FATE/PARALLEL COLORS

Chapter 10: Brands of Love

The two child Servants stood there for what felt like an incredibly long while. Neither of them knew how to start the conversation, but then the white-haired girl eventually asked, "You're the Lancer that Lancelot captured?"

Connla tilted her head, but didn't respond. The mystery visitor used her hand to quickly compare their heights, then murmured, "You look so small… You're even shorter than me."

"Um… Is there something you want? Or, um… Who might you be?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. My name's Altera. Karl wanted me to visit you."

"Karl?"

"My brother, Karl der Große. He's the emperor of the New Holy Empire. You might know him better as Rex Magnus."

"Eh!?" Connla yelped. "Y-You're the king's sister!?"

"Oh, not exactly…" Altera bashfully darted her eyes aside. "It's kind of hard to explain. Well, you can call us that anyway. But that's not important right now. Karl wanted me to bring you so you could have an audience with him."

"An audience? But why me? I'm not any sort of Servant worth an emperor's notice."

"I don't know. Karl said something really strange to me. After Lancelot knocked you out, Karl tried to Oraclize you afterward. But he ran into a problem…"

Connla really had no idea what Altera was talking about with this 'Oraclization' business. She didn't have an opportunity to ask as the white-haired child continued, "He tried using the Ruler class' True Name Discernment on you, since his Oracle ability rewrites the subject's Spirit Core to serve him. Knowing what a Servant's True Name is makes it easier to Oraclize them. However, Karl could not see what your True Name was. He was rather confused – he tried multiple times to analyze your Spirit Core, but he could not see anything other than a haze."

"…"

"So that's why you're here in this dungeon, deep beneath the fortress Karolus Patricius. Karl wants to understand why he can't see your True Name. He wants to help you break free of whatever shackles you are bound to, so that you can enjoy the peace he envisions."

Connla grew suspicious when she heard the word 'peace'. It sounded too abstract for her, so she asked Altera, "Could you elaborate on what you mean by 'peace'?"

"Eh? What else could it mean? Peace is peace."

"From what I understand, it has different meanings for different people. I want to know what the emperor's definition of peace is, and how he's going to accomplish it."

"Well, um…"

Altera grew uncomfortable with how a child that was younger than her was asking such difficult questions. It almost felt like she wasn't actually speaking with a child at all, and that greatly bothered her. As she struggled to find an answer, the echo of armored footsteps clattered all around the two girls. Connla looked over to discover a huge man wearing golden armor and a massive crown. Her skin paled once she saw the crown – she knew this man had to be the emperor in question.

"Unification, and assimilation," the man responded in Altera's place. He had obviously heard Connla's questions while heading down to the dungeon, and understood that Altera was not in a position to answer on his behalf.

"Assimilation, you say?" Connla murmured.

"Correct. Salvation cannot be achieved without divine intervention. I have always strived for universal understanding, where humans are aware of each other's well-being and work together for peace. Yet, humans are flawed and contradictory creatures. They are cattle that wander the fields without wisdom, lacking the capacity to guide themselves, never mind save others. That is why I must step in as God's agent and spread His love among all."

"Hmm…" the Lancer mumbled quietly. Although his words sounded noble on the surface, something didn't seem to align with her logic. She asked him, "Are the Top Servants an important factor in this plan of yours?"

"Why do you wish to know, young one?"

"My teacher is Scathach, the Top Lancer. I want to know if you intend to hurt her."

"Ahh, I see. You harbor concern for your mentor. An admirable trait for a pupil. She must be quite proud of you. But fear not. I have no intention of harming anyone. If there is any suffering to be had, it is due to those who resist God's will. Our clash of beliefs is what is causing this war, not from any supposed tyranny on my part. I always have and always will love my subjects. I wish to assimilate you into my kingdom as well, Little Lancer. Yet as Altera claims, some compelling force prevented me from seeing what your True Name was."

Connla closed her eyes forlornly. "My apologies. For reasons beyond my control, I cannot introduce myself to anyone."

"How tragic. To be denied the right to even say your name… You might as well have had your humanity stripped away from you."

"Karl…" Altera moaned worriedly.

"Please, don't worry about it. I've gotten used to it," Connla assured them. "More importantly than that, I want to know what Altera means when she's talking about this 'Oraclization' business. Is that how you have been able to expand your empire so rapidly?"

"Hm," Karl nodded. "It is the product of the Oracle that I possess. I am capable of rewriting Spirit Cores in order to eliminate thoughts of hatred and destruction from their hearts. That is my assimilation… The 'peace' that I hope to achieve."

So it's akin to mass brainwashing, Connla realized. She dared not say something like that too bluntly to him though. Who knew how well an idealist like him could handle being told the facts as they were? She instead replied, "I see. So the Top Servants are needed to help spread your Oraclization further?"

"Where did you hear of this, Little Lancer?"

"I heard that man Gilles passing by upstairs who was rambling about capturing Top Servants and turning them into 'blue particles'. He seemed rather focused on Jeanne D'Arc's capture though."

"Gilles, hm? I'll have to teach him a thing or two about keeping his mouth shut. Alas, your assumption is correct. I wish to use those rebellious Top Servants to power the Spirit Core Replication System's furnace."

Connla narrowed her eyes. She didn't like the sound of that whatsoever. Karl didn't elaborate any further, but she had a feeling she didn't want to hear the details. Instead, a plan started to form in her head, and she said to Karl, "If you're not able to Oraclize me, then perhaps I could be put to use for a better cause. If I may be so bold, I would like to propose a deal with you, Rex Magnus."

"Oh?"

"I'll take Scathach's place as the fuel for this Replication Furnace or whatever. In return, please don't grind her Spirit Origin into particles. I don't want her to be put through such a painful process."

"It is not painful. I promise you that she will not feel a thing."

"Even so, wouldn't she be more useful to you as an Oraclized Servant? I can guarantee you that her abilities are second to none. She's not SE. RA. PH's Top Lancer for nothing. In contrast, I'm just a trainee who's only beginning to learn the ways of the spear. I don't think I would be as effective for your army as Scathach would be, seeing as how I lost to Sir Lancelot so easily."

"Well now…" Karl pondered. Just from hearing her end of the bargain, he could tell that while she possessed the kind of love for others he always wants to see, she didn't seem to have any respect for herself. She was just throwing away her own Spirit Core in order to save another's, believing that she wasn't strong enough to fight back. Something about the whole thing disturbed him. It was important for people to love themselves as much as they loved others. If Connla was so eager to disappear as part of a deal, did that mean she believed no one would miss her if she perished? Or did she not understand the concept of loving herself enough to preserve her own safety?

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Altera asked Connla nervously.

"I'm sure," the Lancer replied. "I don't think I'll be able to make a difference through combat alone. If this war really is going to affect SE. RA. PH as a whole, I would like to be able to do something more meaningful with my life. I don't really know enough about the world to decide which side of the war I should take. I'm not going to call the New Holy Empire 'evil' just because you're considered invaders to SE. RA. PH, but I heard that the Moon Cell Holy Grail War was truly a bloody affair. I never participated in it myself, but if SE. RA. PH is programmed to host such terrible conflicts just to choose a Master, then something is seriously wrong with such a system."

Karl nodded in agreement. "Quite so. Under my rule, such a wasteful contest will be immediately abolished. SE. RA. PH does not need to decide on a Master when I possess the will of God, the highest Ruler anyone could ask for."

"Then will you accept my proposal? Will you turn me into blue particles instead of Scathach? What you do with her afterward is none of my business, but please don't destroy her. I couldn't bear the thought of losing my teacher like that."

The emperor took another moment to think about the logistics of turning Connla into particles. He would have preferred taking Top Servants due to the quality of their Spirit Cores. Connla's essence would definitely not be as strong as Scathach's, meaning that the furnace would burn her particles much faster compared to if Scathach's were used. That was obviously a detriment to his plan, but was it a fatal one? Certainly not. There were plenty of Servants running around inside the Moon Cell. So long as he captured more Spirit Cores to replace Connla as fuel, it wouldn't be a severe blow to his plans. At worst, it would just be a minor hindrance. Karl wasn't sure if Connla was gambling her life on such a plan without realizing how flimsy it was, or if she was fully aware that she wasn't really making much of a difference in the long run.

Nevertheless, Connla's goal was obvious; to save Scathach. Regardless if it affected Karl's plans, he would respect her valor. If she didn't care for her life so much, he could afford to take this chance.

"Very well," the emperor responded resolutely. "We have a deal, Little Lancer."

"Mm. So what do I need to do next?"

"Just close your eyes and lose yourself to peaceful slumber. I will handle the rest."

"All right. Oh, and one more thing. Could you not tell Scathach about any of this? I'm afraid that if she found out, she might wind up becoming furious with me. Nothing's scarier than when Teacher's upset."

Altera widened her eyes. "You don't think she would be mad with Karl instead?"

"I know Scathach well enough. She would call me a soft-hearted fool, then charge in and cause all sorts of mayhem for the New Holy Empire. I'm scared of this war escalating any further than it already has."

Karl closed his eyes and sighed. "It is inevitable that things will come to a head eventually. Regardless, removing at least one unpredictable factor from the equation will be beneficial for my cause. I promise that I will not inform Scathach of your fate."

"Thank you."

With that, Connla closed her eyes and waited for sleep to overcome her. A soothing sensation washed over her like a wave crashing upon the sands of a beach. It almost sounded like she was at the beach enjoying a summer afternoon as well. She could hear the ocean's continuous watery rhythm, and seagulls chirping in the distance. The breeze not only felt nice, it smelled intoxicating as well. Although she couldn't 'see' this beach, she could 'feel' it deep within her tired soul. For what felt like an eternity, she just sat there and listened to the waves in silence.

Once Connla had been reduced into blue particles, Karl captured them inside a goblet and inspected them. Just as he suspected, her Spirit Origin didn't produce as many particles as he would have desired. He would need to think about finding a suitable replacement for them as soon as possible. As he and Altera returned upstairs, the small girl suddenly turned to walk away from the emperor. He asked her in a curious tone, "Where might you be off to?"

"I… I just want to take a walk."

"Hm. Very well."

With that, the two parted ways. Between them, Lancelot watched their exchange in complete silence. Now that he knew the dungeon was empty, he no longer needed to guard the entrance, so he abandoned his post and followed Altera through the fortress. She kept ahead of him by several dozen paces, but soon realized that he was insistent on tailing her. She decided to turn around and ask him, "Do you… want to come with me?"

"Oooh."

"You must've realized that I'm not going for a simple stroll."

"Muuuh…"

"Are you worried for the little Lancer?"

"Ga… Gar… eth…"

"Karl already told you. That's not your fellow Knight of the Round Table."

"Uuh… I… I… know…"

"I see. So you do understand. You want to help her somehow, don't you?"

"…"

"All right. Let's hurry, while there's still time."

"Bwoooooh!" Lancelot howled, then scooped Altera upon his arm and leapt off the nearest balcony with a giant leap. The F-15 jet fighter that he always used for his Noble Phantasm whizzed through the sky in response to his silent command, and both Servants landed atop the aircraft. Within minutes, they had flown a far distance from the flying fortress that threatened to blanket SE. RA. PH in darkness and oppression.

"Hyaaah!"

Scathach rushed through a horde of incoming Attack Programs, swiping Gae Bolg once before coming to a full stop. Dozens of robots were sliced clean through their abdomens, and they fell to the ground in pieces. Her Spirit Origin absorbed their Drive chips, allowing her to execute her Moon Drive form. She definitely needed it because several axe-wielding Aggressors raced toward her, and the extra strength would be helpful in staggering them. She danced, flailed, and twirled around the lumbering drones before they could program their next attacks, and she destroyed them with frightening ease.

Reinforcements kept swelling in from other occupied sectors though, and Scathach's Moon Drive was quickly being depleted. She opted to unleash her Drive Attack, jumping over the amassing horde as she called out with the essence of a queen addressing her subjects, "I, Scathach, will witness your strength!"

She summoned well up to ten Gae Bolgs from her personal arsenal, all of their blades pointing towards the enemies. Upon her command, all of them were flung onto the crowd like arrows, culminating in an incredible crimson explosion that blew away anyone not immediately caught in the crossfire. Her efforts certainly cleared out this particular wave of enemies, but she knew this wouldn't be the last of them. She needed to make one last push before she could liberate this captured Roman sector.

"Heh," she scoffed to herself, showing a bemused smile as she watched the last battalion materialize all around her. Now the giant Attack Programs were being called in to dispose of her, and she could only see the effort as charming at best. After she had cleaned up the previous wave with her Drive Skill, she absorbed enough golden mana chips to prime her Noble Phantasm. Without hesitation, she activated it with these haunting words:

"I will show you the true Land of Shadows. Open the curtains to the strange land."

Scathach pounded the non-bladed end of Gae Bolg upon the ground once, and the entire landscape turned blood red as gloomy clouds loomed over the area like flames frozen in time. Before her materialized a gargantuan doorway flanked by statues of a quadrupedal animal and jagged crystals. The huge doors cracked open with a thunderous boom, and the color surrounding the territory instantly changed from a mournful red to a chilling bright blue with overcast grey clouds. Wisps of white powder rushed through the gate, which turned out to be snow billowing from the frigid dimension of death lurking on the other side of the door.

"Even your soul is mine! Gate of Skye!" Scathach shouted, triggering a storm that blew anything within the vicinity towards the nightmarish entrance. Any and all Attack Programs caught in its range were picked up with frightening ease and tossed into the spiraling whirlwind. One could equate the Gate of Skye as being the Land of Shadows' mouth that devoured anything into its gullet like a hungry giant. Scathach eventually made the doors close and disappear into nothing, returning SE. RA. PH to its normal state. No enemies remained for her to fight against. It was like she had been surrounded one moment, and completely alone the next.

"Haaah… Maybe I overdid it a little?" the Lancer muttered to herself as she brushed some of her bangs off of her eyes. "Well, I am in a hurry, so I'll let it slide."

Without further ado, the Top Lancer abandoned the former battlefield and hopped along the ruined Roman architecture toward her destination – the St. Metropolita flying over the territories it had already conquered, including Rome. It wouldn't be easy for her to infiltrate an aerial fortress when she had no means of flight herself, so she figured that causing enough of a ruckus on the ground would provoke her target into coming out of hiding. She needed to find another captured sector and engage with opposing Attack Programs once more. It was a tedious process for someone who loved the thrill of battle as she did, but she needed to be patient. After all, one could not reap the harvest without tilling the ground and planting the seeds first.

Scathach suddenly came to a stop. She noticed some sort of dark movement from her peripheral vision, and she glanced over to see what it was. She was taken aback by the bizarre sight of a jet fighter soaring through the skies, its modern technology greatly contrasting the behemoth medieval-style fortress. She thought it was going to attack her, so she got into her combat position. However, the plane passed over her head at Mach speed, deafening her ears for a moment before flying far into the distance. Then, she noticed two figures falling upon her, clearly having jumped off of the aircraft. They landed before her, and she remained on guard.

"Phew…" Altera sighed and brushed herself off. "That was an incredible ride… But I still prefer horseback riding on the open fields to that."

"Bwuh," Lancelot grunted.

"No, it's okay. It was the fastest way to get here without Karl noticing."

Scathach stared at the pair for a long moment, refusing to show them even a moment of weakness. Altera faced the Celtic warrior and asked, "Are you the Queen of Dun Scaith, Scathach?"

"Indeed I am."

"I'm Altera, and this is Sir Lancelot. I apologize for interrupting you while you are on your way to see Karl."

The Lancer narrowed her eyes, then lowered Gae Bolg and replied, "Karl? As in Karl der Große, the King of the Franks?"

"Correct."

"You speak of Rex Magnus as if you are acquainted with him."

"You could say that we have a deep connection with each other…"

"Hm. You're being so vague that I suspect you have no interest in elaborating. Well, it doesn't matter. Regardless of your tale, my war path leads me straight to the emperor – learning of his history will just make it harder for me to kill him. Sometimes it is better to fight in ignorance, rather than sympathize with the enemy and show a moment of weakness. So then, what business do you have with me?"

"There's something I absolutely need to tell you. A Spirit Core Replication Furnace has been created just now. It's located in the City of Lost Destiny."

"My, my. Rex Magnus is advancing at such a horrifying pace. I suppose he's captured a particularly strong Servant to serve as its fuel source."

"I don't know how strong she actually is, but she said she was a trainee of yours."

At that moment, Scathach paled in uncharacteristic fright. "… She said what?"

"That she's a student of yours. Gilles and Lancelot attacked Erin's Expanse to add to Karl's territory, and there was only one Servant there. She would have been Oraclized, but Karl couldn't do it for some reason. Something about how her True Name is covered in a haze, so he couldn't discern her identity."

"That's absurd!" the Top Lancer suddenly blurted. "There's no way Connla's Spirit Core would be able to serve as a Replication Furnace! She would die within mere days!"

"Connla? Is that her name?" Altera wondered.

"If we really are talking about the same person, then yes, that's her name."

Lancelot stood off to the side, pondering the name he learned just now. Learning what 'Gareth's actual name was began to help him regain some sense of clarity in his hate-filled mind. Meanwhile, Scathach asked Altera, "You said her furnace is in the City of Lost Destiny?"

"That's where Karl situated it, after they made that deal with each other."

Scathach's expression stiffened with fury. "What sort of deal?"

"Karl originally wanted you to be the furnace's core, but the trainee girl said she would take your place."

Scathach's expression twisted with rage. "That fool! What in Lugh's name is she thinking!?"

"I don't know," Altera closed her eyes in contemplation. "All I can tell you is that she is slowly dying with every minute that passes, but that she doesn't regret it. It was what she could do to help you, and to make some sort of difference in this war."

"Damn it all… This was a huge error on my part. I shouldn't have left Connla alone like that. Not only is Rex Magnus' influence expanding faster than I anticipated… I should've also taught that foolish girl how to respect her own life more. There is a difference between selflessness and stupidity, and clearly she doesn't know what that is."

"There's still time. If you hurry now, you can save her."

"I intend to do just that. Just one thing though," Scathach said as she raised an eyebrow. "If you are affiliated with the emperor, why are you telling me this? Wouldn't informing me be a detriment to his plans?"

"I… don't know… It's just a gut feeling I have. I know what Karl's doing is wrong, but… I cannot ignore his determination. He is steadfast and unwavering in his conviction to unify SE. RA. PH, which I find admirable. Yet, I also cannot agree with his methods. He is both a wall that defends his allies, and a tsunami that washes away all who oppose him. He speaks of loving everyone equally, yet he cannot accept anyone who has an even slightly different opinion than his."

Scathach shrugged nonchalantly. "Such is the nature of staunch idealists. They are pacified when surrounded by like-minded people who curry to their favors. As soon as they step into the real world, it threatens to crush their fragile souls with sheer disbelief of how cruel and unfair reality is. They run back into their little safe zone, extol their ideals, and try to force their beliefs on the wider world in an attempt to 'change' something, fully disregarding if the world wants that change or not. It's even worse with religions since they don't have to do the hard work of assembling followers for a brand new group – they can just pluck people over from an existing faith, the same way a child sticks their hand in the cookie jar when you're not looking."

"I guess so… Karl is an amazing person, but…"

"But?"

"When I heard that trainee girl talk about saving you from turning into a Replication Furnace, I… I felt something completely different. Since I've always existed to destroy, I can't explain this strange feeling. Everyone knows how powerful you are, and yet she was still worried about you. This wasn't something Karl forced on her, like how he's been Oraclizing every other Servant on SE. RA. PH to make them understand his love for them. It was more… genuine. It was a choice she made with absolutely no benefit to herself. She didn't even want you to know about any of this, fearing you would be upset. All that mattered were that you were safe, and ignorant of what happened to her. Sir Lancelot also wants to save her for his own reasons, but he is still loyal to Karl's cause and cannot do it himself."

Scathach scowled a little. "Hmph. She's right about one thing; I am quite upset with her for pulling such a stunt. Once I get her back, I'm going to start fresh with a brand new curriculum for her."

Altera fidgeted with her hands. "Please help her. I want to talk to her more. I want to know why I'm feeling so confused. Maybe she could tell me something."

"Heh heh. I wouldn't think too hard about it, if I were you. But if you're still starving for an answer, then let me give you a little hint; think of it like comparing a red apple to a green apple. Red ones are sweet, but not good for baking with. Green ones are sour, but their sweetness comes out after baking. The question then becomes, is one type of apple superior to the other due to that difference, or is there no difference due to them being the same genus? Now extend that analogy to the brands of love that Rex Magnus and Connla exhibit. You'll see that they're different, but does that mean one is better than the other? They may have their merits, but there is also profound stupidity to be found in both of them."

"…"

"Now, I must be off," Scathach said as she spun Gae Bolg upon her hand, then performed an impressive leap high into the sky until she vanished out of Altera and Lancelot's sights. While dashing through the region, she kept thinking to herself, I'm sure this is going to be a trap of some kind. But I have to go. What good is a teacher if they cannot help their pupil in their time of need? Besides, I don't think Setanta will ever forgive me if I ignored this. If he were to suffer such an emotional wound once more, I doubt there would be anything left of me worth speaking of…

Meanwhile, Altera stared down at the ground, observing her reflection on the water rippling upon the surface of Rome's territories. Lancelot stood over her, unsure of what to do next.

"… Let's go back to Karl's side," she finally said to him. "Now that Scathach knows what's going on, our business is finished here. If we're gone for too long, he might become suspicious."

"Ahh," the knight grunted in the affirmative.

The present…

Scathach leaned her back against the wall, then slumped onto her buttocks, leaving a vertical trail of blood that smeared the flawless marble. She moaned, "I have only my narrow-minded foolishness to blame for this. Connla's inability to respect her own life is much worse than I imagined. I suppose I can't be too harsh with her though - if she could not win against a Servant, she must have felt utterly powerless before Rex Magnus. He originally intended to Oraclize her, but he encountered a small hitch with that plan regarding her geas. Instead, she made a deal with him."

Cuchulainn's heart sunk with fear when he heard this. His blanched skin tone was comparable to paper as he blurted, "A deal!? With that guy!?"

"It was an exchange… in order to save me from a worse fate than Oraclization…"

Once Scathach finished recounting her tale, the livid man smashed his fist against a nearby wall and raged, "That idiot!"

"There's still time. Her furnace is in the City of Lost Destiny. Go and save her. She needs you now, more than ever before."

"You have my word, Mistress! I'll tear down that bastard's entire army if that's what it takes! Both for her and for you!"

"Heh heh… You're always so irresponsible… but when it comes to that child… it's like you become a completely different person."

Moments later, Scathach's entire body dissipated into white cube-shaped particles, and even those vanished. No trace of her remained, other than her blood and the structural damage her fight with him caused all around them. Cuchulainn turned on his heel and approached the others, then said in a serious tone, "I've got a favor to ask you guys."

Hakuno nodded and replied, "You want to go to the City of Lost Destiny?"

"Yeah. I know we'd be going out of our way here, but this is extremely important to me."

"One of Rex Magnus' Replication Furnaces is there, right? Then it'll only be a benefit to take it offline pronto!" Nero exclaimed.

"Hold on a moment," Tamamo said. "Didn't that shady mathematician fellow say there were just two large-scale furnaces producing those Servant replicas? He never said anything about a third one."

"It must be a lower-grade one, made out of a regular Servant's Spirit Core," Robin surmised. "If it's in the City of Lost Destiny, then there are two theories I have. One is that it's reaching the end of its expectancy and was dumped there. The other is that it's being camouflaged within such an abandoned environment. After all, that's not exactly a place anyone would want to go to have a picnic. Hiding something like a prototype furnace there wouldn't be too hard."

"I don't give a rat's ass what the exact reason is. All I care is that I recover the Servant before she's used up like so much fuel," Cuchulainn scowled furiously. "Once I have her back, I'm going straight for Rex Magnus' jugular. He can spout the most beautiful ideals he wants, but I'm not going to give a shit about any of it. I should probably add those creepers Gilles de Rais and Lancelot to my hit list as well. No one messes with my kid and lives to tell about it!"

"Wait a minute," Charlemagne stopped him. "You said 'your kid'? As in, your flesh and blood child?"

"Yeah. Rex Magnus turned my daughter Connla into a goddamn tool for him to use and discard."

Now everyone understood why he was so upset with this turn of events. Even so, Robin raised an eyebrow and asked, "Hold on. If I remember the story correctly, Connla was your son, wasn't he? What's the deal with him actually being a girl?"

"That's a long story. Basically, I was the one who spread Connla's tale around to depict her as a courageous lad who fell victim to his father's sheer stupidity. Think of it as propaganda that I had the druids carry on for me after I died."

"But that's not the truth, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't. When we've got time, I'll explain everything."

Charlemagne nodded. "I want to hear her story as well. I'm familiar with Connla being a boy from Scotland who fought you to the death. Man, how awesome does a kid have to be to force the invincible Cuchulainn to resort to Gae Bolg as a last-ditch effort?"

Suddenly, Cuchulainn's expression became firm and terse, and he glowered, "Watch your mouth, chump. I'm not going to object to the 'awesome' part, but don't go yapping about me using Gae Bolg on her. That was the worst goddamn moment of my life, and you praising it just rubs salt in that wound. I doubt Connla would be happy to hear such compliments as well. In fact, I doubt she would understand what it's like to be called 'awesome' or 'incredible'. You follow me?"

"O-Oh… I apologize. I'll be more careful next time."

"Good. Now, less chin-wagging, more hoofing it! On the double!"