Chapter 8:
A Druid's Kind of Brawl.
Caster made the first move.
In the belly of the Urayan Titan, two figures stood across one another. The taller of the two was a hulking Driver with his trusty Blade floating overhead. He was a thick wall of muscle with truly massive arms, each clutching a glowing scythe in each hand. Military gear covered him from head to toe, from crusty combat boots to a row of pouches on his chest. The man had numerous scars that out numbered even the scales on his face.
Whatever cheeky grin he had however, was gone. Replaced by a serious if curious stare.
Standing opposite the Driver was another man, someone new. He appeared out of nowhere, literally jumping out of a massive explosion. Caster was a tall, athletic man dressed in almost sagely robes. The cloth was different, otherworldly compared to those present, even with their shabby condition. Still, his red eyes drilled into the Driver's with the intensity of a sharpened spear.
The grin on his face hid a savage glee underneath the calm expression.
And the staff in his hand looked like it packed one hell of a wallop.
A shocked silence had overtaken the cavern. What began with a ear piercing explosion had cooled into a nervous silence. Even with their ears still ringing, no one could find any words to say. Of the onlookers, Rex and Pyra were a terrible mix of shocked and desperately relieved. Surprised by the new arrival and ever thankful that their friends were alright.
Speaking of who, Ritsuka and Mash were equally dumbstruck themselves. Everything had happened so fast. There was a fire, then an explosion, and finally there was that damned smug grin. In fact, it was a familiar grin. One they first recalled seeing sometime ago, in a burning city after a equally sudden explosion.
And now, out of the blue? Caster was here, ready for a tussle.
"Caster eh?" the hulking Driver mused, a brow raised, "Can't say I've heard of that before."
"Oh, don't worry about it."
In a flash, the distance between them was gone. Caster dashed at the large man and slid to a stop. The servant flashed him a smirk and slammed a palm into his foe's chest.
"It'll stick in your head by the time we're done."
The Driver's stomach did a summer salt inside its own rib-cage as the air left it. Caster's fist sank deep into the armor lining the man's chest. The numerous pouches he wore absorbed some of the impact but the force alone did the trick. It was like a cannonball had struck him square in the chest. His lungs emptied and both his boots swiftly left the ground.
Caster knocked the massive man clear off his feet and sent him tumbling backwards. The military boots left skid marks in the dirt, two even trails cut neatly out of the field of grass.
Roc, thinking quickly, dove out of the air and caught his driver before he landed.
"Vandham?!" he shouted, "You alright?"
A hacking cough answered the question. Vandham clutched his chest and took a few deep breaths as he was hoisted onto his feet. Wobbling just a bit, the man glanced down at his chest. If it wasn't for his pouches, he was damn sure that blow would have cracked a few ribs. Still, his torso felt as if one of the nastier beasts inside the Urayan Titan had danced all over him and then used his guts as a welcome mat.
After a second or two of catching his breath though, Vandham gave a sharp nod.
"Y-yeah, never been better." he hacked, then turned his gaze to the smirking Servant.
Caster hadn't moved. Not an inch. After nearly knocking the mercenary flat on his ass, the Servant retracted his arm and popped a knuckle or two. He lazily leaned against his staff, brushed some dirt and soot off his robes, and sent the two a bemused grin for their troubles.
"I'll give you this," Vandham swore, "For such a lanky fellow, you sure pack a wallop."
Caster raised a brow. He gave himself a glance and then one at Vandham. Lanky was not a term he would use to describe himself. In life, Caster worked his ass off to mold himself from a pipsqueak to a damn fine warrior. Sure, his teacher had her own opinions on that front but status in the Throne of Heroes said enough damn it! Now, here came this brick house of a man calling him puny?! This guy was bigger than Caesar for Pete's sake! Sure, in an entirely different manner but still!
After a second or two of self reflection, Caster let out a sigh.
"Not sure where you get calling anyone lanky, big man." he mused, "But, I'll take the compliment anyway."
Sharply though, Caster's smirk returned. He rolled his hand, pointed over at Vandham, and with a wink, snapped his fingers.
"You'll find I'm full of surprises."
Like the cracking of two stones smashing together, the snap made a echo that bounced throughout the cavern. Everyone head the snap, Vandham included. Oddly, that wasn't the only thing the Driver heard. Just as this stranger snapped his fingers, there was a crackling sound. Vandham brushed it off. Likely just some burnt grass. The kid from early had been throwing around plenty of fire after all.
But as the seconds rolled on by, the crackling grew louder. And strange scent too. Vandham sniffed the air. What was it, like, leather burning?
Confused, the Driver looked down and caught sight of the crackling's source.
His eyes widened.
Smack dab in the center of his chest was a marking. Right where Caster had knocked the daylights out of him. It looked like an engraving or maybe even a tattoo. But it wasn't something he recognized. A truly odd symbol, glowing bright hot and if the Driver's nose was working, it was actually burning!
Vandham raised a brow, confused. When and how did it get there? Caster damn fast sure, but not enough to actually draw something on his armor without him noticing.
What he did notice though, was the heat. The marking began to glow brighter. It begain as the same color as his pouches, then turned a cool orange.
Now it was much darker, almost...
Suddenly! Pain jabbed into the Driver's chest like a hot dagger! A blistering heat seared Vandham's skin. The strange symbol turned bright red, and then-!
-Krackhooom!-
-it erupted into a literal fireball and exploded against Vandham's chest-!
As soon as Caster snapped, the rune flickered to life and detonated. Like a bomb, the explosion rocked Vandham and took him straight to the dirt. Roc tried to catch him again but it was too late. Driver collided with Blade and fire flashed in both their faces. The duo felt the full force of a fireball erupting and it sent both tumbling to the ground.
Unlike the previous explosion there wasn't too much smoke or a crackling kaboom. Compared to the last one, this one was more akin to a firecracker.
What it did do however, was nearly pop everyone's eyes right out of their sockets.
Rex and Pyra were dumbstruck. The two had hit Vandham with everything they had to no avail. He was a iron casted wall, one Rex couldn't dent nor scratch no matter how hard he tried. Now with a mere snap of his fingers, this Caster bloke tossed the same man onto his back not once but twice without a bit of warning.
The heck just happened!?
Caster raised his hand and blew some soot from his fingers, "Sorry bout that."
"Fingers slipped."
Casually, Caster raised an arm and guided his hand through the air. His fingers danced as sparks followed each digit, flickering into existence like those in a campfire. The sparks swiftly gathered themselves together, forming distinct shapes, each different from the last. The markings glowed a bright orange and floated in front of their maker as Vandham slowly pushed himself off the ground.
Whist brushing the still smoking ash from his chest however, the Driver glanced up and stopped the second he saw these strange runes.
They looked exactly like the one that caused him to flippin explode!
Once fully formed, the symbols shot off like bullets with a booming crack. Each collapsed into a flaming orb and shot straight toward Vandham.
The Driver, due to his sheer mass, was slow to his feet, leaving him little chance to defend. Luckily, he wasn't alone.
Roc, once more, dove to his Driver's rescue. He leaped over Vandham and covered him with his wings. Just as Pyra had done for Rex, a barrier appeared around the duo and shielded them from the onslaught.
Luckily, the orbs exploded upon impact with the shield. The runes erupted against Roc's shield in a succession of fiery detonations. Like bombs exploding before his eyes, the Blade saw nothing but fire and smoke as he held up his shield. Fire and smoke crashed into the barrier with a bang, but the shield held firm.
"Alright, big guy!" Caster cheered, "You survived the first volley!"
The Servant held his staff with both hands and began to spin it over his head. The large stick spun around in a blur, much like a helicopter's blades. But as quickly as he began spinning it, Caster brought the staff back down the earth and slammed it into the ground.
"So let's kick it up a notch!"
Suddenly, a circle grew out from where the wooden frame touched down. Beneath the staff, another symbol appeared. Unlike the others however, this rune glowed blue and was three times the size.
Akin to the others, this rune exploded into fire and flames. Instead of shooting toward Vandham like a missile though, these flames danced across the ground in a straight line. It was akin to a river bursting free of its dam and rampaged unrestricted across the grass. The flames ate away at anything before them and made a beeline at Roc's shield!
"Damn it!" Vandham cursed. He shot his partner a look, "Give me some cover!"
Roc nodded, "Gotcha!"
The rushing flames slammed into Roc's shield, like a flood smashing into a dam's defense. They splashed against the barrier's surface and piled up against its hexagonal sides. It wasn't a mere blast of flames, the fire literally poured out of the base of Caster's staff and aimed to consume anything within their path.
Before the flames could overcome the barrier however, the shield disappeared.
Roc dismissed the barrier and shot up into the air. The Blades wings outstretched and flew high into the sky, floating above everyone present. Caster's red eyes followed the avian Blade as he soared skyward, both scythes now within his clawed hands.
As the winged Blade hovered high above the crowd of Drivers, Blades, and others, he glared down at the lone Servant. He let out a squawk and slammed the hits of his scythes together, connecting the weapons with a snap!
-Death Wing!-
Like a spinning buzzsaw, Roc lopped his weapons through the air. The two Scythes combined into a twisting, spiraling disk of a blade. At a glance it was like one of Dromarch's twin blades but far sharper and far more dangerous.
The twisting Scythes cut through the sky with a frightening whizz as it traveled toward the ground. It cut through the river of fire like it was butter and made a mad dash toward the owner of the flames. Caster watched as the spinning scythes rushed at him in a blur of blue sharpness and a whirling dicing motion.
He wasn't impressed.
Caster bashed the two scythes away with a swing of his staff. The torrent of flames vanished from the base of his staff but the scythes never met their target. Both glowing tools were knocked from their path by the Servant, wielding his staff like a bludgeon more than a walking stick. With a wooden thud, the two scythes separated as Caster stuck them down the middle, dislodging the duo from their hilts.
As he dealt with the spinning blades however, Caster caught something out of the corner of his eye. A looming shadow, growing larger against the intense heat of the flames flowing across the ground.
Suddenly, an immense figure burst out of the flames and leaped at the Servant. Vandham let loose a ferocious roar and caught both scythes out of the air. The tank of a Driver leaped over the river of fire and dove at his opponent. Even as the intense heat scraped against the underside of his boots, the colossal Driver swung his scythes down at the Servant with all his might!
-Thud!-Thud!-
Two loud wooden 'thunks' sounded through the air.
Vandham's boots collided against charred dirt, kicking up ashes upon impact. The massive driver felt his arms strain as he pushed the scythes down. They inched closer and closer to his target, blue blades shining with ether.
Standing in their path however, was Caster's staff. The Servant raised his walking stick at the last moment and blocked the descending strikes with both arms.
For a moment, the duo stood, wrestling against the other's might. Vandham pushed down against the Servant while Caster held up the Driver's massive bulk. Even he had to admit, the man's muscles certainly weren't for show. They weren't quite comparable to some other meatheads back in Chaldea but that wasn't a fair comparison. Most of them had traded their brains for their brawn, or were just freaks of nature in themselves.
Heck, some even included Caster in that line up, though he wasn't sure he agreed with that.
Either way, Vandham had some brain to back up that bulk. For now at least.
"So, I take it you weren't a fan of my light show?"
Vandham let out a huff and smirked, "Nah, you'd make one hell of a party entertainer though. Give all the kids a heck of a time. But me? I'm a bit more of the hands on type of guy!"
Suddenly, an almost ethereal glow overtook Vandham's form.
His muscles bulged, his boots sunk deep into the dirt, and his eyes shined with a deep determination. The ether flow surged between Blade and Driver, filling the latter with a burst of fresh energy.
The newfound burst of strength strained Caster's arms, and slowly, the scythes pushed back the druid's staff.
"Oh really?" the Servant whistled, "Well, what a coincidence!"
As the words reached Vandham's ears, he fell forward. The weight beneath his scythes disappeared. The wooden staff, gone. Both of the glowing blades cut through the air and cleaved the dirt underneath him. Awkwardly, the driver just barely managed to catch himself before face planting into the ground below.
Light a ghost, Caster slipped between the pair of scythes, ducked underneath the Driver's bulk, and smirked.
"So am I!"
A loud wooden crack rocked Vandham across the chin. Caster swung his staff upward and slammed the large, bludgeoning side of his weapon against the Driver's face.
Vandham wheeled back from the blow and leaped backwards but his foe quickly followed. Caster remained close to the ground and held his staff more like a spear than any walking stick. While Vandham's bulk shook the ground when he landed, the Servant practically slid against the dirt as he closed the distance again. A savage, excited gleam took over the druid's eyes and he leaped into battle with a wild laugh.
Throughout the cave, the others watched as this new face tore into Vandham with what seemed to be wild and reckless abandon. No more flames, no more fireballs, Caster slammed into the Driver with his staff in hand and began assaulting the big man with a blur of wild strikes.
He jabbed Vandham in the shoulder, spun his staff in his hands, and swung at the man's ribs. The impact bounced off the man's armor but still sent him sliding a few inches. Any other man would have lost their footing but Vandham wasn't like most. He grit his teeth and held his ground.
Caster simply laughed and jumped again, staff descending overhead in a downward bash.
As the others watched, something began to change in the Servant. At range he was confident but careful with plenty of tricks on hand. But as he got close and personal Caster was wild, excited, and ready to bump some heads. He didn't even treat his staff as a staff anymore. The way he held it, the Servant looked to be wielding a spear or a war hammer instead!
As ferocious as the Servant was though, Vandham was a wall.
The Driver caught the staff with his bare hand and punched Caster in the chest. His armor absorbed many blows and those it didn't? Vandham gritted his teeth and pushed on through. His muscular arms were his shields, and the big man used them to block several strikes from the staff. Sure he'd be feeling a few bruises in the morning but some booze could help with that.
Any chance he got, the Driver returned the favor with his scythes. When Caster hammered into his ribs, Vandham dropped a scythe on the Servant's shoulder. The Irish warrior turned to avoid it and jabbed at the offending wrist. It sent a painful stab through the Driver's arm but his grip held firm.
Despite the coppery taste of blood in his mouth, the pain crawling up his gut, the hulking Driver did not bend.
He refused to break. Caster respected that.
Not so far away:
Off to the side, Ritsuka and Mash watched as their comrade thrived amidst the thrill of combat. Seeing Caster of all people here and now was still a shock to them. The Servant had barely said a word to them before his rune caught a literal tornado on fire. If it wasn't for the shock on their faces, Ritsuka would have given the Celtic hero a piece of his mind regarding that. Normal the Servants were telling him to not be so reckless, not the other way around! But, one look from Mash told the master that it would be a waste of breath.
Caster was a bit of a pyromaniac after all. The act of nearly smacking Vandham upside the head with a now burning staff was more than enough proof of that!
As the pair basked in the sight of the brawl between Servant and Driver, they barely noticed when a familiar pair rushed to their side.
"You two alright?"
Looking up, Ritsuka saw Rex and Pyra running up to them. The pair looked tired but relieved. Each had their own fair share of scrapes and bruises but the relief they felt made it seem like a paper cut. Rex bore a big, relief stricken smile and looked about ready to either hug his friends or fall flat on his rear with a sigh. If he had a coin, he'd likely flip for either at this point.
Pyra wasn't as dramatic as the boy, but she smiled all the same. When she saw the two get consumed by a giant flaming twister of fire, she didn't know what to think. With the duo sitting before her though? The Aegis simply giggled while Rex caught himself on his knees, out of breath.
Chadlea's master shook his head, "We're fine, a bit...dusty, but good to go."
"Yes, Senpai and I are quite fine, thank you."
Rex raised his head, shooting the two a look, "Well, I'd hope so! For a moment there, I thought you two were gonna be as charred as some burnt Cloud Sea Crab Sticks. What happened?!"
"And more importantly, who is that!?"
A thick and rather agitated accent cut through the air. Nia, along with Dromarch and the others walked over to the four, looking no worse for wear. Oddly, their opponents were nowhere to be seen. Poppi explained that the bandits were themselves distracted. Seeing a wild man with blue hair and red eyes smacking around their boss had taken the fight out of them.
Nevertheless, as Nia strolled closer, she shot Chaldea's master a look.
Her ears were pressed against the top of her head and a scowl adorned her face. One glance at the girl and Rituska knew she'd be accepting no excuses.
Ritsuka bit his cheek. How to explain this...?
"He is a Servant of a Chaldea, kinda like Mash." he relayed to the group, "He's contracted to me, which is why he didn't take too kindly to the whole tornado thing…"
Thinking on his large array of Servants and such a predicament, Ritsuka could help but wince. Things would be significantly worse if any of the more attached Servants had appeared instead. Sure, he was a battle hungry Celtic hero but Caster was rational, even with that mouth of his. Most in the Caster Class did tend to be a bit more rational, or at least analytical.
If it had been one of the Berserkers though...
Ritsuka didn't want to think about that.
"B-but, how he get here?!" Tora questioned, "Tora never see him before! And he was not on Umon's boat!"
Poppi nodded as well, "Poppi took record of all Poppi and Masterpon's friends after leaving Gormott. Blue Stranger not among Poppi's records."
"So where he come from?"
Awkwardly, Ritsuka turned and spared Mash a look.
Everyone's eyes were focused squarely on him. The air was tense, and the sound of Nia's foot tapping didn't help matters. Making a suitable excuse would take some time. But with Caster still fighting like a madman and nothing else to distract the group, the master had few ideas on hand. If only Da Vinci or Holmes were there, they were much better at thinking on their feet than he was.
Suddenly however, Mash stood up and raised her shield to the rest of the group.
"Caster was summoned here, using my shield as a medium." she explained, "It's essentially a catalyst, which when combined with the resources at Chaldea, are able to summon other Servants to assist my Master while on missions."
Many eyes widened and mouths popped open. Of the group, Tora and Rex snapped at the massive shield and stared. Words failed them, as did their questions. As the others took in this information, Mash saw her Master spare her a questioning glance.
"Mash...are you sure we should?"
She smiled and gave a gentle nod, "I'm sure. It should be all right to tell them."
Ritsuka frowned, a tad unsure. Should they really just spill the beans, just like that? Since Gormott the pair had been tip toeing around explaining things exactly. They hadn't lied exactly, but summoning? Going into that was a rabbit hole there was no coming out of…
But as he saw the smile on Mash's face, the teen sighed.
The Director was gonna give them hell anyway, what's a bit more firewood on the pile?
"Caster isn't really his name, it's more like a classification for the form he was summoned in." Ritsuka described, "Servants like him can be summoned in various forms, with different abilities and sometimes vastly different takes on their personalities and...quirks."
The Battle:
Vandham craned his neck back, just barely avoiding Caster's swing.
Staff in hand, the Servant danced back and forth across the battlefield. Caster peppered the Driver jabs and blow, all while flipping and flopping across the battlefield. While his foe was an immovable bolder, the druid was more akin to a leaf in the wind. He dodged and ducked out of the way of the Driver's counterattacks with utter ease.
As he dodged, the druid even had the time to cat his staff in flames. How or why, Vandham didn't know, but the fire didn't seem to hamper his foe in the slightest. All it did was make his swings burn along with stinging quite a bit whenever they slammed into him. Roc let loose a torrent of wind to douse the fire but they barely even flinched.
Then, Caster stuck the ground with his staff, and the flames disappeared.
Out of the dirt, roots exploded forth and lunged themselves at Vandham. The roots were thick yet malleable, moving like snakes as they slithered out of the ground. Several shot at the Driver's legs and began entangling themselves around the offending limbs. Each root ran deep, and refused to budge as their target tried to pull away.
Realizing pulling away was out of the question, Vandham glanced at his scythes and did the next best thing.
He cleaved through the roots and ripped himself free. As thick as the roots were, Roc's scythes were sharp and easily tore the wood apart. As the roots recoiled however, Vandham reached down and grabbed one of them before they could slither back underneath the dirt. His large fingers dug into the root's bark and with a mighty howl, the Driver ripped the massive root out of the ground with one hand.
Even Caster was surprised by the deed, and even more so when Vandham smirked.
He tore the root out of the ground and chucked it square at the Servant's face.
Not so far away:
"So you can just, what? Summon people out of nowhere at any time?"
Ritsuka shook his head, "Well, no. Normally it's a fair bit more complicated than that."
"Ah, yes!" Mash added, "Normally we require several factors in order to commence a a summoning ritual. A stable connection to Chaldea, an external source of energy, and a summoning circle are all necessary."
"The last bit normally isn't a problem. Mash's shield is basically a summoning circle all on its own."
Pyra tilted her head, "Is that what those markings are on the front of your shield are for then?"
Since meeting the two, Pyra had suspected something was different about Mash's shield. As the girl wasn't a blade of any kind, it would make sense for it to lack any trace of ether or at least, nothing that could be outwardly felt. Yet every time the Shielder had rushed into battle, Pyra swore she felt something. Even Poppi claimed she felt the presence of another blade but merely chalked it up to misdirected readings due to getting eaten by a nation sized Titan and the like.
"Yes, though I suppose that wasn't their original purpose." Mash noted, raising her shield.
"My shield isn't actually mine...it belongs to someone else. My status as a Servant is more of a special case than that of Caster's."
Nia folded her arms, "Then what exactly is he then? You lot made it quite clear that you weren't Blades, but I don't think a normal person is able to just be called whenever or wherever ya might need them."
"No. They're not."
-Krackhooom!-
Suddenly, amongst their conversation, a tremor shook the cavern.
A sudden, devastating explosion rocked the cave once more. Rocks crumbled down from the ceiling. Cracks formed throughout the cavern's walls. The very ground tumbled underneath everyone's feet. Even the Titan itself seemed to shake from the inside out. And at the chamber's center, a plume of smoke plumed out of a freshly made inferno.
At the center of a raging ring of fire, a single figure stood. Staff in hand, Caster pounded the charred ground three times. The very earth trembled with each strike, rumbling like a gong.
Suddenly out of the rising ash, Rock appeared. He shot out of the cloud of smoke at a blinding speed. His pupil-less eyes glared down at the inferno below, determination puffing up inside him just as his feathers did. The Blade gripped both scythes in his claws and hovered just outside the rising flames.
Down below, Vandham followed suite and slid away from the fire. He used his massive arms to shield himself from the new heat, feeling the hair being scorched from his very skin. His armor had taken its fair share of a beating as well. Dents and scorch marks covered the entirety of the bandit's chest. Some were from thwacks curiosity of the Servant's staff while others paid their due to some close rage explosions.
Once this was all over, Vandham honestly considered looking into some new armor that was a tad bit more fire resistant.
While the partners partook in a temporary retreat, their opponent remained still. Caster had taken his fair share of the beating but looked no worse for wear. His robes were slightly torn, his skintight garment had a few cuts taken out of it, and even his hood had new hole ripped straight through it. There was even a touch of blood dripping down from the druid's forehead.
But with a grin on his face and a gleam in his eyes, the Servant laughed. A deep, excited laugh.
"Alright! Now we're having a good time!" he chuckled, "You still hanging on there big man?!"
Holding his chest, Vandham slowly rose to his feet. His torso felt like tenderized meat, a headache was burning behind his eyes, and a cold, stiff drink sounded wonderful after all this was over.
Nevertheless, the man stood and spat out a bit of blood.
"You're not getting rid of me that easily!"
Caster laughed, "That's what I like to hear!"
Resting his staff on his shoulder, the Celtic Hero cracked his neck and scanned the cave. The place was fairly empty, bare a few faces he had never seen before. Save for two of course. For the first time since his summoning, Caster glanced at his master. Ritsuka felt a chill crawl up the base of his spine. His Servant grinned in his direction, the type of grin he and Mash were far too familiar with.
"Hey, kid!" he smirked, "You and your pals may want to take a step back for a minute. Have the young lady stand in front of you maybe. This is gonna be a big one!"
Suddenly, the ring of fire surrounding the Servant swelled in size. What had been a small dance of embers erupted into a tall wall of flames. Flickering sparks that once barely touched the soles of his sandals now raged a good foot or two above Caster's head. Ritsuka could barely even make out his Servant's form amidst the raging inferno but oddly the silhouette of his staff remained.
Caster's staff glowed an ominous orange tint and at the tip of his staff, a brazened symbol turned red.
-My Magecraft is a Cage of Flames-
Mash's eyes widened. The Demi-Servant swiftly raised her shield and threw herself in front of the others. Underneath the shield, a stake shot out and dug deep into the ground with a loud, metallic thud.
"Master! Everyone! Stay behind me!"
"Hey!" Rex cried, "What's going on!?"
Ritsuka gulped. He didn't need to look. The sensation creeping up the back of his hand was more than enough to clue him in. The red symbols emblazoned across his skin glowed a radiant crimson. Energy was radiating from both his Servants. Mash's was a steady but gradual climb, but Caster? The Spell-caster's energy suddenly skyrocketed like a volcano erupting with a fiery explosion.
That, could only mean one thing.
"He's using his Noble Phantasm…"
-A Flaming yet Verdant Giant-
"The heck is that?!"
Mash's shield glowed a translucent shade of blue, energy layering itself over the steel covered surface. A wave of heat cascaded across every corner of the cavern. It was like a shock-wave, embers scattering across the cave like the pulsating thumping of a heartbeat. Grass began to catch fire, and the very walls themselves turned red from an intense heat.
"It's a Servants most powerful technique! If they want to end a fight, they use this!"
-Retribution-
Behind Caster, behind the roaring wall of flames, the very landscape changed. Walls of stone turned red hot as if they were melting. The ground was charred to blackened ash. Even the air itself became akin to a fog of roasting heat. The entrance to the Cavern was lost to an inferno, radiating off such a temperature that anything within reach caught fire and was turned to smoking rubble.
Even still, Caster remained as he was. Staff in hand, not a hint of the smoke swaying around him. He barely seemed bothered, as if the heat wasn't even there.
But out from the variable inferno, something began to stir.
-A Shine that purifies the Evil of Human Affairs!-
An immense silhouette climbed out of the ash and fire. It was a large, stocky being, covered entirely with flames. It bore a humanoid shape, simple and blocky but colossal in its sheer size. It towered over everyone in the cave, head nearly scraping the cavern's ceiling. Even Vandham had to pull back in order to take in the vast size of this creature.
Two massive arms burst through the charred ground and hoisted a flaming torso above the dirt. Its head was void of details. No ears, eyes, or anything that resembled a living being. It was a mere inferno in the shape of a humanoid, like a burning effigy instead of something alive.
Before the looming colossi, Caster pointed his staff at the stunned Driver.
Despite his incredible strength, durable mass, and years of experience as a Drive, Vandham froze. His gaze ended at the standing inferno, gobsmacked and without words.
Regardless of the years spent fighting and battling throughout the tunnels of the Urayan Titan, Vandham had never seen something like this in his life. Even Roc, the soaring Blade with wings of red and green features was stuck with surprise. The intense heat of the colossus made the Blade flea from the skies. Trying to stay aloof against the blazing heat threatened to scorch his feathers, reducing the dazzling wings to charred stumps.
Both Driver and Blade stood side by side, eyes wide, as the heat of this creature spread over the cave like a vast shadow.
Even those not underneath its boiling presence weren't spared from the pressure it bore.
Rex and the others were taken back as the behemoth began to rise out of the charred ground. Tora hid himself behind Rex, hiding himself and his trembling. Nia took a frantic step back. In her hurry though, she nearly tripped over a frozen Dromarch. Even Poppi, the normally stoic and informative Blade, barely caught her little cap as a gust of wind almost blew it off her head.
Out of this tiny group however, this little band that met Torigoth after rescuing a friend, Pyra didn't flinch. She stared up at the flaming monolith and watched with a tense gaze as it pulled itself up onto its nonexistent feet.
The inferno slowly began to fade and the fire formed into a tight knit structure. Scarlet flames morphed into thick branches of brown woven wood. Its entire body took a box-like shape with two thick arms lifting it off the ground. Four sharp fingers appeared on each of its stubby arms, and a featureless head turned to stare at the pair in front of it.
Pyra's eyes grew wide.
But not with fear.
She swung around toward Ritsuka. Strangely though, she saw something different from the the expressions her friends shared. Tora was trembling like a leaf, Rex was at a loss for words, and Nia was practically shaking in her boots. But Ritsuka was different. He wasn't terrified or scared. In fact, Pyra saw a stern calm in his eyes.
As if he had seen this all before.
"Ritsuka, please, call it off."
He blinked. No words were said, but slowly, the teen turned from the inferno and looked at Pyra. She met his gaze, a plea flashing in her eyes and gave a sharp nod.
"I know he started it, but it's over now." she spoke, "This...isn't what we thought it was, I swear. It'll all make sense in a minute. I promise. Just, please-!"
"Make him stop!"
At the cavern's charred entrance, the flaming figure finally emerged. It stood upright on two colossal legs and leaned forward over the burning landscape. Flames still clung to its immense form but the silhouette had finally faded. Its chest was a literal cage, a metal doorway attached to the front of its massive bulk. Woven curls of wood and straw held the monstrosity together. It bore no human features but a fury glare filled the cave as did the heat.
Caster cracked his neck and waved his staff over his head, "The One who Destroys…"
Slowly, the colossal being lurched forward. Its arms extended, the flames burning bright as it took its first step forward.
Vandham gripped his scythes tightly and stood his ground. Roc remained by his side, the Driver and Blade glaring up at the towering thing before them. Both felt sweat drip down their foreheads but neither twitched as the colossi stepped toward them.
Shouts and gasps filled Rex's group. They could hardly believe the massive construct before them, let alone its ability to move. Pyra gave one last plea to Ritsuka but her words were met with silence.
"Wicker Ma-!"
"Caster!"
The Servant's shout was cut short. He lowered his staff, the light fading from its surface. Slowly, the druid turned and sent his gaze toward the one who had spoken up. Who's voice cut through the inferno, the creaking of wood, and silenced his Noble Phantasm before it could truly ignite.
Ritsuka wiped some sweat from his forehead and let out a huff.
"Alright, I think that's enough."
Suddenly, the cavern grew quiet. Roaring flames were silent, the crackling of wood became naught but a light pop to everyone's ears. Instead of sounding like the entire cave was currently burning to ash, it sounded like the group was sitting around a meager camp fire.
Rex, Pyra, and the others looked at Ritsuka with their eyes wide. Oddly, the only one who wasn't gawking was Mash.
Behind her shield, the Demi-Servant hid a small smile.
Vandham and Roc hadn't moved a muscle. Both were tense, ready, and still staring daggers at the massive burning hunk of wood that loomed over them. Still, even they shared a look between each other. In the heat of battle and fire raging all around them, things often didn't just...stop out of nowhere.
All eyes slowly fell upon Caster, the Servant whose voice had echoed through the cavern like he lorded over it. The druid stood still for a moment or two, unmoving, and with a blank expression on his face. He didn't look upset, worried, or even angry with what had been said.
Instead, after a second or two, Caster took a deep breath and he laughed.
Hard.
"Are you sure kid?" he bellowed, "Can't I keep it going for just a bit longer?"
Ritsukia crossed his arms, "Caster."
"Okay, okay."
Hearing his master's tone, the Servant gave a shrug. He hoisted his staff onto his shoulder and snapped his fingers, "I was just gonna make'em sweat a little."
As the druid snapped his fingers, the heat throughout the cavern suddenly vanished. It was like a gentle, cool breeze blew through the cave and carried the blazing inferno away. The fires disappeared in a puff of steam, the grass sprang back up as good as new, and the boiling waves evaporated into the air. Before the shocked eyes of everyone, the cavern was restored.
"There, no harm no foul." he chuckled, "Well, besides the bruises."
Despite the raging battle that had gone on before their eyes, everyone watched as Caster rolled his neck until he heard a satisfying pop. The Servant sighed with relief and tapped his sandals with the end of his cane. As if nothing had happened, he brushed some soot off his footwear and turned toward the man who bore half the blame for their shared bout of collective ass kicking.
Vandham flinched as the druid approached. Roc shot him a look, silently asking what the pair were going to do. But the Driver said nothing, did nothing. The massive wall of a man simply remained where he stood and watched.
Soon enough, Caster sat face to face with Vandham. Each were within arms length, punching distance. In the blink of an eye, either men could begin their brawl again with one nasty right hook to the face.
The air was tense. The heat was gone but the dread remained. Rex and the others looked on with breath held, waiting to see what would happen next.
Of the duo, Caster made the first move. He broke the ice…
And gave Vandham a pat on the shoulder, laughing as he did so.
"How you holding up, big man?" he chuckled, "Didn't break anything too important, did I? Didn't throw out your hip while handing me my ass, did ya?"
Vandham stopped, stared in silence…
And let out a deep, belly filled laugh. He slapped Caster on the shoulder as well, "I ain't that old damn it! Though, I think I'm gonna need a whole lot of ice when we get back, and not for the burns damn it!"
"Ah, come on. Those were sparks. I knew you could take it!"
The Driver leaned over and held his knee, "Like Hell I could! I'd much rather have gotten stepped on by a Titan than take that! Where did you learn ticks like that?"
"My Teacher, a real monster she is. Be thankful you've never met her."
"I'll take your word for it!"
As laughter and banter continued to fill the cavern, Rex and the others looked bewildered. Tora scratched the side of his fuzzy Nopon head while Nia's ears twitched with confusion. Just minutes ago, the duo had been amidst an earth shattering brawl and now they were chatting it up like a pair of old war buddies. Dromarch even saw Roc join in on the laughter too!
"...so, they're both insane."
Rex offered a shrug, "I...guess? I'm just so confused."
"Its a bit strange but," Pyra mused, "When we were fighting, I realized that even from the very start, he didn't really mean us any actual harm. It was more like he wanted to...test us, if that makes anymore sense."
"Not really" her driver mumbled, "But it's something...even for a strange old goat like him."
If the big man truly just wanted to check something out, he could have just asked! Rex crossed his arms and huffed. Did everyone who knew even a scrap about Pyra have to resort to fighting, even when they were just playing around? If that was the case, he had a feeling it was gonna get old quick, if it wasn't already!
"Well, that explains the big one, but what about the other!" Nia noted, "That bastard nearly set the Titan ablaze from the inside out!"
Of the group, the two from Chaldea winced at each other, "Well…"
"Caster has always been a bit like that...he can sometimes get a bit carried away."
Mash nodded. She still remembered the time where he 'helped' her unlock her Noble Phantasm the first time. And by helping, he nearly gave her a concussion a few times over. Sure it worked, but Mash was thankful there were others who could teach her the ways of being a Servant. The Celtic Heroes were warriors beyond compare but they could be a bit rough around the edges sometimes.
Though, she supposed you could say the same for numerous Servants. Caster just so happened to be the most calm and rational member of his manifestations.
At least he wasn't the Berserker variant.
"Carried away doesn't seem to cover it!" Nia huffed, "Next time, at least have him give us a warning before he wants to set us in the middle of a blasted bonfire alright!?"
Ritsuka and Mash both shared a look but nodded all the same. They wouldn't hold their breath for such a warning, especially when it comes to unleashing one's Noble Phantasm. But Ritsuka figured he could at least talk to Caster about it. A little warning might be appreciated. Their team wasn't made primarily out of Servants after all.
Speaking of Servants, as the group chatted. Mash spotted Caster waving at them..
Off in the distance, she also spotted Vandham. He, Roc, and the other members of his little band had departed. They were walking off toward the other side of the Cavern. As they left however, Vandham raised one of his massive arms and silently waved back at the group, almost as if he was gesturing for them to follow.
"Hey, you lot!" Caster called out, "Let's get going, the old man invited us to a 'firm' he has nearby. Has food, water, place to rest, and most importantly, booze! So let's get a move on!"
Ritsuka felt a drop of sweat drip down his face. Of course THATS what Caster would be most concerned about.
Either way, the group turned to each other and shrugged. After spending quite a long time walking, combined with the fighting and nearly getting burned alive by some new acquaintance, it was about time for a bit of a rest. If someone was offering a place to sit down and cool off, no one was particularly eager to refuse such a generous deal.
Besides, even if they had their suspicions, Dromarch offered up a good point. After the thrashing Caster had given him, Vandham himself looked to be in no condition to pull a fast one on them anyway. As big of a man he was, even he needed to sit down and prop his feet up once and awhile.
Their decision made, the group nodded amongst themselves and marched off after Vandham. With aching feet and tired bodies, hopefully it would only be a short march to whatever this 'firm' was that Caster had described. As the group departed however, Caster walked up to his master and gave him a pat on his shoulder.
"Better make it double for us kid," he chuckled, "You two have a call to make when we get somewhere a bit more secure."
Ritsuka raised a brow, "A call?"
"Yup. The little inventor back home drilled it into my ear before she sent me off." he mused, "And I don't want to get another if you two don't call her back soon."
"Now come on, we got people waiting on the both of you."
AN: I live! Mostly! Its fairly...more of a 50/50 type of deal.
Last two years have been hectic to say the least. I didn't mean to leave you guys hanging for so long but I rarely had the chance to sit down and write for quite some time. But that, is no longer the case! I'm trying my best to get back into the groove of things. Trying out different styles and whatnot, its more of a experimental period for me, but I want to get back into the game. Thus, here we have the chapter you guys have been waiting on for FAR too long.
I hope you guys enjoy it and I'm going to do my best to get back to a more manageable time scale with writing.
So until next time, please enjoy the story and I'll get the next chapter out soon (which isn't all that confident considering the length of time it took me to get this out, but you know what I mean!).