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The following is a fan-based

FICTION

F/SN, F/Z, F/KPI and other products related to the Fate Series are all owned by TYPE-MOON, Kinoko Nasu and Takashi Takeuchi.

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Chapter 8: And now I got a Dragon Idol (and sadly no, it's not Kiryu Coco.)

I have to say that, when I started my 'career' as a masked hero, I didn't exactly have the awareness I would eventually develop after many experiences that forced me to 'grow up'.

With this first battle, I have to say that, with due insight, I was quite at a disadvantage at fighting a vampire-like entity during that night. Not only did this mean my opponent had no limitations in her mobility as she gave chase to me without any obstacles beyond those I created to preserve the distance between us, but she also had her full power unleashed due to the nightly scenery. I wasn't planning to engage in close combat, even more so when I decided to check her parameters mid-chase, with Quartz being able to give me some clue on what I was dealing with. And let's just say that something about her stats was plain wrong.

Strength: D
Endurance: D
Agility: B+
Mana: B+
Luck: C
NP: C+

I might not remember her stats on the spot, not all of them, but I was quite sure this version of Elizabeth Bathory was meant to be more agile than that. Somewhere around 'A', not 'B+'. It was even more confusing when I realized that the reason why she was able to spam Iron Maidens, turning them into dangerous projectiles that were difficult to dodge, was her B+ Mana Rank when it was meant to be D. Yes, this is turning quickly into Touhou very fast and I'm not built to handle bullet-hell to this degree. Now, this all sounded like a shitty situation. Which really was, I can't sugarcoat something so crappy. But I still was doing more than just running away. I was trying to kill the foe with the very weakness I knew she was going to fear. And that was sun rays and UV-light.

"St-stay still!" I exclaimed, turning again and trying to get a quick shot on the vampire chasing after my butt.

"I'm afraid-" She paused, moving to the side as a violet beam coming from Quartz's gem. "That's not happening."

Carmilla was too fast, and I didn't dare to get closer to try out her dodging reaction at point blank. I just had the gut feeling that told me she would have dodged, and seeing how fast she was, I wasn't inclined to get too exposed to her for any attack. That her staff was definitely going to deal some damage to me despite how 'normal' it looked at first glance.

"How about you keep put? You can be assured that I will treat you as an appropriate prey. One to pet, humiliate and then devour," She purred lightly, contrasting what she had just said and leaving me in a very difficult circumstance.

The bantering was just plain cruel, especially when it was clear that she was aware of my current issues. She knew and she loved every single minute of it. Quite expected from someone with her personality, but even so quite infuriating for someone in my current predicament. I was moving as quickly as I could, but without a serious grasp on what to do, this was turning more into a futile chase meant to just drain on my stamina and end with a defeat on my part.

How the hell was I supposed to get a clean shot if my opponent was moving too fast, and offering me no chance to stop and think how to beat her?

As this thought finished being formulated within my mind, I felt the realization finally dawning on me and I would have facepalmed on the spot if I hadn't been busy keeping the distance up between me and Carmilla. Despite how dangerously fast she was, the Servant was still prone to be subjected to specific issues that her current abilities didn't allow for protection against. So, I cleverly decided to get a proper destination before switching from UV beams to actual flashbangs.

The first one went off, then I heard Carmilla slam on one of the walls of the alley I had entered and-

"GAH! You utter cretin!"

Yep, this worked. It wasn't a full solution, but one that provided me with the distance I needed for the big plan. I rushed swiftly towards Fuyuki's church, aiming for a specific abandoned building located near to it. I was running full speed, deciding against flying as I had to keep her on the chase rather than disengage.

I could run away with ease, but that wasn't my goal: I had to defeat this Servant for good to have this nightly shift dealt with as needed. So yes, I was running as fast as my enhanced legs could, an irritated vampiric former idol currently after me, and a plan in mind which could work or backfire horribly on me. Luckily enough, I just had the right ideas to get it all done.

The pursuit endured as long as I wanted, with me finally stepping inside the old Edelfelt manor which was used during the Third Holy Grail War, and finally starting my plan. With a swing of the mystic code, I had Quartz create an illusion with my energetic pattern prepare to run into one of the rooms I picked for the trap, laid down some special light bombs within the room, and then proceeded to rush upstairs with my energy and scent cloaked. Last thing I needed was to be caught by either her perception as a Servant and her heightened sense of smell.

I waited for a moment, staring at the entrance from a safe hideout as Carmilla, huffing angrily, entered inside the house, looked around and finally spotted my 'kage bunshin' enter inside the trap room. The Servant blitzed through the hall and jumped inside, possibly expecting to win at this point due to how small the room was and how the window was blocked. What she got was 'pranked' as the illusion vanished just as the bombs detonated. A shriek, then silence as the events that ensued happened suddenly and... viciously fast.

I waited for a moment, hoping that Carmilla had been truly defeated and having not seen some way to dodge the trap, and then I went to check. I expected many things, from being pranked back with Carmilla having somehow survived, to actually having beaten her through it. If the latter was true, then I was expecting to also find her Class Card to recover and be done for today.

But as I finally reached the room, I was surprised to see what I found there. Yes, there was indeed a card on the ground right in front of a figure lying unconscious. Eyes closed, I could still recognize the girl that was snoring quietly on the floor. Pink hair, horns, her draconic tail wagging at times in a somewhat happy manner, showing that she was having a 'good dream'. No clothes, but curled in a fetal position that hid all but her butt. Yep, that's Elizabeth Bathory alright and... why the hell was Eli here?

I was confused for a while and-

"Warning, this Servant is not tied to any Card and-" As Quartz was explaining what I was looking at, I saw a golden mist suddenly coat the girl's frame. "She isn't receiving any magic supplement to remain in this realm of existence."

"Do you think we can have the time to wake her up and get her to tell us what is going on before she disappears?"

"No. Unless we anchor her to you through me."

I was frowning at this instance. Like, I got the fact that the Mystic Code was that OP, but I had a genuine worry about keeping Servants around with the chances of a Holy Grail War being triggered.

"You want me to form a Master-Servant with her?"

"Yes, except her nature as a Servant is... odder than the rest. Something is different in her biology but I can't tell more without studying her for a few more hours."

...Fuck.

"Let's do this then. We need to know who is behind this kind of mess."

"Understood. I'll start the process now."

Quartz started to glow a blue light, releasing a soft pulse that reached Elizabeth's unconscious frame, her 'retreat' to the Throne of Heroes interrupted as the mist turned from gold to a light-blue. She shivered a little, a sign of discomfort, but one brief as I felt something tying her to me. Something quite difficult to perceive without focusing on it, but definitely there. There was no chant, no oath, nothing that normally would be used in this kind of situation. Which was odd, but I could tell that it was working. For the most part. I didn't feel any burning sensation in my body, right where the Command Seals were meant to appear and... I was perplexed by this. I decided against questioning it just yet. Maybe I was overthinking it and it didn't burn in some instances, but I could tell I just wasn't getting any Seals in that regard.

Once the blue-light process was over with Quartz confirming that it was done and that Elizabeth was now no longer glowing as before, I picked a sheet from a chair nearby, wrapped her up and started to make my way through the rift that led back to the real world. It was still night, but I knew I would have a few hours of sleep to enjoy due to this situation. With the card now under our possession, the mirror world was bound to collapse as soon as we passed through back to the real world. And so it did as we stepped through the portal before it fully closed down. First shift with this new job was over and I was bound to enjoy some rest back at home. Because, while Quartz offered an immense power-up to my current abilities, it still strained my body as the mystic code still had to use it as a catalyst for me to use spells or powers within its reach.

Just as I dropped the still slumbering Eli on my bed, I picked up a chair from the living room before bringing it to the bedroom, then I dropped out of my transformation. The rush of energy ceased, leaving behind a very sore body that barely had the strength to properly sit on the seat I retrieved. Groaning, I tried to think of an early morning plan since I would have a lot to do, but I ended up falling asleep before I had the entire thing wrapped up. A yawn left my lips as I slumped over the chair and accepted the call for a lengthy nap.

Quartz would then keep up through the rest of the hours before morning and make sure that no surprises happened with our newest guest and... I was glad to see that nothing crazy happened during the night. Oh no, the crazy thing happened a bit during the morning when I woke up and realized that Eli had actually woken up, pretty blue eyes blinking quietly as she stared at me with a fascinated look that soon turned into a joyous one.

"Good morning!" The Servant greeted mirthfully.

I wasn't sure if her current position was set up on purpose or actually the result of a very sleepy mind trying to keep warm and comfy. Either way, I was one step close to fully facepalm when I saw her now exposed due to the sheets pulled to the side, revealing her lying on the bed, still clothesless and yet hugging her tail close while staring up at me.

Sighing, I scratched the back of my head. "Morning, Eli-chan."

She grinned giddily at the honorific, almost delighted by it. It was strange how she was reacting to this circumstance so positively, and I just could tell that the next few hours I was going to regret. Note from the future: Yes, I ended up regretting that and more. Nonetheless, now I have a semi-dragon idol to deal with and... I sure as hell knew it was going to be troublesome making sure no one suspected a thing due to her unique traits.

And no, I don't mean just her appearance...

AN

You thought that it was just Carmilla- But no! It's Eli-chan too! And before anyone says 'you have removed Carmilla, my best waifu, how dare you, author!' or stuff like that, read the previous sentence please and understand what I just said. No, Carmilla isn't gone. And yes, I mean she is more than just the Card Class. It will become clearer quite soon.

Also, Eli-chan is here. An Italian Teacher and a Hungarian Idol enters a Japanese Bar... that sounds like the beginning of a very questionable joke.

REVIEW Q&A!

King0fP0wers: It might happen eventually.

Sugoijack9: Yas.

Halo: MC has yet to realize that being polite and careful doesn't mean outright 'pure'. Quartz might have a dirtier mind than Ruby, only with more control about it.

Valkoor123113: Instead it's Eli-chan.

Runelt99: There are plans for a serious FGO story. Just didn't get the chance to write a draft just yet. Maybe soon… on my story idea thread on QQ. I've about 150+ threadmarks of stuff there, so it's bound to appear there first.

Olaf Nowak1: Quoting a certain singer, Don't stop me now~! XD