Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Grand Order or anything; just the oc. Support the official release.
The camera pans to show Ritsuka and company walking through the thick forest.
"Are you an angel sent by the Lord?" Jeanne asked.
"No." I replied.
"If you are not, then how are you able to call upon the Lord's power?" She asked.
"I just do. My authority extends beyond all."
"*Gasp!* So you ARE an angel!" Marie exclaims.
"I am not."
"It would not be wise to lie to us, Angel-sama. Especially in front of a saint." Amadeus chimes in.
I furrow my eyes. "But I'm not..."
[Oh boy. This is gonna be troublesome]
Haa... whatever.
"Your majesty, may I ask you a question?" I asked.
"!" Marie perks up and smiles. "Of course! You can ask me anything, Angel-sama!"
"Why did you step into our fight earlier? I don't understand why you would take such a dangerous action." I said.
"Well that's an easy one! I just didn't want Jeanne to get hurt!"
I arch an eyebrow. "By Jeanne, are you referring to the one with us or the other one?"
"Both silly!" Marie's reply was instant as it was flamboyant.
"... excuse me?"
"I mean, they are Jeanne d'Arc right? The saviors of France? Why wouldn't I want to protect them?" Marie asks me like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's because of her that France became so beautiful."
"You do realize she is trying to destroy the country? Your country?" I pointed out.
"Oh I know, she's been a naughty girl. That's why the next time I see her, I'm gonna force down on all fours and give her a good spanking!" Marie reveals.
Everyone just stops as they stare at the little queen.
[I'm starting to think my data on Marie Antoinette is extremely faulty]
"Maire, you're doing it again." Amadeus whispers in her ear.
"O-Oh!" Marie's face glows red from embarrassment as she clears her throat. "Sorry."
'How did this girl become queen again?' Everyone thought.
"Um… Marie?" Mash calls out her newfound ally.
"Hm? What did you call me?" Marie tilts her head.
"F-Forgive me." Mashu quickly apologizes as she remembers that Rider is a queen. "Um-"
"You weren't being rude." The Queen of Lilies reassured her. "You made me so happy! The way you addressed me was so adorable! Please, splendid foreigners! Would you mind calling me that from now on?"
"Uh, yes..." Mash was not sure how to answer it. "Miss Marie, or Mademoiselle Marie, perhaps?"
"Nope, that won't work at all!" She wiggles her finger. "Just Marie! Like the sheep!"
"Nice to meet you, Marie!" Ritsuka smiled.
"Yes, yes, yes, yes!" She smiled once more at her greetings. "Nice to meet you! I'm Marie! I love understanding ladies. Let me guess. You're very popular with the opposite sex, right?"
"Guck!" Gudako almost chokes on her own spit. "W-W-What!?"
Marie grabs her and continues smiling. "Come on! I wanna know how you managed to be surrounded by handsome men!"
"Um…"
"Everyone." Everyone turns to EMIYA (Gudako: Oh, thank god). "I don't mean to interrupt, but we should start looking for a place to lay low for the night."
"He is correct. We cannot stay in the open like this." Salter adds.
Mashu nods. "You're right. We need to find a place to set up camp… if you're okay with it."
"Of course, that's fine." Marie answered with a happy smile. "Is that alright with you, Amadeus?"
"There's no point in asking for my opinion." The composer smiles. "Do what you want, Maria."
"There's a leyline close by." I point to just beyond the trees. "We can use that to set up camp and contact Chaldea."
"Let's go there and rest, then we can talk about our next move." Mash stated as everyone began to walk onwards.
As soon as we reached the leyline, however, we took notice of the monsters roaming around it.
"Why are there so many monsters here? Could they be guarding the leyline?" EMIYA asked.
"It would seem so. They seem to be attracted to the naturally-occurring phenomenon." I added. "They must see us as intruders brazenly entering their territory and are willing to protect it."
"Who cares! Let's just get rid of them already!" Cu exclaims.
EMIYA huffs. "For once, I agree with you."
A pack of werewolves pounce on us, but they are no match for EMIYA and Cu fighting prowlers. Cu plunges Gáe Bolg into three werewolves and then uses them as a makeshift club to crush the others.
The werewolves predate around EMIYA as they see the main openings and attack, but it was all a trap as the nameless archer easily dispatches all of them without much effort.
"Show's over." EMIYA dismisses his twin blades.
"It seems that these creatures are attracted to places rich with magical energy. We will likely run into more if we continue searching for these deposits." I point out.
Cu uses his foot to push the bodies off his spear with a bit of effort. "Goddamnit! It got caught in their ribs!"
"Good job EMIYA-san, Cu-san." Mashu praised. "Now, I will establish a summoning circle." She places her shield on the ground and it lights up as a magic circle begins to form under it before the communication link opens.
"Hey guys! Are you enjoying your trip through 15th century France?" da Vinci joyfully asked.
"Somewhat…" Ritsuka replied.
"Super! Now then, let's get today's lecture started. Today I'll be talking about Servant categories." da Vinci pulls out a whiteboard and glasses from seemingly nowhere as if she's about to teach a class. "Most of the Servants that can be summoned are divided into seven classes: Saber, Archer, Lancer, Rider, Berserker, Caster, and Assassin." da Vinci explained. "Each class has various compatibility. Saber has the advantage over Lancer, for instance. And Lancer over Archer, and Archer over Saber. Rider over Caster, Caster over Assassin, and Assassin over Rider. And Berserker is strong against all classes, but weak when attacked. It's like a game of rock, paper, scissors. Keep this in mind when fighting the enemy."
"Huh, this kind of reminds me of a video game series I played back as a kid. Pocket monsters or something." Ritsuka comments.
"Of course, there are some Servants who don't fall into these categories. I'll explain those another time." da Vinci said. "Welp, gotta go! The princess is having me do her chores again! Have a nice journey!" She cuts off the link as the circle is complete.
"That was… enlightening." Amadeus mutters.
"Now that things have settled down, I'd like to introduce myself once again." The sweet voice of Marie Antoinette grabs our attention. "My True Name is Marie Antoinette. I'm of the Rider Class. As for who I am, I'd be happy if you could examine me closely with your eyes and ears. As for why I was summoned, unfortunately, I have no idea. After all, I have no Master."
"I suppose I should introduce myself as well." Amadeus said. "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart; Caster Class. I'm the same as her. As for why I was summoned, first of all, it just doesn't feel like I'm a hero. Yes, I'm great, but even so, I'm still just one of many artists." He looks sheepishly. "Though I will admit, I did apply magecraft in my music, but that was only because I was drawn to the sounds played by demons."
"You're Rogue Servants. I'm surprised you've both lasted this long." Semiramis states.
"We were only summoned about half an hour ago, so we haven't completely exhausted our magical reserves." Amadeus said.
"I'm Mash Kyrielight. I'm a Demi-Servant, and I don't know what my True Name is." Mash smiled. "This is Ritsuka. My Master."
Ritsuka waves at them. "Sup."
"Oh my! What an interesting greeting." Marie commented on his words. "Wh... Wassup! My homies!"
"..." Everyone just stares at the queen's incredulous behavior.
Some of the Servants, particularly Cu and Lancer, let out a snort at the queen's attempt at being cool.
[Oh god, that's hilarious]
"Hmph, it seems different when Ritsuka says it... Perhaps I need to think more like a peasant..." Marie mumbles to herself.
"Well, I think you did great." Amadeus told her.
Marie smiles at her old friend. "Thanks."
"Senpai... you shouldn't teach her stuff like that." Mash reprimands to her Master.
"Come on, Amadeus, you try." Marie beckons her friend.
"Wassup! I like it, Maria. Keep it up!" He smiles. "I can feel the love of a century beginning to fade!"
"Wassup!" Marie exclaims.
"Wassup!" Cu adds.
"Wassup!" Ritsuka adds.
"Wassup!" Amadeus adds.
[Wassup!]
"Fou!" Fou joins in.
"SHUT UP!" Semiramis, EMIYA and Salter shout at the same time.
Marie stumbles from the sudden yelling. "Oops, looks like I got carried away again." She awkwardly chuckles. "Wassup is a very stimulating greeting, but I must reluctantly refrain from it." She apologizes. "If Amadeus likes it, that means it's not appropriate for a lady to use."
"Let's not be slanderous here. You're acting like I'm a perverted gentleman who loves dirty jokes." Amadeus said, feeling hurt.
"Don't blame me." Marie shoots back. "You're a child when it comes to everything but music."
"And this is-" Mash begins before she is cut off by Marie.
"I already know; the saint who saved France. One of the people I wished to meet in my life." Marie states.
Jeanne's eyebrows furrowed. "But I'm not a saint…"
Marie sighs. "Yes, everyone knows how you saw yourself. But the way you led your life was true, and we exist because of that." She smiles. "That's why everyone will always remember and admire the name Jeanne d'Arc, the Miracle of Orleans."
"Of course, your life ended at the stake and it resulted in that twisted version of you. It's just like Maria to only look at the bright side of things." Amadeus chimes in. "Am I wrong, Jeanne d'Arc? Your life was a little out of time. Jeanne herself is the one who gets hurt when people call her a perfect saint. Listen, Maria. You always say what you think others want to hear. Sometimes you need to scold or deny others."
"I-I don't need to hear that from you, Amadeus! You already tell me that every day." Marie retorts. "T-This is what you wanted, right? You piano-brain piece of human garbage! You're a pervert who can only get it up to musical scales! If you like music so much, you should turn into a piano!"
"... I don't know if I should say this, but when you insult me like that, I feel something indescribable." Amadeus admits.
"See! Pervert!" Marie exclaims.
The French Servants continue arguing as Cu throws away the last of the corpses.
"Geez, they're like an old married couple." He remarks as he walks beside Medusa.
"I find it refreshing." Medusa chimes in.
Cu turns to her fellow Servant and gives her a look. "Seriously?"
"-Why don't you give her the same treatment as me? Tell her all of her flaws as you see them." Amadeus told her.
Marie shakes her head. "No way. Unlike you, Jeanne d'Arc isn't human garbage. She has NO flaws!"
"Are you serious? I didn't know you had it that bad. You really love Jeanne d'Arc, don't you?" He questioned her.
"I would say 'worship' rather than love…" Marie corrected him. "And a bit of guilt as well… a tiny 'sorry' the size of a teaspoon. The natural guilt we foolish royals feel towards the Saint."
"I think I get it now." Ritsuka began. "You feel guilty because you are royalty."
"I am the Queen of France, it should be natural for me to grieve for the deaths of my people." Marie states. "I can't help it. It's part of who I am, both as myself and as a royal."
I look at the scene with a bit of confusion. She blames herself for the actions of her predecessors like they were her own. Why would she do that? She's not at fault for what they've done. If anything, she is doing way more good than those fools ever could.
"...Marie Antoinette." Jeanne called her. "Your words honor me, but that's why I must confess. In life, I was no saint. I held the flag high for what I believed in, and as a result, I stained my hands with blood." She states. "...Of course, I don't regret that. Nor do I regret the Inquisition - Or my own death. But I shed too much blood. I believed in the dreams of a little country girl, but - at the time, I never imagined how high the price of that dream was. I never regretted it, but never did I feel fear… and that is my greatest sin. Only the outcome of my actions made me a saint. I do not think it's the right word for a country girl like me."
"Welcome to the club." EMIYA mutters to himself.
"... I see." Marie processes what she just said. "In that case, since you are not a saint, may I please call you Jeanne?"
Jeanne blushes in embarrassment. "Y-Yes, of course!" She smiles a little. "Being called Jeanne… it really brings back old memories."
"Great, then you can call me Marie!"
"Y-Yes!" Jeanne quickly replies. "All right… thank you, Marie."
Marie giggles and the two start to get along.
"They've only known each other for a few minutes and are already best friends." Mashu remarks.
Ritsuka nudges her shoulder. "Just like us, right Mashu?"
"Hai!"
As the wonderful scene plays out, I sense a presence quickly making its way towards our position.
"I do not want to disturb you, but we have hostiles incoming." I told everyone.
On cue, more werewolves appear from beyond the trees, along with a new type of enemy.
"Is that… a hand coming out of the ground?" Ritsuka asked with clear confusion.
"That's so weird…" Marie adds in tangent.
"Whatever it is, if it tries to harm Marie, I will show them no mercy." Amadeus declares.
"Master, your orders!" Mashu shouts.
Ritsuka turns to her Servants and nods. "Take them down!"
The Servants blurred.
The dark King of Knights draws first blood with a single strike of her blade, its mere swing kills three werewolves all at once.
"Pathetic. They do not even serve as a proper warm up, let alone a dance." Salter said, looking down at corpses with disdain and disappointment.
"What did you expect? These mobs are not even close to your level." Salter turns to the sound of my voice.
"Yes. It would seem that the only one who can give me a wonderful dance is the altered Jeanne… or you." Salter states with a bit of emotion.
I arch an eyebrow. "Is that a tinge of excitement I hear in your voice? I wasn't aware you could feel such things."
"Even a 'perfect king' such as myself is allowed to have a few vices." Salter admits with a rare smile, a cruel and sadistic smile but a smile nonetheless.
Medusa wraps her chains around the werewolves' necks and drags them upwards to a tree, leaving them suspended in the air. She tightens the chain's grip so they choke faster, eventually their bodies go eerily still as the life in them leaves the bodies.
Semiramis looks unamused as the monsters surround her. "Try to provide me with some entertainment before you die." Multiple magical circles appear and blast the monsters to bits. One of them manages to evade the onslaught and pounces from behind, its fangs ready to shred her throat into chunks of meat.
However, to the werewolf's shock the Assassin twirls around and grabs its face before slamming it against the ground.
"Make sure to swallow." The werewolves eyes pop out of their sockets as it cries tears of blood from the poison Semiramis is forcing down its throat. It's body convulses as it tries everything to fight the poison but it's useless.
It knows it and its opponent knows it.
Semiramis lets go of its foam-riddled mouth. "How disgusting. It got on my sleeve." She pulls out a handkerchief and begins to wipe it off.
Marie and Amadeus are cornered by a pack of werewolves with Marie trembling in evident fright.
She's AFRAID of dogs.
"G-Get away!" Marie raises her arms high creating a large orb of energy and launches it at the monsters. It detonates on impact, killing the werewolves in an explosion of light and rose petals.
"Marie, you need to control yourself in battle. You could have killed me with that blast." Amadeus admonishes her.
"S-Sorry!" Marie blushes in clear embarrassment.
Amadeus raises his baton and aims it at one of the hand monsters. The tip begins to surge with energy before it sends a magical blast similar to a musical note directly into its floating core, causing it to shatter and the monster to disappear.
"See Marie? You need to have more composure when conducting your symphony otherwise your music will be out of rhythm." Amadeus told her. "You need to straighten your posture. Maybe make your chest a little tighter."
"I don't wanna hear it, you musical pervert!" Marie shrieked.
"Oh, Marie!" Amadeus staggers in pain.
Mashu and Jeanne defeat the last of the monsters. "Enemies eliminated. Good job, everyone."
"You guys are so cool!" Ritsuka exclaims.
"E-Eh? Thank you, Master!" Jeanne said with a blush.
"Now then," everybody turns to me and Salter. "I think it's time to fill in the newcomers on what's going on."
The two girls nod.
"Wait, what are you talking about?" Marie asks us clearly confused as is Amadeus.
"Marie-san, Amadeus-san, this will take some time to explain but please bear with us." Mashu told them.
As the sun sets and we set up camp, Mashu and Ritsuka explain their entire reason for being her to Marie and Amadeus.
"... now I understand." The Rider said worryingly. "The whole world, never mind France, is in danger. Although it's in a different form, this too, is a Holy Grail War?"
"I knew it was dangerous when I learned it was a Master-less summoning, but I didn't expect this." The Caster commented. "Now there were five Servants in opposition, twelve in total including all of you, but isn't that too much?"
"With the risk being the complete incineration of humanity. Having more Servants gives you a better chance of success." Romani answered.
"Regardless, the rule of seven Servants is no more. With the World as unstable as it is, it can no longer limit the Grail's power to summon Servants to just seven, however, it could also be that the World itself is summoning Servants in order to locate and destroy the cause of this deviation of history. The ring in the sky can be seen as a sort of a deadline before time begins to align with this new history." I explained.
"This is all mere conjecture though, yes? There is no solid evidence to prove that is what's happening." Semiramis adds.
"This isn't the first case of such an occurrence. There was a time where a total of 15 Servants were summoned and fought for a Holy Grail, the result of that war was the Grail being sent to where humans can never reach it so that the wish made can never be fulfilled."
"Really!? That actually happened!?" Gudako exclaimed.
I nod.
Jeanne and Semiramis felt something within them as they heard those words. Pain, loss but also… melancholy?
Why would his words affect them so much?
They don't understand…
"Oh I get it now!" Marie grabs everyone's attention. "Then that means that we were summoned so that we could defeat them. Like heroes!"
"I think you're right." Ritsuka agrees.
"Yes, yes! I finally feel like I've found my purpose in life!" Marie smiles with jubilation.
"Trust me, you'll regret those words. Believe me." EMIYA chimes in.
"It's perfectly fine to be confident, Marie," Marie turns to Amadeus. "But we're up against powerful foes. Jeanne and the others, as well as Ritsuka, are used to combat. But you and I aren't the fighting type. The numbers matter less than the fact they're far stronger."
"I suppose we should go over the enemy's profile, so that you can understand who and what we're facing." I said. "As you already know, the Lancer Servant's True Name is Vlad III, a small-time hero from the country of Romania. However, thanks to the fictional character that was based on his likeness, he became a well-known person, gaining worldwide fame even for the wrong reasons. The next Servant is Elizabeth Bathory, or better known to the rest of the world as the vampire Carmilla. She is hailed as the world's first recorded serial killer, having killed 600 young women in order to preserve her beauty." I explained. "Since Lancer is dead, we don't have to worry about his Noble Phantasm."
Marie begins to tremble. "V-V-V-Vampire!? Nobody said I was fighting vampires!"
"Don't worry Marie, I won't let them suck your blood." Amadeus assures her.
"You'll likely be distracted by the sound she makes when she sucks my blood." Marie grumbles.
"There was something odd about that Saber Servant. She seemed to know you." Medusa points out.
Marie thumbed her chin. "That's true, but I would definitely remember meeting such a beautiful girl like her in life."
"I believe she is Chevalier d'Eon, the Knight of the White Lily, a spy within Louis XV's intelligence agency, the Secret du Roi." I revealed. "She was also a Dragoon, and a plenipotentiary minister." I continued. "Also SHE is a HE."
Cu shakes his head in denial. "No way! There's no way that cutie is a man! Please tell me that ain't so."
"If you don't believe me, look it up. There's even an autopsy that's been fully made public." I told him.
Ritsuka snaps her fingers. "I get it! He's a femboy!"
Mashu blushes. "Se-Senpai!?
"I think the word you're looking for is androgynous; a man with a feminine appearance." Semiramis clarifies.
Ritsuka shrugs. "Eh. Potato, potato."
"Still, it would be wonderful if he'd joined us…" Romani sighs.
"That might be difficult, I think," Jeanne said as she recalled seeing the Saber with her dark counterpart. "I've lost my Ruler's ability to see True Names, but there is one thing I could see. All of them have been given [Madness Enhancement], regardless of their alignment or background."
"It's probably the power of the Grail." Romani theorized. "Even without an episode of madness, it can give them Berserker traits..."
"Hmph. The goal of a Holy Grail War is to get the Grail, but they already have it." Marie clarified the goal as the problem. "It's not fair!"
"Not if we use it to our advantage." I chime in.
"What do you mean?" Romani asks.
"If the Holy Grail summoned you both, without the need for a Master, then it is possible that other Servants were summoned as well. It is a reversal of casualty. The greater the opponent, the more powerful the Grail reaction will be." I explained.
"I see, yes! It's likely that other Servants were summoned to this era!" Romani said.
"Oh my! That means I can meet even more people, right?" Marie asked.
"That's not necessarily a good thing," Amadeus corrected her. "It may just mean more enemies. But whichever it is, we should start searching for them as soon as we can. Before the other Jeanne finds them."
"So it's a race against time." Semiramis said.
"Indeed. I've lost my ability to detect Servants, so I can't be of much help." Jeanne made everyone recall her condition. "We'll be counting on you, Mr. Roman."
"Sure thing. I can't match a full-powered Ruler, but I can search farther than a Servant." Roman replied.
"Excellent. Now that that's all settled, how about we take a break?" I turn to Ritsuka. "You must be exhausted."
"It has been a… very eventful day." Ritsuka yawns.
"Yes Master, rest for a bit." Mash spoke to Ritsuka. "We'll stand watch."
As soon as night came, we set up a base at the leyline as the fire they made flickered in the night sky.
As Mashu leaves to go on patrol, I sneak out of the camp and open a communication's link with Chaldea.
"Good evening, Roman. There's something I must ask of you…" I told him.
"MASTER!" Mashu violently shakes her master.
Ritsuka begins to open her eyes. "Ma-Mashu…? W-Why are you s-shaking m-e?"
"We've got trouble! Multiple hostels are coming our way!" Mashu explains.
This snaps Ritsuka out of her dizziness as she finally sees the skeletons running towards them, only to be taken down by one of EMIYA's arrows.
"Tch. This isn't good. We're surrounded here too damnit." EMIYA clicks his tongue as he fires at the monsters.
Lu Bu lifts a couple of skeletons by their heads and instantly crushes their skulls.
I destroyed a couple of the skeletons, but the more we seem to destroy more skeletons appear to take their place.
[I am detecting multiple hostile avian lifeforms approaching our location]
I look up to see a legion of wyverns flying straight towards us.
"This is getting out of hand, you guys need to get out of there now!" Olga Marie screams out.
[Saint Graph detected. Servant class: Rider]
"I'm afraid that's impossible now." I told her as the wyverns began to land.
One of the wyverns swooped closer to the ground as Berserk Rider jumps off the ground and lands in front of the entourage.
[Analysis Complete]
Servant Rider (Berserker)
True Name: Saint Martha
Strength: C
Endurance: B
Agility: A
Mana: A
Luck: A+
NP: C~A+
[Also known as the Dragon Rider, a saint from the 1st Century who suppressed the evil dragon Tarrasque. A holy maiden who made a terrible and grotesque monster fall madly in love. Guided by the words of the Messiah, whom she warmly welcomed with her younger brother and sister, Martha became a person of faith. She did not abandon her faith even later on after the Messiah was executed, further avoiding death as she was exiled by the Roman viceroy at the time and was placed in a boat with neither a paddle or a sail to use, and drifted to southern France upon receiving the grace of God. She is best known for confronting the monster Tarasque, who was also called the child of Leviathan and was viewed as a tyrannical dragon tormenting the people. Despite being given the skill Mad Enchantment by the Dragon Witch, she is still, at her core, the same caring (yet incredibly stubborn) woman she was known in life. She has secretly been helping the surviving humans behind the Dragon Witch's back]
"Saint Martha. To what do we owe this pleasure?" I asked her.
Everyone's eyes widen at the revelation of this Servant's identity.
"S-Saint Martha!? B-But that can't be!" Jeanne exclaims in denial. "Why!? Why is someone like you taking part in this madness!?"
"Who's Saint Martha?" Ritsuka asked.
"Saint Martha is a legendary figure. She was one of many who followed the Messiah and gave her the cross staff. It is said that her faith never once wavered even after his death." Mashu explains.
"You are quite informative. Yes, in life I force myself to be the perfect saint, but now I am nothing but a slave to a broken one." Martha said.
"A broken saint…" Jeanne mutters.
"Yes, thanks to her, my reason has left and I've gone mad." Martha admits. "Even now, I am doing everything I can to hold myself back. Even talking like this is painful. How troublesome."
"Please, you don't have to do this. We can work together and stop the witch." Mashu pleads with her.
"While I appreciate your hopes, I cannot join you." Martha gives her a ghost of a smile. "After all, who'd want a Servant who'll stab you at every opportunity?"
"Well… when she says it like that she has a point." Romani said.
"It's clear that we can't talk her out of this." Olga Marie adds.
I step forward. "Why did you come here?"
Martha turns to me. "You are the Sorcerer who vanquished Vlad. I am surprised that a magus can call upon the Lord's power. Though I'm even more surprised that you could discern my identity at just a glance. I was sure the only Ruler-class Servant here was my broken Master. Is that your part of your power?" She asked, "As for your question, I was sent here to simply observe but now the madness inside me demands that I test your strength." She raises her hand and the wyverns begin to march forward. "Should you refuse, I will send the wyverns to kill your group."
"... very well." I told her.
"Frank!" Ritsuka yells.
"Are you crazy!? You want to fight Rider by YOURSELF!?" Olga Marie cried. "She isn't like Dracula. She subdued a dragon with prayers alone! Hell, she might be able to summon that dragon as part of her Noble Phantasm!"
"The banshee is correct, Lord Mage (Olga: Banshee!?), the dragon I subdued in life is part of my Noble Phantasm." Martha reveals. "Even then, are you still willing to fight me?" She suddenly felt the atmosphere around her turn stagnant and frigid as she is suddenly taken aback by sudden pressure coming from the Sorcerer.
"Do not presume you have an advantage just because you have a dragon." His voice was monotone, it was as if she was in the presence of something inhuman. More inhuman than a dragon. "This Singularity will be corrected, and I will exterminate all who stand in my way."
Martha doesn't blink. One moment he was in front of her, and the next he was behind her.
She twists her body just to block the incoming sword strike with her staff. She lets out a grunt as she is pushed back by the inhuman strength as she gets a good look at his weapon. It is a greatsword with a white cloth wrapped around the blade itself, however, despite its worn appearance Martha wasn't fooled.
There was power within the greatsword. Ancient, incomprehensible power that was sealed, waiting to be unleashed.
"A sword? Why aren't you using those giant hands from before?" Martha was puzzled.
"I do not want to be seen as a one-trick pony. Besides, no matter what I use the results will be the same." I stated.
"Such arrogance will be your downfall." Martha glares at me.
"It is not arrogance that drives me, it is the certainty that I will be victorious." I said before jumping back from her kick. I rush forward and lower the blade for a downward slash, but Martha manages to parry it with her staff.
The fight continues with her adversary attacking her without hesitation and Martha blocking and parrying each of those strikes. Yet, she could see that the attacks were becoming more aggressive, more calculating than the last.
Even though she hates it, she is thankful for those boost in her stats thanks to the Mad Enchantment otherwise she would have been overwhelmed a long time ago.
"It makes no difference whether you are a saint or a god. In the end, all of your efforts are…" I charge in and grab Martha by her face and I throw her. "Useless!"
Martha's body is sent through the forest like a bullet. She crashes into many trees until she plunges her staff to the ground in order to stop her momentum.
"You're good… but I can see that you're holding back." Martha stands up and glares at me from the other side of the forest. "But let's see how you will deal with this!" She begins to glow and as she does, a massive creature appears behind her as it destroys the trees with its massive limbs. It is a massive turtle-like creature with purplish skin. It has three legs on each side with incredibly sharp claws and a long serpent-like tail with the tip encased in sharp bone. Its face resembles that of a lion with a while mane and four horns growing out of its head.
It lets out a roar that shakes the entire forest. It is so loud that almost everyone covers their ears.
"W-What the hell is that!?" Ritsuka yells as she covers her ears.
"T-That's a dragon! A real life dragon!" Mashu answers.
"Marie!" Amadeus holds onto Marie tightly.
I look on unaffected by the cry of the Phantasmal Beast. "So this is Tarasque. I guess I should take this a little more seriously." I raise my sword and trace my hand on the blade. As I do this, ethereal energy begins to release from the greatsword and wraps itself around the blade encasing it in moonlight.
"O', Tragic Drake Who Knew Naught of Love… Like a star!" Martha grabs her staff by its base and performs a backflip. "Tarasque!" She wracks the dragon from behind, sending it flying towards her opponent with enough speed to break the sound barrier.
"Hm!" I raise my sword and block the incoming projectile. I then parry the monster as it spins out of control and before crashing into the grasslands beyond the forest, resulting in a massive mushroom cloud of earth and dust.
"W-W-WHAT!?" Martha screams in clear shock.
"He… he just parried a dragon… A FUCKING DRAGON!" EMIYA exclaims.
"_" Lu Bu lets out a low growl.
"I'm not even surprised at this point. That man is completely impossible." Semiramis said with a sigh.
"Umu." Salter and Medusa nod.
Ritsuka and Mashu are completely catatonic.
I look at the resulting explosion. "Hm… you put more power into that throw than I expected." I turn to Martha. "Since you put your all into your Noble Phantasm, it makes sense that I'd do the same, no?"
Martha doesn't respond.
I raise the sword up to my face. "Let your Light be my Guide in this Endless Nightmare…" The blade grows brighter and enlarges as I raise it high above my head. "Lost Moonlight!" I bring down the sword unleashing a massive beam of ethereal energy that swallows everything within its range.
Martha has no time to react as she is overwhelmed and swallowed by the moonlight as is the rest of the forest. The blast continues until it eventually dissipates as the collected moonlight has been spent.
When the light dies down, everyone sees that a good chunk of the forest is gone, incinerated by the intense light.
"Wow…" Ritsuka mutters what was on everyone's minds right now.
I dismiss the sword and follow the path of destroyed earth until I see Martha collapse on the ground. She has a variety of cuts and her outfit is half shredded, exposing her legs and a bit of her chest as she bleeds on the floor.
"You… you're strong… yet, I could see that you were holding back…" Martha weakly said as she began to fade away. "You could have… killed us easily back then… so why didn't you…?"
"... I had no reason to." I told her.
"Really…? You sure are arrogant…" Martha lets out a cough. "Listen, you and your friends must go to Lyon. There, you'll find someone who can defeat the Dragon Witch's 'ultimate dragon'... a 'Dragon Slayer'." She then closes her eyes. "I'm sorry, Tarasque… Next time, I hope I'll get to summon you properly."
With that, Martha vanishes completely, her soul has returned to the Throne of Heroes.
[The "Ultimate Dragon", it seems that Jeanne has summoned something nasty with the help of the Holy Grail. And if this "Dragon Slayer" is who I believe it is, then it is imperative that we reach Lyon as soon as possible]
"Angel-sama!"
I turn around to see everyone running towards me.
"You beat all of the wyverns." I surmised.
"Hmph, were you expecting anything less?" Semiramis said as she flicks her hair.
"Even though we are not as powerful as you, we are still Servants. Do not underestimate our power." Salter glares at me.
I look at Artoria. "I never did. I trust you all to handle things on your own and protect your Master."
"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean you can steal our spotlight." Cu said. "It makes us all look useless in comparison."
I nod. "I'll keep that in mind."
"See!? I knew he'd win! I never doubted him!" Olga Marie said.
"That's not what you were saying a few minutes ago, princess~" da Vinci teased.
"Shut up, you pervert!"
"In the end, even Saint Martha couldn't resist her." Jeanne lamented.
"She underwent Madness Enhancement, in addition to being summoned. Perhaps it can't be helped." Mash explained. "Normally it would be impossible to even talk to her. the only reason we were able to communicate was because of her incredible self-control."
"Did she say anything useful?" EMIYA asked.
I turn to the Counter Guardian. "Only that the dark Jeanne has gained a powerful dragon and if we want to stop her then we'll need to go to Lyon."
"Damn, things just keep getting worse by the second." Cu remarks.
"Anyway, thanks to her, we know where we're going," Amadeus said. "We should hurry, right? Let's get to Lyon!"
"...I'm surprised. Amadeus seemed like, um, the type of person who'd hate to travel on foot..." Mash stated.
"Oh no, Amadeus loves traveling." Marie corrected her. "He's traveled to many places ever since he was a child."
"... well, I suppose it's about time I got used to traveling on foot." Amadeus states.
"Hehe, I'm getting excited. I wonder what, and who, waits for us in Lyon." Marie happily stated. "Come on Jeanne. Let's get going."
"R-Right!" Jeanne said.
"... a dragon. If who we'll find in Lyon is who I believe it is then we better get there before our enemy does." EMIYA said.
"Yes you're right…" Roman chimes in.
"Hm? What is wrong with you Romani? You've been acting weird for a while now…" Olga Marie remarks.
"Huh!?" Romani yelps at the director. "N-No! Everything's fine, princes- Ah!"
Veins pop on Olga's forehead as the projection is overflowing with killer intent. "What. Did. You. Just. SAY!?"
"I-I'm sorry-!" The connection is then cut.
"Huh? What do you think is wrong with him?" Ritsuka asks her Servant ignoring what just happened.
"I don't know, senpai." Mashu replies doing the same.
"You two are weird." EMIYA comments.
"..." I close my eyes as I remember what happened.
Flashback
"Good evening, Roman. There's something I must ask of you…" I told him.
"Sure, Frank, what's up?" Romani asked.
"Could you tell me what you know about Professor lev?" I asked.
"Lev? What brought this up?" Romani looks puzzled. "Well, we have known each other since our school days in the Clocktower. He was a genius in our class and he was the youngest Magi to attain the Fourth Rank." He explains. "He was employed to Chaldea by director Marisbury Animusphere, and was a key factor in our ability to observe the past."
"So he's been working at Chaldea ever since?" I asked.
"Well, no. He was still a professor at the Clock Tower and was the director of a small research building in the Eleventh Archaeology Faculty. Yet despite this, he always managed to make time for each job." Romani said. "I heard a rumor once that Lev had Multiple Personality Disorder and that in each facility it was always a different 'Lev' who was there."
"Hm, interesting…" I muttered.
"Do you have any other questions?"
"Just one. Was Professor Lev in Chaldea during the Winter of 2015?" I asked.
"What? Of course he was in Chaldea. He helped us recruit the 48 Master Candidates." Romani confirms but then he looks puzzled. "Wait, was he? I remember seeing him there… but Olga said he was summoned to the Clock Tower that day, but that doesn't make any sense…"
"Roman?"
"I…" Romani's eyes widened. "Lev died that day… I remember reading about it, but he was here I know it…" He frantically scratches his head. "This doesn't make any sense…"
"It seems your memories have been altered." I point out. "They clearly didn't want you to remember the truth."
"We-we have to tell this to everyone!" Romani exclaims.
"No."
"No!? We've had a security breach! We have to let Olga Marie know that someone impersonated professor Lev! Why should we not tell them!?" Romani demands.
"Because that wasn't an impersonator. That was Lev." I answered.
Romani gives me a weird look. "Okay, now you aren't making sense. You're saying that Lev died but somehow came back to life, then returned to Chaldea and hypnotized everyone in order to make us forget that he was dead to begin with so that he can bomb us!?"
"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." I said.
"Why!?" Romani asked.
"Because I don't think Lev is dead and I don't think his original death was intentional." His eyes grow wider. "Think about it. Lev's defection, the sudden appearance of these Singularities, the Holy Grail, it's all connected to something… or someone." I said.
Romani sighs. "So then… what do we do now?"
"For now, nothing. In time, everything will be revealed." I hear something in the distance. "It seems we have company. We will continue this later." I cut off the link and ran back to the camp.
Flashback end
I open my eyes. "It's not important. For now, we should head to the city before Jeanne's forces do."
"Of course, Angel-sama." The French Servants said simultaneously.
[Looks like that name is stuck with us]
Everyone agrees and we all make the journey towards the city.
Orleans
"My lady. MY LADY! I HAVE TERRIBLE NEWS!" A man screams out. He is incredibly pale, with huge rolling eyes and oily, glistening cheeks, and short black hair he keeps swiped back.
His garments too are quite odd and were definitely queer: a luxurious robe of ancient design; sanguineous scarlet patterns adorned the pitch-black fabric. He donned an inky black cassock, and an evil aura reeled about it. Also, the patterns dyed crimson red on the cloth was as if stained with blood. His figure, tall enough to reach the clouds, was wrapped in a much-folded robe, decorated with luxurious latches made of precious metals; his whole style looks exactly like some "evil magician" from a manga. When silent, his features would look dreadful like the face of a corpse, but when smiling without any apparent maliciousness, he would seem as pure as a saint. He has cracks on one of his hands.
Jalter looks at her Caster Servant with a passive expression. "What is it Gilles?"
The Berserk Caster, Gilles de Rais, kneels before her. "It seems that Berserk Rider has been defeated."
This caused Jalter's eyebrow to rise a little. "Did Rider commit suicide? It was troublesome how she managed to keep her sanity even with Madness Enchantment active. Then again, she and that other girl are the most troublesome out of you all."
"N-No, that is not what happened. Someone killed her." Gilles revealed, causing Jalter to look surprised.
"Who? Who did it?" Jalter demands as she stares down at her Servant.
"It was that man, the Sorcerer!" Gilles exclaims.
"Again? First Vlad and now this? That man is proving to be more troublesome than I thought." Jalter grips the arms of her throne. "What can you tell me about him?"
"Nothing. He is as elusive as the bastard we used to pray to. Yet his power is undeniable." Gilles told her.
"Yes… his power is truly impressive…" Jalter smiles, it's cruel and sinister.
"Jeanne?" Gilles looks up at her Holy Virgin with concern.
"Tell me Gilles." Jeanne looks at her old friend. "Which do you think is the real one? Me, or her?"
Gilles blinks his huge bug eyes at the sudden question. "What kind of question is that? Of course, it's you." He smiles at her. "You were the one burned at the stake. Betrayed, by everyone! Charles VII left you to die. Die because he didn't want to pay the ransom! Not a single person rose to bravely fight for your return! And what was the cause of all this? It was God! It was our God, mocking us! Thus, we deny God. Don't we, Jeanne?"
"...Yes. Yes, you're right, Gilles." Jeanne said. "I have nothing left. My soldiers are gone, my admirers fled. The King I helped ascend betrayed me and the bishop burnt me in the name of God. I was wrong. No, everything was wrong. Not just what I believed in. The very country that allowed me to exist was wrong. This mistake must be righted." Flames begin to surround her. "Jeanne d'Arc was a mistake. So let us do as they decided, and make it all so it never happened. My salvation of the country was itself a fatal mistake."
"... Jeanne." Gilles' voice brings her back to reality. "Please, don't put yourself under such stress. This is divine punishment. Nothing more. Your revenge is righteous. What you saved, you may destroy. Isn't that all there is to it?"
"Yes, you are right my friend." Jeanne then rises up from her throne. "... Berserker, Assassin! Come to me at once!"
On cue, two figures appear beside Caster. The first is a man with white hair and lime-green eyes. He wears a black overcoat with white linings that covers most of his body with a red tie around his neck as well as black gloves and black boots.
The other one is more bizarre. He is a man fully clad in pitch-black armor and a rustic helmet with a thinly carved slit displaying the ghastly glow of his eyes. he armor is the work of the delicate and nuanced workmanship of its smith's utmost effort, succeeding in granting it an air of formidability and a fine construction. It is a perfect armor that can be called neither exquisite nor crude, and it instead perfectly melds magnificence and functionality. It is carved with countless marks and scratches, the highlights of his various military exploits etched into it to add a touch of valor. It is an ideal battle outfit that all knights could not help but envy.
"Berserker… no, let's use your True Names: Lancelot, the Knight of the Lake; Charles-Henri Sanson, the Executioner." Jalter said as her Servants kneel before her. "Mount your wyverns. Today, I shall lead you into battle."
Lancelot roars in subservience to the Dragon Witch.
"...Of course, Master. Only I am fit to take the head of the Queen." Samson said.
Noble Phantasms used:
Tarasque: O' Tragic Drake Who Knew Naught of Love (A+~EX) Anti Army Noble Phantasm
Saint Martha's Noble Phantasm. It is the summoning and usage of the monster Tarasque. The reading is the same as the "O' Dragon's Shield that Shall Not Let a Blade Pass" Noble Phantasm. The Tarasque summoned as Martha's Noble Phantasm thoroughly burns and smashes the enemy camp into nothingness with its Giant Iron Armored Dragon's Scorching Great Spin Attack.
Lost Moonlight: Arcane Guide of the Moon (C+~EX) Anti- Unit~Fortress Noble Phantasm
By raising the blade high, the sword will begin to absorb moonlight into the blade itself creating a large beam of pure light. When the wielder swings it down, it releases a massive blast that blankets the entire area in front of them. The attack doesn't require mana and instead uses the moonlight for power, giving the wielder no limit to how many times it can be used. If caught in its range, the victim will die instantly due the intense energy being released all at once.
In its Greatsword form, it is considered a C-rank Anti Unit Noble Phantasm, but when it absorbs moonlight, it evolves into an EX-rank Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm.
Author Notes
Finally done. Second Servant death. Now Jalter seems to have taken an interest in the MC. Who knows what that entails.
It's been a while since the last time I uploaded, so I'm helluva rusty, but I still think it turned out well (kind of).
As always, leave a comment. Good, bad, don't matter.
Peace~
