FATE/IRREGULAR SUMMONS

Chapter 27: Fulfilled Commitment

Back at Edelfelt Manor, Caren, Rin and Sakura were already inside tending to Bazett in her room. The red-haired woman groaned in her sleep and sweated profusely. The stress she experienced was so excessive that she accidentally reopened the wound on her severed arm, and small amounts of blood trickled onto the bandage. Sakura quickly changed it while imploring, "Please calm down, Miss Bazett!"

Caren did her best to pin her down by the shoulders, and grumbled, "This is just as irritating as dealing with a possessed person."

"You're certain that's not happening to her?" Rin wondered as she wiped Bazett's forehead with a damp cloth.

"I'm positive. Otherwise my body would be in unbelievable pain right now."

"Gh… Hnnggh…!"

Strained moans escaped Bazett's throat, and she clenched her teeth while thrashing about on the bed. Rin grabbed her wrist when she noticed that the Command Spell was glowing unnaturally. Strange red veins coursed from around the sigil, as if it was directly affecting her nervous system. Rin's expression became grim as she murmured, "I get it. She's running dangerously low on mana. She has strong magic circuits, but Second Lancer doesn't seem to be efficient with utilizing her Master's prana."

"Efficient?" Caren asked.

"Yeah. Let's say you have 10 units of mana and you have an identical Servant summoned into different classes – let's say a Caster and a Saber. If a Saber used a particular skill that was focused on magical offense, they would take up five units of mana. But if the Caster version used the exact same skill, they would only use up two units. It all depends on the Servant, their summoned class, and the skill they want to use, so the mana expenditure will differ dramatically."

"So Lancer's using everything Bazett has to fight Cuchulainn, but her skills are not entirely suitable to her class?"

"I think so. She frequently tends to use that Runecraft to compensate for her lack of strength, and it's putting a lot of strain on Bazett's prana reserves. If she was a Caster, she would probably be more efficient as a Servant."

"Is there anything we can do?" Sakura asked.

Rin took out three gemstones and replied, "These are literally the last stones I have, and they're only useful for treating mana-deprived victims. I can't guarantee that this will be enough, but at least it should keep Bazett alive."

She cracked the gemstones and let the excess mana flow all over Bazett's body. The woman gradually calmed down and exhaled a relaxed sigh, but her expression still appeared anxious. With that, Sakura was able to finish changing her bandages. A few minutes later however, she seemed to hear Bazett's whispering voice, and she leaned in to see if she could hear her better. Then, Sakura's cheeks blanched when she finally made out what she was saying:

"He's… coming…!"

Three figures rushed through the wooded outskirts of Fuyuki. Leaves and grasses rustled, and branches snapped as the trio hurried back to Edelfelt Manor. Connla desperately panned her eyes everywhere to find any sign of Cuchulainn, who had long since disappeared into the forest and had left no trace of himself for her to follow.

Where are you, Father?

As she led the way for her allies, Shirou seemed to appear strangely pensive. Archer narrowed his eyes and wondered in a low whisper, "What's the matter?"

"No, I was just thinking…"

"About what?"

Shirou faced his counterpart with a serious glare. "Does Cuchulainn really know where Bazett is?"

Archer raised an eyebrow. "What makes you ask that?"

"I've been staying there for the majority of the war, and not once did he ever show up. Neither of his two Masters, Kotomine Kirei or Matou Zouken, ever found the place either. So then, why would Second Lancer believe Cuchulainn's on his way to kill Bazett? Could it that she made a mistake in her logic?"

"Maybe. But there's also the fact that Cuchulainn has touched the omnipotent wish-granting device. If anything is capable of telling him whatever he wants to find out, it's the Grail."

"Hm… But you just said that he and the Grail are possibly in conflict with each other."

"It's hard to tell what's going on in a Berserker's mind. You need not take my halfhearted theories so seriously, Emiya Shi-"

"SHIROU! ARCHER!"

They grimaced upon Connla screaming their names, and they instantly realized why she sounded so alarmed. They saw Cuchulainn burst from a gathering of bushes that they were fast approaching upon, his fanged grin wide with malicious pleasure as he pointed Gae Bolg at them. They sidestepped in different directions, breaking their formation immediately before Cuchulainn smashed his spear into the ground with such tremendous force that it caused a large crater to be left behind. As Shirou recovered, he glanced back and realized that they were incredibly close to the manor's front entrance.

The trio surrounded him as Cuchulainn got back to his feet and shouldered the spiked polearm. He turned his gaze toward Connla and grinned, "Thanks for showing me the way, kid."

"Wait, what?" she uttered, confused by what he meant. Clearly, she had not heard the conversation that her allies had just now.

Archer realized what being implied and cursed, "Shit! He used us as bait to lead him to your Master!"

"Oh no…" Her heart sunk when she realized she had been used as bait. Things were happening so quickly that she failed to think about the situation rationally. Because of her carelessness, she had now exposed the Masters to extreme danger. She murmured, "Then you didn't know where my Master was being kept?"

The Alter Servant chuckled, "You got it. The Grail wouldn't tell me anything either, so I figured I'd borrow a few pages out of your book to help solve that little problem, Archer."

"Hmph…" the bowman scoffed.

"Kh-!" Shirou grimaced. Without thinking, he charged at Cuchulainn's hind side and swung his blades at his back. Suddenly, Shirou found himself flying sideways off his feet. The massive spiked tail had effortlessly knocked him aside, which was difficult for the teenager to notice within the dark cover of night. He collapsed upon the dirt, but got back up and tried again. With a dismissive scoff, Cuchulainn flung his tail at him again.

Archer fired a large arrow at the centipede-like appendage, knocking it off course to let Shirou breach Cuchulainn's defenses. At the same time, Connla leapt over the Berserker from the front and swiped her spear downward. He had no choice but to concentrate on keeping her at bay, or else she would have gouged through his vital organs. He raised his thorny weapon to parry her assault, yet this left his ribcage dangerously exposed to Shirou's blade. The livid teen thrust his sword into flesh, then carved outward and let a trail of blood fly.

Although in severe pain, Cuchulainn had enough strength to push Connla away, then he turned on his heel and rolled his hand into a fist before punching Shirou in the face. As he collapsed backward, Archer quickly replaced his counterpart by leaping into the fray and swinging his swords about in a crazed dervish. Cuchulainn met Archer in combat, and both men appeared like ravenous demons vying for supremacy through random movements and deadly attacks. Eventually, Cuchulainn snatched Archer's face and lifted him off his feet, then violently slammed him onto the ground. His grip was so tight that Archer thought his facial bones would snap at any minute. The manic look in Cuchulainn's dilated red eyes was the stuff of nightmares, which didn't help matters at all for Archer.

Luckily, Connla came to the rescue when she dive-kicked at Cuchulainn, striking his shoulder and forcing him back. She landed, then conjured a Tiwaz Rune over her clenched hand at the same time he attempted to punch her. Both fists struck each other, and a potent shockwave reverberated around them. Despite how tiny her fist looked in comparison to his, the Rune amplified her strength for just a split second, and it transferred all through his arm.

"GAAA~AAAGH!" Cuchulainn howled in shock as every bone in his fingers, hand and arm spontaneously splintered into pieces. Connla winced, wondering if she had gone overboard. Her worries soon changed to horror as she heard the broken bones literally stitching themselves back together. Cuchulainn was using healing Runecraft to repair the damage at the same time the damage was actually being caused. Such havoc being wrought within his arm was absolutely excruciating to him, but his incredible willpower kept him from surrendering to the pain. She stepped back in absolute awe and terror, dangerously exposing herself to him.

"It's useless! None of your attacks will work against me!" Cuchulainn screamed and slashed Gae Bolg upward, sending a shockwave that tore through the ground, then exploded and scattered the three warriors apart. Connla violently tumbled across the dirt, but managed to come to a stop on her knees. Shirou likewise skidded on his side until he rested next to her. Archer leapt into the air and whirled about elegantly before landing nearby. Cuchulainn stood before the group like a monster of prey, grinning his sharp teeth wildly at them. For all of the damage they caused him so far, he didn't seem the least bothered by it.

"Kind of hard to imagine that you're the child of such a beast," Archer retorted to Connla with a witty yet anxious smirk as he summoned his dual swords.

"This isn't the time for jokes, you know," she grunted and stood back up. Her brain felt like it was doing somersaults in her skull from the vicious rolling, but she kept her wits about her. "We have to keep my Master safe at all costs."

"Your Master, huh?" Shirou murmured. "The fact that he's going after Bazett must mean he wants to avoid killing you directly. For such a thorny bastard, he has quite the soft side for you."

"He's not like that. He must be doing this to force my hand against him. Nothing would please him more than to challenge me to a duel once again. Cuchulainn was always known for seeking out great opponents to square off against."

"If you say so."

Cuchulainn grew impatient and snarled, "Are you done talking? Then make up your minds – which one of you do I get to kill first?"

Connla ran in front of the two men and shouted, "I'm the one you want, right!? Then leave Shirou and Archer out of this!"

"Don't be ridiculous!" Archer exclaimed and pushed her aside. "You might be a Servant, but you're still a small child! All you can do is act as a distraction!"

"You're a bowman! Someone of your class has no business pretending to be a foot soldier!"

"What are you talking about? You already know my mind's eye will make up for it!"

"But-!"

"HRRRAGH!" Cuchulainn screamed, having grown impatient with watching them argue and charged like a rampaging beast. A cloud of sickly reds, purples and greens swirled around him as he made his advance, his sharp teeth grinning so wide that he resembled a hungry shark. He had become a perfect storm of pure evil and malice, intent on ripping everyone he could get his hands on into bloody shreds, and these final three opponents would be his very first victims.

"GO!" Shirou commanded Connla. The shocked girl instinctively jumped away and attempted to flank Cuchulainn's rear while her partners handled the front. Although the Berserker was heading straight for Archer and Shirou, his eyes remained entirely focused on Connla during her retreat. The two men brandished their swords and parried Gae Bolg simultaneously, using as much strength as they could muster to hold him there.

Connla skidded on her feet while turning around at the same time, then leapt and pointed her spear straight at Cuchulainn's back. He grunted, then swept the two men aside with one mighty stroke before swinging down hard on Connla. She shrieked as she felt her entire body slam into the earth with such force that a small crater was created around her. Once the dust settled, Cuchulainn leaned in and snatched the small girl's shawl so he could lift her up a bit.

"Come on, is that the best you can do? I know you're capable of more than that, kid," he taunted.

"Uuuh…"

"LANCER!" Shirou screamed with all his might and barged in to beat Cuchulainn away. Meanwhile, Archer snatched Connla and brought her to a safe distance.

"Hah! What can a simple human do against a Servant who has incarnated as the harbinger of this world's demise?" Cuchulainn laughed. He raised Gae Bolg and surrounded it in an eerie red light, then hurled it at the boy while shouting, "DIE!"

Shirou was engulfed in the blood-red energy, trying to stand his ground against the destructive onslaught. Cuchulainn smirked, certain that he had slaughtered the teenager with his raw might alone. However, a peculiar white light broke through the crimson aura, intensifying in size and brightness until it overcame the chaos and swelled as a pure ivory-colored flame. In Shirou's mind, he finally began to piece together what exactly the old man of his bizarre dreams told him before:

"How stupid can you be? If you don't take care of yourself, I cannot manifest within you so that I can fight as a Servant and help the little Lancer."

Shirou clenched his teeth as he felt an otherworldly power throb within his chest like a second heart.

Is that what's going on? Has a Servant been taking care of me this whole time?

Indeed, he had been chosen to be the host for another Servant who had been secretly summoned as one of Gaia's champions alongside Connla. The old man's True Name echoed in his mind, not with concrete words, but with loose memories and an instinctive connection between the two. The time when the Servant was first summoned inside Shirou likewise flashed as crystal clear memories, and he was fully informed of what the World intended for him.

I see. So that's who you are, and that's what you want to accomplish here. In order to fight though, you needed to temper my magic circuits so that I would be suitable as your physical incarnation.

Shirou let out a small sigh, then closed his eyes.

All right. If it will give me the power to protect Connla and Archer, then awaken within me!

Within the white-hot flames, his voice took on a deeper cadence as he murmured, "I am the bone of my sword…"

"Gh!?" Cuchulainn gasped, astonished that Shirou was still alive within such scalding hot carnage. Without warning, the teenager leapt out of the fire as if he were a sword being refined within a massive forge. However, he looked nothing like he did before. He lost his contemporary clothing and now wore a red igote over his left shoulder, leaving the rest of his upper torso bare. He wore black hakama pants and greaved sandals, and carried a white cloth with an intricate floral pattern on the underside. His expression took on a far more serious tone than ever before, as if he had spontaneously aged a few years on the spot.

"Many paths, cross here. Enduring desires, flow here. Unjust deaths, gather here. The heart of the blade is here!"

Within Shirou's hand, a long katana materialized in an intense, roaring blaze not unlike that of a high-powered furnace. The heat dissipated around the hilt so he could wield it, but the blade itself was still scorching with both incredible heat and intense passion.

"Tsumugari Muramasa!"

Shirou swung his sword, emitting a tremendous orange shockwave of raw fire that mercilessly consumed Cuchulainn and likewise tore through dozens of trees at once. The Celtic warrior couldn't even let out a cry as he fervently blocked the unexpected Noble Phantasm as best as he could. However, some of the shockwave breached his defenses and literally cooked his flesh from the outside in a diagonal line. He snarled in agony, then let out a ferocious shriek. The energy immediately exploded around him, sending a torrent of flames rushing around the other Servants.

"Uh!?" Connla ducked low and covered her face to avoid the worst of the heat wave.

"Nnngh!" Archer likewise had to brace himself against the sudden conflagration.

Compared to them, Shirou just stood there, seemingly unaffected by the skin-melting blaze. Without looking back, he declared to his allies, "Get up already. This battle is only getting started."

In Bazett's room, Caren, Rin and Sakura congregated around the windows and observed the battle like spectators at a gladiatorial event.

"SENPAI!" Sakura wailed when she saw Shirou be swallowed by Gae Bolg's destructive light.

"Get back, you fool!" Caren snapped and forced her away from the window. Immediately afterwards, the glass cracked before exploding into countless fragments. Some shards cut into the girls' skin, and Rin threw herself over Bazett's upper body to protect her.

"Kh…" she grunted, then looked up when she noticed that Gae Bolg's crimson light was being replaced with white flames. She widened her eyes and wondered, "What's going on?"

Sakura and Caren sat on the floor in a dumbfounded daze, so Rin was the one to look back outside to see what was happening. Even though it was late February, a strange heat hit her cheeks like she was warming up in front of a fireplace. She leaned her head outside to get a better view of her classmate, who had emerged from the flames garbed in clothing she had never seen him wear before. A peculiar aura surrounded him, and Rin sensed that something was completely different about him.

"Emi… ya…?"

Connla stared up at Shirou, observing his incredible metamorphosis while also being taken aback by the sudden surge in power surrounding him. She gasped, "What's… going on…?"

"That's what I'd like to know too," Archer grumbled.

Shirou became irritable as he barked, "Didn't I tell you two to get up already? How slow can you be? I swear, youngsters these days…"

"Oh, sorry!" Connla yelped and shot to her feet. "Uh, I mean… Wait, 'youngsters'? You don't look any older than Sakura or Ms. Tohsaka."

"Don't you get it? I'm a Heroic Spirit inhabiting the body of this boy. Emiya Shirou's mind is still very much awake, but I, Sengo Muramasa, am the one in control of his physical vessel."

"Sengo Muramasa…" Archer murmured. "The famous swordsmith who founded the Muramasa school of blacksmithing. It's also said that your swords are the symbol of the anti-Tokugawa movement, and are regarded as cursed blades."

"Pah," Shirou scoffed. "That's a load of bupkis cooked up by later generations of the shogunate. As far as I'm concerned, the Tokugawa appreciated my craftsmanship during my time, and my blades were put to full use."

Connla was likewise amazed, but for different reasons. "A Servant residing within a living human? H-How is that possible!?"

He faced her with a smile. "It is the same as with your summoning – the World manifested me as someone to combat this peril alongside you. However, unlike you, I possess no heroic deeds that would deem me worthy to be summoned as a full-fledged Servant. I am but a mere blacksmith who forged many blades that have greatly affected the history of my native land. In order to fully materialize and fight with you, I needed a suitable human vessel that I could impart my wisdom and strength upon. This young man is such an appropriate candidate that I feel like I have returned to my youthful form once again."

"A spirit from the past, and a human from the present, fusing together as one. I never though such a thing could happen."

Archer muttered, "I've heard of it. It's a phenomenon where formless deities or lesser Heroic Spirits can temporarily inhabit the body of a living person who shares a very similar wavelength to them. I'm not too familiar with the specifics, but I believe the Mages have come to address these types of summonings as Pseudo-Servants."

"Yes," Shirou, or rather Muramasa, nodded. "The World summoned me to participate in this battle, but I could not fully materialize on my own the same way the Child of Cuchulainn could. I needed to wait until this boy was ready to be utilized as a vessel for me, which meant he needed to train his mind and body for the battles he had to face. Until the time was right, I made my way inside him and remained inactive after the World summoned me, ensuring he was unaware of my presence. I simply made use of my abilities to repair the boy's magic circuits after he neglected them for years. Having Avalon inside him was a huge help as well."

"Hmph… So my duel with him was nothing more than training to you?"

"Your enmity of your past self was the perfect tool I needed to sharpen the sword named Emiya Shirou."

"You're being awfully pragmatic about this."

"I'm sure you can appreciate my sentiments."

"Heh. I guess I can," Archer chuckled to himself. He did act like a jerk towards everyone around him as part of his gambit to kill Shirou, but at least he wasn't going to be a hypocrite about it.

"But never mind that," Muramasa grumbled, and the trio returned their attention to their enemy. "My Noble Phantasm has done a good deal of damage to Cuchulainn, but we need to make one last push."

All this time, he had fallen to one knee and was gasping for air. He seemed to be having difficulty breathing since the searing slash had cut through his lungs, and large amounts of blood spewed out of his mouth. Despite enduring such horrific injuries, Cuchulainn used a series of healing Runes to quickly patch up at least the worst of the damage before getting back up. He wasn't at full strength, but he certainly still posed a threat to everyone.

"Are we done gawking? Even if the World summons more interlopers, all of you are just enemies that I need to take down," he snarled and wielded Gae Bolg.

"Such a tedious outlook on life," Muramasa calmly scoffed and pointed his long curved katana at him. Unlike the brittle, hollow weapons that he had been creating before, this was a true blade crafted by a master forger. The metal had perfect substance, with just the right balance and weight distribution that allowed the wielder to deliver precision strikes.

"It's how a warrior should exist. I don't know who you are, but if you plan on lecturing me, then I'll make you experience the horror of being slain by the very weapons you craft."

"Very well. Bring it, chump."

Cuchulainn shouted as he rushed at Muramasa, and they engaged in a duel not so much of speed, but of raw strength and finesse. Muramasa remained poised and in control of his emotions, never letting his feet leave the ground as he deftly repelled Cuchulainn's attacks each time. Muramasa seemed to be deriving inspiration from Sasaki Kojirou's fighting style since he had witnessed the samurai's fighting style while lingering within Shirou, and had a rough idea of how the movements were supposed to work. It wasn't a perfect recreation of Kojirou's style, but it certainly helped Muramasa with fending off a weakened opponent.

As Cuchulainn flipped back to avoid a swipe to his chest, Muramasa flanked the surprised Celt's side and carved through his long spiked tail, dismembering it from the rest of his body. It wasn't particularly painful for Cuchulainn since it was just mainly comprised of bone, but a spurt of black blood escaped from the long wound. He ignored the loss of his tail when his eyes met Connla's nearby, and he ran straight for her.

"Uwah!?" Connla yelped as Muramasa instantly appeared next to her and pushed her aside. As she tumbled onto her buttocks, she saw Cuchulainn bear down over them like a massive black storm cloud. Muramasa swung his katana upward to deflect Gae Bolg, then pushed his opponent back with another mighty strike that reverberated all through the air. Cuchulainn blocked Muramasa, and the two of them were stuck in a stalemate for a moment.

"Hagalaz!" Connla chanted, summoning an H-shaped Rune over her crossed palms and conjuring a concentrated flurry of hailstones that viciously pelted Cuchulainn's face. He growled and stepped back to escape from the barrage, then performed a wide back flip to avoid having his abdomen cut open by Muramasa's strike. He landed next to the manor, then glanced up at the window to Bazett's room. Rin was still peering outside, and the two locked eyes for a split second.

"That idiot!" Muramasa cried out and tried to intercept Cuchulainn, but the Celtic hero had already begun his ascent up the wall. Suddenly, an arrow pierced itself through the Berserker's back, followed by at least a dozen more. He let out a pained wail as he crashed back to the ground. Rin looked up at the roof and found Archer already there with his bow drawn.

"Thanks, Archer! You're a lifesaver!" she exclaimed.

"I thought you said you and the others were going to move Bazett. Why haven't you done so already?" the irate Servant demanded.

"Like hell we can! There's no way we can bring her outside when we have that maniac running loose! Are you some kind of idiot!?"

"Good to see you can still talk like that even after staring death in the face."

"Ugh…" Rin trembled. It was because of that that she was acting so worked up with her Servant.

While the pair were busy bantering, Muramasa and Connla were already advancing upon the stricken Cuchulainn. The corrupted Servant was so livid beyond belief that he didn't notice he was activating his Noble Phantasm. It wasn't Gae Bolg, but rather the one exclusive to this cursed form. The two warriors stopped in their tracks and instinctively jumped back when the area was swallowed in a darkness deeper than the night sky. Cuchulainn emerged in a set of scaly black armor, complete with a huge pair of red claws and a face-covering helmet with a long horn.

"Curruid Coinchenn!" he shouted and thrust each claw at the duo. He slashed and swiped with incredible ferocity, and it was all they could do to keep up with having to repel eight individual blades instead of just one. He managed to get some hits in, and blood spattered everywhere. Then, the claws seemed to detonate with explosive fury as a series of smaller Gae Bolgs ripped through the air and sent Connla and Muramasa slamming clean through some trees. Luckily, Connla had erected a strong Shield Rune around herself earlier, and Muramasa crafted a three-petal Rho Aias that protected him from the blast. Although they were horribly battered from the demonic Noble Phantasm, at least they were still alive.

"Gh… This is bad…" Connla grunted to herself as she struggled to sit up. She then thought, I know I'm taking up too much of Master's prana by using Runecraft instead of fighting directly. But I don't have that many alternatives since I'm not as strong as the other Servants. I need to think of something though… Is there anything else I can do?

She looked up and saw that Archer had already descended upon Cuchulainn. He was doing his utmost to keep him away from his partners, but he wasn't entirely familiar with the properties of this strange armor and opted to keep his distance. Muramasa managed to get back to his feet, but glowered, "Damn it all… What kind of abomination is that man?"

"Are you all right, Lord Muramasa?" Connla asked.

"Could be worse. I have to admit, crafting a weapon out of a sea monster's bones is one thing, but actually becoming that weapon itself is a completely new concept for me."

"I have some experience with fighting Father in that state. I should do what I can to weaken him before you and Archer can finish him off."

"That's suicide, and you know that."

"But there's nothing else I can do. If I just keep using my magic like this, I'm going to kill my Master from mana deprivation. My own Noble Phantasm isn't enough to do the job either."

"Listen to me," Muramasa snapped and grabbed her shoulder. "Your role is to act as support. Archer and I can handle the heavy fighting just fine. I wouldn't have gone through the trouble of tempering this boy's body if I didn't think he was capable of being my vessel."

"But…"

"Good grief, this is just like dealing with a petulant grandchild. You just be quiet and do what I say, got it? You are to keep your distance and help us with distractions. If you try overstepping your limits, that creature will kill you without a second thought."

Connla clasped her hands over her chin, appearing extremely worried for her allies. Her lips brushed against the ring on her right thumb, and she stared at it intently. Now that she was taking a closer look at it, she realized that there were a series of specific Runes etched onto the sides, with red stones made out of Cuchulainn's blood adorning each sigil.

Raidho… Eihwaz… Dagaz… The dawn of a journey. Be patient, and persevere…

Then she thought about what Muramasa said about acting as support rather than offense. The word 'support' seemed to resonate in her mind, and she connected it with how the ring always gave her inspiration to endure the hardships of life. Whenever she was feeling down or was utterly exhausted from her training, she would look to it for comfort. Was there some way she could express this feeling that could help Muramasa and Archer?

Connla pressed her hand against her chest and closed her eyes. All of the fear and anxiety she felt during this climactic battle seemed to vanish for a short while. While she was lost in this daze, Muramasa had to leave her there and assist Archer in fending Cuchulainn away from her. The sounds of clashing blades and screaming men drowned into silence as she imagined the day she was finally allowed to go see Cuchulainn. Then, one of the three geasa tattooed over her collarbone shone, seemingly transmitting its energy into the ring and making it glow. This was the geas that forbade her from turning back on her journey, and which she drew strength from to carry on through the pain and misery of life. Sure, it forced her to undergo trials that she should never have to go through, but it also possessed the benefit of keeping her calm and focused so she could overcome those challenges.

The ring of support, and the geas of courage… Perhaps Connla could do something with this.

"Hey, what is she doing just standing there!?" Archer snarled as he shot a volley of small-sized Caladbolgs at Cuchulainn. The armored Berserker merely deflected them with a single swipe before lunging at both him and Muramasa. They flipped back and landed between him and Connla, but they were clearly looking exhausted.

That was when they heard Connla murmur something peculiar:

"One foot forward at a time. Never look back, and do what one must. Comhall Gealltanais."†

The red markings radiated an intense light that bathed Archer and Muramasa in some kind of soothing energy. For just a passing moment, they saw a vision of lush green fields stretching for miles on end, with several brooks flowing gentle streams of water. The sky had nary a cloud present, allowing healthy amounts of sunshine to beam upon them. Both men felt incredibly reinvigorated, as if they were ready to take on all of the world's challenges.

It wasn't a Reality Marble in any way. Rather, it was just a projection of what Connla felt when she left Scotland, then disembarked from her humble row boat and planted her feet on Irish soil several days later. The excitement of meeting her famous father was incredible, and she wanted to share that experience with her comrades. The winding fields, soft breezes and beaming sunlight were indeed illusions, but the energy radiating from her ring made Archer and Muramasa feel stronger than before.

Cuchulainn narrowed his eyes in muted surprise, not expecting Connla to use such a Noble Phantasm. The Holy Grail had never shown him any visions of her using her ring as the catalyst for a skill that enhanced her allies' abilities. Yet, he believed that it made perfect sense for her. Then, a realization seemed to dawn upon him.

He recalled the visions he experienced of the Nevada Singularity, particularly of the Servants that Connla had befriended along the way. They were a hodgepodge bunch who barely had much in common, thrust into a situation where they needed to cooperate in order to take down four powerful enemy Servants. Even so, they managed to mesh together surprisingly well, especially since they found common ground in wanting to protect a small child. Sure, Connla was capable of fighting on her own, but Cuchulainn came to see that her real strength didn't come from her innate talents and honed skills.

It was exactly the same with this incident. Her goal wasn't to destroy the other Grail War contestants; it was to bring them together. Somehow, she managed to accomplish that despite having to deal with so many different beliefs and perspectives. The number of allies might have significantly diminished since the beginning, but here she was, working side-by-side with two men who were only moments ago trying to kill each other. Just by opening herself to everyone, Connla managed to endear to many of the participants without forcing them to see things her way, like many other Servants would.

Seeing Comhall Gealltanais struck Cuchulainn's soul with grief. Here he was, forcing her to the brink and beyond to see how capable she was as a Servant. All this time, he never realized that she had already succeeded in her designated task. His wish to be her opponent was completely selfish in nature. He just wanted to escape from the guilt by replacing the memory of him killing her with a scene of her doing the same thing to him. By doing that, Cuchulainn believed he could put his mistake behind him and never endanger her like this again.

There was something extremely vital he was forgetting about her though:

She truly is an Innocent Hero…

She was not a legendary figure born out of strife and bloodshed. Her legend stemmed from the possibilities that could have been had she not died. In other words, Connla was not a killer posthumously given the title of a 'hero', like how he was. For him to expect her to slay him just to sate his sorrow would go against her very nature as the Innocent Hero. Witnessing the scenes of pure green grass and clear blue skies demonstrated her excitement at getting to meet him, and it crippled his mind with sheer anguish. That naïve anticipation had led her to death, yet she still preserved that wonderful emotion so she could share it with others.

Cuchulainn stepped back and grabbed his cranium as a massive headache tore through his brain.

What the hell am I doing!? I need to stop the Grail myself! I… I have to-!

Without warning, he attempted to raise Gae Bolg, and turned its blade toward himself.

"Father?" Connla yelped.

"Something's wrong with him," Muramasa stated calmly. "Did you do something to him with that Noble Phantasm of yours?"

"N-No. I just wanted to make you and Archer stronger. It shouldn't have done anything to him."

"Perhaps it has a negative effect specifically to him," Archer surmised. "I don't know what he's planning, but we should use this chance while he's stunned."

Cuchulainn snarled as he attempted to gouge his own heart out with his spear. However, Angra Mainyu's voice echoed in the fake Connla's voice, "What's wrong, Father? I thought you promised me you were going to kill everyone."

"S-Shut up!"

"Don't you want me to be a hero? Then become the villain that I have to stop."

"Stop… using her voice…!"

"You want to run away from the memory of killing me, don't you? This is your chance."

"That's enough, Angra Mainyu!" the real Connla screamed angrily. Her teeth seemed to sharpen into small fangs when she shouted this. "Father's not the coward that you think he is!"

"What makes you say that?" the faceless god of evil retorted, continuing to use her voice. "He allowed the Grail to corrupt him for that very reason. He may feign not regretting anything in his life, but what you see before you is the manifestation of all the mistakes he made. What better way to run from your problems than to destroy everything? That's what he wants to do."

"No, he doesn't! That's what you want him to do! You're just using me as the excuse for him to go on a killing spree on your behalf!"

"You're not an excuse. You're the reason this world is going to be destroyed. Don't you feel so ashamed of yourself for causing such turmoil in your father's heart?"

"Screw that," Connla snapped, dismissing Angra Mainyu's attempt at making her feel responsible. "I know him better than anyone. Even though he killed me that fateful day, it was not a battle fought out of hatred. He didn't know my identity, but he still fought me with respect. That was the first time I ever got to receive love and respect from someone, rather than expecting to be the one to give it to others. Those moments are extremely precious to me, and I'm not going to let anyone fool me otherwise.

"Go ahead and play your silly mind games. Nothing changes the fact that I will love him to the end of time, and I know he feels the same way about me."

Angra Mainyu paused for a very long time. Cuchulainn likewise heard Connla's words and stopped himself. His arms and head dropped, as if he was a puppet whose strings had become limp. Then, an incredible anger swelled within Cuchulainn, but it wasn't his own. After hearing Connla's ironclad conviction, Angra Mainyu became increasingly livid at her supposed foolishness.

"The power of love, you say?" he murmured darkly. "Fine, then. If that's how you want to do things, then I won't actually kill you. Instead, I'll swallow you alive and force you to experience the hell of being hated by all of humanity for eternity! No amount of begging, pleading or crying will set you free from the prison once I throw you inside it!"

"As if that's anything new to me."

"What!? How can you be so calm upon hearing such a thing!?"

"During the 2000 years I lingered in the void, I would often have visions of Mother torturing me as her way of 'training' me. In all seriousness, what you're telling me is nothing special at this point."

"You monster-!"

"Archer, Lord Muramasa, if you would please."

"Right," Archer replied, and both men raised their arms before their chest in a simultaneous pose.

They then chanted together, "I am the bone of my sword. Steel is my body and fire is my blood. I have created over a thousand blades…"

Here was where the chant began to diverge, with Archer and Muramasa reciting their lines one after the other. Archer's verses represented the futility of his struggle, while Muramasa's signified hope for a better future.

"Unknown to Death, nor known to Life."

"Unaware of Loss, nor aware of Gain."

"Have withstood pain to create many weapons."

"Withstood pain to create weapons, waiting for one's arrival."

"Yet those hands will never hold anything."

"I have no regrets. This is the only path."

"So, as I pray…"

"My whole life was…"

"UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS!"

The world around them turned white, then transformed into the familiar barren landscape covered in millions of different swords and weapons. This time though, the sky was bright blue with vivid white clouds rolling past, and the gears rotating within the heavens appeared to be a mixture of ivory and ebony colors. This was an Unlimited Blade Works formed from Archer and Muramasa's spirits working in unison, creating a Reality Marble that represented both of them rather than just one or the other.

Then the immediate area around Cuchulainn was covered in swaths of swords forged out of either azure ether from Archer or bright orange flames from Muramasa. Every weapon pointed their blades at the stunned Berserker, as if they were a horde of bees preparing to thrust their stingers upon some unfortunate sap who disturbed their hive. Since Cuchulainn had never seen this Noble Phantasm before, he had no idea that Archer and Muramasa were capable of conjuring a Reality Marble in the first place, never mind one that worked in tandem with both of their Spirit Origins.

"You… BASTARDS!" was all he could utter before the chaos began.

Connla could only stare in express concern for her father as he was relentlessly skewered from all sides. A huge cloud of dust kicked up around Cuchulainn, conveniently obscuring Connla's eyes from the awful sight. She had a hard time believing he could survive such a vicious onslaught… although she had an even harder time believing he would actually die from it. From her perspective, it didn't look much different than when Gilgamesh brutally slaughtered Heracles with his treasury of weapons.

Fear welled within Connla's chest. This had to be enough to kill him, right? Was everything going to be okay now? Did she not have to fight anymore? She wasn't sure, and that terror compelled her to move forward…

Soon, the dual Noble Phantasm ceased its activity, allowing Muramasa and Archer to finally get a good look at what state Cuchulainn was in. Indeed, the Curruid Coinchenn armor had not been enough to protect him from the onslaught, and the black carapace vaporized. He was left standing there in a hunched back pose, his body completely riddled with swords and weapons. Almost every ounce of his blood trickled out of hundreds of wounds, especially one that had sliced his neck open. His eyes were blank and lifeless.

"… Well?" Muramasa murmured.

"This is Cuchulainn we're dealing with here," Archer retorted, not appearing confident with their victory. "If we want to be sure he's dead, we have to cut his head off."

"Feh. It's like a recreation of the legend behind his death."

Both men cautiously approached the nearly dead Celt, wielding their respective swords with the intent of beheading him. Just then, Cuchulainn's eyes shone with fiery rage like never before, and he unexpectedly threw his head back to unleash a massive scream.

"MWAAA~AAA~AAA~AAA~AAA~AAA-"

It was so incredible that the passing clouds suddenly parted, as if someone blew really hard into a bathtub full of soap bubbles to separate them. Archer and Muramasa had no idea what he was still capable of in this state, so they remained on guard and waited to see what he would do next.

"AAA~AAA~AAA~AAA- ACK!?"

Cuchulainn's roar was suddenly interrupted when he felt a searing stabbing pain rush through his heart. Unbeknownst to anyone present, Connla thoughtlessly snatched the closest broadsword she could find and impaled him with it. With a pained moan, she wedged it further into him until it protruded out of his back.

"Gah… Aaaguh!"

After that awful gurgling sound escaped his throat, his lost all strength in his legs and buckled onto his knees, slumping over his much shorter daughter and the sword in her hands. The entire world within the Reality Marble was swallowed in pure silence. With the lust for battle completely gone, Cuchulainn could only stare at Connla with a hollow look in his relieved eyes.

"N… Nice one… kiddo…"

She choked up, then squeaked, "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

"Dummy. I'm the one… who should be… apologizing…"

"I'm… s-"

"Enough. You're… the victor… and I am… the loser. I couldn't… ask for… more than that…"

"Father…"

He reached out and stroked her head for a moment. Then he lowered his hand so it was over hers, and commanded in a soft voice, "Do it."

Connla became quiet. Although he wasn't specific about what he wanted her to do, she already had a feeling of what it was. She bit her lip and swallowed hard, then traced her finger above the blade until an F-shaped Rune was made. Cuchulainn likewise made the same motions with his own finger. Intense heat trickled out of the identical sigils and made the sword as hot as the sun for a few seconds. Then, the two Celts whispered something together:

"An… suz…"

AUTHOR'S NOTE #1:

† - "Fulfilled Commitment"

AUTHOR'S NOTE #2: Terribly sorry for the delay and how long this is taking. Not only was there the Setsubun event that I finished rather quickly, but this chapter has also been rewritten from scratch since I didn't like how the original turned out. I hope to get this done before I get too caught up in the Valentine's event. For those who are still following this story, thank you very much for your patience and support.