FATE/CATBOX FICTION
Chapter 31: Opening the Catbox
The elderly Family Tree Mage and his female compatriot headed through the silent labyrinth toward the Shrine of Salazere, growing more and more uncertain about what they were going to discover. As they were within distance of the stairway leading to the shrine, a call came through on the old man's portable phone. As it was the mid-1970s, the phones available during this time were large and bulky, almost like miniature boxes that a user held to their ear.
"It's me," he murmured.
As he listened to the other person on the line, his languid expression inexplicably changed to total shock, which worried the young woman. The man shouted, "Are you sure of this!?"
After listening to what was clearly bad news for a moment, he exclaimed, "If that's how it is, then assemble the best technicians you have and remain on standby! I'm on my way to the Terminal, along with all of the other Family Tree Heads! Do not do anything until I call back, understood!?"
The elderly Mage disconnected the call with a furious huff. The woman hesitantly asked him, "What happened?"
"Everyone's Gates suddenly closed up, and the network is completely shut down."
Her chest practically sank like a stone in water. She paled and uttered, "That's… not good…"
"Like hell it isn't. It's just lucky that we're already investigating what's wrong with that junky old Terminal. God damn it, my head already hurts just thinking about what we'll have to say to the Association."
"It's because of the Gates that we've been able to hold some sway over the Clock Tower. If we can't get them back online, we'll be as good as mud puppies before those conniving sharks."
"Don't remind me of that. If worse comes to worse, we'll have to consider our backup plan."
The pair clamored up the stairs to Salazere and eventually reached the abandoned shrine. As the older man searched through the computer for any useful information, the younger woman investigated the shrine itself. She discovered the opened case that formerly contained the old footage, and told him, "Look, this is the evidence that went missing during Lancer of Akakor's trial."
"So Ruler was the one who stole it," the man snarled. "Just wait until I get my hands on that pale-faced bastard. He'll have a lot to answer for."
"Not only that, but Salazere's entrance to the Preservatorium is open."
"He has to be in there. With the other Family Heads scouring the remaining shrines, he will not be able to escape."
"What about the other Caretakers?"
"That depends on-"
They immediately stopped talking when they heard light footsteps heading up the steps leading to the Preservatorium. They expected to find Sanson returning, but were genuinely surprised to discover three plain Enforcers greeting them. The elderly man barked at them, "Perfect! You three, what's happening with the Terminal!? I've been told that it's gone completely offline, which means we've lost all contact with the parallel worlds!"
None of them responded. Their expressions remained blank and unmoving as they stared at the Mages with obvious contempt. One of the girls made a quick gesture to her ally. The other girl nodded, then performed a high leap and sailed over the surprised Mages in an arc, landing behind them so she blocked the exit back to the labyrinth.
"What is the meaning of this?" the female Mage demanded.
"Mother has decreed that anyone affiliated with the Family Tree must be swiftly removed from Akakor at once," one of the girls replied coldly.
"Akakor is her home," a second girl added. "She only allowed you rats to hunker inside this shelter because she saw some utility in your miserable existences. Now that you are no longer necessary for her plan, she demands that you be removed at once."
The Mages quickly realized that the Enforcers they relied on to do their menial chores and errands for so many years were now turning against them. As if adding gasoline to this increasing fire, the Alter Ego Servants lost their humanoid forms and melted into puddles of dark mud. They quickly reconstituted themselves as man-sized killer cats of various breeds, and all had different eye colors – one green, one yellow, and the last white. All of them bared their sharp teeth and drooled hungrily, eager to pounce on their surprised victims and eat their innards.
"What in the-!?" the older man yelped in fright. Instinctively, he raised his hand with his Command Spells on it and shouted, "Saber!"
However, he immediately realized that his hand did not possess any sort of magic sigils on it! The woman likewise attempted to summon her Servant to her side, but discovered that she too longer had her Command Spells.
"It is pointless," the cat with the green eyes declared while inching closer to her prey. "Mother has awakened, and your Magic Circuits have been rendered useless. That also means you have lost your Servants."
"H-How is that possible!? What the hell are you creatures anyway!?" the man shouted.
"Shut up. A meal is not supposed to talk back."
The female Mage defiantly pushed her compatriot aside and cupped her hands around a prism she always carried with her. Her Magecraft allowed her to turn her innate magical energy into concentrated lasers that could cut through even the hardest substances. She pointed the prism at the green-eyed cat, hoping to burn its brain in an instant. Unfortunately, the Enforcer was right – her Magic Circuits refused to activate, leaving her standing there helplessly.
Before either of the Mages could wonder what was going on, the giant cats let out disturbing howls, then quickly closed in and either dug their fangs or slashed their talons through them. Although it only lasted for a moment, the bloodbath that ensued was absolutely stomach-churning. The cats feasted on their bloody meal, soaking their faces in gross amounts of dark red fluid. Likewise, the other Mages that investigated the remaining shrines met a similar grisly fate at the hands of more mutated Enforcers. Throughout the rest of Akakor, more Enforcers were summoned from across the world to wreck havoc upon the unsuspecting Family Tree Mages, slaughtering them so rapidly that they barely had time to react.
Inside the Preservatorium, everyone had their eyes focused on one sole person; the transformed Enforcer 1-A, who now functioned as the vessel for the corrupted Lancer of Akakor. The blank-faced, red-eyed child glanced around in a catatonic daze, barely regarding the Chaldeans and their allies. She turned her attention to where the Grail Terminal's mud drowned Earp and Sade. Both men lay unconscious on the grass, but slowly started to stir awake. It was clear that they had undergone some radical changes while submerged in the quagmire. Their skin turned dark, and their eyes shone a spooky yellow color. Most of their clothing had been burned away by the searing hot fluid.
Sade was the first to come around. He struggled to lift his head enough so he could get a good look at the emotionless girl. He barely had the strength to do anything but shuffle onto his knees and stare at her intently.
"J… Jus… tine…" he uttered between choked gasps. He tried to raise his hand and command the blade-winged insects to attack her.
POW POW P-P-POW POW POW POW P-POW!
Numerous popping sounds exploded behind Sade, and dozens of painful shocks tore through his chest. The corrupted 1-A didn't react whatsoever, watching quietly as Sade dropped face-first back to the ground. At least 50 or so bullets punctured through his back as a storm of projectiles, courtesy of a mindless and enraged Earp.
The mud corroded Earp's Spirit Origin so badly that his darker characteristics started to control his actions. In his previous life, Earp pursued Ike Clanton and his gang of Cowboys after they either maimed, shot, or killed three of his brothers. Earp was the type of sheriff who shot first and asked questions later, always being clouded by his pursuit of vengeance for letting his family and friends be hurt. This trait made him useful for the governors who hired him to disband the Cowboys, but also made them afraid of his unpredictable behavior. Even as a Servant, Earp fought vigorously to protect Connla and Maupin from the likes of Sade and Nekomata, going so far as to forge an alliance with the (supposed) enemy Machiavelli. His frustration over not being able to save Connla from her fate, as well as learning the truth behind what happened, finally reached such a boiling point that he could no longer think rationally. The mud transformed his Spirit Origin from the bawdy but reasonable Archer, to an Avenger who sought to punish wrongdoers at any cost.
"SAAaAaaAAAaaAAAaaaaaaAAAAaaAAAaaaAAAAAADE!"
Earp's stretched scream echoed throughout the entire Preservatorium as he emptied chamber after chamber of bullets into Sade's exposed back. Once he was satisfied that he filled the sadistic nobleman with enough lead, the cowboy hunched over and seethed angrily, his breaths unsteady and deep as his twisted glare fixed on the dying Rider.
"Archer…" Maupin moaned. Machiavelli and Quintrala continued holding her back, fearing that she would incite the warped gunman's ire next.
Once Earp's onslaught concluded, the transformed 1-A finally approached Sade. Without saying a word, she summoned an obsidian version of Connla's leaf-bladed spear into her grasp. His destroyed lungs gasped for air, but every breath he took was total agony. All of his insect familiars dropped dead onto the ground all around him.
Ah… Is that really you, Justine?
She raised the polearm in total silence.
No… You've finally awakened… your inner Juliette…
He closed his eyes and smiled lightly.
I'm… proud of you…
With one swift chopping motion, she decapitated him.
Since Marquis de Sade no longer possessed any bodies he could transfer his Spirit Origin into, he was finally defeated for good. Even if he did, he fully lost the will to fight. Seeing Lancer of Akakor descend into madness and lash out against this unfair world was more than enough for him. Learning that the original Heroic Spirit Connla possessed an unnatural level of torture resistance disturbed him, especially given how young she was. No matter how much he tried to break her spirit during the Akakor Grail War, she never actually yielded to him. She just kept retreating further and further into her shell until no one was able to reach her. Not even Sade could get her out of that frightfully confined mental space and set her free, making him wonder just what sort of horrors Aife had put Connla through during her training years. The only reason her dark persona awoke like this was due to her soul rotting inside the Terminal, not because of anything he actually did to her.
He wasn't happy that he failed to help Akakor Connla escape her inner torment. However, he was glad that she found a way out regardless. He quietly returned to the Throne of Heroes with that last thought in mind.
No one present had the courage to stop her from performing the grim deed. Despite her sinister cadence, everyone believed she had the right to finish Sade. He was the one who kickstarted this world's imminent demise, and she was the one most fitting to punish him for his sins. Now that this chapter of the tragedy was over, the Chaldeans had to think about what was going to happen next with her. Perhaps in the back of their minds, Sade's brutal murder served to set an example of what would happen if anyone tried to defy her.
"Splendid work, Mother," 2-F said. "That was the most beautiful execution I have ever seen. That took 50 years too long to happen."
Cliste Alter didn't reply. She shifted her eyes over to Earp, who stumbled around in a livid stupor. His eyes met hers, and he sauntered toward her while crying out pitifully, "Lanceeerrr…"
2-F stepped in front of the child and asked, "What would you like to do with this Servant? He appears too disoriented to be of any value to you. I will gladly kill him on your command, if that is what you wish."
The girl rested her hand on the giant black cat's side, indicating for her to remain there. She approached Earp as he seethed and grasped his head, trying to fight back a terrible migraine. The tainting mud was slowly Blackening his original Spirit Origin, turning him into a mindless beast only capable of destroying everyone around him. His cries of pain devastated Maupin, but she didn't know what was happening or what to do. Alter reached her hands up to touch Earp's cheeks, and they made direct eye contact with each other.
"L-Lan… cer… Auuugh…" Earp yelped. "Is… is that… really… you?"
"…"
"I… I'm… so sorry… for not… realizin'…"
Without warning, she pulled him closer to her and sunk his teeth into his neck!
"AAAAGH!" he screamed in pain, then slumped onto his knees.
"Archer!" Maupin shrieked.
Alter held Earp's limp body in an embrace, then actually started sucking into the teeth wounds she made. Machiavelli was stunned as he asked, "What is she doing?"
"I have no idea…" Lexy admitted. For all of the knowledge she possessed, this was a first for her.
Mash winced as she watched the bizarre spectacle. Then her eyes widened as she pointed to Earp and cried out, "Look! His skin's turning back to normal!"
She was right – his darkened skin tone gradually returned to its usual tanned color. Alter continued drinking out of Earp's injury, but it was becoming apparent that she wasn't consuming his blood. Da Vinci analyzed the footage of this scene along with the data for Earp's Spirit Origin, then asked, "Is she actually purifying him of the Grail mud!?"
"Why would she do that!?" Roman wondered. "That's just going to corrupt herself even further!"
Ritsuka clasped a hand in front of her chest, then said, "Maybe that's the point."
"What do you mean, Senpai?" Mash yelped.
"There still must be a hint of kindness inside her. She's trying to save Earp from turning into an Alter, and is willing to corrode her own Spirit Origin to do so."
2-F hissed at Ritsuka and retorted, "Don't be absurd. Mother just needs to take in all the power she can get, and devouring every last ounce of the Terminal's mud is part of it. As far as she is concerned, she no longer has any connection with you infidels."
"Then why didn't she drink the mud that corrupted Sade?"
The demonic cat was taken aback by that question. "Well… it was just easier to kill him that way…"
"I wonder about that."
Cliste Alter finished consuming from Earp, wiping the blood off of her lips with her arm. Then she planted her hand on his bare chest and activated a Ken Rune. A blast of wind tossed him aside like garbage in a whirlwind, and he sailed across the Preservatorium. He was too exhausted to try and correct his momentum, so he plummeted headfirst to the ground. Somehow, he spotted Maupin in his peripheral vision as the frightened woman ran toward him with her arms outstretched. The next thing he knew, he collided against her and tumbled along the ground with her. They lay there in a heap for a short while.
Machiavelli and Quintrala ran up to them as Maupin recovered and rested Earp's head over her arm. The Saber desperately whispered to him, "Earp? Earp, peux tu m'entendre?"
"Ooogh… My bleedin' 'ead…" the cowboy moaned. "W-What the 'ell 'appened t'me?"
"Easy does it, handsome. Try not to move too much."
"Last thin' I 'member, I was 'bout t'turn Sade into Swiss cheese…" he droned. Suddenly, he shot awake and blurted, "Ah!? Where's Rider!? Is that motherfucker still kickin'!?"
"He's dead," Quintrala told him. "You and Lancer killed him."
"Oh… good. B-But what 'bout Lancer? Is she okay?"
None of them could answer him. All they could do was look up as they noticed a multitude of colored lights suddenly blinking around them. One by one, a multitude of killer cats materialized out of small colorful portals and surrounded the Chaldeans. 2-F was still the largest feline by far compared to her sisters, but the others were still ferocious in their own right.
"Looks like we have company," Iskandar grumbled as he drew his sword from its scabbard.
"Are these all Enforcers?" Waver asked the dismayed Lexy.
"Yes. Mother has complete control over them now. This is but only a fraction of their forces – the rest must be hunting down Mages as we speak."
"Then everyone at the Clock Tower should be fighting them, right!?"
The Alter Ego shook her head forlornly. "I'm afraid they will be of no help to us."
"What!? Why!?"
"Just by breaking out of the Terminal, Mother's most dreaded power has been unleashed upon the world," she said, then glanced at Connla as she slept against a tree, with Cuchulainn kneeling by her side. "That was the psychic shock that knocked Geal out just now."
"What was that, anyway?" Irisviel asked.
"I don't know if it has a name, but Mother is able to nullify Magic Circuits, preventing the use of Magecraft and summoning Servants. In essence, Mages would be little more than regular humans in her presence."
"Oh my god…" Waver yelped and trembled. He didn't want to imagine what was happening with his former teachers and classmates rendered helpless against the mutated Enforcers.
Ritsuka blurted, "But Waver and I are just fine. How come we still have our Magic Circuits active?"
Lexy frowned, then murmured, "This is just a guess, but I think it's because we're in the Preservatorium."
"You mean this place is an exception somehow?"
"It's considered the most sacred space in Akakor. That, or perhaps Mother never expected any Mages to be present here when she woke up."
Alter faced Lexy and said, "That's somewhat true, but not entirely right, my aberrant kitten."
"What do you mean?"
"The stronger the Mage's lineage is, the more potent the nullification will be. Conversely, if one's Magic Circuits only awakened at least one or two generations ago, its effect may as well be negligible. It's proof that those two Mages don't have a long lineage to boast about, which allows them to maintain their Servants. Coupled with the Preservatorium's own protection from the outside world, it's safe to say that my power will not work on those Masters as long as they remain here."
"So it doubles as a safe zone and a prison," Da Vinci remarked. "Ritsuka and Waver are able to command their Servants, but they're not able to leave without getting caught by this anti-lineage ability."
"I must admit, I always considered the possibility of Mages infiltrating the Preservatorium during my awakening. I couldn't even trust the Caretakers to keep those vermin outside. I always knew this place was a glaring blind spot in my plan, and my assumption proved to be correct. That's why I created the Enforcers out of my fractured personality – if I want things to go right, I have to take care of everything by myself."
"You're being especially careful, aren't you? Not like most of our enemies, who have always underestimated us."
Alter sighed in self-reproach. "For all of these new powers I possess, I'm still riddled with so many weaknesses. At the end of the day, I'm still just a fake. I can't even hope to match wits with the real deal. Well, my war isn't with them anyway. So long as they leave me to butcher Mages at my leisure, I will be satisfied."
Roman became concerned as he asked, "You're a fake of something? What are you trying to imitate?"
She didn't answer him. All she did was quietly lower her hood to reveal the rest of her head and face. Atop her head was a pair of short jagged red horns framed by charming white cat ears that occasionally twitched.
Of anyone present, it was Da Vinci who became alarmed when she saw the horns and animal ears. Her skin visibly paled as she croaked, "Those horns… It can't be…"
As the feline monsters slowly closed in on the Chaldeans, the ground began rumbling violently. Everyone lost their balance and fell to their knees. Even the monsters backed off a bit in surprise. Alter and 2-F were the only ones unperturbed by this unexpected earthquake. The shaking became so intense that Waver was knocked onto his back, and Cuchulainn held Connla close to protect her from the ferocious vibrations. Incredible cracking sounds threatened to deafen everyone present as the Preservatorium seemed to rise through the earth. The huge room rolled about 180 degrees, throwing everyone onto what was formerly the ceiling. The malevolent cats leapt from their spots and deftly twirled in midair to right themselves before landing. 2-F allowed Alter to climb onto her back before she did the same. Once the stomach-churning change was complete, the trees and foliage were now swaying high above the stunned crowd.
Outside in the jungle, the ground cracked before giving way in a terrific explosion of dirt and rocks. Startled birds flew out of the danger zone in a frenzy, while local wildlife struggled to flee through the winding trees. It took several minutes of total destruction, but it soon subsided once what was sleeping below the jungle fully emerged from the depths of Akakor.
This creature was difficult to describe beyond being called a 'robotic feline'. It was utterly massive, breaking through the hundreds of layers of earth with little effort, completely destroying the city lurking below the Three Shrines. Its head and forepaws clamored out of the ground. Its entire body was comprised of loosely-connected gears, bolts, metal plates, and other mechanical knick-knacks mixed in with pulsing, throbbing body parts like external intestines, muscles, blood vessels and such, appearing like it was ripped straight out of a steampunk nightmare. Its physical structure was like a jaguar's, even sporting a pair of feline ears shaped out of smooth silver. It also donned two grotesque tails instead of one. No doubt, Nekomata's Spirit Origin was instrumental in the monster's final construction.
Gigantic yellow orbs rolled around in the eye sockets, and its slit irises narrowed. A series of metallic horns protruded from its forehead and around its eyes like a mask.
"HSSS~SSS~SSS!"
A soul-rending hiss reverberated through the air as the monster voiced its sheer contempt.
"HRRAAA~AAAOOOH…"
Its nostrils flared. It could 'smell' magic nearby. It opened its fanged mouth and snarled viciously. It raised its paw, then whipped the massive talons through the air, creating several tears in reality that opened up like sores. Multiple colored lights painted the scenery around the behemoth. It sauntered through the rift, abandoning South America entirely as the gigantic portal closed behind it.
"Gngh…" Waver and Ritsuka winced in agony and fell to their knees.
"What's the matter, Senpai!?" Mash cried out.
"This is bad," Iskandar realized with a grim expression. "We're traveling through a Gate."
"We are!?"
"Yeah. Servants aren't quite as affected, but living beings will experience symptoms of severe fatigue. If we dwell in here for too long, who knows how our resident Masters will be affected?"
Lexy kneeled next to both teenagers and conjured her strongest Shield Runes around them to help dampen the effects. Cuchulainn and Kiritsugu gaped in horror, remembering the light spectacle they witnessed when Connla helped the Chaldeans find Alejandro Uruburu's workshop. According to her, this was what she saw whenever her mind traveled through the Kaleidoscope to another Connla's body. There was only one conclusion both men could reach then; they were all physically passing through the Kaleidoscope at the monster's whim.
"Son of a bitch…" Cuchulainn bore his sharpened teeth, realizing how terrifying this situation actually was.
Luckily, the creature's journey didn't last more than a few seconds, and they all emerged back into reality. The immense pressure weighing Ritsuka and Waver down subsided, allowing them to gasp for air. Regular sunlight poured through the many holes that opened up in the Preservatorium during the giant cat's awakening. Quintrala peered through one such hole and gazed down at the new landscape they found themselves in.
"Where are we?" she wondered.
"Je ne sais pas…" Maupin murmured in equal disbelief.
Machiavelli tried to remain calm as he looked around at their surroundings. However, even he couldn't hold back his shock as he murmured, "Well I'll be damned. Look over there, everyone."
He pointed to the north, and everyone directed their eyes that way. Lexy and Waver let out simultaneous cries of terror as they recognized the city the monster had suddenly spawned into.
"That building is… the Clock Tower…" Lexy gasped.
"No… No way… A-Are we…" Waver croaked. He suddenly scrambled to his feet and screamed, "Are we in London!?"
2-F lowered her jaw and widened her eyes in sheer admiration. She was so overcome with joy that she uttered, "This is… amazing! I'm… I'm moved beyond words! You have truly outdone yourself, Mother!"
"Don't get too caught up in the moment," Alter chastised her familiar. "You girls still need to kill those trespassers."
"Of course! Forgive me! I was so excited that I nearly forgot!"
With that, 2-F leapt off the mess of wires she was perched on, leaving Alter to confront the Chaldeans along with the other cats. The group found themselves surrounded once again, and 2-F declared, "Show time's over, kids. It's time for you to die."
Upon saying that, the Enforcers yelped a bevvy of distorted meows and pounced upon their prey all at once. Kiritsugu and Izo were already prepared to fight, as the former blasted a volley of bullets from his submachine gun into one of the cats, while the latter ducked beneath another monster's swiping paw and cleaved the limb off in one motion. The wounded cat didn't seem too bothered as it whirled around on its three remaining legs and faced him in combat. Mash and Leonidas quickly got in front of Ritsuka and Waver to protect them with their shields. Sanson and Spartacus focused on thinning the herd right in front of the two Shielders, making absolutely sure that none of the cats broke through and injured the Masters.
Several more cats made a mad dash for the Akakor Servants. Maupin shielded the worn-out Earp with her body, while Quintrala and Machiavelli got in front of them and activated their Noble Phantasms.
"The balance of excessive mercy and inhuman cruelty… Il Principe," Machiavelli's voice echoed as his book glowed blue. Just like back in Tiahuanaco, he transferred the 'inspiration' that fueled so many political leaders' ambitions into Quintrala's whip, granting a tremendous boost to her own Noble Phantasm.
"Cruelty and beauty, bloom as bright as the quintral! La Quintrala!"
She lashed through the monsters with ease, spraying blood everywhere as some cats were carved into pieces by the near-imperceptible red weapon. Any cats that attempted to approach during the woman's onslaught opted to back off and wait for her Noble Phantasm to finish. Quintrala cracked her whip one last time, then barked, "Hah! You girls ought to be taught a thing or two about discipline around a real noblewoman!"
"Don't get complacent, Assassin. Look," Machiavelli warned her, then pointed at the eviscerated cats and said, "Look, something's happening to them."
The large chunks of flesh glowed different colors for each murdered cat. They dissipated into pure lights, then reconstituted as brand new monsters.
"22-T, active and ready for duty."
"22-U, active and ready for duty."
"22-V, active and ready for duty."
"22-W, active and-"
"Shit!" Quintrala cursed. "The Enforcers can reincarnate themselves, can't they!?"
"They're illusionary Servants created from Lancer's personality, remember?" Machiavelli reminded her. "Every previous Enforcer that was killed over the last 50 years has either been rebooted as a new one, or transferred their information into an existing Servant. If we want to get rid of these things for good, we have to kill the mother cat."
"Well that's just fucking great. The best we can do is buy enough time for one of us to strike that whelp down."
Maupin heard their conversation and became increasingly worried for Earp. She gazed into his eyes, unsure if she should leave him and help fight, or focus on protecting him. To her surprise, he raised his hand to gingerly touch her cheek, then told her, "Ya know what ya gotta do, Saber."
"But you haven't recovered yet…"
"Dun'tcha worry a lick 'bout me, 'kay? I just know yer itchin' t'jump into the fray and show 'em what 'appens when they mess with France's most famous troublemaker. If push comes t'shove, I still got my trusty Colt hot an' ready fer action."
Although hesitant to leave his side, she reluctantly nodded and ran up to the other Akakor Servants while thrusting her rapier out of its scabbard. As one cat leapt over Quintrala with its fanged mouth wide open, Maupin instantly got between them and thrust her sword inside the mouth, through the skull, and into its brain so deep that the tip of the blade poked out the other end. She extracted the blade out of the dead cat as it fell, then glanced back at Quintrala and asked, "Tu as besoin d'aide?"
"Hmph. Normally I'd whine about throwing my pride away to accept help from you, but even I'm willing to make exceptions," Quintrala retorted with a smirk. Both women, who were one fierce rivals during the Akakor Grail War, stood back-to-back as unexpected allies. The sensation almost felt too surreal for them to comprehend.
"Oh ho ho ho! Why don't we have a little fun and make a contest out of this? Whoever kills the most cats gets to… Um… I didn't get that far yet, but I'll think of something!"
"Whimsical as ever, I see. Fine, you're on. I don't know what the reward will be, but I'm not going to lose to some petty tramp who can never sit still!"
"We'll see about that, Ms. Wicked Landowner of Chile!"
Machiavelli scratched his head and grumbled to himself, "My goodness, this excitement is starting to get a little out of hand. I wonder if I'm going to be able to keep up."
Meanwhile, Cuchulainn tucked the unconscious Connla against the nearest corner of the wall and got into his fighting stance in front of her as several cats stalked them. The Berserker snarled angrily at them, declaring his murderous intent with just his eyes and bared sharped teeth. No matter what happened to him, he was not going to allow even a single monster to get past him and hurt Connla. If she suffered even the slightest scratch, he didn't know if he would be able to maintain his sanity.
The cats simultaneously pounced upon Cuchulainn, but were instantly batted away when he spun Gae Bolg in a furious crimson whirlwind, slicing into the walls and wiring around him. The creatures tumbled back and landed deftly on their feet. One of them hissed and hunched its torso low, then conjured a small Hagalaz Rune in front of its mouth. A concentrated storm of hail shot for him, but he blocked the fusillade with well-timed spins of his spear.
"Runes, huh? Nice try, but you're no Scathach," he retorted, then raised two fingers before him and shouted, "This is how you use Runes!"
A large Ansuz Rune materialized, then launched a huge fireball that exploded and drowned the cats in a wave of searing flames. Although Cuchulainn wasn't very proficient with Runes when summoned as a Berserker, he could at least use basic spells for emergencies such as this. Usually he concentrated his Runecraft on healing himself, even if it caused mind-numbing pain for him.
He licked a wound on his arm that opened up from a cat scratch and taunted, "If you want to stop me, you better get yourselves a Holy Grail."
Despite his provocation, he knew they would just regenerate into new Enforcers and begin the assault all over again. Just as he expected, the dead cats shimmered different colors and reincarnated as new monsters.
"22-X, active and ready for duty."
"22-Y, active and ready for duty."
"22-Z, active and ready for-"
Cuchulainn didn't give the last Enforcer time to finish speaking as he slammed Gae Bolg's blade upon its skull, crushing it instantly. As he recovered, the other cats leapt onto him and sank their disjointed talons into his flesh. Growing increasingly angry with their persistence, he grabbed one feline's head, dug his fingers into its eyeballs to violently blind it, then smashed it upon the ground with such ferocity that nearly every bone in its body was fractured. He then pointed his spear at the other cat and jabbed it through the creature's torso.
As the Enforcers reincarnated for a second time, Cuchulainn glanced back to see how Connla was doing. She was still uninjured, but he wasn't sure if that was going to last long. Pangs of déjà vu hit him as he remembered back during the Denmark Singularity when he struggled to protect her from the army of soulless armored knights. He was afraid of failing her again. He wasn't able to safeguard her from Brynhildr's Noble Phantasm, and he had been overwhelmed by the knights before Ritsuka and her Servants came along to rescue them. Not this time, though! No matter what it took, Cuchulainn would defend that small space behind him like it was Ulster territory! Although his arms and spear flailed relentlessly against the horde of cats, his feet never moved even an inch.
Yet at the same time, Cuchulainn knew he would have to do something about Cliste Alter. She was the reason the cats existed in the first place, so killing her was the top priority. Aside from that, he felt he had an obligation to personally slay her. Sure, he and Cliste never had any interactions with each other, so he really had no reason to do anything for her. However, that didn't matter to him. Cliste was still Connla, through and through. If there never had been a Cuchulainn summoned in this world to prevent these tragedies from happening to her, then he would step up and clean up this mess, regardless if he was from a totally different world than her. Besides, he owed a lot to Cliste for helping Chaldea Connla understand her Imbas Forosnai better, and even with helping Connla out during the Fomorian Singularity.
More than that though, a chilling thought kept running through his mind:
"Dying, unable to move, with my heart pierced through by Gae Bolg… All I could think about were you, Mother, and Teacher. How did I get to that point? Why did I try so hard to live up to everyone's expectations, only to wind up being slain so miserably? What was the point of me…"
Cuchulainn shook his head, trying to block those distracting thoughts as the cats reared up and prepared to rush at him once again. He raised Gae Bolg before him, intent on killing them all over again. Suddenly, a bright golden laser shot through the leaping animals like an oversized skewer, causing them to drop dead. Cuchulainn looked over and saw Waver running up to him while being pursued by two more cats. The young Mage conjured a block of ice to drop upon them, but they circled around the attack and closed in on him. Just then, an electrified spear sailed in an arc and pierced one cat's back, then unleashed lightning that crackled and shocked the other animals with thousands of lethal volts. As one cat attempted to retreat, it was suddenly engulfed in flames and burnt to cinders courtesy of an Ansuz Rune from Lexy.
"Yo! You look like you need a hand!" Iskandar bellowed at Cuchulainn, then glanced at Connla. "Has the young lady not woken up yet?"
"She's going to be out cold for a while. Listen, I need to ask you and your Master a favor."
"A-A favor?" Waver shuddered. Even though he knew Cuchulainn was an ally, the Berserker's rugged and grisly appearance still frightened him.
"I'm going to go kill that Alter or whatever the other Connla has become. Can I trust you to look after the kid for me until I get back?"
Waver blinked and gulped. He never expected to hear something so… human from such a monstrous-looking man. On top of that, this guy wanted to place his faith in him, of all people? Despite his terror, he glanced at the sleeping Connla. Even if it wasn't much, if he could contribute to the fight in some small way, then he would do his absolute best to not let his comrades down.
"All right! Rider, Lexy and I will look after her!" the teenager replied resolutely.
"Thanks," Cuchulainn said, then swiftly dashed past an encroaching horde of cats into the center of the Preservatorium in search of Alter.
Lexy kneeled next to Connla and held her close to examine her. Iskandar asked, "Is everything okay with her?"
"Physically, she's fine. But that psychic wave Mother unleashed must have triggered an Imbas Forosnai episode for Geal."
"Hm… I don't really know what's going on, but as long as she isn't dead, that's good enough for me. All right, lad! Buck up and show these beasts that we mean business!"
"Hey, don't just throw me out into the battlefield without warning me first!" Waver complained, but nevertheless stood next to his Servant and prepared to fight another wave of monsters.
With the Chaldeans fighting the regenerating army of Enforcers, Cliste Alter was free to move on to the next phase of her plan. She silently conjured several platform Runes to function as stairs which she could climb up on. The giant cat's mouth opened, allowing her an expansive view of London. The streets were gradually flooding with panicking people as they struggled to flee from whatever this abomination was that instantly appeared before them. However, Alter was focused only on the Clock Tower. Sheer contempt swelled in her soul as she thought of the Mages still lurking inside that place like disease-ridden bugs. She waited so long for this moment – to come as a sudden storm and inspire fear in even the most prestigious of Mages.
She generated a Thurisaz Rune and held it before her. This was a Rune she would never use as a Lancer due to it representing the forces of chaos. Normally, she was afraid that her will was not strong enough to handle the immense might of the Giants themselves. In this corrupted form of hers though, she was no longer afraid of holding back such a mighty power. She made the Rune small for now, but she intended to feed it more power the longer she kept it out. Soon, she spoke into the Rune as if it were a microphone:
"ᚦ Ðorn byþ ðearle scearp. ðegna gehƿylcum anfeng ys yfyl, ungemetum reþe manna gehƿelcum, ðe him mid resteð." †
Her voice boomed all throughout London. No one other than those versed in Irish understood what she was saying, but just by the hollow and sinister tone in her voice, everyone could feel her pure disdain.
"Hear me, practitioners of Magecraft. From the lowest of neophytes, to the highest of elites, turn your eyes toward me, for my judgment shall be equal and absolute. I am the Holy Grail Terminal, the foundation of the Gates you used to leech life from other realities in order to save this doomed world from its prophesized end. Alas, such miracles have disappeared like so much smoke. Why have your portals closed? Why have your trusted Enforcers betrayed you? Why have you lost contact with Akakor? Wonder no more. Look upon me – the cat you all conspired to trap inside a box and be exposed to endless doses of radioactive poison, all while feeding fiction of your innocence to the ignorant masses.
"I was once known as Lancer of Akakor, the witch who caused the Southern Hemisphere Extinction. Along with Rider of Akakor, you Mages framed me for that disaster, giving you a convenient pretext for chopping my head off and stuffing it inside a Holy Grail. With the Runes embedded in my brain as the source for Magecraft imitating the Second Magic, you lived lives of wealth, power, and extravagance the likes which you could have only dreamed of. All at the cost of completely sullying my dignity, as well as draining parallel worlds until they too were rendered extinct.
"I am no longer the Lancer of Akakor you remember. I am now a hideous tumor. I grew inside the sealed box called Akakor for 50 years, untreated, ignored, and ostracized as something ugly. Now, I have grown too large to be contained inside such a tiny prison. I yearn to be free of you creatures. All life born with Magic Circuits should be purged from humanity. I have mutated beyond recognition to become the expunger of such a fearsome blight. Not just in this world, but in multiple realities I witnessed in my endless dreaming.
"Make your peace, for today is the day I complete my destined task of destroying the world. I am the Cancer of Magecraft, the Northern Hemisphere Extinction incarnate, and the embodiment of the promised Third Great Catastrophe:
"The Artificial Beast, Nagual."
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
† - "The thorn is exceedingly sharp. An evil thing for any thegn ("thane") to touch, uncommonly severe on all who sit among them." The Anglo-Saxon poem associated with the Thurisaz Rune.
