039 - Where there's a will
Napoleon Bonaparte
Their plan of attack was simple by necessity.
When the enemy's win condition is functionally unassailable to conventional forces, one has a rather unwelcome scenario in their hands. Fortunately, there is a single point of failure in the Holy Grail they rely on to power the manifestation of the eldritch creature.
Unfortunately, that means they're predictable and madness doesn't necessarily mean incompetence, so the Holy Grail is located underground, deep within the heart of the city. Furthermore, time is against them. The enemy grows stronger with every second they delay, so they can't afford to get fancy or invest in elaborate strategies.
They need to be swift and brutal.
First, they need an opening.
A frontal assault is impractical, they could throw away all their magical energy and Noble Phantasms against the unrelenting, every-growing wall of flesh and it wouldn't make a difference. Since the eldritch creature has grown so big already, it can weather powerful strikes with relative ease and swiftly regenerate any damage. Master even off-handedly mentioned that the Promised King wielding Strongest Holy Sword would still fail to carve a path open, which honestly, only made him more curious.
What sort of adventures had their Master lived already, that she could bring up something like that with absolute certainty?
But that's besides the point, the point is that a straightforward assault won't work. Fortunately, cannons don't work in straight lines, neither do rainbows. They work in arcs, and he knows everything there's to know about that.
O people...make your appeal.
Nothing is impossible.
Why?
Because I am here!
[Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile - Rainbow Arc that Announces His Triumphant Return]
If trying to blast the wall of flesh open is pointless, then his attacks will fly right over it. A ballistic barrage of light and hope unerringly landing in the very heart of the city. Of course, his Noble Phantasm fails to reach the Holy Grail deep underground on its own, but that's fine. Destroying the Grail is the very last resort anyway, since Chaldea could really use such a powerful tool for their overarching goal of completing the Grand Order.
No, the important part is that he's cleansed the area of alien flesh. As a standalone attack, it was woefully ineffective. It will be healed in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. But the area is clear now.
"Right, good work, Napoleon!" Master pats his back once before turning her attention towards the next step in the plan. "Marie, you're up next!"
"Yes! Please leave it to me, my friend!" The Queen from long before his time agrees enthusiastically. "We take to the skies!"
The radiance is still here
Like boisterous flowers
I shall continue to bloom, ok?
And I shall continue to dance
Like the shining sun...
I will guide that radiance!
[Guillotine Breaker - Glory to the Crown of Lilies]
Marie Antoinette's glass steeds spring from below once again, claiming their would-be riders along the way even as their hooves kick off the ground and start galloping through empty air, following the barely-there trail of Napoleon's own attack as if riding over the rainbow.
He can only shake his head in wonder and amusement. What a woman.
Tentacles spring forth all around Paris, reaching towards the glass horses who dare invade the eldritch airspace, but few are swift enough to actually catch up with the fantastical mounts and these few are easily shot down by the homunculus' magic. More attention-worthy than these feeble attempts is the slew of tentacles coiling around their destination, as if having predicted their target and waiting to intercept, the hint of a guiding intelligence behind the alien entity.
Massed up like that and with the advantage of superior positioning, these other tentacles would prove more than a match for the Queen's horses, so it's rather fortunate the plan never counted on landing with the horses.
As the mounts ride right over the center of the clearing, no longer following the rainbow of his initial attack but high into the sky instead, they explode into a burst of glass shards that repel the closest tentacles and leave the strike team freefalling towards their goal as intended. Mashu takes the lead, a determined glint in her eyes as she aims her shield downwards, smashing everything in their way like a falling meteor.
The Demi-Servant impacts the ground like an artillery shell, sending dirt and shattered masonry flying everywhere even as the shards that used to be Marie's steeds fall all around her like snowflakes. Wherever one would land on the strange alien flesh trying to retake the ground, they would explode in a crystal burst, further cleansing the area.
Usually, landing a strike force at the heart of an enemy stronghold would be foolish, suicidal even. But they don't really have a choice. An eldritch entity of this magnitude could feasibly expand beyond the Singularity and affect Proper Human History, that's an unacceptable scenario that cannot be allowed to happen, no matter what.
So they have no choice but to make-do with what they have. He's too far away from the fray to get all the small details of the operation, but some things can be easily seen -and heard- even from where he's standing.
"Laaaa~"
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"This! Is! My! Finishing Number!"
"Let's get pumped up! Cry like pathetic little kittens!"
"[Báthory Erzsébet!Fresh Blood Demoness - ]"
Elizabeth's [Báthory Erzsébet] summons Prison Castle Čachtice where she reigned during her lifetime and uses it as a stage to make herself prominent. Usually, there's no need to look further than that since Elizabeth herself never goes further than that. And yet, the implication is that her Noble Phantasm can be used as a territory-type that claims authority over an area.
A convenient fortress that can be deployed anywhere the Servant herself can reach, to instantly fortify any position, not unlike that Sunomata Castle Incident from Japan History. Master and Mashu will be launching the final stage of the offensive from the dungeons of the castle while everyone else remains behind to hold the line.
Speaking of which… Nobody said he would stop firing just because there are allies in the area. He would be a lousy Heroic Spirit indeed if he lacked the precision to rain suppressive fire around the strike team without endangering them.
As he continues firing his cannon on the surroundings of Elizabeth's castle, he spares a glance towards the lone figure standing by his side, with crossed arms and a mutinous expression in her face.
"Mademoiselle?" He asks in a tone that's carefully kept idle and relaxed. "Would you please remind me why you stayed behind with me?"
"Because you're an isolated, valuable target and Gilles isn't stupid enough to leave you alone." The Dragon Witch answers with an eye roll. "I'll cover you so you can keep shooting the shit out of that abomination without having to waste time protecting yourself."
"Oh, my apologies for the misunderstanding." He continues in the same idle tone, eyes turning back to the front. "I meant the actual reason."
"Tsk." She turns around in a way that cannot be unintentional. "Keep your pointlessly-sharp observations to yourself, will you? I just have a bad feeling."
Well, if the Dragon Witch is willing to so blatantly show him her back, he has no choice but to accept the show of trust and take the answer seriously.
A bad feeling, huh? As a man of flesh and blood, intellect and reason, he would have never accepted such a frustratingly vague justification as gut feelings. As a man of possibilities, the ideal hero formed from the expectations of the people, he knows better than to ignore such instincts.
Mashu Kyrielight
Mashu stomps after Haku-senpai as they run into the bowels of Bathory-san's castle. She's painfully aware that she's not the ideal choice to accompany Senpai while everyone else is stuck playing defense, but it cannot be helped. Bonaparte-san, Marie-san, Bathory-san… they all did her best just to create this opportunity, so it all depends on her now.
She's the only one who remains relatively fresh, so it can't be helped. She'll just have to do her best and—
"Mashu." Senpai abruptly stops in place, pulling Mashu out of her musings and forcing her to squid to a halt to avoid crashing into the other girl's back. "Stop doing that."
"Senpai?"
"I know what you're thinking, you know? And you better stop right now." Senpai demands in a somewhat ominous voice, before turning around to show a wide smile. "Because there's nobody else I'd rather have with me here today."
For some reason, seeing that smile makes Mashu's heart throb painfully.
"...Not even your brother?" She blurts out without thinking, only to immediately regret her words. "Ah! I'm sorry, Senpai! I don't know why I said—!"
"My Nii-san is amazing. But if he was here, that would mean I've already failed." Senpai enunciates slowly, her usual cheerful voice echoing with a somewhat hollow quality. "So no, I'd rather he wasn't here with me today."
… In Mashu's very inexpert opinion, that sounds like a big fat lie. (Even if it's still nice to hear.) Before she can press Senpai further, or even decide whether she wants to press Senpai further, the comms light up and Olga's holographic form appears in front of them.
"Right, you're standing right above the Grail." She announces. "But there's still half a mile of dirt, brick and bounded fields between your position and the Grail. You'll have to figure out how to proceed from here."
"How long do we have before the Amazing Flesh Mountain reaches critical mass?"
"The fight on the surface has thrown our calculations out the window, our best estimations say ten to thirty minutes."
"Oh, that's more than expected." Senpai immediately relaxes, intertwining her fingers and raising both arms over her head to stretch out. "Plenty enough for a little smash and grab."
(Mashu swallows thickly, the gesture emphasizes some rather flattering features of Senpai's figure.)
"Fujimaru…" Olga trails off in a warning voice. "I'm aware you suffer through some sort of mental malfunction that keeps you from taking anything seriously, but–"
"Watch and learn."
"Fujimaru, if you get hurt in another of these hare-brained schemes of yours, I swear I'll–!"
"[Foot Clan Transport Module]"
A flash of light illuminates the chamber they're standing in as Senpai brings forth her biggest Projection yet. It's some sort of… Vehicle? A conical metal structure equipped with a huge conical drill at the front and multiple threads along the sides.
"That's…" The fact that Olga's voice sounds just as flabbergasted as Mashu feels is of little consolation. "What the hell is that abomination!?"
"This beauty is a true all-terrain armored transport that thrive in environments that range from oceanic and subterranean depths, to the void of space and even actively hostile realities." Senpai answers, pridefully patting the front of the bizarre vehicle. "Capable of piercing through the crust of the planet like a hot knife on butter. Half a mile of dirt and a couple of shitty Bounded Fields won't even register as a speed bump."
Olga didn't look particularly convinced about Senpai's claims, but her worries proved to be unfounded. The artifact effortlessly drilled through layer upon layer of physical and magical protections in a matter of seconds to take them into a vast underground chamber covered in writhing flesh.
It took them longer to board and start up the engine than actually make the journey. Honestly, it was a bit disappointing. But this wasn't the moment to mull on disappointing subterranean rides. Gilles de Rais, Bluebeard, stands between them and a glowing golden cocoon that could only be the Holy Grail.
"Ah. Welcome, honored guests!" The man bows deeply, with a deranged smile on his all-too-wide lips. "I wasn't expecting you so soon!"
Status Window Updated:
Foot Clan Transport Module (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles): A true all-terrain personal transport that's easily adaptable to all sorts of difficult environments ranging from underground and oceanic depths to the void of space and even foreign, hostile realities. Equipped with a powerful frontal drill capable of digging through the crust of the planet like a hot knife on butter, it allows for quick and easy troop deployment in practically all circumstances.
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