Fate series and characters belong to Nasu and TypeMoon
Facing the Greater Grail
"Uruz!" A gentle green circular light shone beneath Mash's legs from Caster's chant. The wounds and cuts on Mash's arms and legs from the earlier encounter with shady creatures disappeared.
With a huff of breath, Caster set his staff down and shot to Ritsuka. "Time for the Greater Grail. This will be our last break. Is there anything you've left undone?"
From Mash then to his sister who returned with a shook of her head, Ritsuka returned and made a brief shook his head with a slight smile. "No, we're ready."
"That's good to hear. I dislike Masters who can't make up their minds when push comes to shove," Caster grinned back. "You two are still a rookie, but you've got the most important thing a pioneer can have.
"The divine luck to grasp fate, and the ability to make decisions. Don't forget how to be reckless. People like that are the ones who'll get blessed by the stars."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Olga Marie approached to the two men with a scoff escaped from her lips. "Whether we forge ahead or go back, we need to rest first."
When she swung her head, Olga Marie's orange orbs narrowed and inquired, "Doctor, are you checking vitals? The two of them looks paler than usual. Especially Fujimaru–!"
Before Olga Marie finished her words, Ritsuka fell forward only to be caught by Ritsuko grabbing hold of him in front. Despite her pale face, Ritsuko tried to ease her brother down onto the ground. "Ritsuka?! Ritsuka?!"
"I'm fine…" Ritsuka weakly replied. He attempted a feeble grin to his sister. "I didn't think it would be as bad as you, Ritsuko."
"That's bullshit, you know better you're worse than me. You can't even stand upright now!" Ritsuko scolded back.
Mash turned to the holographic screen of Romani. "Doctor!"
Romani nodded back as his green orbs scanned the analyzed data. "Yeah, this doesn't look very good. It's because of the unexpected Servant contract, the other contract with Caster for Ritsuka-kun.
"It's putting the stress on their brains. Your brother and you never used your Magic Circuits and now they're running at full capacity–!" Romani cut his own words as his eyes grew at what he saw. "This is…!"
"Ugh…" Ritsuka covered his mouth with his hand and angled his head aside. "I'm going to hurl…!"
"W-WHAT?!" Ritsuko, Mash, Romani and Olga Marie exclaimed in panic at Ritsuka's confession.
Though a few moments later, Ritsuka heaved out a deep breath and responded in a weak monotonous voice. "I'm just kidding. Should I be throwing up…?"
"No, please don't… You'd be in a worse condition than now if you do, Ritsuka-kun," Romani sweatdropped with an exasperated sigh slipped from his lips.
Mash's brows furrowed and sighed too. "Senpai, this isn't such a time to be making a joke about yourself."
"It's humor, Mash… Everyone loves and need to make fun of themselves at some point," Ritsuka muttered.
Ritsuko sat beside her brother and smacked his arm lightly. "At least your snarky mouth is still energetic alright."
The Doctor shifted to the worried Mash and instructed. "Mash, set up a camp. It's time to make warm tea with plenty of honey."
"Got it, Doctor. I think tea time is a good idea," Mash nodded and headed to the side to prepare.
While Mash retrieved the ingredients brought out from her shield, Caster turned around back to them. "Oh, feeding yourselves before the final battle? Then maybe I'll go hunting for some wild boars."
As Caster headed to the exit, Olga Marie called out to him. "I'm sure there aren't around here. Besides, forget about meat, if you must get something, make it fruit."
-0-
"Here you go, Senpais." Mash handed a pair of warm honey tea to the two.
Ritsuka nodded and grabbed hold of his cup. "Thank you, Mash."
As Ritsuko took hold of hers and sipped carefully down, Mash stared at the two for a minute before asking. "Are the both of you feeling a little better?"
The orange-haired Master showed a small beam and nodded. "Yes. Sorry to make you worry, Mash-chan."
"No, I'm just glad you're better that's all," Mash smiled back. As she turned her head skywards, her violet orbs stared towards the sky earning interest from the siblings.
"Is there something wrong?" Ritsuka asked, his head swung towards the burning red sky too.
"No, Ritsuka-senpai. It's just…" Mash's violet orbs remained fixated on the sky and went on. "As high as we are above the ground back in Chaldea, we can't see one bit of blue sky."
"Blue sky, huh?" Ritsuka muttered as he recalled the grey blizzard clouds before entering Chaldea. And, the sky they noticed now was blood-red with dark clouds.
Ritsuko had turned her head to stare at the sky and nodded. "If you spend two years up here, I guess you wouldn't see it, huh?"
A second later, Mash wondered aloud. "Was there a blue sky here, too?"
"Definitely, I'm sure there was in this city," Ritsuka answered as his sister nodded in agreement.
"Now I think about it," Mash turned her head to them a second again and tilted her head. "Senpais, both of you are siblings, right? Is there a reason both of you don't resemble each other?"
"Hm?" As they glimpsed each other, Ritsuka chuckled while Ritsuko grinned at her. "That's because we're step-siblings, Mash-chan."
"Step-siblings?" Mash wondered.
Ritsuka nodded and explained. "Yeah. We both are children of previous marriages. My dad married her mom when I was 11."
"His dad divorced with his wife while my dad disappeared on us when I was still a baby," A brief sad smile emerged on Ritsuko for a moment. As Ritsuka ruffled her head, she continued. "But, it was when I was 10 my mom fell in love with his dad at their workplace and we became step-siblings."
"I understand, it tells why both of you are close to each other," Mash smiled.
Ritsuka scoffed with a relieved grin. "Well, she's my responsibility since we're stuck here. And, she owes me for dragging me here."
"Hey, it's better than being under the hot sun in that crazy summer," Ritsuko laughed while rolling her eyes.
At their antics, Mash let out a soft chuckled and beamed. "As I thought, Senpais are human after all."
"Is that so?" The Fujimaru siblings stared at her and showed a curious expression.
"Kyrielight! Could you come over and help me? I need you to bring these fruits to them," Olga Marie's voice called out from the other end.
"Understood!" Mash replied. She then turned to the siblings and bowed to leave. "Please stay and wait, Senpais."
-0-
A moment later, at the small circle of 4 individuals had done eating varied dried fruits from the brought makeshift leaves plate. Ritsuko let out a contented sigh from the filled stomach while Ritsuka gulped finished his second cup of honey tea.
Mash also let out a satisfied sigh and nodded. "I'm stuffed. I can't believe you had dried fruits with you, Director. Again, your level of preparation astonishes me."
"I just happened to have them," Olga Marie shrugged. Though it was further the fact she requested Romani to bring more dried fruits to supply for 4 people. "Citrus is effective against headaches. But that aside–!"
As she swung to the siblings, Ritsuko shot a curious expression while Ritsuka ate the remaining dried fruits he took. While chewing, he shifted to see Olga Marie staring at him and offered a few dried citruses. "Would you like seconds, Director?"
From his blunt yet ignorant tone, Olga Marie twitched in annoyance. "No, I'm full! But from now on, remember that I like coffee more than tea!"
Despite her words, Olga Marie snatched the dried fruits from Ritsuka and stuffed herself to them. Realized what she did, she set aside the dried fruits. "N-No, that's not it. That's not what I wanted to… Oh, forget it!"
With crimson red blush glowed on her cheeks, the Director turned back to the siblings with a huff. "Th-The work you've done so far has been passable. As the Director of Chaldea, I have to give you two credits."
Puzzled expression shared with the siblings as they faced each other. They later spun to the Director with a lit-up bright grin and bowed in unison. "Thank you very much, Director!"
Olga Marie turned away with blush remained and sneered. "Hmph. What's that look for? I'm sure it's a fluke, but right now you two are all we've got."
As harsh as she sounded, Olga Marie twitched in irritation at their disbelief expression shot at her. "What I'm saying is, keep it up and you might hear praise from me yet. I know a third-rater can do first-rate work."
Much to Olga Marie's further anger, Romani's holographic image appeared beside Ritsuka and grinned.
"Well, well, admitting that Ritsuka-kun and Ritsuko-chan did a solid job. Have you eaten something sweet?"
The Director glared at Romani and rebutted, "Romani. If you've got time to be flapping your gums, use it to send these two a supply or two instead. I would feel bad if someone failed because they were ill-equipped. Especially, when they have been doing their best."
"What's this? 'Feel bad?'," Romani gasped before revealing a bright smile to her. "How kind of you. Director, does this mean you're finally opening your heart?"
"Idio…" Realized what she nearly said, Olga Marie, turned bright red and amended. "I-I mean pitiful! Pathetic! You couldn't even tell that?"
As he joined Fujimaru's siblings chuckling, Romani answered. "Well, I never grow tired of watching a young man and women interact. Although, for young women, Director, you're not really…"
"Is that right?" Mash stared at the Director for a moment before responding with a small beam. "The Director is older, but I feel we have similar tastes. I feel affection for her."
"I suppose age doesn't matter, regardless! The Director is still a woman, Doctor," Ritsuko nodded with a grin too.
Seeing the Doctor nodded in understanding at their words, Olga Marie jaw dropped and twitched. "What are you going on about? I told you before that you're all just tools to me!"
"Zur, zur!"
Olga Marie nodded at the inhuman growl and included. "There, see? Even this shadowy-like monster-thing agrees with me!"
Oblivious to her, the four paled at the sight of the skeleton monster crouching beside her at ease. Mash gulped as she nervously pointed out, "Um, Director…"
"A-About that shadowy-like monster…" Romani gulped and lifted his trembling finger to the monster beside her.
"Huh?" Curious and puzzled expressed on her faces at the four reactions.
Olga Marie turned to where Romani pointed and gawked at the skeleton monster cheerfully waving its bony hand at her.
Face turned pale in that instant, the Director's lip quivered in fright. With a shaky sigh, she shrieked at the top of lungs that echoed through the cave. "Eeeeek! Mash, hurry up and get rid of it! It's gonna eat me! It's gonna eat me!"
-0-
"What gives? I thought you two supposed to be resting," Caster raised one of his eyebrows at the sight in his view.
Olga Marie crouching and shivering behind a large tree, her mouth muttering 'please don't let them eat me' over and over.
Romani's face buried onto the desk with dark clouds hovering over him. His shoulders sagged tiredly refusing to budge an inch for a while after that chaotic turmoil.
Mash and Ritsuko lied their bodies over the large uneven tree roots.
Their faces showed a dull and exhausted expression after getting rid of the unforeseen assault from the said skeleton and its army.
Last, Ritsuka lay down on the ground with face planted in the dirt. After breaking every single bone and executing each of them, the energy he gained back from resting used up in that instant.
Ritsuko let out a dull groan and replied, "The craziest party you're missing out just happened."
"Yeah," Ritsuka replied but his voice was being muffled by the ground. "The greatest party of all time. Uninvited skeleton army and all-out brawling match those damn things."
-0-
With Caster having his fill from his hunger, the group continued walking and entered the cave beneath the giant tree. Once inside, it comprised a series of seals carved around above 50 feet of barren rock.
"What is that…?!" Ritsuko stared at the interior with confusion and horror.
The eerie purple light shining behind the barren rock made Olga Marie gulped as her eyes widened.
"This is the Greater Grail… It's an ultra-superior Magical Reactor… What's it doing on this island nation in the Far East?"
"According to our data, it was built by an eminent family of alchemists called the Einzberns," Romani's voice explained from Olga Marie's wristwatch.
"Though, they didn't belong to the Mage's Association, and were solely made of homunculi."
As Olga Marie's mouth opened to speak, Caster interrupted and turned his head to gesture above them. "Sorry, that's it for the chitchat. The lady has noticed us."
Followed Caster's gaze, a young woman with platinum-blonde haired tied in a bun, pale slender physique and impassive golden orbs stared down at them. A black sword rested in front of her with both hands settling on the hilt.
The chilling gaze from her silence made both siblings and Olga Marie gulped in fear. Mash gulped at the sight and murmured, "Unbelievable magical output… Is that really King Arthur?"
"No question," Romani's holographic image appeared beside Mash and nodded to affirm.
"She seems to have changed somehow, but she's the King of Britain, Arthur, wielder of the Sacred Sword.
"Her gender's different from the legend, but she had her reasons for dressing like a man in Camelot. I mean, you can't assume the throne unless you're a man, right? She must've had to pretend to be a guy for family reasons."
With an annoyed sigh, Romani's eyebrows furrowed and continued, "I have an idea who's behind that.
"It's mentioned in the legends, but Merlin really has a terrible taste."
"Huh? Ah, you're right." Mash's violet orb widened after understanding what Romani had said and stared back at her. "I thought that person was a man, but it's a woman."
"Eh? Then, the King Arthur right now before us is a woman?!" Ritsuko's orbs widened in shock and leaned her head to examine closer to affirm Romani's words.
"Wait, Merlin?" Ritsuka's blue orbs widened after viewing closer, but he swung to Romani and asked. "You mean that Merlin who's the trusted advisor, mentor and parental figure to King Arthur? That same Merlin who is the most powerful warlock in Arthurian legend?!"
"Yeah, the one and only," Romani nodded and sighed.
Caster swung his staff forward and reminded with a steely voice. "Don't be fooled by her appearance. She's a monster. Her power is not of muscle, but a ridiculous amount of magical energy.
"Every single strike is massive. If you're not paying attention, the top half of your body will go flying."
"Basically, just think of her like a human rocket," Mash nodded and whirled her shield forward. "Understood, I'll fight back with everything I've got."
"Good." Caster nodded with a smirk. "If you defeat her, the anomaly in this town will disappear. Listen, that includes both me and her. After that, it's your job. I don't know what will happen but do the best you can."
Nodded again, Mash gazed back at the black Saber above them. Teeth gritted and saliva gulped down their throats as they prepared whatever attacks she fired at them.
Instead, a small amused smile curled on Saber's lips and she hummed. "I see. You've got an interesting Servant with you."
"What! You could talk? You were just maintaining your silence all this time?" Caster shouted with complete bewilderment at the words she uttered.
Saber beamed wider and replied. "Yes, and you were being watched the whole time you were chatting. I merely acted as a scarecrow."
With a stride forward, she grasped the black sword with her. Saber leaped off from her spot and landed on the ground with black armor remained intact from the jump.
She strode a few steps forward with apathy at their alert expression. "But—it's interesting. I'm curious about that Noble Phantasm."
Within reach, golden orbs stared intently at the dark-colored shield, Saber prodded. "A shield, is it? Be ready, strange girl. This sword shall test the truth of your shield."
The black sword swung forward pointing at both Servants, Caster shouted with a determined glare. "Get ready, Masters, young lady!"
"Here she comes—Masters!" Mash shouted.
Blue and orange orbs glanced at each other, a fixed answer made between the siblings. Ritsuka nodded and commanded, "Yeah, let's fight together!"
"No way are we gonna lose this! Mash-chan, Caster!" Ritsuko shouted too.
"Yes! Mash Kyrielight, here I come!"
When violet and red orbs gazed back at Saber's golden, the latter gripped hold of her sword and lunged forward towards them. Caster raised and swiped his hand in the air with a yell, "Ansuz!"
Fireballs fired out from the rows of runic words, all homing towards Saber. But, Saber effortlessly dodged with ease, turning and slashing each that came towards her. An irritated grunt escaped Caster's lips, he spun and tapped his staff onto the ground.
Multiples of magic circle appeared on the ground as one occurred before Saber.
The minute she entered, the magic circle glowed and erupted into a huge fire pillar. Relieved and amazed faces expressed on Ritsuko and Ritsuka.
But, a black energy wave sliced off the pillar revealing an unharmed Saber. She soon charged forward further and another magic circle erupted a fire pillar. But, it too got extinguished with a stroke of her sword that cut it down.
With the last of the fire pillar erupted, Saber emerged out unscathed and tried to strike at Caster. But, Mash stepped in between them while Caster jumped backward. Her shield gripped before her against the striking sword.
The black sword against the metal plate of the shield, sparks formed from the clashing. As they drew back, Mash raised her shield up again to stop the incoming strike. The blue-haired Servant waved his staff and summoned tree vines from the ground.
Raised her weapon, Saber maintained her ground despite being pushed by the tree vines. When the tree vines slammed her against the rock wall, Saber jumped out from the dust cloud and sprinted towards them.
When the black sword clashed with Mash's shield again, rocks burst out shooting from the ground by the immense pressure. While the siblings shield the rocks coming to them, Olga Marie stepped forward as her arm twitched with a piece of rocks fall to her hand.
She then flung it onto the ground and it exploded into a bright light. A second later, a luminous yellow magic circle formed before the three deflecting away from the incoming rock.
Saber leaped back when a flamethrower blasted at her by Caster. As she charged to strike, Mash once again deflected the attack with her shield. The black knight swung her sword against the violet-haired Servant that sought to stand her ground.
Each repeated swinging of the black sword, Mash hold her shield firmly against the beating. While swinging, Saber asked with a challenging tone. "What's wrong? Won't you come forward?"
From the next powerful swing, Mash held her shield against it. Yet, the great pressure made her flinched. "Ugh!"
"Mash-chan!" Ritsuko gasped with both her hands raised to her mouth.
Ritsuka muttered with his fists clenched. "Damn it…"
The equally furrowed eyebrows and narrowed orbs expressed worried and fear on the siblings' faces. Despite noticing it, Olga Marie shot a swift glance before shifting her view to the front. At the front, a magic circle formed beneath Caster while Mash shielded another of Saber's strike.
When Saber pulled back her sword, instead of striking above, she swung it against the ground. The powerful and quick swung of her black sword knocked Mash back flying with her shield thrown away.
At another collected gasps, Caster growled and whirled his staff. "Tch! Ansuz!"
Kindled his staff into flames, Caster charged ahead and stroked his staff against the black sword. While it clashed, Ritsuko and Ritsuka looked at each other with a small nod.
Before they could dash over, Olga Marie drew her hand out to them. "If you two intend to go help her, you'll only be in the way."
She then took a deep breath and continued, "No, worse than that."
Ritsuko turned to Olga Marie and demanded, "But Mash-chan is…!"
"Prepare your resolve," The Director's comments cut her, her orange orbs suggesting them to shift back in front.
"Mash…" Ritsuka mumbled, shifting to where she was. On the ground, Mash slowly lifted her head to watch Caster fending off Saber. The torn coat and the bleeding cut on his face didn't deter Caster from the injury.
Mash's violet orb gazed resolutely at their fight with a steadfast expression. Her hand propped on the ground to push herself up with her enduring strength.
Despite the impassive expression on her face, Olga Marie's calmer voice assured to them. "I understand how you two feel. Painfully so…"
Ritsuka shot to her with a frustrated and restless expression. "Then, are we going to just–!"
Olga Marie cut them off with her sharp tone, "Both of you are that girl's Masters. That girl is your Servant."
Her shield reached into her hand, Mash grabbed and dragged it close to her. With her shield set on the ground, she gradually got herself stood on the ground. But as she stood up, Caster swung his staff at Saber.
Saber moved her body to the side to dodge and whirled her sword against the ground. The swinging movement created shock waves from the ground and sent both Caster and Mash flying back.
"Guah!" Caster landed and skidded against the ground with a heavy thud. The blue coat ripped and his torso covered in both abrasion and dust.
"Ugh!" Mash got knocked further back and crashed into the rock wall.
The awful sight before them had their eyes swelled in horror. Ritsuko's mouth trembled to cry out her violet-haired Servant's name. But, the fear consumed her as she turned her eyes away shut from whatever may take place next.
"Fou…?" A concerned squeak escaped from Fou as he stared at the orange-haired Master with a concerned expression.
"Do not look away!"
Olga Marie's sharp and harsh voice made Ritsuko snapped her eyes opened. She faced at the Director whose gaze remained fixated at the two Servants. Olga Marie continued reminding her. "Face straight ahead! Hold your head high! What should you really be doing as a Master?"
Pulling himself up with the staff, one of Caster's red orbs glanced over to where the commotion he heard. Towards Ritsuko, a startled expression shown on her face. She realized how cowardly she had done.
As though she made up in her mind, Ritsuko nodded with understanding and faced back to the front. Ritsuka had peered at his sister and turned back to the front after watching her determined face.
As once more, Mash reached for her shield and stood back up. Despite the ragged breath leaving her lips, her gaze remained rigid at Saber who stared down at them. The black knight heaved a deep sigh and gripped her sword.
A sudden eruption of purple aura shrouded around Saber. Ritsuka's wristwatch beeped with Romani's warning voice exclaimed, "It's coming!"
"I shall answer those eyes," Black soil and sands from the ground circled around Saber like a whirlwind. With her cold golden orbs, Saber decided with a yell, "And to the heart, that means to protect its Master!"
Another outbreak of energy burst from Saber, and the purple aura soon twisted into a dark-colored light transmitted to the sword. The channeled energy created a broad sword-shape around the black blade.
Before the three could react, Mash stepped right before Saber in a distance. Her shield stood rigid while she gritted her teeth at the incoming attack. Ritsuka's blue orbs widened and called out, "Mash!"
"Young lady!" Caster shouted.
Olga Marie gasped with a complete worried expression displayed on her face, "Please endure it, Mash!"
Without hesitation, Ritsuko narrowed her orbs and hurried towards where Mash stood. Ritsuka noticed and tried to follow. But, Olga Marie caught his hand as he was about to go. "Wait!"
"Director, you asked what we should do as her Master right?"
At the sudden question from Ritsuka, Olga Marie stared at him in bewilderment. Ritsuka continued without glancing back. "Even if we're just going to be a burden… More than anything, we want to be there by her side, together and fight."
"That's a Servant you're going against! There's no way you two will stand a chance against Saber. Mash is your Servant that's why–!"
"Then, go to hell with the Servant and Master you guys decided for us!" Ritsuka's sharp yelling made her flinch in shock. He shifted behind to confront her with frustration, anger and yet, determined expressions.
The raven-haired Master continued with his strong blue orbs staring back into her orange. "Before a Master and that crap… That's our friend struggling with her life risking for us to get out of here. And as her Master you keep asserting, we'll fight together right by her side!"
His hand moved to hers that gripped his arm, Ritsuka pulled it off from her and hustled off to follow his sister. Olga Marie snapped out from her stupor and shrieked at him, "F-Fujimaru!"
But, the two siblings ignored her screams and continued heading to the violet-haired Servant. As Mash stood there, she gulped at the immense pressure growing from Saber. Her grip on the shield's handle tightened and braced the coming blow.
"Iron Hammer of the Hollow King.
"Overturn the aurora.
"Swallow the light!" Raising her weapon high, the energy around the blade turned bigger. The whirlwind around Saber whirled stronger and faster.
With another sharp breath, she suddenly yelled with a resolute tone, "Excalibur Morgan!"
End of Section 9 pt.1
More background details for the Fujimaru siblings & a cliffhanger...
This is the end for the first part of Section 9!
Thank you very much for the faves, follows and reading this story :D
Unfortunately... The next chapter would be delayed to another week...
I'm not grinding for GudaGuda3 but the raid event coming tomorrow/later today is hell
I don't want to miss out another story or this welfare rider too!
With that, hope you guys enjoyed this slightly longer chapter :)
