FATE/NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM
"New Order of the Ages"
Chapter 11: One Strike, Two Halves
"So Lady Scathach assisted you in your escape," Diarmuid said to Robin.
"How do you know who that woman was?" the archer wondered.
"That's because-"
"He's my partner in searching for Connla's divided Spirit Origins."
A familiar lady's voice broke through their conversation, and everyone turned around to find Scathach standing nearby, with Fia-Leanbh squatting next to her. Rama widened his eyes and remarked, "So you're Scathach, the guardian of the Land of Shadows and Cuchulainn's mentor. As for that child, I presume she is…?"
"Correct. You may have heard of her as the Wild Child who had been slaughtering the Celtic soldiers."
"Fia-Leanbh!? You're saying she's Connla's other half!?"
"Looks like Diarmuid filled you in on everything. That makes things easier for me. Now then, where is the other Connla?"
"Um…" Ituha murmured and nervously approached the warrior woman.
Scathach kneeled in front of her to inspect her features, then said, "Yes, this is the half of Connla possessing all of her reason and sanity. I want to extend my appreciation to you all for taking care of her while I was preoccupied with finding Fia."
"It is a nurse's duty to care for their patient to the fullest. I deserve no such thanks," Nightingale said. "I understand that you possess the ability to help Ituha regain her memories."
"I do. With both halves reunited, I can reconstitute Connla's original Spirit Origin and meld them back together… Is what I'd like to say."
"Is there a problem?"
"Based on my examination of their Spirit Origins, it seems their desire to remain as separate individuals is growing stronger the longer they remain apart. Or perhaps the original Connla refuses to return as a whole, and is keeping herself separate on purpose. Either way, if neither of them are willing to cooperate with the reconstitution process, it will be impossible for me to restore the original Heroic Spirit, and she will 'die' in the truest sense."
"That's not good. I've committed myself fully to curing Ituha of her amnesia."
Scathach sighed. "I can tell that you're determined, but psychological care is far more delicate than physical treatment. We shouldn't force Connla into making one choice or the other. She needs to decide if she wants to maintain her dual existences as an Archer and Berserker, or to reunite as a Lancer and regain all of the memories of her bitter past that tore her asunder in the first place."
Rama said, "You say that, but you went through a lot of trouble to try and bring her back together. Do you need the original Connla for something?"
The warrior woman closed her eyes, then replied, "I know I shouldn't say this, but I have a strong suspicion that I will not be able to defeat that Cuchulainn in battle."
"Are you kidding!? You're his mentor, and even you don't think you can win!?"
"I know, it's quite irritating, but that is the truth. Medb wished for Cuchulainn to be a wicked warrior king, creating a cursed version of him who is constantly in pain and searching for someone to end his misery. Until the end comes for him, he will live as a terrible entity who seeks the death of everyone around him. There's only one person who can free his soul from the shackles that Medb bound him to."
"You believe it's his daughter?"
"I don't just believe it – I know it. If Connla hadn't materialized in this world, Cuchulainn would have lived a nihilistic life. With her around though, a small part of his kinder nature awakened to the suffering she endured at her mother's hand. He sees her pain as a part of his own, and he wants to give her a peaceful world so she doesn't experience such sadness anymore. That's the key we need to defeat him once and for all."
"Sounds like you're utilizing that as a weakness to exploit."
"Not necessarily. I strongly believe the world summoned her specifically to bring him down. I want to do my part to make sure that becomes a reality. It'll be extremely difficult if Connla remains divided like this though. Depending on her ultimate choice, we'll need to adjust our strategy accordingly."
Ituha listened to Scathach's explanation while approaching the silent Fia. The two girls stared at each other for a long while. Ituha couldn't see Fia's face behind the mask, but she suspected that her features would be identical. They felt like long-lost twins reuniting, but not quite due to how different their personalities were.
"So… you're Fia?" Ituha asked.
"…"
"You can't talk, can you? Is it because I have all of your rationality?"
"…"
"I don't know why, but… Even though we just met, I feel so much safer with you around. All this time, I always felt like I had a hole in my spirit. I'm sure you felt the same way too, right?"
Fia put her hand upon Ituha's palm like how a dog would shake its paw with its owner. The Archer murmured, "Let's stick together, okay? We still have a lot of fighting to do if we're going to save everyone."
The Berserker nodded quietly.
As everyone was deciding on how to proceed from here, they heard some commotion coming from outside the camp. Rama stood up and asked a passing Resistance soldier, "What's going on?"
"We're being ambushed by Celtic soldiers and monsters!"
"Damn it!"
"They must have followed me here," Robin said. "No choice but to wipe them out."
Diarmuid said to Ituha, "Stay behind me at all times, all right?"
"Yes, sir."
Nightingale and Fia wasted no time charging into the battlefield together, where they saw the soldiers fighting for their lives against some Celts. The Servants figured they could handle human opponents, but the chimeras and wyverns would be a different story. Fia performed several gymnastics flips towards a chimera's head, then hopped high above moments before it breathed poisonous gas at her. She thrust her wooden lance down and pierced it through the monster's cranium. Nightingale rammed her fist against the other heads, knocking them out before firing some bullets to kill them.
"Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting!" the nurse raged in irritation. "If Medb is going to summon anything, she should at least make sure they're clean first!"
Fia didn't care about Nightingale's complaints and continued towards a band of incoming Celtic warriors. Rama, Robin and Elizabeth were already killing them one by one, but they would have been overwhelmed had Fia not joined in the fray. Nightingale found another chimera and started beating it up. The snake-headed tail opened its mouth and shot a bolt of energy at her chest, knocking her off her feet. Scathach rushed in and summoned multiple thin Gae Bolgs, then shot them like lasers at the creature's midsection, puncturing its flesh and organs numerous times to destroy it.
Scathach chuckled, "Heh heh. You're certainly taking it easy, worrying about cleanliness over keeping your skin intact."
"Every microcosm of bacteria must be eliminated before it can take root and start spreading!" Nightingale exclaimed.
"While your nomenclature leaves much to be desired, I can appreciate your enthusiasm."
Meanwhile, Diarmuid and Ituha ran towards a pack of wyverns that were flying toward the chaos. The child Archer began slinging enchanted stones at the ones in front, detonating like TNT and forcing some of the dragons to fall to the ground. Diarmuid immediately slew them by jabbing his spears through their necks to slice their arteries, then left them to bleed out while leaping to intercept some flying dragons that Ituha missed.
Atop a cliff side overlooking the chaotic battle, a red-haired fellow wearing traditional Chinese martial arts clothing observed the frenzy with keen interest. He slid his hand up and down his qiang, feeling his urge to wage a fierce battle overcome his senses. An eager smile crept on his lips as he gauged each Servant's combat abilities, trying to see who would be the most worthy challenge for him. His eyes fell upon Scathach as she expertly cut down two wyverns with one clean stroke.
Oh? Isn't that the ruler of the Land of Shadows? My, my, I never thought such an opportunity would present itself to me so easily.
He looked over to the distance and saw some shadowy figures coming in to ambush the Servants.
Hmph. Looks like the enemy prefers numbers over calling forth someone of high caliber. Such a shame that the Holy Grail is being used to summon such wastrels.
He jumped over the cliff and slid down the embankment as if the dirt was mere ice to him.
"Agh! This is getting annoying!" Robin yelled at he shot some crossbow arrows at a druid's chest, piercing their heart.
"Tell me about it!" Elizabeth exclaimed, jabbing her spear through a wyvern's head. "Idols with a reputation for drawing in rowdy crowds are not good for business! I have to maintain a squeaky clean image until I turn 18!"
"Less complaining, more fighting!" Rama rebuked, chopping up a small group of warriors. Fia jumped over a spearman's lance, landed on the pole, then hopped before delivering a strong roundhouse kick to their face. Rama immediately stabbed them to death, then cleaved through a swordsman's armor like a knife through water. Fia looked over to find the shadowy humanoids rushing toward them, so she barged at them first to hopefully keep them back long enough.
"Fia!" Ituha exclaimed and ran toward her other self. Diarmuid followed her and assisted Fia in beating up the shadows.
"Kgh!" he grunted, resisting an unidentified warrior's sword. "These ones are strong!"
"It's no wonder," Scathach said while vaulting in and slicing a figure through the middle. "These are Shadow Servants – Heroic Spirits who are just one step away from being complete Servants. It could be the result of a botched summoning, or that their Spirit Origins are not well-defined enough. They have the power of a Servant, but no conscience worth speaking of."
Ituha fired as many stones as she could at the malevolent silhouettes, but she didn't seem to be having much luck against a particular Lancer-class shadow. They batted her projectiles aside and rushed at her. Diarmuid yelled in horror and tried to rescue her, but he wouldn't be able to reach her in time.
"KAH!"
The red-haired Chinese warrior jabbed his qiang through the shadow's head, killing them instantly and reducing them to black soot. Ituha looked up at the newcomer in surprise as he stood in front of her and remarked, "Your technique is sloppy, young lady. I suggest you stay back and leave this to the professionals."
"S-Sure…"
"Thank you for saving her," Diarmuid said as he rejoined Ituha's side. "Who might you be?"
"Just a passing Lancer. My True Name's Li Shuwen."
"Oh, the Divine Spear himself! I'm honored to fight alongside you!"
"Save the chivalry for another time, lad! Stay focused!"
The two men countered more Shadow Servants, while Nightingale joined the group and beat up an unidentified Berserker on her own. Although a small army of shadows had converged upon the Servants, they weren't powerful enough to rival proper Heroic Spirits. No one had anticipated Li's arrival either, but one had to remember that the world was still occasionally summoning Servants as the 'antibodies' to fight against the 'disease' still running rampant.
It wouldn't take long for the heroes to destroy the last of the Celtic invaders. No enemy was left alive to retreat, so there wasn't any fear of Medb learning where the Servants were located for now. All of the dead monsters evaporated into dark ether that dissipated into nothing.
"Phew," Elizabeth sighed in relief and twirled her spear around lazily. "More pigs for the abattoir."
Scathach stared at Li and muttered, "Impressive. That kind of technique can only be attained through years of hellish training and possessing innate talent. You said your name was Li Shuwen, the undefeated martial artist who claims to only strike his opponents once, am I correct?"
"Indeed," he replied.
"Excellent. You would make for a spectacular playth- I mean, worthy opponent."
"Well said. Ever since I laid my eyes upon you, a storm has been raging inside me. It will not be quelled unless I challenge you! Grant me this rare honor of dueling you, Witch of Dun Scaith!"
"Yikes," Elizabeth cringed. "Worst pick-up line ever."
"Now hold on," Scathach grinned. "I think this would be a valuable opportunity for you to witness my capabilities as a teacher first. As an infamous instructor yourself, wouldn't you like to see how well one of my pupils fares against you before taking on their mentor?"
"Hm… I must admit, I am rather curious to see how strong one of your trainees is. Alas, though the prospect is interesting, I fear I might cause unnecessary harm to such a poor soul with my unrelenting strike of death. It won't be long before I overcome them and face you directly."
"Don't try to bite a bullet before the gun is fired. You would be foolish to make such an assumption about my students. I handpick and forge only the finest of warriors. I wouldn't offer them to be your opponent if I doubted their capabilities."
"How true. Then show me your student immediately. Your most famous pupil was Cuchulainn, but he is presently unavailable for this showdown. Who else do you have to offer me?"
"These two," Scathach said, patting her hands against Ituha and Fia's backs to push them in front of her.
Li appeared incredibly displeased with the idea of fighting children. Diarmuid also objected, "Lady Scathach! What in the world are you doing!?"
"Isn't it obvious? They've only met just now, so I need to gauge their abilities when working together as a cohesive unit. If my theory holds true, they should be able to make up for the loss of the original Heroic Spirit."
"Yes, but-!"
"Give it up, Diarmuid. If Master Li had not shown up, I would have put them through the gamut myself."
"L-Lady Scathach…?" Ituha asked nervously. "I don't understand what you're saying. Are you implying that you trained me before?"
"Ah, that's right – you don't remember being under my tutelage in life. Don't worry; even if you have forgotten everything, you body will recall the movements on its own. As for Fia, I'm sure she'll give our martial artist a run for his money. In the event that you lose however, Li Shuwen, I demand that you be gone immediately. We have no time to accommodate your selfish desires."
"Heh heh!" Li chuckled. "I understand! I must not be deceived by faces. Ituha and Fia, yes? I challenge you both to a duel! The rest of you, do not interfere!"
Ituha grew nervous from hearing such an intense declaration, while Fia perked up and was ready at a moment's notice, sensing the man's immense battle aura. The Archer moaned, "But there's no reason for us to fight…"
"I am confronting you as an enemy. Isn't that enough?"
"Well… I guess."
"Good, good. At least you pass the test of good judgment. If you don't treat me as such, you will both die."
The two child Servants were prepared for battle, and Li got into position. Everyone else stood back and allowed the fighters plenty of space. Li focused primarily on Fia since he could tell she was the better fighter, and the young Berserker understood his intention from the sharp look in his black eyes. The hairs on her skin prickled to life, and she became too excited to tolerate the pressure anymore. She charged in low and attempted to swipe at Li's midsection, but he nimbly stepped aside and thrust his qiang at her head numerous times. She dodged each strike with amazing agility, innately reading the wind surrounding his vicious stabs. When she found an opportunity, she got on her hands and twirled her legs about like a break dancer, slamming her ankle against his fingers so he lost his grip momentarily.
Not bad, Li thought, grinning at Fia's reflexes. She analyzes the air and reacts to any slight disturbance, all without making a sound of her own. It'd be difficult to assume that a Berserker like her could utilize Presence Concealment, but there is potential. If she could funnel out any noise she makes, she could mimic as an Assassin.
Although he was fumbling with his weapon, he still had his other hand available. Without hesitation, he smacked his palm against Fia's chest, slamming her backwards. Ituha took over and fired numerous stones at Li. He swung and sliced about to either dodge or parry them. A couple of rocks grazed his upper arm, tearing through his clothes and skin.
This one's not a fighter by any means, but the strength she uses to power her slingshot is quite unusual. Then again, it's possible that she's using Celtic Runecraft to enhance her might and accuracy. On top of that…
He ducked his head aside to avoid having his face be blown off by an explosive stone that Ituha shot.
She's turning those rocks into fiery projectiles that can immolate the enemy. I see, so she needs to use magic like a Caster would to compensate for her lack of martial prowess. It's almost like I'm fighting against four classes at the same time. Just as I expected, such diversity is the way Scathach teaches her students to adapt to any situation.
While Li was preoccupied with analyzing the girls' combat abilities, Fia vaulted back to her feet and charged at him once more. Since he understood how her wind-related talents operated, he had to pay close attention to her so she couldn't sneak up on him. Luckily, he had the advantage in raw strength and swung at her shoulder, batting her aside and taking chase while she tumbled. As Fia rolled about, Ituha sent more stones flying at Li while he was running, but he was too fast for her to snipe down. Fia got on all fours and slipped aside just as Li whipped his qiang at the ground with a sharp cracking sound, narrowly missing her.
Fia leapt and somersaulted several times to gain momentum, then slammed her spear over Li's head. He raised his weapon to block it, but glanced back and noticed Ituha conjuring a fireball. He shoved Fia off him and flipped away moments before Ituha tried to shoot at his backside. The spell missed both Li and Fia, who was safely above it, and exploded harmlessly. Fia landed and dashed at Li to clash in a flurry of lances once more.
"Got you!" he shouted and aimed just right to hit a weak spot in Fia's wooden spear, cracking it apart into useless fragments. The Berserker didn't seem too bothered, instead using her freed hands to snatch his weapon and throw him forward when he wasn't expecting it. His powerful forward momentum made him stumble off-kilter, and Ituha finally scored a hit when she threw another blazing orb at his back. He flew several feet and smashed face-first onto the dirt. Despite the terrible friction wounds and burning sores on his skin, he flipped forth to get back on his feet as quickly as possible.
Li caught sight of Fia dashing back and forth in an unusual pattern while the wind picked up around her. She raised her hand out and drew the Rune known as Ken, the symbol of knowledge breaking open the darkness, or the winds of change bringing on a new day. The sigil was engulfed in a small tornado around her hand that emulated an invisible spear. This wasn't Artoria Pendragon's Invisible Air ability that cloaked her sword Excalibur in high pressure air to protect her identity. Rather, this was an imaginary polearm made entirely of shearing winds that could rip apart flesh, but took up a considerable amount of mana to maintain. The magic weapon was so deadly that Fia had to cover her own hand in a protection Rune to keep her limb intact.
A wind lance!?
Li did not expect Fia to know any magic like Ituha did. She thrust the miniature tornado at him, and the powerful gusts toppled him back to the ground. He tried to get back up, but he was suddenly face-to-face with Ituha's palm. Between them was the Ansuz Rune she had been using to cast her fire spells.
"Make one wrong move, and you'll be burned alive," she warned him with an unusual fierceness.
"Fascinating. But if you use it right here and now, you'll be caught in the inferno as well."
"Don't worry. I've coated myself in spells that will keep me safe. I doubt I can say the same for you, sir."
Li clenched his teeth, astonished with how well-prepared she was. Then he raised his hands and declared, "All right, you've both won this contest."
The girls weren't convinced with his surrender and remained on high alert. He appreciated their cautiousness, so he slowly stood back up while keeping his hands exposed. Just to make sure, Ituha kicked his qiang aside.
"That's enough," Scathach announced. "Cancel your spell, Ituha. He has given up."
The Archer mumbled in acknowledgement and made the Ansuz sigil disappear. Fia no longer detected Li's urge for battle and relaxed her nerves, dispelling her Ken Rune at the same time. He put his hands down and remarked, "You are no ordinary children. Although Scathach claims you both just met, you fight in such harmonious tandem that I would have believed you knew each other for years."
"Just as I expected," Scathach smiled. "Despite her youthful age, she is one of my best students. Perhaps not as famous as Cuchulainn, but with enough time and training, she could rival him."
"Oh? I see two Servants, yet you speak of her as one."
"Her Spirit Origin split after she experienced some severe trauma. Regardless, both of them share the same True Name – Connla, the Child of Cuchulainn."
"Interesting. I wasn't aware that the Child of Light had a scion."
"He does. With that said, since you were not able to defeat my student, you are thus unable to fulfill your end of the deal."
"No. I actually wish to rescind my previous request. I will not interfere with your cause, and will not ally with the Celts either. After all, it would be problematic for us to have our duel when there is no stage to take it upon. Therefore, I ask if you would accept my challenge to fight you at the very end, regardless if this world is saved or not."
"Very well, I shall accept that condition. I cannot make any promises if I survive for that time to come."
"I have confidence that you will not die so easily."
Li looked around at the heroes as they were gathering around, then said, "By the way, there is something I want to mention. I first appeared in Denver and spoke with the so-called Presi-King Edison. This is nothing more than my own conjecture, but I believe the man is not in his right mind. Something seems to be possessing him, and he will not listen to rationality until he has been knocked back to his senses. How ironic, considering that he believes he is the paragon of sensibility and reason."
"So you noticed it too," Nightingale said. "I share in your hypothesis. If that is the case, then I must attend to my patient immediately."
"Huh?" Ituha looked up at her.
"No, not you. I'm talking about Edison. When I met that man personally, I could tell that his nature was much too foreign for him to be the King of Inventions."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Then what do you picture Edison as?"
"Hmm… A middle-aged man in a black suit and bowtie?"
"Sorry to say, but you're way off the mark," the nurse narrowed her eyes. "He has the head of a white lion, and wears a blue bodysuit adorned with a red mantle. He looks no different than a superhero from one of those printed magazines that children enjoy."
"You're kidding," Ituha murmured, astounded that the Western forces' leader looked so bizarre.
"I believe his abnormal appearance and irrational personality are the result of an illness. I want to return to Denver and see about treating him."
Rama raised an eyebrow and muttered, "You want to go back there even though he had you imprisoned for insubordination earlier?"
"What is there to think about? Although my top priority is the treatment of this nation, there are many infected areas that need to be dealt with. I am simply targeting the disease that has been allowed to fester for much too long. Nothing short of rendering Edison unconscious with some rigorous anesthesia will correct this problem."
"Well, I suppose it's better than trying to ambush Washington by ourselves again. If we can enlist the Presi-King's aid, we'll have a much greater advantage in the number of Servants."
"I agree," Diarmuid said. "Lord Fergus and Lord Fionn are gone. The Celts only have Cuchulainn, Medb, Arjuna and Beowulf on their side, but they also have the Holy Grail to make up for their shortfall. Thanks to that previous skirmish, we now know what the queen is capable of summoning."
"Beowulf aside, we absolutely need Karna's help to fend off Arjuna," Rama said.
"Then our next destination is clear," Scathach agreed. "We must get Edison's cooperation, even if it means using brute force to make him understand."
Ituha glanced at Li and asked, "Are you going to be helping us?"
"No, I'm afraid that won't be an option. I can't guarantee that I wouldn't attack you again. As I have been summoned in my prime, I am a dangerous man detached from society who seeks nothing but good challenges. Nothing more, nothing less."
"I see. I just hope you won't join the Celts."
"Don't worry, I am not so barbaric as to raise my spear in the name of pointless carnage. When the time comes, I shall appear again to assist you all. Until then, I bid you all farewell."
With that, Li Shuwen departed without looking back. Likewise, the group of Servants turned northward and headed straight for Denver. Diarmuid sighed in relief and said, "I'm so glad you're not hurt, Miss Ituha. That goes for you too, Miss Fia. That fight brought me back to the days when I trained the princess back at the White House. I could see her lithe form and quiet elegance in both of you."
"Really?" the Archer wondered. "I still don't understand a lot of things about my combat style, but it's like instinct takes over for me. Oh, that's right – I wanted to ask Lady Scathach something."
"What is it?" the woman asked, then remarked, "You don't have to call me that though. Address me as Teacher, like you used to."
"Okay then, Teacher… Well, I'm not sure how to describe it, but whenever I got into a battle that got really scary, some magic circles would appear over my wrists, and I would shoot a tremendous wave of fire at the enemy. I beat back Lord Karna and killed Mr. Fergus with it, but I don't know how to use it on my own, or even what it is in the first place."
"Do you say any words to go with that attack?"
"Mm. I always shout Coinneal Léimneach, but I don't understand where those words come from or why they're effective."
"'Flickering Candle', huh? It would seem that you have been inherently using your Noble Phantasm when the situation gets desperate."
"Noble… Phantasm?"
"Remember my Báthory Erzsébet, or when Rama used Brahmastra?" Elizabeth reminded her. "Think of them as unique super attacks that each Servant can use, and are tied with their legends."
"But how can I use an attack like that when I don't know anything about myself?"
Scathach declared, "You may not understand, but I do. Since your abilities as a mage are heightened while as an Archer, you tap into the Rune you're most familiar with, that being Ansuz, and boost its powers to levels that you can't accomplish as a Lancer. Fia behaves similarly, but she uses the Ken sigil to increase her agility to superhuman speeds."
Ituha nodded slightly. "So I'm just fighting the way that's easiest for me?"
"That's right. You've been attuned to the fire element so that you can hurl stones and fireballs from a distance, while Fia is aligned with the wind element so she can dodge her enemies' attacks more easily. When you were Connla, those were the two elements I found resonated within you the most, so I made sure to hone that talent further while you were training under me."
"Okay. I get the reasoning now, but I'm still not sure about using this Noble-thing whenever I want."
"You don't have to 'know' anything. You just have to 'feel', as you have been doing all along. You don't need to change anything about your behavior."
"Huh…"
While they were busy talking, the Servants returned to the forests surrounding the United Western States' capital city. They trudged through, and Ituha looked around forlornly as she remembered when Geronimo found her here. She felt sad that she would never get to see him, Billy and Nero again, but they all knew the risk they were taking with the assassination mission. Their sacrifice gave the survivors crucial information and a heightened sense of caution.
Soon, the group broke through the last trees and stood at the edge of the clearing.
"All right, everyone," Rama announced. "Since none of you asked to leave from this mission, I take it that we are all in agreement about our current objective."
Robin muttered, "I'm not exactly the type of guy to work in a team. Even so, I'll go along with it rather than try to kill Cuchulainn on my own."
Elizabeth chuckled and said, "You sound rather gloomy, Greenie."
"How can I not? This Presi-King guy already sounds incompatible for me."
"Only because he is trapped in someone else's dream," Scathach said bitterly. "We must wake him up and make him see the error of his ways."
"Right," Rama nodded. "As long as we stand together, we can even defeat Karna."
"Now then," Nightingale declared, "let's get in there and treat the patient without delay."