I know, I know. Another update and it's not Xenoblade related. To be honest, I wasn't planning on finishing this chapter today, but as I was reading it, my writing instincts just took over and before I knew it, I ended up putting the finishing touches on it. I debated whether to upload this or not until I actually updated one of my Xenoblade stories, but I figured that would just be a waste since this chapter's already done. Oh well, hopefully third time's the charm and my next update actually involves Xenoblade (knowing my track record, though, that just sounds like a pipe dream).
Chapter 2- A Familiar Face
Damn their luck. Not only did Rin and the others get sent into Singularity F after that sudden explosion. Now they had to contend with a blackened Rider, all without a Servant of their own. Sure, Mash seemed to be some kind of human/Servant hybrid, but she was clearly inexperienced. She doesn't stand a chance against a Servant on her own.
The same was true for both Rin and Shirou. Sure they took on Servants before back in their Holy Grail War, but those were under very specific circumstances and they nearly died in the process. It was definitely not something either of them would recommend anyone trying.
From what Rin recalled about the Rider she knew was that she was incredibly weak, even by Servant standards, but that was largely because she was tied to Shinji (who wasn't even a mage, thus making him unable to provide her with mana, causing her to resort to other methods to maintain her Spirit Origin) instead of Sakura, the latter of whom being the one who actually summoned her but gave control to her adoptive sibling because she didn't want to fight in the war. Had Rider fought under Sakura's command during the Holy Grail War, things probably would have gone down very differently.
It was asinine to assume that this Medusa was in the same weakened state when she was under that idiot's control. If this bloodlust was any indication, she was much stronger than before. Rin wouldn't be surprised if this Rider killed that useless Shinji herself. It's not like the world was missing much with him gone, especially after all the abuse he did to Sakura. Boy was she glad that the Shinji of her world was dead. At least now he won't hurt her little sister anymore. She still couldn't believe that she had been so blind to see how much suffering Sakura had gone through while living with the Matous. She knew the Matous were a shell of their former selves, but she didn't think that they had sunk that low. Did her late father, Tokiomi, know what torment awaited Sakura when he let the Matous adopt her? Did he even care? For years, Rin adored her father and thought the world of him, but in recent years she just didn't know what to feel about him. Talk about being naïve. It was only natural that Tokiomi had a side to him that she never saw, a coldness that was the standard within mage families. She could only imagine how different her upbringing would be if her father had survived the fourth Holy Grail War.
Naturally, she didn't learn the truth of her sister's trauma from Sakura herself. The girl was simply too kind, too submissive. Even when it was obvious that Shinji was physically abusing her, Sakura would never admit to it. It was only through her partner's investigation into the Matous that she learned the truth. At first, she didn't know how to feel, but righteous anger quickly took hold. She wanted to make that slimy family pay for all the torment they inflicted on her sister, but she never got the chance. Without even waiting for her permission, Rin's Servant had already destroyed the Matou household, burning it to the ground, and killed its head, Zouken Matou. He was used to doing things that would cause others to hate and revile him. He just didn't want to see his Master go down the same path. Despite being called the Demon King in his world, that Servant did have some good in him. As for what happened to Shinji (who wasn't present during the attack), he was killed by Illya and Berserker shortly after Saber used her Noble Phantasm to annihilate Rider.
Anyway, back to the situation with the blackened Rider. Rin didn't have a lot of gemstones on her. There was only so much she could bring to Chaldea and the Rayshift after all. She still had some good ones on her person, but she couldn't risk using them now. Not when there were literally stronger Servants here than Medusa, like a certain Berserker that refuses to die even after taking a fatal blow. Unfortunately, she might not have a choice here since she couldn't think of another way out of this situation.
"Well, well. This is certainly a surprise. I never thought I'd see you two again, Rin Tohsaka, Shirou Emiya."
When Rin heard the disembodied voice, she found herself relaxing somewhat. Both she and the Chaldeans turned to where the voice was coming from and saw a new Servant materialize out of thin air. It was indeed the person she thought it was, but his outfit was totally different from she remembered seeing him in.
Rather than a slim blue jumpsuit, he was garbed in the Celtic garb of a sage with a wooden staff instead of his trusty spear. His long blue hair wasn't held back in a ponytail either, instead falling freely down his back. Regardless of the strange wardrobe change, Rin knew who it was.
Cu Chulainn. Ireland's Child of Light and the Hound of Culann.
In the fifth Holy Grail War she was in, Cu was summoned as a Lancer, but it seems like here he materialized as a Caster. He did technically qualify for the class since he was proficient with runes if his legends were anything to go by, but knowing Cu's personality, he much more preferred fighting as a Lancer. And thankfully, unlike Medusa, he was clearly still very much sane and uncorrupted.
"You both look surprisingly well despite being dead," Cu continued while having a roguish grin on his face, paying more attention to the Tohsaka heiress than the redhead. "In more ways than one."
Rin unconsciously fought off a blush as she crossed her arms over her chest in a defensive manner. "Hey, watch where you're looking. My eyes are up here!"
The Caster Servant let out a hearty laugh, not even offended in the slightest. "You're the same as ever, Rin. That's good. Shows that not everything has gone to shit in this world." He then leapt in the air and landed right in front of the Chaldeans, keeping his gaze fixed on the blackened Servant, who has yet to make a move. "You and Shirou have a lot of explaining to do, but that can wait until later. Right now, we have a battle to win. Leave this to me."
Rin couldn't help but smile. This Singularity may be different from the Holy Grail War she experienced, a manifestation of the worst possible ending, but it was a relief that they were able to find an ally in this hellscape. Actually, her partner mentioned in passing that the Cu from her Holy Grail War wished he could have formed a contract with her instead of being stuck with Kotomine. In a way, it looks like he finally got his wish. Ah, that just gave her an idea.
"Emiya, do you think you can make a spear for our new Servant?" she asked knowingly, activating her magic crest to transfer mana to the redhead. He was gonna need a lot of magical energy for this.
Shirou just smirked as he quickly caught on to her intent, while Ritsuka and the other Chaldeans were confused. Gathering his mana and the energy he was receiving from Rin, he muttered out his signature phrase, "Trace. On." Motes of blue light gathered in his outstretched hands, taking shape and form. In just a matter of seconds, a familiar crimson spear appeared in his grip, one that possessed a bloodlust that both he and Rin knew all too well. Everyone else was stunned by what they saw, but Caster looked positively elated at the sight.
"What the?!" Ritsuka said in disbelief.
Olga looked just as shocked, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. "Th-that's a Noble Phantasm! But how is that possible?!"
Indeed it was. A traced version of a Noble Phantasm that had been wielded by one of Ireland's greatest heroes. Admittedly Rin had only seen the spear in action only a few times, but it always managed to send a chill down her spine whenever she saw it. Even Rider looked unnerved by the sight of the spear, watching both it and its wielder in caution.
The cursed spear that always pierces the heart no matter which part of the body it strikes, Gae Bolg.
"You just keeping surprising me, kid," Cu said with wide grin. "Mind if I have it?"
"It's all yours." Shirou didn't even hesitate to hand Gae Bolg over to the Caster, who snatched it all to eagerly, like a kid getting a new toy they wanted.
Cu gave the spear a once over before twirling it around, as if testing it out. Once he seemed satisfied, he tossed the redhead a confident smirk. "Not bad for a dead man walking. Thanks Shirou. It's feels good to wield this spear again. Now then." He turned his attention back to the darkened Medusa, the blunette getting into an all-to-familiar stance. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Rider. I'm ready to go anytime."
Medusa, who had been silent until now, simply sneered at the spearman. "You don't seriously think you can beat me, do you, Caster?" she asked mockingly.
Cu just laughed in response. "Wrong. I'm not a Caster anymore. I'm a Lancer now."
Olga's brain looked like it was melting from the blunette's statement (which was admittedly funny for Rin to see). If you wanted to get technical, no, changing his weapon from a wooden staff to a projected copy of Gae Bolg doesn't cause his class to suddenly change. In terms of abilities and stats, Cu was still a Caster. By all accounts, he shouldn't be able to use the cursed spear or its Noble Phantasm, but that's where the additional effects of Shirou's Tracing magic came into play.
Not only could Shirou recreate the weapon and its existence, but also the experiences its owner had when they wielded it. This applied even to Noble Phantasms. That meant that with enough magical energy, he could potentially use a Noble Phantasm just like the original Servant could. As a certain golden king liked to put it, he was a Faker. However, while this sounded stupidly broken, you also need to keep in mind that Shirou was an average mage at best, with no actual way to improve due to his specialization. That meant that he doesn't exactly have a lot of mana to spare, and using projection magic requires a lot of it, which is why experienced mages consider it impractical and why Rin had to transfer magical energy to him in order to produce the spear.
Then there was the fact that all projections he creates possess some degradation, due to his limited ability to scan the item to make the copy (which was just through sight), so anything he produced was essentially a rank down from the genuine article. However, if something was inferior on a physical sense, then magecraft can be used to bridge the gap. As a Caster, Cu wasn't meant to engage in close combat, unlike his Lancer counterpart, and instead attack from a distance with spells. Even with Gae Bolg being returned to him, that fact hasn't changed. But rather than waste time complaining about it, all he had to do was use his runes to enhance both his body and his spear, making the impossible possible.
The Chaldeans watched in awe as the two Fuyuki Servants engaged in a fierce battle. Both Cu and Medusa were light on their feet, constantly weaving in attacks with the fluidity of water. Slashes, thrusts, it didn't matter. Sparks shot into the air every time their weapons clashed, the clang of metal echoing. It was truly a spectacle to behold.
Finally, Olga reached the limit of her sanity as she watched the battle open-mouthed. "Just what the hell is going on here?!" she exclaimed in outrage, looking ready to pull her own hair out. "How the hell is a Caster class Servant keeping up with a Rider?! This just doesn't seem possible."
"But isn't it a good thing that Caster is holding his own against Rider?" Mash asked in confusion.
Rin could picture the steam coming out of the director's ears as her face reddened. "That's not the point! Nothing here makes any sense. The least competent Master gets a Demi-Servant, and an average mage just produced a Noble Phantasm like it was nothing! Now this happens! That's it. I've officially lost my mind. This just can't be real."
The Tohsaka heiress just laughed at Animusphere mage's descent to madness. "That's a Holy Grail War for you," she said simply. "You can never predict what will happen in one. It always finds ways to surprise you."
Shirou nodded in agreement, a knowing smile on his face. "You can say that again."
Still, despite her amusement, Rin made a mental note of the word "Demi-Servant". The term was unfamiliar to her, but it has to be what Mash is. Could she be a fusion of a human and a Heroic Spirit? That could explain why the gem mage couldn't sense anything odd in the pinkette, but it still raised a number of questions. If Mash had fused with a Heroic Spirit, then which Heroic Spirit was it? Did she even know who it was? Judging from how she fought, it was clear that this was her first taste of combat. She looked more like she was acting on instinct rather than natural skills. Just what was Chaldea doing before she and Shirou arrived?
Just more mysteries to be solved, as her Clock Tower instructor would like to put it. She put a pin in those thoughts and returned her focus to the battle before her, which was reaching its climax. Cu held his spear in a familiar stance: his knees bent, his body angled as if ready to sprint, the blade of his spear pointed down diagonally, hands gripping the shaft a shoulder-width apart. A powerful shockwave shook out in all directions as a murderous red aura radiated off the spear. The Masters from Fuyuki knew exactly what was coming.
The bloodlust coming from Gae Bolg was enough to send shivers down Rin's spine. Even Olga was frightened by it. Mash instinctly got in front of the Master candidates, raising her shield in defense, despite none of them being the cursed spear's true target.
"Looks like Cu hasn't lost his edge in this hellhole," Rin thought to herself as she watched with bated breath. "Still, I wonder why he's a Caster here. Was he summoned this way or is it because of something else? Argh, just what I need. More freaking questions! I'm getting a headache just thinking about it."
Rider looked ready to unleash her own Noble Phantasm in response, but that didn't mean she could underestimate Gae Bolg. It is a cursed spear that always goes for the heart, no matter where in the body it strikes. It works by overwriting the properties of cause and effect from "he thrusts, he stabs" to "he stabs, he thrusts". Basically, it was an unavoidable attack. Just the mere act of thrusting the spear was simply a matter of formality. The only downside to it was that its range was limited, but that made it no less deadly. Even Saber wasn't able to fully evade it and instead have it strike away from her heart by using her Intuition skill, and even then she still suffered from the repercussions of the cursed wound from Gae Bolg for days until Lancer was finally killed.
Medusa must have known this because she quickly abandoned charging up her Noble Phantasm and began making a hasty retreat, taking full advantage of her high agility stat. Cu simply clicked his tongue in irritation and readied to give chase.
The Servant from Greece wrapped one of her chains around a distant streetlight, intending to use that to further assist with her retreat. She channeled her mana into her legs, the soles of her boots forming a small crater beneath her. However, the chase everyone was expecting did not come to pass.
Once more, Medusa turned her gaze at the Masters from Fuyuki and she just froze there. It saddened Rin for seeing the older woman in this state. While her origins were different from the elder sister of her partner, their personalities were largely the same. Medusa would never relish in the killing of others, much less on a whim. This version of her was tainted, blackened, a consequence of falling into the black mud of the corrupted Fuyuki Grail. However, something inside her seemed to be fighting against her tainted Spirit Origin. She could have used this time to get away, but she wasn't moving. In fact, she looked like she was actively trying not to run away.
At the same time, Cu's excitement for battle disappeared, replaced with a solemn look on his face. "Tch, and there goes the fun. Goodbye, Rider." He didn't miss a beat, taking advantage of the opening before him as magical energy condensed around his spear. "Resign yourself and receive my blow. Your heart is mine! Gae Bolg!"
At the sound of saying the name of his beloved spear, Cu thrusted his arms forward. Everyone watched as the crimson spear pierced through Rider's heart and proceeded straight out her back. It was a fatal blow, shattering her Spirit Origin. Even if by some miracle her Spirit Origin was still intact, the wounds inflicted by Gae Bolg were cursed to never heal, not as long as the spear itself exists. Basically, she was finished.
"I don't get it," Shirou muttered in disbelief. "I've seen Rider's speed in action. She could have gotten away. Why did she willingly take that blow?"
Rin had some speculation on what might have happened, but she didn't put them to words. Instead, she watched as Medusa gave her and the redhead beside her a bittersweet smile, the bloodlust finally leaving her eyes. Her body was beginning to dissolve into particles of golden light, signaling that she was dying.
After a few moments, she broke the eye contact and turned her attention to Cu. "Caster," she said weakly, blood leaking out of her mouth. "Those two. Are they…?"
"They are," Cu replied as he pulled out his spear from her chest. Before she could even fall to the ground, he caught the dying Servant in his arms and held her gently. "Don't worry. I won't let them die again."
Medusa gave the blunette a weak smile, her strength leaving her quickly. "That's…good. I couldn't…save Sakura. With those two back…then maybe this war will finally end." She let out a hoarse cough before looking out towards some seemingly random direction. "Sorry, little brother. I'm going on ahead."
That last statement caused Rin to perk up. So her old partner was still here. But any hope she had in her heart quickly filled with dread. What if he was in the same state as Rider, corrupted by the black mud, a mere shadow of his former self? She couldn't bear it if that was the case. Her heart would simply break.
Unfortunately, she never got the chance to ask the female Servant about it, as Rider's body fully dissolved into golden motes. She was finally free from this hell.
A full minute of silence passed before Cu spun his spear and rested it on his shoulders, turning his attention back to the Chaldeans. "Just so you know, I'm not giving this back," he said flatly.
"Wasn't expecting you to," Shirou replied. "But why exactly are you a Caster?"
"Long story. Let's find a safe place to chat. I've got a few questions of my own I need answering."
No one argued and promptly followed the would-be Lancer to find a place to rest.
It took Olga about thirty minutes to explain Chaldea and the situation to the friendly Servant. Okay, it was actually Rin who explained to Cu what was going on. Olga kept stopping and stammering because she was intimidated by his spear. Eventually the brunette's patience wore out and she took over lest they be here all night. Actually, was it even nighttime here? With sky in a perpetual dark due to the black clouds, it was hard to tell.
"So basically you want me to fight, right?" Cu asked simply after the gem mage was finished.
"Pretty much," Rin replied back. "Will you help us?"
"Sure. My duty is to see this Holy Grail War finished, while yours is to resolve this Singularity. Our interests align, so it's only natural that we help each other."
"Are you sure about that?" Olga questioned, still a little unnerved by the cursed spear slouched against Caster's shoulder. "You'd be risking your life for people you don't know. Are you really okay with that?"
The male Servant just shrugged. "Eh, I don't get too involved with things outside my own time period. That's the Servant's Golden Rule. But to clarify, it's only you, the young lady and her Master that I don't know. I'm somewhat familiar with Shirou and Rin. Well, this world's version of them anyway."
"Speaking of which," the red-haired magus spoke up. "Why are you a Caster anyway? You were a Lancer in the Holy Grail War Tohsaka and I fought in. Was there a different Lancer that was summoned here?"
"Nope," Cu said with a loud pop. "Just like in your version of the Holy Grail War, I materialized here as a Lancer. It was only after everything went to hell that I became a Caster. As for how that happened, let's just say it was a little divine intervention for now. I didn't mind the power boost I got, but I really wish I was allowed to keep my spear."
That still left Rin feeling more puzzled, especially in regards to Cu's sudden class change, but she knew better than to force the answers out of him. Olga then decided that they should find a leyline so they can make contact with Chaldea, to which the Caster Servant casually mentioned that there was one under this building, much to her irritation. The director then had Mash set her shield on the ground before promptly making a summoning circle to help re-establish communications. It didn't take long for them to start getting a signal.
"Finally, we got through! Hello? This is Chaldea's Command Room! Can you hear me?"
That voice was unfamiliar to Rin, but the director seemed to recognize it if her irritation was any indication. "Romani?! What are you doing in the Command Room? Where's Lev? Put him on immediately."
"D-director? You're alive?!" the other voice exclaimed, his voice cracking a little. A holographic image soon appeared over the shield, revealing a man with long messy blonde hair tied back into a ponytail. He was wearing a white lab coat with a zipper, a teal shirt underneath, and white pants and shoes.
Oh, now Rin remembered this guy. It was Romani Archaman, the head of Chaldea's medical division. Not much was really known about the guy and Rin herself hardly ever spoke to him. All she knew was that Mash was pretty fond of him.
"Who do you think it is, you nitwit?!" Olga retorted bitterly. "I don't know how it happened, but somehow I've Rayshifted to Singularity F along with Masters Ritsuka Fugimaru, Rin Tohsaka and Shirou Emiya, as well as the Demi-Servant Mash. We've also recruited a Cas-or Lancer Servant. Now tell me why you're there, Romani?!"
The head doctor let out a breath in relief. It was at that moment that Rin noticed how exhausted he looked. "Thank God you guys are okay," he said slowly. "Look, I know more than anyone that I'm not qualified to be here, but there's literally no else to take my place. Those explosions took out the majority of our staff. I'm only here because everyone who outranks me is dead. And before you ask, no we don't know where Lev is. He was in the center of the explosion when it occurred, so we believe that he's dead."
All the color drained from the young director's face, her expression warping into despair. "No… Not Lev. I need him. I can't run Chaldea without him."
While Rin sympathized with her fellow magus as she was no stranger to tragedy herself and knew what it was like to inherit her position at a young age, she didn't feel any sorrow towards the head technician. There was just something about Lev that irked her. Something not natural.
Romani then started explaining the situation on his end. Currently Chaldea has lost eighty percent of its functionality, with most of its remaining power going to keep Chaldeas and Sheba operational. There were only twenty employees still alive. Communication with the outside world was down as well so there was no way for them to call for help. As for the Master candidates, they were all in critical condition.
"Well don't just stand there!" Olga ordered hastily. "I'm not having all their deaths on my head. Cryopreserve them immediately! Don't let a single one of them die. That's your top priority right now!"
"Oh yeah, I forgot they could do that. Sorry it's been really crazy over here. I just barely managed to stabilize Ophelia. Somehow she managed to escape her coffin without sustaining any fatal injuries, but she was still in bad shape when we found her."
Ophelia? That was the name of one of the members of Team A. How did she manage to survive that explosion? Rin herself was only able to survive thanks to the teachings of her old partner.
"How did she survive, if you don't mind me asking?" Rin asked slowly.
"There was an unexpected delay in her coffin's explosion," the doctor explained. "That brief delay allowed her to cast multiple protection spells on her vital organs and escape the worst. We've already had her taken out of her coffin and moved her to the infirmary. Also…" He turned his attention to Shirou. "Shirou Emiya, Ophelia wanted me to tell you something. She wasn't entirely coherent, but she wanted me to express her gratitude to you. Apparently you showed her a path to survival."
The wannabe hero of justice scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh, thanks, but I don't know what I did. I just barely had time to reinforce my body to tank my own coffin's explosion. You sure she wasn't talking about Tohsaka?"
"I wouldn't know. Ophelia's in a coma right now and won't be waking up for a few days while she recovers. Honestly, I'm just glad she's still alive."
"Well at least we have some good news in this whole mess," Olga spoke up. "Given Chaldea's current situation, we don't have enough magical energy to summon any additional Servants. Looks like we'll have to resolve Singularity F with the ones we have."
"Guess that's my cue to fill you guys in on what happened here," Cu chimed in. "At first everything was pretty normal. All the Servants had been summoned, with them getting in a few scuffles here and there. Then suddenly the entire city was engulfed in fire and black mud. A lot of people lost their lives. Seeing that as the bigger threat, we Servants declared a ceasefire and we tried to stop it, alongside our Masters." Suddenly he tightened his grip on his lance. "We failed. The enemy completely overpowered us, and one by one, our Masters started to fall, with Shirou Emiya being the first after he took a fatal blow for Berserker's Master. That threw Saber into a frenzy, and she began to go on a rampage, not caring if she hurt friend or foe. Eventually the situation got so bad that Rin's Servant ordered us all to retreat."
Berserker's Master? That had to be Illya, Shirou's "older" sister. Apparently the homunculus girl was child of Shirou's adoptive father, Kiritsugu Emiya, otherwise known as the Mage Killer. She had initially wanted to kill her adoptive brother because she was told that Kiritsugu abandoned her for him, but after Berserker was killed and she started living in the Emiya manor, she soon learned that wasn't the case. Last Rin checked, Illya was living back in Fuyuki at Shirou's place, no longer serving as the vessel for the Holy Grail, with Sakura and Miss Fugimura looking after her.
It wasn't surprising to hear that this Shirou died protecting Illya. He really didn't value his own life as much as he should, especially during the Fifth Holy Grail War. However, that didn't make it any less tragic to hear, especially the consequences those actions caused.
"What happened to the me of this world?" the Tohsaka heiress asked, feeling fear over hearing of her supposed fate.
"Right after your partner ordered the retreat, the enemy took a pot shot at him while he was distracted and you took the blow in his stead. After you fell, your body fell in the black mud and got a full helping of curses, a death sentence in its own right. Boy was I afraid things were gonna get worse as that nearly caused your Servant to snap as well but you managed to stop him by giving him something and used a Command Spell to force him to retreat. He reluctantly obeyed, but he did manage to retrieve your body before fleeing. You were the only Master that managed to escape, but you died from your wounds shortly after."
Well that was disheartening to hear. Rin had some suspicions on what her counterpart on what she gave to her Servant, but chose to keep quiet about it. She couldn't imagine what her partner must have felt from losing someone he cared about again. She desperately hoped that he was alright.
"So what happened next?" Ritsuka questioned nervously, interrupting the gem mage's thoughts.
"Well given that we all pretty much lost our Masters, the Holy Grail War came to an end. There just didn't seem to be a point anymore. However, Saber had other ideas and chose to restart the Holy Grail War."
"What?! She wouldn't do something like that. Plus how was she able to stay materialized in this world with me dead? She struggled to maintain her physical form even when she was contracted with me."
The Caster Servant simply shrugged. "Beats me, kid. If I had to guess, I would say she got her hands on the Holy Grail. That would certainly be a way for her to get a steady supply of mana to maintain her Spirit Origin, plus she's not the Servant you remember. Anyway, she went on a rampage, like a beast fresh on the hunt. Rider, Caster, Assassin, Berserker. They all fell to her sword and rose as corrupted beings from the black mud. I nearly suffered the same fate myself had a certain being not offered their power to me at the last second. I don't know what Saber is thinking, but she seems pretty intent on keeping this Holy Grail War going. Just so you know, I've already taken out the blackened Assassin and Caster before you all arrived. That just leaves two enemy Servants. Berserker and Saber."
"So if we defeat them," Mash started.
"The Holy Grail War will end?" Ritsuka finished.
"Pretty much," Cu confirmed nonchalantly. "Except for the fact that the blackened Berserker is Heracles, the mightiest hero in Greece, and Saber happens to be the legendary King Arthur."
Olga's eyes went wide in disbelief. "No way. You've got to be kidding me. Arthur himself would already be a struggle to deal with. He's the legendary King of Knights, the wielder of Excalibur, which is the strongest holy sword of all. And we have to deal with Heracles too?! We can't beat them with the forces we have."
Sadly Rin had to agree with her fellow magus. They could potentially defeat Artoria with the help of Cu, mainly because of Gae Bolg. Mash's shield could be useful too, especially if she found a way to use its Noble Phantasm. But Heracles was just out of their league and that was because of two words.
God Hand.
That was Heracles's Noble Phantasm. As a "reward" for him accomplishing his twelve labors after killing his family, he was granted nigh-invulnerability and the ability to resurrect eleven times. In order for an attack to even injure him, it would have to be A-rank or higher. Anything less won't so much as leave a scratch on him. To make matters worse, any fatal attack he takes, he becomes immune to upon resurrection, meaning you need to kill him twelve different times. Oh, and to further rub salt in the wound, Heracles can regenerate his lost lives with enough time and mana. It was no wonder why Illya was so confident she would win the Holy Grail War with him as her Servant. There aren't a lot of Servants that are capable of finding ways to kill the demigod that many times.
When Rin's Servant battled Berserker so she, Shirou and Saber could escape from the Einzbern Castle, even he was only able to kill him six times before Rin used a Command Spell to teleport him to her position. It left him in such a bad state that he couldn't participate in the following battle with the demigod. Heck it was only thanks to Shirou tracing Caliburn and attacking with Saber that they finally managed to kill that bastard for good. If Cu was still a Lancer, they might be able to handle Berserker, but even then, no one would be getting out of that fight unscathed, which would make it harder to defeat Saber.
"Well that's just great," Ritsuka said in frustration. "What are we supposed to do now?"
Wait a minute. When Caster was talking about all the Servants that had been defeated turned by Saber, Rin's Servant was noticeably absent. Could that mean…?
The Hound of Culann cracked a wicked smirk. "Looks like you're starting to figure it out, Rin. I wasn't the only one that managed to fight off Saber during her rampage. Your Servant managed to survive as well. In fact, he was the only one of us who managed to fight her to a draw without any interference. No wonder he's called the Demon King of Aincrad where he's from."
"Hold on a second," Olga interrupted, looking quite confused. "You mean to tell me that an Archer Servant managed to fight off the King of Knights? There's no way a Servant like that exists. It just doesn't make any sense."
Should Rin tell her about Gilgamesh, the arrogant king of Uruk that nearly killed her and her friends several times during the Fifth Holy Grail War? Seriously, if that arrogant bastard hadn't been holding back against them during those encounters, none of them would have survived, and even then both her Servant and Saber had difficulty with him. No wonder he's called the King of Heroes. However, there was a misinterpretation on Olga's part, one that needs to be clarified before they can proceed.
"Actually, director," Rin spoke up, catching everyone's attention. "The Servant I summoned wasn't in the Archer class."
"What?! But that can't be. There are seven main classes for Servants to be summoned in, with a few extra classes. In a Holy Grail War, only the main classes are allowed to be summoned. Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Assassin, Caster and Berserker. That means your Servant should be of the Archer class as that's the only slot left. There's no way you could have summoned something else."
"Hate to break it to you, director, but that's exactly the case," Rin answered calmly, trying to sound as sincere as possible. "Believe me when I say that I was just as surprised as you when I learned his class. I was hoping to summon him as a Saber, but fate had other plans in store."
Romani trembled in his seat. "I'm getting chills from all this suspense," he said fearfully. "Just what kind of Servant did you summon that can supposedly turn the tides for us to defeat both Heracles and King Arthur?"
Rin smiled with pride, the only ones understanding why being Shirou and Cu. Both men chose to remain silent, wanting the brunette to have her moment. After all, they've been beating around the bush long enough, and if anyone had the right to reveal who her old partner was, it was her.
"Why only the Demon King of Aincrad himself, of course," she said smugly. "He actually has several titles. The Dark Swordsman, the Demon Lord of Wrath, the Lord of Calamity, but his demon king nickname is his more famous moniker. He is the wielder of the demonic sword, Lunaris, the only weapon capable of matching Excalibur, and the leader of the Harbingers, one of the greatest fighting forces to ever exist. He is a being that hails from another world and can't normally be summoned, but by a twist of fate, I was able to summon him as my Servant, and he became the greatest partner I could ever ask for."
"Enough with the build up!" Olga shouted in outrage, her patience wearing thin. "Just what is his True Name and class?! All this information is just useless trivia."
Rather than get mad, Rin just chuckled in amusement, enjoying every moment. It was nice seeing a member of such a prominent mage family so thoroughly stumped on something. But perhaps she should wrap this up so that they can move on.
"The Servant I summoned two years ago to fight in the Fifth Holy Grail War was an Avenger," she answered finally. "The forbidden class that should not be. It was actually the second time an Avenger has been summoned for a Holy Grail War, but that's story for another day. As for his True Name, it is Marth Umbris, one of the seven demon lords of Sinestra, the Goddess of Darkness and progenitor god of the demon race, and crown prince of Eternus. So, any questions?"
The members of Chaldea, minus Shirou, all collectively stared at the brunette with their jaws dropped. It was actually rather amusing to see, especially with how quiet they became as they tried to process all they heard. Eventually, the Chaldeans broke it with the only way they could respond.
"WHAT?!" they all shouted in sync.
Cu let out a hearty laugh in response, looking just as amused as the gem mage. "That is exactly the reaction I wanted to see. Boy am I glad that I withheld Avenger's True Name. It was so worth it." He then tossed a friendly wink at the female magus. "I think this will be a fun adventure, don't you think?"
Rin couldn't help but smile and nod as she gently cradled her pendant with one hand. "Maybe. I just hope that Marth is still alive. Do you know where he is, Cu?"
"Of course I do, but it's not like you need my help to find him. After all, I'm sure you of all people would have an idea on where he's hiding out in this hellhole."
Indeed she did. She didn't even know why she felt the need to ask. There was only one place within this destroyed version of Fuyuki that her beloved partner would settle in.
It was time for her to return home.
Somewhere in Fuyuki, right in a western-style manor, a young man sat in a decently preserved armchair, his head resting on his right closed fist, as he found himself reminiscing on the past. He was dressed in a silver twin-tailed leather overcoat with black and red highlights, a gray tunic with chain mail underneath, black metal gloves with silver elongated fingernails (almost like claws of sorts), dark gray pants, as well as a silver belt and armored boots. Shoulder-length black hair fell straight, containing some white highlights at the tips.
Slowly, he opened his bloodred eyes as he sensed something has changed in this endless hell. Or rather, some people have come to this Singularity, this distortion of human history that should not exist. Merlin mentioned that they'd come to correct it before he left, but honestly, he found it hard to believe given how badly this Holy Grail War has gone.
The perimeter wards he set up for Saber Alter were going off, but they weren't caused by her or her mad hound of a Heroic Spirit. It was those new people. Chaldea, Merlin called them if he remembered right. They were heading straight to him, with Caster in tow, though the Servant is the only one he can easily identify from their current distance. Were they coming to kill him so that they could bring this war to an end, or something else?
"Hmph," he scoffed coldly. "As if they have any chance of defeating me, even with Ireland's Child of Light by their side. Even in my current condition, I'm still more than a match for Saber. I won't allow anyone to kill me."
That's right. He had to live. After all, that was the last order she gave him before she died in his arms. He tried his best to save her when they returned home after that massacre of a battle, but she stubbornly refused all his attempts, saying that he needed to conserve his strength so that he can bring an end to this nightmare. It nearly destroyed him seeing yet another person he cared for die in his stead.
He opened his left hand and produced a small black flame that practically embodied destruction. "Well Rin," Marth Umbris, the Demon King of Aincrad, said solemnly to himself. "Looks like my role in this world is finally coming to an end. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you, but I swear to you, I will bring this hell to an end."
To be continued
Wow this got longer than I thought. So yeah, Rin's Servant is finally revealed. It's none other than Marth Umbris, the main protagonist of my Ashen Wolf story. I've been debating on how to handle him in this story, mainly his powers and abilities. I think I have a general idea on what to do in order to minimize spoilers for Ashen Wolf, especially in regards to things I haven't written yet. Without going into too much detail, Avenger Marth isn't exactly at full power due to the limitations of Servant containers, not to mention his status as an Avenger. As for what his powers are, you'll just have to wait and see. See you guys next time!
P.S. I actually debated whether to have Ophelia survive the attack on Chaldea, but considering the abnormalities Rin and Shirou caused simply by being at Chaldea, I figured there was no avoiding this one. Oh well. What's done is done. At least now she has a chance to do what she signed up for.