Chapter 147: Home is where the Hope is.

"A…Reality Marble?" The words echoed around in Mash's head, bouncing rapidly and slipping away each time she tried to consider them once more. It wasn't as though she was unfamiliar with the term, she knew what a Reality Marble was but in the same token, it didn't quite register with her that they were in such a place as of this very moment.

"What do you mean a Reality Marble?" The Shielder inquired with no small sense of urgency, if her desperation had any effect on the witch she couldn't tell, as she took a single step forwards. Lips still parted and eyes wide. "How can we be in a Reality Marble?"

Medea stared at her blankly from behind the hood. "For one thing, this is most certainly not a traditional Reality Marble. Or perhaps it remains the same in principle but applied on a far greater scale." She explained without missing a beat, then noticed Mordred with a bewildered expression out of the corner of her eyes. "Am I to explain what a Reality Marble is?"

"I know what a Reality Marble is!" Mordred snapped back at her in irritation "Mother was a mage as well."

"Yes, I am certain that the witch Le Fay could quite well be something of an equal to me." Medea admitted with a begrudging note of respect. "Though the nature of that aside, I was in reference to the other occupants of the room who were not gifted with the same education as the more enlightened in the room." The tone of the Caster was flat as her hood turned ever so slightly in the direction of both Vordt and Jekyll, both men looking somewhat puzzled as to the terminology.

Mash bit her lip, turning to the pair "It is…A Reality Marble falls into the category of a bounded field." she explained to the pair of them, earning slow nods of the head. "Though it is more advanced in scope than the traditional ones utilised by most magi."

"That explanation will suffice." Medea spoke up before Mash could try and explain further, clearly not too interested in explaining the specifics of such things to the people in the room. "For simplicity's sake, we shall simply refer to London as being under the direct influence of a Bounded Field brought about by the personal design of whomever is behind this to begin with. Though perhaps it would be more accurate to say that - at present - this is a bounded field on par with a Reality Marble."

Mash turned back to the Caster "How do you-?"

"Because it is simple enough to realise that the world itself is not right." Medea bluntly stated, cutting the Shielder off with a tone of voice that made it sound as though the answer had been obvious from the very beginning. "The storm continues without end, by the accounts we have heard from the doctor here-" he gestured towards Jekyll "-the people of this city are under the direct influence of a magical spell and through further investigation I have deduced that the spell exists in all corners of this place."

Mash blinked once, then widened her eyes "You mean that-?"

"Yes." Once more, she was cut off by the Caster "The spell is also within this very room as well. All corners of London are likely being affected by mental hypnosis. The effects are simple enough to deduce. The sheer lack of complexity to them is indicative of something naturally occurring, such as the very air that humans breath. There are also no ley lines currently within London, which leads me to confirm that the city has been moved."

"But…" Mash pointed down "Does that mean the Reality Marble took the whole city?"

Medea was silent for a moment, thinning her lips as she composed an answer. "Yes. Either the entire city itself has been removed from its current condition or we have been dragged into an exact duplicate of the city created from the images of the citizens who lived here. The latter is more likely than the former, as transporting an entire city and all the inhabitants to a Reality Marble would be a feat beyond what even the most talented mages are capable of."

Mordred frowned "So that's why the storm suddenly swept in overnight?" she narrowed her eyes "It didn't appear…we got dragged into it." she gestured around them "So what is all this shit doing here then?"

The Caster stared at her for a brief moment before she turned away "What I have thus far been able to deduce about the environment is that it is designed to bring comfort. Or perhaps a state of despair so that sitting down in the cold and remaining silent is as comforting as it will remain. Just as the Reality Marble is under the whim of the owner…evidently it is under the whim of the people who reside here."

She glanced back "There is a great degree of mental traffic, so to speak. The wishes and comforts of the prisoners here have been laid bare and for those who remain awake…London is the greatest comfort they can imagine, or the place where they feel most at peace. Though this is little more than idle speculation…I believe the owner of the Reality Marble constructed this duplicate city by means of ensuring that all those who were dragged here remained as placated as possible."

Mash blinked "...You figured this out very quickly, Caster-san…" the girl breathed out with no small amount of awe, her praise washed over the Servant with barely a twitch of her face. However, she almost projected a smug aura about herself for a few seconds before it dissipated.

"The rules of this Reality Marble are far from complex, this is something meant to bring comfort to the prisoners who remain here. Make no mistake, it remains a prison all the same. We remain unaffected through either Magic Resistance, mental strength or my own abilities but it will not matter for very long. Between the storm outside and the effects of the admittedly simple spell, those who are not protected will quickly fall victim to this land and become part of it."

The Shielder paused as she considered the words, then raised her hand "Question!"

Medea almost did a double take at the earnest tone of the girl, opting to stare at her for several seconds in silence before she nodded her head once.

"If this is a Reality Marble, why is the food and clothes still present?"

"The food was brought over, the clothes are replications created through the manipulation of magical energy and the memories of mind."

Jekyll exhaled "So my shirts have not been ripped to shreds yet…"

"What the fuck are you sounding so relieved over?" Mordred snapped at the man, giving him an incredulous look, pointing at him "She just said we're trapped in some psycho freaks head and you're worried about your stupid shirts?"

"It brings about another problem." Medea remarked in a grim tone of voice "The owner of the Reality Marble remains in complete control of it, meaning they are very likely aware of our existence and have been since we arrived. Even my spells to conceal us will only afford so much, by rejecting the influence of the Bounded Field we highlight our existence to the owner. More to the point, the fact London still remains means that the owner is most likely unwilling to remove the comfort of the people."

Vordt raised his hand, earning an annoyed sound from the witch but a permissive wave of the hand. "Thank you. So…what does this mean?"

"It means that London only remains so long as the owner of this world allows it to. They can remove it just as swiftly as they created it. The city only remains because there are those who found comfort in the real world without the cold, such as him." She pointed at Jekyll "And perhaps many others, so long as the owner remains shackled by those inclinations it is likely that this copied city of London will remain…though the image will lose focus and revert to another the more minds accept the cold as their new home."

"How does this explain the bird people?" Vordt asked again.

"Very likely they are those who fell into the embrace of the Reality Marble long ago and have been accepted into its thrall. Or they are the creation of another Servant. Without seeing them, I would have little way of knowing which they are."

"Interesting as all this is…" Mordred drawled out with a rather strained tone of voice, almost pressuring the Caster to get to the point of everything. Mash fought back a wince at the hostile manner of speech from the knight. While they had already made themselves clear that they didn't much care for Caster, Mash was slightly dubious as to why Sir Mordred felt the need to be quite so hostile with them in the first place.

If they knew Medea's name, then she might have understood the suspicion somewhat when it came to a Servant's identity, but that wasn't the case. The thought occurred to her that Mordred just didn't like Casters or mages, much like Bishop Havel. But they were also a child of the Witch Morgan, so it would be a strange thing to consider.

"What are we supposed to do now?" The knight continued on, not noticing the thoughts of the Shielder. "We're stuck in this place and until we get out of here you're basically telling us we're at the whim of whatever asshole made this place to begin with."

Medea visibly held back a scoff at the remarks of the knight. "I would not bother delivering news that changed very little about our situation. The manner of disrupting a Reality Marble comes from one of three methods." she held up her right hand, pointing a single finger skywards. "The first being the removal of the Magical Energy that sustains it. Even the strongest Caster cannot maintain an active field for long for the simple reason that the World would recognise it as an aberration."

Mash widened her eyes, excitedly calling out "That's right!" The words briefly jolted Vordt and Jekyll in her direction. "The World would seek to correct it, so it would take constant focus to maintain its existence. If this Reality Marble has been active for so long and covers such a wide area then it would normally last for perhaps a day at most!"

The Witch stared at Mash for a brief second, her lip twitching upwards ever so slightly at the interruption. Almost looking vaguely amused that the Shielder was aware of such knowledge before her expression tapered out. "It is as the girl says, the simple fact that Reality Marble remains active proves that the owner of it has access to a tremendous amount of magical energy to the point where it might as well be unlimited. In this case, such a thing would be the Holy Grail."

She sighed "This unfortunately renders the other two options null and void. Nothing shy of an anti-world noble Phantasm would offset this place and deploying a counter reality marble - if anyone here possessed such a thing - would be pointless as the magical supply of the Holy Grail would trump whatever mage deployed it."

Mordred stared at her with an almost deadpan expression "So you're just saying our plan is to find the asshole who made this place and just kill them?" at the nod of the head she received as a reply, a feral grin came upon her face. "Finally! A language I can speak-"

"The language of savagery, how droll." Medea muttered to herself as she turned towards Mash "At any rate, finding our wayward Master will prove far more troublesome in these conditions, though not as impossible as you would have previously believed. It is a matter of uncovering how the Reality Marble operates in combination with the mentality of the user." she gestured to the floor "As they have not robbed us of our cover and are instead waiting for us to fall victim to the cold, that points towards an unwillingness to use forceful measures through either incapability or through inability."

Vordt made a confused face, then looked towards Jekyll.

"She means that whomever is responsible for this is either too peaceful to forcefully destroy our resistance or they just aren't strong enough to do so." Jekyll explained with a nod of the head, Vordt making a face of understanding and returning his attention to the witch. "That does leave a singular question, Miss Caster." Jekyll frowned "What becomes of those who have already fallen victim to this world?"

That brought a pause to Medea "...I would need to examine their current condition in order to make an accurate estimation." she frowned "Reality Marbles are not regarded as the pinnacle of bounded fields by mere amateurs, they operate on an entirely different set of rules and are all unique. We could just as easily remain guests who are outed when the user is killed or we could remain prisoners and vanish into nothing as the world collapses around us."

"So we just need to find you one of those popsicle people?" Mordred grunted, then rose off her seat, rolling her arms before leaning down and taking hold of the knives at her side and straightening herself out. Turning to Mash, she cracked a half grin "Come on then, we're gonna go kidnap someone."

Mash just blinked "E-eh?"

"You!" She pointed at Vordt, then to the ground "Stay here and keep an eye on the witch, I'm gonna be back soon." she was already marching towards the door - helmet snapping back up with a loud clang - before the Rider could even reply to her beyond making a dumbfounded noise. As she passed Mash, she leaned down and took hold of the Shielder's arm and roughly pulled her to her feet and dragged her away.

"W-wait, Sir Mordred!" Mash called out as she was manhandled out of the door "We don't even know where we're going!"

"Across the street." Mordred replied back as though the answer was obvious, slinging Mash forwards and sending her into a stumble as they came upon the hallway leading to the door. The Shielder turned around to argue further before Mordred just scoffed "Come on, I'm going stir crazy and there and I wanna see what you can do with that shield of yours."

Mash paused at the words of the Saber for a half second, then spoke once more "But what if Caster-san makes contact with Senpai while I'm-"

"It's gonna be fine." Mordred grunted, turning the Shielder around and pushing her towards the door with frightening ease despite her small stature. "What, are you afraid of the cold or something? What kind of Knight turns their nose up at a little chill!"

"It's not that!" Mash hastily replied back "It's just that-"

"Then there's no problem." Mordred cut her off with an audible grin in her voice, reaching around the Shielder and pulling the door open, the pair immediately being assaulted by a wave of cold that by all rights should have caused a shudder to go through Mash, instead she watched as the winds seemingly swirled around her body as if trying to avoid her. "Knew you'd have high magic resistance."

The comment from Mordred was accompanied by her roughly shoving the Shielder out of the door and into the frozen streets, Mash finding her shins sinking down into the snow and her feet all but vanishing, she internally sighed as she flashed up her shield and planted it in the ground, then opted to use it as a plough and push forwards.

"Holy shit!" Mordred cackled behind her, jumping down into the trench the girl was carving out through the snow. "I didn't think you'd do that! Come on then!" The Saber ordered with a gruff voice, pointing the dagger over Mash's shoulder and straight ahead "To the other side of the street."

The sounds of clashing steel echoed through the storm, even the winds could do nothing to abate the sound of battle as the two groups duelled one another.

A flash of light was accompanied by a burning heat, flames rolled over the frozen ground in waves, trailing behind each swing of the long sword as Sulyvahn twisted and turned his body. His full skill laid bare as one who leads the Knight's of the God Gwyndolin. Though he might never have taken pride in the role, seeing it as only a means to an end, his skill could never be denied.

Taking a step forward, Sulyvahn was silent as he cut down the next Corvian knight without so much as a word traded between them. Not even a dismissive insult or a scoff of derision. He silently moved through the storm, not straying far from Jeanne as the attackers came seemingly without end.

The longsword in his right hand twisted upwards at an angle, claws crashed into the glowing blade and grinded against it, Sulyvahn turned his body, shoving the claws to the side and then sweeping the sword up, the glowing blade flashed through the storm, slicing through the chest of the Corvian and flinging both halves back into the frigid waste.

Another turn, he ducked low and swung his greatsword up at an angle, the flat of the blade close enough to the snow that it steamed and hissed as he swung it, the weapon collided with the claws of another Corvian for all of half a second. Then the metal blades glowed a brilliant orange as the profaned fires melted the steel without much resistance, passing through the now liquid weapons and continuing on.

Sulyvahn did not even stop to savour the look of surprised horror in the eyes of the birdman before the sword claimed its head, he was already turning towards the next shadow rushing towards him. This one jumped just shy of him and threw itself into the air, both arms spread wide as if to embrace him, if only offset by the long blades strapped to the elongated hands.

The catalyst sword swung upwards, a memory came to his mind, a young boy who studied the cold and the frost of the world. Who sought to control it with his mind, such a memory vanished as quickly as it arrived. The spell was cast, ice leapt from the sword the moment it touched the snow and the ground erupted with spikes, shooting straight into the body of the charging corvain and leaving it hanging in the air with now bloodied icicles jutting from one side of its body to the back.

The greatsword was pulled back, Sulyvahn made a half turn and then thrust the burning sword like a spear, fire shot forth from the weapon with a mental command and rushed forwards from the blade, a terrible wind of fire washed over the Corvain charging the back of the Saint as she backhanded another opponent from her, she turned in surprise at the scream of agony that split the storm, the Crovain frantically twisting and turning their body as they tried to douse the flames now clinging to them.

It was a pointless endeavour, Sulyvahn knew of nothing that could douse those flames. All the same, he stepped forwards and brought the glowing sword down with a clean swipe through the neck and ended the cries almost as soon as they had begun, the suffering of the Corvian cut short as he was already in the midst of turning once more.

The glowing sword was brought across in an arc, the blade glowing like a torch through the storm before the light surged forth from the blade, flying from the sword as a crescent of light which vanished into the blizzard, carrying with it the poor wretch who had been trying to rush the Caster from behind.

They might well have been winning now, but Sulyvahn knew it was not something that could last. The Corvians were nothing if not fanatics, and if they were here then there would be others who would prove a far greater challenge to the pair of them.

A parry, the claws were flung from his body as he stepped forwards and gracefully reversed the movement of his sword and brought it back across his attacker, slicing across their gut and forcing them a step backwards. The burning sword was thrust, it speared through the Corvian without an ounce of hesitation before being ripped upwards, cleaving the bird man from knaves to the chaps, the gruesome flower fell backwards into the snow.

"We must move on, qui-" Sulyvahn cut himself off, raising the sword in his left hand and deflecting two more quill knives aimed towards him, they bounced off his sword with gentle clangs while the third vanished over his shoulder somewhere. "Quickly." He carried on without missing a beat, tensing himself for another charge through the snow.

He glanced just behind him, hearing Jeanne grunt and watching as she flipped a Corvian over her shoulder, twirling the standard in her hand and thrusting it down into the skull of the birdman before wrenching it free with a pop. "Our foes are relentless!" Her exclamation was met with the howls of more birds from behind the veil of snow as if to support her words.

"That is what they are, if nothing else." Sulyvahn similarly voiced his own agreement as he reversed his grip on the catalyst sword and then thrust it down. "O' Breath of Frozen Bliss, Clear my way and grant my sight!"

The moment the sword touched the snow, it was as if an explosion had gone off that affected none by the environment. The snow was blasted apart as if a sphere expanded in the centre of them, a bubble surrounded the pair, ice and snow bouncing off the new safety net as Sulyvahn released the sword and stepped backwards, bringing up the burning sword as his primary weapon at this point and pointing it towards the veil of ice. "Hear me, Corvian's of the Church! My name is Sulyvahn! I offer this warning but once, step back and return to your rot or stand before me and be met with a swift end!"

To say he expected a response would be a lie.

To say he expected anything to come of his words would have been another.

All the same, he made the declaration to them and was met with nothing more than the howl of the wind and the chittering of Corvians beyond the blizzard.

He knew they were still there, moving around and no doubt surrounding them. He knew they would attack once more, not at all cowed by his words or his lingering threat. Not even the slaughter of their people by his hands would break their will. They would throw themselves at him until their numbers were bled dry because that's who they were.

That was what they were.

Nothing more than animals who so desperately protected such a fragile state of being, those who believed that sitting back in rot was something to be valued.

Snow crinkled by his side as Jeanne took purposeful steps to him, her brow furrowed slightly in confusion that he would not clear away. She would have to make her own conclusions for he had no more words to trade on the subject.

So they stood, in the cold with a thin barrier protecting them from the blizzard and the likely growing number of Corvians on the other side staring at them, he could just about make out shadows that dipped in and out of visibility as they rushed through the weather. The snow masking their physical appearance and evidently something was also masking their spiritual presence, either the storm itself or someone else.

Not that it mattered for the time being.

"Do you suspect they shall-"

"No." His words cut through Jeanne's sentence before she could even finish, coldly ending what she might have assumed would be an opportunity for peace. "As I said, they will fight us to the last. They have little other reason for existence." the sword was lowered somewhat, though the flames burned as brightly as ever "We will need to cut them down, carve a path to our freedom and hope to lose them."

Glancing around, he watched their surroundings with a critical eye "We shall have to be quick about it, more will flood to this place now that we have been spotted, we will need to-"

A beat, Sulyvahn stepped forwards and swung his sword up, the burning weapon roared as fires leapt from it's edge and straight towards the barrier, the shield shattered like glass from the sudden attack, the confusion lasted a faint second before a river of black fire parted the storm before them and impacted against the preemptive strike of Sulyvahn. The two inferno's raged against one another, brutally clashing their full might in an effort to snuff out their opponent.

A grunt left Sulyvahn as he stepped to the side, reaching down and snatching his sword from the snow and letting the black flames rush past him, the fires forming a wall that separated him and Jeanne from one another as far as the eye could see.

"The child born from the cold comes home once more…" A voice called from the storm, it sounded gravelled and mocking, an echo to it as though spoken in a confined space. "The boy who sought answers to every question that came his way, who sought to unravel every mystery…"

It started as a spec in the distance, a wisp of black fire moving through the storm and coming closer and closer to them, then the form became more solid. A long sword, bathed in flames of purest dark, wisps of white flickering amongst the blackened fire. The man stood a head above Jeanne, clad in dark plate armour that covered his every inch, cloth draped over his shoulder and chest in an arrow shaped point, buffeting in the winds as he closed in.

Sulyvahn wasted not a second since the man spoke before he rushed forwards, the longsword burned with violet light once more as it was brought down. The man charged forwards, rather than bringing up his sword he instead thrust out his empty palm towards the Caster.

The violet light rippled and swirled as it clashed against space-

No, it wasn't space.

A thin layer of swirling red had rushed out from the palm of the black knight, forming a circle around his open fingers and blocking the sword in its tracks as though it was the toughest shield.

Jeanne herself widened her eyes ever so slightly, watching the light from the glowing sword fade and peel away, moving towards the red light of the palm. Something Sulyvahn clearly realised himself as he let out an irritable noise and stepped black, clearing the distance between the two of them once more and bringing forth both weapons.

The man lowered the hand, not making an effort to pursue Sulyvahn and stared at him through the storm, neither one moving as the staredown continued. Eventually, the man brought up his burning sword, forged from obsidian coloured steel, cutouts in the shape of diamonds moving up the length of the blade, wide enough that you could have wrapped your fingers around them.

A weapon that would have looked more at home on a mantlepiece than in the hands of a knight, yet all the same the man wielded the frightfully long weapon with childish ease, begetting experience with the sword as he pointed it to the Caster. "Have you found the folly of your quest? The futility of this delusion?"

The knight questioned further, his voice with an edge in it that was almost pitiable. "Or do you yet spurn the wisdom of this world, and the words of your lady?"

"Your lady." Sulyvahn responded back to the man, his tone betraying nothing more. Jeanne would have voiced her surprise if she didn't notice the other Corvian's now closing in on her, though they all held themselves back, most likely on the orders of the knight who walked amongst them. "She could never have been mine."

"That is simply untrue…" The knight replied for a moment, then let out a short breath "Or perhaps it was, once. Though it had been sometime, Sulyvahn." the sword was lowered ever so slightly "How many winters have passed since your flight from your home? Where once you might have found no comfort from the world, have you not seen the value of what is now shown to you? The home that welcomes all those? That shall never spurn the lost and listless?"

"How could one ever love such a place?" Sulyvahn countered with an edge in his tone "A land of dejection and despondency. Even those who lived in this world saw the folly of its existence. They knew full well that a cycle cannot be broken, else the rot set in."

It was the burning blade of Sulyvahn that was raised this time "This is a world without an ounce of wisdom or potential, a land such as this has not the right to exist. Those who would claim otherwise are fools who reject the reality of the world."

The knight heard Sulyvahn, though paid little heed to his words. "Those who could not find their home in life are not undeserving, this land offers salvation to all."

"Salvation?" Jeanne tensed up at that, though her expression was one of righteous fury as opposed to understanding. "This is your claim of salvation? Those who sit back and allow the world to swallow them without a care to their minds? You have not soothed their souls, you have drowned them in anguish to the point they accept it as being the norm."

"The shortsightedness of one who worships the Gods." The knight countered swiftly "The promises they offer are immaterial." his left hand swept out in a motion to show off the world "This is the world that accepts even those who have fallen victim to anguish, it does not encourage it. A land where worry and woes are forgotten, where the sins of the past are ignored and the losses of the soul are no longer a burden."

Jeanne felt her eyes narrow at the man, her brows tighten at his words. "Salvation, you say? That is now what you offer these souls!" she called back to him, now incensed by the words of the Knight. "And the sins committed in the past are not to be forgotten, nor should the losses be cast aside as though they were without value, such a thing would disgrace those who were lost." The standard was planted in the ground, cerulean blue eyes almost burning with conviction "The path to salvation lies in facing your sins and accepting them for what they are, not to flee from them and into a land where your woes are forgotten."

"It is a land that brings peace to the soul." The knight countered swiftly, then his gaze fell upon Sulyvahn once more "That which you call rot, is the bed by which one might rest their head, where they may have their peaceful sleep for all time without ever needing to worry about the harshness of the world again."

"You describe cowardice!" Jeanne jolted at the snarl in Sulyvahn's voice, the venom that laced his words had returned in full force as he took a half step forwards. "To abandon the world because you can no longer face it, to decry that you can no longer lift yourself from the gutter, to abandon any chance that the world might have for betterment!" he thrust the sword towards the knight once more "To accept such a thing, to preach such a thing, makes you little more than the same manner of fiend who cursed the world to stagnate in the first place!"

The knight did not answer the words, merely lowering the sword to touch the ground, steam rising from the point where black fire met white snow. He raised his left hand, gesturing to Sulyvahn. "You say such a thing as stagnation, but what do you intend to do once you have destroyed this land, Sulyvahn?" the knight inquired with a knowing tone. "What will you do when you erase this peaceful place, this sanctuary of the lost. Shall you move onto the next land in need of correction? Is that what your growth is? Your potential?"

"If needs be." Sulyvahn didn't waste a moment to answer "My will is my own, I shall not let this world be shackled by the whims of the Gods who proclaim peace while poison is forced down my gullet. Nor will I stand by and watch the delusions of the lost influence those who can still yet move. Your plan is madness and you are a fool for accepting it." he scoffed "Though your loyalty to Friede was always steadfast, Vilhelm."

Vilhelm - the now named knight - merely stared at Sulyvahn for a moment before he chuckled and shook his head from side to side. "I thought you grown, but you remain ever the sapling, Sulyvahn." Jeanne noted that his tone was almost affectionate "I wonder if you do not realise the folly in tying your own soul to the fate of the world in such a way."

Sulyvahn made no comment, instead replied with a slow movement of his arms as he brought the swords up, the burning sword crossed over his left shoulder while pointing to the sky, the glowing longsword over his right hip and pointing to the ground. "I shall parry no further words with you, Sir Vilhelm. I know full well that you shall not heed a single one of my warnings, chained as you are to the whims of Friede."

"It is by the whims of Lady Friede that you might even face me now." Vilhelm countered without even a moment of hesitation, bringing the sword back up and pointing it to Sulyvahn. "By the whims of the people you so quickly dismiss, else you forget that the Lady Aurora sired-"

Sulyvahn had cleared the distance between the two of them with a single leap, the crooked branch like wings propelling him like a cannon and his swords already poised to bisect Vilhelm. Jeanne was briefly surprised by both the speed and savagery of the sudden attack.

Vilhelm was not, the knight raised his weapon, blocking the sword coming in on his right side while the crimson light sprung forth on his left. Both of Sulyvahn's swords was halted with a tremendous clash of steel.

"Keep her name…" Sulyvahn's voice was quiet, yet it had never been seeped in more emotion than this very moment. Every word was flung from his lips drenched in pure hatred, directed solely towards the knight standing before him. "Out of your mouth."

Vilhelm remained undaunted by the words or the fury now directed at him, with a grunt he forced Sulyvahn back a step and then went on the offensive, the burning sword now gliding through the air as the armoured knight swung the blade that was easily his height with trivial ease, the singular weapon clashing against the dual swords of Sulyvahn as a dance of colour.

Violet light was washed away with brilliant orange, then swept aside by the consuming black.

Had Jeanne not bigger concerns, she would have crossed the wall of flames and joined Sulyvahn in the attack which he now found himself on the defensive to, earlier momentum lost and now facing an opponent who had caught him off guard, using his emotions to gain ground which he would not be so quick to lose.

It was a quick realisation to see that Sulyvahn had been baited into action, though it was clear the two of them had a history.

Such thoughts were pushed from her mind, just as quickly as her fist crashed against the beaked face of her latest attacker, her armoured knuckles cracked the bone jaw and sent fragments flying through the air, she wasted no time in ducking down low and throwing her body into a shove, slamming her shoulder into the gut of her attacker and flipping them over as she righted herself.

The standard was already moving before the next bird was upon her, the butt end of the weapon cracked against the guard of the blades, grinding against the steel weapons. Jeanne twisted the pole, sweeping the arms to the side and bringing to tip of the flagpole down like a hammer directly into the top of the Corvian's head, the bird let out screech as she split the skin, then brought the standard up once more and caught them in the chin with the uppercut.

She spun, swinging the pole once more and striking the forehead of another attacker, the words of Sulyvahn echoed about in his head. More and more, his experience in this land was starting to shine through, the 'Corvians' as he called them were truly coming at her without end.

Three charged from the snow, she caught the first in the head with a punch, striking the second in the knee with a kick. The third swung at her, she raised the back of her arm and caught the blow on her guard, swinging her arm to the side and slinging it forwards in a quick jab to the face. She turned back to the second and struck it in the side of the head with her elbow, thrusting her flag into the gut of the first and throwing it away from her.

The weight left the end of her flag rather suddenly, the body being tossed away as she focused on the remaining two who were still recovering from her attacks. The third was quick to resume its attack, already thrusting its claws towards her once more, the flag was raised up, positioned so that the claws passed directly between the pole before its knuckles cracked against the standard. She twisted the metal in her grasp like a blur, accompanied by cries of pain and the sounds of shattering steel with an undertone of snapping bone.

She swung the flagpole with all her might, the bone jaw shattered like porcelain as the bloodied remains vanished off into the distance, wasting barely second in reversing her grip on her flag and sending the sharpened tip piercing through the gut of the final Corvain with a wheezing noise, then wrenched it free just as swiftly before kicking it away from her.

A sharp grunt left her lips, she staggered backwards as something slammed into her right shoulder. Her eyes widened ever so slightly as she beheld the quill shaped piece of metal now embedded in her, with a frown she reached up and pulled it free of her body, stepping backwards and narrowing her eyes at the snow ahead of her. She had seen those same blades strike Sulyvahn at the start of the battle, which meant that whomever was throwing them had switched targets to her.

A blurring shadow racing towards her was all the warning she got. Sharp pain spread across her left cheek as she swung her head to the side, eyes widening as she stared at the thin rapier positioned just to her left where her head had been not a split second earlier, leaving little to wonder what would have happened if she had not moved. Her surprise lasted scant but a nanosecond before her eyes narrowed and she ducked down.

Avoiding the rapier twisting itself and slicing through the air where her neck had been. She stepped forwards, thrusting her standard and finding herself briefly surprised when her attacker dodged it, the surprise did not last long as she registered the presence of her foe. A Servant, of the same race as the Corvians, so perhaps a summoner of them?

It mattered little as her opponent was upon her a second later. The rapier being drawn back and thrust towards her as a blur of movement, her attacker dancing and weaving from several angles to try and break through her guard. The clang of steel drowned out all other noises as she focused on the attacker leaping around from left to right in front of her.

Similar height and stature to the other Corvians, though this one had a dark matted grey cloak draped over their head and shoulders, extending down their back. The fact she had not sensed them until now meant that they could either be an Assassin or it truly was the storm masking their presence.

Her eyes narrowed as she activated her discernment.

Dolion

Servant: Assassin

Strength: C+

Endurance: D

Agility: A+

Mana: E

Luck: B

Noble Phantasm: B

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Region: Ariandel

The name meant little to her, she knew nothing of this figure but the location bounced around in her head. Ariandel, something to note for later.

An Assassin engaging a Ruler in combat? Either arrogant or confident in his skills as a swordsman and as the fight progressed, Jeanne could understand where this confidence came from. His speed and precision made it as though she was fighting two at once, he kept dancing from left to right and changing his angle of attack-

Dolion jumped back, his left hand came up to reveal four quill shaped blades held between his fingers, with nary a word he slung his arm forwards and hurled the blades in her direction. Even as his feet hit the ground, he charged her once more before even moving to block his throwing knives.

Her flag danced in her fingers, twisting it around and turning her body to parry away the blades closest to her while letting the others sail past without a worry. She raised the standard up, bracing it with both hands as Dolion slashed down at her, using his superior height to gain leverage over her, their weapons connected for barely a second before he retreated backwards, sweeping out a clawed leg and aiming it towards her gut.

Jeanne stepped back, watching as the claws scraped along her armour with a quiet screech of steep before passing away from her. The Corvian jumped back once more, examining her from a distance this time.

"You fight well for a Holy woman." She raised an eye at the genuine praise of the Assassin. Unlike how one would imagine a bird to sound, his voice was rich and smooth, clearly intellectual and something not quite expected for one of his ilk. "Your moves might well be without polish, but they tell a tale of experience and story." The brows narrowed slightly, the Corvian resting himself on one leg more than the other. "Would it not be more preferable to lay down your banner?"

Jeanne frowned "If your intent is to preach the folly of my actions, then I shall advise you save us both the effort."

"As you say." Dolion was seemingly uncaring as to her quick dismissal of his words. "It is a simpler task for me to ascribe you an enemy of the peace." his words were sharp, like a blade that would fall without warning. And wholly without discrimination

He charged her down once more, shooting forth like a blur and already upon her with his rapier thrusting upwards. She stepped back, swinging the standard up and knocking the blade off-course. Dolion was clearly expecting that, as his other hand came about with the knives sweeping towards her like the claws of his kin.

"Hah!" The cry came free of her lips, her right hand parted from it's grip and fell down, smashing the back of her hand into the blades and knocking them from the hand of the Assassin, the weapons fell to the snow gentle thud. A beat followed, she widened her eyes as another set of four quills manifested in his hands, now directly upon her and past the point she could act to stop them.

She let her weight drop, falling down to the snow and wincing as the knives continued on their path, streaking a thin line across her chest and cutting into the surface of her skin, her back fell into the snow with a crunch, already rolling back and sweeping the standard up, kicking up a wave of ice to cover her retreat and block the sight of the Assassin as she prepared herself once more.

The snow was parted cleanly, a single swipe of the rapier was accompanied by Dolion charging through the snow, twisting his body and bringing the left side forwards with the four bloodied knives being hurled in her direction-

"O'Blizzard!"

A shout on the wind, a rumbling of the air and a rush of cold followed. Both Dolion and Jeanne found themselves bathed in a fresh layer of ice, though for Jeanne the spell curved around her body as her Magic Resistance rejected its effect.

Something snagged her right hand, dragging her to the side. Her head snapped around and she almost lashed out before she caught sight of the humanoid figure dragging her away from the battle. Briefly widening her eyes at the rough staff held in their right hand as they pulled her along. "Hurry up! More are coming!" The voice, most certainly male, called back to her as if sensing her hesitation.

"But what about-?" She turned her head to her ally, seeking out any sign of him and finding herself wholly disappointed by the lack of anything concrete. Merely a thick blanket of falling snow blocking her sight and leaving her with only the sounds of clashing steel and grunts to vaguely guess where Sulyvahn was.

"There's no time!" The boy - because that is what he sounded like, a mere boy - called back to her as she was pulled along, desperation in his tone as she followed behind him. "They'll be here soon and she knows where you are! Trust me, he can escape just as easily as I can now hurry up, please!"

Maybe it was his tone, or perhaps it was the warning but Jeanne adhered to his words. Falling into step with her mysterious saviour as the pair of them charged into the cold and away from the sounds of battle.

Despite that, she could sense the person in front of her was a Servant. Knowing that, she allowed her True Name Discernment to activate once more, the parameters and true name of the Servant before her were revealed to her eyes.

Though very little could have prepared her for the truth of who it was who had come to her aid.

Sapling Sulyvahn

Servant: Ruler

Strength: D

Endurance: C

Agility: B

Mana: B+

Luck: A

Noble Phantasm: C+

Alignment: Lawful Good

Region: Ariandel

Words were not traded, the attack had simply happened.

A weight struck his back and in the next moment he found himself battling for his life once more, such an event did not cause him to so much as bat an eye. In truth, he considered himself fortunate that his attacker had not simply chosen to run him through the back.

Not that the small leeway had granted him much of an advantage, it would be easier to say that he had been on the backfoot from the moment the battle began. That sword his attacker wielded, he did not understand it but he knew that a cut from that weapon would spell disaster for him.

As it was, he was already doing his best to fight off the armoured knight, standing a full head higher than him and adorned in full plate steel armour, a bulk to his body that gave the impression of a good deal of muscle, though there was something more to the knight that put him on edge.

The curses pouring out of the warped and twisted faces, their agonised screams forged into the very steel. The crimson light shined brightly as the two clashed weapons once more, the almost tranquil glow of sky blue that clung to the huge sword countered the chaotic spasm of Galvatyne's flames.

Ash stepped backwards, the knight followed after him by simply leaning their body forwards, their feet hovering above the ground as they thrust their sword towards his gut. He twisted his body, the blade gliding just past his body and a small grinding sound ringing in his ears as the edge of the blade almost kissed the front of his armour. He swung his burning sword down, finding his momentum halted as the knight moved first.

The rounded greatshield of his attacker blocked his path, the groove sliced into the side of the shield trapped his sword in its maw. He reacted fast, his left hand blurred as he slung it forwards, fire jumped from his hand and rushed forwards without any sort of precision or skill. The explosion went off, he used the confusion to leap back away from the knight-

Who came flying through the cloud of smoke, not affected by the explosion in the least. Already swinging towards him as he retreated. Ash grit his teeth, sweeping his weapon out and bringing it across the other side, the two swords clashed once more with a roar of steel, sparks and flames scattered across the space between them as both moved back.

The knight swung the shield towards him, Ash tensed his body and turned. Grunting as the smooth metal face of the disk struck his shoulder and sent him into a half stagger, he did not remain idle nor did he let himself be exposed. He turned his body around the other side, bringing his sword up and thrusting it down towards the now open left side of the knight, sword moving just beneath the rim of the shield.

The knight rose into the air and twisted, their body corkscrewing through the air to avoid the attack while their blade swung out towards him, already moving towards his arm like a pendulum.

A crack of thunder, the knight was blown from their spin as a series of sparks scattered across the front of his armour and forced them into a retreat. Ash did not need to guess where the attack had come from, Nobunaga stood some distance behind him with a fleet of rifles hovering in the air above her shoulders.

The knight did not land, instead their body turned once more and their feet hovered a full foot above the snow, turning to face the pair once more and leaning forwards slightly.

It was challenging enough, Ash up to his shins in snow and Nobunaga much worse from her smaller stature. The knight - who would already have been Ash's superior in height - had no such problems as they glided well over an inch from the surface of the snow, only coming down to attack him before retreating once more.

It was a poor situation with a poor outcome, though the brief window granted Ash the chance he had been looking for. A roar left him, from both his lips and his sword as he swung it in a wide reaching arc. Mana flowed through the blade, spurring the flames to act and surge forwards. A tsunami of flames rolled from his sword and directly onto the frozen ground, his vision was filled with steam as the blizzard was offset by the hiss of melting snow.

The Chaos flames proved the superior force by far in the climate, burning away a clearing directly in front of him while moving to embrace the flying knight. Ash did not see the flames strike, on account of the steam in his eyes, though he heard a quiet grunt and a crackle of expanding metal before the cries of the blizzard reigned once more.

He stepped forwards, stumbling into the now molten clearing and feeling the residual warmth of his attack linger, splashes of water sounded out with each step he took though he could already feel the puddles beneath him get harder and harder, on account of the temperatures now freezing them solid.

The area now cleared, the knight reappeared once more. Shield in front of them and sword arm coiled back as though they wielded a spear. As if to prove the point, the knight aimed the sword with the groove on his shield, thrusting it forwards and in the direction of the Saber as they approached him.

Ash stepped forwards, bringing the sword above and twisting it so the point faced down, the flat of Galvatyne struck the edge of the glowing weapon before it could reach him, parrying the strike away from his body. The sword twisted in his grasp, being brought back in a reverse swing towards the groove of the shield and now gripped with both hands.

"Hah!" Ash cried out, his weapon struck true and the shield was pulled to the side with his strike. It would have been a foolish manoeuvre in any other situation. His overpowered swing had extended his body to a far more exposed position, leaning over and much too slow to reach to the sword now poised to be swung down into his back.

This was not a normal situation.

"Firing squad!" The exclamation of Nobunaga was accompanied by the thunderous roar of gunshots, the Knight stumbled backwards as the barrage struck him in the exposed chest, a growl akin to many voices at once echoed out from the helmet, their feet struck the frozen street with a crack.

Ash reacted quickly, throwing himself forwards and slamming his shoulder into the gut of the now grounded knight, the move was accompanied by him unleashing another burst of flame from his right hand, this time proving more effective at staggering the knight further, the chaos flames washed over their armour, leaving behind a subtle glow of steel.

The moment could not last forwards, Ash grunted and stumbled backwards as the hilt of the greatsword slammed into the side of his head, shoving him away from the attacker. If they had intended to pursue him, he didn't know as they swung their shield up, this time the hail of bullets ricocheting off the guard of the knight.

A caw echoed out, Ash's head shot upwards as he saw a shadow blur through the sky and then crash into the Archer. Nobunaga let out a shout of surprise that soon turned to a noise of alarm as they both saw the giant eagle now sitting atop the Archer. The reaction from her was quick, shooting her fist up and slamming a punch into its gut while rolling away and bringing forth a rifle in her hands.

The bird flapped its wings, blowing cold winds directly into the face of the Archer before it launched forwards, beak snapping down against the rifle and slinging it to the side before it hissed and advanced on her.

Ash made half a step in her direction before he raised his sword once more, the blue greatsword that had been aiming to bisect him crashed against the guard of the Saber, the clang of steel echoed out and stopped him from making any such move. Bracing his sword with both hands - one on either end - Ash pushed the sword to the side, slamming both weapons into the ground and then swung up.

His attack was met with the face of the shield, the sword bouncing off the study guard of the knight as they shoved him back with a forceful push. Their own sword rose up and fell, Ash leaned back and watched as the tip of the blade just passed by the front of his helm before it struck the frozen path. Ash reacted quickly, his armoured boot fell upon the sword and buried it further into ice and stone.

The knight released the sword almost immediately, the resistance Ash had met crumbled just as quickly as he stumbled forwards - having put his entire body into the move - and towards the knight. The armoured gauntlet vanished over the shoulder, then returned with a scythe of some variety, swinging down and towards the Saber.

Ash raised the back of his left arm, bracing himself as his wrist fell into the crook of the curved blade, he thrust forwards with his right arm and found his sword parried to the side by a mighty swing of the rounded shield.

The knight paused, their visor brightened as their head turned around to something approaching them from behind. A flash of golden light flooded Ash's eyes, a hiss tore it's way from his throat as he stepped backwards and raised his hand to block off the light. Accompanied was the tell tale sound of metal striking metal, a blast of air washed over his body that almost made him fall backwards.

The scythe on his arm fell away from him, vision returned to his eyes quickly as he beheld the new arrival in front of him.

Long spear in his hands, the golden light fading away to reveal the blade of the weapon more akin to a widened shortsword than any traditional spear. The owner of the weapon was clad in bright white steel armour, bulked shoulder pads and breastplate, black undershirt.

His short white air rustled in the storm, face set in stern focus as he moved in front of Ash while not facing him.

The swordspear twirled in his grasp before being levelled towards the now retreating Knight, their crimson visor glaring at the new arrival before it fell back onto Ash, looking between the two of them and then the weapon.

With a silent growl, they jumped back, the eagle flying in and taking hold of the knight as they both vanished away into the storm.

The knight lowered the spear, then turned towards Ash while visibly keeping his guard up. "I am Lancer…ff you found yourself an enemy of that knight, am I to assume you are of the group who will right this cursed land?"

Ash glanced at Nobunaga as she picked herself up, then looked at the new arrival with a raised eyebrow. "So what if we were?"

The knight let out a visible exhale, his lip twitching upwards "Then I would be most pleased that you have finally arrived…"

AN: Yeah…We're really going off the rails now.

Hello there…

Sir Percival.

And Sir Vilhelm aka Best voice in Dark Souls 3.

Sir Vilhelm

Servant: Saber

Strength: B

Endurance: C++

Agility: C

Mana: C

Luck: C

Noble Phantasm: B

Elfriede: B+ (Anti-Army) Max Target: 50-100, Max Range: 0-20

Sword is ignited in Black Fire and swung. His pledge to his lady, in environments of cold or in the presence of Lady Friede, the power of the weapon is boosted to B+.

Class Skills:

Riding: D

Magic Resistance: D (B)

Personal Skills:

Black Hand: B

Drain mana from target gripped by it.

Can also form a shield and accounts for Vilhelm's low Magic resistance

by forming a shield to block physical and magical attacks.

Knight of Friede: A

Massive resistance to cold based attacks and has an advantage in naturally cold environments.

Cold-Blooded Hangman: A+

Strong advantage against those of evil alignment. He is an executioner still despite being a Knight of the Sable Church.

Unfaltering Prayer: C++

Boosts endurance while casting Miracles.

Vow of Silence: C

Prevents casting of spells of Rank C and below.

Summoning

"Hmmmm. To think I could be summoned to the service of someone other than the Lady Friede. Well…Whatever the reason, there must be purpose behind this action. So for the time being, I may serve as your hangman."

Dialogue 1

"I wonder…what manner of soul are you to invite so many into your service, from all walks of the world and without judgement. Is it charity that compels you, or perhaps something more?"

Dialogue 2

"My service to you is merely temporary, though we might be allies for the moment it is only so long as I deem it so. My blade belongs to the Lady Friede, and her alone."

Dialogue 3

"I'm curious if you ever feel the desire to simply sit back and let the world claim you, for how long can you shoulder the weight of the world before you are crushed beneath it? No matter. Such things are the concerns of you and you alone."

Dialogue 4 (If you have Lady Friede)

"You have summoned the Lady Friede? Then there is perhaps something about you she finds agreeable. Unexpected and yet not unwelcome. Let it be known to you that my blade is hers and hers alone, that she has pledged herself to your wishes means that I am of service to you."

Dialogue 5 (If you have Pioneer of the Stars)

"I've seen their kind, time and time again, every feeling man must be caught, every secret must be unearthed. Such is the conceit of the self-proclaimed seeker of truth. The title of pioneer they were is but a crutch to balance themselves upon, lost in their pursuit they are without end. One who reaches for the stars can never be content with the world as is. Peace to them is something to be spurned and risk to be welcomed, no matter the agony they bring."

Dialogue 6 (If you have Sanson)

"The work of an executioner is a bloody business, I know full well the weight of the sword swung in the name of justice. Though what is it he swings his sword for? Deliverance from sin or the relief of death?"

Dialogue 7 (If you have Sulyvahn)

"The Child of the Spirits, the one born in the cold of the painting. Little wonder he sought to travel beyond our world, for one who is born with something cannot live with those who have nothing. Though he could not see the folly of his own actions, to see what he has become now…Hmhmhm."

Dialogue 8 (If you have Ashen One)

"When you look at him, what is it you imagine you see? A loyal knight? A simple man? Or perhaps a friend? These are but falsities. His truth is a man who cannot endure the peace of the world without the struggle of life. For him, it would be better to see the world burn than for the people to find lasting peace."

Dialogue 9 (If you have Jeanne d'Arc)

"The words of salvation will not reach one so taken with the Gods, such is the truth of those born of faith. Even after death claims her, the passion of her oath remains strong. She bears her cross in her hands, motivated forever by injustice in the eyes of her religion. From the moment she took up her banner to the moment she burned for it. I ask, what worth is there in salvation that lies beyond the throes of life?"

Likes

"That which I enjoy? What a strange thing to ask. My service to Lady Friede…perhaps something more you sought? You should watch that curiosity of yours…"

Hates

"That which I dislike? Disrespect to the Lady Friede and those who cannot accept the world for what it is."

Wish for the Holy Grail

"There is no need for something so dubious as a wish, though, for the Painted World to last for the sake of Lady Friede."

Bond Level 1

"Well…you seem to be a strange one, aren't you? We'll just see how far this oddity of your nature takes you."

Bond Level 2

"You form bonds with many, do you not? I wonder why that is, can you exist without these bonds? Are they your cross?"

Bond Level 3

"Those who live in sin and those who live in light, those who are kings and those who lived as peasants. You accept all without judgement, why is that, I wonder? Have you the sense of morality or is there something more to this nature of yours?"

Bond Level 4

"I believe I see it now, that which accepts all manner of life regardless of their history. Quite the soul you carry."

Bond Level 5

"A painting made flesh, that is what you are. My words might not mean much, but I understand you now. You accept them for that is what you are and that is what your nature is. One who forges bonds with ease, for that is what keeps them sane. No matter. You may live as you see fit…though I know you would never find a home in the painting."

Birthday

"You may celebrate the day as you wish, for me it is akin to any other."

During an Event

"You can hear it, can't you? The excitement of the rabble outside. You seek to join them, do you not? Very well then."

1st Ascension

"Hmmm. I see, so this is ascension? How interesting."

2nd Ascension

"All for the sake of Lady Friede."

3rd Ascension

"Do you seek to force me into acceptance as well? This will change nothing about my pledge."

4th Ascension

"So you continue to the very end? Very well. I can acknowledge your grit, if the Lady Friede wills it, I might offer this blade to you in reward for this service you have done me."