041 - With my Heart and Soul Ablaze, I Lift the Sword of Rebellion
The Dragon Witch
Things couldn't have ended any other way, she's known that from the moment she learned the truth about her nature. It doesn't take Revelation to read the fucking writing on the wall. A fitting conclusion to a disappointing lie. Whatever, it suits her just fine.
If you want something done right, do it yourself.
Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, she allows herself a moment to indulge in longing and what-ifs. If only she had played her hand differently, if only she had taken advantage of the chances offered, reached for the extended hand sooner, then maybe… But she only has herself to blame for everything that went wrong.
She ruthlessly squashes these regrets and grinds them under her metaphorical heel. When her eyes open again, they're narrowed in a frown of resolve and burning with something that could be loosely called determination.
"That's one scary look in your face, Mademoiselle." The fool best known for committing tactical suicide by Russian Winter comments the moment he sees the expression on her face.
"Hmpf." She crosses her arms at the rather pointless words. Of course she looks scary. "I am a scary woman."
"I wouldn't dare imply otherwise." The man replies with an infuriating smile that makes her want to stab him. "So? I assume you have a plan?"
"That I do. Strike Team!" She continues, turning her attention towards the comms. "Pull away from Paris and leave the rest to us."
"What? No!" (Haku's) The redhead's voice rises in protest. "We're already at the heart of the beast, so we can do a lot from here! Besides, there's no way you can do everything by yourself without serious consequences."
"We don't have time to argue." The soft and steady tone of her voice surprises even herself. "Get everyone out of there and let me work before it's too late!"
"There's no way I'm letting you commit suicide out of some misplaced sense of responsibility!" (Haku) The redhead tries again. "Don't just throw the towel like this, we'll figure something out!"
Awww, she's worried about a wretch like her. It's adorable. And pure hypocrisy. And pointless.
But she doesn't bring any of that up. That would only serve to fuel the argument and delay things even further. Instead, she raises her right arm to stare at the back of her hand, black metal gauntlet fading into light particles to expose the pale skin underneath.
"I'd like to bring your attention to my Class, Master."
"But I'm not your Master?" (Haku) The redhead asks, sonding genuinely confused for once. After standing on her back foot in every single damn conversation so far, it feels good to turn the tables on her. "Not that I wouldn't gladly make a contract with you, but we never had the chance to—"
"Oh, that's right. My bad. Forgot you don't get to order me around for a minute there." The Dragon Witch cuts off the Master-that-could've-been with a bitter smile on her lips. "So I guess you can take your objections and shove them where it doesn't shine."
[God's Resolution], one of the Ruler Class's Skills. The power to use Command Spells on other Servants as if she was their Master. Her own ability is rather lacking due to personal circumstances, quite negligible, actually. She doubts she could order around another Servant if they truly wanted to resist.
But to bolster an action they would've done anyway? To ensure a willing feat is as successful as it needs to be? She can manage that much, at least.
"Rider, by the power of my Command Spell, get everyone out of Paris!"
"Rider, fight the order!" Master immediately tries to countermand. "There's no way she can force something like that against your—"
But it's pointless. If the Dragon Witch knows something about the Cake Queen, it's that she would never fight that order.
"Oui!"
"Rider, you traitor!"
"I'm sorry Master! But every flower deserves a chance to bloom!" The Cake Queen apologizes cheerfully, magical energy already building up around her and every other friendly within the city. "Even if some flowers only get to show off their beauty right at the very end."
Disgustingly sweet as always, the Dragon Witch should cut off the comms before she gets diabetes or something.
"Right, that's one problem taken care of." She muses as six crystal comets break out from the city. "Now we just need to do our part."
"Indeed, I do believe it's almost time to share your little plan?" The man nods seriously. "Though I can only think of so many reasons why you would need me in particular."
"No shit, Sherlock, you're not just any random Heroic Spirit." The Dragon Witch replies with a snort. "You're the man of possibilities, born to make expectations into reality and all that crap."
"You know I can't just wave my hand and make the problem go away, right?" He questions with an arched eyebrow. "It doesn't work that way."
"I don't need you to do shit." She huffs. "Just gimme a little boost so I can do my part."
"Beg your pardon?"
From beginning to end, the life of the Dragon Witch reads like a painfully generic story. An Evil Witch born to destroy the world, commanding a mighty Black Dragon and a legion of monsters to wreak havoc through the countryside, until a band of plucky heroes rise against her, opposing her at every step and triumphing against all odds.
It's a disgusting state of affairs she wants to rage about and oppose out of sheer spite, but it's also an opportunity she can make use of. At the end of the day, every Heroic Spirit rides along the coattails of a narrative. She might not even need Napoleon at all, but she wants some insurance, since her own nature is up to debate.
"You work on Hopes and Dreams, right? On Epic Tales woven around impossible feats that would fuel the Imagination of Humanity? Well, what's more epic than the dark witch regretting her evil ways and sacrificing herself to save the heroes? People drink that shit straight up the tap, so I just need a little boost there!"
"You realize, of course, that there's no going back from what you're trying. You are going to die."
"What's with everyone today? Is it 'Let's State the Obvious' day and nobody told me or something?"
"Why are you so adamant about this?"
"Because Gilles will win if I don't. Actually, that's a lie." (Haku) The redhead will surely figure out something if push comes to shove, she's annoyingly capable like that. "It's because I want to end his nonsense myself. And this is the only way I can do that."
"That's a lot of vitriol for someone who used to trust him without hesitation."
"It's because I trusted him… no, because I was made to trust him. Everything I was, everything that meant anything to me, it was by his design. Part of his demented plot to disprove God's existence." She spits out bitterly. "And then he went and killed my fucking sister! This isn't about ideology anymore! That bastard went and made it personal!
"Well, far be it for me to talk against caring about family, but I'm surprised you are so incensed about it."
"Wha– no! I mean, I was about to turn her down with cold disdain and vicious mockery that would send her crying to her mommy! Yeah! He… clamjammed me! Yeah! That's what I meant!"
"…" There's that annoying smirk on his face again.
"Shut up and do your magic already!" The Dragon Witch hurriedly turns( around to hide the way her cheeks are set ablaze once more). "Time's ticking!"
"My apologies, it wasn't my intention to embarrass." She might actually believe him if she couldn't hear his chuckles right behind her back! "Very well, Dragon Witch! Your resolve has been heard loud and clear! Shall we do this!?"
"Yeah, let's." Before she actually succumbs to the urge to stab him to death.
"Rainbow, O Rainbow.
Now it's time to suspend the bridge…
And conquer the skies!"
"[Light of PossibilitiesThe Miracle Humanity Dreamed]"
The effect is immediate.
It starts like an unnatural heat within her heart that quickly spreads out through her body, growing hotter and hotter until it feels like her veins are pumping white-hot fire. She grits her teeth to hold back a groan, the process doesn't hurt, but the feeling is still overwhelming.
Rainbow Light being pumped straight into her Spirit Origin, stretching out her soul and making her… grow. Not in size, nor in power. Well, she is growing in power, but that doesn't feel important when compared with… The other thing.
She's growing in relevance. For an imitation Heroic Spirit without a legend to call her own, the feeling is almost intoxicating, the attention of something greater than humans and monsters falling squarely on her as the world itself holds its breath. For a wonderful and ephemeral moment, she's the center of the universe.
She'd like for this moment to last forever, to luxuriate on this wonderful feeling that was never intended for her, but… She can't afford to waste time. Already, she can feel her patchworked Spirit Origin straining under the pressure, threatening to burst at the seams at any moment.
Her eyes fall on the Mountain of Flesh, and Gilles' face upon it. In spite of the distance between the two of them, in spite of their size difference, she knows all his attention is on her.Everyone's attention is on her. How could it not, when she's the center of the universe? The villainess turned heroine, just in time for a single grand gesture, a sacrifice made without hopes of redemption.
"Gilles, O Gillles… So desperate to deny God's will, to prove him null and void, that you would shape a pile of hatred and grudges after your sick obsession." As poison drips from her very words, her lips curl up into a smile all on their own. It's not a nice smile. "You wanted a Jeanne that would rise against her creator, Gilles? Well… congratu-fucking-lations, you succeeded."
Stabbing her standard into the ground, her right hand reaches for the sword resting on her waist. A sword she's never bothered wielding before today. A sword that was never supposed to mean anything. A sword whose meaning she'll personally carve into the memory of the world!
"This epic tale weaves a foregone conclusion
The Black Dragon is felled.
The Evil Witch surrenders.
Yet the World remains in peril.
My heart burns inside with the flames of resentment.
This is where I meet my end.
My destiny now runs its course.
My life's dream has reached its conclusion.
With my heart and soul ablaze.
I lift the Sword of Rebellion!"
"[La Pucelle AlterThe Burning Dragon Witch]"
It's too much.
It's just enough.
Her body explodes, Spirit Origin strained under a pressure beyond anything it could've been reasonably expected to withstand. There's no gentle fading into golden motes like it's the norm when it comes to Servants, the overwhelming Rainbow Light scattering everything away as it bursts forward in every direction.
For a moment, that's it. Golden motes scattered through the countryside as a blinding rainbow light surges from the spot where she had been standing. Then the light catches fire.
The flames of resentment, inky black and ominous purple, devour the rainbow to spread out and greedily drink on the light. The day seems to turn into night, any and all sources of light but the fire itself consumed to fuel it. The ball of fire grows to sizes that dwarf even the Mountain of Flesh before twisting into itself, the shapeless flames taking on the shape of a flying dragon.
The dragon roars, pain, hatred and vengeance echoing throughout the world. Its wings spread wide, a single beat launching it upwards and forward, in an arc aimed straight at the hated enemy. Right at the peak of its flight, for but an instant, the smoke seems to take on the shape of an armored woman above the dragon before it fades away once more.
The beast of flames dives straight into the Mountain of Flesh.
And that's how the false maiden, born out of grudges and stolen memories for the sake of revenge, a wretched existence who never knew peace for a single day in her life… dies satisfied.
That one's for you… Big Sis.
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