22: Teething

There's a moment of silence as the golden dust that once made up the body of King Arthur floats away through the hole in the cavern's ceiling. But some of the feeble motes of light remain, suspended in midair - before rapidly condensing together in a blaze of light. Mash raises her shield, but there's no need. As the light fades, a small golden crystal floats to the ground, where it gently lands in front of the still weeping Mordred.

"...Confirming disappearance of enemy. Saber - King Arthur - has completely dispersed. Does this mean… we've won?" Mash says, slowly lowering her shield.

"Grand Order… How did the servant know that name?" I can barely hear the Director mumble over the communication link. Well, I can ask her about that later. But for now…

{Hanam. We somehow managed to beat Saber, but I'm pretty sure it's not over yet, so hurry up and get over here.} I tell the Assassin telepathically.

{...Understood. Caster actually just finished off Archer when I arrived, so we'll be there shortly.} He replies. {Stay safe until then, Lord Mage.}

{Me? I always stay safe, you know. I'm not someone who risks his life needlessly.}

I smile at the bemused chuckle I receive in response. Still, probably not the time to be messing around.

"Mash, don't let your guard down. You too, Mordred - you can mourn properly later. We're not out of the woods just yet." I say, looking around the room. I can feel it. The sixth sense that I developed during my time in Lugnica is still screaming at me - I'm absolutely certain that my life is still in danger. "After all, when it all seems over, and when the heroes think they've won, that's when the real villain appears! Isn't that right - Duke of Hell, Flauros!?"

Silence is the only response to my question for a few seconds - but then, the footsteps become audible, and slowly a man in green comes into view, standing atop the Greater Grail. Laden with audible disgust, his voice resounds through the cavern.

"I had intended to wait a bit longer before revealing myself, but if I'm being called out like this, I suppose I've got no choice." Flauros spits. "Truly, you continue to surprise me at every step, candidate forty-eight. Humans… why can't you ever just cooperate? Our plan was completely airtight, but like disobedient dogs who refuse to be brought to the vet, you still struggle to avoid the treatment that our king has so graciously bestowed upon you."

"...Treatment?" I hear Romani ask from off to the Director's left, but she interrupts him.

"Lev! Stop this farce right this instant! Shake off that demon's control, and come back to me- I mean, to Chaldea, for rehabilitation! Are you a mage, or aren't you!? After all, there's no way… that someone like you could get controlled that easily, r-right?" shout's the director, her face flushed - I see, so she was a tsundere this whole time. Well, she's only got about a fourth of Beako or Emilia's cuteness, so it makes sense that I wouldn't pick up on it.

"...Demonic possession? Is that what you think is going on here?" Flauros says, his face shifting to a twisted, toothy smile. "That somehow, Lev Lainur was taken over by a foreign influence, through the machinations of a demon that he just happened to encounter by accident? That surely, surely, your friend and mentor couldn't have been a traitor the whole time? Hah! Hah! AHAHAHAHA!"

"No…" Olga mumbles, as her face fills with despair. "You can't be-! You're lying! You've got to be lying! So, Lev, please-!"

"Hah! How long has Lev been a vessel for Flauros? Since three thousand years ago, of course! The sole reason for the existence of the Lainur family - the purpose behind our magic crest! From the beginning, it was all for this, singular, purpose! The salvation of all Humanity, through the only treatment that could possibly work!" He shouts, spittle flying from his mouth and eyes bulging wildly. And then, righting his posture, with his eyes narrowed and a wicked smile on his lips, in a low voice, he names his 'cure'.

"Euthanization."

As he speaks, he extends his hand, and the grail slowly rises into the air, flying to his grasp-!

"As if I'd let that happen- [Invisible Providence]!" I yell, a smoky black hand that only I can see latching onto the chalice and halting its motion.

"That magecraft again… no, it's not magecraft, or even an esper ability!? Natsuki Subaru… just what are you, exactly?" Flauros says, eyes narrowed. Faintly, seven glowing rings of light appear in the air around my body. "Oh well. It doesn't matter."

All the hairs on my body stand on end, and desperately I dive forward through a gap in the bands of light. An instant later-!

"[Incineration Ritual: Flauros] - you dodged it!?" the Demon exclaims, eyes wide as flames fill the now empty space.

"Of course I dodged it! It's scary!" I yell back.

"Professor Lev - no, Duke of Hell, Flauros, is definitely hostile!" Mash exclaims, raising her shield. "Director, orders please!"

I peek at the holographic display next to me, and can't help but grimace at what I'm seeing. Dead, unfocused eyes, and a vacant, broken expression. "Lev… Lev, you can't… you wouldn't…"

I'm reminded of a time when I wore a similar expression, just before I met Petelgeuse for the first time. Considering what it took for me to snap out of it, it's a safe bet she won't be in a good shape to give orders any time soon.

"Dammit, we'll have to deal with that later." I glance at my Servant, who stood up at some point, and is glaring up at Flauros. "Mordred, can you fight?"

"Of course. Who the hell do you think I am?" She says, flashing me a grin.

"Alright then." I say, fixing a grin on my face. "Mash, Mordred, let's-!"

I cut myself off. Seven rings of light, faintly shimmering - I just barely make them out, clipping through the wall of the Greater Grail like something you'd see in a videogame where none of the devs accounted for enemy models that were larger than average.

"[Incineration Ritual: Flauros]." The Demon coldly intones - and then the wall of the Grail smashes to pieces in a gout of flame, and black mud surges forth.

"[Lord Chaldeas]!" Mash yells, white wall manifesting even as the events of my prior loop replay themselves in my mind.

I inadvertently drop the grail as searing pain begins to shoot through my feet, black and red lines creeping up them. Nearby, I can see Mordred cringing, and Mash crying out in pain. It's happening again. Just like last time.

No way. Not a chance in hell. I won't let it, not this time! My heart pounds. My eyes fill with stars.

"[Cor Leonis]!" I roar, and the crimson spiderwebs already making their way up the limbs of my companions from the ankle deep mud recede - and then, everything goes black.

...The starting penalty is five.

The starting penalty is five. Life penalty, body penalty, freedom penalty, fame penalty, fortune penalty. Give the penalty that extends so much punishment, mud, darkness, and malice.

Die.
Ah.

death penalty penal servitude imprisonment custody fine penalty, crime from a grudge, crime from self-interest, unconscious crime, self-conscious crime, civil war, inducement, false statement, theft, robbery, kidnap, suicide, rape, arson, bombing, violation, negligent homicide, mass violence, death at work, overconfident accident,

Die. Die. Die.
We're going to die again.

misdiagnosis, concealment, violation for benefit, violation for self-protection, violation for love, violation for respect, selfish ▇▇. Stealing fraudulent fraud concealment murder theft crime crime personal grudge attack attack attack attack dirty dirty dirty you are dirty atone atone atone atone every violence every crime every victim atone for everything "This world is ruled by something not human" Know the conscience to reform crimes.

Die. Die. Die. Die. Die.
We're going to die, we may be dying, we might die, we're probably dying, because we're going to die, we're certainly dying, again we'll die, in all likelihood we'll die, since we can die, we'll definitely die!

Know the penalty to reform crimes. People's kindness is here. There is so much it cannot be noticed. Know the violence to hide crimes. Know the power to hide crimes. People's malignance is here. It is so rare that it is noticed. A hundred kindnesses and one malignance. Malignance shines bright to keep the balance and exists as a great "evil" to compete with the masses of kindness. The starting penalty is five.

Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. 're suffocating.
Choking to death on little morsels too small to even be called memories.

Die. Die. Die. Die. Diediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediediedie-!
Onii-san - something like this ought to be simple enough. Things like "chewing" and "licking" are unnecessary for something like this.

DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE
Onii-san, you should know by now. The thing to do, when someone stuffs a bunch of food in your mouth, is-

(I feel the sensation of small fingers, running down my throat.)
Swallow.

We hear explosions as our vision comes back into focus. Faintly, we can make out Flauros, laughing as he rains down flames upon Mash's shield.

Hot, bubbling tar surges out of our - no, out of my throat as I vomit. I'm burning. My stomach is on fire. I feel sick.

But, the bulk of the pain is gone now. The fragmented memories that made up the remnant of "Angra Mainyu" were completely digested, and then vomited back up. It was absolutely disgusting, but it seems to be over now.

Was that… Gluttony? The ability to consume "memories" and "names"? Ugh, I knew I had picked up an authority after that mess at the Watchtower - I certainly felt the familiar coiling of something inside me as things were wrapping up. But it doesn't feel like I was using an [Authority]... is that just something leftover from it's prior holder, or something?

"Oi, master, are you ok?" Mordred asks, patting me on the back. As I gaze down, I note that the stuff pouring from the grail has changed to sparkly purple in color. It doesn't seem like it's cursing anyone anymore… no way, did I just eat the curses?

"...Yeah. I'm fine now. That stuff was nasty, but I've apparently got a tendency to resist weird toxic goo, so no worries." I say with a forced grin. I gaze up at Flauros, ready to make a boast - and then I pause.

Cor Leonis is still active. And so, my allies seem kind of like they're glowing to my senses. So, it definitely gives me pause when, at the very center of the laughing Lev Lainur's body… I can just barely make out a faintly gleaming light.

...Let's try pulling on that, shall we?

A/N:

A significant portion of the second section is lovingly plagiarized from the Fate/Stay Night VN. I do not have Nasu's talent for writing fucked up evilbabble. Also, I'd feel weird making up my own evilbabble for Angra, since I don't think I could measure up.

We've got two chapters and an epilogue to go, and then Fuyuki arc is FINALLY done.

Next chapter Monday-ish.

Reviews:

Shirosaki Kizuro said:

I thought Rho Aias are able to block the Gae Bolg as it's shown in UBW movie?

Yes and No. Rho Aias can block the thrown version of Gae Bolg, because it doesn't do the weird causality reversal thing when thrown.

Per Fate/Complete Material II:

Takeuchi: So, would Archer get hit?

Nasu: For sure. But since he knows about it, he wouldn't approach Lancer in the first place. If it looked like Lancer was seriously getting ready to use Gae Bolg, Archer would already be frantically getting as far away as possible.

Takeuchi: Ah, I see. That sort of tactic is always an option, huh? So what about the thrown version?

Nasu: The "Spear of Striking Death Flight". That one's just pure, simple destructive power.

Takeuchi: As expected. If you added on the concept of heart-piercing at long range too, then…

Nasu: …it would end up being the ability of Lancer's father. The ultimate version of Fragarach.

Takeuchi: Eternal Force Blizzard! And the target dies. Around that level.

Nasu: Naturally. Because the battles in mythology are freaking hax, right

Crown of Reaper said:

I completely forgot about the dream sequences. Will the Servants witness Barusu's deaths? 'Cause those seem like imprtant parts of his life.

I'm very torn. Typically we only see master's dreaming about their servant's lives, not the other way around, so I'll need to double check if we ever got confrimation that servants do dream of their masters. Also, it's real sketchy for the entire cast to learn about RbD too fast.

Will Barusu ever meet best Shishou?

Probably in America, where she shows up. Unless she doesn't.

Giuseppe said:

well, the spear of light is an imitation of gugnir used by the valkiries in fate go, is a b rank noble phantasm. I put Gungnir at least A rank anti-army and A Anti-unit, it's the first sure-hit aimbot spear in history

Yeah, EMIYA's is fake as shit though. He can't replicate divine constructs properly. Incidentally, that's why he didn't use enkidu - his degraded copy wouldn't block command spells like the real thing does.

Nexxoz Highdraco said:

Good fic. Here I have a somewhat important question with some of the comments regarding death. As you know Subaru has died many times we could say that he already has a very close concept of what it means to die and my question is? He will have something like mystical eyes perception of death.

Those require magic circuits in the eyes, so probably not.

He does have the ability to tell when his life is in danger, though.

Guest said:

Wait author how strong are blessings?

If you mean the Divine Protections from Re:Zero, they're all over the place. There are some serious HAX ones, like Reinhard having the ability to wish for additional divine protections, and consequentially having stuff like "the ability to come back from death one time" or "the ability to automatically dodge every attack he can see". And then there are some garbage ones, like the one Reinhard acquired at some point that makes it so that he'll never confuse sugar with salt (yes, really).

In short, most of them are on par with Servant's personal skills.