FATE/NOVUS ORDO SECLORUM

"New Order of the Ages"

Chapter 14: War With No Rules

In the White House's throne room, a Celtic soldier stood before Cuchulainn and Medb as he made his detailed report of the Western States' movements.

"So, they're preparing to divide their forces into two to counter us, hm?" Medb wondered. "My, it's so tragic to watch them squirm before our unstoppable might. Yet at the same time, I can't help but feel entertained by their efforts. What about you, Cu?"

"I don't care about the grunts," the apathetic king grumbled. "Have you looked into that other matter?"

"Yes, sir," the soldier said. "Fia-Leanbh is no longer roaming around in our territory. It's become apparent that Scathach took her to be recruited by the Western forces."

"So they have Edison, Blavatsky, Karna, Scathach and Connla's Berserker form."

"There's more."

"How many?"

"Our scouts spotted an orange-haired Saber, a military nurse, the green-garbed Archer who escaped from the assassination attempt, a strange girl in a pink costume, and two defected Celts. One of them is Diarmuid, whom Beowulf claimed killed Sir Fionn at Alcatraz."

"Diarmuid's with them!?" Medb yelled angrily. "Why!? Why did he abandon us so easily!?"

Cuchulainn narrowed his eyes and murmured, "It might have something to do with the other Celt. Who is it?"

The warrior explained, "We're not sure, sir. All I've heard is that it's a young female Archer wearing a velvet red dress."

"Hmph… I've never heard of such a Servant in the previous reports."

"Even so, it seems Diarmuid is intent on protecting this unknown Archer, which explains his betrayal."

"Well, that's fine. Once I have them in my sights, they will all die the same anyway."

"Hold on a minute!" Medb yelled. "One, two, three, four… They have 11 Servants!? How did they get so many so suddenly!?"

"That Ramayana brat must have survived and assembled them under his leadership," Cuchulainn surmised. "Then they beat up Edison and forced him to cooperate with them."

"Oh, dear. So they gave up on surrendering?"

"Seems like it. They have the numbers to hold the ground against our invasion of the west. If my instinct is correct, they'll concentrate the bulk of their troops to the north and send a strike team from the south to eliminate the Holy Grail."

"Another attempt on my life? Not very creative, are they? Still, this is an all-out war we're talking about here, meaning anything could happen. What to do, hm?"

"Hey, you," the Mad King ordered his subordinate. "Gather all of the troops. We're marching first thing in the morning."

"Yes, sir," the soldier replied and departed to spread the message.

Medb asked Cuchulainn, "Are you planning on joining the battlefield?"

"If you want something done, do it yourself. I'll go south and slaughter the Servants audacious enough to provoke me."

"He he. They may have insulted you, but it just shows how desperate they are. The spite they emanate when trying to overthrow someone more powerful than them is more exquisite than the finest wine. I'll utilize my superior resources and station Beowulf to the north, and position Arjuna to the south. So long as their southern strike force falls, it'll only be a matter of time before we can overwhelm the north."

"You trust those fools? They don't exactly have the will to fight on our behalf."

"Arjuna has a reason to fight, though it is a very personal one. I can imagine that Karna will try to isolate him and keep him occupied. Beowulf is only barely following orders, but he's only interested in brawling like some low-grade scrapper."

"That's why I'll hold the south down myself," Cuchulainn said. "Those idiots are too unreliable at this stage. Besides, I have some pressing matters that need attending to. My former mentor is one of them."

"Scathach, huh? She won't be easy to take down, even if she's unfamiliar with your current appearance."

"Yeah. And then there's…"

"Connie?"

He fell silent. Medb knew that mentioning Connla's name was the only thing that would bother the otherwise halfhearted tyrant. After a tense moment, the queen urged, "There's nothing we can do for her now. The West have her chained and will set her loose on our forces like a rabid dog. The best thing you can do is to kill her."

"I know. My dream for her is over. It's best to end her suffering before ruining everything."

"Very well. Euthanize Connie, then destroy everyone else indiscriminately. Ride forth to your bloody victory, my king."

Cuchulainn departed without saying another word. Once he was gone, Medb smiled and murmured to herself, "If that's what the believers of justice and miracles want, then they're more than welcome to try and kill me. I'll show them the terror of walking straight into the mouth of a hungry beast."

During the evening's early hours, Ituha had taken Fia for a walk around the fortress before they headed back to their room. Scathach told Ituha to care for her other self like she was a domesticated dog, so she let Fia run around in the courtyard fetching throwing stones to tire her out, then fed her plenty of beef jerky as a snack before they went to bed for the night. This was the last chance they had to rest, so Ituha wanted to make the most of this quiet time.

Fia let out an ungraceful yawn before curling up on the large pillow and dozing off. Ituha sat on the edge of her bed and folded her hands upon her lap, feeling too excited to fall asleep.

This isn't good… I have to get some sleep, but I just can't… Should I ask if there are any sedatives around?

Before she could get up however, the door to her room opened. Edison, Helena and Karna all stepped through, which surprised the young Archer.

"Ah…? Um, g-good evening…" she stammered. "Can I help you with something?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Helena smiled. "We were getting to know everyone before the battle started. Florence and Scathach told us a bit about the unusual circumstances surrounding you two, but I figured it'd be best to hear it from you personally."

"Is that so?"

Edison said, "Nightingale told me your name was Connla, right?"

Ituha appeared pensive all of a sudden. "Actually, um… Well, it's kind of complicated, but…"

"Why don't you tell us everything yourself?" Helena asked. "Maybe it'll take the edge off your nerves."

"I'll try, but I don't really understand it myself."

Ituha told the three Servants everything that happened to her, and introduced Fia as her other half. She added, "Sir Diarmuid told me about how I was responsible for causing that huge hurricane in Ohio."

"You mean the one that we could see from here? Then you were the Servant whose power I felt resonating before!" Helena exclaimed. "It's a miracle that you're still alive after harnessing such tremendous forces! It's sad to think of how your Spirit Origin was split, but having amnesia should be the least of your problems!"

"I don't know about that…"

"So you too experienced the depths of despair," Edison murmured. "Unlike me, surrounded by such trusting friends, you didn't have anyone to rely on while with the Celts. Such loneliness must have been devastating for a young one such as yourself. Here I was, accusing you of being the entire reason for this war, but now I see that you never wished for any of this and want to show your father how wrong he is. I cannot express my apologies enough for shouting such heartless bile at you."

"No, that's fine. You weren't the same person as you are now."

"I cannot just easily accept it as 'fine', but I'll promise you this – I will make sure you never experience such tragedy again."

"Mm," Ituha mumbled while nodding.

Karna leaned in to get a closer look at the tired girl's sleepy eyes, then said, "She is worn down enough. She should be able to get some rest now."

The child Servant frowned, realizing the actual purpose of their visit – to calm her down by being friendly with her. She murmured, "Lord Karna is right. I think I'll turn in."

"Good," Helena said. "Sleep tight. We'll see each other again in the morning."

Bright clear skies greeted everyone in the morning, and the fresh sunshine gave them the energy and courage they needed to face the fierce war ahead of them. Hundreds of Western soldiers, along with thousands of mechanized infantry stood at the ready, waiting for their leaders' orders. As they planned, the troops were divided into two groups; the much larger North Army, and the smaller but more agile South Army. The Servants were also separated according to what they agreed on before.

"Preparations are complete," Edison said, taking charge of the North Army. "We've assembled as many men and mechs as possible to hold the northern front. However, victory rests entirely with how well the South can maneuver through their front and reach Washington. For that reason, I've equipped boosters on your assigned mechs so they can keep up with you and your Servants, Rama."

"Excellent," the Saber nodded.

Diarmuid and Ituha were mounted on the same horse, and the Lancer could sense his young master's anticipation. He asked her, "How are you feeling?"

"V-Very excited… I just want to get this over with as soon as possible."

"Everyone feels the same way as you."

Meanwhile, Elizabeth petted Fia's head and said, "Look here, little puppy! You better take care of your twin sister and avenge Nero for me! Well, you never met Saber, so I guess that doesn't mean anything to you. But you better not slack off regardless, you hear!?"

Fia had no idea what she was saying, so she just tilted her head and stared blankly at the singer. Robin muttered, "Give it up, missy. She doesn't understand anyone other than Scathach and Ituha."

"I know that! I just thought a few good pats on the head would send my message loud and clear!"

Nearby, Helena said to Edison, "I don't know how well we'll do with two Casters, but I know I'll give everything I've got. I make sure every job I do is done thoroughly and efficiently."

"Indeed. We may have strayed before, but at least my mechanized infantry will not go to waste. Alas, we must put such worries behind us. However doubtful or fearful we may be, we must not tarry any longer - it is time we set out immediately. Rama, take care of the South Army for me!"

"Likewise with the North, Edison," the swordsman replied. "I wish the best for everyone!"

Everyone had a feeling that there would be heavy casualties in this battle, so they said some quick farewells and good lucks to each other before the North Army parted ways. On his steed, Rama raised his sword and shouted to the troops, "Hear me out! This is the decisive battle that will either preserve or destroy not just America, but the entire world! Take back these lands and the future for yourselves! We Servants shall lend our assistance to the fullest!"

All of the soldiers shouted an exuberant war cry simultaneously, then began marching from Denver towards the southern territories of America. The Servants took command on their horses, with Rama ahead of the entire pack. Not too far behind him were Diarmuid and Ituha on another steed, Nightingale and Scathach on ones of their own, and Fia running along so fast that she could outpace the animals. Karna accompanied them halfway before splitting from them and acting as the vanguard in the central states. Soon, Scathach broke off and took her own route in hopes of intercepting Medb and/or Cuchulainn in a safe spot.

Teacher… Ituha thought worriedly. I hope she'll be okay…

The remaining five Servants remained together as they returned to the towns they had visited previously. They were already familiar with the territory, so it was a matter of maintaining a strong eastern offense that would punch through the Celts' front line, then they would curve back northward to Washington and finish Medb off.

It took all morning and the majority of the afternoon to pass through the abandoned southern towns until they reached the one where they met Nero. Once they arrived, they could see the first signs of Celtic warriors and monsters approaching from the forests in the east.

The transceiver in Ituha's hand beeped, and she exclaimed, "There's a message from Lord Karna!"

"We've engaged the enemy vanguard," the Lancer reported. "We're holding them down, but several are headed your way."

"Got it!" Rama replied. "I'll take the right wing, Nightingale will take the left, while Diarmuid and Ituha will hold the middle ground! Fia, you support whoever you feel is most in danger! We must break through as quickly as possible!"

"Leave it to me!" Diarmuid shouted, and he brought the Archer with him. They broke into their formations and fought the warriors and monsters at full force. No one had time to spare a thought for anything beyond killing one opponent, moving on to the next one, and repeating until all of the enemies were dead.

"Curses…" Rama snarled, cleaving his blade through a spearman's belly. "They must have figured out that our army is the main force and sent in their elites. Nevertheless, we must stand strong! Show them that we are better!"

"Nothing less from the King of Kosala. Your charisma is what invigorates us all," Diarmuid grinned, but his jovial attitude turned sour as he glared up at the sky to see several wyverns flying towards them.

"Mech troops, fire at will!" Ituha shouted while slinging magically enchanted stones at the beasts. The robots followed suit with bullet rounds and cannon shells that knocked the dragons either dead or unconscious. As an added bonus, some of their plummeting bodies wound up crushing a few Celts beneath them. Fia and Nightingale eagerly pounced on the survivors while they were trying to recover and killed as many as they could.

"Excellent! Let's go! GO! GO! GO!" Rama shouted as loudly as he could, and the five Servants charged forth toward the eastern wilderness.

During the intense battle, the afternoon sun began to set, and the sky's colors changed to a fiery orange that matched the Saber's vivid amber hair. They barely noticed the change in time as a Western scout reported, "Commander Rama! We've confirmed the Celtic army at a point 20 kliks ahead!"

"They're close," the Saber grumbled.

"Leading them is a dark-skinned Archer-class Servant in white clothes."

"That's Arjuna. Have you told Karna yet?"

"Yes, sir. He has already been notified."

"Good. Tell all troops not to engage that Servant. No matter what happens, everyone must stay as far away from Karna and Arjuna as possible."

"Understood!"

The scout departed, and Nightingale said, "Trying to keep the casualties to a minimum, I see."

"Of course I would," Rama retorted. "The Mahabharata is literally all about Arjuna, and how he attained victory in every battle he fought. The only thing that can counter a world-class Archer is a world-class Lancer from the same story."

"Your kind of leadership is one I can get behind. I deplore those despot generals who callously throw away their soldiers' lives while hiding in their cushy tents."

"Hah! Guess I'll take that as a compliment!"

As he said this, the group spotted the next wave of Celtic warriors charging at them. Diarmuid said, "Looks like Arjuna's sent the small fry our way."

"All right, everyone! Same strategy as last time! Break through with haste!" Rama commanded.

"Here come the wyverns again!" Ituha exclaimed. "Prepare the Anti-Air Electromagnetic Net Launcher!"

"It's not just an Electromagnetic Net Launcher, but an Edisonian DC Electromagnetic Net Launcher Mk. II!" a soldier protested.

"I can't say all of that without biting my tongue! Just fire it already! The mechs and I will handle the ones that slip through!"

"Roger!"

Several men readied the launcher and shot a massive net crackling with electricity into the sky. It entangled about 10 wyverns, shocking them with thousands of volts and causing them to fall all at once. Only about five dragons remained, so it was much easier for Ituha and the mechs to shoot them down.

"I need every bandage we've got!" Nightingale shouted.

A Celtic warrior charged at her, and she fired a bullet into his head that killed him immediately. Now that they were suffering some injuries on their side, she prioritized treating the wounded over fighting. Fia had the responsibility of protecting her while she was preoccupied, so the feral child went as wild as her heart desired. She sliced, tore through, and destroyed a good number of warriors plus some mythical monsters on her own. The thick dust that her wind powers kicked up helped to obscure her lithe figure and cause confusion among the enemy ranks. Fia was so fast and clever that she even tricked some men into killing each other while blinded by the smoke.

Nightingale sent some soldiers unfit for combat to the rear, while quickly discharging those with lighter wounds and having them return to the front line. That was when they heard a frightening roar in the distance. The soldiers quivered in fear as they saw a fully grown dragon lumber toward them from the forest. Ituha's heart raced with sheer panic as she stared up at its serpentine eyes.

No way…

She clenched her teeth and stepped back. Her vision started to go blurry, and she thought she would pass out right there.

Those eyes… I've seen them before…!

"Hey!" Nightingale shouted at her. "Get a hold of yourself!"

"Ah… I-I'm sorry!"

"Don't worry about engaging that thing. Just focus on defeating what you can."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Meanwhile, Rama and Diarmuid ran toward the monolithic creature, and the Saber snapped, "Damn that queen! Does her wicked imagination know no depths!?"

"It's not the only one she's ever summoned before," the Lancer told him grimly. "There was one other incident back at the White House…"

"Tch! But if this is the enemy's strongest non-Servant opponent they can offer, it just means we'll crush it and land a devastating blow to their morale! Let's do this, Diarmuid!"

"Of course! Once I pierce it with Gae Buidhe, it will only be a matter of time before it bleeds to death!"

"Right. The Yellow Rose of Mortality, the cursed spear that inflicts wounds which cannot be healed by any means. That curse will be our best bet!"

The two men jumped at the same time, and Rama twisted his body to avoid being swallowed whole. He swung his sword at the dragon's thick hide, cutting through it with some considerable effort. It swiped one of its gargantuan claws at him to knock him aside, but he distracted it long enough for Diarmuid to activate Gae Buidhe's effects.

"TAKE THIS!" he shouted and cleaved the yellow spear through the dragon's long neck, severing its carotid artery and causing a tremendous spurt of blood to shoot through the wound. The monster's death roar was absolutely deafening, but soon enough it slumped onto its side and died from blood loss.

"Are you all right, Rama!?" Diarmuid shouted.

"Hah… Life signature eliminated…" Rama gasped, flexing his tense shoulders after suffering a nasty fall. "I'm fine, but…"

No sooner did he say that, he heard shrill sounds of metal slamming against metal from the central vanguard. He looked over and saw only sparks and flashes of light shooting about everywhere like deadly fireworks. He uttered, "Good grief, what a chaotic battle! Like something ripped straight from mythology!"

"It is difficult to tell, but Karna seems to have a slight advantage," Nightingale said.

"You can sense that? It's because Arjuna is fighting in an enclosed space, which is disadvantageous for an Archer. As long as Karna maintains his stance, he'll be able to-!"

Immediately as Rama said those hopeful words, his expression contorted into frozen shock. Nightingale likewise shared the same horror as him. From amidst the flashing white sparks and lights, a foreign red streak lanced through the air and skewered clean through Karna's chest. Diarmuid was also astonished. Ituha and Fia had been busy fighting the last of the soldiers and didn't see the awful spectacle, so they ran up to the adults not knowing what happened.

"What's going on? Why is everyone gaping like that?" Ituha asked fearfully.

"We… We have to keep moving!" Rama suddenly screeched. "Don't look back! Just press onward!"

"What!? Someone tell me what's going on!"

"No time for that!" Nightingale snapped and scooped Ituha beneath her arm. "To the forest, NOW!"

"Ah!? That's too tight, Ms. Nightingale!"

"Put up with it!"

"Come along, Miss Fia!" Diarmuid urged the Berserker. She followed him without hesitation, but could sense the incredibly tense atmosphere surrounding everyone.

Karna's twisted face of pain nearly mirrored Arjuna's look of absolute shock and disappointment. Protruding through Karna's back and out his chest was Gae Bolg. Neither man had ever anticipated that Cuchulainn would interrupt their once-in-a-lifetime duel with such a cowardly tactic.

"Didn't you know?" the Mad King's cold voice broke through the stunned silence. "This war has no rules. You have no reason to hate me, Hero of Benefaction."

"Cu… chul… ainn…!" Karna gasped.

"You bastard!" Arjuna snapped lividly.

"Spare me," Cuchulainn muttered. "I don't recall approving a one-on-one fight. I had no hope of you reading the situation, but this is beyond pathetic. Those Servants from the South Army are already on their way to Washington."

"…"

"Get back to work, Arjuna. Clean up here, while I slaughter those heroes."

The Archer said nothing. The Berserker didn't care what his opinion was and looked around the southern battlefront. Before he could take a step though, he felt a surge of energy rising behind him and glared back.

"Burn him to ashes! VASAVI SHAKTI!" Karna screamed.

A massive torrent of fire consumed Cuchulainn entirely and burned anything flammable around him to cinders. Even with his best defenses up, he had a difficult time resisting the intense heat. Parts of his flesh were roasted so badly that his skin sizzled like a grilled steak. He slumped to his knees and covered his smoldering shoulder, using a few quick Runes to try and heal it. He stared at Karna with vicious eyes, but the Lancer had expended all of his strength using his Noble Phantasm and perished. Arjuna was nowhere to be found – he had taken off while Cuchulainn was caught in the inferno.

"One last struggle at the end… No wonder he was a Lancer on par with my stupid younger self," the king grumbled to himself. "Looks like Arjuna has deserted me too. No matter. Everyone will die all the same. This world has become nothing more than a killing field, where things like rules and loyalties mean nothing. Now then…"

After recovering enough, he turned toward the southeast and charged forth.

The five Servants raced through the last of the desert wilderness before ducking into the cover of the forest. Night had settled upon them, so they prayed that the darkness would give them an additional chance to escape.

All the while, Ituha kept protesting, "I don't understand what's happening! Why does everyone look so pale!?"

"Things just got a lot worse for us!" Rama exclaimed. "I'd know that red lance from anywhere!"

"Red lance!?"

"Yeah! It just claimed Karna as its next victim!"

"B-But if that's the lance I'm thinking of… then…!"

"That's right! Scathach failed to keep Cuchulainn at bay long enough!"

Her heart seized with terror, and she sobbed, "Oh no! Teacher! This can't be happening! Why!? I thought she was unstoppable!"

"I know what you mean," Diarmuid said sullenly. "I had a tremendous amount of faith in her legendary abilities. I am as mortified as you are about how Cuchulainn could defeat someone as amazing as her so quickly."

Earlier that day…

"Gae Bolg!"

"Gae Bolg Alternative!"

The identical Noble Phantasms tore through multiple trees, bushes and blades of grass. Normally, Gae Bolg guaranteed death to its opponent. However, when a second Gae Bolg was used against the first one, the result was a contradiction where both claimed to deliver fatal blows while also evading them. It was an irresolvable paradox that resulted in both attacks canceling each other out, striking the heads of their spears and causing them to explode.

Scathach retrieved her Gae Bolg and grunted. She knew this would be the outcome, but even someone as experienced as her had never witnessed how this phenomenon would turn out. She figured that it was something she would never get to witness again. Despite her astonishment, she took a good look at her former student and remarked, "My, my, look at that right arm of yours. You must be in indescribable pain every time you throw it."

"More or less," Cuchulainn muttered, hiding his strained face with an indifferent expression. Just as she said, his throwing arm was covered in countless bleeding sores that gradually healed thanks to his Runes.

"You're regenerating while being destroyed at the same time. I doubt the term 'excruciating' even begins to explain it."

"This is nothing. If anything, I can finally understand what her pain was like when we fought during our lifetimes."

"Of course. I imagine that multiple sores would have opened up on her fragile body as well. Both of you use strength that is beyond your control, and you wind up destroying yourselves in the process. Like father, like daughter."

"Enough," he snapped, not wanting to talk about Connla anymore. "What about you, my mentor? You look to be in even worse shape than me."

Scathach closed her eyes. "I can't help it. The reality is that I'm just buying time. Once upon a time, I dreamed of being killed by you… But that applies to the proud, foolhardy man who defended his country, not to a complete idiot who razes everything in the name of useless destruction."

"Give me a break. I have no obligation to shoulder any of your burdens."

"So it would seem. You only have enough tolerance to shoulder your child's burden, huh?"

"I said stop talking about her!"

"Heh. You completely failed at that, so you'll just wipe the slate clean because it's easier than taking care of a child."

"Are you mocking me?"

The warrior woman smirked. "What else would I be doing? You may act like you care for her, but look what happened."

Cuchulainn clenched his teeth. "I get it already, woman. She went insane from seeing a bunch of dead bodies, lost control of her Noble Phantasm, and transformed into a Berserker that I must put down."

"Oh? Is that all you know?"

"What?"

"How foolish. How utterly, completely, thoroughly foolish and ignorant of you. You're an idiot right down to your bones. This finally proves it – you know absolutely NOTHING about your daughter!"

The Mad King heard enough. Something inside him snapped, and he glared at her with eyes that would frighten demons.

"You're starting to remind me of Aife. Time I sent you packing to the same hell that bitch is toiling away in."

"Fine. I'm done stalling you with questions. Open for me! Gate of Skye!"

Scathach smacked the non-lethal end of Gae Bolg onto the ground, and a red ripple spread out from her feet. A massive stone door surrounded by spiked crystal and effigies of monsters appeared in the sky and descended above the warriors.

"Tch!" Cuchulainn snarled. "So that's your game – using a Noble Phantasm to banish us both to the Land of Shadows!"

"If I can't defeat you, then I'll remove you from the playing field."

"Heh heh. How considerate of you."

"You have nothing to laugh about, beast!"

"On the contrary. This is nothing more than an ability that transports, rather than kills. Besides, you're not the only one with a backup Noble Phantasm."

"What are you-!?"

"Release seal! Come to me, bones of Curruid! Encase me in your carapace of wrath and hatred!"

Scathach had no idea what she was witnessing. Cuchulainn's form was shrouded behind a hideous cloud of greens, reds and purples. She made the fatal mistake of not moving, allowing him to emerge from the sickly fog and dig one of his massive claws straight into her gut. More thorns and spikes coursed through her, destroying all of her bones and 90% of her organs. She gazed in empty shock at the hideous black armor covering her former pupil, recognizing it from the legendary sea monster.

"Curruid Coinchenn," Cuchulainn murmured, his face completely obscured beneath the horned ebony helmet. "In order to beat my teacher, I had to use a trick I didn't learn from her."

"Y-You've… made it… this far…?" she gasped weakly. "That kind… of power… could… destroy the world…"

"I bet it could. It's exactly what I'm going to be doing."

"Ungh… I don't… understand. You enjoyed life… and lived… to your fullest. Why…? Why have you… become… so ugly… and nihilistic…?"

"Ponder that in hell."

"Y-You're not going to… send Connla there… are you?"

"No. She'll go to Emain Ablach, our Celtic equivalent of Avalon. I'll have the Holy Grail send her soul there so she can no longer be harmed by monsters like us."

"…"

"Now then, farewell, Scathach. We will never meet again."

He extracted his claw out of her abdomen, then left her to be sucked into the Gate of Skye Noble Phantasm that was still looming over them. The bones of Curruid vanished off his body, returning him to normal. Without another word, he retrieved his Gae Bolg and walked away from the battlefield, intent on searching for the war zone where his daughter would be.