Ch. 110 - Sotz
Green.
The jungle was a verdant sea of green as far as the eye could see. Great trees stretched up to the sky, their massive leaves shrouding the blazing sun overhead. Just below the canopy was a mass of vines, foliage, and plant life. The air was loud with the sounds of fauna, from the croaks of frogs to the buzzing of flies, to the distant roars of some unseen predator. All around, the environment was teeming with life, much of it visible to even a casual observer, and far more completely unseen to even the sharpest gaze.
In the middle of it all marched a pack of people. Archer and Artoria took the vanguard, stalking warily through the brush as they kept on the lookout for any ambushes. Boudica walked a bit behind them with Morgana perched on her shoulder. The catlike being tried walking through the jungle at first, but the foliage was simply too thick from his vantage point for him to be comfortable with. It would be incredibly handy if he needed to swiftly get out of sight, but until then, staying up on the Rider's shoulder was a better option.
Behind all of them was Medea. The Caster treaded lightly through the undergrowth, her robes undisturbed thanks to a bit of magecraft warding the flora away from her. It would have been a trivial matter to clear a direct path to the temple or at least make their march slightly less inconvenient, but she had been overridden. 'If we disturb too much of our surroundings, we'll alert the target,' Archer had declared. 'It's best if we minimize our presence and avoid giving ourselves away.' And that was that.
The witch mentally scoffed. While what Archer's explanation had strategic merit, it didn't take her intelligence to know the real reason: Neither him nor Saber trusted her. That was to be expected. The events of their past summoning weren't something any of them could forget so easily, nor did she expect them to. Still, for the sake of their Masters and their common goal, they could at least work alongside one another in a professional capacity.
For now, it was all about fording through the jungle to get to the temple where this giant bad apparently resided – though the unfamiliar climate was certainly more uncomfortable than she expected.
"Ugh, remind me to never go into a jungle ever again," Morgana groaned.
"I thought cats preferred higher temperatures?" Boudica asked, tilting her head slightly in question.
"It's not the heat that's the problem, it's the humidity!" the catlike being grumbled. "My fur's gonna get all gross after this!"
"I didn't think our Master would be so fastidious about their grooming," Archer remarked, smirking over his shoulder at him.
Morgana huffed. "I'm a cat, Archer," he shot back. "It's what I do."
Medea's gaze strayed over to a lock of her own hair, and she let out a small, amused breath. Well, she could sympathize with this matter, at least. "Master," she called over, garnering Morgana's attention. "I believe I have a mystery that might help deal with the humidity. It will be localized around your body which should prevent any disturbance to the surroundings. May I cast it on you?"
She noticed both Artoria and Archer turn slightly towards them, now paying more attention to her. Morgana's eyes on the other hand widened in surprise. "Wait, can you really?" he cried, almost pleading. "Please! It's so sticky and stuffy that I'm just about to go crazy here!"
The Caster couldn't help but smile slightly at her Master's childish complaints. Placing a gentle finger on the catlike being's forehead, she murmured in an ancient Greek tongue. Morgana glowed slightly as the mystery took effect, then it faded away. Withdrawing her hand, she observed him impassively. "How do you feel?" she asked quietly, ignoring the growing tension between the two Servants in the vanguard.
"So, so much better," the catlike being sighed out in clear relief. "It's like I stepped into an air-conditioned room, and my fur feels nice and soft again. Thanks so much, Medea."
Boudica smiled in amusement. "I don't suppose I could learn such a mystery myself?" she joked. "It would be rather handy for my own hair, I have to admit."
"Magecraft is not normally an art to be trifled with so casually," the Caster lightly admonished. "But I can understand your desire." Through the corner of her eye, she could see both Artoria and Archer reluctantly face forward once more, assessing she was currently not a threat. They didn't trust her, that was for certain, and it was likely they never would. She had long since accepted that.
But she could still prove she was not their enemy and further ingratiate herself to the others – in this case, with her Masters and with the Rider, Boudica. Just because she may have enemies now didn't mean she couldn't at least take steps to prevent complications occurring. Besides, the mystery she performed for Morgana was a trifle matter for her. She had performed it for her own children whenever it was a particularly warm day and were complaining about the humidity in turn. Even the way he begged for the mystery was like them.
Her own children…
She shoved the thoughts from her mind, yet her grip on her staff tightened regardless. What's done was done. Whatever she did then, whatever regrets she did or didn't have, were irrelevant. In the end, she lived for herself in defiance of whatever the gods had tried to plan for her. Even if it meant doing things that caused everyone to curse her, even if she would be known as a witch, she would continue.
'Doesn't seem like getting into Artoria's or Archer's good graces will be easy.'
Morgana's mental musings shook her out of her ruminations. 'It will not,' Medea retorted. 'Nor was that my goal. An uncomfortable Master is an unfocused Master. If it is a factor that can be handled, then it will be done.'
'Fair enough, I guess,' the catlike being relented. He didn't know what to make of Medea. While he trusted the opinions of Artoria and Archer, Medea had been nothing but helpful, if quiet and prodding at times. He had taken the first step by putting his trust in her. Even now, he wasn't sure what she was thinking, if she trusted him at all, or if she was plotting something behind his back, whether for their benefit or solely her own. She did answer the call to help save the world, but what did that entail for her? What did it mean?
What would Ren do?
"Master. We've arrived."
Morgana looked up at Artoria's voice. In front of them was a gigantic stone structure, overgrown with vines and moss. If they didn't already have directions or the Servants' sharp senses, he probably would've passed it by as simply part of the foliage or surroundings. Archer summoned his twin shortswords and casually tossed them. Arcing through the air, they sliced through the brush with ease, revealing the reliefs carved into the structure – images of beasts like jaguars and bats, as well as humans either dressed as warriors or performing sacrifices, and other carvings none of them could interpret without close analysis. And most importantly, it revealed the entrance.
The catlike being's communicator lit up. Blinking in surprise, he tapped it – and his eyes widened when instead of Da Vinci or Roman's face, he found himself staring at the beaming countenance of Artemis. "Oh, er, hey Artemis," he greeted in surprise. "I thought Roman or Da Vinci would be on the call."
"I thought it would be best I supervise each hunt personally," the goddess cheerfully explained. "Not to worry though, I'm not here to interfere or hinder you. I'll make sure it goes smoothly. Did you find my information helpful so far?"
Morgana could see Roman's anxious face over the oblivious goddess's shoulder and could only feel a bit of pity for the man. "We did," he confirmed, looking up at the stone structure. Each stone block dwarfed him in size, looking both immeasurably sturdy and ancient. He wasn't awed easily, but even just being nearby gave him a sense of scale that he found it hard to describe. "We're looking for a way to get in right now."
"Oh, good to hear!" Artemis chirped. "Dusk is still some time away so it should still be roosting within! But don't underestimate it – most creatures tend to not take interrupting their sleep lightly. Especially in their own home."
"Yeah, I can sympathize with that," Morgana muttered. While Ren, Sojiro, and Futaba tried to always be careful about waking him up when he was napping, he admittedly was a bit grumpy if it was unnecessarily interrupted. But if something came into their home and woke him up in such a manner, however, his mood would definitely be nasty.
In the meantime, Boudica looked over at the solid stone doors. "Any way we can get this open without making a lot of noise?" she asked, looking over to Medea. "I know enough about bats to know that blasting it open is a bad idea."
The Caster frowned as she stepped forward, observing the stone doors. If this was a temple, then most likely it would have some form of protection from outside interference. But how deep did that protection go? How thorough? It wasn't a simple matter of just opening the door. They could brute force it, but they would forgo literally any element of surprise and all but guarantee startling the beast that lurked within.
Muttering a quick aria in that incomprehensible tongue again, she reinforced her eyes and analyzed the doors. Everything from the mechanisms and construction of the door to the age and the minerals within the stone themselves were laid bare to her. But the most important part were the mysteries embedded within. They were cleverly integrated within the structures, with even a few false nodes and trails to throw off less experienced magi or possibly even activate a trap.
"Is there something amiss, Caster?" Artoria asked, her eyes sharp.
Medea frowned without taking her eyes off the door. "There will be if I am interrupted," she replied testily. Trust or not, she didn't like being interfered with when she was working. Muttering another aria, she observed the flow of magical energy as she sent a tiny pulse of it through the doors, mapping out each mystery, its connections, and its effects. Many of the configurations here she hadn't seen before, forcing her to slow down so she didn't miss even the minutiae. When it came to magecraft, the devil truly was in the details.
After a moment, she took a deep breath as she released her magecraft. Without saying a word, she slowly stepped up to the door, taking off one of her gloves as she did so. Taking out a knife within her cloak, she drew it in one quick motion over her palm, slicing it open. Once done, she pressed her bloodied hand on thirteen different locations of the door. There was nothing for a moment, then the door slowly opened, the stone grinding loudly as they withdrew into the walls.
Artoria, Archer, and Boudica immediately summoned their weapons as Morgana readied his circuits, eyeing the darkened stone corridor within. They were greeted by a swarm of bats that flew out, screeching and screaming. Confused and blinded by the daylight, they fluttered off as they sought new shelter now that their sanctuary had been breached. And after the swarm…
Nothing.
Everyone kept their guards up for a moment, alert for even the slightest disturbance. When it was clear that there wasn't anything else, they slowly relaxed. "Couldn't you have made opening that quieter?" Morgana complained as his circuits cooled off.
"I could not," Medea answered brusquely as she healed her hand before putting the glove back on. "There were mysteries in place that would've been set off had I attempted to interfere with them, even something as innocuous as stilling the air around them so sound would not travel. Aside from brute force, I could only open the door via a minor blood ritual. Appropriate for Mayans, I must admit."
Archer frowned. "This shouldn't be a problem for you, Caster," he retorted. "You have the means of just getting rid of the mysteries then and there, don't you? Why didn't you use that?"
The witch shot him an irritated glare. "Because that would unravel the mysteries surrounding the door," she snapped. "At best, it would immediately alert any magus that the building has been breached by intruders, and at worst set off some sort of failsafe that would possibly cause more issues." While she understood the Archer's wariness, that didn't mean she wanted her secrets and means paraded out for all to hear.
Taking a deep breath through her nose, she regained her composure as she turned towards the darkness past the door. "That said, the mysteries here were not cast by some amateur," she murmured. "A considerable magus or spellcaster has fortified and secured this location. This hunt most likely will not be as straightforward as Artemis makes it out to be. Be on your guard, all of you."
Morgana gulped then nodded in agreement. With a single nod, they filed into the room chamber, weapons at the ready. As they stepped in, Medea created a small orb of light to illuminate their surroundings, revealing a long, stone corridor. Carved reliefs decorated the walls and ceilings, telling countless stories that none of them had time to piece out or decipher. Stone braziers, long cold, lined up against the walls, spaced out accordingly. The horrid stench of bats assaulted Morgana's sensitive nose, causing him to scowl in disgust.
Suddenly, the door behind them slammed shut, much faster than it opened in the first place. The catlike being's eyes widened in alarm. Turning back to the communicator, he tapped it but only got static. "Communications are cut off," he notified the others. "We're on our own in here.
Medea didn't look surprised. "Security measures are in place," she explained briefly as the braziers began lighting up, pair after pair, illuminating the corridor in an ominous light. The reliefs cast long shadows that danced with every flicker of flame, almost making them seem alive.
The orb of light the Caster conjured vanished with a flicker as she ended the spell. "It seems many of the mysteries in this temple remain intact after all this time," she mused. "Curious… and dangerous."
Artoria frowned, her eyes flicking over to the reliefs surrounding them. "Has a magus, or a group of them, made their residence here?" she inquired, her senses alert for any disturbance.
The witch shook her head. "As far as I can tell, the magecraft hasn't been modified or maintained for many years," she replied. "The fact that they're still stable is either due to fortune or some other circumstance."
Archer frowned. "So, the goddess has sent us on a hunt located in a heavily protected temple, one where the security is still somehow maintained despite having no one around to do so," he summed up. "If I didn't know better, I would presume this was nothing more than a gigantic waste of time at best and a trap to get us killed at worst."
"Master, stop," the Saber suddenly ordered.
Morgana froze in place. He had about been about to step forward to take a closer look at the reliefs when she spoke. "Wh-what," he stammered nervously. "What is it?"
Medea quickly checked the spot the catlike being had about to step on. "Back away slowly," she commanded.
Gulping, Morgana followed her directions without hesitation. "I'm guessing a trap?" he guessed meekly.
"It appears so," the Caster confirmed as she checked the mysteries and lines of magical energy. "I don't know what kind they will trigger but it is best to err on the side of caution in such matters." She glanced over at Artoria. "It seems your instincts serve you well as they have before," she praised quietly, a small smile on her lips.
Artoria couldn't stop a deep frown etching her face. "Not well enough then," she replied stiffly, instantly wiping Medea's smile. Turning away from the witch, she faced Morgana. "I will take the vanguard once more and keep an eye out for traps. Caster will work with me to locate ones I cannot sense as easily."
"Then I suppose I'll take rear guard," Archer remarked with a smirk. "Boudica, mind guarding our Master?"
The Rider nodded. "I'll be in your care once more, Morgana," she said with a smile to the catlike being. "Any objections before we set off?"
Morgana's ears twitched as he shook his head. "None from me," he replied. "But honestly? I don't like this. Any of this. It all feels off."
"On that, we can agree," Artoria replied.
They made their way down the corridor, Artoria and Medea carefully scanning for any traps as they walked while Archer steadily kept watch of their rear for anything that might ambush them from behind. Meanwhile, Boudica continued to guard Morgana who had all of his senses open, trying to detect anything out of the ordinary. While he couldn't smell anything past the bat residue left behind, he could still see and hear far better than most humans (though not Servants) – but still picked up nothing.
The corridor eventually opened up into a massive chamber. More braziers lined the walls, but they were unnecessary with the setting sun shining down from skylights in the ceiling high above. The walls were lined with paintings and reliefs, depicting even more figures and scenes of gods, people, and animals. In the middle stood a platform that rose high into the air, with a central set of steps as the only way to ascend. On the platform was some sort of table or pedestal, most likely for rituals.
And yet, no sign of their quarry whatsoever. Even the scent of the bats had died down for Morgana – it seemed they hadn't roosted in the central chamber for some reason or other. However, that didn't set any of their nerves at ease.
"Artoria, Medea," Morgana called over as he peered in wonder around the chamber. "You guys picking up anything?"
"The mystery around here is far greater than in the corridor," Medea reported. "And the magecraft woven is of much greater complexity than I expected. It will take a great amount of time to decipher it all – time I do not believe we have."
"There's nothing I can sense or tell," Artoria answered in turn. "But there is something here that is causing me to feel uneasy. At the very least, further investigation and caution is warranted."
Morgana considered their next move. "Let's investigate this place as carefully as possible," he decided. "If we don't find anything, either the target or even any hints, we're getting out of here and calling in for further scans or reports. Sound good?"
Archer nodded in agreement. "Very well, Master," he accepted. "I will check if there's anything above us from the skylights." Stepping forward, he vanished in a shower of golden dust as he entered his spirit form.
"I'll patrol the grounds and see if there's any documentation or signs," Artoria reported in turn. Her blade still in her hand, she walked off, alert for any further traps – be it magecraft or mundane.
Boudica looked around. "I'll stay by you, Master," she decided. "Given the situation, a bit more caution is warranted. Wouldn't you agree?"
The catlike being nodded. As proud as he was, he wasn't an idiot. Things had far exceeded his capabilities long ago – he still had nightmares every so often about that Berserker lunging at him with a bestial fury in the Roman singularity. If it wasn't for Medusa and Archer, he would've easily died both times. Not even Okumura's Palace when he tried to solo it brought him so close to the brink. Having someone as reliable as Boudica by his side was something he wouldn't take for granted.
"The altar may yield some clues," Medea mused. "I will head up and see if there are any signs."
"Got it," Morgana agreed with a nod. "Keep in mental contact. Same with the rest of you. Report back immediately if you've any findings."
Medea nodded. That done, she shot into the air, her cloak immediately spreading out into pseudo-wings as she flew to the central altar. Normally she wouldn't be so flashy when it came to transportation but she preferred not to waste time if it wasn't necessary, and a displacement mystery to get up there had a greater risk of triggering some sort of spell or bounded field. No, this was the safer method.
After carefully checking for any traps, she gently landed on the platform. As expected, the concentration of mystery and magical energy was far greater here than anywhere else in the chamber or in the corridor earlier. Was this perhaps the nexus or focal point of the place? It was more than possible it was built on a leyline – most temples were built on top of them to properly gather and funnel power for whatever rituals were performed.
As she approached, her eyes analyzed the dark stains on the long, narrow altar. Just as she expected, ritual sacrifices had been performed here. Curiously, while the magical energy radiating from it was strong, it wasn't as strong as she expected. At least, it wouldn't have been enough to maintain the magecraft around the structure, especially after so much time had passed. There had to be something else to it…
With a small frown, she murmured a small aria under her breath, tracing a small circle on the altar. The goddess of the hunt would not have sent them chasing some ordinary beast. It would be an exceptionally powerful one – and such creatures were sensitive to magical power. If she could trace the flow in the structure here, it may yield some clues or a lead toward their quarry. A matter of simplicity, but the simplest of processes could sometimes belie the greatest complexities, especially if she wasn't careful.
Placing her fingertips on the circle, she sent a small pulse of magical energy through. It wove its way through the intricately crafted lines and structures of the mysteries woven into the temple, mapping itself out in her mind's eye. It was incredibly intricate, so much so that she had to be careful not to lose herself in the arcane patterns of the magecraft. If time had permitted, she would've loved to dissect this place.
Then the pulse reached something she hadn't expected. She frowned slightly as it appeared in her mind's eye – and her eyes widened as it shifted. "Damn-!" she cursed.
That was all she could say before everything around them began quaking. Ancient dust showered down as the stones groaned and cracked underneath the shifting weight. "Guys, what's going on?!" Morgana demanded. "Artoria, Archer, Medea! Fill me in here!"
"Medea, what did you do?" the Saber snarled, her normally cool, calm demeanor now a visage of rage and frustration.
"Something was alerted by my analysis!" the witch answered as she took to the air once more. "Everyone, get-!" Before she could finish her sentence, the masonry on the ground cracked in an explosive report. Moments later, the floor and the platform shattered into pieces, all of it collapsing down into an endless pit below.
Morgana couldn't help but scream as he fell before Boudica scooped him up and held her close to her chest. All around them, the other Servants took action as Artoria and Archer destroyed the larger pieces of rubble. Meanwhile, Medea created a barrier of wind that howled around Boudica and their Master, warding off the dust and smaller bits of broken stone around them. Down, down, and further down they fell, the sunlight above swiftly becoming nothing more than tiny dots of light.
The catlike being looked up, seeing everyone doing their best to ward off the collapse, then looked down – and terror gripped him at what he saw. "W-we're gonna crash!" he screeched.
The Caster had prepared for that. Quickly shaping the winds around them, she funneled them downward to slow their fall. Boudica held Morgana tightly to her once more, gripping his head to make sure he wouldn't suffer whiplash as she landed, bending her knees to absorb the shock of the landing. Archer and Artoria landed beside them as rubble and dust fell all around the group, and finally Medea drifted down.
Then all was silent.
The catlike being gulped as he looked up. It was completely dark, to the point even his feline eyes couldn't pick anyone out. He only knew he was still in Boudica's grasp from touch and scent alone. "Are you alright, Master?" the Rider asked in concern.
"Erm, yeah, I'm fine," Morgana quickly stammered as he felt blood rush to his cheeks. He couldn't believe he lost his composure so easily like that. He whipped his head around, trying to find the others. "What about you guys?" he asked. "Anyone need healing or curing?"
"No injuries here, Master," the red-mantled hero reported, then he smirked. "Though I'm surprised you were so panicked. I thought cats would be able to land on their feet no matter what."
Morgana scowled. "That's only if I'm not caught by surprise," he snapped back. Still, the frustration cleared a bit of his head from the panic – not that he'd tell Archer. "Medea? Mind if we at least get some light? I dunno about Servants but I can't see anything here."
The Caster nodded and summoned the orb of light once again, illuminating everyone – and her eyes widened as it almost immediately vanished. No, not vanished: it felt like something had completely consumed it. "Something is amiss," she stated, to everyone's concern. "I will require a moment to-"
Whatever she was about to say was interrupted as the screeching of innumerable bats broke out all around them. The Servants immediately clustered together, their weapons at the ready as they looked about in vain for the threat. Boudica still held Morgana in one arm, shield in her free hand. The catlike being, who normally protested over such treatment, could only look around in panic as he tried to pick out any sign of the enemy. However, the shrieking and musk of bats made it all but impossible for him to discern anything.
"Incoming!" Artoria barked. That was the only warning they had before they were bombarded by swarms of bats. Everyone warded off the attack as best they could, with Archer and Artoria slicing down as many bats as they could while Boudica used her small shield to protect herself and Morgana, but in the absence of visibility, many got through their defenses regardless.
The Saber had far more success protecting herself thanks to her Instinct guiding her blade, but the only one unscathed was Medea who had simply conjured up a barrier to block them. Everyone else was battered and scratched by the bats as they furiously swooped in, biting and clawing anything within reach. There wasn't much overall damage, but the attack only further increased their wariness. When there was a lull, Morgana's circuits warmed up as he tore off his inner mask.
"Zorro!" he cried.
Although the normally outstanding persona couldn't be seen at all in the darkness, he could still felt the familiar presence of his other self coming into being. With a quick mental command, Zorro cast a healing spell, and for good measure he also cast an Amrita Shower in case any of the bats were infected or poisoned. "Everyone alright?" he called out.
"So far so good here, Master," Boudica replied, holding Morgana a bit closer to her for security as the screeching of countless bats still surrounded them.
"Thanks for the follow-up," Archer responded, Kanshou and Byakuya in his hands. As powerful as his eyesight was, he could pick out absolutely nothing in this darkness. "But there's not much we can do here right now. We need to find a retreat-"
"SCATTER!" Artoria suddenly roared.
None of the group wasted any time hesitating or asking questions. They immediately dove out of the way – and a split second later, something humungous crashed right where they had been standing. The landing buffeted all of them with a foul wind, with the only sound being that of claws scraping against stone. Archer backed up further, readying himself to throw his shortswords at whatever the enemy was. As he did so, he felt his elbow brush up against something-
Suddenly, everything erupted into a nova of light. The sudden onset of brightness compared to the dark assaulted his eyes, forcing him to shut them as pain lanced through his senses. Temporarily disoriented and blinded, he couldn't react in time as something struck him hard in the chest, sending him crashing through multiple stone structures before smashing against a wall. He gasped out blood as he felt his bones and muscles being pulverized from the sheet impact both from the blow and the landing.
"Archer!" Artoria cried out in concern. In that brief flash of light before darkness fell again, she managed to glimpse at the creature. Large, covered in some sort of clothing, big ears, on all fours, with a membrane stretching from arms to the body, flat nosed. It was almost without doubt some sort of giant bat, yet there were other details that she couldn't place in just that brief moment. It was enough to glean that they had found their target, but nothing else. Before she could charge forward, she felt a gust of foul wind and a presence leaving. It had just flown off, leaving her unable to attack or even track it.
'Our target is here,' she hurriedly reported mentally to the others. Talking telepathically was a far more reliable method of communication right now, with everyone's positions scattered and the swarms of bats making talking untenable. 'However, Archer was injured by it, and it is clear that it holds every advantage in this environment. We need to regroup.'
Morgana scowled. Of course this hunt wouldn't be that easy. Summoning Zorro once more, he tried mentally reaching to Archer and guiding the healing spell towards him that way. He had no idea if that would work – he normally relied on sight for his healing spells – but he had no other option right now. 'Archer, how are you doing?' he asked in concern.
The red-mantled hero glowed – though the light wasn't even visible to him – as all his injuries knitted themselves together. 'Better now thanks to you, Master,' he replied, his smirk clear in his tone before it faded. 'However, Artoria is right. We are in no condition to fight right now. I may be able to buy us some time but retreating would be our best option.'
As he spoke, Kanshou and Byakuya were replaced with his simple, utilitarian black bow. In his free hand, he summoned another sword: A long sword with a dark, wavy blade. As the red-mantled hero nocked the sword, it lengthened and thinned until it approximately resembled an arrow. He took aim at the gigantic bat, and fired, calling out the name of the blade.
"Hrunting!"
The blade shot off into the darkness. It was soon followed by a monstrous, startled squeal from the creature, echoing throughout the cave – or wherever it was they landed. The bats all around them screeched, this time their tones mirroring the larger one's panic as their assault abated for now. It was clear that the smaller bats followed the commands of the larger one at the very least.
The red-mantled hero smirked to himself. Hrunting was a particular favorite of his: It tracked down whatever he aimed at without err, even if it was deflected, parried, or repulsed. It moved much slower than usual since he couldn't directly aim for it, but that worked for him: It meant the bat would be distracted for longer trying in vain to evade it. In the meantime, he needed to regroup with the others – not the easiest of feats.
"Trace. On," he muttered, activating his mainstay magecraft: Structural analysis. Like always, the area around him began to be mapped out in his mind's eye, filling his brain with information. He began marking out his path when suddenly, the mapping stopped. In fact, to his surprise, the information quickly receded – no, not receded. It was more like it was being forced back, as if something was resisting the information from being collected. Protective measures against structural analysis? He should have expected as much in such a location.
Then a loud screech of pain echoed in the chamber, causing the bats to all cry out in distress. Hrunting must have finally found its mark. While normally his projections faded away, this time he channeled more mana to keep the arrow sword burrowed in the giant bat's flesh. It could be used as a tracker for its location. It was crude, but it worked. With how things were turned against them, they needed every advantage they could get.
Before he could summon another Hrunting, the creature gave another screech, this time sounding far more furious. In an instant, he was swarmed with far more bats than before. With a scowl, Archer summoned his shortswords once again and hacked away at them with only a modicum of success. There was only so much he could do when there were so many vectors of attack and while he was blind.
Then suddenly, the ground beneath him began quaking violently, almost knocking him off his feet. He stumbled, cursing as he tried to steady himself for another assault, but to his surprise, the bats seemed as confused as he was. They were whirling about, their screeches sounding more scared than angry. Was the place finally giving in? If that was the case, they needed to leave as soon as they confirmed Morgana's safety. The other Servants would be able to escape easily but not so for their Master.
Projecting a spear, he began running in the direction he was flung from while using it as a walking stick. To his surprise, after a couple steps, the tremors quickly began diminishing. A few more steps later, they were just as violent as before. Frowning, he decided to backtrack - and to his surprise, the tremors lessened again. He moved in a different direction and the quakes continued to diminish. This had to be a trap.
Archer could only smirk bitterly to himself. He was reminded of that time he fought against Lancer, leaving deliberate openings to lure his attacks in. Maybe this was the same.
As he ran, he felt a shift in the air that didn't come from the bats, either the smaller ones or the larger ones. He lifted up the spear just in case it was a hostile – and was met with something metallic smacking it hard aside. Releasing his grasp of the spear, it flung away and vanished as he summoned his shortswords once more, ready to engage. The quaking was now nothing more than subtle shaking he could feel through his boots, enough for a secure footing to fight on.
Just as he was about to engage – either to fight or to flee, he would know after the first few seconds – a mental voice shunted its way into their minds. 'Must you two insist on lashing out as soon as you encounter an unknown?' Medea snapped. 'I've secured a retreat. Hold out your hands.'
Frowning, an image appeared in his mind: that of a red-haired young man bound by nearly invisible threads forced to lift up his hand - the one bearing his command seals. However, he had little choice in the matter. Reluctantly, he raised an arm and felt an almost imperceptible string bind around his wrist. It began tugging away at him and after a moment's hesitation, he followed.
'Hey, where is everyone?' came Morgana's concerned voice.
'I'm here, Master,' Archer reported. 'I have met up with Caster and she is leading me someplace. What about you?'
'Oh, you too, huh?' Morgana responded. 'That's a relief. I'm with Boudica right now, and we're being led by Medea too. Artoria? You there?'
'Present, Master,' the king of knights replied. 'I too am being led by Caster. I presume she has also told you all that she has found a retreat?'
''She' is right here,' Medea snapped back irritably. 'And yes, I have. Move before the bats rally again.'
The red-mantled hero scowled but followed regardless. This wasn't something he was comfortable with, but he didn't have a choice. The only sounds around them were the confused screeches of bats. The absence of any sign of the large bat was concerning. Still, he could tell they were being sought out if not watched. The sooner they could regroup, the better.
Meanwhile, Boudica held Morgana close in her arms as she followed the string, her shield still up in the air. She couldn't fight normally, not with her free arm occupied like this. In this darkness with many of their senses stripped away, she wasn't sure if she could protect Morgana in any other way. It was a small blessing that her Master was so small.
'Holding up, Boudica?' Morgana asked in concern.
She flashed a smile to the catlike being before remembering he couldn't see her. 'Getting by, but thank you for asking,' she replied, trying to keep her voice light. 'What of you, Master?'
'Could be better,' he grumbled. 'I can't do anything like this – I've already tried curing our 'blindness' if that was the case, but no dice. Unless it's some sort of special condition, we're not blind. It's just way too dark here!' The Rider frowned slightly as she thought. Were there magecraft or mysteries that could block off light? Medea would've created all sorts of light sources already if she could so what was going on here?
Before she could ask, Archer's panicked mental shout blasted through. 'The bat is diving down – get out of the way!' he roared.
Boudica and Morgana's eyes widened. The queen tried to sense where to dodge but the tremors from Medea were messing with her footing and her sixth sense. Before she could do anything else, a gigantic claw rammed and clenched around her, knocking the wind out of her before they were both dragged into the air.
'Wh- OH CRAP!' the latter swore.
The catlike being's alarmed shout within their minds was the only warning Archer had before he was suddenly pulled aloft by the string. It was over his sleeve so it didn't dug in but it was uncomfortable nevertheless. 'What's happening over there?!' he demanded.
'We're caught by the bat!' Boudica yelled. She switched from her shield to her sword and tried hacking away at the bat's claw, but the blade kept bouncing off. 'I'm trying to cut our way out, but my sword keeps bouncing off its claws. Medea, I'll throw Master over to you! After that, break my string and escape! I'll do what I can to keep the bat occupied!'
'A noble idea, but unnecessary,' Medea brusquely shot down. It was a rather simple matter to work with – the string was attached to her staff in case something like this might happen, and only one of them was being pulled upward. Her cloak spread out as she easily kept up with the bat and with a murmured aria, a battery of magic circles appeared. Adjusting her aim so they were 'above' the string's location, she fired a barrage of condensed magical blasts.
Though she couldn't see anything, the loud, startled shriek informed her it had the desired effect. The line went slack then began dropping. Rapidly descending in turn, she let the others deal with their own landing and focused on her own work. Muttering another aria, she thudded her staff against the ground as she landed. A small quake rippled out from the point of impact and spread out, quickly creating a rudimentary map of the area in her mind's eye. With that, she got her bearings and relocated their escape.
'We have no time,' she barked. 'Follow me. Now!'
She tugged on her staff in emphasis and quickly began leading the others. The giant bat's startled shrieks echoed throughout the chamber, arousing her curiosity a bit. She was sure it would have recovered by now. While a wind barrier to trap sound might help disguise her, the others could still be snatched up. Did she harm it more than she had planned? It certainly would be a bonus, but she doubted it.
Still, it wasn't the time to ponder what was happening. Racing through the area, they wove around stone structures and other obstacles they couldn't make heads or tails of, all the while warding off the bats and keeping an eye out for their quarry. The shrieking of the creatures and the fluttering of their myriad wings filled their ears as unease and paranoia gripped at their stomachs. They were all too aware it could dive again at any moment.
Then after what felt like an agonizing eternity, they suddenly could see again. They were in a long cave, unadorned and plain. It was clear that the temple's artisans hadn't worked on this location compared to the main compound. The screeching of bats was everpresent but they were distant and faint. It seemed Medea was true to her word: They had escaped, if only temporarily.
"We can rest here for now," the Caster informed them. "I shall set a bounded field so we will not be found so easily."
Before she could turn away to do so, Artoria growled, "What were you up to, Caster?"
The witch turned around, an eyebrow raised in question underneath her hood. "Pardon?" she asked.
"Your earthquake nearly destabilized us," Archer supplied, his arms crossed. "And rendered us almost easy pickings for the bat. If your intention had been to use us as bait while making an escape for either yourself and hopefully for our Master." A bitter, sardonic smile crossed his lips. "Not the worst plan you could've cooked up - I would've done something similar myself."
Medea let out a scoff. "If you were too much of a simpleton to understand my intentions, then indeed I would have," she retorted sharply. "With a creature like this, we cannot have any dead weight among us. Considering part of my duty of lightening our Masters' load, figuratively and literally."
"You go too far, Caster," the King of Knights snarled. "That is not your decision to make, nor does your attitude excuse your unconscionable behavior. This is no longer a Grail War, and as such it would behoove you to keep your allies' well-being in mind. Or do you consider that beyond your responsibilities, Witch of Colchis?"
The Caster bristled at the title and opened her mouth to respond-
"Enough, all of you!"
Morgana and Boudica had stepped in between all of them, glaring at them all. "Listen, I don't know what kind of history you guys have," the former snapped. "And right now, I don't care. We have a mission to finish, and we're never going to get anywhere if we're left snapping at each other's necks all day long like this! So cut it out and let's get this done already!"
"And there's no way to put this lightly," Boudica added. "But our coordination right now is atrocious. We may all be incredibly capable individually, but that won't be enough against the bat – especially in its own territory. It will require the cooperation of all of us in order to defeat it. I didn't think I would have to be the one to remind you all of this, but it seems I have to."
Artoria, Archer, and Medea all glared at one another for a moment longer. Finally, the King of Knights let out a shaky breath, her body slowly slumping. "You speak correctly, Boudica. Master," she acknowledged soberly. "I have been too focused on past wrongs rather than focusing on the matter at hand, and it is utterly unbecoming of me. My deepest apologies."
"Indeed, I apologize as well," Medea said. She could feel the ire from the Saber but she brushed it off as she had so many times before. "I shall keep my allies' wellbeing in mind next time I act as well as make my intentions transparent for us."
The catlike being huffed. "So long as you all understand," he grumbled. "I'm not asking you all to make up with each other – even I know that's a stupid idea – but I expect all of you guys to at least try to be professional about this." He was getting a headache from all this. These guys were all adults, and not to mention great figures of legend and myth. The least he could tell was that it had to be bad if even Artoria snapped, but they should be better than this!
He could feel the onset of a headache. Was this how Ren felt every time he had to wrangle the Thieves? That said, a lot of the trouble came from his spats with Ryuji. He needed to be nicer to him when they next met. Though he already planned to do so, it would at least be one less thing Ren needed to deal with. Anything to reduce the stress on him. At least he was sleeping properly again nowadays.
"Archer?" Boudica asked pointedly, her eyes boring into the red-mantled hero. "What do you have to say about all this?"
The man was silent, his steel-grey eyes unreadable as they stared at the Caster. Though her eyes weren't visible, it was clear the witch was meeting his gaze in turn. For a moment, neither of them said anything, gauging the other's intentions actions and movements. Morgana was ready to tear the mask within his mind, ready to intervene if things came to a head while Boudica's hand twitched in preparation.
Finally, Archer turned away. "Don't worry, Master," he reassured Morgana. "I won't do anything to jeopardize our goals or our allies. At least, not meaninglessly."
Morgana groaned in frustration. "That doesn't make me feel any better, Archer!" he cried out. Medea said nothing. Her only reaction was a thin, humorless smile.
Taking a deep breath to calm down, he looked up at all the Servants. "Right, if we're all done with the drama for now," he declared. "Let's at least share what we've learned. Artoria, what have you got?"
Artoria nodded. "The bats appear to be far more resilient and stronger than normal bats," she reported. "While individually not an issue, I would estimate there are hundreds if not thousands of them within the chamber. They are not individually intelligent, but they are commanded by the giant one – and only commanded by it. They lose their cohesion quickly if they are not directed."
"I can vouch for that," Archer agreed. "I fired Hrunting twice at it and each time, the attacks from the bats have considerably lessened. It should give us openings we can use, though it is best we don't solely rely on it."
"Wait, sorry," Morgana piped up. "What's Hrunting, exactly?"
"A homing arrow," the red-mantled hero elaborated. The catlike being nodded in reply. That was all he needed to know about it right now. "They've also found their mark as well – I can trace their magic energy in the dark so we can at monitor whether it's attacking, observing, or even fleeing."
Morgana nodded thoughtfully as Boudica spoke up. "The creature is also far more resilient than I expected," she reported. "I don't think I did any damage to it at all when I was hacking at its claw. Whether it's armored or the hide is simply that hard, I'm not sure. I certainly don't recall bats having such resilient claws."
"They normally do not," Artoria agreed, musing. "There must be some other factor at work here."
Finally, the Master looked over to Medea. "What've you found out, Medea?" he asked. "I'm guessing you figured out a lot here."
The Caster frowned slightly. "Not nearly as much as I would have liked," she admitted. "There are many mysteries lined up within that chamber. Traps, reinforcement, bounded fields, and more. As you're all aware, there's a mystery that hinders vision as well: Bounded fields that trap and contain light. They aren't difficult to break, but the chamber simply recreates the bounded field to trap the light once more."
"I think I know what you're talking about," Archer commented, drawing a surprised glance from Medea. "I stumbled on something that was some sort of flashbang. Would that be the bounded field you're talking about?"
The witch nodded. "Most likely, yes," she replied. "And there are undoubtedly many of them scattered around the chamber. However, the problem is that the chamber itself will simply reconstitute the bounded fields even if they are dispelled, on top of whatever mysteries are left. No, before dealing with the giant bat, we must deal with the chamber's protections first."
Artoria frowned. "And how do you propose we do that?" she asked. "I doubt simply using your Noble Phantasm will be enough to deal with the issue, unless there is some hidden property that I am yet unaware of."
"Medea's Noble Phantasm?" Morgana echoed, blinking owlishly at the Caster. "It can do something like that?"
The Caster shot a glare at the King of Knights under her hood, who simply kept her expression neutral in response. Reluctantly, she drew something out within the depths of her robe: A dagger with a purple, zig-zagging blade. On the surface, it looked like an incredibly innocuous and even useless weapon, good for neither stabbing nor cutting. However, it shone with an iridescent light, giving off an air of menace that caused the catlike being's fur to stand on end.
"So, that's your Noble Phantasm?" he asked, trying to stifle his nerves.
"Correct, Master," Medea confirmed stiffly. "Rule Breaker. It has the capability of unraveling and twisting magecraft, whether simply dispelling them or transferring them under my ownership. All it requires is that I invoke its power as I stab with it, and it shall take effect immediately."
Morgana's eyes widened at the explanation. Given how widespread magecraft was, including his and Ren's own personas, it was an incredibly useful Noble Phantasm. "Huh," he murmured at a slight loss for words. "So why didn't you use it to start off with? I'm guessing there's a lot of conditions before it can be properly used?"
The Caster smiled despite herself. "An astute observation, Master," she confirmed. "While it's relatively easy to invoke, you are correct that there are circumstances to utilizing it correctly. The first of which is that its scope is limited – it can only affect the mysteries it directly impacts. If there is anything else connecting to it, those are unaffected by my Noble Phantasm. Thoughtlessly dispelling a mystery can cause a chain reaction that might possibly spell our doom. Thus, caution is warranted."
"The second of which is its size and usage," she continued. "I cannot throw or fire this. I must directly stab a target to actualize my Noble Phantasm's effects. And I doubt I need to explain how poor a weapon it makes." She raised the dagger for emphasis, its zig-zagging blade glinting in the light. Morgana had to admit, it didn't take an expert like Artoria or Archer to know it was not meant for traditional combat.
"Despite my capabilities, I fare poorly in close quarters combat," she stated. "Thus, my target must be stationary and, if it's a living being, willing to be subject to it or incapacitated." Another sharp glance from both Saber and Archer that she ignored. "And related to my points, there is one more fact I have discovered."
"And what would that be, Medea?" Boudica asked, glancing at the dagger in curiosity.
"The mysteries in the chamber have a singular power source," the Caster elaborated. "The giant bat itself. If I can locate the locus where the chamber's magical energy is received and use my Noble Phantasm on it, it will immediately shut down all the mysteries within. However, there are protections I need to breach. I will require time to analyze the chamber to properly locate it – time that you must buy me, one way or another."
"You can't do it remotely?" Archer asked with a frown.
The Caster frowned. "The outer shell of protections renders that unfeasible," she answered. "And I rather not cut off our ingress or retreat if we are discovered."
Morgana crossed his paws, thinking. They had a method to take away the bat's home field advantage but actually pulling it off is another matter entirely. It would require covering the Caster while she analyzed the chamber and found the focal point for the energy. During that time, they would need to fend off swarms of countless bats and the giant one, all while being essentially blinded and deafened. That was an incredibly tall order. Even Zorro powering up their abilities would be of limited usefulness considering everything else. And as for his own wind magics…
Wind…
Suddenly, his eyes shot wide open. "I have an idea," he declared.
The cave had been connected to an out-of-the-way corridor that led to the main hallway. The portal into the corridor looked like a dark portal, ready to swallow the group up once more. Yet after making their preparations, the group entered. And in that moment, their vision was robbed from them once more as all of Medea's lights were absorbed and trapped. The squeaking of myriad bats became louder and louder as they traversed the corridor before finally stepping out into the main hallway, there they became shrieks of outrage.
'Location check,' Morgana called out. Before they had re-entered, one of their preparations was a bit of magecraft Medea performed: Two magic circles drawn on the back of their hands. The first itched gently within the shape in Morgana's direction while also growing warmer depending on how close they were in proximity to him. The second circle itched according to their location in relation to their Master, depending on where he was facing. It took a bit of practice to properly utilize them by feel alone, but it was intuitive enough.
'Approximately four meters on your left, Master,' Artoria reported.
'Six meters on your 4 o'clock,' Archer responded.
'Right here, Master,' Boudica added, Morgana tucked squarely in her arm. It was decided that keeping Morgana in the Rider's hands was the safest location he could be, given the circumstances.
'Ten meters on your South-Southwest,' Medea finished.
That was all they had time for before they were swarmed by bats once again. This time, they were prepared. Medea tilted her staff, quickly creating a bounded field that sounded a sonic boom outward. The clamor startled the bats into a panic as it echoed along the chamber, their onslaught quickly dwindling down to panicked streams that were far easier to manage.
Meanwhile, Medea made her preparations for the analyses. 'Master, I am ready to begin,' she declared.
'Got it,' he acknowledged. Time to give Medea the opportunity to uncover the temple's secrets. 'Alright everyone! Remember your roles! I'm counting on all of you!' With that, he reached for his inner mask. Using wind to disrupt the movements of airborne creatures was almost elementary, though it required careful coordination. Artoria's winds wasn't something that could be used lightly – Excalibur was still their absolute trump card for this hunt, after all. The magical energy it could output just from unveiling it could scare it off, which would make things far more complicated.
Now it was all on him. Normal winds wouldn't work here, not with something as powerful as their quarry. They needed nothing short of a hurricane. He had the power, but he had been conserving it until he had a better understanding of his limits. But just like before, limits were made to be reached – and broken. That his friends had done it and how Ren had done it as well.
So like hell he was going to fall behind! He was Morgana of the Phantom Thieves, and now was the time to show it! He tore off his inner mask and reached past Zorro to call forth-
"Mercurius!"
The catlike being felt his circuits blaze as his persona's second form manifested. Although he couldn't see it, he could still visualize its form in his mind: Lithe and lean, dressed in a deep blue suit with a hood, and feathered wings sprouting from its legs. Its face was masked, adorned with red visors that flared out into wing decorations on the sides. Its gold, ring-like shoulder cuffs matched its resplendent shoes and gauntlets, and clutched in its hand was the spiral winged staff, Caduceus.
Despite the greater strain on his body and circuits, Morgana couldn't help but smile. No matter what form they took, his other self was always a comforting presence. But feeling the sheer might and power of Mercurius compared to Zorro, he now felt close to unstoppable. The only way it would be better was if it was Diego, but he would get there eventually. Maybe.
He shook his head to snap himself out of it. Not the time. He needed to play his part.
'Incoming, directly south!' Archer suddenly barked.
Artoria scowled. Calculating the trajectory of her path, she immediately moved to intercept – then her instincts began screaming at her that something was wrong. However, she couldn't stop her momentum in time. As she lifted her blade, it brushed against one – no, multiple soft things at once.
Then the entire world went blindingly white as everything exploded into pure light. Everyone was forced to shield their eyes, closing them as the light assaulted their senses. A second later, a humongous presence charged into their midst and spun, its tail and claws lashing out, sending everyone the entire group flying in different directions.
Boudica held Morgana close to her to cushion him as she crashed through multiple stone structures before crashing into a wall hard. The catlike being's eyes widened as he heard multiples within her body shatter from the impacts. "Boudica!" he cried out in a panic. 'Damn it, give me a second – I'll heal all of you!'
'Don't waste your energy, Master.'
'Archer?' came Artoria's surprised, concerned reply.
'Every second we waste is more momentum for this bat,' he quickly explained. 'Continue with the plan. I'll hold it off.'
'That's suicide!' the Saber hotly retorted.
'So nothing new then,' the red-mantled hero remarked, the smirk clear in his tone.
Morgana scowled but he couldn't argue the man's point. He fired up his circuits and called forth Mercurius again. Instead of healing, he commanded his persona to do something else: Great blades of vacuum that left gusts of air rushing to fill in its wake. It was the most powerful wind spell he could conjure, and one he would need to maintain until Medea had all the time he needed.
The winds from the persona were nothing short of calamitous. As the air churned in the wake of the blades, the swarms of bats screeched in panic and fear as they were torn asunder by the gale or smashed against stone structures and walls like nothing more than insects. There was no shelter from the storm, no mercy. Boudica was forced to summon her blade and stab into the stone wall beside her to anchor herself from the typhoon, holding the Master close to her.
The catlike being grasped from the exertion of his magecraft. His body grew hotter and hotter with each passing moment he maintained the Vacuum Wave. Was this how Ren felt every time he used his abilities to the utmost? Still, he stuck to their plan. Until he got the okay from Medea or any indication that the situation had changed, he couldn't let up – he wouldn't let up. He wouldn't settle for any less.
The winds picked up even further. Trapped in the confined space, the gales rebounded off the walls and crashed against other air currents, creating a violent tempest. The panicked shrieking of bats could barely be heard above the rampaging winds as they dwindled in number and volume, many of them prematurely silenced as they met their ends. Rocks and rubble, propelled by the storm, darted through the air like bullets, tearing everything they met asunder.
Then the world began turning and everything shifted – up until Boudica caught him. "Master!" she called out over the wind in concern. "You're burning up! You need to stop this!"
The catlike being slowly righted himself. He couldn't even tell if his eyes were open or not through the exhaustion, fevered delirium, and darkness. "Did anyone report in?" he gasped out, barely audible above the gale.
The Rider hesitated, then reluctantly shook her head. "Nobody has said anything yet," she admitted.
"Then I'm not stopping," he growled. Ignoring Boudica's further protests, he prepared another Vacuum Wave when suddenly a voice boomed out over the howling winds.
"Rule Breaker!"
Then suddenly, everything exploded all around them in pure light. Boudica shielded her eyes as Morgana yowled, agony lancing through his throbbing brain and circuits. His eyes shut tightly as he cradled his head. A moment later, he felt himself being hoisted into the air and carried. Boudica was probably moving him. Slowly, he opened his eyes to check on his surroundings.
Whatever the chamber looked like before, it was nothing but a wreckage, dimly lit by stray flames. Stone rubble was strewn all about, hurled every which way from the storm and whatever the Servants and the beast had done. The ground was completely littered with the corpses of bats. Some had been sliced into pieces, many others were broken and shattered. Underneath the bodies were gold coins, exotic fabrics, and innumerable other treasures, all drenched in blood.
Under normal circumstances, he would've gone completely crazy for the treasure, but his feverish mind could barely string together a coherent thought. Instead, he pulled what remained of his focus together to look for any oncoming threats. The countless numbers of bats fluttering high above them, a black, ominous cloud that squeaked and screeched in confusion.
Then a blue glow began overtaking this vision. Squinting his eyes, he turned to the source and saw Medea standing there, her dagger in one hand and staff in the other as a glowing orb of light floated near her. Standing beside her was Artoria, invisible blade in hand. They both turned towards them, looking slightly haggard but otherwise fine. "Master, Boudica," the King of Knights greeted.
"Artoria. Medea," the Rider greeted in turn. "Where's Archer?"
She was soon answered as a rumble nearby echoed through the ruined chamber. A gigantic pile of rubble nearby suddenly erupted, followed by something being flung at high speed. Artoria's eyes widened. Her blade vanished as she leaped up, intercepting the object – and caught Archer in her arms. "Archer!" she cried.
"Heh, not my best work, I'll admit," he gasped out. The red-mantled hero was no longer wearing his coat, revealing how bad a condition he was in. He was covered in wounds from head to toe and completely caked in blood and dust – both his own and the giant bat's. His black body armor was scored and torn in dozens of places, revealing weeping gashes and puncture wounds. However, that paled in comparison to the most striking injury of all:
His arm was gone, the stump bleeding out his vital fluids. "Fighting in the dark isn't my specialty," he admitted with a weak grin.
Before anyone could respond, a low thump interrupted them. The giant bat stepped forth, shaking off the rubble. It was covered in stone armor and crowned with a ceremonial headdress. Its claws were tipped with gleaming black stone. The nostrils of its flat nose flared as it took in the scent of its surroundings, its gigantic ears twitching slightly. Embedded in its body were multiple swords – most likely Archer's work. Its baleful yellow eyes stared at Medea's orb of light, then back at the group slowly, as if piecing everything together. Without taking its gaze off the group, it turned and spat out what it held in its maw: Archer's still bleeding arm.
Artoria immediately moved in front, holding her sword at the ready while a battery of magic circles appeared above Medea, all aiming at the creature. Meanwhile, as Boudica protectively held Morgana closer, the catlike being looked weakly over at Archer, then over at his arm. For a moment, nobody moved.
Then the beast shrieked, the sound dwarfing any cry it had made before. The sheer power of it created a blast of energy, forcing all of them back. Darkness emerged from its form and quickly shrouded their vision, rendering them blind once more. Moments later, Artoria sensed its presence rapidly approaching and swung her blade. It collided against something hard, sending her skidding backward as she barely held her ground. The pressure lessened slightly and the Saber braced herself for another attack-
"The creature's right! Attack there!"
Her eyes widened in surprise. Before she could react or say anything further, something flashed brightly from that direction and suddenly, she could see again – just in time to see the bat's other claw smashing down on her location. Nimbly dodging to the side, it shot past her as she swiped at its head. Her sword scraped against it like it hit stone, but it was enough to force the bat back in surprise, allowing her to catch a glimpse of Byakuya embedded in the ground before it shattered.
"Well, good to know it's easier to get rid of this time," Archer remarked, smirking despite all his injuries.
The gigantic bat shrieked upward, and it was answered by the swarms of its smaller cohorts above. More began pouring in from side chambers, quickly filling the room before descending on them in almost uncountable swarms. Medea quickly muttered an aria and a barrier of wind formed around them, deflecting the first wave, but they pressed hard, trying to use their combined mass to shove through.
Morgana scowled as he blinked blearily at the situation. His bones felt like water and his skin and muscles felt like they were burning. He hoped they would at least be able to retrieve Archer's arm so he could reattach it and spare himself a bit of energy, but there was nothing for it. Using Mercurius right now was beyond him, so for now… "Zorro!" he cried.
The musketeer persona burst forth in a flash of blue flame. With a gesture of its rapier, Archer began glowing with a green light as all his wounds sealed up and healed. More importantly, his arm grew back: Bone, muscle and sinew, skin, all of it. A second later, Archer's arm was back as if though it had never been injured in the first place, leaving the man staring at his new limb in shock and amazement.
The catlike being prepared another healing spell to at least get everyone fully restored – then a coughing fit seized him as his circuits burned throughout his body. Zorro burst like a balloon into nothingness, leaving the Master there struggling to catch his breath.
"Master!" Artoria called out in concern. Even Medea looked over in shock before turning around and redoubling the winds. There was currently no sign of the giant bat. "Boudica, can you use your chariot?"
Boudica blinked, then nodded with determination. "I will protect you," she intoned, gathering magical energy. Medea glanced over, but before she could open a tunnel for them, a storm of arrows pierced through her winds from within and winnowed out countless bats, creating an opening.
"Hurry up!" Archer barked, bow in hand. Medea frowned but nevertheless followed up on the opening by creating a tunnel of wind for her. The Rider's eyes flashed as she invoked the name of her Noble Phantasm.
'Chariot of Boudica!'
Boudica's chariot, drawn by two great white steeds, burst into being. Cradling Morgana into her arms, she took off down the opening of wind. It sped down, fast as a storm as the Rider drove it toward safety – and into the waiting claws of the giant bat as it plunged downward in a cloud of darkness and bats.
The queen's eyes widened in shock as darkness descended on her and her Master. There was nowhere to turn or run and she couldn't go any faster. She could only hope her Noble Phantasm would hold-
"Hrunting!"
A dark sword-arrow sped like a comet right into the cloud. There was a resounding screech of shock as it was knocked off course, causing it to crash hard into the stone below. The Rider took advantage and dashed through on her chariot, eventually breaking free of the swarms of bats. Now she had a lot more room to maneuver – and neither the giant bat nor the smaller ones would be able to touch her.
"Do not be sloppy, Archer," Medea chided. With another wave of her staff, vines shot out of the ground and wrapped around the bat. There was another screech of panic as it tore its way out, but more vines came to reinforce it. "We cannot resort to half measures for this creature."
The red-mantled hero smirked sardonically. "Are you planning on making this one a familiar too?" he asked as he summoned another sword to his hand. "You were always one to make use of any and all resources when you can grab them."
The Caster flashed a glare at the man. "Spare me your spite and jest," she snapped. "This isn't some mere creature Artemis has sent us chasing – this bat is a divine beast!"
Archer's smile immediately vanished. "What did you say?" he asked in disbelief.
Any further conversation was forestalled by another shriek from the giant bat. The swarms above all descended at once in a black mass, obscuring their vision and harrying them by battering, biting, and clawing at the Servants. With that opening, the creature freed one of its claws from the vines, the plants tearing and snapping from its strength. It grabbed Artoria in midair as she charged in for another blow and dragged her along the ground before throwing her hard enough to crater another wall.
"Artoria!" Morgana cried. He still dangled in Boudica's grip as the Rider kept her chariot moving, outpacing the bats as best as she could while holding her shield up to prevent the bats from doing any further harm via inertia. At this rate, they were all going to be overwhelmed as the bat quickly started regaining its momentum.
His circuits began warming up again, singeing his already burning body as he prepared his persona. A quick heal to everyone here, then a wind spell to give everyone else an opening. He already pushed himself this far – there's absolutely no way he wouldn't see this through to the end. Taking a deep breath, he tore off his mask within himself as he always did. "Zor-!" he began calling out.
Then Medea pointed her staff at him, and the catlike being immediately slumped over unconscious.
"Master!" Boudica cried out, sparing only a quick glance at Morgana before spurring her chariot on to avoid the bats.
Ignoring the glare from Archer beside her, she muttered another aria under her breath. With a wave of her staff, a powerful gust of freezing winds emanated from her, turning the swarms of bats around them into frozen sculptures. The sheer drop in temperature caused the tropical bats to squeal in confusion, fluttering every which way. It would take a second for the giant bat to regain control over them.
More than enough time for Artoria to dash forward at inhuman speeds, her blade at the ready once more. The giant bat moved to swat her away – and the King of Knights lifted her sword, slicing off one of its talons. Shrieking in pain and surprise, it took to the air. Her reach was only slightly shy of it, her blow once more glancing off the beast's face as it fled upwards, darkness once more springing from its being as the swarms of its lesser brethren wrapped around it.
As the darkness descended, Medea scowled. A small magic circle appeared and blasted a ray of power to a spot above. Something burst, and once again the darkness lifted, revealing the bat – with a maw full of its subordinates, devouring the bloody mass. As it did so, the talon that had been sliced off rapidly grew back. The Hrunting that had been barely embedded in its slide slowly pushed out before finally exiting its flesh, the sword-arrow clanging loudly against the stone.
Archer scowled as it reassessed the creature. It could eat its kin to regenerate – and he had a feeling it had been doing that whenever it actually got hit by Hrunting – and it somehow kept deflecting Saber's blows. The latter was cause for concern; unless the bat was made of solid metal, she should be slicing through it without much issue. But it was a flesh-and-blood creature, not a construct. The only way he could think of was to….
His eyes widened. Was it possible?
His attention was grabbed as the King of Knights charged back in, and he could see why: The giant bat had been eyeing the chariot with Boudica, who had her hands full both holding an unconscious Morgana and avoiding the swarms of bats all around them. Artoria skillfully used her mana burst to quickly lift herself into the air, then shot back down to bring her blade down on the creature's head. A flap of its wings allowed it to dodge backwards away from the Saber…
And allowed Archer to hop up in turn behind it, a dagger with a zig-zagging blade in hand. "Rule Breaker!" he declared. Before the bat could readjust its position, the blade came down. There was a bright flash of purple light and the sound of something breaking. The bat screeched and whirled about in the air, smashing Archer out of the air and into a wall. Yet despite the hard hit and collision, the red-mantled hero could only smirk.
Medea's eyes meanwhile widened at the use of her own Noble Phantasm utilized against the bat, but didn't question it any further. Instead, another battery of magic circles appeared all around her and trained on the bat. Pointing with her staff, they all fired at the creature, forcing it to dive in order to avoid the blasts. The bats it left behind were vaporized by the oncoming beams, though it did little do hinder their numbers.
Still, it was within her expectations. Muttering another aria under her breath, she let out another blast of freezing wind, this time directing it in a wide range at the bat. With a screech, it laboriously flapped its wings to both gain altitude and beat back the icy air. It partially succeeded, catching only its claw and encasing it in ice. With a screech of rage and pain, the bat turned toward Medea and lunged toward her, its iced claw glimmering like liquid flame against the burning treasures on the ground.
In its rage, however, it ignored its surroundings – particularly the combatant rushing in from the side at blinding speeds. Within a split second, Artoria had darted upward once more, taking advantage of the bat's distraction. Raising her blade, she sliced again, aiming to slice off its head. The creature gave a startled squeak as it threw itself to the side, barely dodging the blade. However, the king's blade still left its mark, carving a bloody furrow across its neck.
The reaction from the creature was immediate: As the creature crashed against the ground, it let out an ear-destroying shriek of shock. Its numerous subordinates began wailing in their own agony and panic in response, fluttering everywhere in a panic. More of their bodies began dropping as in their disorientation, they crashed against each other or against the stone walls while many of them even began escaping via the side chambers from whence they came.
But that paled in comparison compared to their superior. Its baleful eyes glowed with pure hatred and anger at the intruders. Its gaze flitted between each of them, as though it was memorizing their faces and presences. Artoria raised her blade, ready for any move it might make while Medea prepared more magic circles. Archer loosely held his shortswords, ready to adjust as necessary to the situation. They sized each other up, waiting for either side to make the first move.
Then darkness began flowing out from the gigantic bat, quickly obscuring their vision. Yet as their sight clouded over and rendered them blind once more, it cleared just as quickly. The only sign of the bat now was a massive shapeless void in the air as it darted down a side corridor, surrounded by its contingent of brethren. The shrieks of the creatures echoed through the stone hall and gradually became fainter as they all fled. Soon, all that was left was a chamber filled with bat corpses, ruined treasure, and exhausted Servants. However, that was the least of their concerns.
"Something has happened to Master," Boudica reported as she rode up to them, glancing in concern at Morgana still unresponsive in her arms. "He won't rouse no matter what I do."
Archer immediately rounded on Medea, his shortsword at her throat. "What did you do?" he growled.
Medea shot an impatient glare at the red-mantled hero, unperturbed by the threat. "Calm yourself," she snapped. "I merely put our Master to sleep. It will be some time before he wakes, by which point, this hunt should be over."
"And what right do you have to cast such an enchantment on our Master," Artoria snarled, stalking up to her. "Would you cast any mystery on them if it suited your needs? How are we supposed to trust you if that is what you intend to do?"
"Do I need to explain my every breath to you, Artoria Pendragon?" Medea retorted. "I believe it has been explained to you countless times that I am working in our Masters' best interests. No more, and certainly no less. I had cast a sleeping spell on him because he had been about to use his own magecraft once more to assist us – an unnecessary move given we had the situation well in hand and one that would have caused him further harm. And yet here we are bickering like children instead of focusing on the task at hand!"
"You'll have to forgive us," Archer replied sardonically. "It's past experiences that have driven us so – especially since we are well aware of your ruthlessness and perversions of even the best intentions." He gave a humorless smile. "We have reasons to believe that you may be working to subvert our efforts for the sake of your Master – and for yourself."
The Caster whirled on the red-mantled hero, her eye twitching underneath her hood. "Yes, you certainly would know about that, Archer," she spat, her venom barely held back in her voice. "By your logic, I should be utterly paranoid of every move you make as well and be wary of any swords or arrows suddenly impaling me from behind. Is that the answer you want from me, Archer? Or should I seek recompense for what you have done to Soichirou after all?"
The smile from Archer grew thinner as he lowered his hands to his sides. For a moment, none of them moved as the witch gripped her staff tighter, warily eyeing the other two Servants. A second past, then another, as if the world was waiting for their inevitable conflict with bated breath. Like a cord pulled taut, all it needed was a single strand unravelling for it to snap.
Suddenly, there was the rumbling of wheels rolling over stone, and a spilt second later Boudica had landed among the three of them. "That's enough!" she roared out, glaring at all three of them as Morgana continued to doze in her arms. "I do not know what grievances you had, whether in life or a past summoning, but that isn't a priority right now! I shouldn't have to tell you all any of this!"
Her eyes fixed on the Saber. "Especially you," she continued. "I expected better from you, Artoria! We have a mission, and you of all people should know to put aside personal grudges in order to fulfill them! We've already spoken to this before and the fact that I must speak about it again is disappointing. I expected better." Artoria turned away with a scowl, unable to argue against the Rider's point.
Meanwhile, the queen turned to the Caster. "And Medea, while it's clear you believe what you have done was best for everyone, clearer communication without antagonizing others would be more helpful here, especially for those who already don't trust you. And putting your own Master to sleep in such a manner won't endear you to other Servants. I hope you at least understand that." Medea frowned but otherwise said nothing.
Finally, she rounded on the red-mantled hero. "And Archer," she said. "Stop antagonizing. Friend or foe in the past, it doesn't matter right now. Acting like that isn't going to help anyone – it's ratcheting up tensions and having us at each other's throats. You're capable of working with others, so do so." Archer simple raised his hands with a sardonic smile but also said nothing.
Boudica finally let out a small, stressed breath. "Medea, can you lift the sleep enchantment on our Master?" she asked. "We should brief him on what has happened and discuss how to work from here."
Medea pressed her lips together into a thin line but nevertheless nodded. Turning to Morgana, her eyes widened as the catlike being already started stirring. She hadn't even had a chance to actually lift the mystery yet as his eyes sleepily opened. "Eh? Wha? What happened?" he blurted, blinking his eyes blearily, then wincing as the strain from overusing his circuits and body hit at once. "Ow, ow, ow, ow. Did you guys take it down? Can we at least grab some of the treasure around here before we head back?"
"There have been some complications, Master," the Caster replied stiffly.
Morgana could only breathe a long sigh of exasperation in response. "Of course there are," he muttered. "What's going on?"
The Servants reported what had happened and what they had observed during their fight. First, the bat was a divine beast, according to Medea. Such creatures were a threat even during the Age of the Gods, to say nothing to the Age of Man, and they would need to adjust their strength and strategies accordingly. Following up on that, the bat could utilize magecraft as well: creating light-trapping bounded fields, command and create its numerous bat familiars, and even use reinforcement. The last one was something that Archer personally confirmed with his projected Rule Breaker.
Artoria supplied them with more disturbing news, however: It had been devouring its own familiars to regenerate its wounds at an astounding rate, which would explain why Archer's Hrunting arrows had left no lasting wounds. More importantly, there was no confirmation if simply healing was the sole limitation of what the bat could do with its familiars. As for the interpersonal Servant conflict, Artoria, Archer, and Medea were silent as Boudica relayed what had happened.
Morgana's frown became deeper and deeper the more that was explained to him. "So we're up against a divine beast, one that can use magecraft and can regenerate by eating bats," he summed up. "In the meantime, you three can't trust each other so we don't even have teamwork." As much as he wanted to lay into the three right now, Boudica had already done so and it wouldn't help anyway.
Considering everything though, time was of the essence before the bat could rally its strength and resources again. A quick and dirty solution that would at least last the mission would be all he could do. But what would that solution be?
What would Ren do here?
"Alright, listen," Morgana said, garnering the Servants' attentions. "Something happened between the three of you. I get it. I'm not gonna ask you guys to just get along with each other – even I know that's impossible."
His eyes were sharp as he looked up at them. "However, what you can trust at least is the identity of the person you're dealing with," he declared. "The three of you are working with King Artoria Pendragon, Medea of Colchis, and… well, I'm still not sure who Archer is, but he's proven himself plenty capable countless times already, hasn't he?"
Artoria nodded confidently while the Caster gave the red-mantled hero a glance. A frown on Medea's face was the only expression any of them could see on her but otherwise, the witch made no disagreements.
The catlike being nodded, confident he was getting somewhere with them. "Even if you don't like each other, everyone here is a hero and legend in their own right, with abilities to match," he finished. "So you can at least trust that about them! And like hell is some gigantic bat is a match for all of us combined!" The three once more glanced at each other but nevertheless nodded in acceptance. That, they could work with at least.
Morgana blew a quiet sigh of exasperation. This wasn't the ideal outcome, but it would work for now. "Come on, we're going after the bat," he stated. "We can't afford to sit around. We'll figure something out on the way."
With all of them loading onto Boudica's chariot and Morgana still in the Rider's arms, they sped down the side corridor, the wheels easily rolling over the ruins and bat corpses left in the battle's wake. The corridor was lit by even more braziers further down, illuminating the carefully crafted walls and ceilings of carved stone, though overgrowing with moss and other plant life.
The clopping of hooves echoed and reverberated throughout the hall, drowning out all other sounds as they thundered by. Archer kept an eye out for any bats or anything observing them, but so far there had been nothing. Meanwhile, Morgana continued pondering the situation, glancing occasionally over at his Servants. The bat had the obvious home field advantage here, both in the temple and most likely even outside. Its ability to utilize magecraft also complicated matters, though it wasn't on Medea's level thankfully.
Each of the Servants also had their own strengths they could bring in. Boudica had been doing a great job both with mobility and keeping Morgana safe even in the direst circumstances. Archer could negate the bat's reinforcement as well as harry it with his arrows, particularly Hrunting. Medea could restrain the creature as well as provide considerable utility in other areas.
And Artoria… she would be the lynchpin here. She was the only one who had the sheer raw power to decisively take out the bat if they managed to give her an opening. Now it was simply a matter of creating one in the first place.
Morgana's eyes wandered over Archer and he remembered what he pulled in Orleans. There was an idea here, but there was something missing. Something decisive. And that would require all of the Servants working together, unfortunately.
Or did it…?
Before Morgana could ruminate further, Archer called out, "Master, we're almost outside."
The catlike being looked up. It was still dark ahead, but given the sun had been setting earlier, it was most likely night right now. Even from this distance, the scents of outside reached him – and the faintest squeaking of bats echoing down the chamber. "Got it," he acknowledged. "Everyone, be on your guard! It knows we're following and is probably expecting us at this point!"
"Do you have a plan, Master?" Medea asked, glancing down at the catlike being.
"Only a semblance of one," he admitted before looking over to Archer. "One that you're going to be key in, Archer. We need your Noble Phantasm."
The red-mantled hero's eyes narrowed. "It's not something to be utilized so lightly," he warned.
"I know," the catlike being acknowledged. "But we need to deprive it of its ridiculous home field advantage – at least long enough to wear it down and take it out in one go."
Before they could continue discussing, Boudica's chariot burst through the opening and back into the jungle. Gritting her teeth, the Rider snapped the reins. The horses whinnied and immediately began galloping upward into the air, barreling through branches and leaves. Holding up her shield, she deflected the rubble that flew towards the weakened Morgana as they made for the skies. The chariot broke through the canopy and finally burst into the air, revealing the clear night sky.
"There," Archer called out.
They all turned. Some distance away, illuminated by the light of a crescent moon, the temple jutted out from the thick parapet of leaves and flora that consisted of the jungle. The stones, though dilapidated and overgrown, seemed to almost shimmer in the light. Though time had marred and blemished its glory, it took little imagination to realize the power and majesty the structure still held now, let alone in its heyday.
The magnificence only brought into contrast what they were seeing: The giant bat was perched on the peak of the temple, wings spread wide as it began glowing with power. Meanwhile, streams of bats flowed through the air, screeching and shrieking, as they all made their way towards their master's open maw.
"It's another blood ritual," Medea called out in realization, her eyes widening in horror. "We cannot let it complete it else its capabilities will be far beyond what any of us can handle!"
Archer smirked as his bow appeared in his hand again. "Then we might as well make a mess of its site," he remarked. In his other hand appeared a sword with a spiraling blade, more akin to a drill than a proper sword. Nocking the weapon, it lengthened again into an arrow. He aimed at the bat, then aimed a bit lower as he forced magical power into the arrow until it began glowing with energy. Then he released the string.
"Caladbolg!"
The arrow jetted through the air, speeding through the night like a shooting star at hypersonic speeds. For a split second, there was silence, then the entire temple erupted in a blinding cataclysm of power and flame, blasting stone, flora, and fauna away with unfathomable power. The giant bat screeched in shock as it was engulfed in fire while the stone structure beneath and its lesser brethren disintegrated from the sheer might of the broken phantasm.
"Awesome, Archer!" Morgana cheered, then winced as his strained body protested. While the temple wasn't destroyed, a large portion of it still had been obliterated by Archer's arrow. "Can you use your Noble Phantasm?"
The red-mantled hero withheld a scowl. "It will take some time to prepare, Master," he pointed out.
Before they could continue, darkness formed around the enraged giant bat once more, quickly growing into a cloud of void – then suddenly, it was engulfed in a whirlwind of icy winds. The giant bat's shrieks could barely be heard over the howling gale. "Then talk less and begin your aria already," Medea shot back testily. "The bat cares less for your excuses than I do."
Archer shot a glare at the Caster but for once held his tongue. "I am the bone of my sword," he began intoning as magical power quickly began building up.
Meanwhile, the darkness seemed to writhe and press against the cold winds Medea had conjured. The Caster strained, trying to add more power to her winds, but the bat's ferocity could not be withstood. "It's breaking out," she warned. "Get ready!"
A moment later, it burst through the cage of wind and rushed straight toward them. Boudica veered to the side without hesitation, clutching Morgana close to her as they narrowly avoided the oncoming black cloud. Their vision was quickly shrouded once more, leaving them in darkness. Then just as quickly, the darkness dissipated as Medea fired her blasts of energy at the bounded fields, releasing the light held within and revealing the incensed giant bat.
With a loud shriek, countless more bats began fluttering up from the jungle below, intent on swarming the chariot. It was a simple matter for Boudica to maneuver past the ungainly mass of creatures, but they were relentless. Its superior meanwhile flew around them, gaining altitude to dive on them but was driven back by the countless magical barrages from Medea. Meanwhile, Artoria observed her surroundings impassively, awaiting her opportunity.
"Yet those hands will never hold anything," Archer intoned. He shot a quick glance at Morgana, who quickly figured out the message.
"Boudica, get in close to the bat!" the catlike being called out.
As he shouted out his orders, Medea suddenly hopped off the chariot, her cloak rapidly billowing out as she took to the skies. Morgana spun around, his eyes widening in surprise at what the Caster had done. 'Archer's bounded field won't be enough,' the witch mentally stated. 'I'll make my preparations here. Wear the creature down as much as you can within." The catlike being grit his teeth as Medea's black cloak vanished into the night, but all he could do now was trust her.
Ironic.
Meanwhile, Boudica's eyes narrowed in determination. Whipping the reins, she spurred her horses forward, charging through the air. Swarms of countless bats rose into the air and attacked from above, below, and her flanks, yet the queen nimbly dodged all of them and rapidly closed in on the giant bat. The creature, in turn, seeing the challenge, screeched loudly in rage, green lines shining on its body briefly as it activated its reinforcement again. They approached one another on a collision course, closer, closer…
"So as I pray-"
"Unlimited Blade Works!"
A conflagration of flames burst forth from Archer, rapidly enveloping his surroundings: Morgana, the Servants, and the chariot. The giant bat squeaked in surprise and quickly began flapping its wings to get away, but its momentum combined with the rapid expansion of flames ensured it wouldn't be able to escape. As the flames engulfed all of them, their surroundings got brighter and brighter until they were all forced to close their eyes.
When they opened them, their new surroundings couldn't be any more different: An ashy wasteland as far as the eye could see, the rays of the setting sun choked by dark clouds and smog, with gigantic black gears turning in the distance. The land was embedded with countless swords of all shapes, sizes, and legends, giving more than a passing resemblance to a gigantic gravesite. The air was completely dry, with only a faint breeze compared to the humid jungle they were just in.
It was an austere, barren land – fitting for one who had walked a hero's path until the very end where only despair awaited him.
Morgana took a deep breath. Already he felt far stronger here than he did back in the real world as his Metaverse abilities returned to him. He shouldn't push himself, but at least he would be able to do more here. He had to smirk at the thought. That bat wouldn't know what hit it.
Though speaking of the bat, it was looking around at its new surroundings, completely confused. It evidently hadn't expected a complete change in the environment without any of the protections it had been used to or prepared. There were still a large number of bats flitting about, though in the open expanse of Unlimited Blade Works, their numbers felt pitiful in comparison.
With a smirk, Archer raised his hand. A large number of blades in the ground shuddered, then rocketed into the air. As they spun about, they sliced apart the bats with unerring accuracy, no matter how many of them there were. Barely a moment later, the only thing that remained of the bats were their corpses on the ground. Only the gigantic one remained in the air, now glaring down at the group once again.
"Excellent work, Archer," Artoria praised with a small smile. Stepping forward, she raised her blade and prepared to charge in when-
"Diego!"
She turned in surprise to see the blue musketeer persona tracing a pattern in the air. Before she could say anything, red, blue, and green lights shone around her before winking out. Suddenly, she felt stronger, more resilient, and everything around her felt a shade slower. She had experienced this phenomenon before, and from the same being too. "Master, you need to rest," she chided sternly.
Morgana grinned wearily and waved her off. "We're in Archer's Reality Marble," he replied. "It's way less stress to use my abilities here than in the real world. Don't worry about me and – INCOMING!"
Artoria whirled around to see the bat divebombing, aiming for Boudica and her chariot. The Rider scowled and whipped the reins. As the horses began thundering away, the bat adjusted its trajectory to catch up, its obsidian-tipped claws glinting in the sparse sunlight of the world-
And it was knocked aside by the Saber charging in, mana bursting to accelerate to ludicrous speeds like a silver comet and colliding blade first with the beast. The bat shrieked in surprise as the wind-sheathed sword burrowed into its side, piercing through its reinforcement thanks to Morgana's enchantment. The wound wasn't deep, but the momentum still forced the creature away from Boudica and Morgana, forcing it to crash against the ground.
As the King of Knights jumped away, a storm of blades descended from the skies. The swords bounced off its body as if though they met solid stone, but the sheer number of them made it difficult to discern its surroundings or hear anything approaching over the resulting clamor. Taking to the air wasn't an option either, with the force the blades were bearing down on it. With a wild shriek, it charged instead, its claws churning the barren ground underneath it as it sought to break through the steel curtain.
Once it broke through, instead of finding a reprieve, it was instead set upon by Artoria once again. As she lashed out with her blade, this time the bat caught it and pinned it to the ground with a single motion. With her blade no longer a factor, it lunged forward, seeking to bite off her head. For the Saber, such a move would normally be too fast to react to except by instinct.
However, to her, the bat felt like it was moving more slowly than usual – enough time to consider and execute her next move. Releasing her blade, she ducked underneath the snapping maw of the bat as her sword vanished. An instant later, it reappeared in her hands once more as she swung again, this time at its forearm. It sliced through its magical defenses and into flesh and bone, causing the creature to shriek loudly.
"You might want to move, Saber."
Artoria's eyes flicked to the side at the warning before jumping away from the bat. Before the creature could regroup, a single small blade flashed from the sky and struck the bat, erupting in a purple explosion. There was the sound of something shattering once again as its attempts to use magecraft once more failed. The bat look up with a snarl – and saw countless blades speeding toward it. Its eyes widening in rage, it focused on the smirking Archer and reared to charge-
"Diego!"
What could only be described as twin buzzsaws of wind grinded into either side of it, pinning it in place. It whipped its head in different directions, trying to find the source of the wind. There was no sign, no indicator that it was either Artoria or Archer who cast the magic. With a furious shriek, it slowly started lifting itself, pushing against the howling winds as its vision became red-
The blades dove down from the sky like comets, piercing past its stone armor and embedding itself in the bat's body, sinking deep into parts of it that were uncovered. The creature shrieked both in torment and anger, its yellow eyes almost glowing with rage. It glared at all of them, its chest heaving as it breathed through its torment. Archer stared back dispassionately with a smirk, though the sweat beading down his face belied his strain. Then it turned again as Artoria charged back in, her blade at the ready. The bat roared in defiance and swung its claw-
"Sword of Boudica!"
From yet another flank, a flurry of magical orbs bombarded its side. It turned to growl at the disturbance, more infuriated at it than actually hurt by it. It was coming from Boudica, her sword pointed at the bat as she rode by in her chariot, Morgana still in hand. It turned its attention back to Artoria just a moment too late as she brought her blade down. It lunged with a claw – and screeched as it was completely sliced off with the king's adept swordsmanship.
And yet its rage appeared to be uncontrollable now. And as Artoria prepared another strike, the beast lunged forward and bit down hard into the king's shoulders where she wasn't armored. The Saber cried out as its fangs dug into her flesh and blood flowed from the wound. Before she could retaliate, the bat flung her hard away from it, sending her crashing against the ground. Another bombardment of swords prevented it from following up, allowing the king to stagger up, gritting her teeth as she bled from her injury.
"Artoria!" Morgana cried. Before he could summon Diego again, Medea began speaking. 'Master, my preparations are ready,' Medea announced.
The catlike being nodded at the news before reaching over to Archer mentally. 'Archer, Medea said she's ready with whatever she's got,' he stated. 'Go ahead and release your reality marble.'
The red-mantled hero glanced over at his Master in surprise, yet even with the high speed of Boudica's chariot, he could still see the determined gaze in Morgana's eyes. "Very well, Master," he accepted. Releasing his hold on the reality marble, the entire world was enveloped in a bright light blinding everyone once more. When it faded, they were in the jungle again, the humidity and the cry of fauna and insects slamming their ears.
Without hesitation, the giant bat desperately took to the air again, blood fountaining from its stump where its claw used to be. It was back in its home territory with all its resources at its disposal. It took to the air, crying to the night sky and summoning its brethren – and suddenly its wings were arrested by freezing winds, ice growing and covering its wings. It would've immediately plummeted from the weight were it not the same winds keeping it trapped as well.
Medea, standing on the remains of the temple, waved her staff again. Multiple magical circles appeared around the creature, then glowed as they began sparking with electricity, streams arcing into the bat's body. It roared with pain and agony, thrashing against its restraints even harder. However, no matter what it tried, the lightning did not abate nor did the winds slacken. It was trapped.
"Go!" Medea barked.
Morgana nodded. Whirling back toward Artoria, he called out, "Zorro!" The musketeer persona activated one more time and once again, the three lights lit up around the Saber. Once done, it vanished as the catlike being was seized with a coughing fit. "End it," he rasped through his exhaustion. "Now!" The king of knights scowled but nevertheless held her tongue and nodded. She aimed the blade at the ground and roared out a name.
"Strike Air!"
Winds with the force and power of a hurricane buffeted the surrounding Servants and blasted aside trees and brush as the winds coating Artoria's blade unraveled explosively, rocketing her into the air. With it, the blade was revealed again. It was as if a new dawn had arisen in the jungle with the light of promised victory: beautiful, entrancing, and deadly. It radiated with pure, undeniable power as she shot up from the trees like an angel of wrath toward the bat.
The creature's eyes noticed the glow and saw what was approaching. It shrieked with terror and redoubled its struggles against its trappings, but no matter what it did, the winds held fast as the lightning continued to sap away at its strength. It could only watch helplessly as the Saber rocketed towards it, her blade at the ready. As she approached, she lifted the shining Excalibur up and swung.
The slice was quick and efficient – the blade, honed and wielded with an expert hand, sliced through the bat's flesh as though it were slicing through butter. There was no magical resistance to it – the bat was still suffering from the effects of Rule Breaker – but even if it did, no difference would have been made. Everything, from magecraft to stone to flesh, yielded to the Sword of Promised Victory. The bat only had enough time to look down at the grim face of Artoria, its mouth opened in a silent shriek, before the blade finally sliced through, cleanly cleaving flesh and spine alike in one fluid motion.
A moment later, the giant bat's head fell to the ground with a soft thump, followed by the far heftier crash of its body as it smashed through trees and foliage. The sounds of wood snapping and collapsing rang out throughout the jungle, the impact only somewhat softened by the leaves underneath. Then all was still.
Morgana peered up from Boudica's arms, wincing as he did so. "Did…" he asked weakly. "Did we do it?"
"It seems so," Archer confirmed. Still, he kept an eye on the bat in case it was playing dead or its death was some sort of illusion. After everything it had pulled off, he wouldn't be surprised.
Artoria landed softly on the ground, turning around to observe the corpse. "It is dead," she declared. "Though you have exerted yourself far more than necessary, Master."
The catlike Master chuckled weakly. "Hey, had to make the trap count," he argued with a small grin. As Medea flew back down, his communicator pinged. Tapping it, the image of Artemis popped up again. "Hey, Artemis," he greeted. "We got the bat."
The goddess of the hunt grinned. "I saw!" she chirped. "Communications returned as soon as the bat's life signs had flatlined! Very well done! I'll tell the others the good news and have it all sent over. Very well done, hunters! Though no doubt my darling would have had a slightly easier time!"
"Hey, don't knock it until we heard what happened," Orion cautioned, perching on her shoulder. "Just looking at the cat's face, it looked like they had a hard… wait, who's holding you right now?" At the question, the teddy bear's eyes narrowed and tried to observe the monitor more closely.
Morgana blinked, then his gaze flattened… then an idea creeped into his head. "Boudica's holding me right now," he answered with a wry smile. "She has been the whole time. It was a rather dangerous hunt, after all, and she had volunteered to keep me safe – which she did a great job of, if you ask me."
"Thank you very much, Master," Boudica replied, matching the Master's wry smile. "It wasn't any trouble at all to fulfill my duty."
The teddy bear's eyes practically bulged as he leaned forward. "You were WHAT?! Pressed up against her?!" he screeched. "Trade places with me, damnit! I wanna feel those too-"
"Feel what, darling?" Artemis inquired, her tone sharp and cold as Orion froze in realization. "I believe a conversation about your philandering ways after we're done here is in order, wouldn't you agree?"
"Erm, uh, I d-don't think that's really n-necessary-" Orion stammered.
Meanwhile, the goddess turned back to Morgana, beaming. "Anyway, rest up and enjoy your spoils!" she chirped. "Know that you have earned my blessings!" With that, the communication flickered out, leaving them alone with their prize.
Morgana sighed as he leaned back, trying to relax – as much as his aching body would allow him to. "Well, like Artemis said, great job – all of you," he declared. "This guy was tough with all his tricks, but all of you pulled through. Like I said, even if you can't trust each other, you're all still heroes in the end."
Artoria and Archer glanced over at Medea, their eyes filled with suspicion, before looking away. Medea hadn't reacted whatsoever aside from a slight frown on her lips. The catlike being could only sigh. He knew it wouldn't be that easy, but he had to try. And speaking of which… "Do you guys think we can take some of the treasure we saw in the room earlier?" he asked hopefully. "There might be some good stuff we can bring back to Chaldea!"
"We have already desecrated a god's temple considerably," Medea rejected curtly. "Doing anything more risks bringing down the wrath of the god. Artemis's permission and protection has her limits."
"But… treasuuuuure," Morgana whined.
Boudica smiled, half in exasperation and half in amusement. "We already have plenty here, Master," she gently admonished. "We should appreciate that we came out of this hunt with our lives and our quarry."
The catlike being sighed. "Yeah, you're right," he reluctantly admitted. As much as he wanted treasure, even he knew it would be too risky at this point. They had what they came for. Now it was time to go home and get some rest at last. He certainly needed it. He noticed the bat's body, himself, and the Servants glowing as they were recalled, and closed his eyes.
Then darkness took him, and he knew no more.
