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"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!" I was panicking, I couldn't even breathe, but I remained in place just so I could keep my eyes on her.
Her. Ryougi Shiki. The [Monster] among many other titles.
Too many titles for my liking.
How the fuck is she even here!? Also, shouldn't she be a teenager since her story takes place in the mid-90s and NOT in Fuyuki right now!?
"What the actual fuck, man!? Seriously, What the fuck!?" I was hyperventilating.
"Theo, calm down!" Illya exclaims, trying her best to calm her little brother down.
Shirou tilts his head. "What does fuck mean?"
"Calm yourself, boy. You are making us look bad." Khonshu demands. "You're acting like this is your first time meeting a monster."
'How the fuck am I supposed to calm down!? That's Ryougi Shiki! You know, the girl who can kill LITERALLY anything with just a simple knife!?' I screamed out.
"But she doesn't have that power yet, you dolt. She is still a mere child." Khonshu states.
My eyes widened in realization. '... oh, you're right.' But as soon as I calm down, I get kicked from behind. "WHAT THE HELL!?"
"What were you thinking!?" Illya screamed. "Yelling out bad words like that!? Look at what you did to Shirou-kun!" She points to Shirou.
"Seriously, what does fuck mean?" Shirou asked.
"You see!? You destroyed poor Shirou-kun's innocence! Stupid otōto!" Illya proceeds to hit me over and over with her magically reinforced fist.
"Ow, ow, ow!" I moan from the throbbing pain in my head.
Shiki giggles at the scene. "You guys are so funny."
Illya's attention quickly shifts and bows to Shiki. "I am so sorry for my otōto's behavior! He doesn't know any better!"
"You're one to talk… guerilla hands." I mutter before getting smacked again.
"Be quiet!"
Shiki laughs harder. "You two are just hilarious! You sure have some interesting friends, Shirou."
"They're not usually like this." Shirou embarrassingly comments.
"Though I am more surprised he knows grown-up words like that." Shiki comments before walking towards the boy. "Hey, you good lil guy?"
My head snapped up as I met Shiki's gaze. Ruby met onyx as time seemingly stands still. Neither of the children moved as the winter wind passed the group by.
"Yeah…" I mutter hesitantly as I get my bearings.
"Good. Here." She extends her hand to me.
I stare at the hand before grabbing it and, in a quick motion, pull me back up.
"My name's Ryougi Shiki, but you can just call me Shiki." Shiki said.
"Theodore von Einzbern." I replied.
"That's too long. I'll just call you Theo." Shiki states.
"O-Okay, Shiki-san." I said, still a little anxious.
Illya suddenly gets between us. "Hi, I'm Illya! Nice to meet you!"
A smile grows on Shiki's face. "Aw, you're so cute!" She tackles Illya into a hug. "Why didn't you tell she was so cute, Shirou-kun?"
"C-Can't breathe…!" Illya manages to get out.
Shiki immediately lets go of her. "Oops, sorry!"
'It's so weird seeing Shiki so… animated.' I thought. From what I remember about [Kara no Kyoukai], Shiki was a very bland character. She was stoic and seemed to care about nothing, well almost nothing.
She's the type that can't find meaning in living a normal life, preferring to live in constant danger where she can be her true self and actively hunts down any anomalies that cause harm to the world.
In other words, Ryougi Shiki finds meaning in [Death] and is very honest about it. She would happily live as a monster because that's what she views herself as.
"Oi! Shiki-chaaaaaaan!"
I turn to the direction of the voice, a VERY familiar voice. "No way."
Running towards us is a girl with long brown hair tied to a ponytail and eyes. She is wearing a blue jersey with pink highlights and black bloomers. But even like this, I can easily recognize her.
The Tiger of Fuyuki, Taiga Fujimura.
'What is she wearing?' The trio of kids stare blankly at the girl's outfit. She looks like she just got out of school.
"There you are, Shiki-chan! Ojiisan and Ryougi-san have been worried sick!" Taiga exclaims.
"But they're so boring and it has nothing to do with me." Shiki argues.
"Yeah, you're right. They are totally boring!" Taiga sagely nods.
'Is that why you're here?' The group thought.
I laugh. Avoiding responsibility, that's just classic her.
"Hm?" Taiga turns in our direction. "Who are they? Are they your friends?"
"No, they're not my friends. I just met them." Shiki states rather bluntly.
Ouch.
"Well, kids, I'm Fujimura Taiga, the soon-to-be crowned queen of Kendo!" Taiga exclaims with gusto.
Illya steps forward. "Hi! My name's Illya, and this" she pulls me forward "is my brother Theo. Careful, he has a big potty mouth."
"Did you seriously have to tell her that?" I asked.
"H-Hello. M-My name is Senji Shirou." Shirou stuttered with a light blush on his face.
"Kya! You three are so CUTE!" Taiga gushed and envelops us in a massive bear hug. "I wanna take you all home and keep you there FOREVER!"
The three of us gasp in pain as we struggle to break out of her near inhuman grip. Seriously, what has she been eating!?
"Fujimura-san? Fujimura-san!" Shiki calls her out but she isn't listening. "... Fuji-nee."
Taiga's neck immediately snaps to her direction. "Whaddya say?"
Shiki tries to look away. "Nothing."
"HMMMMM~" Taiga lets us go and slides towards the girl. "That's not what I heard, Shiki-chan~"
Sweat slides profusely on Shiki's face. "Shut up."
"Don't be so stubborn, Shiki-chan~" Taiga's face was now inches from Shiki's. There was a mischievous glint in her bright brown eyes. "C'mon, don't leave your nee-chan hangin'."
"Your breath stinks. Go away." Shiki states.
Taiga slumps over and starts to sob. "Shiki-chan's a meanie!"
Shiki lets out an annoyed sigh. "Troublesome."
Okay, time to break the ice. "So, you two know each other?"
"Yeah! Shiki and I go way back!" Taiga states, her cheerfulness completely restored. "I still remember it like it was only a week ago."
"We DID meet a week ago." Shiki points out.
"Right!? It's been so long!" Taiga proceeds to embrace the girl. "Anyways, my grandpa has been talking about forming an alliance with Shiki's family and he finally managed to convince her old man to come to Fuyuki."
Illya cocks her head to the side. "Why would your grandpa want to make an alliance?"
"It's because they're both Yakuza." Taiga replies.
Illya and Shirou look confused. "Yakuza?"
"They're the Japanese version of the Mafia. I think I read them to you once back in Germany." I said. 'Note to self: finish the Godfather.'
"Wow!" Shirou and Illya beam in awe with stars in their eyes. They rush towards Taiga and grab her legs like some sort of lifeline. "CAN WE GO SEE THEM!? CANWE!?CANWE!?CANWE!?"
I try to be the voice of reason. "Uh, nee-san, I don't think that a good-"
"Sure! The more the merrier!" Taiga smiles.
"YAY!" The two kids' smiles widened.
Why do I even bother?
"All right, just follow me!" Taiga walks back and the kids quickly follow.
I let out a defeated sigh, before following them. Meeting a crime family isn't a good idea, especially one that practically controls an entire city like the Fujimuras. But then I remembered that Taiga's grandfather, Raiga Fujimura, is actually a pretty nice guy and very energetic according to Shirou's description of him. Heck, Kiritsugu befriended the man and helped him remodel the old inn and turned it into their home.
"If things go south, we can always kill them." Khonshu adds.
I smile a bit. What could possibly go wrong?
"Hi."
"AHHHH!" I jump forward in fright by the sudden voice only to see Shiki standing right in front of me.
"Ha, got you. Man, you are such a scaredy cat." Shiki giggles.
'I-I couldn't sense her. How did she do that?' I asked in shock.
"..."
'Khonshu?'
"... I did not sense her approach." Khonshu reluctantly admits.
'... what!?' Okay, now I'm scared.
"You stopped talking. You sure are strange." Shiki comments.
"W-Well, can you blame me? You just appeared out of nowhere. Anyone would get scared from that." I point out.
"Hm, I guess you're right." Shiki said absently, almost like she was on autopilot
'This is too creepy. Just what the hell is she trying to do?' The Ryougi family is part of the Demon Hunter Organization. They don't appear much in the Nasuverse, but they hold an essential element in Tsukihime, Kara no Kyoukai and Kagetsy Tohya due to the main characters that hail from them. They are made up of four families, all of whom have a psychic ability. And that thought alone was enough to scare me since it's their job to eliminate demons or Mixed-Bloods.
The Ryougi's psychic ability allows them to create dual personalities within themselves in an attempt to learn more than one skill by mastering them under different personalities, although this would cause some of their members to go insane due to becoming unable to regulate their two halves within themselves and becoming murderous beasts. Their ultimate goal was bring forth a child with the origin of 「 」, nothingness.
And Ryougi Shiki was that child.
Shiki then sighs. "Whatever, I'm bored now." She turns around and makes her way back.
I sigh in relief, only for this to happen.
"One more thing," I look up to see Shiki giving me an "innocent" smile. "My family doesn't hunt homunculi, so you're safe."
"!" That made me freeze on the spot.
"C'mon, let's go back with the others." With that, Shiki skips away, leaving me standing there frozen.
Shiki has two personalities much like everyone in her family; one female and one male. The male one, SHIKI, is by far the most dangerous since he's responsible for their more destructive impulses.
That's when I realized that I've been talking to SHIKI this whole time. It would explain why my memory of her was so inconsistent, because it wasn't her at all. She was too cheerful, more friendly than the stoic and reserved Shiki I know.
Nobody would believe that this girl is a stone-cold killer.
With a deep breath, I take my first steps as I follow SHIKI while keeping my distance.
'If he says that I'm safe, then I'm safe. As long as I don't show off my powers.' I stare at the assassin girl's back. 'The last thing I need is an assassin with fuck-you power added to the list of bastards trying to kill me.'
Meanwhile, SHIKI hums a happy tune as he skips through the grass. He loves Fuyuki City, it's been nothing but one exciting event after the next ever since they stepped foot here.
The gas leaks, the children's disappearances, the homicides. Really, it's like this town was made for them.
'This place smells weird.' That was what his sister felt when they first got here.
Oh yes, the smell, a smell that he was so familiar with. The smell of anxiety, of desperation is strong in the city as well as the blood, human blood.
It was like stepping into one of those mystery novels… and he loved it!
But what could cause someone to be so desperate? What's in this city that would drive someone to such lengths?
Fuyuki City was a mystery… and SHIKI was the detective.
But the one mystery that SHIKI was more interested in… was the one walking just behind him.
Theo and Illya are homunculi, but why are there two homunculi here in Fuyuki? And the pair could not be any different. Illya was cheerful, innocent, and had all of the obvious signs of someone who's lived a sheltered life.
But Theo? That got him interested.
While her sister acted like you would expect any other child, Theo was reserved… more controlled. When he looked into his eyes, SHIKI immediately saw the look of surprise, fear and recognition.
He was confused by his reaction, especially the recognition.
There was also something else SHIKI saw that shouldn't be there: age. His eyes were old, much, much older, a gaze a 6-year-old should NOT have at all.
When the tiger girl left with the others, SHIKI used the opportunity to take a deeper look into the boy.
They say eyes are windows to the soul, and it could not be truer to her.
While Theo was seemingly in his own world, he decided to take a closer look at those bright crimson eyes and what he found was even more jarring. There's something there, it was faint but it was definitely there. A powerful feeling washed over his body, a familiar and dreadful feeling that threatened to drown them both. It was familiar because it was the same oppressive presence she felt a few nights back, when that earthquake hit the town.
For some reason, their eyes suddenly began to hurt so much that he thought they were gonna explode before it quickly passed. That's when the two personalities realize why this feeling was so familiar, it was something that has been part of them since the two can remember.
It was the feeling of death.
While the Homunculus boy jumped away in fright, SHIKI's mind went into overdrive. Was this boy the source? Does he know about their family and their current profession? Was that why he was so scared of them?
Despite the sudden bomb drop of revelation, there was one thing they could agree on.
Coming to Fuyuki was most certainly the best thing that's ever happened to them!
With a smile, the "yang" personality of the girl turns to the mystery boy. "Better hurry up, or I'll leave you behind!" She picks up speed and runs off.
"Hey!" Theo quickly picks up the pace.
SHIKI laughs, this is so much fun!
A meeting between two Yakuza families is always private and in closed doors, with a few dozen guards or so from both families and sometimes these meetings can quickly get violent.
Here though, there's none of that. Just two older men sitting on a table playing Shogi while drinking tea. Nobody would believe these two are the respective leaders of powerful criminal organizations.
"So," Raiga smokes his pipe. "Ryougi-san, how are you liking Fuyuki City so far?"
"... fine." The Ryougi patriarch grunts as he stares deeply at his side of the board. "Too rowdy for my liking."
Raiga laughs. "You're not wrong. This city is known for its 'Cursed Winters'. Bad things always seem to happen at this time of year without fail."
Ryougi-san takes a Shogi piece and moves it left. "Do you truly believe that nonsense on the news about gas leaks and earthquakes?"
"Ha! I may be old but I'm not that gullible. You don't get to survive in this world as a Yakuza without being able to discern fantasy from reality." Raiga states as he moves his own piece. "Though I wonder who is casting this fog of lies. What is it that they're desperately trying to hide?"
"Who knows. Probably best if we mind our own business."
"... perhaps." Raiga glances at his fellow Yakuza boss. "But the truth often doesn't stay hidden forever. Eventually, someone or something will lift this fog and we will finally see the truth."
"You may not like it. There is a reason why humans lie; it is instinct." Ryougi-san states and moves another piece.
"True." Raiga agrees and moves his piece. "Checkmate."
Ryougi-san blinks and stares at the board. "You shrewd bastard."
"Ojiisan! Ryougi-san!" The two men turn to see Taiga running up to them along with two others.
"There's my favorite grandchild." Raiga smiles and quickly gets tackled into a hug.
"Did ya miss me, Ojiisan? Did ya?"
Raiga laughs. "Nope!" His attention shifts to the two kids standing there. "And who might you two be?"
"My name's Illya, and this is Shirou!" Illya greets him with a beaming smile.
"N-Nice to meet you." Shirou bows.
'A homunculus.' Ryougi-san thought as she analyzed the girl's seemingly inhuman appearance. 'But why is one here?'
"Ha! Kids these days are so well mannered. You should learn a thing or two from them, Taiga-chan." Raiga states.
"What!? I'm a pretty well-mannered girl, old man!"
"Then why do you look like you just came from a sports festival?" Raiga asks.
Taiga looks away, flustered. "I-It's not my fault all of my best outfits were dirty!"
"That's because you never bother to do your own laundry. I told you the housemaid was going on vacation this month." Raiga sighs.
Taiga scratches her cheeks. "Uh… oops?"
Ryougi-san stares at the girl. "Where is my daughter?"
Taiga flinches at the menacing look and jumps off her grandfather's arms. "O-Oh, well… she is-"
"I'm right here, dad!"
He only has a second to react before he is also tackled by a bundle of black hair.
"Did ya miss me?~" The girl said with a beaming smile.
Ryougi-san was surprised but quickly cooled his features as she pats his daughter's head. "Welcome back."
SHIKI giggles at the show of affection.
"Hi," Ryougi-san looks and sees another Homunculus. "My name is Theo. It's nice to meet you, sir."
'Another one?' He thought as he paid close attention to the boy's features. 'And why does this one look so familiar?'
"Dad? You're doing that thing again." His daughter's voice brought him back to reality.
"...oh." Ryougi-san's features soften as she looks at his daughter. "Better?"
"Umu!" SHIKI nods.
With that, everyone spent the rest of the day playing and drinking. When Ryougi-san started talking about training, Taiga immediately took out two Shinai from literally nowhere and handed one to the Ryougi patriarch, challenging him to a spar.
It ended as quickly as it began.
Time passed and the sun was slowly beginning to set on the horizon.
"Would you look at that? We must have lost track of time." Raiga stands up from his spot. "I believe this meeting is adjourned, then?"
"Yes." Ryougi-san stands as well. "Thank you for inviting us here."
Raiga waves him off. "Think nothing of it. In fact, I should be thanking you. It's been a while since I've seen my granddaughter's competitive drive. She must have been bored out of her mind."
"I can tell. She has the ferocity of a beast, but not the discipline of a swordsman. If she doesn't learn to contain herself, she may falter and fail." Ryougi-san states.
"Hm, then why not teach her while you're here? Our compound has a dojo you can use if you wish." Raiga suggests.
"I will think about it." Ryougi-san looks at the children. "Shiki, it's time to go."
"C'mon, Taiga-chan, you too."
Shiki turns around and runs towards her dad. "Coming!"
"Perfect timing! I'm starving!" Taiga adds.
"You're always hungry." Raiga chuckles. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you're more of a tiger than a human."
Tick marks appear all over Taiga's forehead. "How many times do I have to tell you, old man? DON'T CALL ME TIGER!"
The old Yakuza leader laughs at her grandchild's outburst. "I just can't help it! It's always funny to see you explode!"
"One of these days, old man. One of these days…!" Taiga growls.
The old Yakuza boss laughs harder at her granddaughter's attempt to be threatening.
After a short while, the two men gather their things and leave ahead while Taiga and Shiki say their goodbyes.
"Well, today was fun, wasn't it Shiki-chan?" Taiga asks the young girl.
"Hm." She hums a response.
'I'm guessing this is Shiki.' I thought.
"Goodbye, Fujimura-san." Shirou said.
Taiga waves off his response. "Don't call me, Fujimura-san. It makes me look old. You kids can just call me Fuji-nee!"
"Okay, Fuji-nee!" Illya exclaims.
I nod.
Taiga smiles. "Time to go! See ya later!" And with that, she rushes off at cartoonish speeds.
Shiki steps forward and holds her hand out. "Here. A present from both of us."
I hold my hand out and she drops three pieces of candy.
"They're strawberry flavored." Shiki states.
Illya and Shirou take their pieces while I put mine away.
Shiki smiles at me, it's graceful and genuine. "I hope to see you again." With that, she walks towards Taiga's direction.
As I Shiki walk farther and farther away, I feel something rising in my chest.
I am Thou... Thou art I...
Thou has acquire a new vow,
It shall become the path to Fate
That severe the deceitfulness of corrupted Destiny.
With the birth of the Death and the Sun Persona,
I have obtained the winds of blessing that
shall guide thee to a true route and new power…
[Death] Confidant [Ryougi Shiki] has been attained!
[Sun] Confidant [Fujimura Taiga] has been attained!
The following perk [Crazy Tiger] has been unlocked!
Crazy Tiger: Rank B
Enemies will be unable to predict you
Two Confidants again? Nice!
The perk definitely fits Taiga to a T.
'But why haven't I unlocked a perk for Shiki though?' I thought. 'Now that I think of it, I didn't unlock a perk for Kariya either, did I? I wonder if there's more I have to do before I get them.'
"I should probably get going. My parents are probably looking for me." Shirou's concerned voice brings me out of my thoughts.
"Alright, bye!" Illya said.
"I'll see you two later!" Shirou yells as he runs off.
Illya waves him off before turning to me. "We should probably get going, too, or else Sella will yell at us again."
"Knowing our luck, it's inevitable." I sigh.
"True. Well, let's go!" Illya grabs my hand and we run off.
First Arcueid Brunestud and now Ryougi Shiki.
Two main heroines from two stories that shouldn't interact; same but different.
Am I in some sort of Singularity, or a true Route?
What other characters will I run into in Fuyuki? Why are they all coming here?
So many questions, so little time.
Welp, Sella yelled at us, no surprise there.
Arcueid and Liz proceed to hug us while Mashu looks out of place, not sure what to do.
Don't worry, Mashu. You're cute no matter what, and that's all that matters to me.
Fou beat Merlin to a bloody pulp, not sure why but he likely deserved it.
We return to the hotel and have our dinner. Merlin was tied up and placed in a corner with a cardboard sign around his neck saying "Enemy of all Women".
I look at Merlin's state with curiosity. "What did Merlin do?"
"I dare not speak it, young master." Sella said.
"What did he do, Liz?" Illya asked.
"You don't want to know." Liz replied.
I arch an eyebrow. "It was that bad?"
"Just drop it, please." Even Arcueid didn't want to talk about it.
I turn to Mashu and she quickly looks away, embarrassed.
Fou growls and throws a knife at the Mage of Flowers, the blade embedded in his head.
Yikes.
After dinner, we, including a still bound Merlin, gather in the living room and discuss a plan.
"So, there's going to be an event tonight at the Einzbern Castle; a banquet between kings." I began.
Illya puffs her cheeks. "No fair. Why do you get to go? I wanna see mama and papa!"
Merlin smiles. "Don't worry, Illya-chan. I'll make a familiar and connect it to a crystal ball, that way you can watch it all from here."
"Really!? Thank you, uncle!" Illya smiles.
"Lolicon." Liz said.
"Ugh!" Those words stab Merlin in the chest.
"Rider is going to be there along with his master. It's a given that Saber will be there since it is Einzbern territory, but one Servant that we should really be wary of is Archer." I said.
"Gilgamesh… the King of Heroes…" Sella whispers out loud.
"The Wedge of Heaven, Humanity's Oldest Hero, and the most arrogant bastard you will ever meet." I said before getting smacked by Illya.
"Language." Illya scolded.
"He is more well known for his vault, the [Gate of Babylon]. It is said to contain all of the treasures in the world past, present and future. It is so vast that it even exceeds his own knowledge." Mashu adds. She has met King Gilgamesh before and while he was arrogant, he tempers it with wisdom.
However, the Gilgamesh summoned here is from a much earlier point in his legend, from a time where he was a tyrant. He would kill his subjects without a second thought and would simply take what he wanted when he wanted.
It was only when Enkidu came to his life did Gilgamesh start to mellow out and act more like a king.
"Gilgamesh's [Gate of Babylon] is his biggest asset. It grants him access to many things but most notably the prototypes of other heroes' Noble Phantasms, and he can launch them as the strongest arrows towards his opponents. It's why he is placed in the Archer class. Not to mention having so many Noble Phantasms makes it impossible to discern his identity at a glance." I explained.
Filla looks at me. "How do you beat someone like that?"
"Generally you don't, but he does have two notable weaknesses." I raise one finger. "The first is that Gilgamesh will never take you seriously in battle. In his eyes, unless you do something noteworthy, you aren't worth his attention or his time. He treats battles like pest control, and he's the exterminator." I raise a second finger. "The second is that while he owns all weapons in existence, he doesn't really know how to use them barring a few exceptions and can be overwhelmed by someone who's mastered their weapon to its absolute limit (or someone who can create copies of them)." I keep the last part to myself.
"And those are?" Sella asks.
"Aside from his [Gate of Babylon], Gilgamesh has three Noble Phantasms that he can use to their fullest." I began. "The first is [Enkidu], a series of golden chains of immeasurable length that are capable of sealing the [Divine] attribute of its targets. The more divinity its captive has, the stronger the chains become, keeping them in place." I said. "His second is known as [Sha Naqba Imuru] and it basically gives him [Clairvoyance]. He can discern heavily concealed truths with a single glance, making him fully capable of reading the True Name and Noble Phantasms of his opponents as well as accurately assessing their abilities and tell the exact number of spells a magus is preparing just by looking at them."
"Scary. Very scary." Liz said.
"Grandpa told me about him. He met the king once and while visiting his palace, he tripped and broke one of his vases. He immediately jumped into a portal to avoid certain death." Arcueid scratches her head in frustration. "Man, and here I thought this was going to be a walk in the park."
"I'm more surprised he didn't just hunt him down. With as many treasures he has, he likely has one that can allow him to travel to other dimensions." I shrug. "I guess he wasn't worth the effort."
Meanwhile, across the world in a certain clock tower, a troll sneezed.
"His final Noble Phantasm is likely the most powerful, and in my opinion, the most scary of them all." Merlin chimes in.
"What is it?" Filla asked.
"It's called [Ea] and it is the strongest weapon in Gilgamesh's arsenal." Merlin replies. "It was created before the concept of a 'sword' even existed. It is split into three sections, each representing the heavens, the earth, and the underworld. It exemplifies the world's way of being by having each one of them rotate in opposite directions. The "cosmos" is thus represented by matching all three of these representations." He continues. "When it spins, it recreates the moment of "creation" or the Big Bang, destroying everything and reducing it into their most basic components. You don't really need to imagine what would happen if it hit you."
"Yikes." Filla already imagined it.
Mashu gulps nervously. She remembers how King Gilgamesh used it on Tiamat back in the Babylonia Singularity. He simply pointed the weapon at the Beast and it was destroyed in an instant, broken down into literally nothing. She always knew his majesty was powerful but to have something like that in his treasury was mind blowing.
He could have easily stopped the Goddesses and Tiamat, but instead used most of his power to protect his kingdom. He turned his kingdom into a fortress, its people having survived thus far thanks to their resolve and Gilgamesh's efforts and because of that, humanity was able to survive the worst of calamities, divided but alive.
And it was all thanks to the king.
"Every pantheon knows of the story of King Gilgamesh. He is considered one of the most powerful demigods in all of history. His vault and its contents are legendary and Ea is the stuff of envy and awe. The Egyptians openly confronted the Sumerians for not only just keeping it hidden, but giving it to a half-breed as young as Gilgamesh. Ninsun said that she had a dream where the planet faced an impossible enemy and at the frontlines was her son using the weapon, which is what prompted her to give it to him." Khonshu explains.
Huh, interesting. I wonder if she meant Goetia or U-Olga.
"He is also the reason why Zeus went around having so many affairs: he wanted his own Gilgamesh. Of course, none of his children turned out like he hoped but he continued to father more under Hera's nose and there was nothing she could do to stop him." Khonshu said.
"So… how do you beat something like that?" Filla asked. It seemed like Gilgamesh was unstoppable.
I shake my head. "You don't. Frankly, it would be a miracle to just survive its 'awakening' as its sheer power destroys everything around it." I said. "The best way to survive is to use the king's own emotions against him, his pride as a king and the oldest hero. It'll make him lose his cool, making him more prone to make errors and more openings to strike."
"The best way to do that is to insult his kingdom or, in a certain Archer's case, disgust him with your existence." Khonshu said.
"Can't we just avoid him?" Illya asked.
Sella shakes her head. "Even if we do, it'll only be a matter of time before he comes hunting your Servants down. He may see you two as easy targets."
"He won't. Gilgamesh may be a cold-hearted bastard and an egomaniac, but even he has a moral code. He won't harm the young lady. Although my master IS another story all together." Merlin said.
Gee, thanks douche.
Arcueid leans back on her chair. "So, that's that then. There's nothing else to discuss."
"Can't you just use your Personas?" Illya asks.
I shake my head. "Most of my Personas have a certain degree of divinity to them. If he uses [Enkidu] on me, I'm toast."
"So then what do we do?" Sella asked.
I stand up from my spot. "Well, I was invited to a banquet. Would be pretty rude not to go, right?"
The scene switches to a shot of the full moon hanging silently over the buzzling city of Fuyuki, its residents blissfully going about their daily lives without care.
From the penthouse, the sliding door opens and I walk out into the balcony.
"It's a beautiful full moon tonight." I comment as moonlight washes over everything.
"Master." Merlin appears behind me.
"I guess Arcueid let you off the hook." I smirked.
Merlin scratches the sides of his arms. "Yes. Say what you will, little Arcy knows how to tie a knot."
"Call me that again and I'll use spiked chains next time." Merlin jolts as Arcueid strolls in.
"S-Sorry, Arcueid." Merlin stutters.
I laugh a little.
"It is odd having company." Khonshu said.
"Yeah." I said as I donned my metaverse outfit.
I grab on my mask and take it off. "PERSONA!"
As soon as I said that, something began to take form in front of me. It's a silver motorcycle with a woman's face where the main headlight should be.
I get on the motorcycle and Arcueid follows suit, wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing her very large breasts on my back.
I blush but no one can see it because of the mask.
Merlin looks at the motorcycle before turning to me. "Uh, Master? Exactly where do I sit?"
"Nowhere. This is meant for two people." I said.
"Yeah. So instead of complaining, start walking. You lazy demon." Arcueid spat.
Merlin cries while pulling on a tissue with his mouth. "So mean! You're both worse than Morgan!"
"Oh, stop being such a baby. Just use your ghost form to cut the distance." I suggest.
"Oh right. Good idea." Merlin said, the fact that he's a spirit completely slipped his mind.
I roll my eyes as I twist the throttle. "Let's roll, Johanna!"
The motorcycle launches forward off the rooftop, but instead of falling, the wheels stick to the windows of the building, allowing them to safely drive downwards without risk of falling before reaching the street and racing onwards.
"What a bunch of crazy kids." Merlin looks up at the moon. "I wonder how the king will react when she sees me. I can't wait!"
With that, the caster Servant vanishes from sight.
The people walk through the dimly illuminated streets of downtown Fuyuki before a barely visible silhouette is seen on the road which is followed by a large sonic boom that almost blows everyone back.
The silhouette races through the roads, avoiding cars with finesse and grace of a professional.
The silhouette slowly becomes visible, revealing Johanna's stylish silver form and stainless finish as it races across the city with its two passengers.
"You know, for a kid, you really know how to drive." Arcueid remarks.
"I know, right? I'm even shocked." I said. 'That's a high-ranked Riding Skill for you.'
We quickly pass the city suburbs and reach the entrance of the Einzbern Forest. The forest is the base established by the Einzbern family for the Fuyuki Holy Grail War. It is surrounded by a large Bounded Field that can allow the Einzbern Master to detect anyone entering the forest unless they manage to conceal their presence or magical energy flow.
But since I have [Presence Concealment] and Arcueid has complete mastery of her power, Kiritsugu and Irisveil shouldn't be able to detect us.
Pulling on the clutch, Johanna stops at the forest path, with the lights of the Einzbern Castle can be seen just beyond.
The two get off Johanna and she disappears.
"So, that's where your parents are. Looks tacky." Arcueid comments.
I look at the castle with unease. 'Why does it feel like I'm forgetting something?'
"Behind you!"
"!" Arcueid and I jump back just as a silvery tentacle comes into view and slashes the ground clean leaving only gaping gash.
"Oh, you dodged. A pity. I wanted to make this quick."
From the dark trees, a figure steps out. He is a man with swift back light blond hair and bright green eyes. He wears a navy scholar coat with white gloves, black pants, and black shoes. While his coat seems simple, its stiffly structured decorations show individualism. By his side is a large blob of mercury-like substance, almost like a slime of some kind showing off the mirror-like metal sheen of the substance.
There was also this aura of royalty to him, or is it arrogance?
"Hm. Originally, my plan was to attack the Master of Saber. But to think, I would find the rabscallion who robbed me of the opportunity of eliminating Caster. Well," the magus smirks. "Who am I to refuse such a blessing from the Holy Grail?"
Yup, definitely arrogance.
"The Holy Grail War, a ritual where Magi fight to the death for a single wish. It is a battle fit for the greatest of magi, such as myself. It is no place for vagabonds and no good children such as yourself. Your low born parents must be desperate if they only sent an inexperienced brat who doesn't even know the proper etiquette of battle." The man raises his hand up to his face. "And the worst part is that you are allied with the White Princess of all things!" He sends me a one-eye glare. "Truly vexing! It sickens me to my very core!"
"Okay, who is this guy?" Arcueid asks, clearly annoyed.
The magus smiles at the question. "I will gladly tell you, my dear."
"He is alarmingly excited for that question." Khonshu comments.
"I am the Lord of the Department of Mineralogy at the Clock Tower, and the ninth head of the Archibald family: Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald." Kayneth bows. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Brunestud."
A lightbulb lights up on the top of my head. 'Oh I remember him! He was that arrogant prick who got his ass beaten the third night of the war. I can't believe I forgot about him.'
"If you forgot him, it shows just how irrelevant and weak he is." Khonshu mocked.
I inwardly chuckle. How true it was. Despite being a main character, Kayneth only existed in order to showcase Kiritsugu's abilities as the [Magus Killer] and ends up getting crippled because he underestimated him.
I mean, Kiritsugu's infamy is known throughout the Moonlit World. You could have at least had some kind of plan in case you ever encountered him.
"Princess of the True Ancestors." Kayneth raises his hand at Arcueid. "I, Lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, request the formation of an alliance. Together, we can destroy all of the Masters and claim the Holy Grail."
I activate [Analysis] and check his stats.
Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald
Title: Lord El-Melloi, Prodigy, King Moron, Little-Dick Archibald
Level: 17
Tier: Brand
HP: 2,314
MP: 3,000
STR: 95
END: 85
AGI: 66
MAG: 100
LUK: 32
Weakness: Fire Ice, Psy, Electric, Nuclear, Curse, Almighty
'Huh. He's stronger than the others.' I remarked.
"Not interested." Arcueid said flatly.
"Excellent, then let's-wait, what!?" Kayneth exclaims in disbelief.
"Like I said, I'm not interested." Arcueid said.
"P-Please reconsider! With your strength and my magecraft, we will be unstoppable." Kayneth pleaded.
Arceuid's eyes glow red as she glares at the Master. "I thought I made it clear, mage, I want nothing to do with you. You are just like every other blueblood in the Clocktower, all of them with a stick up their asses. You think that just because you are from an old family makes you better, but the truth is you're not. You're all just parasites who can't survive out of the shadow of their ancestors, flaunting their achievements around like they're your own." She massages her forehead. "It's no wonder why grandpa never stays for more than a week there; Root knows how much of a headache you all are."
"Y-You…!" Kayneth bites his lower lip enraged.
"Besides," Arcueid wraps her arms and pulls me into a hug, burning my head in her bountiful chest. "I already found my precious knight and I refuse to abandon him."
I blush under the mask. 'Is this what it feels like to have a crush?'
"Probably."
Kayneth grits his teeth. "You wretch. I was willing to form an alliance because you are the director's granddaughter, but I guess this is what I reap from thinking an inhuman monster can have common sense."
"Hey!"
Kayneth raises his left hand, his Command Seals begin to glow. "Lancer come."
On cue, someone appears beside Kayneth. He is a handsome-looking young man with quirky long hair combed backward in a rough fashion that has a strand hanging down his face and a beauty mark just below his right eye. He wears a skin-tight dark-teal outfit with armor plating on his left shoulder and vambrace on his left arm. He holds two spears: a yellow one on his right hand and a red one on his left.
Diarmuid Ua Duibhne
Title: Diarmuid of the Love Spot, Loyal Knight of the Fianna, First Spear of the Knights of Fianna, Ass-kissing Knight, Mr. NTR
Level: 69
Tier: 3 STAR
HP: 10,098
MP: 7,364
STR: 1,277
END: 989
AGI: 2,766
MAG: 785
LUK: 555
Weakness: Fire, Psy, Electric, Nuclear, Bless, Almighty
Noble Phantasm: Gáe Buidhe, Gáe Dearg
"Lancer, kill that wretch." Kayneth ordered.
My eyes widened at the command. 'Is he insane!? Does he not realize who he's attacking!?'
"Apparently not. He probably thinks he can put the blame on his Servant." Khonshu said.
'Zelretch may be a troll, but he's not stupid. The moment he learns of this, Kayneth will lose more than just his status as a Lord.' I said.
Even Arcueid was surprised, but more so confused. "You do realize who you're raising your hand against, yes? Do you really think you can get away with it?"
"Oh, I know I will." Kayneth simply smirks. "Once I bring your head to the Vice-Director, all of my problems will go away."
"So that's it. You're banking on the fact that the Vice-Director has a murder boner for all Dead-Apostles." I cross my arms together.
Arcueid raises her hand up to her face as she laughs. "Man, you really are an idiot! You think little LORELEI can stop grandpa's rampage, of all people!" She looks up, causing the man to instinctively take a step back. "For a so-called 'Lord of the Department of Mineralogy at the Clock Tower', you certainly don't understand just how FUCKED you are."
I can feel a sense of pride rising from Khonshu. "That's my girl."
"Grr!" Kayneth grits his teeth.
"My lord, maybe we should withdraw for now." Diarmuid suggested.
Kayneth's anger shifts to his Servant. "You dare command ME, Lancer!? I am your Master! And I ORDER YOU to kill this freak of nature!"
"But, My lord-"
"DO NOT make me use another Command Seal!" Kayneth threatened to prove his point.
"... yes." Diarmuid reluctantly obeys as he takes a battle stance.
New Quest Unlocked!
Topoling a Lord
Objective: Defeat Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald
Reward: 38,679 EXP, ¥5,782, Mugen Muramasa, Volumen Hydrargyrum
Failure: Death
"Arcueid, be careful. That's Diarmuid of the Love Spot. His beauty mark can charm any woman who sees it." I told her.
Both Diarmuid and Kayneth were surprised by my knowledge. How did he know!?
"Oh, so that's what that weird feeling was. I thought it was just the cold getting to me." Arcueid said. "Anything else I should know?"
"Yes, his Noble Phantasm are those two spears. The yellow one can inflict wounds that can't be healed while the red one can-"
"ENOUGH! Lancer, do it now!"
The Loyal Knight of Fianna steps before vanishing from sight.
"!?" Arcueid only has a split second to react as she bends 90 degrees back, avoiding Lancer's yellow spear from impaling her chest.
"You almost cut my hair." Arcueid remarks with a mix of anger in her tone.
Lancer retracts his arm. "Forgive me. I wanted to make this quick, but it seems there is no other alternative."
"Arcueid, be careful. Unlike Caster, this one is quick on his feet." I warned her.
The princess gives me a smile. "Don't worry, I know how to be careful. I've been hunting Dead Apostles all of my life, after all." She turns to the Servants. "Catch me if you can~" She dashes further into the forest.
"Don't let her get away, Lancer. After her!" Diarmuid obeys and quickly follows after her.
Kayneth looks down on me and smirks. "Now it's just the two of us."
"You seem excited about the prospect of fighting a child." I remark.
Kayneth chuckles. "Yes. though I wouldn't call it 'fighting' but more like 'instilling discipline'." He puts both of his hands behind his back. "I've been curious, why do you want to destroy the Grail? I would think such a thing would entice an outsider such as yourself. Just having it can elevate you to Fes rank."
"Oh believe me, it does… but the cost is not worth it." I said.
"What cost?" Kayneth asks, clearly confused.
"The loss of human life. The totality of its complete disregard for it. You people have your little wars, uncaring of what sort of damage your actions wrought to the city." I explained.
Kayneth finally understands. "So what? You want us to take responsibility for our actions? Why should we? We magi have done this for centuries and whatever damage we incur on the world, it is easily wiped away by the church."
"So, you don't care about the lives you inadvertently take?" I asked.
Kayneth just smiles. "Why should we? Ordinary humans are nothing but peddles in our feet. In fact, these mongrels should cry in jubilation at being part of such a sacred ritual."
A northern wind blows as the two stand there staring at each other.
I take a deep breath and then promptly exhale. "... I see. Now I can kill you without mercy."
Kayneth scoffs. "You think you can fight a Lord of the Clocktower on equal ground? How arrogant. Allow me to educate you on how a REAL magus does battle!" He yells. "[Fervor, mei sanguis]!"
The giant blob suddenly launches tentacles at me, but I manage to dodge them in time.
When I turn to look, all I see are sliced trees and destroyed earth where I was standing.
"Spectacular. You can cut down trees. It's not like anyone else can do that." Moon Knight sarcastically mocked.
Kayneth grits his teeth. "It seems I will have to teach you how to act around your betters."
'I just hope Arcueid is all right.' I thought.
"Hm!" Arcueid leaps back as Lancer swings his spears. "Hup!" Despite his finesse and speed, he can't seem to land a hit on her.
In fact, she looks like she's having fun!
"Tell me, why are you not taking this seriously!?" Diarmuid demands.
Arcueid lands on a tree branch. "If I do that, then it won't be as fun. Besides, I'm only serious to people I deem a threat."
"And you're saying I'm not!?" Diarmuid surmised.
Arcueid cocks her head to the left. "Well, yeah. You're too weak to be a threat."
Diarmuid jumps to Arcueid and sends a fury of stabs with his yellow spear at her.
"Oh, did I make you mad?" Arcueid taunted.
However, Diarmuid uses this moment to deliver another thrust at the ancestor. Arcueid dodges it, but the blade manages to grace her left cheek.
They both land and Arcueid wipes the blood from her cheek, the wound already healed. "Lucky shot."
"How odd. Normally, wounds from Gáe Buidhe do not heal. I suppose it must be because you are not human. So in that case," he raises the red spear on his left. "I will simply have to sever whatever magic you use to regenerate."
'So that's it. The yellow spear leaves cursed wounds while the red one cancels out magic. A terrifying combination, no wonder he's a Heroic Spirit.' Arcueid thought.
"In honor of the Knights of Fianna, in the name of my lord Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald. I, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, shall vanquish you back to the dark pits from whence you came!" Diarmuid declares and charges forward. "Have at thee, monster!"
Arcueid dodges all of the Servant's strikes, all with a smile on her face. In the eyes of the observer, they're fighting at inhuman speeds, unable to be tracked by the human eye.
But to Arcueid? His movements were slow, just slow enough to dodge while humming a happy tune.
Diarmuid, meanwhile, was at his wits end. While he liked to think he was calm and collected, they were still things that could set him off like now.
This… thing was insulting him. Its expression, its movements, it all amounts to the fact that it was treating this like a game, not a battle. It's an insult to his and his lord's honor.
To his surprise, the monster grabs both of his weapons and, to his shock and horror, pulls him closer to its face.
"Say… aren't you bored of this?" The monster suddenly asked.
"What…?"
"I mean, it's clearly obvious that I'm stronger than you. So why continue?" Arcueid elaborates.
"Yes, your words ring true." Diarmuid admits but doesn't falter. "But even so, I must defeat you!"
"Why? Why go so far?"
"Because my lord commanded me and, as his Servant, I will fulfill it and bring honor to his name!" Diarmuid declares.
"... wow. Didn't expect that." Arcueid said, clearly bewildered. "It's a shame your master is a stuck-up douchebag. You and my knight would certainly get along."
"Ah yes, the 'Moon Knight'. Tell me, why did that child decide to take the mantle of a knight?" Diarmuid asks.
Arcueid shrugs. "Who knows. He was already like that when I met him. You'll have to ask him when you see him."
Arcueid loosens her grip on the spears and Diarmuid jumps back to make some distance. However, before he can do anything, he suddenly freezes and turns to the forest with a troubled gaze.
Arcueid sees this and calls his attention. "What's wrong, mister knight?"
The Servant of the Lace frowns and turns to the True Ancestor. "My lord is in danger..." His grip on his weapons tightened in frustration. "Was this your plan all along, vampire?"
A big comical question mark appears above Arcueid's head. "Plan? What plan? I thought the plan was to go partying at the castle."
Diarmuid's expression can only be described as "WTF?" before shaking it off.
"Regardless, I must rescue my Master at once!" He exclaims and vanishes into spirit form.
"Hey, wait!" Arcueid quickly rushes off.
Meanwhile
I lean against a tree as I go through my status menu, equipping some accessories.
"Why didn't you do this before we left the penthouse?" Khonshu asked.
"Well, because I wasn't expecting to run into LANCER and King Moron!" I whisper as I put the last touches.
The Victory Cup
S.E.E.S. Armband
Expedite Ring
Ring of Vanity
Orichalcum R
Warden's Baton
Omnipotent Orb
Demonica Device
Ghillie Vest
"Hm, wonder why I haven't done this before." That's when I notice something shine and see a trail of metal goop rolling on the ground.
"!" I jump just as the around me are instantly cut down revealing Kayneth standing not too far from me.
"Found you, pathetic rat."
I raise my hand at Kayneth. "[Eiga]!" A ball of darkness forms on my palm and fires at Kayneth, but the Mystic Code rises to form a wall and protects him.
"Hm, it seems you know some magecraft after all though I have never heard of such a spell." The wall lowers revealing an amused Kayneth. "Tell me, is it some kind of derivative of the [Gandr]?"
"Tch." I click my tongue.
"Not talking? Very well." Kayneth's smile never seized. "[Scalp]." The silver blob changes into two long and thin whip-like ribbons that launch themselves straight at me.
I dodge all of the whip attacks while firing an Agilao at the smug magus only for his Mystic Code to block it.
"Not just curses, but fire magecraft. You are becoming more interesting by the minute, boy." Kayneth said.
I summon my [Rebel Rifle] and open fire on Kayneth, but his Mystic Code deflects the bullets.
"I see, you let yourself be sullied by modern weaponry." Kayneth stoically stares down at me. "Very well, this is no longer a battle, but an extermination."
Bullets continue to hail on Kayneth, but his Mystic Code keeps protecting him.
"This is getting you nowhere." Khonshu said.
"You're right." I turn around and run off.
Kayneth just looks amused. "Running away, are we? Not that it makes a difference." He crosses his arms together. "[Ire Sanctio]!"
The blob starches towards the trees and begins to track the wannabe magus.
"You were a fool to pick a fight against me, boy. With no Servant by your side or help from that Dead Apostle, you are completely at my mercy." Kayneth comments as he patiently waits. The blob returns to normal as it begins to guide its user. "Ah, there you are. I hope you're ready for your final lesson."
I run through the forest before grinding into a halt. I look back to the sea of trees I left behind, "this should be far enough." A cyan sphere of light slowly descends to me, "is he following?"
"Yes. He seems to be walking at his leisure." Pixie giggles. "What an idiot. He doesn't even realize he's playing right into your hands."
The view switches back to Kayneth as he walks the forest path with a serene smile on his face. "What an audacious night. I get to remove one of the two biggest thorns in my side. And if Lancer manages to kill the White Princess then my name will reach even greater heights." He begins to chuckle. "To think, not only will I have my wish granted but also become the greatest magus in the history of the association. There's nothing that could go wrong now."
"You will regret saying those words soon enough."
"!?" Kayneth looks around in search of the voice, before the ground he's standing on begins to glow. "!"
A massive glacier suddenly bursts from the ground, trapping him within it.
From the bushes, Jack Frost walks out and looks at the glacier.
"Hehehe! That's what you get, hee-ho!" The snow fairy mocked.
*CRACK~*
The glacier bursts in multiple directions.
"Waaaaah!" Jack Frost cries as he is blown away.
Kayneth walks out of the remains with his Volumen Hydrargyrum in toe. "Clever, boy. But a trick like this only works ONCE."
"Then it's a good thing I'm not a one-trick pony, huh?"
From the bushes, a red humanoid with black hair and long crimson horns. It wears a black sash around its waist and holds two scimitars on both hands.
"...! [Scalp]!" The Mystic Code attacks with its whip blades, but the monster easily parries and counters all of its strikes.
As he focuses his attention on the familiar, he doesn't see the jack-o-lantern raising its lamp and launches a fireball, hitting Kayneth on the back.
"Aaaahh!" Kayneth screams and turns to the cause. "Damn you!" He commands Volumen Hydrargyrum to attack and pierces the familiar in the chest and disappears. However, he realizes his error and only has enough time to turn back and have the monster slash him with its scimitar, leaving two bleeding gashes on his chest.
"Aurgh!" Kayneth holds his chest in unbearable pain. "I'LL KILL YOU!" Volumen Hydrargyrum begins to shift and suddenly explodes into multiple spikes that pierce everything surrounding it, including the enemy.
Kayneth wheezes in and out as he watches the familiar vanish.
"Hah… hah… pathetic." Kayneth scoffs. "I didn't enter the Holy Grail War for this sort of battle!" He slowly gets up. "I refuse to bend a knee to a prepubescent child who doesn't uphold magus principles!"
He walks down the forest path as his blob of mercury follows in toe, forming two tendrils at its sides and using them to tear down all of the surrounding trees.
"Where is he? WHERE ARE YOU!?" The Lord demands, his rage already passes its limits.
Eventually, Kayneth arrives in a clearing and standing in the middle was Moon Knight. The Moon seemingly hanging just above him, its light shining like a spot light.
"You made it. Took you long enough." I said.
Kayneth smiles smugly. "Now you can't use your precious familiars, can you? You dirty plebeian!" He drags his hand through his hair to fix it. "I will give you SOME credit where it's earned, but that's all. A simple and improbable coincidence! I know you can at least tell the difference!"
"Familiars? I asked before chuckling. Ah, I see. I suppose a mere Magus like you would see them as such."
Kayneth grits his teeth at the insult. "I will make you suffer. I will rip your skin bit by bit until there is nothing but muscle and bone. Then, I will use healing magecraft to heal you and start the process again and again until I break your mind." His opponent doesn't say anything. "And as you die in agony, you will curse them… you will curse your filthy family for ever thinking they could fight against a Lord!"
"... Are you finished with your little temper tantrum now?" I asked.
"!?"
"You keep going on about your status as if expecting to bow or something, but let me tell you a little secret." I said. "Nobody gives a shit. Frankly, I don't see what all the fuss is about since you've been nothing but a disappointment."
"D-Disappointment?"
"Yes, a disappointment who can't even SEE the metaphorical landmine he just stepped on." I slowly walk forward. Kayneth's surprised by the immense Killer Intent washing over him. "Normally, I wouldn't get emotional during a battle, emotions making you predictable or whatever. But you made one FATAL mistake. You insulted my family, and for that… " I raise my hand and grab my mask. "YOU. WILL. SUFFER."
Kayneth stares in shock as the boy's mask is suddenly engulfed in blue flames.
"PERSONA!" I rip my mask off and from behind Khonshu manifests.
Kayneth looks dumbstruck before composing himself. "So, you finally summoned your Servant. Judging by its appearance, I'd say it's Caster. But it won't help you." He smirks. "I will rip you apart before he can make his move."
Khonshu scoffs. "Such arrogance. He truly believes that I'm in the same league as these copies."
I nod. "I'm afraid there's been a misunderstanding here. He isn't a Servant, but a true Divine Spirit. And I didn't summon him, he was always a part of me from the get go. He was born from my soul."
Kayneth just laughs. "Born from your soul? You expect me to believe that? Such a statement can have you hunted and put to death, boy."
"Enough of this. I have reached my wits end with this fool." Khonshu growls.
"How about we shut his shitty mouth forever?" I asked.
If Khonshu had a face, he would be smiling. "That's a wonderful idea."
Blood veils become more visible as Kayneth becomes further enraged. "[Fervor, mei sanguis]!" Mercury tendrils launch themselves straight for us.
"[Giant Slice]!" Khonshu charges forward and swings his staff in an arc, destroying Volumen Hydrargyrum.
"I-Impossible!" Kayneth screams in disbelief as droplets of mercury drop to the ground.
I summon [Victory Beam] and rush towards the dumbstruck Kayneth. "[Brave Blade]!" The energy wave from my swing strikes true, and slices the Lord vertically across his waist.
"GUAAAAAAAAAH!" Kayneth screams in absolute agony as his upper torso falls face-first on the grass.
I dismiss Khonshu and put my mask back on. "In the end, your titles and achievements meant jack against a real fighter, the idea that nobody like me beat you must be driving you insane." I summon [Governance] and aim it at Kayneth's head. "But don't worry, I'll take those nasty thoughts away."
However, before I can fire, a hand suddenly grabs my arm and, turning to look, the hand is revealed to be Diarmuid's.
"That's enough. I will not allow you to dishonor my Master any longer." Diarmuid declares.
I oblige before dismissing my weapon and taking a step back, allowing the knight to pick up the remains of his Master.
"... tell me, why do you willingly serve him? He doesn't respect you and treats you like a simple tool instead of an esteemed warrior." I asked.
"... I have sworn an oath to serve my Master. Someone who uses the title of knight so flippantly will never understand." Diarmuid states. "At the very least, I can bring him to his beloved so that they can say their final goodbyes."
"I sincerely doubt she'll be sad about this." Khonshu remarks.
"I see. Goodbye, Diarmuid." I said.
"... farewell." Diarmuid leaps out of the forest.
Quest Complete!
Toppling a Lord
Objective (Complete): Defeat Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald
Reward: 38,679 EXP, ¥5,782, Mugen Muramasa, Volumen Hydrargyrum
Failure: Death
Level Up(x11)
Mugen Muramasa acquired!
Volumen Hydragyrum acquired!
Mugen Muramasa: Blade of Lucid Dreams (Rank B)
One of the many blades forged by the legendary blacksmith Senji Muramasa. A blade as black as night, capable of not only cutting its opponent on the physical plane but also in the plane of dreams.
Special Skill: Universal Image
Creates four solid copies that destroy anything they pass through in an instant.
Special Perk: Quick Draw
Boost STR by 10
ATK: 580 + STRx1.5 Physical/Curse Damage
Volumen Hydragyrum: Marrow of the Moon Spirit (Rank D)
A Supreme Mystic Code, the ultimate expression of the Archibald family's magecraft and Kayneth's own exceptional talent. It acts as both the user's sword and shield, and responds to his movements and commands, shifting between forms for different tasks. However, despite its versatility, it is still an automaton and as such, can become predictable once it has been thoroughly analyzed. Also, since the Magical Energy required to operate it is directly proportional to the complexity of its shape, it is necessary to keep it in its basic form as much as possible—switching to a more complex form drastically reduces its reaction speed and power.
ATK: Based on STR
DEF: Based on END
I watch them go and sigh. "I feel sorry for him. He must be the third unluckiest bastard I've ever met."
Khonshu scoffs. "I don't know what you're whining about. His disadvantage is our advantage."
"Y'know, it wouldn't kill you to show a little sympathy." I said dryly.
"Yeah, when pigs fly and when Ra and Apophis become friends." Khonshu bites back.
"Theeeeeeeeeoooooooooo!" I turn to see Arcueid waving with a smile on her face.
"And the prodigal daughter returns." Khonshu chuckles
Arcueid runs up to me. "Sorry, that Servant guy ran away."
I arch an eyebrow under the mask. How is she slower than Diarmuid? As an Elemental and/or Brain of the Planet, you would think she'd be faster than a Servant.
But whatever, logic be damned.
"It's alright, Arcueid. I'm just happy you're safe." I said.
Arcueid beamed. "Great! Then I'd like a reward!"
I'm a little taken aback by her request. "A… reward?"
Arcueid vigorously nods. "Yeah! A reward for a job well done!"
A job that you somehow still messed up but okay. "Well, what do you want?"
I can practically see the metaphorical cat ears above her head twitching excitingly as she leans forward. "A head pat!"
I sigh in relief. 'At least it wasn't another painful hug.' I mentally groan at the memory. "Okay." I give her a head pat.
"Hehehe~" Arcueid purrs with delight.
[I'm starting to think she's more cat than vampire]
I stare at the large puddle of mercury. I believe the spell to activate it is, "[Fervor, mei sanguis]"
The puddle of mercury reforms back into its ball form and slithers towards my side.
"Cool." Arcueid said.
I look around and realize that something's missing. "Say, where's Merlin?"
Arcueid crosses her arms below her chest, making them jiggle a little. "Who knows. Probably perving on the young girls in the city. Sounds like something he'd do."
You're making him sound like a rapist. "Whatever, let's just head to the castle." I said and start to move when-
*CLICK*
… I hear the familiar sound of the hammer of a gun being pulled back as something cold is pressed on the back of my head.
I turn to see Kiritsugu Emiya, staring down at me as he aims his gun right at my face.
"... is this how you treat your guests, Magus Killer?" I asked calmly despite the gun at my face.
Kiritsugu is silent for a moment. "... why are you here, Moon Knight?"
The boy turns, and though he can't see it, he can feel the cocky smirk under that white mask.
"I believe I was promised a banquet." I said.
Meanwhile
At the top of one of the city's skyscrapers, a figure stands near the edge overlooking the forest in the suburbs. Her face is obscured by shadow but she seems to be wearing a nun's outfit.
"She's somewhere around here, but what is this strange feeling coming from the forest." She narrows her eyes at the sea of trees. "I will have to investigate, hopefully this will also attract her, too."
With that, the nun jumps off the roofs and makes her towards the forest.
At the same time, a girl is seen skipping through the night streets of the city with a big smile on her face.
"He's here, he's here, I can't believe he's here~" The girl sings. "Here I come, Gilles-kun. Your bestest friend is coming to see you~"
0. Fool: The Artificial Human Squad (Theo, Sella, Liz, Fillia, Illya, Mash, Arcueid)
I. Magician: Shirou Senji
I. Councillor: Fillia
II. Priestess: Leysritt
III. Empress:
IV. Emperor:
V. Hierophant: Sella
V. Apostle:
?. Faith:
?. Hope: Mash Kyrielight
VI. Lovers:
VII. Chariot: Iskandar
VIII. Justice:
IX. Hermit: Merlin
X. Fortune: Waver Velvet
XI. Strength:
XI. Hunger:
XII. Hanged Man: Kariya Matou
XIII. Death: Shiki Ryougi
XIV. Temperance:
XV. Devil:
XVI. Tower:
XVII. Star: Arcueid Brunestud
XVIII. Moon: Illyasviel von Einzbern
XIX. Sun: Taiga Fujimura
XX. Judgment:
XX Aeon:
XXI. The World:
Author Notes
Spell Translation:
Fervor, mei sanguis: Boil, my blood
Scalp: Cut
Ire: Sanctio: Track and kill
Welp, this has been a long time coming. I wasn't sure how this would go, but I like how it turned out.
I always thought Kayneth's Mystic Code was pretty interesting, a automaton that covers both attack and defense is a valuable asset to have. Sure, it's not like other powerful Mystic Codes like the Thompson Contender, Logos React, the Jeweled Sword and the Fragarach, it's still too useful NOT TO have (at least until I can come up with something better).
So, who are these two new girls? I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
Peace~