032 - Towards the Final Battle
Elizabeth Bathory
Elizabeth can't say she's feeling particularly impressed by the ace in their sleeve. Sure, gimmicky weapons that are only good for a single boss fight tend to be disappointing in the long run, but at least they usually look cool and shiny when you first find them!
This fried guy just looks weak and pitiful and constantly apologizes about everything. What sort of Dragon Slayer is this? Did they get duped? Does he get off being pathetic? Is this a new archetype fad Elizabeth had never heard about before? Oh, hell, she hopes he's not trying to go for a mopy main character approach, those guys are unbearable.
She sends a side-glance to the fried guy, only to find him eyeing her. A shiver runs down her spine.
"Ugh, don't look at me like that." She protests, barely reining in the urge to kick the already wounded guy. "It gives me the creeps."
"I'm sorry."
"And stop apologizing for everything!" She finally snaps, utterly done with this guy's kicked puppy routine. "What sort of Dragon Slayer are you!?"
"I'm sorry."
"Haaaaa… I give up." It's as she feared, the guy is unbearable. "Are we sure we need this fried guy around, P-san?"
"If Fafnir is really around, we are in quite the bind. Siegfried here is our best bet at handling that." P-san replies with a soft smile, gently patting her head. Ah, that's pure bliss… "Assuming you're up to it, of course. We've done what we could about your wounds, but these curses were nasty pieces of work."
"Ah, still a long way from my top form, Master." The fried guy answers sheepishly. Which would piss off Elizabeth even further if she wasn't busy enjoying P-san's pats. "I'm afraid I can't promise victory against a foe like Fafnir with anything less than my best. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry, don't worry!" P-san waves her hands in a placating fashion. "We'll find a way around it. Just having you around is reassuring enough already!"
The fact P-san has to move her hands means that Elizabeth's pats are ruined, though. But that's fine, she's not one of these overdramatic divas who are never happy with anything and blow everything out of proportion. She had her fill and her mood has improved a lot. She can overlook a bit of obviously accidental pat-jamming as long as—
"I'm sorry."
She swears, if he apologizes one more time—!
Unfortunately, before she can turn around to articulate her very understandable frustrations with the pathetic waste of space, a roar echoes into the distance. A roar that makes Elizabeth's lizard brain want to curl up to try and make herself as small as possible. It also makes the fried guy perk up with a frown.
All the pathetic seems to suddenly melt off him, like an oily coat sliding off a naked blade to reveal the sharp sheen underneath. What lies underneath is a monster of strength and determination, a deadly warrior of skill and grit. The sort of human who can go against a force of nature given form and win. A dragon slayer. Who slays dragons. Dragons like her.
After she spent the last hour throwing him scornful glances while mentally -and not so mentally- belittling him.
Meep.
She suddenly finds herself hoping he's not the sort who holds a grudge.
Mashu Kyrielight
It landed in front of them like a meteor, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris that swept over them like a foreboding storm. A creature of legend hailing from a bygone era. Nothing like the lesser wyverns that seem to swarm this singularity or the few Servants they've encountered so far who share traits with them.
She can feel it deep within her soul, the stirring of the Heroic Spirit sleeping within, as if to challenge the aura of sheer terror worn by this living, breathing extinction event like others would don a cloak. Taking the way her knees are shaking in consideration, the heroic spirit isn't necessarily winning.
This is the real deal, a bona-fide dragon. The monster of Greed Fafnir, the Ultimate Evil Dragon
"What the–? We have lost visuals! The sensors are going crazy!" Lady– Olga's voice is heard from her communicator. There's an attempt to engage the holographic displays but, much to Mashu's dismay, it seems to frizzle out into static. "What's going on in there!?"
"Lady Director, t-this is Mashu Kyrielight." She reports, carefully making sure not to look away from the enormous dragon looming over them. "We have encountered F-Fafnir. Please advise!"
Before an answer can be given, Fafnir lets out a deafening roar and charges at them. He doesn't get far before being intercepted by a black and silver blur. Even for Mashu's Demi-Servant senses, it takes a moment for the blur to resolve into the form of Siegfried-san, his blade interlocked with the dragon's claws overhead and a wince on his face at the exertion.
It's clear to anyone watching that… he's the one at a disadvantage. Even now, his blade is being slowly pushed down, his guard slowly crushed as he tries and fails to directly challenge Fafnir's impossible might. As things stand, he has no chance of winning this clash. If he doesn't break away soon, he'll end up a smear on the ground.
And that's without considering the other tools at Fafnir's disposal, like his other paw, or his teeth, or his tail, or his breath attacks or… It's safe to say things aren't looking good.
A rainbow comet smashes against the dragon's snout, followed by a myriad of glowing white birds. The blast fails to penetrate, but it still manages to push it back through the sheer force behind the blow. In the meanwhile, the birds unravel into countless glowing threats that wrap and weave themselves around the monster like a capture net.
Snapping her head back, Mashu finds Bonaparte-san and Sella-san with their hands extended towards Fafnir, both their faces marred with frowns of worry and focus.
To their sides, the rest of their group charges ahead. Marie-san and Bathory-san join the fray, but so does Jeanne-san who is still severely weakened and even Leysritt-san who isn't a Servant at all. It's kind of amazing how their first impulse upon finding themselves facing such a monster is to swing their weapons at it.
Meanwhile, Mashu can't even…
"Wha– What was that!? What's going on!" Olga calls out again, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Mashu? Mashu! Are you alright!?"
Blinking at Olga's words, it's only now that she realizes it's barely been a couple seconds since Fafnir struck. Everything has happened in the blink of an eye, which made Siegfried-san's charge at the very start even more amazing. She knew it already, but Servant combat truly is at a whole different level.
"Y– Yes, all functions nominal! Don't worry about me, Lady Director!" She hurries to assuage her. "Siegfried has engaged Fafnir! The rest of our Servants have also joined the fray!"
"Are they crazy!? Please tell me you didn't join them."
"I remained behind with Senpai." Mashu isn't sure she should be feeling proud about taking the choice Olga expected of her or ashamed that she failed to jump into the fray like the real Servants. "But… We don't seem to have any better options, Lady Director."
"At least that dumbass didn't charge head first with a smile on her face like she usually does." Olga sighs, to which Mashu can't really do anything but quietly agree, really. Senpai is amazing, but there should be a limit to bravery. "Right, in an ideal world, Siegfried would be our countermeasure, but he's in no state to win this fight… What about Fujimaru's usual brand of bullshit? Does she have something she can pull off here?"
"I'm flattered you think so highly of me, Lady Director, but even I have limits." Haku-senpai joins in an amused voice. "Most of my anti-dragon options would just slide off his invulnerability with little to no effect. Most of my invulnerability-piercing options couldn't hope to actually hurt the hundred tons mountain of pissed-off reptilian monster behind the invulnerability. I'm adaptable, but I'm not all-powerful."
"Invulnerability-piercing…" Olga mutters in disbelief, giving Mashu the impression that she's shaking her head. "And she says she's not all-powerful."
"Well…" Haku-senpai trails off thoughtfully. "I do have this one thing I can try."
"I'd usually be against it out of principle, but the situation seems to be that drastic." Olga sighs. "The sensors are still going crazy here and a handful of Servants throwing their power around isn't helping. I assume they're making no progress?"
Mashu's attention goes back to the fray. Fafnir seems to be focusing on Siegfried-san, while the rest of the combatants are treated as mere nuisances. Of the restraints Sella-san deployed at the start, nothing remains by now and the rest of their efforts don't seem to be bearing any fruit either. At least they don't seem to have taken any wounds so far, but the situation is not sustainable in the long-term.
Fafnir only needs one lucky shot.
"Ah… I'm afraid not, Lady Director." Mashu reports sadly. "At this rate, defeat is just a matter of time."
"Yup, that sounds like my cue." Senpai steps forward with a mock-resigned sigh and a (sexy) confident smile on her face. "Anyway, keep in mind there's no way I can take on Fafnir on my own yet. The most I can do is an opening for the others to exploit."
"Yet? Yet!? What do you mean 'yet', you insane woman?"
"Ahahaha… Sorry about that. Just be ready to catch me if I fail, okay?" What does she mean 'if she fails'? Mashu is very much not okay with that! "Now, let's see… First, I need something to get close, something like the [Disintegrating Night Walkers]."
Crouching down to reach her feet with a gesture of her hands, Senpai turns her shoes into some sort of Mystic Code. A simple-looking pair of boots that seem to be falling apart, yet still emanate an dark aura of tangible power. They may be on their last legs, but they aren't done yet.
"And now… time to go for broke!" For the first time ever, Senpai's smile and cheer feels brittle and fake. "I just hope this works."
Hearing these words, Mashu's heart sinks. If not even Senpai is confident she can actually pull it off, maybe it would've been better to just—
"I want to beat them.
Even though I'm not cool, or strong, or just, or beautiful, or cute, or pretty.
I want to beat the cool, strong, just, beautiful, cute, and pretty people.
Even though I wasn't blessed with talent.
Even though I'm stupid and have a bad personality.
Even though I have bad grades, I am misguided and good for nothing.
I want to beat the talented, smart, likable, overachieving people.
I want to beat those with friends when I can't have friends.
I want to beat the people who work hard when I can't work hard.
I want to beat the victorious people when I can't win.
I want to beat the happy people when I'm miserable.
Even if I'm hated, even if I'm despised, even if I'm useless.
I want to prove that I'm better than them!"
The aria hits Mashu like something physical. Like a smothering mist wrapping around her, trying to drag her down, to weigh on her and make her drown. They feel… disgusting and unclean, something wrong and ugly that should never come out of her (beloved) senpai. They are more than words, they are a feeling. A clogging, thick miasma. Curses.
Between one moment and the next, Senpai has disappeared from her side. Not even Mashu's enhanced senses managed to track the movement and it takes a moment to find her again, diving right between Fafnir's wings from above, a massive pointy-ended screw held on each hand.
"[Book MakerRefusing the Creation of Legends]"
In any other circumstance, Haku-senpai would've looked incredibly (dashing) awe-inspiring, diving ahead to sink her weapons into the evil dragon like that. That's the short of heroic actions that turn into legends and she certainly has the natural charisma to pull it off. But, after experiencing that aria… Mashu can only wonder what the price for using such a tainted power would be.
Regardless, the sharp ends of Senpai's screws slam into the dragon with all the force of her reinforced arms behind them and… Come to a dry stop against Fafnir's scales, failing to even begin sinking into the invulnerable creature. Haku-senpai doubles over, face contorted in pain and spitting blood.
"Senpai!" Mashu screams out, eyes widening in shock as her arm desperately, uselessly stretches out towards her.
What happens next will forever remain engraved into her memory. The still curled-up body of Senpai is batted away with an idle, almost negligent tail swipe from the beast that nevertheless makes her break the sound barrier. Not that it would matter because, while trying to calculate where she would fly, Mashu notices one of the dragon's paws swinging upwards, ready to intercept Senpai's body mid-flight and tear it to shreds before it can fly away.
Various Servants notice and try to intervene, but even a Heroic Spirit has limits and the sudden development caught them by surprise. Elizabeth-san and Siegfried try to intercept, but they're too far away. Jeanne-san raises her standard, but she won't make it in time. Sella's threads snap against the beast's arm without managing to even slow it down. Bonaparte-san, Leysritt-san and Marie-san are hardly in a position to do anything either.
And Mashu… Mashu can only watch, horrified and useless, as sharp claws capable of carving castles and mountains get closer and closer to Haku-senpai.
Only a miracle can save her now.
"[BayardPhantom War Horse]"
The attack makes contact, not against Senpai, but against a magnificent war horse that's suddenly gotten in the way, pushing her into safety at the very last second. Bloody furrows are carved on the flanks of the noble beast before it gets blown away but, most surprisingly, it wasn't utterly torn to shreds by the dragon claws.
Not that Mashu pays it much mind, relieved as she is by watching Senpai's form land on the waiting arms of an unknown knight. Normally, that would've been worrisome on its own, strangers in the battlefield are rarely good news, but there's…something to this man's presence.
Something warm and soothing, a well-meaning aura that simply can't be ignored. Mashu falls to her knees, a relieved chuckle -or maybe a sob- escaping her throat.
"I apologize for joining unannounced." The knight says with an apologetic smile as he makes his way towards her. "I saw the fighting from afar and simply couldn't stand idly."
"Unfortunately…" He continues with a sigh, carefully depositing Senpai on Mashu's waiting arms and unsheathing his sword. "It seems like I'm not the only one raring to join in."
"Well, well, well…" A familiar voice is heard from atop a nearby hill, demanding attention and making even Fafnir give pause and turn around. "Between this wonderful mess and the little shit who killed my Berserker Archer running away, it looks like all the little flies have finally gathered together. How convenient."
The Dragon Witch has arrived. And she's brought company.
Status Window Updated:
Disintegrating Night Walkers (Baldur's Gate 3): Darker than a starless night, Night Walkers are made for secrecy. Created in honor of Shar. This particular pair was found deep in the ruins of an Underdark fortress. Though the leather is old and the magic is fading, the boots were recently cleaned and oiled with care.
Book Maker (Medaka Box, Kumagawa Misogi): The product of a self-defeating mentality that rejects the rules of the world and is incapable of accepting blame or taking responsibility. When someone is stabbed with Book Maker, their body, spirit, technique, intellect and talent all fall to the level of the greatest loser in the world. Despite working by impaling the target, this tool causes nearly zero physical damage, staining the heart and the soul instead.
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