FATE/CATBOX FICTION
Chapter 28: Berserker of Akakor
The video finally reached the end and stopped. The entire shrine was enveloped in total silence. No one was sure what to say about what they just watched.
It would be Iskandar who finally murmured, "Well now…"
Sanson appeared the most devastated as he blurted, "Rider of Akakor was behind all of this?"
Waver recalled his studies into the Akakor Grail War, recalling what Rider's True Name and his history were. Pangs of dread welled within him, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.
"Compose yourself, lad," Zhuge told him. The strategist seemed to be the only one who remained unaffected by the video's sordid contents. "Thanks to this recording plus Caster of Akakor's testimony about Luise Brugger, we're much closer to apprehending the true culprit and vindicating Lancer. That's been your goal this whole time, isn't it?"
"Y-Yeah… I just can't believe how convoluted things have gotten. Not only that, though…" Waver murmured, and his skin turned deathly pale. "Lancer was a child Servant…"
"You already know that. Lexy told you back in London, didn't she?"
"She did, but… Lancer was just so… small…"
"When it comes to warriors, size means nothing. It is all about skill and experience."
"That's not the problem. It's just… how could they get away with executing a child Servant without questioning how inherently wrong it was?"
Iskandar placed his hand on Waver's shoulder and said, "The Extinction must have caused more than enough indignation. The survivors would be happy to blame anyone for that tragedy and make them pay for it. Lancer was the convenient scapegoat that the Extremists set up precisely for this narrative."
They were startled when they heard Sanson smack his fist against the computer console in frustration. The executioner's eyes became heavy and distorted with indescribable fury. Each of his breaths seethed with venom as he growled, "Rider… God damn that cur…"
"Are you all right?" Irisviel asked him.
"Gh… Everything I've known… No, everything we've known has been a lie."
"Who do you mean by 'we'?"
"Myself and the other two Caretakers. Three Mages allied with the Extremists summoned us with our memories of a certain Singularity intact. We were companions with that world's version of Connla, and we all fought to the death to protect that world from being destroyed. We found out later that it was Rider who convinced them to perform such a summoning, for the purpose of making us execute Lancer of Akakor."
"He wanted you three to suffer by killing your own friend."
"Yes… If Rider was capable of such a deviant plan, I had my suspicions that he would do the same to the other Mages. But to think he had the entire Extremist faction obeying his every word… Do you understand what that means? He held sway over thousands of rogue Mages! It's no wonder the Conservatives never stood a chance!"
"…"
"22-Q was right. The Extremist faction was actually a cult of personality centered around Marquis de Sade. He was the one orchestrating everything behind the scenes. All of this was just a game to him. He wanted to extract every ounce of pain and suffering from anyone and everyone he made contact with."
Kiritsugu murmured, "Rider is still lurking out there, though. His power base doesn't seem to be as strong as it was back then."
Sanson replied, "That's thanks to our cooperation with Caster of Akakor. We worked together to break down Sade's influence, making the Mage's Association and the remainder of the Family Tree's Mages turn against him and force him underground. Granted, most of the Mages just wanted to wrest control from Sade rather than make him face justice, but the result was satisfactory enough. The trouble is that Sade continues kidnapping people to use as vessels for his Spirit Origin, meaning if we don't find where he stores those bodies, he'll continue subsisting through them."
"Hm…"
Irisviel grew confused as she murmured, "Something doesn't make sense though. How did Rider know to have those Mages summon you three with such memories intact? According to Chaldea's reports of the Nevada Singularity, Marquis de Sade was never present in that world."
"That's the real puzzler," Sanson frowned. "The only sensible solution I can come up with is that someone told him about it."
"Like Lancer?"
"I don't think so. Archer of Akakor would never allow Lancer to even make eye contact with Rider."
"But there's been so much going on in the background. It might not even be surprising if Lancer and Rider had at least some conversations without the Conservative Servants knowing about it."
"That's true, but… For some reason, I just don't see that happening…"
"Is that just intuition?"
"Maybe. There's also how Lancer is still terrified of Rider even to this day. If you ever mention his name in front of her, the Grail Terminal begins to malfunction."
"I see," Irisviel closed her eyes in contemplation. "Still, let's not ignore the fact that Magecraft imitating the Second Magic exists in this world. Maybe Rider used it to gaze into the events of that world."
"That's impossible," Sanson firmly insisted. "The technology wasn't created until after Lancer's death. Rider somehow knew about the Nevada Singularity before her execution."
"Oh my…"
Kiritsugu interrupted them by saying, "Enough. We'll be stepping over each other all day trying to figure this out. All we understand is that through some unknown means, Rider discovered the Nevada Singularity and summoned the Caretakers to make them suffer during Lancer's execution. If we ever run into Rider during our invasion of the Preservatorium, we can ask him then."
Sanson narrowed his eyes. "Considering that the Tradition Protection has been barring Rider access to the Terminal, we might be seeing him a lot sooner than we think."
Irisviel nodded and murmured, "Let's keep our eyes peeled for him then. We wouldn't want him to ambush us at an inopportune time."
Waver listened to the conversation, then asked, "Do we have to worry about Berserker as well? We heard him… her? It? Anyway, we heard them say that they shared the same penchant for tormenting humans that Sade does."
"I don't know why, but Berserker has gone missing for all of these years," Sanson said, appearing obviously perplexed.
"Berserker's missing?"
"Hey, lad," Iskandar leaned in next to his Master, "do you know who Berserker is supposed to be? I couldn't make out too many of their features, other than they had feline ears."
"Oh, that's no mystery," the former student replied. "Berserker of Akakor was the Nekomata, the two-tailed cat youkai of Japanese folklore. It first appeared in the Meigetsuki, written by Fujiwara no Teika during the early Kamakura era. Nekomata are said to be two types of cats; wild animals that live in the mountains, and domestic cats that have grown old and transformed into youkai. No one knows which type Berserker was supposed to be, but their usual traits remained the same. They would hunt humans and devour them, and were capable of shapeshifting into humans to deceive hunters."
"That would be the kind of demon that the infamous Minamoto no Raikou and his retainers would slay."
"Right. They're best known for exterminating oni, but since nekomata lived in the mountains and preyed on humans as well, they weren't exempt either."
Iskandar stood tall and stroked his beard. "I see… So that's the type of Servant who kept tabs on Lancer. Just from watching the video at first glance, you would think that they were friends. Knowing all of this background information gives it a much more sinister undertone though."
Zhuge said, "The real trouble is why Berserker has disappeared. In fact, I need to clear something up with you, Mr. Sanson."
"What is it?" the executioner wondered.
"You say that Berserker is 'missing'. Are you sure that they're not 'dead'?"
"I'm positive. The Terminal's system has been picking up traces of Berserker's Spirit Origin somewhere in Akakor. Whenever I have spare time, I try to figure out where the signal is coming from, but it's been to no avail."
"Understood. So we know that Berserker is alive, but unable to act for some reason."
Waver asked the strategist, "Why would you want to confirm something as obvious as that?"
"I just wanted to eliminate the possibility of Berserker attacking us while our guard is down. We already have enough to worry about with Rider and the Family Tree Mages eventually getting in our way. Besides, it's important to distinguish between 'dead' and 'missing' – not establishing the basics will wind up biting you in the ass down the line."
Waver pondered on this lesson for a moment. At the same time, Roman spoke to Sanson through Kiritsugu's transceiver, "I know this has been a lot for you to take in. Believe me, we're having a hard time coming to grips with this information as well. But nonetheless, we need to press on to the Preservatorium and meet Lancer of Akakor. For that, we need your cooperation with lowering Salazere's anchor to the Tradition Protection. Can you help us with that?"
Sanson no longer needed to hesitate in his response. He nodded and murmured, "I will. If Rider of Akakor was the true mastermind behind the Grail War's catastrophic downturn, then I need to ask Lancer some hard questions of my own. She had to have known what Rider was plotting! I just know it! If anyone can help break her out of her shell, it would be me, the Caretaker who understands her way of thinking the most."
"Thanks. I received word from the other two teams that Manoa and Tiahuanaco's Caretakers have also agreed to help us."
"I suspected they would. They feel just as responsible as I do for what happened to her."
"All right then," Roman said, then opened transmission to Ritsuka and Cuchulainn's teams and spoke to everyone with the firm tone the Acting Director of Chaldea should possess. "Listen up, everyone. I have confirmed that all three shrines have been liberated. I am hesitant about commanding the Caretakers to lower the anchor points without allowing you all ample time to rest, but it's become evident that time is of the essence. Connla Cliste's mind is deteriorating inside the Grail Terminal, and we have to proceed quickly to destroy it before she can do anything irrational. However, there is still the problem of the Family Tree Mages surrounding us once the Tradition Protection has been nullified."
Leonidas exclaimed on Ritsuka's transmitter, "Not to worry, Commander of Chaldea! I have a most daring plan we can use to stave off the Mages!"
"Oh? Please, do tell!"
"It is quite simple, really. There's nothing saying we have to permanently keep the barrier down. All we need is for it to be disabled long enough for us to proceed through."
"Ahh, I see! So you Caretakers will re-enable it once we're safely inside!"
"Indeed! It is a perfect defensive system designed to keep rouge Mages away from the Little One! Why discard it when we can turn around and use it to our advantage!?"
"Excellent idea! We won't have to worry about anyone chasing us into the Preservatorium!"
"Furthermore," Spartacus added, "the elevator trip down to the Terminal takes about half an hour. That should be enough time for everyone to rest and get their bearings."
"Wow, half an hour?" Da Vinci wondered. "Just how deep are we going anyway?"
"I don't know the details, but I think it's around halfway through the Earth's crust."
"That's anywhere from 12 to 18 km. Sigurd wasn't kidding when he said that Akakor is designed like an upside-down pyramid buried underground."
"Sounds about right."
They heard Cuchulainn grumble on his transceiver, "Ugh, how long do you plan on discussing this? If you've ironed out your strategy, then get us moving already."
"I'm with the big guy," Izo complained. "My skills are gonna rot away if I keep sittin' on my ass like this."
Roman chuckled, "I guess some of us are eager to get this over with. All right, Caretakers, I'm counting on you to take care of the Tradition Protection. Lower the barrier, guide our forces to that elevator, then prevent Akakor's Mages from pursuing us."
"Understood," Sanson, Leonidas and Spartacus all replied simultaneously.
In Manoa, Spartacus stood before the shrine's throne and raised his hand before it. Several glyphs shone around his wrist, and he concentrated on disabling Manoa's anchor. Leonidas and Sanson performed the same motions in their shrines as well. Cuchulainn, Connla, and Izo silently watched as the glyphs surrounding Spartacus became brighter and brighter. The eye on the three Tezcatlipoca murals all flared brightly. Suddenly, the symbols shattered like glass.
"Um… Did it work?" Connla asked, unsure of what happened.
"Yes," the gladiator said. "The entrance shall soon be revealed."
To the trio's surprise, the throne started to slide back along the ground. As it moved, an overpowering musty stench wafted around them, and they had to cover their mouths and noses. However, the most important aspect of this new entrance was a flight of steel stairs leading into an indomitable darkness far below. The modern design of these steps greatly clashed with the ancient stonework the Chaldeans had been traversing through this entire time. Obviously, this top secret chamber was a recent addition to Akakor's overall structure. Compared to the rest of Akakor's rich Mesoamerican history and folklore, this looked and felt so unnatural… almost alien, in a way.
Connla shuddered and gulped. She was one huge step closer to meeting Cliste. The anxiety threatened to cripple her, but she needed to stay strong. Cuchulainn noticed her trepidation and stood in front of her while whispering, "Stay behind me, got it?"
"Mm…"
Once the throne had completely moved off the hole in the floor, Spartacus announced, "This is Manoa's entrance to the Preservatorium."
"'Bout bloody time we got this show movin'," Izo muttered.
The samurai tried to enter first, but the gladiator suddenly threw his arm out to bar passage. Izo snapped, "Hey, what's the big idea!? Are ya goin' back on yer word already!?"
"No," Spartacus replied. His usual mirth was completely gone as his glare turned deadly serious. Even Izo couldn't ignore the sudden change in the usually energetic warrior's behavior. "I will gladly guide you through. However, I must give you a word a caution."
Cuchulainn narrowed his eyes and frowned. "Is something in there?"
"I'm afraid so. It might wind up being too terrifying for the little miss to see. I strongly suggest you all keep your eyes shut until we make it to the bottom elevator."
Connla grew uneasy upon hearing this warning. It was exactly the same as when Izo prevented her from helping Cuchulainn investigate Sade's workshop. She still had no idea what they witnessed, and she was getting a little tired of being left out of these crucial investigations. Yet, she couldn't overlook how grim Spartacus was as he spoke. She couldn't imagine the giddy and foolhardy Berserker she once knew to be so hesitant and somber. It just felt so… weird.
She finally spoke in a quiet voice, "If it's not a threat to us, then I'll be okay."
"It's not dangerous, but the sight might be more than you can bear," Spartacus said.
"I'll be fine. I'll look away if I absolutely have to."
"… All right."
Cuchulainn didn't say a word as he quickly grabbed Connla's hand and held on with a vice-like grip, refusing to let her out of arm's reach as the group ventured inside the new entrance.
In a long-forgotten, claustrophobic chamber situated directly next to Manoa, someone sat against the wall and leaned in closely to a hole that had opened up due to centuries of erosion. One could compare such a vantage point to a spider tucking itself in a dusty corner on the ceiling and silently observing what was going on below them. The figure had remained tucked in this secret spot while watching everything that had happened inside the shrine, from the Chaldeans' battle against Spartacus and Atalanta Alter, the two guardians' breakdown, the gladiator almost destroying Manoa with his Noble Phantasm, Cliste interfering to calm him down, and what the survivors talked about while waiting.
All of the drama, sorrow, and suffering he witnessed was just so… exhilarating! All of the violence, carnage, despair, and grief everyone experienced during that battle were all because of his machinations 50 years ago, and he loved it. He enjoyed being the source of such chaos. He saw it as his way of gaining power over other people's destinies, being able to control whether they lived in agony or died after extended amounts of torment.
Yes, he knew he was hopelessly in love with power. He understood that it wasn't natural for humans to behave in such a manner. No matter how much he tried to fight back those dark thoughts in his living years, the temptation was just too irresistible. Maybe he wasn't anywhere as warped as this when he was alive. Maybe there was still some semblance of humanity remaining in him. Alas, he was incarnated as a Servant representing what later generations saw him as; a complete and utter monster, devoid of morals and common sense.
Perhaps if they had some sympathy for what his demented uncle exposed him to in his youth, he might have been summoned with some properties of an Innocent Monster. However, no one could come to terms with how much of a deviant he was in his later years. His actions during his adult life were what defined him as a Servant. Maybe he was summoned to be a deliberate caricature of his former self – a sadistic sociopath unable to connect with the world around him, causing nothing but trouble and heartbreak for everyone he ever encountered. Even offending the World itself with his prized work 120 Days of Sodom was considered an honor for him.
Nevertheless, Marquis de Sade was still lurking within Akakor. After his battle with Connla, he barely managed to escape by transferring his Spirit Origin into his last remaining physical vessel – the Mage he felt the greatest affinity with. He had kept this person inside a cryogenic chamber that was so well-hidden that not even Cuchulainn or Izo had found it during their rampage of his workshop. Unlike all of his previous captured victims, this particular Mage actually found Sade's warped rationale rather appealing. As the Mage wanted to survive long enough to participate in a future Akakor Holy Grail War, and Sade wanted to continue subsisting as a Pseudo-Servant, the two made an agreement with each other:
"My desire is to see a particular woman again. Your desire is to turn this world into a utopia that matches my vision. If the brightest lights of justice and morals threatens to burn away our dreams, then our hopes can only be found in the darkest pits of hell. If we are born to be fundamentally evil, then there is no need to resist it. Therefore, I see it is in our best interest to join forces. I will entrust this useless physical vessel of mine to you. In turn, use your power to pursue our utopia – a world where true freedom can finally exist, and heroes of justice are little more than quaint fairy tales dreamt up by feeble weaklings."
When the Mage approached Sade with this proposition, he wasn't sure how serious the man really was. He was finally convinced when the Mage cryogenically froze himself and slept for many decades, being watched over by Sade as they waited for their opportunity. Now, Sade had no choice but to inhabit this Mage's body in his last desperate attempt to achieve everything he ever wanted. He was astonished by how much synergy they shared with each other, as if he was returning to his living form!
All this while, Sade bided his time while staying in the shadows. He utilized the Mage's multitude of familiars to observe what Connla's group was doing without them noticing. Despite losing his Rikudou Reika vessel to her, he believed she was the key to him getting past the accursed Tradition Protection that had prevented him from accessing the Grail Terminal for all these years. No matter how much he plotted, schemed, and tormented everyone around him, he never got anywhere close to finding out what the barrier's origin story was for him to dispel it on his own. Acquiring the three shrines for himself was not an option either since the Caretakers absolutely despised him.
But now… all of his patient waiting would come to fruition.
As he watched the throne sliding off of the secret entrance to the Preservatorium, Sade's heart pounded with anticipation. This was the chance he and the Mage had been waiting 50 years for.
It won't be long now… Just wait a little longer for me…
He could barely contain his excitement.
I'm coming for you… Justine. †
As he recalled Akakor Connla's pained face, the beating wings of an insect buzzed in the darkness.
At first the narrow corridors were completely dark, so the three Servants weren't sure why Spartacus was so careful in the first place. However, dim lights gradually opened up on the ceiling in the distance. They appeared to be in a dome-like structure, with old light bulbs illuminating their surroundings to reveal a series of high-rise metal walkways. The drop below them extended well over a kilometer, while the ceiling curved to about two kilometers at its peak. The facility was absolutely massive. But why was it so huge when there wasn't really anything worthwhile?
This wasn't just one of the three secret entrances to the Preservatorium. It served as one of the Grail Terminal's primary servers that all Parallel World Gates were connected to. Numerous wires stretched along the sloped walls and ceiling. Each one coursed with hypnotic multicolored lights, akin to blood vessels pumping colorful neon blood. Something else seemed to wrap around the wires though… and throbbed…
"Ah…"
A tiny gasp escaped Connla's throat. Her pupils dilated into tiny dots. The world seemed to shift so much in her vision that she nearly fell backwards.
As her eyes adjusted to the light, she realized what she was actually looking at. She felt like she had stepped into some steampunk author's worst fantasies that had come to life. Along with numerous gears and mechanical parts that endlessly rotated, and puffs of steam escaping out of valves, all of the machinery and wiring were covered in layers upon layers of distorted organs and vessels. Fibrous matter stretched along the walls like cobwebs, and arteries carpeted the platform the Servants walked upon. The sight was made more disturbing when they heard something like a warped breath in the distance.
"Holy shit," Izo yelped.
Cuchulainn's jaw dropped. The things he saw in Sade's atelier were practically a joke compared to this living nightmare. Furthermore, all of them had a good idea as to where these sickly organs originated from, due to every single wire and vessel extending from a singular point on the ground and traveling along the walls with seemingly random paths. Connla was the one who would utter the inevitable:
"Cliste…"
Cuchulainn immediately grabbed his daughter's head and forcefully buried her face against his waist to shield her eyes. He too was mortified beyond belief, but he needed to keep his wits for her sake. Connla shook so much that she needed to hug his leg just to keep herself steady. He leaned in and whispered to her, "Let's just get through as fast as possible, okay?"
"M… M-Mmm…" she whimpered and nodded.
Spartacus refused to look back at the traumatized trio. All he did was stare ahead into the darkness and murmur, "Forgive me."
"Never mind that. Just get us out of here," Cuchulainn said.
"Right."
Behind the Celts, Izo choked up and struggled to swallow. He wanted to scream at the inhumanity of it all. How could the Mages do this to a child Servant? Was the technology really worth putting her through such… horror? He wouldn't forgive them. He would cut this twisted contraption into bloody ribbons, then hunt down the Mages and dissect them without remorse. His fear gave way to repressed rage as he followed the others through this gory maze.
Izo's breaths seethed so deeply that Cuchulainn could hear them. He glanced back and asked, "You holding up back there?"
"Like fuck I am."
"You look ready to slaughter a god."
"Hmph. You do too."
Izo also noticed how enraged Cuchulainn appeared, primarily due to the deep riastrad lines forming on the Mad King's face. Despite how livid they were, they actually grinned at each other. If there was any consolation to this, at least it renewed their vigor to destroy the Terminal and release Cliste from her years of torment.
Spartacus remained silent as he guided them through the expansive chamber to a pair of heavy steel double doors at the end. Spartacus used all of his strength to wrench them open, and he brought them inside to a huge metal elevator about 500 m2. The only source of light was a few orange-tinted bulbs flickering above them, calming their nerves after seeing so many colorful flashes that they thought they were hallucinating. He shut the doors behind them, blocking out the gruesome scenery.
"You can open your eyes now, kiddo," Cuchulainn told Connla.
The despondent girl did so, and she gazed around at the plain-looking elevator shaft with a disinterested gaze. She looked so listless that the men couldn't help but feel sorry for putting her through such a terrible experience. She was a hair's breath away from bawling into tears, but she bravely maintained her composure and remained silent as they waited for the other two teams to join them. Two of the other walls had similar doors to the ones they just came through. After about five minutes of waiting, the doors leading to Tiahuanaco opened up. Ritsuka, Mash, Leonidas, and the four Akakor Servants entered, and the others could tell that they had witnessed a similarly harrowing sight based on their collective melancholy.
"I… never want to see anything like that again…" Ritsuka gasped and clenched her shirt.
"I know. But don't give up, Senpai," Mash murmured. "Just a little further, and we can put an end to this."
"Thanks, Mash."
Of the Akakor Servants, Earp was obviously the most distressed. He just hung his head low and refused to look up at his comrades. Maupin patted and rubbed his back multiple times to assure him that she was there for him. Connla saw this and approached them. Although she didn't know who Maupin was, she was more concerned about Earp's sorrowful mood. She asked the Saber, "Is he going to be okay?"
"Ne t'inquiète pas, mon chérie," Maupin assured her with a wave of her finger. "He's much tougher than you think."
"I see. Um… you wouldn't happen to be Saber of Akakor, would you?"
"Indeed I am. Those two back there are Assassin and Caster."
Connla looked over and spotted Quintrala and Machiavelli standing together a short distance from the rest of the party. They also stared at her intently. Memories flooded in their minds as they thought about the times they encountered Akakor Connla during the Grail War. Quintrala was more disturbed than fascinated as she recalled how she lost her only battle against Lancer of Akakor. Seeing Chaldea Connla made her terribly anxious, fearing that if she angered this diminutive little girl, she would give her a similar brutal thrashing to what Akakor Connla did. Quintrala could only look away, unable to bear the sight any longer. Connla had no idea why the red-haired Chilean noble was so upset upon meeting eyes with her.
Machiavelli stepped forth and asked Connla, "So you're Chaldea's version of Lancer?"
"Y-Yes, I am."
The philosopher appeared agitated as he glanced aside and murmured, "Hm… I almost feel like I have no right to look you in the eye."
"Huh? Why not?"
"I am one of many who failed to protect our Connla from this tragic fate. If you harbor any resentment toward us for allowing this to happen to your counterpart, I will accept it wholeheartedly."
"No, not at all. I never thought of anyone like that. What happened has happened. All we can do now is fix this before it is too late, and punish the ones responsible."
Machiavelli returned his gaze to her. His smirk was bitter, and he repressed a self-loathing chuckle as he muttered, "I suppose I should have anticipated such a response. Our Connla was very much like you. To be honest though, seeing such an advanced level of maturity from someone so young genuinely frightens me."
"…"
"Ah, my apologies. I didn't mean to insult you. I meant that your circumstances were far too unnatural for any rational human to live through. Your unusual behavior is simply a testament to your tenacity, and I wanted to compliment it."
"Awkward with words as always, my good Caster," Maupin muttered and shrugged. "No wonder you're always so misunderstood."
Cuchulainn narrowed his eyes and glared at Machiavelli darkly. He would have liked to rebuke the politician's assessment, but he knew he was right. He opted not to say anything and left it at that. Meanwhile, Connla turned her attention to the melancholic Earp. She got in close so she was in eyeshot with his lowered face, and she asked him, "Are you all right, Mr. Earp?"
"Uh…" he snapped to attention once he saw her. He gulped and forced himself to perk up so he didn't look so depressed in front of her. He gave her a thumbs up and said, "I'm hangin' in there, missy. Seein' y'all alive an' well's 'nough t'cheer me up. Still, let's not get 'placent, 'kay? I got a feelin' in my gut that all that busywork was just the easy part."
"I think so too. That's why it's even more important for you to not push yourself."
"That goes double fer ya. If this winds up gettin' over yer 'ead, let me know, got it?"
"Okay."
"Still, it's kinda nice to 'ave the 'ole gang back. If only Berserker were 'ere, I woulda thrown us a killer reunion party."
"Just Berserker? What about Rider?"
"Fuck 'im to 'ell an' back."
Connla frowned, thinking back to her battle with Sade. Under her breath, she muttered, "I suppose so."
About a minute later, the doors leading to the shrine of Salazere opened. Ritsuka and Mash were happy to see Kiritsugu and Irisviel rejoin the group, but became equally baffled when they saw three strangers accompanying them. Kiritsugu remained stoic as always, but it was clear that Salazere's server room had disturbed him. Irisviel likewise couldn't bring herself to smile – even though she was glad to reunite with Ritsuka and the other Chaldeans, the sight of all those throbbing organs and freakishly prismatic wires deeply bothered her. As a homunculus, she fully understood the lengths that Mages would go to obtain the lost True Magic. Regardless if it was the Third Magic in her case, or the Second Magic with Cliste, it was all the same to her.
Waver and Iskandar followed them. The Macedonian king's jovial personality gave way to such an indomitable glare that entire armies would be frightened by seeing it. Of everyone present, Waver was the most distressed, struggling to stop his lower lip and jaw from quivering so much. He wiped his eyes and sniffled, but refused to outright bawl. He saw that everyone else was doing their best to maintain their composure, and he felt it would be uncouth of him to act immaturely around them. As he panned his eyes across the elevator room, he finally saw Connla staring at him with a puzzled look in her eyes.
Before Waver could say anything though, Lexy instantly dashed past him and dash straight for Connla while elatedly shouting, "GEAAA~AAAL!"
"Bwuh!?" the child Lancer yelped as the Enforcer suddenly embraced her in a tight hug!
"Oh my gosh, it's so good to finally meet you, Geal! Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this day!?"
"Uh, um… I, uh… What?"
"Mother programmed all of her memories of you into my data banks, so I'm familiar with her encounters with you in the dream world. My goodness, there's just so much I want to ask you about Chaldea and all of the incidents you've helped correct!"
"Um… I…"
"Hey!" Cuchulainn roared and tore Lexy off of the confused Connla. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing, woman!?"
"Oh, Father! I didn't know you were here too!" Lexy exclaimed in astonishment.
The Berserker widened his eyes. "Huh?"
Irisviel stepped between them and chided, "All right, let's calm down, everyone. Let me introduce you to Lexy, also known as Enforcer 22-S. She's one of Lancer of Akakor's Alter Ego Servants."
"Are you for real!?" Quintrala shouted incredulously and brandished her whip. "She's one of those accursed Enforcers!?"
"Hold on," Kiritsugu stopped her. "I know that Master's group was attacked by Servants who are similar to 22-S, but she is not the same as them. Apparently, she has rebelled against her fellow Alter Ego sisters and seeks to destroy the Terminal like we are. She even assisted us in our battle within Salazere."
The Chilean was not impressed. "And you're just going to take her word for it?"
Iskandar approached Quintrala, blocking her path to Lexy as he told her, "Lexy has been instrumental in my conquest of Akakor. If you intend to raise your weapon against her, then as her king and benefactor, I will have no choice but to retaliate to protect her honor."
"Gh…"
"Stand down, Quintrala," Machiavelli said. "No one will benefit from you attacking the Enforcer right now."
"Hmph. If it's you saying it, then it must be true," she relented and put her whip away. Despite her short temper, at least it was easy to take advantage of her respect for Machiavelli.
Meanwhile, Cuchulainn was still befuddled with Lexy calling him 'Father' when they just met for the first time. She noticed his bewilderment and murmured, "I'm sorry. Did I get too carried away just now? Maybe I should have said that I had never expected to run into Cuchulainn during this journey."
"… It's fine," he grumbled. "So long as I know who you are, then it's no big deal. Just don't overwhelm Connla like that. She's confused and exhausted enough as it is."
"Of course. I'm sorry for bombarding you like that," Lexy apologized to Connla, then chuckled, "I was just so happy to meet you that I must have lost myself for a moment."
The child Servant just nodded quietly. The Enforcer continued, "More than that though, there's someone else who wants to make your acquaintance."
She stood up and said to Waver, "Come on, Mr. Velvet, don't be shy. This is the moment you've been waiting for."
The teenager stared intently at Connla for a long moment. Although he already knew what she looked like thanks to Sanson's old footage, he was still surprised to see how petite she actually was. Someone like her was able to battle Ireland's most famous hero for a solid day? He could scarcely believe he was in the presence of someone so amazing, yet had been nearly forgotten by the world at large. He wondered if she always put herself down for her own mediocrity and weakness as she stood within the shadows of much greater heroes like Cuchulainn and Scathach, just like he did while being surrounded by more powerful and respectable Mages. Was he seeing something of himself in her during this moment? Was that the real reason he felt so compelled to investigate Lancer of Akakor's history in the first place? Waver couldn't really describe it in words, but there seemed to be a kinship developing as he was mesmerized by Connla's soft, innocent-looking brown eyes.
Connla and Lexy simultaneously tilted their heads as they wondered why Waver hadn't moved yet. Lexy asked him, "Are you feeling all right?"
Seeing them act like mirror twins suddenly made him guffaw, and he uttered, "N-No, everything's okay! I was just a little caught off guard, that's all!"
That moment made him finally realize that he truly had been traveling with the Heroic Spirit Connla this whole time, and that he shouldn't be so baffled with meeting the original Lancer. He kneeled before the child Servant and said, "Hello there. I've been hearing a lot about you and your Akakor counterpart."
"Who might you be?" Connla wondered.
"I'm Waver Velvet, a Mage from the Clock Tower. Oh, but don't think I'm the same as those other Mages. A lot of Lancer's history has been lost to this world, so I'm trying to both recover it and vindicate your counterpart of her crimes. Unfortunately, her history was purposefully erased by the Clock Tower and the Family Tree, and a law was placed to prevent people from searching for it. I broke that law, so you could say I'm on the run from them."
"I see…"
Lexy smiled and told them, "In a way, you two are kind of the same."
"Really? How?" Waver asked her.
"You're the ones who wanted to take the first steps towards discovering the truth. Now look at how many people have followed you on that path."
Waver and Connla gazed at the large crowd around them, then blushed simultaneously. Iskandar gripped their shoulders and forced them to buck up as he bellowed, "Fine words, indeed! I wouldn't have come all this way to conquer Akakor if it wasn't for both of you pitching in!"
"Come on, stop it already! You're embarrassing me!" Waver vehemently objected as he shoved his Servant off.
"M-Me too…" Connla nodded timidly. "I don't think I've done anything particularly special. All I wanted was to meet Cliste. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Hmm! Sometimes it is the smallest of goals that wind up snowballing into the greatest of adventures!" Iskandar exclaimed. "Those are the kinds of stories I always love to lose myself into! Your story might not be as epic as the Iliad, but it nonetheless gives me as much inspiration! I especially liked your final words - 'together we may have carried the flag of Ulster all the way to Rome and beyond'! It practically brings a tear to my eye!"
"Um, well…" Connla mumbled and bashfully covered her mouth with her fingers. "I didn't mean I wanted to conquer anyone. I just thought that Father and I could have done many great things… if only we knew the truth…"
"Come on, don't be so apprehensive!" he shouted and smacked her back so hard that she let out a startled cry. "Even in defeat, be proud of yourself! You poured every ounce of your soul into that battle and carved your name into human history! Even Ireland herself mourned for your death by not allowing any calves to be born for three days afterward! How many other heroes can boast that their own country wept tears for them!? Not even Macedonia herself did that for me!"
Behind them, Cuchulainn couldn't resist smirking lightly. He was glad that someone shared the same opinion as him. He also felt a little relieved that Connla was making new friends despite the tense situation they were in. He had a gut feeling that she would have to rely on their support very, very soon…
Waver glared at Iskandar and grumbled, "Give her a break, Rider. She's clearly not crazy about conquest like you are."
"I know, I know. If the world was filled with men like me, I could scarcely imagine the bedlam that'd follow."
"Glad to see you have at least some common sense."
Connla exhaled an exhausted sigh, unable to keep up with the jovial king's excitement. Waver told her, "Don't pay attention to Rider. He becomes as giddy as a kid when he sees anything that's new to him."
"Okay…"
As everyone conversed with each other like this, the elevator continued descending lower and lower into Akakor's deepest bowels. Twenty minutes had passed since the journey began. In another ten minutes, this mission was going to reach its climax. The tension seemed to grow thicker and thicker as they continued downward. Probably talking with each other was the only thing that kept them from going crazy. However, something unusual started to happen as they reached about 70% of the way down.
"…errr…"
"Hm?" Mash looked around curiously. "Did you hear something?"
"Not really," Ritsuka murmured.
Everyone listened carefully.
"-ceeerrr…"
The Shielder barked, "There it is again!"
"L… an… cerrr~rrr… Laaaannnceeerrrr…"
"W-What in the world!?" Connla yelped.
Cuchulainn brandished Gae Bolg and got in front of her. Waver held her close and shouted, "Who's there!?"
At first, no one seemed to recognize the voice. As it continued wearily chanting, "Lancer," over and over again, Earp finally realized who was calling out to them:
"Guys, I dun think y'all are gonna believe this, but I think that's Berserker!"
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
† - Reference to one of Marquis de Sade's two works, Justine (also known as The Misfortunes of Virtue, or Good Conduct Well-Chastised) and Juliette (or Vice Amply Rewarded). Justine is about a girl who struggles to hold on to her virtues despite being miserably tormented and punished her entire life. Conversely, Juliette is about Justine's sister, a nymphomaniac murderer who finds happiness and success from succumbing to her vices.
