85: The Third Step
"Are you… Kongming?" I ask, staring at him. The cigar puffing makes me want to hope…
"I'm not." He replies, and I breathe a sigh of relief. "Probably, from an objective standpoint, he'd be the better one to give you the final plan for victory. But from a morale perspective… we both figured you'd rather talk to me."
"Final plan?" I echo, hope rising in my heart.
"[Chu Shi Biao]. As displayed by its use with Ahab, it will even allow me to send a request for specific allies to be summoned through one of your loops." He says, and then glances at Dantes. "...However, I'll need to carve it into the Count's body. That way, his [Oblivion Correction] can carry it back in time."
"Kuhaha! Is that all? Do you think mere pain will faze me, tactician?" The Avenger laughs.
Right, there's this guy. After all the shit he put me through, after killing me and my friends several times over, he turns around and rescues the professor and me from Satella. But, I can't blame him, not fully. Because… "You said the Mad Enhancement wore off?"
"...Indeed. I believed myself immune to the Mad enhancement, due to my nature as an Avenger. But that itself was a delusion. I set an impossible standard in order for me to betray my so-called Master, that she should transform into an Avenger class Servant before I would finally change sides and kill her." He mutters, closing his eyes. "I am no stranger to sin. But, even so… even so, I cannot help but resent being forced into such a role. The butchery of innocents was never the path I sought."
I sigh. There's no helping it, I guess. I need his help anyway. "Alright. Let's do it, then. What's the plan, Professor?"
"The goal is to get the grail. To get it while defeating every major enemy in our path and experiencing no casualties on our end." The professor takes a drag of his cigar and smirks. "Simple enough. But first - Subaru, I'll have you tell me everything. All of your previous loops, leaving absolutely nothing out."
I nod, and begin to speak.
"...Any questions?" He finishes.
…It should work. No, to be honest, I can't really see any flaws with the plan. But there's just one part. Just a single tiny quirk of the plan that sticks in my throat.
"You won't be summoned." I say, trying to stop my voice from shaking.
"...Yeah." He says, as his cigar finally dies.
"I…" I mumble. My vision is starting to blur. "I don't want… Professor, I…"
"That's right. I'm a Professor." He takes a step towards me, and I feel his hand gently ruffle my hair. "It's my job to teach you - and then I send you away, and you never see me again. That's my role. You can't stay in the classroom forever, Subaru."
"...Flat-Senpai did." I mutter.
"We're not talking about Flat, here." He says, his fingers applying some slight pressure to my head.
I chuckle. "I guess not."
…
"What about Mash?" I ask. "Without you there, her shield…"
"You don't need me there. You just need to overcome her doubt." He says. "Heroic speeches like that one are unnecessary. They don't really work long term, anyway. That's not how you break a bad mental habit. The only way to do that is with practice. You know that, right?"
He's right, of course. Even after Rem, after Otto, after Beatrice - I just fall right back into the same self loathing. It's simple. It's a habit. Mash's doubts… will probably be the same way.
So the answer is to practice until she's used to me sharing her burdens. It won't be perfect. But nothing ever is, right?
"...Alright." I answer, and he nods.
"We'll meet again." He says. "The next time you're trapped in an unsolvable puzzle, just call me up. I'll be right there."
"Yeah." I say, finally smiling. "I'll see you then, Professor."
"Alright. One final thing – regarding that Witch of yours." He says, glancing at the still advancing tide of shadows. By this point, we've already had to move a couple times to stop her from catching us. "I've figured out a few things, so I'll share them with you. Firstly… I'd guess that you getting trapped in at the start of this Singularity wasn't a fluke. I'd wager she can't reset you across the barrier of a rayshift. In other words, she can't send you back to Chaldea if you die in the past, and the reverse is probably also true. Chalk it up to interference between two kinds of time travel." Yeah, that makes sense. "Secondly - it's important not to think of her rampage there as a 'penalty' or something."
"Huh? But that's what it is, right?" I ask.
"It's not. It's not some automated system or anything. What it amounts to is [The Witch's Envy]. It's her going berserk. Not strictly because you 'told' someone but because you 'shared' with someone. [Return by Death] is your burden. Yours and hers, and she'll go mad with envy if you try to share it with someone else, or if someone else tries to share it with you." He explains. "She'll respond as she sees fit. Usually, it's by stopping you from talking, but in cases like me or Prelati, when someone wants to make your ability their own in some way, then she'll go truly berserk. Similarly, she didn't go nuts on Batenkaitos, because he doesn't care about your ability. For him, it's just an obstacle. He doesn't want it for himself, so he doesn't provoke her envy."
…That's right. I try to forget about it, but the Witch is a person, after all. She's not just some automated system.
"Third," He continues, "She isn't omniscient. Especially not across the space between worlds like this. She can't detect what people are thinking, or she would have grabbed Kongming the moment we were summoned. She probably wouldn't even attack me if I was far enough from you. You are her obsession, Subaru. If she's paying attention to someone else, she doesn't get to watch the man she loves trying his hardest.
And fourth - this is an extension of the second point, but remember that she won't always respond to the same thing the same way. She's a person, with emotions, and even the ability to understand. She probably won't interfere in the next loop. As long as you're not trapped by Prelati again, she'll be content to watch you crush and destroy him instead of her unless he starts blabbing to other people where she can see. In all likelihood, watching you defeat Francis - or I suppose his predecessor, Francesca - will be more to her tastes. Remember, she loves you, so watching you defeat Prelati will be like 'hooray, darling defeated that person for me'. It's romantic, so she'll let it happen. At the same time, you can't just use her as a weapon. A last minute act of spite like you did against Saber in Fuyuki, or a request to purge someone possessing you is one thing. If it's a desperate request for help, she won't refuse you. But if you use it too frequently she'll get mad. No girl wants to be seen as a tool."
He's right. I probably should have known this before, but I ignored it… because I don't really like to think too hard about my connection with her.
But by this point, it's inescapable. So-
"I'm going to go talk to her. Can I leave the rest to you, Professor?"
"You don't have to if you don't want to. A little hypnotism will account for the possibility of a reset into Prelati's trap." He says.
"...No, I'll be fine." I say, smiling a bit. "I'll see you next time I get stuck, Professor."
He smiles. "See you later, Subaru."
I walk into the shadows.
I love you.
Yeah, I know. Sorry I've been stuck this long.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
You'll need to move the reset point. But, you probably already knew that.
Love me. I love you. Love me. Love me.
Sorry for spreading it around so much. I'll try to avoid it in the future, but I won't promise anything, since I'm bad with promises.
I love you. I love you. I love you.
You can't even hear me, can you? At this distance, it's impossible.
I love you.
I'll be back soon. I promise. And I will definitely save you.
I love you.
{We're done.} Professor Velvet tells me telepathically.
I love you.
Okay. I'm going back now. I'll handle it, so you won't feel guilty. See you next time, Satella.
I love you.
My unseen hand crushes my brain stem. There's a vague tugging sensation, and then-
Class: Foreigner
Alternate Classes: Rider, Assassin
True Name: Ley Batenkaitos
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Armament: Knives
Manifestation Cost: Medium
Bio:
The second oldest Sin Archbishop of Gluttony, from another world. Embodying the concept of [Gourmet Eating], he hunted throughout that other world, devouring the [Name] and [Memories] of those whose lives or abilities interested him.
Natsuki Subaru bears a particular grudge against him due to his attack on Rem, but the way events unfolded at the Pleiades Watchtower forced Subaru to leave vengeance to Ram. Now, encountering him for the second time…
Parameters
Strength: E+
Endurance: D
Agility: B++
Mana: E
Luck: E
NP: EX
Class Skills:
Existence Outside the Domain: B
Riding (Mabeast): A
Regarding magical beasts not created by the Witch of Gluttony, Ley's riding skill is only E-Rank.
Personal Skills:
Affection of the Witch: C
Ley is tainted by the Witch of Envy's Miasma. Most animals and people with good senses will find him repulsive, and some may even attack on sight.
Leaper's Technique: B
The talent of the 'Leaper', Dorekell, acquired through the Authority of Gluttony. Of course, it has manifested as a skill here, a testament to just how much Ley and Roy made this ability their own. Even if a certain Hero of Earth were to steal his Noble Phantasm, Ley would still have access to this skill, albeit at diminished rank.
Allows the user to boost his speed to a ridiculous degree, to the point that he seems to be teleporting around the battlefield. Fundamentally, it's a similar, but not identical, technique to the [Reduced Earth] skill held by Okita Souji. Use requires Ley to be airborne.
Palm of the Fist King: B
The technique of the gladiator Neiji Rockheart, acquired through the Authority of Gluttony. As with the [Leaper's Technique], frequent use has allowed this to manifest as a skill.
Greatly increases unarmed combat skills, culminating in Neiji's crowning achievement, a palm strike that bypasses mana-based defenses entirely. A blow that he was only able to use once, in his clash with Ley Batenkaitos, one minute and twelve seconds before he was devoured by Louis Arneb.
It was but a single step. A mere glimpse of a divine martial art, a technique that would require [No Second Strike]. But such a dream will probably be forever beyond Neiji's grasp…
Noble Phantasms:
White Whale of Gluttony: Daphne Cetus
Rank: B
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1-200
Maximum number of targets: 300
The second of the Great Witchbeasts created by the Witch of Gluttony, Daphne. A phenomenally dangerous Phantasmal Beast that spewed existence-devouring fog as it rampaged across the other world.
Since Ley had ties to the thing, metaphysically speaking, it has manifested as a Noble Phantasm that qualifies him for the Rider class. Unlike Roy's [Black Serpent] and Louis's [Great Rabbit], Ley is capable of controlling the Whale completely - incidentally, if his siblings were present, they could also exhibit control over it.
In the French singularity, the whale was used as supplemental material to assist Francois Prelati in the summoning of the [Evil God of the Abyss].
Gluttonous Existence-Devouring Whale: Gluttony
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Unit
Range: 1
Maximum number of targets: 1 Person
The Authority of Gluttony, as wielded by Ley Batenkaitos. By touching the target with his left hand and reciting their full name given at birth (or, in the case of a Servant, their True Name), Ley can devour their [Name], [Memories], or both. Giving an incorrect name will instead cause violent illness that, against any serious opponent, will probably prove fatal.
Those who have their Memories eaten will obviously become amnesiacs, and those who have their names devoured will be forgotten by the world around them. Those who have both consumed will fall into a coma and become impossible to rouse.
Incidentally, should Ley lose access to this Noble Phantasm by some means, [Lunar Eclipse], [Solar Eclipse], and [█████ ███████] will also be lost.
The Whale Devours the Moon: Lunar Eclipse
Rank: -
Type: Varies
Range: Varies
Maximum number of targets: Varies
A Sub-Phantasm of [Gluttony].
Ley can utilize the abilities of those he or his siblings have devoured using this Noble Phantasm. This includes techniques, personal skills, and even some Noble Phantasms. Spirit-bound Weapons (I.E. Rem's Flail) are also fair game.
Blessings and prayers on the other hand are of dubious use. That Berserk Archer's Noble Phantasm can be used is a fluke; Ley's stolen talent with the bow and his earnest dedication to the hunt manage to make him worthy of Apollo and Artemis's intervention. An attempt to use [Luminosite Eternelle] on the other hand would likely fail.
The Whale Devours the Sun: Solar Eclipse
Rank: -
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Range: -
Maximum number of targets: 1 Person
A Sub-Phantasm of [Gluttony].
Ley can take on the form of anyone he or his siblings have devoured using this Noble Phantasm. This allows him to utilize abilities that may be impossible with only [Lunar Eclipse] - things like Siegfried's [Armor of Fafnir] or Heracles' [God Hand], that is, abilities bound to the body itself. Most notably for this arc, he was able to steal the Draconic transformation of Fafnir.
Of course, depending on the ego of the person he's taking the form of, there is a significant risk of Ley losing his existence. For example, in the case of Fafnir, he would likely lose himself to the dragon if he remained in that form for more than thirty seconds.
?
Rank: -
Type: Anti-Existence (Self)
Range: -
Maximum number of targets: 1 Person
A Sub-Phantasm of [Gluttony].
?
Compendium Update: Watcher of the Depths
True Name Revealed: Dagon
A bronze-age Divine Spirit originating in the Middle East, considered the 'father of gods' among those living in the upper Euphrates. His name may have been associated with grain or weather, and he was sometimes syncretized with the Mesopotamian god Enlil.
Of course, those origins are all but forgotten now. His presence among the Philistine pantheon led to him being regarded as a demon, and the similarity of his name to the Hebrew word for fish led him to be regarded as a sea monster. Further corrupted by the works of Howard Phillips Lovecraft, he appears in this work as a confused mess, part demon, part god, part monster, part alien - a perfect candidate for the irregular class of irregular classes, Watcher.
A small idol, looted by the Romans during the sack of Ctesiphon, was later acquired by raiding Germanic barbarians, and passed through the hands of various tribes until it found its way into the possession of the Frankish King Chlodio. In a final act of desperation, when the stars were right, Dagon manifested through this idol and assaulted Chlodio's wife, siring Merovech.
This was the start of a thousand year scheme - a desperate hope that someday, somehow, his descendant would be drawn into a ritual like the Holy Grail War, and allow him to manifest once more. And then…
Skill Update:
Coronation of Merovech: A
A skill which allows the imposition of trials upon his master. This skill does not allow the direct manipulation of destiny, but does allow him to manipulate the Luck stat of all those who carry his blood in their veins.
Regarding Siegfried, it is his association with the Merovingian King Sigebert of Austrasia that allows him to be affected by this skill. As for d'Eon, by the time of the French Revolution the descendants of Merovech more or less encompassed all of western Europe (via Charlemagne).
Of course, the phrase 'trials' is an exaggeration. Rather, the effective result is to transform his master into something akin to the Lesser Holy Grail of the Fuyuki ritual, absorbing the spirit origins of Fallen Servants. His master becomes a living Heroic Spirit, the reincarnation of the Frankish King Merovech - for but a moment. And after that…
Noble Phantasm Revealed:
Frankreich Über Alles: France Over All
Rank: Varies
Range: 100
Maximum number of targets: 1 person
Not properly Watcher's Noble Phantasm, but rather a Noble Phantasm granted to his master. The user confiscates a Noble PHantasm within Watcher's [Universal Bird's Eye] that rightly belongs to the French throne. Chevalier d'Eon's [Fleur de Lys], an invocation the glory of the French throne; Marie Antoinette's [Guillotine Breaker], which has the same origin - both are candidates to be seized.
Schatten Über Frankreich: Shadow Over France
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Range: -
Maximum number of targets: 1 person
A ritual of incarnation. By expending those spirit origins collected by his Master, Dagon grants his own wish, that he might be restored to his full glory once more, erasing his fallen nature. Of course, this comes at the expense of his master's life.
It will only last for around five minutes. In that time, Dagon will revel in his restoration, and seek destruction at the hands of a foe that outmatches him. This is his true wish. The sole goal of his thousand year scheme, that he might die as himself, rather than as a monster.
Incidentally, he can invoke this Noble Phantasm on his own. However, as the name of the Noble Phantasm evokes one of Lovecraft's stories, he forces Merry to do it so he doesn't have to.
A/N:
Waver's analysis of Satella is probably not entirely accurate. But it does align with my current beliefs about her motivations, so you can expect her to largely behave along these lines in this fic barring new revelations in canon.