Chapter 195: Chapter 186
POV Ruler (Jeanne D'Arc.)
"Wilhelm!" I couldn't help but shout as he stumbled out of Caster's Noble Phantasm.
Saber had already jumped towards Assassin who kept her at bay with various long ranged spells.
"Master!" His Servant was already on him as soon as the invisible walls faded. She scooped him up, immediately dodging to the side as magical attacks carved through the ground.
I was distracted, only barely noticing several objects fly by my head. I recognized the weapon, armament of the Church used to hunt things heretical to our teachings. Blades that carried within them the holy Sacraments to purge unholy entities.
And they were going straight for Wilhelm.
Wilhelm's Servent tried to awkwardly wield her blade to defend, until a loud explosive sound rang out.
I glanced to the Master of Saber – Kairi as he introduced himself as. He held a gun aloft, smoke coming out of it as the magical bullets tore into the Holy weapons.
"NICE ONE, MASTER!" Mordred shouted, black chains sweeping down at her as she did her best to dodge.
I turned back to the other Ruler, my authority as the True Ruler of this war gave me his name, Amakusa Shirou Tokisada, the knowledge of his identity filled my mind due to the Grail's machinations. I swiped my banner at him with my full force, he brought up his Katana to block it, though he couldn't hold it for but a moment before disengaging.
"Why are you blocking me?" He looked surprised. "You're supposed to be impartial; this is a fight between competitors."
"You are not supposed to be in this War." I countered, moving towards him again. I stabbed my banner towards his mid-section, but he swept it away with his word. "I am within my rights to remove you due to your origins as the last war's Ruler."
He flicked his offhand, more Black Keys appeared between his fingers as he slashed them down at me. I twirled my banner, blocking them with ease, and knocked the follow up blade to the side. He took that moment to try and throw them again towards Wilhelm. I slammed my banner down, the Holy Light enveloped me as I gathered it and thrust forward, shattering the Black Keys before they could gain any meaningful distance.
"WHY?" He looked utterly dumbfounded. "You're protecting him!? He's a demon!" Shirou shouted. "You follow the Lord's teachings, he's our enemy!"
"He's my friend!" I swung my banner, hitting him in the stomach, blood flowed out his mouth as he got rocketed towards a nearby pillar. "He doesn't deserve condemnation for being born what he is." I slammed my banner down, looking at him get up, wiping the blood trailing down the corner of his mouth.
He was nice to me. Even with his relentless teasing, it never held any malice or malicious intent. He helped me when I was in need, and made sure I was taken care of. He even called me a friend....so what if he wasn't fully human? He asked me before if I would think any less of him if I found out he was a demon. In hindsight, I could remember him looking a little sheepish when asking me that question, but my answer had not changed.
"I'm trying to save the world, and you're protecting a defiler of it!" He swept his hand through the air, anger clear on his face. "You don't deserve to be called a Saint." He sneered.
"I never called myself a Saint." I met his gaze. "I only did what I thought was right in my heart. And right now –" I tilted my banner back down, it's sharp pointing lining up with him. " – It's telling me to protect him from you."
"Foolish." He growled, turning towards Assassin who still sat on her throne. "Assassin!" he shouted, as if a command for action.
"I grew bored of this anyways." Assassin raised her hand as Mordred could not approach with the various spells falling down on her and those black chains constricting her every movement. "My poison will liquify your insides. Die in the most painful manner possible." At various spots around the room, gas began to burst out.
"Friendly fire! Friendly fire!" Caster shouted, but was otherwise ignored.
The areas that looked like they were patchworked together, were devoid of the poisonous gasses, but there was still enough that the place began to visibly fill.
"No...." I gasped out, watching this unfold. I turned towards The others who didn't look like they had a means to deal with this. My Noble Phantasm should be able to protect them if –
"You wanted to remove me from the war, then please stay with me until the end then." Shirou gave a deceptively kind smile, sword in in hand, blocking my way back.
***
Wilhelm POV
I groggily opened my eyes, faintly feeling someone tugging at me, and lots of shouts going on. My head hurt bad, and my vision was really blurry, not to mention the ringing in my eyes.
Concussion? Most definitely.
[Glad you're back, brat.]
Ddraig...?
[No time for that, you're in danger.] Ddraig's voice sounded urgent. [Chug a Health potion, and use that spell you used on that Hydra back in Kyoto.]
The spell from Kyoto...Hydra....poison?
My head was spinning, and it was hard to concentrate on any one thing. I followed his commands, shuffling around awkwardly and shakily pouring a health potion into my mouth. I think what little Magical Energy Avalon had left was working its magic as well.
Maybe I should –
[Focus, use spell.]
Right, right.
I took a breath, and whatever was supporting me shifted. I heard a familiar voice, but I couldn't really acknowledge it at the moment.
Taking Talismans out of my Ring, I awkwardly threw them into the air. "God of the east sea, Amei. God of the west sea, Shukuryou. God of the south sea, Kyojou. God of the north sea, Gukyou. Gods of the seven seas, fend off a hundred demons and drive back the fierce disaster."
My breathing picked up, and I felt increasingly light headed, even more so, but I didn't feel the spell actualize.
[You're still holding a Talisman.]
Oh.....right.
I fell to my knees and slapped it on the ground. "Order." I finished the casting.
Even with my vision foggy, I could see the glowing pentagram that formed on the ground, and looking up, the blurry one that took to the ceiling.
[Good, now heal yourself.]
I continued to follow his directions, calling upon the strongest healing spell I knew and placed it against my head.
The ringing began to subside, and my vision started returning to normal and the whole world wasn't spinning anymore.
I could feel my Aura working fully since I was no longer in that mental world. Working in tangent with my own healing and the effects of the Healing Potion.
"Raikou?" I looked up at my Servant holding onto me.
"Master." She looked very happy to see me lucid.
I still had a killer headache, but I don't think my skull was cracked anymore.
I surveyed the room. Jeanne was trading blows with Shirou, and Mordred was dashing around as Assassin tried to snipe at her with Magecraft.
Looking up, it appeared my spell was purifying this poisonous gas that was seeping into the area.
My eyes then landed on Caster who's head slowly turned towards me.
"Shakespeare." I growled, standing back up.
"Haha, my boy, what a great showing." He clapped awkwardly. Though that little bit of awkwardness disappeared after a moment, and a smirk adorned his face. "Well, I can tell when the curtain is beginning to fall."
"I'm resisting the urge to run you through." I tried to remain calm, but my fists clenched tight.
"I suppose I won't be able to see the end of this magnificent play." He sighed, flipping his hair back. "For the record, you were perhaps my favorite actor in this production."
"I am filled with joy." My dry tone was very evident by his mirthful chuckle. I was angry, but.....it was hard for me to bring up that rage that bubbled beneath the surface. At this point, I just wanted it to be over.
"Caster, you pathetic hack, do something productive!" Assassin hissed towards her teammate.
"Shut up you damn hag!" Mordred roared, slicing through some malevolent looking chains that shot out of the ceiling towards her. Another barrage of condensed Magical Energy in the form of lasers bombarded her as well.
Her Lightning erupted as she tore through the magical attacks, but still was having trouble approaching the woman sitting on the throne.
Caster hummed to himself, not even shaken by the glares being sent his way, and the absolute blood lust that Raikou was projecting towards him. "I admit, I am partial to tragedies. I feel like they elicit a purer emotion to my audience." He turned to me and smirked again. "But I can enjoy the occasional happy ending." He sent me a wink, taking out a quill.
I raised an eyebrow, but my instincts were telling me not to do anything. That I wasn't the target of his mischief. "My Ability, Enchant, allows me to add properties to personal items." He weirdly began to explain. "A playwright knows how to bring out the story in everything." He grinned, writing something, etching words into the stone of the throne room. "But, who says they all have to be beneficial?"
He flicked his quill to the side, ink flying off. Almost immediately, the whole area shook, crack forming in the walls, on the ceiling, and even fissuring the ground.
The word that appeared was easy to read.
'Shatter.'
A simple word to bring down a ruler.
How fitting for this man.
"CASTER!" Assassin slammed her hands on her throne, a massive magic circle appeared above her head. The air shuddered at it discharged down at her own teammate.
He didn't fret, nor even try to dodge out of the way.
"A gift, to a fan." His smile was somewhat warm as he looked at me once more. "Now, the curtain certainly beings to fall, and it's time for my final bow." It was an exaggerated movement, his bow to the 'audience' as the beam of power tore through the area he had been standing, eviscerating him on the spot.
Dammit Shakespeare...how am I supposed to continue hating you after doing something like that?
I shook my head as pieces of the place began to fall down from above. This patchwork room that looked barely held together by Assassin's will, it was unraveling at the seams.
My lips curled up. "This is your place of power, the reason you won't leave your throne isn't because of your arrogance. It's because you can't not only is it where you're at your strongest, but you have to stay there to keep this place together." I turned towards Assassin.
What Shakespeare did, it diminished her in a way, her link to this place was lessened as destruction engulfed it. That meant, she was weakened, even more than she was by having to hold this place together like she had been before.
One last 'fuck you' from the famous playwright himself.
She sneered towards me but didn't' speak, her attacks towards Mordred picked up exponentially.
"Kairi." I spoke towards the man who had been standing nearby, almost protectively. "Got a command seal left?
He smirked, raising his hand up revealing two more. "Ready when you are."
I took out the Staff of Magnus from my ring, slamming it onto the ground. "Mordred." I called out, slamming my staff down to create a shield around both me and Kairi for extra defense.
Assassin's eyes widened, perhaps sensing the danger. "Master!" She called out.
"Assassin, by the power of this Command spell, defeat your opponents." Shirou called out while still fighting off Jeanne.
The Magical energy around her burst forth, her fingers pushed together and a massive Magical Circle speared at the top of the ceiling, shattering my Pentagram that had been dealing with the lingering poison.
She laughed wildly. "Within my Throne Room, I can even summon one of the children of Tiamat!" She declared, a huge figure burst through the magic circle, seemingly appearing from an ancient age. "Basmu!" The snake-like creature that burst out roared at everyone. Liquid dripped from its body, disintegrating everything it touched.
Debris falling all around us, the Snake's eyes locked right onto us and swept down.
"Raikou, as your master, I order you." I swiped my hand through the air. "Use as much Magical Energy as possible and release your Noble Phantasm!"
She drew as much as she could through our link, and used the reserves she had left, her purple lightning crackled around her. "Ox-King Storm Call – The inescapable net of Heaven!" She called out, lighting bolts falling from the sky, and those clones of hers appearing once more.
They all leapt up into the air, their divine lighting tearing into the creature made of that poisonous liquid. It roared in fury, in pain and anguish as Raikou's Noble Phantasm made quick work of it.
That thing, it was probably only at a fraction of its true power due to the conditions of her place of power.
"A child of Tiamat?" I scoffed. "Maybe so, but it was lessened to such a degree, it probably wouldn't even qualify as a Divine Beast." I held my staff up. "Kairi." I called out.
"Saber!" He shouted, holding his hand up. "By the power of this command seal – Slay the King!"
Mordred's aura magnified exponentially. A conceptual alignment with her own legend of slaying a king. She exploded from the spot she was in, the remains of what was the Divine Beast were utterly disintegrated as she burst through, her blade pushing right through Assassin's heart in the blink of an eye.
"AAAAAH." Assassin screamed, blood spraying from her mouth.
"DIE YOU BITCH!" Mordred roared, pulling her sword upwards. Her sword sliced through Assassin's upper body, and she collapsed in her chair. There was no menacing declarations, or heartfelt goodbyes, Assassin's body began to dissipate.
A moment was all it took for several Black Keys to fly towards Mordred.
The knight jumped back, leaving behind her dissipating body, only for Shirou to jump up and reach out towards her. "Semiramis." He said quietly, but enough to be heard.
Ah, that's who Assassin was. It makes sense now.
"It's over, Shirou." Jeanne declared, walking up to us.
"Why....." He looked up, watching her motes of mana disappear. "I'm trying to save everyone, why are you all trying to stop me." His gaze swept the room, landing on me. "You." He singled me out. "It's your fault, it's the machinations of evil that are standing in my way."
"My fault?" I snorted. "Do you even know what 'saving the world' means? Are you just going to wish on the grail and hope for the best?"
"I would stop them from dying!" He shouted. "A world where everyone is happy, everyone is good, and everyone is perfect. There won't be any death, no destruction." He eyes turned dark. "And I would exterminate all evil and create a new, pure world."
"How utterly ridiculous." I spat out. "And you're supposed to be a saint from my homeland? Do you have your head so far up your ass that you believe that bullshit?" I dismissed the shield, ignored the collapsing building, and took steps towards him. "You want to take away free will, how is that fulfilling your duties to your God!?"
"What would you know, demon?" He snarled.
"More than you about how the world works." I rolled my eyes. "You want to take away humanities potential to make yourself feel better."
"Potential?" He spat out. "What use would potential be when no one would ever be sad anymore, no one would ever have to worry about being killed, or dying, or losing those they cherish?"
I shook my head. I almost pitied him. "You won't take my word for it, then lets let your God be the judge." I looked into my ring. I chose this course of action because for some reason, I could feel a faint pulsing of a certain spear I had stashed away.
For some odd reason, almost like a stray thought, I felt like I could actually touch it without being smote into dust.
I summoned the Divine Spear out of my ring.
"W-what!?" Shirou shielded his eyes, an action mimicked by the others as well.
It was.....warm.
The light of this spear I held in my hand. It wasn't hurting me, but I could also feel that if I tried to use it, that would quickly change.
No, it wasn't supposed to be used by me right now.
I turned towards Jeanne, who looked at me with befuddlement. "You lot can settle this between yourselves." I tossed it towards the Saintess.
This seemed like more her fight at this point.
"Wilhelm?" Jeanne squeaked out, catching the spear.
"Longinus, the Spear of Destiny. That which pierced the side of Christ." I introduced the powerful armament.
"Why do you have that?" Shirou looked at me in what looked like horror on his face.
It's not surprising, that's probably one of the most powerful relics of their religion. And it was sitting in the hand's of the son of Lucifer – in their eyes that is.
I ignored him and continued. "It even possesses a small piece of the big man himself."
Jeanne hefted up the spear, and the world was dyed in a holy air. There was a strange resolve in her eyes, almost ignoring the fact that she held something that should be sacred to her beliefs. "Amakusa Shirou Tokisada." The spear slowly began to point towards the former Ruler Servant.
Her words were...soft, yet they held a certain authority to them. The room shook more than it had before, the ceiling was ripped off in a gust of wind, and the sky outside becoming ever so clear.
I had wondered why this place still persisted, but I didn't have time to create a concrete theory. Perhaps just due to the residual power that was running this ridiculous Noble Phantasm, and it had yet to run its course.
My thoughts were quickly cut away as I noticed the phenomenon in the sky.
The clouds above began to swirl around us. It felt like a higher presence descended upon the entire area.]
Oh shit.
Was the piece of the Abrahamic God inside the spear resonating with his counterpart in this world.....uh oh.
A massive pillar of light slammed down from the heavens, encompassing both the Saints, the Ruler Servants who walked behind the banner of the same God.
This light, it stopped a fraction of an inch infront of me, almost like it was being.....considerate of my unique nature.
As the light began to fade away, Jeanne stood there, standing upright with the spear at her side and Shirou was on his knees, looking up at the sky.
"Was I really wrong?" He asked quietly. "I just wanted to save people from suffering." His head slumped down and his body broke down into motes of mana, drifting into the wind.
Jeanne watched him drift away a somber look on her face. "Your heart was in the right place, Shirou. Rest now."
Leave it to Jeanne to look at the best in people, even when they try to kill you and doom the world.
I wonder what happened in that moment of literal divine intervention.
Actually, I don't want to know.
I'm done, this has been a trying few days.
At this point, I just wanted to summon the woman I love, and hug her until my arms fall off.
Now where the hell was that Grail?
***
Canon Omake – Fight Club.
Artoria POV
"I don't understand, why do these – Super Sentai– not simply use their large machine to step on this enemy? Would it not cause them much less problems, and the city would suffer far less."
"Stop trying to analyze it, it's a show meant to just turn off your brain and enjoy." Rin huffed, draping herself over the sofa. She had a particular tough workout through my own efforts, so I allowed her this time of respite.
"These people know nothing of true martial arts or fighting." I frowned, watching them jump around and make some very disastrous 'attacks' that left them open for many different counters.
"It's a show, they're actors." Rin replied.
"Mayhaps they should study their craft better. Some time properly spent learning their roles would do them well." I knew I was...nit picking, but I guess it was hard to separate the idea I had of 'actors' and what this era considers as such.
Suddenly, the door burst open. I smiled seeing Wilhelm walk in with Izanami at his side. It always made me feel good when he had such a genuine smile on his face. I feel like it is not often that he can simply 'play' without any overt responsibilities hanging over his head.
The way they were laughing and whispering to each other, it was nice.
I don't think they even noticed as, lost in their own little world.
"Did you get the stuff?" I heard Izanami's light whisper.
"Yeah, it was hard to get protection in the proper size." Wilhelm replied.
"Especially with the workout its going to be getting. Quality matters, otherwise it just feels strange and uncomfortable." Izanami's voice disappeared upstairs.
Rin turned to me. "So...did you hear what they heard?"
"I did." I nodded.
"And you're not going to be suspicious?" She quirked an eyebrow.
"If Wilhelm wishes to finally make a move on Izanami, I would not say anything." I replied. I enjoyed Izanami's friendship and I would not be remiss if they sought something....more.
Honestly, I thought they were already in a relationship a few times now.
"Seriously? Not just the least bit curious?" Rin tried to goad me.
"Mayhaps, just a little bit." I admitted. "But I don't believe –"
"Lets go easedrop." Rin stood up.
"Rin!?" I blurted out as she was already walking up stairs.
"What? If Schweinorg is going to boink while we're literally down here and in earshot, he deserves to get a little embarrassed."
That's not.....untrue I suppose. It is rather rude if he wishes to engage in something....intimate while we are right here.
"Maybe just a little peek." I whispered.
I wish to see if they truly crossed that line of friendship into something else. Jinn had made a wager on it and I would not lose out this time.
We quietly snuck up to the door they entered, pressing against it.
"You have the batteries?" Izanami's voice echoed out.
"Yeah, got some extra just in case." Wilhelm replied. "Make sure you get the Video Camera set up at a good angle. I want to make sure all the good parts get in this."
"Yes, I believe we will gather many views with this." Izanami seemed to agree with him. "Just make sure to blur our faces, I would die of embarrassment if someone I know saw me doing.....this for the world to see."
I felt my cheeks turn warm, and I saw Rin also turn a bright shade of red.
T-this debauchery!
I cannot allow this to stand, I must intervene. Flaunting something like this for the whole world to see? That is going to for Wilhelm!
I stood up straight, and quickly pushed the door open. I expected something.....lewd, clothes thrown on the ground and sensitive areas expose. Instead, I had several pairs of eyes now on me.
"What is this!?" I squeaked out in confusion and my own built up embarrassment.
Wilhelm and Izanami shared a look.
"He made me do it." She quickly replied. "Forced me, blackmail."
"You traitor!"
"I couldn't stop him."
"She's lying, it was all her idea."
"What the hell is this?" Rin finally worked past her shock as I too evaluate the scene before me.
It was Sir Wiggles, standing upon his hind legs with his front paws in....boxing gloves. He had a pair of little shorts around his waist, and there was a makeshift arena around him with some strange device sitting opposite.
"Are you.....making your Rabbit box a Roomba?" Rin asked in complete shock.
".....no?" Wilhelm wasn't very convincing with his reply.
***
Alright, so I'll just say I read everyone's comments about last chapter and accept the good and bad. This is my first story, I've said it before, learning experiences all around. Mistakes will be had, and I'll do my best to learn from them.
A reminder, I will not be posting this Sunday.
Anyways, if you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my pat.reon.com/astoryforone
Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m