CHAPTER 17:

MORE SUMMONINGS

It was decided to do the next round of summonings in groups of three to four. They had the Team A survivors in one group, Harry, Barghest, Melusine and Delphi in another, and Hermione, Waver, and Ritsuka in the third group. Team A's remnants had gone first, with Delphi sitting in something of a sulk in the corridor. Aside from the Master and Servant teams, Tiamat-Larva was in attendance, with Beni-Enma currently in the summoning room to act as extra muscle if things went wrong, on Da Vinci's request.

Miss Crane and Osakabehime were ensconced elsewhere in Chaldea. The former was currently helping Habetrot with Mystic Code clothing, the two hitting it off and bouncing ideas off each other within minutes of meeting. Osakabehime, on the other hand, had gotten a room of her own, making artwork and fan comics or doujinshi, though her IT skills were actually impressive for a reclusive centuries-old youkai. She was helping out repairing some of the computer systems to earn her keep. That, and she agreed to identify any Servants she knew.

Delphi felt Ritsuka's presence as the young Japanese-American sat down next to her, followed by Mash. "You okay?" Ritsuka asked.

"We've been benched, sidelined," Delphi grumbled. "I get the logic, I get why they did it, it's just…annoying. I want to help save the world."

"…Delphi, why is that?" Mash asked.

Delphi shot Mash a look, before sighing. Mash was practically an honorary sister to her by now. "…Okay, so, my birth parents were Death Eaters, right? My biological father was Lord Voldemort, or, to give him his actual name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. And yes, that makes him a chuunibyou, Ritsuka. My biological mother was Bellatrix Lestrange. I'm basically the spawn of pure evil."

"Delphi, you're not!" Mash protested.

Delphi chuckled bitterly. "Mash, it'd be like if I'm the lovechild of Adolf Hitler and Eva Braun. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not doing this to make up for their sins. That's stupid. I just want to prove that I can be a hero. Not for fame or anything like that. Just to flip the bird at anyone who claims that I'm evil because of my birth parents. For my own peace of mind if nothing else."

"You don't need to, Delphi," Ritsuka said. "You're a good person. A bit of a prankster, and you have all that gremlin energy, but…well, remember when the Phantom mistook you for Christine, and you kicked him below the belt?"

"Hahaha…ahh, good times. He must've been a weak Servant if I actually managed to hurt him. But…"

"You and I have that same discord in our melodies."

Tiamat-Larva chose to speak up, sitting next to Delphi, sandwiching her between the draconic being and Ritsuka. "My mother, after all, was in danger of becoming Beast II," she added. "The part of her split off from her did. And Beast II would have silenced the song of humanity forever. It is not easy to avoid listening to those melodies plaguing us…but try."

Delphi sighed, puffing out her cheeks as she pouted, while Harry looked at his daughter from another timeline warily. But then, the doors to the summoning chamber opened, and the Team A survivors came out with their Servants. And Harry noticed how Arturia Pendragon instantly tensed on seeing them.

Following Hinako, aside from her previous Servants, was a red-haired man in Chinese robes, his features intense. Judging by Hermione's gasp, she recognised him. Ophelia was followed not only by Sigurd, but two Servants they all recognised from France. Both were blonde, one a young man with slender, almost feminine features, the other a teenaged girl in a red dress and hat. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Marie Antoinette.

Kadoc, on the other hand, looked shell-shocked. Aside from Anastasia, he was being followed by two other Servants. Both were women, and a study in contrasts. One was dressed in what could have been a cowgirl outfit, minus the hat, her hair silvery-blue, yet with an underside that seemed green and oddly crystalline. Her beautiful features were set in a carefree smile.

The other, however, appeared to be an indefinably older woman, her beauty mature and refined, but darker. Lavender hair framed her features, while oddly enough, she had pointed ears, like those of an elf. She was dressed in black and purple robes, though the hood was down. She also had an expression that was a mixture of resignation and amusement.

However, they knew who this was thanks to Arturia Pendragon's memories. Princess Medea of Colchis, the Caster Servant Arturia Pendragon and Medusa fought in the Fifth Holy Grail War, even if their Medusa never directly confronted her. A dangerous Servant, given her Noble Phantasm, Rule Breaker, which could be used to break Servant contracts and bind them to herself.

"My, my, what a reception committee," the Greek witch remarked sardonically. "Two versions of the King of Knights, a bunch of Fae, and other assorted Servants. I'm in illustrious company indeed."

Arturia Pendragon merely glared. "And yet, you answered FATE's call?"

Medea scoffed. "As much as you'd find it hard to believe, Saber, I would rather not be party to the end of the world. I'm sure it's too much to expect bygones to be bygones, but…" Her eyes flickered over to Mordred. "It seems you can at least allow yourself to work with what appears to Mordred."

"My issues with Mordred are our own to work out, based partly on misunderstandings," Arturia Pendragon said. "But I did not forget what humiliations you inflicted on me. I will be keeping an eye on you at least, Medea. But know that the moment you live up to your epithet is the moment you return to the Throne of Heroes, one way or the other."

"Duly noted," Medea said dryly, before indicating the other woman following Kadoc. "I think you'll want to keep an eye on her too. She's more than she claims to be."

The woman pouted. "Oh, spoil the surprise, why don't you? ¡Aguafiestas!"

"I don't mean that you're a Divine Spirit, or at least that's what you claim to be." Medea's eyes narrowed. "And you called yourself a Foreigner Servant. That is not one of the classes I know of."

"Look, if I said that, people would be soiling themselves. Don't worry, I'm on your side! For now, call me Kukulkan! ¡Hola!"

"Gesundheit?" Ritsuka asked.

"Kukulkan is the Mayan deity whom people believe was the precursor to the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl," Da Vinci chimed in. "As for what she actually is…well, I too have my suspicions, but she doesn't seem hostile. In fact, I would go so far as to say that, if she was hostile, there would not be much we could do to stop her. As for the other newcomers, I am sure that neither Mozart nor Marie Antoinette need any introductions."

"Non, non! That is not necessary! Viva la France!" the teenaged form of France's last queen (at least prior to the Reign of Terror) said, waving a hand cheerfully, with Mozart taking a brief bow, both smiling, smiles returned by the rest of those present in France.

"As for Hinako's new Assassin, may I?" On Hinako's nod, Da Vinci said, "This is Li Shuwen, the martial artist and one of the most famous practitioners of Bajiquan, the Chinese martial art."

"Wow," Ritsuka breathed, as did Mash.

"Okay, so, we'll bring in Hermione, Waver, and Ritsuka's group for their summonings," Da Vinci said. "Try not to kill each other or use Noble Phantasms on each other, okay?"

As the three Masters and their Servants entered the summoning chamber, Harry clapped his hands together. "Okay. Now, I can't say I'm happy at this turn of events, but the fact remains that we need all the help we can get. Besides, Arturia, it could be worse. It could be Morgan. Either your Morgan or the Lostbelt Morgan."

As Arturia Pendragon nodded, conceding the point reluctantly, Kukulkan perked up. "Oh? You know of the Lostbelts?"

"We came from one in an alternate timeline," Barghest said. "Many of our Servants came from one too, one centred on Britain."

"Ah! ¡Oido cocina!" Kukulkan said, hitting her palm with her fist. "I'm from one too, centred on South America and Central America! It was called Mictlan, after one of the Aztec afterlives!"

"…Well, that ain't ominous at all," Harry muttered. He noticed Tiamat-Larva staring at Kukulkan, with some apprehension. "Tiamat-Larva?"

She shook her head. "Never mind," she said softly.

"So, what kind of Servant class is Foreigner?" Delphi asked.

It was Arturia Fae, oddly enough, who answered. "Foreigners are Servants who are influenced by entities from beyond our world…or are foreign to another domain. In other words, either those touched by alien entities, or else are those alien entities." On their bemused looks, she sighed. "We have a couple of Foreigner counterparts on the Throne of Heroes. They're more alien entities to our universe, but…they're rather…how should I put it? Goofy."

"What do you mean by 'goofy'?" Delphi asked.

"As in one of them calls herself Mysterious Heroine X and makes it a point to hunt down her lookalikes, and another is basically her best friend, rival, and Alter all rolled up into one," Arturia Fae said, rubbing her forehead. "That universe is weird."

At this, the corridor fell into an awkward silence. It was broken only by the return of Hermione, Waver and Ritsuka, along with their respective Servants, old and new. Unfortunately, one of the newcomers was an unwelcome surprise.

Hermione was being followed by a tall, rakish-looking man with dark hair and pale blue eyes that seemed to glow, his right hand covered by some sort of gauntlet that even now seemed to crackle with electrical energy. She was actually talking to the man, and he seemed to smile indulgently. "…AC generator…I don't care what Edison claimed, or what he did with his electrocution demonstrations! You're one of the most important figures, if not the most, in electrical engineering, Mr Tesla!"

What had to be the famous Serbian-born scientist and pioneer of alternating current electricity Nikola Tesla laughed, a deep and hearty sound. "I am pleased to hear that from your lips, Dr Granger!" he declared. "We shall get along most swimmingly!"

The woman following Waver looked nervous and skittish, a buxom Japanese woman in, oddly enough, Victorian-style dress, dark hair framing beautiful features, her violet eyes flitting about shyly. It said a lot that Waver and the oft-shy Grey were reassuring the woman, speaking to her quietly. And she seemed to take comfort in their words.

However, following a bemused Ritsuka was a figure they recognised from the Fuyuki Singularity. Tall, male, with tanned skin, white hair, and steel grey eyes, dressed in black body armour with a red mantle over it. EMIYA facepalmed as he took in the Servants present whom he knew, and clashed with. "…And now, I'm wishing for Alaya to have given me some dirty work," he grumbled. "Saber. Caster."

"Counter-Guardian," Arturia Pendragon retorted quietly, with Medea glaring at EMIYA.

"…Ah, so you're from my timeline too. Even better," EMIYA groaned. "Did you at least stop things from getting worse?"

"No thanks to you," Arturia Pendragon said. "I'm not sure who is worse, you or Medea here. At least Medusa was forced to obey Shinji instead of Sakura."

"Sakura was her actual Master, and she is Medusa? That explains too much," EMIYA said. "Well, at least I'm not in the 'Actually Satan' timeline. Don't ask." This was said to the multitude of enquiring looks made on his strange declaration. "Let's just say I've met another version of myself who has somewhat worse luck than even me. We had drinks when we ran into each other on a mission for Alaya. It's a very long story."

Da Vinci then made herself known. "Harry? Barghest? Delphi? Melusine? Your turn now…"

"So the Japanese woman with Waver is Murasaki Shibuku?" Harry asked as Da Vinci set things up in the summoning chamber. "Who's that?"

"One of Japan's first known novelists, with The Tale of Genji being her most famous work. And yes, it's surprising to see her in a Victorian outfit. Lady Murasaki lived during the Heian Era of Japan, during the 11th Century, and incidentally, that name is likely a pseudonym," the Italian genius said. "So, who'd like to go first?"

Melusine stepped forward. After a number of attempts, a new Servant finally appeared, and Harry heard her gasp in shock, as did Arturia Pendragon. And he couldn't blame her, having recognised the new Servant himself.

The man was tall and covered in thick silvery armour. His earnest features were topped by a shock of silver hair. In his hand was a spear.

"Servant Lancer has answered your summons," he said, his eyes closed. As he opened them, he said, "I ask of you, are you…Melusine?!"

"…Percival?" Melusine whispered, scarcely believing it.

"Yes, indeed I am. Or rather, I am both your Percival and the Knight of the Round Table," he said, before frowning. "How curious to have two sets of memories." He hopped off the summoning dais. "Still, I'm glad to see you again, Melusine. And Lady Barghest as well. You are not Servants?"

"No," Barghest said. "It's a long story, and we will bring you up to speed later, but for now, we have more summons to conduct."

"But of course," Percival said, before kneeling to Arturia Pendragon. "And Your Majesty…it's good to be back. Forgive my rudeness in speaking with my sister in all but blood."

"Rise, Sir Percival," Arturia Pendragon said with a solemn smile. "I am no longer a king, just a knight."

"And who has reconciled with Mordred. Good to know. And I'm glad to see your counterpart from the Lostbelt is here too."

"It's good to see you again, Sir Percival!" Arturia Fae said.

Greetings were exchanged, before Delphi got her turn. The form that emerged once a Servant appeared was familiar. A red-haired girl in her teens, with aqua eyes, horns and a reptilian tail, dressed in an elaborate idol-like dress. The teenaged form of Elizabeth Bathory, before she became a serial killer.

"Huh. So you summoned me, eh?" Elizabeth said with a smile. "Well, this is great. Nice to see you again, Delphi. Please tell me that other lizard isn't slinking around Chaldea?"

"We blocked her summoning after she tried to infiltrate Chaldea," Harry said. "You're better than Kiyohime, but don't act like your adult self, okay?"

"Hey, no problem, Harry!" Elizabeth said, waving her hands. "I just wanna be an idol, not some old crone who uses maiden blood to rejuvenate themselves!"

The draconic girl was coaxed off the summoning dais, and Barghest stepped forward. Soon, her next Servant came into being in a blast of light. And this one was a welcome arrival.

The girl had blonde hair in a long braid and amethyst eyes, clad in an armoured dress. A flagpole was in one hand. Her features vaguely resembled Arturia's, but they were gentler.

"Servant Ruler has answered your summons," Jeanne d'Arc said, smiling. "My word, so this is Chaldea?"

"Yeah," Mordred said. "For now, it seems like you and I are the only ones from that clusterfuck at Trifas so far, Jeanne d'Arc. Marie and Mozart are here, though, and Bathory just got summoned."

Jeanne nodded, hopping off the summoning dais. Despite being one of the most famous saints in history, Harry found the Ruler Servant to be humble and self-effacing. A little too fond of prayer for his liking, given his misotheism, but she was a genuinely good person, and she was embarrassed by her own fame. "I do hope we can summon Sieg at one point," she mused. "And Astolfo, for that matter."

As Mordred snorted, Harry stepped forward, his own Saint Quartz at the ready. After some time, the familiar triptych of rings of light appeared, before snapping inwards, a blast of light dazzling them. A diminutive form appeared on the summoning dais, and he didn't fail to notice Jeanne and Mordred tensing, as did Beni-Enma, who was watching on as a silent sentinel.

"Servant, Assassin. Our name is…wait…Daddy?!"

That was all the warning he had before said form pounced on him. He only swayed a little as the form clung to him, and looked up, smiling warmly. Jeanne and Mordred shared a look, before relaxing a little.

Da Vinci, meanwhile, tittered. "Is this going to be a habit with you, Harry? Drawing in allies from across the Kaleidoscope who know you?"

"Don't ask me!" Harry complained, before looking down at the figure hugging him.

It appeared to be a pre-teen girl, dressed in dark trousers and a hoodie. A ragged mop of silver hair framed cute features that nonetheless had a couple of scars on it. Golden, cat-like eyes met his gaze.

"Oops, sorry," the girl said, releasing him and hopping away. "We forgot what Mr Zelretch told us. You're not with Mummy Arturia this time. Still, we're glad to see her here, and Big Sis Mordred."

"…Big Sis Mordred? Nope, fuck this, I give up!" Mordred muttered, throwing up her hands in aggravation. "Damn Kaleidoscope bullshit."

Jeanne, however, cleared her throat. "So, are you not the Assassin we fought in Trifas?"

The girl shook her head. "We're still the same Servant, but we don't have her memories, just ours. Anyway, we should introduce ourselves. We are Jackie. Or, as most know us, Jack the Ripper."

Harry felt a chill run down his spine. This was the infamous serial killer? A little girl who had a disturbing tendency to talk in plurals? Was his family safe? Was the rest of Chaldea?

Jeanne walked over, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Harry…while Jack the Ripper was dangerous in our Holy Grail War, her past…was not a happy one. Or rather, their past, for she is a gestalt. I saw her past and true nature for myself. Her murders were born of ignorance and incomprehension, not malice or evil. But…if this one is friendly to you and the Pendragons, even in another timeline…I'd be willing to give her the benefit of the doubt."

"…Though the clothes are new," Mordred said. "Not that I'm complaining, mind. No kid should be seen in the getup she was sporting when I saw her in Trifas. Though I was more worried about her trying to slash my throat open at the time, never mind my Master's."

Moriarty chose that moment to chuckle. "Ah, we do live in interesting times, don't we? In the cursed sense of the word, anyway…"

CHAPTER 17 ANNOTATIONS:

So, we've got some more summons, with more of the OG Servants from Fate/Stay Night returning and tensions rising. But we have some definite new allies joining them, and more Kaleidoscope shenanigans.

So, here's an analysis of my choices…

HINAKO: I want to give her mostly Servants from China, as that is where she spent the majority of her life. While I could have given her Prince Nezha or Qin Liangyu, I wanted someone more interesting (and TBH, I HATE the Lostbelt Qin Liangyu, for her stupidly one-eyed loyalty to Lostbelt Shi Huang Di's stagnant rule and not thinking about alternatives). Then, I remembered Li Shuwen, and decided on his young Assassin form seen in the Extra series, especially Fate/Extella and its sequel.

OPHELIA: I decided on giving her more Germanic Servants, so bringing in Mozart and Marie Antoinette, both from Austria, was my decision. Plus, it's nice to bring them in from the France Singularity.

KADOC: I decided to use him to bring in two particular Servants. Medea was a no-brainer, and this is the point where I should bring her in where it would be awkward rather than murderous (and I think of Kadoc as being inclined towards getting Servants from former Eastern Bloc countries, and Colchis became Georgia, which was absorbed into the Soviet Union). But Kukulkan, while something of a curveball, has some logic. After all, Kadoc's alternate self was a key player in Nahui Mictlan. Plus, I thought it'd be fun for people to freak the fuck out when they realise they have a Servant who is effectively ORT amongst them.

HERMIONE: I want to get intellectual Servants for her. Nikola Tesla was the first that came to mind, and Hermione would definitely take Tesla's side over Edison's.

WAVER: Like Hermione, I wanted Waver to tend towards getting intellectual Servants. I decided on Murasaki Shibuku.

RITSUKA: This is mostly my giving Ritsuka weird luck, but then again, he is Rin's nephew in this. Summoning EMIYA (and lancing that boil) is in-character, in hindsight.

MELUSINE: Well, I did intend to bring Lostbelt Percival back, so, here he is. Utter no-brainer.

DELPHI: I decided on Elizabeth Bathory in her Lancer form. It suits Delphi's gremlin energy, and I'm probably going to hew a little closer to her portrayal in achus93's Princess of the Puppeteer. That she has an intellectual side and likes reading.

BARGHEST: With her love of chivalry and bravery, I decided on Jeanne d'Arc. I very nearly had her summon Okita Souji (who is still a possibility down the track), closer to her more serious personalities in Fragments of Chaldea and the comic Fate/Type Redline, but I wanted to bring in Jeanne more. I think she and Arturia have a lot to talk about.

HARRY: I intended to summon Jackie in some form or another, but I decided, with all the multiversal shenanigans, to bring in what is basically Jackie from You're the King of My Heart. In other words, this is the Jackie summoned by Salazar Slytherin reincarnated as Harry.

I hope you liked my allusion to the Servant Universe. MHX and MHX Alter probably won't appear, but I thought you'd appreciate the nod…and to Project Mouthwash's Abridged Series of Unlimited Blade Works that I mentioned with EMIYA. And just remember, the 'Actually' is important… ;)

On another note, for those who haven't seen my supplemental review for the previous chapter, I actually did manage to beat the final battle of Nahui Mictlan against Tezcatlipoca (fuck that name, and fuck him, or rather, don't). The secret? The 'Fondant au Chocolat' CE. That's the one from the Rare Prism shop (if you didn't get it during its debut event) with Arjuna on it. One of my supports had a Jalter with that CE, and I realised it could be key to my victory. Why? Because it does extra damage to Divine targets…like Tezcatlipoca.

My lineup was my NP2 Berserker Vlad III, Caster Arturia, and Kagekiyo in the front row, with two Jalters, one my own, the other a support, both with the 'Fondant au Chocolat' CE. True, there was quite a bit of luck in my victory, but my frontline Servants lasted long enough to bring Tezcatlipoca down to his last HP bar. A couple of Command Seals charged the Jalters' NP gauges, and while I kept their Buster-enhancing skills ready for the final push, those two attacks brought him down in time for the 'High Noon' phase. I activated the Buster-enhancing skill…and watched as my Jalter's first attack burned that smug Aztec deity to ashes. That was my fourth attempt, and my first attempt after ragequitting.

I hope my discussing how I beat this boss helps you guys, the ones who actually play Fate/Grand Order, beat him. Because God help us if Lasengle tries to make things actually fair for players…

Oh, and by the way? While only in its most initial stages, keep an eye out for a possible new Nasuverse crossover from me with a pairing that is tangentially-related to this one. I am going to try and attempt a Harry/Lostbelt Morgan pairing. It's something I've been considering for some time, but now, I think I have the right plot for it.

Anyway, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out, but I hope you enjoy this one.

Review-answering time! The Disquieting One: I'd argue that the shark-jumping was with the Lostbelts themselves. Aside from the Avalon le Fae one, they were incredibly formulaic, depressing, and aggravating, and the British Lostbelt's greatest strength was in disguising the formula and having interesting characters.

ZLC genesmith: Yeah, it would, wouldn't it? Have you read the 'Heated Competition' chapter of Fragments of Chaldea? It involves Jackie, Nursery Rhyme, and Illya (from Fate/Kaleid) entering a curry-cooking competition for Illya to get back more attention from EMIYA, and Jackie's knife skills are showcased in that for cooking…

Jebest4781: I'm doing it with the canon Singularity…but maybe I will shake that up anyway.

Dragon Man 180: God no! Tamamo (in most cases) would probably still have a thing for Hakuno from the Extra series. I'd be worried about if Koyanskaya makes it to Chaldea…

I answered Skull Flame's review in correspondence, but while Beni-Enma likes Jamie Oliver, she's more inclined towards Nigella Lawson and Heston Blumenthal. The former appeals to her sensibilities about food, while the latter appeals to her experimental and artistic side.

No numbered annotations this time.