Fourth Singularity, Part 3: Lost in Westminster
2016
Her chest rose and fell, working the wrench as it tightened the bolt that replaced the rusted scrap, covering the engine with the leg guard on the motorcycle. Her uniform was drenched in her own sweat and the oil she had to handle, the right sleeve rolled up and leaving her arm blackened. The goggles she wore were resting on her forehead, her golden eyes narrowing on the bolt with a focused attention. When she finally twisted the bolt as tight as possible, she withdrew the wrench, and sighed. She allowed herself to fall to a seating position, her feet pushing her back from the motorcycle. She dropped the wrench, and with her other hand, pushed her neck to a crack.
"So this is where you were."
Even in her fatigued state, she smiled upon hearing the familiar voice. She turned her eyes to the side and looked up, seeing her aunt standing over her, dressed rather plainly as usual, though that didn't detract from her attractiveness. "You knew I had a part-time job, Aa-chan."
"And yet it's the first time I've seen you so messed up." Aoko said with a gesture of her hand, smiling back at her niece.
"I'm not messed up." Ayako said, pushing herself up off the floor. She took off the goggles, letting it dangle in her fingers for a while. "Just a little scuffed."
"Uhuh, sure. Let's go with that." Aoko's hand rose, landing on Ayako's shoulder. "You got a minute? Wanted to talk to you, face to face, while I'm in town."
"Sure." She looked around the garage, golden eyes narrowing on someone on the upper floor. "Mike! I'm taking my lunch break!"
"A'ight!" an older man answered, leaning his hands on the metal railing. "Don' be gone fer long!"
"Be back soon!" she took off the uniform jacket and briefly wiped her face and the rest of her body with it before she followed her aunt out of the garage, grabbing her red jacket that was hanging on the coat hanger.
They walked side by side, two Japanese women with red hair that stood out among the people of London. More so Aoko, with her bright neon red that would get the most confused glances thrown her way. They both stopped by a food truck and grabbed themselves an Indian inspired sandwich, and made their way towards a nearby empty park. The cold London air gripped onto their bodies, the melancholic atmosphere put a damper to people's moods, especially those who were rather unfamiliar with the London weather. Fortunately, this was the weather that the Aozakis preferred.
They sat across from one another upon finding a vacant picnic table, with Ayako herself ready and eager to take a bite of her lunch. "Itadakimasu."
"Itadakimasu." Aoko followed, though her sandwich sat on the table untouched, while she eyed her niece take a bite. She smiled, though the smile didn't seem as bright as it usual was.
Ayako noticed this discrepancy. This oddity. Halfway through her second bite, she looked up to meet Aoko's gaze. She swallowed the food in her mouth before she spoke. "What's wrong? You said you wanted to speak."
"Let's just enjoy this moment for a while." Aoko said, trying to placate the Puppeteer.
"Not like that we aren't." Ayako frowned, leaving her sandwich on the table. "Can't really "enjoy the moment" when you're staring at me like I'm a ghost."
The smile left the older Aozaki's face, cringing as if she were chewing on a lemon. She chuckled in defeat, as she began unwrapping her own sandwich and taking a bite of her own. She took a good few seconds to chew, silently prompting Ayako to continue her own lunch. When she swallowed, she began speaking.
"I heard you're leaving soon." Ayako's eyebrow rose, chuckling herself at Aoko's choice of words.
"News traveled quickly, huh?" she said with a smile.
"I still have some contacts here." Aoko replied with her own amused chuckle. "And your mother told me as well."
"I'm not guaranteed to leave yet. Although I do have other plans if this falls through." Ayako added in addition. "The place I'm looking for doesn't usually take in resumes. They have their own system in place, but Lord Valualeta helped me out a bit here. Just to put my name on their table."
"Do you know what you're getting into?" Aoko asked, a frown finding its place again.
"The gist of it, yeah." She replied with a confident smile. "Something about "protecting the Human Order," or to that effect."
"What if it's wrong?" she asked in an uncharacteristically worried manner.
"I don't know? You tell me, you were part of Astromancy." Ayako shot back, placing her half-eaten sandwich back on the table. "It was founded by the Lord of Astromancy, after all."
"Right. Lord Animusphere." Aoko sighed, leaning her elbow on the table as she rubbed her cheek. "It was no secret that he had a noble dream, even amongst magi of his generation. But, he is no less different than any of them."
Aoko took another bite of her sandwich, continuing with a full mouth. "Chaldea will definitely have its secrets."
"So do a lot of things." Ayako agreed, still looking unperturbed. "And if it's really shit there, then all the more reason to be there, to whip it back in shape."
The older Aozaki scoffed, a hint of a smile showing on her face. "You'll need more than just yourself to be able to do that."
"Who knows?" Ayako said as she finished the last of her lunch, wiping her mouth with a paper towel. "There might be others who have noble heart. More so than the actual assholes."
Aoko sighed again. Her hand reached out for Ayako's, holding the lightly greased fingers that were wrist deep in the motorcycle she had been fixing. They held each other, smiling at this moment, just like what Aoko had wanted.
"I shouldn't be worried." She said, as if coming to a realization. "I shouldn't be, yet I am. Why?"
Ayako's smile widened, soft in their features as they shared this time together. "You're becoming a little more like the thing you helped create." She rolled her eyes at her own choice of words. "Not literally."
"Is this what Touko's been feeling all this time?" Aoko asked, her fingers clenching around Ayako's, a nervousness within her core that she didn't know was possible. Had she grown soft? "Is this what she's been experiencing?"
"Something like that." Ayako replied cheekily. "Though she's dealing it better than you, apparently."
"Very funny." Aoko said with a chuckle. She sighed through her nose, her blue eyes almost glowing thanks to the overcast sky. "What do I say in this moment?"
"Say whatever you want to say, Aa-chan." Ayako said comfortingly, her other hand closing in on the other, holding Aoko's with both of hers.
Aoko closed her eyes, truly trying to saver this moment. None of the Aozakis were ever around one another for long, especially after Ayako left for the Clock Tower. She used these rare chances to be someone she never really thought she could be.
She smiled, and opened her eyes.
"You'll kickass out there, little Rainbow. Whatever Chaldea is right now, it'll be a better place with you there." She said, a different sense of pride welling up inside of her.
"I'll do my best, Aoko-chan. I'll make sure of it." Ayako declared with a finality, standing up and moving to Aoko's side of the table, bringing the older Aozaki into a tight hug. One that she returned wholeheartedly.
"Switching to Aoko-chan, huh?" Aoko remarked with a smirk.
The younger Aozaki chuckled knowingly, digging deeper into the hug. "Of course. You'd get pissy if I called you Oba-chan."
"'Cuase I'm not old, you little rascal!" Aoko's fingers went to work, as she began tickling her niece, laughter had between the two of them that lasted a good minute.
Their lunch continued, though mostly it consisted of Ayako waiting for Aoko, since the younger Aozaki had finished her sandwich before Aoko was even halfway through hers. They also spent the remainder of the duration catching up on the various goings on of their lives, regaling one another with their own personal tales. Eventually, this shared moment was coming to a close, and Aoko led Ayako back to the garage she found her at.
"How long has it been since you've been back to Japan?" Aoko asked as Ayako hung her red coat.
"Not since I left." She replied with her usual smile.
"When you're done with whatever you have planned, why don't we all have a nice fancy dinner?" she offered, a somewhat rare action consider the raised brow of disbelief on Ayako's face.
"Not at the estate, I hope. That place is shit." She said, with both Aozakis shivering in remembrance.
"No, but I'll definitely find a good place." She flashed a smirk, a hand reaching up to pat Ayako's cheek. "We got some money to spend." The both of them chuckled together. "Oh, speaking of money, here's a little something before I forget."
Aoko fished out an envelope from her back jean pocket, holding it between her two fingers for Ayako. "I heard Lev Lainur is also working in Chaldea. Something about being Lord Animusphere's number 2, or something."
"Lev Lainur?" Ayako asked back, her head tilting quizzically.
"Yeah, he was your mom's friend, the both of them were in Archeology. I owe him some money." She explained.
"Why do you owe mom's friend some money?"
"It's a long and unimportant story." She quickly dismissed the question, waving the envelope. "Could you give this to him?"
"I mean, sure, I guess?" Ayako shrugged, before taking the envelope herself. "You know I'm not guaranteed to leave yet, right? I still need to hear back from them."
"I know." Aoko said with a smile, chuckling to herself at the inevitability and reality of her thought. "Just hold on to it. 'Cause we all know I'm never gonna see him again."
1888
Ritsuka looked up at the large ransacked Victorian house, confusion so clearly written on his face. He looked down at the written address on the piece of paper he was given, his other hand rising to scratch his own head. He looked back up to the large house, and then to the name emblazoned on the plaque on the brick wall.
"Senpai?" Mash approached from behind him, looking concerned. "What's wrong?"
"We're sure, this is the right place, right?" he asked her.
"Should very much be." Mordred replied, moving to stand beside him, her sword resting on her armored shoulder. "It's a mess, like every other building in this area. It's a ghost town. What's the big deal?"
He turned around to face them, locking eyes with the Demi-Servant. "Mash. You… like reading, right?"
"I do. Though I prefer mysteries." She answered him, now looking confused herself at his sudden question.
"Then, you can tell me, if this name is familiar, can't you?" he moved aside, showing the name to her.
Mash moved herself forward to stand where he had stood, moving her hair away to get a clearer view of the name. Her lavender eyes widened in surprise, her gasp uncovered for him to hear.
"Frankenstein." She read aloud, turning to face him.
"What, is he another famous person?" Mordred asked, looking at the name herself.
"He's another fictional person." Mash said, turning to the red Knight. "At least, he should be."
"Victor Frankenstein." Ritsuka repeated the name, tasting it audibly for the first time. "He, created, the monster, right?"
"Yes." Mash answered. "Should we enter?"
"That's why we're here in the first place." He replied, looking back at the house. "Though, I feel like we're too late."
The entire city looked dilapidated, unlike the buildings in Soho, let alone the ones connected to the main London road. He was unsure if it was because of the locals, as a final sweep before the survivors scurried away from death. Or if it were the entities they were facing in the anomaly. "I'll report it to Koleen-san." He said, glancing to the two Servants. "Can the both of you inspect it, see what you can glean before we enter?"
Mordred visibly sighed, though she did not complain. "Let's get on with it, Mash."
"Yes, Mordred." The Demi-Servant replied, as the both of them secured the perimeter.
Ritsuka pulled out his crossbow before he brought his communicator close. "Koleen-san, can you hear me?"
He waited for a few seconds, before her voice came through. "Ritsuka? What's wrong?"
"We arrived at the address Dr. Jekyll gave us."
"Oh, that's great. We're a few blocks away from the Scotland Yard." She ended her sentence with a light grunt.
"Did trouble find your way?" he asked her.
"You can say that. So I guess we're heading in the right direction, then." She commented with a light chuckle. "What did you find there?"
"We haven't entered. Mash and Mordred are securing the perimeter first, it looks like a mess." He told her.
"Same here. Westminster's lost. Did something stand out at least?" he could picture the nod.
"I did find something interesting outside." He replied, keeping his trepidation at bay.
"Oh? Do tell." She asked him.
Alright, here it goes. He thought to himself briefly. "The owner of this house, his name appears to be Victor Frankenstein."
As expected, there was the pause he knew would come. As a self-acclaimed historian, she seemed to be taking these discrepancies quite harshly. "Excuse me?" she finally replied, and he could hear her gritted teeth. "That makes no sense."
"Yeah, I know. I might not have read much, but it seems like there's another fictional character." He responded with his own chuckle, to hopefully calm her down.
It didn't work. "No, no. Even beyond that, Ritsuka. Dr. Jekyll's existence might be excused. His story is still set in London, the character himself is still English, and the book was published in 1886. Two years ago from now." She sighed in exasperation, loud enough for him to hear her. It felt like she was standing right next to him. "The Modern Prometheus was published in 1818, and Victor Frankenstein is Genevan! If he were to have actually existed, he should be either in Switzerland, or Italy. The story itself never once took place anywhere near here. Most of it mainland Europe. There's nothing English about him, except for the author!"
"Maybe he's an immigrant?" he said back with a shrug, not really believing much of his own words.
"Oh, what a coincidence then! How everything lines up so nicely!" she said, the sarcasm audible to his ears.
"Alright, you need to take a little bit of a breather, Koleen, before you pass out." He heard Circe said, her voice gradually increasing in volume, as if she was moving closer.
"It is quite the anomaly that we are facing here." The deep voice of Andersen followed suit. "If what you say is true, then be on the lookout for his creation. Frankenstein's Monster."
"And be sure to not refer to it as a monster." Lord El-Melloi's familiar voice cut in. "I've never read Marie Curie's book, but if my memory of what the story's synopsis isn't faulty, then it detests being called a monster. We should also not use it either."
"Not that it would be a problem for us, considering your army as it stands." Andersen continued where the Lord left off. "But the less problems we have, the better. And that includes making sure the creature knows that we mean it no harm. Should it exist."
"Should it exist, right." He nodded as he digested their words. "Though considering the Singularity's current track record, I think it's quite likely. How's Koleen-san doing?"
"Circe is still calming her down. Honestly, I understand her predicament." Lord El-Melloi sighed in solidarity. "I've had my own experience, and it was jarring, to say the least."
"Then, I'll continue on forward. I'll notify you guys if I find something new." He told them resolutely.
Their line was cut, quicker than it took to connect. He nodded to himself, before turning to face Mash and Mordred. Both Servants had conducted their sweep, and were waiting for him. Mordred's helmet had taken its shape, as if she was anticipating danger.
They most likely were.
"Was there anything?" he asked them.
"Nothing mundane. It's mostly bereft of life." Mordred replied, bringing her sword up to her shoulder.
"But we did detect some kind of magical signature inside. Like that of a Servant." Mash answered.
"Could you tell if they were hostile or not?" he asked her as he set aside his crossbow, reaching for one of the very few spells he was taught instead.
"I couldn't." Mash said as she shook her head. "They're… quiet."
"Is that good or bad? I'm not sure."
"Only one way to find out." Mordred said, gesturing a nod towards the front door.
Ritsuka nodded back. "Then let's go. Mordred, you will lead. I'll be behind you, and Mash will cover our backs." He paused, as if contemplating his next move. "Hold back. We need to see if we can speak with whoever's inside first."
Mordred showed her disapproval with a groan, but she did not protest. "Understood."
The door opened with a loud and long creak, echoing through the emptied house, with Mordred leading the way. The wooden floor creaked even louder as her heavy footstep stressed its foundation, Ritsuka and Mash following behind her silently. Ritsuka's Command Spells were thrumming with power, helping his lackluster magecraft with the spell he held at the ready.
"The fact that there are no traps or defenses set up implies that this place wasn't looted by the locals." Mordred commented, glancing behind towards them.
Both Ritsuka and Mash nodded. "So where should we head towards to then, Senpai?" Mash asked him. "The presence, or Frankenstein's workshop?"
"The presence first." He replied. "Do either of you know where that is?"
"Below. Probably the basement." Mordred answered. "Let's go."
And so, the trio, led by the Knight of Betrayal, maneuvered themselves around the maze of halls. There might not be traps, yet the fallen Alchemist's lair still housed protections against those who were ignorant of even the barest hint of the moonlit world. Nevertheless, it proved to be of no issue for Servants with high Magic Resistance, even if their Master was a fledgling novice. Regardless, they were still on edge, never trusting this apparent lull that blanketed them.
Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, they came upon a large wooden door that had been splintered apart, all but confirming their suspicions. Before they even stepped inside the room, they saw a body. An old man, stabbed multiple times in the back with his throat slit, a look of pure anguish on his face. His right hand was holding onto something. A quick cursory glance showed what looked like a pen. Stepping inside, they noticed a large metallic coffin at the end of the room with electrical coils attached to them, presumably with the dead man's creation inside.
And floating above the desk that sat at the middle of the room, was a book. A rather large, red book, with a color cover depicted on it. Alice in Wonderland was written at the top, and the blonde girl in blue was there among a forest of tree-sized mushrooms. The book was slightly opened, with playing cards floating around and through its pages. It floated there, so obviously like a beacon that even Ritsuka noticed. Mash immediately put herself in front of him, with Mordred holding her sword with both her hands.
"Can we talk?!" he called out, louder than needed in the ransacked room.
He didn't expect such an immediate response. The book's pages fluttered, the playing cards orbiting around it increasing in its pace. The book closed in a loud thud as it began rotating. It completed at least four full revolutions, before it settled with its cover facing them. The cover that began glowing white, before it flashed before them. When the light died down, the book was gone, and in its place was a floating little girl.
Dressed in a black dress that seemed reminiscent of the era they were in, with the inner skirt glowing a light purple. A black beret sat atop her head, white hair tied into thin long twin braids with black and white bow ties. The beret itself also had a ribbons, black and glowing light purple like her dress. Her light purple eyes stared back at them, her face expressionless like a doll. On her arms and legs were long black gloves and stockings. The playing cards that spun around the book now orbited her body, like two perpendicular rings of a planet. She tilted her head, and a smile began forming on her face.
Ritsuka blinked his eyes, refocusing on the girl's hands. He realized they were not in fact gloves. Her arms, and legs too, were completely black. They were like Ayako's lifeless puppets. His face contorted in confusion. Were they prosthetic, or was she a puppet herself?
"Hello." She greeted, curtsying before them. Her voice was soft, soothing, and for a lack of a better word, tingling.
"Hi." He replied, almost automatically. His blue eyes glanced down to the dead Alchemist. "Did you do that?"
Her smile faltered, a sad frown taking its place. "I did not. He was dead when I arrived."
"That's good." Inwardly, he sighed with relief. He let the spell he had held fade, his Command Spells returning to its dormant state. "Are you a Rogue Servant?"
"Rogue Servant? Like the red one?" she asked back. Mordred's posture had relaxed, though she still held her sword high, the helmet still obscuring her face.
"Yes." He said back to her in reply.
"if that is the case then… yes. I am." She answered, her smile returning. There was an uncanniness to it that Ritsuka noticed. It was a beautiful smile, yet there was something wrong that he couldn't place.
"Then…" he took a few steps forward, passing by Mash and Mordred. He picked up an overturned chair, righting it before sitting himself down. "you wouldn't mind taking a few minutes to talk, would you?"
She held the smile on her face, her head tilting the other way. She floated down, using the tabletop for her own seat. "Sure, I don't mind." She said, as even her own voice started to relax. "I have all the time in the world."
Inwardly, Koleen was thankful for the constant waves of enemies they encountered. More of those puppets, the steampunk robots, lesser homunculi have joined the fray. They even came upon a couple of wooden tanks. Each of these were creations of magi, and dare she say even scientist, she was certain. Not necessarily the locals, for they have been dealt with swiftly from what they have been told. And she welcomed them, for they were a well needed distraction to keep her mind focused.
The fact that they now stood before the Scotland Yard also helped matters. And what a bloodbath they came upon. There was a lull in the continuous combat that allowed her to inspect the general area. The bodies were littered on the brick road, staining even the surrounding grounds in red. Very few were left intact. Most of them were torn apart, evident marks of slashing and cutting on some, while others were charred and burnt. The remaining few had stab wounds peppered around their reddened uniforms, with their flesh succumbing to the effects of the poisonous fog.
"Don't step closer." Circe said to her, floating beside with her wings spread. "This place is trapped. Heavily trapped."
"Can you defuse it?"
"Easily." Circe raised her staff and muttered an incantation. A wave of light pink energy pulsed out of her, and at first nothing seemed to have happened.
Then she saw.
Sparks of electricity, or perhaps lingering mana, coming from the various chunks of corpses. She covered her face, shielding it from the blast, the rest of her body protected by the enchantments given by all three Casters. Lord El-Melloi and Andersen were covering their rears, keeping their eyes down the paths they have went through and the ones that they have ignored. Circe stood resolute, unfazed by the explosions that decimated the Scotland Yard and its grounds.
"You really think such machinations could escape my eyes!?" the Enchantress bellowed, amplifying her voice. "Reveal yourself!"
Koleen didn't expect the cackle of laughter to be the immediate response. When the dust and viscera settled, she turned back to the building, seeing the once intact but disturbed headquarters become nothing but ruins. It was unsettling, and the image of the man made it even more so. Ashen pale skin, dressed in a purple and pink outfit that gave her the image of a Harlequin. The nightmare fuel clowns that were often the phobias of many people. In his hand were large, claw-like scissors, snapping intermittently like a crab.
"I've been waiting for… quite a while, for guests to arrive." His voice sent shivers down Koleen's spine.
"My familiars have detected movement." The Lord whispered, his fan held tightly. "We're slowly being surrounded."
"We have time to prepare." Andersen added, his large quill floating around his hand.
"Do so." whispered back to them, her own hand holding onto a needle, already pricking her finger. She moved to stand beside Circe as she addressed the apparent Servant.
"Do not insult me, with your pathetic attempts. These are laughable, at best." Circe said with scorn in her voice.
"Oh ho, touchy, are we?" he chuckled darkly, taking a few steps forward, leaving behind bloody footprints. "Perhaps this will placate you? As a courtesy, I shall introduce myself. Mephistopheles. Caster. At your service, though not actually. I am in someone else's already."
"Mephistopheles?" Koleen repeated with furrowed brows. "The demon?"
"In the flesh!" he straightened back up, arms spread wide, his scissors never once stopping in its clacking. "Ah, to be recognized so quickly. To be in the presence, of a learned one."
"A demon? Ha!" Circe scoffed dismissively, pointing her staff at the hostile Caster. "You cannot deceive my eyes, homunculus. There is nothing infernal about you, other than your garish attire."
For a split second, his manic expression shifted into that of surprise. Koleen's eyes blinked, her mind putting the puzzles together.
"You're not the demon from the folklore." She said with widening eyes. "You're from Goethe's play. From Faust."
The two Casters behind her chuckled, having made their own conclusions. "It certainly lines up with what we have been experiencing." Andersen said, his quill trailing along the ground, enacting his craft upon the field.
"If the next person, Servant or not, that we come across is someone from your fairy tales, then we'll know that the world truly is laughing at us." Lord El-Melloi said, his laugh far more genuine than she expected.
"Then that would mean we're the actors in the Playwright's works, and I would rather kill myself rather than have him as a god."
"Truly you are a learned one. Such a rare breed in these trying times. I am impressed." A genuine smile formed on the Servant's face, before it shifted back to his manic glee. "All the more to savor you, when I skewer you!"
"You'll have to try." Circe slammed her staff onto the ground, another pulse of pink energy erupting from it. This second pulse revealed things that were obscured to her eyes.
Small, mechanical scarabs, with blinking lights on their backs. It didn't take much for her to determine what they actually were. The ones that scurried towards them were vaporized by the shadows that formed from around them, rising like sharks. Their explosions were muffled in the darkness. This attack was the cue for the masses around them to surge forward. Mephistopheles even rushed towards them, his actions thwarted with his scissors clashing with Circe's staff, as the two Casters engaged each other.
That left her to deal with the scarabs that crawled towards them. All around her were explosions of magic, destruction raining down debris of earth and metal. Her pink eyes focused, her bloodied hand now bearing the pattern of tribalesque branches, and in her other was a one of her earliest concoctions. She threw the small bottle in front of her as Circe lifted off with Mephistopheles. The corrosive liquid covered a good amount of ground with its splatter, stopping the first of the scarabs in place as their legs melted off. She aimed her bloodied hand at the waved just after, launching themselves towards her, and chanted.
The blood pattern in her palm burned, her hand closing into a fist. The rounds of her eyes turned red. "Ẃ̸̢͞Į̷̛͝Ļ̷̶T̵!" her voice gurgled the dark chant, and its effects were almost instantaneous.
The scarabs were crushed under their own weight, imploding before they could even reach her. A few exploded still, her hair billowing back from the blast, but once again she was unscathed. Circe alone would have been able to weave solid protections on her person, but to have all three Casters make sure that she remained unharmed was proving its worth. It allowed her to fully commit without having to worry about the ensuing chaos, pulling out two more of her concoctions. She threw them at once, the bottles shattering together, and spreading its essence around her.
Up above, Mephistopheles was on the offensive, with more of his scarabs flying from underneath his cape, circling around both himself and Circe. He himself was always reaching for the Enchantress, swiping his scissors at her. Unfortunately, he was nothing compared to her. The scarabs were neutralized before they could even touch her, and she was able to fend off his attacks with her staff, blasting him away each and every time he got close. Anger was pronounced on her face, as if his very existence was an insult to her.
The two Casters that covered her flanks were standing back to back, flinging an array of spells at the massive horde that was converging upon them. Automata, constructs, homunculi, and the tanks they had encountered, coming in droves. The Clock Tower Lord held himself with dignity, sending the elements allowed to him by the Servant he was bonded to. In life, he could only ever dream of such a mastery, so he cherished this rare moment.
Andersen had a featureless forest green book in his hand, his quill zipping through the battlefield. Behind him was a black and white depiction of a mermaid, sending blasts of magical water at their enemies. A ghost like woman with a crown emerged from the brick roads, freezing the masses in place. And when a few got too close for comfort, a match materialized in his hand. He lit the match with the book he was holding, and threw it at the enemy, the large steampunk robot holding a large cleaver that was swinging down on him. The match exploded in a fiery blast.
In the ensuing chaos, away from the raining debris and just outside of the destruction, an unseen figure stood. Their eyes were set on one target, and one target only. It had failed, last time, and unfortunately, with the constant explosions, the thick fog's obscurity had lessened, even though the poison was still in the air. They will settle for inflicting the most amount of damage possible, to the Master that stood there, with Witchcraft at her fingertips. Their hands tightened around their knives, and they rushed.
Koleen, seeing the lull from the scarabs, if only for a moment, glanced behind to gauge how both Andersen and El-Melloi were faring. Instead of focusing on them, her pink eyes zeroed in on the shimmering figure that came into view, coming straight towards her like a bullet. Her eyes widened, the air being sucked into her lungs as fear for her life won over. A bright light, coming down, almost enough to distract her. In that very second, with her impending death, she noticed it.
Golden lightning.
"Maria the Ripper!"
"Golden Spark!"
Before the figurative bullet could reach her, the ground exploded as lightning came down near them, sending even Andersen and El-Melloi onto their knees, and her onto her rear. The small cloaked figure looked up in surprise, no doubt at having their attack thwarted by the force of nature.
No, it wasn't a force of nature.
The large axe was embedded into the brick road, the blade serrated and painted gold, crackling with electricity. The fingers holding the handle had golden rings adorned on them, along with a golden watch around the wrist. The man, the Servant, wore an unbuttoned white shirt, showing is impressive pecs and abs to the world. His black pants held together by the golden belt buckle with the word GOLD emblazoned on it. Blonde hair, and eyes covered by purple-tinted sunglasses, he smiled a charming smile at them.
"Looks like we arrived in just the nick of time!" he stood up, turning to face the cloaked figure. "That wasn't very golden of you!"
With the world's attention now on the figure, they retreated, disappearing as quickly as it appeared. With the sudden appearance of another Servant, this one seemingly on their side, even the fighting in the air stopped. The Harlequin's face showed his displeasure openly, his clicking tongue heard to her ears.
"Twice now, the child fails." He remarked with a scoff. "It seems that I must make a retreat myself. Without further ado."
His form froze in the air, held by the invisible spell of Circe's. "Sure, you may retreat, homunculus. From this world." She glanced down to them. "Who wants to finish off this speck?"
"Allow me." Another voice came, as four pieces of paper came flying from the roof of another building, attaching on Mephistopheles' body.
"Oh, is this how I will go out?" he said, in a conversational tone, seeing the papers on him. "I expected something a little more bombastic."
"Well, tough luck." The new voice responded, landing beside all of them. Then a snap of fingers activated the papers, burning to ash. As it did so, ice spread on Mephistopheles' body, turning the Caster Class Servant into nothing more than a large piece of icicle. There wasn't even any sounds of protest, he simple accepted his defeat as it is. When the ice finished forming, Circe released her hold on him, letting him drop.
He shattered into a million shards right before their very eyes.
Koleen sighed, relaxing her shoulders, letting her body loosen before she pushed herself back up. She turned to face their newest arrival, and her eyes widened.
An average height woman that stood just slightly shorter than her with peach colored hair, and amber eyes, wearing a revealing set of blue and black kimono. Or perhaps they were priestess robes? Koleen wasn't sure. But they were not what drew her attention. It was the brownish-red fox ears that protruded through her hair, and the large tail of the same color. She smiled mischievously at them.
"That was golden, Tamamo! Good job!" the first Servant said, flashing her a thumbs up.
Her smile faltered slightly as she sighed, her eyes rolling. "Seriously, you don't just blurt out my name in front of strangers."
"What's the big deal? They're the good guys! They're golden!" he replied with a shrug.
"That's not the point! You don't just announce your true name in a Grail War."
"But this isn't a Grail War, it's something far worse." He said, as his expression turned serious before her. "We need all the golden allies we can get."
"I understand that." She said with a sigh, before turning towards Koleen. "You must be the Master, then?"
"One of." Koleen replied, her hands reaching forwards for a handshake. "Koleen."
"Tamamo-no-Mae. Caster Class Servant." She said with her mischievous smile returning. "This big guy right beside me is Sakata Kintoki. He's a Berserker, in case if it wasn't obvious."
"Yo!" he waved towards them, now that Circe had landed back beside her. "It's awesome to be with modern heroes! I can feel the golden soul inside you!"
"Ahaha… I don't know if my soul is that golden…" Koleen commented with an awkward smile. She glanced behind them, seeing Lord El-Melloi and Andersen keeping their eyes in the horizon. "Has it cleared?"
"So it seems." The Lord replied, as he and his fellow Caster turned to face them. "With the failure of another assassination, and the death of one of theirs, it seems they have retreated."
"I'm impressed that you were able to time your attack to subvert theirs." Andersen said, surprise written on his face. "Wouldn't have expected something like that from a Berserker."
The tall man chuckled abashedly, his hand scratching the back of his head. "Actually, it was Tamamo that gave me the go ahead." Said Caster lifted her nose up smugly.
"Ah, now that makes more sense." The short Servant said with a nod.
"Shall we head back?" Circe said to the group. "Although we had no idea what we wanted out of here, we got what we wanted."
"More allies, and one of theirs dead, as you guys said." Koleen breathed steadily, a smile creeping up on her face. This was a good run, and hopefully Ritsuka managed to get something from Frankenstein's home.
They had a veritable army now.
She hoped that it would be enough for the enemy's.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
you know, i've realized something when i started doing this monthly release. i've been releasing in the third week of every month. i never really planned on it, it just happened that way.
so, i'm hoping that i can move that up to be the 2nd week instead, starting with next month. hopefully that can happen.
boy, this is a long one.
not the longest, but it sure as hell felt that way. mostly because i had an entire segment that i cut and decided to use for the next chapter. it was becoming too bloated for my liking.
now, last chapter i wanted to talk about something, but decided on pushing it to this chapter. Kintoki and Tamamo. i reread through the Singularity to make sure that my memory wasn't faulty, but man. they were really fillers, just thrown into the story before it could end, just so they could be in the story. it always confused me. oh well, we got something else to work with now.
also, i realize that for FGO, and Fate in general i guess, that Mephistopheles is just a homunculus in "reality", but when i was doing my research, i realized how much this little fact fit with the rest of the Singularity. and i'm wondering if that was intentional from the devs/writers as well. him being the one directly from the play instead, thus being another "fictional" character.
now, let's get on to the reviews!
1740: 1. well yeah, i know that. Case Files is its own route, not following anything established, but it's still a sorta continuation of FS/N, which is why for content, i can see it as a "sequel" to the general story as a whole.
and 2. nah, if i ever summon Muramasa, thus allowing him to be in the fic, i'd rather have him be this curmudgeon old man rather than Shirou. if i wanted Shirou, i'd get Shirou.
Quartermass: 4000 people? damn son. i knew something was also up when i reread the Singularity and they were pooling up casualties up to a hundred thousand.
i was like "excuse me? that's insane." it made no sense.
and the way i pictured Jack's NP as ranged, it would have been a throwing knife, but i'd lower the rank of the NP. otherwise, why would she ever go in close when she can just throw it from a safe distance, right? and yeah i'm not a fan of Mordred. i don't hate her, it's just she's nowhere near my top list of characters in Fate. (although frankly speaking, OG Saber isn't really up there as well, i prefer her alts. what does that say about me?)
King0fP0wers: it became a sorta running joke that i didn't actually plan, funnily enough. i've always had these ideas of her going through these attacks, but my intention wasn't to have her as a punching bag. it just worked out that way.
amerdism: i'd say the party that will head to the Clock Tower will definitely search for anything useful, but i wouldn't say that they would "loot" the place. they're trying to fix the Human Order, and it will be an awkward conversation with the fixed Clock Tower when that happens.
they're not gonna leave without getting something for themselves, but they're not gonna strip the place dry.
Addicted2fanfics: i didn't get anyone in the banner. didn't get anyone in the recent banners, though unfortunately i accidentally used up a 10-pull during the latest rerun. i didn't even get anything from that.
harlequin320: thanks dude!
PikaMew1288: i'll be honest, i didn't even know there was an FGO category in the site. but every other game in the franchise uses FSN, so i don't see why FGO should be any different. i unfortunately also have zero experience with Extella.
and if you're read the first Interlude, you'll see what i mean with me only using Servants that are only different with one another. it's a little bit of more research from me, but it's fine. we get more distinct characters as a result, instead of having situations like Saber 1 and Saber 2.
Guest: it's in a monthly schedule right now currently, since my life's been getting busy.
TalonScythe: thanks dude! it is a crazy milestone for me, and this fanfic. i've written a fic that has more chapters, but nothing's reached PotP's numbers, in word count and everything. and yeah, oh my god! i had to do a bit of edit to account for Boudica's animation update, since she's using her Sword of Boudica now. and dude, Medea getting a CE. i can die happy. i've been wanting one for so long, i don't care that it's a 3 star.
dude, i've read fanfics in this very site where the avg word count of a chapter is over 18k words. i have to set aside a whole day just to read it.
i wonder how things have been going in regards to your predictions in how the story's going to go. it'll be interesting to see how close or far you get.
well, that was a fun ride! hope you guys enjoyed this as much as i enjoyed writing it!
drop a review if you guys don't mind, and i'll see you all next time!