And Then There Were Three
"We've located the where. We just need to find out the when." Doctor Roman said to the people inside the not exactly small conference room.
Ayako, Koleen, Ritsuka and Mash sat mostly to one side of the table, with the Doctor standing across them, gloved hands on said table used to prop himself up. Because of the nature of this news, there were also other people besides the Masters; Kagiso, as a "former Master" who took a rather important temporary position, chief among them, along with two of the higher ranking members of the crew who like in the summoning room, the two Caster Class Servants flanked one side of the walls across from each other, though this time Da Vinci was also with them, standing next to Doctor Roman. And their latest addition, the Lancer Class Servant…
Was reading a book as she sat comfortably next to all the Masters. She was silent as she swayed left and right on the chair with her tail going the opposite direction, the book itself belonging to Mash. A mystery novel, from what Mash had said, and with the name Arthur Conan Doyle written on it narrowed what, or who, the novel was about.
"So where is the next Singularity exactly?" Ayako asked, briefly glancing at Elizabeth, still focused on the novel, before her eyes landed on the Doctor again.
"Modern day France." He answered with a nod, before he raised his hands. "Let me reiterate, that's the where, not the when."
"Singularity F involved the Grail War that occurred, right?" Ritsuka spoke up. "Would that mean that it's during another noteworthy historical event?"
"The French Revolution? The Hundred Years War? The reign of King Louis XV, or Charles the Great. Perhaps even the 2nd World War." Koleen listed off a few events that she remembered off the top of her head.
"Oh, a few of those didn't even cross my mind." Doctor Roman said, jotting them down on his tablet.
"Those are all possible dates for the Singularity. Assuming of course the Singularity involves a specific event, just like you guys said." Da Vinci said to the room.
Ritsuka's face shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, right. There might not be a pattern at all."
"There might not be, but until proven otherwise we should operate as if there is." Ayako said to him reassuringly. "Better than standing around doing nothing like a headless chicken."
"Should we deploy immediately when the date is pinpointed?" Mash asked.
"Not immediately." Kagiso said, tapping his thumb on the table. "I fear we might still be undermanned."
"I was about to say." Ayako agreed with the African Shaman. "Assuming we deploy with one Servant each, and Mash is a definite shoe in, because she's mostly contracted with Ritsuka," the sole male Master scratched his cheek sheepishly. "then that means we'll have two more Servants with us. I'd feel safer, if we leave at least three Servants here in Chaldea while we're out there."
"At least three…" the Doctor repeated slowly. "You'd think we'd be attacked?"
"I'm not sure, but the Professor has proven that he has some semblance of control over space and time." Ayako explained her reasoning.
"So, we should hope that during the next summoning, we'd get a Servant that can help defend a base with more than 70 people. Alright then." The Doctor sighed.
The Renaissance Servant patted the Doctor's back comfortingly. "Cheer up, Romani. It's not the end of the world."
"That's right. As long as we stand, the world hasn't ended yet." One of the supervisors agreed, a rare sight of positivity among the crew.
As if he was reminded of their presence, Doctor Roman turned to the two. "Any news on your sectors?"
"Most of our generators are up and running." The more optimistic of the two answered, taking off her glasses as she addressed the acting director. "We lost two of our ten power generators, so we'll only ever be at 80%. Contrasting that, we've only got four mana generators running, but we've lost none of them."
"How soon can we have the power back on across the base?" he asked her.
Her face grimaced at the question. "In the sectors that we can reach? Nine days. But the whole complex? More than a month."
"Well, that's better than nothing." He said to himself. "I want to see results in those nine days."
"Yes Doctor."
"Good." He turned to the other person, dressed in all black combat fatigues, his helmet placed on the table. "How are things with you?"
"There's not much to say." His voice was surprisingly light compared to his stature. "A few of the guards are still patrolling the corridors, but most are helping out around Chaldea, as much needed muscle." The man sighed to himself, shaking his head. "I don't think there's anything we can do if we are attacked, because chances are they wouldn't find much trouble with us. It's why I agree for us to wait and summon more Servants. No offence." He said to the Servants in the room.
"None taken." The Irish Druid answered, tapping his wooden staff on the floor.
"I'd offer you an army, but they'd be useless defending a base like this." Medea suggested from her side. "They are also very weak, compared to a Servant."
"And my domain is that of the forest. Not this icy hell." Cú Chulainn said with a disappointed sigh. His red eyes then landed on the Lancer Class Servant, lost in the world of the novel.
He held out his wooden staff, aimed just above Elizabeth's head, and swung it lightly. "Ow!" the pink haired Servant rubbed her head, turning in her seat to face the Caster. "What?"
"What can you offer Chaldea, kid?" he asked with faux-disinterest.
Her grumbling was heard around the room, and Ayako could tell she had a rebuttal forming, but Cú Chulainn's stern gaze kept her in line. She then turned to the Masters, making sure she had her thumb in between the pages, with a visible frown on her face. "Nothing permanent, aside from my skills."
"There you have it, two offensive oriented Servants, two fitting a support role, and one Servant we have that can provide a solid defense." He rounded off, glancing to Mash. "But she's a guarantee for the rayshifts."
"I have to ask, when you said three…" Koleen's eyes shifted unsurely to the Renaissance genius. "Were you including Da Vinci?"
"Yes." Ayako answered as her own golden orbs eyed the living painting. "You are going to help defend if it comes to it, right?"
"Of course I am!" she exclaimed confidently. "You know, if you can get the supplies, I might be able to make a more permanent defensive fixture for Chaldea."
"Then we'll put that on the list." The Doctor said, presumably putting said topic on said list in his tablet. "Kagiso, aside from Koleen's, are there any other good news?"
"None from the Masters, only Koleen has awoken." The African Shaman answered with a shake of his head. "Three members of the crew are up, but two of them are still bedridden."
"Who is the one that isn't?" Doctor Roman asked.
"Yusuf Praditya. Works in Sanitation."
"Hmmm." The Doctor looked through the registry, until a satisfied look was visible on his face. "Alright, I'll speak with him later. How about the Director? What's the news on her recovery?"
"Nothing's changed. She's fine physically, but it's her mental state that we are waiting on."
He sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time to the room. "Does anyone else have anything they'd like to speak of? No? Then we are dismissed."
"You've had these prepared since before you got here?" Ritsuka asked, carefully holding the wooden stock of a rifle. The shape of it carefully carved into, showing vein-like patterns that glowed a bright cyan color.
"I was actually planning on assembling it before I got the call." Ayako told him, inspecting the metal barrel, her fingers tracing the runes she had carved.
Technically, most of it was only one repeating rune, Thurisaz. There were a few other runes as well, but they existed to exemplify the ᚦ. Þruma, or Thunder. The wooden stock that Ritsuka was holding also had a rune engraved upon it. Berkanan, for the wood she used. All the other pieces were just as engraved, with each piece of metal meticulously forged. She wasn't a smith, not even close to the definition, but she learned enough to forge the pieces herself.
"I would've thought you'd be making another backup." Koleen asked, her pink eyes glossing over the unassembled pieces.
The Puppeteer shrugged. "I need the materials. I used up most of them for the Director."
"Thank you, for that. Ayako." Mash said a bit meekly.
"You can use my body." Da Vinci offered, standing over and behind her. Ayako sighed, reminded of how crowded her new workshop was at the moment.
"No, thank you. You can be, whatever that was." She shuddered in remembrance of the Servant's backup.
"You really thought this out, lass." Cú Chulainn said, eyeing one of the bullets. Both the bullet and its casing had the Sōwilō rune, though the pattern was weaved into it rather than carved. "Even the powder inside."
She smiled, happy that her work was acknowledge by an expert. "You can't half-ass a project like this."
"I concur." Medea said, floating down to Ayako's level and taking a seat next to the Puppeteer. Her icy blue eyes trailed over the pieces, before they stopped at the box Ayako had brought along. "You've made a lot of them. Enough to fill out this whole box it seems."
Medea was referring to what was inside the case; ammunition stocked full. "Specially ordered, and hopefully it'll last a while." She sighed somewhat dejectedly.
"What's more expensive, your runes or these bullets?" Ritsuka asked as he carefully laid the wooden stock back down.
"Still my runes, especially since I still need to replenish them after our last outing." She told him as she began assembling the rifle. "But the big problem right now is the possibility of me running out of these bullets."
"Yes, I can see this becoming a problem." Medea commented with an understanding nod. "Can you not make them yourself?"
"I can, but the process alone is more hassling than preparing my runes." Ayako said with a tired sigh.
"You should get all these people to do it for you!" all heads turned to the young pink haired Servant, gesturing around herself. "Then you can have an unlimited supply forever!"
They all looked at her with varying expressions. The Irish Druid's sigh caused Elizabeth to frown. "She really is just a kid. She's younger than our Masters." He said, gesturing to her.
"It is adorable though." Medea said, ruffling Elizabeth's hair. The pink haired Servant giggled at the affection, before she shook herself away from the gloved hand.
"As convenient as that may be, Elizabeth, they have other things to take care of." Ayako told the Lancer, who pouted at her suggestion shot down.
"Why didn't you go for an older rifle design?" Da Vinci asked. "You would have had an easier time replenishing your resources then."
"Aren't they a pain in the ass to reload?" Koleen said with furrowed brows.
Ayako nodded. "Exactly. Especially now? I'm not going to spend 20 seconds reloading one bullet when a Servant is raining down artillery on me with their bow."
Da Vinci chuckled in amusement. "In that case, I can understand. Well, if you're ever in need of an upgrade, give me a call! TTFN!" she waved them goodbye and left the room, eager to get started on her own projects.
"Why don't we get started on your lessons?" Medea said to the single male Master.
"Yeah, okay." he said somewhat enthusiastically. "See you guys later."
"Good luck, Ritsu-chan!" she giggled when he let out a defeated sigh as he left the room with Mash and Medea in tow, though the Caster Class Servant dematerialized on her way out.
Her new workshop was now much more calm and quiet, with just her friend and the two Servants left. Elizabeth seemed content in just watching Ayako piece the weapon together, the whole process not taking as long as one would have thought. Cú Chulainn's focus was on the few runestones Ayako had placed on the table. Six of them, placed in a specific order, to be used when the weapon is assembled. Koleen settled on using this time to speak with her friend.
"So do you have any ideas on who will be joining us?" she asked her friend.
"The Servants? Well, unless things change in who we summon next, it'll be Mash, Medea and Elizabeth." Ayako answered.
"Oh, you're bringing me along? That's gonna be fun." Elizabeth clapped her clawed hands excitedly, before her face contorted in confusion. "What about him?" she asked, pointing to the Druid.
"He might be a Caster, but he's very much a frontline fighter." Ayako responded, nodding to Cú Chulainn. "It's better if we spread around everyone's specialties. So, Mash will focus primarily on protecting us, you are our main powerhouse, and Medea will provide all of us support."
"You really are thinking like a leader, lass." He complimented, absentmindedly tracing something onto the table. Most likely his own rune, Ayako guessed. "Though may I offer a suggestion? Bring me along. The Greek Caster has more up her sleeve when it comes to defending a territory."
She looked up to the blue haired Caster with curious eyes. "Can you support us?"
"More than most. Not as much as Medea, but she also has more to offer here as well." He explained.
She contemplated his words in apparent silence, before she eventually nodded. "Alright. The ground team will be Mash, Cú Chulainn, and Elizabeth."
"You know I'm sure Dunya would've gladly handed you the reins for B Team." Koleen commented, her attention taken by what Cú Chulainn's doing.
"I'd rather support the leader, Kalls. But, when there's no one around? Sure, I'll take it." The Japanese Puppeteer said, sighing through her nose.
The taller Servant's eyes narrowed onto Ayako, who didn't seem to notice, but he shrugged to himself and continued tracing the runes. Koleen turned to the Puppeteer, seeing Ayako's work almost finished. "Hey, how do you think the Servants' Parameters work?"
Ayako paused her work, looking up to face her friend. "What do you mean?"
"They're dependent on their Masters. But, the Servants here are contracted to Chaldea, right? How does it work with three Masters?"
"We can form a more direct contract with each one of you." Cú Chulainn answered for them. "A good example is that lass, she's contracted to that lad, though I'm sure your Command Spells will still work on her as well."
"Is it really that simple?" this time it was Elizabeth that asked the question, holding herself up with her hands pushing up on the table, her feet dangling above the floor.
He shrugged, not really caring about the subject as the girls are. "Not everything has to be so needlessly complicated."
The two Masters kept their eyes on him for a few seconds, before they turned to one another. "We should test it out on the next supply run." Said the blonde with conviction.
"Sounds like a plan." Ayako nodded in agreement, as she got back to her project.
The rifle was fully assembled in the minute, the room's light turned off leaving the runes to illuminate it. Ayako smiled at her creation, before her eyes looked to what the Druid had been doing. Four primeval runes, each far more potent than any of hers combined. Two Algiz, and two Sōwilō. She looked to the Servant, seeing his proud smirk on his face.
"Just a little something to make sure this all works out." He said to her.
"Thanks, Cú Chulainn!" Koleen said, just as grateful, even though it wasn't her that was helped.
"Come on! Let's get on with it!" Elizabeth cried out impatiently. She knew something was going to happen, and she wanted to be here for it.
"Alright. Kalls, can you help me out?"
"Sure. What do you need?"
"Just hold the gun above the table, preferably with both hands." The blonde did as told as Ayako took out her cut obsidian, and began carving on the table.
A much more intricate pattern, circular and elaborate. At the corners, where Cú Chulainn's primeval runes were traced, she carved four more of her own runes. One in each, all instantly lighting up, powered by the Druid's gift.
ᚠ ᚷ ᛏ ᛗ
"Fehu, of the God Freyr. Gebō, of Gift. Tiwaz, of the God Tyr, and Mannaz, of Man." The circular array that was in the middle of the table lit up in a bright white light, and before their very eyes they saw it change. "Steðji." The surface of the table turned to an almost darker gray, spreading out from the pattern as the material hardened.
"You can let it go now." Koleen took a step back, seeing the rifle now float above the array. Ayako breathed carefully through her mouth, her eyes closed as she took the runes she had prepared beforehand, placing the first three in her right hand.
ᛒ ᚷ ᛗ
"Berkanan, of Birch. Gebō, of Gift, and Mannaz, of Man." She closed her hand as the runes disintegrated, her hand vibrating with power as it spread through her limb. As she opened her hand, now empty, it turned blue. A deep and cool blue, reaching up to her elbow. "Brokkr."
At this moment, both Koleen and Elizabeth took a few steps back, the young Servant shielding herself behind the blonde who was looking anxiously at her friend. The Druid, looking calmer than ever, now standing across from Ayako. His arms crossed, his red eyes on the Puppeteer, making sure that things don't go out of control. Ayako took a full deep breath before she continued, placing a hammer alongside the last three runes in her hand.
ᛖ ᛏ ᚱ
"Ehwaz, of Horse. Tiwaz, of the God Tyr, and Reið, of the Journey." This time her hand was still open, the runes disintegrating right before their eyes. The energy was absorbed by the hammer, a brief spark of electricity connecting from the head to the table. "Eitri." Another spark, touching the primeval rune, as Ayako raised the hammer above her head. Her red hair, now a dirty blonde, to the surprise of the Lancer Class Servant.
Her eyes opened, the golden orbs focused, entirely on the rifle. Her grip on her hammer tightened, as the lines, carvings and runes began to light up on the weapon. An effort that, though it didn't take her long to finish, was one that accumulated for more than a year. This effort of turning a modern invention into something that can rival that of times past. One that would earn the scoffs of the Clock Tower, yet she would only scoff back. Progress. Improve. Her very core, her very being.
ᚦ ᛒ ᛊ ᛗ
Thurisaz, of the God Thor. Berkanan, of Birch. Sōwilō, of the Sun. Mannaz, of Man. With the final steps passed, she swung the hammer down. "þverslá!"
A crack of thunder. A blinding light. The force of the sun. The modern weapon, what was once an M1 Garand, forged using methods of a bygone age. The meticulous effort of using the wood of an ancient tree that was carefully carved, enhanced iron that was similarly smithed, and unique metal that was born with these runes. All to show, that the past and the present could coexist, paving the path towards humanity's brightest future.
As the light died down, Koleen rushed to her friend, now kneeling as she rested her upper body on the table. Elizabeth was coughing, hitting her chest as if the whole room had been engulfed in smoke. Cú Chulainn's eyes were locked on the rifle, though there was an odd smile on his face.
"Nice job lass." He said as he straightened himself. "Looks like it's a success."
"It looks pretty." Elizabeth said with bright eyes as she approached the floating weapon. With a pink claw she poked it, making the rifle slowly spin in place.
"Oh, hell yes." Ayako said with a proud smile, finally back on her feet with Koleen's help. "Everyone, say hello…" she carefully took the rifle from its place, feeling its now dormant power within it. "to Aurvandil."
"Doc, are you watching this?" Ayako asked through the communicator on her wrist, sitting on a wooden log. Her eyes were on the fight she was observing, a figurative massacre.
A pack of werewolves, dressed like a bunch of scavenging tribes people, swinging their clubs and blunt swords at the pink haired Servant. And she was making short work of them. With each swing of her lance, their numbers were culled. A single thrust; a powerful bellow; and the swat of her tail. Despite her appearance, she is proving herself just how much of a powerhouse she was compared to the Casters. And through it all, she had the most excited expression on her face, as she mowed down these desperate werewolves.
"Yes, everything's crystal clear on our end." He responded after a second pause. "It's fascinating. There is a difference in her parameters, whether she's connected with you, or Koleen."
"And it's going the same for Medea?" she asked him.
"Yes. Her parameters are different right now with Koleen. And I almost feel bad for saying this, but I feel like they'll be noticeably weaker when they're with Ritsuka." She could hear the hesitance in his voice.
"It's fine. We'll just have to bring him up to snuff." Ayako said as she stood up, her eyes wandering around the mess that is the battlefield that was left by Elizabeth. The Servant noticed Ayako's gaze on her, and smiled excitedly as she waved at the Japanese redhead. Ayako smiled and waved back, though at the back of her mind, there was a thought that bothered her.
"Why is she acting like a Japanese schoolgirl?" she whispered.
"Oh, you noticed it too?" the Doctor commented with an unseen nod. "I didn't want to say anything in case, you know, it offended you."
She rolled her eyes at his comment as she walked closer to Elizabeth. Their surroundings were slowly filled with magical dust as the werewolves began disintegrating, leaving behind their core essences. The Servant was humming something out of tune, using her lance as a mic of sorts. "Hey Liz, you're Hungarian, right?"
"Of course!" she answered brightly, her thick reptilian tail swaying back and forth like an excited dog.
"Then why are you… like this?" she gestured with her hand to the Lancer's entire being.
The smile on her face lessened, as her eyes lost focus, visibly becoming glassy to Ayako. The Puppeteer was worried that she had overstepped some boundaries, but then Elizabeth shook her head, the lights in her eyes returning. "I, don't want to be what I become."
"A serial killer?" the Servant flinched at Ayako's bluntness, but never once had she hesitated.
"Yes. So, I want to change, at least right now as a Heroic Spirit." Her blue eyes picture her as an innocent girl, despite her backstory. "You really make it easy for me to talk, Master. Maybe you should be a therapist."
A small smile made its way on Ayako's face. "I'll think about it." She said, ruffling the shorter girl's pink hair. "So then, why are you dressed like this?"
"Isn't it obvious?" she shook herself away from Ayako's hand, twirling on her toes before the Master. "An Idol is one who is loved and adored by people! So of course I want to be recognized as one!" she declared excitedly.
"Haha, sounds just like an old fashion noble." Ayako said with a chuckle.
"As it should be, as the last of the House of Báthory." She said with her hands on her hips.
"Well, let's finish up then, we should be getti-"
"Ayako! We got hostile readings heading straight for you!"
The warning was followed by a rumble that was approaching her, the Lancer Class Servant immediately standing in front of the Puppeteer. Ayako withdrew her newly minted weapon from her back, aiming it at the dense forest. The rustling became more audible, the ground quaking after each beat. Elizabeth's hands tightened their grip on her lance, the tip of it closer to the ground. Her excited bravado from her earlier encounter was gone, and in its place she bared her fangs as her eyes narrowed to slits. The rumblings became louder and louder, in conjunction with quakes. Then, just a mere glimpse, she saw them. Three sets of eyes, glowing red within the shade of the forest.
"Ljósta."
She pulled the trigger, aiming for the farthest looking one, and heard a splatter. Her golden eyes widened when the beast showed itself; a chimera, now missing its tail, the snake head that she shot off. Its massive paw was swinging down on them, the speed and momentum carrying it through.
And then all she saw was red.
Elizabeth had swung her ornate lance upward, dismembering the phantasmal beast's paw, leaving the appendage flying past Ayako's head. The chimera backed away in pain, the lion head growling at Elizabeth. The goat head above its shoulder opened its mouth, an orb of energy forming at the tip of its teeth. "Rauðr!" the red coat tightened around Ayako, lifting her backwards as Elizabeth ducked out of its fire. A small crater erupted from its attack, as Ayako aimed her gun again and fired.
One of its eyes were blown out, the goat's bleating drowning out the lion's cry, as it swung its other paw. Just as before, Elizabeth swung her lance, so quick that Ayako didn't even see it with her unreinforced eyes. The Servant then speared the beast as it reared back in pain, her lance going through its torso, and even reaching the goat's head. Its bleating dying down as it gurgled blood out of its mouth. The lion head still would not relent, bending its neck to try and bite her, but at this point it was nothing. With the beast still impaled, she swung her lance and sliced it in half, sending its pieces off as it felled trees down its path.
"Hostile signatures are gone. Wow!" Ayako blinked her eyes. It was barely half a minute.
"Birdie, are you okay?!" she blinked them again as Elizabeth came to her, her lance dematerialized as her hands reached for Ayako's.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Great job there, Liz!" she said to the Servant, still amazed at the display. "Birdie?"
"You're wise like an owl, but Owlie doesn't roll off the tongue." The Servant said, flexing her pink claws as she gestured to Ayako.
"Well, guess you won't mind me calling you Liz." The Servant nodded with a fanged smile on her face.
"Hey, Ayako." The voice of the American Witch popped up from her wrist communicator.
Ayako brought her wrist closer to her face. "Hey Kalls. What's up?"
There was a pause as Ayako waited for her friend to continue. "You need to see this."
"What is it?"
"Just, you have to see this. Get here." The connection was cut, and Ayako could only look at the communicator in confusion.
"Doc, what did she see?" she asked their lifeline.
"Uhm, I think you need to head to where she is, Ayako."
She sighed, severing the connection herself. "Well that ain't ominous at all. Liz, let's join them."
"Righty-o, Birdie!" the smaller girl picked Ayako up bridal style, and launched herself through the trees, leaving behind a crater in her step.
Ayako covered herself with her coat, briefly debating on whether she should reinforce it, but ultimately decided against it. Their frontline Servant leaped through the trees, occasionally breaking through and soaring through the sky. She wasn't the strongest Servant in existence, yet her entire being still trumped over that of a human, so Ayako couldn't help but still be in awe of this small girl.
"There's something weird nearby." Elizabeth commented as they closed in on Koleen and Medea, slowing her descent as her draconic wings emerged from her back.
They landed in a quiet thud, dust and leaves blown by her descent as she placed Ayako on her feet. The Puppeteer approached her friend, with the hooded Caster floating behind the blonde. "What's happening?" she asked them.
Medea made a shushing gesture with a finger over her lips as Koleen waved them over. When the two finally joined them, Koleen pointed off into a clearing within the forest. Ayako's golden eyes widened at the sight. "Well I'll be damned."
"What? What are we looking at?" Elizabeth asked, squeezing through them to see what it was that caught their attention.
"It's a Shadow Servant." Medea told her fellow Servant, slowly pulling Elizabeth back by the pink haired girl's shoulder.
"Damn, I never encountered them in the last supply runs." Ayako commented to her friend.
"So chances are, the anomaly is tied to them?" Koleen asked the Puppeteer. "For this minor Singularity at least."
"Most likely." Doctor Roman offered to them. "Be careful girls. We don't know what their capabilities are, especially since the simulations don't really give an honest scale."
"I can attest to that." Ayako said with a heavy sigh. Then her eyes hardened, coming to a decision as she withdrew her weapon again.
"What are you doing?" Koleen asked, seeing the action with concerned eyes, a thought shared by the two Servants who were staring at Ayako as if she had grown another head.
"We have to deal with it to solve the anomaly, right? Then I might as well see what they could do." Ayako said as she aimed down the sights.
"Please don't, Ayako." Medea said, her worried eyes unseen by her hood.
"Yes. Let me." Koleen announced, to the surprise of the Servants as she pulled out a small needle.
Ayako just smiled knowingly, lowering her weapon. "By all means."
Koleen pricked her left middle finger, enough to draw blood. Her pink eyes were locked at the unmoving Shadow, its form heavily obscured to them. As she pocketed the needle, she began tracing the palm of her right hand, starting from the middle. She moved up to her the tip of her middle finger, and went back down. She continued to her thumb, and went back, and repeated the same with her little finger. She continued drawing a pattern through the lines, evoking an image of a bull's horns, before she aimed her palm at the Shadow.
The edges of her pupils turned red as she channeled the curse. "B͟͟͞I͟ND̶̵̨̀͘!" she said with an underlying gurgle, closing her hand into a tight fist.
The Shadow's form crumpled as it contorted into itself, looking distinctly misshaped. A gasp almost escaped Elizabeth as she covered her mouth. Koleen held the entity within her grasp, but just like Ayako, she got a firsthand experience at just how different the real things are compared to the simulations. The Shadow Servant began fighting through her curse, the Witch's hand even looking like it was being forced open. The two members of B Team shared a look, one where an exchange was happening. The blonde nodded to her friend, who in turn nodded back.
"Lancer! Caster! Go!"
"Yes Master!" Both Servants launched themselves; Medea to the skies, and Elizabeth straight to the Shadow Servant.
The pink haired girl struck the entity with her lance, holding it down with the weapon as it tried to fight back. Its hand shot out to the side, a weapon materializing, and swung it at Elizabeth. The Lancer blocked it with her clawed hand, doing her best to keep it from moving away; from either attacking the Masters, or from Medea's attacks. A circular array began forming beneath the Shadow Servant, one far more elaborate than either Master could accomplish. The Caster pointed her staff at the array, lighting it up as she activated the spell, her lips muttering an incantation that was impossible for Ayako or Koleen to make out.
When magical energy began pooling around the array, Elizabeth withdrew her lance from the Shadow Servant and leaped away with a gust from her wings. And just before the Shadow could react, ice began forming around it, incasing it in a cold coffin. Such was the magnitude of a magus from the Age of Gods, capable of holding the Shadow with such a spell, in nary a second. When it was for sure completely frozen, Elizabeth struck at it again, aiming for where the Spirit Core would be. The ornate lance pierced through the ice, and through the Shadow, whereupon it burst into a cloud of dark dust.
"Phew. That wasn't so bad." Elizabeth said as she wiped the nonexistent sweat off her face.
"I don't sense any more hostile creatures around us." Medea said from above them.
"I can confirm, that the anomaly has been contained, and the minor Singularity will soon break apart. Good job, everyone!" the Doctor said to the Masters.
Koleen winced in pain, flexing her right hand carefully. "Wow, you weren't kidding."
Ayako chuckled lightly. "Told you. Still up for it?"
The blonde, despite the stinging pain, looked to her friend with a reassured smile. "Of course."
"Great." Ayako laid her rifle on her shoulders, patting Koleen's back affectionately. "Then let's get back. Hopefully there'll be some good news waiting for us."
AUTHOR'S NOTE
why Elizabeth, some of you guys might be wondering.
honestly, i felt like the game is just too rough on her. inspite of her Singularity appearances, she's always the butt of many jokes, and its a shame. hell, at times it feels like the FGO protag hates her on some level, and i'm just like "why?"
so yeah, i wanted to give her a chance to shine. be like the idol she so wants to be.
i also wanted it to match the Servants Ayako and Koleen got in their Basic Trainings.
also, shit's getting real hectic in my life, and starting next week i have the whole month of December for my midterms. fortunately, as i've said before, i got a few chapters lined up already, so there's nothing to worry about (hopefully). but, we are getting to France soon, don't worry. i checked the wiki to see when France was released (since i didn't join the game at launch), and it seems like it arrives along with the game. so, real soon.
onto the reviews!
Naruto Sakura Uzumaki: EMIYA might drop by after France, since by then the group would need an Archer, so that'll be fun.
King0fP0wers: yup, Ritsuka is still the canonical EX level Master Compatibility, and it'll hopefully shine through in the coming chapters. and despite the fact that it has "worked" for Olga, Ayako is still rather apprehensive about the nature of herself and her puppets in regards to the rayshifts. my own personal headcannon is that the soul will seek whatever it thinks is "home."
well, with that out of the way, i hope you guys enjoyed that one!
drop a review if ya'll don't mind, and i'll see you all next time!