There once was a boy.
He had been born with a serious illness, and by the tender age of manhood he had been seriously crippled by it
Seeking another chance at life he left his home to find the city of Yharnam , land of the Healing Blood Church
He sought salvation.
He received damnation instead.
Forming a contract signed in blood, he would take arms against the beastly scourge of Yharnam ,
And for a time, he was content. He felt like a hero to others he had saved.
However once the Blood Moon descended, the lines between man and beast blurred.
He cried into the night as those he had saved experienced horror worse than death.
They say that the Great Ones were sympathetic in spirit, that one's prayers are answered if directed to them.
He prayed and prayed for this nightmare to cease.
All he got was silence.
"Haven't you heard Gaia that it's rude to come uninvited," Sneered Caster as he stood a few feet away from the primordial will of the Earth.
"Another human term you like to throw around, a goddess arrives whenever she wishes. She has no need for invitations." She shot back as the two proceeded to circle each other. Like two wolves sizing the other up.
"If your beloved humans knew how cruel their "Mother Earth" was then they would have no guilt when it came to using the land for their own gain." Mocked Caster.
"It fascinates me that you still cling on to your love of human even when you have ascended past their feeble ways. You still care for such a destructive species."
Stopping, Caster stared at Gaia. "You underestimate them Gaia."
She stopped as well before staring at him. "You give them too much credit."
The two deities stared at each other, unwilling to compromise on their views. For Gaia, Caster was a giant unknown. A puzzle that no matter how long she stared at it, she could not solve it.
"I don't understand you Caster, you have received a gift that others would've killed for. The dream of godhood, the dream of being the master of your own fate and yet you chose to participate in this...," Gaia's face clenched in disgust. "Blasphemous ritual." She finished.
"I mean this ritual isn't all that bad," Caster tried to defend. "It's kind of flattering that they devised a ritual to try to reach the Root."
"Ah yes the Root, or should I say another name you were once called by the Yharmanites when they saw your ascension." Gaia deadpanned. "Once," She pointed out with anger.
Ah yes, he remembered how Yharnam had reacted when he had descended upon them, filled with hope that they would repent in front of him, to ask forgiveness from an ascended Great One for their sins. The hope quickly turned to disgust as the events that landed him into Godhood begun to repeat. They had fallen to their knees and begun to pray for favor and prosperity. The Healing Church had announced that this was the fruit of their labor in trying to regain their lost reputation, that if the Yharmanites pledged their lives to them that they could reach his status of godhood.
The world now no longer remembers the day where the cosmos laid waste to the land. When righteous judgement from the skies rained down on the planet.
"The world was better off without the mistakes that happened in Yharnam, there was no redemption to be found there." Caster seriously said. She was treading on some dangerous territory over here.
"Yet you chose to save a select few from Yharnam, your 'chosen' champions" Gaia pointed out his ironic choice in saving some.
"They know the hell that descended onto Yharnam and how they all advertently played a hand in it. They wished to redeem themselves for their mistakes, far more than the city's citizens and Church had done." Caster had not forced any of them to pledge their souls to him, just like Gehrman once sold his soul to Flora, The Moon Presence, for a chance to be useful and reunited with his student. He had given them a choice to back out, that if they said yes that their lives would be for him and him alone.
They accepted nonetheless.
"Regardless of what happened, your choice held serious complications. You erased an entire country from the face of the Earth, wiped reality itself. It no longer exists in the world's history; no living soul nor book holds a single memory of that place. The only one that does is you."
"And as a result, the world is a better place now."
"For humans it might've been but for us gods you destroyed us!" Cracks appeared on the floor as Gaia made her power, her anger, known. "Yharnam was, like other civilizations, once a place where us gods were worshiped, where our powers were at our peak. Yet your love for this inferior species ended our Age of Gods." In the history of magi, the Age of Gods had ended mysteriously and ever since the Age of Man has continued on. For that was what Caster exactly wanted, a world free from the strings of the gods. Free from their influence and schemes.
"Nothing to say Caster, you coward! Or should I say..."
"Speak that name Gaia, and I will show you how I ended the Age of Gods," Caster's voice was no longer playful and mischievous but now truly befitting his stature of a God. Each word that left his mouth shook the room with its power.
"Would you like me to demonstrate how I ripped each god from their gilded thrones, how they begged for mercy as I robbed them of their power," His eyes were no longer a peaceful cosmos but now a raging supernova. He flexed his fingers as he tried remembering the last time he had used his power. "Just like I did to Flora under her own Blood Moon long ago."
"Oh, where's the bravado that you showed so much to me Gaia? Or have you finally learned why I favored humans so much even after my ascension to godhood?"
"They are a weak race; they are undeserving of such power." Gaia tried to regain any semblance of control.
"You see that is precisely why you gods were doomed to fail, it is because you fail to understand that no god is in control of their fate. You and I are just simple pawns under fate, there is no denying that. It is the natural calling of the child to replace the parent, for the old to be replaced with the new. Alaya understands this and so do I. One day humanity will reach our divine ark. It may be tomorrow, a year, or even decades from now but they will reach it. It is the human calling to ascend higher and higher." He threw his hands as he showed that he was the prime example of such ascension.
"However, unlike you bumbling fool, I will groom my successor. You will wait for the day when a power-hungry fool like Laurence comes and drags you from your throne screaming and kicking. I on the other hand, will groom those that I believe are up to the task of my role. That they understand the gravity of what my power holds." Getting that out of his chest, Caster calmed down as the power that was once vibrating the room had now ceased.
"I must see with my own two eyes that my actions have benefited humanity, that they are indeed ready to travel down their destined path. Just like how a lone boy shouted in the face of the Hunt and ascended humanity as a result, so too will these master and servants show me the tenacity that humanity possesses that the gods themselves cower at." Turning around Caster proceeded to walk out of the room. "Leave Gaia, whatever you do now does not concern me but do not make me use my power, do not test me." And with that he teleported out.
It had been a tense meeting in the Church's Planning Room. Tensions had been running high on what to do next and they all agreed on was to take some time off and cool down before the situation got worse.
Hence why Saber found herself at the Church's flower gardens. Such a place reminded her of bittersweet times back at Camelot. Days where she would spend them laying in the flower fields that Merlin left around, a gift of Avalon he would say.
Holding a flower in her hand, she wished that her knights would be with her right now. She tried to play off the image of a strong and valiant king but in the end, she was still the small girl full of dreams.
"Such thinking is unbefitting of you, my king," A familiar voice called out behind her.
She smiled at hearing her trusted friend, even in her memories his impact was still big on her that his voice would blend with reality than her mind. "My friend how I wish you were here; you would have the answers I need."
"Oh, you admit that you need me my dear Artoria?"
"Yes, I would do anything to have you here now."
"Hmm maybe if you got on your knees and proclaimed that I am the best wizard of all time then maybe I'll consider."
"Yes, I'll..." Realizing that the voice she was hearing was in fact real and not a figment of her imagination, she whipped her head around to see her dear friend.
Merlin, The Great Magus of Flowers, bowed in front of her. Flowers gathering beneath his white pristine robes. "Hello my dear king, it has been a while."
"Merlin, how are you here!?" She knew very well of his circumstances and that him leaving his tower in Avalon meant he broke some rules.
Adopting a guilty look, which in fact he wasn't, he explained. "Under normal circumstances I couldn't be here but Caster has broken some rules so why not myself as well."
"How can we against such a servant, Merlin?" She distressed at the insurmountable odds they were facing. "How can we fight against such an enemy that can control reality itself!?"
He sighed before placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "This is unbecoming of you my king, do you remember the time when the Saxons descended unto Britain like a horde, where their numbers easily dwarfed ours by the hundreds? Do you remember what I taught you?"
"To not fear an opponent just because they seem strong," Remembered Saber.
"You rallied Camelot when all seemed lost and beat the Saxons back, and now you worry over a single servant? My how the mighty have fallen." Joked Merlin.
Punching his shoulder lightly, Saber laughed a bit. She needed this. "Will you help us against Caster? Like old times my old mentor?"
Merlin laughed lightly. "Oh, I wouldn't go that far, Caster's distraction has now left and soon he'll know that I'm here." Just realizing something he directed her attention to something behind him. "But I will give you a way to know a little more about Caster, what that will do I have no idea though."
"It is good to see you Miss Artoria," A familiar voice called out as a woman stepped forward. Saber immediately pulled out Excalibur and pointed it at Maria. However, a hand from Merlin motioned for her to lower her sword.
"This is not the Lady Maria that you have fought earlier, this is a favor that I have as a fellow Grand Class servant. Thank you for coming Marianne." Merlin thanked the Doll for coming.
"It is no problem Sir Merlin, anything for a dear friend of Caster," The Doll bowed as Saber begun noticing the differences between her and Lady Maria.
For one the clothing they wore was different. She wore clothes befitting a doll while Maria would wear her hunter garb. They both shared the same flawless skin at first but a closer look revealed the pale skin was actually porcelain. Regular fingers had been replaced by puppet fingers; you could see the mechanical joints which would reveal the inner workings of the doll. One could tell that much love went into making this doll.
"This is Marianne Artoria, if you wish to understand Caster you must understand his hunt and only one person knows all about him. How ironic that the one that would inspire him to fight for humanity would be a doll deprived of it."
Chapter 10 is done! Idk but it seems kind of short for some reason but could be just me. I have to give credit where its due with The-Killer40513 and his idea of having the doll help the masters and servants about Hunters and Great Ones. The idea of the doll just willingly helping didn't sit well so I had Merlin make a small appearance. Next chapter will be the doll telling the masters and servants on Caster's past. Tried to make Gaia and Caster's argument as long as possible so I hoped you enjoyed it.
This story really doing well and I'm so thankful for all the support.
Welp that's all for now and as always...
May The Cosmos Shine In Your Favor This Day!