Hi everyone and welcome to chapter 16! And at the time this will be published we'll be already on the padoru month. So yeah. Fear the padoru, for it has arrived.
But with all said, let's start the chapter!
DISCLAIMER: All the Nasuverse characters belong to Nasu and are property of Type-Moon, with the exception of the OC's that belong to me, the author.
"Everyone, watch out each other's backs and be careful with attacks from above!" Jeanne warned her allies as she runned in front of the group into the battlefield. The saint spotted a wyvern approaching them, ready attack the saint with it's claws. Jeanne quickly drawn out her sword and with a big jump she reached to the creature's neck and cut it with eficiency, killing the monster.
"Wow. That was, really incredible." Peko said. He wondered if he too could get the same swordsmanship as Jeanne and Siegfried had.
"Here comes another one!" Siegfried dodged from the strike of another wyvern and like Jeanne, Siegfried cut the giant lizard's neck flawlessly.
"And they won't stop coming!" Mozart watched three other wyverns to descend the sky, aiming their sharp theets to the group. The one on the front went to Mozart while the two behind went after Elizabeth and Kiyohime. All the three servants managed to dodge the blows.
"Tsk! They are really annoying!" Kiyohime launched a blast from her fan, reaping apart one of the wyverns neck.
"You tell me!" Elizabeth blasted her attack at the the third wyvern's neck, killing it too.
But as they were defeated, another group was already arriving. At this pace, they will be long dead before reaching to the main gates of the castle. The wyverns probably couldn't kill the servants but made sure to slow them down. With so many wyverns in the sky, it would only be a matter of time before Jeanne and her allies succumb to many attacks. And Jeanne Alter knew it well.
"At this rate we will never make it!" Peko told the others as he stayed close to Ritsuka, this time with his sword in hand. He had to watch for any signs of wyvern near them. Now with a weapon, he could at least protect Ritsuka and himself in the battle, while Mash would go more to the front altough not by a long distance, in case Peko had difficulties in a fight.
"Mash be careful!" Ritsuka shouted to his shielder as he saw a wyvern approaching Mash from above.
"Copy that!" Mash replied and quickly dodged from the attack. "Ah!" She bashed her shield into the wyvern's head, killing it. "They seem endless!" She commented, watching more wyverns coming to them from the sky.
"There must be at least a thousand of them!" Peko said, trying to figure more or less the number of their enemies.
"And we just killed 6 so far!" Ritsuka commented before hearing Georgios sword cutting a wyvern's neck.
"Seven." He corrected the master of humanity.
"So we just have to defeat 900 more!" Siegfried pointed his sword at the enemjes above.
"That's the spirit!" Jeanne told him. "However, be sure that your Noble Phantasm-"
"I'll do as planed. Don't worry Miss Jeanne D'arc." Siegfried replied.
"Here they come!" Mozart pointed out the next group of wyverns. They were 20 now. It would be difficult but not impossible. However, everyone doubted if they could keep going if several wyverns attacked them at once.
Nontheless, they had to keep moving. All of them continued in their battle positions as a new wave was about to come closer to them. If they fall, they would fall fighting.
"Now! Fire!"
A flying flaming rock hit the middle of the wyvern's group, killing some of them as well as chase away the rest, tottaly canceling their attack.
Everyone was surprised by what just happened.
"Who's done that?" Elizabeth looked around.
"The voice I just heard..." Jeanne closed her hand into a fist. "There is no doubt." She smiled happily and turned her body around, looking at the top of the peripheral zone of the crater.
From it appeard a giant line of soldiers and catapults, all aiming and shooting at the wyverns in the sky. A bit on front, stood a man in his silver armour, giving the orders to the rest of the soldiers.
"Keep on shooting the wyverns! Let's make way for our fellow countrywoman and her allies! This is our biggest assault yet as well as our biggest chance to take the Dragon Witch down! Failing is not an option here! All of France depends on us! Now keep firing men!" He yelled at his men who screamed in unison.
Jeanne giggled foundly. "Thank you for the help, Gilles."
"Wow! They really got all those reinforcements!?" Ritsuka was amazed by how many numbers the army had. "They surely are giving their all here."
"And we should do ours too Senpai." Mash said. "If they won't give up neither shall we."
"Well said Miss Kyrielight." Georgios looked at the castle in front of them. "We should go now! Take the chance now that the path is open while they distract the wyverns!"
Without saying anything, the rest nodded to Georgios words and proceeded to run to the main gates of the castle.
"Fire!" Gilles de Rais ordered and the catapult next to him fired another burning boulder that hit with accuracy on another group of wyverns. The general was liking the results of their surprise attack. They were managing to damage seriously the enemy army.
"I have to thank you." Gilles de Rais looked at the horse behind him, directing his words to Nala who was sitting on top of the horse. "The fact that you came back alive from the Dragon Witch's castle made many of the soldiers rise their hopes up and rejoin the army."
"Well I was just trying to survive, but thanks anyway." Nala replied, preparing to enter on the crater with the horse.
"So it's true that the Dragon Witch also has this group of powerful people working for her?" Gilles de Rais asked Nala, veryfing the buckles of the horse.
"Yep. And only Jeanne D'arc and other powerful people like her can defeat them, so you better keep your soldiers just on this line shooting the wyverns."
"I'll make sure to not get heavy losses today. One time was already enough!" Gilles de Rais raised his voice a bit.
Nala couldn't help but to find admirable this general's dedication. It was almost hard to believe he and that unhinged caster person were the same person. "That's the spirit sir General! Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go down there to help them!"
"Understood! Good luck and may God be with you!" After Gilles wished Nala good luck, the girl made a signal to her horse. The animal immediatly started to descend the crater, running torwards it's center where the castle was. Nala was totally focused in reaching to the group ahead of her.
"I'm on my way Peko."
At the front gates of the castle, the Dragon Witch's servants watched patiently the french army fighting with the wyverns while the main group was running in their direction in the distance.
Vlad sighed as he slowly fanned his cup of glass. "It's actually sad that you and I ended up being the only ones who can speak coherently now. It makes the things a bit more lonely."
Carmilla groaned lowly in return. "I'll have to agree with you on that. Having only your voice to hear in the middle of this group of broken people pains me alot. Hope you at least bite the dust here so that I won't have to hear you no longer." She said coldly, being direct torwards the other vampire.
"Well, I'd say we are all broken already. Some more than others." Vlad drunk all the blood from his glass. "Not bad as I initially tought." He smirked before letting it fall on the ground and breaking it to pieces. "But now it's not the time to moan and lament our current situation! It's time for me and you, Carmilla, to show why history remembers us as vampires!"
Vlad summoned his spear, sticking it on the ground. "Let's see if they are whorty of my lance."
Carmilla giggled. "Right. I have a score to settle after all. And I'd say it's finally time to deal with it." She spotted the enemy group running in their direction, getting closer to the gates. "Hehe. New blood has arrived Vlad." She summoned an iron coffin behind her. "And my iron maiden is hungering for it."
"There! The gates aren't that far away!" Peko told the rest as they were seeing the path in front of them leading to the castle's gates.
Ritsuka turned his head to Mash. "Do you believe the Dragon Witch is inside?"
"She is. The doctor confirmed that her presence is in the castle just before we arrived here." Mash replied to her master. "So in the end we'll just have to fight her and defeat her."
"That's too optimistic. It won't be that easy." Georgios looked behind, telling the trio of what he tought about the task of defeating the Dragon Witch.
"Georgios is right." Jeanne said, still running. "She must be as skillful as I am. Expect anything but an easy battle."
As Ritsuka was hearing Jeanne, he noticed something above them.
"Watch out!" He warned his allies.
In the sky, the big black dragon Fafnir had decided to join the battle and attack the group.
His giant wings expanded, covering big part of the battlefield. Fafnir decided next to spit a destructive fire with his mouth, setting in flames the territory below the dragon.
His deadly breath was in Jeanne's group direction.
"Everyone! Dodge!"Jeanne insteucted to her groul as she jumped out of the incoming flames way.
The servants all dodged with success and Ritsuka and Peko managed to also avoid the flames with the help of Mash and her shield that protected them while they'd get out of the blast direction. Everyone ended up being okay.
"Mash! You okay?" Ritsuka asked his servant since blocking a blast from Fafnir wasn't a small thing.
"Yes I am master. No problems." She assured Ritsuka
"Fafnir.." Siegfried stood up from the ground and stared at the dragon he onced slayed. "We meet again." He prepared Balmung and his Noble Phantasm.
"If there's a chance to defeat that dragon it's now Siegfried!" Mozart shouted to the dragon slayer.
"I know." Siegfried said to Mozart without looking at him. "And that's what I came here to do. It seems to be fate that makes me slash this beast again." He started to charge his sword.
"Get ready Siegfried! Wait for when he approaches us again!" Jeanne advised him as they watched Fafnir making a lap and turn around, ready to spit fire on them for a second time.
Siegfried stood right in front of the dragon's vision, looking at the creature in y
the eyes. Fafnir was still a bit far away. It needed to get closer. But thankfully that also gave Siegfried more time to prepare Balmung.
"Siegfried-san needs to hit his Noble Phantasm in that dragon, or else I doubt we will be getting a second chance." Peko told to Ritsuka and Mash.
"You're right. Siegfried-san's Noble Phantasm seems the type it takes aong time to recharge again. It must be now or never." Mash said.
With Fafnir getting closer, Siegfried felt it waw now the right time to unleash Balmung. "Yes. This distance is perfect."
Siegfried rised his sword.
"Prepare your-"
"SIEGFRIED BEHIND YOU!!!" Elizabeth shouted.
Feeling something from behind Siegfried quickly turned around and saw a trail of spears coming torwards him.
"!!!" Siegfried reacted fast enough and cancelled his Noble Phantasm, dodging from the spears that were growing from the ground. One of the spears however got a bit of skin of Siegfried's arm.
"Siegfried are you-" Before Jeanne could see if hery was okay, she felt more hostile presences right behind her.
Suddenly, three servants blasted torwards the saint as well as Elizabeth and Mozart.
"You!" Elizabeth exclaimed as the servant she was clashing with was non other than her older self, Carmilla.
"You!" Mozart looked at the face of the servant who had attacked him. It was Sanson, a person that Mozart had met during his lifetime. Never the musician had tought to encounter Marie's executioner here in the Singularity.
"Who are you?!" Jeanne was holding off the sword of a dark armoured knight in front of her. It certainly was another servant, but his entire Spirit Core was something that Jeanne couldn't decipher right now.
The knight in question seemed to be obsessed with the saint. "Aaaaaaaaarthuuuuurrrr."
"Did he called me Arthur?" Jeanne gasped. "So is he one of the knights of the roundtable?!"
Georgios and Kiyohime where about to help them but they were stop by D'eon who appeard from the flames of Fafnir, their sword ready for a fight.
"Miss Kiyohime?" Georgios called her.
"Right next to you!" She replied to the bronze saint.
"Damnit! Things aren't good." Siegfried observed the situation around him, ignoring the cut he had on his arm.
"And they will get worse O Dragon Slayer."
Vlad appeard next to him. "It was a mistake of mine not making sure you were dead back then."
Siegfried went to his battle posture. "If it makes you feel better, just know I was close of actually dying. Hadn't been for that Rider."
"Hphm! I admit that time it was three against one. It wasn't exactly fair for you. A warrior like yourself requests a more whorty fight." Vlad smiled at Siegfried.
"So you want me to have a rematch with you?" Siegfried smirked. "In that case you shall have it King of Romania. I accept it. You caught my attention ever since that fight from before."
Vlad smile grew. "Good. This time there won't be curses or numeral disadvantage to interfere us!" Vlad pointed his spear to Siegfried. "Now come Dragon Slayer!"
"We're being attacked! The enemy servants are trying to stop us from advancing!" Mash yeld as she, Peko and Ritsuka watched the servants starting to fight each other.
Romani's hologram appeard. "I know the situation is dire, but I have great news!"
"I don't think it's the right time now doctor." Ritsuka told him.
"No! You guys will like to hear it! It's about-"
"Ggh!" Mash blocked an incoming arrow torwards their direction.
"Say it later Doctor!" Mash saw the enemy servant in front of them. "We're in the middle of a battle!"
"Is she...really like that?" Peko observed the female's servant face and body, seeing all the black patterns on her face and body.
"Don't know. But we have to be ready now." Ritsuka looked at Mash. "Mash!"
"Understood master! About to engage in battle!" The shielder wielded her shield in a offensive posture.
A sound from behind, made Peko and Ritsuka spot a wyvern near them looking at the duo as they were it's prey. The boy knew what to do. He had to engage in a fight now. He's first ever.
Putting his body in front of Ritsuka, Peko preapred his sword. "Ritsuka get behind me! I'll try to handle this wyvern!"
Ritsuka looked at Peko. His hands were a bit shaky. But he also saw that Peko's face was focused in avoiding the wyvern to kill them both.
"You can do this Peko. I trust you." Ritsuka said to Peko who then nodded back at the master of humanity.
Ritsuka stared at Mash, who was now engaged in a fight with the enemy servant. Ritsuka had to watch for both Mash and Peko. "Mash is skilled enough. She can handle herself for quite some time. It's Peko I have to watch over."
The boy took out a deep breath, trying to stay calm and with full concentration, like Siegfried told him yesterday. To rescue Nala and find his father, Peko needed to fight. And this wyvern would be his very first opponent.
"This time, I'll fight to help you all."
From the balcony of the castle's tower, Jeanne Alter watched the battle below with great pleasure. Her servants had her saint counterpart's group against the wall. The army was surely bothersome, but her wyverns and Fafnir would take care of them.
"What will you do now saint?" Jeanne Alter stared at Jeanne fighting the knight. "Will you try and do another 'miracle'?" She giggled. "Or will you die right here?"
Jeanne Alter then stood on the top of the balcony. "Either way I'll be the one who will take your life. That I guarantee you. I'll become the one and only Jeanne D'arc in the end." She smiled evily.
"Gilles." She turned her head to Gilles who was right behind her. "Take care of the castle now. I'll join the battlefield." She rised her arm in the sky, calling Fafnir in the distance to pick her up.
"I wish you all the good luck there is Jeanne." Gilles told her, smilling like the good friend he was to her.
"I don't need luck Gilles. That is for the weak who can't win on their own."
With Fafnir reaching to the balcony, Jeanne Alter was about to ride her dragon, but something she saw on the battlefield stopped her. Or in this case, someone.
"No it can't be..!" Her teeth clenched in anger and her eyes frowned agressively.
The figure had white hair, was a girl, blue ribbon. Yeah, it was her.
"That brat..!" Jeanne Alter hissed in rage. "Fuck it! I'll deal with you later!" She calmed herself down, looking at Jeanne fighting. "More important things comes first."
In the ground, Nala was riding the horse and advancing to the castle in the center. "They must be there!" Due to all the fireballs and wyverns in the ground and sky, it was kinda difficult for Nala to see where Peko and the others where, but she assumed somewhere near the castle gate.
Unknown to her, a wyvern attacked them by surprise, almost making Nala fall from her horse.
"Ha!" She held tightly to the horse, trying to keep her balance. "These creatures never end do they?!"
Nala summoned her sword. Just as she did it she heard the horse neigh. There was more wyverns surrounding them, five in total.
Seeing this Nala, stopped her horse and got off from the animal. The only way to proceed was to kill all the wyverns in front of her right now.
"Come at me you meatheads!" Nala launched herself at an high speed to the closest wyvern and cut it's neck with a clean cut, killing it.
The others jumped at her, trying to land the hits on Nala who would hop like a bunny, avoiding the hits.
However, the attacks were getting closer to her. Nala was getting tired and wasn't having manh space to dodge since there were many wyverns attacking her at the same time. She was having some difficulty.
As the claw of one went to target her head, Nala reacted fast enough to parry it and cut it's neck afterwards. Now only three remained.
The girl wheezed a bit as the constant dodging and blocking was taking her stamina, plus the attention for any attack behind her.
"Crap! I need to get rid of the three before they strike any hit on me."
Nala leaned her body backwards, managing to avoid the wyvern's claw. At the same time she quickly cut the claw with the sword. The wyvern roared in pain before getting his heart pierced by Nala. Another one down. Two to go.
The two remaining wyverns decided to attack Nala together, the first one with it's legs and the second with it's mouth.
Nala dodged the first and blocked the second. The combo unfortunately wouldn't stop. And it was a matter of time until Nala's left leg got hit by one of the wyvern's claws.
"Ggrg!" Nala flinched a bit in pain.
One of the wyverns saw this as an opportunity and attacked Nala, opening it's mouth to tear the girl's body apart.
Nala however jumped as high as she could, getting out of the wyvern's attack and almost at the speed of light, she descended and stucked her sword on the wyverns skull, killing it. She didn't have time to take it out off of the dead wyvern's skull as the other wyvern attacked with it's tail at and incredible speed. Nala could only stare at it by a short second as the tail slammed her body and sent her flying.
"Aaah!" Nala let out a scream in pain as her body hit something and she fell to the ground.
"Kuh! Damnit!" Nala cursed as she put an hand on her head. "It ain't easy to fight multiple enemies alone it seems." She scrubed her head, not noticing the thing she had just hited on was another wyvern, who now had noticed Nala's presence.
"But on the bright side, there's only one remaining." Nala said as she slowly got up from the ground. Feeling a slight hot air touching her back, Nala turned around to see the wyvern behind her that was about to attack.
"Wha-" Nala clumsily tried to recompose her sword, not expecting a wyvern to be literally next to her.
As the wyvern's teeth were about to attack Nala, who's positioning and posture wasn't the best, a slash came from it's right side, hitting the monster's neck and preventing it to hit Nala.
The Legend of Zelda Skyward Sword OST- Opening Theme
Just behind the wyvern, it was revealed who had landed the hit on the creature.
In midair and wielding a sword, there was a person who Nala never expected to be fighting in a battle like this. It was her own brother, Peko.
"Peko?!" Nala exclaimed in surprise to Peko, seeing him for what has been quite some long time now.
The boy who was still in the air heard the voice calling him out. He tought he perhaps had misheard it. But he hadn't. The voice really came from his sister. It was Nala who he saw on the ground.
"N-Nala?!" He also exclaimed in surprise, his mind still tought she was in a cell inside the castle. But seeing his sister free and well, made Peko slowly smile as tears start to appear in his eyes. The siblings were finally together again. "I...I found you!"
To be continued...
And that's the end of chapter 16! Very short chapter when compared with the other ones I know, but I'm planning on the next ones to be longer since those will be focused around the fights. This chapter was to begin the fights and also end nicely with Peko and Nala finally reuniting with each other.
So yeah, I could extend more with this chapter's lenght with a servant's fight like Mash vs Atalante but I decided to save those for the next chapters and end this one with a nice gift at the end.
But definetly expect the action of the fights next chapter.
Anyway that's all I wanted to say, and see you next time on chapter 17! Peace!
P.S: That LB7 teaser is making me go anxious bro! To think we are literally weeks away from it without knowing almost nothing while the theorists are going wild is absolutely making me nervous!!! My theory here right now is that Daybit is actually a young Tony Hawk of a timeline where skate is used as a weapon of mass destruction in galatic wars. And let me tell you that would be pretty normal to Nasuverse standards lol.
