DISCLAIMER
The following is a fan-based
FICTION
F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.
Please support the official release.
Chapter 30: Ending a Dimensional Crisis (In a Rather Anticlimactic Fashion for the sake of Safety)
P.S. I now have a discord server! Discord .gg/ceBMM2Zz6c
Also Pxtreon: P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin
Goetia was quite sure that Zelretch wasn't supposed to have him tracked down through the Kaleidoscope.
He would have noticed had he gone through that magically-expensive and noticeable long-range counter to his attempts to pollute another timeline with the presence of anomalies meant to destabilize it. Yet someone had been recently working on stopping each threat on the spot- an agent loyal to the foolish Wizard Marshal.
Still, nothing had been done to prevent him from acting and continuing to break the dimensional barrier and thus allowing other casual threats to come throught. At least, that has been the case until after he had dispatched a new threat in that dimension- something that was meant to be tougher due to his dragonic blood working majestically with the boost he received.
Arthur Pendragon Alter, God Rhongomyniad, was going to be a huge threat for the fools that were busy in the futile deed of delaying the inevitable. This version of King Arthur was born from a ruthlessly corrupted pure soul that held none of the hesitation of the Tyrant of Knights that was Artoria Pendragon Alter. And the power of Rhongomyniad gave him divine power beyond recognition wherever he went.
That was roughly his thought up to ten minutes ago when Goetia felt the connection he shared with God Rhongomyniad vanish without a trace. He paused a moment over this circumstance, confused on how quickly his latest invader got pushed back and 'reformed' by Zelretch's agent and, out of curiosity, Goetia went to check, ignoring the risk of being caught by Zelretch in the process.
He had to know what had just happened. And the end result of that was... nothing. Nothing was what he got as he couldn't enter that realm of existence anymore. He tried to force his way, to push more power, the throne room crackling with the expense of dense demonic energy but the barrier wouldn't budge.
And that's when it hit him in a rather dreadful fashion. What if Zelretch had given his agent the task and the means to seal him away from that dimension?
The notion was preposterous as the means to achieve that would be immense and... yet, now that he thought about it, Goetia knew that Zelretch had the means to guarantee a degree of control over the Kaleidoscope to his students. Could it be that's how the agent managed to reform the invading force he sent through?
The possibility was quite high, and while Goetia wanted to be wrong about this, he knew better than ignore the cunning mind owned by the man that, in a couple dimensions in the multiverse, managed to seal away a Type-tier entity with just his magic. At a cost, obviously, but that didn't make Zelretch any less of a feasome foe to fight in these circumstances.
Up to this very moment, things have been rather impressive as it displayed how, despite its incredible control of the Kaleidoscope, Zelretch was limited by the expense the use of the Kaleidoscope put on his mind, body and soul when using it in distant positions within each dimension. That had been useful, but not when an agent of his could be used as a projector of that power without Zelretch suffering the upkeep of such ordeal.
And right now, with what had just happened, Goetia could only walk back to his throne room, sit down, plot the rest of his main plan out as he had just that left for him to try against the only obstacle left for him to face. He wasn't going to lose this time around, with Chaldea being the foolish last obstacle to secure his own dream.
He just didn't know that Fate had a special place for him and his plan. None of which of his liking as he would soon realize.
Arthur Pendragon was now a child.
Such a circumstance was nothing novel as that prankful jester that was Merlin had many times set him up for this sort of issues. Despite her approach in teasing, the half-succubus was nonetheless one that knew which pranks to play to be amused and... pleased by the results. Even now that memory was tainted by the lewd glance she threw at him, but right now the development that brought him into this form was positive if not the best option possible.
Someone from beyond his expectations, a true Demonic Beast, had corrupted his core and destabilized him to the point of turning his kingly nature into one built on hatred and malice. Such a change was horrendous to accept, but while that would have spelled disaster for anything or anyone he was hurled at due to the dark influence of the corrupted Rhongomyniad, Arthur was both glad and terrified of what happened mere minutes after being sent to this different dimension.
He noticed the first volley of multiple attacks, protecting himself with Rhongomyniad's energy forming a barrier- but the continuous barrage eventually overwhelmed him. One moment he was trying to get a clear view of his attackers, and the next one his whole body was butchered by attacks of all kinds and forms, from beam of lights to loud singing creating a powerful gust of wind, and to lances stabbing deep into his chest and torso.
A blink and he thought he was dead. Another, and he woke up with a clearer mind and with just some sheets covering him as he was finally looking at his attackers. The group was numerous, with many manifesting energy known to Servants and most looking like to have been reduced as he had.
One in particular caught his attention as the 'Master', a cool-looking masked figure that was talking with who he had come to recognize as Caster over 'sealing the issue away'. It wasn't him the 'issue', that much Arthur could identify on the spot- could it be that they found a way to keep the demonic figure from accessing this world? And was he... confined to this realm too.
Arthur wasn't outright upset by this, but he felt a bit irked that he was stuck in a world with no threat to worry about. In fact, this was the 'closure' of a threat that was the demon himself. But while that may have rendered part of his mood sour, he was still thankful for those that had 'beaten him up a bit and turned him good'. Annoying as it may sound, it was a right assessment.
Plus, now he was given the chance to have something to do rather than rest in the Throne of Heroes. The woman he was assigned, Lady Scathach (who, for some reason, despised being considered a 'lady' despite having been a queen before), was quite strict and stoic. When the Master, John, told him that she was indeed the 'Witch of Dunscaith', Arthur was both awed and intrigued. Her legend was quite known to him, with Merlin shuddering many times at the thought of her ruthless training rules, but to the young blond that was always a bit of a dream.
He loved the serious training with Ser Kay, and he had always wanted to further hone his skills with someone with greater skills. Someone that had a deeper root with the ancestral origins of pre-Roman Britain. And sure, the few people that 'prayed' for him within the group left him worried that this would have been really bad for him but... the introduction he got from the woman later that day as they turned up to their home was... inspiring.
"You will not call me 'Lady Scathach', nor you will address me with a lacking formality as merely 'Scathach' until you earn my respect," Lady Scathach harshly spoke, her tone carrying drive and potential willingness to show how much of that confidence was real in her tone and actions. "From now on, I will be your Shisou, your teacher, and I will make sure that your skills are sharpened as to not lose any of the edge you are renowned for, Arthur son of Uther. Understood?"
The blond nodded happily. "Yes, Shishou."
A pleased smile flashed at this display of respect, but it would be a lie to say that this would be the beginning of a tame friendship. Scathach had him thrown into the training grind from the morning of the next day. He was instructed on going to school, making at least two friends and make sure to not 'break any girls' hearts' in the process due to his legend, a reasonable demand considering his heart and mind was still aimed at Aya- Guinevere!
There is no one else in my mind but my beloved Guinevere and definitely not a pretty dark-haired girl with gorgeous blue eyes. N-Nay to that!
Still, he had his priorities checked and he was going to just establish himself as a reasonable element in society within the limitations of his current form, while also training under Scathach. Two days into the grind and his Shishou took him to the side to explain a few circumstances that had been held unknown to him for that long regarding on why he was given to Scathach and did not join the rest of Servants with John Bukharin, the one that was masked during his takedown.
"It would be incorrect to say that you were entrusted to me out of expectation of you training under me, apprentice. In fact, I would dare to say that you were to be treated as a 'sacrifice' for 'me'."
That sounded absurd to an extent, especially since it made no sense of what sort of sacrifice he would be to a teacher like her. "Truly?"
"It's not the training that your 'Master' worries for me, but rather my... intention to share intimacy with him. I am sure your own teacher on magic had told you of my Friendship of Thighs."
Merlin had been brought up previously, and yes, Arthur was aware of such a practice but he always thought that was just an exaggeration from the lustful Mage of Flowers. From the looks of it, he had been wrong in that assumption.
"Oh."
"I will not entertain that gesture with you. I am well-aware of your reluctance to seek solace beyond the limitations of your marriage differently from other students of mine."
That was good news, but the main point was still untouched.
"Then why would Master just... ignore you."
"He is in a relationship."
That made sense to him-
"Yet he is considering an opening to more due to his girlfriend's growing interest in 'giving happiness to others'."
...What?
"His girlfriend- his fair lady wants-"
"Wants him and her to be in a relationship with others at the same time."
"...Is this even reasonable?" Arthur reckoned in shock. "I dare not offend anyone, but-"
"But you worry that it will end like it did with Lancelot, correct?"
He wanted to say yes, but the memory of that fateful event still struck him nervous and thus he just flinched at it.
"Well, times have long changed and religion is less of a threat in that regard when it comes to monogamy. Plus, I am not seeking marriage- I am not one that ties the knot to this sort of affairs."
"You only seek... relief?" The boy was shocked by this discovery.
Was the world truly that different than the one he was familiar with? Had modernity really taken such an unexpected turn of events?
"Aye, like any boundless entity of this world I drive my soul and body within the needs those demands. Companionship and sexuality," Scathach reasoned calmly. "Which is why you will keep training and then you will help me with this task."
Oh, that sounded fair and... wait.
"I-I have to help?"
"Obviously."
"But-"
"As my student, you also need to appreciate the fact that your teacher is being lively and pursuing a healthy circumstance. Don't you think?"
Arthur refused to answer that, deciding against digging himself in a bigger hole than the one he had been tripped into.
AN
Lil Artie is in the party! Sorta. He is a bit of what Kid Gil was to Caren in the Carnival Phantasm series.
Still, big thing to say: the next few chapters will focus on trying to get more relationship stuff done before a timeskip. We are going for the beginning of Prillya's storyline and, of course, many things are going to be different and some will not. Such as Illya inheriting from her teacher, rather unconsciously and amusingly, a degree of awareness on BS.