Something Lost, Something Found

by Avenger013

This is a story of a new beginning and a growing bond...and it all started with a chin scratch. Advance Warning: There will be spoilers for Fairy Round Table Realm: Avalon Le Fae in this story. If you'd rather not be spoilt then refrain from reading.

12. Invasion

Chapter 12: Invasion

A cacophony of sound assaulted her ears the moment the teleportation orb dissipated.

"THE INFIDELS HAVE BREACHED THE BARRIER! KILL THEM! KILL THEM AAAALL!" A cult priest yelled, mouth frothing and eyes bugging out in crazed rage, shortly before he was swept away in a hail of gatling gun fire from Napoleon.

"They're here! Get the others!"

"Send the demons! Send them all!"

"Activate the summoning sigils! We need more! MORE!"

In moments, dozens of cultists and their summoned familiars were swarming the group's position.

"Here they come!" Napoleon called, readying his cannon again.

"Get behind Shirou and I, Master-san!" Sitonai ordered, drawing her bow and firing icicles at the oncoming cultists.

"Get out of our way, we have no time for you!" Barghest yelled, stepping forward and throwing out a sweeping wave of flames from her blade.

"Queen Skadi, Queen Morgan, please proceed to the nearest sigils. We will support you and keep the defenders off you while you work." Sigurd ordered, the King of Warriors already rushing to engage the nearest gaggle of eldritch creatures and the Followers priest that commanded them.

"Of course."

"Understood."

Quickly reactivating her protection Runes to refresh her mystic barrier, and seeing Skadi doing likewise, Morgan began hurrying to the nearest set of sigils she could see on the theatre's exterior.

To her frustration, even with the extra power from her new implant, the sheer drain on her mana reserves from casting Water Mirror had left her body feeling quite sluggish, a creeping drowsiness gnawing at her mind. Gritting her teeth and blinking a few times, Morgan pressed on.

Now is NOT the time for a rest. You've persevered through worse before.

"THE ENEMY IS THEEEEEEEEEERE! KIIIIIIIIIILLL HEEEEEEEEEEERR!"

The throaty, maddened scream thundered in her ears, forcing her teeth together, shortly before dozens of robed men and women entered her sight and came barrelling right for her.

We must have slaughtered hundreds of you by now, and you still persist!?

What sort of fools ARE you?!

Not fools, dear, faithful.

It was only a whisper, almost carrying on the wind, but that voice was unmistakable.

Shivers ran up her spine. The mark on her hand began glowing just that little bit brighter, a cold and wet sensation creeping onto the back of her palm.

For me to hear her even now…she's almost here, isn't she?

Gripping her staff tight, the ex-queen shifted it to sword form, summoning some flame Runes into her free hand.

Then there's no time to waste. Certainly no time for mercy.

As the fanatics came charging forward, Morgan took note of the faint glowing tattoos on the exposed portions of their arms, tinged with the same sickly blue-black light that surrounded their weapons and bodies.

The other cultists haven't looked like this, have they? And what did she say…?

These must be the more 'blessed' members of the cult, then.

"THE EMISSARY OF THE FAAAALSE GOOOOOOODD!" Screeched the cult priest at the head of the mob, veins on his forehead and neck popping out in fury as he stabbed his finger towards Morgan. "KIIIIIIIIIILL HEEEEEEERR! KILL HER NOOOOOOOOOOOWW!"

Emissar-

Her mind's attention was drawn back to her own brand, now feeling very heavy on her hand as a lump formed in her throat.

I see…so she's already found out.

Oh it was difficult not to, my dear. You REEK of the abyssal's scent.

You and I could have been such fine partners, you know. A pity that you've decided to become HIS puppet.

It was not my choice to become a pawn. I have nothing more to say to you.

Oh my, so harsh…but you're right. Talking like this is so impersonal, but don't worry…we'll see one another again shortly. Well, assuming you live that long, of course.

Ignoring the eldritch god's taunts, Morgan refocused on the incoming cultists. Swinging her free hand in a wide arc, she let a rapid series of spells, first a barrage of flames, followed by a saturation of magic blasts and ice crystals.

Unfortunately, not only did the cultists just keep on charging right through the assault, very few of them fell to it. Morgan noted that the blue-black aura around them had sparked and flashed as her spells made contact.

Some form of protective enhancement, then.

All right, I suppose a more direct method is in order then.

Her free hand lighting up with black and red magic, Morgan activated her draining curse and aimed it at the oncoming cultists…

Only for the priest to rush forward, blurred as the aura around him flared for a moment, and shoulder charge her before she could properly unleash the spell, knocking the ex-queen's hand off balance and sending her stumbling back.

What? Some form of speed augment?

All right then, if it is close combat you seek, I will gladly oblige.

Shifting her staff into sword form, Morgan stabbed it forward into the priest, even as the man began swinging the crowbar in his hand at Morgan, a feral snarl on his lips as he did so.

A surge of irritation welled up in her mind as the first stab was blunted by the dark aura.

The other cultists had caught up now, beginning to surround her and bash at her shield with their improvised weapons.

Despite the force of their strikes, no doubt augmented by the same power that protected them, the barrier was holding…for now.

There's no time to waste, I must finish them quickly.

Channelling reinforcement and acceleration spells into her arms and legs via Runes, Morgan grabbed the priest by the shoulder with her free hand, holding him in place as she stabbed into his chest as swiftly as she could.

One strike…two…three…

The fifth strike collapsed the barrier, the sixth tore the deranged man's chest open. The priest's expression of frothing rage was still on his face as his corpse hit the floor, with Morgan sparing him nary a glance as she moved on to the next cultist.

However, she soon ran into the exact same problem with the other cultists…made worse by the fact that, instead of simply throwing themselves at her blindly, the group surrounded her and attacked with coordinated strikes.

Every swing of her own sword was parried or blocked by at least two of their own weapons, the eldritch shroud clashing and sparking against her blade's magical enhancement. All the while, one or two others snuck in strikes against her barrier.

Morgan cursed under her breath as she noticed the shielding Rune on her left arm, its glow steadily growing dimmer as the cultists' assault wore down her protection.

Direct combat isn't working against these thralls…they're irritatingly well coordinated.

Well then, time to tip the balance a little.

Blocking an overhead strike and direct thrust with her sword, Morgan gathered her magic in her free hand, making a show of stumbling as the next attacks reached her. As the cultists all moved in, eager to capitalise on her seeming vulnerability, she dropped to one knee and slammed her glowing palm into the ground, squeezing her eyes closed.

A cacophony of cries, accompanied by an explosion of light so bright Morgan could see it through her lids, erupted from the cultists as they stumbled back. Opening her eyes, Morgan saw them stumbling around, either with their arms over their eyes or pinching at them. Gripping her sword tight, the ex-queen stood up and smiled thinly.

All right, my turn then.

Beelining for the priest in charge of the group, Morgan gripped him by the scruff, lined her blade with curse Runes and lopped at his neck.

The protective field around the cultist held for a few seconds, before Morgan gripped her blade with both hands and forced down.

Before the body had even hit the floor, she was on the move again.

Keeping her blade sheathed with a cocoon of dark magic and curses, Morgan hacked at the nearest of the cultists, still rubbing frantically at his eyes. The man flinched and cried out as her first and second strikes were blunted by his eldritch barrier, then screamed and clutched at the bloody stump of his left arm, her third strike being too much with mystic enhancement active. She didn't waste a second before lopping off his head.

Before Morgan could move on to another target, however, she was sent sprawling to the floor as a shape crashed through her barrier. As she tried to reach for her fallen sword, a meaty hand gripped her wrist and a knee slammed into her stomach, knocking the breath from her lungs and causing her ears to ring as her head hit the ground.

As she blinked the blurriness from her eyes, a surge of panic flared as she caught sight of the frenzied cultist raising his right hand, the broken pipe that was his weapon wreathed in the same eldritch power that was leaking out of his very eyes and mouth.

What sort of-!?

"DIE!" His voice was distorted and echoing, thrumming in his throat.

Before he could follow through, however, a large gauntlet wrapped around his neck, despite his protection, and tossed the hapless cultist into the air.

"Majesty, are you all right?" Barghest asked, offering her free hand as she swept her sword in a wide arc, sending gouts of flame that scattered the remaining cultists.

"For the…for the most part, yes." Morgan huffed, rubbing at her stomach and accepting the hand up, allowing Barghest to haul her back upright. "Those cultists are much stronger than any others we've encountered."

"Yes, I suspect this is Apep's doing. She must have-" Morgan bent down to inspect the arm she'd severed earlier, finding a similar mark on the hand "-yes, she did. They are marked by her."

"I see. Is there anything you can do about that? Their strength and numbers combined will surely slow down our assault on the theatre."

Morgan let out a shallow breath, glancing at her patron's mark, chest heavy with dread.

"...I might be able to come up with something. Until then, deal with them as best you c-"

"THE UNBELIEVERS STILL STAND! KILL THEEEEEEM!" She was cut off by a throaty scream. Turning her head, Morgan saw a fresh horde of cultists, accompanied by otherworldly tentacled horrors, rushing toward her and Barghest.

"Leave this to me, your majesty!" The Fairy Knight declared, stepping forward and igniting her sword. "Please deal with the summoning Runes!"

"Very well, I'll leave them to you, but here."

Casting a quick few enhancement spells to reinforce her knight's armour, just to give her an extra edge, Morgan turned and hurried towards the summoning sigil, producing her own nullification Runes.

Holding up her hand to the sigil, she began channelling her power into her Runes. Almost immediately, even as the sigil began to flicker and spark, Morgan's arm started to shake from an invisible force.

But it was different from the cold, ocean-esque pressure of her new 'patron's' domain. This was more like…her arm was in a vacuum.

Fufufu.

The sigil flashed, glowing brighter and solidifying this time.

Gritting her teeth, she focused more magic through her Runes, even as her arm felt like it was being crushed by the invisible pressure.

Come on. Come on…

But no matter how much power she channelled through her Runes, the sigil did not fade. In fact, it only grew brighter.

…just as a portal began to open to her left.

You'll need to do a little better than that, my dear.

Damn it! Come on, just a little more-

"More, power." A familiar voice rumbled in her head.

One of the runic seals on her mark burnt away, the vacuum sensation on her arm being replaced by the cold and wet pressure of the deep abyss. However, that barely registered in Morgan's mind compared to the flood of fresh energy coursing through her.

What a rush this is! It feels…surprisingly pleasant?

No time for that right now.

She refocused quickly, pouring her new reserves into nullifying the summoning sigil and charging up her sword again. This time, the sigil really did start dissolving. The more she focused, the faster it vanished.

The demon that forced its way through the portal, intending to attack a distracted prey, quickly found a charged blade rammed through its central mouth, letting out a scream of pain before it was forced back through and its entry closed behind it.

You thought that I could be distracted so easily, hmmm?

In just a few moments, the sigil was banished entirely.

I see.

Morgan smirked a little at hearing the venom in Apep's voice. She was finally doing some real damage!

Clenching her free hand into a fist, she quickly strode off towards the next sigil. Glancing back, she noticed that Barghest was still fighting several of the enhanced cultists. Summoning a spectral spear with a flick of a finger, Morgan directed it to ram itself through the back of the closest cultist before she moved on, heading for the nearest sigil.

Another band of cultists attempted to bar her path, but she wasn't worried. She was brimming with fresh energy and more than prepared to take them on. Just a quick gravity Rune and…

Yes, there they all went into the air, flailing in surprise as they did so.

Easy prey for a barrage of spectral spears and curse blasts. With her new reserves, it didn't take much to tear through their protective barriers, with their bodies soon following.

Another victorious smirk. This was surprisingly easy…with a little help, of course.

One more glance at the mark on her hand before she started purging the second sigil. There was no harm in drawing on it just a little, was there? Time was of the essence here, after all, and a little extra power made this all so much easier.

Another sigil was ahead. Best to keep up this momentum while they still had it.

There was a little bit more resistance with this one. Morgan grit her teeth, forcing more energy into her Runes to force the summon sigil to disintegrate. Even so, it managed to summon a few horrors to try and protect itself before being dispelled.

Despite the shivers of fear that shot up her spine just at the sight of the repulsive creatures, she dispatched the first two with casual, almost careless, swipes, with the third one getting chopped in half by a flaming sword.

"HAAAHH!" Barghest yelled, kicking the remnants of the demon into paste. "Are you all right, majesty?"

"I should be asking you that." Morgan replied, brushing at her shoulders idly. "You were fighting quite a few of those horrors back there."

"Ah, well, it was nothing I couldn't handle. With some help from you, of course."

"Think nothing of it. It's only natural for Servants to help one another when they can. Especially in times like these." Even as she spoke, Morgan was already on the move, making for the next summon sigil. "Where are-?"

"We're here!"

Glancing back, Morgan noted Habetrot and Ritsuka hurrying along.

"Skadi and the others have encountered a lot of resistance, but Sigurd reported that they've just finished their third sigil anyway. They'll meet us at the front entrance once all the sigils have been neutralised. How's things going over here?" Ritsuka asked, picking at a few of the scratches in his uniform.

"We've also encountered heavy resistance, and plenty of those summoned demons, but it's nothing we couldn't handle." Barghest replied, face curling in distaste. "I just wish I could stop myself from shaking at the sight of them. They're….they're not so tough once they're fought."

"We've just disabled the second summoning sigil on our side." Morgan reported, feeling a slight sting at the realisation that they weren't matching the others' progress, before cursing internally and reminding herself that they weren't engaging in some petty competition.

"Alright, good work everyone. Now we just need to get the rest of-" Fujimaru began, only to be cut off by a loud gale whipping at the group's ears and bright lights shining in their eyes.

After blinking the bright spots from her vision, Morgan moved to take a look…only for her to curse and look down after her hand was enveloped once again in a freezing cold pressure. A stronger shiver ran up her spine as she caught sight of the sickly blue-black glow wafting from the periphery of her mark, plus the red light burning in the tattoo's eyes.

What is it NOW?

"It will begin soon." Her patron's voice rattled her skull. "Hurry, servant."

"Agh! What are you talking ab-?"

Her thoughts trailed off as she finally got a look at where all the new light was coming from.

Oh no.

The entire theatre was lit up with blood red runic markings, FAR more than she'd anticipated were present. There looked to be HUNDREDS of them there!

And now that she looked a little closer, especially with a quick enhancement spell on her eyes, that those Runes and sigils were all formed from blood.

How did I not notice this before? Well, I suppose there were other concerns at the time, but still…

I suppose now we know what all of-, no…that can't be right. There's far too many sacrifices for just this. But where's the rest of the-

She drew in a sharp breath as she noticed liquid starting to float past her cheek. A thick, red liquid. Looking this way and that on instinct, Morgan exhaled just as sharply.

There was blood everywhere, being drawn in from the sky and every connecting street and pathway. All of it floating towards the theatre in a thick red mist and being steadily absorbed into the layers of demonic sigils littering the building. As more and more blood was absorbed, the sigils and Runes began glowing brighter and brighter.

"Oh my god." Habetrot whimpered.

"The ritual's started, hasn't it?" Ritsuka mumbled.

"Most likely. Which is why we-"

Morgan was cut off as the theatre was engulfed in a sickly red and purple light, accompanied by an echoing, howling noise that sounded a lot like the gale-force of a whirlwind…or the triumphant roar of a horror beyond human comprehension.

"-need to keep moving!" Barghest had to yell just to be heard, gritting her teeth as the sounds grated on her ears.

"Agreed! Come, there are still sigils to-" Morgan began, replacing the enhancement charms on her ears with dampening spells so that she could keep her hearing.

"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Even with the magical dampening, the blood curdling, alien screams tore into her ears and had the ex-queen gritting her teeth, fighting to suppress the spikes of fear that crawled up her spine.

STOP acting like this.

Sparing her companions a glance, she saw all of them jamming their fingers into their own ears, their expressions clearly pained.

"Argh…e-enemies approaching, your majesty!" Barghest managed to warn her, pointing behind Morgan.

She whirled about to be faced with a slavering horde of those tentacled demons, dozens of them this time, all slithering towards her in a hideous mound of tendrils, gnashing teeth and bulging eyes.

Involuntarily, she took a step back, arms shivering and breath shaky as their screeches pierced into her mind.

But it only took a moment or two for that instinctive fear to shift into disgusted rage.

I am already SICK and TIRED of their CHEATING.

Forcing herself to calm down and focus, Morgan glanced at the cathedral. She cursed as she noted the remaining summoning sigils had apparently gone into overdrive, with a half-dozen more portals appearing and depositing another of the eldritch horrors right before her eyes, while being coated by a thinner layer of the same protective energy that currently shielded the Shinjuku theatre.

There were too many. Too many, at least, to dispatch quickly. With the rate those portals were appearing, plus the barriers around the sigils that would surely stop any nullifying spells until they were brute forced aside?

It would be the most brutal meat grinder she'd taken part in since…since the Second Battle of Manchester.

Even with just the Fang Clan there, they made Uther and I bleed for every inch of ground we liberated. One soldier of theirs was easily a match for four of ours at least, and the Lord's Claws were even worse…

And this was far worse than that. This enemy actually had reinforcements, plus the backing of-

At LAST. Fufufufu, I can almost reach out and TOUCH this plane! Not long now… Apep giggled into her mind.

There's no time! We need to break through NOW.

A look back at her companions told her that that was a little presumptuous.

No, they're still recovering. It's up to me for now.

For just a moment, as the horde was bearing down on her, her gaze drifted to the mark on her hand. Just a cursory glance was enough for her breath to hitch.

Has it…it didn't cover that much of my hand before, did it?

"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Another inhuman screech, another damned spike of utterly irrational terror…and far too close now.

There was no time. And no other option.

Alright…another one shouldn't hurt.

Quickly reaching down, Morgan removed another seal. She shivered a little at the…surprisingly pleasant buzz that came with being saturated with a rush of fresh energy, before bringing her sword up and summoning a group of Runes.

Alright then, here we go.

She started with a barrage of beams, directed at the tightest clusters of demons. They screamed and squealed in seeming panic and rage as the blasts slammed into them, vaporising some of them outright and flinging others around as the magical energy exploded outwards.

Morgan smirked a little, a strange but pleasant feeling washing over her at watching the horrors scattered and scared by her power.

Hmph. They're not so tough. All it took was a little extra strength and they're bested like all the rest.

She followed up with a dual bombardment of white-hot flames from the air and sheets of ice streaking along the ground, erupting to sharp, jagged crystals whenever one of the demons stepped on the ice. The combined assault decimated the swarm even further, with the panicked demons skittering and throwing themselves out of the ice's way after watching a few of their fellows getting skewered by icicles, before getting incinerated by the waves of flames.

Emboldened by her success, Morgan began striding forward, unleashing another barrage of curses, magic blasts and mana-charged sword swipes to scatter the defending horrors even further, carving a path towards the summoning sigils in front of her.

Despite the casualties they were taking, the tentacled demons kept on coming.

Perhaps the assurance of continuous replacements are keeping them confident in their chances…I'll have to fix that. Let's finish this quickly.

Summoning a veritable wall of death and curse Runes, taking a deep breath as the drain had her slumping a little, Morgan threw them en masse at the onrushing demons, sending out more waves of raw destructive energy with flourishing sweeps of her free hand. Even when the few survivors managed to close the distance, a few quickening and strength enhancement Runes on her body here and there ensured that she could skewer them all on her sword with but a little effort.

Slowly but surely, she was making progress. The first sigil was already dead ahead.

Alright, let's do as I did with the last barrier that tried to bar my way.

Coating the tip of her sword in nullification Runes and sheathing the rest of the blade in magical energy, pausing a moment to revel in just how much power she could now call on so casually, Morgan thrust it forward towards the sigil.

As more summoned horrors began to rush at her, Morgan gathered more power in her free hand and threw it out in a circle, using the resulting ring of explosions to force the oncoming demons back while her blade drew closer and closer to the sigil.

With the massive reserves of energy she'd be able to pour into her nullification Runes, a single tap was all it took to dispel the sigil.

A triumphant smirk flitted across her face, just for a moment.

Not so unstoppable after all, hmmm?

"GUUAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRHHHH!"

I am getting very, VERY tired of this already! Morgan growled internally, bringing her hand and sword up with a snarl of frustration on her face.

She was halfway through cutting down the first line of eldritch horrors when the second was broken up by a blast of flames.

"Haaah! Scatter them!" Barghest called out, sweeping her sword and throwing out a wide wave of flames.

"Aye aye! Eat this!" Habetrot yelled, firing a steady stream of linen balls at the approaching horde.

"Clear a path, quickly!" Morgan instructed, letting loose a barrage of curses to scatter the monstrosities again, letting Barghest attack them one by one without the risk of getting surrounded. When they started to regroup regardless, with a few of them even pushing right on through the assault to try and help their fellows, Morgan began placing gravity Runes to hold the abominations in place, leaving them helpless against a rain of linen balls and javelins or being skewered by Barghest's blade.

They'd barely finished dispatching the waves when they were set upon by even more horrors…enough to almost completely surround them this time.

"Gah, i-is there no end to them!?" Barghest growled, beads of sweat breaking out across her face as her hands began to shiver. "Master, get behind me!"

"J-Just keep fighting, or we'll get overrun!" Habetrot yelled, practically crushing the trigger of her zeppelin, her own panic starting to set in.

Fufufu. So optimistic, that one. My little ones will never stop coming while you all tire more and more every minute. There's only one way this will end…perhaps I'll have her be my first meal. After all, you and her were getting along oh so nicely, my dear.

Keep your filthy tentacles off of her, monstrosity.

So much barking from the little puppet…a pity there's not nearly enough bite to go along with it.

Morgan clenched her jaw and gripped her sword tightly, blowing out a hot breath as Apep's sneering laughter rang inside her head.

But she was right. She needed…she needed more strength.

More power.

Just to get them all into the theatre in time, of course.

Just…just ONE more.

Dispelling yet another seal wasn't quite so hard this time, especially with just how invigorating that rush of fresh power was, enough to bring a soft, almost smug smile to her lips.

Yes. This should be enough.

Replenishing her barrier again, even adding more Runes to strengthen it further, Morgan strode forward towards the oncoming hordes. Habetrot and Barghest both called for her to wait, but she paid their pleas no mind.

Coating her sword in force Runes and saturating it with mana, she slashed this way and that. Each strike sent a half dozen horrors high into the air, with even more outright cleaved in two by the waves of raw power rolling off her weapon.

Ordinarily, Morgan would've never thrown around magic so wastefully, a quick draining spell, guided weapon construct or a few curses would be a far more efficient way to kill these creatures, but with how quickly her reserves were replenishing by now…well, where was the harm in indulging just a little?

Especially since the creatures were actually starting to recoil from her as her assault continued.

You see, THIS is how you REALLY instil fear! She growled internally, sending a wave of large icicles and flames out in front of her, tearing through the demons' ranks even more.

"Your majesty-" Barghest began.

"Just keep Master and Habetrot safe, Barghest. I will deal with them." Morgan assured her, casually waving her hand to unleash more waves of magical destruction, even as the tentacled horde kept on charging her.

Yes, try again and again fools. "Crush them."

More and more of them surged forward even as their fellows were cut apart and blown into the sky by waves of mana and blasts of curses, screeching in rage as they lashed out with tendrils and launched themselves into Morgan's barrier, trying to batter it down or dogpile her to the ground. A few even tried blasting her with magical bursts from one of their myriad eyes.

Allowing herself a small smirk, Morgan pressed her free hand's fingers into the shielding Runes on her arm, causing spikes to expand from her barrier and impale the horrors jumping onto her shield. Another wave of her hand whipped the air around her into sharp currents, which she directed to fling the remainder back into their fellows.

Her progress forward was slow…but she was advancing nonetheless, even with more and more horrors flinging themselves at her with every step she took, repulsed easily enough by her barriers and force Runes.

Just keep going. Better they come to me than go to the others anyway…"cattle for slaughter".

Another sigil ahead. Just to check on-

Good. The nullifiers were still in place.

A few of the creatures tried throwing themselves in front of the summon sigil, but her blade just tore right through them and dispelled it anyway.

Another one down.

Glancing back to her fellows, Morgan's eyebrows knit together as she noticed just how much battle damage they'd accumulated. At least Fujimaru and Habetrot weren't too badly hurt, mostly just superficial clothing damage and some bruises, but Barghest looked rather badly damaged. The knight was bleeding from cuts in both arms, her chestplate was half-wrecked and her legguards were all but gone.

Oh dear. Did they really have such a hard time?

…did I really let so many by?

"Don't worry about me, your majesty." Barghest tried to insist, noticing her frowning to herself. "We should continue-"

"Nonsense, it's no trouble." Morgan said, waving her off as she came striding over, healing magic in hand to saturate her knight, sealing her wounds in just a few moments. "Do either of you need anything?"

"Ah, no real injuries for me, so don't worry over here." Ritsuka held up his hands. "But thanks for the offer anyway."

"I'm okay here." Habetrot assured her. "What about you, though?"

"Healing won't be necessary for me."

"I thought not, myself, not with how easily you were handling all of those creatures back there." Barghest said as the group hurried to the next sigil. "What about your reserves though, your majesty? Using all of those spells must have been quite tiring, no?"

"Actually, I'm feeling just fine. The…the new core is working better than I expected." Morgan replied, trying not to mumble, while subtly angling her free hand away from Barghest's view and, despite herself, glancing at the ground a few times, shrinking in on herself a little.

Neither Habetrot nor Fujimaru missed the shift, both looking concerned. The linen spinner approached humanity's last Master and whispered something in his ear. He looked surprised at first, but soon nodded in affirmation and leaned over to whisper something back, to which Habetrot nodded.

"Well, that's very good indeed, it seems just the edge we need here!" Barghest smiled. "However, even with that advantage, I must insist that you let me take point for the next sigils. I am still your knight and yours and Master's safety is my top priority."

"I can't fault your commitment to your duty, I suppose. Very well then, but I in turn must insist on this."

Morgan raised her staff and began summoning enhancement Runes, directing them to attach themselves to the Saber's clothes and what remained of her armour. "There, that should help."

"My thanks, your majesty. I will clear our path forward."

Barghest began marching on ahead with her sword raised, leaving the others behind.

Almost immediately, Morgan felt a tug on her sleeve. Glancing back, she noticed Habetrot hovering next to her and Ritsuka standing close behind, both looking concerned.

She swallowed, trying to force down the lump in her throat.

"Yes?" She asked.

"…it's not really the dragon core you've been drawing on, is it?" Habetrot asked.

Blast. I was a fool to think they'd not notice.

"No. It isn't." She muttered, keeping her arms at her sides and shrinking in on herself.

"It's that mark you've got, isn't it? You've been using that."

"...yes."

"How much have you been drawing on it?" Ritsuka asked, arms folded and a stern frown on his face.

"No more than has been strictly necessary. I promise." Morgan replied.

"Are you sure?" Habetrot narrowed her eyes. "You ARE being careful, right?"

"Of course I am. It's only natural to be with power like this." She insisted, feeling a rather unexpected welling of irritation in her at the insulting insinuation that she was reckless, before crushing it down quickly.

They're just concerned for me, is all…where did THAT come from?

As Habetrot was about to speak again, as well as move to get a better look at her friend's hand, the light radiating from the theatre flared brighter still, all of the blood that had been drawn into the various sigils and patterns on the structure glowing a sickly reddish brown colour.

"Agh! What's happening!?" Habetrot cried, shielding her eyes.

Morgan tried to respond, but a searing pain on her hand cut her off and had her clutching it tight, though neither Ritsuka nor Habetrot noticed. Glancing down, she saw the eyes of her eldritch mark burning a bright red.

If this is meant to be HIS influence growing stronger….then the same must be true of Apep as well.

She blew out a sharp breath through her nose as the mark flared again, before dimming down, the pressure on her arm stabilising. For now.

…it's just a few sigils more, surely. Just a few more until we reach our goal. We can manage them at our current strength.

She felt uneasy even as she spoke.

Yes, we can…certainly mana-

"GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWW!"

The sheer volume had her clamping her hands over her ears, wincing in pain…but strangely, the tremors of supernaturally forced fear were less intense this time.

What now!?

"Agh! My…my apologies, Master!" Barghest came stumbling around the corner of the theatre, clutching at her sword arm with fresh cuts all over her and what little remained of her armour in tatters. Even some of Morgan's enhancement Runes were cut through. "They…the last sigils' defenders have proven much stronger than expected!"

As if to punctuate the point, a mere four demons came charging after her…all of them radiating a dreadfully familiar blue-black energy from their eyes and bodies.

Oh no.

A blessing for my little ones. They are trying ever so hard to stop you, after all. Had you seen sense, I would have been more than happy to offer you the same reward.

I want none of your 'gifts', monstrosity!

And yet here you are, dipping your hand into the Abyssal's bag of goodies instead…what a pity.

"Th-these ones look different to the others!" Habetrot cried. Despite her best efforts, Morgan couldn't help but notice her shivering and gripping the controls to her zeppelin tight enough to turn her knuckles white.

"They're being enhanced by Apep." She replied, grimly. "Habetrot, Barghest, take Master and retreat to a safe distance! I will deal with them."

"Eh? All by yourself?!" The Rider asked, incredulous.

"Yes, neither you nor Barghest are in any condition to fight them right now, so please retreat to a safe distance." She insisted.

"Are you sure you're strong enough for that?!"

"Yes, now take Master and go!"

"...and if you're not?"

Morgan didn't miss their gazes flicking to her free hand as Ritsuka himself spoke up.

"I will be fine. Barghest, get them to safety! Circle around and link up with the others if you can!" She ordered.

"As you wish, your majesty!"

As Barghest sprinted on by as fast as her injured legs would allow, pausing only briefly to scoop up the startled Habetrot and Ritsuka, Morgan summoned shielding Runes and and threw up a barrier from the theatre to the edge of the cult's own shield dome just behind her knight, stopping the oncoming horde in its tracks as they slammed into it.

Wasting little time, the demons began to tear, slash, stab and blast away at the new obstacle in their path, a cacophony of snarling and growling coming from their many mouths all the while.

Morgan winced and grit her teeth, already feeling the heavy strain on her mana reserves, heavier than even she'd anticipated, as she held the barrier against the onslaught.

This…this might be a greater problem than I'd expected.

Her gaze shifted to her free hand, just for a moment.

P-Perhaps I should…th-there sh-shouldn't be any harm, I'm s-

No! No. Just calm down, I don't need any more power….I don't need to concern Habetrot and Master any more than I already have. As long as I focus on one at a time and keep my personal shield strong, then I should be able to-

Unfortunately, she couldn't finish planning before a blur dropped from above and slammed into her personal shield, sending her stumbling backwards…and breaking her concentration.

What!?

Looking up, she noticed that not only had one of the horrors managed to climb high enough to jump over her barrier, but the other three were currently ramming their tendrils through the weakening barrier and pulling it apart, using blasts of eldritch power from their eyes to shatter it further.

Blast it all!

Glancing back as she summoned a Runes to reinforce the shield wall, Morgan managed to catch a glimpse of Barghest turning the nearest corner of the theatre's walls, Habetrot and Fujimaru still secure in her grip.

Good, at least they'll be safe.

Alright then. Come on, monsters. "To the slaughter."

She barely managed to properly charge her sword and strengthen the shield before the first demon practically rammed into her, bloodcurdling screeches drilling into her skull as it roared in her face and swiped at her with its tentacles.

She was sent stumbling backwards from the impact, just as she'd been trying to stab at it. Shivers shot up the ex-queen's spine as she noticed that those few attacks alone had already badly damaged her barrier.

Not to mention, she was suddenly feeling a little sluggish and woozy. That tingling rush of extra energy that she'd grown so used to was ebbing slightly.

What is th-

She didn't have time to finish thinking before the creature was on her again, forcing the Berserker to parry a barrage of blows and stabs, heart racing as a couple of them flat-out pierced her shield, coming within inches of puncturing her skin.

Never mind that! Focus on the threat in front of you!

Those cultists were bad enough, if these creatures have the same abilities…

Pouring mana into refreshing her shield, as well as enchanting her sword and her arms with more Runes and quickening spells, Morgan managed to bring her weapon around in time to meet the demon's nearest tentacle as it stabbed towards her.

Sharpened flesh and magic-wreathed steel clashed in a shower of sparks. Morgan swung her sword this way and that, parrying blow after blow from the mutated tendril…but even as she did so, two of the demon's other appendages were lashing out, tearing into her barrier and forcing her to channel more energy to keep it reinforced.

Gritting her teeth, she swiped and stabbed at the creature again, activating the quickening Runes with a surge of mana to strike faster than the eye could see, trying to batter down the demon's defences.

The creature reacted quickly, bringing two tentacles to bear, its eldritch aura flaring around the limbs, to fight off her blade strikes while stabbing into Morgan's shield with the other. Much to her shock, her barrier began to crumble remarkably fast, the glow of her own magic fading against the demon's shell of eldritch energy.

Eyes widening, Morgan reinforced her barrier again, wincing both at the sheer toll she felt her reserves taking and that bout of sluggishness hitting her again. She blinked rapidly to try and keep her increasingly heavy eyelids open.

This shouldn't be that draining, especially with all of the extra energy I'm getting. So wha-?

Stumbling back and driving her sword forward in a series of rapid stabs, trying to fend off the creature's tentacles, Morgan raised her free hand to prepare some curses, only for her gaze to flicker towards her 'benefactor's' brand.

She only glimpsed it sporadically between parrying and blocking Apep's demon's relentless assault, but that was still enough for her to notice that the glow coming from it seemed to spark and dim a little whenever a part of her attacker got too close to it.

Is…is this creature interfering with my connection somehow?

I suppose it does make sense. Blessings from opposing Outer Gods would clash with each other, wouldn't they? The Gods themselves seem to do the same all the time, of course they'd try to continue that fight even through their puppets.

I just wish that I wasn't caught in their game, then I could…"perhaps get to grips with this extra power better", yes. Just skimming a little extra here and there has been fine so far.

And with my wealth of knowledge, I'm sure it won't take much for me to-

She didn't have any more time to think before the demon lunged at her again, this time adding in a barrage of blasts from its myriad eyes, forcing the Berserker to throw herself to the side as the eldritch energy burned her rejuvenated barrier away with frightening ease.

Blast you! Is my protection worth nothing now!? She cried, forcing yet more energy into her shielding Runes and blunting the creature's renewed assault as best she could, her blade just barely managing to deflect the demon's mutated tendrils.

Attacking head on isn't working, my reserves will be completely worn down if this keeps up.

Morgan grimaced, firing off a barrage of flames and curses. She growled in frustration as the demon simply waltzed right on through the onslaught to swipe at her again, the eldritch energy around it soaking up her attacks. Not even a life draining spell could pierce its barrier.

Even when she tried to imprison it in a gravity Rune trap, it was only tied down for a mere second or two before the demon's eldritch aura flared, dispelling the Runes and freeing it to lumber towards her again.

As it approached her, Morgan's breath caught in her throat as its tentacles whipped towards her again…only to stop just short of hitting her, instead coiling and swiping at the remains of her protective barrier. The creature began meticulously tearing down every remaining segment of it piece by piece despite her efforts to fend it off.

Confusion had her knitting her brows together as she locked eyes with the demon…and saw what she recognised as smug, dismissive superiority in its gaze.

A dismissive superiority she'd seen MANY times before, from those scum she would go on to call her subjects, in those cursed years between her childhood's end and finding Uther.

I-...I'm being toyed with?

The stark reality sent hot spikes of despairing rage up her spine, her mouth twisting into a snarling grimace.

It's happening again, even here.

As if noticing, twisted, broken laughter came from the demon's mouths as it stomped closer and closer, tentacles coiling and lashing at the area around Morgan, closing in from both sides.

I've killed so many of your fellows, using power from your creator's enemy, and you STILL treat me like this?!

Just the slightest bit of power in your favour…and you're bold enough to just leave me alive for fun.

But why wouldn't it, I'm no threat like this.

The nullification Runes on her sword weren't piercing her enemy's protective shell, so close combat wasn't working, and magical attacks were out until it was down, so ranged combat wasn't working either.

What else WAS there, then!?

Perhaps I shouldn't have sent Barghest awa- no, no. Her blade wouldn't be any more use here than mine is, and she was already brutalised by these fiends once before. Best to have her, Master and Habetrot out of the way.

The horror's tentacles whipped by her again, narrowly missing her skin once more and sending her heart up her throat. Taking a deep breath to steady herself as she pushed the creature back, trying to give herself as much breathing room as she could, Morgan took a close look at the creature, trying to find a weak point of some sort.

There must be something I can use. MUST be an opening SOMEWHERE. I REFUSE to let it end like th-

...wait a minute.

Shifting her blade this way and that to deflect the oncoming tendrils once more, Morgan cast enhancement spells on her eyes and focused intently on the serrated appendages as they whizzed by her.

It could just have been a trick of the light, after all. And she couldn't afford to take chances.

Come on. Come on. Just strike at me another-

There it is! I definitely saw it this time.

That sickly blue-black light encasing it grew very dim indeed, even patched in places, as the tendrils flew at and past the Berserker, almost like the cocoon of energy was being stretched just a tad too much.

The creature's protection doesn't quite extend as far as the limb can, eh?

It's a small opening…but I can still use it.

The window of vulnerability was narrow indeed, and trying to exploit it was a very risky gambit in her current position. One wrong move and she'd be open to a fatal blow.

But it was better than doing nothing and letting the monster wear her out, tear her protection to shreds time and again, beat her down and pick her apart.

Alright then. Here we go.

Tapping into the power of her own brand, Morgan surrounded her free hand in a cocoon of magic, shivering as the ice cold pressure started bearing down on her lower arm again, while summoning a nullification Rune onto her palm. Imbuing it with as much of the foreign power as she could draw upon with the few seconds she had, the ex-queen retreated a few steps and held out her blade in front of her, waiting.

Daring her attacker to come for her again.

The horror gladly obliged, bellowing a distorted and echoing roar from every mouth as it sprang towards Morgan, tentacles outstretched and aiming for her throat.

Steady…steady…

She shifted her stance, putting one foot in front of the other and angling her body to the left.

No room for error.

Closer and closer.

No hesitation.

It was almost on her.

NOW.

Morgan twisted sharply to the left and leant her upper body back to avoid most of the demon's attacks, while also reversing her grip on her blade and bringing it up to block the remaining tentacles.

She sucked in a breath as the tentacles shot past her, shattering through what remained of her personal shield and just barely missing her skin.

Of course, that was nothing compared to the sharp gasp that escaped her lips as she brought up her free hand and grabbed one of the tendrils tight.

Pain exploded in her hand as the various barbs and serrated edges tore through her protective barrier and cut deep into her skin, drawing blood immediately, but Morgan held on regardless, forcing a surge of magical energy through her hand to transfer the nullification Rune to her foe.

The demon seemed to realise what was going on. It tried to pull away, tried to lash out at her again to force her to stop.

It wasn't quite fast enough.

When it did pull back its tentacle, the nullifier Rune burned bright on its skin.

Gritting her teeth and clenching her bleeding hand to block out the searing pain, Morgan forced magic through the Rune to activate it.

The demon screeched in anger and offence as the foreign magic crackled across its body, its protective energy shell wavering and flickering, as if trying to resist the assault, only to collapse into nothingness.

Morgan smirked triumphantly at the sight, especially as the demon's eyes shrunk in visible panic, a surge of elation rushing through her that drowned out the pain in her hand.

I believe that it's MY turn now.

She wasted no time, launching a ring of gravity Runes that surrounded the scrambling demon. It screeched and flailed in desperation as the Runes activated, pinning it to the floor in short order. It tried to struggle more, tried to break free, only for Morgan to immobilise it with sets of spectral chains she summoned to bind its limbs.

She stepped over slowly, channelling some magic into a healing spell to close her hand's wound, blowing out a shaky breath in relief.

Once she shifted her gaze to the bound creature before her, that relief began shifting to elation. To satisfaction. As her captive tried and failed once again to escape its bonds, a vicious smirk blossomed on her face.

Where's that sense of superiority, hmmm? Where's all that arrogance now? She snarled internally.

You shouldn't have underestimated me. Shouldn't have left me alive. Just like all of those arrogant little-

So busy was she ranting that Morgan failed to notice her brand flashing faintly.

A moment later, her breath caught in her throat and her thoughts came to a screeching halt as she, for a brief instant, found herself staring at ghosts from the past…ghosts she'd long thought put to rest.

You all died at Manchester. We felled you to the last. Why are-

Ah…NOW I see.

Even as lifeless corpses, those infuriatingly smug, taunting and defiant smirks were still fixed to their faces.

Even in death, you STILL thought yourselves superior.

One blink, one harsh and heated breath, later, the image was gone, replaced by the familiar picture of the bound demon. However, it was no longer struggling to free itself. Instead, it was staring up at Morgan, looking her dead in the eyes…and it seemed to be smirking.

Fufufufu. All that power and you still needed trickery to beat my little one. What a disappointing performance, my dear.

A spike of boiling anger lanced through her, her face twisting into an offended and disbelieving snarl as the smug voice drilled into her head. She could almost SEE the accompanying smirk on the Outer God's face…

This is YOUR doing, isn't it monstrosity?

Being so arrogant as to toy with her again, and through a puppet this time, even as she drew closer to Apep's sanctum…

That is so VERY fairy-like, isn't it? Keep gloating, keep thinking you're the very pinnacle of creation and nothing can stop you, even as you're getting beaten to death by the humans you dismissed as worthless.

She wished she could wipe that smirk off Apep's face in person, much like she'd once crushed the arrogance out of all the Fae Clans when she'd first taken the throne, but sadly she was beyond reach and in a far higher league of power.

Lifting her hand, Morgan began feeding energy to the gravity Runes pinning the demon, increasing the force they exerted on its limbs.

Until I get to crush your patron's plans personally…you'll just have to do. She hissed internally, glaring down at her helpless captive.

"Make it suffer."

She clenched her fist, tightening her magic's grip, gaze narrowing and thin smile widening as the demon thrashed about. Surges of satisfaction shot up her spine as it screeched in pain from the crushing force the Runes were exerting.

See how quickly the tide turns? Not so arrogant NOW, are you!?

She kept on squeezing, tighter and tighter, until the beast's cries died down and it stopped moving, a savage thrill coursing through her all the while.

That's it, die. "Die like all the rest."

After a few moments, her breathing stabilised and the hot mental spikes of anger began to recede, leaving her staring at the corpse of her enemy.

Finally. That took far too long.

I hope the others have been managing in my absence. If there are other 'blessed' creatures guarding the remaining sigils, and if what four of them did to Barghest is any indication, then they'll need all the help they can get with them.

There isn't much time left, so I should-

That was as far as her planning got before another bevy of screeches cut across her thoughts and had her jolting in place, a cold shiver running up her spine as some very important information just registered with her.

…ah, yes. There were four of them.

She'd just managed to throw up a hasty barrier around herself before the trio of horrors smashed through the remains of her shield wall and charged her as one, razor-sharp tentacles flying and eyes flashing with eldritch blasts.

She backpedalled immediately, throwing up a half dozen more shield walls even as they began ripping the first one to shreds, desperate to put some distance between them and her before she was rent in two with one swipe of those serrated appendages.

If I can just-

The first barrier was down.

Already!? I need to-

Now the second.

…no.

Now the third.

Not now! Not like this!

Now the fourth.

As Morgan brought up her hand, she noticed her brand again.

The creatures were almost on her now, slamming and boring into her final barrier.

Even with all the energy she devoted to reinforcing it, enough for the sluggishness to start creeping into her head and beads of sweat to break out on her forehead, those claws were still forcing their way through.

Closer. Closer. Closer.

What other choice is there?

She brought her hand over and hurriedly began removing seals, heart hammering in her chest.

Come on. Come o-

That moment's diversion of attention was all her attackers needed, two of the demons ripping through her last shield and the lead driving straight for her throat.

…only to glance harmlessly off of a fresh layer of protection. This one created from energies of similar origin to their own and congealed into a thick coating around their target.

Confusion passed across their eyes for a moment, replaced by trepidation as they met the eyes of their prey, seeing a new strength and resolve burning from them.

And perhaps…something else as well?

The trio of horrors recoiled and scrambled back rapidly, screeching in panic, recognising that the tide had turned against them, much like it had turned against their fellow a few moments ago.

Their effort to regroup, to gather themselves, to reassess the situation and try to summon reinforcements, was strangled in its crib. A large field of gravity Runes sprang up around them, an unearthly, sickly light accompanying the Runes' glow as their power dragged the demons to the ground. Before they could try to lash out, to try and escape, barbed chains of sickly light sprang up and bound their limbs, cutting into their flesh and drawing screeches of pain.

A slow click-clacking of heels sounded in their ears, each step growing louder and louder and causing the chains that bound them to tighten further, drawing blood from all over their bodies. In some places, the horrors' limbs looked about ready to pop off with how tightly they were being squeezed.

They tried struggling again, but their bonds only bit deeper.

Once loud and distorted screams of pain had now faded to low whimpers, their strength quickly depleted as new Runes were carved into their flesh by a floating staff, sapping their stamina and concentration.

As they looked up, coming face to face with their captor, they felt a new emotion whether face swam into view. An emotion they'd not felt in several dozen millennia.

Fear.

No, more than that. A base, primal terror.

It was not the expression of vicious triumph on the human's face that struck this feeling into their twisted hearts, nor was it the dozens of orbiting Runes, summoned javelins and the oppressive magical aura she was exerting, all of which promised to make the rest of their short, short existences on this plane as painful as possible.

It was her eyes, alight with overwhelming malice.

And it came not from the human herself, but from the scattered and faint fragments of an ancient, vast, impossibly powerful consciousness that the horrors could see drifting within. What traces of their mistress' bestowed power still remained evaporated at the very sight, as if her magic itself fled in terror from the reach of her greatest enemy.

Noticing their distress and terror, Morgan couldn't help the surge of satisfaction that fluttered in her stomach.

Yes…you SHOULD be afraid. You should be VERY afraid.

"Punish the wretches."

This time she didn't question, nor did she hesitate.

---

Now then, they should be just around he-

Oh good lord.

As she made it within view of the central theatre entrance, Morgan's brows knit together in concern at the sight before her.

All the other Servants of the assault team and her Master were there, thankfully, but they were all in visibly bad shape.

Armour pieces were cracked and dented, if not outright destroyed in Barghest's case, while clothes were ripped and torn, exposing bruises and bloody cuts. Her breath caught in her throat as she noticed the large tear in Habetrot's hat, unnervingly close to her head. Even Shirou's fur was matted, dirtied and even bloody in places.

Even their equipment was damaged. Napoleon's cannon, Habetrot's zeppelin, Sigurd's sword and Sitonai's bow all had some combination of cracks, chips and dents in them. All in all, a rather sorry state.

And that wasn't even getting into that barrier covering the front entrance…

That can come a little later. For now, how many of Apep's pet monsters did they face?

Not enough, I suppose…

Shut up. You will pay for this.

Oh, will I?

"In time. Have patience."

"Hey, there she is!" Habetrot called to the others, immediately revving up her zeppelin. "I told you guys she'd be fine!"

"As expected of her majesty." Barghest said, walking with a worrying limp as she clutched at her left side with her free hand.

"I'm glad to see that you made it here." Skadi smiled tiredly. "Are you doing all right?"

"I'm fine, and I really should be asking you that." Morgan frowned, inspecting the group closely. "Was it more of those enhanced horrors?"

"Enhanced, you say?" Napoleon asked.

"Couldn't you sense the power they were touched by?" Skadi asked. "Or see that magical aura they were projecting?"

"Ah, that's what that was. I thought they were far stronger than normal." The Archer scratched at his neck and managed a small encouraging smile. "Still, we beat them regardless of that extra power!"

"But it was a close fight indeed." Sigurd commented, nursing his own wounds with a grave frown. "And there are sure to be more of them within the theatre proper, most likely mutant cultists as well. In our current state…are we properly equipped to take them on?"

"We might not really have a choice in the matter." Skadi said. "With the build up of mana in the ley lines, plus that blood mist earlier…we can't really afford to wait around for too long, they are getting close to starting the ritual properly now."

"But we also can't afford to just rush in." Barghest pointed out. "We could barely handle a few of this Apep's demons with her directly enhancing them. It stands to reason that there will be many more of them defending the stronghold. There's no sense in charging in to be slaughtered, I say we wait for Chaldea's reinforcements."

"Mmmm, that's not a bad idea in theory, but even with a direct lock on our position, will they be able to arrive properly? The barrier is still-"

Before she could listen to any more, Morgan's attention was drawn by a tug on her right hand. Looking down, she saw Habetrot staring up at her and motioning away from the group.

Shrinking in on herself in shame, before bristling a little at a sudden surge of irritation and indignance, the serious look on Habetrot's face and the glance she'd stolen at her other hand telling Morgan all she'd needed to know about what her friend likely wanted to talk about, she nonetheless followed the Rider around a nearby corner to give them some privacy. Ritsuka caught her gaze and curled an eyebrow, but Habetrot simply waved in reassurance before Morgan herself could reply.

"Yes? Is there something you need?" She asked, as soon as they were out of sight.

"How'd you manage to beat all those creatures without a scratch on you?" Habetrot asked, voice low but firm as she stared at the Berserker.

"...well, it was not an easy task at all. And I WAS injured battling them, I simply healed the wounds I received before regrouping, it wouldn't do to go into battle impaired now would it?" Morgan insisted.

"Okay then, what about your mark?"

"What of it?"

"I'd like to see it, please."

Her first thought was to refuse, shame weighing on her as she thought about just how Habetrot would react. About the disappointed look she'd likely be faced with.

But a second later, discreetly nudged into her consciousness from a dark corner of her mind, came another thought: Why?

Do you really think I'm some weakling, blindly stumbling into the unknown? That I won't take the proper precautions? Who do you think I am? Who do you think YOU are to question MY expertise with magic, you know-nothing littl-

She cut herself off sharply, taking a heavy breath and swallowing hard.

Where did…why did-

She…sh-she is simply being concerned. There's nothing wrong with that! That is…that is what 'friends' do, isn't it?

…but really, isn't this being just a little overprotective? I know what I'm doing. She should underst-

No, no. That is no excuse. I…I should not have thought that about Habetrot.

Then why did I?

Swallowing the heavy lump in her throat, Morgan slowly offered her free hand to Habetrot. She could not help but shiver and shrink in on herself a little as the Rider's expression quickly grew shocked.

"...you've released more seals on it! That's how you won against those things, isn't it? You said you'd be careful!" Habetrot cried.

Morgan struggled to suppress a grimace and stop her hands from clenching.

…I did say that, didn't I?

"I…It was not a decision I took lightly, I assure you of that, but I needed the extra power to even survive against Apep's enhanced minions. You must have fought them along with the others, yes? Then you know how tough they are."

Habetrot rubbed at her arm, but conceded the point with a small nod.

"Yeah, they…it took a heck of a lot to hurt them."

"You see? I needed the edge. Besides, it has proven…not as taxing to make use of as I expected."

Habetrot's eyes widened, with her scooting closer and peering into Morgan's own, an intensity in them that actually unnerved the Berserker just a little bit.

"...what's that mean? Have you been getting something other than more power from that mark?!" Habetrot asked, alarmed.

"What? No! I simply mean that there haven't been any serious side effects, is all." Morgan insisted.

"...are you sure? You're still you?" Habetrot tilted her head, her face settling into a concerned frown as she put one of her hands on Morgan's lower arm.

"Yes. I promise, it's still me." She smiled, reaching over to gently pet her friend's head. "Thank you for your concern, really, but I believe I will be fine until the immediate threat has passed and I can remove this brand."

"...okay then."

Thank you.

Habetrot's smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

Ah, it seems I still have a ways to go, then.

Nonetheless, she didn't press the matter any further, instead swivelling her zeppelin and slowly floating back around the corner.

Morgan made to follow her…only for a cacophonous cracking sound to have her wincing and hunching over, casting dampening spells on her ears to block out the worst of the din.

Gah! What is that!?

She barely had time to think about that question before her brand flared up once more, leaving Morgan clutching at her hand and wincing.

"The roof." The Abyss God rumbled in her head.

What of the-?

…

Oh no.

The theatre's roof was floating. Or to be more precise, thousands of its shattered and broken pieces were floating, looking as if they'd been crudely torn from the rest of the building, bathed in a pillar of sickly blue light…and surrounded by a swirling vortex of blood.

At the same time, all of the Runes and eldritch brands across the theatre began to light up again, brighter than they'd ever been before. A few moments later, the bricks and mortar of the theatre were all encased in the same eldritch energy that formed the outer shield dome.

We're out of time.

Hurrying back around the corner, heart hammering in her chest, she almost crashed headlong into Barghest.

"Gyah! Ah, th-there you are, your majesty! Come quick!"

"Of course."

Wasting no time, Barghest wheeled about and marched back towards the group, with Morgan quickly falling into line beside her. Noticing her knight wincing at the waves of sound coming from theatre, she applied a fresh set of dampening spells to her ear. Barghest gave her a grateful nod.

"There you are!" Ritsuka called as the two rejoined the rest of the team, stumbling over to greet them. Thankfully, the noises from the theatre had already begun to dim down, enough that he didn't have to outright yell to be heard. "Hope you're ready!"

"Yes, I am. So, what do we do now, Master?" Morgan asked.

Ritsuka sighed heavily, looking towards the church.

"I've talked it over with everyone else and…we can't afford to wait any longer. We need to go now." He said, grimly.

"Are you sure? We'll be up against-"

"I have an idea what we'll be up against, but that doesn't change anything." Ritsuka was stone faced and resolute. "There's too much at stake to hesitate or delay here. We attack now."

"And what of our reinforcements? Can we rely on them getting here in time?"

"...we'll just have to count on the staff at Chaldea being prepared enough, if we can't handle what's in there ourselves." Ritsuka admitted.

"I see."

Pinning most of our hopes on reinforcements making it through? That's…a tremendously large risk.

Her gaze shifted to her free hand. Just for a moment.

We…we should have every advantage we can-

NO. No. Not yet. The situation is not quite so dire right now. The risk is too great.

"But first-" Sigurd cut in, pointing to the theatre door, still coated in a glowing shell. "We need to get past that barrier."

"Yes, but how? All the Primordial Runes and spells in our arsenals have been thrown at it, and it still stands." Skadi said, looking distinctly troubled as the group gathered around the door, readying their weapons.

"Then we use our Noble Phantasms instead! We're running out of time already!" Barghest declared, wreathing her blade in flames.

"That might work, but we might also need our Noble Phantasms charged for the resistance inside. If it's anything like the enemies we just faced out here, we'll be in for a hellish fight if we use them up right here." Napoleon cut in.

"Well then what else are we supposed to-"

Morgan glanced down at her hand again.

Surely it would work again, right?

"As you say."

Jumping a little at her patron cutting in again, Morgan steeled herself and started moving forward.

"-ay we let Master decide, then!" Barghest was saying, gesturing towards Ritsuka. "Master, what should we-"

"There's no need for that, Barghest. I will get us inside." Morgan cut her off, striding past her and approaching the barrier.

"Eh?!"

"Are you sure you can manage it?" Skadi asked.

"Yes, I can."

She caught Ritsuka and Habetrot exchanging a look, which shifted to her for a moment before moving to the others.

"Okay then, if you think you can do it, then go ahead." Ritsuka nodded to her. "I know you can handle it."

"...thank you for the support, Master." She muttered, swallowing hard and trying to keep her voice steady.

As she drew close to the shield, Morgan began channelling magical power into her sword, coating the blade in nullification Runes as she saw the sigils responsible for the barrier. Her breath hitched for a moment in preparation before she began drawing on power from her patron's brand as well to augment her sword further, wincing as the familiar cold pressure began coating her lower arm again.

It only took a few moments before her sword was practically glowing with energy.

All right, that should be enough.

Raising her sword, Morgan angled it straight and thrust it forward, aiming for the first barrier sigil.

The barrier sparked and crackled as the metal bit into it, the sigils on both the theatre and the Berserker's sword lighting up in unison, the twin magics clashing in a shower of sparks and light. Morgan grit her teeth and put all her might behind the blade, determined to push through the fierce resistance.

That eager to meet me again, are you my dear? Fufufu, how delightful. Unfortunately, I'll have to insist that you come back later, when you've found…better company.

Her arms began to shake as the barrier seemed to solidify around her sword. Growling in frustration, she began pouring more magic into her sword and lining her arms with enhancement Runes, making another effort to drive it in deeper.

Slowly, very slowly, her sword slid closer and closer towards the barrier sigil.

That persistent, hmmm? All right then…you and your little friends can come right on in. I'm MORE than ready to welcome you.

As the tip of her sword was about to touch the sigil, the barrier collapsed and vanished, sending Morgan stumbling forward and just barely catching herself before she hit the door.

Righting and brushing herself off, Morgan looked back at the rest of the group, all of them standing there looking confused and a little nervous.

"Queen Morgan?" Napoleon asked. "What happened?"

"It was Apep. She's…she said she's ready to 'welcome' us." She almost whispered.

"How could you kn-...have you been hearing her?" Skadi's eyes widened.

"She's been speaking into my mind since we got here. Nothing more than petty taunts and worthless offers, I assure you." She replied.

"That's all it is?" Ritsuka asked, staring hard into her eyes and holding his breath.

"That's all it is."

He let the breath go.

"Okay then. Everyone ready for this?"

The team, battered and bruised though they were, nodded as one, eyes alight with determination.

"Alright. MOVE IN!"

---

"Alright, power supply's holding steady, now redirect energy reserves to-"

"Anti-World Team, line up over here for a sec! Yes, that means ALL of you! We need to make sure-"

"Fujimaru's existence is still being confirmed, right?"

"It better be! You two over there, stay on that!"

"Aye aye!"

Novum Chaldea's remaining staff were pushing themselves harder than they'd done in months, running this way and that, trying to prepare the Rayshift systems for the severe strain they'd soon come under.

After all, this was quite possibly the largest and most extensive Rayshift operation they'd ever set out to accomplish, even from the days of the Incineration of Humanity. There was no telling just how well or long their systems could handle operating at the level they needed…but they were willing to try anyway.

After all, there was far too much at stake to falter now.

"Oi, come on, Mordred! Over this way, we're in the fifth wave, ya dunce!"

"Uuuuu!"

"'Ey, I'm just trying to stop this nutcase from cutting the-"

"Don't tell me what to do! Mother's down there, so I'M going in first and that's that!"

"No you ain't, the real heavy hitters are going in first and you're not one of 'em, so get over here!"

"GET OFF ME, FILTH! I'LL KILL Y-"

And the Servants were working just as hard, rushing to carry out the largest Heroic Spirit mobilisation Chaldea had called for yet….with mixed results.

Watching all of the barely-organised chaos unfold from behind the primary control console, Goredolf Musik sighed to himself, gripping the side of the console with one hand and taking a fortifying sip of his long-cooled, sweetener-filled hot chocolate with the other.

It was already his sixth mug of the day too, an absolute no-no if he were still under Toole's tutelage.

But then again, she'd never experienced anything like this before, so she'd likely let it slide this one time…after all, he needed something to try and calm his nerves.

Judging from the shivering in his hands and shaky breaths from his lungs, it wasn't quite working.

"Holmes, how are we doing with assembling the Servants?" He asked, knowing well the Ruler would be there to answer him. He almost always was.

"The Anti-World Response Team and Foreigner Class have all assembled as requested. Every other Class is still assembling all their members right now."

"Understood. If you're not busy, then go and help organise the Servants groups outside." Goredolf indicated the main area of the control room. "We need to be as ready as we can to deploy reinforcements."

"Of course." Without another word, Holmes stepped away from the control console and strode over to the assembling Servants.

The situation truly is dire if he goes without a snarky or irritating comment. Goredolf thought.

Rubbing at his eyes and buttoning up his jacket a little further, feeling a slight chill in the air all of a sudden, Goredolf moved to take another swig of hot chocolate…only to find that the mug was now empty.

Wonderful.

Setting the cup aside and scowling to himself, Goredolf busied himself with checking over the Servants assembled in the control room…and almost immediately spotted a problem that really should have been solved by now.

"Hokusai!" He yelled, startling the young Foreigner into jumping in place, barely suppressing a squeal of shock. "I thought I told you, get that familiar of yours under control NOW! This is no time for his games!"

"I-I'm sorry director, but he just won't settle down!" Oei cried, waving her hands frantically and bowing in apology before resuming her pursuit of her father. "Toto-sama! POPS! STOP IT RIGHT NOW! What's wrong with you now!?"

The old octopus paid her no heed, dashing this way and that between the Servant groups and waving his own tentacles at them, pausing periodically to point at the Rayhift platform and make an "X" with two tentacles, shaking his head manically.

"If you can't control him, then get him OUT!" Goredolf ordered. "We CANNOT have him interfering in an operation as sensitive as this!"

"Wah, I'll try!"

As Oei continued to chase Hokusai about, much to the simultaneous amusement and irritation of various observing Servants, Goredolf buttoned up his jacket, suddenly feeling his hairs standing on end as a chill seemed to sweep through the room.

"All right then, what else is there to-"

The blaring of alarms cut him off.

In an instant, the din of chatter from the assembled Servants ceased, all of them standing to attention.

"Meunière, report!" Goredolf called, looking over to his second, seated at the primary control console.

"The Shinjuku Ley Lines are all lit up, Director! There's a colossal amount of magical energy being channelled through them! Just a moment…" Meunière tapped away at his keyboard for a few moments before speaking, "Confirmed! The energy's all being directed to the approximate location of the Shinjuku Theatre!"

"Is it the cult?"

"Oh, it most certainly is."

Goreolf jumped a little at the new voice, whirling around to see Sion standing a ways behind him, the Atlasian's gaze flicking rapidly between her datapad and the readings of the nearby screens.

"Yep, if this datapad here's accurate, then the energy readings are very similar to the ones the original Chaldea observed in the Salem Singularity. There was an Outer God involved there as well, right?" Sion said, sipping at her cup of coffee.

Goredolf could not help but spare a glance at Abigail Williams, standing with the rest of the Foreigners and looking strangely…bored and disinterested, before answering.

"Yes. There was indeed."

"Then there we are. Time to do what you guys do best!" She chirped.

I suppose it is.

Taking a fortifying breath, heart thundering in his chest, Goredolf cleared his throat and turned to his staff.

"All right then, you heard her! Dustin, Slyvia, Miss Sion, prepare for mass Rayshifting! Meunière, keep track of the energy readings from the Singularity-" out of the corner of his eye, Goredolf noticed that Da Vinci and Holmes had just entered, "-and Holmes and Da Vinci, keep the Servant teams organised as best you can! All members of the Anti World-Team, proceed to the Rayshift platform immediately!"

Everyone hurried to comply, with the Grand Servants leading their fellow team members forward to the platform while Dustin and Sylvia tapped away frantically at their keyboards, a low hum building throughout the room as the Rayshift systems were brought online, the platform lighting up as the Servants embarked.

"Follow along mongrels, the king will tolerate no delay!" Archer Gilgamesh hollered.

"GUUUUUUOOOOOOOHHH!" Heracles bellowed, practically bounding forwards.

"Come on, we've waited long enough." Ishtar Ashtart mumbled. "Master needs us."

"Hope everyone's ready for this." Orion muttered, hefting his bow.

"We're as ready as we'll ever be!" Achilles replied.

In a few moments, the entire team was assembled, prompting Dustin and Slyvia to start operating their consoles again.

"Status of the- agh!" Goredolf winced, massaging his temples and screwing his eyes shut, cut off by a sudden headache. "Status of the…"

He tried to continue, only to stop again when he looked up.

For just a second or two, he could've sworn he was in near pitch blackness, body shivering as it was surrounded by a cold and wet feeling.

But the image passed, leaving the confused director standing in Novum Chaldea's control room again. However, traces of the chill and wet pressure remained, forcing him to button up further to stop from shivering.

What in the blazes was that…?

"Director?" Sylvia called over, looking concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"Ah? N-No. Just a sudden headache, nothing to worry about." Goredolf assured her. "Now then, status of the Rayshift?"

"Readings are within normal levels for now." Dustin said.

"Coordinates are locked, Fujimaru's existence is still confirmed."

"The magical interference is much greater than expected, but with Miss Sokaris' help, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. At best, the Servants might materialise some miles away from Fujimaru and will have to make their way to him, but they should all land safely."

"Yeah, don't worry about that! I'll adjust for the interference as best I can, no problem!" Sion saluted, already seated and tapping away at her own console. "All in a day's work for an Atlas Alchemist!"

"Good. Now then, if everything is prepared, start the Rayshift immediately! Our team is counting on us and we won't let them down!" Goredolf ordered.

"Yes, director!"

As the background hum escalated into a whine, the platform lighting up even further, Goredolf noticed Oei standing away from the other Foreigners and by the door. She'd been able to wrangle her father away from the other Servants, stopping him from harassing the Anti-World Team, but the old octopus was still struggling in her grip.

What is going on with them?

Glancing over at Dustin and Sylvia, Goredolf decided they'd be fine on their own and marched over to Oei and Hokusai. As he did so, rays of light began to circle around the platform's periphery, ringing the Servant team in tandem with the background whine escalating again, transforming into a full-blown crescendo of noise in preparation for the Rayshift.

"All systems are nominal!" Dustin reported.

"Coordinates are still locked, I'm narrowing the focus now!" Sylvia called.

"All right then! This should account for most of the interference." Sion said. "Rayshift in 30 seconds!"

"I would like an explanation if you can, Miss Oei. Why is your father acting like this?"

"I-I can't say, director!" Oei insisted, looking distressed. "I-I've never seen Toto-sama like this before! He just keeps babbling on and on about how nobody should go to the Singularity!"

"And…why is that?" Goredolf asked, eyebrows knitting together.

"Rayshift in 20 seconds!"

"I've tried asking him, but 'e 'ain't answering me!" Oei said, before rounding on her father and shaking Hokusai firmly. "Come on, you ol' coot! What is it with ya!?"

Hokusai gestured to the Rayshift platform again, wiggling in his daughter's grip and emitting some strange squelching noises.

"Rayshift in 10 seconds!"

"Eh? What do you mean "No one interferes"?"

Before Goredolf could even begin to think about it, alarms began to blare out again.

"Rayshift in- arrgh!"

"What the hell-!?"

"You two, what's happening!?" He called, immediately leaving Oei and hurrying back over to the control console, finding Dustin and Sylvia glued to their screens and panicking. At the same time, the Rayshift platform and surrounding apparatus were starting to spark with threatening magical discharges.

"Energy capacity is WAY over the safety limits! Our systems can't handle this much extra power!" Sylvia cried.

"Where is it all coming from?! I can't see any sort of source for it all! Did one of your experiments do this!?" Dustin stabbed a finger accusingly in Sion's direction, who glared back at him in disbelief.

"ME?! I couldn't even BEGIN to build something that supplies this much magical power, not with any of the tech or Magecraft in this century!" Sion protested.

"What about the backup regulators and magic sinks?" Goredolf asked.

"Tho- but director, those are still experimental!" Dustin protested.

"Well try them anyway, for god's sake! Better than overloading everything!" He snapped, heart hammering in his chest as his own panic began to set in.

"All right then, just a sec…"

"Confirmed! Two regulators are active and magical energy levels are dropping!"

"Alright, bring more online!"

"Got it! Levels are dropping further. Magic flow should be within safe limits any sec- woah!"

A fresh wave of sparks and discharges flashed across the consoles and around the Rayshift platform, the flowing rings of energy brightening and thickening to the point that they became a full sphere of energy, unbearable to look at and practically venting heat.

"Oh my- the excess energy flow just jumped 400% all over again! What the hell is this!?"

A few of the observing Servants finally jumped into action, attempting to approach the platform, only to be held back by some of their more cautious peers.

"Come on, we can't just leave them in there!"

"Hey, what are you doing!?"

"You're gonna get yourself killed, moron!"

"You can't just wade into that energy field! It'll PEEL YOU APART!"

"But we can't just leave our heavy hitters in there! Get the Casters in here now, maybe they can-"

As the mass of Servants argued among themselves, Dustin turned to Goredolf.

"The regulators are all already at capacity, director! The system can't sustain this, we have to-"

Unfortunately, Goredolf couldn't hear him anymore. His headache had returned, and far worse than before, the poor alchemist was too busy hunching over in pain to listen, feeling as if his head was about to crack like an egg at any second.

Eventually, managing to fight through the pain, Goredolf opened his eyes…only to find that he wasn't in the control room anymore, a very familiar looking (and feeling) blackness stretching out before him.

What…what in the devil is going on here!?

"Hello? Is…is there anyone there?" He called, casting Reinforcement on his eyes and ears to try and make out if there was anyone else around.

A few moments later, he wished he hadn't.

He might not have been able to see it, but he could tell that a colossal presence had made itself known, even before multiple blood red eyes opened in front of the alchemist, all of them staring right at him.

All at once, the hairs all across his body stood on end, his heart began to skip into his throat, his stomach bound itself into a tight knot, his spine practically seized up on the spot and he broke out into a very cold sweat.

Oh dear lord…

Before he could even try to speak, he was seized by an invisible force and dragged forward, till he was practically face-to-face with the creature…and teetering on the brink of passing out from sheer terror.

"THIS PREY IS MINE. DO NOT INTERFERE."

The booming voice, overflowing with power and authority, rattled Goredolf down to his very bones.

He barely had the chance to respond before colour and light rapidly bled back into his surroundings, bringing him back to the control room in short order, breath incredibly shallow and heart trying to shatter his ribcage with how hard it was hammering. He clutched at the control console with shaking hands, just to stop from toppling over.

Dustin was talking to him, pointing out both the fallen forms of the Anti-World Team, presently being tended to by other Servants, and the damaged Rayshift equipment, asking him what they needed to do next.

Goredolf barely heard him, still thoroughly shaken as his mind was racing a mile a minute.

Who or what WAS that? I've…I've never felt just an overwhelming presence before.

Is it perhaps a Divine Spirit of some sort? Some alien? Or perhaps-

His train of thought came screeching to a halt, however, as Hokusai and Oei came into view.

A key turned, a switch was flipped, and suddenly everything fell into place.

"What do you mean "No one interferes"?"

"DO NOT INTERFERE."

No…it- it can't-

"Even after all this time, you're still as territorial as ever, aren't you? Very well, I'll allow you to have your fun."

It was barely more than a mutter from Abigail, but Goredolf heard it loud and clear, even across the chaos. After all, that was NOT her usual voice he was hearing.

A look was all it took to confirm his fears. Her blue eyes had turned blood red and been joined by a third eye in her forehead, peering out from a keyhole, the inhuman look supplemented nicely by her unnaturally serene, razor sharp tooth-filled smile.

Goredolf stumbled back in a panic until he hit a chair. Collapsing into it, he buried his face in his still shaky hands, ignoring the increasingly frantic calls from Dustin, Sylvia and Sion to focus on the one thought dominating his mind.

We've made a terrible mistake.