Hi guys Azza here!
Hey look at that I got one out on time for once, nice!
Reviews
Dragonborn2704 – It's at the end of the chapter so I hope you like it!
DarkFireCat – Technically that is only partially true. Tiamat fought to the bitter end in order to try and escape Kur but ultimately accepted that they would inevitably win. Grand Assassin had forced mortality upon her, Ereshkigal was buffing everyone within Kur itself whilst nerfing Tiamat herself even further, Merlin was also buffing everyone and being a pain in the ass as usual not to mention Ishtar using her Boat Of Heaven, which by the way can fire planets at things, was slapping her. Then to top it all off the strongest form of Gilgamesh appeared complete with Ea, Mortar Of The Stars which is one of the strongest Noble Phantasms around so she was more or less completely screwed regardless.
Yes she was a Primordial Beast but she was a recently awakened one, not only that though but she had been rendered mortal thanks to the Counter Force interfering and sending a Grand Class Servant to stop her. Plus Merlin is also a Grand Caster Class Servant so Tiamat's chances of victory were all but diminished the moment she fell into Kur.
Or at least that is my interpretation of events.
Le Phoque Blanc – So basically I'm keeping them mostly the same level of power Pre Time Skip with Natsu doing most of the work on purpose. This is so that when the time skip comes around the PTS crew, Monster Trio especially, will be far more powerful than their canon counterparts because they will ultimately come to realize the exact thing you just said.
Plus no one in this arc is going to be soloing Moria, I've said this before but I've got a rather unique plan for him that will require pretty much everyone to gang up on him at once. I won't spoil it but it's coming once I've got most of the main lot of Moria's crew dealt with such as Oars, Perona, Ryuma, Hogback and the last remaining Servants plus the two who will appear in this chapter.
As for the others getting Servants I don't believe doing that is a particularly good idea mainly because I'm already neglecting some of the current crew in terms of fights and even chapter time in order to ensure the story doesn't get bogged down. I get why you want me to and there will be moments later on in the story where a particular member might gain one temporarily but it won't be a permanent thing.
I will say though, pretty sure I've said this before, but Marineford is going to be absolutely massive in scale compared to the canon one and even Impel Down is going to have some serious changes such as Magellan being even stronger as well as appearances from several villains that will be in the time skip. If you've seen all the PTS movies you'll know exactly which ones I'm referring to.
Again I've got no problems having PTS Luffy, Zoro, Sanji and Brook (you'll see the reason for the latter in a few chapters from now) fighting on par with Servants but pre time skip is basically all set up.
Oh and my boy Usopp PTS isn't going to revert to being a coward after Fishman Island so hopefully you, and everyone else, enjoy that change!
But yeah enough rambling from me on with the story!
I do not own Fairy Tail, One Piece or the Nasuverse.
The Gentle Darkness Reborn
/Thriller Bark – Castle Exterior Eastern Wing/
Carmilla watched with sadistic glee as the blood pooled below her Phantom Maiden, relishing its crimson hue as she eagerly stepped closer to retrieve it. Though she wasn't as powerful as her Uncle Vlad destroying the Assistant of Dragneel in such brutal fashion certainly cemented her own position of power, of that she had little doubt.
"Your blood will serve as the perfect catalyst for my ultimate resurrection. So don't feel so down about your sudden defeat and imminent demise because you never stood a chance against one of such noble lineage-."
A brutal clanging sound had Carmilla leap backward in surprise as her eyes darted around her vicinity in an attempt to locate its source. A second, much louder clang, rang out moments after as her eyes slowly moved toward her Phantom Maiden, a Noble Phantasm designed to hold back any female who was unfortunate enough to find themselves within its confines, sporting two massive dents sticking out of its front.
"Impossible ..."
A third dent appeared on its right, specifically the side that kept it sealed, followed by two more as Carmilla began to pour even more power into it in an attempt to contain its sole prisoner.
"H-how are you doing this! Not even the most powerful of Female Servants could ever hope to escape the Phantom Maiden once they find themselves sealed within it so how ... how can lower trash like you fight back!?"
The blood that had been pouring out from the bottom of the Phantom Maiden ceased as a final clang to the side burst open the seal to the Maiden as a swirling appendage of pitch black emerged, wrapping itself around the opening and began wrenching it open.
Carmilla took several steps backward as the rest of the swirling mass emerged in a rapidly reforming form, its body quickly becoming more humanoid as the blood that had pooled below was sucked back up into it.
"What ... are you?"
The pitch black shroud slowly faded away to reveal an extremely tall, dark skinned woman with piercing Crimson Red eyes, razor sharp teeth pointed ears. The woman was clothed in nothing more than an all too small kimono, the only sign of who the being before her now was with it barely going down past her thighs.
"So ... this is the new me?"
The voice of the woman before her was all the evidence Carmilla needed to know who it was that stood before her now. Although much deeper than before it was most certainly still Seilah that had emerged from her Phantom Maiden and yet ...
"This cannot be," Carmilla growled as she clenched her fists, her Berserkers Madness taking full hold over her senses. "You should be nothing more than a shrivelled up sack of flesh!"
"Fortunately for me my creator ensured I would one day evolve into the being before you," Seilah replied softly as she slowly began to float out of the Phantom Maiden, her eyes beginning to glow Blood Red as her razor sharp teeth formed into a vicious snarl. "Unfortunately for you it appears that now I have been deemed ready for this ascension and your destruction all but assured!"
Two wings made of the same pitch black substance emerged from Seilah's back, their wingspan well over five metres each as she extended her arms outward, rising even higher into the sky until she could look down upon the entire area.
"You actually thought you could separate me from my Master through death, Vampire? You thought I wouldn't do what was necessary to ensure I would survive and return to his side!?"
"Don't ... go GETTING COCKY," Carmilla roared as the remaining amounts of blood in the area all flooded toward her position, from those underground to even those from other battlefields across the island ship she called all of it to her location in preparation for what would no doubt be a much more brutal fight than before.
/Seilah's POV/
"Be prepared Seilah, Carmilla seems to be capable of enhancing her overall power through blood. You no doubt still remember how outclassed you were before we accepted our merging and although we are far more capable do not underestimate her ability to ascend to greater strengths."
"I can feel the new reserves within me though not a scant trace of Etherious ..."
"That is because you have broken free from the title of a False Demon now Seilah and have become a True Demon Lord much like Lord Natsu once did. The Etherious is nothing more than a weaker variant of our TRUE Demonic powers so it would be wise to ignore the call to utilize it and instead focus on what newfound strength you have gained."
"These powers are like my old ones but much more advanced," Seilah replied as she ran through dozens of potential possibilities and scenarios for her newfound abilities. "Yes ... perhaps I will try some of these new and improved abilities."
Looking down at Carmilla who had formed a relative sea of blood beneath her and was rapidly absorbing it Seilah began to growl as her pitch black wings flapped several times before freezing in place.
"Elder Devil's Aura: Pitch Shadow Rain!"
From Seilah's wings came thousands of large lances of the same substance that smashed into the ground below setting off dozens of explosions that began scattering or eviscerating the pooled blood Carmilla had been drawing from and forcing the Vampiress to cease her absorption, going on the defensive instead.
"Don't get cocky just because you've gone and powered up a little, peasant scum," Carmilla hissed as she vanished and reappeared in the air before Seilah, her fist coated in Aura as she moved to strike the Demoness in the back of the head.
"Foolish. Why do you think I'll let you strike me from behind like before," Seilah replied whilst instinctively ducking and coating her own fist in Devil's Aura, landing a vicious blow to Carmilla's gut that sent the Vampiress flying higher into the sky.
Dispelling the wings, Seilah dashed after Carmilla who recovered from the blow and was already now charging back toward her. Both cocked back their fists and clashed, firing off a large Aura shockwave through the air that sent regular shockwaves down onto the surface below as the pair began exchanging a vicious flurry of blows between one another.
"I don't know what kind of method you used to gain such power but it won't be enough! Even now as we fight the blood within the confines of Thriller Bark aides me, multiplying my battle power constantly! Struggling against your inevitable death is futile!"
"You sound like a broken record," Seilah grunted as she caught one of Carmilla's fists in her right hand, the Vampiress gritting her teeth as she tried to pull it away to no avail. "All talk but no action ... pathetic."
Jerking Carmilla forward Seilah delivered a fierce head butt to her foe before grabbing her face in her left hand. Carmilla tried to strike Seilah anywhere she could however it was clear that the newly reborn Demoness was barely affected by them as the pair suddenly dashed down toward the ground.
"I owe you great pain for what you did to me Carmilla and I am not one to leave my debts unfulfilled. Elder Devil's Aura: Pitch Shadow Diviner!"
In Seilah's perspective their speed slowed down as they reached mere metres from the surface, a hand sized blast of pitch black energy being released from the palm holding Carmilla that fired her the rest of the way down. The attack smashed her into the ground as Seilah's own form flickered before joining the sudden explosion of black that rapidly expanded to cover the entire area.
Carmilla on the other hand was in a world of pain as the blast forced her further and further into the earth, her body sustaining burns from the black despite it not generating any heat. She continued to feel debris at her back until she reached an open expanse and fell to what appeared to be a floor, cracking the stone ground with her face as blood splattered across the floor.
It didn't take more than a second for Carmilla to realise that she was back where the fight had first begun, the room once more filled to the brim with blood from the various pipes Moria had set up for her to use.
Scraping herself up off of the ground and into a sitting position she watched as Seilah flickered into existence atop the throne she had made for herself. Eyes narrowed and a vicious grin on her face Seilah placed her head on her curled knee, the mocking all to visible to the Blood Countess who could only scowl in response.
"Go on."
"..."
"Scowl all you like but I'm giving you a chance to give me a proper fight, not that you honestly deserve one," Seilah laughed before leaning back in the throne and placing one leg over her knee in an equally relaxed manner.
"Why would you allow me to strengthen myself?"
"Why? Well I would think that fairly obvious, wouldn't you?"
"You're mocking me ..."
"Partly," Seilah admitted freely as she leant forward, losing some of her relaxed demeanour. "But the truth of it is simply that I can't torture someone who's dead."
"WHAT!"
"This power ... it reminds me of when Master used to lend me his power years ago, the level of strength it propelled me to. Back then though when he would aid me I also had his own memories, instincts and knowledge gifted alongside it which in turn allowed me to utilize it effectively however this power is all my own thus I must discover its abilities and limitations through personal experimentation,"
"Y-you think you can just USE me like some sort of guinea pig, an experiment!?"
"More or less."
Carmilla's growl could be heard across the room which only served to amuse Seilah more until it abruptly was replaced by laughter. Seilah frowned in annoyance, she did not want laughter nor did she believe her foe deserved to perform the act after all she had done to her before she was reborn.
"Fool. Allowing me to absorb as much blood as I please is akin to signing one's own death warrant! Behold," Carmilla cried as the flow of blood into the room suddenly increased drastically, shattering the pipes in the process.
Seilah watched as Carmilla's form was engulfed in the raging tide of blood, her curiosity as to what Carmilla would ultimately become with so much only marred by her desire for a worthy first foe as her reborn self. Her old self would have never allowed an opponent to gain a potential advantage and would've used all her power to kill the Vampiress. The new Seilah however possessed a much darker personality, one borne of her regrets, failings and desires to be what her old self was not.
Such was The Darkness, the shadow of one's former self.
The last of the blood had left the pipes and flown hastily to Carmilla's side before being absorbed. No more than a spherical pool only slightly larger than the Vampiress remained and that soon quickly faded to reveal her now rejuvenated and clearly enhanced foe.
Emerging from the blood, Carmilla had gained a much more feral appearance. Her once elegant hair now floated outward in all directions. Her temples, forehead and underneath her eyes all held bulging veins with something black pulsing through them as her Crimson Red eyes pulsated with frightening power. Her sadistic clothing seemed to have fused to her skin in order to create a strange, almost chitin based alternative with Carmilla now possessing metallic claws as hands and feet as well as a strange frill on the back of her neck that held several glowing spots which turned on and off in random sequences.
"Do you see now," Carmilla cackled as she gestured to herself. None can match my beauty and grace, not you nor any other filthy peasant!"
"You call that beautiful," Seilah asked in response, rising from the throne and walking down the steps to stand level with her opponent. "You may have had beauty before but you've discarded it for power."
"You know nothing," Carmilla spat, revealing a serpentine like tongue that escaped between her fangs. "My beauty IS my power! The power to crush the common trash below me is all the beauty necessary in this world! Only the strongest can decide what defines true beauty and I am its apex!"
"Disgusting," Seilah scoffed which only further angered Carmilla. "I've heard enough of that garbage, come at me with everything you have, Servant!"
With an almost animalistic roar, Carmilla charged. It was obvious that her onset Madness Enhancement inherent in all Berserker Class Servants was now in full effect as she opted for little in the way of subtlety in her attack strategy, instead choosing to simply try and brute force her way to victory.
Blocking the first punch Seilah felt the force behind it travel through her right forearm, the sting of the metallic surface impacting her hardened Demonic skin though not anywhere close enough to deal any significant damage.
"I wonder if she possesses a limit to her Blood Enhancement ability?"
"Perhaps, but what good is it if it only increases her Madness Enhancement rendering such power pointless," Seilah replied as she dodged a series of lightning fast punches before delivering a swift kick to Carmilla's chest sending her flying from her current position and into a nearby wall almost instantly.
"That is the key difference between us and her."
"Lack of control inherits a lack of discipline."
"Lack of discipline inherits weakness."
"And weaknesses inherit numerous exploits within battle."
"This will allow us to overcome her. This is presuming of course that she is unable to regain control over her mind in this state."
"The person who Master fought against exceeded even this power by an unfathomable margin by comparison and even from our location it was obvious that they had full control over themselves whilst using it. I believe Carmilla said this person was her Uncle which means that they were likely the apex wielder of Carmilla's ability."
Darting up to the hole in the roof Seilah lured Carmilla out of the confined space, back out into the open where she could once again utilize her full arsenal of abilities without the fear of harming herself in the process. Looking downward as she flew she could see Carmilla coming after her with what appeared to be her full speed, her two metallic claw like hands slicing apart the narrow passageway as she once again roared in anger.
The moment she exited the hole Seilah ducked to the side and charged a sphere of dark energy in her right hand, slapping it right on top of Carmilla's head the moment she exited setting off a large explosion. Seilah melded into the explosion, vanishing from sight as Carmilla was sent skidding through the top layer of the earth before hitting a rock which propelled her into the air, only coming to a stop when she crashed into a small tower.
The second she hit the tower Seilah appeared in front of her and delivered another powerful punch that blew out the back of the tower which in turn caused the entire thing to topple backward with Carmilla still inside of it.
"Elder Devil's Aura: Black Extinction!"
Forming a swirling void of pitch black energy in between her two hands Seilah fired the attack in a condensed beam that struck the still collapsing building, piercing right through it which in turn set of a series of explosions that culminated in a massive one that shook the entire area and caused the surrounding surface to be momentarily covered in the same pitch black colouration, rendering everything entirely unidentifiable to those without enhanced sight.
As the black faded it revealed Carmilla, lying in the rubble with a shell-shocked look on her face. It was almost as if she were trying to still process the attacks she'd been hit with and her mind had simply shut down in order to compensate.
Vanishing from the air Seilah appeared next to Carmilla and grabbed her by the hair, wrenching her from the rubble as bits of her chitin based form fell away and slowly floated back into the air. The Vampiress seemed to register the movement as her body slowly began to move once again however Seilah was far too quick to allow any form of counterattack.
"You played around with me like a toy before I changed ... Allow me to return the favour in kind!"
Tossing Carmilla into the air she vanished as Carmilla's body began to jerk in the air violently, blood and pieces of her chitin armor being ripped away from her as she desperately tried to scrape some semblance of her mind back together to fight.
"This is pathetic!"
Kicking her upward several times before appearing above her, Seilah spun around several times as she coated her leg in the same pitch black energy and struck the Berserker right in the jugular. The trip from the air to the ground was instantaneous as the entire area was folded in, the earth flipping upward before eventually coming crashing down on top of her.
"Elder Devil's Aura: Black Revenant."
The two pieces of earth were again sent skyward as the spot Seilah had struck detonated, a blade shaped explosion being fired upward into the sky where it quickly blended into the pitch black of the night. Floating along almost lazily Seilah curled her fingers inward one by one before abruptly snapping them as the attack came back down to the island once more, striking the exact same spot it had departed.
"That may have been a little bit overkill ..."
"I don't care."
"If she survived there's no way she'll be able to fight, you literally blew her throat out with that last attack ... twice."
Ignoring her new companion's comments for the moment she slowly floated downward to the once again visible Carmilla, her entire body torn to shreds as what appeared to be the last vestiges of her strength regenerated her throat.
"I lost ..."
"Yes."
"How quickly the tables did indeed turn," Carmilla sighed tiredly as a golden light began to surround her form. "I could not have ever hoped to predict you would have possessed such frightening power. Tell me; were you aware of it all along?"
"No."
"Ah ..."
"You have harvested countless innocents in a world that wasn't your own Carmilla, their blood is forever on your hands. Blood that you believed to give you strength was what ultimately secured your defeat."
"Tch, think I don't know that? I knew the blood would one day backfire on me since I was summoned as a Berserker ... Uncle Vlad told me as much the moment he discovered my use of it."
"Wait did you just say Vlad," Seilah asked sharply. "As in the Vampire King Dracula!?"
"Heh, it seems you now truly understand the severity of what you lot have walked into," Carmilla laughed in a hollow tone. "Perhaps that will be some small comfort before I return to the Throne ..."
"Tell me before you fade why you were tasked with manipulating so much blood? Was it for Alucard?"
"Uncle doesn't need blood to fight like I do, he's a true monster of legend," Carmilla sighed. "No, my task was to feed the blood into the creations of Moria and Hogback."
"The undead?"
"Yes," Carmilla said through grit teeth as she reached up and grabbed a hold of Seilah's hand, forcing herself into a sitting position as her body began to fade. "And of these creations ... the great beast he has sealed beneath his castle ... do not underestimate its power! Even now Moria has already succeeded in what he set out to do ..."
"How? What has Moria done?"
"Simple," Carmilla gasped as her body began to fade away. "In all this mess you have failed to figure it out ..."
Before Carmilla could finish her sentence she faded away leaving the Demoness to ponder her words ... until those of another pierced through her very core.
"Oh Seilah," the voice sighed as she spun around on the spot in shock. "How can you not sense the loss despite your abilities?"
"Y-you! How can YOU be here!?"
"That isn't important," the figure replied with a wave of their hand as they gestured to the ground behind her. "You have lost something far more important I would think."
True to the figure's words she had indeed lost something vital and it was a loss that froze her on the spot, her mind unable to speak the obvious new issue at hand. Eventually after what felt like years she managed to move her jaw enough to ask the figure across from her one question.
"And ... Master's?"
"Claimed by Moria as well."
"But if Master used up most of his power fighting Alucard then ..."
"Indeed."
"Wh-what should I do?"
"Didn't we design you better than this Seilah," the figure asked though not in an unkind way as she clamped her jaw shut. "You have awakened but you do not yet truly see like Natsu does, not yet."
"What they mean is we need to act quickly if we are to salvage this mess," The Darkness replied though it was in a shaky tone that wasn't far off from Seilah's own. "We need to decide how to tackle the issue of what Moria has at his disposal now."
"Perhaps if I can get a hold of what he took from Master then we might just have a shot at winning. If not however and Moria manages to put what he has claimed from us into some of his undead then ..."
"I trust you know what to do," the figure smiled before slowly beginning to fade in a black void.
"WAIT!"
"Hm?"
"Y-you can't just leave!?"
"I have matters to attend to elsewhere Seilah," the figure replied gently as they continued to fade. "This is not my place to interfere."
"..."
"Chin up Seilah, you are the greatest of our grand designs. Never forget your place."
And with those final words the figure was gone and both she and The Darkness felt a strange feeling course through their bodies. Shaking her head as she slowly began to float upward once more Seilah tried to process just how she would salvage the now almost impossible situation.
"Such is the life of the Assistant, no?"
"Perhaps," she sighed in response before taking off toward the next strongest power signature in the hope that it would be Moria.
/Elsewhere On The Island/
"Hurry up! Strong as those two Servants are that Saber is a real piece of work!"
"Don't order me around Hogback; these two shadows are some of the strongest I've ever taken! Just keeping them bound is enough work by itself!"
Moria and Hogback were hidden away in a still secluded section of the castle, the Warlord seemingly tired beyond believe as he wrestled with two massive shadows that seemed eager to escape his grasp.
"Are they ready Hogback!?"
"Of course they are," the insane Doctor snapped back as he snapped his fingers, two undead moving to unfurl the sheets to reveal two deceased humans. "Both are prime subjects for these shadows, of that I have no doubt!"
"Y-you'd better be right," Moria replied through grit teeth as he forced the shadows over to the two bodies. "Make sure the bodies are secured!"
"Of course," the Doctor replied as countless undead flooded the room and seemed to pile on top of their arms and legs. "Go ahead and do it Moria!"
With great effort Moria moved toward the dead woman with blonde hair and with all the strength he could muster, shoved a struggling shadow into her chest. The body instantly began to convulse violently, the mouth opening and letting out a horrific, almost otherworldly shriek as he pushed more and more into it.
The other shadow almost seemed to react to the shrieks and began to actively fight harder against Moria, somehow dealing physical damage to the hand holding it as blood sprayed across the ground though the Warlord continued on regardless.
"AND ... DONE!"
The shrieking suddenly halted; the mouth closing as the undead ceased its thrashing about. Likewise the shadow in Moria's other hand ceased its assault on their captor who leered over the undead curiously.
"It appears to have been successful but we'll wait to wake her up until after this one has been dealt with."
"Let's get it over with, my head hurts now," Hogback groaned as the pair moved to the man next to her.
"Alright ... HERE WE GO!"
Unlike with the woman the man's reaction was brutal. The moment it was inserted into the chest of the undead anything flammable was instantly lit on fire, including the other undead meant to be holding it down. Moria pressed on however, blood beginning to drip down from his eyes and nose as he strained his own powers to the limit in order to succeed.
After more struggling Moria finally inserted the last piece of the shadow into the man and, much like the woman, the struggling instantly ceased. Moria fell backward and sighed with relief, pulling a hankerchief from his pocket and wiping the blood from his face as Hogback began to cackle with laughter.
"Fosfosfosfos! We've done it Moria! Aside from 'that' project these two will be our greatest weapons!"
""Kishishishi! Of course! I may have lost both of my Servants but in exchange I have gained two powerful new ones that have zero say in what they do! KISHISHISHI!"
Rising to his feet Moria slowly walked toward the two unconscious undead and couldn't suppress another bout of laughter. Eventually however he knew he had to reign it in and, after a little bit more indulgence, he did so.
"Right then it's time to wake them up. Shadow Shadow: Shadow Possession!"
In unison, the eyes of the two undead opened as they drew their first breath. The girl was the first to rise into a sitting position, seemingly disoriented before looking over at Hogback as a scowl began to form on her face.
"YOU!"
"It has been so long since I've seen you move ..."
"What the fuck is this bullshit," the man snapped as he blew away the entire contingent of undead from his person. "What the hell have the two of you done!?"
"KISHISHISHI! We've succeeded in creating the ultimate Zombie Generals," Moria cried with glee as the man moved and with a mere wave of his hand, obliterated all the undead still holding onto the woman. "The two of you are my greatest creations so far!"
"Wait ... these memories," the girl said softly as she clutched her head. "I'm me but ..."
"Yeah," the man growled as he massaged his temples. "I've got some other guy's stuff mixed in with my own!"
"Who ... are we?"
"The two of you are now my personal bodyguards," Moria replied as both sent cold glares in the Warlord's direction. "Like it or not you cannot disobey me, I am the genesis of your newfound existence!"
"He's right," the man said with a frown as he turned toward the woman who seemed much more shaken about that fact. "I'm sorry you're part of this."
"N-no it isn't your fault," the woman replied quickly in a tone that seemed to anger Hogback.
"Moria! She was supposed to be MINE!"
"Hogback you idiot, if I die then this whole operation goes under," Moria snapped back. "After we've killed the Straw Hats you can indulge in your necrophilic fantasies with this dead woman but until then I need her!"
"The hell I'll let you bastards do anything to her," the man growled as he moved in front of her protectively. "Even try to look at her the wrong way and I'll show you why the Council fear me-! Wait what?"
"KISHISHISHI! There it is, the memories are coming in faster than even I predicted," Moria cried with glee. "Soon you'll be ready to obliterate all my enemies! Now come Hogback, I have one last shadow to place in our third great weapon!"
With great reluctance Hogback moved to leave with Moria, the two undead simply watching the pair go in silence. The sound of the door locking behind them was the signal for the woman to break down and clutch her head though no tears could form due to her undead status.
"I-I can't ... my head!"
"I know," the man sighed as he pulled the girl in for a hug. "We've just gotta endure it for now."
"Wh-what do we do? I don't want to serve that horrible man!"
"I'm afraid we haven't got much of a choice in the matter," the man sighed sadly. "He's obviously used his Devil Fruit to pull this off so we're as good as slaves."
"B-but that other gross man said that he was going to ..."
"I won't let that happen," the man said softly as he ran his fingers through the woman's hair. "Not to you ..."
"I know," the woman sighed as she nuzzled into the man's chest before realizing just what they were doing and gasped. "Wh-what-!?"
"It's the memories we're getting, the shadows clearly are heavily linked to one another."
"O-oh ..."
"This could actually work out though if you think about it," the man said slowly as he scanned his new memories. "Neither of the people whose shadows that bastard took are dead so maybe they can free us?"
"I hope so," the woman sighed before looking up at the man who simply smiled down at her with a loving but also confused and conflicted gaze. "This is so bizarre ... being held by a man without even introducing myself."
"I know," the man laughed as the pair released each other. "I suppose introductions are in order, eh?"
"Well I suppose I'll go first," the woman sighed before taking a step backward.
Former World Famous Actress
Assistant To The Undead Lord
Zombie General Of The Thriller Bark Pirates
Victoria Cindry (Seilah)
"Victoria," the man said softly as if testing the name. "Yes that is a wonderful name indeed!"
"Y-you think so," Victoria gasped in an embarrassed manner as she turned away from him as if to hide a blush despite her body being unable to produce one. "W-well then ... what is your name?"
"Me? Well I suppose you might not like me as much once I tell you but then again we are both bound together by fate at this point so maybe you won't hold my past against me."
Former Member Of The Rocks Pirates
Lord Of Imbalance
Zombie General Of The Thriller Bark Pirates
Captain John (Natsu)
Former Bounty – 1,277,600,000
"The Rocks," Victoria gasped though she made no move to get away from John who turned away from her. "The Pirate crew that almost succeeded in destroying the entire world before the Pirate King Roger rose to prominence! YOU were part of their rank!?"
"Yes," John sighed as he walked over toward the nearby barred window. "I was young and foolish, blinded by the wealth, fame and power we were on the cusp of obtaining for ourselves. Even before I died I always look back on those days with regret, what a vicious beast our Captain truly was ..."
"As long as you understand that," Victoria said as she took hold of John's hand, shocking the undead as he spun around to see her smiling brightly in his direction. "Then I shall forgive you!"
"Wh-what!?"
"Besides," Victoria said in a much darker tone. "It might just take a monster if we are to free ourselves from Moria's control and the other personality within me knows this well."
"Yeah but ... well are you sure you can handle this Victoria?"
"The me who lived and the me of the present are two entirely separate people John, as are yours. I will fight alongside you until these decrepit bones can no longer sustain me and even then ..."
"Victoria ..."
The two undead took a step closer to one another, feelings of two others flowing through them in that moment however their own did indeed seem to play some small part in what was to come as they prepared themselves for their inevitable servitude toward the despicable Warlord.
Tales From The Tale Verse
Chance Encounters In My Room II
Jeanne D'Arc (Lancer)
Initial Summoning:
"Servant, Lancer, I have responded to your-wait a minute ... this cannot be! How have you managed to summon an abomination such as me!? Eh? You don't think I'm an abomination? Well then ... it appears that, at least for the time being, I shall be in your care. Should you change your mind then you know what to do ... Master."
Dialogue 1:
"You ask why I despise myself? Come now Master is it not obvious? I am a mistake, an abomination not even fit to be a Servant. My Spirit Origin is the cannibalized form of two other versions of myself after all."
"But Jeanne you are aware that Jeanne Alter isn't even the actual Jeanne right?"
"Eh? What do you mean Master?"
"Well how to explain it ..."
"No need Master I shall simply ask her myself. Even if she might despise my existence I must apologize to her for what I have done."
"But what happened wasn't your fault though Jeanne!"
"I lived and erased Jeanne D'Arc and Jeanne D'Arc Alter Master, that is a crime for which repentance may never truly be earned I'm afraid."
"Jeanne ..."
Dialogue 2: (If you have Jeanne D'Arc – Ruler)
"Why are you always so nice to me? You should despise my existence since it did rob both you and Jeanne Alter of your own after all."
"Oh don't be silly! Now come on I want to introduce you to some of my friends!"
"What?"
"Well you're new here and as your big Sister its my job to make sure you fit in here!"
"Waitwaitwait ... WHAT!?"
"Y-you don't want to be my ... S-Sister?"
"..."
Loud crying ensues
"ALRIGHT I'LL MEET YOUR FRIENDS JUST ... please stop crying."
"Great, now come on I'm sure they'll love to meet you! I know Marie has been dying to get a hold of you to try on some gowns she has been working on!"
"Wow that whole crying bit was rather fa-OW!"
"Sorry I don't think I quite heard what you said there, you were so excited you said?"
"...yeah."
Dialogue 3: (If you have Jeanne D'Arc Alter - Avenger)
"So you got to exist too then?"
"Seems like it."
"I've heard from some of the others that you see yourself as some sort of freak, an abomination of a Servant who Master should've burned, true?"
"It is the truth after all ..."
"Indeed it is ... but that doesn't matter."
"Eh?"
"So you shouldn't truly exist, neither should I. When I was summoned here all the staff hated me because I hurt the eggplant but I just told them to go fuck themselves and do you wanna know why?"
"I suppose ..."
"The way I see it is that I'm not here to be friends with people, I'm here to slaughter those who would get in Master's way. I was a hollow fake who had no purpose, who shouldn't have existed either and yet here I am trying to save the human race who I've got no actual connection to aside from Master."
"So you found your purpose in Master?"
"NO! Master might be the one giving the orders but you and I both know how we got here and who we owe our currently existent asses to! To him we owe debts we can't repay ... so I'll do my part even if I hate it."
"I see ..."
"Of course it's hard some days with the damn Saint trying to act all lovey dovey toward me, as if we're REAL Sisters! Honestly we're the same damn person!"
"I think I'm going to go for a walk to ... clear my head."
"Yeah but just one more thing ..."
"Hm?"
"I don't hate you for existing; I just don't like you because you aren't as broken as me."
"Jea-."
"Jalter, call me Jalter. And no I don't want your sympathies so go take that shit somewhere else!"
"Alright. Talk to you later ... Jalter."
"Yeah ... good luck."
Dialogue 4: (If you have Jeanne D'Arc Alter Santa Lily – Lancer)
"How the hell do you exist?"
"Now that's just rude! Asking someone why they exist!"
"I-I apologize I just don't understand how Jalter could turn into ... you."
"The kid version of the King Of Kings is to blame though in a way thanks to him Christmas can reach far beyond the stars and with the help of Reindeer and my mentor we can beat up the many grinches of Chaldea!"
"I-I'm totally lost ..."
Dialogue 5: (If you have Gilles De Rais – Saber)
"Again I do wish you would strike me down."
"And I've told you a million times NO!"
"But I deserve it for doing what I did."
"Gilles ... just stop. The stakes here are far too high for me to kill you even if I wanted to."
"I see. Is there any other way I can pay for my crimes?"
"How about reigning in the Caster version of yourself?"
"I-I shall do what I can, my Lady Jeanne."
Dialogue 6: (If you have Gilles De Rais – Caster)
Alright everyone this is another announcement from the illustrious Da Vinci! Whoever keeps pushing Caster Gilles into the mat furnace needs to come forward, Fujimaru is willing to hear you out as to why you believe targeting a specific Servant no less than ninety seven times in four days is necessary. You have until 7P.M to reveal yourself and-oh hold on it seems Gilles has again fallen into the furnace and no culprit was detected in the room ... carry on.
"All according to plan ..."
Dialogue 7: (If you have Marie Antoinette – Any Class)
"Why do you keep hugging me all the time?"
"Because you are simply far too adorable not to of course!"
"And playing with my hair?"
"Because there is just so much styling potential within it!"
"And ... constantly undressing me and putting me into these ... outfits?"
"Well ... aside from my own personal curiosity I know you've been following a certain someone around, peeking at them from behind walls when you think they aren't looking and all that-!"
"Excuse me as I go burn myself in the mat furnace ..."
"NO YOU MUSTN'T! WE'VE STILL GOT OUR BRUNCH DATE TO ATTEND WITH MASTER!"
"Goodbye world it was nice for the brief time I knew you ..."
Dialogue 8: (If you have Atalanta – Berserker)
"You keep sleeping in my room. Why?"
"I am not quite sure; it seems that my more feral instincts guide me here."
"And did they ever guide you to the other Jeannes?"
"I have a history with Ruler, Avenger is better off left alone and the little Lancer Alter is always surrounded by others her own age and is often in good spirits."
"So me?"
"Yes."
"..."
"..."
"Can you at least not sleep on the floor like a cat then it's weird?"
"I shall try but I make no promises."
Dialogue 9: (If you have Seig – Caster)
"There are far too many Jeanne variants to keep track of these days ..."
"I apologize for being a new addition."
"N-no, I didn't mean it that way!"
"Then how did you mean it?"
"I-I just meant that I don't understand why Jeanne keeps getting more variants of herself is all!"
"I see. In that regard I must agree. After all it must be a daunting task to have a crush on her but having to interact with countless variants of her."
"Wh-what!? Y-you can't just blurt stuff out like that!"
"Stuff like what Seig?"
"J-Jeanne! Ahahaha ... don't worry about it Lancer and I were just discussing how Jalter was ... uh ... swearing in front of Lancer Jalter and how she shouldn't say such things in front of the children!"
"She was using that vulgar language again was she ... and in front of the little ones too no less? Very well, it seems I must activate my newly formed Noble Phantasm – Big Sister Morality Enforcement Mode Mark VII!"
"You do realize you've just signed your own death warrant don't you Sieg?"
"Wouldn't be the first time ..."
Dialogue 10: (If you have Natsu Dragneel - ?)
"I don't understand why I'm ultimately here ..."
"Why?"
"You already have so many powerful Heroic Spirits gathered here so why am I necessary, a fake abomination like myself?"
"First off you aren't an abomination, Jeanne, but what we call a paradoxical manifestation. You are a version of Jeanne D'Arc who could've easily been, or perhaps once was. If you can stand before me, breathe and speak to me then you were always meant to exist."
"H-how could you possibly know such a thing?"
"The One Above All has a plan for every single piece of individual matter in reality Jeanne and you are part of that grand design. I understand you are genuinely upset by your method of origin however keep in mind that I freed both Jeanne and Jalter back then."
"But why would you allow me here?"
"Because we need all the strength we can muster Jeanne, hence why even Madara and Kaguya are here despite them also being my enemies during that war. You are not my enemy Jeanne nor are you an enemy of Chaldea ... you are our trusted ally and friend."
"F-friend!?"
"Oh yes! And allow me as your friend to give you a well overdue wake up on accepting that existence of yours!"
"N-Natsu! P-put me down!"
"Nope! We're going to go on an adventure, just the two of us and by the end of it you'll be just as accepting of your newfound life as ... er?"
"Jalter?"
"I mean yeah but less sadistic."
"C-can you not carry me wherever we're going at least!?"
"Nope!"
Likes:
"My likes you ask? I suppose if I were to like anything it would be experiencing new and exciting things ... Is that good enough, Master?"
Dislikes:
"I detest those who would take away the lives of the innocent, those who would practice the foulest of Dark Magic to serve their own ends and those who are selfish enough to weaponize such despicable ideals!"
Wish For The Holy Grail:
"The Holy Grail ..."
"Jeanne, don't answer if you don't want to I-!"
"No Master it's just that I cannot look at a device capable of performing any act regardless of whom makes the wish in a positive light. It produced me by destroying two other Servants, erasing them temporarily until Natsu managed to destroy me ..."
"Jeanne ..."
"My wish for the Holy Grail, that is what you wished to know wasn't it?"
"Y-yes!"
"My wish for the Holy Grail would be for it to destroy itself and if possible all others so that such power never again has the chance to fall into the hands of such evil fiends like Solomon. We're all far better off without it!"
"I see ..."
Master's Birthday:
"I have been informed that today is the anniversary of your birth Master so allow me to offer my congratulations on another year of continued existence."
"That was a rather unique way of saying 'Happy Birthday' Jeanne."
"Happy ... Birthday?"
"That's what you say instead of 'anniversary of your birth' or whatever it was you said."
"I see, but why?"
"Well its shorter and ... um?"
"Never mind. If Master wishes it to be as such then I shall respect that so ... Happy ... Birthday, my Master."
"Th-thank you Jeanne."
"Now then I believe everyone else is waiting to see you as well are they not?"
"Um ... yeah but-!"
"But what?"
"W-well I was just wondering if y-you wanted to join me for breakfast?"
"I-I suppose I could Master though I do not understand why you would wish to spend more time than necessary with me. However seeing as it is your ... Birthday, I shall oblige you."
"Great!"
Bond 1:
"You seem to be spending more time with me lately Master, have I done something that warrants your personal supervision? Eh? Y-you just enjoy my company ... For the sake of both of us Master do not become overly attached to me for I am your weapon, fit only to be discarded once I no longer hold any use."
Bond 2:
"I do not understand why many of the Servants of French origin keep being so nice to me Master. Do they mistake me for the real Jeanne? Help me to fit in? But aren't some of them, such as Marie, meant to be the sworn enemy of Jeanne D'Arc? What do you mean it doesn't matter!?"
Bond 3:
"You are slowing down Master; do you require us to take a break? It must be hard managing so many Servants, no? Come now Master there is a fine line between putting on a brave face and being stubborn! I shall ask the nameless Archer to construct you a suitable meal that will restore you to full strength in no time! What do you mean no? I believe Mister EMIYA is a male so how can he be like an overbearing Mother? You say the silliest things sometimes Master ..."
Bond 4:
"Sometimes I do wonder if I deserve to exist even despite all the assurances of everyone here. Even in my brief stint that was life I also didn't believe my life had any meaning beyond that programmed into me by the Grails and the two Gilles. But when I look at all the good we're doing ... all the lives we have the potential to save ... I do wonder if perhaps this is the way Fate has decided I earn my right to live? What do you think, Master?"
Bond 5:
"It is far too soon to head back to Chaldea; this sunset is far too beautiful to tear my eyes away from. I never could have believed life could hold such beauty, a fragility that shines greater than any sun ever could rendering it all the more beautiful. Please allow me to be selfish just this once Master because a strange feeling has taken root within my heart for I feel ... warm."