Chapter 167: Clearing the air.
It was an impossible sight, no.
Calling it impossible didn't do it justice, the impossible had been broken time and time again but this was something well beyond what Ritsuka was used to at this point. All he could do was stare at the sword which stood at the height of a skyscraper being raised into the sky, slowly coming back up to a straight angle pointed up.
Ritsuka looked down to the one who lifted the impossible weight, the one who caught the sword with his bare hands and held it above himself, even as he was pierced with many weapons of all different sizes and shapes, he stared in silence along with all the others by his side.
Ash turned his body, twisting it around so he was no facing them. The sword held in his hands was no in such a position that if he swung his body forwards he would end up dropping it on them, he would - without a doubt - kill them if he did that. But for whatever reason, he didn't feel afraid. Maybe it was watching Ash fight, the lack of emotion that showed on his face, but Ritsuka…didn't feel anything.
No, that wouldn't be right.
It was like watching someone go through the motions? Perhaps that was a better way of putting things but…he'd seen Cu fight. He'd seen all the others fight, it was difficult to explain but there was something in all their actions that seemed to be different to Ash. Like they were putting in more effort?
No…they had their hearts in the fight. When Cu fought, you could see he was either enjoying himself or there was just something indescribable about the way he moved that made it clear he was putting himself into every strike. He could liken it to when he watched Archer - the one who hadn't named himself yet - fight. When he fought with those swords there was something different about the way he carried himself.
Just a bit like Ash but even still, when Archer fought there was…he looked as though he was doing something he wanted to do. Or maybe it was the purpose of his actions or something. He wasn't sure how best to explain it and he wasn't even sure how he knew. Just that he knew something was different about how Ash was fighting. It was almost…mechanical.
He hadn't even said a word…no…he hadn't been really trying.
He'd seen him pull out all those weapons and all those swords, all those Noble Phantasms…
And he didn't use them.
He could have killed Mash, Ritsuka saw him going to do it.
…And he didn't.
So what was he doing?
What was Ash actually playing at?
He continued to stare at them in silence, the sword held in his hands looming over them and blotting out the light-
A blur of white caught his eye, something lept from one of the houses and slashed across the length of the sword at an angle. Ritsuka jolted backwards, watching as the shape of a woman in what looked like a white dress wielded a rather large scythe, cleaving through the length of the sword from one end to the other.
She twisted in the air, spinning around then landing a kick on the flat of the weapon, the top half that had been sheared off was flung in the opposite end of the street. The woman raised the scythe above her head and dropped down, the weapon slicing through the giant sword as she travelled downwards until she reached the ground and pulled the scythe back.
The sword - now cut lengthways - fell to either side in Ash's hands and spread his arms wide. The woman twisted the scythe in her hands and then drove the butt of the weapon into his face like a spear, knocking him away and sending both halves of the sword falling to the ground on either side away from the group, even if they had been trimmed down they were still large enough to crush the homes they fell upon, flattening them with ease.
Ritsuka looked around, watching as more figures filled his line of sight, eventually the street was filled once more with the sight of the Corvian people and several Servants he didn't recognise.
And one that he did, even if she didn't look anything like what he had been expecting her to look like.
"Senpai, that's-" Mash started to speak in a quiet and somewhat shocked tone of voice, Ritsuka would have admitted to have shared in her surprise at one point but at this stage, he doubted there would be anything to surprise him as greatly as the last half an hour had done. It had been one bombshell after another.
He nodded his head, keeping his eyes firmly placed upon the Servant who had landed atop the buildings to their left with a bow drawn taut. There was also the fact he now recognised the outline as well, Atalanta had been the one to attack himself and the others much earlier during the fight, he moved his hand towards Nursery and pulled her slightly closer to him, something she complied with.
There was also the nun with the scythes and a black knight wielding a sword virtually identical to the one that Ash had wielded when they first met, he supposed that would be the Sir Vilhelm that Sulyvahn and Jeanne had spoken about, which made the nun Friede. His eyes darted to the right, seeing the shape of the spindly looking figure in metal armour with translucent cloth hanging from her. That would be Carwen.
Then there was the weird guy with three masks, a black robe and what looked like six arms.
Despite not a single one of them making a move, Ritsuka couldn't help but feel as though the tension had suddenly skyrocketed.
"Hello." He turned to the childlike voice, then raised an eyebrow at the girl in the black cape and the white hair, smiling rather genially at him and waving her hand around before her focus fell onto Nursery Rhyme at his side, she tilted her head ever so slightly and furrowed her brows. "We didn't think there would be anyone else young like us since the last one. Are you going to hurt us like he did?"
"I don't like hurting people." Nursery replied "But conflict is not always something we get a choice in. Even still, I do not enjoy it."
"That sounds really smart…are you sure you're our age?"
"I am not."
"Okay! That makes sense!" The smile the white haired girl gave was rather amused rather than sounding put, she looked towards the front once again and then frowned. "Hey, hey. You're friends with uncle, right?"
Ritsuka blinked once. "...Uncle?"
Priscilla stared at the vacant expression on her younger brother, not an ounce of emotion to be seen in him but he carried the same look in her eyes. Those same green eyes that greeted her in the mirror every time she glimpsed at her reflection. It was such a strange thing to focus on, she supposed but it was worth noting.
She knew they would not have the same father, but they had the same eyes. They could not be the eyes of their shared mother because hers were golden…unless it was the influence of her soul that made it that way. Her grandmother had always said that the Gods could change certain aspects about themselves as though they were flexing a muscle.
All the same, she stared into those dull emerald eyes that lacked any sort of life in them, she could not imagine a greater tragedy to befall someone than to lose the light in their eyes. The fact he hadn't so much as spoken a word was telling enough. She glimpsed to the side, watching where the golden Lordkin now stood with his arms folded. A hefty glare aimed in her direction, one that she would have been more afraid of in another life but not this one.
"I shall demand you leave at once-"
"You shall demand nothing from a king, Mongrel." The answer was swift and curt, as though demanding she even think to interrupt him again. "For your act of vandalism, not even a hundred deaths will be enough to balance this crime." red eyes narrowed. "How my other self could even tolerate the presence of your ilk is beyond even my boundless wisdom, but it is no matter."
He raised his right hand up "To appear before a King when you are knowledgeable of your crimes is to admit your own guilt and demand fitting punishment. I have never known one so brazen as to commit yet more slights against me."
Priscilla narrowed her eyes "This world is not yours to assume a role of authority. It is mine. Whatever judgements you make shall stay private, I care not whatever power you hold outside this land." She matched his glare with one of her own; the fact he had just tried to drop a giant sword on her world and their battle had already caused the deaths of a great many hundreds was straining her patience as a protector.
It broke her to be so useless as to be slow on the uptake.
The golden man eventually made a noise "Fu. Fuwahahahahahaha!" throwing his head back and laughing from the gut in such a way that his mockery was made apparent. Her eyes narrowed and she felt her lip curl down in displeasure. "There is always some enjoyment to be had in watching a toothless mongrel find their bark…" giving a single wheeze to finish it off, he lowered his head back down. "But it is through embarrassment alone, at the very least you serve to make an amusing weed."
"I have said nothing that should be considered amusing to the likes of you."
"Fool. All you say is amusing." The smile turned sharp "From how you dance so blindly to the tune of another from within your own world, fuwhahaha!" shoulders trembling, the laughter resumed "Watching as you proclaim such bold motions while being the blindest of them all, it is so utterly amusing that I cannot help but laugh at your pathetic sight!" waving a hand, he carried on "Creating such a vast world, causing such a ruckus in my garden, and you have not even the decency to perform these acts yourself!
Lowering the arm, his expression twisted into a sneer. "Had you more sense than a newborn babe, I would have acknowledged your stupidity in willingly vandalising my garden with your naive foolishness." the sneer dropped from his face, replaced by a disgusted scowl "Instead, you are not even worthy of gazing upon me, let alone directing your anger to me. Your nature remains as singular as your blood. Proclaiming peace while your eyes can bring only death?"
He nodded to her younger brother "That Beast understands his own folly, even if it makes him all the more foolish in pursuing it. Though any mongrel who would throw themselves upon the mercy of the King is-"
Priscilla felt something strike her in the gut, in the next moment she was flying through the air and away from her younger brother, watching as he stared at her blankly with his arm extended and his hand clenched into a fist.
"Mongrel! You dare interrupt-" He called forth his sword once more, swinging it upwards at the Lordkin and unleashing a jet of fire towards him, the flames ripped through the land where the man had been yet he remained unharmed, some strange symbols emerging from a portal and bending the flames around his body.
If he had further words to give, Ash cared little for them. He pulled forth more power and thrust the sword forwards, the flames shifted and clustered tighter together before becoming a screaming beam of pure white energy directed towards the Lordkin, the symbol that had protected him shattered and the light streamed onwards, then met a shield once more.
At the same time, several weapons rushed towards him from behind the Lordkin.
Rolling to the side, he avoided them from striking him but they were still close enough that he would be engulfed in problems if he got caught in a fight with them once more. It would seem their supply of weapons far eclipsed his own and their method of using them surpassed his, he could not unleash them in such a manner. Which was rather unfortunate, given his quantity of weapons, it seemed a rather prudent course to use them in such a method.
Either way, he needed to return to the matter at hand, which meant he needed to clear away the distractions that threatened to take away from his real goal. Everything he worked towards since he started this had been to force a battle between himself and Chaldea. They wanted to prove their way was correct? Then that was all for it.
If they could destroy him, then they would have been correct and proven strong enough to decide the fate of the world. If his reasoning was so feeble that it could not stand against anything above Hollows, then…then he was truly wrong. But he did not believe he was, he did not believe he could be. When one looked at all human history, how could they see it as anything other than wrong?
So then why…
Why did Ritsuka still look so confident?
Why did he not show even the slightest hint of fear?
Why was he still trying?
He hadn't died once, he hadn't faced the end like Ash had, not truly…
So then why was he still willing to struggle!?
There was only so much ignorance could account for!?
No greed - no ambition - could ever drive someone so far!
…Could it?
Ash leapt off the ground, vanishing in a flash of darkness and trailing a cloud of black smog behind him as he moved through the air like a meteorite, sure enough his body caught fire with the same black flames that had claimed his weapon and all else he touched, rocketing towards them with such speed.
"Mash, Ruler!" He shouted out, pointing skyward towards the falling comet that was the Saber. "Defend against tha-"
The Saber twisted through the air, a beam of pure white light rushed from the comet aimed directly towards the location where Atalanta was, though she dodged the initial beam the explosion that rushed out still blasted her aside, the heat ripped through the building in a split second, setting it alight and then cleaving down at an angle until it touched upon the ground and ceased.
Ritsuka's commands died in his throat as he watched the comet get redirected towards the opposite end of the street, watching as he landed on the houses and then cleared his body once more. Drawing his right arm back, Ash swung it out and unleashed a great ball of flames towards the thickest part of the Corvians, the birdmen scattered and the skeletons that accompanied them were turned to dust.
Ash jumped once again, charging straight into the thick of the group of what had been enemy Servants and then engaging them all in battle.
The first victims of the battle were Friede and Vilhelm.
Ash landed dead in front of them and then rushed forwards, not even willing to trade words with them as he locked blades with Vilhelm and then shoved him backwards to parry Friede aside, the blurred between the two of them twisting back and forth as he swung with ever increasing swathes of power each time. Swinging upwards, he launched a wave of black fire that flipped Vilhelm over and onto his back.
He turned back on Friede as she swung for his neck, dropped his sword and caught the longer scythe with his hands. Then yanked her forwards, turning as he did and swinging his body into her, driving his left elbow into her face and following through with the turn. His right arm swung up and caught her around the throat, hoisting her into the air and then chokeslaming her directly into the ground with an explosion of snow.
Even through the white haze, Ritsuka could still see the shadows of the pair, watching as Ash brought up his right leg and then stomped downwards. He started as a sound like crunching an egg echoed out around them and the Saber pulled his foot back up and then tossed the scythe away. Reaching out and grabbing the dropped sword and pulling it up.
"No!" Vilhelm charged in, leaping through the air and swinging downwards. Ash sidestepped his initial attack and then thrust his sword in retaliation, Vilhem raised his left hand and formed some transparent red shield around his palm. At least, Ritsuka presumed that's what the intention had been, right up until the point the sword struck the shield and it shattered like glass, continuing on its path and driving itself like a nail straight through the chest of Vilhelm.
A choking gasp filled the air, Ash yanked upwards and pulled the sword through the rest of the body and into the air. Bringing his right leg up and kicking the corpse in the chest, sending it ragdolling through the air and bouncing along the ground several times before it rolled to a stop, splattering against the front of a house.
He turned just in time for a pillar of fire to rise from the ground at the spot where Friede had perished, the same flames that Ash seemingly commanded erupted from the spot of the corpse, only this time they didn't seem nearly as strong and Ash didn't look as though he caused them either. Ritsuka watched as Friede's body slowly rose back up from the ground, scythes still in her hand.
Her body was swiftly coated in the same fire that Ash wielded, but it was so much weaker than his own. The difference in power became apparent the moment the two of them engaged in battle, Ash's every swing matched her blow for blow and forced her on the backfoot in less than a second. Even as her every blow was accompanied by an explosion of fire, it was clear that it amounted to nothing. They simply rolled over Ash's body without doing any sort of damage.
Something that did not translate to Ash, blocking her slash he twisted his sword so the pommel was facing towards her hips, then the weapon was propelled downwards with a sudden jet of light, Ash released the sword turned rocket and Friede let out a sharp gasp as the weapon sword struck her body like a hammer, bouncing straight back to Ash who leaned back and grabbed the weapon by the hilt as it returned to him.
Swinging back across, he slashed against her guard and accompanied the strike with an explosion that knocked Friede off her feet and sent her weapon flipping through the air. She rolled back when he swung into the ground, though it lasted very little as he pulled back up with another explosion leaping from the sword and sending her smoking body cartwheeling through the air.
Pulling the sword back, he thrust it forwards once more and unleashed another beam of white like, this time striking her dead in the chest and carrying her even further beyond the reach, from the looks of links it burst right through her body as well before cutting out.
Ash staggered as several explosions of purple flames ripped across his back, he made a half turn before the next flash of light struck him in the side of the chest, a solidified arrow of purple light buried in his ribs fizzled away at his body before three more struck his front. The Saber swung his arm up and flashed out a bow, dropping his greatsword to the ground and pulling forth a single arrow, but rather than aiming it towards Atalanta, he instead aimed towards the sky.
The tip of the arrow glowed a brilliant white as he drew it as far back as he could, tanking another arrow to the chest without even flinching at it, nor did he move as the next struck him in the head and pierced through and out the back of his skull.
"I offer this prayer, false though it may be." Ash intoned with a voice lacking all emotion, yet the arrow burned brighter all the same. "Deliver judgement upon my enemies. Drown them in glittering night." he loosened the arrow "Light of the Darkmoon!"
The arrow raced into the sky, then vanished. Within moments, the clouds above them darkened, turning black as though a storm was about to form directly on their heads. The sky rumbled and growled, swirling inwards like a vortex, light spread through the layers of the storm like electricity, then a twinkle reached Ritsuka's ears like a bell.
Then it rained.
At least, it looked like rain at first, until he saw what as actually falling from the clouds, his eyes locked onto the arrows of deep indigo light falling down from the darkened storm above, falling so rapidly and in blocks that it was looked as though they were shooting stars
The arrows raced forward like a line, the cloud shifting as it followed after Atalanta, the Berserker kicked off the nearby house in the split second before the arrows fell upon her and started to run, leaping from building to building as the rain of arrows matched her pace, not even caring for whatever happened to be in the path of their target and piercing through the bodies of the Corvians below.
Tossing the bow aside and allowing it to fade into dust, Ash brought his sword back into his hand and swung up, unleashing another river of fire from his sword.
That jolted Ritsuka back into a state of alertness, breaking him out of whatever trance he had been in seconds ago as he watched the wall of fire charging directly towards himself and everyone else. "Mash-!" he cried out, the girl was in front of him already, raising her shield up and already announcing the activation of her Noble Phantasm.
"Lord-"
The fire went right past them.
Ritsuka blinked once, then again as he struggled to comprehend what just happened. He clearly wasn't the only one as Mash cut out Lord Chaldeas and then turned her head so quickly that she looked close to giving herself whiplash, her eyes bulging in surprise as the wall of flames charged right past them and into the midst of the Corvians.
Ash didn't go for them at all.
They were right there, he was right there.
Ritsuka hadn't even been paying attention to the danger he was in, maybe some of the other Servants had been but he wasn't. For a second, he had completely forgotten Ash was actually their enemy right up until he turned on them and launched his attack…except, he hadn't attacked them at all. He'd attacked the people right behind them and made a clear and conscious effort to miss them.
It wasn't even this singular instance, Ash could have charged straight into them and attacked everyone right from the get go. Instead he went straight for the enemy Servants, it was utterly bewildering and only served to confuse Ritsuka further as to what was actually going on with the Saber. Either he was their enemy or he was their ally, he couldn't be both at the same time…could he?
"What the hell is he doing?" Nobunaga voiced out next to him, Ritsuka was inclined to agree with her confusion as he watched the fight - if it could be called that - with rapt attention. Ash moved like a whirlwind of chaos, flying around and launching out jets of fire to whatever came close enough.
The zombie dragon that had attacked them last time suffered next, not even able to open up its jaw before Ash jumped towards it with Faraam's weapon in his hand. The spear glowed like the sun, consuming all other sources of light around it before the light charged forwards directly into the mouth of the beast, the streak of gold light that rushed forth from the spear slammed directly into the head of the dragon and right out the back, soon the light consumed even its head-
A burst of crimson fire rushed forwards and struck Ash in the side of his body, Ritsuka watched as the Saber was catapulted through the air and towards the ground, bringing up the flat of the spear and angling the weapon to direct the burst of power past his body and towards the buildings, incinerating them in a moment.
"There's that fucker!" Mordred snarled by his side, directing his attention towards the six armed man with what looked like a red and silver sword hovering in front of him. Which, now that he noticed, held a similar colour scheme to her armour. So he supposed he understood why she might be more than a little upset. "I'm gonna-"
Ash twisted his body, the flames surged right past him and he kicked off the ground towards the robed Servant, charging straight through the small army of skeletons that were directly in front of him and shattering them into dust as he moved. He was already upon the Servant before they could even raise themselves off the ground, thrusting the spear forwards and running the Caster through, at the same time he released his hold on the spear and ripped the sword straight from the air in front of the Caster.
He ripped the spear back, it vanished into dust and rushed back into his body at the same time he raised the newly acquired sword above his head and then swung downwards, cleaving through the Servant from the top of their body to the bottom in a single fluid motion with both halves falling to the side.
Ash turned and parried a strike from Carwen, then snapped his fingers, an explosion ripped through the space in front of them as he charged forwards, briefly engaging them in a duel. It was when his body flexed with magical energy once more and it ejected from him like a jet that he gained the upper hand, he parried her left sword upwards and then swung down, slashing clean through her knee.
Carwen fell at an angle, Ash swung his left hand up and clasped his hand around the front of her helmet.
Then squeezed.
The noise of screeching metal mixed with a wet crunch followed, then ended with an explosion as the black flames erupted from his hands and sent the Servant's corpse flying away from him in a shower of golden light.
Ash straightened himself up-
He turned on his heel and swung down, Friede appeared behind him with her scythes crossed over in front of her and catching the sword with her hands. Ash remained silent, then a metallic clicking filled the air, the hilt of the silver and red sword widened and split open. Then the blade was coated in black light, emerging like a bunsen burner and coating every inch of the sword.
The pair vanished in a pillar of black fire a second later, when it abated only Ash remained standing. The burn remains of Firede lying beneath him as he stepped backwards, then turned around and brought the sword above his head, the hilt of the weapon still clasped tightly with both hands and raised above his head.
Then his words echoed out "Boil over, wrath of the stars! Prepare yourselves for the heat of this world!" The jet of black flame from atop the weapon suddenly roared, reaching far into the sky like a tower and showing no signs of ever slowing with the height it reached. Ritsuka widened his eyes, taking a step back and gaping at the display. By all accounts, Ash had just pulled that off a-
"What the fuc-!?"
Whatever curse Mordred had planned was drowned out when Ash swung the sword down, his next words eclipsing all else.
"Clarent Spéir Dorcha!" The beam of the sword rushed towards the ground, the moment it struck it raced through the streets like a tidal wave, consuming everything that lay before it, the body of the dragon, the Corvians who had yet to figure out what was going on and the skeletons who remained. Everything was reduced to nothing in a matter of seconds.
When the fires ended, Ash instantly turned on his heel to face them once more, swinging the sword to his side and snapping the hilt shut, cutting off the torrent of black fire that had emerged from the weapon.
Friede was upon him yet again, Ritsuka hadn't even seen her rise up but he'd been more focused on Ash. He frowned when he watched the Saber switch his style, there was something much more brutal with how he was swinging his weapon this time, like it was a club rather than a sword.
He sidestepped her next slash, the weapons barely skating across the front of his armour before he reached out and grabbed her shoulder with his left hand, throwing her down into the ground and then swinging his sword like a golf club directly into her. Friede brought up her weapon at the last possible moment, but it was still barely enough to save her as she was sent spinning through the air.
Then Ash did the unexpected, he threw his sword straight at her like a spear. Friede was quick to get on her feet, raising her scythes to block the attack-
Ash jumped, swinging his leg forwards and kicking the sword forwards, the guard broke once more and he drove the sword straight through the front of the woman, dropping down in front of her and grabbing the hilt of the sword and twisting before pulling to the side, splattering the ground in blood as he faced Ritsuka and the others one final time.
Ash stared into the dumbstruck faces before him, the surprise on Ritsuka was dismissed quickly as his eyes sought out another target. Landing on the face of Priscilla, the crossbreed looked at him with nothing shy of horror upon her face.
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he noticed something different.
Where was the little girl who had accompanied-
"Hmph!?" A grunt tore through his lips as the girl appeared at his side, her machete's singing as they moved through the air towards his neck. He turned at the last moment and swung down at her, she blocked the attack but the force was enough to drive her into the snow, she bounced upwards with the force. Swinging his body around to face her, he drove his fist straight down towards her head.
She rolled at the last second, avoiding his blow. His arm buried itself past the wrist into the ground. He pulled upwards and ripped the arm free, swinging it towards the girl as she made to escape, scrambling to her feet and throwing several small knives towards his head.
His arm tore the ground, upheaving a shower of debris and obstructing him from vision as he barged through the dust with a single step, the haze rolling over his body as he caught up with the young girl in less than a second. Reaching out, he clamped his hand around her ankle and dragged her back towards him. She turned and widened her eyes, drawing out two serrated knives in each hand and thrusting them towards his hand gripping her.
Loosening his hold, she swung through nothing but empty air. His hand moved upwards, wrapping around her wrists and hoisting her upwards and in front of him, pulling Clarent backwards and taking aim to run her through. The young girl widened her eyes and stared at him, he made to thrust-
"No!"
A desperate scream stopped him at the last moment.
He shouldn't have stopped, but there was something about that scream…that agonised yell that halted his actions at the last second. Ash felt his features tighten as he stared at the young girl in his grasp for a few seconds, then turned his attention solely onto the one who had screamed at him to stop.
Priscilla stood upright with her hand extended towards him, her eyes wide and her mouth ajar with terror gripping her features. The likeness of her face to one he knew so well, the similarities she shared with Gwynevere were unmistakable. He had not noticed them before this moment, perhaps it was finally the moment he had to slow down and think rather than fight, but now he could see what she was.
Though where this madness spawned from…
Yes, perhaps that was where her desires came from, or perhaps this mistaken duty of hers to care for this type of person. The type who would suffer without end, there was no way that Priscilla was ignorant as to who Jack the Ripper was and what they had done. Even if they knew only the legend, the appearance of this Servant was telling enough that there was something different about the story.
He knew all about her because of his visions from Solomon, though they took a moment to completely surface in his mind. Moving through a thousand years of knowledge and drawing forth names of key figures who surfaced in his mind was an experience that he was not used to. It was possible, but it wasn't as easy as pulling forth the names of people that he personally encountered before in his life.
The thoughts were dismissed, he narrowed his eyes onto Priscilla. "No?" He parroted the word back to her, it did not make sense to him in the least on any account. Her personal history notwithstanding, Jack the Ripper was still a hostile Servant who had tried to kill him twice now. Her physical appearance aside, there was no reason to spare her life.
"Just…" Priscilla's voice cracked "Just don't do that…" taking several steps forwards, her extended arm trembling as her eyes flickered over the remains all around her. Her face looked as though it completely shattered, the emotions slipping out of her before returning to him and desperation entering her eyes. "You don't have to do that-"
"Of course I do." Ash cut her off before she could finish the ridiculous statement. Did she not understand the full weight of what was going on here? "Even if I was still allied with Chaldea, we would be in this exact same situation. You will not tear down Ariandel and this girl-" he shook Jack in his arms, she whimpered ever so slightly "-will not betray you. There would only ever be one ending for that encounter."
Priscilla exhaled "I-If I lowered my world-"
Ash found himself frowning, she truly understood nothing of the situation. "Do you even know who this is?" He cut her off before she could finish "What she is?"
Her silence was his answer.
"Then you know this is for the best."
"It's not-!"
"It is!" He roared, his voice thundered as he snapped his head back towards Priscilla, lowering Clarent and snarling at her. He did not usually get angry but her ignorance as to the situation was staggering. Especially if she claimed to know who this person even was in the first place, if she did and still maintained that keeping her alive was some form of kindness, then that was nothing shy of revolting. "You know what this person is! You know what she is created from!"
He turned to Ritsuka, the boy froze at being in his sight.
Perhaps this would change his mind, perhaps being faced with the full weight of what this person was - what Jack was - would finally make him see the truth.
"This is no girl!" Ash held Jack up in front of himself "She's an undead, made from the souls of London's dead children! All those children who were discarded or forgotten about, those poor souls who were left to rot in the gutters and died!" the next words dripped from his mouth like venom. "The unwanted."
Lowering his voice, he felt his next words were cold. "She's a collection of souls, her streak of murder was nothing more than her desperately returning to the place where she came from. The one place she could feel safe. The womb of her mother."
Ritsuka froze, his expression cycled through several emotions before landing on disturbed horror.
"That was all that motivated her killings, she killed all those women because she wanted somewhere to belong but there isn't anywhere for her!" Bringing her back up, he pointed the tip of the sword squarely towards the girl. "There is nothing she can do to change what she is. Even if she finds her mother in one life, it is such a fleeting victory because her nature as a Servant means she will revert back to a blank slate when she is summoned again…"
He felt his arm tremble "Do you finally understand, Ritsuka? This is what my duty is…this is what it is all about. She cannot be saved. Her quest for peace will never end, she is fixed in her existence to seek out that mother she will never have because that's all she is."
Eyes narrowing at the boy, he felt his features harden "How can you - how can anyone - look on that and call it a life that deserves to exist? Why would anyone keep something like this around? It's torturing her in ways she cannot even see…" the strength to keep his sword up faded, he lowered the weapon ever so slightly and kept his focus solely on Ritsuka.
He just needed them to understand.
He just needed Ritsuka to admit that he was right.
"This is what you look like. Desperate lost souls craving peace you can never have. Seeking out something unattainable, filling that void in your souls with a fleeting vice and then becoming lost when it fades." Jerking his head to Jack, he carried on. "When she loses her mother, she strides right on to find the next, that is what she will do forever. That is what I watch humanity do. Filling that void with something that cannot be right…just as this girl will never find her true mother, you cannot find true peace."
Raising the sword, he pointed it towards him. "So tell me…if you see something like this, if you see an existence as tortured and pitiable as this…how can you possibly say it is worth it? What is the point of that?"
Ritsuka did not reply immediately, Ash felt as though his emotions were boiling over at the silence he received. "Answer me Ritsuka! Is it wrong to want this girl free of pain? To want her suffering to end and to finally grant her peace?" his eyes swept across all of them "Well!? What say any of you? Am I sinful for not wanting this for all humanity?"
The boy took in a deep breath, then exhaled "No."
Ash blinked "Then you finally-"
"You're not wrong for wanting people to be spared pain, Ash." Ritsuka cut him off, not showing a single ounce that he was going to stop. He actually ended up smiling, but Ash could not help but feel as though something was wrong. "In fact, what you're talking about, trying to stop people from suffering…that's…" nodding his head up and down, the smile remained. "That's pretty ideal."
Ritsuka said all this, yet Ash could feel something at the end of his words. He could see that spark of determination still in the eyes of the young man. That will that would not break so easily, that focus that pushed him forwards.
Ash spoke next, but his words were delivered with more acceptance than he cared to admit. "...But?"
A slow nod of the head was Ritsuka's answer. "Yeah…but." Closing his eyes, he moved a single step forwards and opened his eyes again. "But…it's just not what people are about." he paused for a moment, then sighed "It's just not what I am about at least…you're talking about duty and all that stuff. I think responsibility is important but…" gesturing to himself, he offered a resigned face "...I couldn't live like that, Ash. Not for long, anyway. Devoting myself to doing this one thing forever, even if it was peaceful I just…I can't do that."
Letting out a breath, he placed his hands on his hips and gave a strained face. "This feels weird to say but…I'd rather live how I want to live, do the things I want to do, than be constrained to a single role that keeps me content for the rest of my life." Ritsuka shrugged his shoulders, "Sorry but I'm…I'm a selfish person. I want to do things I like."
Ash stared but said nothing.
What could he even say?
He barely even noticed his hold on Jack had been lost until he watched her sprinting away from him and leaping into the arms of Priscilla, though that was utterly forgotten about as he focused his attention solely onto Ritsuka.
"...If duty means so little to you…then why even work with Chaldea?"
Ritsuka raised his brows "That doesn't have a lot to do with duty Ash…well, it does and it doesn't." he admitted with a wave of the hand "I guess…yeah, I do have a duty, I suppose. I've got to do everything I can to save the world. That is my duty but more than that I…I just don't want to die." The admission was delivered with such simplicity. "Everything Chaldea does is super important and I have a huge amount of respect for Olga for it but I can't do something like that forever. Heck, I can barely cope with it right now."
"...You want…to live…?"
Ritsuka looked apologetic "Sorry if that's not profound but it is what it is. I just don't want to die."
"...Then what is it you want, if not fulfilment, then what?"
"What…well…I don't know about anyone else but…I just want to be happy." That was all he said as he pointed to himself. "I want to be happy and I want other people to be happy as well. If they can enjoy what you're talking about then more power to them but, that just isn't for me. I couldn't live like that."
…
That was it?
That was all he wanted?
He…
He completely underestimated him.
Ash lowered his eyes from Ritsuka, moving them across the sea of faces in front of him and then finally onto Nobunaga. Though she didn't say a word, she was nodding her head up and down in a clear show of support for the word she had just heard. "You all feel this way?"
His eyes moved onto another, Jeanne stared back at him with a troubled face. "It is as I told you in the past, Ash. Not all can find comfort in the life of greater purpose, for it is not something all can bear the weight of. My path - our path - is not one that is welcomed." Gesturing to herself, she frowned "We lost something along the way, the chance to be something else. I do not regret my actions for even a moment but…you cannot deny that we both lost something important to ourselves when we began our duties."
Lowering her hand, she stared into his eyes "...We lost our chance to be truly happy with our lives."
He didn't understand.
"If you were at peace, then why are you denying it?" It didn't make sense to him, none of it did. She had lived a life of duty just as he had, she had devoted herself to it so why didn't she understand what he was talking about? Why did she - more so than any other - deny him he was right? "What does happiness matter if you are at peace with your life? If you understand your role from beginning to end?"
Jeanne shook her head "Ash…it is not that simple-"
"Why can't it?" He snapped, fixing her with a glare and silencing her words "Why can't it be that simple? Why must you complicate matters so? From the very beginning it should have been simple! It should have been easy to comprehend!"
He didn't understand, taking a step forwards and bringing up his hand, stabbing his finger against his chest. "You can make such claims that life is complicated? That life has to be something apart from duty? That you cannot live by this way of life? Then tell me why!? Tell me why this isn't the way of life that humans should strive for!"
Ash whirled on Ritsuka, now pointing squarely towards him. "You say you seek happiness from them all but what this life you protect would bring isn't just happiness. Even if it were, they can never fulfil that void in their being with happiness!"
The hand moved from pointing to Ritsuka to pointing towards the back of Jack in the arms of Priscilla, the crossbreed tightening her hold on the young girl. "That girl will never find her true mother, she will forever be searching for them and even if she were to discover someone who might come close to fulfilling the role it will be naught more than an ephemeral dream! When she dies she will forget that person ever existed and the cycle will begin again!"
His arm lowered, feeling incredulity sweep through his entire being. "How is that an existence that should be tolerated? How can you gaze upon that life of hers and feel anything more than pity that she should have to endure this forever! Her entire being is suffering, she will suffer abandonment for all time and no amount of love you show her in this life will ever cure that!"
But it was never just them, it would never end with just them. Jack was not a singular example, there was never just one who suffered because of these feelings.
"It's always the same with all of you! Pursuing your own happiness - your own greed - regardless of who suffers in the end! You don't truly care for these people!"
Because there was no chance that anyone who truly cared about others would truly do something like that. Why would they do something that would only serve to bring about suffering and misery? It would be bad enough to inflict it upon just one other person, but it was never just a single person who suffered and it was never just a fleeting moment.
"Every one of you is always questing for self satisfaction!" He spread his arms wide, sweeping them over the landscape that surrounded them, the frozen world of Ariandel. The ultimate destination for where a loss of duty would lead. Where those who had nothing left to live for would end up. "This is always the result! This festering wasteland inhabited by the souls of the damned who find only comfort in the fact others share in their misery and you just sit there and watch."
How was he supposed to do nothing? How could he remain silent in the face of that?
"If you'd all just followed a basic duty to do right by others and never strayed from it none of this would exist!"
And it wasn't just them…it wasn't just humans who had abandoned duty, it wasn't just all of them.
"If you just accepted your place in the world and found a basic duty then we wouldn't be in this mess! The Dark Sign wouldn't have existed and the Gods wouldn't have dragged the world into a sea of agony!"
Drake's words came back to him, the mere thought of her existence filled him with a true sense of fury.
"Then I will be told that greed is necessary for true human happiness!? Greed!? The very thing that doomed them in the first place!?"
He couldn't even begin to imagine the sheer audacity of her position, how she even considered speaking such madness.
"How dare she spew such insanity at me! That's nothing more than an ill-conceived jest brought about by ignorance! She was insane if she believed that, for a single moment, greed won't bring her anything but a painful end that causes suffering to both herself and all around her!"
…It wasn't just that, no, it was never just that. It was what had consumed him from the very beginning. The thoughts he could see so clearly now.
"A basic duty to provide you with a sense of fulfilment is all you need for a worthwhile life!" There was something so much more than that, a basic understanding of the world. "If you had all just done that from the very beginning then I wouldn't even be here!"
That was it.
That was it exactly.
He wouldn't be here.
He wouldn't have to walk down that path.
He wouldn't have been forced to cling to this single way of life in the desperate hope that he could stay sane, in the belief that this and this alone was what made him meaningful in the world.
If the Gods had just accepted their world would come to an end, if they had just acknowledged the basic duty they had to adhere to the world logic, to keep the planet moving. If they hadn't been so blinded by their arrogance and their ambition, their overwhelming desire to claim the world for themselves.
"I wouldn't have been what I am!"
He wouldn't have been created for that perversion.
"Some freakish monster dragged from his tomb with the sole purpose of dying and you claim I am somehow wrong for not fulfilling that task!?" Was that what Gwynevere intended for him to be, something that would work to be little more than fuel? Was that why she killed him when he rejected that idea of hers? "You think that taking part in the suffering of mankind is somehow a worthy goal to strive for!? Was that what you wanted for me, mother?! Was that to be my grand duty for you, my value!?"
Clarent slipped from his hand, he cradled his face, feeling the surge of emotions from deep within him once more. It didn't stop, it couldn't stop.
His life, his journey…
What was it all for?
What was it all for if he couldn't do something with it? If he couldn't save them then he could at least-
He could at the very least-!
"It's horrifying! I waded through thousands of Hollows on my quest and killed each one! They had been someone driven to madness by the cost of greed!" His mind darted back, the legions of pale masses he slaughtered in his goal, each one had been someone. Each of them had a life once. "Do you understand that, Ritsuka? They could have been someone and that was robbed of them…because of ambition, because of greed or because of pride."
His fingers dragged across his face "If they had just kept to their duty, they wouldn't have to die! I wouldn't have to kill them! They would still be there, I would have walked hand in hand with them!" he felt himself go cold, numb. The emotions faded, something gripped his heart.
"You speak of-of something beyond duty? Of an existence based on happiness? Happiness wouldn't have kept sane! Happiness is the reason I killed them and you dare claim to me its importance!?"
He glared directly into Ritsuka's eyes, daring him to speak up, to say anything but Ritsuka said nothing. He could say nothing, Ash did not grant him the chance to say anything. "You think because I span a few tales of my travels you suddenly understand the depths of my world's agony…?"
Was that what it was about? Did Ritsuka need more proof?
He straightened himself up, his hands clenched by his side and his words came out cold and blunt. "It was a corpse. A dried husk which was dragged along every single time by a flame that brought no hope. Can you imagine that for a second?" His eyes narrowed on the boy, waiting for any sign of affirmation and when he received none, he continued onwards. "Clinging to that which brings you endless agony because you cannot imagine another way of life? Enduring it for aeons because there was no other option but to go insane if you did not value it? That is what the Gods did, that is what life was! They were forced into servitude! I was forced into servitude, my very soul was bound to this service-to the very architect of my misery!"
…Was this all he was supposed to be?
"You think I, with my second life, could gaze upon that world - that Hell - for more than a scant few seconds before understanding its true nature?"
But that wasn't the worst part of it, that wasn't even coming close to the depths of it. His throat burned like bile. The next words were so difficult to consider, let alone speak out loud.
"The worst part is that I clearly tried…I made an attempt to propagate that suffering and was, mercifully, scattered to the winds for my efforts!" Shaking his head, he continued onwards. "But that doesn't matter. I forever live with the knowledge that I tried to curse mankind and failed. Can you imagine what I felt when I understood that?"
He pointed to Ritsuka. "Could you imagine learning that you were the one behind the incineration of humanity? That your past self had tried to burn away everything? Worse, that they tried to bind the very souls of humanity into an existence that was predicate on a way of life designed to bring them only misery?"
Ritsuka did not reply, but Ash didn't need him to. He just needed someone to listen.
"The urge to fling myself to my death and go Hollow was so strong I very nearly took the plunge. Everything I claimed to want to achieve was spat back in my face by my own hypocrisy!"
It was as though he was right back at the very start, the foundations remained the same only it was not the Gods who were making all the arrogant choices. It was not the Gods who were deciding to live by their own vices. It was humanity.
"This is what my life is to become? To sit by and watch as this place is warped into that world all over again? To wander this globe and be forced to watch all of this transpire with the knowledge of where the end path will lead? Worse, with the knowledge of what you have done to yourselves as you travel this road?"
Why should he be forced to sit through something like that? Why should he be forced to acknowledge something like that?
"Where you make the claim for peace, where you see the world as fine…I can't see that, Ritsuka…because it's on the same path. I can see all the same mistakes. All of them. The same vices that doomed my world, the same poisonous grip is sunk so deeply into this planet and you can't let it go…" He felt his posture loosen. "You can't let it go because you need them for…happiness."
He exhaled, his eyes moved downwards at Clarent on the ground, staring at the silver and red sword. "...I can't understand you. I can't understand what makes you work, I can't understand why you're fine with this way of life."
He didn't realise it until just now.
"I'm not doing this because of my duty."
It was so simple.
"I'm doing this because I don't want you to end up like my world."
So terribly simple.
"I don't want you to end up like me." His head came back up "...I live by duty because it is all I am. It is all I can ever truly be. It brings me peace to do this but…" his eyes crinkled "You…all of you. How do you do it? How do you walk this path, how do you glance back and see all that stands behind you, look upon all the bodies that lay at your feet…and then keep on walking?"
It just didn't make sense to him.
"I don't want you forced into a role you never asked for and then made to defend a world that is unworthy of your protection."
He just…didn't want that. He never wanted that. Killing people, slaughtering them in the hundreds. That wasn't the life he wanted, but it was never about what he wanted. It could never be about what he truly wanted or cared for. It was only about what would bring him peace, what made him feel as though he was worth existing in the first place.
He just…wanted them to feel that.
"I just…want you to feel as though you can…you can…" The right words did not come for him, he couldn't explain it.
"Love ourselves." He stared at Ritsuka, the boy looked back at him with a creased expression. "You…just want us to love ourselves. Isn't that right?" His brows were furrowed and his expression softened. "That's what it's all about. You…just want to see people value themselves."
There was that word again.
Love.
…Yes.
That was it.
"...Yes." He slowly nodded his head "I want you to care about your own existence. I want you to find that purpose that means you can truly find peace with. That you can stare at yourself and want for nothing more. If you don't have that then…then what is the point of your lives?" he shook his head from side to side. "How can you tolerate an existence where you cannot love yourself? That's…that's what your duty is, Ritsuka."
If they found their duty, if they found their value, then they wouldn't want for anything. They would never struggle for things that they believed would make their existence worthwhile. They wouldn't have to prove themselves time and time again, there wouldn't be a need for pain and suffering, they wouldn't…
All those wars.
All those deaths.
All those betrayals.
All that pain.
They would all have been needless, they would all have been avoided, if only humanity was more content with how they existed. If they didn't have such boundless ambition, if they could have just…loved themselves how they were.
That duty, that feeling of value.
He wanted them to feel that.
"That's what duty is…where you know you have value. Regardless of what any other says, you have value. If you cannot find that, if you cannot love yourself, if humanity as a whole cannot find that singular duty…" Ash felt his expression grow cold. "Then what value is there in a life that cannot love itself? What is a life that forces someone to move purely because there is nothing else for them but living for the sake of living? A life that thrives off its vices to justify itself?"
To err is to be human.
But if that is what humanity was…
Ash took a single step forwards "I…I don't want an existence like that for you. Any of you. I want you to never lose sight of your value. I want you to find peace in your lives, I want…" he thinned his lips. Stepping back "...But it's not about what I want. It's never been what I want." he closed his eyes.
…and he finally understood it too.
"I have my duty…it's the only thing that makes me tolerate myself." His eyes opened up "And perhaps that is my own failing. No…it is my own failing. I want you to love yourselves, the only way I know how. The only way that I believe is universal." he shrugged "But you can't…because I wasn't made like you. I can't love myself like you do. So…you have to die. I have to be merciful to you because if I'm not…I know where you will end up. I don't want that because I…I love you too much to let you all suffer like that."
That's what it all amounted to.
That's what they could not see.
Their history, their lives, their way of living.
It was all too painful to look upon, let alone experience.
"I don't know why you press on, knowing that you lack this basic purpose. Willingly rejecting that which could bring you peace." He slowly reached down towards Clarent on the ground, his hand wrapping around the hilt of the sword and pulling it back up. "You're insane in my eyes, Ritsuka Fujimaru. You're all insane, each and every single one of you."
Clarent sung in his grasp, the blade clicked and snapped as the hilt widened and flames rushed along the surface of the sword. The black fires jetted out with a growl, he brought the sword up and pointed it squarely towards the Chaldeans.
"Each and every single one of you that stands against me now, that rejects their duty, that rejects the only thing that might grant them peace, that would bring them value…you reject the ability to love yourselves in a way that you cannot understand." His lips thinned "That is madness to me. That you will all fight so hard for this flawed existence of yours, an existence where you prefer the fleeting to the permanent…how you can strive for that, how you can pursue that with the knowledge of all it has done…You're mad."
Ritsuka just shrugged at him "Well, no one ever said we were perfect." He brought his hand up, pointing it squarely towards him. "If you're doing this because you want to save us, if this is what you believe will save us, then I'm gonna come right out and say it Ash!"
The grin he gave was openly challenging.
"We don't need you to save us!"
That same mind boggling determination, that desire to keep on pushing forwards in spite of everything that he was fighting for. The tapestry of pain and suffering that he would protect…
"Yeah, what he said!" Nobunaga shouted out in support "A human without desire is no human at all! Without that desire, they could never achieve the impossible!" she outright pointed towards Ritsuka "That brat there? That's the true face of what humanity is all about! That potential could never be unlocked if he remained bound to duty as you claim him to be, sure he might be at peace, but what good is peace to a life so short?"
Stepping forwards, she pointed at him now "Do you want humanity to remain peaceful? Wahahahahahaha!" throwing back her head, she let out a long and confident laugh. "You have not even the faintest understanding of what you seek to save! Your actions work to doom humanity, not to save them! If you claim to save humanity, then first see if you can break through the limited potential of a single human boy first!"
He stared back at them for a moment, narrowing his eyes and sweeping them over the assembled faces, Servants from Chaldea and those from the Singularity. All united against him for such a simple purpose.
They would reject his help.
"...Very well." He remarked with finality, bringing Clarent up and gripping it with both hands. "Let us see if your potential really can best my duty, Ritsuka Fujimaru!"
Perhaps there might have been a moment in which this sight could have provided him with some meagre form of amusement, perhaps there could have been a moment where he would have become more involved compared with the response he had given.
That was the response that they were worth, only a handful of his treasures was necessary to answer for the slight of their existence. Their crimes against him, and they had paid with a great many of their lives - far more than they deserved - but it could be handed to the Gods of any world, when they sought to create their ultimate tool they did not do things by halves.
That swine Goddess could take pride in the fact that her twisted spawn had managed to become a monster on a scale that even he would admit the strength of. However, they were not using their full strength at the moment, they were barely even using a fraction of their power. Restoring their lives was nothing compared to what he knew they could do. There was still something deep within their own little store of trinkets that he would call…exceptional.
The only weapon that could be worthy of wielding against him, but so long as they clung to this pitiful little delusion of theirs, he was little more than a tool of the Gods still.
A tool of the Gods who accepted their faults but stuck to them, even as they despised their creator? What a pathetic sight they showcased.
…
Perhaps it was a testament that even the same conditions could not bring about another, it only showcased his own will and enduring perfection that he could not be recreated in such a way. After all, he would not stand for those who plagiarised his own existence, even if their crimes were done in ignorance or not.
He felt his lip curl downwards.
This sad sight no longer held any real interest, not even as entertainment.
Quite frankly, he would prefer that the mongrels just culled their numbers at this point and end this performance here and now, it had dragged on far too long and they only served to wound themselves with this. It would have taken himself and Enkidu a fraction of the time to put this mongrel Beast in his place than it had taken these Chaldeans to even wound them once!
Was this truly the best hope that Humanity had? These were the sort that would protect his garden in his absence?!
Shameful!
They deserved a thousand lashings for even bringing such wanton invaders into the Kings domain, especially of this type. There was only so much that stupidity could excuse - if at all - and the mongrel Master of theirs had committed a great many blunders in the moment he had met them. Blunders that his foolish younger self might have been willing to ignore, but he was in no mood to. Especially since the mongrel had allowed himself to be bound with a serpentine parasite and clearly remained unaware of its true nature.
What a tiresome affair this was…
…
"...I shall grant you a second to reveal yourself before I dice your body into a thousand ribbons." The threat hung in the air for the second he promised, he was barely an inch away from deploying his treasury on the eavesdropper before a single flutter of wings caught his ears. He did not deign to look at the latest intruder, especially since they had not adhered to his command. "I believe my words were clear. Yet you hide behind such a pitiful form?"
"Well, this form is as much my own as any other." The cold feminine voice replied, a touch of amusement in her words overshadowed something darker. He could feel it, a pressure that eclipsed the meagre chill of this foreign land.
Though such a pressure was nothing to him.
"And I had little interest in coming to this world in person, though it would seem things have become rather interesting since the arrival of the Chaldeans, haven't they?"
He did not laugh at such a foolish statement, it was barely passing of amusement. "If you believe this sad pantomime to be interesting, then your capacity for entertainment is sorely lacking." curling his lip up, he watched the display in front of him. "Though that is to be expected from one such as yourself. Not all have the appreciation of the true arts."
The amusement on his face died, replaced by the irritation he felt deep within. "The only plot that might have brought but a hint of mirth would be from the crossbred mongrel realising that her own ally was using her to further her own self-serving aims." he exhaled, the realisation she would have had when she understood that her efforts to bring about salvation were only dooming those brought into this world.
That sense of betrayal and heartbreak from such a grievous oversight that could only come from a babe unused to the cruelty of others. How sweet that expression on her could have been, it might have even made for a good laugh before the amusement faded. Though, he supposed there could be just as much amusement derived from the manipulator dying before their schemes could even come to fruition, especially considering she had met her end at the hands of the same figure twice over.
Evidently she had not learned the folly of repeating her foolery and was punished for it, that had made for a modicum of sport. Not nearly enough to grant an ounce of mercy to any involved in that sham. The destruction of one of his greater treasures - Ig-Aliama - was not something that could be repaid with a single death. Those who partook in it would have to endure a thousand before he could even consider a tenth of their debt paid.
Adding onto their crimes of dirtying his garden, their list of offences was growing longer and longer as time went on. It was very nearly impressive how swiftly a pack of Mongrels could go from being mere annoyances to criminals who deserved to die at the hands of a King.
The voice chuckled by his side "I cannot help but feel a touch pressured by this disappointment you feel. Especially considering that much of this was brought about by my own hand."
His arms remained folded over his chest, he did not show an ounce of emotion at the admission. But he supposed some acknowledgement could be spared for a Goddess who would so willingly admit her crimes against him, even if she did not have an ounce of regret in her words. Still, she had come before him for a clear reason and so long as they remained in this world, he had no reason to become truly involved. That was the one thing that spared that Goddess from suffering her rightful fate for this farce.
"Shame you should feel." He declared with a frown "You brought forth a great many pieces here that could have entertained me to a far greater extent than this pathetic display." waving a hand to the battle occurring below him, Gilgamesh kept his expression bereft of interest as his eyes lazily roamed over the participants. "If you are to stage an invasion into my garden with such connected characters, you should at least have the courtesy of ensuring they all fall in such a manner to leave me amused before I dispense justice on you."
"Fufufufu." A chuckle "Yet you offered me the chance to appear before you rather than simply killing me on the spot. Am I to assume that you still have some meagre hope that this shall become a performance worthy of even your attention, King of Heroes?"
"I do not recall inviting you to speak of my title."
"Ah, perhaps I overstepped? My apologies."
His finger twitched ever so slightly. He let out a slow breath "To have such nerve as to feign repentance…your mockery truly knows no bounds, crow." His eyes gradually turned to his right, staring at the bird that stood just a touch below his own stature, oily black feathers and an eye that absorbed the very colour of the world. A foul avatar for an even fouler Goddess, but it was one that was honest at least. "Though you speak truly, it should be obvious that I am granting you a single chance to ensure this display shall pull some amusement back from this otherwise pitiful sight."
Raising his left arm slightly from its folded position, he pointed a finger squarely towards the head of the large bird. "You can accept this as the King's command. All in this world exist to entertain me, if you cannot understand this simple fact then you have no place in it." lowering the arm, he glanced back towards the battle. "At the very least, you should understand an instruction as simple as that."
Eyes narrowed "Thus far you remain a chef who has been granted fine ingredients and spoiled each one, if you were of the profession I would demand your hands and your tongue, considering you clearly have little sense with either."
The laugh that echoed out from the crow was deeply amusing, but it came as little more than a whisper on the wind, so distant and yet so close. The avatar of this Goddess denoted her as the prickly sort but there was something that could inform him she would not waste such a second chance. Though it should have been expected, especially when he granted an order for amusement. Any outsider would have the sense to pay him the proper respect, especially after insulting him so many times.
"When faced with words such as those, I truly do feel a touch guilty that you were not properly entertained." The bird tilted its head to the side. "It is, after all, proper manners for a guest to show due respect to their host. Doubly so when they are of such high status."
"You speak words of common sense as if it was the greatest wisdom." He retorted with a grunt of annoyance. Speaking such things meant nothing if she had yet to put them into practice. Worse, if she was aware from the start and chose to ignore them. Which meant that she was either stupid or she was a fool. "Though, with your recent performance, I have little reason to doubt that the two are mutually exclusive for you."
The Goddess chortled "Now, now. There is no reason to be so quick to judge, King of Heroes. My true focus has been standing before you all along."
He knew what she was referring to, glancing at the undead of uncountable souls as they fought there with former allies. Their strength was certainly above reproach, a monster that he would have most likely journeyed to slay in his youth. But here and now? There was little reason to so much as lift a finger to slay them. He was not going to do the work of the Chaldeans, they should have the decency to clean up their own messes.
That said…
"You speak of that thing?" He raised his brow at the Goddess, feeling his shoulders tremble as the beginnings of a laugh built up in the back of his throat "Fuhahaha! Surely you do not mean to suggest that this performance between fools is somehow your grand scheme? If that is true, you are an even greater clown than I was led to believe. It is an achievement for me to overestimate your intelligence so greatly." The laughter continued for a moment before it died down, his expression turned cold. "For your own sake, I would warn you to choose your next words carefully."
The large crow tilted its head to the side "This? No, no. This is but a prelude to the main event. I shall let him have his little exercise. Have him face the strength of human determination for a while. He could do with…coming to terms with his abilities, I would say."
"So you claim there is more?" While still unimpressed, he was at least rewarded with the claim that the Goddess was not the complete oaf that he was led to believe. However, he had little reason to believe she would not spoil this finale either. If there was one thing worse than a boring performance, it was one that had the potential to be interesting only for its director to spoil the elements. "If this does not amuse me, then I shall see to it you are expunged from my garden so that not even a single shard of you remains."
"My, my…you Kings and your temperament."
Golden portals opened around him without even a moment of hesitation.
"I jest." The crow remarked quickly and with a dry note to her words, it was rather insulting that she did not truly understand the predicament she was truly in but that was neither here nor there for the time being. She would understand if she pushed her luck. "But If you would prefer I explain this goal to you-"
"Hmph." Cutting her off with a grunt, ensured that his stare was as disappointed as he felt. "It is a poor jester that explains their joke to the audience before they even speak it. Have you not even an ounce of confidence in your own skill that you will be unable to amuse me unless I search for the crumbs you scatter?" his eyes narrowed "Or do you mean to imply that I would not understand the depth of your feeble humour?"
The crow stared at him for a moment, then chuckled "Neither. I believe that you should at least be granted a prelude, just so you understand why remaining here for a moment longer might well be in your interest…"
He met her words with silence.
"You see how far he shall push it, how deeply his love is driving him…what face do you suppose he would make if the very backbone of this love were…ripped away?" She inquired, the hidden smile in her words turned to a sharp grin. He felt his brows furrow slightly at her, but said nothing yet. "He truly believes that his intentions are the best for humanity…but what if doubt was introduced to him? Tangible doubt he could see and…experience."
Slowly raising up the flat of his hand, he gazed at the messenger for a touch longer before he gave a bored sigh, dismissing the portals and returning his sight to the battle beneath him. "I shall hear no more. You have promised me amusement, foreign Goddess. I expect you to deliver, else I shall derive my own humour…at your expense."
"Fufufufu…I shall ensure not to disappoint your faith, King of Heroes." The crow took several steps backwards. "After all…to break a promise is quite the sin…and I do so abhor those."
She took off into the sky, vanishing into a puff of dark smoke. He watched her retreat with the same indifferent expression as he witnessed her arrival with. Her words held promise for amusement, but it would be a very different thing to deliver upon it. He expected a grand performance now, especially since she had so completely ruined the previous threads of this theatre. With such a diverse cast, he was inclined to believe that he would at least get some hint of amusement.
…Perhaps he should turn his attention to theatre?
…No, it was the work of a King to judge a performance, not create one. That role fell to those who had the duty of humouring one. A king watched the show from the stands, they did not prance around on the stage like a fool.
Another explosion attracted his eye, he raised a lone eyebrow. This was already a dull affair so it would not take much to liven it up.
AN: Aren't you all excited?
And yes.
Ash just wanted people to value themselves, to love themselves.
Because that was how duty was to him, it was what he wanted other people to live like. It's how Gwynevere raised him…poor bastard.
He might cloak it in duty and all that but he does just want people to value themselves.
The pursuit of duty is to pursue purpose. With duty, you can value yourself. Without it, you have nothing left inside.
It's why he looks down on all these vices.
Because they're inconsistent in his eyes. Drake's treasure hunting might provide fleeting happiness but it won't make her love herself.
At least, that's how he sees it.