Words Count: 4315
A/N: Edited
"I'm sorry, what?! What the fuck did he just say?"
Turning to Berserker, I quickly found out even the dark-skinned Servant was having troubles deciphering Judas' words- scratching his head in visible confusion. Neither of us was… Acting here. Nay, we were genuinely bewildered. That was just way too much Archaic English for us. Fucking Hell, I hadn't read any Shakespearean novels yet!
'You probably should have. Start small, personally I'd recommend Romeo and Juliet first! It is truly a heartwarming tale about two dumbshits taking their own lives for dumbshits' reason. Misery on both sides of a generational conflict! I live for stories like that… Fun stuff!' My Daemon friend echoed in a singsong voice, giggling all the while like a madman.
'No wonder Anne rejected your advances.' With a disdainful touch to my voice, I taunted Angra, yet my eyes remained on Assassin- refusing to avert from the foe before us. 'No sense for romance at all, Angra.'
'That's what you call it? Romance? Two people- one who wasn't even legal to fuck in this day and age, while the other a snobbish dandy still living on his parents' wealth.' The Daemon snorted loudly, about to continue with his little rant when Judas stepped in- rudely interrupting our chat. "Art thee done with thy discussion? I has't not all night."
Angra and I traded astonished looks as the Servant looked straight at the Daemon, while Berserker released an angry, challenging howl aimed towards Judas- his weapon- the stone sword-axe smashing down at the ground as though to signify his readiness. "You can see me?"
"Before that! Can you- I don't know- speak like a normal person?" I emphasized, pointing at the Servant who seemed to grow cockier by the minute. "I don't want to be that guy, but I seriously can not understand a word you are saying."
Okay, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, still… I knew for a fact all Servants received some memories, knowledge of the Modern World, which included- though not limited to- perfect Japanese and English- the first the native language to the place that housed the Holy Grail War, while the second a language used worldwide! "Thy v'ry presence reeks of Hells' taint–"
Judas paused, flexing his forearm. "– I shalt did rid the w'rld of thy filths, Hellcniht. Such is mine own duty."
… "What the fuck are you even saying? Are those words? Am I having ear-problems? The Hell does 'Goodyear' means?!" Was I angry? Not in particular, no. Was I frustrated however? Yes, very. "Hellcniht means Demon in Archaic English, I believe? The literal meaning is Hell-Knight to be precise." With a patronizing tone, Angra explained as though I was slow for not catching on.
Judas even nodded, looking like he thought I ought to know the meaning of words that hadn't been used by anyone for centuries!
What the fuck?!
Was I being the asshole here?
I felt like everyone's looking at me like I was the buzzkill!
"No, you don't look like the buzzkill Leonis. Just… Uncultured." Oh-Fuck off already! Fists clenched in a sudden bout of irritation, I waved my hand and summoned a portal right beneath Judas' feet, dropping him from a height of not one- not two, but three Empire State Buildings. I doubted such a fall would cause the Servant any injuries beyond perhaps a few bruises and motion-sickness. Hence, I turned to Berserker with expectant eyes, gesturing above the cloud as I opened a second portal for him.
Herakles flashed me a bloodthirsty smirk- the most human I had seen him- and leaped into that portal with not an ounce of hesitation- his jump upturning the earths beneath his mighty, torso-sized feet. One- just one fight amongst Servants were enough to leave my Castle a dumpster-fire, I dreaded what'd happen if the dark-skinned Servant and Judas were to throw hands… Hell, I feared we might not have a roof left over our heads by the time morning breaks.
Tracking the two battling Servants with Spatial-Awareness and the Map, I made several blinks to catch up to them, finally seeing those giants flailing in the air- their hits each felt like it'd tear apart a hole in Space.
Each time the Servants' fists collided, the resulting tremors and noises were more than enough to eclipse even the thundering of lightning. I was there, right next to them, my [Petal Burst]-assisted flight plus [Blink] helping me stay near.
As expected, Judas' Stats following the activation of his Noble Phantasm were out of this World. From the speed and strength he had displayed, I'd estimate them to have been to at least B-Rank each. Immediately, I knew I had made the correct decision to let Herakles go in first. Similar to the Servant- with [Second Wind] and [Battle Continuation]- I essentially had two lives to spare, but those were better reserved for emergencies. There's no need for me to risk my neck when Herakles was by my side.
That's a mistake I had made once too many times- underestimating my opponents or just overestimating myself in general. Never again, as the saying went: 'Once bitten, twice shy.' Well, in my case it's more like 'dozens times bitten', but- believe it or not- I too could learn from my mistakes and with the chemicals in this body no longer a raging mess thanks to my age, controlling my emotions and actions had become a whole lot easier. "Dameth heathen!"
Judas cursed as he launched a flurry of blows- accompanied by lighting strikes, albeit much weaker than those resulted from the activation of his NP. Watching these two fight reminded me of the Incredible Hulk vs. The Abomination- a battle between two beastly people whom I'd hesitate to call humans at all, and it seemed to me neither was giving the other an inch.
Herakles' main method of regeneration required his death, so unless an injury was lethal, he could not heal… Yet, Judas' claws and fangs couldn't break through the ridiculous cheat that was [God Hand]'s passives either. In fact, from what I could see, he had barely managed to scratch the legendary Hero.
Meanwhile, Judas- though his durability could not rival Herakles'- had an advantage in the form of his Regenerative Healing Factor. There was nothing I could do in this fight, no attacks capable of penetrating the tough hide of Judas, besides that- [Sword God Style].
Despite my best efforts, it'd appear I didn't possess a talent in swordsmanship. Trust me, I had tried to advance beyond the [Grandmaster] Rank, unfortunately it's a fool's errand. Even the basic [Swordsmanship], I could only rise to a measly [Grandmaster] Rank before hitting a bottleneck- unable to advance any longer. It's why I had poured all of my focus into honing my Magecraft and the Elder Blood… Still, the [Longsword of Silence] was the only technique I had that reached the A-Rank-
Well, the only technique that wouldn't draw too much attention from the public anyway.
Making a platform beneath my feet, I drew Invictus and Infernal Iris- the blades aimed menacingly at the free-falling Servants. Now of course, I had to avoid Berserker- me being an ally to Illya and all that jazz- but Judas Iscariot was fair-game. 'I'm so going to bill this to the Holy Church.'
Those idiots had been a thorn in my sides for some time now, and since I was helping them, they should pay up, right? Not that I expected them to actually pay me. I merely wanted to rub it in their faces, especially those pedophile Archbishops. The last time I went to meet any one of them was four years ago…
A nightmarish meeting I sincerely hoped never occur again. Words could hardly describe my repulsion when those old sacks of shits tried to touch me in inappropriate places- if not for the fact I was in their territory, combined with the fact at the time I was being besieged by a few Lords of the Clock Tower and couldn't afford to make more enemies, I would have slapped the head off that cunt and t-bagged his decapitated corpse.
Instead, I- respectfully- onlyslapped a tooth of his out.
Understandably, I was then chased out of the Vatican and barred entry indefinitely.
My relationship with the Holy Church hadn't recovered since and to make matters worse, news of my little involvement with Demonology broke out a mere week later… Anyway, thus concluded my interactions with the Church, I did meet their agents every so often on the field but we avoided each other mostly.
"Berserker, head-up!" I shot forth, swinging wildly. In order to gather momentum and perform the technique, proper balance and footwork were needed- balance I could not gain while airborne… Or so many would think. [Spatial Manipulation] was the perfect tool for situations like this. Using it, I was able to form several platforms beneath my feet, gradually gaining more and more momentum until– "[Longsword of Silence]!"
Muttering the name, my blades cleaved at Judas' neck, effectively cutting off his escape path while Berserker simultaneously punched to distract him. Regardless of how robust his vitality was, Judas wouldn't survive the attack. His Spirit Core would shatter long before his body was able to pull itself together, and as a close-ranged combatant, he simply didn't have the capability escape this predicament.
That's when we heard it- both Berserker and I.
"By order of my Command Seals,
Return to my side, Assassin!" My eyes snapped over the source of the whisper as Space was bent out of shape to suck the falling Servant to his Master. There, just five miles North of our current location- at the edge of the forest where my Castle stood- was a… Man? A… Beardy teenager? His purplish blue eyes meeting mine. He felt familiar- looked familiar. Where had I seen him? Never mind, it was no of no concern to me. He's already dead.
In the split second when Judas' silhouette was being sucked into the wormhole caused by the activation of a Command Seal, I had managed to retrieve a ruby from my pocket- one of Rin's to be precise.
It's filled to the brims with her Mana.
A spike of my own magical power was enough to destabilize it. I gulped down a mouthful of air, bicep and arm flexing as I threw the ruby towards the wormhole with all of my might. It hit its mark- sucked in alongside the Servant- but I hadn't anticipated what Judas would do next.
Like an animal, he chompedon the ruby, smiling wickedly as he appeared next to the bearded teenager.
The ruby exploded, annihilating Assassin's mouth and jaws- even his neck did not survive being consumed by the explosion of Mana- nearly nothing did besides what little remained of the Servant's wrecked spine. Knowing this was our chance, I waved to open a portal for both Berserker and I- a portal right next to the wide-eyed Master. "Leonis–!" He screamed, the wrath in his tone audible to my ears.
The sheer hatred contained in that one word was more than all of my previous enemies combined. Did I know this… Boy? Had I done something to his parents perhaps? No, no. It could not be. My enemies were all Lords and Ladies, none would even think of putting on those rags, let alone wear them to meet me. They're prideful like that,
Sadly Pride alone couldn't stop the edges of my blades, nor could it stop my Spells from riddling them with holes. This boy- whoever he might be- would share the same fate they all had and once he had died- and he no doubt would- Judas would be easy-picking for our giant Greek friend without his primary Mana source. I wasted no time trying to slit his throat, 'try' being the keyword here.
Judas, as his last act before his consciousness faded, managed to unleash four Beams of crescent-shaped Mana our direction. As was to be expected of Judas Iscariot, even his attacks were filled with a familiar hellish taint. It's a blind attack- a last ditch effort on his part to protect his Master just as he was about to die. "By order of my Command Seal–"
Oh-No, you fucking don't!
But it was too late. "– LIVE!"
A second Command Seal was used, and Judas' injuries began to mend like they had never been there. While not quite as powerful as True Magics, Command Seals were frankly the closest thing we had in comparison. They could tear holes in the fabrics of Gaia, defy her laws and even mend shattered Spirit Core with ease… And right now, its power was being put on full-display. 'Dammit!'
'Master, are you alright?' A voice- Enkidu's- interrupted as I backed away from the now fully recovered Servant, startling me. 'I'm fine, how are things on your end?'
'It seems the two Servants are not of the same Faction. I–'
"Round two." Assassin cracked his neck, chuckling briefly before his figure blurred and appeared in front of me. I- obviously cautious- immediately teleported away to preserve my lives. 'I'll get back to you shortly. Kind of in the middle of something here!' Now, I may have said it a bit too harshly, but in my defenses, now was really a poor time to be contacting me. If a battle between equals required utmost concentration, then I was severely outclassed in this case.
Without Herakles, I'd have fled ages ago.
"Berserker, you deal with him. I'll kill the Master." Shame for the teenager, he didn't look like a Magus. Hell, I couldn't even sense a lick of Mana in him, not even a strand of Magic Circuits either. Every once in a while, the Grail would choose some random-ass people to fill the quotas, similar to how the Master of the Fourth War Caster was picked. I didn't want to kill him, but it's a necessary evil.
Besides, the guy seemed like he had a bone to pick with me.
Might as well nip this in the bud while I was at it.
Like an oversized toddler, Herakles charged towards the opposition without an ounce of fear or hesitation. Obviously, having heard my plan, Judas moved closer to his Master protectively, stating. "W'rry not, mine own mast'r. They shalt not reacheth thee whilst I'm h're."
"That old English is getting real tiresome." I stressed, turning to the Master. "I do not know what I did to earn your ire, but I'm going to kill you."
Threatening, I raised my blades to point at the oddly familiar teenager. "It's nothing personal, I hope you understand that." Something seemed to cross his mind, and the teenager sent me a look of utter disbelief. "You- You bastard… Are you fucking with me right now?"
"Huh?" I responded, visibly confused by his reaction. "You really don't remember me? The person whose life YOU. RUINED?!" Stepping closer in spite of his Servant's insistences, the shaggy-looking teenager's fists clenched until they both turned a bluish purple due to a lack of blood circulation. "I've ruined many people's lives… You're gonna have to be more specific."
"Matou, Matou Shinji! Does that ring any bells you fucker!" I- Wait… "I- What the fuck? You're still alive? I thought you were buried under the Matou Mansion?"
"No thanks to you and that whore of a sister of mine. Did she fuck you? Has she told you of how she used to scream when I put my cock–" Not a wasted movement, an [Ansuz] was shot in his direction as my face grew colder. I might not be interested in Sakura romantically, but she was mine. My family. Nobody was going to disrespect her like that.
"… You know, for a sec there I was genuinely sad I might have to kill yet another innocent teen unfortunate enough to be caught in Supernatural shenanigans. That guilt I felt? Gone."
Instantly, I appeared next to him, ignoring Assassin's raised claws. This changed things. I hadn't anticipated Shinji to be involved, seeing as the worthless littleshithadn't been seen in literal years. Everybody thought he was dead, though judging from his appearance, he must have lived the drifter's life for quite a while.
I refused to use Invictus on this- this animal, Infernal Iris was a far better choice. I wanted to instill the same hopelessness the poor girl had experienced in Shinji- to make him understand how truly worthless he was- how Sakura must have felt during those times… Abused, beaten and raped every night, again and again.
Judas tried his best, but since I no longer had any reservations regarding my own safety, I didn't even avoid his punch. It was a normal punch anyway, a hit would at most bruise me and break my bones. With my regeneration, I could afford to have a few bones broken, but Sakura's childhood was forever going to be a nightmare for her thanks to this animal and his fucked-up great-grandfather.
I was going to pay the debt back in full… With interests too.
Infernal Iris sliced a thin, nigh-unnoticeable line on his torso just as Judas managed to land a hit on me, shattering my ribcages and lungs. Unlike the last time, I had more experiences dealing with this kind of injuries and instantly opened a portal in my chest to drain it of blood- blinking away with a sadistic, bloodthirsty smirk on my lips.
At the same time, Berserker's sword-axe cleaved a line on the protective, silver-armor of Judas. Knowing he couldn't both fight and protect his Master, the Servant turned tail and ran, managing to grab his screeching Master by a hair's breadth and using the momentum to launch them away. He didn't know this, but it's too late. The moment Shinji showed himself, he was a dead-man walking. Blood trailing down my chin, I raised my fingers and clicked, muttering beneath my breath. "[Critical Strike]."
I might have forgot to mention, but the cut reached his left arm too- the arm where his Command Seals were stored- and with that one click, not only did I disembowel Shinji, I also severed one of his limbs. Honestly, I really ought to have aimed lower- it's what the cocky little bastard deserved after all. "Enjoy bleeding to death, you fucking rapist. But if you happen to survive this, I'd be more than impressed."
Seeing Shinji choke on his bloods, Judas growled, but seemed to realize the longer they stayed, the harder it'd be on them and in that split millisecond when he turned to us- fangs barred- he made the correct choice to retreat- his silhouette dissipating in a hazy cloud of smoke.
"Hell, I'd prefer if you live."
I murmured, though I myself struggled to understand why.
The main reasons seemed to be on the tip of my tongue, yet capturing them was as challenging as grasping sand on a beach.
Looking down, I saw my hands- shaking nervously. "Fear?"
I was afraid of Shinji? Impossible. "Why am I?"
Although Berserker meant to pursue, I prevented him from doing so, which obviously confused the Servant, but I had my mind trained on the brunette who would occasionally wander my Castle and her alone. If anyone deserved to claim the kill, it would be Sakura.
It's not my place, nor Herakles', to take that from her.
I'd train her up and let her exact vengeance. Would've done it to Zouken as well, but the bastard's volatile and dangerous; Shinji was not, and without that arm- he's gonna be even less of a threat when the step-siblings finally reunited. It's the perfect way to help Sakura resolve her traumas, I just… Needed to ensure it'd happen under a controlled environment where she could not get fatally injured and/or permanently maimed.
If the girls were to take over after my… Passing- departure, there could not be a chink in their armor, and right now? That chink was Sakura. She's tough, yet purposeless. Her entire existence revolved around her nee-san and senpai, to the point I was certain she'd fall apart without them- the process might not be instantaneous, but I would counter a slow descent into madness, depression and mental instability was far worse than any fiery explosion of emotions.
She had to toughen up, and who better to assume the responsibility than one of the two directly accountable for her tortures?
And if he really bled out to death, which's also highly likely, it's no loss to us either.
My main concern lied in the fact that something felt amiss about this entire situation.
Enkidu mentioned the Servants being from different Factions… Why'd Swan send one Servantinto the deathtrap that was my Castle? What could have possibly driven her to that course of actions? Or were there infightings amongst their Ranks? Maybe the assailant's a rogue element?
"C'mon, let's head bac–?!"
A bright, golden light suddenly lit up the entire forest we were in. "Excalibur?" Poor Archer, guy's probably toasted meat by now… Oh-Shit, what if Artoria's NP caused the bunker to collapse on the girls' heads?! Berserker and I traded looks, before nodding- as though we understood each other's intentions and I waved to conjure a portal leading back home. "Let's check on them."
— [Fate: FS] —
Huffing, Judas raced deeper into the mountains, fearful that he had failed again. He had promised to protect his Master, and like 2000 years ago, he had failed. Running's just to buy them time, he knew he couldn't fix his wayward Master, there's nothing in his arsenal that'd allow him to. Chewing on his lips so hard it drew blood, the Servant-turned-Demon gently consoled, offering his Master the last bits of solace while the light drained from his eyes.
"Who art thee?" Sensing an unfamiliar presence, the Servant asked loudly, his dying Master still held carefully in his arms. "Your Master's about to die, False God's Apostle. Are you just going to watch?"
A flicker of rippling golden shone drew his attention as the stranger came into view. "What choice doth I has't? I'm not equipp'd to healeth wounds of this sev'rity." The bitterness in his voice was audible to all who'd care to hear. He wasn't going to contract a second Master, one was enough. Once Shinji had truly breathed his last, Judas was going to die alongside him. "How quaint."
The stranger drawled seductively, her gorgeous blonde hair seeming to reflect the moonlights- glimmering in spite of the darkness which surrounded. The Betrayer of Christ swallowed thickly, awestruck by her presence. For a brief instance, he sincerely believed she was an angel of the Lord- sent to aid them or at least, offer his Master comforts-
But then he realized no angel would dare speak such blasphemous utterances so freely. "Why art thee here? If 't be true t's to laught at our suff'rings, I suggesteth thee leaveth this instance. Alloweth us enjoyeth our lasteth moments in peace, lest i'm f'rc'd to taketh thy life."
"Such negativity, as expected of a lowly Hellspawn."
"Gaze thy w'rds, I am nay Hellcniht!" Offended, the Servant said through gritted teeth. It's his biggest source of shame, for his NP- an ability that should have represented his nobility as its Title would suggest- to force him into this unsightly state, but what else could he have done? Disobey his Master's orders? "And yet your Mana suggests otherwise. Even from miles away, I can feel the disgusting taints on your Soul, Judas Iscariot."
The woman stalked forth, hands kept tightly-pressed behind her back. "But I'm not without pity… I can see you're trying to rectify your previous mistake. If you so desire, I can help you. I can save your Master." The grin which sprouted on her face was wild, stretching her lips from ear-to-ear as she pulled out a sealed bottle- redder than ruby and shinier than even the most polished of golds.
"Feed it to him, and he shall live past this night."
Still suspicious, Judas narrowed his eyes. "And what doth thee wanteth in exchange? What can this trait'r off'r thee?"
Humming, the woman responded lightly. "Nothing. There's nothing you can give me, for I already possess all that is valuable in this World."
"Then wherefore art thee–?"
Seeming done with his questions, the woman scoffed in irritation. "Because I have the capacity? Because I can and I want to? Have my answers satisfied you, Betrayer? Now, do you want the Potion or not?!"
Looking down at his Master who grew weaker and weaker by the second, Judas squinted his eyes. They were already close to death, what could he possibly lose by accepting her offer? "If 't be true this w'rks- if 't be true thou art not fopping us to has't a chuckle at our expenses, then I off'r thee mine own thanketh, stranger."
Grabbing the Potion from her outstretched hand, Judas knelt- holding his Master's head as he fed the shiny liquid to Shinji. True to the woman's words, the teenager's wounds began to heal at a rapid-pace, mending before his eyes as his pale complexion grew healthier. Unfortunately, the Potion couldn't regenerate the arm his Master had lost, though that didn't matter to Judas- not one bit.
As long as Shinji survived, he cared not for anything else.
A smile tugging at the corners of his lips, history's most famous Betrayer turned to the woman to thank her, only to find she's gone.
"Whoev'r thee are- if 't be true thou art listening to this, thee has't mine own et'rnal gratitude."
.
.
.
Staring at their rapidly vanishing silhouettes, the blonde revealed a disdainful smirk, before allowing a bright- confident smile to grace her lips. "Go big or go home, Little Lion."