FATE/LÚNASA FÓMHAR

"August Harvest"

Chapter 3: Bonds of Family

Back in Chaldea, Roman's skin visibly turned pale as he analyzed the readings of the second Cuchulainn's power level. These numbers were similar to what he would see when Heracles was in one of his own throes of rage, except that those tended to be temporary spikes in rabid behavior before Ritsuka commanded him to calm down. Here, the numbers refused to go below the maximum threshold, and that made the doctor extremely anxious.

"My god…" he breathed in astonishment. "This is just too insane for words…"

"I've got a report!" a staff member exclaimed. "The unknown Cuchulainn just wiped out 30% of the enemy army! He's sustaining massive damage, but he's either healing himself or just flat out ignoring it!"

"Where are Cu Alter and Connla!?"

"They're retreating to a safe distance," another analyzer said. "No signs of the summoning circle being set though."

Roman clenched his teeth and glared at the screen that he used to converse with the Servants earlier. It showed nothing but static right now, so he couldn't monitor exactly what was going on to give any reliable instructions to them.

Come on! Establish the circle and get out of there already!

In the remnants of the Fifth Singularity, Cuchulainn Alter continued making a mad dash across the dusty plains while decked in his full Noble Phantasm armor. Connla wrapped her arms around his armored shoulders tightly and watched as a group of monsters attempted to surround them from either side.

"Get out of the way, you bastaaa~aaards!" Cuchulainn shrieked and slashed his massive red talons through the beasts multiple times. He certainly sounded a lot more frightened than before, and with good reason; the true Berserker Cuchulainn was still tearing through the larger monsters several kilometers away. In fact, they could still hear him screeching abnormal cries of rage despite being so far away. Alter didn't want to waste any time messing with these leftover creatures, preferring to make as much distance from the other Cuchulainn as humanly possible without leaving the Leyline behind.

"Uh-!" Connla gasped and squeezed her eyes shut as blood and guts splattered all over her crazed father. She kept her eyes closed to block out the carnage he was causing as he fervently dashed across the sandy plains like a raging storm of death and destruction. Dozens of werewolves and goblins were shredded into chunks of meat with no effort on his part.

As soon as he tore through the monsters barring their path, Cuchulainn came upon a long drop to the ground several hundred feet below. He realized that the horde of monsters was very thin in that area, so it would be the perfect spot for them to escape this world from. He called out to Connla, "We're gonna make a break for it! Whatever you do, hold on tight!"

"I already am!"

"Good! Here we go!"

He ran as close to the edge of the cliff as he could before leaping high into the sky. Connla winced as her body (which was practically tiny compared to his) threatened to go flying off her perch. She held on to his armor so firmly that she thought her fingers would fall off. It didn't help that her body and legs flailed over his shoulder as he plummeted to the ground below, and the wind viciously rushed through her hair. A few seconds later, Cuchulainn's feet slammed upon the arid earth and kicked up a cloud of dust around them.

"This is a good spot," he said, then exclaimed to his daughter, "All right, do it now!"

"Ah…" she yelped, still feeling rather stunned from the jump.

"Get it together! This is the only chance we'll get!"

"R-Right!"

Connla pushed aside her feelings of exasperation and scrambled off of Cuchulainn before finding a place to establish the summoning circle. She planted her spear so the blade pointed to the sky, then focused on setting down a series of Runes. Cuchulainn dispelled his Noble Phantasm and wielded Gae Bolg while glaring at another mob of wyverns descending upon them.

"Shit…" he cursed under his breath.

"I'm done, Father!" Connla shouted. The magic circle brilliantly shone beneath her feet, indicating that it was ready for use. The two Servants got in the center and felt their bodies lifting in the air. A few seconds before the dragons could descend upon them, they disappeared in a burst of azure and white light.

To the real berserk Cuchulainn, that same energy appeared as a thin streak of blue reaching toward the stratosphere for a moment before dissipating into nothing. His ugly grin never wavered, but he seemed to feel a little more relieved once he realized that Connla was no longer in the area. He had actually been holding back from unleashing his true destructive power out of fear that she would be caught in the cataclysm. Now that she was gone, the berserk hero had nothing to worry about anymore. He planted Gae Bolg into the ground, then arched his head back while taking a deep, guttural breath. As hundreds of monsters converged upon him, he unleashed the most inhuman, alien, piercing war cry imaginable.

"EEEEE~EEEEE~EEEYAAAAA~AAAAA~AAAAA~AAAAA~AAAAHHHH!"

Even while Cuchulainn Alter and Connla were Rayshifting back to Chaldea, the young Lancer somehow managed to catch the berserk Cuchulainn's scream from a distance. It was so incredible that even the clouds parted ways like a dome around him. The enemies that were within close proximity to him literally disintegrated. Those that were further away still sustained terrible damage to their ears and flesh.

No way…

That was all she could think about. Cuchulainn in a full-blown riastrad episode was the most frightening thing she had ever witnessed in her life. Even as she and Alter safely materialized back in the Spiritron Chamber, her mind refused to blank out the other Cuchulainn's visage. To think that she was the child of someone who could warp himself into something so hideous, shapeless, and downright unheard of…

Was that why Mother was so afraid of me…?

As she lowered her head and pondered such things, Roman cried out happily, "You did it! Oh god, am I glad to see you guys again!"

"What a disaster," Cuchulainn growled in both frustration and relief. "That had to be the worst outing I've ever gone through."

A familiar pink-haired queen wearing a white skirt rushed to him and wrapped her arms around his torso as she cried out, "Cu, my darling hunk of rage and turmoil! You've finally come back to me!"

"Ugh. You're here too, Medb?"

"Of course I am! I'll always be here to greet you home!"

"Give me a break, woman. If you have the energy to fawn over me like that, then you ought to spend it looking after the kid."

"Connie?" Medb wondered as she glanced over at the disturbed Lancer. "Is she all right?"

"Just shaken up, but otherwise fine."

"Ah… Oh," Connla whimpered and suddenly lost all the strength in her knees, buckling into a pathetic mess on the ground.

Medb helped her stay upright as she exclaimed, "Are you okay!?"

"I'm… fine…" the girl gasped between breaths. "As long as I'm alive… then…"

"That's right. It's important that you and Cu are still with us. Come on, let's get you to the infirmary. Nightingale will want to check on you."

"Y-Yeah…"

Medb supported Connla, having to keep her on her feet since she was still helplessly shaking like a leaf in the wind. Once the pair were gone, Roman turned to Cuchulainn and asked, "So that Berserker… He's not who I think he is, is he?"

"Even an oaf like you would know that monstrosity from anywhere," the gloomy Berserker grunted. "Suffice to say, that was Cuchulainn in his true riastrad state."

"I knew it. I've heard that even Scathach had trouble keeping him under control when he was in the throes of his worst warp spasms."

"Right. It wouldn't surprise me if he was acknowledged as Grand Berserker, like how First Hassan is known as the Grand Assassin."

"Now I see how Cuchulainn Lancer said you were the preferable Berserker to have in Chaldea compared to his real raged-out self. I wonder what he was doing there though. There weren't any other Servant readings in the area until he showed up. It's almost like he popped in out of nowhere."

"Beats me," Cuchulainn shrugged. "What happened to him after the kid and I Rayshifted?"

"It's difficult to say since we can't monitor what happens in Singularities unless members of Chaldea are present," Roman admitted. "Still, I'll have SHEBA keep an eye on the situation there. It'd be a real nightmare if that guy suddenly decided to show up here."

"No kidding. Although…"

"Although?"

"If that bastard did wind up here through some freakish fluke, I don't think he will be as dangerous as you think."

"What makes you say that!?" the doctor barked. "That version of Cuchulainn is the dictionary definition of 'dangerous'!"

"I know that. It's just that when he saw Connla, I could feel his rage subside somewhat… No, I wouldn't say it subsided. It seemed like it was more focused than before, as if seeing her face helped him define his purpose for being there."

"Is that right? Well since you and that other Cuchulainn share the same Spirit Origin, I'll have to take your word for it. Still, let's just pray that he's never summoned here. I highly doubt Ritsuka will be able to keep him under control. She already has a hard enough time with other Berserkers like Heracles, Lu Bu and Darius."

"Yeah. Having me around is enough for you guys," Cuchulainn agreed.

"By the way, I'm thinking of calling that guy Cuchulainn Riastrad to tell him apart from you. That okay with you?"

"I couldn't care less. I'm gonna go take a nap now. Let me know if anything develops with him."

"Got it."

Cuchulainn left the Rayshifting chamber and grunted to himself as he wandered through the hallways of Chaldea. He was rather exhausted and bleeding badly, but to him, it was nothing a nice long rest wouldn't heal. He found Connla's room, then sat on the windowsill opposite her door and reclined before yawning and closing his eyes. This was his favorite spot to take naps, and this time was no different as he struggled to fall asleep. The image of Cuchulainn Riastrad refused to relieve its vice-like grip on his mind though, especially since he actually didn't know what he looked like when he was in such a hulked-out state. It felt strange for him to see it from a third-person perspective, and it downright spooked him.

If someone as fearsome as Cuchulainn Alter was terrified of his riastrad self, he could only wonder how hopelessly frightened Connla was. He knew that her mind was much too young and impressionable to be witnessing such horrors, yet it happened anyway, and he needed to help her cope with it in the near future. He sighed again as he thought about her, which wound up helping him block out the other Cuchulainn from his mind and drift off to sleep.

Several hours later, he stirred awake and stretched his arms. After yawning loudly, he opened his eyes and discovered Medb leaning in on his chest from the side.

"Morning, Cu," she cooed dreamily.

His foul mood immediately resurfaced as he grumbled, "What do you want?"

"Oh my. Is that any way to greet your beloved partner in crime?"

"Keep those demented thoughts in your twisted imagination."

"He he. Good to see that little scrap hasn't dulled your sense of humor."

"Ugh," he grunted, then became serious as he said, "Enough joking around. Is the kid doing okay?"

"Yes," the queen replied, and her expression immediately turned wistful. "She had a good cry, then Nightingale gave her some sedatives. She's sleeping soundly in the ICU as we speak."

"Good. I'm not surprised she was that upset. She must have been holding it back on my account until the mission was over."

"Connie was saying some strange things though, like how she could possibly become as hideous as that other Cu, and that that's why Aife abused her so badly."

"Is that so?" Cuchulainn grumbled darkly. "I guess she has every right to be scared. But I won't let it come to that. No matter what I have to do, I'll make sure she doesn't experience the same thing herself."

"Oh, Cu," Medb fawned as she straddled her legs around his chest, nudged her cheek against his biceps and traced her finger around his toned abs. "Why can't you be such a gentleman towards me?"

"Because you don't deserve it."

"Even though I've been helping you so much with taking care of Connie?"

"I'm only putting up with you because we have the same Master. I'm not so gullible as to fall for your idiotic tricks. I know you're the type of selfish wench who will help others only for the sake of helping herself."

"What of it? It's my prerogative as a queen to yearn for the best treasure around. Right now, the treasure I want the most is your heart."

"Like I give a damn about what you want. Just leave Connla out of your stupid schemes. The kid's got more than enough to deal with."

"Believe me, I know that already," Medb replied with a firm tone. "I won't do anything to put Connie in harm's way. Even if you don't have any faith in me, I will at least keep to my word as far as she's concerned."

Cuchulainn stared at her for a moment, surprised that she was capable of saying such a thing. He sighed, then muttered, "Fine. Just keep doing what you've been doing with her."

"Of course."

Connla knew she was dreaming again. She was growing accustomed to feeling the rush of the world spinning past her as her consciousness was absorbed into another Connla's body. She wondered where she would end up this time as she fell. As her mind adjusted to her new surroundings, she realized that she was inside an incredibly familiar place.

The White House…

It was the same place as when she experienced the alternate Fifth Singularity, complete with effigies of dragons, demons and Celtic deities, along with a gigantic version of Gae Bolg piercing the front entrance. Connla instantly knew that this was a third version of the same events, but something felt totally different. The halls were devoid of any soldiers or Servants, which meant that everyone must have gone off to fight the war. Normally there were plenty of guards stationed to protect Medb, but not a soul could be found here. Connla pondered as to what this could mean.

Is this actually during the end of the American-Celtic war? Am I just going to experience the conclusion of it this time?

That seemed to be the case. Things were just way too quiet for her to believe otherwise.

In any case, the new Connla of this dream was standing alone in the main foyer of the White House. She pressed her spear against her chest tightly, struggling to fight back the terrible anxiety that threatened to cripple her. She stared at the doors leading outside for a long while, then swallowed hard before stepping forward and pushing against one of the doors.

In this world, a black-haired male version of Ritsuka hurried up the steps leading to the White House. He was accompanied by three others; the Demi-Servant Mash, the Indian hero Rama, and the iron-willed nurse Florence Nightingale.

"We're finally here," Rama declared. "Stay alert, everyone. If Cuchulainn and Medb are going to make their last stand, it will be here."

Everyone halted when they noticed one of the doors click and slowly creak open. Mash raised her shield in front of herself and Ritsuka while announcing, "Spirit Origin reading detected!"

"It's finally time… to put an end to this nightmare," the young Mage murmured in both fear and determination.

"It's getting closer to us. Making contact in three, two, one…"

To the team's collective surprise, it wasn't Cuchulainn nor Medb who stepped through the door. It was a seven-year old girl who kept her lavender hair in a ponytail, and wore a mint green bodysuit beneath a white capelet and skirt. Although she carried a leaf-bladed boar spear, she clearly didn't wield it in malice. She quietly approached Ritsuka and the Servants and stared at them anxiously. The other Servants lowered their weapons when they realized she wasn't challenging them to a battle.

"Pardon my rudeness, but might you be the Mad King's daughter that we've heard about?" Rama asked tersely. He always remained on his guard when dealing with Celtic enemies, although this one didn't seem to emanate the same bloodlust that he was used to sensing.

"… Yes," was the murmured response.

"Why are you here? Do you intend to stop us on your own?"

"No," the girl replied, and her expression grew ever more fearful. "I… I can't watch my father be like this anymore…"

Nightingale narrowed her eyes and said, "So you really are Connla, Cuchulainn's 'son' who was mistakenly killed by his own father. I can see in your eyes that you are quite ill yourself. Could it be that Cuchulainn's disease has affected you as well?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," Connla said. "But it's true that Queen Medb forcibly mutated him into the creature you have all fought against. Once Father found out I was summoned to this era as well, he wasted no time finding me and bringing me here so that I could play out the role of the 'Celtic Princess'."

"What is the point of dragging his own child here to witness such senseless carnage? Doesn't he understand how much a young mind like yours will be affected?"

Suddenly, Ritsuka declared, "I don't think that's it."

"What do you mean?" Nightingale asked him.

"We've spent a long time here and fought many Celtic enemies. Yet, not once have we faced Connla in battle. She must have been kept inside the White House the entire time instead of being deployed to the front lines. Even Cuchulainn himself made an appearance and fought us. Why do you think Connla has never shown up even once before now?"

The nurse blinked, realizing what the Mage was implying. She faced the child Lancer and said, "Cuchulainn must have told you never to enter the war."

"Mm," Connla nodded. "Father demanded that I stay here and survive to the end. Even if he and Queen Medb were to perish, they wanted me to carry on their legacy in the safety of the White House."

Rama clenched his teeth and snapped, "That's crazy. What kind of 'legacy' is there to carry on if they seek nothing but total destruction?"

"That's what I've been thinking about myself. I know of all the American soldiers and citizens who have been slaughtered by Father and his forces. They're just running around killing for the sake of killing, regardless if they ruin the enemy's morale. It's just complete and utter chaos… Yet, Father and Queen Medb want me to live past this bloody time and rebuild America into a glorious Celtic nation, where all of my citizens will love and praise me as the Mad King's scion. But I know the truth. They're just using my future as an excuse to go on a rampage, without any consideration for the enmity that will be turned against me. This whole thing of me being a future queen is a total lie."

"Ridiculous. Absolutely, utterly ridiculous! If you understood that much, why didn't you leave this place and seek out help!?"

"Because…" Connla's voice trailed off, and she stared at the ground pitifully. "Because… I didn't want to abandon Father."

"You didn't want to leave Cuchulainn's side? Even though he doesn't care about you?"

"That's not it. Even in that state, I know he loves me from the bottom of his heart, and he really is trying to think about my future. It's just that in his maddened state, plus through Queen Medb corrupting his Spirit Origin, those feelings have been horribly mutated beyond recognition. I can't imagine how much he's suffering, reduced to a plaything for his greatest rival to shape into whatever she wants, regardless if it makes sense or not. In a way, not just Father's mutation, but this whole Singularity is the epitome of Queen Medb's darkest fantasies manifesting."

"We won't let it come to that," Mash said. "Even though it must have been extremely difficult, you stayed here in order to pacify Cuchulainn's anger. If you hadn't, who knows how much more destruction he would have caused? In a way, you've been fighting alongside us even though we've never met until now."

"You think so?" Connla wondered.

"Yes. You've done well bearing so much on your own. We won't force you to fight with us, but we're going to put an end to this absurd lie right here and now."

The little girl shifted her eyes away nervously and murmured, "I don't know what to do now… So, can I at least watch your battle?"

"That would be the best course of action," Nightingale said. "I refuse to allow such a young child to participate in the battle that will decide the fate of this world."

"No," a deep male's voice echoed around them. "You're going to fight."

The group yelped. Connla appeared especially frightened when she heard that voice, so Rama and Nightingale immediately rushed in front to protect her while Mash raised her shield and got in front of Ritsuka. They heard two pairs of footsteps resounding from the White House's entrance. Soon, Cuchulainn Alter and Medb stepped through and greeted them with apathetic expressions.

"Father…" Connla murmured. "I don't want to fight them. I know how far they've come. They defeated Sir Fionn, Sir Diarmuid, Uncle Fergus, and so many other Servants. There's no way I can stand a chance against such-"

"You're wrong," Cuchulainn replied, then pointed Gae Bolg at her. "You're fighting with them."

"Eh?"

Rama barked, "What is the meaning of this? I thought you were the type of king who murdered anyone that even remotely thought about betraying you. Now you're telling your own daughter to turn against you?"

"If Connla's been betraying anyone, it's herself," the Mad King declared, then faced the girl again. "I know you've been doing your best to appease me. You might not have realized it, but I gave you many opportunities to run away and seek refuge with the Americans. You never capitalized on any of those chances though."

"W-Why would you…?" Connla stammered.

"I'm too deeply ensnared in Medb's delusion. At the very least though, I wanted to at least let you escape. If she wound up using the Grail to pervert your Spirit Origin like she did to mine, then I don't know what I would do."

"Oh, don't be silly, Cu," Medb smiled. "I wouldn't do anything like that to our precious little Connie. A princess must remain pure and dignified at all times."

"Hmph. The kid is right about one thing; her being thrust into the role of some 'Celtic Princess' is just an excuse for us to kill everyone we see, in the hopes that we would leave a wasteland of death and destruction for her to begin repairing into a glorious Celtic nation. What foolishness."

"It's not foolish! It's what I've always wanted! Since I am the most beautiful, selfish, evil queen that ever existed, it's only natural that I aim for the highest goals possible!"

"Enough with your tasteless jokes, woman. I'm sick of watching my daughter suffer in silence. That's why I'm setting her free from such a shitty role and letting her fight me as an enemy. She may have been loyal to us this whole time, but she betrayed herself by watching me transform into such a monster without saying a word of objection. Only now, when she spoke to the Chaldean Master and his allies, has she finally allowed her true feelings to come bare, and they are much worse than I feared."

"Father…" Connla murmured.

"Oh my, my," Medb crooned. "What is this emotion welling inside me? It's so hard to describe. I've tried so hard to run you into the ground so that you would obey me, my one and only Cu. Yet, your affection for Connie is the one thing I have failed to tarnish… No, that's not it. It's more like I couldn't tarnish it. I couldn't bring myself to leave Connie all alone in this world when her mother betrayed her so horribly. As a mother of warriors, I figured that, at the very least, she should have her daddy around… Oh, my. Is this some sort of weakness I'm showing? Am I really fit to be such a wicked queen who thirsts for conquest? Did I really do the right thing, Cu?"

Cuchulainn closed his eyes for a moment. He couldn't answer Medb's question honestly. Soon, he reopened them and said to Ritsuka, "Make your contract with her."

"Huh?" the young Mage wondered.

"Didn't you hear me? Make a contract with Connla. If you do, then she can fight me at her utmost."

Ritsuka's expression became serious, and he turned to the child Lancer and showed her the Command Spell on his hand. He forged a temporary contract with her, and she could feel her Spirit Origin linking with him. Once he was finished, he said, "We're here for you now. Let's win this thing together."

"Uh… Um… I-If you insist…" she uttered.

"Looks like Cuchulainn is going to pursue Connla," he continued, then glanced at the other Servants. "Rama and Nightingale, you two focus on Medb. Mash, provide backup wherever necessary."

"Got it!" the Shielder replied.

Meanwhile, Cuchulainn stood tall and said to his partner, "Medb, get ready for battle."

"Ah-! O-Of course, my king!" the queen yelped and took out her riding crop. Even so, her sorrowful expression failed to recede as she asked, "Are you sure about this? Do you really want to fight Connie?"

"Like hell I do. But if my presence only causes her more harm than good, then she should be allied with people who are strong enough to help her defeat me. It's my way of allowing her to fight for what she believes in, rather than having her constraining herself for my sake."

Both he and Connla got into their combat stances and stared at each other silently. Although their expressions were anguished, they were nevertheless ready to duel for their lives. Then without any warning, the little girl disappeared in a whirling gust of wind. The next instant, sparks sprayed everywhere as Cuchulainn miraculously parried her incoming strike from behind. What followed was an insane duel between father and daughter as they demonstrated the pinnacles of their strength and dexterity. Their spears flailed and clashed everywhere in seemingly no discernible pattern. The Servants twisted and contorted their bodies with nimble, lightning-fast reflexes to both dodge and attack each other. Their minds blanked out, enslaved to nothing but the rigors of fierce battle.

Eventually, Cuchulainn swung across as hard as he could, but Connla hopped over the blow and jumped off his shoulder like a platform. As she twirled and sailed away upside-down, she cupped her hands in front of her and shot numerous Ansuz Runes at him. With reflexes that would make gods envious, he spun Gae Bolg in a frenzy to parry each fireball as they rained upon him. Small bursts of searing heat singed his already-burnt skin from when he took Karna's Noble Phantasm head-on earlier in the war. He still hadn't fully recovered from that assault, so it allowed Connla to fight Cuchulainn on equal footing. As she landed, he made a mad dash and got into another crazed dervish with her.

While Rama was preoccupied with his own battle against Medb, he gasped in astonishment and exclaimed, "What speed! No wonder Connla was summoned in this era – she's the only one who can keep up with Cuchulainn!"

She managed to find an opportunity to break away from the frenzy and ran along the gigantic Gae Bolg piercing the ground nearby. Cuchulainn took chase, which spurred her to run faster and jump high off the end off the weapon so she was sailing high above the White House. He did so too, but then immediately realized it was a huge mistake. She had a much greater advantage in the air than he did, signified by how she used a series of small platform Runes to hop and bounce out of his range when it was normally impossible to maneuver like that in midair. With the freedom to traverse the skies without fear of being pursued, Connla could thus overwhelm him with her Noble Phantasm.

"Laoch Gan Finsceal!" she called out to the souls of numerous soldiers who lost their lives in the war to grant her their combined power. An incredible surge of energy coursed through her small body, and she relentlessly pummeled Cuchulainn from all sides like an imperceptible bullet. To further compound the damage, she cast a combination of Ken Runes to increase her speed along with a Tiwaz Rune on the heel of her boot to finish off the Noble Phantasm with a tremendous diving kick to his chest.

After enduring such a devastating attack, Cuchulainn slammed into the concrete wall so hard that a large number of bones fractured inside him. He managed to hobble onto his knee and quickly use a healing Rune to repair the damage, although the process was so mind-numbingly excruciating that he was in no condition to fight for those few seconds. Without thinking, Connla descended upon him and pointed her spear at his neck, intent on slitting it before he could recover. She didn't want to have to do this, but with the future itself at stake, she had to hold back her feelings for him and do what was necessary.

"CUU~UU!" Medb shrieked and commanded her bulls to pull her carriage between the two warriors. She used the side of the chariot to block Connla's attack, while she grabbed Cuchulainn and rode him a distance away.

Connla flipped back a few times and landed just as Ritsuka and the other Servants rejoined her. The wounded Berserker glanced at his partner and grumbled bitterly, "Sorry, but it looks like I've sustained too much damage to fight under my own power anymore."

"If that's how it's going to be, then I'll get serious too. Sorry, Cu, but we have to use our last resort to defeat them once and for all," Medb declared.

"Going for broke, huh? Since we've come this far, might as well."

"He he… No matter what happens to you, I'll always love you."

"Shut up and get it over with already."

"Yes, my king!" Medb beamed, then raised her hands before him. "It's time for you to manifest, Demon God of the Armory! With the Mad King Cuchulainn as your vessel, appear before me and crush our enemies! Destroy everything and everyone in your path! Raze America to the ground with your flames, so that we may establish our glorious Celtic nation!"

"This is bad!" Mash snarled as she raised her shield.

Ritsuka bit his lip and moaned, "If we don't do something quick-!"

"Haah!?"

The sharp gasp didn't come from Cuchulainn or Medb. In fact, Ritsuka seemed to hear it from directly next to him. He turned to face Connla, who was clenching her chest and stumbling back with horrendously widened eyes. Her jaw dropped, and feeble yelps escaped her throat as she desperately fought against whatever was suddenly assailing her.

"What's going on?" Rama wondered.

"Is she sick?" Nightingale asked and tried to approach the ailing child.

"N-No… Stay away… STAY AWAAA~AAAY!" Connla shrieked and turned to flee the battlefield.

"HEY!" Cuchulainn shouted and took chase after her. Medb remained where she was, but appeared extremely confused about what was going on. Cuchulainn didn't have to go very far to stop Connla, but he skidded to a sudden halt when he saw a terrible amount of blood seep through her bodysuit.

The child Servant hacked and coughed before buckling onto her knees and hunching forward. After several coughs, large amounts of blood spewed out of her mouth. Once she saw the deep red fluid, she pressed her hands against her cheeks and pitifully squealed, "Ah… Aaaah… AAAH!?"

"What's wrong!?" Cuchulainn demanded as he kneeled over her and grabbed her shoulders to steady her. He tore off one of the bodysuit's sleeves to see why she was bleeding so badly… and that was when he saw them.

Protruding from Connla's skin, which had paled to a deathly white hue, were small diamond-shaped things that one would have mistaken for crystals. They were actually eyes, indicated by the slit pupils in each diamond, as well as how each one wriggled around on her flesh like peering eyeballs. The eyes agonizingly broke through her skin one by one, which had caused her to bleed out so badly. The encroachment was so virulent that even her cheeks and forehead were host to several smaller eyes. Her actual eyes had turned from brown to red, and black cracks formed around them as if she appeared seriously sleep deprived. Her lavender hair likewise turned white, so she barely resembled her original self anymore.

"Connie!?" Medb screamed and ran to her foster daughter's side. "Oh, this can't be happening! This isn't what I wanted! Why are you manifesting inside Connie instead of Cu!?"

"You're kidding, right?" Mash wondered. "Are you saying the Demon Pillar's been festering inside Connla instead of Cuchulainn!?"

The distraught queen ignored her and continued wailing, "Why, why, why!?"

Connla stared at the Celtic royals with an empty gaze. She was so delirious that a dribble of saliva trickled out of her gaping lips.

"Stay with us!" Cuchulainn begged, grabbing her face and staring directly into her eyes.

"Father… Queen Medb…" she whimpered and shivered uncontrollably.

"It's okay. We're right here."

"It's… too late…"

"Has Halphas been affecting you the entire time?"

"Yes…"

"Why didn't you say anything to me?"

Rama stepped forward and shouted, "You were summoned as a bloodthirsty killer who slaughtered everyone, friend and foe alike! What makes you think she would confide in a father who barely resembles the one she remembers!? No, not just you! All of you Celts are completely out of your minds! There was no way Connla would trust any of her own allies – not even her own family!"

"Indeed," Nightingale agreed with a grim expression. "Because of her fear, she endured such an excruciating infection without seeking aid. The moment you both decided to have Halphas manifest, she must have realized that she needed to flee in order to protect us from her sickness."

Both Cuchulainn and Medb were struck dumb by their harsh words. Connla's trembling intensified, and she tried to crawl away from them. He forced her to stay where she was though, and he exclaimed, "You're not getting away from me!"

"Getting… away…? Keh… keh heh heh…" she giggled in an unnatural tone. "I'm not… going… anywhere. It is you… who will soon… flee… from me…"

"Halphas!"

"Ke ke ke ke ke ke…" she continued chuckling for a moment. Then she suddenly stopped and glared at him with empty eyes before commanding, "Get out of my sight."

Before anyone knew it, they were all sent flying back from an immensely powerful shockwave that emanated from Connla's body. Rama and Nightingale collapsed onto the lawn, while Mash caught Ritsuka and landed at the bottom of the stairs. Cuchulainn held on to Medb tightly and used himself as a cushion to soften the impact for her.

"Ahh… What a splendid specimen…" Connla muttered as she sauntered to her feet and stretched her limbs. "The moment I saw this Servant, I knew I had to take possession of her Spirit Origin."

"What are you talking about!?" Medb barked. "I summoned my ideal form of Cu precisely so I could give you the body of a powerful warrior like you always wanted!"

"That thing?" the corrupted girl shot a dirty look at Cuchulainn, regarding him like he was a piece of trash. "He was a decent offering to my armory, but a Servant that is molded from your demented imagination will always be flawed from the onset. Besides, once I savored a small taste of this Servant's anguish, I knew she would make for a better host. Her suffering was far more pure and satisfying than Cuchulainn's, especially since her own mother raised her immediately from birth to be nothing but a weapon that would slay him out of her own petty revenge. If one believes they are nothing but a weapon, then it is all the more fitting for me to add them to my storehouse.

"Don't worry, Queen of Connacht. I'll destroy this era as you so wished. It just won't be with the weapon of your choosing."

"No!" the queen squealed in desperation. "Not with Connie! Anyone but her! She's supposed to be my innocent little knight who will make this world better for everyone! Take me instead, if you want!"

"My judgment has been made. You are no longer in control of this war – I am."

Cuchulainn got on all fours like a beast and clenched his sharp teeth. His rage couldn't be described with words. Not only did he hate Halphas for corrupting Connla, he was likewise disgusted with himself for neglecting her. He acted like he cared about her, but all this time, she could tell that he actually didn't give a damn about her well being, being more concerned with fighting the war and killing as many people as possible. If she suffered from such incredible loneliness without confiding in anyone, it was no wonder Halphas found her to be a most pleasing victim to target right under everyone's noses.

Cuchulainn couldn't stand it anymore.

"Damn you, damn you, damn you…"

With Gae Bolg in hand, he rushed at the mutated Connla and let out his angriest roar yet.

"HALPHAAA~AAA~AAAS!"