Disclaimer: I don't own Fate/Grand Order or anything; just the oc. Support the official release.
Outside of Orleans, the group has come across a town not far from Lyon to gather information about the dragon-slayer.
"...And that's what happened..." The civilian said as he finished talking with Marie.
"I see, I see! Understood!" Marie nods. "How interesting. How very interesting! Thank you, kind sir. Farewell, until we meet again!"
"Y-Yes ma'am." He slurs his words as he is captivated by her beauty. "Um, by the way, you seem to be of noble birth. What is your name-"
"My name is Marie Antoinette!" Marie quickly replies. "Hehe, it might be worth remembering. Keep
passing it down for 360 years or so, and someone might be in for a surprise, hehe~." She gives the man a wink and walks away.
"W-Wait…!" The civilian reaches out, but Marie is already gone.
Meanwhile
In the plains, the group waits idly until Marie materializes in front of them.
"Guys!" Marie shouts at the group. "I got the information!"
"Good job, Marie!" Rituska praised.
"Teehee~" Marie giggles at the praise.
"Sorry, Marie." Jeanne apologized. "I will cause a panic if I go into town..."
"Don't worry, Jeanne." Marie smiles. "We're both Servants, you know. Anyways, about the city St. Martha told us. Well, to put it simply, Lyon was destroyed a little while ago. Its refugees have settled here." Her face fell. "The town is now the home of terrifying monsters."
"I see, so the city is already destroyed." Semiramis said.
"Does this mean that the saint lied to us?" Medusa questions.
"About that, they said some scary people came to the town, Servants most likely. The Servant was the protector of the town, but he was overwhelmed by their numbers and is now missing." Marie states. "They said the protector was a knight with a large sword, who defeated wyverns and skeletons."
"I hope he's alive." Mash said. "No, let's believe in the words of St. Martha."
"There was one other thing." Everyone's attention snaps back to Marie. "King Charles VII visited that village and General Gilles de Rais marshaled the routed soldiers, they said."
"G-Gilles!?" This caught Jeanne's attention.
"He's attempting to take back the city from the monsters." Marie adds.
'Origin. Do you think…?' I ask my other self.
[Yes. He is the Living Servant I detected when we first arrived. According to the scan, Gilles de Rais manifested as both his Saber and Caster selves. The Caster version is currently with altered Jeanne in Orleans]
Ritsuka looks at a fidgeting Jeanne. "What's wrong?"
"I… I don't think I should see him." Jeanne said.
"What? Why is that?" Marie asked. "Gilles de Rais admires you, right? If you ask, he'll surely help us."
"...That's precisely the reason." Jeanne sadly states. "He knows that I've become the Dragon Witch. He wouldn't accept me like that."
"...I see." Marie began. "I'm not sure if that's quite right. But I understand that you might not want to see him! You're a girl, after all. Yes, I agree we don't need to see him! We're in a hurry, after all. I don't think normal soldiers can handle all those monsters in Lyon, anyway..."
"...You're quite right." Jeanne admitted. "Let's defeat them on our own."
[I highly doubt that's the case. Gilles would not hold the actions of her dark self against her. If anything, he'll call her out as a fake]
"Jeanne." My voice brings the saint out of her funk. "You are not alone in this. Remember that your actions are your own. You can't let your other self have a grip over your life."
"Yeah!" Ritsuka chimes in with audible cheer. "So don't look so down! Smile a little!"
Jeanne giggles. "You two… alright."
"Fufufu, you certainly have a way with words. You bought poor Jeanne out of her funk." Marie smiles. "Here's a reward~" She walks up to me and gives me a kiss on the cheek.
I blink in confusion. "Eh?"
"What?" Mashu was shocked to see it.
"Hey, no fair! I wanna kiss him, too!" Ritsuka exclaims as she kisses his other cheek.
"What!?" Mashu exclaims.
[Look at them go~]
"Tch." Semiramis clicks her tongue.
Artoria's brows furrowed at the scene in front of her.
Medusa was perplexed. Seeing her Master and Marie kiss him like that… brings up a weird feeling in her chest.
"Lucky bastard." Cu mutters under his breath.
"I don't see what you're so jealous about. You only care about fighting." EMIYA comments.
"Screw you! I may be a warrior, but I'm still a healthy young man!" Cu shoots back.
EMIYA arches an eyebrow. "Aren't you dead though?"
"Shut up!"
Lu Bu lets out a huff.
"Well, well, well. Look at him go, getting all the girls without lifting a finger. You might have some competition, princess~" da Vinci teased.
"Shut up, drag queen!" Olga Marie cried.
"Now, now chief, calm down." Roman said.
"You stay out of this Romani or else I'll ban you from drinking coffee!"
"Yes ma'am!"
Ritsuka and Marie pull back and look at me. "So? Was it good?"
"Yeah, and who was better?" Ritsuka adds.
"Umm…" I just stood there frozen.
"She finally went and did it, huh?" Amadeus shakes his head and sighs. "Sorry, just ignore that. Maria has a bad habit of kissing everything. It caused chaos in the palace. There were actually factions formed of people she'd kissed and people she hadn't. No playwright would touch a story about a court that almost destroyed itself before the revolution."
EMIYA turns to the musician. "You're kidding, right?"
"Oh, I wish." Amadeus sighs.
Mashu grabs my shoulder. "Frank-san?" She shakes his shoulder. "Frank-san?"
"Umm…"
"Welp, he's broken." Cu remarks. "I don't blame him. It's not often a couple of cuties come up to kiss you."
"Huh? You guys don't do kisses?" Marie asked, too oblivious about the situation she caused.
"No." Salter says as she glares at the idol queen.
"Maybe when your heart feels like someone's squeezing it." Marie turns to the saint. "You do it too, right Jeanne?"
"I-I do not! I do not!" Jeanne quickly replies as her face turns red. "Only with someone I was going to marry-"
"Wait." Amadeus' voice draws us in. "Did you hear something?"
Everyone looks around before spotting something poking out in the horizon. As they get closer, they see a group of humans marching towards them.
"...Huh" Amadeus gets a closer look. "Hold on a second. Those soldiers over there seem ready to kill. I don't think they're back from the front."
"That's because they're not soldiers. They're bandits." I said.
The bandits turn their attention to us.
"Hey, check it out. Looks like we found ourselves a diamond in the rough." One bandit said.
"Yeah. From the way they dressed, they are clearly from a high-class family." Another bandit.
"And look at those lovely ladies they have with them." The bandit licks his lips. "They look so delectable. I can't wait to have my way with them!"
"Me too!"
"Save one for me!"
"Ugh. Animals." Semiramis gagged.
Amadeus grabs Marie's shoulder and pulls her in. "Stay close to me."
Mashu and Jeanne get their weapons ready. "Master, stand back."
"We'll protect you." Jeanne adds.
"Master, your orders?" Mashu asks.
Ritsuka nods. "Lancer, Archer, Mashu, take them down."
The three Servants nod at the command.
"Looks like they want to do this the hard way. Fine." The bandits take their swords. "Kill them!"
The bandits charge at the Servants, confident that they will be victorious…
How wrong they were.
Cu hits one in the nose with the pummel of his spear before kicking him in the stomach, sending him flying and crashing into another bandit.
EMIYA lets out a yawn as he easily dodges the bandits' painfully obvious swings before disarming him and finishing it with a sucker punch to the face.
Mashu raises her shield as she blocks the Bandit Leader's more refined blows.
"Hey, you're a cute one. If you surrender to me, I'll show you a really good time." The Leader licks his lips sensually.
Mashu cringes with disgust. "Sorry, but I already have someone." She pushes him back and swings her shield, but the leader manages to dodge it.
"Oh? Then where is he? He must be pretty pathetic if he is letting a pretty little thing like you do the heavy lifting." He charges at Mashu but she blocks him again. "So where is he?"
"Right behind you."
"Eh-" Suddenly, a fist collides with the right side of his face, sending him spinning out of control before falling on the grass.
EMIYA traces some rope and we proceed to tie the bandits up.
"Man, these guys were so weak, I can't even call it a proper warm up." Cu whined. "I would rather fight wyverns than these guys."
"I don't see the problem. Having opponents like this means I can converse my mana when a real enemy appears." EMIYA said.
"Still, their leader looked like he knew how to fight. But after seeing him try to have his way with the young lady, he is lucky that I wasn't his opponent." Cu adds with a glare.
"That is true. You would have sliced off his manhood on the spot." EMIYA said.
Cu laughs. "If he even HAD one!"
"I already let the village know about the bandits, they're sending a team to arrest them." Marie states.
Jeanne smiles. "Good. At least now they can repent for their crimes."
"It would have been better to simply kill them. These scum don't deserve to live." Semiramis argued.
"That's not for us to decide, Assassin." Jeanne rebukes her. "The Lord will show them the path to redemption."
"Oh please. It is because of your 'Lord' that this whole thing started. Or have you forgotten?" Semiramis said.
Jeanne narrows her eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"Okay, okay, that's enough now. Let's not start pointing fingers now." Romani chimes in.
"The doctor's right, we still have a job to do. Now's not the time for fighting." Mashu adds.
Semiramis looks at the Demi-Servant and sighs. "Very well. I will stand down."
Ritsuka and Romani let out a sigh of relief as the tension lifts.
"So Mashu. Who's this "someone" you were talking about earlier, hm?~" da Vinci asked.
"A-Anyways, we should probably head out." Mashu states, ignoring da Vinci.
Jeanne nods. "Right. Let's go, everyone."
With that, the group makes the journey to Lyon. As we did, Semiramis walked up to me.
"I saw the look you gave to the bandit. You looked like you were about to kill him." Semiramis states.
"..."
"Why didn't you do so? It would have been easy for you." Semiramis adds.
"... I don't know." I replied. "I guess… I don't want Jeanne to be mad at me."
Semiramis arches an eyebrow. "For someone who only acts human, you seem to care what others think of you."
"I have to act human, your majesty." I told her. "If I don't, then what's left?"
When we arrive at Lyon, the first thing we see is the broken wall that once used to be the city, now in shambles.
"...There's no one here." Jeanne said.
"Doctor, any signs of life-" Mash asks the Head Doctor before being cut off by static. "No good. There's too much interference."
[The mana density here is too high. It's affecting their communicators]
"Let's split up and search for that 'Dragon Slayer' Martha mentioned." Mashu said.
"Right. Let's see which of us finds that person first." Marie said. "Amadeus and I will take the west side."
"Archer, Lancer, Berserker and I will secure the perimeter." Artoria said.
"Then Mashu and I will take the east." Jeanne followed suit.
"Then Frank and I will scout the area." Semiramis said.
"Understood. Let's go, Master." Mashu states as they all entered the city of Lyon with the four Servants standing by the entrance.
Semiramis wanders around the remains of what was once probably a bustling town. Now all that was left was rubble, blood, and ashes.
"Tell me. How come you haven't attacked the Dragon Witch yet?" Semiramis suddenly asked.
"You noticed." I comment.
"You are powerful enough to kill two Servants alone, even with [Mad Enchantment] active, it's obvious you can take her on." Semiramis said.
"... maybe I am arrogant like Martha said." I said.
Semiramis smiled at this. "Perhaps you're right."
"Hm?" We both stop walking at the sound of a weird noise. "You heard that, right?"
"Yeah." I raise my hand and fire a blast at a wall of rubble. When it falls, it reveals a group of zombies.
"... walking corpses." Semiramis said.
"It seems she has turned the survivors into undead." I surmised and glanced at Semiramis. "Would you like me to take care of them?"
The Queen of Babylon takes a seat at a nearby rock. "Of course. Provide this queen with some entertainment."
Without missing a beat, I grab a few pebbles on the ground and aim at the monsters, launching them at the zombies. The pebbles fly at high speeds and before the zombies can react, the makeshift projectiles run through their heads like a bullet which kills them instantly.
"That was a little anticlimactic." Semiramis remarked.
"Not surprising since they're meant for humans and not us." I said. "It seems there was nothing here in the end. We should meet up with the others."
"Of course." We proceed to make our way back to the town square, eventually running to Ritsuka, Mashu, and Jeanne fighting monsters along with Marie and Amadeus.
"Yes, just as I thought! I hurried back, but they're swarming over here too!" Marie cried out. "You may not need any help, but I can't just sit around! I will help you, Ritsuka!"
"Wyvern!" Jeanne points up and, sure enough, a couple of wyverns are heading straight for us.
Suddenly, a violent beam blasts one of the wyverns and crashes to the ground.
Everyone turns to the one responsible: Amadeus.
"What? I am tired of seeing them." Amadeus said. "They are no more than third-rate instruments, time to get rid of them."
"I agree. I'm tired of this song and dance." A flurry of rose petals surrounds Marie before they launch upwards and make a curve down to the monsters. The lasers pierces through their scales, literally turning them into swiss cheese before promptly collapsing on the ground dead.
"Victory!" Marie cries as she makes a V for Victory with her hand.
"Enemies eliminated." Jeanne said. "May they rest in peace-"
"Peace… Do they desire peace? That is such a foolish thing."
The group's attention turns to the voice as someone passes by the corpses. He is a man with black hair and red eyes. He wears a black opera uniform with bloody claws and a bandaged mask.
[Saint Graph detected. Servant class: Assassin]
"They have no peace in their souls. There is certainly none residing in us Servants- This world has been frozen for years…" The Servant states, sounding distraught by the saint's words.
"A Servant!" Mashu cries out.
"Who are you?" Jeanne asks.
"... Phantom." The Servant, Phantom, answers.
Analysis Complete!
Servant Assassin
True Name: Phantom of the Opera
Strength: B
Endurance: C
Agility: A
Mana: D
Luck: D
NP: D
A masked killer. The mysterious person who appeared in "The Phantom of the Opera", a novel set in the 19th Century――perhaps, the person who became its model. He is a gentleman or rather he consistently plays the part of "himself as a gentleman". He openly sings in the middle of conversations in order to curb the murderous nature that is the Phantom of the Opera. He likes girls with a beautiful voice. At such a girl where his eyes are affixed to her, he will also appeal that "she will mature into a diva if she is under his guidance."
"Phantom? As in the Phantom of the Opera?" Ritsuka exclaims. "But… you're fictional! How can you be here?"
"Heroic Spirits aren't limited to real beings. Anyone who has accomplished great deeds, be they good or evil, real or fictional, will be recorded in the Throne of Heroes and be recognized by the World as a Heroic Spirit." I said.
"Correct. We Heroic Spirits exist on the border between dreams and reality. Our forms manifest based on humanity's belief in us, no matter how fictitious they are." Phantom states.
"What are you doing here?" Jeanne asked.
"This is my theater." Phantom replies. "By order of the Dragon Witch, this town is under my direct control."
"This looks like something straight from Hell." Semiramis remarks.
"Yes, yes, yes. This is truly Hell, where the dead live and are judged for their sins." Phantom tilts his head to the group. "What are you going to do?"
"We'll crush you." Ritsuka declares as the group becomes motivated.
"Just like that, Master!" Mashu shouts. "Here we go!"
Phantom raises his bloody claws. "Let the curtains rise!" He charges at Mashu at insane speeds. "Lalalala!" He swipes at her in his claws but they are blocked by her massive shield.
"Ha!" With a cry, Mashu musters all of her strength to push him back. She then uses this opportunity to bludgeon him with the bottom end of her shield, however, Phantom recovers faster than expected and manages to leap away just before the attack can connect.
"Oh no, you don't!" Marie fires a blast at the fictional Servant, only to suddenly vanish in a blur.
"Huh? Where did he go!?" Marie frantically looks left and right for the rogue Servant.
"!" Amadeus senses the killer intent and bloodlust intensifying. "Behind you!"
Marie twists her body and launches a large pink orb at the incoming Assassin and detonates on contact.
"Nice one, Marie!" Amadeus exclaims.
"Hehehe…" Marie lets out a giggle at the praise.
"It's not over yet." Jeanne points to the dispersing cloud of smoke, revealing a relatively unharmed Phantom of the Opera.
"Marvelous! Truly Marvelous! Unfortunately," Phantom begins as magical energy surges out of him. "You cannot strike me down with such weak resolve."
[He is activating his Noble Phantasm]
"Let us sing together." The world around us darkens as a massive, ominous looking pipe-organ rises from the ground. "Sing... Sing, my angel, Christine, Christine!" He begins to play the organ as he continues to sing, unleashing waves and waves of magical energy with each key he plays.
The waves smash through everything like cardboard, crumbling and falling until there is nothing else.
It's like death itself is his instrument.
The performance ended and Phantom's expression was riddled with disappointment. "I wished to have heard their voices longer…" But as the smoke clears, he sees something unexpected.
Instead of rubble and corpses, there is a white palace seemingly made entirely of crystal as well as crystal pillars surrounding it.
Standing in front of the structure was Marie and the rest of the group seemingly unscathed from the attack.
Phantom couldn't help but marvel at the manifestation. It was serene, the epitome of beauty. A beauty so innocent that it cannot be tarnished no matter how much blood it has been stained with.
"Well, what do you think?" Marie asks the Phantom with her signature smile. "I love London's Crystal Palace! So, I used it as a reference to make my Noble Phantasm."
Ritsuka arches an eyebrow. "So you stole it."
Marie looks offended. "I didn't steal it. It's just a mere coincidence that it shares the same name."
"So you ADMIT you steal it!" Ritsuka exclaims.
"I didn't steal anything!"
"Beautiful. Truly beautiful." Everyone turns their attention to the Assassin. "A place trapped in crystal, forever preserving the beauty of its nation within its frozen doors. It has truly touched my heart."
"Why thank you!" Marie cheered, accepting the praise.
"I will admit, your performance was impressive. The notes combined with the synergy of your voice was absolutely perfect." Amadeus praised. "However, there's still something missing…"
Phantom looks at the musician puzzled. "And that is?"
Amadeus smiles. "Why, an encore, of course!" An orchestra appears behind him. "Requiem for Death!"
The orchestra plays its haunting tune and the effects immediately take hold. Jeanne and Mashu lose their footing as well as Phantom, their power greatly diminished as well as their defensive capabilities while Semiramis, Marie, Ritsuka and myself remain unaffected.
"Now!" With a wave of her hand, Semiramis creates dozens of magic circles that quickly fire on the Phantom of the Opera.
The Phantom struggles to stand before his eye widens as he sees me charging up before firing an energy blast, sending him flying and crashes to the ground with a loud thud.
"Ugh… what an unexpected result." Phantom said. "Still, my mission is accomplished. Though I shall never be rewarded, never." He slowly gets up. "This is where my song ends, but the real Hell starts now." He raises his hand at Jeanne. "Rejoice, oh Holy Maiden! Your evil has grown even more than you."
"... be silent. It must be hard to even talk like that." Jeanne told him.
"These are not words. This is a song. To lament your future, and mourn it." The Phantom's expression morphs into one of sadness. "Forget about the Dragon Slayer… run to the ends of the Earth. If Lady Luck is on your side… you might have a chance to escape." He looks up at the ruined sky as his body begins to disappear. "Here it comes. The Dragon is here. The Devil is here. An evil dragon unlike any of you have seen before."
"You're a stubborn one, aren't you? The coda has ended, now back to Hell with you." Amadeus said as Phantom finally returns to the Throne of Heroes.
"An evil… dragon? Is that the dragon Martha told you about?" Mashu asks me.
I nod. "And from what Phantom said, it seems the dragon is coming here to Lyon."
Just then, Ritsuka's communicator suddenly goes off as an image of Romani appears.
"Finally, I got through to you! Everyone, you need to evacuate now!" Romani exclaims.
Chaldea
Romani, da Vinci, and Olga Marie all stare at the monitor as something MASSIVE makes its way towards them.
"These readings are beyond that of Servants… It's indicating an Ultra-size lifeform. It's approaching at incredible speed!" Romani states.
Lyon
"... beyond a Servant!? Can such a lifeform even exist in this world!?" Mashu asked.
"Of course they can! The world's a big place!" Romani argued. "Um, sorry. Save the chatter for later! I am also detecting three Servants heading this way."
"... it must be them. This is quite a problem." Marie surmised.
"The orchestra is done. Let's get out of here. I know we just wasted our time. But that's life." Amadeus grimly adds.
"But wait! If the reading is truly beyond a Servant, then we need the Dragon Slayer now more than ever." Mashu points out. "That person must be in this town, right? We can at least look for that Servant-"
"No, no, no! No time, no time!" Romani cuts in.
"But if we abandon this Servant now, we may never get another chance!" Jeanne argued.
"Then go. Find the Dragon Slayer. Semiramis and I will rendezvous with the others and stall for time." I chime in.
"Wait, wait, wait! That's a terrible idea! You need to stay together!" Olga Marie chimes in.
"There's no time for that. Either we do this or not." I said.
"Got it! Let's go Mashu!" Ritsuka said.
"Understood!"
"Amadeus, let's prepare for battle." Marie said. "Will you fight with me?"
"Didn't you just order me to fight? You need to stand proudly, and smile as always." Amadeus told her. "Don't worry yourself over me. If things get bad, I'll run away on my own."
Marie smiles. "Yes. That's the Amadeus I know."
"Doctor! Are you detecting other Servants?" Mashu asks.
"Searching… got it! There's a faint reading from the castle up ahead!" Romani confirms.
"Let's go!" Jeanne and the others run towards the castle.
I look at Semiramis. "Let's tell the others."
"Yes." The two of us ran in the opposite direction.
We run through the ruins and eventually reach the town entrance where we find the group fighting legions of the undead heading this way.
"▂▂▃▃▅▅!" Lu Bu slams his spear at the ground creating a shockwave that pushes the undead back before it changes into a sword. He proceeds to charge at the legion, cutting them down at high speeds.
"These bastards are relentless!" EMIYA cries as he kicks back a couple of zombies before decapitating them with his swords.
Medusa rips through the legion of undead flesh while Artoria sends beams of black energy at them.
"It seems that the witch isn't taking any chances with us." I comment as I begin to summon magical energy. "Unfortunately, I don't have time to play her games."
Semiramis takes a step back as she looks in awe at the magical power enveloping him.
"Lost Souls, trapped in darkness, I grant thee passage. Hear my voice, and be at peace." I call out causing the undead to stop attacking and look at me.
Cu and EMIYA stop as they notice all of the undead have stopped their advance. "What's going on?"
"What is this…?" Artoria asks as she accidentally bumps on a zombie's shoulder only for it to suddenly sizzle and forces her to jump back.
Lu Bu lets out a growl as the fighting completely grinds to a halt.
'Is this his Noble Phantasm?' Medusa thought as she curiously watches the cause of this.
"Let your sins, your sorrows, your regrets be absolved by the light." The sky breaks as light rains down on the undead. "Pardon Éternel."
The light enveloping the zombies intensifies before they all promptly collapse on the floor leaving only ashes. In their place, however, are white orbs that float idly in the air before they slowly rise to the sky as light begins to envelop them and disappear.
Semiramis looks on, completely flabbergasted by what she just witnessed. The power he displayed was a Noble Phantasm, yet there was something otherworldly about it… almost godlike.
"It is done. The souls have been freed from their cursed bodies and are on their way to their promised rest." I said as the light began to dim. I turn around and begin to walk back to the village. "We should head to the castle, I'm sure the others have already found the Dragon Slayer."
"H-Hey…!" Semiramis tries to reach out but when she turns he's already gone.
"Hey! What the hell was that?" Cu demands as he and the other Servants appear.
Semiramis grits her teeth in frustration. "I don't know, but that bastard owes me some answers and I will get them out of him. One way or the other."
I walk through the destroyed village until I reach the castle where Ritsuka and her group are.
"Stop!" I turn to see Semiramis and everyone else.
[Wow, she looks pissed]
The queen points her finger at my chest. "You owe me some answers, sir, and you better give them to me straight or else I feed my best poison down your throat!"
"If by 'best' you mean-" EMIYA was cut off by the intense glare Semiramis was sending him.
"Shut up." Semiramis ordered.
"Yes ma'am…" EMIYA yelped.
"Ha. Whipped." Cu mocked.
Just then, Ritsuka and her group rush out of the castle as Mashu carries someone by her shoulder. He is a tall man with silver-gray hair. His body was encased in radiant silver woven plate armor. In his right hand is a greatsword that he holds on tightly, but what is more jarring is the massive wound on his side.
Analysis Complete!
Servant Saber
True Name: Siegfried
Strength: B+
Endurance: A
Agility: B
Mana: C
Luck: E
NP: A
The Dragon-Blooded Knight and the "Dragon Slayer" who defeated the evil dragon Fafnir with the holy sword Balmung in hand. He is a great national hero of Germany that has many different depictions in the various legends attributed to him. His most famous role is his introductory appearance in the German epic poem of the Middle Ages, the "Nibelungenlied", portrayed as its main character. Siegfried was the protector of Lyon when he was summoned into the Singularity. Jeanne Alter and her Servants attack the town, and they defeat him. Jeanne Alter inflicts him with multiple curses. Unbeknownst to Jeanne Alter though, Martha (a Servant of the former) hides Siegfried in the town castle.
"Siegfried… you found him." I said before my brows furrowed. "You're cursed. Let me help you." I put my hand on his chest. "[Negation]." In that instant, everyone sees a black fog manifesting around Siegfried before it is pushed back and fades away. "How do you feel now?"
Siegfried looks at his hand as it clenches and unclenches. "I can feel my strength slowly returning and my wounds are starting to heal as well. Thank you."
Suddenly, an oppressive feeling drops on us as I turn to the sky. Something large begins to slowly descend on the city.
[They are here]
"Enemy sighted! Wait, it can't be!" Mashu cried.
"Wyverns can't compare to that thing." Romani said. "That is a dragon… a TRUE dragon."
As the dragon landed, it had red eyes associated with its black scales and a blue luminescent symbol on its chest.
Ritsuka is on the verge of fainting as she's overwhelmed by its intense presence. "What… what is that?"
"That… is [Fafnir]." Ritsuka turns to me. "Originally a dwarf, Fafnir was obsessed with obtaining a certain treasure and was overcome by the Evil Dragon Phenomenon thus becoming what it is now." I will continue. "It is a powerful entity, capable of wiping out entire countries in seconds. The transformation was the result of pure obsession that 'I will kill anyone who tries to steal my treasure'."
As it lands, we see Jalter jump from its back along with two other Servants beside her.
Analysis Complete!
Servant Assassin (Berserker)
True Name: Charles-Henri Sanson
Strength: C
Endurance: C
Agility: B
Mana: C
Luck: A
NP: A
The fourth head of the Sanson family, which had performed executions for generations in Paris. Charles-Henri Sanson was no assassin, but an executioner. The role of executioner is something inherited through the generations, and he is the fourth. Leading an elegant lifestyle worthy of nobility, the Sanson House loved and respected the King and Queen and showed great pity for the citizens governed by them. During the French Revolution, he was responsible for the execution of more than a 100,000 people including his beloved King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. As a Berserker, Samson would kill any who stood in his way, regardless of whether they are guilty or innocent. He believes that with each killing, he becomes stronger as an assassin, and desires to kill royalty particularly Marie Antoinette, whom he encountered during a village raid.
Analysis Complete!
Servant Berserker
True Name: Lancerlot
Strength: A
Endurance: A
Agility: A
Mana: C
Luck: B
NP: A
Also known as the Knight of the Lake, the person serving as a negative symbol of the Arthurian legend. Raised by the Lady of the Lake Vivian after the death of his parents, Lancerlot was among the greatest knights in Camelot, becoming the role model of what all knights should be. However, this all changed when he met King Arthur's wife Guinevere. The two wished to lessen the king's burden upon his shoulders which eventually led to the two eloping in secret. This led to the biggest scandal in the kingdom's history and while Arthur was fine with it, his people were not and he was forced to execute her and excommunicate Lancelot from the order. The resulting disloyalty led to the fracturing of the Round Table and triggered a Civil War that claimed the lives of numerous knights including King Arthur himself. When Lancelot heard the news of his King's death, Lancelot sank in despair and escaped through madness. Thus, when he became a Heroic Spirit, he was summoned as the insane Berserker.
"I was wondering what you'd find, but it turns out to be another useless Servant." Jalter smirks. "Very well, you can all die together!"
Fafnir growls as it raises its neck.
"It's attacking! We have to leave!" Mashu begins to fall back.
"Oh no, you don't!" Jalter says as Samson charges in and grabs the Demi-Servant by her neck.
"Agh!" Mashu cries in pain.
"Mashu!" Ritsuka cried.
"Mashu-chan!" Marie tries to help but is sucker-punched by the black knight.
"You bastard!" Amadeus cries but is soon halted by a sword to his neck.
"I had enough of your interference. You will all DIE here!" Jalter glares at Ritsuka. "Starting with YOU!"
Fafnir's mouth lights up and opens it, unleashing a massive blast of magical energy directly at Ritsuka.
"MASTER!" Mashu can only watch as her Master nears her end.
Ritsuka closes her eyes, awaiting her fate.
"Rho Aias!"
Ritsuka opens her eyes and looks up to see EMIYA standing in front of a barrier seemingly made out of seven flower petals. "Archer!"
"Damnit!" Jalter grits her teeth.
"Ugh!" The layers of the Bounded Field shatter one after another. "Not… yet!" The heat from the attack causes the entire left sleeve of his jacket to vaporize. The last of the layers are destroyed leaving only one as EMIYA pours all of his magical energy into it. "AAAHHHHHHHH!"
An explosion follows that rises to the sky as everyone covers their eyes to keep away from the dust. When the smoke clears, everyone sees a massive crater on the ground like a scar on the earth, but that wasn't what was on everyone's radar. At the edge of the crater was a harrowing sight: half of EMIYA's body was completely burned, his right arm completely missing. His hair was no longer slicked back, allowing it to form a mess.
Yet despite it all, he stands defiantly at the dragon.
The Nameless Archer slowly turns his head to a shocked Ritsuka and smiles. "Hey… you're not hurt… are you?" EMIYA collapses into the crater as his body quickly dissolves into light.
Soon tears fall from Ritsuka's face. "ARCHER!"
Jalter lets out a chuckle before evolving into full-blown laughter. "Did he believe that flimsy Bounded Field could withstand the power of MY dragon!? What an idiot!" She continues to laugh uncontrollably before calming down and turns to the others. "Now, where were we-"
"Shut up!" Ritsuka growls at her.
Jalter raises an eyebrow. "What did you say?"
"I said shut up, you bitch!" Ritsuka exclaims.
Jalter glares at the last Master. "How dare you…!?"
Ritsuka raises her left hand showing her Command Seals which began to glow. "By the power of my Command Seal, eliminate them all!"
All of the Servants rush at their respective targets.
Artoria charges at Berserker, who blocks the attack with his sword, however, it doesn't stop the tyrant from sending a Mana Burst, blasting him across the field.
"ARRTHURRRRR!" Berserker roars in rage and attacks.
Samson tries to strike Lancer but she can't keep up with his insane speed and tries to make some distance. He tries to activate his Noble Phantasm but Medusa wraps her chains around him while Lu Bu slices off his sword arm.
"Now I'll have your heart! Gáe Bolg!" The spear begins to bend unnaturally as it tries to reach the assassin, but it is futile.
Sansom merely looks down to see that the spear had already pierced his heart realizing that what he was running away from was an illusion.
"I see… so it was hopeless after all." Sansom coughs up blood and collapses to the ground, returning to the throne.
Artoria stabs Excalibur right through Berserker's chest as he lets go of his sword with the same red aura as Semiramis.
"Ar… thur…" He reaches out for Artoria before he completely disappears.
"No… this can't be happening…!" Jalter turns to her dragon. "FINISH THEM NOW!"
Fafnir charges up and fires another attack at Rituska.
"Luminosité-" Jeanne chanted her Noble Phantasm.
"Deploying Virtual Noble Phantasm." Mash cried.
"Eternelle!" "Lord Chaldeas!" Jeanne raised her flag and Mash used her shield to block the dragon's flames.
"Whoa!" Romani said. "What an immense amount of energy! You alright!? Can you hear me? ...S-Say something!"
"Doctor. For once, shut the hell up." Ritsuka demanded.
"Damn you! Crush them Fafnir!" Jalter screams out and the dragon moves forward.
I walk up to Siegfried. "Can I borrow your sword?" I point to his weapon.
Siegfried looks at me and nods. "Here. I have a feeling you know what to do." He hands me his greatsword.
I take the greatsword and walk forward, staring at the dragon the whole time. "It's time to go back to sleep, Fafnir. And this time, you will NOT be coming back."
Fafnir trembles in fright.
"Fafnir is trembling." Jalter then realizes something. "That sword, it can't be!"
I raise the sword above my head. "Prepare yourself!" I twist the grip of the sword revealing the blue jewel embedded in the hilt and unleashing a twilight aura that swells outwards.
"Dodge it!" Jalter commands Fafnir only to see her dragon pinned down by black chains. "What the hell!?"
"And where do you think you're going?" Semiramis asked.
"Balmung!" I bring the sword down and unleash its wave of destruction.
Fafnir can do nothing, as it is engulfed in the destructive light that killed it the first time and is reduced to ashes.
"YOU… YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!" The ground underneath him lights up before exploding in a pillar of flames. However, to her shock and fear, the creature simply walks out of the flames with his face beginning to heal the exposed teeth and muscle tissue. He proceeds to send a barrage of punches that Jalter cannot escape from before kicking her in the arm, sending her crashing to the ground.
"Gah… ahh…" Jalter tries to get up, her battered and bloody body racked with intense pain. She coughs up blood as she grabs onto her arm realizing that it's broken before slowly looks up only for a hand to grab her neck and lifts her up.
"I will make this quick." He tightens his grip intending to strangle the broken saint.
"Stop!" Jeanne demands.
Her cries are answered as someone appears and slices off Frank's arm, releasing Jalter from his grip.
"What?" He doesn't have time as a wyvern descends and sends a shock wave that pushes him back.
Chevalier d'Eon grabs Jalter as Gilles de Rais unmounts the wyvern. The mad caster takes out his book and summons tentacle creatures that converge around the Sorcerer in an attempt to smother him with their bodies.
"No!" The mass of eldritch flesh explodes outwards into a rain of flesh and blood.
"Quickly, put Jeanne in the wyvern!" Gilles orders as another wyvern lands and d'Eon carries Jalter to Gilles' wyvern before mounting the other and they fly off.
"G… Gilles…" Jalter calls out his name. "I… I'm sorry…"
"Please Jeanne, save your strength." Gilles said as they flew back to their base.
As the wyverns fly off, the fire inside me begins to subside and with it, the Servants all return to normal.
"Oh… what happened?" Cu grabs his head. "Did I drink the teacher's booze again?"
"▃▃" Lu Bu growls.
"I was… angry. So very angry." Medusa said.
Semiramis turns to see Frank grabbing his arm and attaching it to the stump letting it regenerate.
I walk up to the corpse of Fafnir and remove the sword from its head. "What happened to me?"
I walk towards Siegfried and give him his weapon. "Sorry for taking it."
The Dragon Slayer nods.
I turn to Ritsuka who has tears rolling off her face. "Archer… he's gone, right?"
I nod. "He's gone but not forgotten. When we return to Chaldea, you can summon him again."
Ritsuka sobs. "R-Really?"
"Of course." I replied.
[You didn't mention that the Servant summoned won't be the same as the last one]
'They'll remember her. They don't have to remember how they died.' I said.
"I don't know why you're crying over that guy. He was an asshole." Cu said.
"I think it's time we leave this place. We should find a place for Saber to heal." Amadeus said.
Ritsuka nods as she and Mashu help him stand. "Umu. Come on, Saber, let's get you up."
"Thank you, young lady. And please, call me Siegfried." Siegfried said.
"The legendary knight… who once slayed the evil dragon Fafnir… She hid him here, so that someone may find him. Clever." Semiramis comments.
The group then walks out the village, unaware of someone watching just beyond the rubble.
"General," One of the commanders of the French Army turns his leader. "What was that really-?"
"I don't know. I just… don't know." He tells the general in equal disbelief.
He is a man in his late twenties. His eyes are pitch black and his black hair is yet to show signs of aging. It is long enough to warrant being tied up into a small bun at its end, with large portions of it falling on either side of his face. Plain-looking and serious. He wears white silver armor with teal in some places. In addition, it has a piece of cloth attached to the crotch-piece of the set. He seems to wear black and white underclothes beneath the armor. Finally, the armor is adorned with crosses in the chest, side of the legs, and the singular shoulder piece on the right side.
"We… we need to reexamine everything we know about the Dragon Witch." Saber, Gilles de Rais told his colleague. "It may be possible that there are two Jeanne d'Arcs in the world."
"Understood." The commander returns to his unit.
Gilles looks on as she sees the white Jeanne beside them. "Is it really you? Have you really come back to life? I suppose… time will tell." He said before walking away.
Orleans
"I'll kill him… I'LL KILL HIM!" Jalter roars in rage, her throne is set ablaze. Her body was covered in bandages and her right arm was encased in a cast.
"Jeanne, please calm down. Your wounds will only get worse." Gilles said.
"He killed my dragon, Gilles! He must pay!" Jeanne exclaims.
"And don't worry he will." Gilles assures her. "It is only a matter of time before he and his group come to Orleans and when they do, he will have no chance to succeed."
The flames around Jalter begin to subside as she calms down. "How is your project?"
Gilles smiles. "Oh splendid! She can now take orders obediently!"
"Hmph. Who knew a lion could be such a good pet?" Jalter smirks.
"Yes. And, thanks to the dragon's blood, her power has risen exponentially. Why, she could likely destroy all of France with ease." Gilles further states.
"That sounds good, Gilles. Excellent work." Jalter praised.
Gilles squirms with delight. "Ah, to hear such praise from you Jeanne, it fills me with great joy. Truly, you are everything Jeanne. My wish became a reality!"
As the mad caster continues to celebrate, Jalter thinks about the source of her anger. "I will kill you… just you wait."
As she said this, a black tear rolled down her right eye.
Noble Phantasms used:
Pardon Éternel: The Road of Paradise is Open To You (EX) Anti-Evil Noble Phantasm
A Noble Phantasm created by Frank. By chanting a prayer to the Heavens, Frank is able to purify the souls of the dead along with any other souls that are considered "evil". It functions in a similar manner to the Church's Baptism Rites, however, it is amplified and can affect targets on a larger scale.
In short, Frank is able to grant them Salvation; the gift of saving souls and redeem them as they can forgive and absolve others of their sins and transgressions including purification of tainted souls to set them free from the consequences such as damnation and condemning influences restoring damaged souls and spirits and purify them from all evil, rising from the disgrace they committed.
Christine Christine: Surely My Love Song Shall Resound Even Through Hell (B) Anti-Army Noble Phantasm
It is the Noble Phantasm of Phantom of the Opera. It is an ominous and gigantic musical instrument that is much like a pipe-organ, constructed by combining some of the corpses of his former victims. Maybe the sinful deeds that Ryuunosuke Uryuu attempted through trial and error had already been completed in the 19th Century—or maybe, it is the image of the cruel and mysterious person at the time of his materialization, sublimated as a Noble Phantasm.
By matching it with his singing voice that is owned by his grotesque vocal organs, this Noble Phantasm scatters invisible magic damage to the surroundings. For the Phantom himself, who is the performer, he does not take any damage from the attack. Because it is an attack done not through sound, but purely by a radiation of magical energy, it is possible to block it with defensive magic and abilities. Armor-type equipment also works effectively.
Crystal Palace: The Lovable Brilliance, For Eternity (B+) Barrier Noble Phantasm
It is a Noble Phantasm of Marie Antoinette. It is a Bounded Field Noble Phantasm that manifests a great and beautiful palace that demonstrates the power of the French monarchy. It ranks up Marie and her allies' stats. Even if she has lost her royalty, Marie has faith that the country and people she loved will always remain, so she calls forth the Crystal Palace as a symbol of progress and a new era. It shares a name with the Crystal Palace exhibit in London, England. It's not ironic; it just shows how broad Marie's love is.
Rho Aias: The Seven Rings that Cover the Burning Heavens (?) Broken Phantasm
A Noble Phantasm that the Counter Guardian EMIYA once encountered in life, becoming archived in his Unlimited Blade Works. In its greatest form, it is said to be seven flower petals made from light. It takes the form of a seven layered Bounded Field in the shape of an iridescent flower in reference to the rocket larkspur (Consolida ajacis) flower that bloomed from Aias' blood as he died, with seven petals representing the seven layers of oxhide. Each flower petal layer has the defensive power of a fortress wall, and Archer cannot personally recall any thrown lance that would be capable of penetrating even the first layer. It is necessary for its user to provide constant magical energy to form the shield.
Luminosité Eternelle: God is Here With Me (A-) Barrier Noble Phantasm
The battle standard of Jeanne d'Arc, the holy battle flag that she kept by her side all her life. Incidentally, Jeanne uses this flag mostly to attack in battle. "There's a spear-point at the tip, so it's a divine sign that this flag should be used to strike the enemy", is what she says as an excuse each time one of the Servants she passes judgment on protests about it. It is her main weapon, kept in place of a sword on the battlefield, still potent enough to easily destroy Dragon Tooth Warriors, block strikes from enemy Servants, and pierce through obstacles with its tip.
The flag had inspired and uplifted her soldiers who had believed a saint walked amongst them, said to have continually protected her as she ran ahead in battle as the vanguard. There are various theories about the flag's design, with many popular suggestions featuring angels or flowers (specifically, the iris flower). The Noble Phantasm is the crystallization of the legend of Jeanne d'Arc waving her flag on the battlefield and fighting to the very end with hardly any wounds. By planting it into the ground, tightly gripping it, and activating it as a Noble Phantasm, it converts her EX-rank Magic Resistance into protection against all harm, both physical and spiritual. The protection is initiated by an angel's blessing, and it is centered around the flag within a range of 10. It brings about a light that completely isolates anyone within it and cuts them off from their surroundings, much like the divided water from the myth of Moses splitting the Red Sea.
The downside to the ability is that the damage accumulates within the flag, causing it to begin to tear as she uses it, so naturally, she can't withstand an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm multiple times in a row. Also, only Heroic Spirits who had witnessed Jeanne's legend in life—in other words, only Gilles, in his past form as a Marshal of France, can use this Noble Phantasm besides Jeanne.
Balmung: Phantasmal Greatsword, Felling of the Sky Demon (A+) Anti-Army/Fortress Noble Phantasm
The Noble Phantasm of Siegfried having it received from the Nibelungen family as a reward after fairly and impartially dividing it up and distributing their treasure. It is the holy sword of the Nibelungs, used to slay the dragon, Fafnir. It is a cursed holy blade possessing the attributes of Gram, the demonic blade of its origin, so it will change attributes between holy sword and demonic sword depending on who wields it. Having accomplished the feat of dragon slaying, those with the blood of dragons will take additional damage from it. Perhaps because it was owned by a king, it specializes in fighting against armies, shooting off a semi-circular slash wave.
Upon chanting "—O sword, Let thee be filled", he holds it above his head, and it begins to glow with an orange light. The jewel stores and preserves magic energy, True Ether from the Age of Gods, and releasing it causes it to emanate a twilight aura. The twilight swells around the sword and is released as a flash of light, a surging wave with the simple purpose of destruction. Compared to the straight line released by Clarent Blood Arthur, it releases a wave of twilight in a semicircle that is centered around him.
It has an extremely fast activation rate for an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, but in a comparison of speed, Siegfried when he was alive was the fastest in activating it, with Sieg being the next fastest and the Servant Siegfried being the slowest out of them. Sieg possesses Galvanism, which the Servant Siegfried does not have, and can draw out the needed Magical Energy all at once when activating the
Noble Phantasm. The living Siegfried, on the other hand, had his inborn disposition combined with the transformation of his heart into a Magic Core due to being bathed in and drinking a dragon's blood, so he could draw forth magical energy and fire the slash wave even faster than Sieg. Unfortunately, the moment he was summoned as the Servant Saber, that special characteristic of his was highly degraded.
Humans and other species such as Giants and Homunculi are capable of turning into Dragons through different methods such as the Evil Dragon Phenomenon, which transforms those who exhibit overwhelming greed into a Fafnir-type dragon. Because of this, Fafnir is not an individual, but a series of Evil Dragons.
Author Notes
Edit: 11/17/22
Someone in the comments pointed out how the chapter felt rushed and they were right. So, I decided to rewrite a few parts in order for the narrative to flow better.
I think it looks better now.
As always, leave a comment. Good, bad, don't matter.
Peace~