Elden Ring Dlc done.
I have strong opinions about a lot of the design choices From made, catering towards fanservice and artificial difficulty as well as choosing not to reveal more of the actual interesting story bits. But that's neither here nor there.
At least we learned that Marika was a woobie if nothing else.
... tomorrow is early access for Dawntrail.
'Whimpers'
This is what it's like to be Darth Vader in this moment.
Your mind is clearer than it has been in decades even as your body remains as sluggish and broken as it has ever been. Leaden limbs fighting you every inch of the way and flooding your senses with stabs of agony as you, in turn flood them with anger and hate.
Pushing them past their broken limits towards something approximating what the Hero with No Fear could do.
And yet, as you shove away the persistent irritant that has stuck with you throughout your…afterlife? Afterlife. The gnat that plagues you time after time, summoning after summoning again with the same persistence a Hutt lusts after maidens.
You know it won't be enough.
You won't make it in time.
But you try nonetheless.
And even if due to being but a shade of Vader in truth, the Force's response to your call is sluggish. Muted. The life-giving field still wraps around you, enhancing and strengthening your limbs and suit.
In turn allowing you to burst through the kitchen's wall and then scarcely a few heartbeats later pierce through the library's own wall as you make a stomping run towards the entrance hall and the flaming world outside—the old nightmares of Mustafar are suppressed with pathetic ease before they can even so much as make your fingers twitch. Sadly, the Force's warning was as late as was certain.
You won't make it in time.
"Eep!"
The Shielder, luckily for her, makes no attempt to impede your charge. Jumping to the side and aborting her own dash for the door.
And yet you must try.
For the sake of a young boy that so resembles another pair whom you know intimately and who had the fate of the universe thrust upon their scarcely prepared shoulders. And where your son succeeded the other…
It is unacceptable. It won't occur again.
For even if Ritsuka's heart shines with the radiance of Luke's own to your Force-sight. Innocence and purity are of little use against a vibro-knife or a blaster.
The sound of glass breaking reaches you and you know you've failed even before you kick the door off its hinges, the bits that don't explode that is. A scowl forms upon your charred lips and as you witness this hooded servant, this…'Medusa' holding Chaldea's Director into a deceptively weak grip, the anger at your own failure momentarily overtakes the constant familiar pain courtesy of the sensory nails lining the inside of your mask piercing your burned flesh.
The grip upon your unlit saber tightens and your rage, as you stand upon the threshold shatters what remains of the door.
"Ufufufu~ And here comes the scary knight." The woman says with a sinister chuckle, one reminding you of a pale, bald woman a lifetime ago. You doubt Ventress would have been impressed. "Make no sudden movements or tricks." The enemy servant gently caresses the trembling hostage's cheek with one finger. "We wouldn't want an accident to ruin this beautiful face now would we?"
Minutely turning to the side and towards Ritsuka who's busy dusting of bits of plaster and shards of glass as he stands back up, you suppress the Dark Side's urges with contemptuous ease. Charging Medusa while ensuring the safety of the hostage, as his Master would no doubt want, is a task the Hero with No Fear would have been particularly suited for, or, barring that, Vader actual. Not this shade of both. So, instead…
"Master, your bidding?" he asks right before Caster also slams into the ground and rushes to join Ritsuka's side.
After this singularity is dealt with, you will have to attempt to fix your Master's propensity for rushing headlong into danger.
Attempt to do so…
For he rather reminds you of two other souls who were burdened with the fate of the world and neither of them ever quite managed to kick the habit as far as you are aware…
Medusa's first instinct is to sneer at the brat that'd thought himself a hero. What with him being a modern day weakling and jumping through a window from the second floor, arms crossed in front of his face and with shards of glass following him as he drops and rolls, coming to a tumbling stop.
Worthless as she might be in most regards, even a wretch like her knows it is a bad idea for most mortals in this diminished age to perform such an, admittedly, simple feat that those bastards calling themselves heroes back when…a feat that the heroes of old would have scoffed at and deemed pathetic, nonetheless trying to emulate the heroes of old is ill advised for their far weaker descendants.
And yet.
As the kid stands, the miasma covered brute clad in equally foreboding black garments, exploding into the scene and freezing at her warning, and even that pest of a mage jumping down, eyes hard and fixed to his captive master even as the Hooded One comes to stand protectively next to the boy—morsel?
Instead of a sneer she blinks.
Perplexed, her tongue darts out again and Medusa has to concede that yes, the boy is free of fear.
Or rather.
Almost free of it. No sane creature is entirely free of fear, or would be in such a situation as the boy's group now found themselves in.
The fact this brute of a future knight is filled with nothing but hate and anger proves her point. Anger and hate so similar to another madman, one some would call her kin, prowling near the slopes of the nearby mountain like a maddened guard dog.
"Medusa-san!"
Another blink is followed by a small smile, a dangerous smile as many a prey turned statue or eaten realized too late.
"Oho? You know of me, little master?" she asks with a purr. And yet, even as her eyes flash in warning, the boy that, now that she looks at him up close she can no longer deny the resemblance even if those blue eyes, if her suspicions are correct, come from a feisty redhead instead of him, merely nods and stares back at her with no fear.
Her tongue flickers past her lips.
And once again confirms it, past the ash and sulfur engulfing the city, the heat feeling so soothing against her scales, the boy's fear, what little of it is there to begin with, is less about himself and more about the tasty, terrified morsel whimpering in her grip, staring at the would be hero, the rest of the group and…
"What."
Herself?
Surely, her exposure to the mud and her continued un-life must have had a greater effect than she expected and—
Another flick.
The results are the same…except for a bit of lust, in the boy's scent. Well hidden, but present all the same. This causes her lips to quirk followed by a deep breath.
"E-eh? Reines, I understand now…"
She ignores the mumbling of the soft morsel and her squirming as said morsel sinks into delirium.
"Medusa-san?"
And then there's the concern in the boy's scent and eyes.
Eyes framed by a face which, is she squinted just right…
Her breath hitches.
She still doesn't dare hope.
Hope has always betrayed her.
But. If she's right... Then the boy's stunts for heroism is not heroism at all, bur rather, like…like him. It might just be that the foolish brat in front of her simply cares too much!
She ignores the arrival of the exhibitionist girl lugging that oversized table she calls a shield with her and that of the arrogant descendant of barbarians.
Medusa has no fear of death, but before she dies if the group decide to attack her, the morsel will end up in pieces.
"Boy."
At her hiss everyone present tenses. As they should.
"Medusa-san?"
Perhaps its the mud, but, depending on how things pan out she wouldn't be averse to being addressed with such respect by the boy in the days to come. His scent, after all, aside from its curious mix hides within it an…intoxicating allure. One the child is clearly oblivious too.
"You know my legend?"
The child scowls and glares at the ground. "Not as well as I would like to, Medusa-san. I know the basics, yes. But little beyond that. Mythology was but a middling interest of mine, unfortunately as it turned out."
"And yet, that should still be enough~" she purrs and she can tell the boy is on the backfoot.
"E-eh?"
"If you know the…'basics', then you know what I am. What I did," her eyes flash again as she hisses, the scorn focused mainly upon herself this time. "And yet…" it vanishes as quickly as it came even as she takes one arm off the terrified morsel to run it down the sides of her cloak, tracing her figure. Despicable as she might be and even though her…her sisters had made it clear she was a…'cake', Medusa, befuddlement aside, had come to realize that some deviants lusted after her somehow. For some confounding reason. Probably something wrong with their brains best she could conclude. "I can smell the…interest."
"Jiiii…"
The streaker with the shield immediately starts glaring at the boy.
Oho? Interesting.
"I-I've no idea what you mean!" judging by Caster's snort, the boy's denials ring hollow.
"Ufufu~ If you insist…Be that as it may." The white-haired morsel's continued squirms as she caresses her cheek are enough to make Medusa smile. "Do you want for this one to live? Little Master?"
"R-ritsuka! I-if I turn into a statue you have my permission, nay, I order you to store me in your room and keep me clean and pure! You may even gawk and heap praise upon me daily!"
Medusa blinks, the boy pauses and everyone else stands in place for a few moments and all that can be heard is the crackle of nearby fires slowly working their way through what remains of Fuyuki.
"Jiiii…"
And then, a moment of lucidity seems to work its way through the girl's head.
"Oh…Did I just…kill me now please…"
Medusa, might be many things, but even she is not that cruel.
"Your answer, little master?"
Thankfully, the boy is quick to grasp on the olive branch, mouth clicking shut as he looks back at her and nods, face serious despite the clearly visible blush.
"Y-yes! I very much want for the Lady Director to live!"
"Are you sure?" she purrs. "After such a heartfelt proclamation, would it not be better to turn her into a statue? A dutiful child like you would take excellent care of her, I'm sure."
Medusa is also a filthy hypocrite when it suits her.
The boy coughs into a fist, cheeks cherry red. "Y-yes, I much prefer Olga-san remains breathing if its all the same to you. Stone would only mar her beauty."
"Ritsuka, y-you—"
"Jiii…"
"And I would also prefer it if you let my master out of your grabby hands, Lancer."
"Oho~ is that so, Caster?" she asks with a grin, lips pulling back to reveal her teeth. "Care to try and free her, then?"
"H-hey, we are all friends here!" the boy is quick to intervene, taking an ill advised step forward and between her and Caster. "There's no need for any of that?"
"Kid…she's a devious snake. One I'd trust about as much as Medb's promises of monogamy."
"Fufufu~" with an exertion of will her scythe manifests next to her. Doing little besides hovering, and yet, the implication is clear. "Oh, and here I thought we were friends after our last meeting."
Aside from a minute twitch Caster doesn't rise to her bait. "Much as I don't like it. I see only one way out of this mess, kid."
"No, you are wrong, Cu-san."
"Kid?"
The brat, the stupid, idiotic, foolhardy brat takes a step towards her and the morsel, and then another, arms spread wide. A kind smile on his face.
"Medusa is a kind person."
"Senpai!"
"Master!"
"Mein Fuhrer!"
"Kid!"
"Fou fou!"
The appearance of a small furry creature hoping onto the head of the streaker makes her blink.
"E-eh? Fou? When did you get here?"
But the rage quickly returns.
"N-no, Ritsuka, stay back!"
And now even the morsel finds her courage and wits at last as she struggles in Medusa's grip.
"You foolish boy…" she hisses. "I could end you in a heartbeat!"
"Yeah, you could," the kid agrees with a nod, making her rage grow. So, was he like all those heroes after all who—
"But Medusa is kind." Those same words again. They make her stagger. "I can see it, under your rage…is but a wounded soul crying out against the injustice the world forced upon her."
"…injustice?"
"Why yeah! The…the things you had to go through? Due to no fault of your own? What else could they be called? Sure, at the end you did bad things yourself and that's bad."
She can't help it, a snort leaves her and a small smirk forms.
"But you were driven to that end and left with no choice."
Heh, indeed, what choice did she have back then? When the cruel gods and the heroes both had been after her and her sisters, lusting after their heads or bodies?
Their end had all but been predetermined.
"No, I believe Medusa is a Hero!"
The word is almost enough to make her snarl, but her suspicions as to who the boyo is coupled with how the kid no doubt means it means she snorts instead.
"Me? A Hero? You are even more of a fool than I believed, Boyo," she says instead with a teasing note, as the kid comes to a stop but a step or two from her. Dangerously, stupidly close.
"Yes!" he says with a fierce nod. Eyes shining with such conviction that it makes her breath hitch. "Medusa is a Hero! Or, if she isn't right now, can very much become one! No need to stand alone! Join me." Her lips quirk as the kid blinks and quickly amends. "Join us and help us save our people. And yes," he continues before she can reply. "I count you as part of humanity too, Medusa! Come, be the Hero I know you can be!"
Half formed rebuttals hover in the back of her tongue, but she doesn't have the heart to speak them.
For her heart is beating madly for some reason.
She's probably caught whatever is wrong with the boyo due to letting him live this long and come this close. Come to think of it, the morsel in her grasp had spent a lot of time with the boyo, hadn't she? Then that seals it. There's nothing wrong with her, she's just been infected by the stupid.
"And besides, Medusa is b-b-beautiful and I refuse to believe that any such beauty could be evil!"
Her cheeks feel curiously warm.
"Ritsukaaaaa!"
"Jiii!"
Ok, that cinches it, if the kid is who she thinks he is? She has to join his group of idiots. Namely to keep the biggest idiot, that is the boy himself, safe. She refuses to let the brat get taken advantage of by some other evil hussie.
The mud's whispers in the dark corners of her mind she ignores with ease and, in all honesty exhaustion, what use is there in killing the kid and the morsel both. She is tired. Both of being evil and a failure. So, if the kid…
She dares to hope once again.
And as the kid continues to sprout more and more indecent foolish things, she finally has enough.
If the kid doesn't stop complimenting her she might just combust!
"B-Boyo?" she says, raising a palm.
"Medusa-san?"
Oh, now he remembers how to be polite! After he played with, even if an abominable one, a maiden's heart still!
"A drop of blood."
"Eh?"
"You want this to end without bloodshed? Gime a drop of your blood and, if I like the taste?" she doesn't care about the taste. "I will join your group, become your…servant." At her purred innuendo the kid blushes scarlet making her smile. Still got it! "Are you willing to let her die. To let me die all over a drop of blood?"
"Oi! Kid! Don't do it! You don't know what a mage, or monster, can do with willingly given blood, even a drop!"
"It's alright, Cu-san. I trust her."
That honesty in his eyes…
It almost hurts as much as it disgusts her and as the kid extends his arm, Harpe reaches out, willingly suppressing the Scythe's more…unsavory aspects she makes a normal tiny cut, barely breaking skin, and promptly brings the blade close, where her tongue stretches out and she swallows the drop, maintaining contact with only the blushing boy.
And she gasps.
There is no denying it any longer. Things make sense.
The taste is more than fine too.
The boyo, the overly trusting, naive, idealistic boyo is his son from some other future…And judging by those eyes, probably with that feisty redhead…
"E-eh?"
The morsel stumbles as Medusa pushes her away, interested no longer and, taking a step and then another, reaches out and caresses the boyo's cheek with surprising gentleness.
"M-medusa-san?"
"Fufufu, why so formal all of a sudden, ~my Master~?"
"Eh?"
"Shall we make it formal, as promised?"
The boy, fighting through his lust blinks and flashes her a radiant smile.
"Ah! Alright, sure!" he turns towards the rest of the weary group…her group, she supposes until the boyo decides otherwise. "See guys? There was no need to worry, Medusa-san is…"
As the boy once again starts to sprout more lies about her supposed good qualities, she can't help but squirm in place and feel the heat in her cheeks grow.
Stupid Master…
But that's alright, unworthy as she was, as she still is? This time she won't fail!
…and she'll make sure to keep the boyo safe from any other evil women, in the event he somehow got it into his head that they too, were somehow misunderstood.
And why was she smiling?!
Shaking his head, a snort escaped Cu's lips at the kid, somehow, once more managing to pull a rabbit out of his metaphorical ass and now in the midst of setting up a contract with that crazy bitch, Lancer.
And no, the fact Medusa of all people was rocking his class didn't smart. It didn't smart at all.
Ok, no. It did. A lot.
But there was little he could do about it, they had bigger fish to fry at the moment and so, with a murmur and an upraised palm, coupled with a bit of will, a golden rune flashed into being above his palm and Cu ignored the brief bit of disorientation at having, metaphorical, eyes sprout on the back of his skull.
Another bit of exertion and as the first rune faded, another formed as he came to a stop in front of the hulking cross armed figure of Vader and the sounds around them, both incoming and outgoing, faded.
The knight from the stars merely tilted his grim mask some, showing Cu had his attention, even if the bulk of it remained on the man's master.
"So, Vader."
"Kohhh… Khuhh…"
Yeah, about what he expected, the man didn't seem like the talking type to him.
Eh, he'd dealt with worse. And besides, so far, the knight seemed like a decent enough sort.
Evil aura aside.
Butting his staff against a shoulder with a wooden smack, he jerked his head. "How much of what the kid said was bullshit?"
Unexpectedly a mechanical snort left Vader's grille. "About half."
And Cu snorted too. "Yeah, about what I figured," he said with a nod. "Obvious issues of trusting the snake aside, her joining us, and as a result, no longed having to worry about warding our temporary base." The levity vanished off of Cu's face as he felt Vader turn his attention towards Cu more fully. "About that…other matter." Despite its obvious battle benefits, Cu had been less than pleased to discover Vader's telepathy. Chiefly because of what the man had shared with him. "You're certain?"
The tall knight gave a short nod.
"As far as I can tell and like I already told you? Yes. Little has changed."
Cu cursed and sighed. "Then we have our work cut out for us. Dammit, as if we didn't have enough crap on our plates already. Then—"
Before he could finish, before he could blink, one of Vader's hands shot out and the knight's palm sliced through the blazing rune hovering above Cu's palm. Dispelling it. Even as the knight took a step forward and past Cu.
Not that Cu could blame him, for behind Cu, the kid who'd been busy forming a contract with Medusa, fell down with a sudden gasp. Panting.
"Ah! Mein Master, are you alright? This Greek Untermensh did not harm you, did she?"
Hitler's ineffectual yapping and glaring as he stood around the kid didn't help matters either.
Medb's tits, did she do something—
"I-it's alright, Hitler-san," Ritsuka said with a weak grin, leaning into Medusa's touch and letting the silent, but very much concerned woman help him to his feet. "What I assume to be the magical drain…it just hit me harder than I expected it too, that's all."
"Fou, fouuuu!"
"Argh! Get away from me!"
Vader stopped and Cu, having whirled about, relaxed the grip on his staff as he frowned, both ignoring the furry creature's feet digging into Hitler's stomach.
That…that doesn't make any sense. The kid was already maintaining two extremely high maintenance servants already. Why would he have problems now all of a sudden?
"Ah…seems my sisters were right once again." Medusa said, a small blush on her cheeks as she steadfastly avoided looking the kid's way even if she refused to let go of him. "I'm too tall. Too fat. Too ugly…"
And now the woman seemed to slump into a depression.
The hell?!
[?]
Oh great, it seemed that even the Imprint was starting to get interested.
Go back to sleep you fart!
[..?]
[!]
[^_^]
Cu froze as the gist of the old fart's thoughts hit him.
No! Not even no, but, hell no! You ain't saddling the kid with that troublesome hag just because he seems to have some skill in dealing with hags and crazy women.
[—]
Don't you whistle innocently at me you old relic! Oi, fart. Odin! Listen to me you doddering old fool! Don't you dare! If she's anything like…a-anyway. She'll eat him alive!
[…]
Come back here you damn relic! Odin? Odiiiin!
"Ahh~ This is the life!"
Roman wasn't hiding.
Definitely not.
Nor was he running away from his responsibilities.
Nay, he was simply taking advantage of this brief window of respite brought about courtesy of the hard work of everyone!
And now, that it was no longer the case of absolutely everything being on fire, at least for the moment, and while they waited for the ground team to contact them again?
Well, as any Doctor worth a damn could tell you, rest was of vital importance in order for people to continue functioning!
And he was a Doctor!
…somehow.
So, him being holed up in his office? Merely listening to Doctor's orders. Even if that Doctor was none other than himself.
And I haven't had time to rest since—
Feeling the corners of his lips starting to head south, Roman shook his head, dispelling the beginnings of some real gloomy thoughts and focused back on the screen.
"Woo-hoo! Go~Go Mari-chan!" he cheered before pausing and looking about his desk. "Now where did I leave those glowsticks?"
His idol demanded proper tribute after all.
The fact this little slice of insanity, whenever he could manage to find time for it, helped to tide him over the worst and fill him with enough strength to weather the next day didn't hurt either.
Everyone needed their coping mechanisms.
He would know.
"Ah, there you are!" finding the pair of sticks he quickly raised them above his head, waving them in tandem to Magi*Mari's song. "You are the best, Mari-chan~!"
And given this latest bout of insanity that had landed on his plate?
Olga-chan's survival had come as an unexpected, but very welcome, surprise. But then, even if he couldn't be certain, diminished as he currently was—
He avoided looking at the sole remaining ring on his finger.
After but a few moments of his heart feeling with joy at the survival of the poor overburden young woman, his rational mind had prevailed and he made the connections, his moor souring even he'd allowed none of it to show on his face. Although…
Da-vinci probably had picked up on it.
She knew him best after all.
The smile threatened to slip off his face, before, courtesy of Mari-chan doing a very risqué move made him forget all about that.
Yeah.
Much as he didn't like it.
There was little he could do about it as he was.
And then.
He shuddered and for once, it had little to do with Mari's grails threatening to spill out of her clothes.
Did…did I misjudge Fujimaru-kun?
With a shake of his head, Roman decided that no. The kid had felt way too nice. So that meant…
Poor Ritsuka-kun.
The young-man was merely another soul saddled with an unasked for burden. Roman would try and give what help he could in the days to come.
But before that…
"Woohoo! Go Mari-chan!" he shouted before blinking and wincing. "A-ack! W-well, if Mari-chan wants a frappuccino grande, then, I guess…"
The door slamming open made him freeze, credit card in hand alongside a glowstick, and with a gulp turn towards his doom.
"There you are." For staring down at him, hands on her hips was none other than the universal genius and an unmatched beauty to boot…at least in Roman's humble opinion. But now, unlike in better times, the sight of this great beauty, whose blue-eyes were narrowed at him filled him with dread rather than with joy.
"Da-vinci-chan, I can explain…"
With her staff hovering behind her unaided and as the raised an eyebrow, the woman cut an imposing figure.
"Is that so? Please do."
"Gah!" he winced and dropped his arms, shoulders slumping.
"I thought so. Come along now you big baby. Chaldea has need of its interim Director."
Sighing, and letting the glowsticks and card drop to the floor, he stood up and, the live-stream already forgotten followed after Da-vinci.
"Heh, don't look so glum," Da-vinci said with a grin as they headed towards the command center. "I'll make it up to you later."
Blushing scarlet at the woman's wink and her words both, Roman cast furtive glances around them. Thankfully the corridor remained empty.
"D-da-vinci!"
"Hmm~?"
"Not in public…"
"Fufufu."
"A-anyway."
"Mmh?"
He sighed and ran a hand through his frayed blond hair. "What's the situation?" he asked, smoothing out his ponytail with one hand and preparing to hear that something had gone horribly wrong.
Again.
"Oya? No need to look so tense… Dear~"
"Da-vinci!"
"Fufu~ It's just, those wonderful children have established connection again. So it's only fair we keep you updated, no? In fact, the Director all but requested it even!"
"Ack!"
If they somehow all made it through this? Olga would be the death of him that he felt certain about!
He blinked. Wait a moment, that cat-like smirk upon Da-vinci's lips. He'd seen it before. Many a time in fact! And it always meant something troublesome for him!
"Da-vinci?"
"Yes?"
"What are you not telling me?"
"Who, moi?"
"You are Italian, not French. Anyway, spill."
"Fufufu, I've no idea what you mean~"
Guess he'd have to find out the hard way.
"Very well," he said with a sigh, even as a small smile split his lips. That woman… "Have your fun you minx."
"Fufufu! I will!"
Da-vinci and her antics, for all that she could sometimes be a bit much to deal with… He couldn't imagine going through this without her.
Striding into the command room, Roman tried to stand tall and project an aura of confidence.
Key word being, tried.
"Status report."
He knew he wasn't all that impressive in either stature or spirit.
The other members of Chaldea knew it too.
Yet, he could tell they appreciated his efforts nonetheless. Even if they no doubt pitied him. Still, even so, the illusion seemed enough to give them a small boost and as other backs all around the room subtly straightened out some, Roman knew he wasn't entirely useless.
"Ah, Director," Cerejera said, standing from her desk, back ramrod straight. "We have made contact with the ground team and they are awaiting to be debriefed.
Roman smiled at the purple-haired woman. "Good job, Elron-kun," he said and nodded. "Patch them through."
Turning towards the hologram projector near the room's center, Roman prepared to find out what had Da-vinci so amused and froze.
"Fou, fou!"
"Ah! Help me, mein Master!"
He ignored Merlin's familiar and world calamity both, kicking the man that made him quite uncomfortable to think about.
No, his eyes remained fixed to the haughty beauty all but draped over Ritsuka-kun as the young man, and by extension the woman sat on the ground facing Cu-chulainn all the while freakin Vader glowered down at the woman, all but daring her to make a wrong move while Caster was creating something that, even from such a distance and without his insight was pretty clearly a geas formed out of primordial freakin runes!
Is that Medusa?! And why is Cu creating something like that?! The hell happened while I took a break?! Why world, why… Magi*Mari help me…
Da-vinci frowned and bonked him with her staff, making him wince and blink at her in confusion before, with a polite if semi-confused expression he turned back towards the magitech hologram
"Err, Fujimaru-kun? Who is your new friend?"
"Eh? Ah, hello, Doctor! This…is Medusa, servant Lancer and she agreed to join us."
How?!
"…that is good news? I think? But, be that as it may, mind adding a couple more details as to how that happened, Ritsuka-kun? For that matter, where is Mash? And why is Fou with you?"
"Gah! Keep up you shitty Doctor!"
"Ack! Director, as healthy as ever I see."
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Olga said with a hiss and narrowed eyes as she stepped into view.
"N-nothing!"
Da-vinci and the rest of the grew sported smiles at that.
"Anyway, for your information you stinky hikineet of a Doctor, Mash is pouting in the other room, for this latest mess is all thanks to her."
"Eh?"
Wait what?
"As for what happened…well, you are slow so I suppose, until I get back I should fill you in. You are acting in my stead after all. And…Merlin preserve me—"
Yeah, he somehow doubted Olga would say to same if she ever had the…pleasure of meeting with the man.
"Your actions reflect upon me and my family name, and so…"
Roman winced but as the woman kept talking and brought him up to speed, his mouth flying open instead in a silent scream.
Why world, why?!
As if all that wasn't enough, they'd need to investigate why Chaldea's sympathetic mana generators meant to help masters on the field had activated at last when Ritsuka-kun had formed a contract with Medusa when they hadn't so much as stirred when he'd done the same with a pair of, personal distaste aside and as far as raw power was concerned, sheer monsters for servants. Vader especially.
And what was up with the plan Ritsuka and his group were hatching?!
It was insane!
They'd die!
Please don't die!
This is what it's like to be Darth Vader in this moment.
Heeding the directions of both Caster and Lancer and like the plan you all devised last night, you lead this ragtag group of mortals and heroes. Approaching the edges of the husk of this primitive city, what little remains of it to begin with.
As you close towards the bridge a furious roar reaches the cybernetics which have replaced your ears, the roar tinged with hate and laced with magic causing small faults within the devices, the minute malfunctions adding to the ever present symphony of pain lacing your every moment.
You ignore it, or that the effect it should have on your, or any sapient's cognition with practiced ease. Using this song of agony to further fuel your power for the fight to come.
Alongside the ever present hate, wrath, and agony, grim satisfaction fills you and you nod as you stomp across the ruined bridge and the flaming vehicles lining its length, your party swiftly crossing to the other side without issue aside from a couple re-animated remains which you don't even bother using your blade on, merely shoving them off the edges of the bridge with minimal effort, the husks and bones offering almost no resistance to the will of the Force.
So far so good you can't help but think.
For it has all gone according to plan…so far.
Nothing unexpected happened and nothing intercepted you.
Nothing…until now.
The roar which previously sounded so far off, now sounds oh so much closer, and with the rustle and crackle of branches and whole trunks, from the nearby forest a hulking giant wielding a stone club in a crude imitation of a sword bursts into view, broken trees landing besides the monster as he does.
The giant a pillar of rage in the Force.
Your battered heart picks up its pace at the prospect of a worthy test at last.
Even if this creature that wouldn't have been out of place within Sidious' own lab, or any of the old Sith, is clearly lost in the throes of its rage. Unlike any true Sith.
The strength in its frame will serve to shake clear the rust at least.
"Vader-san?"
And then there's your master, wisely a few feet behind you. And the naked concern in his voice makes the smile that'd stretched across charred lips at the sight of the beast fade as you focus fully on the now.
"Worry not, my Master. Everything is going to be alright," the smile has faded, but not vanished entirely. "I have foreseen it."
Your old Master would have hated to hear that. Not that you care. This new lease of life seems promising so far, and you even have allies whom you can trust…That is, as much as you allow yourself to trust in the first place. But even still, besides Ritsuka, Caster seems an almost alright sort and even their new recruit, with her words collaborating with Caster's and the woman having made no attempt to back-stab any of you yet…she rises in your trust some.
And no. The woman being bound by Caster's geas is little reason to trust her by itself, despite the quality of the man's work. You've known fools who, as Boba had put it once, suffered from chronic backstabber syndrome.
…sadly you can't dispatch Hitler. Ritsuka, the naive child he is, would be sad.
And who knows, Force willing even someone like him might prove to be of use before this all ends.
"Well…if you say so. Then, we'll go ahead."
You nod at Ritsuka's pained words.
The lad has a good heart.
"Good luck, Vader-san! Please win."
"Force be with you, Master," you say and, grabbing your old friend hanging from your belt, with a press of a button an azure blade ignites.
The mad hulk charges towards you and on Force enhanced limbs you respond in kind, blade already rising to meet the beast's stone descending one while behind you, Ritsuka and the rest are already scampering towards the nearby cave opening leading towards the guts of the mountain and the heart of this singularity both.
Hitler better be of use for a change and keep your Master alive, otherwise, why, Sidious has taught you much regarding the deeper secrets of the Force and the Dark Side both. And even if you cared little for such esoteric arts at the time, nonetheless you remain well versed in them…
Oh who was he kidding, the little furry creature making a nest in his Master's hair was more likely to be of use.
"Hah! See, Fraulein? My Master once again shows his wisdom in choosing me to accompany him in the den of the beast!"
"D-don't stand so close to me!"
"F-fraulein? So harsh…"
Cu couldn't help but flatten his lips into a thin line as they rushed into the cave's dark opening and his master hastened to put the kid between her and Hitler.
For the mouth of stone and blackened granite looked about as inviting as Morgan's honeyed words had been back when Cu could yet be counted amongst the living, and, for once, he couldn't help but agree with the German. In part.
This, truly was the den of a beast.
The ground behind them shook and gusts of air slammed into their backs as they dived into the unnatural darkness obscuring the cave's interior but soon, the quaking and the sounds outside faded until only the sounds of the group's footsteps echoed.
The den of a terrible beast.
A proud Lion…
Cu side-eyed the woman coming to his left.
"We have little hope, you know that?" she murmured, low enough that the kids, not even the enhanced shield bearing lass were likely to hear. Despite her nature and her appearance, the snake…no, Medusa…
She was not entirely heartless, was she?
He snorted, flashing her a grin.
"Maybe, maybe not. Only one way to find out, eh?"
They burst through the unnatural shade into a wide cavern suffused with a purple twilight glow. Somehow.
And Cu's grin faded, replaced with a focused expression as the staff in his hand creaked.
This will be tough…
He'd faced this Lion before.
As had Medusa.
And both of them drew breath still only because Saber found them not worth the effort to kill.
Damn troublesome woman! Not even a drop of warrior's honor remains within that lithe body of yours!
For had she spared either of them out of pity it would have smarted but he could understand, and yet, to do so cause she considered them worthless?!
She had to pay for that.
Cu had his pride.
And if his suspicions were correct.
So did Medusa.
"Oho?" the sound of metal boots crushing dirt and a blade piercing stone, a blade whose sharpness his sides could personally attest to reached him, making him look up. "This is disappointing, Cu-Chulainn," the Lion, Saber proclaimed with golden eyes trying to crush him under her hefty will. A tyrant's will as the woman in blackened plate stood at the edge of a blackened cliff side near the middle of the cavern. "I thought you were smarter than this."
Cu could offer but one response to that.
"What's wrong? Old age catching up to you? That visor made it hard to see, hag?"
Saber's expression did not change but the tyrannical will trying to crush his spirit increased.
Ritsuka groaned from behind him even as the Lady Director, clutching the kid, let out a whimper. "Cu-san…why?"
"Fou, fou…"
He shrugged, grinning as Medusa sunk into a combat stance by his side and raised her scythe in preparation.
"Trash talk is a common staple of any fight worth a damn kid."
He had his pride.
"Interesting," Saber said with an almost innocent tilt of her head, gauntleted fingers still clutching that horrible sword piercing the ground. "I know what you speak off, and yet…"
She was playing him.
But damn it, he couldn't help but bite.
"And yet?"
"Apologies, but I fail to see how pest control can be called a fight."
The once and future King pulled the sword from the stone.