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Well, hello, hello, readers! Welcome to another new chapter of TPOM! :D
First, I just want to take a moment to address the situation that's been going on outside of our homes. I know that it's going crazy outside lately and the world is gloomy because of a certain virus, so I just want to say that I hope you guys are doing okay, stay safe and healthy, guys.
And for those who are afflicted with the virus, stay strong and keep a positive outlook. You're not alone in this, and know that everyone is affected by this crisis one way or another. This is simply just another trial that we all have to overcome in life, and in time, we will get through this. So, keep fighting, guys, and I pray that you'll have a speedy recovery.
Now, that's enough of my well-wishes. I'll leave you guys be for now, so enjoy this chapter and I'll see you guys below.
As per usual, feel free to leave a review of what you think about the story so far, fave and (or) follow this story.
And for those who left questions in the previous chapter, please scroll down below to see it in the 'Q&A' section.
Now, without further ado, onwards with the story! :)
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"Speaking"
'Thoughts'
"Spells" or "Abilities"
* Sound Effects *
[ Moon Cell ]
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Chapter 11 – The Spider's Nest
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[… Half an hour later …]
Hugo Faust led Hadrian and his retainers to a nearby port, of which there was a small black yacht waiting for them.
After being greeted by the crew of the boat shortly after their arrival, the yacht was driven out to the sea, taking them far away from the island as they were led to where the Spider was hibernating.
His two familiars were out and about around the yacht, chasing each other out of amusement to stave off the boredom. Since their Master was currently busy and not deigning them his attention, Fou and Ryu had decided to play a game of tag and had been spending their time chasing one another around the boat since they boarded.
All retainers were either inside the yacht or outside, exploring the yacht and seeing what it has to offer.
Although, some of them remained nearby Hadrian, such as Dia, Charles, Rider and Arturia.
Dia and Charles were standing near the couch of where Hadrian was sitting, mindful of keeping watch of their surroundings while listening in on their conversation.
Rider was standing several feet away from where Hadrian was seated, just positioned directly behind with her back facing his as she looked out the view of the ocean.
On the other side was Arturia, who stared out into the blue sea with a blank façade on her regal countenance, deep in thought as she stood by the edge of the yacht.
She glanced over her left shoulder, and she saw Hadrian sitting on the lounge area with Hugo to his left.
Arturia turned her gaze back to the open sea before her Master could noticed her staring.
After they had landed in Canada, she had been noticing something off with her Master lately, something that worries her deeply. Her liege's recent behavior reminds her of how he acted during the holy grail war; how his eyes narrowed dangerously when in thought or inspecting something, and how he seems to observed every single thing in the murder sites with a stoic expression.
Combined with her liege's painful episodes with the Mystic Eyes, Arturia was beginning to grow worried of her Master's return to the fold.
It was why she found herself here, standing near the edge of the yacht to have some time to think about how to help her liege.
Granted, she may saw him smile every now and then, but his moments of musing alone and the stoic yet weary expression he wore every time outweighs the times she sees him happy. Furthermore, she might be by his side always to protect him from harm, but she doesn't know how to help her liege whenever he was in pain, like that episode he had back at the abandoned mansion.
Arturia was broken out of her musings when she sensed someone walking towards her.
Turning her head to the right, she saw Kieran standing there with one of his hands in his pocket. The amber eyed retainer wore that nonchalant expression on his face, which was nothing new.
Arturia's emerald eyes narrowed as she met the male retainer's eyes.
In all honesty, she doesn't know what to think of Kieran.
On one hand, Kieran was a stark contrast to everything that she approves of. He was laid-back, lazy, and lacking in any sense of justice. He can kill innocent people without much thought or feeling an inch of guilt. This side of himself often appears when he is approached by anyone who are not related to their Master, be they innocent or not.
He can also be sarcastic, cynical and merciless in mocking to most people that he interacts with outside of their group. To those who are not Hadrian, nearly all the people who interacts with him were given the merciless and mocking attitude.
On the other hand, he shows a side of himself that only appears around Hadrian, such as his caring, thoughtful and protective side. Within the presence of their Master, Kieran appears more humane, thoughtful of his actions and almost good-natured. He never loses the cynical and merciless attitude, but to their Master, no unbearable negativity would be seen nor heard from Kieran.
Even Arturia wasn't safe from his mocking from time to time, including the others, and the only reason that Kieran still has his head was due to the fact that Hadrian trusts him enough to let become a retainer, despite his dangerous origins. Nevertheless, regardless of his past, Kieran was a fellow retainer that earned Hadrian's trust, and that was enough for Arturia to let him be around her Master.
That, and because Hadrian had specifically asked her to give him a chance, which she did begrudgingly. Hadrian had yet to prove her wrong, so she adopts a wait-and-see when it comes to Kieran.
Although, that doesn't mean that she can't be on guard around him. The amber-eyed retainer may be trustworthy, but due to his past, she can't find in herself to lower her guard.
Dia and Rider feels the same way as her, which was hardly surprising since the two retainers in question do care about Hadrian's safety to a great extent like her.
To his credit, Kieran didn't seemed to care much about their reservations towards, seeming to be fine with having only Hadrian's trust regardless of their disapproval of him.
Kieran let out an irritated sigh, causing Arturia to turn to him curiously.
"Is there something you want, Kieran?" The King of Knights asked.
"Yeah…" Kieran stepped beside her as he leaned forward with his hands on the railings, his gaze on the water below. "It's about Master. I'm sure you noticed his behavior lately."
"Yes, I have." Arturia nodded, her gaze also on the sea. "It's not that difficult to see it."
"What do you think triggered him?" Kieran asked, turning his head to look at her reaction.
Arturia was silent for a few moments, a far-away look in her eyes as she stared out to the sea in deep thought.
Now that the amber eyed retainer mentioned it, the mere thought she had earlier began to gnaw at her, making her grow concern about Hadrian's state of mind.
During the war, Hadrian had begun to grow cold and almost unfeeling at the sight of death. This behavior of his started when in his first victory when he had defeated Shinji Matou, a former friend and an arrogant young man, which seemed to worsen the more battles he won as the week goes by. Arturia can still remember the blank look in his eyes that day.
His cyan eyes, which normally has a calm and energetic glint, were cold and unfeeling during those moments. It was as if he was seeing something yet nothing at the same time.
Arturia knew that he had been in a war in his first life, but what she witnessed during the war caused her to worry over Hadrian's mental state.
The only thing that kept him together, that made him move forward despite what he went through, was his desire to survive and to recall the reason why he joined the Holy Grail War. When he gained his memories back, Arturia truly admired his strength of will, his determination and keeping himself grounded throughout the war.
But, when Twice H. Pieceman came into the picture and his machinations was revealed, Arturia laid witnessed to the dark side of her Master.
The way Hadrian killed the man and tortured him to insanity, it was as if the restraints that kept the dark side of his personality was unleashed on that day. Admittedly, Arturia was not really worried that he killed Twice and tortured him in front of her. The man was in due for justice, and more, for the horrible things he made everyone go through in her opinion.
No, it was her Master that she was worried about. After the war, Arturia saw that Hadrian had a difficult time to adjust in living a normal life.
She would often find him deep in his thoughts, quietly staring at the wall with a cold expression whenever he was alone or thinks that no one was watching. Sometimes, she would even wake up to him sitting up on the bed, curled up on himself after waking up from a nightmare. While Arturia would always be there to calm him down, deep down, she knew she can only do so much.
While she and the rest would always help him through his problems, Hadrian must also put a great effort to be able move on from the shadows of the grail war himself.
Fortunately, Hadrian seemed to have gone pass that phase and returned to normal a few weeks after they had returned from the war.
But, now, that side of himself seems to have sprung up again. The times it did were subtle, but she knew it would only be a matter of time once it resurfaced again.
Arturia exhaled, then turned to face Kieran.
"He is starting to return to his old habits during the war." She answered with a sideway glance.
"I take it that that's not a good thing, is it?" Kieran assumed, grimacing slightly.
"No, it's not." Arturia stated quietly, emerald eyes narrowed. "If anything, it would be detrimental for him, especially in his condition."
Realizing the meaning in her last words, Kieran's eyes widen for a moment before he spoke.
"Is his Mystic Eyes acting up again?" The amber eyed retainer asked, almost whispering.
"Yes, and it seems the pain has doubled than before." Arturia said with a slight nod.
"The hell?" Kieran turned to her with a bewildered expression. "I know his set are special and all, but what kind of mystic eyes is it to cause him that much pain?"
"That, I do not know myself." Arturia shook her head, looking a bit frustrated. "But, Lord Zelretch has informed me that it might be a lot more special than the ones recorded before. Yesterday, when he called, based on the results of his last scan, he found that the magic circuits are expanding, increasing in amount, starting from his eyes and all over his brain, inside and out as the time goes by."
Arturia's grip on the metal railings became tighter, forcing a small groaning sound out of the metal as she did so unconsciously.
"Master had described it to me once how the pain felt like. He said that it feels like his brain was being pricked by a thousand needles, all at once and repeat, as if there was something crawling inside up his brain. He has been doing his best to endure it without causing us to worry more, but in the Zepter mansion, he almost collapsed from the pain." Arturia said.
"Damn, that's rough as fuck." Kieran was unable to stop his grimace this time. "No wonder he looked kinda out of it these days. He was enduring the pain. I thought he was just tripping on some drugs."
Arturia gave him a deadpan stare, which seems to silently imply 'really?'.
Deep into his thoughts, Kieran didn't noticed it. But a few moments later, his amber eyes widen as a certain memory came to mind, causing him turn to Arturia in shock.
"Wait, do you think that time when he was sleeping in the plane, he was tired because the pain kicked in again?" Kieran asked, suspicious.
Arturia went silent, thinking for a moment before she sighed in resignation.
"Most likely." Arturia agreed. "But, there is nothing for us to help him with that. The only thing that we can do for now is do our best to protect him and support him."
"And what about him going back to that habit?" Kieran asked, looking at her pointedly.
Arturia's green eyes narrowed determinedly, meeting his amber eyes head on.
"I hope you are not implying that we should do something about it." Arturia said with a warning tone.
Kieran rolled his eyes once, unmoved by the glare that can intimidated most people.
"Of course not." He scoffed, a bit disgusted by her distrust in him. "But, we can't leave him like this, especially in his condition."
For once, Arturia found herself reluctantly in agreement with him, which surprised her somewhat but her concern over her Master's health vanished it almost immediately.
"Yes, you're right." Here, Kieran raised an eyebrow, a bit surprised with her agreeing with him, but Arturia ignored it and continued. "But not right now, not while we are here. Master seems too focused on the task that Lord Zelretch has entrusted upon him to notice his recent change in behavior, which might be a blessing in disguise given his condition. Perhaps when we return home, one of us should talk to him about it, but for now, we can only support and protect him since I feel that it is not the right time yet to bring up such a topic while he's on an assignment."
"Fine, but you guys can do the heavy lifting. I'm not exactly good with giving out comforting words and all that shit." Kieran grumbled, slumping over the railing to return staring down at the waters.
Turning her head slowly, Arturia stared at Kieran, who didn't fail to notice her silence and stare.
"Wut?" Kieran asked, brows scrunched up slightly.
"Nothing. It's just that, given your bond with Master, I would have thought that you would like to speak to him about the matter." Arturia pointed out calmly, giving him a knowing look that seems to have gone under his skin for some reason. "Weren't you the one that had a… what was it called? A heart-to-heart talk with him before?"
"Hey, if you must know, during that 'talk', he had one of those gun-thingies in his hand!" Kieran rebutted, feeling indignant. "Who wouldn't be force to sit down and talk to him sincerely after seeing what he can do?! Guy can probably make a meteorite vanish before his eyes with that weird magecraft of his before it can hit him dead-on!"
Without blinking, Arturia huffed at him.
She wasn't against to what he said however since it was true.
Kind, soft and gentle-looking he may seem, Hadrian was still a first-rate Magus, despite his morals. Hadrian was even honest enough to admit to her that, while people might consider him to be kinder and thoughtful than most, he can also be cruel and merciless when a situation calls upon it. Case in point, the way he dealt with Twice was proof of this claim.
"Just try." Arturia encouraged. "I'm sure he would appreciate the concern coming from you. After all, you rarely speak up."
"Shit… Fine." Kieran grumbled, massaging his forehead to ease the headache. "But you guys are going first. I might as well go last or something."
"To do what?" Arturia asked, one brow raised.
"Prepare." Kieran answered bluntly. "Like I said, I ain't good with words and shit."
"Ah, yes, that might be for the best." Arturia nodded, recalling Kieran's blunt and savage personality.
Suddenly, Kieran turned to her with a skeptical look on his face.
"Just now, were you thinking of something insulting towards me?" Kieran asked, suspicious.
Thanks to their connection with their Master, all retainers have a passive ability to sense one another's thoughts with Hadrian acting as the liaison. What Kieran sensed earlier was Arturia's thoughts, but it was more of an echo than actually reading her mind.
"Hmm? No, that is merely your imagination, Kieran." Arturia dismissed, her façade calm and stoic.
Instead of being assured, Kieran's suspicion grew the more he glared at her calm and regal countenance.
If anything, the way she met his eyes head-on seemed as if she was challenging him.
'This shitty lady… Ooooh, if only…' Kieran growled in his mind, annoyed at the fact that she's stronger than him.
The slightly tense silence between them broke when a loud ruckus nearby caught their attention.
In unison, the two retainers turned to look on their shoulders behind them to see Astolfo giggling madly as he ran outside the yacht, looking rightly pleased with himself. Just as they wondered what had amused the pink-haired retainer so much, a fuming Yan Qing came out right after the latter got passed the entrance doors that leads inside the interior of the boat.
"Pinky, get back here!" Yan shouted, face a bit flush with anger.
Instead of slowing down, Astolfo laughed maniacally and dashed to the other side of the yacht to escape with Yan following after him a second later. The both of them ran passed Kieran and Arturia, who looked on after them with bewildered expressions as the two males went to the other side.
Kieran and Arturia wondered what caused Yan's anger this time around when, just before the black haired retainer's form disappeared from their sight, they then saw the source of it.
Behind his back, Yan Qing's usually straight hair was braided and lots of pink ribbons were tied around thin strands to hold them together, causing Yan to look quite girlish from behind. Also, they noticed something strange about Yan's appearance just before he had passed by.
"… Was he wearing a bit of make-up just now?" Kieran asked, unsure.
"Knowing Astolfo, most likely." Arturia sighed, understanding Yan's anger earlier.
Their exchange was interrupted once more, but by Rider this time, who came to fetch them at their Master's behest.
As they followed Rider, the two exchange knowing glances.
While they may have their differences, Kieran and Arturia do share one common opinion in this moment, and that was for all of them to come out safely from what was about to come. Most especially, to keep their Master safe and to leave the Spider's Nest without much trouble.
Although, Kieran had his doubts about this.
The world can be unforgiving to everyone, and his Master knows this most of all. Hence, he has no doubt that Hadrian is preparing himself for the worst case scenario in the case that something goes sideways during their visit to the Spider's Nest. Still, becoming a meal for the Spider was not one of the things on his list to do while in Canada, so he would do his best to help out, despite being weak.
Kieran sighed wearily.
'This is going to suck… I can just feel it.'
…
…
Once everyone had gathered together at the bridge, Hugo led Hadrian to the couch that was directly behind the control station of the yacht.
In front of the station were glass windows, which has the clear view of the front deck and the sea. The view of ocean might be beautiful, but there was a peculiar phenomenon that was hindering it.
In the distance, there was a vast mist in sight while there are ominous dark gray clouds gathering and rumbling in the sky, all of which were rotating in a slow, circular motion.
"Is that fog? A fog in the middle of the ocean?" Hadrian asked, narrowing his eyes as he looked upwards. "And what is going on with those clouds up there? They don't feel natural."
Indeed, what he sensed from the mist and clouds were telling him that the strange phenomenon was not in any way normal, due to the amount of magical energy he felt from that location of where the mist and the clouds are. That, and the Moon Cell was also helpful enough to inform him of something dangerous was lurking behind the mist.
Hadrian doesn't need to be a genius that that was where the Spider's nest is located.
Nevertheless, it was quite weird to see a random mist and dark clouds in the middle of the ocean when they had just left the port a few hours ago and everything was still bright and normal. Also, as the 85 meter yacht gets closer to the mist, Hadrian began to notice that the temperature was beginning to get a lot colder than usual.
He doesn't feel it since the yacht was well-equipped with some type magecraft that can resist weather conditions (he checked earlier), but on the windows, he can see the frost crawling up the surface of the glass. The process was slow but steady, and it slowly spreads the closer they get to the mist.
Hadrian wondered why that is, but his musing was interrupted as he heard Hugo speak.
"Hmm, I'm not surprised that you noticed it, young master." Hugo smiled, impressed by his observation. "As I'm sure you know, the mist and the clouds were created due to a vast magical energy. But what is so interesting about it is that source of that magical energy does not come from something ordinary."
"Oh, where did it come from then?" Charlie asked, also looking at the mist as he stood by his liege's side.
He was not the only who was curious. The others were either standing or sitting around the bridge near Hadrian, but all of their attention was also upon the mist in the distance.
Hugo was about to answer, but Hadrian had beaten him to it.
"Not where, but from whom." Hadrian said, his expression calm and regal.
Inside though, he was feeling apprehensive. Not due to the magical energy, but he was feeling like he was about to walk into a lion's den, and he was one of its preys, which was understandable since this was the Spider he was thinking of. Anyone, no matter how powerful they are, would feel nervous in walking into that thing's territory, and Hadrian was no exception, regardless of his experience.
"Right again, young master." Hugo nodded, his smile widening a bit. "The source of that great magical energy comes from the Spider itself, who is officially known as Type Mercury."
The retainers turned to Hugo in surprise, clearly shocked by the revelation.
Scáthach though gained her composure faster than any of them, probably due to her own experience in the past.
Admittedly, she has not got into a fight with an Ultimate One before, but she was a bit excited in seeing one and perhaps gain a chance to do so during their visit.
Unbeknownst to her, Hadrian sensed her anticipation through Empathy, causing him to sigh in resignation.
Arturia, who sat beside him and saw his reaction, tilted her head slightly in confusion.
Ryu and Fou, who was on his left shoulder and on his lap respectively, were also looking at their master in curiosity.
"Um, isn't the Spider an Ultimate One?" Charles asked nervously.
An 'Ultimate One', also known as the 'Aristoles', was the official term that the Mage's Association had used to describe beings from other planets, differing significantly from both creatures of earth and each other biologically and in appearance. They do not have the same self of sense as humans, nor do they have the concepts of damage or death.
They require something above the existence of common sense of the planet in order to be harmed or destroyed, though the resulting 'death' was not necessarily permanent. Also, it is possible for some to acquire the planet's concept of 'knowledge' and several of them were able to contact humans, such as the Spider for one.
In short, they are the ultimate hidden bosses from other heavenly bodies, embodying the will of the planets themselves and with the support of Gaia herself.
Which, in turn, caused Hadrian to wonder how his grandfather managed to survive in a battle against one and even came out victorious.
Granted, the old Magician got turned into a Dead Apostle in return (which was the one thing that really irritated his grandfather the most), but other than that and being almost drained of prana, Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg came out of the one-on-one fight against an Ultimate One, who was known as Crimson Moon, mostly unharmed.
Back in the Holy Grail war, Hadrian nearly experienced the same thing as his grandfather.
It was after a few days that Rin Tohsaka and Rani VIII fought. The two was about to let their servants fight to the death, and both had equal chances in winning against the other. But, their fight came to an abrupt end when a certain enemy Master with a dark-blue coat tried to sabotage the battle between them.
The enemy Master in question sabotaged the fight by setting up a death-trap with the sole purpose of trying to kill the two girls, so that a fellow Master he knows would not have to bother fighting them in the future. It was only by chance that Hadrian saw him entering one of the classrooms and followed him inside, but he did not expect him to try setting up a trap during the two girls' battle.
Normally, such a thing would not be possible since the Moon Cell's security measures would have prevented it from happening, but the guy was resourceful and smart enough to discover a weak link in Automaton's firewall. It was a small sliver of chance, but he took it and had been rewarded with success.
Both the girls' servants were close to ending the battle by activating their Noble Phantasm at that time, but the enemy Master swooped in and took advantage of the timing. With powerful traps placed on both servants, he had managed to weaken their defenses and overwhelmed them after he had powered up his servant with a Command Spell.
The enemy Master had been nearly successful in his goal, considering as he had been close to killing both Rani and Rin with both of their servants near death's doorstep. It didn't help that the enemy's servant was barely visible and quite powerful in their own right, which can be a dangerous combination during the Holy Grail war.
What he did not expect was for Hadrian to step in and interfere.
Julius B. Harway was the name of the enemy Master, and he was one of the most persistent and dangerous participants that Hadrian had to fight in the war.
Not only was he ruthless and calculative, he was persistent and determined in taking out his competitors except for one, his brother, Leonardo B. Harwey.
Long story short, Hadrian and Arturia fought Julius and his servant to a standstill. Although, the reason for doing so was not because Hadrian wanted to beat them, but to stall for time until the Moon Cell stopped the battle officially. Fortunately, Hadrian, Rin and Rani managed to live through it and even pushed Julius and his servant back throughout the fight.
But in return, Hadrian was forced to sacrifice one of his Command Spells to amplify Arturia's parameters to counter the enemy servant's attacks. It was also thanks to the girls' servants' assistance that they had kept Julius and his servant at bay by sacrificing themselves, despite their weakened state.
What happened after was a blur, but Hadrian can still remember how Rani and Rin reacted to the result of the close-encounter.
They both lost their servants, but they survived from Julius's trap because of him. After being thanked (by Rani) and scolded (by Rin) for saving them, they had decided to help him win the war from then on since he still had Arturia, and they continued to lend their assistance to him every week since their survival depends upon his chances to win the battles.
After that incident, Hadrian got immediately pitted against a peculiar Master and Servant pair.
The Master was Monji Gatou, and his Servant, Berserker, who was also known as the White Berserker.
Monji Gatou was a delirious fanatic who worshiped his Servant as his god, as all the religions that he had studied (he deemed) were flawed. He had thought her incomprehensible behavior as Berserker class was a test of will, and he believed that he can save humanity through his self-made religion and strived to make his servant into a true deity.
Simply put, he was an overzealous heathen with a questionable mentality and cannot be reasoned with.
Willing as Hadrian might have been to speak to him since Monji desired to save the world, he doubted his words can get through the guy since he worshiped a being that was far from a divine entity. That, and because he was quite willing to kill Hadrian in order to achieve his goal.
His servant on the other hand, had been reasonable enough to not kill him and Arturia when she regained her senses after their battle.
When they were pitted against one another in the war, Hadrian and Arturia had a difficult time in defeating Monji and his servant.
As he did with his previous enemies, Hadrian had done his research to know more about his enemy and his servant. He had discovered that Berserker's True Name was Arcuied Brunestud, the lone survivor of the True Ancestor's royal line that was believed to be the foundation of the vampiric species.
True Ancestors are unique existences even among vampires, for they are incarnated nature spirits. They are vampiric creatures from birth, however, unlike the Dead Apostles and other blood-sucking species, the root of their bloodlust was psychological rather than physical.
Also, because they are part of nature, they have the ability to use the power of 'Marble Phantasm' to change the world around them accordingly to their thoughts. They can be classified as a type of large fairy and their foundation is of a Mystery that cannot be reached through Magecraft. They are said to be Planet-class Spirits, which is a higher rank than Divine Spirits.
What makes them terrifying was that nothing, no spells or weapons, can permanently kill a True Ancestor, due to the backup they received from the planet as part of the Counter Force.
His grandfather got lucky when the power of the Second True Magic pulled through and allowed him to kill Crimson Moon Brunestud.
Hadrian though, had to nothing to rely on but his knowledge about his enemy, his code hack spells, his Mystic Eyes and his Servant, Arturia, during that time.
Killing a True Ancestor via True Magic was one thing, but trying to kill one without it was a different matter.
Long story short, Hadrian and Arturia won the battle against Monji Gatou and Berserker. However, it had been a close run.
Due to Berserker's true nature, Arturia's most trusted weapon, Excalibur, was almost useless during the fight, much to Arturia's frustration. What gave them the chance to win the battle was because they had the fight on the inner side of the Moon. If it had been on earth, the entire situation would have gone differently and they would had been killed.
Still, the battle had been brutal and difficult regardless of their slight advantage. The Master may had been useless, but Berserker was not a joke.
Fortunately, luck had been in their favor and Hadrian carefully instructed Arturia to victory with his commands and with the help of his Mystic Eyes.
In that battle, Hadrian acts as her support with his spells and used his Mystic Eyes to see Arcuied's lines of death, her weak points, while Arturia was the knife to trace those lines.
Ironically, the one thing that he had thought to be his weakness had become the key for him to win and survived that battle, which was something that he can never forget. Although, the one surprising thing about that day was what happened in the aftermath.
Unlike Monji Gatou, who got deleted after the Moon Cell declared Hadrian and Arturia's victory, Arcuied Brunestud remained behind.
Hadrian remembered how shocked he was to see the pale woman still standing far away from them, dressed in her white turtleneck sweater and long purple skirt.
Before their last fight, Arcuied's appearance was quite fierce. Her long skirt was ripped, her gold shoulder-length blonde hair was disheveled, and the iris of her left eye was purple. Upon regaining her senses after the battle, both her hair and eyes returned to normal, her eyes gained a bright amber color and her clothes had been repaired.
To Hadrian, what stood out about her was her vicious crimson eyes, which clearly hinted her true nature as part of the vampiric race. Seeing her eyes then triggered a memory in his mind that allowed him to remember his grandfather, and the conversations he had with the old man when he was younger, along with it was his knowledge about True Ancestors.
When Hadrian recalled that particular information in mind, he was preparing himself for the worst possibility of fighting a True Ancestor at her full strength.
Hadrian and Arturia had beaten her, after all. Therefore, it would not be too far-off to expect that Arcuied might have intentions of continuing the battle on her own, just to get back at them. What even caused Hadrian to feel nervous at that time was letting Arturia fight a powerful opponent that already knew their tricks and strategy.
Arturia had done her best at their first round, but it had exhausted her, despite her assurances to keep fighting.
To their surprise, Arcuied Brunestud did not met their expectations.
At first, she seemed to have intentions to continue the fight, but had thought better of it. When they asked her, Arcuied gave them a rather vague answer.
"Why? Hmm… perhaps it's because you remind me of someone I know. You smell like him too." Was what she said before she ripped the space with her claws and left the Moon.
Needless to say, Hadrian and Arturia had been speechless by her reason, but were grateful and relieved at the unexpected turn of events nonetheless.
After the war, Hadrian had a lot of time in his hands to reflect on his memories during the brutal event. When he recalled her vague words, the first thing that came to mind was his grandfather since he was possibly the only one close to him to have some relations with someone like Arcuied Brunestud.
Although, he had yet to actually confirm this theory of his, considering as he had been rather busy travelling around the world in the past few months.
'Hmm, something to ask opa later then…' Hadrian mused.
He was brought back to reality when he heard Hugo speak.
"Yes, it is." Hugo nodded. "And it is also an honorary member of the 27 Dead Apostles. No actual reason was given why it was that, but I suppose the high rank Dead Apostles did it out of whim." Here, Hugo turned to Hadrian with a wry smile. "Young master, Lord Schweinorg is a part of their group, of which I'm sure you are aware of this."
Hadrian merely gave a nonchalant nod of acknowledge before Hugo continued.
"The Spider arrived here on earth sometime after Lord Schweinorg had defeated Crimson Moon. It landed on earth in a rather subtle manner, but when we discovered its existence and its location, we have always made sure to keep an eye on its movements. The idea of leaving it alone unsupervised was dangerous and unwise, given that the Spider is an Ultimate One."
Hugo stared at the massive fog in the distance with a faraway look in his eyes.
"Luckily for us, the Spider chose an uninhabited island to land, and so the High Council had decided to seal the island off from the rest of the world. The chances of letting its existence be known by the normal folk was simply too dangerous for us to let it happen. Therefore, we had to take certain steps to make sure that its existence never comes light." Hugo stated in a mildly grim tone.
In other words, the Mage's Association had to resort to every possible schemes to ensure the secret of the Spider's existence, which probably includes taking control of the media, manipulating the news, erasing and spreading false information, literally anything that they can get their hands on.
Hadrian had even heard from his grandfather that the High Council ordered magi of their selection to infiltrate all governments around the world to ensure that everything related to Magecraft was to be kept an utmost secret, including the knowledge of otherworldly beings such as the Spider.
Looking at the grim expressions of his retainers, they most likely arrived at the same conclusion as him.
"Does that also include the fog and those freaky clouds up there?" Yan asked, gesturing to the fog and clouds in the distance.
"Yes, among other things." Hugo smiled. "In fact, Lord Schweinorg had a hand in creating them."
Hadrian blinked in surprise, an action that was repeated by his retainers, who all turned to look at the Magus questioningly.
"Truly?" The young heir asked.
"Yes, truly." Hugo grinned, then it faded as a thoughtful expression settled on his face. "Although, I have no idea how he did it. Maybe you can ask the Chief Director about it later. I heard that he and Lord Schweinorg know each other way back before you were born, young master."
'Chief Director, huh. He must be the one with the mistress.' Hadrian mused with a flat expression.
"Anyways, that's a conversation we can continue for later." Hugo continued. "We're about to enter the fog."
With that said, he turned to look at the fog that was getting closer to the yacht.
A second later, everything dimmed as the yacht entered the dense smoke made out of powerful magical energy.
Not a moment later, Hadrian's sight brightened up, but it was not as it had been before. The sun was still present, but in the distance, there was an island of moderate size. What made it different from the others were the large and tall pillars of crystals that can be seen from afar. They surrounded the island like trees, stout and quite noticeable.
It would have been a beautiful sight if not for the dreadful sensation lingering in the air. Instead, it made the island to be spectacular yet haunting in his eyes.
"Welcome to the Spider's nest, everyone." Hugo announced to his astonished guests.
...
…
After they had entered the fog, Hugo quickly instructed the captain to drive the yacht to the right side of the island.
It was there that Hadrian and the rest saw a large floating platform that was facing the strange isle. They had not saw it then when they entered, but after Hugo used the radio to contact someone, the barrier that was hiding the platform unraveled after he had finished speaking to someone, causing Hadrian to assume that Hugo spoke to someone who was inside it.
Several minutes later, Hadrian and the rest disembarked the yacht and found themselves standing on the outside area of the floating platform with a group of people waiting for them.
Leading them was a middle-aged man with dark blonde hair and brown eyes, who was dressed in a neatly tailored black suit. Calm and collected he may seem outside, there was a glint in his eyes that gave away his excitement and slight nervousness as he observed the people disembarking the yacht.
After Charlie, Dia and Arturia stepping into the platform first, Hugo and Hadrian were the last to exit. The rest of his retainers were simply waiting for them, looking around in wonder.
When Hadrian came near, the middle-aged man in the black suit slowly approached him with a smile, surprising Hadrian for a moment.
"Welcome to the Watch, young master. My name is Edward Miles, and I'm the Chief Director of this humble organization." The middle-aged man, Edward Miles, introduced himself.
'So, this is Edward…' Hadrian thought as he shook the man's hand.
"Hello." The young heir greeted with a small smile.
While his greeting was genuine, Hadrian can't help but give the older man a pitying look as he recalled his grandfather's words in their last conversation, to which Edward was inwardly curious about what it was for. But, it was so quick that the older man thought he was just imagining it.
'Eh? Is it just me or is he pitying me for some reason?' The Chief Director thought.
He couldn't have been more right then and there.
...
...
After the meet and greet was over, Hadrian and the others were led inside the platform.
To their surprise, what they had seen from the outside was not the rest of the base. Rather, it was simply a part of their headquarters. Below the floating platform leads down to the rest of base, which was underwater, so they have to take the elevator to get there.
Hadrian had to marvel at the sight of high-tech machinery and devices within the headquarters.
'These are state of the art technology supporting this base, but what's this? The power source surrounding this place uses magical energy, but also natural energy.' Hadrian mused, recalling the Moon Cell's report as he looked around the interior of the underwater base.
When they stepped out of the elevator, Edward Miles led Hadrian and the others to the meeting room where they can speak in private.
As they went and followed the older man, whispers and stares followed at Hadrian's wake, which never ceases to amused the retainers.
"Is that the Prince?"
"What?! Where?"
"Whoa, those guys at the Clock Tower are not kidding about his aura…!"
"Someone that beautiful should be a sin." A young woman sighed wistfully.
"Why's life unfair, man?" One man complained.
"He's got many guards around him, man. Shit's insane!"
"Well, he is the heir to the Schweinorg house, ya know."
"Damn, he's dangerous in all kinds of ways." A woman in her early 20's commented, staring intensely at Hadrian's form.
"As expected of the Crown Prince." The man beside her agreed, mistaking her comment as disapproval.
"I meant that as a compliment. Not in a negative manner, stupid. He's sexy."
"He's still fifteen, you witch. You're sickening to be having the hots for a child."
"Moron, I don't care about that. We're magi, so when had we ever care about things like age differences. Only the normal folk would care about useless things like that. He's still hot and gorgeous, and what are you implying, eh? Are you saying I'm old!?" The woman angrily said.
"Ah… Hm? What are we talking about again?"
In response, the man standing beside her received an elbow to the gut, courtesy of the woman.
The retainers chuckled, amused at the reactions of the staff as they followed after their oblivious Master, whose attention was with Hugo and Edward as they conversed among themselves.
"He he, this never gets old." Astolfo whispered to Charles, who was walking beside him.
"It never does." Charles agreed with a grin.
The rest of their walk was spent in silence as the Chief Director and some of his staff guided them to the meeting room. As they followed, Hadrian and his retainers spent their time looking around the base, observing how the members of the Watch worked and interior of the base.
Although, one of his retainers, Astolfo, couldn't contain his wonder and excitement as they went around the base.
The pink-haired servant looked like a child touring around the aquarium, which might not be far off in this case. The Chief Director seemed to be giving them a short tour of the headquarters as they headed over to the meeting room, seeing as they had been walking around and stopping by in different areas now that Hadrian thought about it.
Their subtle perusing came to an end when they arrived to the front entrance of the meeting room, which they were soon ushered to enter and they found themselves seated in front of a long polished table made of dark wood with intricate details. The three chandeliers aligned above the table serving as a light to brighten the room, while a large window to the left showed a beautiful underwater view.
"Master, look! There's a family of dolphins over there!" Astolfo pointed out excitedly, tugging the sleeve of his jacket to get Hadrian's attention.
"Yes, I see it." Hadrian smiled, feeling happy at the sight of sea animals as well.
As someone fond of seeing spectacular scenes of nature, Hadrian also felt happy to see the beautiful underwater view before him, much like Astolfo in this case. Seeing the sea animals was only the added benefit of coming across such a sight.
The brief respite however was interrupted as an audible cough made itself known, catching everyone's attention in the room.
When they turned to the source, they saw Edward Miles seated at the head of the table, who began to speak.
"Well, now that we are here, let me first say that it is an honor to have you here, young master." Edward Miles bowed his head slightly to Hadrian's direction.
In return, Hadrian gave him a nod of his own, but remained silent as he let the Chief Director continue.
"But, as I've been told of your straight approach in business, we will just get right down to the issue. As I'm sure you have been informed by Hugo over there," Edward nodded to Hugo Faust, who was sitting to his right before he turned back to Hadrian. "We require your assistance on an important matter that relates to the Watch."
"So I've been told, but Hugo hadn't elaborated more on the issue other than the fact that it concerns you." Hadrian said in a thoughtful manner, recalling the conversation he had with Hugo while they were on the yacht on the way to the floating platform of the Watch. "That, and because of the Spider."
"Then, please allow me to elaborate on this matter." Edward cleared his throat, straightening his posture. "The ones that we suspect targeting the Spider might be related to the mass murders occurring around the world. This, of course, is an important issue that must be taken care of immediately."
Contrary to what Hugo and Edward were expecting, Hadrian did not looked surprised by the grim revelation. Instead, he appeared calm and composed, legs crossed as he leaned back in his chair.
How could he be surprised anymore since it was one of the things that he had always been suspecting of?
"How sure are you?" The young heir asked.
"About 87 to 95% sure." Hugo answered with a wry smile.
"And opa's thoughts on this?" Hadrian asked next, expression thoughtful.
"He also thought the same." Edward said. "In fact, we had been discussing this topic last week."
Hadrian hummed, remaining silent as he mused over the issue while the rest (sans his retainers) waited with baited breath before he spoke again.
"Okay, then tell me what you all think of the ones targeting the Spider. While it's great to know that the subjects are related, the problem still remains the same and we need to make a move against whoever is after the Spider before they can begin. Knowing the ones that you're suspecting will be of great help in this case." Hadrian stated.
Hugo and Edward looked at one another, then Edward looked to his secretary, who was standing patiently behind his left.
The secretary was a woman with regal features and fit built. She was dressed in a white long-sleeve blouse with a black vest, a black pencil skirt that reached down to her knees, black stockings and a pair of high-heeled shoes. Her features were of European descent, a pair of green eyes and long brown hair that was tied into a neat bun.
"Ana, if you would." Edward said to her, gesturing with his hand.
"Certainly." Ana said curtly, stepping forward to give Hadrian a white folder that was held in her right hand.
Hadrian gave her a nod of thanks, which was acknowledged, before he turned his attention to the folder in his lap.
"The information we have is still incomplete, but the one in that folder might help." Edward said.
With that said, Hadrian opened the folder and began to inspect the contents within.
There was a lot of details written on the document, but the one thing that stood out to Hadrian was the photo located at the top and clipped on the paper to keep it in place.
The image was that of a man in his late 30's, who wears a blank expression on his face. He has short blonde hair that was slicked back, a pair of cold, piercing blue eyes and he held himself with an air of severity, which was a trait that most first class magi often adopt. His features were well-regulated, and he can be seen wearing a suit and black gloves in the photo.
'One of the leaders of the Scladio family, an American mafia organization. Public persona is the CEO of an industrial waste. Suspected to be connected to the murders of over one hundred and twenty murder cases, including several mages, but evidence was always insufficient, which puts him under the surveillance of the Department of Justice Administration. Interesting…' He mused as he read.
Noticing the file he was reading, Edward spoke.
"That man in the picture is Bazdilot Cordelion." The Chief Director explained. "A dangerous Magus that we have seen to be lurking around in areas that were connected to the murder cases. Despite the lack of evidence towards him, Lord Schweinorg was more than aware of his involvement with the murders to convince the High Council to keep an eye on him, and he was right to do so."
"Has he been seen around the city? Here?" Hadrian's brows furrowed slightly.
"No, we received report that he was in Russia at this current time." Hugo answered.
"But we did saw some of his underlings lurking around here in this country. So, our suspicion is justified." Edward added. "The problem is someone else. Please read the next file."
Hadrian did as he was instructed, and his eyebrows raised in surprise when he saw the contents.
While there were some details written regarding the target, the main thing that caught his attention was the photo clipped on the top edge of the file.
The young heir looked up, turning to both Hugo and Edward.
"Couldn't you have gotten a better photo? All I see here is a silhouette." Hadrian said with a raised brow.
The two older magi chuckled dryly, as if not knowing whether to be amused or be upset at his words.
Based on what he was sensing, the emotion was not directed at Hadrian but something else instead, which was the only reason that Hadrian was not offended.
That did not stopped some of his retainers to look sharply at the two older magi though. Charles, Rider, Dia and Arturia looked particularly observant as they seemed to glare at the two men, which they noticed immediately since Hugo and Edward seemed to sobered up and straighten up in their seats, coughing to break the slight tension.
"Believe it or not, young master, that's the best that we can get." Hugo reasoned with a sigh.
"Yes, unfortunately." Edward pitched in, looking weary as the other magus. "We tried to get a better quality, but…"
"But?" Charles prompted, who was standing behind Hadrian's right.
"The photographers all ended up dead, or they get the same capture as that one." Hugo finished with a grim smile.
"Really?" Astolfo asked, eyes wide in shock.
"Yes, really." Hugo said with a faint smile of amusement.
"The target was simply that good at hiding." Edward continued, looking weary as he leaned back in his seat with a sigh. "We also tried to a different route by having an inside man in their organization to get a closer look at the suspect, but in two days or a week, they either become MIA or we just find them dead in some corner of the world."
"We also tried to get more information through normal means, but as you can see, we came up empty, despite our resources." Hugo added.
"Hmm…" Hadrian hummed in thought, staring at the photo with a piercing expression.
Bright cyan eyes lowered to the printed contents below the image, reading the words silently.
'Name: unknown. Gender: unknown. Profile: unknown. Huh. The only thing noteworthy here is this person's relation to the Scladio family, and yet they were able to evade detection from the rest of the world, despite these guys' efforts. How suspicious. That's not normal, even by magus standards. Something is strange here…' He mused.
Hadrian thought about using the Moon Cell to find more information about the suspect, but decided to keep it as an option since he has a feeling that his grandfather might know something about it. He also cannot help but think back to what happened to him at the abandoned mansion.
'The pieces just keeps on coming together, yet the main part is still missing. I wonder…' Bright cyan eyes narrowed, piercing and thoughtful.
Hadrian shook his head, not just to snap himself out of his musings, but to also disregard the fleeting thought that came to his mind.
'Nothing is concrete yet. It's just an assumption. Possibility, but not yet actually confirmed. Better to set it aside for now.' Hadrian's lips pursed lightly.
He sighed before he looked up to Edward, who was patient and courteous enough to give him some time to think.
"Well, this is a matter that we'll have to deal with later on. I'll do what I can on my end to find out who this suspect really is." Hadrian announced, placing the folder on the table.
Hugo and Edward sighed in relief, looking as if the weight on their shoulders lightened up.
"That would be much appreciated, young master." Edward smiled.
"Yes." Hugo nodded, smiling. "Given how much effort and sacrifices was put into this matter, your help is welcome here."
"Hmm, I simply gave you my word since this matter does concerned the Spider. I have yet to actually make an effort to help you guys." Hadrian waved off their words, feeling a bit uncomfortable by their high expectations of him.
"Nonetheless, young master, your presence here alone is reassuring enough for us." Hugo insisted.
"Indeed." Edward took over. "As surprising as this sounds coming from us, we are not that powerful enough to contend with people like the Scladio family. We are already stressed out and occupied enough with watching over the Spider's status, but to also deal with the suspects' movements at the same time."
Without saying anything more, Edward shook his head tiredly with a sigh.
Hadrian should really count how many weary sighs he had heard since he arrived here, including his own, seeing as it seemed to be one of the things that remained consistent throughout his day.
In hindsight, he thought about their words and couldn't help but agree.
Keeping watch over the Spider's movements can stress out anyone, perhaps even his grandfather, but to also watch out for intruders was similar to pouring oil over fire. The pressure the people in the Watch must be high for them to be this tense, which makes Hadrian feel sympathy for them.
But, there were some things that he must know.
"Speaking of which, what is the Spider's condition?" Hadrian asked.
"Asleep." Edward smiled faintly. "It had been years since it had arrived here, but fortunately, it is still in hibernation."
"Do you have counter measures ready if it was the opposite case?" Arturia inquired, speaking for the first time since they arrived.
Edward blinked in surprise, as if realizing that Hadrian did not come alone. But, he got over it and regained his composure quickly.
"Ah yes, we do." Edward said calmly. "Although, it is really thanks to Lord Schweinorg that we do since he was the one who made it. He had built a device that runs on both magical and natural energy as its power source. He made use of the magical energy that the Spider emits, converting it into energy to power up the device that keeps the Spider asleep and the island sealed off from the world."
Recalling a certain memory in mind, Edward laughed, surprising most occupants in the room.
"Even if there's an earthquake, the island would remain undisturbed and the Spider will still be sleeping like a baby." Edward joked with a smile.
The air in the room lightened, causing some smiles to appear on his retainers' faces.
"Until this problem came along, that is." Hugo supplied with a lifeless chuckle.
That sobered up Edward, who coughed as his smile vanished.
"Yes, until this came." Edward sighed, almost slumping in his seat.
And just like that, the air returned to its solemn and slightly tensed air, causing Hadrian and his retainers to sweatdrop at the two magi's sudden switch in reaction.
"Well, you two sure are peaches and bright rays of sunshine." Kieran commented in a deadpan tone.
Instead of being offended, the two older magi merely chuckled, equally amused at his dry sense of humor.
"Back on topic, where is this device located?" Hadrian inquired politely.
"It's here hidden at the bottom of the headquarters." Edward answered. "It was once at the floating platform back when the Watch was still new, but Lord Schweinorg and my father had both decided to relocate the device in a place more secure and less obvious to be seen."
Hadrian tilted his head slightly, realizing something in his words.
"You weren't the first Chief Director of the Watch." Hadrian stated.
"No, I'm the second generation, and also the Head of my family." Edward said with a chuckle. "The first Chief Director would be my father, who also happened to be the founder of the Watch. He had made this organization at the behest of the High Council, but it was Lord Schweinorg who convinced him in the end. If not for Lord Schweinorg's support and generous finances, the Watch would have not be what it is today. My father knew Lord Schweinorg years ago, and when he passed away, I became the one to inherit his place here as the Chief Director."
Hadrian nodded in acknowledgement, finally getting a clear understanding of his grandfather's relation to the Chief Director.
Their conversation came to an abrupt halt when the phone in front of Edward Miles rang.
Putting the call on speaker so that everyone in the room can hear, Edward accepted the call.
"Yes, what is it?" The Chief Director asked.
"Sir, we have an emergency that needs your utmost attention." A male voice announced in an urgent tone. "Please come to the control bridge."
Edward looked at Hugo and Hadrian with furrowed brows, concern clear on his aging face before it was replaced by a calm and resolute expression.
"Very well, I'll be there." Edward said in a firm tone.
With a press, he ended the call and stood up from his seat, an action that everyone in the room had mirrored.
"What do you think that was?" Hugo asked.
"Honestly, I have no idea." Edward sighed. "But, I'm sure we'll find out once we get there. Please, everyone, follow me."
Without further ado, Hadrian and the rest was guided out of the meeting room as Edward led the way for them in the front.
As someone who had been in a life-and-death situations, Hadrian had become quite sensitive to sensing incoming danger. Therefore, he can't help but think that something had gone amiss while the meeting was ongoing as he followed with the others and watched as Hugo and Edward talked to one another on their way to the control bridge.
Later on that day, Hadrian would look back on this moment and sighed out of weariness and disbelief at how his day had went.
'I really should keep a track record of how many times I heard that…'
...
Author's Note
...
Surprise, I bet you guys didn't expect the Spider to come in so quickly, no? ;)
As for the why, we'll have that covered later on as the story progress. I have my reasons for including that alien, you guys will see it soon enough. I'm the type of writer to include the small things and turn it into something more that relates to the story in the future.
Remember Hadrian's choice in restoring the world back into its healthy state? It'll have an effect on the story later on, so watch out for it! :)
Next, let me discuss about the 'Zelretch' portion in the previous chapter.
I realized that some of you guys misunderstood what I was implying with Zelretch's power of the Kaleidoscope. So, let me clear that up now.
What I was trying to say in the previous chapter was not his actual uses for the True Magic was lessening nor about its effects either, but his ability to use it in its maximum capacity instead. Like for example, he can't use the Second True Magic like what he had done to Crimson Moon, blasting the moon back to orbit and all that.
He can still use the Kaledoscope in certain ways, but with the support of his mystic codes. Without their help, he won't be able to successfully pull it off, not without the risk of endangering his own life, which he is more than aware enough to never even consider the option, not unless he can get something significant out of it.
Remember, he was crippled after the fight with Crimson Moon, so he's not as strong here in MY story.
I think it's also the same in canon since the devs did implied about Zelretch's current state there. It was even included in his wiki page in Type Moon, which I'm sure you guys already know about. Otherwise, he wouldn't have given Rin and Luvia an assignment to collect the class cards in Fate-Kaleid Liner Prisma Illya.
He would done it himself if it was the opposite case, but alas, it was not. BUT, he's still quite a slippery Magician.
In TPOM (and most likely in canon too), Zelretch is still considered as one of the powerful beings in the Moonlit World due to his experience as a Magician and his own resourcefulness with the Kaleidoscope, despite his crippled status. He's certainly powerful, but only on certain conditions.
I guess it's my fault for not explaining it better. To be fair, I was already quite exhausted when I was editing that chapter out, so my brain was not exactly working at the maximum level at that time. Oh well, I'll just edit that part out later on to avoid another misunderstanding.
Anyways, I hope that clears things up with you guys, KingAllen, Gen2324, and Kensei-1085.
Now, with that out of the way, I would like to say thanks for the continued support, guys.
I just saw the amount of follows and faves this story has, which surprised me honestly. I haven't logged in FF for quite a while now because of the craziness in rl these days, so it was a pleasant surprise the amount of interest that readers have for TPOM, which makes me honestly happy.
As for what's been going on with my life lately… well, it's the same with you guys, honestly.
I still have work, but not at the same level as it was before. So, I have to find other ways to help with the financial needs of the family. Just at home though, and I've been having trouble with it too since the quarantine is not making life easier on us. It's hampering with the family business, so it's not always good.
Good news is, I got some free time to write every now and then. It's not that much, but it's enough.
Also, I'm rejoicing at the fact that I finally got one of my favorite servants! Arturia has finally come home to me! With just six to seven tickets during the Saber wars event, I have finally got my Arturia! My blue baby BEAUTIFUL SABEEEEEEEEEEER! SOUND THE TRUMPETS, PEOPLE! THE KING OF KNIGHTS HAS COME HOME TO ME! T_T
Jokes aside, it's also quite an unbelievable roll, honestly. I mean, I wasn't even aiming for her. I was trying to get Mordred so that I can upgrade her NP to level 2, but then Arturia sneaked up on me instead.
Not only that, I manage to snag Nero again and get her NP up to level 2 that time too. Red Saber was the first to appear after two or three tickets, then when the 6 or 7th ticket was gone, Arturia came up, which I'm very happy about! Tickets are really useful in my case when I want to get just one servants that has a rank up instead of the mixed one.
I even got Saber Lily before the Saber Wars ended, so it was a satisfying event experience for me, even though I didn't managed to get most of the materials.
Overall, it was a worthy trade off in my opinion! :D
On a different note, Lost Belt 1 has finally come! I'm excited to play it now, but I'm also finishing off the other pseudo singularities at the same time.
So, my playtime with FGO lately is split between starting the first Lost Belt and the pseudo singularities. I'm doing it that way because I want to get lots of SQs before the real main events come, such as Achilles and Skadi's banners, I mean! :3
Oh, and the Character Bio is almost finished. I just need to write about his list of abilities and go over it for a major edit, so wait patiently until then.
And that's all for now, I'll see you guys in the next chapter.
Stay safe and healthy, guys. Adieu! :)
…
Q & A
…
KingAllen, Gen2324, and Kensei-1085:
A – Go read the AN above the Q&A for your answer.
…
Dxhologram:
A – Ha ha, aren't all the characters in the Fate universe a bunch of weirdos as well? XD
As for the anime, I have high expectations for it since just playing the game itself had already moved me enough. It goes without saying that the portrayal in the anime would be much even better and powerful even since there's voice acting and the characters' expressions won't be as stilted as it was in the game.
…
Doortolight47:
A – I probably will XD
As for Type Mercury's appearance in the story, I got my reasons, and all I can say about it is that it has something to do with Hadrian.
You'll just have to wait and see, my friend ;)
…
Journey to the End:
A – 'Traps are scary'? Yes, yes, they are.
As for Type Mercury… no, not really.
I find it rather amusing that you guys are thrown off by the Spider since I just mentioned it and you're all like acting as if Hadrian is about to go fight it XD
Anyways, as for the why, you'll see what I mean as the story goes on :)
…
fruitspunchsamurai-987:
A – Oh god, Siduri. You just have to remind me, man.
Out of curiosity, was she transformed as that alien-thing in the anime as well? Did they show it there and confirmed that Siduri was turned into a monster?
(I haven't watched the anime yet because I'm just that busy with rl, and this pandemic and all is not helping in the slightest.)
I forgot what those monsters were called. You know, the one that looks like an alien with a weird head shape and a mouth at the center of its 'face'.
It's been months since I finished the Babylonia singularity in FGO, but I remember that there was this one that wasn't attacking back, no matter how much damage you inflict upon it. It just appeared, and you're forced to fight it, but it didn't fight back and went away instead.
…
Shiroyasha Rises:
A – No, not really :)
If anything, it makes the story a lot more interesting in my opinion.
In my case, I included the Spider for a reason. You'll see what I mean soon enough ;)
…
runelt99:
A – Ha ha, I don't blame you for that :)
I only did mentioned his True Name a few times in the story, and most of the time, he was always called as 'Charles' since it is what he wants to be called by those he considered as allies and friends, which is Hadrian and the others in this case. I'm just keeping true to his character in canon. At least, most of the time.
…
sugoijack9:
A – Yes, he doesn't need it. Rather, in this case, the Regalia acts more like a physical symbol of his authority over the Moon Cell.
It's like Caliburn with King Arthur; a powerful sword, but more suited to be a symbol of his authority instead of his power.
As for him being OP, yes, I won't deny that he's all that. Although, he's not yet skilled and experienced as Zelretch and the others are. He has the power, but the skill and experience to use them is still far from acceptable. He has limits, and the problem he's having at the moment is how to use those powers, especially the Moon Cell.
Granted, he already knows a few, but we all know that the Moon Cell is a lot more capable than just a few functions. What we've seen in Fate/Extella was already proof of this.
At the same time, while he's learning how to use the Moon Cell a lot more efficiently, he's also trying to restrain himself from depending on it too much. It's a powerful tool that must be handled carefully and using it a lot might bring a consequence that can't be repaired with a simple wish.
Aoko Aozaki is a great example of this. She had great power, and while she did saved the world, she also doomed it later on. Hadrian is trying to prevent that from happening in his case.
He has all that power, but he has to learn how to use it wisely and not carelessly because even a small mistake might affect the future greatly. Butterfly effect, and all that.
…
Stay safe and healthy, everyone. Adieu for now! :D