(Medical Office, Chaldea)
"I'd say that you can feel safe about this now,'' Dr. Romani concluded his report. His nearby colleague Doru nodded agreement. "This is largely what we would have expected ex-ante from our own experience and data.''
"Largely,'' Shirou echoed the critical word. "I'm guessing the exceptions are those three?''
"Mhm. Like Doru explained, the magical energy scans show a standard integration, so even though the ultrasound demonstrates clear physical boundaries, this is only actually true under examination.''
"Right,'' the homunculus took up speaking at this point. "The nature of Imaginary Numbers space means that doing more studies physically will actually create the problems we worried about before by observing them. Honestly, I don't personally have experience of this, though it is recorded in previous cohorts, so your wife's understanding of the issue is basically the received wisdom in more ways than one.''
"I'm happy to settle for not looking for problems,'' Shirou nodded. "Matthew hasn't complained about the discomforts that set in after our, uh, demise after the first few sessions with Sakura. But you probably already asked him about those.''
"Naturally. It was one of the more concerning factors initially; like I've mentioned before, that sort of thing tends to occur early on and fade, rather than appearing some time after an implant. Well, Matou did say it wasn't a technique she had, just a byproduct of her more directly being involved in post-implant integration. Though for the special ones, I guess it would technically be a transplant, since they came from her and not a bred cohort.''
"Hm yeah, I'm more than a little annoyed that she was doing that without actually knowing her way to beforehand, though the complications were only when she wasn't around so in that sense she actually was succeeding.'' Shirou shrugged. "Since I'm sure you're rightfully curious, Doru, the problems Matthew had seem to have either destroyed, if it was there, anything particularly useful in the special Crest Worms. At least Matthew can't do anything besides what he's been taught anyway.''
"That is indeed unfortunate,'' Doru replied consolingly. "All the Four Houses seem to have lost their magecrafts to varying extents before the Founding, then.''
"I think we've made up plenty of ground.''
l
(Event Tower, Sixth Floor)
"If it isn't Chaldea, right on schedule,'' the char-hued `holy' maiden leaning against a pillar looked up from her book. "Ok, actually you're here earlier than old gloomy had planned for. Congratulations on that.''
"Suppose it isn't that surprising to meet you here,'' Gudako said after a moment had passed. "That one of the books Artoria sent you?''
"They were actually Merlin's selection, though, weren't they? Anyway those were those `doujin' things, and this is one of these `light novel' things,'' the Dragon Witch replied.
"Nah, they were picked by another Chaldea, anyway what's the story about?'' Chloe asked out of simple curiosity.
"Some sort of supersized Holy Grail War. Then again, given what happened in some of the Singularities, it seems that stories like that are probably not all fiction, wouldn't you say?''
"Is the Holy Grail War just another trope nowadays?'' Martha grumbled. "I'm assuming you're not involved in this Event beyond getting summoned.''
"I could ask you the same thing; a bit of a downgrade from serving a god to wish-granter. No, I know you don't actually care how I got dragged in here,'' the Avenger snapped. "Not as though you're my mother.''
"Hm?'' Chloe immediately snapped around to scan behind the group, but she could see no-
"Mother !''
Appearing as though the word was a literal summoning magic, Jack approached the dark Jeanne boldly from behind. Either by her position as a guardian Servant, or perhaps simply due to the mobility of being a Servant, she had gotten up to the sixth floor via the building's exterior. Despite the shadows between the two, all the Chaldeans could clearly see the small Assassin's sharp and pointed intent.
"Watch out !'' Shiki gave an honest warning while instinctively, if but potentially unfortunately, taking out a knife.
Jeanne Alter turned around smoothly while drawing her weapon as Jack shifted to a sprint into her target. While it was not a bad decision to trust in Shiki's warning, unfortunately for Jeanne, Jack actually wanted to attack her targets from the front, not behind, so in fact the Avenger had made herself an easier kill.
*shing* *splatter*
The sword's point swept into line with Jack's center of mass, but the Assassin quickly shifted to the side while thrusting quickly with a long knife. However, this obvious move was only a feint as Jack immediately impaled herself on a dark spear that shot out from the ground next to Jeanne to defend its owner.
Running up the spear more through sheer momentum than determined intent, Jack drove her knife into Jeanne's torso right up to the guard before the Assassin's movement was physically stopped by a trio of new spears interlocking themselves in her way.
Recovering in no more than a second, Jeanne cut with her sword, immediately decapitating the stilled Jack.
"Ah.'' Nursery Rhyme was rather taken aback as the Assassin, unable to evade, was taken out in the mutual kill.
"- I suppose taking a defensive move would have worked out better,'' the dark Jeanne muttered to herself before picking up her fallen book and throwing it over towards Rhyme who deftly caught it. "So `Fafnir' really wanted to make sure I passed it on you; clearly I'm not going to finish it at this rate. Heh.''
"Scathach, can you do anything?'' Gudao asked the Caster quickly, but was interrupted by the mortally wounded Servant.
"Don't bother, I've been here for quite a while, lost too much `dark energy' already. Couldn't leave either so whatever. Listen, I know you dissipated quite a lot of spiritual essence so far, but obviously you can't just leave now. Because there's no lack of evils in the world. Argh, oh so there you are, I'm out.'' And with that, the Avenger dropped to the ground and started to fade away as the cloaked mastermind appeared behind her as if to deliver a silencing killing blow.
"It's you.'' At this range, Martha immediately recognized the entity now openly showing himself to the Chaldeans. "You were involved in the Fuyuki Holy Grail War mess, too. Was your master planning this that far back, Count of Monte Cristo?''
"That was not by his hand, I was called forth by humans who wished to escape their fate,'' the Count corrected her with condescending amusement, pausing for a moment before adding as an afterthought, "They didn't.''
"Aren't you from a fictional story?'' Nursery Rhyme asked. "It isn't as though you want revenge on any real people, not that many are around thanks to the Incineration.''
"Unfortunately, that won't quench the flame that burns us Avengers,'' the Count replied courteously. "While I do have to thank you for your help in various matters, I also have to kill you now.''
Wordlessly, Chloe shot several arrows at the Count, who dodged away with a flicker of blue fire. "Tsk.''
"Kiyo, hit it,'' Gudako suggested, thinking that it would be hard to dodge if the whole space was set ablaze. With a slight nod, the Berserker began dousing the sixth floor with glittering orange flames that turned the space into a miniature crucible. However, moving quickly to the side that was unroofed, the Count jumped upwards to the highest level of the tower, that was open to the sky.
"Chloe, take the other way,'' Gudao suggested as the rest of the Chaldeans made to follow the Avenger up; Scathach quickly picked the Master up while Martha beat Kiyohime to transporting Gudako. Nursery Rhyme, meanwhile, took point on the ascent, sending a spray of rainbow-colored sweets blasting into the night air to complicate any surprise attacks.
As they cleared the half-completed tower roof, Shiki could see the Count energetically dodging through Rhyme's attack as though it was a bullet hell game while at the same time streaks of blue flame darted out to attack the Caster who in turn was ducking behind a number of small pillar end-caps on the roof, although each of them couldn't survive more than a hit or two.
"What about some blasting Runes?'' Scathach asked no one in particular while using her wand with one hand as Gudao quickly dropped behind her. The growing torrent of attacks seemed to be having some effect as the Count was forced to let up on his offensive against Nursery Rhyme.
"Should we join in?'' Martha asked, looking up into the sky, seeing a prime opportunity to use one of her Noble Phantasms.
"Just wait for a bit,'' Gudako told her, having caught on to her partner's plan. "There'll be a better opening soon.''
As the Count backed away, clearly hoping to open up some distance for breathing room, he moved towards the end of the half-built roof. Suddenly, Chloe jumped up behind him with several shortswords in hand, which she threw at his back.
However, the Avenger quickly avoided the first pair to reach him by straight-line paths from the Archer and before the curve of the others could close the distance, immediately countered by rushing in and shooting his offensive energy at Chloe at near point-blank range.
"Denied.'' Gudao immediately used a Command Spell.
Rather than try to dodge like the Count had, or take cover like Rhyme, Chloe simply teleported to the side, flashing a sheaf of new weapons and throwing them before the Avenger could respond. But, no, respond he did, blasting at her while smoothly slipping between the swords trying to catch him.
"(Triple-Linked Crane Wings) !'' At her supercharged level, the Archer was more mobile than him while filling the air with weapons slicing back and forth through the air. In some cases, she moved into their path, her fingers nimbly reaching out to one and redirecting into another circle around the Count.
"He'll run out of magical energy like that unless he has a really specific feature like Kojirou,'' Shiki heard Gudako comment regarding the impromptu duel. While Chloe had a mastery over the use of her own weapons, adding the firepower of Chaldea's two Casters would complicate more than help.
The Assassin's fingers squeezed the handle of her knife, which felt out of place in her left and only hand. Their previous enemies like the ghost, mass of grudges and Boudica were not unexpected, but Jeanne Alter's response was completely out of place.
She was at the top, so that means she was more important, Boudica might not have been here as long. What does it add up to?
"Think I'm tapping out,'' Nursery Rhyme commented on returning as she dropped onto the ground next to her fellow Caster. By the looks of the burns visible on various parts of her clothes, the Count had scored multiple hits though they were not immediately fatal.
"Did those attacks go though you?'' Gudako immediately noticed with some alarm.
"Well, yes. But he didn't hit my Spirit Core so that's hardly the issue right now,'' Rhyme shook her head as Shiki took off at a run towards the Count. "I'm not sure she'll be as lucky.''
(Count of Monte Cristo)
Not there, not there, over there.
The enemy Archer was apparently ridiculously good with throwing swords, perhaps to be expected of the premier missile Class. However, it was still frustrating how even the most random paths taken by the whizzing blades seemed to form into a surprisingly orderly set of points that did not leave much room between them even for someone who could avoid physically traversing the space between open pockets.
Worse yet was how his attacks would hit intervening swords, sending them careening onto new paths, changing the whole field time and again. Added to which, as with each movement Chloe was also redirecting her weapons around the whole space, the effect was to prevent the Avenger using his Noble Phantasm, (Enfer Château d'If) since doing so would result in him slicing himself apart on the razor sharp pests in the air.
Right as he was thinking to move away from her and open up more space in order to gain breathing room, he abruptly stumbled forward as -something- pierced him from behind, just a little under his left shoulder blade. Gritting his teeth at the cost of a moment's distraction, he quickly moved to the side, Chloe's swords scoring a few non-lethal hits as he did so, but the others presumably doing in whoever had sneaked up on him.
(Shiki)
A mere instant after the point of her knife went home, Shiki found herself witnessing a now-unobstructed cloud of flying swords that was about to mince her instead of their original target.
Oh no.
Instinct kicked in, and she evaded an embarrassing friendly fire incident by immediately dropping prone, which could apparently be done faster than the speed of falling somehow for Servants. From her vantage point on the floor, Shiki could see Chloe working her way towards where the Count had moved in his panic, her small figure hopping on swords while the whole lot went by and past her.
Getting to her feet, the Assassin could see her target shakingly avoiding the few attacks that Chloe could send all the way towards him without reducing the density of her defensive net of swords. Reflexively looking around for her dropped knife before remembering to simply take out a new one, she sprinted directly towards the Count with only one thought on her mind.
I need to to stab it.
Previously, she had seen a point which was likely the Avenger's own. However, right as she was about to take him out, she noticed another, smaller one and pierced that instead. Apparently, this had a massive effect on the Count who seemed to be losing his mind.
"Stay away !'' he sounded with a dry voice of dark flame as Chloe's swords nipped at his clothes, stumbling towards the edge of the sixth floor. "It's a trap, you fools !''
"I thought so,'' she muttered while closing the distance. Shiki's glowing eyes showed a new point on the Count's right side. It was likely that the Avenger had been himself caught somehow in the structure of the Event, and judging by his reaction, he knew it now. Or at least suspected.
Turning around, the Count looked back for the briefest of moments before making his decision and throwing himself off the tower. Focused on her goal, Shiki did not let up in the pursuit.
"If you chase him, you're going to die too !'' Chloe called out from behind her. "Stay, Shiki !''
"Master of Chaldea, I'll leave the `landing' to you,'' the Assassin thought to herself while throwing herself down after the falling Avenger; his flapping coat seemed to slow down his fall, which meant she had perhaps a second or two in which to make contact before they both splashed down onto the concrete pavement below.
l
Notes:
In Another Aria it's basically shown that the Count was the Avenger summoned in Fuyuki's Third Grail War in this case. Similar Grail-Sakura link, but when he tried to take over Sakura in Chapter 32 ("Preparation Day'') he messed up and when taking him out in Ch 34 `("Fistfight for Dominance'') was basically the blueprint for what the Sakura-Medusa-Sasaku team did to Zouken somewhat later on in Chapter 56 ("Secondary Objective'').