Fourth Singularity, Part 8: Nail upon a Coffin
1888
"This fog truly is quite the hindrance." Kagiso commented, his smoky grey eyes scrutinizing their surroundings. It was fortunate that he was relying on things beyond simple human comprehension.
"What do you see, Kagiso?" Arturia asked, helping Jekyll up as they ascended the scaffolds that surrounded the Tower Bridge.
"It's pointing towards further East, though it's slightly in our direction." He answered, shaking his head as he calmed his body down, releasing the fetish's hold on him. He clutched his chest as he felt his heart almost freeze, swallowing the lump in his throat before he addressed the others again. "We can probably meet up with Ritsuka and tackle this together."
"That would be wise." Jekyll said after catching his breath. "Assuming this leads to where their headquarters would be, having numbers on our side would be a boon, even though they might have that over us."
"It would be nice to be around the Red Knight again." Alice commented with a small smile. "As brusque as she can be."
The Shaman chuckled. "Quite the lively one, especially compared to our own." He said with a simple gesture to the White Saber.
She smiled brightly, taking it as a compliment. "Each and every single one of my knights are incredible in that way."
"I'm sure they are." He said genuinely, before his features schooled themselves. "We'll need to contact Ritsuka and regroup."
"I have a way, though I am unsure how fast it can get to them." Jekyll said as he straightened themselves.
Kagiso nodded back to the Alchemist. "That will be much appreciated."
"Καταστροφή."
Both he and Jekyll felt a shiver run up their spines, as a word resonated within their beings. Such a silent whisper, yet it was so loud in their minds. The Servants felt no such thing, though they still heard the word. As one, they turned north, just as a large explosion of white consumed a sizable chunk of the northern side of the city. All sounds seemed to stop, silence encroaching on them like a wide curtain. The poisonous fog was pushed back, creating an uncanny outline in the sky beyond its explosion. Kagiso's eyes widened at the amount of destruction that had transpired within the second.
He chuckled, though it lacked his usual amusement. He felt his heart skip a beat, his eyes blinking away the memory that flashed in his mind. "It seems we now know how much firepower Koleen can bring."
She opened her pink eyes with a gasp, breathing in the now sterilized air around her. Blinking the bright light away, she unfurled her arms away, touching what remained of the metallic carcass of the tank she found refuge in. So little of it stood, with a light pink Bounded Field serving as her true protection that was quickly erected by Circe. It faded away, revealing to Koleen her surroundings. She blinked her eyes in disbelief, carefully stepping out of the wreck to stand in the smooth ground.
She could barely see the horizon, her eyes squinting to make out the buildings in the distance. She looked around, and saw how much had been obliterated. There was nothing else left, the air itself had also been purified, and for once she was able to smell the untainted air. The only thing that was around were the Servants; Circe's dress and the tips of her wings were singed as she carefully floated back down; Kintoki was walking towards them, his body was red and smoking with his shirt gone; she couldn't even find Paracelsus, who was probably pushed back by the explosion.
Koleen dropped to one knee, feeling the smoothened ground that reminded her of glass. She was breathless at the amount of firepower she held in her satchel, even further amplified by the Grecian Caster. "How big was it?" she asked, standing back up.
"A little over 2 miles." Circe answered with an approving nod. "And this is the first batch you've made? Have you ever made test batches before?"
She shook her head, a noticeable frown forming on her face. "I just experiment with the materials I have. And, something called to me, for this…"
The older Witch's eyes narrowed suspiciously, and Koleen could tell that she saw through her, seeing things that the Witch had only suspicions of, but Circe didn't any comment further. "Well, regardless, for something created in the modern age, I am suitably impressed. Congratulations."
"Thanks, I guess." a hint of pride welled up inside, now causing this discomfort to taste bittersweet. She shook her head and sighed, turning to face the now topless Berserker. "Where's Paracelsus?"
"He's right over there." Kintoki said, pointing to the edge of the radius with his thumb. "We need to finish him off."
"Then let's do it." She said, prompting the Berserker to make his way towards the fallen Caster, his massive axe crackling with golden electricity.
Far in the distance, the fallen Caster was already on his last legs, quite almost literally. There was little left of his white lab coat, but he held on tightly to his sword. He pointed the blade towards the approaching Chaldeans, five distinctly colored stones representing the magical elements spinning around its hilt.
"Guide the true ether." He began chanting, as what's left of his being was pushing through channeling his Noble Phantasm. "Shape of my idle thoughts, my feelings…"
"Sword of Paracelsus!"
As a beam of pure ether shot out of his sword, his form began dissipating. Motes of golden light shimmering, signaling his apparent end. And before his short time on this world ended, before his body truly gave in, a rare smile formed on his face.
"BEHIND ME!" Kintoki shouted, his golden axe raised, ready to counter the attack. As much as he could at the very least.
Koleen immediately crouched down, barely even had a second to register what had happened as she covered her face with her arms, while Circe moved to her front with a spell forming a barrier to help stop the Noble Phantasm. The Blonde Master used two of her Command Spells, strengthening the Servants, trusting her life to them even though she felt fear for her life creep up inside of her. Her combined explosion with Circe had created silence that she was still having difficulty in truly making any sense of, but Von Hohenheim's Noble Phantasm was nowhere near as generous. The beam encompassed her and the Servants, practically deafening her as blood began trickling down her ears.
She didn't know how long it lasted, only that the moment the pressure on her body lessened, she toppled over in exhaustion. Her white uniform top was signed, burnt and tearing at the seams but still holding it together. She struggled to catch her breath, the blast acting as a vacuum that sucked most of the air around them. Her chest hurt so much to breathe.
"Circe, are you alright?" she asked telepathically, unable as she was to even look at the Caster. That wasn't even taking into account the fact that she couldn't hear anything past the intense ringing.
"Better than most." Circe replied, weaving a healing spell that Koleen immediately felt.
The modern Witch shook her head. "Kintoki, please. He had to take the brunt of it." She said as she began shuffling through her pouch. "I still have Medea's potions."
"Very well." The Enchantress responded. "Don't move."
Koleen could only nod and trust the Enchantress to focus on the Berserker, her hand finally fumbling the potion out of her satchel. Unlike the rest of her concoctions, Medea's potions were held in a simple container, but she could feel the weight of the Witch of Betrayal's magecraft. With difficulty, she uncorked the potion and consumed its contents, and felt its healing effects almost instantly. The ringing in particular subsided, with sound gradually returning.
Her eyes opened to blurriness, seeing the glassed ground slowly come into view, the razed buildings that she only saw for a short while before she had to duck for cover. She laid on her side on the heated ground tiredly, the tension loosening as her muscles relaxed themselves. She could finally hear her own breathing once more, just as her eyelids grew tired. She turned her body until she was laying down, her hands trying to push herself up, though she was too exhausted to do so. One hand closed around the now empty flask.
She felt a hand on her shoulder, lightly nudging her. "His Spiritual Core has been damaged. I have done as much as I can." Circe said, her voice coming to her in but a whisper. Her ears still struggled to hear them. "Despite my skill, healing was never my specialty. There's much more that needs to be done."
Koleen nodded on the ground, still trying to push herself up. She was thankful when Circe held onto her shoulders and helped her up. Through her blurry vision, she can see Kintoki crouched before them, his axe planted on the ground. His pants were burnt at the edges, his torso even redder than before, looking more like a bronze statue than a man. The smoke that emanated from him made it look like the Berserker had been cooked.
"Kintoki… are you alright?" she asked through her hoarse voice.
Despite his borrowed time, He nodded slowly as he turned to face her. His sunglasses were shattered, showing his eyes. He smiled, weakened as he was. "Golden."
Koleen couldn't help but chuckle. "Circe, can you check if Paracelsus is gone? We need to make sure."
The Enchantress nodded, her frayed wings unfurling. "Keep your eyes on her, Berserker." She said, carefully dragging her towards him.
"Got it." Kintoki answered with a grunt, dragging his axe as he moved to cover the Blonde Master.
"I'll be back in a minute." Circe announced, before the flutter of her wings signaled her departure.
As her vision fully returned, Koleen shifted around until her back was on the ground, her pink eyes staring up at the foggy sky. In-between bated breaths, she grimaced, noting that despite the large explosion she caused, it barely cleared the skies, still obscured as it loomed over them. At the very least, she could finally make out the ring up above. This lull of combat as her body underwent the healing process allowed her mind wonder. Allowed her to ask herself, how did I get here?
The Witchcraft that she was studying started off as a personal curiosity, a hobby to learn of her own past, emboldened by her already strong fascination for history. Innocent questions of a child that would often frustrate her parents when she was still very much young. They tried their best to quell her, but all it took was a family dinner for her great grandaunts and uncles to point her down the path. She never really imagined how seriously she would take these teachings, not until she graduated college after majoring in history.
A simple interest and hobby, that gradually shifted into something more serious. An almost perfect parallel with her study in Witchcraft, her family's brand especially.
And now here she was, laying on the glassed ground in late 1800s London, trying to save the world from total annihilation. At least, that was the gist of it.
"Koleen."
Her pink eyes blinked open, her mind not realizing that her eyelids had closed, as she shifted her attention to the Enchantress who had returned. Kintoki was still there, his skin slowly returning back to its normal color.
"He's gone." Circe continued, giving a single nod to her. She nodded back. "There's not much of a trace left of him, aside from lingering ambient mana from his Noble Phantasm."
"That's good." She replied, finding her voice again. "Let's head back to the Clock Tower. Kintoki, you should shift to Spirit Form. Preserve what energy you have left."
He grimaced, his hand tightening around the handle of his axe. "I can still, ugh, carry on, Koleen." He said, as he tried to push himself up.
Circe shook her head, placing her staff on his shoulder, stopping him further. "You are of no use to us in your current state." Her expression hardened, and Koleen had to wonder when was the last time she saw that whimsical and teasing face the Enchantress often had. "You would die before we can even get you back to base." Even back in the last Singularity, Circe smiled easily, often times at the expense of Medea before their Caster retreated back into her temporary workshop. Now, she barely exchanged quips, and at times she even let slip her cruel nature. It was both, concerning, and relieving. To see the ancient Caster behind her façade.
"You must really hate this place, Circe." Koleen commented as Kintoki's form vanished in a mote of golden light.
The short Caster glanced her two-toned eyes her way, before she crouched down and picked Koleen up with her own arms. Her features softened, if only slightly, as she began moving, carrying the blonde Master. "Something irks me more than I'd care to admit here." She told her, somewhat begrudgingly. Her heels dug into the glassed brick, before launching herself forward.
She might have been a Caster, but she was still beyond a normal human.
"What is it?" Koleen further asked with a tired sigh.
"I am at a loss for words in trying to describe it." Circe responded with a growing frown on her face. She glanced to her, catching her eyes. "Rest. Nothing will touch us so long as I stand."
She felt her eyelids growing heavier, the prospect of rest becoming even more enticing. "Yeah… I guess I'll do that…"
Ayako stood there, still as a statue, finger resting on the trigger. The four Casters around her were equally tense, unmoving as they all waited with bated breaths. Fou cradled around her neck, back arched like an irritated cat ready to strike. Her Mystic Code glowed as it channeled power, longing to be fired. Her red coat thrummed, ready for her to activate the runes woven into them. Her golden eyes never once left the door the moment the Bounded Field had been tripped.
It was because of the fact that they all stood still that Tamamo's twitching ear was so noticeable. The Fox Caster didn't bother turning to glance towards them. "They're outside." She said, as each of her talismans burned a different color.
They all felt another snap.
"That was our most outer Bounded Field." Waver said, his grip tightening around the fan. "The Assassin isn't as alone as we thought."
"Of course, why would things be easy for once?" Ayako clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Shakespeare, you hold back." She ordered the Playwright. "I want you to prioritize protecting these books we collected. They are our number one priority."
"Understood, Valkyrie." He turned towards the books, flaring his cape and letting them disappear under it. He moved himself towards the back corner of the room, farthest away from the door.
"Tamamo."
"Yes, Master?" her ear flickered towards Ayako's position.
"Send it all flying." She motioned towards the physical barriers they had all erected.
"Hm, will do." One of her talismans flew out of her fingers, sticking onto their makeshift barricade. The script written on it glowed, lighting ablaze.
They all braced for the explosion she caused, carving out a section of the wall, pushing it all out. The dust covered them, but with a quick flick of her wrist, Tamamo cleared the room.
Ayako still couldn't see this Assassin, she still couldn't detect it. But the Casters were all very much on edge. "Show yourself!" Tamamo called out, as two more talismans in her fingers lit up in flames of red and blue.
There was a tense silence that lasted a few seconds, before a fog appeared. Gradually filling the room they were in. Andersen clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Well this is a pain on our backsides."
"Ayako." Waver called to her, and she moved to stand close to him, her rifle still aimed at the fog that slowly surrounded them.
For the first time, her hand left the trigger, searching through her pockets for three specific runestones. She threw them out and into the fog, seeing them shatter and coalesce into a shape of a diamond.
ᚦ ᛁ ᛊ
Thurisaz, of the God Thor. Isaz, of ice. Sōwilō, of the sun. The diamond pulsed like a heart, before erupting in a blast of light and sound.
"Leiftur!"
The fog around them was pushed back, the sudden ringing amplified by the small dungeon they were in, the effects lessened by Reinforcement. Tamamo gave her a cursory glance, smirking with approval. "An excellent idea."
The Japanese Caster threw a talisman onto the floor, a flash of fire lighting and spreading around. The torches in the room grew hotter and brighter, the bookshelves and the ancient tomes also catching fire.
"Please refrain from turning them to ash, we have yet to fully peruse its entire catalogue." Shakespeare protested with a frown on his face.
"We got a lot of what we wanted." Tamamo countered. "You can afford to lose a few."
The fog kept on growing, but her light and Tamamo's fire began pushing it back, and Ayako was willing to put up with the growing heat if it meant that whatever they were facing was weakened in some way or fashion. They saw no further movement and action, aside from the fog. Her golden eyes swept through the room, and the corridor outside, anticipating any sort of anomaly that she could catch. Her hands were growing clammy, sweat forming from the heat.
Then she felt it. A tingling running up her spine in the span of a millisecond.
She didn't even get a chance to react, as she immediately found herself half deep into a bookshelf, almost sprawled as Fou crawled onto the front of her neck. Her eyes blinked as she realized what the small Phantasmal Creature did. He saved her life. She dropped her rifle, one hand reaching for the white ball of fluff, the other tapping the shoulders of her red coat as she turned back to Waver. A small figure, covered in a black tattered cloak, knife pointed to where she once stood. Their entire body was encased by rock and boulder that emerged from below the brick floor, holding them in place.
Andersen was the next one to move after this brief altercation. "I will start with shoring up our defenses." He said as the quill that floated around him began tracing along the floor. "Their minions are approaching as we speak." He left the ruined room behind him as something formed hovering over the small Caster.
The Clock Tower Lord clicked his tongue. "You could've just said that you didn't want to deal with this." He said, sending a quick glare to his fellow Caster.
Tamamo had turned, already closing the distance as she approached the now trapped Assassin, still struggling to free themselves from their confines. The Fox Caster reached to where the cloak covered the Servant's head, and pulled it down, revealing a young scarred face, with short white hair and green eyes that conveyed fear.
"So this is the little brat that almost took you out?" she asked, bringing the last talisman in her fingers to bear.
"Key word being almost." Wave replied with furrowed brows. "She lost half her torso last time."
"She survived a direct attack from a Servant?" her eyes briefly widened in approval. "That's a testament to your strength." She said, glancing to Ayako with a nod. "And hers. Or, lack thereof."
"Let us go!" the Assassin said, grip tightening around the knife in her hand.
Tamamo ignored the Assassin's cries. "She's secured, right?" she asked the bespectacled Lord.
"Of course she is." He said, just as more of the earth rose, holding the small Servant in place. She had more than a single knife in play, and they were making sure she wasn't going to use it. "And please, no monologues. Just end her."
"No, please, don't!" the Assassin cried out, struggling futilely.
Ayako finally rejoined the Casters, her red coat glowing with empowered runes, acting as another layer of protection for her. She grimaced as she eyed the confined Servant, seeing the apparent child that had almost killed her. Twice now, in fact, considering that she had only survived because of Fou's intervention (the little guy had earned a little more than just a snack, she's planning on making him something for all that he's done here for her). Conflicted feelings were brewing inside of her.
"The swarm's approaching!" They all heard Andersen call out.
Ayako sighed through her nostrils. With one hand on Fou, and the other holding her rifle, she gave the order to her friend. "Help him out, Waves."
"Alright." He nodded, sighing himself as he straightened his jacket. "Don't draw this out."
"I got it." She replied to his back as he rushed to assist his fellow Caster.
"So what are we going to do with her?" Tamamo asked, giving a narrowed glance towards her.
Green, panicked eyes shifted to her, tears forming in the Servant's eyes. Like Alice, her form was that of a preteen child. Yet unlike the Caster, she seemed to be more childlike than the embodiment of fairy tales. She closed her eyes, and sighed as she settled on her decision. Golden eyes flashed with determination when they opened.
"I will do it." Ayako said, levelling her rifle back up and letting Fou stand on her shoulder.
"Hm…" Tamamo continued to stare at her for a short while, amidst the sniffling of the Assassin. She huffed in amusement, placing her talisman on the rifle. "This should help."
"Thanks." She replied, feeling her Mystic Code empowered by the Japanese Caster. She looked at the Assassin, locking eyes with her would be killer, seeing nothing but a child before her.
"I'm sorry."
She pulled the trigger.
The sound of the bullet echoed within the small room, the shot piercing through the Servant, followed by a pained gasp leaving her. The stone and earth that confined her began crumbling, as her body began wobbling. Her knives fell out of her hands as she began shimmering in golden light. Ayako caught the Assassin before she could fall, carefully dropping down to lay the Servant.
"And so, the darkness that had sought to snuff the Valkyrie falls limply, like a marionette with its strings severed." Shakespeare spoke up, having witnessed the events from the corner of the room, smiling openly. "With its dying breath, it cried out not with a wail, but with a whimper."
Ayako shook her head, holding back her sigh as she tried her best to focus on the dying Servant. "It'll be alright. I'm here, everything's okay." She said, trying to comfort the Assassin, who never once turned her green eyes away, even as she faded.
"We're sorry. Please, we're sorry. We just, wanted…"
"Shhhh, its fine. Don't worry." Ayako said, smiling the smile that her mother would often show to her. "Just, relax, okay? It's not going to hurt anymore."
"It's not? No… it isn't…" her green eyes slowly closed as her form began to truly dissipate. "Jack… feels… warm…"
And just like that, the Assassin Class Servant disappeared, her short time on this earth ended. Most likely just as short as her previous existence. Ayako closed her eyes, staying on her knees as she gave the fallen enemy a moment of silence.
"Was that necessary?" Tamamo asked from above her. There was an air of skepticism she could detect from the Caster's voice.
"It was mostly for me." Ayako admitted, keeping the grimace from forming as she looked up to meet Tamamo's eyes.
The Fox Caster's one brow rose. "Oh?"
"I'm not gonna treat anyone as lesser than me, treat them like dirt." She said, glaring at the Caster. "What I saw there, it wasn't just my killer. Or Koleen's killer. It was a child, who cried and cried and cried."
"Quite the sentimental outlook for a magus." Tamamo commented as Ayako stood back up, and she could tell the Caster had meant another word entirely.
The Puppeteer's glare sharpened, and even Fou arched his back in irritation. "Well it's a good thing I'm not a magus." She declared with golden eyes challenging the other, before turning on her heel and making her way out of the room. "Let's go. We've got a swarm to cull. Shakespeare, you stay where you are."
She didn't bother sparing a glance behind her, turning down the corner with her rifle in hand. She didn't bother, as the buildup of stress meant that she had less patience to deal with anyone that would question her humanity.
She didn't bother, and missed the look of genuine surprise on Tamamo's face, golden eyes blinking at the turn of events.
Behind her, Shakespeare simply shook his head with amusement. "Do not underestimate the Valkyrie's will, o' great vessel of Amaterasu." He said with a confident smile, carefully patting the fires out around him. "Her path is long and arduous, and yet no doubt she will lead us to greatness."
She turned to face him, her bewilderment exchanged for annoyance. "What are you, her personal bard?"
He chuckled again, his amusement serving to further bristle her as he shrugged to her question. "For the Valkyrie? I will be her skáld."
"Are we getting closer?" Ritsuka asked the Shaman, as he looked around the street they were on.
His group and Kagiso's had converged not too long ago, when Ritsuka's had finally found themselves in a park, cleared from the surrounding locals. He very much appreciated the backup before they were fully surrounded.
"Yes." Kagiso replied with a firm nod, his hand holding one of his daggers.
All they were told was that Kagiso's ancestors had pointed him towards where the enemy was. A part of him wondered why they were walking straight to the lion's den, but he trusted Kagiso's instincts. He understood the logic behind it as well, to find wherever, or whatever their headquarters were. And the sooner they could find it, the quicker they can finally solve this Singularity. The previous Singularity had lasted far longer, yet it did not feel as taxing or exhausting as London, something he realized from all the movement they have been doing. Which was a testament to its intensity, considering that barely even a week had passed here.
His shoulders in particular felt the heaviest they have ever been. He was looking forward to just sleeping it all away when they get back.
"There." Kagiso said, pointing to a rundown building that probably hadn't seen activities even before the Singularity.
"A pub?" Jekyll asked, eyes blinking confusedly.
"Oh, finally, we can get a stiff drink." Mordred said, almost stomping towards it, taking charge.
The Shaman followed suit, with Arturia walking behind them. "Be careful, Mordred. We are deep in enemy territory."
"Well it's a good thing then that we're finally bringing the fight to them." She responded, readying her sword as it crackled with energy.
She kicked the barred door open, sending splinters around, before entering the building. As one, the rest followed suit, with Arturia staying close to the door to guard its entrance. Eve rested the cleaver she had procured along one of the tables, sitting herself down unceremoniously on the floor. Alice kept close to Kagiso, floating near the Shaman as he inspected the pub, while Mash did the same with him, making sure her shield covered his most vulnerable spots. Mordred had took point, making her way past them towards the back.
That left the Masters, and the Alchemist, searching for whatever thing that would either lead, or work as this supposed entrance.
Well, mostly Kagiso and Jekyll. He didn't really have the skills and capabilities to find the enemy.
"I'll see if I can help as well." Jekyll said, as he pulled out a small flask from the inside of his own coat.
"Save it, Dr. Jekyll." Kagiso responded, as he crouched down to one knee. His hands rubbed the wooden planks carefully, before placing his ear onto the floor. Silence took over, as they awaited his verdict. "There's a basement."
"Well that's good news then." Jekyll said with a smile, pocketing the small vial back. "What should we do now?"
"Shouldn't we return?" Ritsuka found himself asking. "It's better if we have everyone here, right?"
"I agree." Ritsuka felt relief when he heard Kagiso's reply. "Let's quickly head back, and report our findings. I'm sure we're all exhausted."
"We need to rest." Mash spoke up, after mostly keeping to herself, her face showing her clear anxiety. "The only person who got some semblance of rest was Ayako, and that was because she was heavily wounded. We can't keep on pushing when we're running on fumes."
"Hn!" Eve's voice of agreement was followed with frantic nodding. She was just as tired as the rest of them.
"We should leave a mark for this place first then." Alice suggested, floating until she was at eye level with Kagiso. He nodded back to her.
"That should not be difficult." He responded, as he pulled out a stick of chalk.
Mordred stomped back into the room, her hurried footsteps crushing the wooden plank floors. They all turned to her, seeing her sword ready to be unleashed. Ritsuka's eyes widened when he fully took note of her armored form.
"MOVE!" she called out, digging her heel in and turning back to the room she had entered.
It all happened within a split of a second. He barely even registered it.
Mash had immediately covered him with her shield, pulling him out of the building as they threw themselves out of the barred windows. He felt his body turn in the air, allowing them to land safely on the shield. The temperature around them rose suddenly, as if the sun itself had descended, exemplified by the ball of fire that emerged from the building. He could make out the others, also saved by the Servants around them.
Mordred was the last to leave, flames licking her armor as she leapt out of the wreck that was the pub. They quickly got back to their feet, Mash readying her shield again as Ritsuka aimed his crossbow into the fire. He assumed the others did the same.
After what felt like an eternity, the flames dissipated, slowly taken away and snuffed by the emerging winds. And standing there, in the middle of the embers, was a figure. Dressed in an attire reminiscent of the Renaissance era, though colored more vibrantly in red and blue. A large gauntlet rested on their left arm, while their right held an intricate telescope of some sort. Their brown hair reached their shoulders, complemented with cleanly shaved facial hair.
They have never met this person before in their lives.
And yet, the smile on his face was unmistakable proof.
Standing there, smiling at them with his arms spread welcomingly, was Leonardo da Vinci himself. "Welcome, esteemed guests! How polite of you, to knock first!"
The ground erupted behind him, as a large tank emerged from underneath. And unlike the tanks they have been facing all this time, this was not a familiar tank that came out of a preserved schematic. This was a six-wheeled monstrosity made of wood and metal, with its one barrel pointed straight at them.
His painted smile, though not as enchanting as the Mona Lisa's, was still very much inviting. "Please, allow me to indulge you all."
Ritsuka turned his eyes to his left, meeting Kagiso's own. The older Shaman nodded back to him, as a silent exchange occurred between them.
They needed to get the hell out of here.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
whoa, a bit earlier than usual! but it's alright, consider this me making up of the late release last time.
the first few nails have been hammered, and we are now nearing the end of the Singularity.
i am envisioning between 2-3 chapters left, depending on how clumped and clogged it might be.
i really debated on whether i should kill off Kintoki or not here, because the fighting's been getting tougher and tougher. ultimately, i decided on compromising. he withstood most of Paracelsus' powerful NP, but Kintoki is also still a more powerful Servant. he survived, just barely, and is now severely weakened.
and we finally arrive at Jack's death. at its core of the issue, she is in reality a very weak Servant, who completely relies on a very specific set of circumstances to get guaranteed kills. so, when in the face of four Casters who are actively anticipating her movements, she was dealt with swiftly.
also because Fou's MVP.
and finally, we get to the biggest addition in the Singularity.
Leonardo da Vinci!
even back when i was coming up with story ideas back before Rome, i've always envisioned having a male Da Vinci. the question was, in what way would i implement him? Caster, or Rider (as those are their confirmed Classes)? and in what way would i display their capabilities? focusing on one of his prototypes was a good stepping stone, and it grew from there. the Class itself is also still a bit of a tossup though, even now that he is officially revealed. should he be a full on Caster, with a focus on these tanks? or should he be a Rider, with Caster aspects like Territory and Item Creation? honestly, it might just be left ambiguous. ultimately, it's not the most important thing here.
his appearance was relatively easy: i just took his design from Assassin's Creed, and gave him fate/Da Vinci's colors and tools.
the tank is not the Shadow Border, or whatever Da Vinci Lily uses. it's more akin to an APC than an actual tank, but the semantics don't really matter when it can still level blocks with its shots. it's to further differentiate Da Vinci's main tank from the tanks that's littering London.
so, story side's done, let's get to other things, like the game.
good news and bad news.
actually, there are no bad news, just good news.
i got Maou Nobu!
(you can check the updated list here): meganz (put a dot between A and N) (slash) folder (slash) geoRjLCK#JTuK47X5TF9pLKxDKGlTRA
holy shit dudes, after the drought of 5 stars, i was so happy that she came. 4 10-pulls, hell you can probably still find my comment on the megathread in the subreddit.
seriously guys, as one of my most anticipated Servants, after my celebration, i just felt this intense relief on my shoulders. the same feeling when i got the First Hassan, and Kiara. i immediately leveled her to max, grailed her to 100, and leveled up her skills as much as i can (only got one skill maxed. i'm lacking the mats and money to do the other two, at 6 and 5 respectively.)
so, let's just say that, when Nobu appears (don't have an exact idea when planned), expect the Avenger to answer the call.
also, if you guys haven't checked the link above, you'll also see i got Da Vinci Lily! i wasn't expecting, or even trying to get her. after the bucket of SQs we got from the anniversary, i just felt like throwing a few 10-pulls to the banners. look who showed up.
i used the special ascension on her because of how broke i was. 5 stars are never a guarantee, so i'd rather use it now rather than wait for a Servant who might not come.
that now leaves Super Orion as currently my next most anticipated Servant.
fingers crossed everyone.
now, onto the reviews!
amderdism: ultimately, it boils down to the fact that Ayako purposefully avoids interacting with other "traditional" magi, as you might have noticed from her group of peers. she seeks out people who either know very little of the moonlit world, or care little for most of its functions and politics. the only ones who fit the bill of a traditional magus, aside from the Servants, are Waver (who she is close friends with, and has some history with her family) and Olga (who's dealing with her own issues).
and yeah, she does really hold quite a bit of her past back, and it's not really intentional on her part. most of the time, there are certain aspects of her family that she still doesn't know yet, held back by her mom and aunt. other times, it's also because she tends to just focus on moving forward and seeing the future, so it tends to not be at the forefront of her mind. it's only ever brought to the front when she's encountering "traditional" magi, and by that point, then she absolutely tightens her lip.
Quartermass: thanks for the offer, i'll check her out once in a while!
Addicted2fanfics: as i said above, i really got the jackpot in the past two big banners. Maou Nobu and Da Vinci Lily. and yeah, New Jersey was an absolute pain. i didn't even get her through the gacha, i had to get her from the pity.
harlequin320: thanks man!
DeraldSny: thanks for reading dude!
Lione des bois: thanks a lot!
TalonScythe: i've pretty much got it down on how the Masters will progress in their skills and specialties. it'll be interesting to see your response once we get to see what Kagiso's Shamanism can bring him. and, just to lay it out on the table, no the blue butterfly wasn't Moriarty.
and we get to see the man of the hour himself! i wonder how you pictured their (upcoming) confrontation with Da Vinci would play out. and boy of boy, my dude, it just feels good to get Maou Nobu. at times when i log in, i still can't believe that i'm seeing her. it's still crazy.
we'll definitely see Kaichou in 500 years. o7 (speaking of, did you check out IRyS' debut? color me excited! it means the new gen will be coming soon as well!)
we're nearing the end now, boys and girls!
thanks once again everyone for reading through all of this! it's always fun writing it all!
hope you guys drop a review, if ya'll don't mind, and i'll see you all next time!