Trial Quest Scathach: Ending
Ash staggered backwards, raising his sword again to protect himself from the follow up attack. Scathach surged forwards like a blur, slashing upwards with the straightsword in her hands and colliding with his guard at the very tip of the sword, sending the weapon jerking to the side and exposing his chest.
Raising her leg, she then performed a full spin on her heel and slammed a kick into his gut and sent him flying away from her and onto his back.
Twirling the sword in her hands, she shook her head and lowered it. "When guarding, use both hands at either end of the sword to prevent that." she informed him with a frown "It prevents me from performing that manoeuvre."
Ash sat up, nodding his head once.
"I'm all for training but try not to push him too hard." Ritsuka called off from the side, staring at them through an open door, his expression set in a light frown "He is supposed to be regaining magical energy to be able to fight again."
"Why do you think I have not attempted any fatal attacks yet?" Scathach replied with a raised eyebrow aimed at the Master before her lips thinned. "It is more a struggle for me to hold back in any capacity."
Both Ritsuka's eyebrows raised themselves, Mash at his side looked similarly surprised at the statement "That was you holding back, Ms Scathach?" the Shielder queried with a hint of shock in her voice. Unsurprising considering they had watched the Lancer all but toss Ash up and down the garden they had been camping near for the last fifteen minutes.
"He still has his head, despite the numerous times I could have taken it." Scathach responded casually as if discussing the weather.
"She's right." Gael muttered from the side, the red hooded man was sitting on the steps leading into the house, his hands were interlocking and resting on his lap as he watched the 'spar' between the Saber and the Lancer. "You seem uncomfortable doing so, young lady."
"If someone does not learn to dodge a fatal blow early on, then they will take longer to dodge one later." Scathach explained easily, pointing the sword towards Ash "He also uses his high endurance for mortal wounds as too great a crutch in such situations."
Gael merely nodded his head and fell back into silence.
Ash grunted as he picked himself off the ground and rolled his shoulders, once again raising his sword and pointing it towards Scathach. He had supplied the Lancer with a simple longsword from his bottomless box, the weapon had no discernible features to it and was merely a weapon he had used at some point. For the purposes of training with a sword, it was sufficient. What was mildly interesting was that the moment she had touched the sword, the woman had been nothing shy of flawless with the blade. Showing little drop in her skill when switching from the crimson spear to a humble sword.
"Now then." Scathach turned towards the Saber and narrowed her eyes, already tensing herself "We may continue again." she rushed forwards, holding the sword in a reverse grip and sprinting at the Saber with the blade aimed at gutting him. Ash turned Galvatyne downwards and angled the sword, there was a clang as the sword weapons collidied and Scathach's sword was redircected away from him.
Twisting the sword in his hands, Ash raised it up and attempted to go on the offensive, bringing the sword upwards and slashing downwards at her shoulders. Gael released a disappointed sigh in the background, the old knight had already seen a dozen ways that was going to go wrong.
And indeed it did, Scathach raised her sword back into a normal grip and swung across, pushing the greatsword as she did so and causing it to fall just past her body and bury itself in the ground. Her left hand clenched into a fist and swung towards Ash's side, her knuckles slammed into his kidneys and caused his body to jolt on instinct before she reversed the sword again and swung it back upwards.
Crashing the pommel of the weapon into the bridge of Ash's nose and staggering him away from her, releasing his greatsword as he did so.
Scathach sighed and lowered the sword, shaking her head at him "You should have used your weight and pushed me with your shoulder after redirecting my blow." she chided with a mild frown "Your preference for powerful slashes works against slower opponents, not one who can make rapid movements even at close range."
Ash merely nodded his head at her.
"Alternatively you could have released a burst of flames from your sword and forced me to retreat the second I got close to you." She went on, lowering her sword arm and shaking her head "Small cuts and light damage can accumulate and cause just as much harm to your opponent as deep wounds."
The Saber thinned his lips before he gave another nod of the head "Most opponents I fought would ignore small wounds with ease, it was necessary to expend-"
"I don't care." Scathach cut him off sharply, Ash's jaw snapped shut "You are no longer fighting lumbering fools or the distracted. You are fighting warriors who have spent years honing their skills." she raised her sword and pointed past him towards Gael "Do you believe you could beat him?"
"As he is now? No." Ash shook his head "Defeating his berserk self was only done in the past because his mind was clouded and his body was falling apart."
Scathach nodded her head and lowered her sword "And why do you believe you cannot best him now?"
"...Because he is more skilled than I?"
"And how did he get so skilled?"
Ash furrowed his brows slightly, wondering if the woman was genuinely asking these questions because she didn't know or to check if he knew. "Because he is old?"
Gael looked at the Saber at the last remark, then reached up and stroked his long graying beard for a few moments, eventually he released an amused huff and shook his head slightly. Scathach raised a lone eyebrow at Ash, seeing if he was going to add anything onto that answer. "What else?"
"...He has fought a variety of opponents?"
"Exactly." Scathach nodded her head "Warriors who train themselves to fight only one form of foe are woefully unprepared when they find themselves dealing with another." she nodded towards him "You have fought many opponents but you approached them all with the same strategy simply because it worked, thus saw no need to better yourself. This will not stand for any self-respecting Servant."
Mash raised her hand in the background "Ms Scathach?"
"Yes?" Scathach looked past him towards the Shielder, giving permission for her to ask the question.
Mash lowered her hand and pursed her lips "Wouldn't…wouldn't Ash-san forget all these techniques if he were to die?" she winced at the way it sounded "Not that I'm saying he will but isn't the Servant summoned from the Throne a fresh version?"
Ritsuka looked at her "But don't most of the Servants at Chaldea remember meeting us?"
Mash paused then widened her eyes "Ah, right! They do!" she shook her head at Scathach "Nevermind, sorry!"
Scathach watched the Shielder with a hint of puzzlement before she slowly turned to face the Saber, his back facing the two still inside the house, and studied his expression. Her eyes narrowed slightly "...The throne?" she whispered in low tone betraying intrigue "...Do they not know you are-"
"They do not." Ash responded in a low tone before he narrowed his eyes at the woman "For that matter, I am curious as to how you-"
"You think I cannot tell the difference between an undead summoned as a Servant and an undead Servant?" Scathach mused with an accusatory glance "Now that I have spent enough time around the both of you, there is a faint difference between yourself and the red hooded one." she elaborated, then inclined her head slightly "So they do not know."
"I would prefer it be kept that way."
Scathach stared at him then shrugged "Your preferences are none of my concern but I have no reason to tell them." she replied as she stepped away from him "Do as you will." the sword was raised once more "Now then. We can begi-"
Ash rushed forwards before she had a chance to finish, her eyes remained unsurprised at the tactic. She sidestepped the slash with practiced ease, then watched as Ash twisted the sword in his hand and brought it upwards towards her. The woman leaned to the side with the sword passing just inches from the front of her face.
Swinging his entire body in her direction, his left hand swung forwards in a clumsy punch aimed at her gut. Scathach watched the form and frowned, raising her hand and twisting her body to the side while grabbing his wrist. She spun around and pulled the Saber over her shoulder, slamming him into the ground with a heavy thud and indenting the grass.
"At least you used your hands this time." She allowed with a sigh "Still, not enough."
Ritsuka leaned towards Mash "This is her holding back?"
Mash nodded her head "Scathach in the Celtic legends was notoriously difficult to reach in the land of shadows and even those who did would find her training incredibly hard and sometimes fatal." the girl explained "She is probably holding back because we have to find the last remnant and using fatal training on an ally would be problematic."
"Seriously?" Ritsuka sounded mildly disutrbed at the thought as he crossed his arms and watched the display with thin lips "...Celts are pretty hardcore."
"I believe Verndari-sensei did a similar task." Mash revealed, earning a surprise from the boy "He said he was in charge of training the knights who wished to serve in the King's court. If they could beat him then they would pass…if they didn't then they would die."
Ritsuka looked at Mash oddly for a few moments "Wait a minute, aren't you-?" he exclaimed with wide eyes as he recalled Mash was training with the Knight.
"Ah! No, no!" Mash waved her hands, shaking her head "Verndari-sensei said that he wasn't going to kill me because he knew you wouldn't approve."
"Damn right I wouldn't." Ritsuka relaxed slightly, exhaling and shaking his head, turning back towards the fight just in time to see Scathach nail Ash in the throat with a high kick before she ducked low and swept his legs out from underneath him. "Is this training or bullying?"
"Training." Gael replied from beneath them, the pair looked down through the doorway to the back of the knight as he watched. "She's teaching him how to fight against smart opponents." he reached up and scratched his beard "Smart and understandable for him. By the time he was walking around there were few of sane mind left."
"Ah, right…you know Ash, don't you?"
"Ash…yes." Gael nodded his head "I sent him to the painted world of Ariandel and we journeyed to the Ringed City in search of the pigment."
Ritsuka decided to bite the bullet "Ash explained that…finding the pigment meant dooming the city."
"It does, yes."
"...What…" Ritsuka thinned his lips "What was it like there?"
"It was the home of the pygmies, but it had been many an Age since they last spoke with the world." Gael responded slowly "Madness was starting to grip them, alongside the curse." a pause "Perhaps they might have recovered but perhaps not. The city existed to protect Filianore and was hostile to all others who would visit without permission."
"So…" Ritsuka reached up, scratching his hair. "It was full of…Hollows, right?"
"Hollows…" Gael murmured "Not in the traditional sense. There were still many denizens who remained alive, locked away inside their homes and the priests but the city was on the cusp of doom regardless." the old man's voice turned grave "The Archdragon Midir was on the cusp of corruption and the world was collapsing, time was askew with remnants from each era leaking into it. The Deep, the Abyss and the first of the branded lurked in the streets."
The old man slowly looked over his head "There are some places in the world that do not deserve to be saved, that was one such place." a pause "Besides…whatever hope the city might have had lay with the Pygmy Lords and they were no longer a factor." he turned away "Not after I consumed their blood."
"...Huh?"
"Your ears do not deceive you." Gael replied "I took in the blood of the Dark Soul for the pigment. I became quite a monster although you say you have encountered me before as such a beast."
"Thats…" Ritsuka cringed slightly, "That's a little…"
"Disturbing? Yes, I suppose it is." Gael admitted with a shrug of his shoulders, however he didn't sound as though he cared in the least about what he did. "I don't feel strongly about it either way. I did what my task demanded of me, nothing more and nothing less."
Ritsuka titled his head slightly. That line of thinking sounded weirdly familiar to him, scratch that it was the exact same line of thinking as Ash. Whether or not the Ringed City was some sort of hell hole, people still lived there and the pair of them made it sound like they would have done the exact same thing if it was a thriving city. He might have been wrong and deep down he really hoped he was wrong but at the same time, he knew Ash's personality.
Someone who would do whatever it took for the greater good. Or whatever his opinion of the greater good was at the very least.
"So what-"
An explosion sounded off in the distance, the heads of everyone snapped upwards in the direction of the boom. Then they raised their arms as the shockwave struck, it wasn't particularly powerful but it was still the fact that a shockwave existed to begin with, indicating that it had been a rather powerful blast.
Mash shot to her feet, shield manifesting in a split second and rushing out of the house and raising her shield up "Senpai-"
"What the heck?!" Ritsuka exclaimed, placing a hand over his ears from the faint ringing before he lowered them and stared off in the distance, watching as a thick obsidian coloured pillar of smoke rose up into the sky, the smoke flickered as bolts of yellow lightning shot through them, accompanied by the sound of rumbling thunder.
The group watched as another of the distant burning apartments was struck by something and slowly started to collapse downwards into the ground in a cloud of dust.
"Is that supposed to be our remnant?" Ash asked as he got back to his feet, rolling his shoulder and wincing slightly before his face steeled itself. "It would appear to be involved in mindless destruction-"
"Or combat with something." Scathach finished with a raised eyebrow "Quite what it would be fighting that would cause such a large display of power is curious indeed." The woman passed the sword back to Ash, the Saber catching the weapon wordlessly and depositing it back inside his bottomless box, then hefted Galvatyne back over his shoulder.
"Ash, how capable are you?" Ritsuka asked, looking towards the Saber with a slightly pensive look. Ash turned towards him and nodded once.
"I will be able to deploy my Noble Phantasm once without the risk of running out of magical energy, but no more than that." Ash replied easily "I can use a few pyromancies but depending on our opponent, they may or may not have Magic resistance."
Gael unsheathed his greatsword, shifting the weapon in his hand "Whether or not your spells have any effect is not something we shall know until we arrive." the old man stated as he then turned to Ritsuka "We have a location and no knowing how long our quarry will remain there. I suggest haste."
Ritsuka stared at Ash for a moment longer before he nodded his head once "You're probably right." he stated after a few moments then turned to face the others "Let's get going then and put this last remnant down so we can leave." he gestured at Scathach and Gael respectively "You said that this last one was hiding away from you, right? So that means it's smart?"
"Unless it is two." Gael added on with a frown, Ritsuka blinked at him.
"Two?"
"Yes…" The old man nodded his head "The undead around the city have been cleared out at a surprising rate but the young lady suggested that there was a remnant that hid from even her senses and yet I was tracking a trail of flame and destruction."
"What? So we have two remnants that might have run into each other?" Ritsuka suggested with a frown "Does that mean they're fighting each other right now?" he paused before looking at Scathach "Can they do that?"
Scathach stared blankly at him "I am no expert on the behaviour of remnants. They are merely the remnants of a being that has been unable to move on. Perhaps lingering emotions or perhaps a forgotten part of a legend. Whatever feelings that drive them differ depending on the remnant themselves."
"So we've either got one who goes stealthy until they attack or we've got two." Ritsuka muttered, shaking his head and placing his hands on his hips. "That sounds just about right for us, doesn't it?" he directed the question towards Mash with a half-smile on his lips.
"I hope you aren't losing heart so close to the end of our goal." Scathach remarked with narrowed eyes "That would be rather unfitting for any self-respecting Master."
"Losing heart?" Ritsuka tilted his head before he chuckled and dismissed the notion "Not me. Just appreciating that this is gonna take a little longer is all." he paused as he realised something "Actually, if we do have two remnants and they are fighting, then that means we might have an easier time of it."
"How do you figure?"
"Well…surely the winner is going to be pretty hurt after all that, right?"
"One would imagine." Gael agreed with a nod of the head before turning to the young man "But wounded prey is deadly, and can be deadlier still than those of sound health. Their injuries make them erratic, desperate and without caution as to suffering more." the old man explained before he released a weary sigh "To say nothing of the manner of foe we face likely being one of the old faith."
Mash blinked at him "Eh? How can you-"
Wordlessly, Gael raised his sword and pointed in the direction of the tower of black smoke and distant rumblings. Flashes of gold lightning streaked through the air every few seconds before being accompanied by another growl of thunder. Ash was the first to understand, drawing his lips into thin lines.
"Miracles." The Saber remarked with a grim face "And powerful as well, it seems. Either a cleric of great renown…or one of the Gods."
"Ah…" Scathach made a noise before her eyes positively shone with excitement "The chance to battle with a Divine Spirit from another world?" she muttered with a predatory smile as she twirled the crimson spear in her hands.
Ritsuka did a double take "Wasn't that Balrog a Divine Spirit as well?"
"This is different." Scathach dismissed it easily "This one has the potential to be a true fight of skill." she waved her spear "I can tell even from this distance that the one who casts those bolts has great power within them. Whomever they were before death, they were one of high rank."
As if to signify her point, one of the largest bolts of lightning yet shot straight down onto the distant spot, splitting through the pillar of smoke and causing a bright flash of light to be accompanied by another explosion, this one rather large and caused the Master to momentarily squint his eyes due to the intensity of it.
"See?" Scathach planted her spear into the ground "I should hope they are not too wounded by the time we arrive, it would make it much more thrilling."
Four pairs of eyes directed themselves towards the woman, all of them containing no small sense of bewilderment at the fact she was so fired up.
"Youngsters." Gael grunted, shaking his head "Always thrill-seeking."
Scathach looked over her shoulder at the older man "It is simply that a stronger foe yields stronger results for training." red eyes flickered past Gael and towards Ritsuka and Mash "That being said, this does not mean I shall take up the entire task myself. Do not expect further courtesy from me. Take care of yourselves, I would not wish to greet Setanta and have to tell him of your deaths."
Ritsuka gave a single silent nod towards her, Mash looked similarly determined and spoke "Don't worry, Ms Scathach! We're prepared!"
"...Excellent!" Scathach's grin was razor sharp "Then let us be on our way!"
As the group walked through the streets their eyes were drawn to their surroundings, visible signs of battle were all around them. Shattered buildings, parts of the road scorched black by electricity and deep slashes carved through it.
"I guess that means that the remnant was fighting something." Ritsuka idly commented as he found himself staring at the remains of the front entrance of an office block, the entire front section of it lay in the streets looking as though something had flown through it. He leaned to the side slightly and inclined his head to see that there was a hole running straight through the building and out the back of it, indicating that something had been thrown through the entire floor.
"And it was a struggle." Gael added on, looking down at a gash in the road and crouching down over it, running his hand over the edges "...A large sword wielded with great power."
Ash turned to Gael "How can you tell?"
Gael pointed at the cracks at the side of the slash and the rubble moving in a linear pattern "A sharp blade would have cut through this as if it were paper and would not have been so deep." the man replied, standing back up. He continued to walk forwards, examining the signs of battle before he came upon a van with the side punched inwards, the old man ran his hands along the indentation and released a hum "...There was a struggle here." His hood turned downwards and looked at the cracks in the road, all of which had the same shape as the soul of a boot "They were big too." he added on, placing his own foot inside one of the prints and noticing it was considerably larger than his own.
"A Lordkin then." Ash agreed "Or one who had a powerful soul in life."
"Lordkin would be my guess, considering the display of miracle power we saw from a distance." Gael muttered "Unless it was the Lordkin who was trying to defend against a larger opponent."
"In which case it would be more difficult." Ash added on with a frown, cupping his chin "I hold no advantages when fighting purely human foes, those with some measure of blessing from the divine or another mystic source are easier for me to slay."
"Battles are never easy, merely less strenuous." Gael corrected him with a withered voice before he looked up ahead, nodding towards the rest of the street "There was movement as well. The fighting was not contained to a single spot."
"No, it was not." Scathach corroborated, walking forwards with a quiet clacking of her heels "They both displayed some impressive dexterity." she remarked as her eyes raised themselves skywards towards the top of an apartment building that had been punched inwards by something. "And the destruction was rather widespread…It would appear they were fighting with reckless abandon."
"The remnant perhaps?" Gael suggested "Those we have encountered thus far displayed little in the way of sense, even the Goddess I fought before finding you was little more than a force of destruction." he paused for a moment as he turned to Ritsuka "There was skill, yes but a sign of true intelligence? Not as such."
"So…going through the motions?" Ritsuka suggested with a frown "That sort of thing?"
"Hollows act much the same." Gael affirmed "And these remnants might work in much the same way." directing his attention back towards the carnage, he let out a curious hum as he scratched his beard "And yet I cannot help but feel as though we are missing something here. Some vital clue as to the identity of our prey…"
"We probably won't find out any more standing here." Ritsuka started to walk forwards, his lips set in a determined line "We should probably keep going and see if we can run into them."
"I concur." Ash nodded his head "We have determined some of the capabilities of our foe and that there was more than one present here. However, I find that it is always best to learn about an opponent through combat directly."
"That is when you are afforded the luxury of being unable to die to them." Gael chided the Saber, turning his head to stare at him "And to be surprised at a crucial moment can be the difference between life and death. The latter would do us little good here."
"True." Scathach hummed before she sent a wry smirk in the direction of the group "But I am feeling rather motivated now and there is little more we can discern that we have not already seen. Therefore I would-" the woman stilled, her pupils contracted into slits before her head snapped around forwards.
Ritsuka noticed the other Servants similarly tense themselves, Mash rushed to stand protectively in front of him.
"Wh-"
"A Servant approaches, Senpai." Mash informed him, her voice sounded somewhat strained "And they feel powerful, much more so than the other remnants."
Ritsuka frowned at her words and looked in the same direction that all the others were glaring at, Scathach's spear started to shine with crimson light at the same time Ash's sword burst into flames and Gael unsheathed his greatsword, pulling out his repeating crossbow as well.
The building ahead of them exploded outwards in a ball of flame, a figure flying out of it and crashing into the street, halting their movements by stabbing a flaming sword into the ground and sliding to a halt, their head snapped up and the group got a decent look at them.
Their skin was a sickly grey and rather thin, even from a distance Ritsuka could tell their face was gaunt, almost skeletal like with hollow ports where their eyes would have been. A long matted white beard hung down from their chin and neck, extending towards their naval while their actual hair was of a similar colour and equally unkempt. Atop their head looked to be a crown with long spokes jutting upwards, however the metal was warped as if it had been exposed to extreme heat.
Their clothes were more akin to a royal gown, dark colouration with large sleeves that only extended to the elbows and held ample room for the fabric to hang downwards, the shoulders were furred and covered in a light dust, there were golden bracelets running around both of their wrists as well.
The figure picked themselves up, holding their sword towards ruins of the building as another being stormed through.
This one couldn't have looked more different than the first.
Their armour was bright, a golden shine which held an almost glowing reflection to it. Their armour was bulky and body covering, their head was hidden behind a head covering helm. The face plate was in the shape of a diamond with three spokes jutting from the top of it and curving backwards slightly. From around their shoulders clung a long white cape which didn't have a speck of grime upon it despite the fact they had just walked through an inferno. Now that Ritsuka looked closely, he could see that the armour held not a scratch upon it, nor even a smudge of filth.
Around their waist was another cape which dangled down to their shins, this one of a similar white colour but this time with a pattern embroidered into it, this one in the shape of a golden ring.
The Servant was also tall, easily standing a head over Havel and Ritsuka was sure they could have given Heracles a run for their money in the height department, to say nothing of the weapons they were carrying.
In their right hand was a wide-brimmed, double-edged golden sword with a silver handle; the pommel was once again decorated with the same golden circle in it. In their left hand was an arrow head shaped tower shield, without showing even the slightest hint of fear the golden armoured knight marched forwards and deftly ducked out of the way when the burning figure struck towards them.
Crouching down, they thrust their tower shield into the first figures side and staggered them, then swung their sword upwards moving in from the opposite direction and slashed across their chest, as they did so they thrust their right shoulder forwards and cracked it against their opponents face and launched them away before charging forwards, raising their shield up and then slamming into their opponent and knocking them into the ground.
Stepping over them, they reversed the sword in their grip and then raised it upwards before thrusting downwards. The weapon punctured through the chest of the robe wearing Servant with a sickening splat and Ritsuka could hear the sounds of the road crunching as the sword clearly went through the victim and into the street itself.
The knight twisted the blade before ripping it free, stepping back and watching the robed man start to sputter before they slumped. Life leaving their body and their form slowly dissipating away into golden motes of light.
"And whom is it that approaches a God with such confidence?" The knight asked, not looking at them and still staring down at the place where the robed man had been not a moment ago. The head of the knight slowly raised itself and turned in their direction. Ritsuka found himself rooted on the spot by the intensity of the Servant, seemingly glaring at all of them. "What business do humans and undead have here?" they paused, turning their body to fully face them.
"...And why does the blood of the Gods stain thy hands?" The knight asked, stepping forwards and looking at them expectantly. "Speak, defendants."
Ritsuka blinked at the wording and leaned close to Mash "Defendants?"
Mash looked similarly confused "I don't-"
"I did not grant permission for you to consult amongst yourselves." The Knight spoke in an imperious voice as they stepped forwards "I ask again. You stand accused of slaying the divine, how do you plead?"
"Ho?" Scathach tilted her head back in an amused way "Did you not just slay a divine spirit yourself?"
"A courtesy to my nephew, whom did not deserve to be seen in such a state by…lesser beings." Their voice contained an audible sneer which left Ritsuka with no mistake as to who those 'lesser beings' were. "Do not distract from the question, wench. Your hands are dripping in the blood of your betters, more so than the creatures who accompany you." their head inclined in the direction of Ash and Gael "Should you plead for mercy, I will offer you a swift death."
Scathach merely snorted at the proposal "I should think not. I doubt you are capable of such things, divine spirit."
"That is no mere divine spirit." Gael whispered "That sigil…it is the Way of White."
The head turned towards Gael "Dare not speak the name of my faith again, undead. For you to utter its name dirties it."
"...What business does the All-father have here?"
"The who-?" Ritsuka choked out, Scathach looked at Gael in similar surprise for a moment as well before her eyes fell back onto the golden knight with intrigue.
"I dispense justice and remove the stains from the Gods' graces, as you should well know." The knight replied easily, then turned towards Ritsuka "I lay the charge at your feet now, human. You stand accused of consorting with god-slayers and undead abominations. How do you plead to this crime?"
"Crime?" Ritsuka frowned "...I don't think I've done anything wrong by-"
"Your own opinions mean nothing." The Knight shut him down almost immediately "You do not think. You adhere to the commands of the Gods. Did you knowingly interact with - and aid - god-slayers and undead?"
"...Yes." Ritsuka nodded once, already seeing where this was going.
"Then you have admitted your crime." The Knight's voice turned icy, their grip on their sword tightened to the point their armour began to groan, they raised the golden sword and pointed it in their direction "By the law of the Gods and of the Flame, you stand accused of consorting with enemies of the Gods willingly. Your admission has been noted as defiance and I will carry out the due sentence at once." their sword started to crackle with golden lightning "In the name of Lord Gwyn, King of the Gods and ruler of Anor Londo. I, All-Father Lloyd, Chief of Justice and God of the Caste, shall dispense judgement upon you."
"A God of Justice?" Scathach mused, tilting her head slightly and narrowing her eyes "I shall assume this justice is that the Gods are right in all matters?"
"Your mockery will only serve to worsen your punishment." Lloyd replied in a cold voice as he marched forwards "The Gods stand above the likes of you and your kin. Our understanding of the world is as far from yours as the sky is from the ocean."
"Be careful." Gael warned Scathach as he started to walk to the side, keeping his crossbow aimed at the God "Lloyd was revered for his undead hunts and his order of knights."
"Whatever he might be." Scathach's aura visibly flared, unleashing a brief whirlwind from her body "It is not the justice of the Gods I answer to."
"Yet it is the Justice of the Gods you will die to." Lloyd replied before he tensed himself, armour creaking and hunching over slightly before rocketing forwards in a blur, much faster than he truly had any right to with armour that bulky and a form that large. Effortlessly clearing the distance between them in a single step.
Scathach reacted first, stepping backwards and avoiding the wide sweeping attack from the God, the tip of the blade just barely passing by the front of her person as she spun around and thrust towards his exposed torso.
The spear clanged off the front of his armour without so much as scratching him. Scathach frowned ever so slightly, then her eyes darted to the side as she saw him swinging his shield around towards her. Jumping up, she raised her legs in the direction of the shield and kicked off of it the moment it came close, using the momentum of his shove to send herself skywards and flipping through the air.
As she did so, she waved her hand and manifested dozens of crimson spears and launched them all towards him. The God stared up at the attack and didn't so much as make an effort to move as they struck, all of the spears struck his armour and bounced off of it, making nothing more than a tapping sound as they hit.
"Some form of protection then." Scathach merely stared as she landed back on her feet at the far side of the street and narrowed her eyes.
Lloyd didn't even turn towards Gael as dozens of crossbow bolts impacted against his back and failed to even put a hole in his cape.
Spinning on his heel, Lloyd thrust his sword towards Mash and Ritsuka, the Demi-Servant raised her shield high and braced herself for the impact. She released a startled gasp as the blow struck with much more power than she should have been expecting, sent skating backwards and taking Ritsuka along with her as she did so, the boy using her as a brace to keep himself standing up, gritting his teeth as his own feet scraped against the road.
Lloyd charged forwards, spinning and raising his shield at Scathach and blocking another barrage of spears before resuming his run as though nothing had happened, bringing up his sword and swinging downwards towards the girl. Mash released a cry of exertion as she swung her own shield up and met the attack head on. Her knees instantly bent the moment the attack landed, the road cracked under her feet.
The God pressed further down before he stepped backwards, Galvatyne sliced through the air in front of him before being swung towards the God's chest. The blade was locked against Lloyd's golden greatsword and halted, Ash's face showing visible strain when Lloyd started to push backwards.
"This sword…" Lloyd growled "The sense of a divine soul lingers within it…you savage creature!" he exclaimed, swinging the sword wide and sending Ash's arm upwards along with his sword, then stepped forwards and thrust the tip of his shield in an uppercut motion and struck the Saber dead in the chest, sending Ash rocketing through the air and crashing into the third floor of the building behind him.
"To dare slay a Lordkin and use their soul for yourself. You are unworthy of walking within sight of them."
He raised his shield almost lazily, Gael's greatsword struck against it with a dull thud before Lloyd pushed the sword away with trivial movement, swinging his own sword down to decapitate the old man. Gael ducked under the blow and slashed upwards, His sword scraping against Lloyds armour and doing nothing to the God once again.
The Divine Spirit paused when something struck his back, turning around as seeing Scathach recover herself from her surprise attack. The blow did not even cause the God to flinch before he released a grunt akin to disgust. Then raised his foot up, the limb crackled with lightning before he stomped downwards, the moment the soul of his foot touched the ground it exploded with lighting, Gael and Scathach leapt away from the detonation as it ripped apart the street and sent stray bits of debris flying in all directions.
"They can't even scratch him." Ritsuka muttered as he looked from behind Mash with a worried expression "Maybe it's like Heracles and needs an A ranked attack?"
"It's possible, Senpai." Mash conceded with a nod of the head "But we won't know until we try."
The pair turned their attention back towards Lloyd as he re-engaged Scathach and Gael, the God proved to be rather skilled with a blade as he was able to contend with the pair of them at the same time. However, for the most part he ignored Gael and focused on Scathach, the Lancer clearly being the one he considered the greater threat.
The fact that all of Gael's attacks had failed to even so much as put a crinkle in his cape, Ritsuka was inclined to side with him.
Lloyd paused as he locked weapons with Scathach, using his greater weight and strength to push her aside before he raised his shield up high and turned around. Ash's spear of light launched from his sword slammed against the shield and shattered upon it. Ritsuka noticed something as it did so. The arm had shuddered slightly when the attack hit.
Scathach slamming into his back at full pelt hadn't so much as caused him to flinch, yet Ash's attack caused a physical reaction on him.
His eyes widened "It's the rank…or its magic or something…" He realised, then sent a mental command to Ash "Whatever it is you're doing Ash, keep doing it."
"Yes, Ritsuka-" Lloyd was clearly not amused as he spun around and released a buffet of wind in the face of his opponents, and swept his shield arm forwards and upwards, the shield dissipated into motes and his hand exploded forth with a bright light before slinging the light forwards, the orb swiftly grew until it formed a large spinning ring headed straight for the Saber and still growing as it flew.
Ash widened his eyes and hurled himself from the building before the ring of light struck, the size had grown so much that it was able to cut through the entire building at an angle with ease, blasting through it and causing it to slide forwards and downwards, Ash rushing away to avoid being caught in the falling debris.
Lloyd raised his sword, blocking Scathach's attack and countering her with a slash, the woman ducked underneath it and flipped around as she avoided the follow up attacks, raising her spear and blocking the downwards slash and visibly straining as he slammed down against her with as much force as he could. The attack released a shockwave and indented her feet into the ground.
His head snapped up as he tried to shove her back, Scathach managing to loosen her hold and twirl the spear to the side as he did so, sending him stumbling past her as he attempted to correct himself. He barely managed to do so, turning around and swinging upwards, parrying away Ash's strike that had been poised to bury itself in his back.
"Cur!" He hissed, kicking out and slamming a boot into Ash's gut, the Saber slid away from the attack, his boots scuffing against the pavement as Lloyd lowered his leg, he made to advance when Ritsuka called out.
"His protection has a limit!" The Master informed the group, "I think it only goes up to a certain-Mash!" He cut himself off, ducking behind the Shielder as a bolt of golden lightning impacted against her shield and washed over the pair.
Scathach, however, had already gotten the message and smirked "Not so untouchable perhaps?" she mused with a wry smile as she jumped backwards and launched a fresh wave of spears at the Lordkin. Lloyd tanked the blows with ease as he turned his attention to Ash as the Saber moved in, he slashed down towards the Saber and then stepped back when Ash slid underneath the blow and retaliated by trying to cut at his ankles.
He then rolled away when Lloyd raised his boot upwards and stomped downwards in an effort to crush the Saber's head. Bringing the sword back around, Lloyd swung again and found himself blocked by Gael who was visibly staggered by the power of the blow.
He shoved the older man away and thrust down towards Ash once again, the Saber raised his sword at an angle and caught the blow as a glancing thrust, the weapon shooting just past his armour. Ash stepped into the guard and brought his sword up. Lloyd released a growl as Ash swung upwards before his arms shook as he struck against the tower shield again.
Lloyd shoved him backwards before stepping forwards and bringing the sword upwards to try and finish the Saber. Scathach's leg came in from the side, striking against the flat of the sword and causing it to wildly overshoot the Saber and crash into the dirt just next to him. Ash took advantage of the opening and swung his sword upwards, aiming for the gap between the armour plates at the elbow.
Lloyd attempted to bring his arm back to cover himself before Gael stamped down on his sword, it didn't hold him for long as he soon threw the man off his weapon.
However, it held him long enough.
Ash's sword managed to barely cut in between the armour plates, causing a drop of blood to spray forth from the wounds and for Lloyd to stumble away from him. There was visible shine about Lloyd's armour that seemed to dim ever so slightly, the Lordkin released a noise that could only be described as guttural rage before he swung his sword forwards again.
Ash raised his sword and managed to block the strike, noting that the attack was slightly weaker than before. However, that did not mean Lloyd didn't outclass him in strength, that much was clear. As Ash stumbled backwards, Lloyd raised his shield to the side once again and visibly swayed when Scathach slammed into it in another charge, his arm flinching slightly from the attack before the Lancer kicked off and flipped through the air.
Ash pushed the sword to the side and moved in close, swinging his shoulder forwards and slamming it into Lloyd's gut like a battering ram. The taller Servant took a single step backwards from the blow before he swung his knee upwards towards Ash. The Saber raised the flat of his sword and blocked the attack as best he could, the knee lifting him upwards and carrying him backwards before landing back on his feet.
Lloyd's sword exploded with miracle power as he swung it upwards, releasing a small wave of power through the street and towards Scathach. The woman kicked off to the side as the vertical arc of power cut through the air and crashed into the building behind her before exploding outwards.
The Lancer rushed in like a blur as Lloyd rushed forwards to meet her head on, then found himself jerking backwards as something snagged around his cape. His head turned to the side just in time to see Ash stab Galvatyne through his cape and hold him in place. The curse failed to pass through his lips before Scathach crashed into his chest and sent him rolling across the ground for several metres before sliding to a halt and managing to get back to his feet.
His upper pectoral plate of armour had a slight dent in it with a puncture wound in him where Scathach had been able to land a successful thrust. Lloyd released a low growl as he straightened himself out, he dismissed his shield and reached up, clasping his cape around his shoulders and tearing it free from his armour and allowing it to float away into the wind.
His left hand clenched into a fist, lightning dancing around the tips of his fingers before he thrust his hand forwards and unleashed a lightning spear upon the group. Ash hurled a pyromancy at the spear as it moved through the air and collided with the attack, the two cancelling each other out in a large explosion of fire and electricity.
Lloyd came charging through the explosion, bringing his sword up above his head and swinging it downwards towards them. Ash ducked to the side as the sword slammed into the ground where he had been, Lloyd's right hand came free from his sword and swung upwards, catching the Saber in the side of the head with a vicious backhand and causing him to stumble away.
Then turning on the other two, Lloyd rushed forwards and deflected the spear launched at his head before bringing his sword down. Scathach engaged him in a trading match, the two soon began to exchange blows at incredible speeds with the Lancers attacks being little more than flashes of crimson light as she continually thrust her spear forwards.
Lloyd himself was no slouch, knowing he could not match her speed he merely redirected her attacks as best he could towards his more heavily armoured sections. Her spear scored nicks and slashes in his golden armour and started to mark it more heavily as the fight went on. Then Gael joined in, despite the older man being nowhere near as fast as the Lancer, he was no less deadly.
Whenever Lloyd attempted to counter the Servant, he would find that the old man's sword was already there to block the attack as if he had been expecting it. The two of them working together swiftly became more than the Lordkin could handle and step by step, he was being forced backwards.
Lloyd's sword flashed with light, breaking the two away from him and allowing him to step backwards. The step backwards became a jump away as black flames splashed against the ground at his feet. The God did a sharp intake of breath before his head snapped towards Ash, who was already throwing another abyssal pyromancy towards him. Lloyd swung his glowing sword upwards and blocked the attack.
The flames washed over his sword, seemingly consuming the light of the blade until they faded away. Lloyd swung his arm towards the Saber in an underarm throw, slinging forth another ring of light in Ash's direction. Raising the sword up, Ash swung down and slashed through the crona with his burning greatsword.
Scathach launched herself upwards, spinning through the air and landing a kick in the side of Lloyd's helmet, staggering the man before Gael rushed in and slashed at his knee. The God took a step backwards to avoid the second strike before he raised his greatsword and blocked Ash's attempt at burificating him. The Chaos flames clinging to Galvatyne flickered and almost looked ready to leap from the sword and jump towards the Lordkin in question.
The mana around Lloyd rushed inwards, his body glowing for a brief moment before it exploded outwards. The force miracle caused all those who surrounded him to be blasted away from his body, Gael landed on his feet with some small grace while Scathach looked no worse for wear.
Ash crashed face first into the ground from being so close before quickly scrambling back to his feet.
Lloyd was breathing heavily, his armour marked with scratches and cuts through the metal, his golden helm had a faint dent in the side where Scathach had kicked him and he was now bereft of a cape. As he stepped forwards, he noted the cross-shaped tower shield flying at his face. He swung outwards towards it in an attempt to parry it away.
The tower shield vanished before his sword made contact, instead sweeping through empty air as his head snapped down to see the young lilac haired girl appear just underneath him with her hand thrusting forwards. He released a gasp of pain as the shield manifested in her grasp and struck against his chest like a hammer, sending him launching away from her and into a backwards roll, he stabbed his sword into the ground in an attempt to right himself as his head snapped upwards.
"You…" Lloyd's voice was a low and deadly growl as his fingers dug into the road, scraping through it and clenching into a fist. His other hand was still gripping his sword as he slowly rose to his feet, using it as a crutch and downright glaring at the people in front of him through his helmet. "You…vermin." he sneered at them "The justice of the Gods is absolute. How dare you defy it so brazenly."
"You are in the wrong time period to rant about the judgement of the Gods." Scathach countered with a cool voice "Your age has come and gone and humanity has left you behind."
"Humanity?" Lloyd sneered "They do not understand the basic workings of the world or the concepts of justice or order. What can they possibly understand about anything? You are all apostates, and shall be dealt with as such!" stabbing his sword into the ground, he spread his arms wide "The judgement has been cast, sentence shall be handed down!" The air behind him ripped as a phantom image of a greatsword sprung forth from the ground and shot and towered nearly half a dozen metres.
"Mash! He's going to use his Noble Phantasm!" Ritsuka called out, sliding to a halt behind the group "Get ready!"
"Yes, Senpai!" Mash exclaimed, nodding her head and gripping her shield tightly "Pseudo-name deployment!" she raised the shield above her head before slamming it down "Manifest yourself!"
"Let justice be done and the blade fall upon the guilty! Gladius-"
"Lord-"
"-Iustitiae!/-Chaldeas!"
The pair cried at the same time, Mash's shield expanded outwards in a barrier which overlapped the entire group at the moment the phantom greatsword fell upon them, the image of the blade crashed into the shield, Mash visibly straining as the weapon continued to cut away at her defence. The Shielder paused for a moment before she took in a deep breath and let out a cry of exertion, forcing more magical energy into the Noble Phantasm and extending its use.
Lloyd's hands were visibly shaking as he continued to hold the Noble Phantasm as well, his armour creaked and shuddered and his body hunched over slightly.
With a final cry, Mash shoved her shield forwards. The light released by the sword flooded back down the opposite end of the street in the direction of Lloyd. The Knight widened his eyes as he swiftly manifested his shield and held it out in front of himself as a barrier, his form vanishing as the light washed over him in an explosion of miracle power.
Mash panted as the Noble Phantasm cut out, the girl wavered on her feet before an armoured hand clasped around her shoulder and kept her upright. The Shielder turned her head to see Gael holding her, the old man giving the girl a single approving nod.
"Quite the defender you are, young lady." He spoke with a soft tone, patting her twice before turning his attention forwards and stepping past her "I suspect we shall not be done yet. The uncle of Gwyn would not be so easily felled. Even with his own attack."
"...Lord…Gwyn…" A pained voice echoed out through the smoke, the group watched as it dissipated to reveal the form of Lloyd hunched over. Parts of his armour had been seared black with the power of his own attack being reflected back upon him. His shield had scorch marks and dents lining it as he lowered his arm to his side, sword tightly held in his right hand "He remains…Lord…Gwyn." Lloyd spoke slowly, every word sounding as though it was a task to merely get them from his mouth.
"My, my." Scathach tilted her head and stepped forwards "You divine spirits certainly are sturdy, aren't you?" she paused, then closed her eyes "No. You're dead on your feet already. I doubt you can even muster the strength to move."
Lloyd glared, raising a single leg and managing a step forwards before he wavered slightly and fell to one knee. His greatsword stabbed into the ground, keeping him upright while he panted ever so slightly. The Lordkin did a sharp intake of breath as he forced himself back to his feet, it was a slow process as he did so, groaning in pain before he was eventually able to stand back up, although he shuddered ever so slightly as he did so.
"I…will not die on my knees before apostates." Lloyd growled, flooding strength through his body as his form glowed ever so slightly, a circle formed underneath him and rushed upwards.
"Healing Miracle!" Ash called out, rushing past Mash and slinging his arm forwards, hurling the black fireball towards the Lordkin. Lloyd raised his sword and swung to the side, deflecting the attack away from him. Ash frowned and raised another pyromancy, slamming it into his chest and allowing the spell to enhance his strength.
"You undead scum." He sneered down at the Saber "Daring to fling your perversion of Dark towards me?" he growled and rushed forwards. His greatsword swung upwards at the same time Ash swung downwards, the two clashing against each other and locking blades. Whereas before it had been a one sided match, between Ash improving himself and Lloyd being unable to heal himself fully, it was now a closer bout in terms of strength.
Lloyd shoved Ash backwards, then moved on the advance and met the Saber blow for blow with heavy strikes of his own sword. Ash stepped backwards the entire time, his eyes noted that Lloyd was still slower than Scathach. He raised his sword to the side, blocking a blow aimed at his head and countered with by throwing his fist forwards. A large hand reached down and clamped around his wrist, stopping the punch in its tracks.
Before Lloyd could take advantage of the movement, he staggered backwards as a spear buried itself in his shoulder, punching through his armour and earning a hiss of pain from the man. His helm turned to see Scathach, Gael and Mash rushing towards him.
"Emergency Evasion!" Ritsuka called out, holding his hand out towards Ash, Lloyd stumbled forwards in surprise as the Saber vanished from his spot in front of him and reappeared several feet to the left.
"Wha-" He raised his forearm, hissing as a familiar white disk burned against his armour and was redirected upwards. Lloyd glared at Gael as he swung his arm out again and unleashed another disk towards him. "You dare use my own miracles agai-" He was cut off when Scathach struck, slamming into the side of his knee with a two footed tackle and causing his leg to buckle slightly. The Lancer kicked off the ground and flipped backwards, her legs crashing into Lloyd's sword arm as she did so and jerking the weapon skywards.
Gael took advantage of the opening and charged in, the old man taking in a sharp breath before he struck. Swinging the great sword around at incredible speed and burying it into Lloyd's left knee, the Lordkin let out a cry of pain and hunched over forwards. Gael ripped the greatsword from the wound and spun around, narrowly avoiding the counter attack in the form of a punch which shattered the concrete.
"Haaaa!" Mash cried out as she rushed in from the side, spinning her shield around and thrusting it forwards like a spear, the butt end of it slammed into the side of Lloyd's helmet and rattled his mind, causing him to jerk to the side, then hunch over again when Scathach buried her spear in his ribs and rip it clean.
Lloyd released a cry and hurled his left hand to the side, throwing forth another disk of light to whomever was standing there, the disk was consumed in a wave of chaos flames when Ash swung the burning greatsword into the attack and charged in. Throwing himself off the ground and shoulder barging Lloyd with enough force to send him to ground. Ash rolled off the top of him, then brought Galvatyne about and tried to slash down onto the Lordkin.
The greatsword was blocked by a golden gauntlet, Lloyd's fingers wrapped around the weapon and shoved it away before bringing up his forearm and pile driving his elbow into Ash's gut, the Saber coughed heavily and rolled away to avoid the follow up, instead the sound of cracking pavement entered his ears.
Lloyd slashed out at Scathach's legs on the opposite side, sweeping his sword across and causing the woman to jump up in order to avoid the attack. As she did so, she reversed the spear in her grasp and hurled it downwards. Lloyd tilted his head to the side, narrowly avoiding being nailed with it as it embedded itself in the spot next to his head. The moment he tried to sit up, Mash swung her shield towards his face, crashing the side of it against the front of his helm and slamming him back down into the ground, head bouncing off the tarmac.
He threw his hand forwards, unleashing a bolt of lightning at the Shielder, Mash was sent flying backwards when the attack struck her shield. The girl landed a short distance away and was still skating by the force of it. Lloyd once again tried to sit up, only to hiss in pain when Ash swung his greatsword back around, this time driving it through his shoulder and burying it into the ground beneath him. Lloyd released his grip on his sword and swung his right hand around, punching Ash square in the face and flat onto his back.
His right hand then clasped around the greatsword and ripped it free of his body and hurled it away. Rolling to the side once again and scrambling to his feet as Scathach recalled her spear and landed on the ground, spinning the weapon with such speed that it was nothing more than a blur of light cutting through the road as it approached him. As he turned around, he swung his right arm at the Lancer, who ducked under the blow and thrust her spear forwards, punching straight through Lloyd's gut and out the back.
Blood dribbled out of the base of his helmet, accompanied by a pained cough as Lloyd released another blast of force from his body. Scathach being sent flipped through the air before she landed back down upon the ground and narrowed her eyes at the man. Lloyd released another painful cough before a disk of light flew in, crashing into his knee and shearing through it, causing the man to drop down and hiss in pain.
Ash rushed in, Lloyd noticed him and threw a jab towards the Saber, who caught the blow with both hands before he threw it to the side and swung his left and forwards and into the gab of armour where the forearm met the upper arm. The pyromancy in his hand burned through before he ripped it away and threw himself back from Lloyd, rushing off to retrieve his sword.
The Lordkin felt his right arm scream with pain before agony exploded in him.
Accompanied by his arm exploding as well, the pyromancy blasting the limb in half and sending it hurtling through the air and landing on the ground not far from him.
Lloyd clasped his left hand on the burning stump and released a howl of pain mixed with rage as he tired, and failed, to get back onto his feet. He was left with barely an opportunity to do so as Scathach drove another spear into his left leg and kept him in place while Gael swung down with his greatsword into Lloyd's left shoulder and buried the weapon about an inch through the armour and into the flesh beneath.
As he ripped it free, he pulled Lloyd forwards into the waiting arms of Ash who was already poised with his greatsword held above. The Saber swung the weapon downwards, cleaving through the back of Lloyd's neck and cutting through the rest of it. Removing the head from the body and sending it clattering to the ground where it rolled for a few metres before halting.
The body of Lloyd fell forwards, slumping over on the ground and falling still. Motes of light already starting to fade from it.
Ritsuka exhaled, shaking his head "I…I think we got him…right?" he asked, looking around before turning to Mash "You good?"
"I'm still functional, Senpai!"
"Alright then…everyone else?" Ritsuka asked as he looked around "Are you all good?"
"I'm fine." Ash nodded his head, sniffling before he spat out a wad of blood onto the ground "...For the most part." he tacked on at the end.
"I'm feeling rather satisfied." Scathach replied as she twirled her spear "That was a rather fulfilling battle, wasn't it?"
"Hmmm." Gael merely grunted in response, shouldering his greatsword and staring at the dissipating body "...Never would have thought Lloyd would be slain by an undead. Ironic."
"Why? Did he hate-"
"-try again then!" The group paused at the shrill voice which seemed to echo out from Ritsuka, the Master himself blinked in surprise before he looked down at his arm and held it up. "The readings say the interference is gone so why haven't you contacted them yet!?"
Olga was sounding rather irritated by the situation. The screen flashed up, revealing the command room with the Director looming over Romani while the man looked suitably panicked.
"I-I'm trying but the interference cleared up only a moment ago!" Romani explained hurriedly "We can still get readings on them, they're fine-"
"Then why haven't they answered!?"
"Probably because they're waiting for you to stop shouting at each other." Ritsuka stared past the pair of them. Seeing that Pharros was pointing a finger in their direction with an amused smirk on her face while Da Vinci stood by her side.
"What?" Olga snapped at her in irritation before she turned to face the screen, then widened her eyes when she saw Ritsuka before they narrowed "Fujimaru! What is going on down there? I demand a report at once!"
Ritsuka blinked before he gave the woman a tired smile "Can…can we get back to Chaldea before we do that? It's a long story."
"...Of course." Olga coughed into her hand and straightened out her face as best she could, thinning her lips and turning to Romani "What are you waiting for?" she snapped at the man and pointed at the screen "Get them back here!"
"O-on it!" Romani exclaimed, already pressing several buttons "B-beginning process to return them!"
Ritsuka turned to Gael "You said that last guy was Gwyn's uncle, right?"
Gael nodded once.
"That makes him…Gwyndolin's great uncle, doesn't it?"
Another nod.
"...I don't think we should tell Gwyndolin about this." Ritsuka muttered as he stared down at the spot "At least for a while…"
Mash grimly nodded her head, then looked down as their bodies started to get bathed in glowing light as they were being returned to Chaldea. Ritsuka and Ash were similarly being consumed by the light.
"You should be back any second-" the group vanished in a flash of light, cutting off whatever Romani was going to say.
Gael stood in the ruins of the burning city, looking around for a few moments and finding himself completely alone. After a few moments, Gael released a slightly muffled laugh as he shook his head "I suppose our fight has been postponed, young lady."
Ritsuka groaned as he stumbled out of the coffin, he closed his eyes and winced as he reached up and grabbed his shoulder "Damn…I feel stiff."
"Would you like a back rub, Senpai?" Mash asked, Ritsuka paused and turned to her with a raised eyebrow.
"You know how to do those?"
"I have read several books on the subject!" Mash exclaimed with a wide smile.
"Right…um…" Ritsuka blinked, then gave her a faint smile "Sure…sure." he nodded his head in response "You can…I guess."
"I am going for a walk." Ash announced as he started to walk away from them, he barely got a single step forwards before the intercom flared to life. Romani's voice echoed throughout the chamber.
"Hey…um…Fujimaru-kun?"
The Master looked up, tilting his head "Yeah?"
"So…I know we don't know what went on in that Singularity…" Ritsuka tilted his head, not knowing where this was going. "But with that in mind…can you explain why there is an…um…rather attractive woman with a spear right behind you?"
The three paused, slowly turning around and looking behind them.
Scathach stood there with a frown on her face as she looked around the room "This was not what I was expecting…" she said after a few moments before she looked at them "Still." her lips drew themselves into a thin line "I should be able to find Setanta here, no?"
"Cu?" The Lancer released a hum as he heard Ash called out to him, pausing as he brought a mug up to his lips.
"Hey Ash." Cu muttered back in reply, greeting the Saber without turning around. He paused when he saw Archer in front of him look towards Ash and briefly widen his eyes before his expression cooled out again. Except for the insufferable smirk on his face as he turned back to face him. Cu made a face at the Archer in response.
Shaking his head the Lancer took another swig of his drink "What do you need kid? Another match?"
"Not as such." Ash replied to him, his voice sounding rather strained "It is more a case of...giving the new Servant a tour."
"Another one, eh?" Cu snickered and grinned, the smile tapered off when he watched Archer's smirk seemingly grow, as if he knew something. "Please tell me we got another woman around here. Nothing on the current company-" he nodded towards Boudica in the kitchen "-but never hurts to have more."
"Ho? Is that so, Setanta?" A voice called out.
A very familiar voice called out.
Cu's drink started to spill down his chin as his pupils dilated. The fact that Archer was now looking close to laughing at him signalled that he wasn't hearing things. Taking a single – rather quiet – gulp. He slowly turned his head to the side where he heard the voice from.
"Are you sure I am beautiful enough?" Scathach asked, tilted her head and giving him a perfectly blank expression "Perhaps I might not be young enough. What is it you have been saying? I'm an...old hag?"
She smiled at him.
Cu bolted from the desk and was halfway across the room before Scathach slammed into the back of his head, grabbing the back of his neck and pressing him face first into one of the tables.
"H-hey...teacher…" Cu managed to get out through gritted teeth "Y-you seem...well…"
"Do I?" Scathach asked tilting her head slightly "Are you sure I don't seem slower? Maybe I've gotten slower in my old age."
"N-not at all!" Cu gasped out "J-just as spry as I remember!"
"Really?" Scathach pulled him back and twisted him around to face her, examining him up and down "Well...there's only one way to find out. I suppose it has been some time since I fought you and I'm...nostalgic. You know how we elders get when thinking about our younger days."
Cu decided not to answer, instead his eyes flickered over to Ash and narrowed slightly.
"Don't worry about your friend over there." Scathach brought his attention back to her, she smiled again "He'll be joining."
Cu took no small sense of satisfaction watching the manner in which Ash froze as he was halfway out of the door.
AN: Surprise. It's the budget All-Father.
All-Father Lloyd
Servant: Saber
Strength: A+
Endurance: A
Agility: B
Mana: EX
Luck: C
Noble Phantasm: A+
Gladius Iustitiae: A+ (Anti-Evil) Max Target: 10, Max Range: 1-20
The sword of justice which would fall upon evil without discrimination. It is a weapon which will form above his head and swing downwards upon a target.
The damage dealt by the sword will increase the greater the evil alignment of a Servant or in relation to their sins as he defines them.
Lex tutelae: B++ (Barrier) Max Target: 10, Max Range: 1-15
His shield of protection, it can be used to defend himself or others.
Those of Evil Alignment will find it harder to break whereas those of neutral or good alignment will find it much easier.
All-Father of the Caste: B (Anti-Unit) Max Target: 1, Max Range: 0
Lloyd's blessing which is similar to that he bestowed upon the Rings for his knights.
He has absolute protection against any and all attacks below A rank. Similarly, while this effect is active he receives a boost to his strength. However, if he is damaged by an attack - in any way - the defence of the blessing is dropped one rank. This will continue until the blessing has been removed completely. Similarly, the strength boost will decrease in accordance with the effect until it is no longer active.
Class Skills:
Item Construction: B
Riding: C
Magic Resistance:-
Has no magic resistance because of his Noble Phantasm
Divine Core of a God: EX
Personal Skills:
God of the Way: A++
Extensive knowledge of Miracles rivalled only by his nephew.
His mastery in this state is phenomenal.
Law and Caste: A+
He's a God of Law and Caste. He upholds the Law fervently.
Has great advantage over those with Evil-Alignment
Dragon Slayer: A+
Patron of Thorolund: EX
He is the Chief God of Thorolund, as such he can utilise this skill to his advantage.
Clerics and the like can receive his blessing to strengthen their defences against evil.
Voyager from the Depths: A+
Rose from beneath the surface to take it from the Everlasting Dragons.
In times of struggle, he can achieve greatness against even the worst of situations.
Providing him protection from those with conceptual advantages.