072 - Standing Here, I Realize…

Doctor Romani Archaman

"Yes, the Crimson Army has taken to the sea in mass. Only a few assets unfit for boat transport have been left behind and even those are being carried through land at a honestly ridiculous pace." Roman reports, frowning at the results of the scans. "It seems like this will be the final battle, one way or another."

This level of detail over such a wide area isn't something they can attain on the regular without incurring in prohibitive costs -and probably turn their computers into a molten slag in the process- but the sensor arrays have an overdrive setting for when the situation calls for it. And this mess certainly does.

"Figured as much, but it's always good to have confirmation." Haku's holographic display acknowledged the information with a nod. "Can you patch the tactical data through?"

"Chaldea's systems aren't really compatible with that Noosphere thing your transport keeps trying to connect to." He frowns, trying to ignore the way Da Vinci is gushing the latest piece of nonsense technology dreamed up by Hakus' magecraft. "But Vinci-chan looks determined to find a way to bridge the gap."

"Five more minutes~!" Da Vinci practically squeals in excitement from her own console. "I just need five minutes without getting distracted by all the fascinating stuff crammed into that beauty!"

"Right…" He deflates with a sigh. Vinci-chan, why? "That."

"Thanks a bunch!" Haku answers cheerfully, an amused smile on her lips at his suffering. "The Rhino is a rugged boy who can make things work with zero support, but it certainly helps to know what's going on around you!"

Trying to ignore the frankly uncomfortable -Good Heavens, they are starting to sound downright sexual!- noises coming from his side, Roman does his best to focus on the data in front of him. His own role in this mission will become comfortingly minimal once information can be sent directly to the ground team, but he needs to do his best not to miss anything until then.

Making sure to keep the multitude of smaller screens all around the edge of his vision in mind, he dedicates most of his attention to the ones following the mysterious Matou and Tohsaka Masters until they finally meet and both screens join into a single one.

The plan Matou Sakura had come up with was the sort of thing that left him feeling a bit queasy, but he had to admit it was… brilliant. Just as brilliant as twisted. As long as one set common human decency to the side and cared for nothing other than achieving success, it was probably the best plan available with their current resources, no matter how unhinged.

Especially the part with the figs. What sort of unrepentant psycho does one need to be, to even consider doing something like that with figs? It doesn't matter how much time passes or how hard he tries to suppress certain memories, it seems like there will always be someone happy to stir them up again. Yanderes are scary.

Anyway, the literally 'horribly effective' plan is in tatters now that Tohsaka had seized the initiative, but there are still salvageable parts. The goals of the Exploration Team remain very much viable, and Matou's choice to meet Tohsaka's challenge head on should be an effective distraction to buy them the time with, if nothing else.

The point is, there's still much they can achieve, as long as the situation doesn't degrade any furth— What the hell is that!?

"There, looks like Vinci-chan made it again!" Haku's voice chirps up cheerfully. "We got visuals on— What the hell is that!?"

The source of their shock is a massive energy reading in the middle of the Crimson Army that sets off every alarm in the control room and momentarily blinds all sensors. Once they recalibrate, they find a… a hole in the middle of the fleet, where the water level seems to have lowered in a circle. Entire ships have capsized and yet there is enough wooden debris floating around to suggest even more of them have simply burst into splinters.

A massive twister stands in the epicenter, greedily drinking in the seawater around and making it rise up in a column that reaches all the way up to the skies, drawing in a mass black and evil-looking storm clouds.

Roman's attention goes to one specific pile of flotsam giving off a Servant signature. Zooming in closer, he soon makes out a recognizable red figure. Oda Nobunaga is weakly holding on to a pair of planks, a very nasty slashing wound on her back bleeding everywhere and golden motes slowly wafting off her body.

As if noticing Roman's eyes on her, burning red-blood eyes snap up to glare directly into the point of view with an intensity that makes him jump back and let out a (shrill scream) gasp of surprise. Fortunately for his poor heart, Nobunaga's intense glare stops after a couple seconds, when she breaks down into bloody coughs.

"Gh… Hack–!" The dying Servant groans weakly, wiping the blood off her lips with the back of her hand. "Betrayal… my one… weakness…"

With these words, all fight seems to leave her body. Her weak grip on the planks finally loosens and her body slips into the sea, only to fade into golden motes before it can get swallowed by the raging waves. Roman swallows thickly, finally registering the other warnings blaring at him.

"Crimson Archer down… Crimson Lancer down… Crimson Caster down!" He announces in a daze. "Crimson Saber is closing in on the unknown phenomena!"

Roman watches with bated breath as Crimson Saber, Yamato Takeru, dashes over the waves as one would do through solid land, making a beeline towards the ominous whirlpool. In his hands, the legendary blade he never bothered to its full power before glows with an intense aquamarine glow.

My True Name is Yamato Takeru.
Screams, laments, and lightning made manifest–!
Perish by my sword.
Sky, ground, sea, gale, and flames...
Gather here, forces of Heaven and Earth…

And yet, the knot on Roman's throat only tightens when a suspiciously similar reading rises from the inside of the whirlpool, as if to meet the challenge. Eight white serpents rise from the waves, eyes aglow and fangs dripping with poison, wrathfully roaring aimed at Crimson Saber.

Fear me.
Tremble.
For now, calamity descends upon you.
Release your divine wrath!

Yamato Takeru plants a foot on the waters, raising his glowing blade over his head with both hands, poised to strike.

The whirlwind explodes, revealing the monster inside with her own glowing blade held to the side, poised to strike.

Roman's eyes and brain throb painfully at what he's watching. They are the same sword.

[Amenomurakumo-no-Tsurugi - Sword of Heavens!]
[Kusanagi-no-Tachi - Sword of Gods!]

The full might of the blades is unleashed, clashing against each other in a bright display of power that blinds the sensors once again. By the time the screens get visual feed again, the ring of capsized boats around the combatant has widened, but the number of them… if anything, the number of boats that remain in one piece has only decreased. The mighty Crimson Army is being quickly decimated in this clash between titans.

Yamato Takeru has fallen to one knee, a frustrated expression on his face as he glares up at the monster.

"Weak, weak, weak… so weak! Ahahahaha!" The monster taunts, throwing her head back in a fit of laughter. "This can't be all the Slaughter of Demons and Gods can offer! You better show me everything you've got, Yamato Takeru~!"

Her appearance has changed, but not so much that her identity has become unidentifiable. This is, without a doubt, Crimson Berserker. Also known as Ibuki Douji, the daughter of the infamous Yamata-no-Orochi. The hero who inherited Susanoo's blade and the demon who inherited Orochi's will. It doesn't take a genius to realize what's going on here.

"Crimson Berserker…" Roman mutters, not in disbelief, but in resignation. "Crimson Berserker has gone rogue."

These two never met in life but, if they had, this same result would've been unavoidable too. Like two forces of nature guided by their respective fates, as soon as their paths crossed it was already too late for things to end any other way. And the Crimson Army, so many people, so many lives, lost in the blink of an eye. Like leaves in a whirlwind, they too got caught between forces beyond their comprehension.

It's one catastrophe after another, there's no salvaging the plan anymore.

"That isn't our only problem." Haku replies grimly. "Check out the coast!"

Roman turns his attention towards the appropriate displays wondering what else could possibly go wrong now. Whatever it is, it couldn't possibly…

…Oh

…Oh, no.

Olga Marie Animusphere

While Roman is having his little breakdown over… Alright, the sudden and catastrophic betrayal of a monster of legend is a perfectly acceptable reason to have a small breakdown over, she'll give him that much. This time.

In any case, Olga has more immediate concerns.

Like the fact the storm currently raging over the Mediterranean Sea isn't the only one brewing in proximity. No, it isn't even the closest one. There was, in fact, a second storm come out of nowhere to darken the skies. And this one is hovering right above them.

That was ominous enough before lightning bolts rained from the sky, striking down each and every single Servant on the Purple Army. Bolts of obviously supernatural lightning that caused a ball of ice to form on the pit of her stomach.

The human soldiers don't fare any better, all of them turning towards the eye of the storm, the only source of light amongst the dark clouds covering the sky, and falling to their knees as one. Even from kilometers away.

Olga recognizes that particular brand of supernatural lightning. Olga recognizes that particular brand of swirling black clouds.

As if to confirm her worst fears, a lone figure descends from the eye of the storm. A figure she probably won't forget for the rest of her life. Purple Lancer, Romulus-Quirinus, the God-Emperor of Rome.

He effortlessly crushed them all yesterday and now he has slipped free of his bindings and gone rogue? How are they supposed to–

What are they supposed to–

"Well, well, well…" Haku drawls out, voice laden with barely-repressed glee. "Looks like today's my lucky day."

"Eh?"

The unexpected words make Olga turn around, to find Haku staring at the screen following the descent of Romulus-Quirinus. Something's wrong with that picture, but Olga isn't exactly at her best right now. Everything feels dull and strange and there's a weird ringing in her ears. She can't quite put her finger on—

"Lady Director, the plan is a total wash, we'll have to improvise. Can I ask you to take the Servants with you and go support Crimson Saber?" Haku asks with a smile, putting a hand on Olga's shoulder. "Marie can take you where the Rhino can't reach and they'll be sitting ducks against this guy, anyway."

"But… You're the Master?" She asks confusedly, what's going on here, what's she missing? "Shouldn't you be the one to take them there?"

"I'm sure they'll be happy to forge a temporary contract with you." Haku smiles encouragingly. "You're the fearless Lady Director of Finis Chaldea, after all!"

"I… can't." She looks away, instinctively reaching for the hand on her shoulder with one of her own, only to catch herself at the last moment and hurriedly put it down again. Her cheeks are burning. "My Servant compatibility—"

"Nonsense, maybe you can't properly summon them..." The hand on Olga's shoulder shifts a bit, a soft thumb gently rubbing against her neck in a way that sets off butterflies on her stomach. But there's still something wrong going on here. What in the world is going on? "But even fully mundane humans can forge a contract. And I'm sure you'll do much better than any of them could ever do."

"Bu– But what about Purple Lancer?" Yes, that's it! What about Purple Lancer? Who's going to… Wait. Her eyes narrow in a frown as she forces herself to look Haku in the eye again. "What about you?"

"I…" Haku's expression turns serious for a moment, before her lips twitch into a confident, eager smile. "I have a date with destiny."

"Are you crazy?" Olga cries out in outrage, feeling a sudden and overwhelming urge to strangle this woman. "Don't you remember how it went last time? You can't just—"

"Oh, I remember… I have spent a lot of time thinking about how it went last time. And it's precisely because of it that I know I can take him." Haku answers without missing a beat, her expression turning serious again but her confidence never wavering in the slightest. "Because… he was right, but I was right too."

"What do you mean?"

"He's right that half-assing it won't see me through this challenge. I'm right that a Hero will always beat the Demon Lord, in the end."

"That doesn't even make sense!"

"Haven't you heard, Lady Director? We're fighting legends here. We're living a legend. Things don't need to make sense here." She taps her head twice with two fingers, before slowly lowering them until she can repeat the gesture towards her heart. "As long as they make sense here."

Olga hates to admit it, but she's starting to feel like Haku can do it. And she doesn't even know what 'it' is supposed to be! This woman's confidence is more contagious than the bubonic plague. Still, she'll be damned if she gets swayed so easily, so she puts both hands on her hips and arches an eyebrow at the far-too-cocky woman( that makes her heartrate pick up and her knees go weak).

"This won't be like that mess with Fafnir back in France, right?"

"Whu– What? Puh-lease! No, that was me going half-cocked in the heat of things." It's very satisfactory to watch the (lovely) moron caught off-guard and floundering for once, even if she's frustratingly quick to recover her balance. "This time I'm prepared, trust me."

Ah… that's unfair. Just two words. 'Trust me'. And every single doubt and argument in Olga's mind seems to fade into thin air. How's she supposed to compete with that?

"Fine… Fine! Just… be careful, Haku." She demands (petulantly) with a frown. "If you die, I'll kill you."

That woman is going to be the death of her.

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