FATE/LÚNASA FÓMHAR

"August Harvest"

Chapter 18: Grudges of the Sacrificed

Near the northeastern sector of Okeanos known as the Sunken Rock Seas, Cuchulainn Alter was already swimming in the direction of the mana threads that he sensed leading to somewhere beneath the ocean. He rocketed through the water so quickly that he literally blew apart entire schools of fish in his mad pursuit. His mind blocked all other thoughts besides finding the Fomorian idol and wrecking it as soon as possible. As he shot closer and closer to his target, he discovered it resting within a bed of submerged boulders, almost blending in with its surroundings had it not been glowing that familiar ominous green color.

There you are!

Cuchulainn grinned widely and wielded Gae Bolg in a throwing position. He didn't want to get close to this one like he did with the previous statue, believing there was some kind of guardian lurking in wait to ambush him. However, he never anticipated what would happen next – the effigy was showing signs of breaking apart on its own. He noticed blood-red marks glowing along the edges, which perplexed him so much that he lowered his weapon and widened his eyes.

What's going on here?

He knew he hadn't done anything yet, so he had every right to be confused. The statue disintegrated into worthless pebbles and rocks, releasing a thick cloud of grey dust that obscured it for a few moments. Suddenly, the milky cloud burst in the center as a clean circle. Something emerged from the wreckage and shot straight for the bewildered Cuchulainn. He snarled and raised Gae Bolg in time to parry a powerful blow that sent him shooting backwards. He tumbled several times before righting himself and glaring at whatever attacked him.

The figure turned out to be a long-haired woman in her early 20s. Those were literally the only features he could make out because she was otherwise a perfectly black silhouette with shining red eyes. She cracked her knuckles, clenched her fist, then swung her arm in a 360-degree motion several times to build up power before launching herself at him like a miniature meteorite. He rolled aside to dodge a punch that could have easily blown him apart even with blocking it. He might have been one of the strongest Berserkers in all of Chaldea, yet even he wasn't fool enough to try challenging such ridiculous bursts of strength head-on. He decided to swim for the bed of rocks and see about losing her before striking her down.

Cuchulainn weaved through the boulders and hid himself behind a particularly large stalagmite. Things were quiet for a few minutes, yet those seconds passed by as slowly as an eternity for him. He thought he had outwitted her, so he peered around to see what was going on. That was when the water rippled unnaturally, making his insides feel like so much squishy jelly that he wanted to vomit right there. The stalagmite fractured into large pieces before shattering apart, forcing him back out into the open. The Shadow Servant hadn't bothered with meticulously searching for him – she was just smashing rocks into pieces to get rid of any potential hiding spots.

This is ridiculous, Cuchulainn thought bitterly.

Growing irritated with staying on the defensive, he rushed in while the lady was reeling from her latest blow, and he swung Gae Bolg to try and decapitate her. She elegantly flipped backwards, then returned to deliver numerous punches and kicks at him. He had to do everything he could to avoid each strike, then found his chance to slash his spear against her back. She didn't seem to care though, and she turned around to deliver a massive blow at his solar plexus. Every ounce of air was forced out of his lungs, and he coughed up blood. Then the lady reared her leg back before slashing it upward like a pendulum, kicking his chin and launching him straight for the surface. Cuchulainn broke through the water and helplessly sailed over the ocean.

Why? Why is this happening…?

He regained his senses enough to adjust himself so he could keep his eyes on where the Shadow Servant was. A split second later, she dove out of the ocean as beautifully as a leaping dolphin, then raised her arms and clasped them in prayer. That was when he noticed a peculiar pink light shine beneath the water, followed by a mighty splash. Some kind of dragon with a lion's head and an ox-like body emerged and roared, rippling the water around it for several miles. Cuchulainn gasped when he realized what the monster was.

Tarasque! Then that wench has to be Saint Martha, the holy woman who tamed it!

He couldn't understand why he was fighting such a revered saint. For a moment, he thought about the stone statue and who would be responsible for placing them throughout Okeanos.

A Fomorian god… A Christian Servant, corrupted to do its bidding… The Lughnasadh festival…

Fomorian…

Christian…

My father…

Finally, something clicked in his mind. He let out an even more startled yelp.

"That's it!"

An incredible mixture of rage, desperation and horror overcame him. While he was distracted with his emotions, Tarasque exploded out of the ocean upon Martha's command and shot for Cuchulainn. The Berserker snarled and spread his arms out. His body was wholly enveloped in a sinister black-and-red aura for a few seconds, then he furiously plummeted towards the beast clad in his Curruid Coinchenn armor and claws. The two monsters made such an impact that waves were sent rushing away from them for miles in a circular formation.

Little by little, Cuchulainn's armor began to crack and disintegrate as he struggled to break through Tarasque's shell. He eventually found a weak spot in his enemy's chest, and he blasted through with no remorse. Tarasque screamed in pain as a massive hole was left behind, and it shattered into millions of particles. Cuchulainn wasn't done yet; even though the assault ruined his claws and armor, he still had to destroy Martha. He shot head-first at the surprised woman and pierced the fractured horn on his helmet through her heart. They splashed into the ocean and hit the bottom together. The Shadow Servant suddenly burst into a cloud of pure Void Dust all around Cuchulainn, obscuring him within a whirlwind of pure darkness.

He returned to the surface and gasped for air while letting his Noble Phantasm vanish. His heart was still rushing, not from the adrenaline of the battle, but rather from what he realized. He wasn't the type to get afraid that easily, yet a dreadful panic refused to let go of him as he thought about Connla, Jack and Nursery.

Oh god… If those kids make contact with a bastard like that…

He didn't want to imagine it. He had to do something… anything! He shook his head to try and dispel his fear, then dove underwater and swam back to the main island.

At the same time on the Isle of Wyverns, Jing Ke flipped backwards after blocking an unexpected sword strike. She got back on her feet and fiercely glared at her opponent – a Shadow Servant who had emerged from a Fomorian idol that destroyed itself. He had long wavy hair and was clad in heavy armor and a cape, but was otherwise a black silhouette. She recognized him from previous missions in Chaldea however, and she declared, "So you're Saint George, better known as Georgios, the dragon-slaying knight. How strange that you would show yourself on an island inhabited by wyverns."

"…"

Emiya shot down an incoming dragon, then said, "It would appear that our saintly friend doesn't appreciate the irony of this situation."

"So it would seem," the assassin agreed.

Nitocris raised her staff and commanded a horde of golden scarabs to flock around some dragons, forcing them to scatter away. She then wondered, "Even so, why would the effigy destroy itself? We barely just got here and it was already in pieces."

Jing Ke glared at the Shadow Servant as he got into his fighting stance, and she retorted, "I'm afraid we won't have the luxury of pondering that answer."

Right after she said this, she leapt at him and flailed her knife about. It made contact with Georgios' sword numerous times, then she tumbled aside as he swiped down at her. She vaulted off some nearby palm trees and shot down at him again, but he twirled on his foot to avoid her before kicking her in the back. She ignored the pain and flipped back onto her feet before rushing at him again, yet Georgios maintained such an incredible defense that she found it hard to look for any openings she could exploit. The best thing Jing Ke could think of was slitting his throat, but the saint must have known that as well because he did his utmost to protect his face from her knife stabs.

Before Georgios could slash at Jing Ke's back, he was forced away after some of Emiya's arrows shot at him. The dark-skinned Archer ran up to his ally and asked, "Need some help?"

"As much as my pride tells me not to accept, this foe is proving to be more formidable than I expected."

"Is that your way of thanking me for the backup?"

"Take it however you will."

"Fine. If his legend is anything to go by, then there's one thing I can do."

With that, Emiya raised his arm before his chest and chanted, "I am the bone of my sword. Steel is my body, fire is my blood. Unknown to Death, nor known to Life. So, as I pray… Unlimited Blade Works!"

The world around them flared bright white, and was transformed into an endless, barren field punctured with thousands upon thousands of swords. The sky was a depressing crimson color, and gigantic cogs spun in midair. Emiya and Georgios stood on opposing sides of the battlefield, and the Archer quietly projected numerous blades in a dome formation around the Rider. Without a word, he commanded his weapons to rain upon the enemy with no mercy. A thick plume of smoke rose around the blast site, hiding whatever was happening to him for a few moments.

The dust settled, revealing an unexpected sight. Emiya narrowed his eyes as he stared at Georgios, who was mounted atop an elegant white steed that shone a peculiar silver color.

Bayard… the sacred horse than can negate an enemy's attack once, said to be given to him by a witch who tried to tempt him.

Indeed, Bayard's fabled power served to protect its master from the incoming flurry of weapons. There was a shimmering field encasing both rider and steed in a silvery orb, powerful enough to deflect every last blade so that they both remained unscathed. However, Georgios remained perfectly still. He made no motion to assail Emiya after his Noble Phantasm failed to wound him. The Archer's lips curled into a satisfied grin.

Too bad Bayard can't block two lethal attacks at the same time.

Indeed, he noticed that there was a second figure hunched over Georgios' back. It was Jing Ke; she had used the smoke as cover to get in close, wait for Bayard to negate Unlimited Blade Works, then leap in and use her own Noble Phantasm to drive her knife deep into the Shadow Servant's spine. Her voice sounded chilling as she murmured, "All I Do Is Kill…"

Suddenly, a gigantic spray of black blood splattered out of the cut. Jing Ke leapt off of Bayard and landed next to Emiya, and they watched as Bayard disappeared in a flurry of pure white particles, while Georgios collapsed to the ground and his form disintegrated into a pile of harmless Void Dust. Emiya's Reality Marble dispelled itself shortly after, returning their surroundings to normal.

Since Nitocris had not been dragged into the alternate dimension, she needed to fend off the incoming wyverns and thus didn't know what was going on. Once she saw the mound of human-shaped black ash though, she rejoined her allies and asked, "Did you guys get him?"

"Yes. The Shadow Servant is no more," Emiya replied.

"Good! Let's get out of here already! I swear, these dragons are simply too stupid to understand when to call it quits!"

"I agree. They must be furious with us for intruding on their territory."

The three Servants hurried back to the sailing vessel and shot away from the island as fast as they could. Jing Ke navigated the boat, Nitocris provided directions, and Emiya stood at the rear to shoot down any dragons that attempted to ambush them. Once they were around 10 kilometers away, the monsters ceased chasing them down and returned to their nest, allowing the trio to finally relax and think about what just happened.

"A Shadow Servant inside a Fomorian idol, huh? This keeps getting more and more interesting," Emiya said.

Nitocris narrowed her eyes, then said, "Furthermore, our enemy was a revered Christian saint who is beloved by the World itself. What sort of Celtic god would harbor such an intense grudge against Christians that they would gladly pervert that kind of hero into doing their bidding?"

The Archer paused for a moment, then bitterly chuckled, "There might be someone."

"Really? Who?"

"This is just an educated guess, but…"

"Guh!" Cuchulainn Prototype fiercely grunted. He had to spin Gae Bolg about numerous times to block an unexpected assault from some sort of thin sabre or rapier. He then swiped once, forcing his opponent to hop back and return to their fencer-type combat stance. Cuchulainn rubbed some blood seeping out of a wound on his face, then remarked, "Not bad. If I didn't have Protection From Arrows activated, I probably would have been a goner."

His enemy said nothing. It seemed they weren't capable of speech, judging from the lack of a mouth. It was difficult to tell when they were a completely black shadow with glowing red eyes. They wore a distinct hat with a long plume attached, a long cape designed to resemble lily petals, and an otherwise traditional French fencing outfit. Determining their gender was downright impossible, though it didn't seem to matter when they sought nothing more than their enemies' deaths.

"Goodness," Mata Hari frowned. "I didn't think we'd run into someone else who is in the same profession as me."

Boudica got in front of the dancer, wielding her long sword as she asked, "Do you know who that is?"

"Of course. He was born male, but was so androgynous that he could pass himself as a woman. He used that to his advantage to work in the Secret du Roi, the French network of spies, and infiltrated Russia's court to work as a maid of honor for the Empress under the pseudonym Lia de Beaumont. It's said that her fencing skills were an impressive sight to behold."

"A man, yet a woman… So this is the infamous French spy, Chevalier d'Eon?"

"Yes. Unlike me, d'Eon is a superb fighter. Perhaps even more so now that they are a Servant."

"No kidding," Cuchulainn smirked. Despite knowing who they were up against, he wasn't fazed by the Shadow Servant's strength and pedigree. He actually felt excited to fight against such an accomplished swordsman, and he raised his spear for combat while whistling his admiration.

That prompted d'Eon to rush at him once more, deftly twirling on their toes while slashing their rapier at Cuchulainn numerous times. While the long whirling slashes were easy to block, the thin stabs were another problem altogether. It wasn't easy to parry a sword that around the width of a coin using a spear, so the Celtic hero had to dance around those strikes instead. Although his dodging speed was incredible, d'Eon's attacks were as fast as the wind. Blood burst out of seemingly spontaneous wounds that opened up all over Cuchulainn's upper arms and chest.

Right as d'Eon whirled behind the stunned Cuchulainn and prepared to slash at his back, a series of wooden wheels barreled at them like flying saucers. Boudica had activated her Noble Phantasm to provide protection for her ally, allowing Cuchulainn to stumble away while d'Eon was battered off their feet. They flipped backwards in midair several times, then glared up in preparation to attack Boudica instead.

However, Mata Hari suddenly dropped in front of them. She elegantly folded her arms before her in a bewitching gesture, and chanted, "Bind together, open up, and drown in my embrace! Mata Hari!"

D'Eon stumbled back, completely entranced by the seductive woman's Noble Phantasm. While she didn't possess Mystic Eyes or any sort of charm-related magic, her entire body exuded pheromones that could captivate anyone of any gender, age, or social standing. This was her real weapon, made even more potent with her ridiculously revealing swimsuit. Regardless of what d'Eon's real gender was, they could not resist the allure of their fellow spy. If they could speak, they probably would have opened up to her about the struggles of living a double life…

A sharp pain instantly shot through d'Eon's chest. Their arms went limp, and the rapier slipped off their fingers to clatter on the ground. Before they knew what happened, Cuchulainn's Gae Bolg pierced their heart and killed them. Their humanoid form lost rigidity, then melted like sand around the spear until there was nothing left but a pile of Void Dust. He stood back up and dematerialized his weapon while muttering, "Finally. Clean-up's complete."

The three Servants glanced over at the Fomorian idol, lying all over the sand in pieces. Just as with the others, this one had also been destroyed before they got there, and Chevalier d'Eon emerged as the Shadow Servant for them to fight. Mata Hari inspected the fragments, then wondered, "Still, why would a French Servant emerge from a statue erected by a Celtic god? There's literally no connection there."

"No," Cuchulainn grimly shook his head. "I don't think that's the reason. If I remember correctly, d'Eon's alternate persona was that of a Christian noblewoman."

"So you're saying their religious faith is the reason they showed up here?"

He glanced away from his ally, then muttered, "If the culprit is who I think it is, then it has to be."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Boudica asked.

He didn't want to answer her. In that moment, his fear was the same as Cuchulainn Alter's – of what would happen should Connla make contact with this person.

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

Sparks splashed everywhere every time Lucius' sword made contact with Li Shuwen's spear. The two men were literally a storm of blades and movement. None of the other fighters dared get close to them as they were lost in their violent frenzy. Li spun his spear so quickly that it was nigh-on imperceptible to the naked eye, blowing artificial winds around him and Lucius. The Roman retaliated by activating Florent's power, enveloping the blade in bright white light before thrusting directly into the fray. The spear was stopped dead by a force field emanating around Florent, which likewise caused the winds to calm down.

Neither of them needed to say how good the other was. The fire in their eyes was enough.

Without warning, Lucius slashed at Li's face. The martial artist ducked back and flipped away, then used the momentum to thrust back forth and smash his free fist against the emperor's armor. He skidded backwards for several meters before dropping to his knee and gasping for air. Both men glared at each other with ferocity and delight. Lucius was so lost in the thrill of combat and bloodshed that his movements lacked much in the way of tactical foresight, yet his strength was so immense that he could just crush his opponent without sparing a thought. In contrast, Li Shuwen remained calm and focused on how to react. If Lucius swung horizontally, Li would parry vertically. If Lucius grabbed the spear, Li would throw him off. If Lucius focused on high attacks, Li would strike at lower extremities.

Li leapt over Lucius to sail over a nasty sword swing, then pointed his heel at the Roman's head and dove straight down, smashing his foot cleanly upon his skull. Lucius' face smacked onto the pavement, and he had to reel for a split second before rolling aside to dodge the spear as it pierced the ground where his head was. As he scurried back to his feet, Lucius whirled his torso around and gripped Florent tightly so he could swing with enough might to carve through diamond.

The Chinese warrior scowled, then vaulted over Lucius a moment before Florent unleashed a merciless shockwave that tore through a nearby pagoda. The structure collapsed upon a group of Kuli who were hurrying to join their comrades in the battle against Elizabeth and Jack. The duo had to flee to avoid being crushed beneath the building, and the dragon girl angrily shouted, "Hey, what's the big idea!? Where does that asshole get off with causing so much mayhem while I'm around!?"

"Stop complaining and help me fight!" Jack retorted as she danced around an Enforcer's mace and jabbed her dagger into their throat.

"Geez! I can't even tell who the good guys and the bad guys are anymore! Well if it's gonna be like that, then I'll go ahead and debut my number one hit that I've been saving for years! No matter whose side they're on, everyone will get to listen!"

Elizabeth twirled her spear over her head, then slammed the blade end on the ground. This caused an illusionary version of Castle Cjete to rise from below, outfitted with monstrously large speakers. The whole scene was her personal stage and Noble Phantasm, which allowed her to unleash the full might of her supersonic dragon breath. She hopped onto the spear's non-blade end and declared, "Time for the grand finale! Bathory Erzsebet!"

She took a deep breath, then howled, "LAAA~AAA~AAA~AAAHHH~HHH~HHH~HHH!"

A horrific boom shot through the town square, overwhelming any and all Enforcers who were unlucky enough to be caught in its range. The lethal decibels were enough to shatter their eardrums and rock their brains inside their skulls, forcing them to collapse and disappear as black dust. The building that Lucius destroyed was also caught in the crossfire, and it exploded into a huge cloud of dust and wooden particles.

The Roman covered his face and coughed, then cursed, "What in the Nine Hells was that repulsive noise!? It's just as bad as Nero's verbal flatulence that she calls singing!"

"Heh heh… Nothing more than the cries of a dreaming maiden, my friend," Li bitterly chuckled.

Lucius would have retorted, but that was when he noticed rapid movement from the corner of his eye. Li spotted it as well and looked over to see sparking flashes from a different battle being waged.

Dozens upon dozens of violet-colored needles materialized at Wu's mental command and launched themselves at Connla. She thoughtlessly ducked, rolled, and tumbled her way through the fusillade until she was mere feet away from Wu. She then hopped and performed a series of rolling kicks in midair, pummeling the empress' face with her feet several times. Connla landed at the same time Wu collapsed onto her back, but the Assassin remained focused enough to conjure more needles at her young foe. Connla backflipped and fled from the onslaught to give herself some space, deflecting any magical weapons that got too close to her liking.

"You won't escape!" Wu declared and summoned hundreds of needles to throw at her.

Without a word, Connla hurried for a nearby table, flipped over it like it was gymnastic equipment, and knocked it on its side so she could use it as a temporary shield. Most of the lavender stingers were absorbed into the wood, penetrating so deeply that they missed skewering her by millimeters. Her heart pounded from the close call, but she wasted no time appreciating her lucky break as she thought of a way to confound Wu. She summoned a Ken Rune and shot some small gusts of wind in one direction, causing Wu to glare that way and shoot more needles. Connla dashed out the opposite side and ricocheted off of the nearby walls to close the distance between them again.

"Impudent little girl!" the empress raged, then reached for a dead Kuli's spiked mace and violently swung it at her. Connla tumbled along the ground to avoid the first strike, but noticed too late that a second swing was bearing straight upon her head. In a swift motion, she got on her hands and thrust her foot in an upward kick. While it was strong enough to counter the falling mace, a couple of thin spikes punched through her flesh and bones. Aside from her bared teeth, she didn't show any sign of how excruciating it was.

Wu widened her eyes in horror and squealed, "This is crazy! That sort of pain would make a grown man fall on their knees and beg for mercy! Why do you remain unperturbed!? Why do you throw your body away so carelessly!?"

Connla was shockingly expressionless as she murmured, "My mother trained me well in the art of resisting torture."

"Wha-?"

"Hyaaah!"

Still standing on her hands, the young Saber twisted her body around and dislodged her foot from the mace, simultaneously throwing Wu using her legs. The pain in her foot was absolutely agonizing, but she ignored it and used her remaining foot to right herself and launch at the dumbfounded empress. Before Wu could conjure more bottles of poison, Connla fired a volley of Ansuz Runes at her, shattering each vase one by one so that their contents uselessly spilled all over the ground.

"This can't be happening! This can't be happening!" the irate ruler seethed.

The Celtic Servant ran for her bewildered opponent, then made her daggers disappear before reeling her arm back and spreading her hand out. Small riastrad lines formed on her face as she clenched her teeth in frustration.

SLAP!

The sharp sound reverberated throughout all of Zhou. The many Enforcers that surrounded Jack and Elizabeth suddenly stopped and glanced over at their liege in unison. The girls likewise heard the unexpected noise and looked to see what it was. Li Shuwen and Lucius paused their match and shifted their eyes toward Connla and Wu, yet refused to lower their guard in case one tried to ambush the other during this distraction. The atmosphere between them was so tense that everyone was afraid the world would shatter if they disrupted them needlessly. Connla stood hunched over Wu, who had fallen onto her side and held her swollen cheek in a confused daze.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Connla raged in her more mature voice, hardly sounding like a child in this moment. She grabbed her dress and shouted into her face, "You need to open your eyes! You have no idea of the dark forces you are playing with, Wu Zetian! You think you're the one sitting at the top of this demented hierarchy, but you're actually nothing more than a pawn in someone else's game!"

Wu stared at the furious Celt. "U-Us… a pawn…?"

"That's right! That statue you call your guardian is actually a ticking time bomb waiting to go off on another's command! I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen to you, nor to anyone from the other nations! Honestly, I never though you would sink yourself to such blatant indolence!"

"H-How could you say that!?"

"You're the type of person to grasp victory with her own hands rather than rely on another's power!"

"Eh?"

"If your land is infertile, then you till it! If your water is tainted, then you purify it! If the nobles rebel against you, then you purge them! If others doubt your abilities, then you show them what you're capable of! That is how you show your love for your country – through your own efforts! That is the true essence of Wu Zetian, the empress who displayed such determination that the Throne of Heroes recognized her for it!"

Wu's eyes widened in astonishment. "You truly… think of us that way?"

"If you really care for your country and its people, then abolish this sacrificing system immediately! For you to be reliant on it is to admit that you are weak and powerless unless others die for you! Is that the legacy you want to create for yourself!? To be a coward who sits on a throne of corpses loaned to you by someone else!? I sure as hell don't think so! I know you're better than that!"

"But… why do you say such things… about the guardian? What do you know… that we do not?"

Connla released Wu, turned to face the statue, then summoned her daggers into her hands and said, "I'll show you the truth."

The empress grabbed her leotard and pleaded, "Wait, don't do it! Don't destroy our statue! If you do, then Zhou is finished!"

"Zhou never had a 'start' to begin with."

"What do you mean?"

"From the moment of its inception, it was designed only to fail. Not just Zhou, but every faction that has ever come along. If you run out of Servants to sacrifice, then you turn to the men. If no men are left, then the women are next. The children may either be next in line, or grow with such resentment that a revolution would be inevitable."

Zhou's citizens listened to Connla's words, and silently agreed with her. She continued, "In other words, these stupid 'factions' are just glorified pyramid schemes erected over and over again for the true enemy's purposes. What their motives are, I couldn't tell you, but I know for sure that this has to stop."

Wu couldn't believe what she was hearing. She got back to her feet and asked, "Even so, what proof do you have of such an odious scheme's existence?"

"Just watch."

Connla got into a sprinting stance, then was about to charge at the statue in the town square. That was when everyone heard the strange sound of splitting stone pierce through the silent air. Connla stopped herself when she caught the noise and looked around to see where it was coming from. Her eyes returned to the statue, and that was when she saw them - long, distinct cracks slithered along the stone effigy, and a bloody red glow shimmered beneath the surface so that they resembled demonic scars. A black ooze poured out of the wounds and tainted the crystal clear fountain water.

As the pieces splashed into the muddy fluid one after the other, Connla gasped hard and blurted, "No way! Is the idol actually destroying itself!?"

"You're kidding, right? What nerve, bringing itself to ruin before I could render it asunder myself!" Lucius snapped.

Jack grew increasingly confused, then asked, "Hey, isn't this supposed to be a good thing? Now no one will be sacrificed to these awful deities anymore."

"Yeah, but who's destroying them!? Certainly not any one of us!" Elizabeth barked.

Li Shuwen smirked lightly. "Looks like the little one's claims about an evil god have some merit. They must have realized that they were compromised and opted to shed its tail in retreat."

Wu was absolutely distraught as she watched her statue – nay, the very foundation of her kingdom – crumble into useless fragments before her very eyes. The empress lost her grip on sanity and screamed, "STOP, STOP, STOP, STOP! WE COMMAND YOU TO STOP!"

She hurried for the statue to see if she could do anything to repair it. Connla took chase while shouting, "It's too dangerous! Please get back!"

Wu clamored into the fountain and reached out for the crumbling idol. Suddenly, some kind of distorted voice howled so loudly that she backed away and squeaked in fright, "Wh-Wh-Wh-What is this!? A ghost!? An angry spirit!?"

"HRRAAAAAAAAH! WU ZETIAAAA~AAAA~AAANNN!"

"We… we don't… N-No, please… Anything but ghosts…" the girl trembled helplessly.

"LADY WU!" Connla shrieked and tackled her aside. It was a good thing she did, for an instant later, sinewy black tendrils burst out of the center of the destroyed statue and attempted to run Wu through like a series of long swords. The girls tumbled along the ground for a moment. Connla grunted as she got to her knees and asked Wu, "Are you all right?"

"Y-Yeah… Truly, we do not know what's going on… Were there ghosts inside our deity this whole time!? Oh, the very thought is too repulsive to comprehend!"

"I'm not sure, but there's definitely something emerging."

The Saber stood guard in front of the frightened empress, while everyone's eyes were fixated on the black aura bleeding out and tainting the fountain. Soon, the darkness wrapped around itself as three distinct cocoons, and gradually materialized into a trio of pitch-black humanoid silhouettes. Each of them stood tall in the darkened water, each glaring upon the astonished crowd from three different directions.

"Hey, Connla!" Jack shouted as she ran to her friend's side. "We've seen these before!"

"Yeah, definitely. I don't know what their True Names are or why they're here, but those are unquestionably Shadow Servants."

"S-Shadow… Servants?" Wu wondered and shakily got back on her feet. "So they're not ghosts?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure Servants themselves already qualify as high-density ghosts comprised of mana."

"Just because we are a Servant, don't just calmly call us a ghost like that!"

"Oh boy," Connla sighed once she realized how hopelessly phasmophobic Wu was. She then said, "If you're worried about them being lingering spirits or poltergeists that require exorcisms to banish them, then that's not a problem here. They're Servants just like you and me – defeating them in a fight will be sufficient enough to be rid of them. If we're lucky, we could acquire some Void Dust to bring back to Chaldea."

"Really?" Wu uttered. She inhaled a deep breath, then chuckled, "Ah, ah hah hah hah! Of course! We would not be so fool as to mistake a Servant for a commonplace haunt! We were just grossly misinformed, that is all!"

Jack grumbled, "Yeah, whatever. So do you know who these Servants are supposed to be?"

"Let us see… Hm?" the empress squinted to inspect their features. "That combat stance… That hairstyle… That long spear… That regal aura… And that distinct hoop dress… Unbelievable! Those are the three Servants we have sacrificed during our tenure as Zhou's ruler!"

"Who might they be?" Connla wondered.

"I watched that shirtless guy with the super-long ponytail be sacrificed," Jack said. "I think they said his True Name was Yan Qing from the Water Margin or something. If it's anything pertaining to stories, Nursery would know more than me. I don't know about the other two."

Elizabeth clenched her teeth and widened her eyes in genuine horror. She heard the others talking and called out, "I know them! The woman is Carmilla, the adult version of the original Elizabeth Bathory who is known as the most prolific female serial killer! And the third one is… is…"

"The Impaler guy that you call Uncle?"

"Yeah… The Dracul Faction's leader, and ruler of Wallachia, Vlad III!"

The moment Elizabeth cried out that name, the three Shadow Servants leapt from their spots and dove upon the frightened crowds in different directions. They were all intent on slaughtering the human bystanders as they fled for their very lives. It almost seemed like the Servants who were present didn't register on their proverbial radars. Vlad made his advance upon a terrified couple, and Elizabeth couldn't react in time to intercept him due to the shock of seeing her former leader like this.

CLANG!

Steel met steel, and Vlad was forced back when an unexpected interloper got between him and his prey. He vaulted back to avoid being beheaded by a distinct qiang-type spear that whipped through the air. Elizabeth glanced over, then cried out, "Li Shuwen!"

The Chinese spearman inspected his opponent, then remarked, "Oh ho, so you're Vlad III, returning from the grave to leave his grotesque mark upon this country's short yet storied history. Kah kah kah! Fascinating! I always wanted to test my mettle against a Lancer as renowned as you! It's a shame you did not manifest as your 'warrior' self but rather as your 'king' self. Even so, I trust that your skills have not dulled in the slightest!"

"…"

"Circumstances prevented me from challenging you directly in the past, but now there is no need for me to hold back! Bring it, Impaler King! If you seek my death, then you're going to have to fight your hardest to earn it!"

"Li!" Elizabeth squealed desperately. "Even if he's a Shadow Servant, he's still Uncle Vlad! I don't want him to suffer any more than he already has!"

"Apologies, but it appears the man you admire has lost every trace of rationality to be worth reasoning with. If you are that concerned about fighting him, then leave his demise to me and assist in silencing your elder self instead. You may have watched your previous faction be demolished, but you are not the type to sit back and watch another one meet the same fate, are you?"

She became quiet, and her bright blue eyes showed signs of distress.

Li laughed, "Kah kah kah! That's not the face of an idol who seeks to gather many crowds for her performances, is it!? If you want the people to admire your song, then you must ensure they live so they can actually hear it in the first place!"

"… Yeah… Yeah! Of course!" her mood immediately changed. "I know it's being selfish, but I can't fight Uncle Vlad on a whim like you can! Please take care of him for me! Make sure you destroy him so he has no chance of coming back!"

"Got it!" he replied as she ran in the opposite direction to confront Carmilla.