Chapter 5
The Gunman's Resolute
-Unknown Place-
Where am I? Price thought as his senses came to life. His ears filled the harsh roar of the wind. Sharp and tiny bits of fragments hit his skin, irritating him, and making him finally opened his eyes. He finally saw the world around him and all that he could see were tall dunes of sands and structures of enormous heights, protruding on the surface. And those structures were on fire. The soldier looked around and saw that he was surrounded by tall structures that looked like parts of a large spaceship that had crashed landed hard. The embers colored the night-sky with red-orange and sounds of cackling and metal groaning began to fill his ears.
"What the hell…am I dreaming?" Price said to no one. The place he was in – he knew that it was not of Earth. That could only mean one thing: he was dreaming of his Servant's past again.
"NAI!" The soldier almost jumped after a child's voice screamed. He darted his blue eyes towards the source of the voice. A child was standing on the sand, and it was Vash, his Servant. His gaze flashed with rage and sorrow, and it was locked on to someone in front of him.
Price followed his look and it ended at a boy standing on top of a structure. It was Vash's twin, Nai…and he was laughing maniacally. Nai then turned to Vash slowly, showing a wide Cheshire cat-like smile while flames behind him provided little illumination to him. The whole scene was so eerie that it made the soldier gulp in nervousness.
"Why did you do it?! You crashed the whole fleet!"
"I only crashed the human's ships. The plant ships are fine, Vash. No need to worry."
"You killed Rem! You killed all our friends!"
Ah…I remember this scene. And then the soldier recalled the manga that he had read earlier. This scene was where the colony ships had crashed and it was caused by Nai, Vash's demonic twin brother.
"Yeah, I killed all of them," Nai said with a giggle before he added, "but you are in this crime too, brother. You are the one who provided me with the main passcode to change the course of the whole fleet. In other words, you are my accomplice!" He flashed his deranged eyes at Vash again, his smile widening more as he called to Vash. "Am I right…Vash~?"
The scenery suddenly changed and Price found himself standing on top of a hill. The new place that he was in was a wide field of grass and very picturesque like. And then Price realized where he was. "No, no! My dream-"
"Captain Price?" Price suddenly heard a familiar voice calling his name behind him. Oh no…The soldier knew what was happening right now, and he also knew what would happen next. He slowly turned around and faced the person who called him. The phantoms of his dream were standing in front of him. Soap's bloody face looked back at him with blood shot eyes. And then he jumped on the man and began to strangle him. "WHY DID I FOLLOW YOU!?"
The phantom Soap screamed his devilish words. His hands tightened more, but Price only lay still.
I'm used to this. It's okay. Soap, you have every right to strangle me. I deserve this…The man only closed his eyes as he accepted the words of his former friend. Sorrow and regret swirled inside of him. After all, he caused their deaths. He was not good enough to lead them.
"Let go of him! Leave him alone!" Suddenly, another voice called out, and this voice was very familiar to Price. The man opened his eyes and before he knew it, he had woken up from his nightmare.
-Sunset Motel – Room 007-
-Three days after the first round-
"Ah!" Price gasped from his bed as he opened his blue eyes. He was now staring at the dusty, beige-colored ceiling of a room that he had booked with his Servant. The soldier slowly sat straight up and looked to his left. His gaze fell upon on his Servant, who was sitting on the chair. A box of donuts was opened in front of him on the table. He must have bought it from the diner at the other side of the road.
"John, you were murmuring." Vash began. His look of worry deepened as the soldier's face reflected on his orange shades. "You were having a nightmare."
"Yeah…I did." He glanced to his nightstand for his cigarette, but he could not find it.
"Here." Vash took it out from his coat and the soldier glanced at it. His cigarette case was in the prosthetic palm of his Servant. His memory of the first round flashed in his mind, making him wonder as he took his cigarette.
It had been three days every since the first round finished and during that time, Price and Vash jumped from one motel to other. One thing that they had learned from the previous round was that they mustn't stay in one place for too long. The soldier knew that real and proper soldiers should not be like a sitting duck. It would be easy for the enemy to find them if they did so.
And so, right after the first round and his miraculous recovery, he and the Foreigner-Servant began to run to every place that they thought was safe to become an HQ. However, after three days of running, he eventually arrived in this dingy-looking motel.
Moving all the time is better than being sitting duck…but that tactic only works for normal soldiers. Price glanced up. His brows furrowed. We are fighting Servants with magical powers…What's worse is these Servant's have Masters, who might be more powerful than me. The soldier thought and lit his cigarette. He stood up and moved to the window. He scanned the surroundings through the tiny slits of the curtains, checking if there was a Servant nearby.
"I wonder who healed you that night." Vash began and observed the soldier, who glanced down at his black shirt.
"I don't know. All I know is that it was a man in white and red clothes." Price touched his chest. The faint phantom pain still lingered inside of him. "It might be someone who has a good heart or something."
"Or a Servant." Vash added, making the soldier look at him strangely.
"Why would a Servant do that, Vash? Shouldn't Servants kill each other…or in this Holy Grail War's best scenario, kill the Masters?"
"Maybe the Master of the Servant saw your sorry state and wants to help you." Vash reasoned out again. Price almost made his brow twitch at Vash's optimistic reasons, but he stopped himself from doing so. It was, after all, in the gunman's personality to see the best in everyone and everything. However, the Servant's reason also gave him an idea.
"If that's so…then that Servant's Master could be our ally…" But can Masters in this war be allies? The Holy Grail can only grant one wish, which means it can only work with one Master or Servant. Price thought hard and took a whiff of his smoke, blowing thick fog into the air. The soldier vehemently sighed and sat on his bed again.
Just then, Vash made a soft giggle, a very innocent one and it was enough for the soldier to glance at him. The man was puzzled by his reaction. "What's with the laughter?"
"Sorry, it's out of place." Vash paused and made a reminiscing innocent smile. "You just remind me of my friend, Nicholas Wolfwood."
Nicholas…oh. Price had read the name before. It was in the manga where his Servant had come from. Nicholas D. Wolfwood was Vash's friend and also a gunman. However, the difference between him and his Servant was that the man could kill while the latter didn't. "Are we somehow…the same?"
"A little bit. He's a grumpy sourpuss like you. And he smokes cigars like you, while brooding and displaying a heavy look-"
"Okay, I get it." Price stopped his Servant from speaking more. He was quite surprised that Vash found so many similarities from the character of the manga. Price sighed and glanced at Vash again, who was now eating a chocolate-flavored donut. As he watched him, Price began to wonder about the current state of his Servant right now.
"Say, Vash…do you miss your world?" Price asked with a soft hint of curiosity. The Foreigner-Class came from No Man's Land, which existed in a manga. And since Price summoned him into his world, then that could mean Vash had left his. The man must have friends in his world and the soldier didn't want to be guilty of separating the gunman from his loved ones.
"Kinda. Even though this world is cool, I can't help but miss No Man's Land. My friends and family are in there. Meryll and Millie…and Nicholas and Nai – I kinda miss them all." Vash answered with a reminiscing tone in his voice while his blue eyes shifted into a remembering gaze underneath his orange shades. He glanced at Price and saw the soldier drawing a bothered look.
"Hehe, there's no need for you to feel worried about me. Although I'm here, I'm still back in my world."
The soldier blinked and looked at Vash again, his brows furrowed to the center. "What do you mean by that?"
"Do you know where Heroic Spirits reside?"
Heroic Spirits? Now that Vash had brought it up, Price couldn't help but wonder. He had only heard of it from Souren Araya about how these Heroic Spirits turned into Servants, but he didn't know where they actually came from.
"Where?"
"From the Throne of Heroes."
Price hummed as if he understood what Vash had said to him. "And where's that?"
"Outside of the Universe…To be frank, it is in another dimension that this world is connected to." Vash explained before he picked up one of his chocolate donuts. "You see, there is a place called the Root. It is where everything and everyone came from and will eventually return to after they die, but for the sake of your understanding, it's where all the universes are connected to one another. The Throne of Heroes is located on that part, and that's where I came from."
"Whoa…that's a lot." Price said with an amused hum. "But…what is the 'Root's' true purpose? It seems like this 'Root' is God himself."
"It is indeed God, one that you normal folks praised." Vash smiled and looked at his donut with wonderment before he explained more. "Other than creating universes, the Root also records the past and creates futures for every world. And through these records, the Heroic Spirits are born. Their deeds that helped shape the world or history – these are the Root's criteria on making an individual's soul a hero. Not only that, it also records the myths and legends that mankind has made. So, with my manga existing in this world, 'I' was recorded by the Root, and therefore, it is the reason why I exist here and my book at the same time."
"Huh…I get it. So basically, it records the human soul and their deeds and mankind's cultural progression." Price said and glanced at the ceiling above him, a forlorn look forming on his face. "I wonder…if my friends were recorded by this Root? If that is so, are their deeds enough for them to become a heroic spirit?" He asked a question, but it seemed that he redirected it to himself. "If that so, I do hope they become heroic spirits."
Vash glanced at him and stared at the soldier's look. He couldn't help but feel the man's longingness for his fallen comrades. The sadness in his eyes clearly showed how strong his bond to them was.
"John, you really love your friends, don't you?" Price glanced at Vash. The Servant formed a radiant, soft smile again before he ate his donut hole.
"Then it's decided. I may have said it before, but I'll repeat it again." The Servant said and shifted his look to a determined one. "John, I thank you for treating me like a human being, but at the end of the day, I am your Servant and you are my Master. And as a Master, it's your job to use me in this war, so that you can get the Holy Grail and get your wish." Vash said and moved closer to Price. The Servant leveled his blue eyes at the man, reflecting the Master's startled look from his orange shades. "John, for the second time…please use me. I am your weapon in this war."
"Vash…" Price felt the intensity of the Servant's determination through his words. He wanted to continue treating him as his equal, as a human being, but alas, the Servant was right. The soldier arched his lips, frowning into agreement, and gave him an order. "Okay then. Let's get ready to move, son."
-Great Apple Hotel-
Ritsuka was sitting on a sofa with a thoughtful look. A coffee, already lukewarm, stood on the coffee table in front of him. It shone brightly as the sun from the morning sky reflected on its surface. He was silent as his blue eyes focused on Thragg. His Servant was delivering a report about the patrol that he had done last night.
"So, you felt a strong surge of magic being siphoned through a ley line?"
"Yes." Thragg said as the master took out a tablet from beside him and pressed a button. The coffee table lit up and displayed a huge holographic map of New York City. The city glimmered in front of the two men.
"Display Ley Lines." Ritsuka commanded and the map changed slightly. This time it was displaying a gold-colored line that ran all over the city.
"Yesterday, at least three hundred people fainted within their homes in the northeastern part of the city. The officials ruled it as a gas leak, but we both know the truth was far from it." Ritsuka said as he swiped his tablet, and looked into a video news report.
"Indeed, it is not gas leak. I detected a huge amount of mana being siphoned from the area." Thragg paused and took a bite from his vanilla madeleine before he continued. "The lifeforce was sucked out of those people, thus why they fainted."
"Did you attempt to follow the mana?"
"I tried. I lost my track before I crossed on Hudson River."
So, its going through Manhattan Island. Ritsuka trailed the lines along the map with a stern look. He looked through the buildings and narrow roadways of the Manhattan, thinking about the potential place where the huge abundant of Mana could go.
"Say, Ritsuka-san." Thragg called him. "Do you think this is Souren's fault too, draining the life force of the people?"
Ritsuka glanced up to him and only nodded. "Yes, but it could also be the fault of the Holy Grail itself." The man explained and moved his hand on the holographic map. The map changed into a replica version of the Holy Grail that hovered in front of the Servant. "The Holy Grail War was only supposed to last for seven days. The reason for that was because of the Holy Grail itself. The object, once it activated, needed lots of Mana to manifest and operate its proper function. Supposedly, its sustenance was Servants. And the Servants that were defeated by others were converted into mana and stored inside of it."
"But…there's only one Servant that had been defeated, and that was Homelander."
"Yes, and he is not enough. It has been three days since its activation and since there hasn't been any Servants that were killed yet, it has begun to siphon mana." Ritsuka glanced down at the image and swiped it back to the map. "Thus, the three hundred people that fainted last night."
That object is dangerous. Thragg thought in alertness. The Holy Grail, the so-called omnipotent wish granting device, was the cause of the illness that had befallen on the three hundred people last night. He did not like it and he wished he could destroy it.
"What is the plan, Ristuka-san? Where do you think I should patrol tonight?"
Ritsuka glanced down on the map. His mind began to work and think of the possible place where the mana had gone. "The Holy Grail ritual is very delicate. It needs a huge space with rich ley lines beneath it." The man glided his finger along the narrow streets and buildings, trekking the ley lines. "And I can only pinpoint one place within Manhattan Island."
"Where?" Thragg glanced down and read the point where his Master's finger had stopped.
"CENTRAL PARK. That's the place, isn't it?" The Viltrumite asked. Ritsuka only nodded and looked at him.
"Thragg, tonight we will investigate this place. The Holy Grail could be in here…and so is Souren Araya." The man said with a determined look.
The Holy Grail War would finally be over. The Servant thought with determination. By finding the Holy Grail, they could end this war and prevent more innocent people from being hurt. "I shall prepare, Ristuka-san."
"That's good." Ritsuka picked up his coffee and frowned a bit after he felt the bitter coldness biting through his tongue. "By the way, I commend you for saving the Master of the Foreigner-Class Servant. It was a good call."
Thragg looked up to his Master again. He remembered the man that he had saved three days ago. A curious look formed on his face. "Thank you, Ristuka-san. I only did what was right."
Right? The man blinked in wonderment from his Servant's words. "Why do you think it's the right thing to do? To help that man despite him being a stranger to you?"
Thragg glanced at him. He didn't speak for a moment. He took out his tablet and showed his Master a video. "That girl, Ms. Mash, told me to watch 'My Adventures with Superman'. She told me that if I want to be a good person, I should watch Superman and his heroic antics."
Mash, huh. Ritsuka sighed in resignation after he heard the name of his longtime companion. "Oh well. I'm giving up on finding the reason for your down-to-earth attitude." He made a sympathetic look before he made another swipe on his tablet. The map disappeared and in its place was the photo of a man with a closed beard.
"CHALDEA had already identified the strange master. The man that you saved was Jonathan Price, aka John Price. He was a soldier and a former captain of task force 141. He is a considered a modern-day hero because he prevented the Third World War by killing a war terrorist general named Makarov, thirteen years ago." The man paused and looked back at Thragg. The Servant's eyes widened in shock as he stared at the face of the man.
"So, he's a good guy? I mean, he prevented a World War."
"Yes, but he could be conspiring with Souren Araya. Despite being a decorative soldier, war still ruined him. He has been in therapy for a long time. He could be plotting to use the grail for something that could endanger mankind."
No…it's too early to think that. Thragg thought otherwise. Ritsuka might be correct regarding the man. However, deep down, a feeling was telling Thragg the opposite. "It's too early to assume that he's our enemy. He could be our ally, you know."
Now it was Ritsuka's turn to be surprised. He knew that Thragg had changed, but he never expected him to have changed into a very kind man. "You know what, you're right. Maybe he's friendly." he paused and took a sip of his drink before he added. "Which is why, it's very unfortunate for him to be dragged into this kind of war."
"Indeed." Thragg looked at the image of the infamous soldier once again. A saddened frown formed on his face. "I can't imagine the horror and despair he will feel after he discovers the truth about the Holy Grail."
-Golden Wish Hotel-
Touko silently watched the setting sun from the balcony of her hotel room. Her eyes looked into the horizon while her mind was in deep thought. The first round of the war was three days ago, and since then, everything has been silent.
Strange. This Holy Grail War is too tranquil, just like the fifth one, thirty years ago. The mage thought and let out a deep and tired sigh. Although the battle was bloody and dangerous, she couldn't help but feel bored. "What are you up to, Souren? Why can you still move?" she whispered in a forlorn tone as her mind went back to the past.
"Oi, Touko." Touko's brow twitched in irate as she heard her Servant's loud mouth. "I'm getting bored, I'm heading out." Battle Beast yawned and swung his axe over his shoulder as he walked beside her.
"Not yet, Battle Beast. Let's wait for the night." The woman said before she looked down at her blouse and pulled out her fountain pen. She uncapped it and threw it on the ground. The floor lit up into a map of New York City and the ley lines that ran underground.
"Do you know where you'll patrol tonight?" She asked as the lion man only shrugged. "Did you even hear what I said to you earlier this morning?" the woman asked again, only to be met with a low warning growl.
"Tales of human incompetency doesn't interest me. So what if three hundred people collapse from exhaustion? It only shows how weak they are."
I swear…Touko's veins boiled as her irritation slowly turned into fury. However, she calmed herself by forming a kind, understanding smile. "Well, I would like to tell you that those three hundred people collapsed because their life force was sucked out of their bodies. The reason, the Holy Grail is now siphoning mana is so it can anchor itself into this reality."
"And?"
"The mana travelled through the ley lines beneath our feet – one of my familiars had trailed it and it ended up in Central Park."
"So?" Why do I need to listen to this again!? Battle Beast wasn't having it. He already knew what Touko was saying. The Holy Grail siphoned the lives of some three hundred people, but why on earth would he give a damn for some insignificant number of individuals? It was now the Servant's turn to be irate.
"And now, we've come to your favorite part. We will patrol Central Park tonight. The Holy Grail might be in there…and so were other Servants."
Right after Touko said the words 'other servants', Battle Beast glanced at her and his fury vanished. Of course, why didn't he realize it? With the Grail snatching mana up, it had revealed itself to everyone. And with the Grail's unintentional revelation, other Servants would have noticed the object too.
Which meant he would get to meet other Servants.
Servants that he could defeat and kill.
"Amazing, Touko! You are a perfect master!" Battle Beast boomed his praise at the woman, who only made a smug smirked. "Now then, I presumed we have to wait until tonight?"
"Yes." Touko simply said and fixed her glasses before she added. "So please…use your remaining time to prepare for tonight's potential battle."
"That I shall do." Battle Beast obeyed her words and looked towards the city below as the sun slowly set on the horizon.
-Central Park-
After the sunsets and the full moon reaches its peak, Ritsuka and his Viltrumite Servant immediately flew towards the place where the large amount of mana had gone. The park was deathly silent as the two arrived. The rustling of the wind reverberated in their ears before they landed in the middle of a large clearing.
"No one's here."
"That's good." Ritsuka said. His blue eyes glanced around the place as he climbed down from his Servant's back. The trees around them were tall and big. The leaves were thick enough to cover the city lights across from the park. The dark shade had given the place a creepy ambience, despite being a public park.
"I'll begin checking." The Master kneeled and touched the grass. He chanted a spell with his soft voice and his senses came to life. "What-?"
"What is it, Ritsuka-san?" Thragg asked after he heard his Master gasp in shocked.
"I found the large quantity of mana that the grail took."
"Where is it, sir?"
"Right beneath our feet."
What? Now it was the Servant's turn to be confused. "Sir…are you saying that the mana that the grail had taken from the three hundred people…is right here?" But there is no grail in sight! He thought in confusion as he darted his eyes everywhere, looking for the familiar golden glint of the omnipotent wish granting device.
"Impossible…Why is it here…? Unless-" And then it struck Ritsuka. The mana that was snatched from the three hundred people – If the grail was really the one behind it, then there should be traces of the object, but he found none. However, it didn't cross his mind that the accursed wish granting object wasn't the only one that could suck the lifeforce of other people.
No…this is a trap-!
"Ristuka-san, get down!" Before the master could react, Thragg quickly made a sidestep and raised both of his hands. An axe with a futuristic design suddenly flew out of the tree and hurled towards the Master, but the Viltrumite was much faster. The man stopped it with the palms of his hands.
"An axe? Wait, I know this design-" Thragg's eyes sharpened in recognition after he saw the axe, but before he could process more, a voice spoke from above him.
"I can't believe it!"
This voice…I know this voice! The Ruler-Class Servant looked at the trees above him, searching for the owner of the voice that he strongly recognized.
"I've never expected that you would be summoned as a Servant in this stupid world too…but here you are!"
The axe in the man's hands suddenly trembled and flew out of his grasp. Thragg followed the weapon as it cleanly cut a huge oak tree. The tree groaned under its weight and collapsed with a loud thud, sending leaves into the air, and revealing the figure standing behind it.
"No…You were summoned here too!"
"Why not? It's our destiny to meet once again, Thragg – the greatest, legendary and unbeatable subjugator of all the galaxies!" Thragg eyes widened in shock as the figure emerged from the dark. The figure was that of a humanoid lion man – one that he was very familiar with.
"Thokk, the Battle Beast." The Viltrumite Servant said as the Battle Beast grabbed his axe and swung it to his shoulders.
"It's so nice to see you again, Thragg. I still…remember how you killed me and turned my skin into your hide!" A dark and vengeful chuckle escaped the lion man's lips as he pointed his axe and continued. "It's an honor being killed by you, and now I shall return the favor!"
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of Fate/Grand Order, COD, Trigun, and Invincible. Names, places, and events are all fictional.
Special thanks to Pure Red Crance for beta-reading.
Woo-hoo! Welcome to my new chapter.
It looks like Price hasn't escape his demons yet...and the reason why for that is because I want the old man suffering! Lol, just kidding, I'm doing this for the lolz! By the way, the reason why I choose Price to be my MC is because I have hots for this daddy. I mean come on, he's supper sexy and my tribe is bears and daddies!
Who wouldn't like Price, anyways, he's so perfect in every other way!
However despite them being the mc, I would go away from them, in my next chapter. I will focus on the other two master, Touko and Ritsuka and their servants.
I have to admit, the next chapter might be challenging for me because it will be Thragg versus Thokk. Who had read, Invincible comics? Well, for those who had, we all know how Battle Beast had fared against the Viltrumite regent, right?
Well, in this case, I would love to see another round between these two. This time, both are equal and would never be at a disadvantage.
and most of all...WHO WANTS TO SEE ANOTHER ROUND OF THRAGG VERSUS BATTLE BEAST, I SWEAR THOSE TWO HAD REALLY DUKED AT EACH OTHER!
In any ways, for those who had read my fanfic, I would like to thank you all, you guys are the best. And for those who hasn't, I do hope that you'll enjoy my fanfic.
Cheers to you all, and stay safe. Thinker out!
