FATE/LÚNASA FÓMHAR
"August Harvest"
Chapter 14: The Hidden Enemy
"Ungh! Get out of my sight, you ass-ugly lumps of flesh!" Cuchulainn Prototype snarled. He cleaved Gae Bolg through a humanoid monster's neck, swiftly decapitating it in one motion.
"Hah!" Emiya cried out as he carved his twin sabers through another creature, slicing and dicing it into clean chunks of meat not unlike how he would butcher a slab of beef in the kitchen.
Both men were presently on one of Okeanos' smaller northwestern islands, said to be a mountainous den of wyverns that no human dared approach. Upon Gilgamesh's order, Cuchulainn and Emiya partnered up to explore this land in search of anything suspicious. During their investigation, they found an identical stone statue to the one Gilgamesh and Jing Ke discovered. Upon seeing it, Cuchulainn's behavior dramatically escalated to abject anxiety, and he had attempted to destroy the idol without explaining anything to Emiya first. Unfortunately for them, this earned them the ire of a horde of similar monsters like the ones that ambushed the others.
During the fierce battle, Cuchulainn managed to make contact with Gilgamesh and warned him about the statue's threat. He couldn't say much more than that once a ghoulish fiend rushed at him and tried to bash his head off with its spiked club. It managed to knock the transceiver out of his hands though, and it was subsequently beheaded.
Emiya landed next to the annoyed Cuchulainn and quipped, "Well, well. I'd say we found something quite suspicious. I'm still rather perplexed as to what's going on here though."
"No need to think about it! Just rush 'em down, then smash that statue to smithereens! Once it's gone, we should be in the clear!"
"Hmph. I'm not fond of fighting battles without any context to go on, but I can approve of such a simple strategy as well. Very well, I'll just follow your lead and handle the rear."
"Right!" Cuchulainn agreed, then charged at the nearest monsters and expertly flailed his spear about to force them back. Emiya flipped backwards and leapt high, then summoned his bow and projected a miniature Caladbolg as his arrow. He drew the string back, then let his weapon soar over the battlefield. It shot toward three creatures and exploded in a flash of azure light, sublimating them into dust. While the surviving monsters were stunned, Cuchulainn swept in like a gust of wind and rushed past them while swiping Gae Bolg about. A moment later, they dropped dead after their stomachs had been carved wide open.
With the majority of the creatures dead, Cuchulainn was free to run up to the green glowing stone idol perched within a small grotto. He energized his weapon, then shouted, "Gae Bolg!"
His spear pierced through the stone, and it cracked into pieces before bursting apart and clattering over the ground. Any remaining monsters suddenly cried out in anguish as their bodies twisted and contorted into hideous distortions before detonating in gory bursts of dark blood. The Servants waited to see if anything else would happen, but all that greeted them was the ocean breeze.
Emiya dematerialized his swords and muttered, "Looks like you were right. Their life essences were directly tied to the statue. But how did you know that in the first place?"
"I'd recognize that thing anywhere," Cuchulainn said as he glared at the effigy's remnants. "I'd gladly explain, but I think it'd be better if everyone was present before I went into the details."
"I suppose that would be more expedient. Perhaps we should concentrate on warning the other groups first. They will have likely encountered similar beings such as those."
The Celt picked up the transmitter and said, "I already told Gilgamesh, but I'm worried about everyone else being swarmed by these things."
"GOLDEN SPAAAARK!"
Kintoki plummeted straight down upon a group of humanoid creatures and slammed his electrified axe into the ground. The creatures flew everywhere, as if Kintoki was a large stone that broke through water and sent massive ripples of monsters scattering about. The blonde Berserker huffed in annoyance as he glared at another wave of creatures, and he exclaimed, "Shit! Just how many of these abominations are there!?"
Boudica thrust her long sword through a ghoul's stomach. To her shock, it didn't seem perturbed by her lethal attack and actually clenched its hand around the much smaller blade. She struggled to extract it, but wasn't strong enough to do so. She gazed up in surprise as her opponent raised its giant sword and tried to cut her down. Suddenly, several well-aimed bullets pierced through its skull and killed it before it even knew what happened. The ghoul collapsed, allowing Boudica to retrieve her weapon. She faced Nightingale and exclaimed, "Thanks for that save!"
The nurse reloaded her pistol and replied, "It is simply my duty to reduce the number of patients that need treatment."
While she was preoccupied, she failed to notice another monster lurch in from behind. Boudica gasped and raised her hand while shouting, "Chariot of Boudica!"
A large wooden wheel materialized and shielded Nightingale from the creature's swinging club. The irate Berserker snarled and jumped over before grabbing the sides of its head and vaulting over it upside-down. She then twisted her body so that she snapped its spine and virtually turned its skull 180 degrees. She landed behind the collapsing monster and sighed in relief.
"Looks like the favor has been repaid," Nightingale said.
"You need to take care of yourself too, you know," Boudica chided. "What would we do if we lost one of our best medical professionals?"
"I know that. It's just that excising these sentient tumors is proving to be a greater hassle than I expected."
The two women glared as more ghouls emerged from the ground. Kintoki rejoined them, but was breathing hard after having to use his Noble Phantasm for the third time in a row. The three Servants were unsure of what to do next – either continue fighting, or flee and come up with a better plan. However, they didn't have to worry about it for very long. The ghouls unexpectedly stopped advancing and yelled in anguish before disintegrating in bursts of blood and guts.
Kintoki dropped his jaw and blurted, "What's going on!?"
A third woman's voice declared, "They've lost their link with the statue."
"Huh?"
They discovered Mata Hari approaching them with a calm smile. She gestured to the stone idol that had been placed within the middle of the jungle, now smashed into indiscernible pieces. While the others had been preoccupied with fighting the monsters, the female spy snuck away to destroy the figurine. Her action wound up saving them, but no one was sure how or why it happened.
Mata Hari explained, "My apologies for not being much of a fighter. However, I received word from Cu Proto about what we were dealing with. He said that demolishing the statue was our only hope for survival, so I did exactly that."
Nightingale remarked, "I see. So the real illness was hiding itself in plain sight. I had been wasting my time dealing with the encroachment rather than the origin."
"Hey, don't blame yourself," Boudica assured. "None of us had any idea."
Kintoki looked around, then wondered, "So what's next, ladies? Now that we know what to do, should we look for more of them, or should we head back and hear what the Golden Boss has to say?"
"I think we should return and rest for a bit. That battle depleted a lot of my prana stores."
"Good idea. I might be a famous oni hunter, but even I know my limits. Besides, I don't want the nurse-lady to go crazy because I pushed myself too hard."
"I think you already have," Nightingale retorted. "Perhaps a massage would do you wonders."
Kintoki stepped away and shouted, "Hell no! Not after seeing you twist that freak's head clean off!"
"Pay it no mind. I wouldn't use that kind of strength on a patient."
"Yes, you would!"
As they argued, Boudica asked Mata Hari, "Did Proto say anything about what the monsters were?"
The spy frowned and said, "I'm afraid he didn't have the time. I think he was in a hurry to warn everyone else."
"I'm curious to hear what he has to say. For now, let's just go back."
Meanwhile, a similar battle was taking place on the island directly northeast from the main isle the Servants were vacationing at. Nitocris performed some gymnastic-like flips to gain momentum so that she could whip her leg against the nape of a ghoul's neck. It smashed face-first into the sand with such ferocity that it scattered particles several feet around it. Two more monsters lumbered toward her, but she summoned some golden scarabs and commanded them to assail the enemy. She forced the ghouls to gather into one spot, which was exactly what Ozymandias needed.
"Hah hah!" he laughed as he tapped his staff on the ground. Multiple light beams flared around the confused creatures and ruthlessly incinerated them. Several more humanoids emerged from the sand, but he scoffed at their futile efforts and generated another searing laser that effortlessly carved through them.
"How gutless these pitiful demons are!" Ozymandias commented. "If this is the best they can offer, then they simply waste my time!"
"Even so, their numbers refuse to decrease," Nitocris murmured. She narrowed her eyes and glared at the stone effigy as it glowed an ominous deep green color. More monsters had it surrounded, acting as a barrier so that neither of the Pharaohs could get close. A slight smile crept on her lips as she added, "Still, it is fortunate that our enemy lacks intelligence. By guarding that false idol with their very lives, they have thus betrayed their very weakness."
"Undoubtedly so," the Sun King agreed. "Normally I would humor such effort and work my way through them, but it would seem that statue is connected to the problems that currently assail us."
"Might you know what it is, my liege?"
"I am unaware of its origin. However, I can sense invisible threads of mana worming their way through the ether. They are being guided to somewhere deep below the seas, and that is precisely where the children are said to be currently imprisoned. If the Child of Cuchulainn claimed that they were inside a massive Phantasmal, then it stands to reason that such a beast would require a proportionate amount of mana to sustain its existence."
"I see. As expected, you have immediately understood the crisis we are facing."
"Should the statue that the Chinese assassin shows the Golden King be identical in nature, I am sure he will have pieced together this mystery as well."
Nitocris then asked, "So what should be done? If our intent is to force Aspidochelone to the surface, would it be possible to control it from here?"
Ozymandias shook his head and said, "No. This is nothing more than one of multiple mana supplies. I suspect that is the case with any other statues scattered along Okeanos, which means the real controller is elsewhere. There is no merit in allowing this repulsive idol to exist, so severing its tie with the Phantasmal will suffice."
"Understood. I will clean out these repugnant horrors. In my humble opinion, the honor of destroying the statue should be yours. Of course, you're not willing to do so, then-"
"Worry not. I will do this most pleasant deed."
Nitocris nodded, then raised her staff so that a pitch-black rift opened up behind her. The Egyptian god of death Anubis emerged, and she called out, "Anpu Neb Ta Djeser!"
A winged halo formed over Anubis, then numerous skull-like heads wafted out of the portal and swarmed the strange humanoids like vicious snakes pouncing on unsuspecting mice. Some of the ghouls immediately died upon contact with the ghostly skulls, while others were chomped and chewed relentlessly. This cleared the way for Ozymandias to thrust his arms upward and call upon his own guardian; the Sphinx of Abu el-Hol, or the Lion-Bodied Beast of the Hot Sands. A quadrupedal creature materialized like a ghost, with a blank-faced body that always showed a projection of the galaxy.
"Know what happens to fools who insult the Pharaoh!" Ozymandias' voice boomed over the cacophony. He thrust his crooked staff forth, and the large Sphinx raised its claws for a moment. The talons turned bright red and sizzled from an intense heat burning within them. With one motion, it swiped its claws at the statue and pulverized it into useless fragments. The Pharaoh smirked as he sensed the invisible mana threads disappear, and the ghouls who guarded the idol rapidly died off.
Ozymandias grinned and muttered, "Hmph. How disappointing. They were completely frail in comparison to my absolute power."
Back on the main island, Gilgamesh was in a similar jovial mood to Ozymandias. He couldn't resist laughing at the monsters' feeble attempts at swarming him, only for them to be mercilessly skewered by dozens of weapons that he hurled from Gate of Babylon. He hardly even moved from his spot this whole time, content with watching his unknown enemies be slaughtered from a safe distance. The same couldn't be said for Jing Ke as she leapt up some nearby trees to escape being swarmed to death. She latched onto a branch and swung around 360 degrees before falling upon a ghoul and jamming her knife directly through its skull and brain. She couldn't relish in her victory as she tumbled away from a swinging spiked club that liquefied the monster she just killed.
"Quite the nuisance these creatures are," Jing Ke admitted, then looked over at the stone effigy. "Despite Cu Proto's advice giving us a tactical advantage, I cannot hope to get in close enough to carve that thing into pieces."
"Pah," Gilgamesh scoffed. "Just about what I'd expect from a third-rate slinker of the shadows. Remember this well, woman – for this generosity that I am to display here and now, I expect your full cooperation as a supplier of high-quality alcohol."
"Oh, really? You just want me to bring a bunch of booze to you? You don't expect me to kiss your feet and brown-nose you at every turn?"
"Understanding the quality of alcohol is perhaps the only trait I find worthwhile about you."
"Heh heh. What a roundabout way of calling me a drunkard. Well, I suppose I can share in your sentiment of enjoying the material things in life. I can't promise much for other cultures, but I know you won't be disappointed in what China and Japan have to offer. That, I will give you my word for."
Satisfied with her answer, Gilgamesh smirked and summoned about 100 portals around him. The sight was so magnificent that it blinded the approaching horde of demons. Without saying a word, he thrust his arm forth and sent countless weapons barreling for them. What followed for the next 30 seconds was an unspeakably vicious storm of blades, blood, and body parts. Jing Ke couldn't pull her eyes away from the spectacle, now understanding that she would really have to make good on her end of the bargain.
Soon, the King of Heroes ceased his attack and observed the carnage he caused. Every ghoul in the vicinity had been butchered into pieces. Any trees that were nearby had their trunks demolished, causing them to fall everywhere. Most importantly though, the figurine that had been summoning its otherworldly guardians simply no longer existed. Neither Servant would be able to find even pebbles that once comprised the effigy.
"It is done," Gilgamesh muttered and calmly walked away.
"So, what's next on the agenda?" Jing Ke wondered.
"If the Celtic dog's words are anything to go by, then there must be multiples of that abominable idol supplying something or someone with mana. By my estimation, it must be for the Phantasmal that the runt and her companions are currently stranded within."
"That makes sense. If it's large enough for them to actually live inside, then it needs to be anchored in the human world through a method such as this."
"Indeed. If the other search groups do not happen upon these 'control points', then it is my duty to coordinate another investigation so that the remainder of them can be eliminated. Let us return to the home base and see what the other mongrels have to say for themselves."
Deep within the center of Okeanos, lighting storms constantly raged over the ocean and obscured the skies with gloomy dark clouds. If a sailor was not careful, they would wind up being caught in perhaps the worst sailing experiences of their life. Fortunately for Cuchulainn Alter, he was swimming far below the turbulent tides as he scoured the ocean floor. He sometimes needed to resurface for air, but since he was bonded with the sea demon Curruid's bones, his lung capacity was much greater compared to other Servants'. The design of his wide, spiked tail helped him torpedo through the water as well, so it only took him around an hour to investigate each of Okeanos' submerged regions before moving on to the next one.
So far, Cuchulainn had not found anything worth his time. Even though it was probably suicide, he especially wanted to find this rumored sea turtle Phantasmal and engage in battle with it. Maybe a singularly Gae Bolg to its face would not be enough, but since becoming a Berserker, his version of the cursed spear was more Anti-Army in nature, sacrificing the reversal of cause and effect in exchange for being able to cover a much wider range. He figured that using an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm against Aspidochelone's brain would destroy it better than the Anti-Personnel version of Gae Bolg.
The trouble was actually finding the beast. While Gilgamesh had described the Phantasmal as having a head as large as a football field, it was surprisingly elusive. Each time Cuchulainn turned up empty-handed, his frustration would intensify all that more. He kept wondering how such a gargantuan monster could surface, swallow the child Servants, then dive back down as if it had never existed. The only things that annoyed him more were not knowing what the hell was going on, and why a Phantasmal would target his daughter.
Connla… You better be doing okay…
Cuchulainn had to shake those thoughts away. The more he worried about her, the less he could focus on the search. He continued swimming through schools of fish like a dart, and even had to kill a shark that was intent on eating him. He abandoned the profusely bleeding corpse so that other sharks would be distracted with its fallen brethren as he continued onward.
About 15 minutes later, Cuchulainn reached a sunken cavern where a large coral reef was growing nearby. Now that he was out of Okeanos' constantly stormy region, the sun could shine upon this elegant scenery. Everything around him glowed bright aqua, and the water was practically clearer than glass. Rays of sunlight reached down for him, and the tides rippled high above him. However, the beautiful landscape barely interested him. What had actually caught his attention was a peculiar deep green glow that didn't match the aquatic landscape whatsoever. While the ocean was full of life and color, this statue emanated an aura of death and darkness.
Once he made out the figurine's details, Cuchulainn became increasingly shocked. He bared his sharp teeth and widened his eyes as he thought, What the hell is this doing here!?
His entire body trembled with horror. Just like with Proto, Alter immediately understood the origin of this idol and was absolutely astonished by it. Without thinking about anything else, he brandished Gae Bolg and was about to demolish it. However, a deep guttural growl echoed throughout the ocean, scaring dozens of fish and other underwater life away until he was all alone. He glared into the pitch-dark cavern for a moment. A peculiar light glowed in the darkness. Then, only two words came to mind:
Aw, shit.
He had to immediately swim back to avoid being devoured whole by a nightmarish mansion-sized fish that emerged from its nest. Once it showed itself in the light, Cuchulainn could make out its features better. In short, it didn't look much different than a deep sea dragonfish, complete with a bioluminescent barbell hanging from its jaw. This was the source of the second weird light that he witnessed, and he understood that the monster had been trying to lure him inside the cavern so it could eat him. Unlike a regular fish though, this one had layers of steel-like scales covering its hide, and there was only one huge beady eyeball on its forehead rather than two.
Cuchulainn wielded Gae Bolg in both hands, then swam straight for the cyclops fish and scraped his weapon against its armor. The hide wasn't even scratched, and he whirled around to make another pass at his enemy. It deftly turned back and thrust its wide open jaw at him. Before he knew it, he found himself engulfed right inside its mouth, and he used all of his strength to force the jaws open so he could escape. A tense moment later, he jabbed one of his spiked heels into the creature's tongue, startling it so that he could break free.
Damn it! I can't get in close like this!
He winced and lunged aside to avoid being rammed by the oncoming enemy. It smashed into the coral reef, and pieces of colorful stones plummeted as it faced him again. Cuchulainn quickly glanced back at the glowing statue and noticed something peculiar; both it and the monster were shining the same color. He realized that there had to be a connection between them, as if the fish was supposed to be guarding the figurine.
He smirked and thought, Okay, then. If my ugly friend here can't be killed directly, let's see what happens when I get rid of its power source.
He turned on his side and shot for the unguarded statue like a rocket. The monster took chase. It closed the distance between them so rapidly that he couldn't think about anything other than reaching his goal first. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be able to get there in time before the fish could catch up to him. He blanked his mind and threw Gae Bolg like a javelin at the statue. The spear pierced through the water until it smashed against the idol. Suddenly, the monster squealed and crashed against the bedrock, narrowly sparing Cuchulainn as he fervently swam away. He looped around and got directly in front of his enemy's singular eye, then dug his talons into its face and snatched the eyeball.
How do you like me now, punk!?
Cuchulainn violently wrenched the eye out of its socket, and the monster howled in agony. He raised his hand to the side and silently commanded for Gae Bolg to return to him. Once reunited with his weapon, he thrust the blade into the spot where the eye previously was, successfully puncturing its brain. He left it to sink to the bottom before it disintegrated into miniscule particles. He ignored it and sunk down to where the statue once stood, then picked up a large chuck and carefully examined it.
Fucking hell. I knew it – this is something that doesn't belong in Okeanos.
The Berserker shook his head in dismay, now growing even more concerned for Connla and her friends. He had noticed the unseen threads of mana connecting the statue to something located deeper in the ocean, too far underwater for him to swim to safely without suffering from potential explosive decompression. He knew where Aspidochelone was now, but the Phantasmal was simply out of his grasp… and with it, the children's safety.
Cuchulainn stared down at the haunting abyss, unable to ignore the dread welling within him. So many thoughts ran rampant that he couldn't concentrate on the search anymore. Even so, he had found a vital clue that could help him get the kids back. With him being so worked up, he figured he should return to the main island and sort things through with his allies.
Just be patient, kid. I'll get you out of there soon enough.
"Geh… Gee hee hee hee hee… Gyah hah hah hah hah hah! FWAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!"
Lucius was running around the place like a total madman. His giddy chuckling quickly escalated to full-blown laughter as he ran his fingers through a pile of gold coins and expensive jewelry. He continuously darted from one pile to the next to examine their contents, so it didn't take him long to hurry off into the distance. Off to the side, Beowulf was also quite impressed with the heaps of treasure, but he was nowhere near as ecstatic as Lucius was. He just stood there and crossed his arms while watching the Roman dash all over the place in utter glee.
Connla also observed Lucius' irrational behavior, then asked Beowulf, "I can tell that he's excited, but what's the point of claiming all this treasure if you can't do anything with it?"
"That's not quite right," he replied. "There's actually a lot you can do with this much wealth."
"Like what?"
"Hm… It's kind of hard to explain when you don't know about how the factions operate. Let's just say that you'd have a ridiculously overwhelming advantage over the competition."
She tilted her head, growing more and more curious as to what he meant. Beowulf rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Well, we're just lucky that His Highness is having a grand old time with this crazy discovery. That'll make cooperating with him much easier than usual, though he's still annoying as hell to deal with."
"Mm," Connla mumbled forlornly and sat down.
"What's wrong? Worried about your friends?" the Scandinavian hero asked as he sat next to her.
"Yes. So much has happened that I need to take a moment and process all of it. If I don't, I'll wind up having a serious panic attack. It's happened before, and I don't want it to happen again."
"Relax, I'll help you find them. Think of it as a mutual exchange; I beat up anyone who has taken your buddies away, and you get me out of this godforsaken hellhole."
"Even so, how are we going to get Jack and Nursery back? I can't speak for Lord Lucius, but with just the two of us, I sincerely doubt we will be enough to counter the Servants allied with the three factions," Connla said, then sighed, "Oh, if only I didn't trust Lady Wu so carelessly. If I had doubted her claims about joining forces with Uma, the three of us probably would still be together."
"Enough. Dwelling on the past is pointless. I don't know what your history is with Wu Zetian, but here and now, she is an enemy of yours. You need to shape up and show her that you aren't to be messed with so easily."
She nodded. "You're right. The problem is that ever since I was changed to a Saber-class Servant, my development as a fighter has been frightfully slow. My skills have been improving, but I still don't understand a lot of things, like what exactly transformed me or why I'm able to use Lugh's Halo."
"Heeh!" Beowulf smirked. "Even when you're in a class you're not familiar with, you still managed to give me a hard time! I have to give you kudos for that!"
"You think so? I thought I was rather clumsy back there."
"Come on, pat yourself on the back for a change!"
"Um… I'm not so sure. I mean, what do you think about my combat style?"
"I'd say you're on the right path with your technique, but your strength leaves much to be desired. Lucky for you, I can give you some top-class strength training while we hammer out a plan."
She looked up at him. "Will you?"
"Leave it to me. Soon enough, you'll be breaking skulls as easily as squishing a strawberry in your hand!"
"Uh, I don't want to be burly like you are. At the very least, I just want to rely on you for advice."
Beowulf nodded, then glanced over at Lucius and wondered, "So, what are we gonna do with the Big Bad Roman over there? Obviously he isn't going to be of any help to us since he only cares about expanding his little empire or whatever."
Connla suddenly suggested, "Maybe we should ask him."
"Seriously?"
"Well, there's still a lot I don't understand about this whole faction culture. I even heard you two mention something about 'sacrifices' a couple of times while we were walking here. That's why I wanted to ask you and Lord Lucius a bunch of questions before deciding what to do next."
Beowulf's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "So you don't know about how the nations resupply their constantly dwindling food and resources? It's for that very reason that they go to war with each other all the time."
Connla shook her head. "Jack, Nursery and I just showed up a couple of days ago. We only saw Uma and the crystal-clear lake surrounding it, yet I was rather perplexed about how such beautiful water could have gotten inside Aspidochelone. In fact, how did Lady Parvati gather the stone needed to build an entire city when there's nothing but flesh and viscera everywhere we look?"
"Aspid-what now? Flesh and viscera everywhere? You're not making any sense whatsoever."
"Oh…" the young Saber became crestfallen as she realized she would have to explain the inevitable to her new partner.
Beowulf leaned in and gruffly asked, "Let me guess; it's complicated?"
"Mm-hmm."
As they conversed, they heard Lucius' footsteps pounding the sand behind them in a running motion. He returned with a glimmering golden crown on his head, a polished gemstone amulet and a decorated scepter he found lying around. Beowulf shot him a wry glare and asked, "Having fun?"
Lucius laughed, "Gyah hah hah hah! This is absolutely incredible! Why, I could dominate any and all opposition by myself if I wanted to! Truly, this is a turning point in history! No, not just a turning point, but the turning point! It won't be long before I take total control of this world and make everyone submit to my superiority! This is precisely the kind of domination I longed for back when I was alive, and now my dream is about to come true!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, if you wanna live it up, do it on your own time. The kid and I are too busy with our own objectives to help you indulge in your power-mongering."
The Roman emperor glanced over at Connla, noticing how despondent she appeared. He tapped his scepter on her shoulder and asked, "What's the matter? You're surrounded by enough wealth to buy a continent, yet you're totally depressed. Why not forget about the bad things and enjoy yourself a little? Since you were gracious enough to bring me here, I will gladly allot a portion of this treasure to you."
She looked up at him, then woefully exhaled before saying, "Since you're here, I might as well explain right now."
"Hm? About what?" Lucius wondered as he sat down next to her.
"About this place you call a 'world'. The truth is, my friends and I came in here from the outside."
"The outside, you say? As in the mythical world where there is an endless blue sky and a sun sharing its warmth to all? Nonsense. There's no such thing."
"Yes, there is!" she firmly retorted. "It's not a myth whatsoever! We were swallowed!"
The two men's expressions suddenly became dumbfounded. Lucius barked, "Swallowed!? Now you listen here, young lady! Although I have much respect for you as Lugh's granddaughter, that doesn't mean I will quietly tolerate your nonsense! In the first place, what the hell would be large enough to 'swallow' so many Servants and civilians that they could construct an entire society inside it!?"
Connla glared at him and replied, "A Phantasmal, that's what!"
"A… A Phantasmal!? Surely you jest!"
"I'm not! My friends and I were swept away by a tidal wave, and then Aspidochelone found us tumbling underwater and devoured us!"
Beowulf narrowed his eyes and tapped his chin while murmuring, "Aspidochelone… Now that I think about it, isn't it supposed to be the demonic Shield Turtle that's as big as an island?"
"Yes!" Connla glanced at him, hoping that he would believe her. "We're inside that very Phantasmal as we speak!"
Lucius' thoughts blanked out in disbelief. Then he laughed, "Fwah hah hah hah hah! How absolutely preposterous and hilarious! Do you honestly expect me to believe that we have been playing our war games inside the bowels of a gigantic monster this whole time!?"
She firmly placed her hands on her hips and replied, "I do."
"Gyah hah hah hah hah! Oh, you certainly know how to weave a good story! If you want any prayer of me humoring your claims, then you will have to show me some solid evidence!"
"You want proof? Fine, I'll show you."
Lucius immediately stopped chortling when he saw how serious Connla was. She ran down the sand dune and pointed to the dark water bubbling at the base while inquiring, "What do you think this stuff is?"
"Sure as hell doesn't look like water," Beowulf replied as he reached down to touch the substance.
She suddenly grabbed his arm and barked, "Hey, don't touch it! That's stomach acid!"
"Stomach acid!?"
"Yeah! If you're not careful, you'll be dissolved in no time!"
By now, Lucius' skin tone had become exponentially pale, to the point that he looked like he was about to throw up. He chuckled in disbelief, "Ah ha ha ha… There's just no way this is true. S-S-So what if it's acid? Not like that's anything new."
"Okay then," Connla countered, "why don't you try cutting into the walls and see if they bleed?"
"B-Bleeding walls!? Don't mess with me!"
The trio returned up the sand bank and approached the nearest wall. Now that the child Servant had goaded him, the irate Roman was more than eager to test her theory out. He brandished Florent, then swung as hard as he could in a diagonal motion, carving his blade into the wall. To his absolute surprise, he was suddenly doused in a large spray of dark fluid.
"Hey…" he muttered in a deadpan tone. "I'm not covered in blood, am I?"
"You are," Connla said.
"This… This just can't be real…"
"Damn it!" Beowulf growled darkly, visibly trembling with both rage and terror. "T-This isn't just a world… It really is a living creature…!"
The young Saber asked, "Is that enough evidence for you two? If you want more, I can talk about how those twisting caverns are actually Aspidochelone's small intestine, or that the area we three met in was the pulmonary region. What we saw as a ceiling that moved up and down was actually its lungs. Furthermore, Uma was located in-"
"No, that's good enough for me," Lucius stopped her, then sat down to regain his composure. "I think I've seen enough."
She approached him, then said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude. I just wanted to get my point across, especially considering how much danger we're in."
"Hah… I guess dealing with a selfish asshole like me isn't helping matters much for you."
She paused, unsure of how to reply. Instead, she murmured, "Now that you understand my side of the story, I'd like to ask you some questions. I am rather ignorant of how the factions can sustain themselves while inside a Phantasmal. I would really appreciate it if you could enlighten me. You were one of Roma's Triumvirate, meaning you'd have a lot of inside information I could put to practical use. Do you think you could at least help me with that, Lord Lucius?"
A heavy silence followed. He stared at her for a long moment. She grew tense, unable to anticipate how he would respond.
Eventually, he smirked and chuckled, "Keh heh heh… Why not? It would be the summit of folly for me to knowingly establish a closed-off empire inside a behemoth when I could be expanding my territory in the outside world instead. I can just imagine it… I could be making history by developing the most flourishing faction of all time, basking beneath the mythical blue skies and shining sun… Oh, it would just be grand!"
Beowulf raised an eyebrow and wondered, "Does that mean you actually plan on escaping too?"
"You certainly bet I am, Grendel Slayer. I have no need to sequester my glorious kingdom within this rotten beast's bowels. If indulging the Scion of Light's precocious inquiries will help further my conquest, then all the better."
Connla tilted her head. "Scion of Light?"
"Of course," Lucius said and rubbed her head. "If Lugh is the God of Light and Cuchulainn is the Child of Light, then you are the scion to that legacy, are you not?"
"I guess so…"
"Now then," the Roman grumbled and stood back up with newfound confidence, "you wish for me to impart all the knowledge I possess about the factions? Naught more than a trivial matter. First of all, you must understand how food and resources are replenished in this place."
"Yes, that's the one piece of this mystery I still can't comprehend."
"Then come with me. Once I show you the guardian deity, all should be clear to you."
This was the first time Connla heard anything about a 'guardian deity', so curiosity overcame her as she and Beowulf followed Lucius. After a ten-minute walk along the rolling sand hills, he guided them to a particular mound of treasure while explaining, "As I was preoccupied with examining my new possessions, I happened upon one of the guardian idols that every faction swears fealty to. I found it rather peculiar that one would be situated here when there is no nation for it to grant its blessings upon. In fact, I dare say that this is the first time anyone has strayed so far from the known territories, so witnessing this idol is truly a first."
Lucius brought them around the bend, where the stone carving of an old man with crossed arms stood. Its grey and drab features dramatically contrasted with the glimmering golden coins and sparkling gemstones surrounding it. Upon examining the figurine, Connla widened her eyes in shock and howled, "No way!"
Beowulf immediately got on the defensive and yelped, "What's the matter!?"
"What is such a thing doing here!?"
"Hm? Why so intimidated all of a sudden?" Lucius wondered. "These are the idols that everyone sacrifices Servants and civilians to in order to replenish resources. If there are no worthy Servants available, then giving up an equivalent amount of possessions is sufficient enough. Granted that I do not know where they come from, but their power is very much real. Perhaps it is for that reason alone that no one has questioned their existence."
She looked up at the emperor. "You can't be serious! These should never exist in the first place!"
"Why not?"
Without warning, she conjured an Ansuz Rune and created a large fireball between her palms. Her expression became dire as she stated, "They have to be destroyed, no matter what!"
"Hey, slow down already! I have no idea what you're going on about!"
"Do you understand what you all have been sacrificing to!? These statues belong to- KYAAAH!?"
Connla let out a horrified scream as she felt a large hand snatch her ankle and hoist her off the ground upside-down. Beowulf and Lucius watched in shock as a huge deformed humanoid burst through the treasure-covered sand and catch the child Servant unawares. Acting on raw instinct, she grunted and hurled her fireball at the monster's face, causing it to explode and send body parts flying everywhere. Connla twisted her torso so that she landed back on her feet quickly, then scurried back to the others. The sand dunes crawled with life as more grotesque humanoids crawled out of their burial sites and surrounded the trio.
The Servants drew their weapons, and Lucius scowled while asking Connla, "What is the meaning of this? Why did you know that such a threat was lurking beneath our very feet?"
"Because that stone idol," she grimly murmured, then glanced at him, "is dedicated to the worship of Fomorians."