelica had been targeting Lancer from the beginning."
"To take his card..." Waver muttered, not liking the possibility of facing off against Cu Chulainn in the future. "At any rate, not long after that we found the girls together and Sieg and Rider found us. After that the rest is history."
"I see..."
Jeanne muttered to herself, taking a deep breath and feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the recent news she had received so far. Smiling, she gazed at the others and spoke.
"Either way, I'm glad that you all at least managed to come back safe. Regardless of what's happened today, we still have a chance of victory."
Sieg turned his gaze towards the young saint at this. Did she really just say that?"
"Pardon me, but why do you say that Ruler?" He asked, curiosity in his eyes, as he spoke up. "We've lost two of our Servants already while our enemies may have likely gained another in turn, yet you do not seem to be bothered?"
By all accounts, Ruler should have been acting worried just like the rest of them. Yet she somehow managed to remain calm and believe in the chance of victory for their side despite what had happened.
It was true that they still had the three Sabers, Lancer of Red, Archer of Red, Berserker of Black, Rider of Black, Caster of Black and Ruler herself as part of their forces, yet they were at a disadvantage by the mere fact that they had two sets of enemies to deal with. The Rogue Faction and the group led by the girl called Manaka Sajyou if he remembered correctly. And this wasn't going into some of the strange abilities their enemies exhibited.
So why? Why did she believe that they could still win...?
Jeanne simply smiled at the young homunculus, taking note of the meaning behind the look in his eyes as she replied.
"Indeed, I do feel worried. I truly cannot say for certain what will happen in the future, and there might be a chance that we all perish in this conflict and fail in our task. Still, no matter what tomorrow holds, no matter the challenges we face or how hard the situation, we shall rise up and face them. Even if we do not wish it to be so, to be alive is to face hardship. That is what it means to live, do you understand now?"
"Y-Yes, I suppose so..."
Sieg nodded, somewhat taken aback by the young saint's words.
So it wasn't that she wasn't afraid, rather she was but decided to cast aside those fears in order to move forward. Indeed, he felt some truth to them. The young homunculus believed he had experienced such a thing when he chose to deny Assassin of Black's attempt on his life and his comrades.
Back then, he made a decision. In order to live, he chose to fight didn't he? He didn't know that if he would have lived past his encounter with Assassin, all he wanted was to live. Him and his fellow homunculi. As such, he retaliated against the traitorous Servant.
Yes, that time... now that he though about it, it was the first time he really acted out didn't he...? Then, was that the moment he truly started to live?
"Thank you Ruler, you've given me a new perspective."
"You're welcome Sieg." The young saint smiled in response before turning to look at the others. "And regardless of what we may face, I believe that so long as we all hold fast together, we can overcome anything."
At this, Arthur couldn't help but smile in Jeanne's direction. The words she had said could have been spoken by anyone in the room, but with his Master it was a genuine statement of her beliefs. One could feel the complete sincerity in her voice, that she honestly believed as such without so much as a hint of hesitation in her tone even despite acknowledging their current situation herself.
She truly was an admirable young woman. Beautiful, dignified, and strong willed. One who held fast to her beliefs even despite the opposition she faced and with a kind heart open to those in need. Lately, he had been wondering something...
'Had she been there to support me as well... I wonder what might have happened back then?'
He found himself smiling in amusement at this, imagining some of the things that the young saint might do to him and others.
"Hmph, what's with that stupid smile on your face?"
A voiced snapped him out of his thought as he looked towards the entrance to the living room.
There stood Mordred, hands on her hips as she glared at her father. Beside her entering the room as well were Kairi, Reines, and Gilgamesh.
"Shishigou! Reines!" Waver called out in relief at the sight of the duo. "Where are the others?"
"Resting." Kairi spoke before smirking. "And don't worry, I don't mean permanently. The siblings tired themselves out so Saber of Black and Berserker took them to their rooms first. They'll be down when they're ready, they just need a little time to rest is all."
"That's good to hear."
Jeanne spoke up in relief, smiling as she realized that at least the former's group came back without casualties. She wasn't sure what they would have done had they lost anybody else after the King of Conquerors and Cu Chulainn.
"Did anything happen to you all while you were out?" Jeanne asked.
"Yeah, and I'm guessing the same thing happened to you them?" Kairi asked, gazing towards Waver and Gray, taking note of the tired gaze in their eyes. "Thought as much. So I take it..."
"We lost Rider and Lancer if that's what you're asking."
"Ah, well shit."
The necromancer muttered in distaste. Losing two Servants was a serious blow to their overall strength, especially when those two were famous heroes as well. Things were going to get a lot harder for them now.
'Ah screw it, I'll just haggle Rocco for a raise.'
"Hmm... so the King of Conquerors is now lost to us?"
Gilgamesh muttered, crossing his arms and seemingly unimpressed by the revelation. Thanks to the way he spoke however, it felt like that wasn't the case to Jeanne. But at the same time she couldn't tell if he was angry or sad, maybe both or perhaps none at all. The one thing she could tell that there was disappointment in the Golden King's tone when he spoke.
It wasn't surprising, as she could tell that the King of Heroes and the King of Conquerors had a relationship of respect going on. She even believed that despite the former declaring his intention to personally slay the latter, both had a budding friendship growing between them as well.
"Alright then, where do we begin?"
Kairi began as he sat down. This was going to take a while to explain.
"Hmph, I'm going outside. You can take care of this can't you Master?"
With that, Mordred left the room without bothering to wait for a reply. The former would have called out to her but decided that it was futile.
Seeing this, Arthur turned his gaze to Jeanne, who simply smiled and nodded at him. Grateful, he returned the gesture as he walked out of the room as well.
"Heh, interesting..."
The Golden King stated, perking up from his thoughts regarding the King of Conquerors, turning into spirit form. At this, Kairi just groaned in annoyance.
"Great, anybody else who wants to leave?"
"How about joining in?"
A voice called out as all turned to see Fiore entering the room by herself. A sight which Waver froze up at, before reminding himself that the girl was no longer paraplegic thanks to Archer's medicine. It was something that needed to get used to quick, being surprised all the time wasn't good for the health.
As soon as the young brunette sat down, their discussion began.
"Now then, what did you lot encounter today?"
"First is the fight that Saber of Red participated in. This is going off what Caules told me, so it may not be accurate."
Taking a deep breath, Fiore continued.
"To begin with, what happened was..."
-Flashback-
"CLARENT BLOOD ARTHUR!"
"STELLA!"
The heroes cried out, unleashing their respective Noble Phantasms against one another. The attacks collided, pushing against the other in a bid to dominate the battle.
However, a winner had already been decided...
"Reach it...!"
...!
Mordred could only widen her eyes in shock as she saw her Noble Phantasm being blown away, Archer's own pushing through as it shot straight towards her. Speechless to say anything in response as she could only wait for the inevitable.
"Hmph! What a farce...!"
...!
A voice called out as an explosion rang out. Mordred braced herself for the worse but nothing came, resulting in the blonde haired knight looking up as she saw a familiar person standing in front of her. One dressed in gold and red.
"Archer!?"
She exclaimed in shock at the former's sudden appearance. The Golden King simply smirked in response, turning his attention towards the Red Knight as he gazed at her current outfit. It was... rather unexpected to say the least.
"That's quite an interesting look for you Saber. Finally decided to embrace your femininity I take it?"
"Shut it!"
Mordred angrily shouted. She had half a mind to punch the former in the face for that comment but was quickly reminded of the situation at hand.
Looking around, she saw something that took her off guard.
"What is this...!?"
In front of her and Archer was a incredibly large shield.
No, large was actually understating it, the shield were gargantuan in size! One that was only fit to be wielded by Giants of legend. How in the world did Archer have something like this in his arsenal!?
"Indeed, that was an impressive attack to be sure."
Gilgamesh stated, snapping his fingers as the giant shield disappeared. Once they did, Arash came into view once more. The latter having a shocked look on his face as he didn't expect such a thing to defend against his Noble Phantasm.
"However, in using it you have doomed yourself. Quite a foolish thing to do wouldn't you say?" He called out to his fellow Archer.
"Heh...!"
Arash chuckled briefly at the red-eyed man's jest, his body starting to fade away.
"Quite true, using it has brought about my end quicker than I'd like." He replied before he suddenly grinned. "However, I suppose it can't be helped. At the very least, I was able to have a good time before dying."
The red-eyed blonde simply chuckled briefly at this. One gaze into the former's eyes was enough to tell him the type of man he was. One who lived as he pleased, striving to do what he believed was right. An ideal hero so to speak, reminding him somewhat of Saber to be frank.
'So then... he's one of the Servants that the King of Knights fought against long ago.'
Given the state the former had left Saber of Red in, who the Golden King admitted was quite strong in her own right, the black-haired Archer seemed like he could have been an entertaining adversary in the long run. Too bad he had already sealed away his fate by using his Noble Phantasm. Quite a disappointment to say the least...
As for Arash himself, he solemnly stared at the sky in silence as his body continued to fade away.
Looks like he failed, and in his first real battle in this war too. He had to give the mysterious Archer some praise for defending against his strongest attack so easily, even if his pride as a hero had been wounded a little.
'Ah well, I suppose it was fun regardless.'
He thought, those being the only words to come to mind as he disappeared. Everyone could only stare quietly as the black-haired hero faded away from existence.
"Wait, did he just die?"
Elizabeth spoke up, breaking the momentary silence.
"The Noble Phantasm he used... I think it must have been a suicide type." Caules suggested.
"Oh. Well I guess that's that then..."
The former stated as she settled the latter down on the ground, her tone filled with mild stupor. The brunette boy nodded in understanding he was too taken aback by the sudden turn of events.
"Bastard, why did you have to interfere...!?"
Both flinched when they heard Mordred calling out to Gilgamesh. Now that the dust had settled, she was now back in form. She turned her attention towards the King of Heroes and demanded an answer from him. The latter merely scoffed as he replied.
"Don't be foolish, that attack just now would have killed you and you know it."
"I don't give a damn about that! It was my fight, so stay out of it you...!"
Even if she was outmatched, even if she was to die then and there... she would have been fine with it. The mere fact that she had to be saved... she knew no greater shame than what she was experiencing right now. And to be saved by the arrogant bastard in front of her...
What would her father say...?
"Hmph, worried about what the King of Knights will think are you? How foolish..."
...!
"You son of a bitch...!"
She threatened, placing Clarent's blade by his neck. An act which merely resulted in the red-eye blonde smirking much to Mordred's displeasure.
Just once she wanted to wipe that arrogant smirk off his face. Right now, she was really tempted to finally do it then and there...
While she thought this, Caules and Elizabeth could only watch in silence as both couldn't find the will to interfere. Two giants were about to clash, and there was likely nothing they could do to stop it once it got going.
Thankfully however...
"That's enough of that!"
Reines called out, appearing from the woods as she had her arms at her hips.
"Lady El-Melloi!"
Caules said in relief as he nodded in respect as well. Though younger than him, the blonde-haired girl was higher on the social totem pole as it were. As such, he needed to treat her with the proper respect less he annoyed her in any way.
Acknowledging Caules' act, the girl then turned her attention towards the two blonde-haired Servants about to thrown down.
"If you so wish to fight against one another, do it later. Right now, we still need to aid Miss Fiore and the Mercenary did we not? Or have you both forgotten that?"
Mordred froze up at this. That's right, the girl had a point. There was still the matter of her Master whom she hadn't heard from in a while. His last known location to her being in the distance, where another fight was taking place between Saber of Black and another Servant allied with the Archer and Assassin they fought just now.
...!
An explosion rang out in the distance, alerting the group as they all realized where it came from.
"Tch, fine then. I'll settle things with you later!"
With that, the Red Knight ran off to find her Master.
"H-Hey wait up!"
Caules exclaimed as he called out to Elizabeth, the latter picking him up as they flew in the air.
Soon enough, Gilgamesh and Reines followed suit. The former deep in thought as he carried his Master to their next destination.
-Present-
"I see, so Archer has been taken down..."
Arthur muttered, taking a moment to lean against the wall as he processed the new information. Outside the manor, he and Mordred began a discussion of their own parallel to the one his Master was currently having with the others.
"Something the matter King of Knights? Bothered that was he taken down so soon? Were you hoping for some sort of rematch then?"
The Golden King asked, materializing as he sat himself down on a tree near the manor looking down upon father and daughter.
"No, nothing of the sort." Arthur replied with a sigh at the sight of the King of Heroes. "Rather, I'm somewhat disappointed that I didn't get to meet him. He had once asked a question of me long ago, and I never truly managed to give him an answer back then."
"Hmph, as though any answer you give would be a good one."
Mordred scoffed as she crossed her arms. At this, the young man spoke to his daughter.
"And so you fought against him?" He stated before smiling somewhat. "Well done, you fared well."
"That supposed to be a joke? If so father, you need to work on your sense of humor."
Arthur merely smiled wryly in amusement at this, an act which caught the former off guard as she intended to be insulting. Why was her father smiling at her?
While she pondered this, her father was processing thoughts of his own.
'Archer...'
Knowing that he was also likely subservient to Manaka's will, putting him down was the correct choice. Even if he wanted to, it was something that couldn't be helped. Not with their current situation. But what truly bothered him was how Mordred's fight with him went. Though she was one to boast, she wasn't exactly one to lie about a battle's events. Not with how prideful she was in herself.
Somehow, Archer had become stronger.
He had a feeling that such was the case. When he first saw Lancer back at the castle, he felt it as well as something that sent a shiver down his spine. It felt as though she was even more dangerous than before. And now, hearing Mordred's description of her battle with Archer, perhaps his thoughts held truth to them. He personally knew how strong she was and as well as Archer, believing them the former to be strong enough to fight equally with the latter.
The fact that she was struggling concerned him. They'll need to keep their guard up in the future once they began dealing with Manaka.
"So then, what else happened earlier?"
At this, Mordred simply turned her attention towards Gilgamesh, who himself was smirking somewhat as he spoke.
"Allow me to enlighten you King of Knights..."
-Flashback-
"BRYNHILD ROMANTIA!"
The Valkyrie cried out, diving towards the Dragon-Slayer at frightening speeds cloaked in blue energy.
"BALMUNG!"
The Phantasmal Greatsword roared, energy bursting forth in a wide arc.
"Hah! Such a spectacle this fight has been, but that's enough of that!"
"Ah!"
Brynhild cried out in surprise, snapping out of her madness when she heard an all too familiar voice.
...!
A roar resounded throughout the area, and both quickly widened their eyes in shock as they saw an incredibly large four-legged winged beast come into view. One whose body was rather ethereal in appearance, reminding one of a brightly lit night sky. Adorning its head and body were golden accessories reminiscent of those worn by royalty, but he couldn't identify the style of where it came from.
...!
"What!?"
His eyes widened in disbelief as both of his and Lancer's Noble Phantasms were now being blocked at the same time by the strange beast as it got between them.
"You've got to be kidding me!"
In the distance, Kairi watched the ongoing scene with Fiore. Both at a loss for words at the sudden new arrival and said arrival's feat of halting two incredibly powerful Noble Phantasm's at bay without so much as breaking a sweat from the looks of it.
Atop the beast itself, Siegfried noticed that someone was actually standing upon its head. One look was enough for the former to identify the stranger as a Servant. The question was, just who was he?
"Lancer, you've been a naughty woman for disobeying our Master...!"
...!
Before Brynhild could even react, she found herself being slammed away by an out of nowhere blast of energy. Crashing into the ground several times and taking down several trees in the process. When the dust cleared, the Valkyrie was on the ground shaking her head in a daze. Bleeding somewhat from the attack on her.
"And now, as for you..."
The man spoke, turning his attention to the Dragon-Slayer who was still in disbelief at the former's action towards his comrade as were Fiore and Kairi. Even if she was distracted, the new Servant had easily taken down Lancer with just one blast. She wasn't dead, but she had been injured far more than what Siegfried himself was able to inflict on the daughter of Odin.
"Hahaha! Such an impressive attack to be sure, holding it out this long..."
The man spoke, visibly entertained as Balmung continued to blast away. With the boost he received from his Master's Command Spells, Siegfried had more than enough to spend on at the moment.
"However, it will take more than that to defeat Wehem-Mesut!"
...!
A beam of energy erupted from the head of the Sphinx, pushing back the blast created by Balmung. Seeing no choice, Siegfried leaped away from his position as it was blasted into oblivion by the great beast before him. It didn't stop there however, stretching on far into the distance before finally dissipating. Leaving a trail of destruction that the Dragon Slayer couldn't help but compare to Fafnir's when they fought in the past.
"Hah! Good reflexes, otherwise you would have been incinerated right then there.."
The man stated with a smirk, leaping down from the head of the Beast, never losing his stance as he landed neatly on the ground. The Dragon-Slayer eyed his new foe carefully, taking care to not let his guard down as the man himself stared him down before grinning.
Now that he got a good look, the man before him was handsome looking and tall, having dark hair and tan skin which signified his middle eastern descent. He dressed in pair of pants and a white cape, golden jewelry over his body which complimented his appearance. What was most striking about him however were his golden eyes. Looking into them, it felt like staring into the eyes of a great hero and leader of men.
One who was also a force to be reckoned with... merciless to those who would oppose him.
In this war, he had only seen such eyes in one other person. And that was none other than the King of Heroes himself.
"Greetings, I am Ramesses II. Otherwise known as Ozymandias to others, I am the third Pharaoh of Egypt's nineteenth dynasty. Bow before me and worship my countenance, for you are in the presence of the King of Kings!"
Siegfried, Fiore, and Kairi's eyes widened in realization. He was none other the very same Servant that Saber had spoken to them during their flight to Japan!
'Damn it, this is bad...!'
The latter thought, realizing how badly outclassed they were at the moment. Saber had told them that it took five Servants empowered by Ruler to take the Egyptian Pharaoh down last time, and that was when he lost a reliable supply of mana. And he wasn't about to doubt the words of a Heroic Spirit such as King Arthur.
With just him, Fiore, and Saber of Black, there was no way they could beat him as they were. Even if he summoned Saber he didn't know if it would be enough. Just how were they going to get out of this situation!?
"Hehe, why are you panicking Mister Shishigou? You act as though you've lost already."
...!
Hearing a voice speak out above them, both Kairi and Fiore looked up to see Archer of Red floating in the air. In his arms was Reines, the young blonde smirking as she saw the surprised look on Kairi's face.
'Wait, how the hell is Archer floating like that...?' Kairi briefly wondered, but brushed it aside as he heard another voice call out.
"Master!"
"Fiore!"
Mordred called out, appearing together with Berserker of Black and Caules as they landed in front of them, the latter being dropped off by his Servant.
"Caules, you're alright!"
"Yeah, managed to get by thanks to Archer."
"Tch, not like we needed his help!" Mordred scoffed.
Paying no heed to her words, the Golden King merely landed on the ground as he settled his young Master down as well. Never taking his gaze off the quarry that was the so called King of Kings.
"Reines, do not interfere." He simply stated. "And the same goes for you lot as well."
Ramesses smirked to himself as he gazed at the golden clad hero making his way towards him. With but a glance he could tell that the man before him, walking with a resolute and unflinching rhythm, was one of greatness.
"Such a magnificent aura... there can only be one such hero who could posses such a thing. Aside from myself of course."
Of course, the man walking towards him was the legendary God-King of Uruk. There was absolutely no mistaking that.
"Greetings King of Heroes, from one King to another." He stated with a formal nod of acknowledgement.
"Hmph, so you at least acknowledge my presence do you?"
Gilgamesh replied, crossing his arms as he came to a stop. Turning his attention towards Siegfried, he spoke.
"Leave Dragon-Slayer, this one is mine."
Hesitating for a moment, Siegfried silently nodded in response and distanced himself from the two Kings. A part of him wanted to suggest teaming up, but he realized that Archer of Red had no intention of even acknowledging such a thing making it a futile thought.
Normally he would consider it reckless, especially with he had just witnessed from the Egyptian Pharaoh... However, the Golden King was not one to be underestimated either.
For now, they'll just have to wait and see what happens.
"Never have I met a man so brazen as to declare himself as the King of Kings. I'll admit, I'm somewhat impressed." Gilgamesh stated.
"I only speak the truth O God-King of Uruk." Ramesses replied with a smirk. "Does that offend you?"
"Insolent fool, there can only be one true King in this world and that is none other than myself." The Golden King replied. "To declare yourself as the King of Kings is the highest form of insult imaginable for one such as I. Especially for one who acts as a puppet to another."
"Heh, so Saber spoke of us did he?"
Ramesses smiled, feeling somewhat nostalgic as he remembered the day he fought against Saber and the others. Truly, what a glorious battle it was. There was no comparing the elation he felt that day, perhaps aside from Nefertari accepting his proposal that is.
As much as he would have liked to continue reminiscing, he had other matters to attend to at the moment.
"Indeed, Sajyou Manaka is my Master for now. But I have no intention of forever remaining her puppet, that much I assure you as Pharaoh. Once the opportunity arises I will end her myself."
"Hmph, your words are empty." The former stated. "You cannot fool my eyes. Though your mind is your own, your body is under the control of that girl."
"Oh? So you've managed to notice." Ramesses replied, somewhat surprised. "Indeed, while I do have some form of control over myself at times, that girl has somehow managed to dominate my body in recompense despite my wishes."
Gilgamesh narrowed his eyes at this. Indeed, while the man in front of him was an insolent fool for declaring himself the King of Kings, there was a strong will in his gaze that spoke magnitudes of the type of man he was. His words alone dripped of confidence, not unlike himself as much as disliked admitting it.
If he was made subservient despite seeking to eliminate his Master, then just what kind of girl was Sajyou Manaka? He was becoming more and more curious by the second.
"Now then," Ramesses then stated. "Assassin, you can come out now."
The violet-haired girl appeared beside her comrade, which resulted in Elizabeth raising her guard as she glared at the stripper woman that nearly killed her Master. Caules himself hiding somewhat behind the former wary of the poisonous Servant.
"Go to Lancer, and both of you retreat. I shall provide cover for both you."
"Understood."
Assassin replied, though a part of her wasn't looking forward to returning their Master. Having lost Archer today, she was likely to get mad at both her and Lancer for allowing such a thing to happen. Most especially herself since she was tasked together with Archer to retrieve the Valkyrie yet ended up going along with her instead.
"Hmph, do you really believe that I'll simply let you all go Sun King?"
"Sun King? Yes, I like the sound of that." Ramesses nodded to himself at the moniker, quite easier to say than some of his other titles. "You can try to stop us if you like, but be warned that there will be consequences King of Heroes. Are you willing to brave such a challenge?"
...!
Without warning, another Sphinx appeared above Golden King where he stood. Roaring as it descended upon its target...
"Hmph, such insolence!"
...!
Before anyone even realized it, the Sphinx was suddenly impaled by an incredibly large sword coming out of a portal above the beast. All who saw this couldn't help but stare in amazement at the gargantuan sword that Archer had unveiled so suddenly. Even Mordred who had seen him pull out a similar sized shield was also stunned.
However, Ramesses himself instead grinned at the sight of this.
"Hahaha! Now that is quite the blade you have King of Heroes!" He praised with a clap of his hands. "Now I truly see that you are not to be trifled with, for no mere man would have such a fine weapon in his arsenal."
"Fool, as though such a poor attempt at my life would kill me."
Gilgamesh stated, the large blade dissipating together with the beast that it impaled. Not long afterwards, ten portals of light appeared beside the King of Heroes as he gazed at the so-called King of Kings. He noted in annoyance that Assassin had also taken the opportunity to retreat as instructed by the Sun King.
"Fret not, for that was just a greeting. There are others to come...!"
At that, a dozen more sphinxes appeared. Each varying in size as they all directed their attention towards the Golden King. The latter of which simply smirked again in response. It was rare for someone to be able to control a number of Phantasmal Beasts the way Rider did.
"Heh, how interesting...!"
Saying that, another portal appeared above his hand and through it a strange looking object appeared. From the perspective of the others, it looked much like a key.
Reines, however, knew exactly what it was...
"I see, so you plan to unleash the Gate of Babylon's full potential do you?"
"Do you have any problems with that Reines?"
"Not at all, go right ahead."
Holding up the key, Gilgamesh turned it.
At that, several portals of light appeared alongside the Golden King. However, instead of ten portals, their numbers expanded well beyond that and seemed to keep rising.
"Very well then Ozymandias, I shall acknowledge your challenge here." He stated, drawing his swords as well. "Will you survive this next onslaught?"
...!
Without bothering to wait for a reply, a barrage of weaponry was unleashed from the Gate of Babylon.
"Hah! Come at me then!"
Ramesses laughed as he tapped the bottom of his staff onto the ground, creating several dozen portals of light around him in a manner similar to that of the King of Heroes.
Blasts of energy came bursting forth from the portals, colliding with the weapons unleashed by the Gate of Babylon. Matching the weapons that shot out of it blow per blow, resulting in numerous mini explosions to occur as the Kings continued their respective onslaughts.
...!
"Heh!"
Gilgamesh simply smirked at this as he charged as well, weapons at the ready as the numerous sphinxes summoned by his foe went in to protect to their master.
He swung both his swords, quickly taking down a pair of beasts standing in his way. Several more came in, and he did the same. And so it continued, yet it mattered not to the King of Heroes. They may come at him as much as they like, but such small creatures wouldn't have been enough of a challenge for him!
"What's the matter Sun King!? Is this the best that you can managed!?"
Ramesses grinned wildly as he raised his staff once more.
...!
Several portals appeared before Gilgamesh, unleashing a barrage against the King of Heroes.
...!
The Golden King leaped away, jumping high into the air as explosions rang out from where he had just stood. But before he could catch his breath, several larger sphinxes flew towards him ready to strike. Seeing this and realizing that he wouldn't have been able to dodge in time, he sheathed both his swords onto his back. A portal opening right beside him as a large handle came out of it.
"Hah!"
...!
Spinning around, the weapon shot out of the portal revealing a large golden axe that quickly cleaved through all of the sphinxes in one go. The sheer force of Gilgamesh's strike enough to send their heads flying in different directions.
"Hahaha! Nicely done King of Heroes, I would have been disappointed if you would have been taken down by my companions so easily."
"Fool, if you wish to provide a challenge in the form of your pets, bring out your strongest! The Bull of Heaven was far more of a threat compared to these lowly beasts!"
"Very well, I suppose Wehem-Mesut should suffice then?"
...!
Ramesses declared. And with that, the Sphinx that he arrived on roared as prana began to gather within its mouth so to speak. Siegfried quickly realized that it was the same attack that the former used against him to overpower Balmung. Only this time it had far more power packed into it!
Having already seen the type of devastation it could unleash, he called out to the Golden King.
"Archer! Be wary of that beast!" He exclaimed.
"Hoh?" Gilgamesh turned to give an amused smirk at the grey-haired hero. "I believe that's the first time I've ever heard such an outburst from you Dragon-Slayer, and you insult for believing that I would not notice such a thing for myself. I've already seen it first hand earlier after all."
He replied, raising his hand as another large portal appeared above him.
Saying that, another large portal appeared above the Golden King. Once again, another gargantuan sword appeared through it. Though compared to the one used earlier, the one that the Golden King had pulled out just now was far more jagged in shape. To the others present, it somewhat reminded them of a dragon's wing.
"Hot..."
Fiore muttered under her breath as she began sweating. Though they were a fair distance away, she could still feel a high level of heat coming from the direction of the two Kings. If she had to guess, it was emanating from Archer of Red's strange new weapon.
"Oh? You believe that blade to be equal to the Sphinx?"
Ramesses needn't a second glance to guess the type of devastation the jagged sword could unleash, the heat it was emanating alone was enough to tell him the type of weapon it was. Once released, it might even burn down the entire forest they were in for miles on end.
No, even without that, just the act of swinging such a large weapon alone would undoubtedly result in such a thing regardless.
However, he wasn't worried...
After all, the sun was his domain as one of the Pharaohs of Egypt. One who was chosen by Ra. Mere fire wouldn't be enough to take him down, and he'd be damned if he allowed himself to be killed by a simple sword swing.
"Shall we test that theory then?"
The King of Heroes spoke, causing the Sun King to blink momentarily at his strange choice of words before realizing what had just occurred. He merely smirked in response, chuckling slightly as he grinned wildly.
"Very well then! Let's-"
"That's quite enough of that Rider."
A voice called out, causing both Kings to stop in their tracks.
Turning their attention towards the source, both looked to see a woman with long flowing pink hair wearing a blue kimono off standing to the side. An amused smile on her face as she saw the incredulous reactions of said two men as they gazed at her.
"Who are you...?"
Gilgamesh simply demanded, raising one of his swords towards the mystery woman. He decided to cut straight to the point as he hadn't sensed someone else, much less a Servant, getting so near them without either him or the Sun King noticing even if they were preoccupied just now.
Her ears and tail however did give him enough of an idea of who she was...
"Greetings to you King of Heroes, your reputation precedes you." The woman simply bowed her head in response. "I am Caster, perhaps Saber might have told you about little old me? No? Perhaps I should have a word with him about that later on."
"Hmph, so you're with him are you?" He stated, turning his gaze slightly towards the Sun King.
"Caster, I did not expect you to be here." Ramesses called out in grimace, knowing exactly why she was here.
"Ehehe~" Tamamo giggled to herself. "I had a feeling that you might find yourself caught up, so I decided to trail you when you left using one of my tails."
"I see..."
The Sun King nodded in understanding, his curiosity over her slightly different appearance also answered. Though still long, her hair was somewhat shorter than the Caster he personally knew. Even without that however, he was able to tell that the Caster in front of him wasn't the real one just by looking.
"I can see that you were enjoying yourself just now, but do not forget that we are not here to pick a fight with Saber's comrades just yet."
"My apologies dear sister, I suppose I truly was enjoying myself too much."
He admitted, the giant sphinx settling down as walked towards the fox-eared woman. Seeing this, Gilgamesh decided to return Sul-Sagana back to his treasury for now. With Caster's sudden appearance, the mood was ruined to say the least. He normally would have been annoyed, but the Golden King decided to ignore said feeling as he focused on his curiosity of the new arrival.
For one, Rider calling her sister was certainly strange.
"You two are siblings?" Gilgamesh muttered as he crossed his arms. "I'd laugh if it wasn't so ridiculous. What sort of foolery is this?"
"Both Caster and I have relations to the Sun. As such, I consider her to be my sister regardless of blood." Ramesses simply stated before grinning. "And since Caster as a Heroic Spirit is younger than myself, I am her older brother."
"Why are you smiling like that's something to brag about?"
Caster deadpanned with a sigh. Why is it that men always felt the need to boast about the most nonsensical of things? True, having someone like her as little sister character would have been a great honor to anyone, but now wasn't the time for that.
And thanks to what the Sun King had just said, her identity might as well have been revealed already. She had half a mind to smack him for that.
"Don't be foolish, you also have yourself to blame for not hiding those ears and tail."
Tamamo blinked for a good few seconds before realizing what the King of Heroes had just said...
He could read minds!?
The Golden King merely smirked in amusement at the former's reaction. Together with said attributes, the Sun King mentioning Caster's relation to the sun provided another clue as to who she was. He wasn't one to make random guesses, but he believed he had a good idea of who the she was now.
If his hunch was correct, then another powerful player had been added into the fray...
-Present-
"Not long after that, both the Sun King and Caster left. Seeing as we no longer had anything in standing in our way, we returned here."
"You simply allowed them to leave?" Arthur asked.
"Hmph, I simply no longer saw any point in continuing the fight." The Golden King replied before he smiled and crossed his arms. "Either way, that battle wouldn't have been settled there regardless of Caster's interference. It wasn't a befitting stage for kings to do battle in such a place."
"You seem quite content, I suppose the battle with Rider was to your liking?"
"Indeed, the Sun King is rare opponent for me to face. To be able to command a number of Phantasmal Beasts is no small feat, much less matching my treasures blow per blow. There has only ever been one other person that's able to accomplish such a feat in my memory."
While saying that, Arthur took note of the somewhat melancholic look the King of Heroes had in his eyes. It was subtle look, but it was there. He wondered to himself as to who the Golden King could possibly be referring to having only known the basics of Gilgamesh's history but not much else.
"Hmm? What's with that look little girl?"
The red-eyed blonde asked when he noticed female blonde looking at him as though he had grown a second head or something. To be frank, the dumbfounded look on her face was rather hilarious in itself.
"Do you believe us to be morons or something?"
Mordred stated as a deadpan look grew on her face.
"Hmm? Is that supposed to be a rhetorical question?" Gilgamesh smirked in reply.
"Stop screwing around!" The Red Knight demanded as she pointed a finger at the former. "There's no way in hell you can read minds! As if something so ridiculous could be true!"
...
Wait, that was what caught her attention?
To be honest, Arthur himself had a hard time believing such a thing for himself. However, he knew well enough to expect the unexpected. And the King of Heroes was someone that basically embodied that idea thanks to his abilities.
Still, the ability to read minds? And from someone like Archer? The young man somewhat shivered at the idea given the former's personality.
"Hmph, believe what you will then." The Golden King simply shrugged in amusement. "It's not as though your mind would be able to comprehend such a thing to begin with, perhaps I erred when I decided to mention that."
"What was that?!" She exclaimed.
"Is your reaction to every jest I make to shout in anger? If so, you may Berserker to shame with your shrieks of anger."
"Why you...!"
"Enough of that Mordred, being angry with him will lead to nowhere."
Arthur suddenly stated with a firm tone, one that was enough to stop the young blonde in her tracks as she froze up at her father's voice.
Taking a moment to consider his words, Mordred saw reason within them given the type of person that Archer was. Indeed, being angry with him simply fueled how entertained he was at being able to rile her up. As much as she wanted to punch the pompous bastard in the face for it, she restrained herself.
Still, that didn't mean she had to like it, nor at the fact that her father suddenly took an authoritative tone with her either.
Just the idea of it...
"Tch!"
She clicked her tongue in distaste, muttering under her breath as she turned her head away. Arthur simply shook his head at this before turning his attention back towards the Golden King himself, who simply smiled at the Red Knight's reaction.
"Heh, a father coming to the defense of his daughter eh?" Gilgamesh simply chuckled in response. "What a pair you two make, unable to be honest with yourselves. Speak your minds if you have something to say less you regret not being able to in the end."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Mordred demanded with annoyed look whereas Arthur was more curious at what the Golden king was saying.
"Who knows? I'm simply stating what I see." The King of Heroes replied with a smirk as he started to walk away from the two "Whether or not you two take heed of my words is of no concern to me. If you both so choose to continue this charade then by all means. I'll simply entertain myself by watching from the sidelines."
With that, the red-eyed blonde left. Leaving Arthur and Mordred by themselves as both were left to ponder his words.
"Bastard, saying what he likes whenever he wants...!"
The latter stated while grinding her teeth together. Who was he to judge her and her father like that? She was really close to picking a fight with Archer, so very close that she might as well have been tied together with him with a rope. Yes, that way he wouldn't be able to escape her wrath!
"Does he remind you of someone?"
"Hah? What kind of question is that?"
Mordred quickly demanded, not liking the insinuation her father was directing towards her. Realizing what he just said, Arthur backtracked.
"That's not what I-No, never mind..."
He quickly stated in reply, the young man didn't even realize that he had spoken his thoughts aloud.
Alas, it was too late. The answer he gave felt unsatisfactory to the Red Knight, and the way he said it only served to anger her more.
Was her father thinking that she and Archer were the same? They were nothing alike!
At this, she simply huffed in annoyance and walked away, mumbling curses at both Archer and her father as she left the area. The latter attempted to call out to her, but he had a feeling that she wouldn't go further than a short distance away from the manor.
Perhaps she simply needed space. At least, that's what he believed...
"Angered her again did you?"
Jeanne stated, walking towards her friend as she had seen the exchange take place. Arthur wasn't surprised by this and simply acknowledge the presence of the young saint.
"Perhaps it's my talent to say the wrong things whenever I speak with her."
"Don't think like that. From what I've seen, you've been able to say the right things as well." Jeanne stated reassuringly. "Don't worry Arthur, I believe that day you two reconcile will come soon. I'm sure of it!"
"I doubt that, but my thanks for your support." The young man simply smiled in response. "I assume that your talks with the others have ended as well?"
"Yes, shall we head back inside to talk about it?"
She stated, unknowingly extending her hand towards the young man.
Seeing this, Arthur nodded in response as he held the former's hand in his own, an act that quickly alerted the young saint as to what she had just done.
"Jeanne?" The former muttered in confusion.
"Ah! My apologies..." She stated, somewhat panicked. "It's just that your hands were cold and...!"
"True, it is getting late." Arthur stated, looking around as he failed to notice the young saint sigh in relief. "Shall I make something to warm you up then?"
"P-Please do... I'll be with you in a moment."
The young man nodded as he went back into the manor first. With him gone, the young saint simply sighed once more and leaned against the wall of the manor. Placing the hand that made contact with Arthur's own over her chest.
"What am I doing? This is ridiculous...!"
Jeanne chided herself, acting the way she did just now over something so simple. Even with Laeticia influencing her, she once held hands with many different men in the past. A simple touch shouldn't have affected her so much!
"I need to calm myself..."
She couldn't call herself Ruler if she allowed such a simple thing to disturb her. Yes, as Ruler she needed to forget about all that. Her duties came first, her emotions second. She couldn't administer the Holy Grail War if she continued acting the way she was with Arthur.
'Still...'
She had to admit, Arthur's hand in her own... the feeling was nice.
"Ah...!"
No, no, no! She wasn't supposed to think like that!
And so, the troubled thoughts of the young saint continued.
Unknowingly to Jeanne, someone had witnessed her little dilemma.
"Hmph..."
Mordred stated, having decided to remain at the manor instead of leaving. As a result, the Red Knight had overheard Ruler's words to herself.
Something about it felt wrong to her. What was Ruler going on about? She didn't know why, but somehow she felt even more annoyed than usual. Even more than when she was interacting with Archer of Red who more or less always got on her nerves.
No, this was different. She couldn't say why or how, but she was sure it was different.
"What are you up to Ruler...?"
The young blonde muttered to herself. Her curiosity now ignited, she decided to keep an eye on the young saint for now. She didn't believe that she was planning on doing something untoward to her father, but something about her behavior rubbed her the wrong way.
"My, my, just what am I going to do with you?"
Tamamo sighed to herself, her arms crossed as she directed a narrowed stared towards Assassin. Said person was currently sitting on her knees, Seiza style as the Servant of Magic called it. Ramesses could only smirk in amusement at the scene before him as he watched his little sister lecture her like a mother would to a naughty child.
"Um... where is Master?"
Assassin mumbled quietly yet loud enough to be heard.
"I'm glad you asked Serenity-chan, Master is quite annoyed with you right now." The pink-haired woman smiled sweetly. "You're both lucky that she's taking a nap right now otherwise you'd have to deal with her."
"I-I see..."
"However~!"
The Hassan of Serenity froze up when she suddenly saw a number of strange looking tools being pulled out from Tamamo's sleeve, a dangerous glint in the latter's eyes as she grinned in amusement at the sight of the former's panicked look.
"That just means you will have to deal with me~! Come along then~!" She happily declared.
"W-Wait! What about Lancer...!?"
"I've thought about that, but..."
Both looked towards the teal-haired Valkyrie, the latter of whom was currently tied up in rope and a number of stone blocks placed on her lap. Tamamo had magically enchanted both that it be difficult to escape even for her, with the stones getting heavier with each passing second. She felt that such a thing would have functioned as an appropriate punishment for the trouble that both caused today, however...
"Ehehehe...!"
From the looks of it, Lancer was enjoying it. She was even smiling! What was up with that!?
"I feel like if I do anything more to her she might like it..."
Tamamo sighed in disappointment, the teal-haired Valkyrie was rather beautiful too. When a woman says that you know it was true. Teasing her would have been quite fun, alas her personality made that somewhat difficult. Who knew that the daughter of Odin would be that kind of person? It somehow felt appropriate to be honest, and somewhat disturbing as well.
"Geez, you're all so noisy..."
Entering the room with a drowsy look on her face was Manaka herself, currently dressed in pajamas brought for her by the fox-eared woman. She rubbed one of her eyes as she yawned. A sight that Tamamo found to be rather adorable!
Opening her mouth to speak, she stopped to take a moment to look at the sight that was Lancer. Soon afterwards, she went back to what she was about to say.
"Really now Caster, there's no need to get angry at these two." Manaka stated.
"But Master, they ended up getting Archer killed..." The fox-eared woman complained. "Can't I just punish them a little bit? If you join me you might find it fun~"
"Hmm... if this is about Archer getting killed, then the solution is simple!"
...!
With a surge of prana erupting from her body, a summoning circle quickly formed around the Manaka. All present watched with interest at what the girl was about to do.
"Come Archer, return to us right now!"
Manaka declared, raising her hand forward as a the light emanating from the circle began to surge wildly in different directions.
...!
A flash of light covered the room blinding the others slightly. Once it cleared, they opened their eyes to see an unexpected sight.
"Wait, I'm alive...!?"
There stood Arash in all his glory, the man himself completely confused as well by what had just happened.
END
Author's Note:
Well that wraps up CH25, and the first chapter of Act III. I'll admit, I actually had this chapter 80% done for a month now but I always found myself buried in other stuff that I couldn't find time to finish it. That and I was going through Tales of Berseria at the same time too. Love that game and its story :D
Anyway, onto the chapter itself. As I said earlier, this chapter is mostly a recap of what had happened in the last few chapters of Act II. The Rogue Faction will get their turn in the next chapter. Originally they would have gotten it here, but the flashbacks ended up longer than I planned.
The Ramesses and Gilgamesh bit was intentionally cut short because I plan on them fighting at a later date, but at the same time I felt like they needed to meet now so as to help establish their future relationship. FGO shows us that Ramesses and Gil get along surprisingly well, but I'm going to make it so that it takes a few more meetings before they get to that point. Also, I gave Proto-Gil the ability to utilize the FSN version of GoB. Think of the ten portal thing as him holding back intentionally in this fic.
Also, regarding the bit where Wehem-Mesut blocks Balmung before retaliating with its own blast of energy... I don't honestly know if the former would be possible but given that it's apparently the Alpha Sphinx, I decided to let it be. Especially since Ramesses is more powerful thanks to Manaka being his Master.
About Iskandar... yeah, I've been wanting to kill him off for a while now ever since his little dialogue with Arthur back in CH20. I felt like his role had been served, and thus he was off to the chopping block. I'm a bad man for smiling at that XD Anyway, hoped the farewell between him and Waver worked well enough. I wasn't able to focus on both as much as I would have liked before it occurred.
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Guest: Probably not? By the time of FLR (Acronym of KoW's new title) the FGO MCs are still nothing more than little kids. They'd be about five to six years old when it happens going by how the MCs from looks alone look only a year or two older than Mash herself.
That's it for now. Again, please review :D
