FATE/IRREGULAR SUMMONS

Chapter 25: Armageddon's Conception

As the late night hours enveloped all of Fuyuki in almost compete darkness, Connla and Caren landed on a residential rooftop that was relatively unscathed from the explosion. They wordlessly gazed at the wreckage that was once the Matou residence. The only sections that remained of the actual mansion were the foundations and a couple of walls. The ground around it was utterly destroyed and smoldering with small flames. Although the upper levels had been decimated, the stone-walled basement was relatively intact.

"Hm…" Caren hummed in curiosity. She realized that several families were either scrambling into their vehicles or fleeing from their homes in a state of panic. Some people didn't even bother changing out of their night wear, opting to just get the hell out of there while they could. Neighbors allowed their shell-shocked friends to climb into their cars so they could all escape this indescribable hellscape.

Connla noticed this as well and murmured, "It doesn't look like there were any casualties among the townsfolk."

"Fine by me. If we're going to deal with Zouken and Cuchulainn, then at least they won't have any meat shields to hide behind."

Once they were sure the coast was clear, they hopped off the roof and landed in front of the ruined mansion. Connla told Caren to stay behind while she ventured into the wreckage. At the epicenter of it all was a hideous protuberance writhing before her. Crest Worms that didn't die in the explosion crawled around her feet, clearly acting dumbfounded as to why their hive had been destroyed so suddenly. Connla glared at the wriggling mass of insects and flesh as they reconstituted into something vaguely human-shaped.

That's Matou Zouken…?

She couldn't believe that this was a fellow human being she was confronting. She was already aware of him extending his lifespan by infusing himself with so many Crest Worms that his original body had long since decayed. However, she had to remember something that Scathach taught her back when she trained in the Land of Shadows:

"The soul contains one's memories, mind, and magic circuits. The body simply exists to anchor the soul and temporarily preserve it, but all souls are ultimately destined to return to Akasha. Even if something like the Holy Grail creates a copy of that same body and transfers the same person's soul into it, the copy will always be inferior to the original. If this process is allowed to continue unabated, the soul will 'rot'."

"I understand a body rotting away, but that can happen to a soul too?"

"Indeed. Their original intentions, however pure or vile they may be, will warp beyond recognition. Eventually, that soul will decay to a point that they can no longer be considered 'human'. That's why I always show my students how to exorcise spirits; however much the departed seek to tether themselves to the land of the living, the fact is that it is impossible. As I am the queen of the land of death, it is only natural for me to show my pupils the art of exorcism so that they can assist me in returning such wayward souls to where they belong."

Connla then recalled what Sakura told her and Caren way back when they first recruited her:

"Ten years ago, I had an uncle who took part in the Fourth War. He promised me that if he won the Grail for Grandfather, he could save me from being fed to the 'bugs'. But that uncle… lost. I then watched him as he was eaten by the 'bugs', and I realized that it was pointless to go against Grandfather's will…"

She gripped her shawl and trembled a bit. If Sakura was 17 now, that meant she had to be exposed to these atrocious insects when she was seven – the same age that Connla would always be summoned as. Not only that, Sakura had watched a relative be consumed for his failure. Although Connla didn't know Zouken personally, she had to imagine that his soul had decayed so horribly that he derived pleasure from torturing his own family in such a brutal fashion. Heck, she figured that he saw everyone around him as either instruments of entertainment or tools to use for his ambitions before discarding them like so much garbage.

Compounding Connla's anxiety was the sight of that writhing mass living on Cuchulainn's back. The agony of having his spine ripped out and replaced with a living parasite was too difficult for her to imagine. Her glare became uncharacteristically vicious once she realized that this rotten soul had gone so far as to deform her father into something as unrecognizable as him. In a rare moment of anger, small portions of her facial skin creased with distinct riastrad lines.

"Keh heh heh…" Zouken's garbled laugh broke through the buzzing sound of insects reconstituting into a human body. "Soon… Soon, the Holy Grail will be mine. Just a little longer, Justeaze. We'll be together forever… and I will turn this world… into our own paradise…"

Connla had nothing worthwhile to say to this rambling maniac. She remained silent as she closed her eyes and flexed her fingers into a strange gesture reserved for incantations. She concentrated on casting some Runecraft directly onto her eyes for a few seconds so that she could 'see' Zouken's soul. Normally, a soul would appear bright and vivid. His was so dull that she almost couldn't make it out in the darkness. Although it was dim, she could hone in on it well enough, and she proceeded to chant a different spell.

"Nauðr gerer næppa koste; nøktan kælr í froste." †

Zouken wasn't sure what Connla was planning, so he assumed it was the worst and mentally commanded his insectoid familiars to devour her. As they approached however, a white cross symbol with a tilted horizontal line appeared in front of her intersecting hands, and a pure ivory flame incinerated the bugs into ashes.

"Nauthiz!" Connla called out, and the fire stretched out like a rope to reach for Zouken. While he didn't feel any pain from his inhuman body being seared, he felt a peculiar grip on his soul that attempted to wrench him out of the mortal plane. Since Zouken was in the process of reforming his body after the explosion destroyed his previous one, Connla had actually attacked him when he was at his most vulnerable. Had he been at full strength, he would have been able to resist the exorcism and retaliate against her.

"This can't be!" his voice came out as an awful gurgle. "I… I'm being exorcised…!? Like some… commonplace wraith…!?"

"You will haunt the land of the living no longer, ghost of bygone days," she declared and sent a stronger burst of fire at him. "Know the weight of your sins, and endure them for your entire afterlife!"

"Gah… GAAA~AAAGH-!"

Alas, the purifying conflagration was too much for the weakened Zouken to withstand, and his spirit lost its hold on the aged collection of insects he had tethered himself to. The last thoughts he had were of a beautiful white-haired woman garbed in a lovely white dress and donning a large shining crown. Her arms, cloaked beneath huge white sleeves that enrobed her backside, were raised as if to welcome him home, yet her expression was lifeless and solemn.

Justeaze…

Within the raging white flames, Matou Zouken, once known as Makiri Zolgen many centuries ago, finally departed from this world. Connla deactivated the Rune and let the fire die down while staring at where Zouken once stood. Without regarding his passing whatsoever, she turned back to rejoin with Caren.

"It is done," she reported vapidly.

"Good work, Lancer," the nun said. "If things had turned out differently, we would have made an excellent ghost-hunting duo."

"I thought your forte was with demons."

"You can purify demons as well, can't you? Then it would work out in the end."

"I guess. But more importantly, Father did not come here to protect Zouken."

"I noticed that as well. Where could he have taken off to at a time like this?"

Connla panned her eyes upward to a distant skyscraper where she believed the arc of light came from, then said, "Let's ask Archer."

Caren raised an eyebrow. "Archer? That's impossible. Gilgamesh killed him not that long ago."

"There's no mistaking it. That flash of light we saw was him using Caladbolg as an arrow."

"So you're saying he didn't actually die, but simply shed his skin and slithered out of sight?"

"It seems that way."

"What a snake. Then again, I'm not that terribly surprised anymore. If you say that Archer's still alive, then let's have a nice long chat with him. If anything, it will be most satisfying to give him a piece of our minds."

Atop the tallest skyscraper in Fuyuki, a white-haired man stared into the distance with a vapid expression. He wielded his bow, which he had used to fire a copy of Caladbolg at the Matou residence. He watched the house get decimated in the explosion, then just stood there for a long time. He knew that at least one Servant would want to investigate, and that they would figure out where his arrow came from. Since everyone else was accounted for, they would definitely want to know why an Archer-class Servant had attacked Zouken when it was assumed that both Archers were dead.

It didn't take long before the red-coated man realized he had guests coming to meet him. He found Connla sprinting along the high-rise walls and rooftops to reach his vantage point, while Caren safely flew behind her in the wind bubble. After an impressive rush straight up the tallest building, Connla vaulted onto the roof, somersaulted a few times, then landed before the man in an awe-inspiring display of agility. She got to her feet and stared at him with a firm gaze. Caren landed next to her and likewise narrowed her eyes, indicating that she too was here for serious business.

"It's you, Second Lancer. Or should I say, the Child of Cuchulainn, Connla," Archer declared and dematerialized his bow.

"So Father told you about me?" she asked in a deadpan tone.

"Yeah. I explained what you looked like to him, and he divulged everything about you to me."

"Hm…" she sighed, no longer caring about her identity being exposed, nor of the many disappointments he had caused for her. Instead, she asked, "What was the meaning of attacking Matou Zouken like that? Did you know that Father had contracted with him?"

"No. I had a different purpose in mind," the bowman said, then pointed at Fuyuki Bridge and uttered, "Look."

The girls peered over and discovered a long row of various cars and vehicles congesting the thin roadway like a blocked blood vessel. Though they only saw countless headlights, they could already tell that it was absolute pandemonium as thousands of citizens desperately sought to just pack up what they could and abandon Fuyuki.

Caren nodded and said, "I get it. There have been so many bizarre incidents and losses of life that paranoia has swept all among the populace. The back-to-back destruction of Einzbern Manor and the Matou residence were essentially the straws that broke the camel's back. In other words, you triggered a mass evacuation to occur."

"Right," Archer replied. "I once told Caster that it would be easier for me to fight at full potential if there were no civilians to worry about protecting. With that idea dashed though, I've been keeping this plan on the back burner in case of an emergency. Our foes may be thinning in number, but that doesn't mean we can rest on our laurels when the Grail is still out there."

"'Our foes', you say?"

"I think you understand what that means."

He turned to face them, then declared, "I don't need to hear Lancer's side of things. I already have a good grasp of how things will turn out if we let things be. Call it experience from being a second hand at this Grail War business."

Connla looked away from him sadly, facing the pack of cars that were leaving Fuyuki. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you disapprove?"

"You've certainly caused your fair share of trouble," she drawled. "But… better late than never, I suppose."

"I have no objections either," Caren said. "That doesn't mean I forgive you for kidnapping me. I just have the presence of mind to concern myself with more important matters."

Archer admitted, "I know. I don't mind being hated, so long as we can cooperate with each other."

"Then it is settled. Now, can you tell us where Cuchulainn has taken off to? Connla was fighting him just before you attacked Zouken, but he suddenly disengaged without finishing her off."

"Shouldn't he be disappearing now that his Master is dead?"

"Zouken planted Crest Worms in him. No doubt, they must be feeding him with large amounts of mana that they consumed previously. With that, he should be able to maintain his existence in this world long enough to complete the Grail by himself."

"Good grief. What a mess this is turning into…"

"Wait a minute, Ms. Hortensia," Connla uttered. "Lord Gilgamesh said that the Grail needs to be filled with the pure mana supplied by Servants, didn't he? I don't know what's happening between him and Saber, but Rider and Assassin are back at the Edelfelt mansion. Assuming that Father knows the truth, wouldn't he want to go after any of them to complete the Grail?"

"If that's the case, he could have killed you as well," Caren remarked worriedly, "yet he didn't. Does this mean he wants to save his battle with you for last?"

"I'm not sure. His desire is to fight me, so I don't know what he would want the Grail for. All I know is that I want to be sure the other Servants are okay. So long as they don't die, the Grail will not activate. Then I can hold Father off while the rest of you figure out how to destroy the Heaven's Feel system."

"Agreed."

As he listened to their deductions, Archer glanced up when he noticed a peculiar flash illuminate the old graveyard where he and Artoria fought Heracles before. He knew that crimson light from anywhere, and he snarled, "That's Gae Bolg. He must be fighting someone there."

"Let's go," Caren commanded and ran for the edge of the skyscraper, then leapt off. Connla and Archer followed her, and the young Lancer surrounded her false Master in a bubble of winds so that she could fly behind them.

Deep in the outskirts of Fuyuki, Shirou and the others reached the graveyard where the battle with Heracles happened previously. The signs of wanton destruction remained etched in the ground as massive craters and gashes. Illyasviel glanced at them and thought about her Servant for a moment, feeling intense grief well within her heart as she fell to her knees.

"Illya!" Shirou shouted and help her up.

"I'm sorry… I'm just a little tired."

"All right, let's concentrate our defenses here. Illya and Sakura, you should stay behind the rest of us."

"No, I can fight," the white-haired homunculus exclaimed, then pulled off several strands of her hair and enchanted them with magic so that they transformed into a flock of glowing blue birds. "Berserker wouldn't want me to just stand around and let others do the fighting for me."

"Guess nothing I say will stop you… Fine, but remember what we talked about though. Kiritsugu wants us to survive, got it?"

"I know."

"Here they come!" Rin scowled and tossed a plethora of gemstones into the trees nearby. They exploded in various colors, dispersing destructive magic that decimated a good number of pursuing Crest Worms. A plague of Blade Worms soared past the cacophony and descended upon the team. Kojirou rushed in front of the Masters while muttering under his breath, "Trying to cut down a swallow is one thing, but to think my skills will be utilized against insects is something else."

"I am familiar with their composition and behavior," Medusa told him. "They are not as agile as swallows, so you shouldn't have trouble cutting down the Blade Worms that get too close. I shall eliminate the small fry lurking within the woods."

"Understood."

With that, she elegantly hopped forth and flipped through the swarm while flailing her chains about, knocking out a significant portion of insects as effortlessly as whipping a captive person. This made it easier for Kojirou to slice through the remainder of the horde, though any strays that broke through would have to be dealt with by the Masters. Sakura was forced to stay in the center while Shirou, Rin and Illyasviel used their various skills to fend off the Blade Worms that threatened them.

"Damn it all! Just how many of these things did Zouken breed anyway!?" Rin grunted as she fired a volley of Gandr shots.

Sakura winced and clasped her hands over her chest, thinking back to the very first day when she had been subjected to the Crest Worms within that dark and dank basement. There had probably been millions of wriggling insects crawling all over her and crawling into the most delicate portions of her skin. Any and every orifice had been used as an entryway for them to gain access to her magic circuits. She dared not tell anyone else how horrific those days were, and prayed that her allies would be victorious so that she would never have to go through such torture again. If they failed and Zouken reclaimed her… No, she didn't want to imagine it. She tried to block the idea out as best as she could.

"Haaah!" Shirou shouted as he cleaved through some Blade Worms with his projected swords. He thought back to what he saw within Unlimited Blade Works and recalled the structure of the weapons he copied from Archer's personal storehouse. He then created a collection of simple swords that shot as a merciless fusillade at the bugs. Illyasviel likewise controlled her Storch Ritter creations to fly at some more insects, allowing them to detonate in bursts of energy that scattered some creatures away.

As the group was preoccupied with fighting the Crest Worms, Kojirou suddenly noticed an unfamiliar figure advance toward him from the side. He instantly raised his nodachi and blocked an incoming piercing strike from a distinct red spear.

"Assassin!" Shirou barked in surprise.

"Tch…" the samurai spat as he glared into his new opponent's gleaming ruby eyes.

"No way! Is that you, Lancer!?" Rin yelped when she recognized the blue-haired spearman.

"Yo. Long time no see, little girl," Cuchulainn regarded her with an icy sneer, yet never let up on his attack against Kojirou.

Sakura let out an astonished cry when she saw the Lust Worm attached to the man's back, then shouted, "This can't be! Why do you have one of Grandfather's Crest Worms attached to you!?"

"Don't you know?" he turned his eyes toward her, and his grin faded for a moment as he gazed at Sakura, evidently bearing no animosity toward her. "Archer killed Kirei."

"What!? When the hell did that happen!?" Rin demanded, alarmed to hear that the man she absolutely loathed with all her soul was dead.

"Just before the kid had his big confrontation with Archer."

"So that's who the blood belonged to…" Kojirou realized, remembering the large bloodstain he saw in the cellar when he helped Connla rescue Caren.

"Yeah," Cuchulainn said. "Thanks to that, I was free to look for a new Master. 'Course, the only option I had left was the muck festering in the bottom of the barrel, but hey, gotta do what you've gotta do."

"Why!? Why would you become Grandfather's Servant on such a whim!?" Sakura shrieked in desperation. "Don't you understand what this means for you!?"

"If it meant being able to fight my daughter in an honest-to-goodness match, I would do anything."

"Your daughter…" Shirou tensed up. "Does that mean you know who Second Lancer is!?"

"You bet I do. I had a little spar with her just now, but Zouken told me to retrieve the Lesser Grail for him. Naturally, he wants it filled up as well. Once my business with you lot is finished, I can take my sweet time fighting Connla."

"Shit!"

While Cuchulainn was busy talking to the Masters, Kojirou found his chance to flip his sword in such a way that he forced the spear aside, then he jumped back and stood in front of Shirou. He murmured, "It would appear that I am Lancer's first target. I strongly suggest that you and your partners make as much distance from us as possible."

"Yeah," Shirou said, then raised his hand with the Command Spells. "By my command, Assassin, defeat him as swiftly as possible!"

"Understood."

The three sigils all simultaneously glowed, transferring an inordinate amount of power to Kojirou, though this meant that no matter what happened, he would no doubt vanish once the battle was over. He didn't mind though, so long as he was strong enough to face another infamous hero like Artoria. Fully confident in his abilities, Kojirou got into his combat stance with Monohoshizao and glared icy daggers at Cuchulainn, who likewise readied Gae Bolg. Neither man dared make the first move, since they knew that they were two of the fastest Heroic Spirits summoned in the Fifth War.

"Acht!" Rin shouted as she threw some gems at a horde of insects. The exploding viridian light jolted the warriors' senses, and they instantly rushed in to meet each other in battle. Sparks flew everywhere as the two human-length weapons struck each other in a crazed dervish. Kojirou maintained a stalwart defense as Cuchulainn roared and kept pressing on him with flailing swings of his spear. In contrast to the spearman's rabid behavior, the samurai remained calm and waited for an opening to present itself. He soon found one and ducked in to swipe at Cuchulainn's wrist, severing the nerves so that he accidentally dropped Gae Bolg.

"Damn-!" he cursed and whirled around so that he could retrieve his weapon with his other hand. A terrible pain coursed through his body as the Lust Worm on his back pumped mana through his bloodstream, forcing the wound to close unnaturally. Kojirou dashed in low and attempted to swipe at Cuchulainn's midsection, but he flipped back and ran around.

Kojirou knew what his opponent's tactic was. If he was far away, he would always be on the move. If he was close, he would attack as wildly as if he was possessed by a demon. The whole purpose was to prevent Kojirou from using his Noble Phantasm, which meant the samurai was having significant difficulty finding his chance to use it. Compounding the situation was that Cuchulainn could use his Noble Phantasm from a distance as a throwing weapon, so Kojirou likewise needed to worry about keeping his foe occupied.

"Haaah!" Cuchulainn screamed and propelled himself upon his spear before swinging down hard upon Kojirou. He had to use all his strength to block the strike. In that moment, he was extremely grateful to Shirou for repairing his nodachi earlier. If he hadn't, it was highly likely that the weapon would have been too damaged to consider using his Noble Phantasm. With the reinforcement however, it was sturdy enough to withstand a strike that could puncture the earth itself.

As Cuchulainn landed, Kojirou finally found his opportunity. One slash to the right, another from above, and Kojirou came in from the left…

"Concealed Sword, Tsubame Gaeshi!"

RIII~IIIP!

The distinct sound of metal carving through flesh sang in the night sky, attracting the Masters' attention. Shirou was the first to become bug-eyed when he saw the result of his Servant's strongest attack. To everyone's astonishment, Cuchulainn was not injured whatsoever. In contrast, Kojirou stood there in abject shock. Blood poured out of his mouth and from a massive gash across his midsection that literally bifurcated him into clean halves. As he fell backwards, he gasped, "H-How…?"

"Feh. Your technique is pretty scary, I'll give you that," Cuchulainn praised the samurai. "But when you use the exact same movements every single time, it becomes easy to figure out where your weak spot is."

"Then… does that mean… you saw… my battle… with Saber…?"

"Not exactly. The Anti-Servant field around Ryuudou prevented me from getting in close to watch. But that can't be said for these little guys."

The Celtic hero raised his hand and allowed a Blade Worm to rest on it. He continued, "I simply had one of these critters watch the battle for me. Their report was most extensive, let me tell you."

"Ungh…"

Kojirou was too weakened to say anything further, and his body shimmered in a haze before vanishing in a swarm of light particles. Cuchulainn grinned as the Assassin disappeared, then turned his attention to the Masters once he heard Illyasviel yelping uncontrollably. Sakura gasped and tried to help her friend stay upright.

"This isn't good," Rin murmured to Shirou. "That Crest Worm is giving Lancer too much power, plus a fifth Servant's mana is filling up the Grail inside Illya."

Shirou stood firm and glared at Cuchulainn while stating, "Maybe if I carve that thing off of him, he won't be able to maintain himself."

"That's probably our best hope right now. Damn it, where on Earth are Caren and Second Lancer when you need them the most!?"

Cuchulainn was about to stride toward the four Masters, but then a black-dressed figure darted between them and stood in a hunched pose. He recognized her as Medusa, who had returned after slaughtering countless Crest Worms in the forest. With the insects gone, she could focus on protecting Sakura and the others. She quickly peered around, but found no sign of Kojirou.

"If you're looking for Assassin, I just wiped the floor with him," he remarked.

"Hmph. I would be disappointed, but first I'd have to be surprised."

"You're pretty calm, considering I'm going to be doing the same thing to you next."

"Seeing Assassin fall has had no affect on my ability to destroy you."

Cuchulainn would have chuckled, but he paused unexpectedly and murmured to himself. He felt something peculiar happening within his soul. For the third time in this entire war, his felt his connection with his Master being severed. No doubt, Zouken must have perished for whatever reason just now. He narrowed his eyes as two possibilities lingered in his mind.

Connla… or is it Archer?

He wasn't sure, nor did he really care. It wasn't like he gave a damn about Zouken – he was just the means to ensuring that he remained in this world long enough to accomplish what his heart desired. With a light scoff, he ignored what just happened and approached Illyasviel while saying, "Sorry, little lady. I don't particularly care for killing innocent people, but my job's to wrench the Lesser Grail living inside you. If you're going to blame anyone, then blame those who created you to be its host."

"Uuuh…" Illyasviel shuddered at she stared at the bloodthirsty Lancer. Only now could she comprehend how terrifying it must have been for Connla to fight him back in her original legend. More than that though, she certainly felt immense hatred for the Einzbern family's mistreatment of her. She quickly came to accept that she was a threat to everyone around her, and that surviving past the Holy Grail War was not going to be a possibility for her.

I'm sorry, Shirou… and Kiritsugu too. But, I'll get to see you and Mom again soon, won't I? Then… it's okay.

"Sakura," she finally whispered. "I have an idea. But it may not be something you will want to do."

"Illya?" Sakura whimpered. "What are you trying to say?"

"Y-You have to… use Rider's power on me…"

"Eh?"

"What are you talking about!?" Rin demanded.

"I am the Lesser Grail that you are all trying to destroy. Then… if you want to have any hope of eliminating it, you will have to destroy me along with it. If anyone can do it, it is Rider."

"Don't be insane!" Shirou shouted. "We're not going to-!"

"This whole war is insane! The Einzberns should have never done any of this! If they didn't, then everyone would be happier! If it means keeping Shirou safe, then I'll gladly disappear!"

He reeled in desperation once he heard Illyasviel's anguished shouts. Sakura raised her hand before her breast and implored, "Senpai, Rin, you two need to get away from here. Rider and I will take care of this."

"But-" Rin stammered.

"Please. If Lancer manages to steal Illya's heart and brings it back to Grandfather, everything we have done will be a complete waste. Without Assassin to stop him, everything rests on Rider now. I will be safe since I'm her Master, but any other humans in the vicinity will be wiped out. That's why you two need to get out of here."

Shirou clenched his teeth, trying to think of another way that they could win without sacrificing Illyasviel. Rin snatched his wrist and said, "Come on. There's nothing left we can do."

"Tohsaka…!"

"I know. I wish there was something else we could do. But we don't have the luxury of sitting back and thinking about it right now. We have to place our trust in Sakura and Rider."

Although he was reluctant to agree with her, he also couldn't refute her logic. With a strained groan, Shirou finally relented and hurried behind Rin as they fled from the graveyard. Cuchulainn narrowed his eyes and grinned, "Feh. I don't know what you guys have up your sleeve, but it was a mistake to not take the Lesser Grail away from me. Or is it that you intend on destroying both of us at the same time, Rider? Are you so desperate after seeing me slay Assassin that you will resort to anything at this point?"

"If you have the energy to bark like that, then your death cries will be most pleasant," Medusa retorted. She then glanced back at Sakura and implored, "Master. Your command, if you would please."

The teenager closed her eyes and struggled to fend off the pangs of sadness. She soon found her resolve though and raised her hand with the remaining Command Spell.

"Rider! May my Command Spell give you the strength to unleash your True Noble Phantasm! Ride forth, and show your enemy the curse of the gods that your bear!"

Medusa's body accepted the power of Sakura's command, and her energy level boosted exponentially. With her expression remaining as stoic as ever, she reached for her blindfold and peeled it off of her face. The visage that was finally revealed was most certainly beautiful, yet it was one not meant to be gazed upon by any living being. Medusa's eyes were frozen open, and the crystal-like grey irises bore square-shaped pupils that contained the Sixth Imaginary Factor – the force that created demons out of the desires of mankind. These dreaded pupils were the Mystic Eyes of Petrification, also known as Cybele, which possessed the power to turn anyone whom she looked upon into stone.

Cuchulainn winced slightly the moment he gazed upon Medusa's eyes. His usual rank in Mana was C, meaning that he would have been petrified immediately. However, with his contract with Zouken plus the Lust Worm exponentially boosting his parameters, his Mana Rank was now A. His unnaturally high magic resistance allowed him to completely avoid being turned to stone, but he could still feel a sort of 'pressure' weighing on him, as if someone had strapped him down with heavy rocks. This affected his other parameters, essentially knocking them down one grade.

Then Medusa began to float about 50 feet off the ground, keeping her cursed stare focused on Cuchulainn. He attempted to leap up and strike her down, but he suddenly found himself ensnared in a series of ropes generated by Illyasviel's Storch Ritter magic.

"I don't think so!" she declared as she held on tightly to a clump of enchanted hair strands. "I won't let you hurt Second Lancer or anyone else any longer!"

"If you stay where you are, you'll be caught in Rider's Noble Phantasm as well, missy," he taunted.

"Better that than allowing my heart to be taken by you!"

Strange black tentacles burrowed out of the ground beneath Medusa, then swirled about like a demonic tornado captured in a photograph until they completely wrapped around her. From within the ghastly tendrils, the others heard her as she murmured in a soothing whisper, "I will return unto you your own curse. Be melted down. Forced Seal, Demon Legion Temple…"

A horrid black void materialized at the apex of the mountain of snake-like tentacles. At that same moment, Cuchulainn's rage intensified so much that his raw strength allowed him to break through Illyasviel's bindings. The girl stepped back in absolute dread as she watched the man be surrounded in some hideous energy that caused his very musculature to grow. The Crest Worms that hibernated within him burrowed so fervently that Illyasviel mistakenly thought Cuchulainn's veins were bulging on their own volition. His crimson eyes rolled back into his head, leaving nothing but solid whites. Saliva drooled through his sharpening teeth, and the Lust Worm on his spine screeched. His desperation over wanting to survive Medusa's strongest Noble Phantasm caused him to enter his notorious riastrad state, warping him into a combat-crazed monster that nothing could hope to pin down.

Not only was Cuchulainn undergoing such a distressing transformation, Gae Bolg likewise flared with vermillion energy as if reacting to its owner's unbridled rage. Without warning, he leapt toward the apex of the tentacle mountain and readied his spear in a thrusting motion. When Medusa saw Cuchulainn coming, she immediately screamed her Noble Phantasm's True Name:

"Pandemonium Cetus!"

Small orbs of purple and black congregated upon the void to power it up. Then all of the energy was unleashed upon Cuchulainn as a pitch-black laser of sheer destructive curses. He cleaved through the shot while charging up his own Noble Phantasm, although it took a considerable amount of effort for him to withstand such a terrifying attack. Back on the ground, Illyasviel screamed in pain as Pandemonium Cetus began to liquefy her right arm, shoulder and part of her face, turning the flesh and bone into some indescribable sludge.

"Illya!" Sakura screamed.

"Stay back!" the white-haired Mage begged. "It's fine! The Lesser Grail will be destroyed like this!"

However, a second demonic power would take rise within the storm of black curses.

"Gae…"

Space distorted. Sakura winced when she felt the strange sensation warp reality itself for just a split second. She turned her attention back to Medusa and realized what was going on. Cuchulainn's spear flared such an intense bright red color that it rivaled the darkness Medusa was bringing forth. He drew closer and closer to his target, and the demonic lance of causality activated once he spoke the dreaded words.

"BOLG!"

A deafening sound screeched all through the air. Was it a weapon clanging against something? The result of two opposing powers fighting against each other? Someone letting out a horrendous scream? It was impossible to tell. All that mattered was that Sakura and Illyasviel never wanted to hear that sound again. A brilliant light flared through the darkness, and the black laser ceased its activity. Cuchulainn burrowed deeper into the dark tentacles, stabbing Gae Bolg through the hideous layers until the blade struck Medusa's heart.

"Ah…"

Her tongue flitted, and her crystalline eyes widened. As consciousness left her, their eyes met, and she immediately knew that the Celtic hero was lost in the throes of pure insanity. Although he sustained some nasty injuries from plowing through Pandemonium Cetus, she understood that the man was capable of surviving through even greater hells than that. Her power as a Divine Spirit coupled with Sakura's high magic capacity seemed irrelevant when challenging a demigod who didn't know the meaning of giving up.

Sakura and Illyasviel watched in pure horror as the tentacles unnaturally wriggled for a second. Then countless large spearheads burst through from the inside and shredded the limbs into disgusting pieces. Not only was Gae Bolg destroying Medusa's heart, it also made its way through the shadowy structure and destroyed it from within. Since it was an extension of Medusa herself, it meant that Gae Bolg had to destroy every inch of her body before it would be satisfied.

Both Servants broke through the remnants of the tentacles and plummeted to the ground. However, Medusa's body broke apart into a cloud of stone-grey particles. As her form disappeared, she could only think of Connla and how tough it must have been for her to fight Cuchulainn back in her original legend. Despite that, Medusa believed in the young Servant's determination, and came to realize that that was precisely why she had been summoned to stop the Grail Wars. Not many heroes could boast about surviving against such a fearsome opponent, yet the little girl was truly a miracle among such heroes. Even though she lost against him in life, she stood a significantly better chance now that she was a Servant.

Lancer… I leave the rest… to you…

Medusa never hit the ground. She had vanished well before that could happen. Only Cuchulainn's feet touched solid ground, and he crouched there for a moment as the ashes of Medusa's body trickled around him like grey snow.

"Rider…" Sakura moaned in a low whisper.

She couldn't believe that her Servant's last gamble turned out to be a failure. All Pandemonium Cetus accomplished was causing some damage to Cuchulainn, as well as carving through several kilometers of woodland. The Celtic spearman stood up and approached Illyasviel. Her mind was so numb from terror that she couldn't think about trying to escape. Coupled with her legs having been liquefied, along with the Lesser Grail filling up with the mana of six Servants, and her entire consciousness collapsed on itself. She was too far gone for anyone to possibly think about rescuing.

With one swift motion, Cuchulainn jabbed his hand through Illyasviel's chest and curled his fingers around her still-beating heart. She barely felt anything as he extracted the black organ out of her. He didn't regard her as she collapsed upon the dirt and died on the spot. All he could think about was that he finally had the Holy Grail in his hand. Maybe it didn't look like the golden chalice that many imagined it would be, but it nonetheless contained vast amounts of mana that one could use to claim anything their heart desired.

Cuchulainn wasn't sure what to feel. Here he was, one of humanity's heroes well-known for his horrible luck, turning against the ones who tied him down with stupid commands and treated him like some obedient dog. In his hand was the very thing that countless Masters and Servants yearned to claim for hundreds of years, yet all had failed up to this point. With his connection to Zouken gone, Cuchulainn realized that he didn't have to give the Grail to anyone. He was the only one left who truly craved for its power, and there was no one left to go against him.

At the same time, the corrupted Grail showed him random images that were plucked straight out of a nightmare. All of them represented some form of hatred, suffering, grief, wickedness, or sinfulness. His mind was assaulted with the condensed version of billions upon billions of humanity's curses that had been inflicted upon Angra Mainyu. Not only that, he saw humans being represented as a plague of locusts propagating out of control, stretching further and further across the world and destroying all of nature itself.

For just a few moments though, his consciousness reached a foreign mountain where everything was covered in layers of cursed mud flowing like rivers. Atop this mountain was a shrine dedicated to entombing Angra Mainyu for eternity. However, the Zoroastrian deity of evil did not take on his original form. He no longer remembered what he looked like, so he simply borrowed the image of someone that the victim would recognize, making it easier to prey on their deepest emotions. In Cuchulainn's case, it was Connla who sat on a nearby boulder.

"Father," she urged in a broken voice, "you want me to be a hero that humans will admire and respect as much as they do for you, right? If a hero is to be idolized by many others, then who does the hero himself admire and derive inspiration from? For you, that very person is me, isn't it?"

"…"

"You actually had a dream about me venturing from Scotland to Ulster so that you could raise me into the warrior that would replace you once your destined death occurred. But you wound up killing me instead. In your guilt, you've been trying to think of a way to fulfill that dream and absolve your sin, haven't you? The thing is, I can't become any kind of hero unless there's a villain of equal scale for me to defeat. So then, if you really care that much about me…"

She spread her arms apart as if beckoning him to embrace her. Her lips curled into a vapid smile.

"Will you kill everyone for me?"

Cuchulainn's eyes widened, and his own smile took on a menacing cadence.

"Yeah… I'll slaughter them all. I'll make that dream come true for you. I'll fashion you into the hero you've always deserved to be."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

† - "Constraint gives scant choice; a naked man is chilled by the frost." The rune poem tied to the Nauthiz Rune, symbolizing 'Constraint' or 'Need'.