So...I had a VERY enthusiastic response to Damnation and Redemption. I'm sorry to say that it will never see the light of day as a full story. I had quite a good swathe of the story planned out in broad strokes too, but ultimately, the problem was Jalter herself. That Jalter was from Fate/Grand Order, one who had committed mass murder. How many people she killed, the game doesn't say, but I'm sure it's hundreds if not thousands. True, other Servants I could pair Harry with have a similar bodycount, like Altera, but they usually committed them during war, and even if they didn't, I can write in them regretting what they did. Altera and Mordred, for example, would probably regret what they caused. Jalter, or at least how she was, wouldn't.
However, I figured out a neat (and, if I do say so myself, clever) workaround.
I had considered a Harry/Jalter story set during the events of Fate/Zero before, but couldn't quite work it out, and discarded it in favour of Fate/Apocrypha. However, given that Jalter in Fate/Grand Order was initially born from Gilles' wishes on the Grail, I thought...well, why wouldn't Angra Mainyu, in the interests of being a dick, do the same thing in response to Gilles' desires to cause more chaos? And what if the Master he chose was a broken Harry? One whom the paranoia of the Ministry combined with Snape being a dick had condemned to the Veil? Yeah, I know, I used a broken Harry ending up in the Fourth Holy Grail War for Ex Umbra in Solem, but this Harry is NOT the Master of Death. He is barely over twenty, a broken ex-child soldier, and what's more...he's found a cause to fight for. He's still good, better in his morality than Kiritsugu Emiya, or really any Magus in the Grail War whose names aren't Kariya Matou or Waver Velvet, but betrayal (not by Ron or Hermione: they were merely shouted down by public opinion) has broken him and made him more vicious. So if Jalter wants to burn someone, he just intends to make sure they're the right person to do so. So, in effect, Harry will be Jalter's conscience, a weary, cynical, and bitter conscience.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
VENGEANCE CONFLAGRATION
CHAPTER 1:
EMERGENCE
The Greater Grail. A veritable miracle, a relic that is said to be divine, even if it was not the Holy Grail that was the drinking vessel of Jesus Christ. A spectacular feat of magecraft, the likes of which had not been seen since the Age of the Gods, and probably would never be topped again.
But despite its near-divinity, the Greater Grail contained something of the diabolic. Not because of the sacrifice of a virtually human Homunculus that went into it, for Justeaze von Einzbern went to her fate willingly, intending to bring back her family's lost glories, and the True Magic it had lost centuries before, Heaven's Feel. A potent magic that, through the manipulation and materialisation of the soul, could even bring about immortality or the resurrection of the dead.
The Greater Grail was at the centre of the Holy Grail War, a battle royale between a septet of Magi and Heroic Spirits, heroes from all times, from history and myth, that were summoned as familiars known as Servants. These seven Magi coveted the Holy Grail, for it could grant any wish they desired, once six of the seven Servants perished, and their energy primed the Grail. In certain circumstances, it could even allow the winner to access Akasha, the Root of All Things, a primal collection of knowledge and power that was tempting to every Magus.
However, it was the recklessness of Justeaze's successors that led to something else within the Greater Grail. A canker, a rot, a tumour of darkness. What the von Einzberns had considered a trump card, but turned out to be a damp squib, had now corrupted the core of their prized possession. They had summoned in the Third Holy Grail War an atypical Servant, Avenger, hoping it would wipe out the competition, but it was wiped out instead, much to their not inconsiderable annoyance. But they gave little thought to the fact that their attempt to fuck around with the rules wouldn't have consequences.
Even now, it lurked within the Greater Grail, a Devil in the details. Its form shifted continuously. At one moment, it seemed to be a bestial humanoid shadow. In another, it appeared to be a darkened, corrupted version of Justeaze herself, wearing her white hair and crimson eyes, but wearing a blackened version of an elegant dress. And in yet another, it appeared to be a rather unremarkable young man with tanned skin etched with elaborate tribal tattoos. They were all the same entity, named for a Zoroastrian god of evil, a deity that shouldn't have been able to be summoned, but was.
Angra Mainyu.
Angra Mainyu was watching events, albeit dimly. It knew that this Grail War would finally bring the time when it would be set free, to unleash the stored curses upon the world. So, who would unleash it? The foolish Clock Tower Magi seeking glory? The tired assassin who became an equaliser, not caring about morality, and desiring salvation? The foppish fool desiring the Root, and who had discarded his youngest child to perdition? The priest with a hollow soul, seeking answers? That had been a fun one to ensnare, he promised to be entertaining. Oh, and there was the serial killer, who sought joy and entertainment in death.
The serial killer had summoned his Servant, a Caster, rather sooner than Angra Mainyu had thought. Gilles de Rais, aka Bluebeard, once one of Jeanne d'Arc's most ardent supporters, fallen into depravity. His wish was to revive Jeanne d'Arc, no matter what.
It was that wish that made Angra Mainyu sneer, and yet, pause for thought. It had been an atypical Servant in the previous Grail War. Who was to say another atypical Servant couldn't be summoned? Of course, Jeanne d'Arc, if she would be summoned, was most likely to be summoned as a Ruler, and leaving aside the fact that circumstances didn't warrant a Ruler, Angra Mainyu didn't want a pure saint spoiling its fun.
Ah, but an Avenger? That had potential. True, Jeanne d'Arc was a touch too pure and pious to be an Avenger. Her dark side existed, but it'd be weaker than he was. However, Angra Mainyu could work its way around that. Using Gilles' opinions on what she should have been after being burned at the stake as well as an edited version of her memories (filched from the Throne of Heroes) as a template, Angra Mainyu began concocting a brand spanking new Heroic Spirit. It was pretty hard work, but it knew that the results would be so worth it in terms of chaos.
Angra Mainyu even had a Master who'd be desperate enough to use her. A new arrival in Fuyuki, relatively speaking, one whose magic was very different to these paltry Magi. One whose thoughts hummed and buzzed with anger and resentment…and particularly hatred, towards one of the would-be players. Righteous anger and hatred, but that would blind him to the trap that lay beneath his feet before it was too late. Even if Jeanne d'Arc as an Avenger and this magic user didn't win, the sheer chaos they would cause would alleviate Angra Mainyu's tedium. Even now, it let out a metaphysical snicker at the thought.
Angra Mainyu didn't know it, but its choice of pawns would backfire spectacularly. Then again, that was in the nature of the beast. For an entity that was the embodiment of All the World's Evils, it forgot that, even in the most broken, wrathful and cynical heroes, there was still a capacity for great good…
"…Bastard," snarled a pain-filled voice, echoing around the darkened chapel. "Goes to show, the wizards here are even worse than back home…ugh, can't believe I am saying that. But I doubt even most Purebloods would knowingly and willingly let their children be thrown into a dungeon filled with worms that RAPE THEM!"
The scream of anger and hatred echoed around the normally solemn space. "…And then that bastard altered their memories. At least Aoi and Rin thought it wrong, but that bastard, that complete and utter monster, he wiped their memories! So, not content with letting his youngest get pretty much get raped by worms, he goes ahead and rapes the minds of the rest of his family. TOKIOMI TOHSAKA, YOU SMUG, BEARDED TWAT! I WILL KILL YOU! AND I WILL TAKE! MY! TIIIIIME(1)!"
As the echoes from the scream died away, it was replaced with a soft, bleak chuckle. "Merlin, I'm really losing it. A couple of years in Azkaban thanks to that bastard Snape and then another few months as a Basilisk Animagus in another world does wonders for one's mental health. Or maybe it's what Sakura and Kariya are going through."
The one responsible for the racket moves into a patch of moonlight. A lanky scarecrow of a young man. His messy mop of dark hair framed haggard and drawn features, and almost hid a lightning-shaped scar, now faded. One of his arms was wrapped in crude bandages, and his clothing was mostly rags. His emerald eyes were almost hidden by his smeared glasses, but they seemed to shine in the darkness, and had a vaguely reptilian look.
"He deserves to die," he muttered, apparently more to hear the sound of his own voice than anything. Not out of egotism, but a need to hear something, even if it was merely vocalising the thoughts rattling around his skull. "But…I need to find out how. He bested me. Okay, I went in stupid and angry, even though I arranged for Aoi and Rin to be there, but I thought I could kill him. I mean, I managed to stop Voldemort, even though that was due to a metric fuckton of luck. And Dumbledore shifting around a lot of pieces on his little chessboard. And he didn't care how much of a vindictive little fuck Snape was. Wait, where was I? Ah, that's right. Dealing with Tokiomi Tohsaka. So…how to beat a wizard who is more experienced and ruthless than me? And…if what I overheard from him and that worm-riddled Voldemort wannabe, to say nothing of those priests…it'll be even more difficult to deal with them when they summon these Servants."
Echoes of his own voice were his only reply. Eventually, he said, "…I'll need to summon one myself. If I knew how to."
There was a sudden clatter from another part of the chapel, and the young man whirled. After a moment, he carefully advanced on where the noise was, only to find that a piece of old furniture, once a cupboard, had fallen apart. And there was a book there. Gingerly, cautiously, he opened the book, and flicked through it. "…Instructions on how to summon a Servant," he muttered, before looking at the arcane ritual circle on the floor nearby. "That's convenient. Suspiciously so. Then again…what have I got to lose? I've nothing else but my life."
With that, he went over to the faded ritual circle, consulting a diagram in the book and ensuring that it matched up. Eventually, he began reading from the book, his hand out as he tried to push his magic into the circle. "Heed my words. My will creates your body, and your sword creates my destiny. If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason, then answer my summoning! I hereby swear that I shall be all the good in the world, that I shall defeat all evil in the world!"
And then, he saw the notes next to it, and he added them, on an impulse. "You, who have been grievously wronged and wish for retribution, I, the summoner, will gladly grant you the opportunity for revenge!" The magical circle was flaring with azure light. He couldn't stop speaking the words even if he wanted to. Distantly, he felt a sting in his right hand, but it was nothing compared to the pain he had felt before, many times over. "Seventh Heaven clad, and the great words of power, come forth from the circle of bindings, Guardian of the Scales!"
Actinic light belched forth from the sigil, briefly blinding him. When he blinked away the afterimage from his eyes, he found himself with a sword at his throat. Because of course his luck would be that bad.
"Servant, Avenger," came a beautiful, musical but cold voice, with a French accent, belonging to the owner of the sword, and the arm wielding it. "I have come upon your summons." The sword was drawn away from his throat, and emerald eyes met golden ones.
The girl was about his age, late teens to early twenties. Her skin and hair were ghostly pale, her beauty absolute and yet cruel, her armour and clothes as black as pitch. She wielded a flagpole in the hand that didn't wield her sword. She was studying him, before she smiled. He should have been disturbed by that cruel smile, but his time in Azkaban and his betrayal had numbed him to such things. "Ah, how very interesting. I know the look you have. That look…it's filled with feelings I know all too well. Despair. Anger. The desire for…retribution. Very well then…the pact has been sealed."
"…What, just like that?" he asked.
"Well, I could make you jump through some hoops for my amusement, but I get the feeling I won't need to. You find our enemies, Master, and I will roast them alive in the fires of perdition."
"…You know, I should be disturbed by that, but considering that at least two of my potential enemies deserve a lot more than that…"
"Oh? I see the glint of righteous anger in your eyes, n'est-ce pas?"
"…Crest Worms. Do you know what they are?"
At this, her eyes narrowed. "…I am listening. Intently."
"…Long story short, if you know anything about what they do to people…there's a six year old girl who is forced to lie in a pit filled with those things almost every night," he said grimly. "There's also a guy trying to rescue her from the family who is willingly allowing those things to eat him from the inside out so he can become a Master. I thought the man who adopted her out to that vile family was just ignorant…but he knew. He FUCKING KNEW THAT HIS DAUGHTER WOULD BE SUBJECTED TO FUCKING CREST WORMS! And he managed to beat me before I could kill him." He indicated his bandaged arm. "He set my arm on fire. I've managed to heal it somewhat with the little healing magic I knew, but…"
"I see…" Avenger frowned, as if contemplating something. "Then you intend to save the girl from her fate? Then what of your wish on the Grail?"
"…I'm not sure. Maybe it's to get back home. I…don't come from this world, I've realised. Magic's different here. Or maybe I can use it to bring some people I care about back to life. As long as you're not going to use it to kill everyone in the world or something like that, I don't care."
"Oh? And if I did have such a wish, how would you stop me?"
"…I'd ask nicely. And if not…" He held up his hand with the Command Seals. They looked like a symmetrical flame shape, he realised. "I use all three of these to have you kill yourself."
"Ooh, how bold of you to declare such intent," Avenger smirked. "I could slice your hand off if I wanted to, and find myself a new Master. Still…I'm not sure what my wish on the Grail would be myself, and it's certainly nothing so…destructive. Maybe it's…" She shook her head.
"…As long as you only go after the people I ask you to, then it's fine," he said. "In fact, you can take all the time you want, as long as it doesn't get us killed."
After a moment, she grinned, widely. "Excellent. I think we shall get along swimmingly. And your mental defences are pretty good. So…I think I should tell you my True Name, and in exchange, I have yours. I am the dark side of Jeanne d'Arc…or perhaps I should say, to be more precise, I am Jeanne d'Arc Alter!"
He stared at her in shock, before he realised that she was waiting for his reply. He could try and work out the implications of being paired with the dark side of one of history's most famous saints later. "…Nice to meet you, Jeanne d'Arc-Side," he said, with only the bad pun being sincere. Her wince and scowl showed him what she thought of it. "I am Harry Potter."
"…Hmm, what a dull name. And shared with two of the kings who invaded my country. Still…I guess I can overlook that if you bring me victory. Now, Harry Potter…what do we do next?"
"Get ready to make our move against Tokiomi Tohsaka, and Zouken Matou. They will pay for what they have done, and continue to do…"
CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:
Oh dear. Has Angra Mainyu drawn a trump card for himself, or will its meddling backfire with this most unlikely team?
It's worth pointing out that this is NOT the Jalter from Fate/Grand Order. While she will act the same way in many regards, the vital part is that, unlike the game, where she is summoned by Gilles de Rais, here, Harry is her summoner. While Gilles directed her to indiscriminate slaughter, Harry, while jaded, cynical, and more ruthless than he was before, is still moral enough to direct her only to kill those who deserve it. We'll learn a bit more about what caused Harry to end up first in Azkaban, and then in the Nasuverse, and what transpired to have him confront, unsuccessfully, Tokiomi. Anyway, Harry will be the closest thing she has to a conscience, and while you can ignore your conscience…well…
1. Harry's hammy outburst is a reference to a similar line Hyde utters in Episode 3 of Jekyll.
