Hi everyone and welcome back to the start of chapter 13! Writing this as the exams get closer. So I'll try my best to get this chapter released with no much waiting time.
And with everything said, let's go now to the chapter!
DISCLAIMER: All the Nasuverse characters belong to Nasu and are property of Type-Moon, with the exception of the OC's that belong to me, the author.
Nala was staring at the wall in front of her again. Been doing the same thing over and over for the last days ever since she has been captured. She couldn't do much thing while in her cell. It was already getting mentally exhausting for her. Seeing the same walls and door over and over again. Having no sound other than the chain every time she moved her body. The girl doubted if she could hold it for much longer. But thankfully, if she could even consider that, she wasn't alone at the cell right now.
"Thinking about them?" The blonde man of the Berserker class had been put in charge of inspecting Nala today by Jeanne Alter's orders. And Nala didn't actually paid no mind. The man was gentle and had his manners, checking if she was at least 'ok'. Nala was being lucky with the Dragon Witch's sevants that were being sent to see her. The man was even well looking and composed.
Nala did what she did with the Dragon Witch and choose to ignore the man as well. At least she knew he was more calm and wouldn't mind of receiving no answers from her.
"Still the same I see." The man took note of her silence. "I have to say that you've been enduring this quite well little lady. Any other kid like you would be crying and begging at this point."
"T-thanks..." Nala felt that this man was way too nice for her to just stay ignoring him, hence why she decided to reply.
The blonde man laid his back against the wall. "I admit that would be more merciful in killing you quickly here and then to slowly torture you into our master's submission."
"So that you can drink my blood?" Nala asked a bit skeptical.
"Well, unfortunately my figure is famously portrayed as a vampire. And I can't do nothing about it. Even less now." The man frowned a bit before looking at Nala. "Ever since this Singularity, I begun to like the taste of blood thanks to the Mad Enhancement. But I guarantee I'd give you a painless and quick death. I'm not one who enjoys that much the suffering of children after all."
"Then are you here to save me or something?" Nala commented sarcastically.
The man's reaction was of a little smirk. "That would be quite the dream for you but no, I'm not here to save you. What I'd even gain from it? I'm already corrupted by the Dragon's Witch little lady."
Nala rolled her eyes. "Well, it was nice trying I guess."
"Then be aware that it would be easier to just give up and accept your new fate as another Dragon Witch's servant." The man advised her. "I can also sense that magic of yours. Having one more to our side would be good." The Berserker remained away from mentioning the fact Rider was defeated.
"That won't be happening." Nala said to him.
"No. It's an advise you should take, really. If you keep resisting, my master won't hesitate in taking extreme measures to make you submit." The man looked sorrowfuly at Nala.
The girl didn't said anything in return, prefering to be silent. What if he was saying was true? That if Nala wouldn't accept becoming Jeanne Alter's servant, then she would had to be more ruthless. Reminding of what she and some of her allies were capable of doing, made the girl a bit scared. Being locked in a room for days would look like heaven with what could come up next.
Seeing that Nala was wandering in her own toughts, the Berserker sighed. "I see you are already questioning it. So be wise and side with us little lady." The blonde man walked to the exit of the cell. "Or bad things will happen to you." The man said menacingly, looking straight into Nala's eyes.
Nala felt a strain of fear upon her body. She realized that altough the man was gentle, he was also dangerous and could kill her at anytime.
"Also..." The vampire speaked with coldness in his voice.
"...do you know my master likes ducks?" The menacing aura of the man stopped as he speaked normally and relaxed to Nala again.
Nala wasn't expecting what exactly was that change of mood. "H-huh..?" "What kind of question is that?"
"Is that I caught her yesterday with that Caster servant admiring a small sculpture of a duck. She likes them." The man explained.
"W-wha..."
"It shows that even she can have a soft side." The blonde man smiled. "Hope she doens't know that I told you this haha. So keep it secret please."
"Hum...okay...I guess." Nala said, tilting her head sideways.
"Thank you. Now rest well little lady." And the man happily closed the door.
Nala was once again alone. And so it would be for the rest of the day and whole night. Meeting that man however made her day feel less worse. She could see that just like Martha, he treated Nala with decency altough not in the same level as the Rider.
"Kinda weird...but a bit nice too..." She tought.
But what he said about the Dragon Witch being more rough with her made Nala a bit unease. The man said right now Jeanne Alter had a soft side but Nala wasn't exactly excited to see that side, deducing that being a homicidal angry and vengeful woman was her usual one.
Being sadistic was something Nala could see on Jeanne Alter, but wasn't sure if the Dragon Witch could be THAT sadistic, when per example, to that Assassin vampire woman.
That actually send shivers down Nala's spine. She knew that the woman had instrest in her, and not the best ones by that. The line of drinking Nala's blood on her torture room flashbacking on her mind. Now that was a full blown out sadistic woman.
If Nala resisted further, would the Dragon Witch send that woman to 'soften her'? Was that what the man was trying to tell her? Thinking about it only made her feel worse. Even that sinister man that spent majority of the time hanging around with Jeanne Alter, wouldn't be any better. The thing he did with that green haired woman still hadn't left Nala's brain. He too was capable of doing bad things.
Beetween him and the Assassin woman, Nala would rather die now. But she also wasn't planning on that. What she needed to do now, was to escape and not let the toughts of the Dragon Witch and her servants torturing her get in the girl's way.
"I need to get out of here now!" Nala said to herself and immediatly struggled against her chain. She has been doing for it for the last few days. Even if it didn't worked, she had to try. But no matter what she did, the chain would always be wrapped around her arms and restraining her from getting too far from the wall.
After some few minutes, Nala was back to the floor, breathing exhaustedly and recovering her energies. "It's no use." She tought. "I can't break from this stupid chain no matter what I do."
While in her breaths, a figure in front of her appeard. It was of Dr.Romani.
"Doctor!" Nala almost shouted in happiness in seeing an ally face again.
Romani put a finger in front of his lips, telling Nala to be quiet. "Don't shout like that please. We can't let the enemy discover that I can infiltrate in their base."
"Ups. Sorry." Nala said, before remembering of something. "How is Peko?! And Ritsuka and Mash?! Are they fine?" Nala would be lying if she said she didn't care about her group, even more her brother, current status. It has been some days since she last saw them. Any news that wasn't of their deaths would be good to her ears.
"Thankfully they're alive." Upon hearing Romani's information, Nala sighed of relief.
"That's good to hear."
Romani however, still wasn't done with the news. "And that's not all. They've recently defeated one of the Dragon Witch's servants and have been recruiting more allies in order to go against the Dragon Witch and rescue you."
Nala felt her happiness rising. "Really? No way! Now that's great to hear! Hope they can continue like that!" In the girl's mind, if they already defeated an enemy servant, it meant they've gotten stronger, altough she doubted that Peko did much help in the fight.
The girl proceeded to look to her chain. "Me on the other hand..." She rattled up the chain. "Will be here for a little longer."
"It's been quite bothering, hasn't it?" Romani saw the bits of annoyance on the girls face.
"You bet it doc." Nala replied. "They have been quite the pain. But if Peko and the others arw doing their best, I'll do my best too."
"Good to see your will is still strong Nala." Romani was happy to see that the girl was still resistant and didn't seem to have been phsycologically affected by her imprisonment.
"However..." Nala said a bit reluctantly. "I don't think I can keep going like this for much longer."
"What do you mean?" Romani asked.
"I think the Dragon Witch is already short on her patience with me. One of her servants told me moments before that she might rough up the things if I don't become her mini soldier now." Nala explained.
"Ok. That's pretty bad. But we'll be on our way to get you Nala!" Romani didn't mention that the rest of them were now fighting against more enemy servants, not wanting to panic Nala.
"I know..." Nala said a bit down. "It's just...I think I don't have much time left." Nala looked at the chain behind her. That damn thing already got on the girl's nerves. Not only that but also started to hurt her arms because of their forced positioning. She couldn't even summon her sword with her arms like that. She couldn't do nothing but struggle.
Romani gazed at Nala's unmotivated figure, feeling sad for not being of much help right now. Still, he wouldn't just stay there consoling the girl. Something else needed to be done.
"Break the chain." Romani said.
"What?" Nala tought she didn't heard it well.
"But doc I-"
"It's an order Nala. You need to break the chain." Romani demanded somewhat with a determined tone.
"Romani didn't you heard her?" Da Vinci, who was at the time next to Romani, was against the doctor's order. "She tried and was unable to break it!"
"So what Leonardo?!" Romani shouted almost at Da Vinci. "Who's to say it won't break eventually?"
"D-doctor..." Nala was preplexed at Romani's behaviour. What made him think she could break the chain that has been binding her?
"Look, Nala." Romani looked at her in the eyes. "This time, try way harder and stronger. With all the power you can muster." He said.
Nala was shocked by what he was saying. "B-But Doctor, I tried it already!"
"Try again then Nala! Believe in yourself girl!" Romani was obsessed in making Nala try again, and he wouldn't let the idea go away. "It's a simple chain Nala! No spells, curses or anything of that kind! It isn't a problem for someone like you!"
Nala saw that at this point it was better trying, seeing that Romani was insisting hard on it. "O-ok! Understood Doctor!"
Like a new flame had spawned in her soul, Nala started to struggle again, but this time with more ferocity and will power as Romani cheered her on and on.
"C'mon Nala! Keep on doing it!" He shouted at the other side of the monitor.
"I'm tryiiiiing!!!" Nala said in pain as she pushed her arms against the chain the best she could. Her strenght in them fighting against the chain restriction that was now fully extended.
"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!" Nala's arms were starting to hurt, the skin feeling like it could tear apart at any moment if she continued.
"Romani stop this now!" Da Vinci shouted at the doctor. "Or else she'll start bleeding from her arms!"
"Shut up!" Romani replied agressively to the italian. "You can't stop now Nala! Do you hear me?! Don't stop now!"
"NO I WONT!!!!" Nala shouted back at the doctor as she tried ignoring the burning pain in her arms the best she could.
"Then keep going! You're doing great!" Romani motivated Nala more and more.
Nala inclined her whole body, putting her right foot well pressed against the floor on the front while the left foot stayed behind supporting it. Nala's strenght passing through her shoulders, elbows and hands, making her best to keep the sturggle.
The girl's face was of a wild animal who had been caged and was now using brute force to try and escape from it. Her teeth clenched tightly to each other and veins starting to appear on her forhead. "For Peko! For Ritsuka and Mash! I will brake this chain for them!" Nala showed no intent in stopping it, even if her arms got ripped from her body.
"C'mon Nala! One final push! With everything!" Romani was confident that Nala could made it. That she would make it!
"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!" Nala screamed as loud as she could, a scream so loud that it could probabbly be heard through the entire castle. Nala made one last effort. Even when she felt the skin from her arms starting to tear, she didn't stop. It was all or nothing.
CRACK!
Nala instantly fell face flat into the ground, slamming on it.
"I-I can't believe it..." Da Vinci couldn't described what she jad just saw.
"Nala...you..." Romani was trying to find words from what just happened.
On the other side of the screen, was on the ground, sweating and breathing for air, as she had used all her strenght in those pushes.
"Wha...what is it...Doctor?" Nala was too tired to eveb takk without taking a proper breath.
"You did it Nala." Romani told her. "You broke the chain!" He exclaimed overwhelmed by happiness.
"What?!" Nala couldn't believe on what the doctor had just said. It was too good to be true. She started to move her arms and that's when she noticed, it was true.
Nala slowly rised her arms in front of her, showing the marked red skin that the chain had covered. And lowering them down, Nala caught sight of the chain in front of her, broken and shattered to pieces. It was now with the other end hanging on the wall, no more detaining Nala.
"I...I'm free. I did it! I did it Doc!" Nala exclaimed with emotion almost forgetting how it was like to have her arms back to a normal position again.
"Hahaha. What did I told you Nala? You could do it easily." Romani laughed, seeing that Nala freed herself successfully.
Da Vinci clapped. "Buon lavoro Nala! You did well." She then looked at Romani. "You too Romani."
"Aw thanks Da Vin-"
The man's head was grabbed by Da Vinci's hand and the woman violently smashed it against the table of his keyboard. "But next time,try to speak more calmly with the people around you, ok?"
Romani rubbed his head in pain. "S-s-sure." The doctor admitted he had let himself go trying to motivate Nala.
"Anyway..." He coughed. "Nala, you still there?"
The white haired girl was up on her feet, stretching and exercising her arms. "Yep. Still here."
"Good. Do you know what will be the next step?" Romani told her.
"Let me guess. Escaping?" Nala tried to see if she was correct.
"Exactly. But let's try to keep a low profile." Romani advised Nala, analyzing the area of the Dragon's Witch castle.
"If you find any enemy servant don't try to engage in a fight Nala. Just focus on getting out of there." Da Vinci added.
"Understood." Nala said, stretching her left arm to the front, seeing if she was able to do a thing.
"We will try to guide you out of the castle the best way we can." Romani said.
Nala heard it loud and clear. "Ok."
A silver light glowed on her hand until it grew bigger and brighter. In seconds, Nala's sword was back on her hand, the girl visibly happy for having her weapon back. Now she wasn't defenseless anymore. She looked at the door of her cell and knew exaclty what to do. She couldn't wait to leave this small room forever.
"Ok doctor. You tell me the way."
"It's been quite some time, ma reine." Sanson said calmly relaxed and a small smile showing on his face. A smile of someone who had the intent to kill.
Marie Antoinette was Charles Henri Sanson's biggest and most notorious execution way back to the French Revolution. For him, it all felt like it was just some couple of weeks ago. Now he had the chance to do a second time. The country was the same altough not exactly one hundred percent on space terms and definetly not in time terms when comparing to the age and place of the first beheadment. Still, it was the same country where it happened. Or where it was still to happen.
"Monsieur Charles, it's funny to see you again here too." Marie commented while bowing, being educated in her manners of introduction. "But I can say the reason for you being here is not a pleasent one I assume."
Sanson smirked. "Correct. I came here to do my job as a loyal executioner and end your life once again, Queen Marie." The young man showed his large execution blade. "But now it will be under the Dragon Witch's orders. So why doesn't the queen spare both of us of difficulties and accept a quick death?"
"That is still very noble of a man like you Sanson. Looks like you still retain your education." Marie giggled. "Unfortunately, I'm not planning to die to you again." Marie tought about Jeanne, Mozart and all the friends she made here. "I have to protect my people as their queen. So sorry but you'll actually have to make an effort to behead me if that's what you want."
"Heh." Sanson closed his eyes and slowly shaked his own head. "Admirable of you, my queen. But still naïve as always." Sanson put himself in combat mode. "So a painful death for you it is!"
Sanson quickly launched at Marie who was fast enough to react and jump out of the way just in time before Sanson could hit her with his blade.
"I see you're quite the dodger, my queen." Sanson praised Marie's evading skills before going after her again.
"Let's see if you are good at it as well!" Marie exclaimed before summoning a giant red ball of rose petals with her singing voice, launching it torwards Sanson.
The executioner instead of dodging the attack decided to cut it with his blade. It required a bit of strenght but after a few seconds, the clash was over as Sanson was able to cut Marie's attack.
"Not bad if I say so Sanson!" Marie was impressed by the executioner strenght.
Sanson responded to Marie. "Thank you. I've been perfecting this blade to kill you after all. Couldn't dissapoint on it's performance against you."
"Aww, I didn't think I was worth all that effort but I think it's nice seeing you still being professional about your job." Marie tried to chat a bit with him.
But Sanson was giving no rest to the queen, charging at her with another attack. This time he caught Marie a bit by surprise and the big blade was close enough to cut Marie's right cheek and tear her big red hat in half.
"Ggh!" Marie was lucky. She knew that if she reacted a second later it would be over. Sanson wasn't messing around if the topic was about killing her.
"My blade is already tasting your blood." Sanson smilled grew larger. "But it begs for more!"
Marie casted some bright light red stars in order to increase distance beetween the two. She knew that a close combat with Sanson wouldn't be a good idea if she wanted to win.
The executioner flawlessly dodged the attacks. Or so he tought as a last blast caught him by the shoulder. Sanson made pressure on the wound with his hand, trying to ignore the pain.
Marie didn't feel hate torwards Sanson or joy with seeing her enemy wounded. She knew her death by his hands was nothing more than the executioner's duty. But she knew that in a fight to the death, compassion for the enemy isn't a common thing.
"Hehehehe." Sanson giggled a bit out of control. "Guess we are even with this blow, right my queen?"
Marie was a bit confused but decided to smile anyways. "And I plan to make it more even by taking you down!"
"Hmm, never in my life as a victim of mine gave me a fight when I would cut their head." Sanson brandished his blade. "That turns the things more intresting however."
"Well I've only been in fighting recently too." Marie replied. "Even if some are against it." Marie remembered what Mozart told her before. "But I admit it's quite the adrenaline."
"So you're telling me you are enjoying this, my queen?" Sanson asked as he went ahead to slice Marie again.
The french queen however, was capable of dodging again and at the same time send a blast to Sanson who blocked it in time.
"I'd prefer that we would all sit down and just drink some tea to be honest." Marie commented. "But I'm not going to lie when I say I wouldn't like to, how they say in the modern times? 'Whoop your ass'."
"Hahaha." Sanson laughed. "Good to see you're as cheerful and joyful as ever my queen. You really don't lose your shine." The young man said, admiring the queen. "But I have to erase your shine now!" He launched again at Marie
"Sanson, you were always a nice man even when killing people. However, that thirsty hunger for killing doesn't suit you." Marie embraced herself for the executioner's attack. "A man like you is better than that!"
The queen dodged the attack again but this time she had an immediate response. With her leg, Marie kicked Sanson in the face, the executioner being caught off guard by such unusual method of fighting that Marie had just used. "Hope it was effective. A friend of mine's recommendation."
"Attention Kiyohime!" Mash excalimed while jumping in front of her ally to protect her from an enemy attack with her shield.
"Who the hell is this knight?" The japanese servant alongside the Mozart and Mash was having trouble fighting one of the Dragon Witch's servants. And it was one they still hadn't seen before.
The servant had just came down from one of the wyverns at an absurd speed, blasting the ground on the landing. It was a knight with a fully black purple armor covering it's entire body, not showing a single bit of skin. The small openings on the knights helmet showed a glow of a vivid and violent red color. The servant didn't even speak. Only attack.
"It must be clearly a berserker." Mozart told to his allies. "He seems to not posses great ability to speak and only attacks violently and wildly, not caring for what is around him. That's the definition of a mindless berserker."
"Alright! That kinda explains his behaviour." Mash said.
Ritsuka and Peko were watching the fight behind the debries of a broken house with the wounded Dragon Slayer servant at their side.
"I've never seen anyone fight like that." Peko told Ritsuka.
"Yeah. The way that knight fights is brutal. He only seems to attack without thinking. I wonder if the majority of the berserkers are like that." The master of humanity responded.
Peko turned his attention to the injured servant by their side. "Are you feeling ok?"
The man tried to fight against the pain, but it was clear that he was suffering from the curses that were damaging his body. "S-Sorry...if I could be apt to help you in the fight-"
"I-It's ok. You don't need to feel sorry now. Just try to rest." Peko advised the Dragon Slayer.
"Mash be careful!" Ritsuka warned his servant, seeing that the Berserker knight was clealry more focused on the shielder than Mozart and Kiyohime.
"Mpmh!" Mash was able to block the knight's sword in time but the impact was perhaps the strongest of normal attacks that Mash had to block until now. "Why is he targetting me so much?"
Mash noticed that the grip of the knight in his sword grew stronger, slowly making Mash to lose stamina. "Grhhhg! He's...strong!"
The pressure of the sword was enough to make the shielder lose a bit of her balance, her right foot slipping and making an opening for the enemy servant to attack Mash wich the wild knight took opportunity and sliced her right in the right side of the abdomen.
"MASH!!" Ritsuka yelled in panic, seeing his servant getting hit. Peko also showed concerned in seeing Mash wounded.
That was something that made the lying and weakened Dragon Slayer decide that was enough.
"Hmphm!" Taking a deep breath, the wounded servant forcefully stood up on his feet.
"W-wait! What are you doing?!" Peko tried to make him stop. "You can't fight like that!"
Ritsuka also noticed the Dragon Slayer's effort in trying to fight. "Are you really in condition to fight?"
"Please...let me help you." The Dragon Slayer walked past the two, dragging his word alongside him. "For...coming to my aid..."
Peko tried to stop him but Ritsuka grabbed the boy, much to Peko's surprise. "Ritsuka?! Are you going to let him fight?!"
"I'd say neither the two of us can stop him now. Let's...see what he does."
Walking into the battlefield, the Dragon Slayer brought his sword upwards, targetting on the purple black knight ahead of him.
Mozart instantly caught sight of him. "Wait! You should be resting!"
"Prepare yourself..."
"He isn't..." Peko realized in a instant what the intention of the Dragon Slayer was.
A powerful aura started to surround the Dragon Slayer and his sword.
" The Evil Dragon shall fall
and the world will reach it's sunset."
"He's unleashing his Noble Phantasm!" Ritsuka yelled in shock. He doubted that the Dragon Slayer would have the energy to use it or even stay alive after using it.
The Berserker knight, who was about to attack Mash stopped when he noticed the a shining blue aura on his left side. The Dragon Slayer's noble phantasm was nearly charged.
"I will bring you down..."
The sword of the Dragon Slayer was now prepare to shoot a powerful blast from it's user, with the purpose of striking the enemy servant.
"Ger out of there Mash!!" Kiyohime yelled at the shielder who was in the Dragon Slayer's Noble Phantasm range.
Doing so, Mash was quick to move out of the way.
"BAL-MUNG!!!"
And the blue blast came out of the sword as the Dragon Slayer brought it down.
The Berserker knight, perhaps due to it's crazyness of being a berserker, tried to stop the Dragon Slayer's Noble Phantasm.
When the blast was about to come, the knight swinged his weapon right in front of it, clashing with the Noble Phantasm. And against what everyone tought, the mad knight was actually having success in fending off against Balmung.
Ritsuka couldn't believe on what he was seeing. "He...He's really trying to fend off a Noble Phantasm!"
Despite the difficulties of his body state, the Dragon Slayer would make sure to win the struggle against the knight. "Gggggghaaaaaaaaaa!!!" Pushing for it, the man make more effort and tightned his grip on the sword.
The knight tried his best to stop it, but the strenght of the Noble Phantasm he was trying to block was proving to be way stronger than him. "Grrrrrraaaaaaaaaaaa!!!"
He let out a shivering scream has he felt his arms getting weaker.
In the next second, the knight couldn't keep going no more and eventually gave up to the Dragon Slayer's Noble Phantasm, being hit strongfully by the blast. Not only that but the wyverns that were behind him got hit as well, being cometely erased by the brute force of Balmung.
Ritsuka, Peko and all the others could only watch amazed by the strenght of the Dragon Slayer's Noble Phantasm that was destroying efortlessly any path away of it. And so it continued until the very other end of the village where it finally finsihed and got progressively smaller until it dissapeard, leaving a huge road of destruction.
"W-wow. That was..." Peko looked at the man standing tall after unleashing his Noble Phantasm. Even with all those curses and wounds, the Dragon Slayer was capable of unleashing quite the Noble Phantasm. The servant went way beyond his limits just to help some strangers that he had just met.
"Quite the blast eh?" Ritsuka replied, looking equally amazed by the Dragon Slayer's power.
Mash, who was checking on her wound, went next to the Dragon Slayer. "Thank you for helping us! But you shouldn't have used your Noble Phantasm in that state!" She saw that the man was now even with difficulties of remaining on his feet.
The man simply smiled. "I know..." And his body gave up. "I'm sorry..."
Marie panted as she was recovering from the blow she suffered on her right leg.
The battle with Sanson had been lasting for quite some time now. Marie hoped she was buying enough time for Jeanne and the others help everyone evacuate.
Sanson also wasn't far better than her. The executioner had sustained other wounds across his left arm, making it almost useless to the fight with Marie and having to rely on his other arm to wield the blade.
"It's being a good fight, my queen. However...I can't be playing around with you no longer." Sanson had an order and he couldn't fail in completing it. Even if it was someone that he respected and liked as was the case with Marie, he would still finish his task.
"I agree with you Sanson." Marie finally breathed steadly, recovering her energy a bit. "Can't let you around terrorizing my people no longer."
Hearing those words, Sanson lamented. "You were too good for them. But the queen still wants to protect her people and be loved by them. Heh. I wonder if that's you being optimistic and cheerful or just ignorant."
"I do know what were their reactions when you killed me, Sanson. I won't pretend they weren't happy with it." Marie scolded Sanson. "But I can see why they would do that."
"Then why still love your people?" Sanson asked, not liking Marie's response.
"Because, for me, as a queen, my job is to make the nation happy. So if my death brought happiness and prosperity to my people, then I'm glad I could help them to smile."
"To hell with that!!!" Sanson screamed, enraged by what he heard. Marie was caught by surprise by Sanson's quick discomposure but didn't back off.
"Glad that you helped those bastards smile with your death?! What kind of bullshit is that?! They treated you like trash and insulted you in your very last days! You know that!"
"Yes I do know Sanson." Marie responded, remembering the last days of her life and how the people despised her. "However, I saw their prespective. I knew how much they were suffering. I tried my best to change the situation but it wasn't enough. So when it came to the point of radical solutions, I accepted it. So Sanson..." Marie looked at the executioner. "Don't feel bad for killing me that day. Your blade was a way to many people's joy. I'm grateful for your deed."
"SHUT UP!!!!" Sanson shouted, totally angered. In the mind of the executioner, he couldn't understand how Marie could feel happy about her own death and be okay with all the people that wished her bad. "You're out of your mind! I should kill you now so that you stop living in that fantasy of yours!
"Anatomy Study"
Sanson enchanced his blade with one of his skills, a gloomy dark aura envolving it. "I'll make you realize the cold truth of reality, Marie!!" The executioner sprinted torwards her.
"Sanson, I'd figure you wouldn't realize. Your heart as grown too inhuman to understand it. But I'll make sure you don't have to live like that anymore!"
"Princess of Loveliness"
Marie casted her skill as well, seeing how Sanson was getting closer to her.
"This is the end for you!" Sanson was ready to slice Marie's head.
"Wishing to blossom
visibly in the open!"
"It's over!!!" Sanson descended his blade, targetting Marie's neck.
"Dancing,
to blossom in full glory!"
The blade passed through Marie's neck, but unlike Sanson had tought, it didn't sliced her head. "Wha-"
"Passing through
A horse made of crystal appeard out of nowehere and Marie rode it. The horse charged at an incredible speed torwards Sanson.
Guillotine Breaker: Glory to the Crown of Lilies!!"
The horse blasted with it's front hooves on Sanson, leaving a big hole on the executioner's left side of his chest. This, was Marie Antoinette Noble Phantasm.
"Blerghg!!" Sanson coughed huge amounts of blood from his mouth, suffering a big damage from Marie's Noble Phantasm. He even let his blade go from his hand and collapsed on his knees.
"H-How...Why? Why I couldn't kill you..?" The young man wondered as he watched drops of blood fell to the ground below him.
Marie who was now behind her enemy, couldn't help but feel pity on someone like him. "It's because you've grown more as a killer and not a executioner."
"W-what..?" Sanson stared painfully at Marie.
"Now you just kill for the sake of killing. No justice or purpose on the person who wields that blade anymore. Very different from the man I've met back in the day." Marie explained.
"I-Is that so...my queen?" Sanson made an effort to turn his body around to look at Marie. "Do I..." He stretched his hand to Marie, as if trying to call her. "...look disgu-"
"Alright. I've seen enough of this pathetic show already. Come back Assassin, I can't efford to lose any servant today." A voice interrupted Sanson. And shortly after that, his body started to dissapear, retreating from the battle he had lost upon his master's orders.
"Ma..rie.." He called hee out before vanishing from her completely.
Marie, wanted to take a time to herself to breath and recover her energy from the fight, but she knew that another opponent had just appeard behind her, so she couldn't even get that luxury of resting.
Turning around, she saw who it was. Non other than the Dragon Witch herself.
"Wassup Evil Jeanne? All good?" Marie smiled happily, pretending that the enemy in front of her wasn't the big bad of this entire Singularity.
"Hergh." Jeanne Alter let out an annoyed groan. "Why the hell do you talk like that?"
"I think it's kinda cool. You should give it a try Evil Jeanne." Marie told her, still with her happy smile.
"So the other me has escaped already huh? What a coward. I was eager to see that hatred again." Jeanne Alter complained, getting dissapointed by missing the chance to encounter her saint part again.
"No, you're wrong. She won't let that hate consume her anymore." Marie responded to the Dragon Witch. "She now clings on to hope."
Jeanne Alter looked at Marie and then looked at the walls of the village behind the queen. "Now what a nice joke we have here. Protecting your precious peasents? How stupid are you?" Jeanne Alter mocked Marie. "They are the same people who put you in the guillotine and cheered when you were beheaded!"
Marie shaked her head, smilling like always.
"I can understand that hate and rage but, that's exactly why..." Marie smile grew, her eyes full of radiance. "..
Jeanne D'arc would never say those things."
Jeanne Alter stayed still, not understanding what Marie was trying to say by that.
"I know that there were people who hated me. People who sneered. People who contempt. However, that never would be a reason to kill them." Marie said. "A queen without it's people, is nothing. It can't be a queen. Even if they never wished for my death, I would still have left the throne. I wasn't needed anymore at that time. However, here was different. So it was my fate as the queen of this land, to protect them and serve them!
The clouds moved past the sun, shinning on the entire village, the walls, and flags of the french monarchy.
"Viva La France!" Marie hailed. "The stars will continue to give it's radiance to France and bless it's resplendence! Of that I am sure."
The queen of France looked at Jeanne Alter in the eyes. She could see someone who was annoyed, afraid, lost, angry. Who knew no other thing than to destroy and kill.
"Dragon Witch...what exactly...are you?" Marie questioned Jeanne Alter.
The question seemed to have disturbed Jeanne Alter who immediatly summoned her big black dragon, Fafnir. "SHUT YOUR MOUTH!!!"
Seeing the threat of the dragon, Marie loosed no time and immediatly knew what she had to do, even if it meant the cost of her life.
Bleach OST- Never Meant to Belong
"For eternity!
Crystal Palace: The Lovable Brilliance!"
Out of nowhere, huge buildings made of crystal started to appear from the ground, resembling the famous Palace of Versailles.
"A second Noble Phantasm?!" Jeanne Alter was surprised that Marie had a second Noble Phantasm in her sleeve. " Whatever! With no master to back her up with mana, she'll be gone already for activating her Noble Phantasm consecutively."
Fafnir was with the attack fully charged, waiting for his owner's permission to fire.
"You'd really go that far, you stupid bitch! Die!" With an insult, Jeanne Alter gave the order for Fafnir to blast his beam upon Marie, her Noble Phantasm and the village.
As for the queen herself, the body was starting to vanish.
"Goodbye Jeanne, everyone...I am glad we could meet each other..."
In the distance, Jeanne was running away from the village alongside Elizabeth and Georgios, trying not to think about Marie's situation.
"Just knowing that I could help the woman who saved France. That I could help a friend...is enough for me, to die a radaint death. "
Marie remembered about their conversations on this Singularity, inuding the one last night.
"Hehe...I'm sorry Amadeus. Looks like you'll have to wait a bit longer...for that answer... Now like the stars...like the flowers...like ephemeral dreams...is my time to say goodbye."
Fafnir blasted his beam,going on it's way to annihilate Marie who faced with her trademark smile as usual, not fearing for her end.
"That is the way...Marie Antoinette lived!"
The flames of the evil dragon burned the village throughout the entire day and night, only being put down by a passing rain. Any sign of the queen, had already dissapeard.
The castle made of crystal had crumbled and was scattered to the wind. The enitre town was destroyed, no building left tall. The only people roaming it now, was the Dragon Witch herself and her evil dragon.
However, to the frustration of the evil witch, there was no sight of blood spilled underneath the rubbles. No tears needed to be shed that day. And so, with the people save and no lives lost, hope for the country's salvation had increased.
Our group of protagonists were able to reunite with each other again. Jeanne and Elizabeth bringing Georgios and Ritsuka's group bringing an unconscious but alive dragon slayer. Georgios went to his aid immediatly.
As for Marie...Jeanne had to be the bearer of those news and told the others.
Among the grief and some tears, Ritsuka noticed Mozart walking torwards some flowers, picking one of them up, closing his eyes as he brought the flower closer to his face.
"You were the most beautiful flower, Maria."
But now her duty had finished. Her vow was mantained. The families could cry in relief of spending more time alive with their beloved ones. Today, would not be a day to such innocent lives to suffer.
The radiance in the sky and the blessing of the land had brought, the happiness of the people
To be continued...
And that's the end of chapter 13! Hehehe, you all tought you would have to wait now. That it would be hiatus time because it wasn't released yesterday and I had exams.
Glad to prove you wrong and keep releasing it weekly by the 3rd time in a row now. Like I tried to get it done yesterday (thursday) but it was getting late and I knew if I tried to finish the chapter, I probably would stay almost the entire night awake. (and talking about chapters, I still need to read the One Piece chapter that came out today)
Marie dies in all her glory. I guess FGO is like, the potrayal across all media that luts her in a more positive light. Like, everywhere else she is potrayed just as a snobbish queen that doesnt give that much of a crap about her people, so it's intresting seeing how Fate made a different approach. But yeah, may you rest in peace Marie.
Jalter likes ducks because...why not?
Lancelot Alter wasn't defeated/killed by Siegfried's Noble Phantasm. Jalter also ordered him to come back to her after the guy was hit by Siegfried's Noble Phantasm the same way happened to Sanson.
And Nala is escaping the castle. I know, I know. All of you expected her to be rescued by Peko and the rest but my intent of having Nala captured was never of having her getting rescued. It was more so that she could realize the mistakes she had, the strenght beetween her and that of a servant like Jalter and to interact with the enemy servants. I still plan something that envolves her being saved however. By the end of the chapter she still isn't reunited with the rest, only Jeanne and Ritsuka's group have reunited, if I made myself clear.
So that's all I wanted to say and see you next time on chapter 14! Peace!
P.S: Man, the exams may not stop me from releasing the chapters weekly but I'm kinda nervous that GoW Ragnarok will.