Return to Null Chapter 17:
Grim Awakening
The Chaldean Command room went absolutely silent as they saw Ritsuka's battle with Zouken underway. Most of their mouths were agape in disbelief at the fact Ritsuka managed to hide that flamethrower from them, and the enemy until now. None were more surprised than Medusa, who turned to the most likely reason Ritsuka was even able to make one in the first place. "How in the world did you manage to help him make that thing work?"
"I simply gave him very detailed schematics." Davinci answered. "If he didn't understand something, he'd use the communicator's private channels to ask me for clarifications."
"It's not really that hard." Teach replied. "A five year old could do it."
"Have you ever worked with a five year old?" Andromeda asked. "Let me tell you, they'd not understand it…"
"Well it was certainly wise to make it." Medea said. "But what happens when he runs out of fuel?"
"Well, Kayneth did give him something before he left." Alexander replied. "Maybe that will be able to help when he loses the fuel?"
"Regardless, this fight is….odd to me." Perseus said.
"Odd? What do you mean?" Tatsuko asked.
"I don't know much about this Zouken guy aside from what Medusa has mentioned," Perseus answered. "But he seems…..off. When he was fighting Tohsaka and the others, he seemed in control. But now? Not so much."
"I noticed that too." Medusa said. "I'm starting to think that Ritsuka might have a shot, or just made things worse for himself….."
"As long as Ritsuka keeps his composure like I told him, then it's in his favor." Artoria replied.
"I agree with her." Kojiro said. "If he didn't act as fast as he did, he'd have already been killed."
"It's honestly strange seeing Ritsuka like this." Tatsuko muttered. "He's usually very mellow and kind, so seeing him this cold and malicious is…"
"Well this bastard deserves it anyway." Perseus replied.
"Wait, I thought you hated the idea of Ritsuka fighting this guy one on one?" Alexander asked.
"I do, but that doesn't change the fact that Zouken deserves what's coming to him." Perseus answered calmly.
"That is IF Ritsuka manages to succeed." Medusa countered.
"Medusa, what's done is done." Teach said. "All we can do now is give the kid the support he needs."
"I hope you're right…"
(Meanwhile)
Ritsuka stared at Zouken as the elderly magus looked at the wrist mounted flamethrowers. The Chaldean Master felt the annoyance build up within him as he aimed his right hand at the decrepit old man. Ritsuka activated the flamethrower on his right wrist, sending a torrent of flames at his opponent while his guard was down. Zouken snapped out of his stupor quick enough to turn into a swarm of insects, but as he flew away, several of his bugs were incinerated in the process. The elder mage tried to attack from behind, successfully knocking the boy down with one blow. Zouken then used some of his beetles to latch onto the boy's clothing, and roughly dragged him across the earth, cutting into the boy's skin as best he could. Ritsuka did not scream or show any terror, however, and proceeded to use his flamethrowers to burn the beetles as quickly as possible. Zouken retreated as Ritsuka laid on the ground, the elderly mage smirking in satisfaction, that ought to put some fear into him now.
Unfortunately for him, Ritsuka did not hesitate to get up, his face still showing the same cold expression as it did earlier. His eyes still showed defiance towards Zouken, and the Chaldean Master did nothing to wipe the blood from his face. "You're gonna have to do much better than that, ya old lech."
"I must say, I'm impressed that you can still be so cheeky, little larva." Zouken said calmly.
"I'm full of surprises." Ritsuka replied. The Chaldean Master fired another stream of fire at Zouken. The elderly magus tried to get away, but the flames did not hit him directly, but hit his legs. Zouken tried to get away but his attempts failed as Ritsuka clapped his hands together and shot out a wave of cold mist that came straight for him. An incredible chill filled the area as the mist hit him, making Zouken grunt slightly.
"Why would you use ice now when you already burned me?" Zouken asked mockingly.
"You're a smart little worm, how about ya figure it out for yourself?"
The elder mage narrowed his eyes in confusion. He had to use his knowledge of alchemy to figure out what this boy was intending. Water has a high heat capacity, so if it took away a lot of the heat away to cool something down…..
Zouken's eyes widened as he felt his legs stiffen into place, unable to even move. He looked down and saw they were completely petrified from the intense change in temperatures. Zouken could only look to see the smirk on Ritsuka's face when he felt the first cracks begin to form in his prison.
SHATTER!
The moment his legs shattered, Zouken took the opportunity to return into his swarm and attacked Ritsuka directly. The Chaldean Master predicted where Zouken would attack, and threw a pipe bomb at the swarm. Zouken sent out several bladed insects at the boy the moment the bomb hit him directly. The bugs managed to draw medium cuts into Ritsuka's flesh. Zouken retreated a bit in triumph, but he could not help but note that something about the boy's bomb felt off. Its heat when ignited was incredibly intense, more so than the flamethrowers. As he continued those thoughts, he heard a hissing right at his feet. He looked down and saw another bomb below, Zouken immediately escaped via a swarm of bugs, saving himself from the bomb, but the moment it exploded, Zouken reformed closer to Ritsuka, and realized just what it was.
"Did ya like my present?" Ritsuka asked mockingly, having destroyed the bladed bugs that attacked him with ice spells.
"Just how much thermite did you make?" Zouken asked. "On second thought, I don't care."
Ritsuka tried to attack, but Zouken lunged at him before he could raise his hands. Zouken had already regained several caches of his insects on his person, so he had more than enough for a swarm of them to form into hands, and grabbed the Chaldean Master. They swung him around brutally, while some tried to bite at his flesh. However Ritsuka grinned and used his flamethrowers to burn the bugs from the inside. The moment he hit the ground, he was set upon by several swarms of bugs, with Zouken using his cane to hit Ritsuka multiple times. Ritsuka was dazed from the onslaught, being cut and battered by bug and Zouken alike, but he did not fall to his knees. Instead, he clapped his hands together when he had a moment, and shot out another icy mist to get some distance. The elder mage sighed in amusement and decided to disperse the mist, clicking his tongue with a grin. Before he could attack Ritsuka, the Chaldean Master grabbed another bomb from his belt, and much to Zouken's confusion, threw it on the ground close to them. A bright light caught Zouken unawares, not taking into account Ritsuka would have flash grenades as well. Ritsuka took the opportunity given to summon all the spilled water from the earlier clashes, and shot them right at Zouken. As soon as it made contact, Ritsuka began to freeze it, hoping to keep him in place. He knew it wouldn't last for long, but it gave him a moment to catch his breath and to buy time.
"Well, for such an unimpressive magus you are quite creative with your gifts." Zouken said from within the ice.
"It ain't a gift." Ritsuka replied. "Magecraft is merely a tool, nothin' more."
"No need to try and be humble, boy." Zouken countered. "You must know that is how most of us see magecraft regardless."
"Oh of course most mages treat their given birth rights as mere tools instead of somethin they inherited over generations from their great grandpa who just so happened to be born with said gift." Ritsuka snarked. "Look, we both know that it's all bullshit anyway. Most mages who say that are just tryin to humble brag and act as if they've got some moral high ground over one another."
"And you don't?" Zouken asked. "You said so yourself that you see it as a tool. How hypocritical of you…."
"That's because I do see it as a mere tool, unlike the rest of ya." Ritsuka countered.
"Then why bother training in Magecraft at all?"
"It was to get closer to my mentor." Ritsuka answered. "She was the one who wanted to teach me, so I studied to not let her down. But lookin' back on it, I realize now why she wanted to teach me. It was so that if we ever had to encounter the Clock Tower or people like ya, I'd be able to defend myself."
"Well, it'll be a shame for all her lessons to have gone to waste after I kill you." With an evil smirk, Zouken melted the ice around him, freeing himself from the prison. With a flick of his wrists, he froze the water into several blades, and shot them at the Chaldean Master. Ritsuka simply dodged the first two before melting the others into small puddles. The Chaldean Master then clapped his hands together and formed a wall of ice using the water below to shield him from an incoming swarm of insects. The Chaldean Master felt the impact from the swarm, but stood his ground and immediately thought of possible ways to get out of this predicament. Zouken was toying with him, that much had been clear from the beginning, but Ritsuka only had to find a way to turn that to his advantage. It was obvious that he was waiting for something, but whether it was to tire him out, or for Berserker to claim a victim, he could not say for sure. The only thing Ritsuka knew for certain was to wear Zouken down. With a clap of his hands, Ritsuka touched the ice wall, melting some of it, and blasted some of the water like a hose, hitting the insects in the front and drowning them.
However that victory was short lived as Ritsuka felt a jolt of intense pain from the back of his shoulder. After turning to see what it was, he saw that Zouken had gotten behind him, and used some of the same bugs that buried themselves in the older Waver and Tokiomi earlier. He felt them enter into the bone of his shoulder, and saw Zouken smirking. Ritsuka had one thought to try and mitigate the damage, and brought out one of the mana prisms before shattering it within his palm. White hot pain coursed through him, making him grit his teeth and hiss. This was much more intense than the first time he used it against Gilgamesh, but he had to just bear it. If his already high body heat wouldn't be enough to burn the insects inside him, then adding more gas to the fire should do the trick. As luck would have it, the mana prism gave Ritsuka just what he needed to stop the insects from digging further, and as if on cue, the bugs were pushed out of his shoulder, all burned to a crisp. Ritsuka panted heavily, his body wobbly from the pain and the sudden blood loss, before trying to apply a healing spell to his shoulder to at least stop the latter problem.
That gave Zouken enough time to use his beetles to pin Ritsuka to the wall of ice behind them. Ritsuka could swear in his mind that he felt the ice starting to melt behind him, but he couldn't be sure. He couldn't really think that well right now with his head starting to get light.
"Don't go passing on me now, little larva." Zouken said. "It's bad manners to disrespect your elders like that."
"Elder? A soulless little worm like ya?" Ritsuka asked with labored breaths. "Ya haven't done anythin' to deserve even a lick of respect from anyone!"
"Oh how foolish you are." Zouken said. "I guess that means you won't be having your comrades respect you anymore…I mean look at the battle now."
Ritsuka looked at where Zouken pointed with his cane, and saw that Berserker had kept on the offensive. Some of the fighters such as Emiya and Kiritsugu were down on the ground, unable to get up now, while the others were struggling to mount a proper defense. Only Mashu and Cú seemed to be in any fighting shape, but that could quickly change…..
Zouken took the opportunity to grab Ritsuka roughly by his hair, pulling on him to make sure he had a good grip on him. "Someone will die here, and it'll be all your fault."
As if to prove his Master's point, Berserker brutally attacked Saber first, her being the most exhausted of the remaining fighters. However, that meant very little in the grand scheme of things, as she maintained a near perfect defense against his ferocious offense. Berserker's swordplay was as flawless as ever, as expected of her finest knight. She could only wish that he had met his end against Archer back at the Manor, at least then he would have died a hero's death….
In that instant, she saw an opening in his guard. As he raised his blade, he left his right arm exposed for a moment that could be exploited. With a quick movement of her hand, she grabbed his arm, and twisted him around before kicking him in the back, sending him straight towards Mashu, who gripped the bottom of her shield with both hands and smacked Berserker across the face. As soon as he fell to the ground, Cú and Diarmuid immediately seized him, pinning him to the ground, but Berserker would not be held for long as he broke one hand free from their grasp, and punched Diarmuid in the face, grabbing his face and threw him off him before slamming Cú to the ground, using his body as a springboard to launch himself at Saber. Mashu leapt to her defense, but Berserker grabbed her arm and tossed her to the side, with the Shielder using her weapon to cushion her fall. As Berserker swung his blade at Saber, the blonde woman dodged his strike, and used her blade to pierce his side. However, much to her horror, that was a mistake she would pay for.
Berserker grabbed her blade and pushed it further into his body, having planned the injury in order to get close. The armored Servant punched Saber in the face, using his other hand to keep her hands on her blade to prevent her from breaking free. Saber felt her vision doubling from the impact of his fist, but before she could regain her bearings, another punch connected, then another, and another until she could feel the blood trickle down into her eyes. Her breath hitched as Berserker grabbed her by the hair with his free hand, and head butted her savagely and repeatedly. Every blow from his attacks made her dizzy, her vision fading as she felt herself starting to lose consciousness. However, in the nick of time, Berserker somehow released his tight grip on Saber, and was pulled back away, allowing for her body to fall. Berserker roared in anger as Cú revealed himself to be the culprit of this change, having used his runes to separate Berserker from his target. Irisviel mustered her strength to heal her Servant once more as Mashu and Diarmuid worked alongside Cú to try and keep Berserker pinned. As she laid her hands on Saber, a roar could be heard from behind her. She looked and saw that Berserker immediately broke free, throwing Cú and Diarmuid at Irisviel. The white haired woman did not have time to get away, her weakened body couldn't move fast enough as both Servants slammed into her, knocking the wind out of her. As she coughed and gasped for air, she saw Mashu tossed to the ground as Berserker leapt right for her, grabbing her by the arm, and throttling her as he lifted her up. Irisviel shivered as she felt the pain shoot through her body as his iron grip tightened around her arm. Ritsuka's eyes widened in horror, and tried to break free of his restraints, despite knowing it's futility.
"Berserker, I know you are frustrated." Zouken said. "But I need her alive."
Ritsuka stopped for a moment as he processed Zouken's words. He knew that he'd need more than three souls to complete the Grail, meaning Irisviel was never in any danger of being killed by Berserker.
"But injuring her shouldn't be too much of a problem. A missing limb or two shouldn't hurt."
A chill ran through the spines of everyone present. Mashu scrambled alongside Cú and Diarmuid to try and save Irisviel, but Berserker already raised his blade to hack away a limb. That is until the most unlikely savior came to her defense.
Kiritsugu, using some of his remaining strength, wrapped his arms around Berserker's body, trying to pull them apart. Unfortunately, he wasn't in any condition to succeed, and Berserker used Irisviel's body as a blunt weapon, slamming both of them into each other, and knocking Kiritsugu off him. The Counter Guardian groaned as he rolled onto his back, trying to get up, but the tip of Berserker's sword prevented such a notion. The maddened knight's glowing visor stared at the white haired man, but Kiritsugu did not flinch. Instead, he glared right back at Berserker, aiming his pistol at him, intending to take a shot. If he was to die, he would die giving as good as he could give.
"Oho? Going to kill him first?" Zouken asked. "Perhaps his soul would count for this war as well."
As Berserker raised his blade, Ritsuka smirked, causing Zouken to stare at him in confusion. Ritsuka saw this and chuckled. "I can't believe it. Ya actually bought my little captive act? For a second I thought ya caught on."
Zouken stared at the boy in bewilderment for a moment before turning back to look at Berserker. Was there some sort of surprise by these run down Servants that they hid from him? Did they manage to figure out how to defeat Berserker on their own? As soon as the armored knight swung his blade, Zouken couldn't help but think that there wasn't really anything that could prevent his success.
CLANG!
Berserker felt his blade stop mid swing, as if something blocked his attack. Ritsuka saw the Chaldean's and Zouken widening their eyes in shock as they saw the failed attack, and the lone figure who used their body to push Berserker back.
Standing in between Kiritsugu and Berserker was none other than Assassin.
Zouken's mouth was agape as the hooded woman threw several daggers at Berserker, being mindful of Irisviel in his arms. Berserker soon felt a bolt of magic energy hit him from behind, forcing him to let go of Irisviel. As soon as he turned around he found himself facing the elder Waver, having recovered enough from his injuries to take the field once more.
"What?! This is impossible!" Zouken shouted. "The Caster I can understand, but how is Assassin still alive?! I killed Tohsaka!"
"Oh ya did." Ritsuka answered. "But there was one person ya overlooked. Someone who is now the most important player on the board!"
Zouken stared at the boy for the longest time, trying to figure out who he could have missed. Irisviel was down there in poor health, Tohsaka was dead, and the boy had been subdued. Archer seemed to be satisfied with watching, and all the other Servants were fighting Berserker, and there was only….
Zouken's eyes widened in realization. How could he have forgotten?! There was one other person here! As if on cue, the person in question rushed towards Irisviel, gently helping her up and applying a healing spell. Irisviel felt her body improve, if only a little bit. Her face could not contain her surprise as she finally looked at her mysterious savior.
"You're….Rider's Master…"
The young Waver smiled and nodded. "I know what your plans are now thanks to my older self here."
Zouken stood there stupefied as he watched the young man finished healing Irisviel as best he could. As he looked at him, he then noticed his hand, and three red symbols upon it. Zouken gripped his cane tighter as he felt a rush of anger flow through him. The boy had managed to save Assassin by making a contract with her. Now he was her Master!
The younger Waver turned to look at Zouken and Ritsuka, and nodded. "Mr. Fujimaru, I'll hold the fort down here, so now you can focus on Berserker's Master completely!"
Ritsuka nodded back and focused his attention towards the rest of his team. "Okay everyone, I'm leaving Waver in charge of taking out Berserker, so listen to him and follow his orders like you would for me. In the meantime, I'll fight the bug man here and try to beat it!"
Without skipping a beat, Ritsuka ignited his wrist mounted flamethrowers to incinerate the bugs keeping him pinned. As the Chaldean Master panted to catch his breath, he saw Zouken scowling at him once more. Through sheer effort to not fall to his knees from the burning pain he was in, the black haired teen grinned at the elderly mage, his eyes staring right into it. "Ya know, ya almost had us there when ya killed Tohsaka. If Waver weren't here, then we would've been in trouble."
"How long were you two working together?!" Zouken asked.
"Oh about a few seconds after ya killed Tohsaka." Ritsuka answered.
"To think that I could have overlooked his presence." Zouken muttered.
"That's what happens when ya get too drunk on your own ego. Ya get really arrogant."
Ritsuka felt his head ring and beat like a thousand drums as Zouken swung his cane right at his temple. The young man did not have time to react to the attack, and nearly stumbled over from the blow, but managed to correct himself at the last second. "What's wrong? Gettin' pissy because someone outsmarted your cheatin' hide?"
With a flick of his wrists, Zouken used the wall of ice to conjure several spikes, launching them at a dazed Ritsuka who didn't have time to dodge them. The Chaldean Master hissed in pain as the shards stabbed him in the arms. Before Ritsuka could try to start his counter attack, Zouken was upon him in an instant, bashing the boy's face with his cane and throwing him to the ground, stomping on one of the shards piercing his arm. "I refuse to hear any back-talk from an interloper such as yourself. You cannot fathom the amount of hard work and planning I put into Heaven's Feel."
Ritsuka struggled to move his right arm, but managed to aim his flamethrower right at Zouken. "Ask someone who gives a damn."
Zouken immediately vanished into a swarm of bugs, missing the blast entirely, but in the process, allowed Ritsuka time to take out the spikes slowly, albeit painfully as he grimaced. As soon as they were all out, Ritsuka applied several healing spells to heal his wounds, the burning sensation continuing to rage within him.
"Well well, whatever object you are using to enhance your abilities is taking its toll on your body." Zouken said, starting to calm himself to gain control of the battle once more. "You and I, we're not so different after all."
"We're nothin' alike." Ritsuka snarled.
"Oh but we are." Zouken said with a smirk. "We are both men who are fighting for our ideals, wanting to pave the way to a better future for mankind."
"Fightin' for ideals…." Ritsuka's eyes widened as he felt his blood run hot. The boy clenched his fists and breathed heavily as his body shook. "Ya think I would fight for such garbage?"
"Oh little larva, fighting for ideals is basically how we thrive." Zouken replied. "It is what drives us to-"
"What a load of horse shit." Ritsuka said. "Fightin' for ideals is nothin' more than tryin' to prove yourself right and everyone else as wrong. It makes people go to unnecessary and extreme lengths just to give it any credit!"
"How naive." Zouken said in disappointment. "Sacrifices should always be made to achieve one's ideals. It's the purest form of determination to our goals."
"You're so full of it….That's nothin' but poppycock."
Zouken raised an eyebrow. "If you're going to act like this, then why are you fighting me?"
Ritsuka stared at him silently for a few moments, his body stopped trembling from the pain, having been replaced with another feeling. The boy smiled, and began to chuckle, which soon turned into laughter that rang out through the battlefield. Gilgamesh couldn't help but chuckle as he heard that sound ring in his ears. The rest of Ritsuka's allies, however, couldn't fathom what was being done. Cú and a now healed Emiya could only feel annoyance at the laughter, while the others had difficulty believing it was him until they turned to look at him. The moment it was confirmed, their jaws were agape.
His laugh sounded exactly like the one of Gilgamesh.
"Oh this is just perfect!" Ritsuka said as he calmed himself. "Ya really don't know do ya? I'm fightin' ya on behalf of a man who gave me some sage advice."
"And what sage advice would that be?" Zouken asked.
"To not hide where I'm from." Ritsuka said. "Otherwise I'd be insultin' the girls who helped raise me, and denyin' their role in my life."
"I see…" Zouken muttered. "And who is this…..wise sage, may I ask?"
"That's the best part." Ritsuka said, his smile turning icy and harsh. "It was your son!"
Zouken clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Of course it had to be that embarrassment."
"You're the embarrassment, ya soulless little worm." Ritsuka countered.
Zouken immediately went on the offensive, conjuring a swarm of bladed beetles to flay the boy alive. Ritsuka anticipated this, however, and with as much strength as he could muster, used fire and ice to subdue all the beetles without getting hit. Ritsuka retaliated by flinging several ice spikes at Zouken, but the elderly magus redirected their path right back at Ritsuka, who had to dodge at the last second. Zouken immediately took the opportunity to try and perform another sneak attack on the Chaldean Master. A larger bladed insect burst forth, cutting into Ritsuka's back, but the Chaldean Master did not even flinch. Instead, he grabbed the bug, ripped its arms off and attempted to pierce Zouken's chest. The elderly magus vanished before the attacks could land, and reformed a few feet behind Ritsuka. Zouken did not expect Ritsuka to have adapted that quickly, and for him to try and attack him with one of his own creations was a little too close for comfort. This boy's drive has now started to annoy him, and the fact that he refuses to slow down is now becoming a problem.
"I told ya already, I ain't gonna break." Ritsuka said.
"You're quite the talker, aren't you?" Zouken replied.
Ritsuka used the opening given to him to launch a stream of liquid at the elderly mage. Zouken responded by conjuring a barrier, allowing the attack to bounce off. Zouken decided to start getting serious, and with a quick incantation and tap of his cane, erected a barrier around Ritsuka, completely sealing him in place. Ritsuka tried to break through, but found his body aside from his head was frozen in place.
"Do not even bother trying to break free." Zouken said. "As you can already tell, I used this barrier to paralyze everything but your head. That way I can hear you scream when the time comes."
"Ya must be really desperate for that since ya had to resort to usin' a spell." Ritsuka replied.
"Don't flatter yourself, little larva." Zouken said. "Your futile attempts to defeat me were entertaining for a while, but now I have gotten bored, and wish for some new amusement."
Ritsuka said nothing to Zouken's taunt. The elderly magus grew curious, and looked a little harder, and saw that Ritsuka's eyes still showed defiance. Well, at least that still amused him to some extent…The decrepit elder then turned his attention towards the battle against Berserker, and raised an eyebrow as he saw the clash continue. Berserker was holding his own against everyone admirably, keeping them on their toes and still managing to prevent them from getting a victory. However, with the aid of the two Wavers and Assassin, the battle had turned in their favor, and Berserker was on the defensive. He looked and saw Irisviel, having healed Emiya, Kiritsugu and Saber after the three interlopers came, breathing heavily and laying her back upon a rock for support. Her health was deteriorating quickly, making her vulnerable. It would be best if he captured her, and brought him back over here. Yes…..that way Ritsuka could see her final moments, and finally fall to despair when he sees it. Ritsuka took note of his stare, and suspected his plan. "Ya know, Mashu kept her end of the bargain. She told me the message ya gave, so how do ya intend to keep your end?"
Zouken chuckled. "She told you, did she? Well, isn't she earnest and thoughtful? It's a shame really, that I may have neglected to tell her that my part of the deal…..conflicts with my interests…..so I will have to put that on the back burner."
Ritsuka's eyes furrowed, his gaze sharpening towards Zouken as if he was trying to cut him with his stare alone. Zouken, on the other hand, simply laughed at the boy. "Oh come now, I told her I might be able to help, but I never said I would! It was her fault for believing otherwise."
"Of course you'd weasel your way outta the deal." Ritsuka said. "Only someone that ain't got a soul would plan such a thing."
"You don't know the meaning of such a thing, boy." Zouken replied.
Ritsuka couldn't help but laugh. "You're full of hot air, ya know that? Ya think I wouldn't do my homework?"
"What are you talking about?"
Ritsuka widened his eyes in realization. "Ya didn't even know did ya?"
Zouken stared at the boy in confusion. "Know what?!"
Ritsuka laughed a little more, causing the elderly mage to scowl. "Who do ya think burned your workshop down? Who do ya think rescued Sakura from your filthy hands?"
Zouken felt time stop for a few short moments as he saw that boy's smirk grow. His entire body felt cold as ice as he stared into the boy's eyes, and saw the sheer venom and hatred he had for him. However, Zouken didn't want to believe it, he couldn't fathom that a mediocre mage such as this boy could do any of that…
"It was me! I did all that." Ritsuka answered. The black haired teen saw Zouken's face shift from disbelief to sheer venom. His eyes scowled right at him in anger. Ritsuka knew that he was on the right track, but that wasn't enough, he had to bite harder. "And the best part? I know your dirty little secret."
In an instant, all the anger and venom within Zouken's face disappeared. Instead, all Ritsuka could see was the look of disbelief, denial, but also realization. Zouken thought about all that Ritsuka had done, and a chill shot through him. It was all deliberate! The boy planned all of this out just to weaken him and fight him. Zouken's face twisted into an expression that he never felt before, helplessness, uncertainty, and concern.
For the first time in what felt like centuries, Zouken was afraid.
"Ya know, I really like that look on your face." Ritsuka taunted. "And when I get outta this, I'll make sure to make ya pay for everythin' ya did."
Zouken gritted his teeth, gnashing them in frustration. He couldn't believe the humiliation that bubbled within him. This brat managed to get under his skin, and managed to plan all of this out. There was no telling what he would do if he continued to keep such spirit. He had to do something now, otherwise he will lose the Holy Grail War. He then glanced at Berserker, and saw him fighting Mashu alone tooth and nail to try and get through her defenses. However, Assassin and Kiritsugu backed her up with the former kicking Berserker in the head while Kiritsugu pierced his armor with his knife before leaping away. Diarmuid lunged at him, but Berserker swatted him away without flinching before grabbing Cú and throwing him into the older Waver. A light of inspiration hit Zouken as he saw his Servant hold off so many of them at once, and while theoretically he could take them all on, they had to work quickly now, or else things could get worse. The elderly mage raised his hand, and activated his first Command Seal to power Berserker up. The armored knight did not need any orders, and immediately resumed his offensive, launching himself at Saber once more. Cú and Emiya got in between them, using their combined strength to push Berserker back. Saber used the opportunity to leap onto Cú's shoulders, launching herself at Berserker from above. With one swing of her blade, Berserker's helm was cut, his face now bleeding from the attack. He tried to swing at Saber, but Mashu bashed her shield into him, knocking him down.
"It would seem our teamwork is more than enough to counter Berserker even with the fact he's been enhanced with a Command Seal." Young Waver said as he applied an evasion spell to Kiritsugu and Saber.
"I still think its a mistake for Ritsuka to fight him alone." The older Waver said. "But whatever is happening over there, he's made Zouken desperate and scrambling for a solution."
As that was happening, Berserker got up and in a mad dash towards Saber, he knocked over Assassin and Diarmuid. Cú conjured flaming runes to blast at Berserker, but the armored Servant did not stop in his relentless pursuit of his former king. He punched Cú in the face, but before Cú fell to the ground, Mashu launched herself at Berserker, slamming her shield into his side. Cú then applied some strength enhancing runes to the Shielder, allowing her to persistently push the armored Servant back, however, Berserker grabbed her wrist, and flipped her onto the ground. Mashu grunted in discomfort before finding Berserker's blade unintentionally at her throat.
"Hold a moment, Berserker!" Zouken shouted, his sinister smile forming. "Leave that girl and Ms. Einzbern alive! The latter is needed to complete the ritual. As for the former…..well, I did promise that me and my bugs would partake in her body, and I'd rather she be alive to see it."
Mashu's eyes widened in shock and disgust. She stared up at Berserker, her eyes filled with fear, as if pleading for Berserker to not follow through…. Berserker stared at her for a few moments, before turning his attention to Zouken, then back to the Shielder, repeating the process several times, his body starting to shake a bit. Everyone stopped in their tracks, their own shock preventing them from taking the openings given to them. Saber could only look on in absolute uncertainty, she didn't know what Berserker would choose, but if he did as Zouken ordered… Berserker huffed and puffed as his body shook, something Mashu noticed. Something was off about him, as if he was even angrier at the order given to him. Within a moment, Berserker reared his head back and unleashed a mighty bellow.
"NOOOOOOO!"
Before anyone could blink, Berserker let go of Mashu and threw his blade straight at Zouken. The attack caught everyone by surprise, especially the elderly magus. Zouken had only enough time to dissipate into a swarm of bugs to retreat for a moment, with the blade landing and piercing the seal holding Ritsuka, shattering the prison completely. The moment Ritsuka had the opportunity, he established a telepathic link with Mashu.
"Are you okay?!"
"I….I am fine, Senpai. I was just having some unpleasant memories of my conversation with that thing a few days ago. I was scared for a moment…"
"Don't worry, I'll take care of that creature soon enough."
"I see…..be careful then, Senpai. I noticed you were getting badly hurt earlier…."
"Not going to lie, I got really careless a couple of times. I should have been smarter than that, but there's nothing I can do about that now. In the meantime check on Ms. Einzbern to see if she's okay."
"Understood!"
After severing the link, Ritsuka was about to resume his attack on Zouken, but saw that Berserker had leapt towards the elderly mage, having summoned his blade back into his hands. The armored Servant and his Master stared at each other, both of them permeating rage and hatred for one another before Berserker swung his blade at Zouken. The elderly mage then sported a grin, and a new idea sprang into mind. Before the blade could land, Zouken raised his hand, activating a Command Seal.
"By my Command Spell, Berserker…kill yourself!"
Ritsuka gasped as he saw Berserker stop midswing, his body trembling from the order. The armored Servant huffed and puffed as he slowly turned his blade towards his chest. With trembling hands, it was clear Berserker was trying to fight the order, but his body moved on its own.
SCHLICK!
Berserker grunted as his sword pierced his chest, right into his Spirit Core. Zouken chuckled fiendishly as he watched Berserker fall to his knees, and fell to the ground with a loud thud as he finally dissipated into dust. Ritsuka heard Irisviel's blood curdling scream from behind, and he rushed to the closest place he could see her, and when he did, his eyes widened. Irisviel was surrounded by several members of their team, clutching her sides in pain as she trembled on the ground. Further beyond, Gilgamesh continued to watch everything, his head resting on one of his hands with a look of amusement on his face, it would seem Berserker wasn't as mindless as he thought.
Ritsuka, on the other hand, clenched his fists and lunged to attack Zouken with flame and ice together. Zouken laughed as he dissipated into a swarm of insects, and retreated from the Chaldean Master. Ritsuka clicked his tongue and rushed after the swarm, but he couldn't catch up in time as it sped faster and faster away from him. The rest of the team immediately saw the swarm coming, and readied themselves, knowing what he came for. The moment Zouken materialized next to Irisviel, Mashu immediately raised her shield to attack. The elderly mage chuckled in amusement, still looking forward to his plans for her. But now was not the time for that, and with a tap of his cane, he erected a powerful barrier to keep them from stopping him.
"Now now, young lady. Do not fret." Zouken said calmly. "I've come to save Lady Einzbern, just as you wished."
"Don't….make me laugh…." Irisviel said through labored breaths. "We all know you lie through your teeth."
"That is where you are wrong." Zouken said. "I do know a way to spare your life…."
As soon as Ritsuka was within sight, the Chaldean Master stopped as he saw Zouken grin. The decrepit old man tapped his cane on the ground twice. "I am sure you all know that it was stated five Servants were needed to activate the Holy Grail, yes? Well, while technically true, it's also a bit of a slight half truth. In reality, I only need four Servants to activate it!"
Zouken slowly turned to Irisviel, looming over her like a great shadow. "And with Berserker dead, you now have four souls in you. I do not need the lesser Grail anymore, now that I have the Greater Grail in my sights!"
Irisviel's eyes widened as several bugs with needle-like protrusions flew right at her, inserting the needles into her torso. The pain only lasted for a moment, but Irisviel did not scream, instead she merely felt her breath hitch as she felt herself being drained of all the souls within her. The moment they were finished, they released Irisviel, who went limp, forcing Ritsuka to rush to her side. While he tried to help her, the bugs returned to Zouken, who laughed maniacally. "Finally, after all this time, Heaven's Feel shall finally come to fruition!"
With his hands raised, the souls within the bugs released themselves from the insects, and rushed towards the grail. Everyone felt the ground shake, and Roman activated the communicator alongside Perseus.
"Guys, we're getting another reading coming from the Holy Grail!" Roman shouted. The quakes grew more intense as a surge of power emanated from the Grail itself, nearly knocking everyone over before they dug in their heels to keep from falling over. As Ritsuka checked Irisviel's pulse, the tremors stopped, and in its place, the Grail bubbled and boiled until a small drop of mud dripped from its rim, falling to the ground in front of the team. The mud simmered and spread about for a few moments, but soon started to rise up to take shape, smoothly and calmly like water from a stream. As soon as it was done, everyone but Zouken stared at the figure before them in shock and disbelief. The thing before them looked exactly like Irisviel, but with paler skin and golden, crazed eyes. She wore a dark black dress that showed off her midriff and the underside of her breasts, and a large black crown like hat at the top. The woman grinned as she sniffed the air and took a deep sigh.
"Free at last." She said. "Activated prematurely, but free nonetheless."
"Yes, yes you are Justeaze." Zouken said.
"Wait…who did ya say this was?" Ritsuka muttered.
Zouken turned to the boy and continued to grin. "Oh where are my manners? I forgot that you seemed to be in the company of an inferior copy instead of the genuine article."
Ritsuka scowled at the comment as Zouken pointed his cane at the newcomer, both of the evil beings were beaming with sinister eyes.
"Allow me to introduce you to Justeaze Lizrich von Einzbern. The woman all Einzbern homunculi are based off of, and the vessel of the Greater Grail!"
(OC and Yatsu see the pitchforks and torches being carried around and even giving some to angry villagers as they complain about the controversies….)
OC: Okay, so my comment about FGO's 9th Anniversary did not age well at all. Sometimes I wonder if I'm cursed, or I just have bad luck.
Y: I don't know if I have good or bad luck. I got two copies of C.I.E.L in my first 10-pull…but it took 100 pulls to get the unit I ACTUALLY wanted. Desire sensor is real…
OC: Don't get us started on that Servant Coin stuff. Whoever thought of the initial implementation for the Anniversary really messed up, and I am not going to sit here and defend their actions. That was just greedy and exploitative! And I'm on the NA server, for crying out loud!
Y: It was pretty bullshit. It says a lot that even the normally loyal JP fanbase went ballistic over it. Some also suspect it might've been illegal, what with the Grail casting screen and whatnot, and the lawyers advised the suits that they might get hit with a lawsuit unless they did something about it. It's good to push back, but it shouldn't have taken THAT to get the fanbase to unite against Aniplex greed.
OC: Well we at least got Summer Eresh out of this mess…..so at least another meme bites the dust!
Y: I suspect she was partnered with this update to make sure the fanbase didn't collectively firestorm Lasagna or Type Moon's offices. Though yes, Summer Eresh (even if they don't call her that…) is very adorable.
OC: Indeed she is. Sorry, everyone but we just had to get this off our chests, and there will be some….more ranting or criticisms later in this iteration. This author's notes section won't be as light-hearted as the previous ones due to all the…unfortunate things that have happened this month, and we will address one of them at the end. For now though, we should explain some of the things that happened in the chapter, and a bit of a reveal as to why we do this now…..
To begin, we started off with the Command Room in Chaldea because we felt we needed to show their reactions to the fight between Zouken and Ritsuka, and it's clear that its pretty divided with some being okay with it, while others are against it, while others are more on the fence. I'm not gonna lie, I don't see any of these three sides being in the wrong here, because facing Zouken is necessary, but also not easy in the slightest.
Y: Yep yep. Zouken is supposed to be a very dangerous threat in his prime; Nasu puts him as Servant-capable, with some luck. Granted, shriveled prune Zouken is vastly weaker, but still an uphill battle for Ritsuka at this point. Don't think a victory, straight forward wise, would be possible unless Zouken was dicking around and got caught off guard. Well, that is one of his consistent weaknesses in the VN as well; Cursed Arm warned him how dangerous it was to mess with Dark Sakura, but he ignored him…and yep, she squished him.
OC: And while last chapter, Ritsuka managed to hold his own here, this chapter he was getting his ass kicked, however he still gave as good as he could give, and even had Zouken scrambling a bit. And I'm going to admit, having Ritsuka be so venomous and spiteful to such a sack of shit as Zouken not only feels cathartic, it feels more realistic than what Nasu said about "Ritsuka feeling hatred is inconceivable." Sorry guys, but that line had disgusted me so much I had to show my disapproval for it here. And I know a lot of people on the Subreddit agreed with my assessment of how it made the characters feel less human because of that lack of hatred.
Y: It also makes it very difficult to take the drama seriously. We're supposed to care for the Chaldea crew, friends, Servants, etc. the same as Ritsuka does; the story introduces vile antagonists that screw over the ones we care about; they're stopped and then…that's it? I mentioned it was a lot more difficult to take Davinci's [REDACTED] seriously when we're playing soccer with her [REDACTED] and treating him like a whacky uncle rather than a [REDACTED]. Yeah yeah, circumstances forces alliances of convenience and all, but why the hell should Ritsuka and the others be FRIENDLY with some of them.
OC: Truer words have never been spoken. Listen everyone, don't think all we're doing is bashing on Type Moon's decisions regarding this. In fact, there are some villains who became part of Chaldea that actually work wonderfully, and are characters that we genuinely love and are glad they're getting a chance to be in Chaldea, like Moriarty (Archer one of course), Jalter, Kama, Tiamat, Jason (surprisingly lol), Angry Mango himself even! Them being in Chaldea feels natural, and are always usually well written whether as villains or as Chaldean Servants, and to this day, they're some of my favorite characters. But for other villains like Zouken, Beryl or that monk guy in Guda 4 (I forget his name), who was going to sacrifice children to make his wish come true, and Nasu has the audacity to say Ritsuka feeling hatred is inconceivable? It becomes insulting and just downright…distasteful.
Now empathy is a wonderful thing, I cannot stress that enough. Whenever heroes like Superman, Flash or Spider Man feel empathy for some of their Rogues Gallery, I approve of it because it makes sense as to WHY some of them get their sympathies. But some of the Type Moon villains just…..do not deserve it, and should never be given that chance. Which is why we decided to go our own way now, and give Ritsuka that human factor and give him that sheer hatred for Zouken. It just felt more natural.
Y: Definitely makes them a lot more relatable. One of the biggest Superman moments in JLU was when he legitimately, from the bottom of his heart, wanted to kill Lex after he was responsible for Flash's 'death'. You could feel the sheer amount of anger and hatred from that, even when Superman relented due to his duty as a hero putting a higher precedence. That very much makes Supes very human despite his absurd power
OC: Indeed, that's exactly the kind of powerful moment that I felt was lacking in a lot of the story chapters of FGO. Now onto different things in order to get away from this. So onto the fight with Berserker, we have now revealed Assassin is alive and still kicking! This was actually something that Yatsu and I came up with a couple of months ago, and planned for a while because we felt she deserved a better showing than what she got in Zero. And the fact Ritsuka and Waver immediately planned it out after Tokiomi's death showed just how much she earned their respect, but also knew she was one of the most important keys to buying time.
Y: Mhmm, for everything to go as was needed. Pretty good considering Hundred Faces got axed to hype up Iskander in the anime, and the LN just barely did more by adding in a…child personality for Waver to angst over.
OC: The only missed opportunity I noticed was not having Assassin speak here and call Waver "Master" but hey, there's always next time. Now onto one of the moments I have been sorely looking forward to, and I think Yatsu was as well. Ritsuka calling Zouken out for his BS, and letting him know HE was the one who burned his house down, and for the first time ever, actually makes Zouken genuinely fear for his life. And there is a bit of cleverness here. See, as we all know, Zouken is a domestic abuser of the highest order, who had control over everything for centuries, no one being brave enough to stand up to him. And now….say Yatsu, what is one of the first things one does to make sure an abuser like him gets cold feet again?
Y: petrol, flint, and industrial cords. Right Mini-Nobu Y?
Mini Nobu Y: BURRRRRNNN
Y: Though without committing arson, definitely put fear back into his life. It must feel great for Zouken, who lived through so much, to suddenly be thrust back into fearing for his life.
OC: And most importantly…..making them lose control over everything. He cannot control Ritsuka, he cannot manipulate him or scare him. At this moment, Ritsuka is the counter for Zouken. He will not break, he will not bend. He will not stop until Zouken is defeated. He is the immovable bulwark that will keep getting back up until Zouken caves. That is what we wanted to do, and make Zouken's fear oh so cathartic. Also fun fact, Ritsuka having pipe bombs and thermite was all Yatsu's idea, and he even stated that he should have them months in advance! All I said to that was "oh that's evil…..I love it!" So you all have Yatsu to thank for such a brilliant move!
Y: Pipe bombs are like duct tape and WD40; if they're not working, it just means you're not using enough of them.
OC: True, just like Berserker EXE. stopped working. So yeah….Berserker turned on Zouken the moment he expressed his creepy desires of what he planned for her. This was something I asked Yatsu about to get his opinion on because I was wanting to figure out how Berserker's death should go, and he said this would work well, and honestly? It kinda fits.
Y: Yep, since Berserker Lancelot is pretty self destructive. At least he can put that towards something good
OC: And in the end, he died trying to protect Mashu, and caught Zouken off guard. Well, he caught everyone off guard with his attack but hey he's unpredictable. He really channeled that Caesar of Planet of the Apes with his roar lol. But now after his death, the Grail has finally awoken. I know for a fact this will raise some eyebrows, but the thing is that we all know five is needed for a lot of its functions to work. But we never heard it HAD to be activated by that number, and for all we know, four is also a suitable, if weaker number. At least I suspect that could be the case.
Y: Mhmm, considering how wonky and flexible some of this stuff is, I think it can work. Plus, I definitely wanna see more of goth Irisviel/Justicia. Angry Mango has good taste when it comes to modifying his/her vessels.
OC: Oh he most certainly does. And with that out of the way, there are important matters regarding our explanations that I think need to be said now due to how serious we have been tonight. Some people, I know, might wonder why we explain so much of our plans like this and why we feel it necessary. It has nothing to do with intelligence, nor to treat any of you in a condescending manner. In fact, I know how smart you all can be, and whenever someone points out a mistake or shares their difference of opinion on our writing, I do not criticize it. In fact, I welcome such comments as it gives constructive feedback, and would even improve our writings by listening to you all. The reason why we do this is simple. I want to be completely honest with you all. I want to meet you all at eye level, and just say this is what we decided, for good or ill, and just ask that if you enjoy it, then that's wonderful, if there are things that you think could be better, then know we will take this into account! We all know Nasu isn't exactly good at being honest, but that's not what we want to do. What Vlad, Yatsu and I wanted was to allow the readers to make their own opinions on our story, and we just want you guys to feel like you are a part of this journey. We see you all as peers and equals, and that is how we will continue to do things going forward just like we always have.
Y: Well, it's always good to be open, especially when things are looking dire. At the very least, things really only improve when people are being open and honest.
OC: Exactly. And for those that do feel like we can be…..a little judgy, I do sincerely apologize. I am not exactly the most approachable person in the world, and I can be very hot tempered, as Yatsu can attest to. But I also want to learn from my mistakes, and will admit that I more than likely made a mistake or could have worded things better if I sat back and thought about it. Sometimes I can get really carried away and hyper focused, as some of you can suspect….
Y: Well, it's important to be mindful of these things, that's for certain.
OC: Indeed. Now before we go, we have one last thing to discuss. As a lot of you have heard already, but a couple of days ago, Atsuko Tanaka, the voice of Medea, Carmilla, Jing Ke, and Bayonetta herself, has sadly passed away at the age of 61. Hearing such news had cast quite the shadow over the fanbase, and I cannot help but grieve with everyone. She has been an inspiration for so many people, and was one of the most iconic VA's in Japan that everyone would know her voice. Our hearts go out to her friends and family, and we can only wish them luck as they try to pick up the pieces over such a tragic loss.
Y: Mhmm, I'm sure it's been a hard time for her family since her passing. Well, all we can do is offer our condolences and support, as her work touched the lives of many.
OC: Indeed they have. And to pay our respects, Yatsu and I have agreed to write a chapter dedicated to her to show how much she meant to the fanbase. The moment we finish this arc we will be making that chapter our number one priority, but we will need some time. And with that, our time is up. Thank you all for stopping by to read this chapter of Chaldean Chronicles. I deeply apologize for how ... .dour we seem right now, but with how things this month played out with the Anniversary, and Atsuko Tanaka's passing, there wasn't any way we could keep such a light hearted tone…..
Please stay tuned for the next chapter, and we will see you next time. Owen Chaser and Yatsu, signing off.
Y: See ya everyone