CHAPTER 15:
ARGONAUT REUNION
Illya frowned. She had been tracking her prey, and while she wasn't going to attack him at home (partly because she didn't know whether her father had put in some defences, and partly because, well, Berserker needed more room to cause the havoc they both enjoyed…and partly because it would be very rude, and she was raised to be a proper lady, thank you very much), she had hoped he might head off with his Servant to speak with the Overseer. Instead, he was heading for some grotty little park, a park that, apparently, was the site of the Grail's manifestation in the previous Grail War.
She didn't like that park. It gave her the heebie-jeebies. Maybe it was because she was the Lesser Grail, and being so close to where the last one (don't think of it as Mama!) was destroyed set some instinct off. Or maybe it was just so bleak and depressing looking, as if the ghosts of those present lingered. Even Berserker seemed ill at ease there.
Still, she had an opportunity to test Berserker. As she approached, she saw that accompanying that damned cuckoo who stole her father away from her and the traitorous Saber (wasn't that a surprise seeing her here?) was Harry Tohsaka, whom she recognised from photos her family's spies had taken, and a woman in robes, possibly a Caster. Hmm…well, a Caster might be tricky, but she could not stand up to Heracles…
It was Medea who suggested taking Arturia to the park. Shirou had rung up Kirei and notified him. Given Harry and Sakura's tuition on the Grail War, Shirou's questions were mostly answered, so he didn't need to go to the church. Interestingly, they found some old clothes Arturia had worn in the previous Grail War in a closet, and after changing, Harry was sure he heard Medea squeeing at the admittedly endearing look of Arturia in a severe but fitting business suit. Arturia had remarked about feeling nostalgia, and missing Irisviel, Kiritsugu's wife.
Kneeling down, Arturia took one of her gloves off and scooped up some soil, running it between her fingers, grimacing. "I see what you mean. My Noble Phantasm should not have done this, and to my admittedly limited knowledge, the Grail should not have caused this either. I reluctantly admit Kiritsugu may have had a reason for using his Command Seals. This whole park feels…wrong." She closed her eyes. "Damnation!" she snarled. "If there is aught badly wrong with the Grail, then I shall never get my wish!"
"I'm sorry," Harry said, putting a hand gently on the King of Knights' shoulder. "What was your wish?"
The green-eyed knight shot him a look, before she shook her head. "Never mind that. If there is a taint on the Grail, one that is a threat to people, then it behoves me as a knight to expunge it. However, this is not conclusive proof."
"I'm still analysing the soil samples," Medea said, "but whatever it is defies analysis. It may be older than I, and I am from the Age of the Gods. In any case, Saber, I…" Her eyes widened. "I erected a Bounded Field earlier to warn of anyone approaching, and to deter non-Magi. A Master and their Servant are nearby." She whirled to look down the path, as did the others.
Only the Master was visible, and on first sight, she didn't seem so dangerous. True, she was eerie looking, pale-skinned, white-haired, with blood red eyes. But she seemed so cute, even in the European winter clothing, along with a Russian ushanka, all in purple. Her body couldn't have been older than maybe ten, and her smile was beatific.
But that smile held an edge of menace. And an aura of malice seemed to ooze off her. "Good evening, Big Brother," she said politely with a curtsey, her Japanese having a German accent to it. "And Harry Tohsaka, I presume?"
"Illyasviel von Einzbern, I presume?" Harry responded, taking his staff out and unfolding it.
"Illya…" Arturia murmured in horror.
"Oh? So the traitor's Servant remembers me?" Illya asked, tilting her head.
"I do. What foul things has your family done to you?" Arturia asked.
Illya shrugged, though her crimson eyes were touched with pain briefly. "I'm not going to waste time discussing such things with the likes of you. Still, allow me to introduce you to your executioner."
And with that, seemingly flowing out of the shadows themselves, a massive, hulking figure emerged. It was like a roughly-hewn stone statue of a man, all muscle, wearing a metallic kilt, and with something like a sword that seemed more like a massive flint knife. The wild hair framed brutal, bestial features, like some throwback to humanity's distant past turned into a monster. And judging by the way his eyes turned to Medea, Harry realised he recognised her. What was more, he recognised the Berserker, from Medea's memories.
"Medea?" Harry asked over their link, trying and failing to keep a tremor out of his voice.
"Yes, Harry?"
"Remember when I saw your memories and mentioned that I never wanted to fight Heracles? I think the universe still has it out for me, because it decided to pull this bullshit. I mean, that is Heracles, isn't it?"
"Of course. I could slap you lightly over the head for daring the universe once we're out of danger. But we need to survive long enough to get us all out of here, and using Rule Breaker on a mana-hungry Servant like that will be asking for trouble even if I could reach him, unless I just sever his contract with the girl. I'll use Atlas on him, see if we can give Arturia an opening."
"Okay," Harry said, before whispering to Arturia and Shirou, the former already transformed into her armour, "Saber…Caster will use a certain spell to immobilise Mr Steroids Overdose over there, long enough to give you an opening. If that doesn't work, pull aggro until Caster can blast him."
"Pull aggro?" Arturia asked.
"He means keep his attention, Saber," Shirou said. "What do I do?"
"Stay out of the firing line. Or Project a bow and quiver if you want to feel useful," Harry said.
Shirou nodded, before murmuring, "Trace On." A bow, and a number of arrows, appeared. "And what about you?"
"I'll deal with the snowflake who thinks she's a blizzard," Harry said, louder.
Illya merely smirked, plucking a pair of hairs from her head, and with a gesture, shaped them into what looked like glowing wireframe outlines of birds. "You can try. Though I have to wonder why a European claims to be part of the Tohsaka family through means other than marriage."
Harry, Medea, and Arturia looked at each other, before they said, simultaneously, "Shenanigans."
Then, all hell broke loose. Heracles began to glow red from within, emitting a noise that wasn't so much a roar as something like a natural disaster given voice, like an avalanche or a tornado. As he charged, Medea snarled, "Atlas." The behemoth stumbled underneath the dome of frozen space, and Arturia charged forward. At the last minute, Medea released Atlas, allowing Arturia to slash at Heracles, Excalibur biting deep into his neck, not decapitating him, but giving him a fatal wound.
However, any elation at an apparently quick victory was shattered when Arturia, noticing something, leapt back, yelling in warning, "Caster!" Medea instantly took to the skies, her cloak splayed out like the wings of a bat. Arturia dived away as the wound closed up and the beast attacked once more.
"A resurrection ability that kicks in when he has been slain," Medea muttered.
"Of course," Illya chirped with a vicious smirk. "This is Heracles, and he's unstoppable!"
"Heracles…twelve lives to match his Twelve Labours, perhaps?" Medea mused. "Troublesome beyond belief, but not unstoppable."
Heracles leapt into the air to attack Medea, but as surprisingly agile as the Berserker was, Medea was considerably more agile in the air, and smacked him out of the sky with a quick blast from Rain of Light. As he landed, he dodged to avoid one of Arturia's attacks. Illya's cheers rent the air. "Go get 'em, Berserker!"
"Accio!" Harry yelled, pointing his staff at Illya, and causing the Homunculus to fly through the air with an undignified yelp. The birds promptly attacked, so Harry had to dive out of the way of the beams of energy they fired. A Gandr curse annihilated one, and Shirou's Projected arrow surprisingly skewered the other, pinning it to a tree.
Illya got to her feet, brushing her clothes down. "How rude," she pouted.
"So's trying to kill my friends," Harry retorted. "Call off your mad dog, shrimp, or I'll find a way to remove your Command Seals."
"I'd like to see you try," Illya said with a vicious smirk. "And shrimp? Seriously, can't you think up a better insult than that?"
"I dunno, but then again, you're the best the von Einzberns could scrounge up, given all the Homunculi they could manufacture?"
Illya scowled. "Yes. How does it feel, Tohsaka?" She plucked a couple of more hairs, and turned them into iridescent wireframe birds once more. "How does it feel, knowing that a Magus better than a Tohsaka can be manufactured(1)?"
As the birds attacked, Harry Apparated behind Illya, and swatted the birds with his staff like cricket balls (with a snarl of 'Howzat?!'), before sending Illya sprawling to the ground with a Gandr, shaking her head to clear it. "Sorry, what was that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of my kicking your arse," Harry snarked. Then, he cast an Incarcerous to wrap her in ropes. "I should feel bad about doing this to a little kid, but one, you're trying to kill us, and two, you're actually much older than you look. Actually, I do feel sorry for you. Your family sent you here to die. Now, which arm are your Command Seals? I'll just chop it off and let you live."
Illya sneered at him. "Who said I had the Command Seals only in my arm? They're throughout my body." She looked up, and called out, "Berserker? A little help?"
The beast bellowed, and charged over, charging past Arturia. Shirou, stupidly, tried to put himself between Harry and Heracles, exchanging the bow and arrows for a sword, only to be batted out of the way. Harry was forced to dive out of the way, and dashed over to Shirou. Thankfully, the redhead hadn't been struck by Heracles' sword, but he was clutching his ribs and groaning in agony. "Medea, we'd better be prepared to get the fuck out of here," he sent over their link.
Sending back an acknowledgement, Medea teleported next to him, and Arturia was standing guard near them, staying protectively by her Master. Heracles, however, was merely untying Illya, surprisingly dextrous despite his insanity. He then helped Illya to her feet. "Well, that was interesting," Illya remarked, as if discussing the weather.
"You little brat," Harry snarled. "Shirou had nothing to do with what your father did, and Saber was forced to destroy the Grail. And you stand there thinking that murder is a game you're playing with your pet monster? Look around you! This park is all that remains of a good chunk of the city after your father ordered Saber to destroy the Grail! Knowing what your family's done in the past, who's to say they haven't booby-trapped the Grail?! Just to spite anyone who claims it other than them? How many innocent people suffered because your family are a bunch of self-centred twats?!"
"KIRITSUGU EMIYA BETRAYED ME!" Illya screamed in rage. "MY FATHER ABANDONED ME!" But her fury gave way to sorrow, her crimson eyes glistening with tears. "At least my family was there for me," she said, in a voice thick with emotion. And Harry saw the true Illya. The loneliness and sorrow within her eyes. The hopelessness. Harry found himself…well, not regretting his anger, but he realised he truly pitied Illya in this moment. And that her last sentence seemed to be a lie to herself as well as to others.
"Who are you trying to convince, Illyasviel?" Arturia asked, her own expression solemn. "You are the only person he would not have betrayed willingly, child. If I know one immutable good point to your father, it was that. Your mother and yourself were perhaps the only people he was capable of loving. Take your fury out on me: as a knight and a king, I would willingly bear it." She then raised Excalibur, the invisible point of the sword pointing at Illya and Heracles. "But threaten Shirou at your peril."
Illya wiped her sleeve across her eyes, and her mask settled back into place, but askew. "I see. So that's how it is. I don't think I want to play anymore tonight. Let's go, Berserker."
The massive giant nodded, and the two walked off into the darkness. Arturia kept an eye on them both, while Harry and Medea hastened to help Shirou, who had passed out. However, as Medea prepared to heal the redhead, she frowned. "This is odd."
"What is?" Harry asked, just as he was about to call for Fawkes. "Is he going to be all right?"
"Yes. Indeed, his body is healing at an accelerated rate," Medea said. "Healing magic will help, but…I thought him incapable of using healing magic, and I would have known if he was a Dead Apostle. Wait a moment…" She cast a spell, and then, after a moment, laughed in disbelief. "I don't believe this! He has a Noble Phantasm within him! That's what's healing him! I won't extract it from him while it is healing him, but I can generate an image of it."
Arturia frowned, and turned away, the threat of Illya and Heracles gone for now, her armour changing back to the suit she wore. Then, when she saw the image Medea projected, she gasped in recognition.
Harry had to admit, what he saw was beautiful. It was a wedge of gold with blue patterns and eldritch writing, the writing of the Fae. But Arturia actually recognised it. "Avalon," she murmured quietly. "Kiritsugu must have given it to Shirou."
"Avalon?" Harry asked.
"The sheath of my blade, and one of my Noble Phantasms," Arturia explained. "It has potent healing magic. Kiritsugu used it as a catalyst to summon me, but I never found out where it went. It seems that he used the sheath on Shirou. If he found Shirou in the aftermath of the fire, maybe he used it to heal him."
"Even so, we'd better take him back home ASAP," Harry said. "The next time we fight her, we'll have to make sure we have Rin and Archer along as well at the very least. And make sure this idiot doesn't try something like that again. Jeez, he would have gone into Gryffindor like a shot, Hufflepuff at the outside."
On Arturia's puzzled frown, Medea said, "He refers to his schooling."
"I see. Well, let us away from here."
Harry held out his hand, which Arturia took, Medea pressing Shirou's hand and her own to the other hand. "Incidentally, Arturia, have you ever wondered what it's like to be toothpaste squeezed from a tube?"
"Wait, what?" Arturia asked, shortly before they disappeared with a sharp crack, leaving the dark park in silence once more…
CHAPTER 15 ANNOTATIONS:
So, there you have it. Harry, Medea, Shirou and Arturia have just survived their first clash against Illya and Berserker. But what next? Well, Harry will have an unexpected encounter with Illya that will leave them both moved, and shaken…
Review-answering time! A lot of people were speculating as to who Assassin is. While you'll get a lot of clues in the next chapter, I'm going to say that it IS a Death Eater. Which one, well, you'll have to wait and see.
NecrorexSparda Juubi-n-Kishin: Hmm, good choices, but I'd also like to add as possible Berserkers a Dalek (imagine a Dalek at the level of a Heroic Spirit…*shudder*), Samuel Vimes from the Discworld books (and if you don't believe me, read Thud!), Yang Xiao-Long, Nora Valkyrie and Hazel Rainart from RWBY, Caboose and the Meta from Red vs Blue, Broly from Dragonball Z, Bane from Batman, Liquid Snake, Vulcan Raven, even Raiden from Metal Gear Solid…the list is potentially endless.
StarkillerRicardos: Shinji will get his fairly soon.
The Shadows Mistress: We'll explore that later, but yes, he is descended, albeit through blood adoption, to the Arturia of the Potterverse through Lily. I'm not the first to do this either: I know sakurademonalchemist did so for Golden Queen.
Leicontis: It's actually closer to Solid Snake's sneaking suits, so more of a greyish-blue. He wears it under his clothing anyway. So no, no Might Guy-style shenanigans…
Fenrir of the North: Who knows? For now, it's strictly Harry/Medea…
1. Harry and Illya's lines are based on similar lines Rin and Illya exchange in BlazingAzureCrow's Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works Abridged. Illya's comeback is such a great line, I had to include it, even if it was changed. Though Harry likes to get in the last word…