20.1
[Fate Grand Order]
Phantasm Noble
Mash… was slightly perturbed by this Loop. A change so simple, yet so… confusing to her.
"Senpai?" she started, Ritsuka turning from the ice-cream bar he had shoved in his mouth.
He popped it out. "What is it Mash?"
"Does it concern you that all Noble Phantasms are called… Phantasm Nobles this Loop?" she questioned.
"Not overly, but it is confusing."
"That's the problem! Why are they called that?"
Ritsuka could only shrug before returning to his ice-cream bar.
Mash for her part, decided to ignore it, as confusing as the simple swap of words was.
20.2 (Cont 20.1)
[Fate Grand Order]
Anti-King
Jing Ke was the strongest Heroic Spirit they had on the roster right now.
"...Phantasm Noble huh?" Ritsuka muttered, Mash watching in shock and horror at the utter carnage brought about by a drunk woman with a knife.
"All Servants!" the woman burped. "ARE KINGS!" she raised her knife. "I am a Kingslayer!" Jing Ke proclaimed, a red blush across her face, surrounded by half a dozen unconscious Servants she'd beaten half to death in her stupor.
"I told you this was going to be an issue Senpai," Mash noted, mildly concerned at the raw, conceptual destruction that Jing Ke could wreck.
"You know… Muramasa and Scheherazade are also Anti-King Servants…" Ritsuka mused.
The look of utter horror upon Mash's face nearly had Ritsuka cackling. Almost.
It would be more amusing to actually get said team together.
"Stop whining, you big baby!" Muramasa complained as he, Jing Ke and Scheherazade were all lined up before their target.
In this case, one Taiga Fujimura, aka Jaguarman, aka Tezcatlipoca… mostly it was just Taiga. "This is so unfaiiiirrrrr!"
"YOU'RE THE ONE CHEATING!" Everyone belted out at her and her team of Jeanne D'Arc (Archer version) and Nobunaga (Berserker).
"This is an exhibition match! It's supposed to be unfair! For you! Not me!" she complained.
"What is even going on…" Mash muttered.
"Hey, kid, can we get started, this is supposed to be a fight." Muramasa complained, summoning a sword as Taiga hissed.
"You're so mean Shirou!"
"I ain't Shirou, I'm Senji Muramasa! I swear to Susano the next person to make that mistake is getting a sword shoved straight up their ass!" the Saber shouted, as he was sick and tired of everyone calling him 'Shirou'. Just because he was borrowing the body did not make him his descendant.
The fact that he was the only Servant with a completely passive bonus against Kings, and all Servants had that trait thanks to their Phantasm Nobles, meant he was the most dangerous man alive.
"Kick their asses!" Ritsuka ordered.
"With pleasure!" Jing Ke spun her knife, grinning.
"You're so mean!" No one cared about Jaguarman's complaining.
20.3
[Fate/Grand Order]
Mirrored Souls, Bound Fate (High Priest of Ereshkigal)
When she first met her counterpart, Artoria Pendragon was not impressed. To nobody's surprise, neither was Altria Pendragon impressed with her.
To anyone who knows of Shirou Emiya, and the Archer EMIYA, the irony wasn't lost upon them.
Until that moment, Artoria had only had bad experiences regarding that figure, relegated to the nightmare birthed from Angra Mainyu's corruption upon her form during the 'Heaven's Feel' path of her Baseline. A sentiment shared by all of her companions from the 5th Grail War, unless it was caused because she had her Ahoge pulled off, those Loops were always silly, but endlessly funny.
And yet, hearing Cu Chulainn's musings about that nightmare of an Activation (as well as a brief bout of appropriate existential dread upon knowing how close they all were to non-existence), hearing firsthand accounts of the... 'work ethic' of Altria when she replaced her in her War, and sharing space together in Chaldea, the image they all had built of her Altered self slowly changed.
"Good Job, Master! Now... change your strategy!" At that shout, jet black energy slashes came rushing, and were met with a wall of dark fire. The figure then looked around, and then up, noticing that his opponent used her attack as a cover for her jump, seeking an attack from above him.
Undeterred, Ritsuka let out a bout of concentrated flame out of his hands, blasting his opponent and allowing the recoil to carry him away, covered by the smoke caused by the blast.
It wasn't enough to stop the mad dash of Altria Pendragon, Excalibur Morgan held firmly as she left the cloud of smoke, and immediately throwing the sword at Ritsuka with uncanny accuracy.
Sidestepping the sword, Ritsuka decided to give Altria what she had asked for, rushing to meet her head on, fists and legs blazing up. Next thing he knew, his fist connected with her abdomen at the same time he felt his skull rattling by her fist. Both of them were knocked back the strength of the other's fist.
"Good, good. That decisiveness, you're bringing it out more often. This is a good place to leave it for now." With those words, Altria got up and offered her hand to Ritsuka, who accepted it.
"How long has it been again, an hour?"
"Perhaps two, time tends to fly by when you enjoy yourself."
"I'm glad one of us did Altria."
"Cheer up Master, surely you're recognizing your improvements with the gift from the Count?"
Of that, Ritsuka would not complain. Being that he only had the form of Lotos as his prefered powerset geared for battle, an addition like the power granted by the Treasure of Monte Cristo was a welcome one. One that'd surely come in handy, and would be easier to explain that a sudden gender change and the presence of divinity.
"No complaints there, my King." Teased Ritsuka, which seemed to work given the sudden blush in Altria's face.
"You are insufferable, you know that?" That brought up laughter out of Ritsuka, followed shortly by Altria as they left the Simulator Room.
"I'm surprised to see you're alone in here." Were the words that came out of Artoria's mouth. Her counterpart only lifted an eyebrow, still focused on her own plate of food.
With a sigh, Artoria sat down next to her counterpart with her own plate of food.
"Last time anyone saw you, you went to train with Mash and Ritsuka."
"Only Ritsuka. Mash just went for her lessons with Da Vinci, Ritsuka later joined her." Was Altria's quick response, which awoke Artoria's curiosity.
"Lessons?"
"She's teaching them how to operate the Storm Border on their own. Including the weapon systems." That drew a wince from Artoria. The Shadow Border was a marvelous piece of Machinery, a hybridization of Magic and Technology. It's enhanced form, the Storm Border, was the best piece of machinery that could be produced by both Human and Divine means in this World. Unfortunately, this also meant that the learning curve on how to operate it was hard.
Their own tests required at least her, Shirou, Rin and Sakura to drive the damm thing and operate it's weapons effectively at the same time. But Gilgamesh certainly hadn't expected the dogfight between the Vimana and the Border, and neither did Kotomine.
"It'll take time, but Rome wasn't built in a day. They'll get there." At the mention of Roma, one could see the expression of the Great Founder, sitting in the cafetería with his 'children' and fellow Emperors, shine brighter than before.
"You know, I never guessed this would happen." Altria was still looking at her, but her attention was now completely focused on her, given that she put her plate of food aside.
"Us two, having a talk like this, both of us Awake. Shows what one can expect out of the damm Tree."
"Does it bother you, the connection we now share?" There was no judgement there, no hurt, just plain curiosity.
"At first, not knowing you, only what you represented to me and the rest of us, yes, I was bothered. But over time, I saw that I was mistaken. And dare I say, I'm glad to have met you, Altria Pendragon." Those were the honest thoughts of the blue Saber.
"Now that we're being honest, when I first met you, I thought you were a stuck up witch who believed herself superior over us. There was an arrogance at first glance, one that in hindsight, it seems my mere sight brought out. Details aside, it truly seems we're alike. I'm also willing to risk saying it, I am also glad to have met you, Artoria Pendragon." Responding in kind, the black Saber also laid her truth bare.
"Well then. That just leaves out the question." Now it was her time to be baffled. What question did her counterpart... "We already established we're okay with the other, and we're not about to have a dramatic duel everytime we meet, so what are we? What is our relationship to each other?"
That... was actually a good question. They were now bound together for the rest of eternity. A bond deeper than any marriage (and while they were comfortable around each other, that was a level of comfortable they'll never reach around each other, the mere thought nauseating for her, and likely the same for her counterpart if her reaction to the shade of green she looked was any indication).
On the other hand. "I think we can take a page out of Shirou's book this time. He and EMIYA are both the same individual, but the path each of them took is different, even if here and now, Yggdrasil bound their path together. It's the same situation in our place." Offered Artoria.
"Two paths that started as one, and later became separate, only to converge together in the middle, a good analogy. So, we're basically sisters in all but name?" Asked Altria to her counterpart.
"I believe that's the best definition to our situation, yes."
"As long as you don't go crazy, hypnotize me into calling you big sister and domesticate a Shark, fine by me." That remark caused Artoria to burst out laughing, after which she finally started eating her food, just as Altria went to ask for seconds, demanded by the roaring sound of her stomach.
'What was that saying again? Ah, 'Hunger is the Enemy.' ' Were the thoughts of Artoria as soon enough, Altria returned, both Kings sitting together side by side as they enjoyed their meals.
20.4
[Fate/Grand Order] [Fate/Stay Night]
Potato Cider
Over a dozen people were gathered around a table in Luluhawa. Souls brave enough to take on the challenge Shirou Emiya laid before them.
"Alright, just so we're clear, I'm not responsible if any of you die, alright?" Shirou started.
"May I ask what this challenge is in the first place, red?" Cu Chulainn asked, the Lancer smirking as he sat at the table, taking one of the four chairs.
Slowly, Shirou brought it out. As one, everyone stared at the strange barrel that he revealed, as he put his head on the lid. "Inside this barrel is perhaps the worst drink ever created. Let it be known that actual gods have had mere sips of this junk, and have died, or been set on fire. Or worse."
"Worse!?" Andersen questioned, the blue haired boy actually concerned as Shirou slowly took the lid off the barrel.
"Oh god no," Cu muttered, realizing just what the hell Shirou had brought out.
"Created by a woman known as Applejack… who dares to take a drink of… Potato Cider." Shirou slowly took out a special cup, and very carefully dipped it into the barrel. Holding it up, all the Servants watched as he set it on the table.
It didn't matter who died, he was gonna record every second of this.
The first brave soul slammed his fist into the table. "Give it here!" Beowulf ordered. "Come on it can't be that terrible," the Danish hero remarked, Shirou sliding him the cup. With a cheery grin, the Berserker knocked the cup back, everyone watching in awe.
Beowulf, after downing the contents of the cup, slammed it onto the table. Everyone watched as he grabbed his chest, unable to even groan before falling to the ground. They sat there in silence for several moments, everyone watching in horror as the man didn't rise again… and in fact after several moments golden dust flew into the air.
"Oh my god it fucking killed him," Drake muttered.
"I warned him," Shirou remarked, taking the cup nonchalantly and getting another cup, setting it on the table.
"Uh… Shirou," Cu started, the Celtic lancer getting a small hum in return. "Is that actually from AJ or…"
"Could be," he refused to elaborate. "But is anyone brave enough to test that claim?" he gestured to the cup again.
"I shall dare," Hijikata Toshizou declared, the Berserker of the Shinengumi grabbing the cup and downing the liquid inside. For several moments everyone watched him as he set the cup down, shaking. He roared, before beating his fist against his chest. "I! REFUSE!"
He literally roared again, multiple people ducking as the man practically spit flames from his mouth. Breathing heavily, but still standing, he slowly stood back up, raising the glass. "THE SHINSENGUMI NEVER DIES!"
"Way to fucking go!" Drake clapped, the pirate laughing as Hans frowned.
"He had to use his unique Battle Continuation to survive," the Caster commented, already having decided this wasn't worth risking his life over… didn't mean he wasn't going to watch the results though.
"That was the most horrid drink I have ever tasted," Hijikata noted, still breathing heavily as he walked over to a nearby wall and just… sat down against it, leaving the cup on the table as Shirou got another cup.
"Anyone else? It's clearly survivable." Shirou noted, smirking as he looked towards the camera attached to the side of the hotel next to the group, recording the entire situation. This was already going great.
"Alrighty human! Give it here!" Ibaraki boasted, the little Oni grabbing the cup and just outright downing the stuff. She slammed it down, and started hacking.
"Oh? Did you bite off more than you can chew Ibaraki?" Shuten questioned, the other oni chuckling as Ibaraki collapsed, barely breathing.
"Oh good she's still alive," Shirou noted.
"Barely…" Cu muttered as Shirou got another cup of the stuff out. He wasn't sure this stuff was actually AJ's Cider, but it clearly was as lethal as the myths said it was.
"Welp, if I die, tell Ritsuka I died happy." Drake ordered, the pirate woman taking the cup and downing it. She closed her eyes, seething for several moments before she slammed her head onto the table. Several people winced as she went down, and given the golden dust coming off her, going out.
"Oh Master's gonna be pissed about this." Hans muttered, shaking his head. He wanted alcohol, not to get his ass killed.
"It's fine, she'll be resummoned later," Shirou commented, deciding not to point out that she'd just be revived when the time loop here in Luluhawa rolled over, hence why he was so willing to do this stupidity.
"I shall undertake this challenge," another Servant spoke. Arjuna, who parted the crowd, and grabbed for the cup. Everyone watched as he took a deep breath, staring, before taking the drink and downing it. All eyes were on the Rewarded Hero as he closed his own. He grasped at his neck, rubbing it before gulping… and after a good thirty seconds of waiting, he set the cup down. "And I have overcome it."
"Andersen?" Cu questioned, since the Caster was very perceptive on just how people were surviving this.
"Combination of multiple skills. He was healing through it as well as using divine protection to ignore most of the internal effects," the Caster provided, Arjuna huffing.
"What matters is that I lived, where others have died," Arjuna commented smugly, as Hijikata raised his hand, giving a very rude gesture as the Archer walked off to the side to watch the proceedings continue.
"Human, hand me the cup," Shuten ordered, the small Oni grinning as she was passed the cup full of liquid. With a grin on her face, she downed the liquid, and then leaned back in her chair, everyone watching as she swallowed without a single problem.
"Horrid, utterly horrid. Indeed, it is more acidic than poisonous. I could barely qualify it as alcohol. But nothing that I am unable to take," she commented, smirking as several Servants cheered.
"Gonna go for another?" Shirou asked, holding up the cup as Shuten scoffed.
"Please, it's disgusting, I have passed your challenge, and now shall indulge in a much better beverage," she said, summoning her gourd full of hyper-poisonous alcohol and just drinking straight from it with zero issue.
"Yea it doesn't surprise me she's perfectly fine." Cu commented as Shirou looked at him.
"How about it Cu? You gonna be a man?" Shirou dared.
The Lancer took a very deep breath. "Well fuck me, give it here," he ordered, Shirou getting another cup's worth of the stuff and handing it over. Everyone watched as Cu just downed it to get it over with.
He began hacking rather quickly, beating his chest and activating any skills he could to survive. "You gonna die, Lancer?" Shirou questioned with a chuckle.
"Bite my ass!" Cu wheezed before slamming the cup down and standing up, fist in the air. "I refuse!" he ordered, even as it burned through his system.
Fuck that shit was bad.
"Good going Cu!" Fergus laughed, the Saber clapping alongside many others as the Lancer reared back.
"WOOO! That's shit fucking sucks!" He said, before pointing at his chest. "Burns like hell, but it ain't gonna kill me that easily."
"What's going on here?" Everyone turned as a new person showed up.
Gawain, the Knight of the Sun, shirtless and wearing his swimsuit. "I hope it isn't something unreasonable."
"Having a bit of a contest," Shirou commented, no one bringing up a few people had already died as the Saber joined the table. "Drinking some of the worst shit the world has to offer."
"A drinking contest? The worst you say? Would this happen to be one of those nightmarish cocktails I've heard about?" Gawain questioned.
"This isn't a cocktail. It is something called Potato Cider," Arjuna provided, Gawain humming.
"Potato Cider you say?" he asked, everyone looking at him as he looked at the cup now sitting on the table. "Come now, it can't be that bad," the Saber said with a wide grin as he went for the cup.
"It was nice knowing you," Cu muttered as everyone prepared for the worst. Gawain began downing the drink.
After a moment, he lowered the keep with a smile and a grin. "Refreshing! I don't see why everyone seems so worked up about it! May I have another?"
"...There is something wrong with this man," Shuten muttered in actual shock as Shirou just… stared.
"I'm… sorry… what?" Shirou started.
"I asked for another cup. I see you have a whole barrel of this stuff," Gawain said, utterly oblivious to everyone's stares of shock and wonder as someone groaned.
"Ugh… what sort of stupid drink was that…" Ibaraki muttered as she slowly climbed up, using the table as a rest as Shirou took the cup from Gawain very slowly, dipping it back in the barrel and… handing it over to the insane Saber.
"My thanks sir Shirou," Gawain said, taking another long drink before lowering the cup. "I don't see at all what the fuss is about."
"People have died drinking that crap!" Cu shouted, standing up as Ibaraki yelped.
"So, people have died of alcohol poisoning before. One simply has to know their limits," Gawain returned, handing the cup back to Shirou.
"Okay, new contest… How much of this crap can he drink?" Shirou asked, looking at everyone.
"I'll fucking bet on that," Cu replied, Gawain shrugging as everyone stared weighing in QP and other random items.
"Oh very well, I suppose if it gets me more of this drink, I shall oblige," Gawain said with a smile. As far as he was concerned, it was a good day.
"He… did… what?" Artoria questioned in utter shock as Shirou relayed the Story the next Loop.
"Your knight of the Sun, Gawain, drank the whole fucking barrel of Potato Cider. Do you have any idea how hard it was to actually get that crap!?"
"Why did you even have that stuff?" Rin questioned as Shirou sighed.
"It involved a convoluted plan to trick Gilgamesh into drinking it, among other things, and I paid her quite well, but still!" Shirou admitted as he pulled out the video and a television.
Rin and Artoria watched in awe, and perhaps horror, as several dozen Servants were gathered around a table, the camera watching from above as Gawain was holding a massive glass. There was a lot of cheering going on as Moriarty was mixing a new utterly disgusting beverage using the Potato Cider and what appeared to be turpentine and battery acid.
The man drank it like a champion, only commenting that the turpentine and battery acid made took away from the taste.
"...Saber, the fuck is he?" Rin muttered in shock as the video continued, Gawain continuing to drink as bets and cheers were going on all around. Another Servant decided to get brave (Tristan) and ended up passing out and requiring medical attention in mere seconds, only barely surviving thanks to Medea Lily and Asclepius' rapid response while Gawain continued to drink up, asking for more like an utter madman.
"That… is the Potato Cider right?"
"I know what was in that barrel," Shirou muttered as Gilgamesh walked into the camera's range, drawn in by all the excitement. He then proceeded to try and match Gawain in drinking, and was down and out in less than ten seconds, also requiring medical treatment. "I wasn't even trying to get him to drink that time."
"It's a shame it seemed to have been the nice one, not the asshole we're stuck with," Artoria commented as the video rolled on.
"Saber, seriously, the hell is he made of," Rin muttered.
"Gawain used to be a cook. An utterly horrible one who used nothing but potatoes in his cooking," Artoria shuddered, just the mere memory of something she'd experienced very few times in her long time Looping. "He at least eats what he makes with no problems… no one else does though, it's nigh-lethal."
"Saber… Potatoes were lethal back then," Shirou commented as Rin just… groaned.
"Oh. I forgot," Artoria muttered in return.
"You're keeping this video, else no one's gonna believe this," Rin ordered. She still barely believed it.
"Oh I'm showing AJ later." Shirou muttered.
The Knight of the Sun was a… curious man, who loved his potatoes.
20.5
[Fate/Grand Order] [Fate/Zero]
Knights Around
Artoria had to try… really hard to resist the urge to facepalm.
She'd Awoken in what was technically in the past, of course after spending most of the Loop with Shirou and Rin, it seemed her troubles weren't over, since she'd reAwakened inside the Accel/Zero singularity.
"I thought the rules of the Holy Grail War stated each Master can only summon one Servant." Irisviel commented, a finger to her lip as Artoria groaned at the sight at the other side of the river.
Her counterpart and somewhat 'sister', Altria Pendragon, alongside Ritsuka Fujimaru was leading a squad of Servants through Fuyuki's 4th Holy Grail War. A Singularity that one Waver Velvet/Lord El-Melloi II was trying to use as an attempt to fix the past. Albeit in a far healthier way that EMIYA's.
At least he didn't try to kill himself, merely berate the crap out of his younger self. She didn't see the man right now, but he wasn't her concern.
No, her concern was the team currently waging war on all things octopus. "Master, may I suggest we take shelter?" Artoria asked, Irisviel humming and tilting her head in confusion.
"Why's that?"
"I believe the collateral damage may end up being us if we don't take a moment to step back." Artoria muttered, wincing as she noticed just which Knight of the Round had taken to the field.
Well… Knight by Altria's standards, but she wasn't complaining about the addition.
"JAIL BREAKER!" Barghest roared as she speared a demonic octopus with her chains, before reducing it to cinders with a flash of her flaming blade.
"Very good Barghest," Altria complimented, ducking under a swing from an octopus and then splitting it in half with Excalibur Morgan, dashing right through it and cleaving another two of the weaklings in twain. "Now keep up."
"There is no need to be so rude my king," Tristan commented, strumming his harp and wrapping up multiple demons in his web of soundwaves. "For you, Fairy Knight."
"My thanks," the giant woman responded, before reducing the demons to cinders. A roar resounded as the trio of knights all looked towards the beast stomping down the street. A massive demon, leading an army of octopi towards them. "It seems the weaklings have gathered together.
"Tristan, give us a wall," Ritsuka ordered, the Archer nodding and strumming his harp, a wall of soundwaves forming before them, the demon growling as it came to a halt. It raised a hand, pointing a finger towards Altria, the Black Knight leaping to avoid the explosion of energy that came upon her position.
"Where is Percival? And Mash for that matter?" Altria questioned, completely unconcerned by the powerful monster and its forces attempting to bust Tristan's wall.
"They and Melusine are with El-Melloi," Ritsuka supplied. "They split like three minutes ago to deal with Hundred Face."
"Then I suppose we are on our own?" Tristan questioned.
"It's still an unfair fight," Barghest noted, before smirking. "For our enemies.
"Exactly. Barghest, set them ablaze!" Ritsuka ordered, snapping his fingers, imbuing her with a spell. Mana Burst to be specific.
"Understood!" the Black Dog raised a hand to her head, ready for war once more.
"Miss Kyrielight!" Percival leapt at a Hassan, attempting to spear them on the Longinus, Mash avoiding a dagger to the face by inches and spinning around.
"I've got it covered!" She threw up her shield, leaping back as it fell before kicking it through the air. It slammed into a larger than normal Hassan, sending them into a building as Mash followed up, ramming the shield with her body and squishing the Hassan beneath it.
Another dropped from the ceiling above her, and she spun around, bashing the sleek man with the edge of her shield and sending them through another wall and out onto the street. The Hassan rolled to their feet as Melsune slammed into the ground beside them, gut punching the Hassan into the air before following up with a devastating kick, and then grabbing the poor Assassin by the face and slamming them into the pavement.
"Good work Melusine," Percival complimented, using his free hand to grab a dagger out of the air before rushing the Hassan that had thrown it. It started dancing backwards, trying to avoid the knight's swings, only for him to slam his foot down and thrust a little bit ahead. Having predicted the Assassin's dancing, he gored them on his spear, lifting them up as they faded to dust. "My apologies, but we aren't dying here."
"Good, I would hope not Percival," Melusine commented, the tiny armored fae floating in the air before looking up at the rooftops, Mash coming out and joining her and Percival, cracking her neck.
"It's a fair workout," Mash noted as she too looked at the rooftops.
"I hope you three are done playing around," El-Melloi noted, the older man taking his cigarette from his mouth and dropping it, walking towards them after crushing it underfoot. "As you can see we've got quite a bit of extra company."
"It is merely the Assassin's many duplicates, easy prey," the Fairy Knight responded, her mask hiding her eyes, but her confident smirk on display for all to see.
"Come, let us prove to them our might as Knights of the Round Table, shall we?"
"Just try to keep up, little brother," Melusine ordered. Percival was about to object as she rocketed off towards the rooftops. The Lancer sighed as he picked up El-Melloi, he and Mash leaping up to join Melusine as she laid waste to Assassins of all shapes and sizes.
Artoria frowned as she sat in the room alongside all the other Servants assembled. Ritsuka, Irisviel, El-Melloi II and Kariya in the other room talking about their plan to assault Gilgamesh, and what Kariya wanted for his cooperation.
"...Did you really have to form a new Knights of the Round?" Artoria questioned lightly to her counterpart, who huffed as she leaned against the back of the couch she was sitting on.
"I merely added new members." Altria commented as Barghest came over with a massive plate of food.
"I made snacks for everyone!" the gigantic woman said with a smile.
"Thank you Barghest," Tristan replied, taking a cookie and biting into it as they continued.
"Hmph," Melusine huffed as she crossed her arms, Percival chuckling as the tiny girl stuck her nose up at Artoria.
"Now now, don't be like that Mel," Percival said, rubbing Melusine's hair, the tiny fairy puffing out her cheeks as Artoria shook her head.
Two of the three Fairy Knights her other 'Sister', Morgan had recruited. She hadn't interacted with them often, and unless she was summoned to Chaldea later this Loop, probably wouldn't again. "Tristan, why are they 'Knights of the Round?'" Artoria asked the knight of the bow.
"Ah, King Altria decided it, since Barghest was chivalrous, and Lancelot was unavailable," Tristan supplied.
She would prod further, but Goetia would probably show up if she said anything incriminating.
"Actually that is a good question," Altria decided to ask. "Sir Tristan… which of us do you remember as your king?"
Tristan hummed at that. "...Well, I suppose that would have to be King Artoria I recall as my king."
"I recall you as mine, King Altria," Percival decided to pipe in. "Which is why I am a bit surprised to see another King Arthur."
"Don't look at me, my King is different," Melusine admitted.
"I serve King Altria, but that's because I met her first," Barghest said with a smile.
"This requires further questioning," Artoria mumbled. It was probably Loop Variable which one they remembered, assuming Altria even had a history in any given Loop or not. Was still quite intriguing though.
"Hey, we're ready!" Ritsuka popped his head through the window. "Who's ready to go beat Gilgamesh's ass?"
"I am!" Melusine hopped up. "I shall be the one to defeat him!"
"We're going together Mel, remember that. A full frontal assault against his ego," Percival chided.
"Don't lecture me!" Melusine ordered. "I am your big sister Percival!" she pointed at him as the mountain of a knight smiled.
"Oh, of course Mel," Percival chuckled, Altria smirking as Artoria shook her head.
All of her Knights, even the newest additions to her table, were utterly bonkers.
20.6
[Fate/Grand Order] [Legend of Zelda]
Fate/Courage: Part 3
When Link emerged from the Portal, he had about two seconds to be surprised at his surroundings. Rather than Zora's Domain… he had appeared before the lake of the Light Spirit Lanayru. A cautious glance upwards revealed a portal, with red lines instead of the usual bluish green of Ritsu.
"Zant-" he spun around stabbing his trident upwards, completely missing his target he knew was there. 'Why is he shorter than normal?'
Indeed in the split second he had to process that surprising fact, he'd noted that yes, Zant was much, much shorter than normal. While normally a quite tall 6'6" on average (with some minor variation depending on the Loop) he was… like maybe four feet tall, at best if Link discounted the helmet. Which meant that his attempt to stab Zant in the face had completely failed by virtue of misjudging where said face would be.
End result, Link was slashed across the chest by a scimitar, nearly knocking him into the water of the Spring of Light. Lanaryu shot out of it, practically roaring as Zant flashed with dark power, actually knocking Link over, but he quickly gripped the ledge with his hand before he could fall into the water.
Lanaryu screeched as Link pulled himself up, just in time for the Twilight to take over, painfully shifting him back into the form of a wolf and causing Ritsu to pop out of his shadow again. "What the heck! You hijacked my teleport Zant!" Ritsu shouted, defiantly standing up as Link growled, protectively standing over Ritsu. "Hey, I can't see him!"
Zant didn't say a word, merely raising an arm and flicking Link into the water. He yelped in surprise at just how sudden it was… He was admittedly more used to Zant's massive breakdown than this, given how often he just outright derailed this section. Ritsu yelped as she was suspended in midair above the lake, struggling against the binds of red energy around her hands and feet.
As she was struggling Zant raised an arm, causing a dark portal to manifest. Ritsu growled, trying to manifest her own as Link dragged himself out of the water and bounded up towards Zant, fully intent on ripping his throat out at this point. As he ran up, a hand of Zant appeared, ripping apart Ritsu's portal and then grasping what it was looking for. The three Fused Shadows that had been hiding within Ritsu's little shadow dimension.
Link snarled as he leapt up, only for Zant to spin around and raise his other arm, bringing up a wall of twilight lightning between himself and Link. He was flung back, but picked himself up as Zant finally spoke. "Know your place, beast of Light," Zant ordered, before swinging his arm down, telekinetically slamming Link's head into the dirt… hard.
His head ringing, the wolf tried to get back up… yep, minor concussion from that one. "Did you truly think that you could turn this ancient, withered power against me, Ritsu?" Zant questioned, quite calmly as Link started to look for an angle to attack from, still nursing that concussion. Zant stowed the pieces of the Fused Shadow in his own little storage dimension, and even ripped the helmet off of Ritsu's head, fully revealing her face and stowing the fourth piece of the Fused Shadow as well.
'Okay he's… being smarter than usual.' Link noted, growling as Zant spun around and smashed his face into the dirt again, before summoning a hand and wrapping it around Link's body. He tried to hold in the whimper from the surprising pain as the hand held him still. 'Okay… much smarter.'
"Link!" Ritsu shouted, still struggling and even turning her head to the side, attempting to punch Zant with her hair, only for it to bounce off a barrier. The Usurper King not even raising a hand against the assault as he spoke.
"You are a fool Ritsu, and a traitor without equal," Zant commented, Link trying to run through his head just how many different spells Zant had running at once. The two hands, the portal still in the sky, the lightning barrier, the telekinesis.
'Okay, Ganon might have given him more than usual," Link thought, his head still throbbing as Zant continued, the short man looking up towards Ritsu as she kept struggling.
"I would suggest you quit defying your King. Lest you face the consequences," Zant ordered Ritsu growling as she returned with vitriol in her voice.
"You aren't MY King! You're the one who's caused so much pain! You're the one who's trying to conquer the Realm of Light. Abusing our magic to twist our people into monsters!" Ritsu shouted in her native Twili, drawing upon her Loop Memories, and the hatred they made her feel for the short man before her.
"You dare imply I use our old magicks to do such things?" Zant questioned calmly. "What a farce," the man shook his head, and looked towards Link again. "Still conscious… go to sleep dog," Zant ordered, before smashing Link into the wall of the cave, head first… again.
'OW! Okay, screw this one,' Link thought, darkness swimming in his vision as the concussion just got worse. He needed a moment of opportunity… so he let himself lay falsely. He felt the hand let go of him with his body going limp.
"With that settled," Zant commented, before flipping Ritsu forward, she yelped in surprise before being slammed face first into the dirt.
"Ow…" Ritsu mumbled, raising her head. "Link…" she tried to turn around as Zant continued to speak.
"My power comes from a very different source, Ritsu. From our new god," Zant started, turning around slowly and coalescing a ball of red energy before him. "How about a taste of the King of Twilight's power."
Link shot up, eyes going wide as he leapt for Zant, who was still maintaining some, but not all of the spells he'd been holding. The gate of lightning was gone, but with this new orb of familiar red, Link leapt for Zant to grasp at his throat. Only to be caught midair by telekinesis. "Such a loyal mutt you've found Ritsu," the Twilit commented, and flung the orb of energy into Link's chest. He yelped as he was flung backwards… but it still wasn't enough to knock him out, even as the red energy coursed over him.
'It's okay, it's just gonna be the crystal, we'll be fine…' Link thought to himself… before noting as something flew out of him. Surprised, he blinked, still standing as Zant held out a hand, grasping the yellow crystal that had come from Link's chest. 'What in Hylia's name is that?'
"What did you do to him!?" Ritsu spun around, still laying on the ground as Link growled, Zant looking at the crystal for a moment before making it vanish into particles of twilight, into his dimensional storage.
"If he's such a dog he should remain as such," Zant said with little amusement in his voice, before grasping Ritsu off the ground. Link growled, his head still pounding… and before once again Zant smashed his head into the ground telekinetically.
That one nearly knocked him out. "Now then Ritsu… perhaps, lest you forget, that beast was one of the Light dwellers. The reason we've been locked away for so long," Zant started again.
"Bite you damn tongue," Ritsu spat, but the short Twili continued.
"Now, you may desire to aid them, but you and I are well aware that in the Realm of Light, you are little more than a shadow. All of our kind but me share that fate." Zant added before chuckling. "Of course… should the world turn to Twilight, you'll get what you desire." Zant began to offer.
"I ain't buying it, Zant!" Ritsu shouted at him.
"Do you not wish to take back the realm once ours? For there to be no more oppression of the Light?" Zant's mask began to retract slightly, revealing a pale white mouth as Ritsu shook her head, trying to whip her hair around to smack him and failing. "Lend me your power, to lead this world into eternal Twilight."
He finally let go of her, and she scrambled away from him, the now maskless Ritsu breathing heavily as she got close to Link. "No then?" he unfolded his mask again. "A shame, that someone so brilliant cannot see the truth. Very well… let me return you to that world of Light you so desire." Zant declared calmly, grasping her one final time and floating her over the waters of the Spring of Light.
"Link! Link get up!" Ritsu panicked, the wolf trying to pull himself up as Zant was facing the spring, the Twilight beginning to fade. His vision swimming, the last thing he saw before it was enveloped by light, and the last thing he heard was Ritsu's screaming in pain.
'Well that went poorly didn't it,' Link thought in confusion as he was teleported away, leaving Zant behind.
"Hmph, no matter," Zant spoke to himself, noting that the wolf had been taken as well. "With what I have taken, there shall be no place within the Light for that wolf. A pity that she did not join me… but it will merely drag out our plans," Zant commented before using his own portal to warp away, closing the red-black portal, and behind it, Ritsu's blue-black fading out as well from his crafty redirection.
His head was still somewhat swimming when he and Ritsu appeared outside Castle Town. She was laying on his back, her colors faded, her helmet gone and barely breathing. "Heck of… of a…"
"Save thine strength," Ritsu tried to raise her head, but Link growled at her to keep laying there. Lanaryu continued, his voice within their minds. "Time is brief Link. Return to the princess, locked within the castle." Lanaryu provided a bit shorter than his usual lecture.
"I… still…" Ritsu tried to rise, but Link just bolted, forcing her to remain laying upon his back as he ran. The concussion was still there, but he ignored it, time was indeed quite short.
Several things swam through his head. Zant's height, him being far proactive enough to redirect their teleport, what he'd said… what he'd done. Link didn't have much time to think about what that crystal was, but he had one very interesting guess given the Usurper King's words.
He raced for the fastest entrance he could remember, Ritsu hanging on with what little might she had remaining. This wasn't time to experiment with things that 'could' save her. Link only knew of one thing that definitely would.
Rushing through Castle Town, he went straight for the closest route to the sewers he knew. Ripping the Poe's soul out on the way but ignoring the statue for the moment. Despite his speed, she still clung on tight… good. She would need that strength to keep going.
He could hear the storm rolling in as they got underground, but the moment he got down there, he saw his latest challenge. More than just Kesse and Bokoblins, other foes now familiar were down there. Growling, he just ran right by them, dodging rather than fighting. He had no time to deal with them.
Grabbing a stick off the ground, he struck it against a torch as he ran by, charging right through the spider webs, uncaring of the flames that licked at his fur. Flinging the stick at the next set of webs, he raised his tail, spinning around as a group of keese tried to dive bomb him. As they did, with a spin, he slashed them to pieces, the moment the web was burned away, he continued his charge.
Leaping up and over he saw a group of Bokoblins, all lining up with shields. Glaring, he leapt off the ledge he'd been standing upon, roaring. One of them flinched, and that broke their formation. Charging right through those lines, avoiding the swings of their swords, he went for the dirt that led into the sewers, digging right down before the trio of monsters behind him could reorient and attempt a strike at his back.
He dropped into the sewers, careful to catch Ritsu as she nearly fell from his back. "You're… heading pretty fast," she mumbled as he ran down the tunnel. Looking up at the tower, and the bokoblins that lined it, he growled, before looking at Ritsu. That was it, no more chances.
He charred up the stairs, a Bokoblin archer screeching and trying to blow its horn, only to be grabbed by the arm and tossed into the water, drawing in mere seconds. Rather than walk the tightrope, he ran the wall for a few moments, reaching an outcropping and avoiding arrows that started being fired upon him.
On the next ledge another archer nocked an arrow. He leapt, grabbing the monster by the throat and causing it's bow to spiral into the water below. Ripping its throat out he leapt over the next gap. Down below the trio of Bokoblins he'd left behind came out of the tunnel, screeching then charging up the stairs.
He ran up the next bit of stairs, outrunning arrows before noticing there were a few Kesse flying around, waiting for the moment to strike. Growling, and realizing that walking a tightrope would be too slow and too vulnerable, he got ready to leap for the next Kesse.
"Mark…" Ritsu muttered, Link looked over his shoulder, seeing her weakly raising a hand, little and faint blue sigils appearing by the Kesse. Link just growled and accepted it, charging at one, and using the magic provided to bounce between the Kesse, sending them spiraling into the water below and rapidly ascending far faster than he had any right to.
At the final Kesse he leapt off and grabbed the closest ledge with his paws, arrows flying all around him as he climbed up. Using his tail he sliced the tightrope that was close by, the bokoblins all screeching as he kept ascending.
At the very top, a large monster was up there, rather than a mere Bokoblin. "Uridimmu… weak…" Ritsu muttered about the beast, which growled. Link looked over the lion-like monster and growled back.
The two beasts charged at each other, the Uridimmu raising its paw to claw at him. Link leapt over it, grabbing its tail with his jaws and using his superior strength to flip the damn thing over, slamming it into the metal grate below them. It roared in pain as several arrows, now being fired from below, pierced its skin.
The beat tried to get up, but Link was having none of it, biting into the monster's chest with savage fury. The moment it went limp he jumped off it, spinning horizontally in the air to slash a few Kesse drawn by the commotion, and rushing outside into the wild storm.
He didn't let the rain break his stride, Ritsu gripping him as hard as she could under the circumstances. He charged for the bridge, completely ignoring a pair of Bokoblins, save to bowl them over and off the edge of the crumbling ramparts. Rushing up the scaffolding and onto the next part of the castle wall, he sped around a corner towards the wooden bridge being held up by wind alone.
Lowering his head he charged as fast as he could, leaping the gap completely before the bridge could fall and rushing for the still open window to the tower Zelda was held in, with only one obstacle remaining in his way. A bird, which the moment it took to the air he ignored as it struggled to maintain flight within the heavy winds and pouring rain. Leaping through the window and onto the staircase inside the tower, he rushed for the door to Zelda's room.
The door was closed, but he nudged his head against it, pushing it open just wide enough to enter. Looking over his shoulder as Ritsu, he noticed she was thankfully still breathing, still hanging onto him as tight as she could.
Moving into the room, he looked around, seeing Zelda standing near a mirror. She turned towards him, Link looking to the Twili still clinging to his back. Was admittedly a bit strange to see her without her helmet, but Zant had been proactive and taken that too, rather than even leave them with a single Fused Shadow piece.
Of course, as Zelda walked over, and he finally got a better look at Ritsu, he saw just how poorly she was doing. Like how Midna had been, she was deathly pale where she normally would have been just white. All the color drained from her hair, leaving it an unhealthy grey. He looked to Zelda as Ritsu looked an eye, weakly holding out a hand to Zelda.
"Zant did this…" she muttered, breathing weakly. "He took something… from Link, something important…" she continued, Zelda grasping Ritsu's hand as she looked down at Link as well.
"I know. I can see it," Zelda muttered as Link looked at himself. It was pretty normal for Zant to lock him in wolf form, but getting the Master Sword was supposed to fix that. On the other hand, he had a pretty good idea what the heck Zant had 'taken'.
"How do we fix it…" Ritsu muttered, trying to raise her head, only for Zelda to kneel down, and catch her. "He'll need it," Ritsu tried to continue.
"Save your strength, please," Zelda offered to try and placate Ritsu.
"I'll be fine… I can still go on…" Ritsu tried to reply, but Link growled, well aware that no, she really, really couldn't. But she was stubborn, he would give her that. "So long as there's even a chance… I can help."
"You cannot help if you're dead, Ritsu," Zelda chided, before looking at Link. "Zant has taken your Hylian form from you," she revealed, as Link had expected. "The only way he could have done so, was with an evil power far beyond what I expected," she continued, Link closing his eyes.
Triforce of Power, obviously, as Ganondorf was Zant's backer. He felt like Zant probably should have done this before, heck he probably would have if Link ever gave him a chance to. But he just had to run this one close to Baseline didn't he.
'Whatever, I'll deal with it, I'll beat his and Ganondorf's ass as a wolf if I have to, I've done it before I'll do it again,' Link mused as Zelda spoke once more.
"While it may not be able to grant you back your form of Light… there is something that could aid you in the battle against the darkness. The only thing capable of facing this evil power. There is a sacred grove, guarded by Faron. The Blade of Evil's Bane lies there, the Master Sword."
"You can… hold that in your mouth… right?" Ritsu lightly tried to joke, still struggling to cling to life and raise herself. By now she was just laying weakly in Zelda's arms.
"Link, hero sent by the goddesses," Zelda started, Link looking towards Ritsu as Zelda raised her hand. "Like you, I have been granted special powers by them."
"Come on Link…" Ritsu muttered. "We've got work… I ain't dying yet… not while the world's still in danger."
Zelda sighed. "Despite your injuries you continue to act in our stead," she closed her eyes. "These dark times came from our people's deeds of the past, and yet yours are the ones that reap the penalty."
Link knew she was referring to the Shadow Beasts, whom he was aware were actually transformed Twili, morphed into monsters by Zant's cursed masks. At least, some of them were, sometimes they were like werewolves and multiplied by 'infecting' others. Sometimes.
Of course the moment he knew was coming had to happen. "Accept this Ritsu," Zelda continued, grabbing one of the Twili's hands tightly. "I pass this onto you."
"Pass what?" Ritsu questioned as Zelda's arms began to glow. Link closed his eyes, content in the fact that despite how it looked, they'd be able to save Zelda later. For the moment, Ritsu's survival was what mattered.
As Ritsu was healed, she looked on in confusion, then surprise as Zelda faded from their view completely, leaving behind not even her robes. "What? Where?" Full of vigor once more, the Twili looked around in confusion. "Link where did she go? What did she do!?"
Link opened his mouth to reassure her, but all that came out was a mild bark rather than the words he'd been anticipating. She looked at him with a frown. "Will she be alright?" He nodded, already running through his head the minor… annoyance he was going to have to deal with now.
Ritsu sighed in relief, opening both eyes. Link looked her up and down, noting that her face was different from Midna's. Rather than the full top half being dark black skin, the area around her eyes was half and half, black and blueish-white. The side he'd been seeing this whole adventure, hidden by the Fused Shadow fragment, had been the black side. "Well then," Ritsu leapt up, flipping onto Link's back. "Faron Woods awaits" Ritsuka adjusted her hair, letting her shackled side tail hang freely. Link barked in approval as Ritsu snapped her fingers.
They warped out of the Castle, and when they reappeared Ritsu started explaining. "I figured out what he did." He listened as he started to run. "Zant basically grabbed us mid teleport by opening his own portal under mine. I'll try to make sure he can't do that again," Ritsu muttered, looking up at the moon in deep thought.
As they were leaving, a sudden wave of energy swept over the field. Link paused for a moment, coming to a slow stop as he and Ritsu turned towards Hyrule Castle, a pyramid shield of magical energy forming over the building, locking it away from the outside world. "Problematic, but we'll deal with that later. Barriers are made to be broken," Ritsu snarked, already trying to get back to her usual self. Link just rolled his eyes as Ritsu looked at herself again.
"Let's find somewhere safer to talk, yeah?" Ritsu muttered, Link nodding in approval as he took off, ready to cross Hyrule Field once more on their way to Faron Woods.
Ritsu frowned as she sat against a tree, Link sitting before her, meditating… at least she thought he was. The wolf had tried barking at her multiple times before finally finding a place to stop. Now, about ten minutes later, he finally reopened his eyes.
"That… is annoying, having to use a spell to speak." Link finally said as Ritsu looked up, unconsciously going for the helmet she no longer had to adjust it. So she settled for just moving her side tail.
"So… does he normally do that?"
"I don't tend to ever let him," Link admitted. "Granted yeah, he would have tried to lock me as a wolf, but it's annoying he instead stole my actual normal form," Link laid his head in the dirt. "Didn't know he could do that. Variants, am I right?"
"Zelda's gonna okay… yeah?" Ritsu asked again, and Link nodded.
"She'll be fine. Good news is you're still alive, and bonus, you can survive the Realm of Light now, as you can clearly see," he gestured a paw towards her.
Ritsu looked her hand over, observing the blue lines across her form. "I can still enter your shadow, so that's good too… but you seemed surprised by Zant."
"Well for one he's normally at least two feet taller," Link snarked. "Nor is he that seemingly sane."
"My memories tell me his height's fine, but you're the expert here. He's got a few screws loose to be sure, but he's ruthless." Ritsu muttered.
"About that, gonna ask the question, how tall would you be in your 'true' form?" Link questioned, Ritsu humming as she checked her memories.
"About… maybe four one?" she guessed, and shrugged. "From what I know, Twili ain't that tall normally."
Link rolled his eyes. Some Variants. "That explains why he was so darn short… how are you holding up?"
"I'm holding alright. It's… a bit strange now to be out in the light and not be a shadow," she muttered. "Are you going to be okay yourself?"
"I've lost track of the amount of times I've willingly done this as just a wolf, but I'll admit that most of those times were practically pure Baseline, not the mess we're currently dealing with," Link offered, but shrugging as best a wolf could. "But first time for everything."
"...So are you gonna wield the sword in your mouth?" Ritsu questioned, Link nodding. "Ah, okay."
Link stood up. "After we get the Master Sword, we're going to have to go after the Mirror of Twilight. Thankfully I know… the general location where the shards are," Link admitted, since with the mass changes to the dungeons and even the routes to the dungeons, he wasn't exactly certain, but hey, it at least followed the formula.
"Hey, we put our heads together and we'll find these shards." Ritsu stood up, and floated back onto Link's back. "Off we go!"
"Just so we're clear, the spell's gonna wear off in a couple minutes, so I'll be back to silence treatment until we take another break," Link pointed out.
"Got it, so nothing's really changed then," she snarked, Link playfully chucking at her antics as they prepared to make their way towards Faron Woods, and the Sacred Grove, their strange journey far from over.
20.1: Perhaps the shortest Snip I ever wrote.
20.2: IF IT BREATHS! IT'S A NOBLE!
20.3: Sisterly bonding, kinda.
20.4: Gawain and his dang potatoes.
20.5: Introducing more of the 'Nuts of the Round Table'
20.6: Expecting someone taller Link?
Take care everyone!