FATE/CATBOX FICTION

Chapter 11: Meaning of Conquest

Antwerp, PW #00162B

Columbus initiated the battle by raising his saber and shouting, "All right then! A captain of a ship isn't much unless he relies on his crew to cover for him!"

Upon saying that, the air shifted around him several times. 22-S and Iskandar got into their combat stances in front of the confused Waver. Soon, a series of bulky, humanoid robots clad in bronze armor materialized around the haughty seafarer. While their movements were hilariously clunky, the flamethrowers affixed to their arms were nothing to scoff at. The stench of kerosene wafting from the weapons was enough to cause alarm for the Servants.

"So these are Heroic Spirit Soldiers, eh? Not exactly a fan of fighting fellow Servants when they've been reduced to such a sorry state," Iskandar mumbled.

"I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you," Columbus assured in that sickening tone of his. "A Servant should be proud to lend their services, regardless of what form they may be in."

"It appears that your definition of pride is radically different to mine."

"Well as long as I'm not one of them, then all's good."

"Hmph…"

Columbus pointed his blade at the trio and bellowed, "All right, lackeys! Do your worst!"

The Soldiers each took a heavy step forward and silently pointed their flamethrowers at their enemies. Iskandar snatched Waver and leapt out of the area. 22-S followed, and produced a Shield Rune that would protect them from the intense heat radiating from the firestorm that engulfed the spot where they previously had been. Once they were out of harm's way, Iskandar put Waver down and remarked, "Boy, that's going to be a real spot of trouble. Columbus may be a charlatan of a conqueror, but he certainly knows how to keep himself safe."

"What should we do?" Waver asked. "He's completely surrounded by those things, so we can't get close to him. If they keep blazing the area like this, they could wind up burning the cathedral down as well."

Zhuge chortled with bemusement. "How astute of you, lad. I knew I was right to select you as my vessel."

"If you have time to laugh, then come up with a plan for us already!"

"Oh, ye of little faith. Handling a common menace like this is just a warm-up for keeping my strategical skills sharp."

22-S said, "But I'm the only one of us who can use long-range attacks. The best I could do is distract the Soldiers while Lord Iskandar fights the Conquistador."

"Have you forgotten already? The boy is as much of a Servant as you and the Rider are."

"Wha-!?" Waver yelped in total shock. "Don't be ridiculous! You can't expect me to fight on par with a Servant! I don't even know what your abilities are!"

"Calm that temper of yours. You and I are a Caster Pseudo-Servant now. It's the best class vessel for both of us to utilize our full potentials. I'll show you what you need to do. The rest will come naturally to you."

"This is insane…"

As he was muttering this, a peculiar white streak of light zigzagged in the air around Waver, startling him. A deafening clang of steel spooked him, and he tripped forward after feeling someone shove him aside. He looked up to discover 22-S parrying another girl's spear, which had been aimed for Waver's head. The newcomer was indeed another Enforcer. However, where 22-S looked to be around Waver's age, this one was about 11 or 12 years old. She completely lacked 22-S' amicable personality, functioning more like some emotionally detached robot. If 22-S embodied the original Connla's desire to protect others, then this one represented the notion of her being a child soldier who understood nothing but combat.

"I knew you'd come and complicate things for us," 22-S glowered.

"How unfortunate. I was hoping to sever the Master's head without him feeling any pain," the second Enforcer muttered coldly. "It seems that 22-Q's assertion of you being a traitor to our cause was correct, Sister."

"You never were the type to listen to reason, 15-N. Nothing but defeat in battle will convince you to lend an ear to me."

The older girl pushed her younger counterpart away, then told Waver and Iskandar in a bitter tone, "I'm going to have my hands full with this one. Can you two take care of Columbus in the meantime?"

Zhuge Liang replied, "Leave it to us. I can tell that your opponent will not be an easy one to dispatch."

"Now wait just a second!" Waver retorted in a panic. "This is all going way too fast for me! At least give me a second to prepare myself!"

"That second is precisely what Columbus is looking for. He's the type of person whom if you gave an inch, he'd take the entire Equator for himself."

"God damn it! All of you making these decisions without my input!"

"Straighten up, lad! The Heroic Spirit Soldiers are closing in on us!"

Waver looked over and discovered the robots clamoring toward him en masse. He balked at their numbers and yelled, "Shit! What do I do!?"

"Stretch your arm forth!" Zhuge commanded.

The teenager did so. A bagua mirror materialized in front of his palm, then shone bright gold. A concentrated laser of pure light burst from the mirror, tearing through the nearest Soldiers and disintegrating their joints. The damaged robots collapsed onto their sides as useless heaps of junk. At the same time, Waver was so startled by the force radiating from the laser that he fell onto his buttocks.

"Wh-Wh-What the hell was that!?" he cried out.

"Just one of the spells I derived from the Chinese bagua, or what you Westerners know as the trigram," Zhuge said nonchalantly. "My abilities stem from the primary elements that maintain harmony in the world. You might not be ready to handle their full power, but what you're capable of will certainly be enough to destroy these clunkers."

"But there's so many of them!"

"Why don't you try snapping your fingers then?"

"Uh…" Waver uttered, then hesitantly did so. The next wave of Soldiers were unexpectedly swallowed in a fiery storm that detonated from beneath their feet. The kerosene inside their flamethrowers caught fire and exploded like miniature bombs, destroying their arms and upper bodies.

"See? Doesn't it feel great to make your enemies disappear with just a snap of your fingers?" Zhuge chuckled.

"I'm not feeling anything but panic here!"

"If you have the energy to be afraid, then use it to provide cover for our allies."

"Agh, fine! I'll do it, but only for Rider and 22-S!"

"Good show. Here comes the next wave."


"Hmph!"

"Muh!"

Saber and broadsword clashed in flurries of showering sparks. Thanks to Waver keeping the Heroic Spirit Soldiers preoccupied, Iskandar was free to rush toward Columbus and engage in a duel with him. Despite Columbus appearing to be older than Iskandar, he put up quite an impressive fight. The seafarer leapt back, then switched weapons to his morning star and spun it over his head. Iskandar was so startled by the change in weapons that he was not prepared to step aside as the spiked metal ball hurtled for his upper arm. He inched aside just enough that it only seared some flesh off his shoulder, exposing muscle and a bit of bone.

While Iskandar was winded, Columbus drew his rifle and eagerly fired a shot into his chest. Fortunately, he didn't strike any vital organs. The heat of the bullet piercing through his flesh made Iskandar flinch in pain. Even so, his usual smile refused to vanish. This irritated Columbus as he demanded, "Why do you laugh? It's clear that you are at a severe disadvantage, yet you grin like it's nothing."

"Hah! If I let such trifling scratches bother me, then I'd be humiliating the numerous victims of your massacres!"

"Massacres? Please! My expedition was a sanctioned conquest! Disposing of obstacles for the King's empire was normal for my time!"

"I have no interest in what you considered normal! All your King did was enable you to be as much of a sociopath as you desired without fear of retribution! I will not equate myself with someone who considers an expedition into unknown lands to be a reason to raze villages and destroy lives!"

"What else could it possibly be then?"

"The very definition of a journey, full of excitement and dangers that should be shared with everyone around you!"

Columbus frowned. "I know very well what you mean. Sailing the high seas was no different than when your army marched eastward for Persia, Egypt and India. I suffered through near-capsizing and threats of mutiny time and time again. It was all I could do to keep the dream alive before finally reaching land."

"WRONG!"

The seafarer became even more confused when the king bellowed that single word. Iskandar hobbled back onto his feet and yelled, "You've got it all wrong! You keep talking as if the expedition was yours and yours alone! What of your fellow sailors!? They also suffered near-capsizing and threats of mutiny as much as you did! Are you telling me they meant nothing to you as well!?"

"Well, I wouldn't say they were as worthless as the barbaric tribes inhabiting the New World. Even I'm not capable of commanding an entire fleet by myself. But you see, a leader has to maintain a healthy distance from his lackeys. I would tell them to keep going when they were feeling disenfranchised with the journey, yet stand back and mete punishment to them if they dared to think of disobeying me. If anything, they were the means to the end for me."

"Mmmgh…" Iskandar scowled darkly. "If that's how you felt about your own men, then it's no wonder you stand alone in this battlefield."

"What are you going on about now?"

"If they were that important to you, then summon them!"

"… Huh?"

"Summon your crew! Have them demonstrate their loyalty to you! Right here and now!"

Columbus' lip twisted. He couldn't hold back his laughter, and he barked, "What insanity! It seems you have well and truly lost your mind, King of Conquerors! Of course I can't summon those forgettable sea dogs!"

"Heh. Now you understand the fundamental difference between us," Iskandar smirked. "Call it trite if you want, but I still hold on to the memories of my countrymen, as well as those who I encountered during my own conquest! Every one of those meetings and partings were unique and special to me! My goal wasn't to seize all the wealth of the world for myself! It was to see all of that wonderful wealth in its natural environment! I wanted to witness the many kinds of beauty and strength that Macedonia couldn't offer! Even Darius III and his Athanaton Ten Thousand were marvels for me to behold!

"Now that I am here as a Servant, my very being trembles with excitement at what I'll see next! Hell, we stand within an entire parallel universe! How can that not be reason enough to enjoy being alive for you!? Believe me when I say this, but hoarding all the material wealth in all the world – even if you were to plunder multiple parallel worlds - will not save you when you believe that wanton destruction of other lands and total abandonment of your own humanity is what defines a conqueror!"

Columbus listened to Iskandar's rant with a stoic expression. Waver likewise heard what his Servant was saying. Of course, it'd be impossible not to hear him when he was shouting from the depths of his soul. Back when he summoned him, the teenager didn't quite grasp why Iskandar was so emphatic about continuing his expedition even as a Servant. Waver just thought he was some crazy guy who refused to adapt to the times. After listening to how vastly different Iskandar's ideology was from Columbus' though, Waver's opinion for Iskandar started to shift for the better.

Rider… I think I'm starting to get it now. It's not territory that you want to conquer…

He smiled a little.

It's actually the hearts of everyone around you.

"Fu… Fu ha ha…"

A hoarse chuckle escaped Columbus' throat.

"Fu ha ha ha ha… FWAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAAA~AAAH!"

The man practically wheezed for air as he protracted his epic laugh. He smacked his stomach several times and squealed, "Oh God, this is too much! To think that one of history's greatest conquerors could be capable of saying total bullshit with such a straight face! Good Lord, that was comedic gold! If anything, I have to thank you for providing me with some laughs!"

Iskandar's eye twitched. He was so annoyed with Columbus' inability to realize the truth that he felt exhausted. It was almost like he was conversing with an alien entity that was incapable of understanding what it was like to be human. Obviously, Columbus' morals were likewise as impossible for Iskandar to understand. Perhaps Columbus felt the same way about talking with Iskandar – that he too was an alien who spouted incomprehensible nonsense.

"Alas, this is where the comedy ends!" Columbus barked, then pointed his rifle at Iskandar's chest again. "Your silly stalling tactics end here! I'll take your head and add it to my private collection of taxidermies! But don't you worry! I'll take good care of your Master in your stead! A budding Pseudo-Servant like him should fetch a pretty penny from the Mages, after all! Maybe I could get more if I put him through my most grueling training regimen! An immature Servant would not be useful for the Mages now, would it!?"

Now Iskandar was upset. His glare immediately turned cold and sinister. A deep-seeded bitterness welled through him that quickly changed into unbridled fury. His crimson eyes practically shone like fire as he glared at Columbus and grumbled, "I no longer have any interest in debating philosophy with you. The moment you threaten my Master…"

His eyes widened. His thick brows furrowed in fury. His cheeks were covered in veins of anger. His teeth clenched. His powerful aura radiated all around him.

"Is the moment you become an enemy of Macedonia itself!"

He charged forth and raised his sword, while unleashing an incredible battle yodel.

"AH LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LAAA~AAA!"


On the opposite side of the cathedral, two white streaks ricocheted and collided with each other numerous times. Enforcers 22-S and 15-N tumbled gracefully in midair and landed several feet apart.

"Cease and desist, Sister," 15-N ordered.

"I will not," 22-S retorted.

"Then you are defective."

The stoic child Enforcer conjured a fireball in her hand. The teenaged Enforcer did the same. They launched both projectiles at each other, causing them to ignite in the air between them. 22-S couldn't help but chuckle, "You always were so straightforward. You didn't talk much, but your words always possessed substance."

"As opposed to you, blathering apropos of nothing?"

"You wound me."

With that, the two Servants charged at each other. Life seemed to move in slow motion as one reacted to the other's precision spear strikes with equally accurate parries. Then both of them kneeled low and spun the non-bladed ends of their weapons in such incredible sync that they wound up striking the other's cheek simultaneously, causing them to roll sideways like mirror images. 15-N got up first and attempted to drop her heel on 22-S' neck while she was down. The older spearman suddenly grabbed the younger warrior's ankle and performed a sweeping upwards kick that tossed her aside. 15-N wasn't perturbed though – she conjured a Hagalaz Rune and fired countless pellets of hail at 22-S. She deftly twirled on her heels to sidestep the storm, then snatched 15-N's leg once again and hurled her through the cathedral's doors, smashing it into pieces.

Without a word, the angered 15-N leapt back outside, now wielding her slingshot. She fired stones at 22-S with such force that they could tear off limbs. 22-S vaulted and cartwheeled to save her legs as each stone pierced the ground around her. She likewise twirled her spear in ridiculous contortions to block any stones that were aimed for her upper body. She eventually made a mistake by being caught upside-down in front of 15-N, and the younger girl delivered a roundhouse kick to her flank. As 22-S struggled to recover, 15-N grabbed her arm and shimmied onto her back. Her unexpected weight caused the older Servant to fall to the ground, in addition to 15-N painfully twisting her arm with an unnerving crunch.

22-S grunted in pain. She looked up just in time to see 15-N summon a Berkanan Rune. The concrete shuffled unnaturally beneath 22-S' body. She knew what was happening; the Rune was causing some deep, very sharp tree roots to burrow upward, intent on impaling her from below. Acting on instinct, 22-S cast a Ken Rune to blow 15-N off of her with a strong wind gust. She then quickly tumbled aside moments before the roots pierced the masonry like spikes.

While 15-N stumbled back to her feet, 22-S rushed up to her and delivered a kick directly upon her solar plexus, making the child warrior cough for air. What followed was an impressive series of almost 20 kicks that 22-S pummeled her with, culminating with some rising kicks and a backwards kick that sent her careening upon the church's higher walls. However, 15-N didn't actually land back on the ground. She instead snatched the bottommost ledge of one of the windows and hurled herself upward. She had enough momentum to run vertically along the steeple to the spire where the golden clock was.

22-S wasn't sure what 15-N was planning, but she didn't want to stand around and find out. She took chase along the steeple, having to leap aside whenever the younger Enforcer hurled fireballs to throw her off. From her peripheral vision, 22-S noticed what time was being displayed on the clock. She then saw 15-N gracefully hop into the belfry. She opted to take a different path to the belfry, fearing that if she followed the exact same route, 15-N could potentially counter while she was jumping.

Just as 22-S expected, 15-N was ready with another Hagalaz Rune. She fired it the moment she saw the older Enforcer, but she deflected the barrage with a concentrated Ansuz Rune that she used as a shield, causing the hailstorm to melt into harmless steam. They wielded their spears and engaged in another mind-numbing duel. Sparks rained around them with each thunderous strike of their blades. A couple of minutes later, they leapt away from each other to catch their collective breath.

"What are you doing? It is an Enforcer's prerogative to possess killing intent. Why are you stalling like this?" 15-N wondered.

"Heh. I guess nothing escapes your notice. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten how we're supposed to fight. It's just that I prefer having the tactical advantage."

"Tactical-?"

Before 15-N could ask what 22-S meant, their ears were immediately assailed with a horrific and most deafening sound.

GOOO~OOONNNNG… GOOO~OOONNNNG… GOOO~OOONNNNG…

"Ngh!" the child Servant yelped and dropped her spear so she could cover her ears as best she could. 22-S had already placed Algiz Runes over her own eardrums to protect them from the onslaught of noise, although she neglected to safeguard herself from the vicious vibrations rattling through the entire tower. Her assumption had been correct; when she glanced at the time on the clock, it was three minutes to midnight. This meant that the bell tower would be ringing to signify this time to everyone in Antwerp. 22-S battled 15-N in the belfry precisely for this moment, banking on the chance that she was unaware of the time.

GOOO~OOONNNNG… GOOO~OOONNNNG… GOOO~OOONNNNG…

"Kuuuh… GAAAH!" 15-N squealed in sheer agony. She became disoriented and stumbled toward the balcony. To her, falling back to the ground from such a great height was much better than tolerating this pandemonium. She wouldn't get the chance to throw herself off though. A terrible heat seared through her back and out her chest. She glanced down and discovered 22-S' spear protruding out of her upper breast. A dangerous amount of blood stained her white clothes.

"Ah…"

Out of mercy, 22-S planted some Algiz Runes into 15-N's ears so that the bells wouldn't bother her anymore. The younger girl slumped her arms over the railing, unable to move anymore, and she pitifully moaned, "Why…?"

"I'm sorry," 22-S apologized. "You didn't do anything wrong. I simply cannot let Mother's plan come to fruition."

"Mother… would never… program an Enforcer… to disobey her," 15-N murmured.

GOOO~OOONNNNG… GOOO~OOONNNNG… GOOO~OOONNNNG…

Then a realization dawned on the slain Servant, and she mumbled, "Unless… that was… her intention?"

"It was. She designed me for the express purpose of stopping her."

"But… But we're supposed to… buy her time… by deceiving the Mages."

22-S didn't say anything. 15-N couldn't understand anything beyond the orders she was made to carry out. All the older Enforcer replied with was, "You called me defective before, right? Well the truth is that Mother's mind is far more fragmented than you realize. If anyone is defective, it's her. Her return would turn out to be the worst possible outcome for everyone, wouldn't you agree?"

"… I guess so. Now I'm… kind of curious."

"Do I have your permission to inherit your data?"

15-N nodded feebly. "If something's wrong… with Mother's mind… then… please help her."

"I will."

GOOO~OOONNNNG… GOOO~OOONNNNG…

The child warrior's body melted into pure white particles that congregated around 22-S' arms, then traveled through her body like blood being pumped through vessels. Numerous images swirled in her vision as she processed all of 15-N's knowledge and memories, giving her a better overall understanding of what was currently happening.

I see. So there have been reports of another strange group being sighted in the Amazon near Akakor.

22-S opened her eyes, and her lips thinned into a line as she pondered what this new development could mean.

Is the Atlas Institute's prophecy coming true? Is our world really going to end in 1976?

GOOO~OOONNNNG.


Iskandar charged at Columbus with the rage of a ferocious bull. The seafarer smirked and fired more bullets at his oncoming opponent. The king made no attempt to dodge them, nor did he cease his onslaught whenever he was struck. His crimson mantle was peppered with bloody holes, but he didn't care. Columbus was surprised by Iskandar's resilience and attempted to get back. The livid king was upon him before he could do anything, and he screamed in agony as a diagonal line was cleanly carved along his upper torso.

"DAMN YOU!" Columbus seethed. "Get off me, you filthy ogre! How dare you cause the great Christopher Columbus to shed blood!"

"You're the hooligan who declared war on my country! Prepare for the consequences!"

"Your country is DEAD! Get off your goddamn high horse and DIE!"

Both men lashed at each other with animalistic ferocity, slashing their bladed weapons in such a flurry that they paid no mind to the injuries they were sustaining. Blood splattered the concrete steps around them, painting the grey stone with blobs of red. Columbus wielded his morning star again and attempted to flail the heavy spiked ball at Iskandar's head. He craned his neck, causing the attack to miss him by millimeters. He then grabbed the extended chain and pulled it out of the surprised seafarer's hands.

Now it was Iskandar's turn to use the morning star against Columbus, and he twirled it over his head with way more force than the old sailor was capable of. It was rotating so fast that the air seemed to shift unnaturally. Columbus tried to flee down the stairs in panic. Iskandar wouldn't let him escape. He hurtled the steel ball at his fleeing opponent's back. With a terrible thud, his entire right arm, shoulder, and upper-right quadrant of his torso were immediately blown off in a fantastic spurt of blood. He collapsed face-first onto the pavement and howled in sheer agony.

Iskandar closed his eyes, then forlornly murmured, "Hah… How unfortunate. How truly, truly unfortunate."

Columbus regained enough of his sanity to squeal, "What are you going on about now!? Are you still intent on lecturing me about what it means to be a conqueror!? You're better off saving your breath, 'cause you won't be having too many more once I'm through with you!"

"No, no, I'm done with my soliloquies. I've made my point clear, yet it refuses to bring clarity to your murky spirit. All I can do now is pity you."

"Pity me!?"

"You've become so obsessed with foisting your superiority upon others that you have woefully neglected a most basic tenant of leadership."

"So you are going to lecture me again! How boring!"

"I already said I was done talking. Since words will not move you, perhaps a demonstration of the crucial difference between us is in order."

Columbus snarled. How could Iskandar possibly show him anything that he didn't already know?

The king gallantly folded his arms. The air rippled unnaturally beside him, until the form of a huge yet majestic black horse trotted through and stood next to its owner. He patted the horse's neck and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Bucephalus. I thought I could get this ruffian to see common sense, but I only served to make you impatient, didn't I?"

The steed snorted, as if it was forgiving him. He planted his foot upon one of the stirrups, then hoisted himself onto the saddle and held tightly on the reigns. He then concentrated on something, though Columbus wasn't sure of what. He was too mesmerized by Iskandar's mighty figure, and was likewise exhausted from losing so much blood to try and retaliate.

Then, the King of Macedonia shouted at the top of his lungs, "Come! Gather around again, fearless fighters who all dreamed of reaching the farthest land!"

The wind started to pick up around him. It swirled like a concentrated tornado, throwing dust and debris everywhere. A radiant sky blue aura seemed to burst from Iskandar's body, expanding further and further like a ballooning dome, until the world around both men turned pure white. Columbus squeezed his eyes shut to block out the blinding brightness. Once he was able to open them again, he glared around.

The first thing he noticed was that he was kneeling on sand. Then he heard armored footsteps. Not one, or two, or three… Hundreds of them. All of them seemed to walk in tune with each other. Despair seized Columbus' heart. He was staring at a battalion of Macedonian soldiers and advisors who once marched alongside Iskandar during his conquest. These men weren't just mere phantoms or imagined beings however; each and every one of them was a Heroic Spirit, having their own individual place in the Throne Heroes, yet still walking together with their leader whenever he needed them the most. Within this imagined space, Iskandar could summon all of the Heroic Spirits like a Mage could summon their own Servant. Of course the effect was only limited to those heroes who once followed Iskandar during his lifetime, but it was still a true miracle regardless.

Columbus' jaw dropped as he realized what was going on:

"A Reality Marble!? From a Rider!? That can't be!"

Iskandar glared darkly at Columbus. "Yes… The difference between you and me… is this!"

He raised his sword. All of the soldiers likewise raised their lances in support of their charismatic leader. Standing all alone on the opposite side of the sandy field, Columbus could only gape in horror, realizing that he was severely outmatched. Even if he were to use Santa Maria Drop Anchor, his infamous order to incite pillaging and destruction was not powerful enough to fend against an entire nation that was more than ready to stave off any intrusion. In fact, Santa Maria Drop Anchor was designed more to take advantage of the weak and defenseless, not to wage war against a battalion of trained soldiers.

"Do you see it now, Christopher Columbus!?" Iskandar shouted, his expression full of sheer rage. "I have the undying fealty of my citizens to support me! Even when centuries have passed, their loyalty to my cause will not falter! Who do you have!? That's right – no one! You have thrown away so many lives that you have no one left to discard but yourself!"

"Guh-!"

The immensely satisfied Iskandar bellowed to his men, "Now, my people! Carve our glory, so that the land itself may remember our victory! IONIOI HETAROI!"

The last thing Columbus could remember was the rising plumes of sand overwhelming him. The cacophony was so intense that he didn't even feel the spears plunging into his flesh. Thousands of footsteps trampled him everywhere, crushing bones and organs like they were nothing. Once the stampede had barged past him, the only thing that remained of Christopher Columbus was an indescribable pile of blood and guts. As if placing the period on this hilariously one-sided beatdown, Bucephalus' hoof smashed upon the dead Servant's cranium, crushing it into pieces.

Content that his Noble Phantasm had done its job, Iskandar ceased conjuring his Reality Marble and allowed both the desert and the throngs of soldiers to disappear. He was back in the real world, still astride Bucephalus as he glared at Columbus' remains. He didn't say a word as he watched the seafarer's body shine gold and vanish.

"Rider!" Waver exclaimed as he ran to his Servant's side.

Iskandar's foul mood disappeared once he heard the teenager's voice. His typical smile returned as he exclaimed, "All done with the clean-up here!"

"Holy crap, that was incredible! I never thought you'd be so powerful!"

"Of course it was amazing! I won't accept anything less but the best as my Noble Phantasm! I bet that mountebank who dared to call himself a conqueror in my presence will be reflecting on the lesson I just gave him in the Throne of Heroes! What about you, boy? Are the Heroic Spirit Soldiers gone?"

"M-More or less, thanks to… Zhuge Liang's help."

"What's wrong? Your voice sounds rather shaky."

"Well, um…"

"Don't worry about it," Zhuge's voice interrupted. "He was just unaccustomed to wielding my level of magic. It was all he could do to follow my instructions, so he is rather exhausted."

"Understandable," Iskandar murmured. "I suppose traveling through a Gate, immediately followed by using his newfound Servant abilities would certainly wear him out. The addition of me using Ionioi Hetaroi must have drained him of his magical energy as well. It's amazing he can still keep his eyes open."

Just then, they heard 22-S' boots click on the ground behind them. She landed after safely falling from the cathedral's belfry. She heard what they were talking about, so she approached the tired Waver and put a hand on his shoulder while saying, "Perhaps I should prescribe a few days of rest for you."

"Yeah, I guess so," he wearily murmured. "But what about that other Enforcer?"

"15-N has been silenced. I have inherited her data, so I will take this time to parse through it and decide our next course of action."

"You ladies can do that?" Iskandar asked.

"It's a normal function that we possess. When an Enforcer dies, their data can be preserved in one of two ways; by either passing it on to an existing Enforcer, or having 1-A program a new vessel that can function as a continuation of the deceased. If it's passed to an existing Enforcer though, the dying Servant has to give permission for the transfer to be complete."

"So you got 15-N's permission then."

"That I did. We had a brief but very fascinating conversation, and she decided to let me carry on her legacy. I'll detail the particulars to you and Lord Zhuge later. For now, let me find a place for Mr. Velvet to rest."

Iskandar dismounted Bucephalus, and the giant steed disappeared into spirit form. He smiled and said to her, "I'll leave it to you then, 22-S…"

His grin unexpectedly turned into a frown, as he looked rather unpleased with what he just said. He leaned over the short woman, staring her straight in the eye as he suddenly wondered, "Not to make things more annoying than they already are, but don't you think you should do something about that name of yours?"

"What do you mean?" the Enforcer tilted her head curiously "I fail to see how my designation code cannot function as a means of identifying myself."

"No, no, no, you've got it all wrong! In my eyes, you're not one of those manufactured dolls! You're your own person, aren't you!?"

"Only as individual as I am from my sisters in production order."

"That simply won't do. If you're going to be one of my trusty soldiers, then I need to address you with a name most suitable to your talents and character. I'm not like those Mages who only use letters and numbers to identify the rank-and-file grunts."

"Is that so? Despite that, I can't say I have a penchant for coming up with good names."

"Then from here on out, you will be called Lexy."

"Lexy?" Waver wondered, then raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess – you got it from your own name, Alexander the Great?"

"Sure did!" Iskandar smirked, then asked 22-S, "What do you think? Short and simple, but to the point, just like you are."

"Hmm," the Enforcer murmured to herself. "If it satisfies you, then I can go with that."

He smacked her shoulder so hard that she yelped. He barked, "Hey, come on, don't be such a stick in the mud! I know you'll like it! Soon enough, you'll break out of that robotic shell of yours and declare yourself an independent woman worthy of being a part of my Ioniroi Hetaroi!"

"I think you're giving me too much credit, Lord Iskandar. Aside from the combat abilities my original Spirit Origin has gifted me, all I'm good at doing is processing facts and making rational decisions."

"Better than nothing, if you ask me."

"… Very well," the newly-named Lexy murmured.


AUTHOR'S NOTE: Wanted to wrap this chapter up before the release of Yuga tomorrow. I might have glossed over Waver's fight against the Soldiers, and there was a lot more talking between Iskandar and Columbus than I probably would have liked. Hopefully the fight between 22-S and 15-N will make up for the lack of action for you guys.