Words Count: 4044
Anyway, here's my usual spiel:
You can start reading up to Episode 61 of Fate: False Sovereignty in advanced. The Tier starts from as low as 1USD! You can support me and read as soon as I release an Episode, check it out:
P(a)(treon).com(/) LiamThePoor
'Take the left path. You back off and those Chains will pierce your torso.' Following the instructions, Elias jumped to the left- barely avoiding being impaled. 'Judging from her build and armor, she's probably Saber- a Knight. The standard length of medieval swords are around 18 to 30 inches. You won't win in a contest of strength, not as an Archer and most certainly not against a Saber. Just deflect her blade–!'
Excalibur collided with the cheap-looking, mass-produced Finnish army knife as the Pseudo-Servant skidded back- his feet leaving two deep trails into the ground- and using this momentum, Elias was easily able escape from the encirclement. Pulling out his M28/30, the psychopathic boy shot to intercept the arrows coming towards his general direction- his figure flickering in and out of existence as [Presence Concealment] worked to hide him.
As a Modern Soldier, Simo Häyhä's best defense was stealth. Unlike other Servants, he could not charge the enemy head-on, nor could he stand tall against an entire army, but Simo did excel at infiltration, scouting and taking out the enemies from afar… Hence why after his death- in spite of his Class- the infamous White Death who had struck fear in the hearts of the Red Army and its soldiers- was able to gain the Skill: [Presence Concealment].
Some might say this was bullshit- that the Skill's completely unrelated to his Class, those people were fools.
This wasn't the first, and it most definitely wouldn't be the last time something in the Holy Grail War made no fucking sense. Plus, as the Age of Humanity progressed further and further the need for… Archers- for true sharpshooters who didn't rely on emptying entire magazines to hit their marks- snipers who could take out a horde of the opposition and demoralize even the biggest of armies grew. In a sense, Simo Häyhä's more of an Assassin than he ever was an Archer.
But, since these were the cards dealt to him- it's what he'd play with. Different from Elias who was born to a loving family of four, it's not the first time Simo had had to suffer setbacks, nor would it be the first he was forced to work under tough, nearly inhospitable conditions- the glaring Sun in the Summer, the biting winds of Winter. Compared to those days in the farm and the battlefield where around him were full of scattered gun-shells, this was nothing but an obstacle he had to overcome… And one way or another, Simo would overcome it…
Just as he did all the others throughout his life.
As those thoughts were running through their conjoined minds, a howl was suddenly heard- a maddened scream that resembled beasts' more than it did a man's.
Even the demons- filthy, loathsome creatures as they were- turned to look, shaking slightly as their instincts roared at them to run- to flee lest they too become casualty of whatever lied beyond the horizon. "Looks like Berserker and Master have found the other Servant…"
''Other Servant? / There is another? Nice, the more the merrier.'' Not just Elias, but Simo himself was surprised at the addition. They had come alone- hoping to whittle down this giant Faction's number. But if that was the case, who was the stranger then? 'Never mind that. It's most likely a foe, focus on retreating first.' Calmly, the White Death instructed his wayward Master as the fight resumed.
Meanwhile, having noticed the sudden changes in his demeanor, Lancer immediately reported the news back to Leo, who merely sent a quick grunt in acknowledgment- too focused on his own battle to really care about what's happening all the way over in the now collapsed East Wing. 'Later, if you have not guessed, I'm sort of in the middle of something right now.' That was all he had to say before the connection between them cut off abruptly as a loud, ears-piercing sound resounded on Leo's end.
The sound of earth being upturned- trees uprooted and landmass rupturing as claws-shaped Mana projectiles tore the Sky asunder. As a Servant and a creation of the Sumerian Divines, Enkidu had gotten to witness such thing aplenty, but not like this… Never like this. Attacks like those were always filled with the Gods' Divinities. Even those Monsters who once dwelled within the forests near the City State of Uruk did not have so much anger- so much malice contained in them.
There was only one person he knew was capable of such devastating blows- his Master, the Lord Magnum and current suitor of his blonde friend, yet it didn't feel like his either, which left him with only one other possibility: The enemy Servant. Now, Enkidu didn't have much feelings for his new Master.
Sure, the clay-man wanted to serve the teenage boy to the best of his ability, but that loyalty had not come from a place of love and respect- they simply hadn't had the time to cultivate a relationship beyond a professional one. His servitude to the teenager merely stemmed from his wish to see the path he had chosen to the end- to know how his life would have turned out, had he not betrayed the Gods.
And yet, Enkidu still felt a pang of worry- torn between a rock and a hard place.
Should he disobey his Master's commands and charge to where he was? Or should he make sure to carry out his orders- trusting that Leonis wouldn't lose to a Servant- risking both his life and the faith his friend had it in him?
The choice was clear to him. 'Someone Gilgamesh has an interest in can't be simple.' He thought.
Unfortunately, while the 'Weapon of the Gods' was contemplating those decisions- mentally weighing the pros and cons- that brief lapse in concentration was enough to present the White Death's hawk eyes with a path to his and Elias' salvation. 'She's distracted, push through you fool! What are you waiting for? Can't you think for yourself?!'
Having grown up on a farm, the White Death would like to think he had managed to cultivate a great sense of patience, but even that had a limit- a limit which the little psychopath kept on testing with each and every moment they were together.
Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men and so on, so forth the circle went. Still, how his Homeland had managed to make such pathetic, incompetent people baffled the War Hero. He prayed not all of its children were like Elias, or the Great Finland was doomed to fall. In fact, he would give the Country a few more generations at best should that truly be the case…
Following his guidance, Elias slammed into the green-haired clay-man's side without a single shred of hesitation.
Caught off-guard, Lancer fell to the side, not forgetting to conjure Chains- extensions of himself really- to block off Elias' escape path. It didn't work… Even Karma's Barriers could not hold them as the black-haired Pseudo-Servant charged straight through the glowing walls in front of him- seemingly uncaring of the many injuries he was slowly but surely accumulating. "Don't let him retreat! Block his path, demons!"
While both were servants to his Lordship, there was a clear hierarchy to the whole thing. The Elites were the humans- the people capable of rational thoughts.
The demons… Well, it was already a good thing they could put one block on another. Let alone accomplish the more complicated, even the simpler ones sometimes proved to be a challenge to them. Kind of like how a toddler would have a hard time trying to solve a 4×4 Rubik's cube. The demons were lower on the totem pole, it's just a matter of fact… Not that those brutes could even begin to comprehend the dynamics well enough to care or protest.
The point being, besides Zolgen- his Lordship's first ever Arch-Demon, born from the corpse and soul of a madman, reforged by his Hellish taints- all the demons were to obey the Elites unless ordered otherwise by their Creator. And listen, they did. Yet how could these low-level demons put up a fight against a Servant? Elias tore them to shreds in a matter of seconds. Still they clung to him, using their corpses to slow his advances.
One of them- a goat-faced demon stretched his arm like a rubber band, its blackened claws digging harmlessly into the Pseudo-Servant's leg, ripping a piece of his white cloak off as they watched the 'White Death' disappeared. As the weakest Stats-wise, Archer knew he could not outrun both Saber and Lancer- the two Classes known for their overwhelming advantages in Stats, but that's what [Presence Concealment] was for, right?
In an instance, the Pseudo-Servant was gone from sight. Artoria- in a last ditch effort to put catch them- swung her legendary blade. Her unseen sheath- [Invisible Air] dissipating to reveal whitish golden glints of the 'Promised Victory', "[Ex–!"
Then, the King of Knights brought down her sword. "–Calibur]!" Lights washed over the area where they stood as the golden Mana-Beam erased entire section behind the Castle- leaving but a smoldering crater in its wake. The Pseudo-Servant was able to avoid it barely, though he's still caught in the attack. "ArRggH! Motherfucker!"
A grenade to the face was fine, that kind of blows could at most leave a Servant slightly disorientated, but a Noble Phantasm? I didn't just singe him, no. It took Elias' entire arm and it was his right too… The White Death might be ambidextrous, sadly this was Elias' body. To make matters worse, since they were Pseudo-Servant, no amount of Mana would fix that arm of his and Simo- being a Modern Servant- just didn't have the magical, nor the technological knowledge to create a prosthetic for him.
'Keep it down. Do you want to be found? Do you think they'll stop at an arm if you're caught here, now? After what you did?' Chewing on his lips, Elias muffled the scream bubbling up his throat before stumbling away, clutching the stump that once housed his arm. At least there was a silver-lining in this mess, with his wound cauterized, they'd not be able to follow the trail of his blood, nor would be bleed out. "Damn her…"
Elias muttered angrily- desperately wanting to stop and rest. He knew he couldn't, and yet his eyelids kept closing shut. 'That tree over there looks hollowed. Keep [Presence Concealment] up, hide inside- rest and pray to God they won't check it. Perhaps the Lord will look kindly upon our efforts and give us time to recover.'
"Ye- Yeah…" Choking on the words, Elias silently crept into the tree and slumped down- injured and exhausted beyond beliefs. Having grown up as the youngest child in the family, never in his life had Elias been this tired. Eyes closed shut, he rested against the tough bark- the white cloak dissipating to hide Elias' form from prying eyes as he drifted off to the best sleep of his life as of yet, completely ignoring the sounds of footsteps outside.
Even as the claws of demons scrapped against the tree-bark, Elias continued to sleep like a child in his mother's embrace.
— [Fate: FS] —
While the Elites, Saber and Lancer were dealing with the 'White Death', Berserker and I were on a hunt for the 'little rata' stalking my property.
Obviously, though I had and I had to say… I was disappointed. Seriously, I thought the guy was supposed to be a sharpshooter? How the Hell did he miss all of my underlings? Not that I was complaining, the Elites were a pain to train up, but still… Was this a case of the legends exceeding the people? Or was it Deadshot vs. Batman again?
"Come out, come out wherever you are." I said in a singsong voice. No wonder Illya liked to be so dramatic, if I had Herakles accompanying me everyday, I'd grow a bighead too. Not only did the Greek Hero look and sound intimidating but he also felt like a walking Mana-Reactor… Every moves- every breaths of his upset Gaia's laws and shook the Earth.
Of course, I knew where the unknown Servant was.
[Presence Concealment] might hinder me from sensing them through Spatial-Awareness, but the Map- being a Function of the Game- had no such restrictions.
Though this might sound stupid to some, fear tactic was a major part of how I was able to get Lorelei's little list done so quickly. The bigger my influence, the bigger the scare-factor, and the less my preys would struggle. As they said, 'A battle is 10% physical, and 90% mental.'
"You know you can't hide forever right? I can hear heartbeats-" I couldn't… If Supernatural senses and Bounded Fields could detect Assassins still, that would defeat the whole purpose of [Presence Concealment], would it not? Silently, I gestured towards Berserker about Assassin's location, putting a finger to my lips to stop him from alerting the Servant.
Unfortunately Berserker was… Well, Berserker. "ArRggHh!" The dark-skinned Servant howled madly as he charged to the spot- his sword-axe raised high as he- like a bull stampeded into the direction I just pointed in. 'No subtlety at all, that guy…' Shaking my head, I jumped into the fray with him.
Assassin's most effective weapon was their [Presence Concealment]. It made them the perfect killers- a foe beyond humans, created to take out Servants via their Masters. Sadly, they'd find I was no ordinary Master.
A blur rushed past Berserker and towards me- dressed in a ornamented robe that looked like it had seen better times and stained jewelry- Assassin's eyes flashed with calmness as he tried to take me out with… 'Are those claws?' And they were indeed claws- ones made out of pure silvers from what [Structural Grasp] and [Observe] were able to make out- completely unimpressive mundane silvers-
Oh-Wait, there appeared to be question marks in the description.
'Another letdown? Two in a row? Really?' On second thought, maybe I shouldn't wish her my enemies to be cool, but every Servants in canon were awesome. Why was my War like this? With minimum efforts, I quickly avoided the blow, condensing a ball of Space in my hand- revolving it like a certain knucklehead's signature technique and…
* BANG
Just as my fist was about to hit its mark, I combined it with a portal. Need I mention what would happen when two destabilized points in Space met? If not for the Greater Mysteries that represented a Servant, the attack would've ripped a basketball-sized hole into Assassin. Sent fumbling back, the Servant fished out from his pouch a piece of silvers- throwing it to the feet of Berserker- who was recovering from being overextend. Immediately, a cage formed- sprouted in an instance as though that piece's a seed and the cage, the tree.
Impressively, it was able to withstand a blow of the maddened Hero. The second twisted it out of shape,
And the third broke the poor cage to thousand bits and pieces scattered on the ground and those bits soon converged to the nearest to recreate the original piece he had thrown. In the meantime, the Servant leaped to me, the bagh nahk- weapons resembling knuckleduster with spikes- slammed into my readied forearms yet… He didn't seem to realize that's merely a feint on my end and was thus caught off-guard when I retaliated, 'Around D-Rank in Strength and a C in Agility, huh? Poor instincts too…'
I shook as a portal opened in front of his fist. Unfortunately, as we had witnessed from my first ever battle against Herakles, a being's Mysteries- corresponding with their age and powers- not only affected their Stats, but how the laws of Reality interacted with them too. Berserker was able to shrug off having Space compressed to a thin, razor-sharp line around his wrist. I wondered if Assassin could do the same?
'As I expected…' The portal closed shut- clamping down on Assassin's arm and drew blood, yet it did not successfully severe his bone- stopped dead in its track. No matter, the real attack was not mine, but his. Those claws he's so fond of, Assassin didn't seem to happy when they came out of a second portal near his socket- almost blinding one of his eyes. He wasn't completely defenseless though. Just as the claws-shaped pikes neared his eye, the cloaked Servant willed it to become a stream of silvers flowing up his shoulder.
'Oh?' With a mighty heave, he pulled back, the portal ripping layers of his skin and flesh yet the man seemed even more contended- at home than he was moments ago- as though the had served to do naught but give him a caffeine-boost. "– Lord, may thy be my witness. Show thy worshipper the way."
What was this? Sunday's morning in the Church?! Noticing Berserker had escaped his temporary confinement, I stomped to summon a horde of demons underneath Assassin's feet. Claws, tentacles and charred hands reached up from a hellish circle- the Doom's Gate as I liked to call it. Yes, it's a DOOM references, get over it. The sight of those things appeared to trigger something in Assassin as he yelped in fear. "Even here- even in this Holiest of Wars, you find a way to torment me, Devil?!"
'What on Earth is he babbling about?' Now, I had no issue with religious people. Personally, I believed religions were the biggest piles of horseshits ever passed down by Humanity, but I didn't care about religious people as long as their beliefs didn't interfere with my livelihood- yes, I'm looking at you Holy Church- still, there should be a stopping-point. "… All these Bible talks are pissing me off. Are we gonna fight? Or will you keep talking to yourself like a religious nutjob?"
I taunted, Invictus colliding with his bagh nahk while Berserker approached from behind- his giant, rocky-looking sword-axe aiming straight at Assassin's shoulder. It would have- should have bisected him, instead the silvers turned to streams and hardened into a protective armor. "Giveth me strength, O'Lord."
"Strength comes from inside, not above you fool."
"I beg forgiveness, O'Lord."
I snorted, dropping Invictus while simultaneously reaching for it with my other free hand. This time, the silvers weren't able to react in time and the blade penetrated his side effortlessly. 'Well, it was fun while it lasted.' I yanked my sword out, back off as Berserker finished the job. By the time he was done, what was left of Assassin were minced meats. As per habits, I opened up the Map to check if he was trulydead, only to find the glaring Red Dot staring back at me.
"30 pieces of silver for a life-"
"Berserker, stop him!" I shouted,
"30 pieces of silver for a lie-"
And like the hammer of judgement, Herakles' barbaric weapon came down again- harder and faster.
"30 pieces of silver for Christ-"
Resembling a cocoon, the silver pieces formed a protective barrier over his fallen form.
"Let my Soul be forever damned for earthly desires-"
Without a single wasted motion, Berserker and I went to town on the barrier to no avail.
"And from my ashes, another shall rise-"
'Judas Iscariot… It has to be him, no one else should have that Aria!' I thought, narrowing my eyes in anger. He shouldn't have survived that hit- in fact, Assassin had looked resigned when Berserker's sword-axe split him in two, which's completely understandable.
The damages caused by my attack and Berserker's should have shattered his Spirit Core- the main component of a Servant's being. "Traitorous and sinful I am, let my flesh serve thou purpose again. [Finis Proditoris]!" The barrier of silver erupted as spikes covered its rippling surface- like the thinnest of needles.
I had no delusion my Supernatural Constitution would have kept me safe, had those hit. But from this angle, it seemed to me the real target was Judas himself and not us. 'Finis Proditoris- a Traitor's End?' It was believed that upon his death, for his betrayal of Christ and cowardice when he chose to commit suicide instead of living on with the guilt, Judas was condemned to the Seventh Circle of Hell to be tortured and suffer for all Eternity.
Some even thought of Judas as the first human-turned-demon ever, though those in the know knew that Title belonged to either Lilith- who according to the Old Testaments, was Adam's first wife and the bribe of Lucifer- and the Eldest Son of the First Man and his Second Wife- Cain. Still, as the betrayer of Christ, Judas Iscariot held a respectable position in Hell, not that it mattered much when everyone down there was suffering. Point being, perhaps this was why he's so suicidal?
Judas only became a Demon after his suicide, not before and since he had technically died just now, the conditions to activate his Noble Phantasm were fulfilled? My heart was caught in my throat when an unfamiliar howl sounded and the Sky above flashed with angry red lightning. "Back off, Herakles!"
I screamed,
Berserker raised his sword-axe,
And the lightning struck… I was too late, sadly.
The lightning incinerated two-thirds of the dark-skinned Servant's body, leaving only a piece of his head with brain-matters hanging on his wild dark mane, his right chest and shoulder plus the forearm. The attack must have taken at least two to three lives from his [God Hand]. For those who didn't know, Herakles' second Noble Phantasm was not the same as [Magic Resistance] for it did not resist, but nullified.
Like a cheat character, any attacks registered lower than the A-Rank- be it Spells, NP, or physical blows- would not have any effects whatsoever.
Archer Emiya could shoot a million [Hrunting] on his forehead and do no damage, though if he's able to shoot a million of them at once, the combined destructive prowess would register as above A-Rank. You see why I never tried to hurt Berserker with my own attacks? It's a fool's errand. For that hit to cost him that many lives, it must have exceeded A-Rank, and I very much doubted that'd be the end of it.
Lightning was more associated with Yahweh than it was Judas, plus the red color… 'It looks more like Heaven's Wrath than his actual NP.' Sure enough, when the smokes faded and the dark-skinned Servant began to regenerate, Assassin also rose- two heads taller than he was before, towering over even Herakles. His eyes were pulsating with veins resembling an Apostle's, his skin darker and covered in silvery tattoos and his irises, which seemed normal moments ago were now slits.
The most prominent changes must be the pair of goat horns and those four fangs he spotted.
I ordered my demons to attack, wanting to… Scout out the competition so to say, only to be surprised when they all knelt- disappearing into the shadows beneath their feet. 'That–?!'
Should not be possible. They were my demons, created from my powers! How could he just–?! * ROAR! Berserker rose- all well once more. "When the Lord witnesses this, he will have to forgive me." Contrary to my expectations, Judas looked surprisingly… Civilized. Sure, his voice was a bit deeper but beyond it and the changes in appearance he went through, that was about it. "Thy- for thou sins towards Humanity, I shall present the Lord with you as offering."
He looked so confidently when he said it that I nearly believed him too. "It's gonna take more than just you to put us down."
And by us, I meant Berserker and I. "Thou Pride is nauseating." He said, disgust marring his features and in a flash- too fast for me to react- he was there, literal inches away from me- his claws- actual claws not the fake things he used prior to the activation of [Finis Proditoris]- nearly took my head off before the flat of Herakles' sword-axe sent him stumbling away, lower-jaw dislocated. To our- well, my mostly- horror, Judas simply snapped it back into place.
"Thee've hadst thy excit'ment. Anon, t's mine own turneth."
