FATE/CATBOX FICTION
Chapter 34: Worlds Collide
Ritsuka stumbled about as she gazed at the unexpectedly clear blue skies and pearly sand dunes stretching around her for what seemed like forever. Everyone else, including the Enforcers, were stunned by the sudden change in scenery. Their bewilderment turned to surprise when they saw Bucephalus trotting along until he stopped in the space between both groups. Iskandar panned his eyes across the field at the dozens of various man-sized cats that bared their sharpened teeth and shot death glares back at him.
"What's going on here? Why are we suddenly inside a Reality Marble?" Mash wondered.
"Ugh, as if fighting these beasts wasn't bad enough. Now my dress is going to be ruined," Quintrala complained as she brushed some grains of sand out of her clothes.
"My apologies, madam," Iskandar told her. "Unfortunately, we are strapped for options with countering an enemy that can regenerate itself. If it's any consolation, now we are all free to unleash our Noble Phantasms as much as we want!"
"Well I guess beggars can't be choosers, especially since we're dealing with an Evil of Humanity."
"Ain't that right?" he grinned, then faced the cats with a grim expression. "Now then, I have a few words I want to say to our feline friends here."
He pointed his broad sword at Enforcer 2-F, the largest of the horde, and shouted, "Listen here! If you are all Alter Egos split from Lancer of Akakor, then it stands to reason that I am speaking to the original herself! You must cease this madness at once! Do you not understand the pain that you are putting your loved ones through!?"
"Loved ones?" 2-F retorted. "What a joke. Everyone abandoned Mother. She doesn't need anyone."
"That's not true! Look upon the Caretakers! Surely you see the agony in their eyes as they are forced to raise their weapons against their beloved friend! Look upon Chaldea's Connla! Surely you saw her determination to undertake such a long and perilous journey for your sake! Look upon Fujimaru Ritsuka and her Servants! Surely you know that they are here to prevent you from committing any further sins! What about your father, Cuchulainn!? If he didn't care about you, he wouldn't be here to discipline your aberrant rage!
"As for me… I cannot bear to sit back and watch such an intrepid soul be corroded by humanity's darkness any longer! You truly were an innocent scapegoat 50 years ago, but if you continue on this deadly path, nothing will ever justify your evil deeds against the Mages! My duty is to bar your passage towards that dark road of guilt and sin! If you want someone to rage and lash out against, then raise your spear against me! Make me experience your pain! Make me understand your rage! I'll take every strike head on! In turn, open your heart to our sincere wish to save your soul!"
"You talk too much, you goddamn brute!" 2-F snarled, then rushed toward Iskandar and unleashed a deafening meow. "I'll show you a world of hurt, all right! It'll crush your spirit faster than one can squash an ant beneath their feet!"
"BRING IT ON!"
The Macedonian king snapped the reigns, and Bucephalus charged at 2-F without hesitation. Iskandar's glare was fierce as he swung his sword at the cat's incoming claws. Her talons were much tougher than he expected, as his muscles screamed from the pain of having to resist a metric ton of raw force.
Not bad! Just what I would expect from the leader of the Enforcers!
As Iskandar mentally complimented 2-F's strength, the giant black cat skidded along the sand and turned course so she was chasing Bucephalus from behind. Iskandar commanded Bucephalus to keep running, attracting 2-F's attention so she was distracted from the other Servants. Machiavelli used Il Principe as many times as he could to boost Maupin and Quintrala's attack power, then the women flanked 2-F and brandished their weapons before unleashing their Noble Phantasms.
"La Quintrala!"
"Mademoiselle Maupin!"
The unrelenting barrage of high-speed whip strikes and fencing thrusts overwhelmed 2-F, tearing her fur off and digging into her flesh numerous times. Her skin was ravaged with dozens of nasty lacerations, and her blood spattered all over the pristine pearly sands. The enraged cat snarled at her opponents, then slashed once while conjuring a Ken Rune. The blustering winds she cast were accompanied by countless air sickles that both blew both Servants back and tore through their own skin. Maupin was nimble enough to land on her feet, but Quintrala tumbled onto her side and shrieked in pain.
Machiavelli ran up to Quintrala and helped her sit up while asking, "Are you all right?"
"Ungh… Damn it… That bitch is a lot tougher than she looks," the Assassin groaned.
Maupin raised her rapier and shouted, "Look sharp, you two! She's coming again!"
2-F howled so loudly that the sands parted in front of her. The sandstorm surrounding them was so powerful that there was little chance for the Servants to escape. Luckily, they spotted the silhouette of a giant man mounted on a horse as they leapt high above the demonic feline. Iskandar used the opportunity that Maupin and Quintrala gave him to equip his spear and charge it with lightning. Bucephalus jumped directly over 2-F. She noticed their presence, but her reaction was much too late.
"ORRRYAAA~AAAHHH!" Iskandar shouted an epic war cry and hurtled his electrified spear straight down at 2-F's back.
CRUNCH!
Before the Enforcer knew it, the weapon pierced through her spine and emerged out her belly, pinning her to the spot. Her entire nervous system was wracked with thousands of volts of deadly electricity. Some of her fur was so badly singed that it caught on fire. She barely had time to think about anything before her brain shut down from the intense voltage, and her smouldering body plopped dead onto the sand.
As the wind storm died down, Bucephalus landed near the three Akakor Servants. Iskandar asked them, "You all holding up okay?"
"I can look after Saber and Assassin, but if they're to rejoin the battle, they're going to need Irisviel's help," Machiavelli told him. He glared at 2-F's corpse as it shimmered yellow, and he yelled, "Be quick about it! She's going to regenerate any moment now!"
"Got it! I'll go get her right away!"
"La Mort Espoir!" Sanson exclaimed. He transferred some of his magical energy into his sword so it resembled a giant guillotine, then swung it horizontally at three cats that were approaching him. All of them were cut through, but their bodies shone different colors and actually merged together in a kaleidoscope of random colors to form a single giant Calico cat with blue eyes. The Ruler snarled to himself and grumbled, "Is this the fifth time I've killed them? I must say, this is getting a little ridiculous for my liking."
Spartacus came to his partner's aid by jumping onto the cat's neck and stabbing his gladius through its throat. Although it wasn't enough to kill it, the blow agitated it enough to thrash about in order to toss him off. As he landed, the cat bore its sharpened teeth and bit down hard on his shoulder and neck, digging deep enough to burst his carotid artery.
"Spartacus!" Sanson cried out in panic, then rushed at the monster and stabbed into the wound that the other Caretaker caused. The combination of two lethal strikes to its neck caused the cat to relinquish its hold on Spartacus and fall onto its side. Sanson quickly kneeled next to the Avenger and attempted to use his Medicine ability to repair his gross injuries. Unfortunately, his skill with medical treatments wasn't as advanced as those like Nightingale or Asclepius, and he cursed, "Shit! This isn't going to be enough!"
He heard someone run up to him, and he looked up to see Irisviel kneel next to him while exclaiming, "I'm here now!"
She raised her hands over Spartacus' injury and used a combination of her Sacrificial Resolve and Healing Magecraft abilities to repair the nearly shredded skin and muscle. Within seconds, he was fully healed and able to stand back up.
"Oooh, that's much better!" Spartacus grinned while flexing the shoulder.
"Don't push yourself like that! Do you want to tear those tendons again or what!?" Sanson berated him.
"Hmm! As much as I would like to follow doctor's orders, I'm afraid the situation will not permit me to do so!" the gladiator replied as the three Servants saw the dead cat split into two medium-sized beasts this time. He got in front of Sanson and Irisviel while barking, "That's more than enough blood you have spilled, my good Connla! I beseech you, cease your oppression at once!"
The cats ignored him and cast Ansuz Runes on their claws, turning them into superheated talons that melted the sand around their paws into puddles of primitive glass. Irisviel winced and murmured, "They can use the same Runecraft as her?"
"This is going to be troublesome," Sanson muttered as he stood next to Spartacus.
However, the beasts were distracted when they heard the rapid clopping of hooves approaching. Suddenly, one of the cats was rammed by Bucephalus with the force of a train, causing it to smash into its partner and send them flying across the dune. Iskandar glanced at them and asked, "How are we holding up here?"
"Their tenacity is getting rather irksome, but we have the situation well in hand," Sanson told him.
"Not much we can do about that until Nagual is slain. Remain strong and have faith in Cuchulainn's group! He and the two assassins should be able to finish her before we are overwhelmed!"
"Believe me, we are doing just that," Spartacus said. "If those abominations are still harassing us after fighting them for so long, then the little miss's Alter must be giving them quite the hard time."
"Well, do everything in your power to survive in the meantime. Speaking of which, Caster, I need you to assist the Akakor Servants nearby. Saber and Assassin require healing," Iskandar reported to Irisviel.
"I understand," she said, then stood up and examined the space between her and Machiavelli's group. There were some stray cats prowling the area, so she asked the Rider, "Do you think you could provide me with cover fire until I get there?"
"Sure thing!"
With that, Iskandar commanded Bucephalus to lead the charge against the oncoming monsters. As he bellowed one of his notorious battle yodels, dozens of soldiers materialized and joined him in the onslaught. Several well-known warriors such as Mithrenes, Hephaestion and Ptolemy entered the battle, attracting the beasts toward them so that Irisviel could run past without harm. She reached the Akakor Servants and proceeded to heal Quintrala and Maupin. As the soldiers attempted to gang up on a particularly large Sphynx cat, it let out a bloodcurdling howl and leapt over the crowd, heading straight for Irisviel.
POW POW POW POW!
Several distinct popping sounds resounded around them, followed by the cat dropping dead onto the sand after sustaining some bullet wounds to the head. Maupin recognized the gunfire and looked around, eventually spotting Earp standing in a gunslinger's pose with his smoking Colt. She widened her eyes in shock and cried out, "Archer! Are you okay!?"
"That'd be my question to y'all," he replied with a jovial salute.
"Tu es fou!? I told you not to move around so much!"
"'Ey, I like sittin' 'round just as much as the next guy, but I ain't the type t'miss the action either. Dun'tcha worry a lick 'bout me, belle. I dunno why, but I feel righter than rain right now. Musta been when Lancer's Alter sucked me dry of all that nasty mud pollutin' my mind."
"But still-"
Suddenly, another cat bounded upon Maupin when she wasn't looking. Earp immediately reloaded his gun and shouted, "OK Corral 30 Seconds!"
A fusillade of bullets sailed past the startled fencer as rapidly as machine gun fire. As quickly as the cat appeared, numerous holes burst open on its flesh and sprayed blood everywhere before collapsing. Earp angrily yelled at Maupin, "Get yer 'ead outta the clouds, woman! If yer gonna stand 'round an' worry 'bout me like that, yer gonna get yerself killed!"
"R-Right…" she murmured, then focused on fighting another Enforcer.
Earp sighed, then heard Iskandar whistle in admiration behind him. The king remarked, "Not too shabby, good sir. I see you're quite the dab hand with that miniature cannon, or whatever you call it."
"Miniature cannon, eh? Gotta admit, that's a first fer me. This lil' baby's called a revolver. There's plenty of other types o'guns, but this is what puts bread an' butter on the table fer me."
"Sounds interesting. Maybe when this all blows over, we can have a nice chat about modern weaponry. I'll even bring some of the best wine I can find!"
"Well ain't that grand? I oughta treat ya t'some top-shelf whiskey myself, but ya royal types might think it ain't any better than 'orse piss."
"Ha ha, don't be so modest!" Iskandar laughed. "Booze is booze no matter what part of the world you're in! I'd be happy to have the best that America has to offer!"
"Then it's a deal. Let's clean up 'ouse pronto," Earp said as the sand billowed around both men, perfectly setting the stage for their next rodeo against the mad felines.
In the dream world, swiping talons struck a spinning spear in a blinding duel of reflexes and perseverance. Connla and Nagual never let up on their barrage of quick attacks. While each strike lacked power, their deadly accuracy compensated for it. To witness at least a hundred blows being traded within the span of a minute while flying around within a tornado was an impressive sight to behold. Nagual finally found a chance to knock Connla back, but the Lancer tumbled back, vaulted off a nearby rock, and rammed her elbow against the Alter's chin. As Nagual reeled from the blow, Connla grabbed her ankle and spun around a few times before tossing her head-first against a brittle boulder that broke into pieces on impact.
The furious Beast somersaulted, then energized one of her talons with a concentrated Hagalaz Rune so that it was covered in ice. She slashed once at Connla, sending a wave of frozen crystals in her direction. She streamlined her body to squeeze between two slashes, then used an icy stalagmite as impromptu steps to reach Nagual above her. Connla stabbed her spear at Nagual's chest, but she twisted her abdomen aside and kicked the back of her opponent's head, then somehow managed to grab her leg with her giant claws and throw her back against the ice, shattering it into chilly fragments.
As Connla tumbled backwards on the huge rock formation, Nagual descended upon her. She tried to slice her apart, but the Lancer performed a handstand while spinning her spear with her feet, blocking each attack with amazing accuracy for such an improbable counterattack. Connla tossed the spear in midair and caught it with her hands, then successfully cut into Nagual's side while getting back on her feet.
"Gngh…" the Alter snarled and stepped back while pressing her hand against the wound. She knew the pain and blood weren't supposed to be real, but fighting a stubborn opponent who was essentially a doppelganger of herself was actually getting on her nerves. Connla knew the right tricks and strategies to overcome any challenge that Nagual could throw at her. Of course, Nagual wasn't entirely surprised by this – both of their techniques were based off of what Scathach taught them.
Connla got into her fighting stance and glared at Nagual, waiting to see what her next move would be. The Alter knew that the Lancer needed to maintain a good defensive maneuver to balance out her superior attack power. That was why Connla never actually instigated any of the fights, preferring to watch what her enemy would do next. Nagual was sure that if the situation was reversed, she would have long since won by now. There had to be a reason why Connla was being so careful with this battle.
Just for a split second, Nagual noticed that Connla turned her eyes toward the island. That was when the Alter figured it out.
I get it now. Geal's aim is not to defeat me.
She shifted her eyes over to Cliste, who was still watching the fight.
It's to weaken me enough so that my 'right' side can take over the Artificial Beast's functions.
If that happened, she knew she would be in trouble. Her authority all depended on her control of the Artificial Beast and the Grail Terminal that powered it. In truth, Nagual had wrest that power away from Cliste and put her to sleep so she wouldn't have to deal with the pain anymore. With Connla and the Chaldeans here though, Cliste was slowly remembering that she was the one who possessed the actual authority over the Terminal. It was only a matter of whether or not she was emotionally ready to handle that burden once again. Nagual needed to prevent that by causing Cliste to lose faith in everyone who was trying to save her.
Having decided on her next tactic, the Alter unexpectedly dug her claws into the earth that she and Connla stood on. The talons shone crimson, then she slashed forth to carve a giant X pattern into the ground, with Connla standing at the intersection. Eliminating at least four cardinal directions she could escape to gave Nagual a better chance of reading what she was going to do next. Connla spontaneously decided to jump forward and attack Nagual directly, believing her earlier injury would stifle her enough to get a few more hits in.
"Gotcha!" Nagual taunted and ran for her counterpart while commanding the seared earth to glow brighter.
In a classic case of 'made you look', Connla skidded to a stop thinking she had fallen into a trap and glanced back at the shimmering red earth. She imagined a scenario where Nagual's attack turned course like a boomerang and attempted to pincer her. That didn't happen, but the distraction was enough for Nagual to safely close the distance. A dark aura surrounded her claws as she reached Connla and proceeded to relentlessly slash and tear into the Lancer's flesh. The pace of her swipes increased with intensity until they looked like black swaths of wind. Each attack was probably no better than a kitten scratch compared to the raw might of Curruid Coinchenn, but the sheer number of lacerations kept digging deeper into Connla's skin.
"Tepeyollotl!" Nagual shouted, then blasted Connla up high with a high-powered uppercut before finishing with a terrible stab to the Lancer's torso. Connla could barely think as a horrific piercing pain shot through her breast and exploded out her back as numerous, blood-soaked copies of her leaf-bladed spear.
"Ungh…" was all the child warrior could gasp.
Connla almost dropped to her knees in agony, but Nagual gleefully pulled her face just inches in front of hers and taunted, "I've decided, Geal. The next world I'll jump to is yours."
"Wha-?"
"With my Nega-Lineage and the Artificial Beast, I'll crush everyone you hold dear within Chaldea before any of them can be a potential thorn in my side. With your world's last hope for survival extinguished, I can leave it behind and let the King of Mages do whatever he wants."
Nagual believed that threat would cause Connla to panic and go into a frenzy. Her response was anything but that. Connla's expression likewise became distorted, but there was no mirth behind her eyes. There was just that silent, empty calmness that distinguished her form of riastrad from Cuchulainn's. The creases on her face were there, but that was it. Instead of a ravaging beast that enjoyed the thrill of combat, her attitude was more akin to a hunter waiting patiently for their prey to expose itself before going for the kill. All miscellaneous thoughts were pushed out of the way, trapping her mind in a tunnel that focused only on finishing the task at hand in the most efficient manner.
Despite her startlingly serene expression, Connla truly had gone mad. It was probably an effect of her being the distant descendant of Balor, the One-Eyed Fomorian god. If she had been summoned as her Berserker self Fia-Leanbh, additional eyes would have formed around her face and upper body due to that lineage. As a Lancer, her warp spasm would not be that severe. Nevertheless, the mind-numbing sensation of combat was still there. Nagual's taunting awakened Connla's own subconscious madness, which was not what she intended.
Nevertheless, Nagual was still bemused by her foe's sudden change in behavior. After Connla knocked her away by shoving her feet against her chest, she cried out mirthfully, "Ah ha ha ha ha ha! So you're going to show me your own dark side, Geal!? Fine by me! Let's succumb to insanity and fight like the animals we are!"
Cliste remained partially hidden behind a large apple tree, observing the climactic battle happening in the massive hurricane swirling around the island. She grew more and more fearful for Connla's safety, worrying that Nagual would destroy her. Cliste wished she could do something to help, but Nagual had taken almost everything away from her, including her original fighting capabilities. She was essentially reduced to the role of a damsel quietly praying for the knight to overcome the evil overlord in some cliché fantasy story. This helplessness frustrated her, but she feared that she would just be a nuisance to Connla if she tried to intervene.
Geal…
As Cliste's worrying intensified, she suddenly sensed something from behind and turned to look. White particles materialized and shimmered for a few seconds, rapidly growing in number until they took on the form of a man-sized, white-furred Japanese Bobtail cat with crisp blue eyes and a gentle expression.
Cliste curiously approached the feline and reached her hand out while murmuring, "Who… are you?"
The animal nudged the girl's hand as she replied, "Hello, Mother. It's so good to finally meet you."
"Huh? You're one of the Enforcers?"
"My designation code was 22-S, although I go by the name Lexy now. I was created through Nagual's process, but my personality was reprogrammed by you. Don't you remember?"
Cliste tried to think of when she could have interfered with the process, but was coming up a total blank. She slowly shook her head and whispered, "I'm sorry, but I don't remember anything about that."
"Hmm… It must have been an unintended reaction to your subconsciousness crying out for help. Well, don't worry about it too much. I'm here for you now."
"You came all this way to see me?"
"Yes, Mother. I need you to think carefully about what it is you have to do. You might not realize it, but you have a responsibility to this world."
"I… I can't do it," Cliste moaned and quickly turned away in fear, covering her upper face with her hood.
Lexy rested her head on the frightened girl's shoulder and said, "I know it's hard. Being betrayed by Sade, Luise Brugger, and even the Caretakers must have taken a tremendous toll on your ability to believe in others. You must be so scared of even just the thought of waking up. But think about it. Wouldn't you be more frightened of doing nothing when you know there's something you can do?"
"What can I possibly do? This world is going to be Pruned anyway. I can't save anyone now."
"It's already been predetermined that our world would die. If the World decides that a timeline has strayed too far from the path, then there is nothing that anyone can do about it. There's nothing to worry about with our world. But you need to think about what would happen if the Artificial Beast escaped the Pruning and terrorized other worlds like this. You heard what Nagual said to Geal, didn't you? She made a direct threat to destroy Chaldea and eliminate that world's last hope for survival. Is that something you want to happen to Geal? Do you not mind if she and her friends are wiped out of existence?"
"Of course not! But… I need to be punished for causing the Extinction…"
"That's enough. You might not believe it, but the World has already pardoned you."
"What do you mean? How would you know something like that?"
"Why do you think it struggles to summon rogue Servants when it's destined to die anyway? It might be too weak to summon a Grand Servant to counteract against a Beast, but it still wants to reach for a certain Servant sealed inside a catbox and tell her that she doesn't need to carry such a tremendous burden any longer. As for how I would know… Well, this is just a guess at best, but maybe the World had a small influence in my abnormal production. Who knows for sure?"
"…"
"In any case, there might be no hope for our world, but you still have the power to save countless parallel worlds from destruction. If you truly want to atone for those billion people you killed, then eliminating the Artificial Beast will wind up saving more lives than there are stars in the sky. Surely then those victims will have to forgive you for saving their counterparts from destruction. But more importantly, you'll finally be able to forgive yourself for what you've done. After all, atonement can never be truly over unless you are able to move on as well."
Cliste's eyes widened. Lexy got in front of her and rested a paw on her shoulder as she declared, "Dreaming is nice, but it's not meant to last forever. Sooner or later, you need to wake up and face reality. There's nothing to be afraid of anymore - you have lots of allies in your corner now. Please don't let them down the same way this world disappointed you."
The hooded girl closed her eyes for a short while, thinking carefully about what Lexy told her. The feline Servant faced the battle still happening within the tornado surrounding them, then said, "I have to go and help Geal. If I don't do something, Nagual might wind up damaging her Spirit Origin enough to kill her in the physical realm."
"What are you going to do?" Cliste asked.
"If Nagual represents the original Child of Cuchulainn's inner darkness, then I'm going to amplify Geal's inner light to counter it. Isn't that the reason you gave our Chaldean counterpart the nickname 'Geal' in the first place?"
"Mm… Of any of us, I always saw her as the shining hero I could never become. I think she's the embodiment of our living self experiencing her dream of doing good things for others, which had been denied to her due to the meddling of selfish adults."
"You're absolutely right. Don't you worry about fighting Nagual – Geal and I will work together to excise this cancerous Beast from your soul. Once you are free from her influence, you can claim the Artificial Beast for yourself. Once that happens, you know what you have to do."
The child Servant fell silent, then nodded. Lexy smiled, then became determined as she leapt off the island, elegantly bounding from boulder to boulder to reach Connla. She gradually approached the bursts of white and black until she could make out the two Servants. Lexy realized that Connla's mind was in the throes of a mind-numbing warp spasm, which meant the situation was getting desperate.
Nagual noticed the cat from a distance and shouted at her, "You! What do you think you're doing here, 22-S!?"
"Sorry, Mother, but I cannot allow this madness to continue any further," Lexy replied. "Your grudge against this world's Mages is justified, but that is as far as it should go. Even you have to know that if you endanger the Mages of innocent timelines, you will become a Beast in every sense of the word. Is that really something you want for yourself?"
"I don't need a goddamn defect to lecture me! Get out of my sight this instant, you worthless rabble!"
"I'm not going to lecture you with words. Instead, I'll do this!"
Lexy's expression quickly became fierce as she howled a battle meow, then dematerialized into white particles once more and streaked toward Connla like a glittering comet. When she made contact, Connla's body was enveloped in pure light that blinded Nagual, forcing her to retreat behind a sailing boulder to protect her eyes. Lexy's voice reached into Connla's mind and called out, "Geal! Can you hear me, Geal!?"
"M-Ms. Lexy?" the child warrior moaned.
"You need to keep yourself together! Getting into a warp spasm is precisely what Nagual wants you to do!"
"But I can't think of anything else to do…"
"Don't worry. I refuse to let you do this alone. I need you to open your Spirit Origin so I can assimilate with it."
"Are you sure? If you do that, you might wind up disappearing."
"I'm perfectly fine with being a part of you. Think of this as my little way of repaying Chaldea for disabling the Tradition Protection."
"Do Mr. Velvet and Lord Iskandar know?"
"They do, and they have accepted my decision. Now then, let's do this, Geal! For Cliste, Chaldea, and every other parallel world out there!"
Connla nodded, and exclaimed, "Okay!"
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, relaxing her nerves enough to nullify the riastrad so that Lexy could upgrade her Spirit Origin. Connla felt a great power surging within her chest as Lexy's Spirit Origin absorbed itself into hers, performing an on-the-spot Ascension process to grant her the full set of white armor, wolf-themed helmet, and combat dress she would wear for serious battles such as this. Once the blinding radiance died down and Connla emerged in her Third Ascension outfit, Nagual came out of hiding and snarled at her counterpart.
The Alter was so livid that she couldn't think of anything clever to say. Rage overcame her senses as she charged for the Lancer and shrieked, "GEAAA~AAALLL!"
Connla instantly launched herself off a platform Rune and shot for Nagual like a sniper bullet, swiping her spear just once. Nagual screamed in sudden pain and tumbled in midair for a short bit before recovering. She realized that blood was trickling down her face, and she felt the scalding hot sensation of a deep cut running along her entire forehead.
"DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU, DAMN YOU! GO TO HELL, YOU USELESS PIECES OF SHIT!"Nagual howled at Connla and Lexy. The two warriors approached each other once more, glaring into each other's eyes with murderous ferocity.
Inside the Reality Marble known as Necoc Yaotl, Nagual was engaged in a three-on-one fight with Cuchulainn, Kiritsugu and Izo. While Connla fought her subconscious self, the three Servants focused on destroying her physical body that was directly connected to the Artificial Beast. She just managed to deliver a deadly blow to Cuchulainn with her offensive Noble Phantasm, incapacitating him so that the two Assassins had to fight her on their own. Luckily for them, Nagual couldn't maintain her monstrous Tepeyollotl form like she could in the dream battle, and returned to her human form after dealing with Cuchulainn.
The Beast quickly conjured her obsidian spear and snatched it moments before cartwheeling away from Izo's katana strike. She leapt atop a rotted tree branch and shot dozens of small Ansuz fireballs at the ronin as he pursued her. They exploded like bullets in the ground around him, but he wasn't deterred from chasing his prey. He jumped high enough to sail over her, and they engaged in a short spar before she dealt a blow that made him lose his balance on the rickety branch. He regained his footing and attempted to cut her, but she literally blew the katana out of his hands, vaulted over him so that she could throw him into the air with her legs, then leapt after him to try and carve him apart while he was disoriented.
Suddenly, Kiritsugu jumped in from behind Nagual and grabbed her spear moments before she could swing it at Izo. The three Servants fell to the ground, and Kiritsugu quickly threw his catch to the side while simultaneously firing his machine gun at Nagual. She flipped backwards and scurried along the tall grasses to try and lose him, although several bullets managed to strike her during the chase. This gave Izo a chance to reclaim his sword, and once Kiritsugu ran out of bullets, the ronin could take over and fight the weaponless Nagual directly. This didn't mean she was entirely disarmed – she still had some basic martial arts moves, Runecraft, and her natural agility to stymie him.
"Hah hah hah!" Nagual laughed maniacally, enjoying Izo's frustration as he kept failing to hit her.
"Sit still so I can disembowel ya, ya filthy rodent!" Izo shouted angrily.
"The World certainly made a weird choice, summoning a Man Slayer to hunt down a Beast! Why don't you go back to butchering unarmed humans? At least you'd be picking on enemies your own size!"
"Ya better stop flappin' yer gums while ya can! Ya dun wanna see me when I'm pissed outta my mind!"
"You've strolled into my territory and are trying to play some kind of hero that you were never meant to be! After showing that kind of nerve against me, you have no right to complain if I wind up turning you into my personal plaything!"
"That's a big 'if', missy!"
"Eeee hah hah hah hah hah!" Nagual laughed like a wild animal as she dodged another barrage of Izo's sword swings. She performed a low roll to his side, then blasted him away with a potent fireball to his sternum. As he tumbled along the ground, with his clothes slightly caught on fire, she howled, "A piece of scum like you isn't even worth looking at, never mind fighting. I'm only humoring you because I'm breaking in my new kitty nails. You'll have to pardon me for not taking you seriously, but I'm rather ecstatic about being able to move for the first time after being locked in a box for 50 years."
The wounded Izo threw off his singed kimono, then snarled a mirthful grin at her and retorted, "Oh, believe me, no offense taken. Yer situation couldn't suck 'arder if it tried. But I ain't 'ere t'kill any Beasts or whatever. Fer all yer badmouthin', there's still a little kid sufferin' in there, an' I ain't gonna let up 'til I save 'er from 'er misery."
"So you're actually hunting the weak little human buried deep inside me? How charming. Too bad for you that your voice can no longer reach her."
"That's why I'm gonna tear 'part the shell she's hidin' in an' force 'er back out into the open!"
"Fine then! Try and cut me all you like!"
Before either of them could approach each other for another duel, Nagual heard the sound of a single bullet being fired from her side. She perceived a slight distortion in the air, and she inched her head back a few millimeters to avoid having her eyes gouged out by a high-speed projectile. The unimpressed girl shifted her eyes toward Kiritsugu, who had found a spot to take cover and aim at her while she was busy bickering with Izo.
Damn it. Her reflexes are just too good, the Guardian cursed to himself. Despite this, he called out to Izo, "You better pace yourself. Iri isn't around to heal any of us. Nagual knows that, and is trying to provoke us into acting carelessly."
"Ya think I didn't pick up on that?" Izo retorted. "I might be short-tempered, but I ain't stupid!"
"Right… You should provide cover for Cuchulainn. I'll keep her busy."
"Cover fire should be yer job, not mine!"
"Don't argue with me!"
The ronin snorted, but relented and stepped away to treat his burn injuries, leaving Kiritsugu to point his gun at Nagual again. She remained apathetic as she grumbled, "You also want to play hero despite your grim profession?"
"Heroism or not, I still have to uphold my part of the deal with Cliste. I promised I would kill her, and nothing is going to get in my way of achieving my objective."
"He he he he…" the Beast giggled. "Boy, have I got a few choice words for you, foreign Guardian."
Kiritsugu knew that if he allowed her to talk, she would pinpoint his mental weaknesses in order to throw him off guard. He refused to let her edge in any words by firing his gun multiple times at her, forcing her to run through the grassy field in a circle around him. The obnoxiously cheery grin plastered on her face suggested that she was playing with him more than actually fighting him, which irritated the stoic Assassin. She then closed the distance between them, but he fired precise shots to keep her at bay. She used her teleportation to disappear multiple times as dizzying bursts of colors, making it difficult for him to keep up with her. She appeared behind the confused Guardian and did a rising knee jab to his chin, throwing him high off his feet and onto his back.
During the middle of Kiritsugu's fall, he threw a grenade at Nagual. Once she spotted the bomb, she warped out of its range, leaving it to explode in midair harmlessly. She reappeared several feet from him as he vaulted back onto his feet. She attempted to summon a Rune, but stopped when a strange cut spontaneously opened up on her forehead, causing blood to burst before her eyes.
"Ngh!?" Nagual yelped in shock and stumbled back while pressing her hand against her forehead. Kiritsugu became confused – he never aimed any of his attacks at her head, so why was she suddenly bleeding from her face?
As Cuchulainn healed himself with a series of Runes, he noticed this bizarre spectacle and gasped in horror. Of the Chaldeans, he was the only one who understood what was happening.
Is Connla fighting Nagual in the dream world!?
He growled to himself in frustration. He didn't want to be sitting around when he knew his daughter was putting up the fight of her life, but the damage he sustained from Nagual's Noble Phantasm still crippled him. He just needed a little more time… Not even to be fully healed, but enough to run around without fear of losing his entire blood supply. He was lucky that he had his Battle Continuation active when he took the killer blow, but he doubted he could withstand another Noble Phantasm like that.
"Damn it, Geal…" Nagual seethed.
While she was stunned, Kiritsugu rushed in and stabbed his blade into her abdomen. He was in such a hurry to attack her that he missed her vital organs, but at least it would be much harder for her to fight back in this state. After all, she didn't have any way of healing herself either. While howling from the pain, she kicked him off her and fiercely glared at him.
As he tumbled back onto his feet, she said, "Not bad for an amateur Mage. You actually managed to wound me. You'd make a good fit as one of the Clock Tower's Sealing Designation Enforcers."
He anticipated where this argument was going to go and retorted, "Don't compare me to this world's depraved excuses for Mages. I'm not the type of person who intends to use his Magecraft to harm others. It exists only for the betterment of others. Remiss as I am to say though, not even summoning a hundred copies of myself would be enough to clean up this world's mess. I am rather glad that the World decided to exercise common sense and Prune this timeline."
She rolled her eyes in contempt. "Oh please, spare me your self-serving sophistry. Of anyone here, you should have the best understanding of what this world's Mages were thinking."
Kiritsugu clenched his teeth, clearly insulted. "What?"
Nagual smirked impishly. "I know about you. I've seen several dreams with you in them. I know what the real essence of 'Emiya Kiritsugu' is. You always tip the scales to favor the majority, condemning the minority to be erased by your concept of 'justice'. Isn't that what the Mages did in this world too?"
"What are you talking about!? What they did was the complete opposite!"
"I wonder."
"What do you-"
"If this world was going to die, they would do whatever it took to save it. Anyone with a 'heroic' mindset would want to do the same. At first, they followed your favorite type of logic to a T by sacrificing half of this world's population, converting it into raw mana. They then executed me so that my cranial Runes would serve as the base for the Holy Grail Terminal. One billion dead, and just over another billion alive. So far, so good?"
"Stop it…"
"Afterwards, they sent tendrils into the Kaleidoscope, which would then create connections with other worlds. Dozens of parallel worlds were sucked dry of their mana. But no longer was a single person in the Akakor world needed to be sacrificed. This world was going to live past the end of days. If Emiya Kiritsugu was one of those Mages, he would consider it a resounding success, wouldn't he? He would proudly proclaim that he helped saved the world."
"NO!" Kiritsugu screamed and shuddered. "How many people populated those other worlds!? How many more were reduced to mana to save this world!?"
"It's hard to say, since every era was different. Nevertheless, that wasn't the point to the Mages. They decided that sacrificing half of this world's population was worth it if it allowed for the remaining half to survive the destined apocalypse. Whatever happened to the citizens of other worlds didn't matter to them. Those unknown souls were regarded as nonentities chosen to be the pillars that held this world's crumbling foundations. Ultimately, a Mage's prerogative is to save themselves, isn't it? Saving this world's citizens was just a nice little cherry on top of the cake – a reason to brainwash common men into worshiping them as heroes and saviors."
"Shit…"
"Don't fight it, Guardian. Admit it. You know it to be true. You might condemn this world's destiny, but you're actually holding some small hope of saving it, aren't you? To that end, you will kill me, then sweep me and all of your other victims under the rug so you can be called this world's 'hero of justice'."
Furious beyond reason, Kiritsugu raised his Calico M950 and aimed it at her.
"After all, you might advertise yourself as a Magus Killer…"
His finger pulled the trigger. Dozens of bullets rushed at Nagual with blinding speed. She dashed low beneath the fusillade as a black flurry. Her hands then glowed an eerie red hue. He noticed a second red glow behind him and realized his mistake. He neglected to take her missing spear into account during his attack, as he was now standing directly in front of the blade. It floated over the grass and, on her silent command, shot straight for his backside.
Nagual accentuated this blindside attack by raging, "But you're still a Mage at heart!"
He clenched his teeth in panic.
Time Alter: Double Acce-!
He barely activated his Magecraft in time, twisting his torso enough to protect his heart. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough. The blade dug into his ribcage and punctured his lung, emerging out his front side covered in blood. She walked up to him and extracted the onyx weapon, glaring at Kiritsugu with sheer derision. She had nothing left to say to him. Without a word, she raised her spear in a stabbing position, prepared to skewer him countless times until he was reduced to an indescribable pile of bones and meat.
"HEEYAH!"
The sharp sound of another man's war cry startled her. She looked up just in time to spot a familiar crimson lance being thrown like a javelin, but she couldn't do anything to retaliate. Her arm flew off her body, the hand still gripping the spear, and clattered upon the dirt in a spray of blood. The shocked Beast stumbled back, then hunched forward and trained her eyes on Gae Bolg as it spun like a boomerang back into its owner's hand. Her heart pounded with terror as she saw him:
A thoroughly enraged Cuchulainn Alter, healed enough to resume his fight against her.
