Hello everyone and welcome back to the start of chapter 82 of the story!
Before everything, sorry for the delay of the chapter. Life things got in the way of my schedule and prevented me from releasing it sooner. But well, better late than never right?
Do you wanna know what is the thing I love the most about the Nasuverse? How is completely canonical that during the Third Crusade, Richard Lionheart, Saladin and the leader of the Hassans at the time, all joined forces to fight against a Dead Apostle. (I'm not making it up, it's literally on the franchise's wiki page). And I absolutely love how ridiculous yet amazing that sounds. And I'm surprised that there is no other type of wacky scenarios like these in the Nasuverse. Like, do you know how much I would pay to see Napoleon, the Duke of Wellington and one of the Habsburgs becoming allies in order to defeat some sort of evil werewolf identity or even this one?
I'm just gonna put my own theory and say that the leader Hassan of that the time of the fight was probably none other than the mighty and glorious Hassan of the Spoon! And he probably did 90% of the job against the Dead Apostle. That's an headcannon of mine that I will defend until my death.
And with that said, let's head into the chapter!
DISCLAIMER: All of the Nasuverse characters belong to Nasu and are property of Type-Moon, with the exception of the OC's that belong to me, the author
"Everyone! As the majestic queen of this newborn empire, I hereby decree three hurrays in my and my strongest and most perfect warrior's name!"
Medb commanded on top of her chariot as the confetti and flower petals danced in the air in the middle of the parade with joyful music playing on the background. Everything was beautiful and glorious, just how the queen of Connacht had envisioned. While this wasn't exactly the cherry on the top for her entire war and conquest of this country, the celebration thrown was pretty much the entire cake.
"Hurray to Queen Medb and King Cú! To our great leaders!"
"Hurray!"
"Hurray!"
"Hurray!"
Medb closed her eyes and smugged in satisfaction, putting her hands close to her ears to enjoy the cheers. "Ah, how hearing that makes me win more years of life. How about you?" She asked to Cú Alter, who had been seated through the entire ceremony till now, mainly unreactive to all the commemoration happening around.
"It's tedious." Cú Alter answered dryly, resting his face on his own fist. Hearing the soldiers chanting his own name didn't made him want to jump and smile from joy. He saw it has meaningless. The fact his people now praised him as king didn't make the brutish spearman feel a ounce of contentment at all.
"Aaah, why so bored? Didn't had enough sleep tonight?" Medb sighed, wanting for her treasured warrior to express anything else other than apathy for the parade. "Unless..." She smirked sultry, walking torwards Cú Alter and leaning her face to his. "You want someone to make you company in bed, hehe."
"My answer to that is no." Cú Alter replied with a stoic face.
Medb got even more frustrated, tightening the grasp on her whip as she quickly turned around. "Aaaaaah! God dammit! Does he even know the concept of 'flirt'?"
On the rooftops of some buildings in the distance, Peko was observing the parade alongside Tesla, both hidden from the eyes of the crowd while in the strategical spot.
"That's a load of soldiers guarding her chariot." Tesla noted while looking down. "Taking all of them head-on-head would be stupid." He looked at Peko to his side. "Remember, we only got one chance."
Checking the light mana in his own hands, Peko has been mentalizing himself for this moment. "Don't worry. I don't intent to waste it." He replied, staring at Medb waving out in the open to then change his gaze torwards Cú Alter, seated on his throne. "Not with such things in game." Peko swore to himself that he would make this opportunity count it, altough the group's main target wasn't the fearsome spearman. The boy had to give priority to the principal goal here, holding back the one that speaked the loudest on his mind.
"Know what to do?" Tesla wanted to reaffirm if Peko fully understood the plan here.
"Wait for the signal and then shot." Peko replied, looking to the overall area. "I can have good visual of the target from here." He put his finger in position, ready to aim.
"Once you fire the bullet, we'll have to be fast into going to the middle of the parade." Tesla looked to the parallel building on the other side of the street. "Geronimo should show the signal at any minute now."
In the rooftop of that building, Geronimo and Billy had just finished climbing the stairs and took their positions, viewing the parade slowly getting closer to them, about to pass by the buildings the two servants and Peko and Tesla were located.
"'Kay chief! The explosives have been planted! Now we can start the 4th of July fireworks!" Billy told to Geronimo, revolver in hand.
"Not yet Billy. Medb's chariot must be right between the two buildings. We will have to wait a little more." Geronimo told to the gunslinger. "This plan needs to be executed perfectly. No flaws." His vision saw the parade getting closer, with Geronimo himself goint to grab something from his pocket. "Wait..." It wasn't at the perfect clse distance yet. "Wait..."
"Nervous?" Tesla asked to Peko, seeing the boy looking a bit apprehensive.
"A little...kinda." Peko replied, wanting to maintain a calm and compused posture despite the pressure, cracking a small nervous smile a bit.
"Oi." Tesla put a hand on Peko's shoulder. "Relax boy. You got this. Don't be thinking on the worst outcome. Think on the best one instead."
"S-Sure. Thanks for the advice." Peko told him before going back to focus on getting the signal. "He's right! You have to believe in yourself Peko! That you can do it!"
"Wait..." Geronimo was still on holding alongside Billy, watching the vehicle Medb and Cú Alter where on, about to pass by them. "Wait..." Just a little more. Everyone was on the edge to put the plan in action. "Wait..!" And after three seconds, the parade was passing on the middle of the two buildings precisely now. "Now!" Taking an eagle's feather from his pocket, Geronimo threw it in the air.
"There! That's the signal!" Tesla exclaimed as he and Peko saw the eagle's feather appearing and floating.
Down below, Cú Alter slightly moved his head up as he thought he had saw something moving with the wind. "Hmm? A feather?"
KABOOM!
Sounding like a blasterous roar, a huge explosion went off some meters behind Medb's chariot, putting the entire parade to a sudden halt.
"What was that?!" Medb questioned, completely startled. Who dared ruin her ceremony?
"We knew and took in consideration that from here, we could've probably take a shot at Queen Medb."
"Tsk! Good stuff certainly isn't!" Cú Alter got up from his throne. "Stay put! I'm gonna see what's the meaning of this!"
"But that would be way too obvious. Almost like that was what they wanted us to do."
Dashing out of the chariot, Cú Alter and the majority of the celti guards that were protecting the vehicle, went to investigate the source of the explosion, leaving Medb alone with a smaller squad of soldiers.
"That's why..."
With a repentine gust of bullets, arrows and thunders appearing out of nowhere, the squad that was left to guard Medb was completely destroyed, leaving the celtic queen extremely shocked. "What?! How did-"
"She's exposed! Advance now!" Geronimo shouted the order, jumping off the building with Billy as Peko and Tesla did the same in the other one.
"We opted for a different approach!"
"Looks like you've been outplayed, queen of Connacht." A figureless voice told Medb, before the queen saw Robin appearing in front of her chariot with Nero behind him, with both having used Robin's cape to conceal their presence and approach the celtic queen without much trouble. "No Face May King went under your radar, putting you in disadvantage."
"And you got nowhere to run nor hide! Umu!" Nero said, stepping forward and holding her sword. "As my big actress moment, I shall play the fundamental part of your defeat!"
Looking to her right and left side, Medb found herself quickly surrounded by the enemy on both sides, cursing as the expression on her face could tell how mad she was from this. "Dammit! I can't do anything against all of them alone! You fucking party breakers!"
"Your Celtic Empire will end here with you!" Peko exclaimed at her while Geronimo looked at the roman emperor.
"Nero, now!" He yelled, not wasting time in passing to the next stage of the group's trap.
"You can't boss an emperor around! Umu!" Nero replied, red petals levitating and circulating around her sword as she smiled. "However, this will be my greatest performance! And such deserves a beffiting, greater stage!" Piercing her blade on the ground, Nero put the final phase of the plan in action.
"Behold my glory...
Hear the thunderous applause...
The rose petals touched the ground, forming a red magical circle, expanding beneath the party's feet. Nero's tip of the sword flickered a golden light.
Sit down and praise...
My Golden Teather!"
"Kingdom of Heaven and Hell...
The ground's texture soon begun being overwritten by another layer. The basic gravel floor was replaced by black and yellow pristine marble and red carpets, with the golden walls, pillars and stairs materializing in a realistic physical form.
"T-This is..!" Peko witnessed Nero's power in awe, thinking if it was what he thought it was.
"Nero's own domain. Something akin to a Reality Marble!" Tesla commented, looking at Geronimo. "She told you about it, didn't she?"
"Why else do you think I decided to bring her with us?" Geronimo smirked. "This is ours and Nero's triumph card. Her idealistic world."
"My heaven, reconstructed!
This is where the limelight shines!"
From the glided bright ceiling of the arena, a rain of rose petals graced the emperor's stage and all of the audience balconies. This was Nero's fantasy come true. the theater capable to compass all of her glory and artistic achievements.
"W-Wow!" Billy stared at the place agape.
"It feels like a sacred temple." Robin speaked, fully amazed.
"Invitation to the Golden Debauchery Theater: Aestus Domus Aurea!"
Withdrawing her sword from the floor, Nero completed her personal magecraft spell. The theater of dreams she constructed while emperor of Rome.
"This...is actually a pretty nice looking place, gotta admit." Medb put her anger temporarily aside to make a good remark about Nero's theater, altough she didn't said it out loud.
"And here it is! The scenario that will house our victory!" Nero proclaimed. "Such radiating place that knows no equal! A round of applause, umu!"
"You truly did great with this one Nero!" Peko told her, with the emperor giving him a haughty smile. Fighting side by side with her was something he never saw it coming after the events of the Second Singularity. There, he saw Nero at her worst, and now Peko was seeing the emperor at her best. "It isolates us and Medb from the outside."
"And that means the queenie 'ere can't call or shield herself behind anyone." Billy cocked his gun. "The win is pratically ours!"
"Well done chief! The plan was executed in perfection!" Robin commended Geronimo's strategy.
"For that my friend, we still need to finish its final part." Geronimo replied, bringing out his long knife and give a look at Medb. "Kill our target!"
In the edge of distress, Medb took a step back as she saw herself with nowhere to escape from Nero's golden theater and her opponents. "Y-You wouldn't dare!" It would be impossible for her to take all of them in a fight.
"It's six against one. The smartest thing here for you to do is to accept defeat." Tesla said to the celtic queen, also aware of the odds in the party's favour.
Not liking to choose the loser's way, Medb refused to just submit herself to defeat. "As if you morons!" She shouted to them agressively. "You will regret having come here to kill me! No one messes with Medb of Connacht and lives happily ever after!" She quickly moved her arm behind her back.
"She's going to grab something!" Peko alarmed everyone.
Giving no opportunity for Medb to use whatever she was going to use, Billy fastly pulled the trigger, sending a bullet torwards her.
"Khh! Medb's eyes widened in fright as she could only watch the bullet about to make a hole in her chest.
But it never came to hit her, having been strucked by the fall of a red spear.
"Uh?!" Billy was perplexed. The entire group was.
Geronimo was questioning how it was possible. "Eh? How did it-"
"Looks like I've intervened just in time. What a pity."
Coming down from the ceilling of the secluded theater, the large figure of Cú Alter crashed into the ground upon the landing, making the party's blood freeze.
"He's here!" Peko's heart skipped a strong beat as a shocking sensation traveled through his nerves upon seeing Cú Alter straighten his own body to look at the people who planned to assassinate Medb.
"It almost bought you the time you needed." Cú Alter looked at them with displeasure and a certain hostility.
"You managed to invade my Domus Aurea?! That should have been impossible!" Nero exclaimed in utter disbilief. "You weren't supposed to be in this play!"
"This is bad! With Cú Alter here, finishing off Medb will be a lot harder!" Robin said. "We still have to do this quick or else we risk having to fight against more reinforcements!"
"You came in a good hour big guy." Medb talked to him with lovely eyes, amused that she was saved by Cú Alter. "Did the fact of me being in danger made you run to here like crazy in order to save me, hmm?"
"Losing the queen of an empire wouldn't be good for the soldiers moral. That's all." Cú Alter answered, not greatly showing to be relieved that Medb was alright.
"Aha! I knew that you cared about me!" Medb clapped her hands together, interpreting the spearman's response as his way of saying 'yes'. "You're such a big caring dummy! My very hero!" Medb hugged his arm with huge affection.
Cú Alter pulled it out. "Don't go imagining and saying nonsense woman!" He told Medb before putting his sight back on his enemies. An eyebrow slightly went up the moment Cú Alter spotted Peko in the middle of them. "Oh oh? Wasn't expecting to see you again. I thought you had bittened the dust for good." He gave a sneer to Peko.
"You should've done a better job back then!" Peko put a steadier grip on his sword as response, not daring to cower before Cú Alter. "I can't allow to be weak in front of him again!"
"Ah, I get it now. You went to meet me again so that I could properly kill you this time." Cú Alter cackled. "Is it some sort of death wish that you have?" He then noticed something. "Speaking of which, where is the other brat? The girl one. She didn't got as lucky?" Cú Alter asked to Peko with a malevolish grin on his face.
"Alive and kicking just as much as I am!" Peko replied, giving the news that Cú Alter failed to kill them both that time to the man himself.
"What a shame so. The healing process must have been quite painful with all those broken bones and wounds." Cú Alter exercised his neck, the bone snapping being audible. "You wouldn't mind..." He also snapped his knuckles, giving a terrifying smile to Peko. "...if I did the same thing to you again?"
Gulping, Peko's heart shook to its core. He had experienced that pain already, being deeply terrorizing to him. Suffering it a second time, scared Peko's mind, making the boy consider to not fight Cú Alter and open his fighting posture for a brief moment. "Hm!" But he was quick to correct his posture and ignore the momentarily surge of fear inside him. "It will be different this time!" He locked his eyes onto Cú Alter's.
"What makes you sure of that?" Cú Alter asked, slightly tilting his head upwards. "For a small bug, you are quite annoying."
"Because we aren't going to let you hurt him again." Tesla stood in front of Peko, confronting Cú Alter. "You'll be the one going down here."
"We will see about that." Medb stood next to Cú Alter, her whip now in hand. "Me and Cú are going to wreck your pathetic little bodies into pieces and all before the ceremony ends!"
"At the very least, this should be entertaining." Cú Alter picked up his Gáe Bolg from the ground. "Now, who wants to attack us first?"
Geronimo enchanted his knife. "All of us." He said, with every member of the party looking ready to charge torwards the two. "We aren't afraid of you!" He shouted, with the whole group jumping at Cú Alter and Medb.
Smiling, Cú Alter dashed at them. "Then come and die!"
"There's an opening here!" Ritsuka said to his group, having found an half-open door on the back part of the Alcatraz prison while they were trying to discover a way in.
"Where do you think it leads up to?" Mash asked as she saw Nightingale help Ritsuka open the door totally.
"Nowhere but to the inside of the prison." Nightingale replied, passing through the small entrance. "Let's go!"
Entering, the party walked on a small corridor with a set of stairs leading to an exit at the end of it. As they proceeded, Nala glanced at Rama's face on the nurse's back. He wasn't looking good, clearly uncomfortable in his rest.
"Rama can't take it much more. He is on the brink." Nala stated to the group, all aware of Rama's condition getting worse. The disease was getting a lot more awful ever since yesterday, with the hindu king now barely having the energy to talk or even keep his eyes open, his face sweating from the pain inside him.
"Good thing that it won't take us much longer to find his wife." Elizabeth said. "We need to encounter Sita asap!"
"Only problem is what if something will be waiting for us on the exit." Mash commented, considering that possibility.
"We reached the island and entered here sneakly." Ritsuka told her. "I doubt the enemy has spot us yet."
Reaching to the end of the corridor, the group opened the hatch, exiting to the prison's yard, encountering it to be totally empty.
"Something's off." Nightingale said, finding bizarre that such area of the prison would be void of any presence.
"Weren't supposed to be guards here?" Ritsuka also thought of it has strange, wondering why there wasn't anyone around.
"I don't want to spell it out but, something like this could only mean one thing." Elizabeth speaked, already imagining the reason why they entered the yard with no one nearby.
With the party putting their guards up as precaution, the ambience of the area begun to feel like danger. And for a good reason.
"!" Having detected a presence in her subconscious, Nala looked to the sky. "Watch out! Up there!" She yelled to the others, making up the group didge the attack from above.
"Dang it! You just had to look up and notice me in the nick of time." With the cloud of dust dissipating, the group saw a short blonde haired muscular man with lots of scars and burn marks across his muscular upper body. He had a black tattoo on each arm as well as bandages and only wore long jeans. He held two weapons, a sword and a iron club. The servant had a chain connected to two bracers of his. "At least I will get to fight you properly so." Beowulf said.
"An enemy servant!" Mash exclaimed, putting her shield ready for the fight.
"But how?! I thought no one saw us arriving the island!" Nala was muddled, wondering how Beowulf knew that they were coming here.
"Don't go thinking that your side is the only one allowed to have information collectors." Beowulf replied, making the answer obvious.
"We've been watched by the enemy without knowing!" Ritsuka said it out loud.
"Right on the money! And the soldiers who did came back to me sharing everything." Beowulf told them, walking from left to right and vice-versa. "Hence why we were already prepared for your 'visit'."
"Crap! We shouldn't have let the caravan to be out there in the open." Elizabeth cursed, seeing that their plan of rescuing Sita without being discovered was no longer an option.
"Fine! I was already counting for some mishap of sorts to happen!" Nightingale prepared her fists, a look of aggressiveness on her face. "If we have to fight so be it!"
"Hm? What's that hostile face for? Don't like having your plans thwarted?"Beowulf questioned, seeing the angriness on the nurse's eyes.
"No. I just can't stand looking at how badly you treat your own skin!" Nightingale pointed out to Beowulf's scars and other marks on his body. "Don't you know how to apply cream or any sort of moisturizer on it? It's atrocious that you don't feel the need to take skin treatment! It makes me wanna vomit!"
"At what point is it crazy to even be worried about your enemy's own health?" Nala asked to the rest of the group, surprised by Nightingale's behaviour.
"I do think it's pretty common for doctors and nurses to look after every patient of theirs, even if they're enemies." Ritsuka told to Nala, having a basic understanding of the philosophy of Nightingale's duty.
"Yes. It's a sort of oath." Mash added. "No matter which side of the conflict they are, it's expected for a doctor or nurse to treat a injured person back to health as a noble trait of the profession."
"Well, no wonder why she's such a maniac for hygiene." Elizabeth commented on that observation.
"This body is mine, therefore I'm the one who puts its own limitations!" Beowulf replied to Nightingale's words. "It is one that was built and perfected to fight, suiting its owner! All of these scars are memories of the glorious and tragic battles I had in life! And evey single one was worthy to be remembered! I have no shame in having them!" The blonde servant exclaimed, proudly smiling. "So take a step forward and come face the legendary king of the Geats, Beowulf!"
"Beowulf?!" Mahs exclaimed in surprise.
"Know him?" Ritsuka asked the shielder, waiting to be given the background of their enemy servant.
"He is the hero protagonist of one of the oldest poems of English literature, being from the region of Denmark-Sweden. He's famous for having slain a giant and later a fire dragon at the end of his life! Such achievements sure make him worthy of having those legendary status."
"Then he is a more wilder Siegfried? Is that what I got?" Nala thought of the small yet intresting similarities between the two servants and their tales.
"And for him to be here, he also must be the warden of this prison." Ritsuka commented, looking at Beowulf. "Passing through him certainly won't be easy."
Nightingale was getting more disgruntled at Beowulf's talking. "Not only you treat your body poorly but you also are mentaly ill!" She raised her voice. "But of course. Only those type of people would dare putting their bodies through such harm." However, the nurse tried to be polite, calming herself down. "If you still have a tiny shred of respect for your own condition, then do step aside and let us go. I have a patient here that needs someone to treat him urgently." She signaled to the ill Rama on her back.
Beowulf refused. "Sorry, no can do. Gotta pass through me."
"Then take this as the cure!" Nightingale yelled, charging quickly at the nordic warrior, who shielded himself from her kick by using his own arms. The rest of the party saw that as the signal that the fight had started.
"Krgh! Starting with the right foot eh?" Beowulf said with joy, seeing that there would be a fight. "But how about I make this more intresting for all of us?" Putting the fingers on his own lips, Beowulf made a loud whistle.
"He's whistling?" Nala tried to fugre what was the goal of doing that.
"Is he calling for reinforcements?" Ritsuka theorized. And right he was, altough not in the way he originally thought.
Climbing the walls of the prison, a dragon was summoned to aid Bewoulf in the fight, landing its claws on the ground.
"We also have to fight that?!" Elizabeth said, hugely shocked by the new enemy's appearence.
"Looks so!" Nala replied. "It doesn't look to be as big or powerful as that Fafnir dragon back in France. Still, it will be a bother to have to deal with one more enemy."
"You can't dub yourselves heroes if you don't have what it takes to defeat a dragon." Beowulf told them, clashing his weapons onto one another. "Prove me wrong otherwise!"
"Challenge accepted!" Ritsuka replied. "Mash! Nala!"
"On our way!" Nala sprinted torwards Beowulf and the dragon.
Mash followed her behind. "Working on that!"
Elizabeth stood by Ritsuka's side, holding a microphone. "Time for Idol Liz big support!" She winked.
"Sadistic Charisma!"
Doing a singing tune, Elizabeth casted a spell on the other members of the party, enhancing their skills. "Hehe, this should do. Liked the snippet of my next song?" She asked to Ritsuka.
"It...was decent." Ritsuka smiled to her, having his ears covered alongside Fou.
"Fou fou!"
"You didn't heard a goddamn thing!" Elizabeth whined.
"Berserk!"
Casting his own spell, Beowulf clashed with Nightingale's fist, surprised that the nurse decided to touch the shar blade of his weapon instead of dodging. "And you tell me I treat my body horribly? You just took a hit that was easy to avoid!"
Pushing through, Nightingale's fist begun to overpower Bewoulf's sword despite the bleeding. "I do not care if I get hurt! My patients being ill and on death's door however..." Successfully, Nightingale won the clash against Beowulf, almost hitting him in the face. The nurse proceeded to do quick punches and kicks against the nordic king, forcing him to barely manage avoiding and blocking them.
"Tsk! This woman fights like she's possessed!" Even with all the defense, Bewoulf ended up being hit on the stomach by the nurse, who took her gun out and fired at him, with Beowulf deflecting the bullets with his iron club and fighting back by attempting to smash Nightingale with it and the nurse ending up dodging before grabbing Beowulf's right arm and slamming him into the ground.
"Is a full disgrace for me if I let them die on my watch. And you're on the way of my patient's medicine." Nightingale looked down on him with cold eyes. "You are an assistant of the disease, which makes you an extension of it. That means I'll have to eliminate you!" With her own way of rationality completed, Nightingale was about to crush Bewoulf's skull with an incoming punch.
"Gh!" Beowulf moved his head to the side, avoiding the attack by mere centimeters. "Quite the nuthead that you are!" Bewoulf kicked Nighingale strongly on the stomach, getting back on his feet. "But I think it wouldn't be as funny to fight you if you weren't."
Nightingale cleaned the blood from her chin. "What a psychologically twisted view you have of this." She closed her fists again. "It is in dire need for therapy!" She exclaimed, with her and Beowulf going back to deal blows onto each other.
While that was happening, Nala and Mash were occupied with the dragon Beowulf had summoned.
"Precise Stroke!"
Jumping into the air, Nala slashed the fire breathing of the dragon, landing a great slash on the creature's torso. But it still wasn't enough as the dragon remained in the fight. Going back to the ground, Nala thought of where to attack the enemy next. In the same moment, the dragon swinged its tail torwards her, ending up being stopped by Mash and her shield.
The shielder proceeded to pierce her shield on the dragon's tail, pinning it to the ground. "Now Nala!"
Understanding what her friend wanted her to do, Nala dashed torwards the beggining of the tail while the dragon tried to fly away, cutting it off. "Yah!" The girl looked back to see the dragon fall to the ground, roaring in pain before quickly getting up after the initial agony. "Looks like we've angered it!" Nala said, looking at the red eyes of the creature that could easily tell how angry it was.
"Better get ready!" Mash stood by Nala's side, seeing the dragon take flight and sending down a fire breath at the two. "Behind me!" Mash exclaimed as she protected herself and Nala from the attack that set the entire ground of the yard into flames. And the flying lizard wasn't done yet. The dragon descended from the sky, wanting to hit directly the two opponents with its body and teeth.
"Careful! It's heading here!" Nala shouted as she and Mash stepped aside from the incoming flying dragon, covering the body in fire.
"Is it trying to burn the entire prison at this point?!" Mash looked the creature went up in the sky again while Nala tried to not burn her feet in the hot floor on the background.
"That's no good! It will end up killing Sita accidentaly if so!" Nala told Mash. "We need to get rid of it quickly!" The girl looked at the creature in the sky, seeing it charging up another fire breath.
"Hop on it then!" Mash told Nala, putting her shield abover herself.
Nala smiled at it. "Ah, the good old trick!" Wasting no time, Nala jumped to the top of Mash's shield and like the many times they did it before, Mash projected Nala torwards the sky at an high speed. The dragon also was fast to act and fired its potent fire breathing at Nala. Instead of trying to cut it in half and then do the same with the creature's neck, Nala opted for something different.
"Air Step!"
Dodging from the fire blast, Nala relocated herself to the side of the dragon's left wing, slicing it off from the body and causing the dragon to free fall torwards the yard. "It's all yours Mash!" The girl said to the shielder down there who was running torwards the spot were the dragon would fall.
"Here goes!" Putting her feet well placed on the floor, Mash swinged her shield to the back and timed it perfectly with the moment the dragon's head was about to hit the ground, striking her weapon on its cranium.
The strenght of the impact made the dragon's body crash onto one of the prison's walls, having been defeated for good, with the monster's body dissapearing.
Nala came back to the ground, doing an high-five with Mash. "That's the way!"
"One threat down!" Mash said before being surprised at seeing Nightingale fall and roll her body on the ground past it. "M-Miss Nightingale!"
"Congratulations! You've defeated the dragon!" Beowulf stood in front of the two, a bit injured. "I think that makes you at least something dignified of the battle."
Ritsuka helped Nightingale getting back up, seeing blood on her face and body. "Are you alright Nightingale?"
"Nothing that incapacitates my functions." Nightingale speaked, not paying much concern to her own wounds. Her mind was on another thing. "But for now, here." She unstrapped the bag where Rama was in from her back and gave him to Ritsuka. "Watch over him. I cannot risk his integrity while fighting."
"Leave it to us! We will make sure to do that job!" Elizabeth told to the nurse, helping Ritsuka putting Rama gently on the ground.
"Rama's in safe hands. You can solely worry about the fight now." Ritsuka ensured it to Nightingale, who smiled at him.
"Thank you for letting me know." The nurse said before turning around and going back to fight Beowulf, now with the help of Mash and Nala.
"Transient Wall of Snowflakes!"
Casting a defensive spell on herself and the other two in order to rise their endurance, Mash was ready to begin a new assault on Beowulf. "This should help."
"You better pray that it does." Beowulf told her, the clinking sound of the chain sounding while he moved his arms, posing his weapons offensively. "Because I'm not going easy on you!"
"Neither will we!" Nala replied, being the first to sprint at the nordic king, with Nightingale following her shortly behind while Mash stood at the rearguard.
Beowulf defended Nala's attack with his iron club, swinging his sword at her as response. The girl blocked three of Beowulf's hits before being sent back by a kick of his. Just in time for Nightingale to swap in with her and throw a combo of punches at Beowulf. The nordic king avoided them, scraping his sword on the ground before almost getting a cut on the nurse's face. Mash appeared behind him, about to pierce his back with her shield, however, Beowulf anticipated it by stretching his chain in front of her, clashing with her shield and creating some sparkles. He then focused back on Nightingale who got near to hit his face from the right. Nala came back agaisnt all of the three at once. Not that he seemed to dislike it.
"Ahahaha! Now this is hos a fight should be done!" He laughed happily, tanking Nightingale's punch with his bare shoulder while he used his sword to defend himself from Nala's own sword. Having both of his arms occupied, Mash was about to hit him with her shield. But thinking outside the box, Beowulf stopped Mash's shield with his own foot. He then applied enough strenght to push the shielder away, win the clash against Nala and use his head to heabutt Nightingale. In seconds, he had gotten out of a difficult situation.
"He's really good..." Ritsuka commented.
Elizabeth decided to help. "Against three perhaps. Let's see how he fares against four!" Taking her spear out, the lizard idol runned torwards Beowulf.
"Hm? A new opponent? Good! The more the merrier!" Beowulf exclaimed, changing blows with Elizabeth. Altough it was obvious that the norse king was a lot more battle experienced and physical stronger than the small idol wannabe countess, Elizabeht pulled out her triumph card in order to startle Beowulf.
Parrying his sword with her spear, Elizabeth put the microphone close to her mouth and approached her face to Beowulf's ears. "Special Attack: LIZ IDOOOOOOOLLLLLL!"
"Gnghr!" Having the high pitched distortion penetrate his ears like bullets, Beowulf's body flinched with ache, disorienting him for a couple of seconds.
"Take this!" With the huge opening, Elizabeth striked Beowulf with her spear. Nala, Mash and Nightingale also took the opportunity and hit Beowulf repeatedly. After a kick from Nightingale, Beowulf's back hit the ground, with the norse king using his giant iron club to help him get back on his feet while panting.
"Ah...ah...Eh. Ehehehehe." Beowulf chuckled, liking the small moment the enemy had the advantage over him. Made the fight feel more balanced. "Not bad. You got some good moves."
"Hmphm! Why, thank you! I myself think it's nothing that special." Elizabeth speaked with elegance and full of herself, thinking the enemy was talking to her, while the rest of the party looked at her with weird expressions.
"It most definetly wasn't only for you."
Moving his shoulders a bit, Beowulf smiled to the group. "This has been satisfactory so far." His enemies kept on being on alert.
"Does it mean you have had enough?" Ritsuka asked him, most certainly knowing the answer. And surprisingly...
"Yes. I'm good." Beowulf replied, laying his weapons down. "You guys win this round."
"Eh?" Nala blinked her eyes, thinking she heard it wrong.
"W-What? You're handing the victory to us?" Mash said in stupefaction.
"I am. You showed me you deserve accomplish that goal of yours." Beowulf stretched his arms. "While me...I can say this was a good way to heat the body."
"Then what do you intend to do now?" Nightingale was still skeptical.
"For start, I want to make it clear this doesn't mean I'm no longer your enemy. I'm just satisfied in ending the battle here." Beowulf explained, starting to walk past the group, showing that he meant no harm now.
"Looks like he's saying the truth." Mash lowered her shield.
"I'll be heading to the capital of the Celtic Empire. Go to the battlefield." Beowulf stood in front of the prison's front gates. "Being a prison warden is such a tedious job." He sighed, giving one last look at the group before exiting. "But watch out! I'm sure the other two won't let you reach to the cells that easily." Leaving, the norse king put a question inside the party's minds.
"Other two?" Ritsuka, holding Rama's ill body, wondered who Beowulf was reffering to as the yard was once again deserted with only them in there. But not for too long.
"Oh, Beowulf. How you let the hunger for battle speak louder than your sense of duty?"
"Leaving us to do the work instead. Such irressponsibility from a man who's supposed to be a great king."
From the many enterways to the yard, large troops of celtic soldiers swarmed in, occupaying the entire area and surrounding the party.
"HUH?! No one told me there would be more appearences here!" Elizabeth exclaimed in shock.
"Spotting large waves of enemies on all directions!" Mash picked up her shield again. "The battle isn't over yet!"
"Of course! That jerk wouldn't let us be without having a catch!" Nala summoned back her sword, eyeing the large number of enemies besieging her.
With the sound of footsteps, two servants came out of the celtic crowd to greet the party. The spearman duo, Diarmuid and Fionn.
"Hello again, dear enemies. Like promised, our weapons are here to clash with each other once more." Diarmuid greeted them politely.
"And it seems this time we have some new faces thrown into the roster." Fionn stared at Nala and Elizabeth before directing his gaze at Mash. "I hope you haven't forgot about our promise, my future wife."
"Kgh!" Mash's lips contorted downways in displeasure.
"Wait! Wait wait wait!" Nala looked at Mash, being utterly baffled at what she heard. "Future wife?! Mash, did you made a deal with this jabroni or something?"
"H-Humm...It's a..." Mash tried to explain in the best way she could despite the shame taking over her face.
"She didn't. He is just delusional!" Ritsuka replied, answering for Mash.
"Oh, I see!" Nala put herself in front of Mash, stretching her arms while giving an unfiredly look at Fionn. "Get away from her pervert!"
A drop of sweat fell from Fionn's head. "Now, now, I do treat women with nothing but chivalry."
"Is the number of soldiers here really necessary? All of this just to defeat us?" Nightingale questioned to Diarmuid and Fionn.
"Not really. We came here firstly to command these troops in an operation of a surprise attack on the West side army's back on the frontlines." Diarmuid explained his and Fionn's intentions. "If you hadn't appeared here, we'd be already on our way through the country to realize the assault by now."
"But since you made the courtesy of showing up, there's no problem if we get rid of another problem before the other." Fionn added, flexing his spear a bit. "Queen Medb would surely be pleased with less flies troubling her." He smiled, staring at Mash. "Have you thought yet of the future you want to live in?"
"I did. And it isn't with you nor serving the Celtic Empire!" Mash exclaimed, moving slightly her shield, showing to the blonde spearman her answer.
Fionn ended up sighing. "The violent way of battle it is. A shame. I have to stain your beautiful face once again."
"It means she's a warrior. And even if my type are the delicate ones, having a wife that enjoys fighting is a nice choice." Diarmuid said to his companion. "Sometimes we have to fight to earn someone's love."
"..S-Sita..." Rama muttered weakly on Ritsuka's arms, coughing a bit as his skin was starting to look pale.
"R-Rama! Hold on! You can't succumb to it!" Ritsuka told to the ill servant, seeing how close they were to cure him from the curse.
"Hm, your friend isn't looking to good." Diarmuid noticed it. "His situation seems quite precarious."
"Yeah! And you're on our way to heal him!" Nala replied to the two celtic spearmen. "So get out of the way!"
"It's adorable how you think we will be generous enough to do that." Fionn told her. "But that isn't how this works! As enemies of our queen, we shall defeat you here!"
"Then you're also accomplices to Rama's suffering!" Nightingale exclaimed with anger. "And anyone that prolongs the suffering of my patient is an enemy of mine!"
"Human Comprehension!"
Using a spell to enhance herself, the nurse jumped at both Diarmuid and Fionn, destroying the barrier of soldiers in front of her and reaching next to the two celtic spearmen.
"Uff! It seems we upset someone!" Fionn said after blocking a punch from Nightingale.
Diarmuid moved nimbly, evading the bullets from the nurse's gun. "All men, attack!" He ordered to the celtic soldiers around them, giving the signal for the troops to start engaging in battle with the party.
"Step aside!" Nala cut down some enemies by swinging her sword at them, releasing a slice of light from her blade. That however didn't made a huge difference as there was still many opponents left around.
Elizabeth striked some group charging at her on the right, destroying them with her spear. "If you don't have tickets, then don't show up!"
"Ritsuka! Mash! Protect Rama!" Nala said to her two teammates behind her. "I'll go help Nightingale fight those two!"
"Understood!" Ritsuka nodded, giving approval to Nala's initiative.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth went to Mash and Ritsuka's side. "I think that leaves me to help you protect Rama as well."
"We can't allow them hurt him at any costs, Mash!" Ritsuka told to his servant as the shielder hit incoming enemies with her shield.
"We won't master!" Mash replied, aware that she and the rest of the group couldn't let Rama perish here.
Nightingale was occupied with both Diarmuid and Fionn, preventing them to reach Ritsuka and kill the hindu servant. Despite of being excellent in combat and pretty skilled, the nurse was on disadvantage against the two. Thankfully, Nala had arrived to help her out.
"Gyah!" Nala charged at Fionn, forcing him to fire a water projectile at the girl, who slashed it and then clanked her sword with his spear. Nala went for a kick on the spearman's head who dodged it and skillfuly moved away from his opponent, proceeding to nearly pierce her body with his Mac an Luin, only to see Nala avoid it.
"Eager to fight me?" Fionn asked Nala, seeing how strong the impact of her sword's metal felt against the spear, having blocked some wave of attacks from her.
"As long as it keeps you away from Mash!" Nala replied agressively, looking at Nightingale. "Can you handle that one?"
"With every fiber of my body." Nightingale responded, attacking Diarmuid as Nala attaked Fionn shortly afterwards.
"Hm, you do have some qualities." Fionn gave a little praise to Nala's combat. That was before he, with a quick movement, pass through Nala's defense and hit her shoulder with the spear and kicked her to the ground.
"Kghh!" Nala made a painful face as she hold on the wound for a bit.
"Nevertheless, I remind you that a gruesome battle isn't a place for kids like yourself." Fionn told her, staring at his enemy with a look of superiority.
"Tsk! Don't downplay me!" Nala shouted, going back at attacking Fionn. She couldn't try to hit him wildly, knowing that facing the enemy with no calm would only do her more harm. So as she tried to attack him, Nala was also patient enough to anticipate and predict the celtic warrior's incoming attacks, allowing him to have his turn while she blocked the attacks and awaited for an opening. Upon spotting it, Nala went for the slash, cutting Fionn on the left side of his torso.
"Grgh!" Faltering for a bit, Fionn let himself exposed for more attacks, dodging two of Nala but ending up being kicked on the chin.
"Don't tell me that you are losing the fight Fionn!" Diarmuid gave a glance at his friend's fight while trading blows with Nightingale, seeing that he had just taken a hit.
"Eh, this is just a minor setback Diarmuid. Nothing more." Fionn smiled with confidence.
"Clairvoyance!"
Seeing Nala sprint at him to attack again, Fionn was quick enough to react, parrying her sword and hitting Nala in the face with the shaft of Mac an Luin.
"Guh!" Nala let out a grunt as she fell head first into the ground.
Seeing that, the leader of the knights of Fianna saw the chance to go where he wanted to in the first place. "Now if you excuse me..." He went torwards Mash, Ritsuka and Elizabeth.
Lifting up her face, Nala warned them out. "Look out! Mash!"
Looking to the side, Mash saw Fionn coming at her with his spear, swinging it down at her. Luckily, the shielder blocked it in time. "Ghg!"
"Finally. The person I wanted to see up close." Fionn told her with a lovely smile. "If I defeat you here, your destiny as my wife is sealed!" He pushed Mash away, breaking her shield's defense.
But Elizabeth didn't let him attack Mash again, having her own spear clash with him. "And who decides that? She has no obligation to be with you!"
Jumping back, Fionn looked at her. "Getting in the way of an important duel isn't very honroble of you. I'm only showing my worth and capacity to her. You have no business in this!"
"But as her master I do!" Ritsuka replied to the celtic spearman. "And as her master, I won't let you have her!"
Mash smiled to him. "Well said master!"
"If you won't then that means I'll have to kill you for stopping a noble warrior to ask a fair lady's hand." Fionn looked at Ritsuka with an antipathetic glare.
"No! I won't let you do that too!" Mash said opposing to Fionn, ensuing her fight with him.
Having let Fionn become Mash's and the others problem but trusting them to do the job, Nala went to help Nightingale against Diarmuid. The two were in good sync, giving some problems to the other celtic spearman who used both his weapons to defend himself from their attacks.
"Eye of the Mind!"
Dodging magnificently from the blows, Diarmuid attacked them back, throwing Gáe Buidhe at Nala, scratching a bit of her face and then hit Nightingale with Gáe Dearg, calling back the other spear to his hand, seeing Nala approaching him. The girl tried to hit him, keeping up with the celtic warrior's speed altough not being enough to land the blow on him.
"Hm, the little miss fights well." Diarmuid observed, parrying Nala's sword. "But there's still areas for improvement. The speed is good and the strenght is optimal." He aimed one of his spearts to the girl's leg, making a small cut in it.
"Ghg!" Nala immediatly moved her leg away, avoiding larger damage.
"You accuracy however could be better. If you attack too much but the number of blows succesfuly dealt is lower than the enemy, then you're wasting energy in vain." Diarmuid told her, going to thrust Gáe Buidhe on Nala's body.
"Air Step!"
Swiftly evading Diarmuid's spear, Nala went for a kick on his head, being blocked by the celtic warrior's Gáe Dearg. Wanting to make her effort worth something, Nala still attempted to slice Diarmuid's face, swinging her sword at him before landing. Upon looking at him, she saw a bit of blood coming out from his cheek. She had hit him. "Thanks but I don't feel like being teached right now. I train myself pretty well!" She told him.
It resulted in Diarmuid chuckling a bit. "Do as you want." He turned around, destroying a bed to pieces, having been thrown by Nightingale behind his back. The nurse went for a direct jab to Diarmuid's face, with the spearman narrowly avoiding it. He returned the favour by swinging one of his spears at the nurse, forcing her to dodge it and go to Nala's side.
"You're wounded. Need any medical treatment?" Nightingale offered some healing, looking at Nala's injuries.
But the girl refused. "If you don't need it with those wounds, then I also don't." She smiled to the nurse, passing a hand on her own face and looking back at Diarmuid. "We won't rest until he and his friend are down!"
Giving a little smile on the end of his lips, Diarmuid moved his spears, assuming another battle position. "You better be right for your own good."
On the other battle, Mash was panting, tired from the constant battle against Fionn. The blonde spearman was fierceless despite the gentle and chivalrous looks, attacking her almost non-stop, forcing the shielder to be majorily on the defensive. Each blow she had to tank was one that would drain her energy more and more. Elizabeth would try to help her but it was difficult when she also had to take care of the numerous celtic soldiers alongside Ritsuka, stopping them from reaching Rama. Hence why Mash had to fight Fionn mostly alone.
"You are only complicating the things with this." Fionn said to Mash, giving another hit on her shield. "Can't you see it would be so much better to become my wife instead of going through all this suffering?" He clashed with her shield again. "You're wasting your life this way!" He gave two more blows. "Is that what you really want? To die horribly?"
"Nghm!" Mash's feet slipped a bit on the ground.
"Answer me!" Fionn raised his voice, about to attack Mash's body directly.
However, Elizabeth intervened by parrying Mac an Luin. "She doesn't have to answer you!"
"Do you speak for her?" Fionn looked at Elizabeth with rather arrogance, moving quickly and landing a hit on Elizabeth, making her fall to the ground. "Don't interfere on other people's business!"
"Elizabeth!" Ritsuka shouted while trying his best to protect Rama from the celtic soldiers.
Looking at the injured idol servant, it was enough for Mash to gain new energy and attack Fionn. "Enough! " She strongly clanked her shield on Fionn's spear. "I won't be marrying you! I decided that already! My heart already belongs to a cause!"
"Really? What is that cause then?" Fionn asked, stepping back before colliding his spear on Mash's shield again. "What is better than being the wife of a reputed warrior?"
"Fighting for humanity!" Mash exclaimed, deflecting a water jet from Fionn's spear. "That has more value to me than the mere selfish wish of someone like you!" Mash swinged the sharp part of her shield at the spearman, scratching some of his hair off. "Even if you were the most renowed hero of Ireland, I wouldn't replace Chaldea and my cause with becoming your wife!"
"..!" Such words, seemed to struck Fionn in the soul, a little displeasure showing on his face.
Ritsuka was helping Elizabeth get up after knocking out some soldiers, hearing his servant's words. "That's the spirit Mash! Show him how it is!"
"So while I could understand that you have good hearted intentions with me being your spouse, I have to reject it! Because that's not what I want! Nor what I'll ever want!" Mash said the last part loudly, with adrenaline running through her body and in a moment of endeavor, she managed to find an opening on Fionn and hit him in the face.
"Urgh!" Fionn took some couple of step backs, disoriented by the strong blow. Upon regaining balance, the spearman looked at Mash with a bleeding nose and mouth altough he still looked pretty handsome despite that.
"Nice one Mash!" Ritsuka cheered her from behind.
Mash in return looked at him with a lovely smile. "Thanks master."
"You..." Cleaning the blood off from his lips, it was easy to guess that Fionn would be extremely pissed at Mash for having denied his advances. "You...have a strong resolve." He said, surprisingly containing the anger, not seeming to have any on his face. "What an admirable trait. It only makes me feel more frustrated." Fionn closed his eyes in a lament for a brief second. "Guess there's really no one who could replace my beloved Grainne." He said with a smile, tears falling from his eyes.
"He's crying?" Mash was surprised, not expecting to see her enemy tears.
"I respect your freedom, fair lady." Fionn said tenderly, wipping off his tears. "However...freedom has a price." Hitting with the end tip of Mac an Luin in the ground, a blue watery aura shinned around the celtic warrior.
"This single blow has slain
even fallen Divine Spirits!"
Circulating ropes of water were molded around Fionn, the spearman spinning his weapon in the air.
Gaining the attention through the noise, Diarmuid looked back to his friend, seeing what he was about to do. "Fionn! Don't tell m you are..!"
"His Noble Phantasm!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
Fionn pointed his spear at Mash. If being his wife wasn't the way to go, then there was only one option left.
"Taste its wrath!"
Ritsuka panicked upon realizing something. "He's..!" The master of humanity quickly looked at Elizabeth who had defeated another celtic soldier. "Elizabeth! Grab Rama and move away!" He shouted to her.
Elizabeth was confused. "Eh? Why-"
"Do it!" Ritsuka said without further explanation running torwards Mash.
The shielder, put her shield in front of her in hurry, seeing Fionn's Noble Phantasm almost charged. "This won't do it! I'd have to activate my own Noble Phantasm if I want to block the one from the enemy!"
Looking into her eyes, Fionn concentrated hundreds of magical water in his spear, ready to vanquish her.
"Undefeated Violet Prunella: Mac an Luin!"
"Ggh!"
"Mash!"
Lunging at her from behind, Ritsuka took Mash down, coming in clutch to avoid her being hit by the powerful water blast that was Fionn's Noble Phantasm. The projectile instead hit all of the soldiers behind, exploding into huge waves, annihalating a good chunk of the yard and celtic soldiers.
"Ritsuka! Mash!" Nala shouted, hugely concerned after seeing the explosion of water in the distance.
"We have to hope they escaped that!" Nightingale replied. "Such destructive power, all in a single spear."
"We celts tend to have some of the best mythological spears from all mankind." Diarmuid told them, checking his own two weapons. "Our culture has a special connection with this type of weapon, mastering its arts. We lived learning how to use it. You could say that using a spear is as simple as breathing for us. The power you've just witnessed, was of a warrior that has been long years perfecting the chemistry of his spear."
"So what? You think spears will be enough to defeat us?" Nala talked back to Diarmuid.
"These ones are." Diarmuid replied, putting both Gáe Buidhe and Gáe Dearg in the offensive. "If Fionn has decided to give all out to eliminate you, so will I!" He raised his voice, concentrating a large portion of mana inside his two spears. "Hope you're ready to face them."
Getting the clear threat on Diarmuid's words, both Nala and Nightingale prepared themselves.
"Bring it." Nala said, fixating her gaze on the spearman.
"Revealing Noble Phantasm
Diarmuid activated the power of Gáe Dearg.
A little display of my special move!"
Diarmuid activated the power of Gáe Buidhe.
And with the two combined, he could perform the deadliest attack that could bring his enemies down on a single stroke.
"Don't blink!" Nightingale told Nala. "I have a feeling he can kill you easily if you do."
Noting that, Nala payed huge attention to Diarmuid, mentalizing herself for his Noble Phantasm. "One mistep, and it might be over for us!"
"Drill!
Crimson Rose of Exorcism: Gáe Daerg!"
Yellow Rose of Mortality: Gáe Buidhe!"
In velocity of a thunder step, Diarmuid sprinted torwards the two with his spears bringing a lethal power stored in both of them. So quick that a normal human and most oppoents wouldn't be able to keep track of it.
"Air Step!"
"Hm!"
Nala dodged like the wind by jumping over Gáe Daerg, almost not escaping it, even using her sword to defend herself from the spear.
Nightingale on the other hand took a huge step back, with Gáe Buidhe passing by centimeters of her eye, avoiding Diarmuid's Noble Phantasm too.
"Woooah! That was a close one!" Nala said, taking a breath of relief.
"You almost had us there!" Nightingale told to Diarmuid.
"Eh. Well done for dodging it. It usually takes lots of concentration and agility to do it as well as a bit of luck." Diarmuid congratulated the two, not looking very angered that he failed his Noble Phantasm. "But don't think it's over yet!"
While that was happening, Ritsuka was with Mash, the two getting up from the ground after having dodged the mortal Noble Phantasm of Fionn.
"Are you okay Mash?" Ritsuka asked her.
Mash nodded at him. "I am. Thanks for saving me from that blow senpai."
"That thing was hella dangerous!" Elizabeth exclaimed, appearing next to the two while doing a great effort in carrying Rama on her back. "Are you two fine?"
"We are." Ritsuka replied before hearing the sound of footsteps from Fionn, the spearman approaching them.
"We aren't finished yet." He signaled with his hand, incitivating them to attack him. "Come if you still have energy left!"
Leaving Rama with Ritsuka, both Mash and Elizabeth went torwards Fionn, already tired but still willing to fight the celtic spearman. Now that a large part of the celtic soldiers were gone, Ritsuka could analyze more freely the situation of the two battles. And he realized how things weren't good looking. All of his companions were in the brink of exhaustion, having had to fight both Beowulf and now the celtic duo with no time to rest. The fatigue was beginning to be visable on the group.
Ritsuka cleenched his teeth in frustration. Diarmuid and Fionn appeared to be more energetic and fit, which meant that if the things stayed like that, the two would eventaully win. "We have to find a way to defeat the two right now! Make a fatal damage on both!"
"R...Ritsuka.."
"Hm?"
"Fou?"
Looking down, Ritsuka saw Rama faintly opening his eyes, not seeming to have much life left in them. "Rama?"
"U...Use a Command Seal...on me, Ritsuka..." Rama told him, much to Ritsuka's consternation. "Do it...to strenghten me..."
"But why?! What are you planning on doing Rama?" Ritsuka questioned the hindu servant.
"We need...to defeat those two...quickly. If you strenghten me...for just a moment...I may be able to use enough power...to defeat them now."
Ritsuka wasn't believing in what he was hearing. "What if you end up dying?!"
"Ritsuka...I'm already dying..!" Rama put his fist on Ritsuka's chest. "I think I'm on my final minutes...If you end up defeating those two...but I die before we can reunite with Sita...all of this effort and travel until now...will be for nothing..!" He made a good point, knowing that they couldn't waste anymore time with Fionn and Diarmuid.
Ritsuka was conscious of that, but he feared that Rama fighting would be fatal for the servant who's curse had now plagued the entirety of his chest. However, with the situation looking as bleak as it was, the master of humanity had no alternative but to take a shoot.
With a repressed breath, Ritsuka closed the hand of his Command Seals, showing them to Rama. "Alright! I'll lend you the strenght you need! Just don't die here!"
Rama gave a small chuckle. "I won't..."
With a new renowned vital energy inside him, Rama felt the might to stand on his two feet again and walk, a thing that Ritsuka still hadn't seen him do since he met him in this Singularity. And despite the king of Kosala's walking being clunky and defective, Rama managed to walk nearby the fight of Mash and Elizabeth against Fionn.
"Here goes..." Rama muttered, creating a fast spinning circle of pure mana above his hand.
While fighting against his enemies, Fionn's peripheral vision catched sight of a new opponent. "Hm? And you a-" The celtic warrior couldn't even finish speaking as in the next second his body suffered a great cut by the passing of the spinning circle, slicing through Fionn's body. "W-Wha-eurgh!"
Both Mash and Elizabeth were surprised by what happened to their enemy as Rama runned past them, heading torwards Diarmuid next.
"What a-"
"Is that..."
As Diarmuid had finished from pushing back against Nala and Nightingale, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, the spearman was unfortunately too slow to prevent being slashed by Rama's own blade, a clean cut damaging his Spirit Core. ""Gerggh! H-How?!"
"R-Rama!? You're fighting!?" Nala exclaimed in shock.
Obviously, Nightingale was extremely furious at seeing this. "But who on god's green earth gave you permission to fight?! You're more than injured! You're on death's door and decide to work up your body?!"
Rama smiled a little at the nurse. "Eh...Sorry. I wanted to help..." Rama said before looking at the remaining celtic soldiers in the yard. "And I'm still not finished with it!" Against Nightingale's orders, Rama charged at the several enemies, showing how great of a skilled fighter he was by taking down the enemies left and right, either being with his sword or spinning circles of mana. Fighting almost like in a hurry, Rama ended up dispatching of every single last soldier in the area, finishing off with summoning a small number of ethereal weapons and throwing them at the last group of opponents, killing them.
It was done. In the small time window he had gotten to use the energy and strenght Ritsuka gave him in order to fight, Rama was able to defeat all of the group's enemies. It was telling of how powerful he could be and was. But as soon as the effects of Ritsuka's Command Seal stopped working, the entire pain and illness from Rama's curse came crashing down on him.
"Bleeerghrgh!" Vomiting blood from the excessive and abused way he utilized his injure body, Rama panted before falling flat on the ground, deteriorating his personal situation.
"Rama!" Ritsuka went immediatly next to his side as well as the entire group.
"Dammit! You really like to ignore rules, don't you?!" Nightingale checked the servant's vitals. "His pulsation is extremely weak! I can't barely feel a beat now!"
"We need to get him to Sita now!" Mash exclaimed, turning around to begin running torwards the cells, only to see Fionn and Diarmuid standing in front of the group silently. "!"
"They can't go away, can they?" Elizabeth brought up her spear again.
But as the party prepared to continue fighting the two celtic warriors, Fionn and Diarmuid's body started to dissapear. The attacks they received from Rama were critical. The battle had been decided with that.
"Funny. All it took was a couple seconds...for us to be defeated." Diarmuid commentd, seeing his own hand vanishing. "If we had only been more efficient..."
"We really can't have any luck..." Fionn speaked. "But congratulations...you defeated the knights of Fianna."
"Now we'll have to vanish...having lut our queen and empire down once again..." Diarmuid lamented. "Truly...we are a shame."
"Humm, I don't think so. You two gave us a hell of an hard time." Nala told to the two. "Your skills proved it."
"Thank you little miss." Fionn replied before stumbling forwards, being grabbed by Diarmuid before he could fall to the ground.
"Hearing that does soothe our souls a bit..." Diarmuid speaked. "All of you...fight for noble causes. Meritorious of warriors."
"Such genuine intentions...makes me desire that one day...we might aid your cause as well..." Fionn made a final wish.
"Next time we meet...it will be with our spears being your ally. Our duties has Queen Medb's warrior...has come to an end." Diarmuid said goodbye to the group before looking at Fionn. "Ready to go, Fionn?"
"With you on my side...even to hell, Diarmuid." Fionn smiled to his friend.
The other spearman smiled back. "I'm happy...that we got to get along after everything..."
And the two knights of Fianna were gone, no longer being threats or enemies to worry about in this Singularity.
As Ritsuka looked to the place where their bodies dissipated into a golden mana, Nightingale called him out.
"Quick! We must find Sita and heal Rama as quick as possible! No time to lose!" The nurse told him.
"Right!" Ritsuka replied, grabbing Rama's body with the help of Nightingale, the party now speeding their steps into the interior of the prison, going for the cells.
"Sita!"
"Sita! Where are you?"
"Are you here? Sita!"
"Sita! Say something if you can hear us!"
"Rama needs you!"
Shouting for the imprisoned servant's name, the group runned through the hall, checking cell after cell, but having no success. Time was almost out. Rama was a minute or two away from becoming a literal corpse and vanishing, being unconscious. It looked like all their effort and hard time reaching here would be for nothing. They couldn't do much more to save him.
"Rama!"
But then, while they continue running, a shout from their left was heard. On the cell to that side, there she was. A young woman with hair and eye colour identical to Rama and similar clothing. Sita.
"Y-You're Sita?" Ritsuka asked to the servant.
"Yes I am! What happened to my husband? Let me see him!" Sita begged, feeling that something was wrong with Rama.
"First things first..." Nala summoned her sword. "Step aside!" She slashed down the jail bars keeping Sita inside. Stepping out, they saw her hands had been shackled. Nightingale went to destroy them, freeing her arms and explain Rama's situation to Sita.
"Your husband's been cursed." The nurse revealed. "It has been slowly deteriorating and eating away his Spirit Core for a long time now." She said while Ritsuka and Mash put the dying hindu king's body on the ground. Sita immediatly grabbed his hand, horrified by the curse wound on his chest.
"Poor Rama, you look like to be suffering a lot." Sita said in sorrow.
Ritsuka decided to tell her how they could heal him. "We theorized that if we found you, his wife, that his curse-"
"That his curse would be erased." Sita said what Ritsuka was about to say. "I already knew of that."
"Eh? How?" Nala asked her.
Fate Grand Order OST- Respite Together
"Rama has been hitten with another curse during our previous life. The Curse of Separation. It prevents us from reuniting with one another properly" Sita informed the group, grabbing Rama's head with her hands and putting him close to her. "You see, we can never ever, be together nor see each other directly. It's a curse that affects us even as Heroic Spirits."
"But if you can heal him, you two will be able to finally coexist, right?" Elizabeth said, thinking that the curse could be bypassed in this situation.
But Sita nodded in negative. "No. When Rama wakes up after having the curse lifted from him, the Curse of Separation will act and I'll dissapear before he can lay his eyes on me. It's a permanent one." She said. "Per exemple, if there ever was a Holy Grail War, only one of us could be summoned since our souls are almost one in the same."
"So you two are connected to those levels eh?" Ritsuka said, wondering about how Sita would get rid of Rama's other curse that was destroying him from the inside. "Which means..."
"You're going to transfer Gáe Bolg's curse into your body?" Mash concluded, thinking that was Sita planned to do.
The servant confirmed it. "I will. What Rama feels, I feel it too. Hence why I could tell since days ago something was wrong." Sita put a hand on her husband's chest. "I see it why now. All of this pain, I shall free Rama of it by putting on myself." She then stared at Nightingale.
"Can you help me with it?" Sita asked to the nurse who kindly accepted.
"Of course." Nightingale put her hand on Rama's shoulder, using an healing spell as Sita begun to remove the putrid curse off of her husband's body and applying it to her, warm gentle flames flowing around the hindu king. The dark morbid purple of Gáe Bolg's curse slowly deteriorated from Rama's skin, vanishing the pain bit by bit. "Didn't you wished to have been able to spent proper time with him?" Nightingale asked Sita, assuming that someone in a situation like hers, would be devastated.
"Deep down, I do. But, I'm already glad I could see him again, even if it was for a single minute." Kindly, Sita tipped her forhead onto Rama's as her work was about to end. "Wake up, mera pyaar."
And the flames fadded away as Sita distanced her head from him, with Nightingale's healing closing off any remaining traces of the wound on Rama's chest, his heart being totaly restored.
With a weak groan, Rama's vision was coming back, having heard his wife's voice in the middle of the darkness. "S-Sita..?"
And has expected, the Curse of Separation was triggered, with Sita's body beggining to dissapear right in front of Rama. His eyes were blurred, the focus still off balance. All that he could see for now, was a smudged figure of what he could assume to be his wife, not being able to see her traits by definition.
Knowing that she would dissapear in an instant and with no further interaction with her husband, Sita decided to say goodbye to him with a sweet smile. "Welcome back Rama."
And her body was gone taking the curse alongside her. That was the end of their short 'reunion'.
"Sita!" Having his vision fully back, Rama stretched his arm in the direction where his wife previously was, now reaching out to nothing but the last shreds of mana that used to be her body, also dissapearing in the air. "Ah..." Rama lifted up his torso, feeling all the pain gone. But so was his wife. "I failed to see her yet again." Rama stared to the ground with a bittersweet feeling.
Nightingale pushed him out of his thoughts by putting a hand on his back. "She was happy to suffer the consequences for you." She told him, looking to Rama's face. "Stand up. You're healed now."
"It must be great to have the body disposable on a hundred percent again." Nala said to Rama. "You don't have to be carried around anymore!" She joked, gaining a smile out of him.
"True. I'm sorry for having been a dead-weight to you all until now." Rama got up from the ground, a reinvigorated and restored power inside of him now. "Thankfully, with the curse resolved, I can start fighting alongside you on the battlefield! I'll make sure to help you greatly as you did the same for me!"
Everyone smiled in joy, seeing that their long mission of healing and saving Rama from his curse had now been resolved.
"We basically got a new ally here with you recovered!" Elizabeth told him.
"The others will like the news once we tell it to them!" Mash speaked. "This group's mission was a success!"
"Fou! Fou!"
"Eh, it's good to have you available with us Rama!" Ritsuka told to the servant. Despite the troubles along the way, everything went well in the end. "Urgh!" But then, as if a knife had stabbed his hand, Ritsuka tightly hold the hand with his Command Seals, making a painful expression with his face, alerting everyone else.
"M-Maste?!" Mash went next to him, startled by the sudden change on his behaviour.
"Ritsuka! What's wrong?" Nala asked her friend with concern.
Taking some breaths, Ritsuka's heart begun to calm down. He had felt something. A connection with him being teared apart. Giving a look at the Command Seals in his hand, he saw one of the three shinning for a brief moment before expiring. He feared what it could be. But in this case, there was hardly a way to deny it.
"I...I feel I lost my contract with Tesla."
Such declaration made a chill of apprehension run down everybody's spines.
"W-What do you mean by that, master?" Mash asked him before receiving some interfearence on her ear plugs. "Hm? The other group's calling us?"
A tired and weak voice was heard on the other side.
"Hey...Robin here. I have bad news..." He said in a low tone. "Geronimo and the others...are gone."
To be continued...
And that was it for chapter 82!
Long chapter with two battles (three if you wanna count the one about to start at the beggining) in it and lots of descriptive action and dialogue. Oh boy if my energy got sucked at the end of this one. But at least it was another step made to the progression of this Singularity. I should really stop my habit of writing for several hours straight and take some intervals from time to time.
And unlike me, Rama is now fully up and ready to kick ass after spending about...five chapters sleeping, groaning in pain, suffering and being on Nightingale's back. It may have felt like an eternity, but he's back in action! Whereas Diarmuid and Fionn got out of commission and Beowulf went on a stroll on his way to Washington D.C (I'd do the same honestly)
And get ready that next chapter there will also be characters out of commission too!
Anyways, that's all I wanted to say and see you next time on chapter 83! Peace!
P.S:
Nala: Oi Izou! Care to tell me the secrets of your swordstyle?
Izou (Looking coldly): Eeeh? Why do you care? Get lost! I have more to do than teaching little girls like you.
Nala: Welp, okay then. I wanted to learn from you, but I think I'll have to ask Ryouma for training instead.
Izou: Hm!?
Nala: And I guess this recently bought sake bottle will also have to go for him too.
Izou: OKAY OKAY! I'LL TEACH YOU!