"So we can just go back, then?" Marie was the first to respond with the obvious question.
"I doubt so. Here, what do you think of that?" Sasaku handed the Grail fragment over to Gudao, who looked it over.
"Yeah, we probably couldn't just send this back," the Master concluded. "It has too much magical energy-mass to make it back."
"So, use it?" Nobunaga suggested. "There are a number of things I can think of."
"I'd advise against that," Jeanne spoke up. "Remember that any wish you might try would primarily be granted by changing the Singularity, which wouldn't help us as the Grail would end up elsewhere and we would need to find it again. At worst, that could even end up further increasing the Singularity's stability."
"There's a simple solution," Scáthach answered. "We just need to drain it first. Previous times it was the enemy using the energy up, but we wouldn't be as desperate or reckless as to try using the general wish-functionality. Means doing it manually."
"Ah, so like Gem Magecraft," Gudako caught on immediately. "Unfortunately the energy density of this is orders of magnitude beyond even our Saint Quartz, and they are extremely unstable when pushed to their maximum capacity. Which I can't be sure, but suspect this is close to."
"That instability is because you manufacture gems and then fill them with mana," Ruby suddenly broke in. "As it turns out, these Grail fragments resemble magical energy crystals which grow by accumulating magical energy."
"Er, how do you know that?" Gudao asked the wand.
"You're familiar with Jeweled Swords and Azoth Swords. I'm a Kaleidostick, it isn't that surprising. I should add though, that once taking (or given) the function of a wish-granter, trying to use your Grail fragment for general energy supply isn't normally feasible."
"Ok, so that's fascinating, but it sounds like we still can't drain it," Okita pointed out from the sidelines.
"Ah, but that depends on what 'normally' means," Nobunaga corrected her.
"Yes. Well to not tease (though I'd love to)... I can handle it." Ruby dropped a bombshell.
"You can." Jeanne sounded extremely skeptical about this.
"I'm a Kaleidostick, it isn't that surprising."
"No, it is that surprising," Gudako denied the wand. "You'll have to give us more than that to go on."
"Fine." Ruby switched to a more serious tone. "Kaleidosticks are specced to handle high, if momentary flows of magical energy. Things like transforming don't come cheap, after all. Of course, this maximum throughput is not generally used, think of the spark plug of your car."
"I see now, so Ruby can handle de-energizing the Grail and throwing all that energy out at the Pillars. Straightforward, like taking down a dam to wipe out a city downstream," Nobunaga concluded.
"Why did you have to pick such a graphic example?" Jeanne frowned.
"Well, unfortunately, I think Pillars have defensive values much higher than any city wall," Okita added. "The disguised one I struck definitely had way too many layers of defenses crammed into his form to be anywhere near Servant level."
"Ok, so all this gives me a good idea..." Gudao started.
(A few switch-outs later)
Waving cheerily, Chloe started out from the camp, headed north-east to flank the Pillars' location of insertion. Meanwhile Kiyohime was happily getting 'hands-on time' with Sasaku, much to the latter's distraction and the latter's wand's amusement.
"Well, it's definitely hard to complain if you give me a straightforward request like 'go all out'," Elizabeth was saying while twirling her microphone stand weapon like a long baton.
"Just remember what I said about friendly fire," Gudao sighed.
"I know, I know, Scáthach specifically went over that with me in training."
"Yeah, but I don't recall it sticking," Martha remarked from nearby. "Well I'll take your consideration over more Pillar attention."
"I've been improving at my Noble Phantasm control," Elizabeth insisted.
"It'll be pretty obvious, so I trust you can manage," Gudako looked over at Kiyohime who was unfazed by the challenge.
"Hmm, according to some of the readings Chloe's been taking, it doesn't seem like the enemy has moved much from their initial location. Could they be preparing some sort of ritual?" Gudao asked the group. "Doesn't seem likely that they would need supplies or anything like that."
"They might know something we don't," Sasaku considered the option. "It couldn't be that they're worried about being caught between us and the Celtic Servants, surely?"
"I can't see that happening. Perhaps they simply expect us to regroup and attack them," Martha suggested. "Which is what we're about to do."
"Yes, though they probably wouldn't have expected us to get the Grail and not leave =or= use it," Jeanne added. "Perhaps it's something simple. Say, that we know the ground and they don't, so they can't gain by rushing."
"Even if they know where our base is?" Gudako wondered.
"Well we can move. We didn't, but we would have if they had started advancing in our direction," Gudao pointed out. "As it is, everything should be ready for our attack, so let's start dramatically walking towards them."
(About a couple hours of walking later)
The real sun was high in the sky, but nowhere nearly as oppressively bright as the earlier beacon of energy that had been kept lit to enable the Pillars' sudden arrival.
"We're about to enter their range," Jeanne warned the other Chaldeans.
"I was just about to ask," Gudao remarked, looking at his scanner. "Ok, I think Chloe has had enough time to get in place, so let's start. Elizabeth, you're the opener today."
"Hehehe, a sold-out show !" Stepping forward, the Lanzer boldly planted her microphone into the ground. "I'm going to let you hear the biggest hit in the Servant world !"
Sasaku looked at Martha and shrugged. The other Ruler simply took out her staff. "Child of Leviathan, now a guardian of the people..."
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(Among the Pillars)
The debate between the pillars was interrupted by a wave of magical energy that washed over them. Thoughts of their fallen comrade, who had returned to the Temple without being able to pass on his local knowledge were rendered irrelevant in the moment.
"Ah, did they actually come back?" one of the Pillars commented over their network. The Noble Phantasm of a Servant did little against their defenses. Spread out as it was, the power of an attack like (Báthory Erzsébet) could tear up the ground, but meant nothing to the Pillars.
"How like humans... they succeed at desperately running away and think it means they must be capable of fighting back."
"Recommend taking up defensive positions. These Chaldeans are tricksy and we wouldn't want to get embarrassed like Flauros."
"Agreed. In any case, if they think throwing this level of 'trump card' can deplete our energy reserves, it's already their loss."
"Watch out, there's another signature coming in from the side. 10 o'clock. Circling counter-clockwise. Maintaining height at 20 degrees up."
"I'll handle it." The pillar in their formation who was facing the new target began charging a magical energy attack."
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(Riding on the back of Tarasque)
As riding a Dragon was an exceptional feat, even among Riders, the only way that (the very cooperative, it should be noted) Tarasque was able to carry his load of three Servants into combat was for Sasaku to hold onto Martha, with Kiyohime holding onto Sasaku in turn.
We're approaching the end of Elizabeth's attack's angular cover, Sasaku sent to Kiyohime through their temporary telepathic link. You ready to go?
Don't worry, I'll give them my best. Letting go of her fellow rider, Kiyohime was blown off Tarasque in an instant. "Please do not run from me!
(Transforming, Flame-Emitting Meditation) !"
Turning her burning gaze downwards, the growing dragon-formed Berserker transitioned from a fall into a glide, headed southwards away from Tarasque who was still rising headed north.
As though in reply to her unleashing her Noble Phantasm, several shots of dense magical energy were fired out from the Pillars below, but Kiyohime was able to deftly slide around them due to the range involved. Perhaps they were more like warning shots?
As though in reply to the Pillars, Kiyohime started breathing fire. Unlike the Pillars who had some chance of hitting, her breath could do no such thing unless similarly concentrated into bullets. But that was not the plan. Instead, Kiyohime wreathed herself in a coruscating inferno, stabilizing her height and using the magical fire both as a form of obscuring cover but also a distraction.
An extremely large fireball of a distraction that several of the Pillars tried to take down but didn't seem able to score a lasting hit on. Despite looking very large and impressive, not all of the dragon was a true target, with Kiyohime's critical Spirit Core not any larger than before.
I think this will be your stop, Martha commented to her second passenger. Don't worry about me, when I sense the Grail's energy spike you can be sure I will get out of the way. But that means I won't be able to stop any attacks they send your way.
Leave worrying about that part to me. And them, Sasaku chuckled before cutting their connection and letting go of Martha. In the following instant, the girl was blown off Tarasque just as Kiyohime had been earlier.
Turning sharply under Martha's direction to keep the Ruler in their proverbial shadow, the Dragon-Servant pair did a smooth flip into a dive. As Tarasque descended elegantly towards where the Pillars were gathered, he also began picking up angular momentum, adding a spin to his swimming-snake like approach path. By this point the Pillars had shed all subtlety, switching to their monstrous forms and closing up ranks under the shelter of visibly overlapping layers of defensive wards.
"No time to waste," Martha looked down, judging the distance. Unlike Kiyohime whom she could see below and to the side clearly out of range, Tarasque could literally drop fireballs in the manner of a divebomber and they would strike the Pillars cleanly. But we're not going for that... "Let's show them we mean business. Become a meteor... (Tarasque) !"
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(Pillars' Formation)
The Pillars had grounded themselves thoroughly, establishing a sturdy consensus following their combat protocols in order to fight off the Chaldean assault.
"New signature. 3 o'clock. Height 40 degrees up. Approaching directly at speed."
"Summon, dragon-type. IDed as... Tarasque. Likely Servant: Martha."
"Their strongest attack: 'Giant Iron Armored Dragon's Scorching Great Spin Attack'. They will ram us at full speed."
"New primary target - approaching dragon. Calling for defensive fire."
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After getting clear of Tarasque, Sasaku wasted no time in taking out Ruby and transforming. Down below, a series of shots fired by the Pillars glanced off Tarasque's spinning form, as the dragon started weaving in towards his target while picking up a terrifying descent speed..
"Alright, do your thing." Pulling out the Grail, the Ruler looked it over for a moment before tapping the mass of crystallized energy against the head of her wand. "Ruby?"
"I'm sorry, I can't do that," Ruby responded in a serious tone. "It seems... my limiter won't allow it."
"What limiter ?! Damnit, disengage the limiter," its contractor replied.
"Neither of us can do that. The minimum anticipated energy flow would be fatal to you. In your current state, that is."
"My current state...? Ah, I see. Merlin's card that we never got to work." Fumbling around for a bit, the magical girl remembered that it tended to show up on a thigh strap instead of being accessed conveniently from Inventory. "So it will work now?"
"It's not unlike the issues with your first Ascension. Let's just say this card needs not only a price of magical energy, but also the appropriate timing to activate."
"So, like now."
"Yes."
Studying the gilded card, with its double-sided image of personified Justice, Sasaku frowned. As things went, the best guess they had was that it had records of some Ruler-class legend. Chloe didn't have any ideas about it, and (True Name Discernment) didn't give the Chaldean Rulers any hints either. But at least they knew how it would normally be used.
"Ok then, let's give it a try." With Ruby floating in front of her, the Ruler presented the Class Card in one hand and the Grail in the other. "(Install)"
Sparks flew as the card was pulled into the Kaleidostick and a moment later the Grail lit up as its dense magical energy began to be freed. As though the motion of Ruby's wings was like a human inhaling, a shimmering mist, heavy in magical energy, was drawn off the Grail and pulled towards the wand.
"This will work." With a distracted air to its tone, Ruby floated over towards Sasaku, snagging the Grail on the way. "Class Card Install, process start."
There was a flare of energy as the Grail, shedding layers of condensed energy all the way, linked with her Spirit Core. Sasaku's eyes narrowed as the threads of unpacked records from Ruby reached her consciousness. "I see... Merlin, how did you come by this ? Gah-"
Although to her, the process seemed to take about ten, maybe as many as fifteen seconds, it was only in the manner that humans supposedly are able to review their life in the moment before their deaths. However, undoubtedly her magical energy signature expanded greatly, accompanied by scorching gouts of uncontrolled magical energy.
The stirred-up chaotic currents of air could not find any purchase on the uncannily smooth emerald-to-grass verdant shades that had replaced the red and white tones of Ruby's transformation. The heavy fabric, shot through with silver thread, was disinclined to move without its wearer's assent.
"I see, I see. With this power..." Raising an arm cradling a sheathed sword with a long hilt, and a hand grasping the swooping shaft of a bladed polearm, Sasaku looked down on where the Pillars were doubtless shifting priorities to the threat they could now sense.
Far below, Tarasque slammed into the Pillars' defenses, while all around the dragon, attacks were lofted upwards at the Servant behind and above him. Just as Martha had planned, the two of them cracked several layers of warding before bouncing off and to the side, safely away from the line of incoming fire.
Ruby floated overhead like a disc halo while the Servant muttered something to herself, sifting through the expanded list of capabilities that came with the Ascension. "Hey, Sasaku, perhaps just pick the strongest option and throw it at them?"
"Yeah I've got it." Releasing her weapons which obligingly kept to their places regardless, the Ruler reached up and took hold of her wand in gauntleted hands, the silver-inlaid copper-green finger plates contrasting against Ruby's red handle. Burning eyes like a pair of cooling stellar remnants turned onto, and beyond, the Pillars. The targets.
Let us begin to build.
This is a good body. I'm going to borrow it.
I'll answer all the endless wishes and desires:
To those who desire destruction, destruction.
To those who fight for freedom, destruction.
To those who lust for life, destruction.
To those who seek salvation, destruction.
This is a day of judgment.
(Unlimited Prisma Codes) !
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(Celtic Servants)
"... What the hell is that?" The Caster Cú asked the Chaldean Servant they had run across on their way towards where the Pillars had made landfall. The amount of energy that had just been expended on the upcoming battlefield must have been massive, going by his senses.
"What else could it be, but the Pillars responding to Chaldea's counter-attack?" Chloe responded confidently. Though she knew about the plan, obviously the Archer had no intention of giving away the Grail's location to the Celts.
"Those Command Spells of yours are a hell of a thing if you can stand up to that," the Lancer Cú muttered.
"Not for long. Not directly, at least. Worried?"
"You don't have to try that hard," Cú Alter scoffed. "We had already decided to do battle with the Pillars."
"Hm. I would recommend we spread out though, otherwise an attack like that would take us all out at once," Fergus eyed their Caster, who nodded agreement.
"By the way, can you pass word of our upcoming involvement to your friends?" Caster Cú asked Chloe. "I think both of us have enough enemy fire to worry about."
"Yes, though be warned: there's a lot of wide-area Noble Phantasms going off. Though the initial phase might be over by the time we get there."
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Notes:
After some training, Martha's Noble Phantasm rank up included Tarasque gaining terminal evasion capability. Keep working hard, Tarasque !
For "magical girl color schemes" you have Illya as pink and white, Rin and Sasaku (with Ruby) use red and white. Chloe uses red and black, which was the original Chloe's eventual color scheme, and thus is used by those drawing on her power. Sasaku's internal base would be light greens.
Solid discs are one potential form of halo.
The Singularity Five-savvy may remember in a similar situation (FGO version) Arjuna come in and blew them up with his Noble Phantasm after several Servants had been fighting the group of Pillars. Yeah, it isn't as easy in this case, since the Pillars came in ready to fight.