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Chapter Text

I have a brief moment of concern as I peer around through the driving sheets of rain - but I quickly confirm three silhouettes beside me - we all arrived in one place, which is a step up from last time!

My brief scan also reveals a bit about our location - ahead of us, there's only a rocky shoreline battered by the furious tide, but behind I can make out steep crags of white stone, lined with withered brush. To the right, those same rocks rise to a steep plateau, but to the left, they descend slightly to what looks like a section of sand, along with -

"There's light… there! I think… fire!" Some of Mash's shout is lost in the howling wind.

"Fire means shelter, in this weather!" I shout back - and so we begin forcing our way towards that flickering light.

The rain continues to pound down. Somehow, I find it's not soaking through my clothing - Da Vinci really is a genius - but that doesn't stop my hair from getting completely drenched, nor does it do anything to keep the water out of my eyes. The somewhat tropical ambient heat is the only reason I'm not fearing hypothermia at this-

My foot slips.

I fall to the left, and I see the edge of this rocky trail just as I begin to tumble over it towards the merciless stones below. Immediately, my mind maps out the coming disaster. A headfirst plunge I can do nothing to prevent. A death caused by nothing except my own bad luck.

(At least it's a short drop this time.)

-A hand catches me. "Watch your step!" Georgios shouts, and I all but collapse in relief.

"Th-thanks for the save…" I mutter - before shouting the same as my mumbling is lost in the rain.

The storm shows no sign of relenting by the time we reach the fire further along the shore, and greeting us as we arrive is-

"...A boat?" I ask no one in particular.

It's a wooden construction with oars and two masts, probably Greek or Roman based on the designs Sensei had me look at. The rain already makes the view unflattering, but beyond just that, it's clear that this boat is old - the paint is chipped and peeled, and the face carved into the prow is chipped, even looking rotted in some places.

The fire seems to have been lit on the shore below the boat, using said prow as a shelter from the rain - I can see a couple of fish on skewers roasting on the fire. They can't have been here for long, judging by how fresh they are - and yet whoever set them roasting is nowhere to be seen.

"Think it's some kind of trap!?" Cu shouts over the wind.

"No! It seems safe to my instincts!" Georgios says - and so we draw closer.

No attack follows. There's no sound save the howling of the storm, the creaking of timbers, and the crackling of the fire.

…Well, whatever, I guess. I take a seat at the fireside. The wind is a little less bad from this position, so I start to speak. "What do you guys make of this?"

"Whoever was here must have run away. He probably heard us shouting, or something," Cu says, drawing a rune in the air. "See, there's his tracks, all around the edge of the fire - looks like he never once even rested near the actual fire."

"...But why, though?" I mutter, gazing up at the boat once more. "In any case, I guess we can just take shelter here? Maybe whoever it was will come back and we can get some answers."

"I guess so…" Mash says. "Should I go ahead and deploy the tents, Senpai?"

"There's probably no need for that just yet," I reply. "It's still pretty early in the day, even though this rain makes it feel like nighttime. It's just, until the rain dies down, I can't imagine us making much progress exploring - oops, the fish is burning."

Even an hour later, the downpour shows no signs of stopping. Worse still, something about this storm is interfering with communications - in other words, Da Vinci was totally correct to give me a navigation spell. Jeez, if it wasn't for the Director's memorization course and Mash-tan's encyclopedic knowledge, I'd be seriously worried about running into Heroic Spirits we don't recognize.

As for the storm… there's no two ways about it, it's gotta be Dagon's curse, right? I had hoped it was empty talk since we couldn't pick anything up with scans at Chaldea, but clearly I'm not gonna be that lucky, huh?

I gaze across the rain-shrouded ocean. Every so often, it's lit by a bolt of lightning or two, and so I can make out a few islands in the distance - and also that.

A swirling column of water - I guess you'd call it a waterspout? It's writhing there, in what looks like the center of this massive storm, if the cloud patterns are anything to go by. Is it this singularity's Demon Pillar, maybe? Whatever the cause, I can see a seemingly unending series of coruscations playing out at the peak of the cyclone. Just what…

"...There might be no helping it, we're gonna have to go find the guy," Cu finally says with a sigh. "Dammit, I hate hunting in the rain…"

"I guess that's our best bet, here," I say. "We could try the levitation mystic codes, but…"

"Nah, those things are only really good in thirty minute bursts," He says. "We might be able to make it to the next island, but that still leaves us just as clueless."

"Okay - commencing operation: find the mysterious stranger!" Mash says.

"Fou!" A soggy hairball pokes his head out of her shield to give assent.

"-Ah, he came along, huh?" I chuckle. "Bet he's regretting that right now…"

He glares back at me and-

A purple-pink butterfly flutters between us, from the direction of the sea-

-Georgios's sword slices it in half in the next instant. "Enemy attack!" He shouts.

In the next moment, the whole space is flooded by similar creatures.

Mash raises her shield, Cu's staff glows with runes, and I… I…

-I'm… so tired.

For just a moment, I close my eyes.

And just like that, I find myself standing once more on the stony shoreline, freezing rain beating against my face.

"...This is gonna be a confusing one again, isn't it," I groan.

At least this time, the question 'what do I know' is answered easily enough.

"Not only am I clueless, I'm also drenched beyond belief - or something like that." Alright, with that handled let's go catch that guy at the campfire before he can hide! But how to approach without alerting- oh, am I an idiot? No, I know I'm an idiot…

{Alright, there's a campfire over there, let's go catch the guy sitting near it before he can hide,} I say telepathically. This is obviously better in this weather in the first place!

-A moment later, after a blink-and-you'd-miss-it scuffle, we have a captive firmly bound by runed ropes.

"Oh come on! How did you even find me here!? That's so unfair!" A middle-aged man with a long, unkempt, blond beard and similar looking hair struggles valiantly. He's wearing a ratty-looking old toga… actually he kind of just looks homeless, now that I think about it.

"Somehow, I was expecting this to be harder…" I mumble.

"Why would you think that!? I'm weak, you know! Super weak! So weak you might as well just let me go, since I'm definitely not worth finishing off-!" He babbles, looking frantically at each of us in turn. "Come on, you've already got- wait, who even are these guys?"

"Um, sir, perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. I'm Mash Kyrielight, and this is my Master, Natsuki Subaru, and our fellow Servants Cu Chulainn and Saint George," Mash explains. "We're from the Chaldea Security Organization, sent here to resolve this singularity…"

"Ah, Medea mentioned something like that…" He mutters.

"Huh?" I blurt out. "Wait, Medea? As in, from the Argo? Then would that boat happen to be-?"

"...Yeah. That's my boat. Servant, Rider… Argos. That's me," he says. Ah, I was hoping for Jason… but I guess a hero like that wouldn't be this lame, right? "Now let me go! I swear I'm totally useless so just leave me alone!"

"Well, some kind of pink butterfly attack is going to hit here soon, so…" I start to say.

"Eeeek, that's Medea! I take it back, bring me with you, anywhere but here, please!" Argos shrieks.

"Alright! Then let's take your boat, and-!" I start.

"Ah, no can do. My boat's totally useless unless I can get a crew." He shoots me down. "We'll just sink."

"Okay, let's walk inland and hide for now, I guess…" I mumble.

Class: Rider
Alternate Classes: Saber, Lancer
True Name: "Argos"
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Armaments: Sword
Manifestation Cost: Medium-Low

Bio:
The builder of the famous Argo, from which the Argonauts take their name. Or so he claims. A whiny middle-aged man with a tendency towards cowardice and defeatism. Although some of his stats are decent, he has no combat ability to speak of. He can summon his boat, but it's in a pitiful state and he's unable to even provide it with a crew. Hey, just what is this useless guy doing here, anyway…?

…By the way, the odds of a relatively insignificant figure like Argos making it to the throne are astronomically low, even if he did build a famous ship. Hey, Jason, just what was your plan with that paper-thin bluff?

Parameters
Strength: C+
Endurance: B
Agility: B+
Mana: D
Luck: E
NP: A

Class Skills:

Riding: A

Magic Resistance: D


Personal Skills:

Infidel's Curse: A+
A curse laid upon Rider by Hera after he broke his oaths to his wife. This isn't a part of Argos's legend, but that's because this guy is clearly just Jason. His Luck stat is drastically reduced, and he is promised a miserable death tinged with despair.

Gazing Alone at the Unconquerable Sea: B++
A skill with no noticeable effect. The world was too big, the challenges too great.

In the depths of his miserable heart, some part of him still hopes that one day he may find a new crew. And on that day, this skill…

Inspiration at Death's Door: A

Innocent Monster: E

For some reason, "Argos" has manifested with minor draconic traits that give him a minor boost to his Strength.


Noble Phantasms:

Empty Ship, Faded and Gray: Argo
Rank: E
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1~10
Maximum number of targets: 50 people

"It was beautiful, once. Together, we conquered the seas. Nothing was impossible when we were together. But one by one, everyone left me behind, and even when we reunited here…

I thought I could do it right, this time. I really thought that! And yet…

And yet, here I am, staring at the end of my dream. I can't even face it properly this time. Dying hurts, after all.

…Goddammit."

…

"What's that? 'That's tragic and all, but what does it do?' It's a boat, dumbass."

???
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit
Range: 1~20
Maximum number of targets: 10 people

Chapter Text

"So, Mr. Argos, you've been here longer than us - what can you tell us about this place?" Mash asks as we start to move away from the shoreline.

"-Huh!? You think I'd go inland alone? Are you crazy? Deserted islands are always full of cannibals or monsters! I'd die!" Argos says.

"No, I think she meant the Singularity as a whole…" I say.

"Oh. Well, it's a big uncharted ocean full of dangerous islands - like I said, monsters and cannibals," He shrugs. "I can't really tell you much about them, I mostly just stayed on the Argo and let Heracles handle the exploring."

"Geh," I let out a reflexive shudder, recalling that skinless mass of muscle from Fuyuki. "That freaking monster-"

There's a sound of a fist striking steel - and with a shock, I see Argos's fist, stopped a few inches from my face by the timely intervention of Georgios.

"-Hey," Argos glares at me as he lowers his fist. "You can say whatever else you like since you've basically got me at your mercy, but I'm not gonna let you badmouth Heracles."

"S-sorry. I guess you guys must have been friends, huh?" I say. "He was berserk back in Fuyuki, so…"

"What the hell is a Fuyuki…?" Argos asks.

"It was one of the previous singularities Chaldea corrected," Mash says. "An out-of-control Holy Grail War in Fuyuki City, Japan."

"Ah, previous singularities…" He mutters, a strained smile on his face. "So you guys just go around foiling anyone trying to change the past?"

"Pretty much," I nod. Hopefully this will get him to cooperate, now that he knows we're trying to save-

"That's so rude!" Argos shouts, pointing at me. "What do you have against people wanting to fix their past, huh!? You freaking killjoys! I bet that [Alter Ego] guy was with you after all!" Oh my god, this guy doesn't understand the stakes at all, does he?

"Were you summoned with no knowledge of the incineration of humanity..?" Georgios asks.

"Eh? You mean like cremation? I'm not an undertaker." This man is totally hopeless.

We spend the next five to ten minutes of our trek to the island's interior getting the clueless Rider up to speed as his face distorts into an increasingly intense expression of horror.

"-And so we rayshifted to this one next." I conclude.

"...Oi, this is really freaking bad," He says.

"Mister Argos, you said Medea had said something to you about us before… Just what did she tell you, if it wasn't all of this?" Mash asks, tilting her head cutely.

"Ah, that… before I answer that, I should ask, hypothetically speaking, just what would happen if someone sacrificed a Greek Divine Spirit on the [Ark of the Covenant]?" His response is a total non-sequitur.

"That would be… probably the total annihilation of the era." Georgios says.

"I see," Argos says, closing his eyes. He takes a deep breath, and- "MEDEAAAAAA! You psycho witch! 'Lord Jason, just leave all the planning to me,' you said! 'If you just listen to my instructions, you'll become immortal,' you said! Why on earth did I trust you!? I should have known you were up to something nuts like usual! 'Well, if you're erased from existence you can technically never die, tee-hee,' - I bet you'd say something like that just before I got blown up! No wonder Heracles was acting so weird, you were clouding his thoughts, weren't you!? No wonder no one showed up when I used my Noble Phantasm, I was on the evil side! AAAAGH, I'm so stupid!"

His furious rant pauses for a moment as he repeatedly slams his face into his palm- wait, did he just imply…?

"-You're not Argos!" Mash says, gasping. You're Medea's lover, Jason!"

"Ex-lover! I'm her ex-lover!" He protests. "It's exactly because of shit like this that we're not together anymore! Because she's a fratricidal, infanticidal, homicidal, backstabbing, crazy witch!"

Ugh… He can say that,, but… "Dude, half of that stuff was things she did for you - and the rest is pretty much your fault. You're the one who set her off by abandoning her…"

"I wasn't going to abandon her! I'm not that scummy!" Wait, really-? "I was going to keep her as a mistress, obviously." Die, scumbag.

…The truth is, though, I'm really not in a position to be throwing stones about proper romantic behavior.

"Let's not get distracted," I say. "Medea of Colchis is the mastermind, I got that much, but what else is going on in this singularity?"

"She was the mastermind," Jason corrects me. "But that's probably not true anymore - why do you think I wound up sitting alone on a freaking island, huh?"

"Senpai, do you think this is another case of a second Demon Pillar arriving?" Mash asks. Right, the original villains of France got their plans derailed when Bael tried to possess Prelati…

"I don't know anything about Demon Pillars. Medea never introduced me to whoever gave her the grail, and as far as I know, the guy who showed up and ruined everything was - no, calling him an 'ordinary servant' is wrong," Jason says. "He introduced himself as a Caster first, but after he thought he had won he went and blabbed a bit - he's an extra class. Something called an 'Alter Ego', whatever the heck that's supposed to mean."

"...Oi, aren't Extra classes supposed to be rare?" I mutter. I feel like my Game Master is fudging his Random Encounter rolls.

"Alter Ego, huh… That's an annoying class," Cu mutters, closing one eye and stroking his chin.

"You know about it?" I ask.

"Maybe. I'm gonna need to do some Divination to really narrow it down, though," he answers. "In terms of how 'out there' of a class it is… well, I'd say Alter Egos are closer to the Watcher side of things than the Shielder side."

"It's another confusing one, huh…?" I sigh.

"-Speaking of confusing, there's another thing." Jason stares at me directly, a grimace on his face. "I don't know how to say it nicely, so I'll rip the band-aid off - Alter Ego's got the same face as Natsuki Subaru."

…Oh come on. "Another freaking Evil Clone arc? Right after the first one?" I complain. Is this my payback for not letting Jeanne confront her dark self directly or something? Despite the wisecracking though, this sense of unease… "His Noble Phantasm… did you see it?"

Somehow, I know he has. Because, those nightmares, the dreams that were haunting me in Chaldea, were-

"Yeah - a Reality Marble. If you kill him inside it, he comes back and dumps curses on you, over and over, until your Spirit Origin gets corrupted," Jason says. "I got off lightly since I never actually killed him - all of the curses that hit me were from him killing himself. Heracles, though…"

"Another corrupted Heracles!? Oh come on!" I moan.

"...Oi, what do you mean, another?" The Rider asks.

"...I don't suppose he did us the favor of getting his skin torn off before he got corrupted this time?" Cu Chulainn asks.

Jason groans. "So that's how you guys beat him when you fought him. Someone else already did the hard part for you."

I raise an eyebrow. "I don't think losing skin stops Servants."

"Iiiidiot," Jason replies. "As a Berserker, Heracles's Noble Phantasm is his skin. [God Hand] makes him immune to every attack below A-rank-"

"What the hell, that's broken!" I shout

"-lets him come back from the dead eleven times-" Jason continues.

"That wasn't even all of it!?"

"-and makes him immune to any attack that took one of his lives before," he concludes.

"Oh come on! What's with this freaking glitch character!?" This is some Reinhard level nonsense!

"-By the way, since Heracles is the strongest, I'd bet he could come back an extra time or two if he really felt like it. Also he has A-rank Battle Continuation," Jason continues to boast about how cool his friend is. "Well, all of that being said, Berserker is his weakest class."

"What."

"I mean, Heracles is already the strongest without Mad Enhancement, so really the only thing the Berserker class does for him is take away his ability to plan ahead," He continues chattering without pause. "He has [God Hand] in most of his other Classes too, anyway. I think he only loses it when he's summoned as an Assassin or as a Rider - but after he was corrupted, he did come out wearing the [Pelt of the Divine Beast], so I think [God Hand] might have gotten swapped out for [King's Order]."

"Okay, so only one life, but for those of us who aren't Heracles Otaku, what exactly-?" I start to ask.

"Nah, he's still got one extra from the Fourth Labor," He crushes that hope without mercy.

"Sure, why not!?" In throw up my hands.

"Um, Mr. Jason, what Senpai really wants to know is, how do we fight-?" Mash starts to ask.

"You give up," Jason says simply. "Why do you think I'm just sitting around on this island? The moment Heracles wound up on Alter Ego's side, it was over. The only reason you guys aren't already dead is because this storm means he hasn't seen you yet. That's not even considering the other ones he had with him - some Conquistador and Pirate, the Minotaur, and don't forget about Medea! And even if you manage to avoid Heracles somehow, and defeat the rest, you don't have an answer to [Infinite RuinReturn From Death]."

That name really is on the nose - and disturbingly close to that.

"That's…" Mash mutters.

"Hey, Master, why don't we just leave this weak loser here?" Cu Chulainn says. "We've gotten about all that we can out of him, I think." He gives a grin, resting his staff across his shoulders. "If it's just the strongest Greek hero-!"

"Don't go getting a big head just because people call you 'Irish Heracles', moron. Come back as a Berserker, and you might stand a chance," Jason says, taking a seat on a stone. "But if you're not gonna make me go with you, that suits me just fine. You guys captured me, after all - I don't want to go on some stupid adventure with you."

"You don't even feel the slightest obligation to fix this mess?" I can't help scowling at his attitude. "You were duped into helping wipe out humanity - don't you feel even a little guilty!?

"And so what? Even if I felt guilty… what would it achieve?" Jason leans back, clasping his hands behind his head and closing his eyes, as rain continues to pour down on him. "You're young, so maybe you don't get it yet, but- sometimes, you don't get another chance. Sometimes, there is no fixing things. And this is one of those times."

…Yeah, I understand. What was it Prelati said, back in France? 'If it doesn't break the heart of anyone who loved the original, then it's probably not a real [Blackened] Servant.'

Jason didn't get off easy or anything, when he was corrupted. For that adventurous man filled with hope, who inspired all of the heroes of his era to join him in a quest for treasure on sunlit seas… the miserable, hopeless man he became at the end of his life, sheltering beneath the prow of his rotting ship, was already his darkest self.

For a moment, I start to think of a response-

Georgios's sword cleaves a spectral butterfly in two. "Enemy attack!"

In an instant, the island trail is full of similar butterflies, and I begin to grow tired - not this time!

"{Emergency Citrus]!" The stupidly named cleanse function of my Mystic Code purges the sleep spell, and I frantically move to get behind Mash's shield.

"[Chaos…Labyrinthos]!" A male voice snarls - and the next thing I know, I'm alone in an empty white hallway.

Chapter Text

-Labyrinthos. The Labyrinth, in other words. Jason had mentioned 'Alter Ego' had the Minotaur at his disposal, so I guess this is his Noble Phantasm.

But on that note, how the hell did he find us so fast? Last time was one thing - we were just milling around near Jason's boat, so if the enemy was looking for him it wouldn't be a big shock for them to find us. But what about this time? We were pretty far from the boat, and we had taken care to avoid any main trails. Hell, Cu had mentioned something about giving us an anti-tracking spell.

And yet, despite the driving rain, with all those things working against him, Alter Ego's goons found us in the same amount of time as before, if not faster.

"...He looks like me, huh?" I mutter. That's right - to his enemies, Natsuki Subaru has always seemed to know everything. If it's not just a coincidence, if there's anything to those nightmares, then… it wouldn't be strange for Alter Ego to possess a [Clairvoyance] skill.

The worst case, though… is that in addition to that [Return From Death] thing, he has [Return by Death] as a Noble Phantasm. But I don't want to believe that's the case, since in addition to its obvious status as a probably unbeatable obstacle… the idea of using Return by Death offensively like this is one of the most disgusting things I can imagine.

There were no trails to follow. There wasn't even a lead to tell him which way we were going or where we had landed. In order to find us… I've got no idea how many times he would have had to kill himself.

So it's Clairvoyance. It has to be. Considering how I've seen Servants be twisted by their legends, he might not even know about [Return by Death] - 'since nobody but me knows about it it didn't get recorded' - is a real possibility. That would explain why he's trying to kill me, too - if he knew about Return by Death, he'd know there's no point, right?

…I really hope that's the case.

But with that thought through, let's return to the Labyrinth. Gazing around, I take in my surroundings for a moment. White marble hallways, illuminated by torchlight, stretch outwards from each of this room's walls. The others who were with me are nowhere to be seen.

"I didn't think it would be this well lit…" I mutter. Anyway, as far as getting split up again goes, I've got an obvious answer. "By my Command-"

No. No, that would be way too stupid. I've already learned my lesson last singularity about spending Command Spells willy-nilly. If I had been forced to teleport someone in when we fought the Phantom of the Opera in Paris, I would have died to Prelati in the final fight. I already know what's in this singularity; if I spend command spells on anything other than Heracles or Alter Ego, I'm sure I'll end up regretting it.

So with that in mind- "[Cor Leonis]." There we go. Three 'stars' spring to life in my awareness. Jason, of course, makes no appearance - it's not like I was thinking of him as an ally, and I'm sure the feeling is mutual. As for the others- "They're all the same direction, huh? Alright, [Detect Gold]." The stupidly named mapping spell on my Pirate cosplay Mystic Code springs to life, and the next instant a holographic display of a map is floating above my wrist. "Okay! With the power of cheat codes, even a moron like me can solve a maze!"

With that slightly immoral excitement raising my spirits, I start off in the direction that I can tell Mash is in.

{Alright everyone, I've got this stupid mapping spell, so just stay put and I'll be right there.} I say telepathically.

{...Isn't that dangerous, Senpai?} Mash asks.

{Nah, in the worst case I'll just-}

There's a sound of grinding stone from my left, and I start to look that way. Oi, that wall-

"...Where are you?"

-wasn't this close, right!?

"...Eh?"

I'm standing in the first room again, suddenly. The projected map is gone from my wrist… no, rather, I never cast it. Because I just died.

"Did I just get the Shaula treatment from a freaking wall…?" I mumble. Not to mention…

Oi! Satella! What the hell's going on here!? Don't just dump me right back in the Labyrinth! The Professor just got done saying how every loop was chosen for my benefit a little bit ago, don't tell me you've gotten tsundere now!?

"...[Cor Leonis]. [Detect Gold]." Even so, I've got to be the one to do this. If there are traps like that in this labyrinth, the others stand a chance of dying for real. {Okay, everyone stay put. There's a lot of traps around, so leave it to me. I'll use a Command Spell if things get bad.}

{...Senpai, I'd prefer if you just used one now. But I'll respect your judgment.} Mash says.

{Thanks.} I reply, as I begin walking. Okay, straight is certain death, so let's go left.

My footsteps echo on the marble floor as I follow a winding passage to another branching room. A right turn, and-

The floor drops out from underneath me. Oh come on-!

I scream as my legs break on impact.

Okay. Okay, I'm still alive, so I just need to-!

"Ahh! Argh!" I scream as I drag myself against a wall. I need to set these, and…

Ah, Da Vinci didn't give me a healing spell this time.

It's fine. Healing a clean break isn't that hard. The Director taught me the basics. And then… can I climb out-?

"Found you!" An unfamiliar voice calls from the top of the pit, and looking up, I see a white-furred face grinning down at me in sadistic glee.

"[Shamak]!" I flood the pit with black smoke on reflex. Please. Please. Please go away. Legs, legs, okay, the healing spell is-

Something lands on them. I can't feel anything below my waist anymore. Pressure around my chest, the vague sensation of motion-

Something wet surrounds my head. Enormous incisors slice through my neck. Tombstone-like molars grind against either side of my head-

"Where are you?"

-And I gasp, staring down at the map displayed on my wrist. It moved!? Why the hell did my checkpoint move again-!?

No, there's no time! That thing is nearby! Right is no good, so I start running straight ahead, into the next room, until suddenly, someone lunges at me-!

"Aaa-oh, it's you." Jason says, swiftly aborting his terrified scream.

"Aaa-oh, it's you!" I say, swiftly aborting my terrified scream.

…I don't really want to be on a similar wavelength to this guy.

"Um, in case you don't know, we're in the labyrinth! It's full of traps, and the Minotaur is gonna be here soon, so any input-" I start to say.

"Dude, just use your command spells to summon your Servants," The Rider deadpans.

"...I can't do that." I reply after a moment's thought. "If I'm going to be facing Heracles, and that Alter Ego guy, I know I can't afford to waste command spells here. I won't stand a chance otherwise."

"You don't stand a chance to begin with! The best your command spells will do is buy you time - which is why, hurry up and use them, 'cause I don't wanna die!" He shouts back.

"I'm not gonna sabotoge us long term-!"

"Idiot! There is no 'us'!" He says, shaking me by the shoulders. "You don't seriously think I'm gonna go along with your suicide mission, right!? Fuck that! So hurry up and call your servants to save me! I don't care if you lose after that, so hurry up and do it!"

…This guy!

"As if I'd agree…" I headbut him, and he loses his grip. "...with that reasoning!"

"Tch," He glares back at me, rubbing his bruised forehead. "I didn't want to stoop to this, but-" He draws his sword. "Summon them, or I'll kill you."

"I won't," I reply. "Alter Ego will know the second I do, and evacuate the Minotaur."

I don't have any evidence that's his plan, but… it feels right. That's what I'd do, in his situation; run me out of resources I can't take back, before evacuating and returning once the advantage is gone. The whole point of the Labyrinth is to split us up; if he knows I've reunified with everyone, he'll dismiss the maze and resummon it.

Jason walks towards me, pressing his sword against my throat - but I won't change my mind, and so I glare back at him, watching pained realization grow on his face, his teeth grinding in despondency. Death threats won't work on me.

"...That guy, has something to do with you after all, doesn't he?" The Rider asks.

"Probably."

He sighs, and steps away from me, tilting his head back and pinching his brow with his free hand. He stays that way for a full ten seconds, before finally-

"...Fuck this," Jason says, and plunges his sword through his own chest.

"What-!?" I shout.

He just gives me a spiteful grin and raised middle finger. "See you in hell, asshole."

The next moment, he dissolves into golden mist.

…

No, there's no time. I still need to head towards Mash, so I turn right, and start moving-

Something lunges out of the darkness of that corridor.

A snarling, golden-furred monster - I dodge its claws, but something shoots from behind it, and I feel two small punctures in my arm as it jumps past.

"[Minya]!" I fire a spell at it, and it finds its mark, the creature staggering as bits of its body start to crumble, but I can see it now, in the light of my previous room.

Through blurring eyes, I can see the goat head stretching from its shoulder, and the snake writhing behind it where its tail should be.

My veins feel like they're on fire. I'm dimly aware that I'm screaming.

It lunges again, and claws tear into my chest as its lion head tears my throat out. I can't breath, it hurt, I can't breath-

"Don't hide from me."

-"Fuck this." Jason says, and plunges the sword into his chest again. "See you in hell, asshole."

"...I might already be there." I admit through gritted teeth as he disappears in a cloud of golden dust.

Chapter Text

As I watch Jason dissolve into golden dust, I once again find myself stunned. Why would he do that? Wasn't he just begging me to bring the others here so he could survive? Does he really think that my chance of winning like this is that small, that death is so certain that he might as well do it himself?

"...Or is he just that much of an asshole?" I ask. Would he kill himself just to spite me? To deny me a potential ally and screw me over a bit more?

-It doesn't matter. Focus on the labyrinth. Once again, a right turn is certain death - Mash is forward and to the right, so I guess I'll move forward for now..

I advance down a sloping hallway, and-

The sound of grinding stone above, and I move as fast as I can-!

Something crashes to the ground behind me, and I turn just in time to see the enormous boulder start to roll.

"Oh come oooon!" I scream as I start to run. I know I use a whip, but I'm really not the heroic archeologist type! Why do I have to-!?

Stone catches my heels, pressure moving up my legs, to my back, and-

It hurts. It hurts. Ithurtsithurtsithurts-!

I hear crunching, splattering sound, mixed with screams, and then…

"Fuck this." Says Jason, driving his sword through his chest, and I feel my blood pressure starting to rise. "See you-"

"In hell, yeah, yeah," I roll my eyes as I turn left and begin trudging down the hall.

Of course my very last guess would be the-

With a sound of grinding stone below me, I find myself launched upwards-

"Fuck this," says Jason as he impales himself-

"Shut up already!" I shout, punching him in the face an instant later. The stupified look on his face as he dissolves makes me feel a little better, but…

"Back it is!" I say, turning around and beginning my annoyed march back to the previous room. "Just how many damn traps did Daedalus have to put in this place, huh!? Wasn't it enough to make it just a big ma-aaaze…" My voice dies off as I see a hulking white form shadowed against the light of the previous chamber.

It was seriously that close behind me!? Or did I draw him in by shouting-!?

The minotaur advances, a sadistic grin on his face-

"...Fuck this." I say, and crush my brain stem with [Invisible Providence].

"...Fu-Gfah!?" Is all Jason can get out before my fist smashes into his face.

"Just where do you think you're going, you piece of shit!?" I shout, heedless of the monster I know is nearby.

"I'm leaving! I don't want to get eaten, so I'm just gonna return to the throne! Even stabbing myself won't be as bad as that!!" Jason says.

"Like hell you're leaving! I don't want to get eaten, so stay here and help me fight him!" I'd put a better spin on it, but I really just don't care what this guy thinks of me. "While we're at it, quit it with that stupid pity party act! You're a hero, so act like it, you bastard!"

"Ex-hero! I'm an ex-hero! That's over! It's all over! Now I'm just a cursed loser with a tragic ending, so leave me alone already!" He protests, reaching for the sword he dropped when I punched him.

Naturally, I punch him again. "What's over!? You've been summoned, haven't you!? You're alive, aren't you!? Your friend has been transformed into the worst possible version of himself! What the hell right do you have to say it's over with just that, you lazy bastard!?" Yeah. That's what felt wrong to me. This guy, who swung at me the moment I implied I had bad feelings about Heracles, just where does he think he's going with his friend in whatever state Alter-Ego's Noble Phantasm has left him?

He catches my wrist on the third punch, hurling me into a shoulder throw that slams me painfully against the marble floor. "What do you know!? You're young, so you can't possibly have felt it! 'Try and try again' - that's naive! Mere persistence isn't good enough! Sometimes, you fail, and that's the end! Some things can't be fixed! Sometimes, there's no do-over!"

I rise on shaky feet. "Who said anything about trying 'again'? This isn't about establishing your kingdom, or conquering the seas, or whatever. This is about Heracles. This is about that friend of yours. Even if you screwed up absolutely everything else in your life, you never failed him, right? He showed up, even when you became a villain - even when you had been mislead by Medea into trying to aid the incineration of humanity. Heracles still appeared to help you, right?"

"Y-you…"Jason cringes, taking a step back.

"Servants corrupted by that mud… they become the worst version of themselves. Whatever it is Heracles has become, I'm sure it'll break your heart. Just the same way that his heart would break if he saw you as a miserable bastard like this," I say. "So-"

"Heh, heh… kill!" A guttural voice laughs, and I turn to see the Minotaur emerging from the darkness of the hallway I knew he would be approaching down. It's fine, though. Because, I'm sure I finally got through to Jason, so-!

I blink. When did Jason get replaced by a Jason-shaped cloud of dust-?

"Aaaahhhh! I don't wanna diiiieeee!" He screams as he takes off down the opposite hall with all the composure of a Looney Tunes character.

I, on the other hand, am totally composed as I sprint in the same direction.

"Don't lead him this way!" The Rider screams as he throws his sword back at me. "And your screaming is hurting my ears, so shut the hell up!"

"Don't try to trip me!" I shout back as I jump over it - but that's gonna slow me down, and he's already getting away, so I draw my whip-! "[Murak!]"

"G-ack! Get off of me!" Jason screams as my whip wraps around his throat, allowing my now gravity-less body to get dragged behind him into… the boulder tunnel, right!?

A sound of grinding stone- quickly, I end the spell on myself, redirecting what mana remains in order to- "[Murak] again!" I shout, slowing the boulder's fall. I land on my feet, resuming my sprint after the most disappointing Servant of all time.

Of course, a regular Murak can't fully stop a boulder, and so it begins to roll after us.

""AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!"" By the way, Jason is definitely the only one screaming.

Suddenly he stops, and looks back at me just a few meters behind, before looking back in front of him, at- oh crap, that's a pit!

I can't slow down. I'm just barely outpacing the boulder as is! But the gap is too far. I can't jump it, even with Murak, and I'm totally out of mana right now, so-!

Jason grabs me as I reach him, tossing me over his shoulder, and sprints directly at the pit. "Cast it, cast it, cast iiit!" He screams as he jumps with all his might, and I can just see the torchlit entrance of the next room, barely out of reach-

I punch Jason in the face, and he loses his grip on me, and then, kicking off his shoulder-!

("Whyyyy!?" He screams.)

My whip barely snares a Torch sconce on the other side of the pit, and-!

"[Invisible Providence]!" My unseen hand barely catches Jason behind me, and with one final pull, we tumble head over heels onto the ground opposite the pit, even as the boulder crashes down behind us, lodging into the just-too-small pit in a way that perfectly blocks off the passage.

"You… freaking asshole…" Jason says through heaving breaths, lying on the floor.

"Back… at you…" I gasp, slowly rising to my feet. "Stand… the hell up, you bastard."

"Don't… wanna…" He mutters, a knife materializing in his hand. A backup weapon, huh? "I… give up."

…

"Giving up… is easy." I mutter, before finally fixing a glare on him. "But… it doesn't suit you."

He blinks.

"A girl who loved me… told me that once," I say with a wry grin.

"Tch." He looks away. "I'd rather hear it from her, then."

"...That's impossible," I answer. "Some things can't be fixed, after all."

"...My bad," He says after a moment, looking away.

"Make it up to me," I smirk back. "Let's kick this guy's ass."

"That's not the goal," Jason says, raising the knife to his face as I clench my fist again - but I unclench it as he flashes a rare grin my way. "The goal is Heracles, right?"

He presses the dagger to his cheek, and his beard begins to fall away. Once or twice, he cuts his cheek, but all in all, he seems experienced in shaving like this - that's an ancient sailor for you, I guess.

He closes his eyes, rubbing his now smooth chin - and then, with the blood from the spots he cut himself still on his hand, he slicks his unkempt hair back, and hacks what remains above his neckline off in a single cut.

"...That guy will be here soon. Theseus always said Asterios knew this place like the back of his hand, after all." He says. "So… what have you got left in the tank, Master?"

Chapter Text

Minotauros moves at a leisurely pace through the familiar halls of the Labyrinth. He has no need to rush; these particular prey had already found themselves in the most trap-laden portion of Daedalus's great maze.

"Heh… heh…" The Berserker laughs softly to himself, recalling their miserable screams. But a moment later, he falls silent. That blond bearded man, who smelled like the sea - there was something about the way that man had looked at him…

"█████████, huh?" The man asked. "I'll remember it, I promise. In the end, you were just another prisoner kept down here… I'm sorry I wasn't able to save you too."

Minotauros groans, clutching his head in one massive hand. "The…seus…"

What was it? There was something in their eyes that was the same, but what-?

He emerges into a new room - the chamber that had been blocked off by the boulder trap earlier - and there, glittering in the torchlight is… a pile of gold?

Minotauros scans the room - and finds nothing. His prey is nowhere to be seen. In one corner, he can see a pile of charred something, from which the reek of burnt hair rises and floods his nostrils - but nothing else is there to be found. And so, with a confused look on his face, he steps forward and examines the pile - no, it isn't a pile. It's a fur.

"Golden… fleece?" Minotauros wonders aloud as he reaches down to touch-

"Oh!~" It's so soft! Amazing!

He starts to lower his head onto it- no! Minotauros knows he cannot fall asleep so easily! Even if the fleece is a luxury he could not have possibly dreamed of in life!

"Now, hit him, Master!" a voice shouts from above, and the Berserker starts to turn-

"[Gandr]!" A black bolt strikes Minotauros.

"Gandr?" I asked.

"That's right," Olga Marie-Sensei said. "It's an old Scandinavian curse with roots in runecraft - a primitive curse that directly attacks the target's 'healthiness'. Of course, that very primitiveness is to its advantage - Gandr is easily enhanced by just channeling more mana into it, and different Mage families can achieve variations on the spell that specialize its power into particularly useful effects. The Edelfelt, for example, are famous for achieving physical damage akin to a firearm with their so-called [Finn Shot], and I've heard rumors of a set of Mystic Eyes that could fire Gandr that directly stopped the target's heart."

"Ah," I mutter numbly. I've solved it! That spontaneous heart attack I had in Aozaki's workshop, I've figured it out!

"All that being said, the Animusphere variant of the spell is focused on inflicting temporary paralysis. Health is vitality, and vitality is motion - that's the principle your [Gandr] will function on. Sickness and bullet wounds are of no use in a battle between Servants, but a loss of movement is deadly, even if it only lasts a moment."

Minotauros freezes, He cannot move a single muscle. And the next moment, the blond man who smelled like the sea plunges down onto his back, driving a dagger into his neck.

The next moment, the paralysis ends. Minotauros bucks backwards, trying to throw the man off - but he finds that the Greek has already dropped off, now rolling between his massive legs, slashing open the Berserker's femoral artery.

"Grr..AAH!" Minotauros lashes out with his one of his axes, but-

"[Gandr]!" Once more, his muscles refuse to obey his commands, and the Greek lunges, lopping off his left thumb, the axe slipping from his grip and falling to the ground.

"You…! Above…!" He turns, and finally sees the man with Alter Ego's face - safely perched in the coils of a serpentine creature - a monster not native to the labyrinth, unnoticed because of the smell of burning hair blocking its scent, and because the Berserker had not looked up at where it had dug its claws into the wall and wrapped its mass around a torch.

"Now, come! [Drakon KholkikosGuardian of the Fleece]!" Jason shouted, and the fleece he threw on the floor gleamed as a serpentine form emerged from it.

For a moment, I got excited. For just a moment. "Wait, why's it so small!?" It was barely bigger than those wyvern trash mobs we saw in France, and it didn't even have wings!

"Huh!? What do you mean, small!? He's twice the size of a person and his bite is deadly! Don't look down on- OI!" Jason terminated his boast with a scream as the Dragon tried to bite him. "Don't bite me! I'm your master now, you moron! I know I didn't have the authority to summon you as my younger self, but I'm the owner of the fleece now, you stupid lizard!"

The Colchian Dragon let out a derisive snort.

"Obviously we struck from above," The Greek says with a grin. "People don't often look up, after all."

Minotauros freezes once again. Not because of a spell, but because-

"I… people?" He asks, raising his empty hand to his head.

"Yeah. That's what Theseus told me. Isn't that right, Asterios?"

His groaning rises, and he astralizes his other axe as he leans back, clutching his head with both hands. He understands now. The similarity in this man's eyes, and the eyes at that time - they were both looking at a 'person' instead of a 'monster', weren't they?

Pain blossoms in his chest.

When a Servant is blackened, their Spirit Origin rages out of control. All subtlety is discarded. Their strongest aspect is brought to the fore, and every other element is deemphasized in favor of winning with raw power.

Why, then, did the blackened version of Jason manifest in such a way? In almost every aspect, Jason Alter is weaker than his unaltered counterpart. He can neither summon his crew nor command them. His minor draconic trait gained as the victor of the Fleece is irrelevant in almost all contexts. The dragon he can manifest is a meager example of a phantasmal, incapable of even the fiery breath shown by its kin.

However, none of these elements is the true strength of the Heroic Spirit known as Jason.

Jason's strongest ability was always his capacity to plan and scheme, a capacity that only ever showed its worth when he was on the back foot. In other words, his skill [Inspiration at Death's Door] was always his strongest ability.

For the Jason that emerged from the Alter Ego's cursed mud, the Jason that has already lost everything and is a single setback away from ending his own life, it is fundamentally impossible for [Inspiration at Death's Door] to produce anything but its optimal output.

The normal Jason would have failed. The thought to mentally attack Minotauros based on a single anecdote he heard from a crewmate in passing would simply not have occurred to him. And even if it had, he would have grown overconfident the moment the Berserker seemed impaired. He would have followed it up with a boast, or an offer of recruitment, and been bashed to pieces by the mad bull.

For Jason Alter, whose failure is ever before him, who can never forget his past sins and inadequacies - such overconfidence is fundamentally impossible.

All that is to say, the moment Minotauros shows weakness, the very instant he covers his eyes and leans back - Jason lunges forward and plunges his dragon venom-coated dagger into his heart without a second's hesitation.

"Ahhh… Ohhh…" The Minotaur groans and falls to his knees, staring at Jason with tears in his eyes. "You…"

"Sorry it came to this, Asterios," The Rider says, sighing. "But even if you are a person, that doesn't mean I'm going to treat you with kid gloves. You're in the way, and I've got another guy mistaken for a monster I need to save first."

Asterios lowers his head and gives a small nod, as his white fur begins to melt off his form, revealing human skin beneath. "Eury..ale. Island… north… two mountain. I… hide. Help, please…"

Jason closes his eyes, and gives a small nod. "Yeah, I'll be sure to recruit her. Thanks."

"No…" the Berserker shakes his head. "Thank you. Asterios… I, forgot."

Then, he dissolves into golden dust and disappears.

…

"Hey, Jason, you wanna ask your dragon to let me down now?" I ask.

"Nah."

Compendium Update: Jason (Alter)

Skill Discernment:

Inspiration at Death's Door: A -> Inspiration Beyond the Denouement: A

The flashes of inspiration received only in desperate circumstances by the Unaltered Jason come at a steady pace. So long as he can hold his spirit, so long as he possesses a reason to rise above the soul-destroying despair also inflicted by this skill, Jason Alter stands as a tactical genius on par with the likes of Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi.

Noble Phantasm Revealed:

Drakon Kholkikos: Guardian of the Fleece
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit
Range: 1~20
Maximum number of targets: 10 people

The Dragon that originally protected the Golden Fleece, now summoned by said object for some reason or another. Not a particularly powerful example of a Dragon, as noted by this Noble Phantasm's "Anti-Unit" designation. He cannot breath fire, but he does have a poisonous bite. Also, if you plant his teeth in the ground, some Dragon Tooth warriors will grow the next day! You just need to get some teeth from him first.

Good luck with that.

By the way, this Noble Phantasm allows Jason to manifest the Fleece as required. It is pleasantly soft to the touch.

Chapter Text

I sigh as I finally finish lowering myself from my perch on Jason's dragon. He snickers, and I flip him off in response.

"Alright, now… let's solve this maze," I say with a grin.

-At that moment, there's a flash of light, and we're once again standing in the driving rain as the Labyrinth disappears.

"Hm, hm… nice job, Master. You really are a genius," Jason says, nodding.

"I'll punch you again."

A few feet away, I can see my other companions looking around with slight confusion on their faces.

"Hm… guess that means you guys took down that Minotaur?" Cu asks. "Seriously, why didn't you just use a Command Spell? There was no reason for you to get that banged up, Master."

Come to think of it, I do look a little bruised, but- "Nah, all my injuries are Jason's fault."

"You swung first and second. You don't get to complain when I don't just sit and take the third hit," He rolls his eyes.

"Um, so you are Jason after all? I didn't recognize you at first," Mash says.

"Heh, that's right! This is my true handsome face!" He says, loosely flopping his drenched hair in an attempt to toss it arrogantly.

"There's a pretty big gap between 'handsome' and 'not homeless-looking'." Cu Chulainn snarks.

"Putting Jason's hideous face aside-" "OI!" "-our next step is…" I trail off. No, something already feels wrong.

Where's the follow-up attack? Alter Ego ought to have known where we were going to exit the labyrinth, so why didn't he hit us with another attack the moment our guards were down? For that matter, why did he let even this much happen? No matter how much he might change, Natsuki Subaru isn't the type to just throw away an ally to die for nothing. The only answer is… he couldn't see in the labyrinth or something?

Or, there's the other possibility. The sickening notion that he truly possesses [Return by Death], the same as me, and whatever was screwing up my resets in the labyrinth screwed him over too.

If he didn't foresee this… knowing me, he's freaking out and having an emotional crisis after losing an ally, even one he wilfully corrupted. Even better, I'd guess that he's panicked and pulled his forces away to avoid losing more. In that case, the plan has to be…

"...Let's slip away and find a Leyline. We need to get someone who can deal with Heracles before Alter Ego can rally his forces. [Detect Gold]." A holographic map of surrounding islands appears on my wrist - and, sure enough, there's a mark displaying the location of a leyline. I feel a grin taking shape on my face. "As expected of Da-Vinci."

"Mmm… that's a bit far for the Levitation Mystic Codes," Cu notes with a grimace, looking over my shoulder. "Having Shielder carry you might be a bit dangerous if we need her shield… I can overcharge two of them, put you on Bayard with one, and Mash with the other, and Jason and I can go in Spirit form. But it's definitely gonna fry those two forever. Really wishing you had some kind of water walking spell right now, Master."

"...I'm never questioning Da Vinci's judgment again," I mumble.

"What about that island?" Jason asks, pointing to an entirely different location, set apart by two craggy mountains. "Pretty sure that's what Asterios was talking about - where he hid that friend of his."

"Euryale, right?" I ask, tracing through my memories. "Medusa's sister… sorry, but that needs to wait. I can't imagine she's very strong.. If we could just use your ship to get around, it would be different, but-"

"Yeah. The leyline's the right call for now. We gotta stick close to the sea, though. The air is Medea's territory." Jason nods.

The rain continues to fall like a hail of arrows. Even from my relatively sheltered position, clinging to Georgios on the back of his horse, I can feel it beating against my forearms with such force that I wonder if they'll bruise. Beneath us, the waves gnash against each other hungrily, each swell almost as tall as me.

Wow. This is awful.

Still, even now, isolated here, far from any cover and totally exposed to the presumed cannons of that supposed Pirate servant, no attack comes.

"Just what is he waiting for…?" I mutter.

No answer comes. Instead, we continue like this, for another twenty minutes, totally without incident.

As we draw closer to the island, I notice the rain starting to ease up, and by the time we touch down, it's waned to a simple drizzle. "Is the storm ending?"

"No, Senpai, look around. See how thick the rain still is everywhere else?" Mash says as she touches down. "I think… it must be something about this island."

"It's been blessed," Cu says as he materializes. "Or maybe it's considered sacred because of the leyline. Either way, that's what's protecting this island from the worst of the storm."

"Okay, let's go somewhere else!" Jason says. "Messing with sacred islands is always bad news."

"Did you forget the part where the Levitation Mystic Codes were damaged by our travel here?" Georgios sighs. "Let me take the lead. I will handle any divine punishment for our intrusion."

"You're crazy! You can't just 'handle' divine punishment, you nutjob!" Jason shouts, but Georgios ignores him entirely, walking up the gently sloping shore towards the island interior.

"Well, let's just hope there's no bronze giant here," I joke as I follow after him.

"Don't joke about that! Don't you dare freaking joke about that! Do you know how scary that guy was!?"

What waits for us there is not a giant of bronze - but rather, a giant of a man who looks as if he was carved from stone. He wears the garb of a warrior monk, with eyebrows so low his eyes seem almost invisible.

He gives no sign of noticing us as he sits there, chanting a sutra under his breath as rain slowly drips down his face.

"...Greetings," Georgios finally breaks the silence.

"Mm… please, don't mind me. I'm simply chanting the rain away," The monk gives a calm smile in response. "If you're here for the leyline, then by all means, feel free to make use of it."

That feels way too awkward!

"Um, just doing that when a Servant we don't know is sitting nearby is a bit…" Mash mumbles.

"I see… nonetheless, I do prefer to stay in this spot. I can't keep the rain away unless I'm connected to the leyline," He says apologetically.

"Then how about telling us your name?" I ask. I mean, considering he's an enormous warrior monk, I've got some idea, but-

"My name?" He asks, a strangely self-satisfied smirk spreading across his face. "My name… is Jugemu Jugemu-" Is he-!? "-Goko-no Surike Kaijarisuigyo-no-" He is! "-Suigoyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakoji-no Burakoji-" He's doing it! He's going to pull the whole name off! "-Paipopaipo Paipo-no Shuringan Shuringan-no Gurindai Gurindai-no Ponpokopii-no Ponpokona-no-" Bring it home, you magnificent stranger! "Chokyumei-no Chosuke!"

Georgios and Mash look totally lost. Cu looks slightly annoyed. Jason is still on the beach. But as for me-!

There's only one possible response I can give-!

"What a coincidence!" I say with a grin, pointing a thumb at myself. "My name is also Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no Surike Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigoyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakoji-no Burakoji Paipopaipo Paipo-no Shuringan Shuringan-no Gurindai Gurindai-no Ponpokopii-no Ponpokona-no Chokyumei-no Chosuke!"

A single tear trickles down the cheek of Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no Surike Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigoyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakoji-no Burakoji Paipopaipo Paipo-no Shuringan Shuringan-no Gurindai Gurindai-no Ponpokopii-no Ponpokona-no Chokyumei-no Chosuke. "I see… I see…! Let us be friends, then, Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no Surike Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigoyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakoji-no Burakoji Paipopaipo Paipo-no Shuringan Shuringan-no Gurindai Gurindai-no Ponpokopii-no Ponpokona-no Chokyumei-no Chosuke!"

Under a drizzle of unnatural rain, the hands of two Rakugo enthusiasts clasp in brotherhood.

"What the hell did I just witness..?" Cu Chulainn asks.

"Hm? You've never heard the legend of Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no Surike Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigoyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakoji-no Burakoji Paipopaipo Paipo-no Shuringan Shuringan-no Gurindai Gurindai-no Ponpokopii-no Ponpokona-no Chokyumei-no Chosuke?" I ask, a wicked smirk on my face.

"Indeed, the legend of Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no Surike Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigoyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakoji-no Burakoji Paipopaipo Paipo-no Shuringan Shuringan-no Gurindai Gurindai-no Ponpokopii-no Ponpokona-no Chokyumei-no Chosuke - that is to say, my legend - is quite famous." The monk says, a similar smirk on his.

"Stop repeating that stupidly long name!" The caster shouts.

"-Anyway, you're Musashibou Benkei, right? I can't think of too many other 200 centimeter warrior monks carrying seven weapons on their back," I say.

"That is so. Musashibou Benkei - I have been reincarnated as a spearman. I hope you will forgive my little joke there." He says.

I give a fake sigh. "Maybe one day I'll meet the real Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no Surike Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigoyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakoji-no Burakoji Paipopaipo Paipo-no Shuringan Shuringan-no Gurindai Gurindai-no Ponpokopii-no Ponpokona-no Chokyumei-no Chosuke."

"I'd like to meet him as well… Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no Surike Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigoyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakoji-no Burakoji Paipopaipo Paipo-no Shuringan Shuringan-no Gurindai Gurindai-no Ponpokopii-no Ponpokona-no Chokyumei-no Chosuke." Benkei nods seriously.

"Senpai, your ability to recite that entire name perfectly is amazing, but can we please get to connecting with the Leyline?" Mash says, a forced smile on her face.

"Fine, fine," I say, a big grin on my face.

The magic circle shines brilliantly - and as it dies down, I can see her, sprawled out as if lounging. A black haired girl with red eyes, wearing a red t-shirt with the word 'Buster' on it and black shorts. She blinks, once, and takes another bite of a potato chip.

Finally, as she looks at me, and then at Mash, the circumstances click in her head, and she inhales.

"I've been summoned to another world!?"

Whaaaat.

I can feel a headache growing.

"So, you are an Archer class Servant." I verify, receiving a nod. "...From another version of Chaldea. Somehow, inexplicably, we summoned you straight from your room, into another timeline."

"Mhm. It was probably because of Gudaguda particles or something," the Archer says.

"What the hell is a Gudaguda particle!?" I shout.

"It's a mysterious particle that basically does what it says. It makes everything way more confusing, stupid, and just… gudaguda. I emit them all the time, so it can't be helped!" She says with a grin.

…Could this be the work of Jugemu Jugemu Goko-no Surike Kaijarisuigyo-no Suigoyomatsu Unraimatsu Furaimatsu Kuunerutokoro-ni Sumutokoro Yaburakoji-no Burakoji Paipopaipo Paipo-no Shuringan Shuringan-no Gurindai Gurindai-no Ponpokopii-no Ponpokona-no Chokyumei-no Chosuke?

Wow, I feel more stupid already. Gudaguda particles are amazing.

"I can't help but notice… you didn't give your name at any point, Archer." Georgios says.

"Wahahaha! That's because this is my chance, idiot! Now, I can finally be a main Servant, and you know what that means… time to hide my identity! You can call me… Mysterious Archer N!" She says.

"Ar-chan it is, then." I sigh, before brightening up. "Hey, if you're from another version of Chaldea… do you have information we don't? We're in the middle of the Okeanos singularity-"

"Nope! I don't remember any of the singularities before Camelot! They were all really boring, so it can't be helped!" Ar-chan laughs. "But hey, Since Waver's not here, I can finally show off my strategy skills! And I can identify Servants! Like that guy, he's…" she trails off pointing at Georgios. "-Rider with taunt!"

This girl is useless.

Chapter Text

This grassy hill is the exact same as I remember it. Pleasantly warm, just a little bit too sunny, filled with the gentle scent of clean air. Unremarkable in every way, save for the parasol-shaded tea table at the top of the hill. Naturally, there are already two familiar-looking people sitting there. I'd be more upset, if I hadn't had the notion that something like this would happen from the appearance of the other me's Reality Marble.

Heaving a sigh, I move to take my seat at the Witch's Tea Party.

"I guess I should congratulate you," Alter Ego says with a smile as I sit down. "How many tries did it take?"

…Gross.

He's wearing a suit with an unbuttoned collar, and I can clearly see a pyroxene crystal dangling from his neck - but none of that is what grosses me out. What's disgusting is that fake-ass smile.

Wordlessly, I turn to the table's other occupant, and cringe as the Witch of Greed, Echidna, directs a sweet smile towards me. "Won't you have some tea? I brewed an extra cup just for you, after all."

…She's using 'boku' again, I note with a scowl. By this point, the divergence between me and this guy is completely obvious.

"Like hell I'm going to be sipping your damn bodily fluids, you perverted witch," I say before turning my attention back to Alter Ego. "Obviously it took less tries for me to get out of your stupid trap than it took for you to set it up. What the hell are you thinking?"

"You figured that much out, huh? Good, that's good." He nods once, and then leans forward, resting his elbows on the table and clasping his hands in front of his face. "I'll get to the point - the fact is, you can't beat me. That whole opening gambit was just something I threw together on short notice after my reset point moved. I only had to die around a hundred times to set it up."

"...What?" I ask numbly.

One hundred times. 'Only' one hundred times, he says.

"Really?" Echidna asks. "One hundred is enough to faze you? How on earth did you manage to get far enough to upset Pandora like that? Regulus alone should have-"

"It's because this guy cuts corners, Echidna," Alter Ego says, irritation showing up on his face. "But you get it, don't you? I'm stronger than you. You can't have died that many times against my first attack - your strategy that finally forced me to reset and pull Medea and Drake out-" My what? "-was so full of holes that it looked like you were throwing it together on the spot. But even then, you're already looking this exhausted."

I look exhausted, huh?

"...You sure are making a lot of assumptions," I mutter.

"All of that is to say… there's no need for you anymore. Give me your body, and I'll save everyone in your stead," He finally concludes. "Don't make this any harder than it needs to be."

I blink. "My body?"

"That's right. I can use it better than you, so hand it over. Normally a Servant can't possess a human, but since we're the same person, it won't be impossible. Doubly so since I'm a Demon Pillar."

No. No way. "Demon… Pillar?"

"Yeah. I don't really feel the need to go transforming into Zepar to prove myself, but the fact is, he's the one who set up this ridiculous Spirit Origin of mine," Alter Ego shifts away from his discount Gendo pose and leans back in his chair again. "I'm not going to bother telling you what else got crammed into me to turn me into an Alter Ego, but… well, Zepar's along for the ride now."

"That's obviously a dealbreaker, dumbass!" I shout, standing up.

"Don't be stupid, it's not like I'm possessed," He says, rolling his eyes. "Demons are easier to deal with than guys like Petelgeuse, since they'll tear your body apart if your will disagrees with theirs enough."

"...You lost me."

"It's not that hard to understand. He mixed this Spirit Origin together and climbed in to try to take control, and I resisted. So we died." Alter Ego stretches. "Then we reset to that point a few thousand times until Zepar's will finally broke. I guess you could say I possessed him, if you really wanted?"

"...Monster," I finally mutter.

"I don't want to hear that from the guy who let Beatrice die." He responds with a glare, and I feel my heart freeze.

I didn't… no, there's no way to know for sure. I know that. Her last words, before I was sent back - she did something risky. I know that. But I want to believe. I so very, very, desperately want to believe-!

"This is my declaration of war," Alter Ego says, his face shifting back into the same dead-eyed expression of hate I saw on my arrival in this singularity. "Hand over your body and let me do what you can't. Until then… I'll just keep killing you, without an ounce of guilt. You deserve it, after all."

"It's better if you give up sooner than later, by the way," Echidna finally enters the conversation again. "Whatever limit of [Return by Death] we ran into before that got my contractor recorded in the Throne of Heroes… I'd like to avoid it if we can."

I throw up. That's just one more thing I least wanted to hear. A limit… could that really be true? It can't be true, right?

But I've heard it a few times already recently.

"This time… this time for sure." Alter Ego mutters as this dream starts to melt into the waking world.

Some things… can't be fixed.

The sound of waves. The swaying of the ship. The creaking of timbers.

My awareness returns to me without the expected screaming. In fact, the truth is, I feel perfectly well-rested. And the cause of that, the reason my sleep was so peaceful - is a small, warm shape, clinging to me.

With a jolt, I open my eyes. "Bea-!"

"Nob." Blank white eyes stare back into mine.

In the wake of her summoning, Ar-chan said she could provide a crew for the Argo if I used a command spell. With no other obvious way off the island, I used one, but-

"What the hell are these things?" I asked, staring at the strange… chibi creatures?

"Mini Nob- er, Mini Nazos!" Ar-chan said. "Well? Pretty cool, right? I come with my own army!"

"Nazo… like the Japanese word for mystery?" Mash asked. "Well, they are certainly mysterious..."

"Nobbu!" One of the creatures exclaimed - and then a gunshot rang out as Ar-chan discharged a matchlock rifle.

"Nazo! It's Nazo now, you idiots!" Mysterious Archer N cried out.

"No…bbu…" The unfortunate victim groaned, writing something in the sand.

"...Oda?" I muttered. Hey, couldn't it be…?

"Mysterious! Archer! N!" The girl who… might somehow be Oda Nobunaga… shouted, hastily erasing the word drawn in the sand.

Yeah. That's the context. Both for this incident, and also the exhaustion that I showed to Alter Ego. But right now..!

"As if I want mood whiplash like that!" I finally scream, tears in my eyes, hurling the mini Nobbu across the room.

"Nobwah!" It screams as it bounces off with a squeaking sound.

"...It's not fair." I mumble past tears as I flop back into my bed.

"Yahar! There you are, skipping work again Ichinobbu! I'll keelhaul you for this!" Ar-chan shouts as she arrives with all the subtlety of a clown in pirate cosplay. Which is exactly what she is.

"Archer… can you… not, right now?" I mumble.

"...Ah, a bad dream?" She asks, growing a bit serious.

"...Something like that." I say, sitting up. "More importantly, I remembered… something I didn't want to, and now I'm missing someone."

"Hm. Do you want to tell me about it?" She asks.

"...Archer, we met just last night, and I already know that you are quite possibly one of the very last people in the world I want to receive therapy from," I deadpan.

"...I guess that can't be helped. I'm a fool, after all." She says after a moment. "But this has to do with that other world, right? We're Isekai buddies, so how about you let me help you out?"

"You literally couldn't tell us anything useful because you spent the entire time at the other Chaldea goofing off."

"Sure, but I had friends too, you know?" She says. "...You know, I was actually sharing part of my Spirit Origin with someone else. I don't have a clue what happened to him after I got brought here, and if he ends up disappearing because of this… that's probably it. It was a one-in-a-million miracle Katsu was even able to show up in the first place."

I blink. "But…"

"But I'm acting like a fool? I mean, if it's happened, it's happened." Ar-chan shrugs. "But if I had one hundred yen for every time someone I knew was supposed to disappear and then just showed up a day later like nothing had happened, I'd have… probably like five hundred yen at this point."

"That's not a lot…" I mutter.

But even so, I find myself spilling all the details.

"Hmm… nah, she's probably fine," Ar-chan says at last after listening to the whole story. "Actually, remember all those mysteries you were asking me about earlier?"

"The ones you kept saying 'dunno' to? Yeah, I remember." I say.

"I've solved one!" She says with a grin.

"...Huh?"

"I mean, your Spirit Partner tries some advanced teleportation spell just as you're being sent back to Earth, and then later a disembodied voice shows up in the middle of void space and heals you?" She tilts her head. "Why didn't you figure this out? Are you stupid?"

The next instant, I'm gripping her by the collar of her stupid red T-shirt. "Yes! I know I'm stupid! But, do you really mean-!?"

"I dunno. Maybe? I can't guarantee anything, but it makes sense to me!" She says with a grin.

"Then how do I-!?"

"Dunno. It's impossible to find things in Void Space supposedly, but between you and me, I don't think mages actually know what the word 'impossible' means," She shrugs. "I remember one of the painting club people getting up to something there… or not? Um, summon Nemo, maybe?"

As expected, this girl is useless.

Useless, except… she's given me just that small bit of hope I needed.

I let out a breath as I release her, and then clap my hands on my cheeks. "Alright. Alright, I can do this." Alter Ego is just some asshole making assumptions about things he doesn't know about. He's just some idiot who got tricked by a witch. "...Thanks, Nobunaga."

"H-how did you know!?"

Chapter Text

My steps to reach the upper deck are somewhat shaky - the Argo continues to rock precariously on the gnashing waves, its frame groaning under the driving rain. The rain makes almost everything else impossible to see, but in the distance, lit by the occasional flash of lightning, I can still make out that ridiculous column of swirling water I saw earlier.

It goes without saying, neither Jason nor Benkei had any idea what that massive cyclone signified.

Unsettling mysteries aside, it could be worse. Da Vinci's Mystic Code has done the trick to suppress my seasickness, and the worst excesses of the storm are being held at bay by Benkei's chanting. And, of course, totally undercutting the ominous atmosphere-

"Nob! Bu! Nob! Bu!"

-the oarswomen call out in their ridiculous high-pitched voices, in time with their strokes.

Closing my eyes, I heave a sigh and try to stay serious.

"Jason, how close are we?" I ask. Our next destination, obviously, is that island the Minotaur mentioned. Even if Euryale is a relatively unknown Heroic Spirit, any ally we can grab is one that Alter Ego can't corrupt and send at us.

"About ten minutes out, assuming your map is accurate," The Rider answers. "That said, if she was with Asterios earlier… don't know how to say this dude, but she's totally gonna freak out when she sees you."

That's true. I look just like Alter Ego, so she's probably going to see us as enemies… I guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

"Nobbu, I don't suppose you happen to remember Euryale at all?" I ask as she joins us upstairs.

"Oh, I do, actually. We fought Gawain together," She says matter-of-factly, without providing an ounce of context. "Twice, even. She's not super strong, but she's got a skill and a Noble Phantasm that can charm men, so for guys like that Gorilla, she turned out to be a pretty good niche pick."

Don't get caught up in the details, don't get distracted! I can focus on that whole Camelot singularity thing, whatever the hell it is, when we go to England. So, turning my thoughts back to the current subject…

"By the way, Jason, I've been meaning to ask. Last time I tried to ask you pretty much just went on a rant about how we were all going to get ultrakilled by Heracles-" I say.

"We totally still are, by the way," Jason says with a sigh. "No clue why he hasn't just shot us yet…"

"-but anyway, putting him aside, since it seems like he's busy, who else is running around in this singularity?"

Jason strokes his chin. "Well, I already mentioned Alter Ego's crew - he came at us with some conquistador-looking woman, a pirate-looking man, and the Minotaur. Heracles and Medea are working for him too now. But aside from those guys… Blackbeard might still be around? I sent Hector to infiltrate his crew pretty early on, but I haven't heard back from him."

"Jason, by this point it's getting a bit redundant, but please don't just skim over details like the presence of the strongest hero of Troy as if they're unimportant," Mash says with a sigh.

"Well, Medea knew about them, so they're probably toast now. Hector can't beat Heracles, and the rest of Blackbeard's crew is… well, Anne Bonny and Mary Read probably aren't packing much power, and I haven't even heard of Hauroy Rallior. What country would that name even be from?"

…Why does that name sound so familiar? "What's his class?" I ask.

"Dunno. He kept insisting it was [Stick Swinger]."

Oi.

"That asshole's using the same alias from the damn tower!?" I shout. That's where I heard that name!

"Senpai, is he another-?" Mash starts.

"Yeah, he's another guy from that other world- Ley's brother… sort of." I mutter with a scowl. "Roy ate… something kind of like a Heroic Spirit, and he lost his existence to Reid Astrea, the first Sword Saint."

Pausing, I glance back at the ridiculous swirling pillar of water again. Or more specifically, at the strange periodic flashes of light at its apex. With two sufficiently powerful combatants, the light emitted by the clash of their blades might be… "Well, that might be what Heracles is up to," I sigh.

"You think this guy could keep up with Heracles?" Jason asks, raising an eyebrow.

Putting that trick Lancelot pulled with the leaves aside- "I'm no expert in swordplay, but… Reid's the type of sword pervert who can cut through concepts with a pair of chopsticks, so yeah. At the very least he'd have no trouble with the Berserker we saw in Fuyuki."

"Oh come on, Berserker's his worst class!" The Rider protests. "Imagine him ten times stronger!"

That seems a bit extreme! But… "Even then, maybe?" If it was just the Reid I saw, then probably not, but… he's got Roy's abilities too, right? He'd usually call them gross, but Reid's a capricious bastard. Would he hold them back, against a foe like Heracles? "At the very least, I wouldn't count him out."

"Well, if you think that's what's happening, how about we just go jump Heracles?" Nobunaga asks. "I can just ride a gun up there and suck them both into my Reality Marble-!"

"No way." I form an 'X' with both arms. "Reid's not an Archbishop, but he's not a friend of mine either. He's an unrepentant, womanizing- actually come to think of it, that guy really does fit right in with a pirate crew, doesn't he!?"

"So even if we break their deadlock, it doesn't actually do us any good…" Jason mutters with a scowl, stroking his chin.

Reid really is strong. He's strong, and there's some part of my soul that truly wants to use him as an ally. But, without some way to control him-

Wait.

Hang on.

"...Nobbu, you said Euryale had the ability to charm men, right?" I ask.

"Yeah- oh! Oh, you did say he's a womanizer!" She says.

"Heh. Heh. Hehehehaha!" I break down into villainous laughter. Alright, Reid! Get ready, you damn sex pest! I'm gonna make sure you get exactly what you deserve!

"Hm, that's all very exciting, but before that, can you give me a bit of your blood to drink?" Asks my goddess.

"Of course, Euryale-sama!" I answer with glee.

"S-senpai!?" Someone grabs my shoulders, trying to restrain me.

"Hey, just who do you think you are, trying to stop Euryale-sama from getting everything her heart desires!?" A blond man starts shouting at the girl restraining me - actually, now that I look at her, can I really call her a girl, compared to my goddess?

"Ah, we kind of Honnouji'd it this time, huh… we should have left the guys on the boat." Some girl with a body type kind of close to the goddess but with gross soot-colored hair says.

Goddess Euryale lets out a small giggle, and I comprehend the meaning of life.

"Please, stop-!" The person grabbing me continues to struggle, pulling me further away from my goddess.

"Let go of me, you old hag!" I shout.

"Senpai!?" Said obviously unattractive woman cries.

The black-haired girl knocks out my fellow devotee with a single punch. "It's a good thing we left Cu Chulainn to do his seance thing, or this might be really dangerous. As it stands - hey, Benkei, you're a monk, so you're fine, right?"

"Musashibou Benkei, was a monk, pure of all worldly desires," The stony-faced man replies. "However… however, my true name is Hitachibou Kaison! Face me, you foolish girls who can't possibly compare to Euryale-sama!"

"It can't be helped…" The black-haired girl mutters, a gun appearing in each of her hands.

Chapter Text

Oda Nobunaga

Benkei's really not that big of a deal, right?

-That thought nearly kills me.

In the first instant of the fight, before I have the chance to fire a single rifle, his punch breaks both of my arms and sends me flying backwards.

My first shots ring out, and he fails to follow up, forced to focus on protecting Euryale. I land on my feet, mind ablaze. With my [Demon King] skill, I shapeshift the bones of my arms back together.

What the heck was that? Since when does Benkei have that level of power?

My [Unifying the Nation by Force] skill, which grants me extra power against foes with high mystery or divinity, and weakens me when fighting those from the modern era - is going full blast. That's normal - even though Benkei lacks divinity, the fact is that I got this skill from burning Buddhist warrior monks alive in the first place. What isn't normal is him being able to deflect my shots with ease, and to deal this much damage with just a punch.

Just what the heck is up with his Spirit Origin right now?

"But hey, Kaison's got to stay next to you and protect you, which means I can just blast you guys from here until you lose - how about you surrender, stop mind controlling the guys, and we can talk this out?" I ask.

"Hm… I don't really think that's my only option," Euryale says, eternal smug grin still on her face.

What cards does she still - oh crap!

"Knock him out, Mash!" I shout.

"By my command Spell- bfah!" Subaru collapses in her arms, and I breathe a sigh of relief as Euryale frowns slightly.

"[Benkei Butsu]."

And then Benkei twirls his spear and splits into eight copies of himself, each armed with a different one of his seven weapons. What?

"Since when could you do thaaaaaAAAAAHHH!" Naturally, I scream as four of them rush me. Who wouldn't scream when charged by four warrior monks? "Not fair, not fair, not fair-!"

I screen out strikes by generating rifle after rifle in his path, even as I wildly blast him with shot after shot. Why aren't they going poof!? Isn't the rule supposed to be that clones go poof when you hit them!? He's got to be cheating!

Desperately, I backpedal, grabbing a matchlock rifle that flies me out of his reach as thirty or so similar guns discharge in my wake.

"[Lord Chaldeas]!" Mash has a more suitable tool to hold back her pack of four angry warrior monks-

"But that just means they're all coming after me!?" I shout as the matchlock carries me further upwards. "Ugh, okay! Show yourself to the three thousand worlds-"

"-[Eighth Implement]!" The sole unarmed Benkei cries, and the gun I'm riding teleports into his hands.

Seriously!? Another Noble Phantasm I've never heard of!?

"-[Three Line-grk!" My Noble Phantasm doesn't fire.

{By my command spell, cancel your Noble Phantasm, Archer,} A voice calls in my mind, and I fail to fire. Even though Subaru is still lying unconscious behind Mash's shield.

However-

"Wahahaha! I knew about this one, Kaison!" I shout with glee, even as I continue to plunge towards the ground, even as the eighth clone lines up his shot.

[Blank Subscription List]. A skill that allows him to (inconsistently) inflict fraudulent command spells upon enemy servants. As far as the Benkei from my original Chaldea went, I remember he mostly used it to suppress Noble Phantasms, so I was pretty sure he'd use it here.

Which is why I used my weaker Noble Phantasm first.

"It can't be helped! Last chance to surrender, Euryale! The deities of the three realms shall all be nothing but ash! I am-!"

"[Eye of the-" The goddess draws her bow, too late. She should have surrendered. Now it can't be helped.

{By my command spell-} Kaison tries once more, but this time, I shrug off the effect. He's not Benkei, after all. He can't consistently recite the [Blank Subscription List].

"-the [Demon King of the Sixth Heaven], Oda Nobunaga!" My reality marble is unleashed, and fire consumes everything.

Blazing hell, the fires that followed me all my life, from warring to state to warring state until they finally consumed even me at Honnouji - are all that can be seen. Gone is the rainstorm, gone is the island shore. All that remains is the burning rubble and blackened bones. As I float in the air above the ruination (Because what kind of loser can't fly in their own reality marble?), I throw back my head in a maniacal laugh.

Mash, Subaru, and Jason were protected by her shield. But as for my enemies, theri demise is guaranteed. These flames gain increased power against those very same targets of my [Unifying the Nation by Force] skill - in other words, a warrior monk like Benkei would be consumed instantly, and a weak Servant with high Divinity like Euryale would have lasted perhaps a second. Neither had even the time to scream.

"Wahahaha! That's what you get, you damn monk! Don't pick a fight with-" I cut my mockery short - because, standing there, amidst the wreckage, body stretched in an unwavering mie pose, is Musashibou Benkei.

Sweat starts to build on my brow as I try to hold my grin in place.

I'm so screwed. I should have figured it out when he started pulling out extra Noble Phantasms that his Chaldea counterpart lacked.

This guy's class container is-

Benkei coughs and awkwardly returns to a normal standing pose. "Ah… could we stop now? I believe Euryale is dead."

Oh, right. I just had to break the charm.

"Wahahaha! I really am a genius!" I laugh.

Natsuki Subaru

My head hurts. Partially because of a growing bruise, and partially because…

This idiot killed the person we came to recruit, dammit!

"Ugh, I get that it was a tough situation, but…!" I mutter.

"This was my fault," Benkei… or Kaison, I guess, says, head lowered in apology. "I ought to have been chanting sutras as we approached, but I took my resistance for granted."

"It can't be helped, I'd make the same mistake with a spirit origin like yours," Nobunaga says, flopping down next to me on this makeshift bed. Naturally, they put me here when I was knocked out earlier.

Speaking of which, we're currently searching Euryale's (poorly made) shelter for anything useful… "Wait, hang on, aren't we just acting like common looters at this point!? Also, don't just lie down right next to me in the same damn bed, that's-!"

Nobbu laughs, tossing an arm around my shoulder. "Wahaha! Don't be so shy, Subaru! I haven't even unleashed my [Naked Cape] attack yet, you won't survive if just this gets you flustered!"

"Your what!?"

"...Nobunaga, please behave appropriately." Mash says with a sigh.

"On that note, can we take this seriously in general? You did just kill a possible ally." I mutter. "I get that your hand was kind of forced, but…"

Not to mention, Jason is curled up over there looking like he wants to die again!

"I'm the worst. I'm the worst. I'm the worst." He mutters under his breath over and over again. I understand why - because he promised Asterios that he'd help her.

I could save her. I could. But Alter Ego's dead-eyed smile flashes through my mind, and my heart hardens.

"There's not really any 'kind of' about it," Nobunaga says with a sigh. "In other words… hey, Kaison, what's the deal with you?"

The monk bows his head slightly. "Indeed, I am Hitachibou Kaison, a different companion to lord Yoshitsune. The true Benkei stayed by his side until the end, while I shamefully fled. And as if that sin were not enough - I who spread tales of Benkei's bravery, have found myself summoned in his place." He gives a wry chuckle. "…I suppose you could call it stolen valor."

"I knew that already, idiot," The Archer says. "I meant - when were you planning on telling us you were the Grand Lancer?"

"...I am not," He says, his head bowing further. "...It's indeed true, Musashibou Benkei was chosen to be summoned as Grand Lancer. However - as I said, I am Hitachibou Kaison. And… to my eternal shame, my unintentional theft of his true name has ruined even this. I was summoned in his place - the "False" Grand Lancer."

…What? What does that-?

"Oh, I get it," Nobbu says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. "So how much weaker are you than the True Grand Lancer, then? Do you know how you're supposed to get him to show up?"

"I have… no more than half his strength. But I've got no idea whether he will even-" Benkei starts.

"Nah, usually there's some way for it to happen," The Archer continues. "We just need to figure it out!"

"Seriously, you even know about ridiculous edge cases like this!?" I shout.

"Hm? Yeah, we knew about True and False Servants since Fuyuki. Haven't you guys met Kojiro?"

"...No, we never met Sasaki Kojiro." Mash says with a sigh.

"Wait, really!? How'd you get through Orleans then?" What does that have to do with anything!?

Compendium Update (Musashibou Benkei, Oda Nobunaga)

The Following are not Original Noble Phantasms, but rather Noble Phantasms from side material that do not appear in Fate/Grand Order. They are reproduced here for the convenience of the reader.

Musashibou Benkei:

Benkei’s extra Noble Phantasms are largely left incomplete in Fate/Complete Material 4. No Secondary title is given, nor rank, nor type - in summary, only their function and name are given.

Benkei Butsu

Slicing the space about him with a long blade, the servant manifests multiple replicas of Benkei, equivalent in attributes to his base level of strength -- and capable of walling off the original from an opponent's attack. A single deployment of the Noble Phantasm creates one to seven replicas at random, and the results cannot be determined by the servant. The Servant's own attributes are temporarily boosted by a function of the number of replicas that remain manifest and undestroyed.

Eighth Implement

An opponent's Noble Phantasm may be temporarily claimed as the 8th of the Servant's Seven Implements, and manipulated with some proficiency even if its usage is unfamiliar. A weapon claimed in this manner will be returned to the opponent of its origin after a certain number of turns, but may be launched as a projectile to deal damage upon return. Rather than owing to some inability on the Servant's part to permanently maintain an eighth implement, he opts to relinquish an implement upon satisfaction of his curiosity in its use.

Oda Nobunaga:

Papiyas, Demon King of the Sixth Heaven
Rank: E-EX
Type: Anti-Divine
Range: -
Maximum number of targets: -

The "true Noble Phantasm" of Demon King Oda Nobunaga, known as the destroyer of Shinto and Buddhism. Based on the burning of Mount Hiei and the other brutal deeds she had performed in life, it is a Reality Marble that makes her into a being that "holds absolute power against those with Divinity and Mystery." Upon its activation, it renders her nude as a visual effect, and the world, acting as the "accumulation of the fear and reverence that the people held for Nobunaga after death", materializes a scorching hell. Like her Unifying the Nation by Force Skill, it is something that displays great power against those with high Divinity and Mystery, making it difficult for such Servants to even continue existing while in the space, and displays little power against those with low Divinity and Mystery, making the landscape "a tad hot" to them.

Chapter Text

Medea of Colchis

"Anyway, all we've got to do now is wait for Hector to bring Euryale back for us!" Lord Jason says with a heroic smirk as he rests his back against the mast. "Man, getting immortality without having to do anything… it's been way too long since I had useful allies around!"

I was there with you, wasn't I? Until the very end of our world… So why would you talk about it like I wasn't?

"Just… do nothing…" Heracles mumbles, and Lord Jason nods.

"You're so right, buddy. Hey, Medea, it's getting close to lunchtime, right?"

I nod, smile stretching across my lips as I bask in his attention. "That's right, Lord Jason. Would you both like some kykeon?"

"Ugh, can we get something else? I know it's your teacher's recipe, but you don't have to serve it for every freaking meal," Lord Jason groans, and I feel my heart sink.

I feel sick.

"Um, I'm sorry… you said you loved it before…" I bow slightly. He said he loved it, over and over, for years, until-

"Yeah, that was before you-!" He cuts himself off and turns away from me. I don't really understand, but for some reason I'm choking down tears.

I'm sorry, I love you, I'm sorry, I love you, I hate you, I'm sorry-

"I'll go find something, then! There's an island not too far from here!" I say, turning so he can't see my face anymore.

It's starting to rain as I prepare my flight spell, and I let a few tears fall from my eyes now that he won't notice.

Please notice.

"-Ah, Medea?" Lord Jason says, and I turn immediately towards him, tears all but forgotten, ready to fall into his arms-

He flinches and my heart breaks again.

"N-never mind," he says, "you can just block the rain with magic or something."

"I can! Thank you for your concern, though," I say, my heart warmed by his thoughtfulness.

Back when we first met, he would have insisted on giving me a raincoat anyway. But I ignore that.

"Well… get on with it, then," Lord Jason says.

"Of course! I'll be right back."

The rain is getting worse.

Searching the island for food takes a little longer than I hoped. Lord Jason will definitely be upset when I get back - luckily, Servants don't really need to eat, so he won't go hungry, he'll just be disappointed. Even worse, I haven't been able to get enough to make a meal worthy of Lord Jason and Heracles. I've managed to gather a good assortment of tropical fruits, but the storm seems to have driven all of the animals to take shelter.

Speaking of the rain, it's bypassing my protective spell… it must have been sent by a god. It's pleasantly warm close to the ground, but 200 feet up, as I circle over the island one last time, I can't help but shiver.

It's fine. Servants can't be damaged by the cold. I'm sure, once I get back, Lord Jason will hold me until I feel warm again.

He won't. I know that.

I blink as I notice something strange - not with my eyes, but with my nose. "Something's… cooking?"

Swooping lower, I send a familiar to scout.

My butterfly finds a mismatched pair of men under an improvised shelter. One, a middle-aged man with long brown curls, is dressed in what my knowledge from the Throne assures me is a pirate's outfit - but a high quality one, with a cravat, trunk hose, and a gold-lined naval coat. The other is a younger man, maybe twenty years old at most, wearing what looks like a butler's uniform with an unbuttoned collar.

The pirate, turning a roasting boar on a spit, speaks first. "You know, Mr. Natsuki, I've never roasted a boar before. Are you sure you should be having me do this?"

"You're the best boar roaster I know, Stede," The butler says, giving a fake laugh as he pulls a kettle off of another fire and begins to pour what looks like tea into three cups.

"Wait, you mean you've never cooked one before either!? How are we going to know when it's finished!?" The pirate shouts.

"Well, the real goal is to attract attention - and on that note," 'Natsuki' turns, looking directly at my familiar with his dull, fish-like eyes. "Medea of Colchis - won't you come meet us in person? You can have some of the boar, assuming you can save it from Stede."

Dangerous. A servant with Clairvoyance is obviously a serious obstacle to Lord Jason. I need to find some way to deal with him. I could poison his boar, but he might know-

"What happened to me being the best boar roaster you knew!?" 'Stede' screams. "Also, Medea? As in the Witch-"

"Don't be rude, Stede," His friend cuts him off, without looking at him. "Anyway, Medea, I got pulled into this mess by Zepar, so don't worry too much about me knowing about you. it's cold up there, right? Come down and warm up with us."

"I really hope you've got a plan, Mr. Natsuki…" The pirate mutters.

"Yeah, step one, I sacrifice you-" Natsuki says with a wide (fake) grin.

"Rejected! I reject that plan, it's terrible!" Stede makes an 'x' with both arms.

Finally deciding these two completely unknown Servants probably aren't a threat, I teleport into the shelter. In the worst case, I can just teleport again.

-The moment I arrive, I see Natsuki is already in motion, and I prepare to teleport away, but-

"Here. You look half drowned," He says in a gentle tone as he drapes his coat over my shivering shoulders.

It's fake. The kindness in his words is forced. I can tell that.

But Jason didn't even try to pretend.

I blink as he leads me closer to the fire and offers me a seat on a log at the fire's edge. "Would you like some tea?"

Finally, I find words, jerking my shoulder free from his grasp. "I don't. Firstly, I don't have any reason to trust you, and secondly I am in love with Lord Jason, so stop this smooth act of yours right now!"

"Seriously? Even though he ███████ on you?" Stede asks.

I didn't hear that. I didn't.

I love him I hate him I love him please don't leave me why did we have to meet again I'm so glad we did-

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't try to get ahead of things." Natsuki says, abandoning his fake smile ans speaking in a dull, monotone voice. "Let's start over. Firstly, since his situation is easier to explain - my friend here is Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman Pirate. He's a Rider."

"...I've never heard of such a person." I say, frowning - and see Bonnet double over in disappointment.

"He's a better gentleman than a pirate, so he didn't end up getting all that famous." Natsuki says.

"That's such a backhanded way of saying it!" Bonnet shouts.

"As for me - my true name is Natsuki Subaru, a hero from another world. My rightful class should be [Foreigner], but Zepar messed with my Spirit Origin when I was summoned - I'm an [Alter Ego] right now. 'Natsuki Subaru' has dominated all the other facets, but my Spirit Origin also includes Angra Mainyu, Odin, and Demon God Zepar." He delivers an utterly nonsensical explanation.

And yet, I don't detect a hint of falsehood.

"...You still don't believe me. That's fine." He sighs, and draws a series of runes in the air. "On my name, I swear this Geas. I shall not deceive you, Medea of Colchis, nor will I make you my enemy, on pain of death."

I take a step back. This man… why would he-

"My objectives in this Singularity - I will complete them with you by my side, or I'll die. It's as simple as that." The Alter Ego says, as always with the voice and eyes of a man already dead.

And yet, in my traitorous heart-

"I love Lord Jason."

I'm lying. Because it's already over. Because it was a delusion to begin with. Because this all consuming, life destroying affection, was only ever the whim of a capricious goddess (the true me longs to believe).

"Beautiful as you are, romance isn't my intention," Natsuki says. "At this point, I'm not someone suited for it. But neither is Jason."

"He is!" I scream. "He is, he is, he is, he is!"

I feel sick. My head and heart feel like they'll split in two.

"He b█tr██ed you." The Alter Ego says.

"You're lying! Liar! Liar! Liar!" I point my staff towards him, the tip glowing, and at that moment-

"[Return From Death]."

-the world melts away, and I find myself atop a grassy hill, standing opposite Natsuki Subaru, with nothing around for miles.

But even so-

"See! You were lying! That Geas meant nothing, because you used your Noble Phantasm the very next moment! So, it can't be true! Lord Jason would never-!"

He did. He did, and I murdered the woman he did it with. And then, our children-!

"This isn't an attack. Not against you. You barely need any, to tear away the lie you've been painted with," Alter Ego says, drawing a knife. "I can't fix your past. I wasn't there, and no matter how many times I die, I won't save you from it. But here and now, in this place, I can at least free you from this delusion. Medea- from that lie, and from whatever pains come next - I will, definitely, save you."

He drives the dagger into his throat before I can stop him.. A hole opens in the sky, and obviously cursed mud belches forth. I take flight, trying to avoid it, but-

A single drop. One little splatter of the mud hits my cheek, and everything is laid bare.

Betrayal betrayal betrayal love how can this be even though we were always meant to be even though I would have been satisfied with anything Lord Jason Jason My Jason why why whywhywhy! The world is over and the sky is blue and bright I was always doomed know that a Witch cannot fall in love there is no place there is no love there is only burning and stabbing and drowning and-!

I scream and drop like a stone.

Alter Ego catches me. Keeps me from plunging into the mud and changing into something I'm not. And yet, I already feel that I…

"...It's not fair." Dimly, I hear my tear laden voice as Natsuki Subaru draws me closer, gently embracing me.

"I know."

"I loved him. I still love him. Even now, after all of it, I-!" I scream, burying my face into his shoulder.

"I know."

"I wanted to destroy the world. If I couldn't have him… even our surviving son, what legacy he had should disappear. That's what I thought."

"I know."

He knows, he says. And I believe him. This man knows everything, I can tell that. That's why, with neither sympathy nor condemnation in his voice, he simply accepts my madness.

No, that's not true. His voice and eyes are as if he was dead, but his arms… are comfortably warm.

"You're awake," I say as Subaru-sama exits his cabin on the [Revenge].

"Mm. I finished talking to the other guy," He says, and for the first time I notice an honest emotion on his face, a sneer of contempt.

I don't like it on him.

"He lucked out, the bastard. Nobunaga is way too troublesome for me to send anyone other than Drake after, and Benkei seems like he's just built different," Subaru-sama mutters. "I might not be able to send anything at them until Alcides gets done with that freaking Hauroy guy."

"...In that case, my scrying has turned something up," I offer.

"Really?" He raises an eyebrow. "Something I missed?"

"It's no fault of yours, Subaru-sama. The protective spells hiding this person are the sort that only someone like my has a chance of picking out. They belong to my teacher, after all."

"Ah… I don't want to turn into an animal again…" Again!? "But I guess there's no helping it - let's go recruit another witch!"

"Wait, what was that, Mr. Natsuki!?" Stede shouts from the wheel, having only overheard the last part of the conversation.

"I said get ready to get turned into a pig, Stede! You're my first line of defense against Circe!" Subaru-sama shouts, a ghost of a smile flickering across his face.

"That's what I was worried you saaaid…!"

Chapter Text

As we head back to the Argo, I do my best to wrestle with the twin senses of disappointment and relief I've acquired here.

We failed to recruit Euryale. That's a big problem, since it means my 'brainwash Reid' plan is doomed. And in the end… I can't go back for her. Not for some girl I don't know in the slightest, whose first response to diplomacy was to brainwash me and try to suck my blood. If I end up dying beyond this point- no, that's wrong. That's thinking like Alter Ego, and I won't do it.

Besides, this trip does have one positive result - knowing that we've got a freaking Grand Servant here is a huge weight off my shoulders. In France, we were stuck desperately scurrying from town to town searching for anyone with decent firepower, so the reveal that Benkei is so strong is a nice change of pace. In fact, it's such a change of pace that the obvious question has to be asked-

"With this kind of advantage, how about we just go for the throat?" Nobunaga asks.

She makes a pretty good point. "You mean just float Benkei and you up there and wipe out Heracles and Reid while they're too distracted with each other? It doesn't sound that bad to me."

"No, that's a careless move to make," says Jason. "Grand Servants may be an entire level beyond normal Servants, but just like an exceptional human can close the gap with an unexceptional Servant, an exceptional Servant can close the gap with an unexceptional Grand Servant."

"...That's right. I wasn't injured by Lady Nobunaga earlier, but it was a close thing. I was forced to sacrifice all of my clones just to handle the opening of her Reality Marble," Benkei admits.

"Wait, you can make clones?" I ask.

"Right, you were already unconscious at that point," Benkei says. "To clarify, I possess three Noble Phantasms. [Benkei Butsu] allows me to produce between one and seven clones at random, [Eighth Implement] allows me to confiscate a foes weapon for a short time, and [Pilgrimage of the Five Hundred Arhat] summons a number of Arhat to carry a target away to the Pure Land."

"So it just sends the target straight to heaven?" I ask, and get a nod in response.

"...I don't like it." Jason says. "Heracles ascended to godhood after his death, so he might actually be weak to it, but something about just sending five hundred guys to drag him to enlightenment… It seems like the sort of ordeal Heracles specializes in overcoming."

"In any case, if Senpai is right and that storm is where Heracles is right now, it's probably out of the safe range of our mystic codes." Mash notes.

"Alright, let's keep that as plan B then. It wasn't what I meant by going for the throat anyway," Nobunaga says. "Why'd you jump to Heracles, Subaru? The one we've got to Okehazama the crap out of is Alter Ego."

…Ah.

"I guess… I just assumed we'll inevitably end up fighting Heracles anyway? That's always how these things seem to turn out…" I mumble - and then I shake my head. "No, that's wrong. I was… probably subconsciously looking for an opportunity to bail Reid out."

"Hah? Didn't you say you hated the guy?" Jason looks at me like I'm an idiot.

"I do hate him. But…" I sigh and massage my temples. "No, there's no explanation I can really give. It's wrapped up in a whole bunch of complicated stuff I don't really understand yet, and I probably won't understand it as long as I'm still on Earth."

Once or twice I wondered if my tie with Flugel might be something like reincarnation, but… that doesn't feel right. It's not gross enough, for a guy like him.

"Well, it can't be helped, then!" Nobunaga shouts, clapping me on the back. "Let's move on to how we're gonna kill your evil clone."

"Ugh… where do we even start with that guy?" I ask.

"How about we start with what I've got?" Cu Chulainn asks, from his spot leaning against the boat.

"Cu Chulainn!" Mash says. "You're done with your augury already?"

"Sure am. Judging by the lack of a goddess with you, I'd say things went worse for you?" He asks, a small smirk on his face.

"Even if Georgios said he might have trouble staying civil with a pagan goddess… we should have brought him with us and left Benkei here to guard you," I say with a sigh.

"No, we really should have just left all the guys here and just had Mash and me go," Nobbu says. "I can't believe you all got charmed…"

Ugh… I don't want to remember that. I like silver haired elves! And also Rem! Julius's lolimancer allegations are just a joke! A joke!

"P-putting that aside… what have you got for us, Cu?" I ask.

He stretches as he moves out of his leaning pose. "So, to start with, that [Alter Ego] - he's something called a [High Servant]. It's kind of contemplated, but to simplify it a bunch - his basic spirit origin wasn't enough on its own to give him existence, so whatever third party summoned him crammed material from a few Divine Spirits into him to make him manifest properly."

"Seriously!?" I shout. In what world is something as insane as that even possible!?

"Yeah. It sounds pretty outlandish, but Divine Spirits are already pretty nebulous existences in the current era. Shearing off a portion of them to mix it into a greater whole isn't easy, but if you're the type of high spec mage that can piece together Spirit Origins like that in the first place, then it's not that much further of a step to use a Divine Spirit for the job." The Caster explains. "As far as his components go… well, there's no way to sugarcoat it, one part is some offshoot of you, kid."

Right, I haven't mentioned it… "Yeah, I already know that part. He showed up in my dreams last night, so I basically understand that part - I don't really think he's an 'evil' offshoot of me, so much as he's a version of me that got tricked by a certain witch," I say, raising a hand to massage my brow. "Basically, he's an idiot, but he's an inhuman monster of an idiot. That's something in our advantage, I guess - he doesn't actually want to hurt you guys, or to destroy the world. His goal is possessing me and taking my role at Chaldea."

A brief silence follows.

Finally, Jason speaks. "Dude…"

"...Please don't hide things like that, Senpai," Mash says, a disappointed frown on her face.

Somehow, I resist the urge to look away from her and turn it into a joke. "Sorry, it slipped my mind in all of the chaos," I say. "I didn't really mean to hide it."

She gives me a forced smile "R-right, I guess this morning was a bit…"

From the side of my vision, I see Nobunaga's eyes narrow slightly at our exchange, but she doesn't say anything.

"-Well, to return to the subject, Alter Ego's other components are whatever god cursed the Fuyuki Grail, and Odin," Cu Chulainn says. "To be honest, even figuring out the first part was a fluke, but I'm kind of a specialist when it comes to Odin."

"Um, do you mean because you can invoke him in one of your Noble Phantasms?" Mash asks.

("Wait, he has more than one?" Nobbu tilts her head in confusion.)

"Well, there's that, but… ah, screw it, there's no way to avoid it!" He laughs. "I'm a Pseudo-Servant."

"...Huh?" So Cu Chulainn's got a human vessel? "What does that have to do with-?"

I cut myself off, because it clicks in my mind. A Pseudo-Servant is someone who can't normally manifest, possessing a human vessel. There's no rule saying the human has to be from the modern era - in fact, Zhuge Liang's vessel was someone from a decade ago. But this has got to be cheating. Surely, choosing a vessel from all the way back in the tail end of the Age of the Gods has to be against the rules! "A Pseudo-Servant whose vessel qualifies as a Heroic Spirit on his own… that can't be allowed, right!?"

"Senpai, a Pseudo-Servant is… what, exactly?" Mash asks.

"We probably shouldn't explain it in detail right now, but iIt's pretty similar to a Demi-Servant," Nobunaga says.

"Or like the living servants created by the Watcher class," I add helpfully.

"Since when was that a thing!?" The Archer shouts.

"ANYWAY," Cu shouts in a desperate attempt to get us back on track, "the upshot of all this is that I can actually do something about the guy. Odin's connection to Alter Ego is pretty weak, so if we can get control of… four leylines or so, I think I can probably just yank the Odin component of his Spirit Origin out and take it for myself. From that point, I'd give Alter Ego a day at most before he just caves in on himself and dies."

"That-!" Won't work, I almost say. He'll just [Return by Death] and come after us.

Except, that's also a win condition. Benkei can mop the floor with anyone of a lower tier than Heracles, and the very fact that Badbaru hasn't sent anyone to back the guy up against Reid tells me he has no one else on that level.

"...No, it's actually a pretty good plan." I admit. "If we can force Alter Ego to commit to a fight before Heracles or Reid wins, it's just about a guaranteed win."

"Heh, so it's territory domination, huh?" Nobunaga says, grinning. "Just leave it all to me-!"

"Hang on, did you goobers just forget about Alter Ego's Noble Phantasm?" Jason asks. "I'm not sure why he hasn't shown up in person yet, but if he does, then we might just end up making him stronger."

Yeah. That Reality Marble is a real concern. If I had to guess, it's some kind of fusion between the corruptive effects of the Fuyuki Grail's curse and [Return by Death]. But, since he hasn't shown himself yet… "We've got an answer to it," I say. "I don't know what it is, but… one of us has to have some way to counter his Reality Marble. That's the only reason he'd be holding back like this."

A moment of silence follows.

"...[Gae Bolg], maybe?" Cu says. "The wounds it inflicts can't be healed."

"Wait, you've still got that thing?" I ask. "Didn't you say it was gonna disappear at some point?"

He shrugs. "A projection usually would. That Archer was really something else - I haven't noticed any kind of degradation beyond what you'd normally see from a Noble Phantasm in the modern era.

"That's not it. He doesn't need to heal if he just produces a new body every time," Jason says. "Oi, Master, are you packing some way to deal with him?"

"I…" I'm not sure. "[Sin Eater], maybe? I was able to handle the mud in Fuyuki with it. But that doesn't feel like a full counter."

"Ah," Mash mutters. "Speaking of Fuyuki… could it be [Pilgrimage of the Five Hundred Arhat]? The difference between 'being brought to heaven' and dying - I think we talked about that, right?"

Oh crap, that's it, isn't it? "...Natsuki Subaru is weak to being transported to other worlds."

I almost forgot, the reason Benkei was brought here is to counter Satella, isn't it? Alter Ego, who has destroyed the world in this singularity hundreds of times - that's got to be the reason why, instead of some rider, a monk specializing in sending souls to heaven was summoned.

"Wahaha, that makes things easy, doesn't it!?" Nobbu laughs. "We don't need to worry about risking forces by splitting them off to secure the leylines. We can just leave a Benkei clone at each island!"

"...You know, I can't control how many copies of me appear when I use [Benkei Butsu]," The monk says.

"It's fine! We'll just reroll until it works! There's no shame in RNG manipulation when the fate of the world is on the line!" She laughs.

There's some kind of joke to be made here about save scumming… but for some reason I feel like it'll make me puke, so I'll avoid it.

Chapter Text

Stede Bonnet

"And so, I return!" I cry, thrusting out my chest. "I suppose you thought you were rid of me, Mr. Teach!"

"...Who?" Blackbeard asks, and all of my enthusiasm vanishes into nothingness.

I hate this guy so much.

"What do you mean, who!? It's me! Bonnet! Stede Bonnet! We captained a ship together! Your most famous ship is named after mine!" I shout.

"Tch, I'm not old enough to fall for 'it's me, it's me' scams! I may have a beard, but I'm still a little kid on the inside! You can't fool me!" The absolute jerk shouts, pointing at me.

"It's me! The gentleman pirate! Don't you remember my on-ship library!?" I moan.

"Uh, no? We're pirates. The only things we read are doujins, and those weren't around before the modern era, idiot," He says.

"You were there for my entire dramatic reading of the Iliad!"

"Not ringing a bell. Look, Steve, have you got any actually useful abilities?"

"Stede! It's Stede, with a 'd'!" I say. "And no! I have my ship, but I can't even summon it by myself because you made me look like such a fool in my legend! It's your fault, so take responsibility, Mr. Teach-!"

As I shout, his fist suddenly connects with my face, knocking me to the deck.

"Like hell I'll let a middle aged man tell me to take responsibility!" Blackbeard shouts, kicking me over and over. "Go get sent to another world as a little girl or make a suspicious contract that turns you into a magical girl and come back! Preferably with a blush on your cheeks!"

What.

"What the hell is that!? Wasn't your type supposed to be mature, confident women! No, beyond that, isn't that sort of scenario totally perverse!? Even if my body turned female, I'd still have the mind of a man! Wait, if I squint, actually it kind of resembles the 'childhood friend you thought was a boy grew up into a beautiful girl' genre, but reversed… no! It's still weird! And that aside, your taste still sucks anyway, since what's best is a woman who seems mean at first but as she opens her heart is in fact the caring motherly type who smothers you with love, in other words, the exact opposite of my ex-wife!?" I shout.

"...It's too bad. I think, in another life, we could have been friends," says Blackbeard, driving the last nail into the top of the barrel he stuffed me into while I was shouting.

"Liar! It always turns out like this! Every, single, tiiiiiiime-!" I scream as he lobs me off the Queen Anne's Revenge and I plunge into the ocean below.

"...After waiting a bit in the barrel to drift away from Mr. Teach's ship, I turned to spiritual form and escaped, flying towards the nearest island. From there, I was sure everything would work out. Somehow or another, I would be able to find some other Servant to join forces with and do… whatever I got summoned here for. No matter who I meet, I could somehow make friends with them. That's seriously what I thought…" I breathe in, catching just a little bit of the smoke from the fire below me. "So why did it have to turn out like this!?"

The Wereleopard holding the handle of the spit I'm tied to snarls at me. He doesn't stop turning it, though. The other lycanthropes clustered around the fire continue to look on, salivating.

"I don't want to get eateeeeen!" I moan.

However, there's nothing I can do. The Servant Stede Bonnet is a pathetic weakling who can't achieve a single thing on his own. His only strength is his charisma, and with me failing to even worm my way onto the crew of someone who knew me in life, even that one strength is looking to be a delusion of mine. I will be cooked alive by demi-humans who don't even understand that I'll disappear when I die, and that will be that. I never found out why I was summoned here, but in the end, it has to have been a fluke. Because, when you really think about it, there's not a single person in existence who would seek out a failure like me as their partner.

And yet-

"-Thank goodness, I made it in time."

In spite of all my self recriminations, he appears there. A Servant in a poorly maintained butler's uniform, carrying a pail of water in one hand. He has eyes like a drowned man, staring through the tribe of lycanthropes, straight into my own. With a practiced, polite smile, he continues in utter disregard of the demihumans turning towards him. "Sorry, Stede. I'd hoped to get here sooner, but it couldn't be helped - I'll save you now. Unsealing the Furnace. Attain a drop of truth."

Werewolves and Wereleopards alike snarl at him, raising clubs and spiked maces, but-

"[Incineration Ritual: Zepar]."

The fight is already over. All of the monsters that I was certain spelled my doom are consumed from the earth in a blinding flash of light. With practiced ease, my savior trods through the ashes and unceremoniously extinguishes the fire beneath me. Dropping his pail and drawing a knife, he sets to work on the rope binding me.

"Th…thank you~!" I shout through tears pouring down my face. "I was… so sure… I was going to die-!"

My heartfelt thanks don't even cause the slightest change in his facial expression, but after I manage to stifle my tears, he speaks again. "Servant, Alter Ego. My True Name is Natsuki Subaru. I'll be in your care."

…Never heard of him.

As I drop from the roasting spit, I brush the charcoal off of my coat and find my feet once more. "-Well! You find yourself in good company, Mister Natsuki! For you have daringly rescued-!"

"-Stede Bonnet, the Librarian Pirate," He says, a small smirk on his face.

"D-did Blackbeard send you!?" I blurt - but no, Blackbeard didn't recognize me! So how-!?

"-Anyway, as far as anyone else should know for now, I'm a Caster. So just call me Caster of the Stars when enemies are around," He says.

"...Wait, if you're going to use an alias, then why tell me-?"

"Because I trust you," He says, and I blink in shock. "Out of everyone in this singularity, you're the only one who would never betray me under any circumstances. Right, partner?"

I grab his outstretched hand with tears in my eyes. "...Yeah."

"I thought you said you trusted meeee!" I moan.

"I do, Stede. You're the best shot I've got at this. So… good luck, and don't get turned into a pig," says Mister Natsuki as he drives the last nail into the barrel he stuffed me into.

As he tosses me off the edge of my own ship, I can't help but scream. "Why does it always end up like thiiiiis!?"

"...I didn't really expect Subaru-sama to go through with it," Medea comments a few moments after Bonnet plunges over the side of the ship, as the two withdraw once more to the captain's cabin.

He turns towards her, his face finally going slack as he abandons his false smile. "Have I disappointed you?"

"No," The witch shakes her head, drawing closer to Natsuki Subaru. "If it's Subaru-sama, I'm sure he was telling the truth."

"I only swore never to deceive you. I can lie all I want to Stede," He says, but she only laughs in response.

"I'm not talking about your geas," Medea says. "...Although, I am wondering, what are you hoping to achieve by sending a man like him into Auntie's clutches?"

"It's not that complicated. Circe is the type who loves to spoil men, after all, to the point of turning them into pigs."

"Hm… I suppose Stede would be the sort to be happy about that treatment, but Auntie's type is strong, cool men…"

"If it's a question of winning people over, I'd never bet against Stede. He's already got you calling him by his first name, after all," The Alter Ego says, and Medea blinks with slight shock. "He's completely unreliable in just about everything else, of course. If you get him started, he'll rant for hours about what his nagging ex-wife put him through, but I'm sure the root cause of that was her growing frustration at his total inadequacy in all practical day to day affairs."

"Even when it comes to the books he's so proud of, he's basically just picked out the stuff that was most popular and famous in his era. It's amazing one guy could get that shallow." The Alter Ego sighs, turning to one of the bookshelves. After a moment, he picks out a thick volume, paging through it to roughly the two-thirds mark. With a faint smile, he takes a seat. "...But, if it's just interpersonal relationships, that guy is…"

"That's pretty cold, Edd." Reid Astrea notes as the barrel containing Stede Bonnet drifts further and further from the [Queen Anne's Revenge]. "He was telling the truth, you."

"I know that," says Blackbeard, gritting his teeth, his knuckles white on the railing. "...I had to get rid of him, though. That's what I decided back then, and it's what I have to do now. He'll get us all killed doing something stupid if he sticks around."

"Get you, killed, maybe," The Sword Saint of another world laughs. "Ain't never lost, on my end."

"...What, you've never done something stupid to help someone you care about? Taken a fight you shouldn't have to make them happy?" The pirate says, his eyes still trained on the retreating barrel.

"Wouldn't do something like that for a man, you," Reid replies, rolling his eyes.

"That's exactly what I thought, when I took him on," the Rider mutters. "I'll just take advantage of this idiot, exploit his crew, and that's that. But the next thing I knew, even my own men were ready to die for him. I was ready to die for him. I was only able to work myself up to ditching him after he was already away for a few weeks."

"What's he, some sort of Flugel type?" Reid mutters.

"Anyway, we've got no chance of picking up chicks with him around!" Blackbeard finally shouts with a shake of his head. "Because that guy's…"

"I should have known this would happen… this kind of thing always happens to me," Stede Bonnet mopes his way along the sunny beach. "Still, to keep that rain at bay… Miss Circe must really be a powerful witch."

-At that moment, a whirlwind erupts in front of him, kicking up sand and knocking the pirate off his feet. Pink and purple lightning arcs off, striking random portions of the beach and melting the sand to glass. As glowing eyes appear in the midst of the storm, a booming female voice rings out. "So! You knew this island was mine, and you were still brave enough to intrude! Should I take this as a challenge!?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry Miss Circe! I just got thrown off my own ship and I've got no way to escape!
I really didn't mean to intrude, so please forgive me-!"

"-Oh, so you're a castaway, then. That's a different matter." In an instant, all the terrifying force of the storm disappears, and standing in its place is a pink-haired girl with long pointed ears and large bird wings stretching off her back. Her figure, accentuated by her light tunic and short skirt, is nonetheless on the smaller side, and her high-raised platform shoes do reveal an awareness of this. Elevating her chin slightly in a conscious decision to look down her nose at Stede, the witch continues, "I may be a witch, but I'm not so cruel as to turn away someone with nowhere else to go."

There's a brief moment of silence as the self-proclaimed Gentleman Pirate stares at her, wide-eyed.

"Heh. Were you stunned by my beauty, then?" Circe preens, her wings stretching out slightly wider. "I don't dislike being admired."

-Or so she says, but at this point she's already decided to turn him into a pig. But that decision, as quickly as it's made, can be reversed just as quickly. Especially if-

"Ah, that was improper of me," Stede catches his own error immediately. "I lost myself admiring the sunset in your eyes."

It's nowhere near to sunset, but nonetheless, he's telling the truth - Circe's eyes are two colors, the top portion pink and the lower bluish green, like a sunset over the ocean. And so, for the first time losing confidence, she breaks eye contact, a dusting of pink on her cheeks. "I- I see…"

"Ah, I should introduce myself - Stede Bonnet, the Gentleman Pirate, at your service, Miss Circe." Shifting to a kneeling position, he takes one of her hands in his, placing a chivalrous kiss on her knuckles.

"...I don't hate pirates, but they're just about the opposite of gentlemen," she says dubiously, but he merely smirks in response.

"If a chivalrous thief can exist, why not a gentleman pirate?" He asks, standing. "But it's enough for me to hear that you don't hate pirates on principle. I wouldn't want to make an enemy of a beautiful woman like you."

He offers his arm to the witch and after a moment's hesitation, she takes it, walking arm-in-arm with him back to her hut, deeper in the island. Naturally, she already has fresh food ready, of both enchanted and unenchanted variety - but as he gracefully accepts the meal that he surely knows could be cursed without any hesitation, she has to admit it.

"This guy, might actually be…

…A perfect gentleman."

"I don't know if that gives him such an advantage over Auntie, though," says Medea.

"I've already given him an advantage - he has absolutely no hope other than relying on her, and she'll realize that," Natsuki Subaru replies. "That's enough to at least get her to treat him with hospitality, and from there his natural talent for human interaction can take over. Circe gets attached to people easily; her preferred type aside, as long as he can survive her care for… two days or so, she'll probably latch onto him."

Of course, with this much knowledge of her personality, Natsuki Subaru could have won her over himself - but the balancing act of keeping the flighty witch happy was exhausting. Plus, for some reason or another him taking the primary diplomatic role with Circe kept leading to Medea losing it, so the Alter Ego decided to change tactics.

"What about [Return From Death]? Couldn't you have used that?" Medea asks.

"Of course not. You were already upset enough about Alcides. Putting your teacher through that would have been needlessly cruel to you," He says.

"You didn't even test it, though. Was turning Heracles really that bad? It's dangerous to move without considering all our options," Echidna's voice rings out in his head - but he ignores it.

"-In any case, if all I have to do is play cupid for two slightly shallow friends of ours, I don't mind," Subaru says.

"It's dangerous, Subaru-sama," Medea says, looking away. "A witch cannot fall in love. When we do… it always ends in tragedy."

"...That's how all love ends," He says. "No matter how happy it is, for how long… one always leaves the other behind. But while I'm here, I won't let anything too bad happen to them. It'll be a short-lived fling that disappears like seafoam, but…"

"...Maybe there's meaning in that, too," she says, hesitantly.

"...Who knows. The other guy would probably say so, but I don't know whether I believe that anymore," Alter Ego admits.

"Let me know once you've decided," she says, almost playfully. Light arms wrap around his neck from behind, and the Witch of Colchis presses her lips close to his ear. "We have two days, after all."

Class: Rider
Alternate Classes: None
True Name: Stede Bonnet
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Armaments: Sword, Pistol (Untrained in either)
Manifestation Cost: Low

Bio:
The self-proclaimed Gentleman Pirate. More of a punchline than a proper Heroic Spirit, in any location outside of American coastal waters (and also the Okeanos Singularity), he only manifests as a Phantom Spirit.

Notable mostly as a man of high status who threw it all away on a harebrained wish of piracy to get away from a nagging wife, his accomplishments mostly amount to playing second fiddle to Blackbeard during their partnership. After a brief technical return to the right side of the law as a Privateer, he separated from Blackbeard briefly to secure papers establishing their pardon for past crimes - but on his return, he found his partner had abandoned him and marooned his crew. After a short, unsuccessful career on his own, he was captured and hanged.

As far as Servants go, Stede Bonnet is close to the top of the list for 'people no one would ever want to summon'. Even a loose cannon villain or anti-hero could be forced to cooperate with Command Spells; Bonnet will not be useful even with all the command spells in the world. His only value is a boat he cannot summon without an allied Heroic Spirit, and his capacity for diplomacy. In all other regards, he is useless.

Parameters
Strength: E
Endurance: E
Agility: E
Mana: E
Luck: E
NP: D-

Class Skills:

Riding: E


Personal Skills:

Voyager of the Storm: -

The skill that provides the ability to sail a ship… is not actually present in Stede's Spirit Origin. In other words, this skill has only been listed to point out that he does not, in fact, possess it.

Gentleman Pirate (Bonnet): A

Not to be confused with Bartholomew Roberts' (much more useful) skill of the same name.

The unique charm of Stede Bonnet cannot be understated. His ability in combat is atrocious. His capacity for command is nonexistent. Even so, people will gladly join his cause and follow him.

Grants the effects of the Charisma skill, doubled against those of Chaotic alignment, and doubled again for those specifically recognized as 'Pirates'.

Noble Phantasms:

Noble Ship of my Dreams: Revenge
Rank: D-
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1~20
Maximum number of targets: 30 people

Bonnet's ship, the [Revenge], is considerably less famous than Blackbeard's [Queen Anne's Revenge], though the latter is named after the former. A ship with forty cannons, manned by Bonnet's subordinates - they have no sense of self, though Bonnet can remember their names.

However, this Noble Phantasm can only be activated when Bonnet has an allied Servant to serve as his co-captain. Upon its invocation, both captains are granted the [Voyager of the Storm] skill, with its rank depending on the quality of the co-captain. For reference, Natsuki Subaru produces a D-rank skill, while Blackbeard would produce one at A+ rank.

By the way, unlike some other Pirates' ships, the [Revenge] cannot fly, no matter how much mana Bonnet pours into it.

Chapter Text

"I'm surprised you actually came ashore with us, Mr. Jason," Mash says as we approach the first leyline. "Weren't you saying earlier how scared you were of places like this?"

By the way, the ones left on the ship were the Mini Nobus, Georgios, and two of Benkei's five bodies.

"I never said I was scared! It's just discretion, discretion! I know my strengths!" The Rider protests. "besides, we were just here yesterday, so this Leyline shouldn't be occupied-"

Naturally, as he says that, a shirtless maniac with an axe springs from the bushes, screaming a loud ululating cry as he whirls like a beyblade. "Ah, save me Heracles-!"

"BlOoOoOoOoO-" The newcomer screams, but before he can finish his cry, one of Benkei's clones catches the axe with his jumonji-yari, and a second clone removes the man's head with a decisive naginata strike.

"...What the heck was his pla- oh crap, look out-!" I shout as the headless corpse wrests it's axe free to keep swinging-

-Only to be sliced to ribbons by a third Benkei wielding a katana.

"How dare you!" His - come to think of it, super glowy evil-looking - axe shouts with a woman's voice. "How dare you slay my dear husband! I, Gunn-"

"Rin Pyou Tou Sha Kai Jin Retsu Zai Zen!" With a series of rapid hand signs, Benkei immediately activates his [Vengeful Spirit Exorcism] skill, and the axe's shouting gives way to a loud shriek as it falls silent.

The shirtless maniac's severed head sheds a single tear - and then he disappears in a cloud of golden mist.

…

"Who the heck was that guy?" asks Nobunaga.

Cu begins setting up a complex runic array only a short time after we arrive at the leyline, with Benkei stuck helping him.

"I'll keep an eye out above us. Anyone want to come with?" Asks Nobunaga, mounting a rifle like a hoverboard.

""Not a chance."" Jason and I both say at the same time, and then glance at each other.

"Well, suit yourself." The Archer says with a shrug before taking off, leaving Jason and I staring awkwardly at each other.

"...Save me, Heracles!~" I say in a falsetto voice, and he scowls.

"You know what, forget this, I'll be on the ship," He says, dematerializing.

"Ah, now who am I gonna make fun o-" I mutter, before a wet mass of fur latches onto my face.

"Foooou!"

"I'm the one who gets mocked!?" I shout. "Get off! Get off, I don't want to smell like wet dog-!"

"Actually, Senpai," Mash says helpfully, while making no effort to remove Fou from my face. "one of Fou-kun's seven secret powers is his [Fantastic Flower Scent]! No matter how dirty or wet he gets, he always smells like fresh lilies!"

"Putting aside the question of whether his seven secret powers are included among his forty-seven special moves or if they're separate lists," I say as he drags his wet fur all around my face and neck to settle in a perch on my shoulder. "He definitely smells way too pungent for that! It's more like wet hay!"

"Really!?" Mash suddenly lunges towards me - too close, that's too close! -And she plunges her face into Fou's fur to smell him, before drawing away with a slightly wrinkled nose, but an excited look on her face. "Amazing! Senpai, Fou-kun really changed how he smells! That's amazing!"

"Is it?" I ask with a raised eyebrow.

"It is!" She says excitedly, but then she takes a step back and a small frown appears on her face. "But I wonder why he ended up smelling like this?"

"Well, dogs start to smell bad when they get wet, after all…" I say with a shrug.

"I always thought Fou-kun was more like a cat or squirrel," says Mash, and we both ponder that existential question for a moment.

However, my contemplation is interrupted by a telepathic message.

{Master, we have a… situation,} Georgios says.

I blink as I stare at our tied-up prisoner. Fish-like eyes blink back at me.

"...Merry?" I ask.

"Senpai!" Mash shouts, smacking the back of my head, and I laugh.

After all, what we're staring at is pretty clearly the type of fish-man you'd see in an old horror movie.

"...Well, I doubt it's unrelated, though," I mutter. "You said this guy was messing with the rudder?"

"Yeah. Spotted him on my way back to the ship," says Jason. "Seems like a merman, which is-"

"The type of minion that old fishface would be able to create. I guess that confirms he's involved… which probably means the storm is his fault," I say. "Did he get any other sabotage done?"

"No direct sabotage my eyes could see," says Nobunaga as she enters the room. "But two of the mini-nobus are missing… I hope they got eaten."

"That's so mean!"

"Well, in the worst case, they wash up on some other island and establish a breeding population-"

"""What."""

"Aren't they all girls!?" I shout.

"Dunno," She shrugs, "They don't have genitals or anything. And their bodies aren't flesh and blood, they're made out of… uh, something or other. But if you leave them unsupervised too long, mysterious eggs will start showing up-"

"Th-they lay eggs?" Mash asks.

"No, they just show up."

"What, like Pokemon?" I mutter.

"It's not that dangerous at first, but each generation mutates a bit, and the next thing you know you have Unidentified Flying Nobus soaring around, and Mecha Nobus damaging the Tokyo skyline - if one of those Haniwa Nobus shows up, even Benkei might not be enough…" She mutters.

"If it's that dangerous, why did you tell me to use a command spell to create them!?" I shout.

"Well, it's not like we had anyone else to create oarsmen for us," She says. "Who was going to row then, me?"

This girl-!

As I stare at the foreign object in my cot, I feel a dawning sense of horror. I feel terrified. I feel so used.

"...Subaru, did you lay this egg?" Asks Nobunaga looking over my shoulder.

"Like hell I did!" I shove her. But definitely, last night, Ichinobbu-!

"Ah, it's not a Nobbu egg. It hasn't got a face," She says.

"What do you mean, a face!?"

"But the real question is, what kind of egg is it, and how… oh," she trails off, looking at the open window nearby, and the wet fishman tracks leading from it to the cot. "but why-?"

"▬██▁▆█▆▀▬██▆!"

In the distance, something enormous roars with anger.

"...I'll fly it to another island," Says Nobbu.

"Please," I sigh. "I'd feel bad if we have to fight something that thinks we stole its baby."

"To be clear, it wasn't there when I did my check earlier," She says. "I don't think we're going to be free of sabotage any time soon."

It hasn't been too severe so far, but… if we're trying to finish things up before Heracles and Reid's fight is over, any lost time could screw us over. In other words-

"If you see a really big fishman while you're out there, go ahead and shoot him, okay?"

Chapter Text

I blink a few times as consciousness returns to me. The creaking of timbers and thudding of heavy rain against the upper deck are strangely soothing as my hammock rocks back and forth.

I feel well rested, for once. Alter Ego didn't appear in my dreams, and the nightmares have been held at bay by-

"Nob," a Mini-Nobbu says, staring at me with an unblinking eye.

"...Alright, Ichinobbu. you don't get to slack off anymore," I say with a sigh as I start to climb out of bed.

"Nob-nobbu! Nobbunobbunobnob!" The strange creature shouts angrily, pushing me from my bed.

I tumble clumsily onto the damp floor. "Oi, what the hell was that for, Ichinobbu!?"

"Actually, that one's Gonobbu," Nobunaga says from a nearby chair. She changed into a military uniform sometime yesterday, and now she's leaning on the back two legs of her seat, her feet propped up on a table - but actually, considering how the boat is swaying in the storm, shouldn't it be taking significant effort to keep the chair steady like that!? "Obviously she's gonna get upset if you mistake her for someone else."

"I don't want to hear that from the one that named them all after numbers!"

"Huh? I didn't do that, though. They're named after characters from Shonen Manga," The Archer says. "Nobbuto, Nobbusuke, Monkey D. Nobbu… I'm not hearing any numbers."

"It's not my fault the only ones I'd heard the names of sounded like numbers!" I protest. "Also, why does Monkey D. Nobbu get a full name?"

"Hm? Since we're in a pirate singularity, obviously," She says.

A brief moment of silence follows. The ship leans a bit to port, and I see a single drop of sweat roll down the brow of the Fool of Owari as she tries to hold her idiotic pose.

"...I'm kind of impressed by the grip strength of your boots," I admit.

"Heh… the real impressive part is keeping my feet in my shoes," She admits.

"...They're nailed to the table, aren't they?"

"Please help me. I thought it would look cool and didn't really think things through."

***

"Alright, let the daily meeting of the three strategistsstooges commence!" Nobbu says, slamming a squeaky mallet she got from… somewhere… on the table.

"Do we really need to do this every day…?" Asks Jason with a groan. Naturally, he goes completely ignored.

"To summarize things so far," I say. "We need to secure four major Leylines in order for Cu Chulainn to steal the Odin portion of Alter Ego's spirit origin and trigger his collapse. Of course, he's not likely to allow us to get away with that, but him committing to a fight while Heracles is occupied is basically a guaranteed win. We've secured the first two without issue, and are on our way to the third."

…Of course, from there my only real hope is that Benkei's [Pilgrimage of the Five Hundred Arhat] can actually bypass Alter Ego's ability to [Return by Death] and get rid of him for good. If that doesn't work… do I even have a win condition here?

"Wait, you say without issue, but didn't we have a fight on the first island?" Jason asks - yeah, to be honest I was expecting that to be a pattern, but nobody showed up on the second island.

"You mean that guy with the axe screaming about blood? He pretty much died instantly, so who cares?" says Nobunaga.

"Who was he, anyway?" I ask. "I get that he attacked first, but if we lost another important ally…"

"Nah, I've never seen him before," Says Nobunaga. "I doubt a guy like that is a good match with you, anyway, Subaru. You're not Fujimaru Ritsuka, so compatibility is something you need to consider."

Fujimaru Ritsuka.

It's not the first time she's mentioned his name - the last master of humanity, in the Chaldea Nobunaga was summoned from. The strange way that the name tingles my consciousness aside, I don't really know what to make of such a guy.

Zelretch had mentioned that the ideal savior of humanity would be a 'perfectly average human', and I didn't really understand what he meant at the time. But, hearing about him from Nobunaga, I can't really decide how I feel about him - the idea of someone who accepts all the heroes of humanity without judgment - isn't that superhuman in itself? Is he God? The Buddha? I can't really decide whether it's admirable or obscene.

…But to be honest, a person who simply accepted me without judging or worrying unnecessarily, would definitely be soothing to be around. The closest thing I ever had was-

(A smiling girl with blue hair covering one eye flashes through my mind for a moment.)

…Yeah. I can understand how a person like that, if he existed, could maintain such an obscene number of contracts.

"Putting aside talk about people who may or may not exist," says Jason, rolling his eyes, "the end result is that we haven't had any major obstacles since we picked up Benkei a couple days ago. As long as Heracles is still busy, there's not a serious problem - the only question is, 'when is he going to finish fighting Reid Astrea?'"

"There's also our saboteurs to consider," Nobunaga points out. "We've mostly been able to stop them since the first encounter, but we do need to keep an eye out for any kind of trump card that their boss might pull."

"Yeah. I don't know if it's safe to say his true name, so I've been sticking to calling him the [Evil God of the Reef], but you guys can put the pieces together, right?" I ask, and receive two nods.

"I can put it together - in any case, that guy's a Divine Spirit, so he's probably no pushover, and depending on what kind of authorities he can throw around, he might give Benkei and me a little trouble," says Nobunaga.

"But would you lose?" I ask.

"Nah, we'd win."

"That's great and all, but did you forget that my [Argo] is super weak in this spirit origin?" Jason asks. Like we could with this guy complaining as much as he has been. "I'm not saying you'd lose, but I don't think our boat survives a direct confrontation with a guy like that - and don't go thinking we can escape either, we're still at ten percent of my normal speed."

"Of course, I asked the others, and Georgios mentioned there's some Biblical anecdote about his idol getting damaged by proximity to the Jewish Ark of the Covenant. I don't know where the thing is right now, but it's present in this singularity. Medea made up some yarn about sacrificing Euryale on it giving me immortality and all, so..."

"Got anything more specific than 'around here somewhere?'" I ask. That might be all Alter Ego would need, the maniac, but I've got no intention to run around frantically on nothing but a rumor. "I guess we can look for an island protected from the rain?"

"Eh, we'll probably run into it at some point. These things tend to work out like that," Nobunaga says with a shrug.

"I don't know what kind of luck Fujimaru has, but it's got to be way better than mine," I sigh, "Well, even if we do find the thing, he'll probably just fight us directly before we can reach it."

{Hey, kid, we're getting close,} Cu Chulainn's voice echoes in my head.

"Looks like that's about it for today," I say. "Any objections to continuing our current course?"

"...Just one," Jason says. "I've gotta repeat this for emphasis - we're absolutely on borrowed time right now. I know you said that Reid Astrea was a big deal, but I can't believe that facing down Heracles is something he can just keep going indefinitely. They've been at it for two days at this point - that fight has to end, one way or another, and I think the auspicious time would be tonight."

He rubs his eyes and slouches into his chair a bit more. "The rain wasn't always going this hard - it only started a day before you got here, around the time Alter Ego made his first appearance. I guess your [Evil God] has cursed you and him, or something. But to get back to the topic - I tried to navigate by the stars for a little bit, before the rain rolled in - if I'm not wrong, tonight will be when [Hercules] is most visible."

…Come to think of it, the guy does have his own constellation, doesn't he? And for that matter- "What about [Argo Navis]? Is it visible in this Singularity?" I can't help but ask.

"Yeah. The sky's a bit messed up, since this place embodies 'all oceans', but I was able to pick it out," Jason replies. "Why?"

"Ah… I was just curious, really," I give a nervous laugh, but it's interrupted by loud shouting from outside the ship as we begin to slow.

"I appreciate you arriving to rescue me, but aren't you late!?" A strangely familiar voice shouts above the rain from the vague direction of the shoreline. "I had to sleep outside last night, isn't that completely inconsiderate of you!? Don't you know that if you're going to help someone it's better to help them as soon as possible!? Isn't this an infringement of my rights-!?"

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!

I scramble up rain-slick steps to the upper deck in utter panic, falling, skinning my hands slightly, but that's not important because-

I recognize that fucking voice!

"SHOOT HIM, SHOOT HIM, SHOOT HIM!" I scream in desperation, even as I arrive to see an all-too-familiar white-haired man, drenched with rain.

"-YOU!?" Shouts Regulus Corneas, Witch Cult Archbishop of Greed, as he locks eyes with me-

-and then his head jerks back as a matchlock rifle discharges, scattering his brains across the sand behind him.

A moment later, he crumbles into golden dust.

"...Huh?" I mutter.

Wasn't that too easy? Did he just… not have his [Lion's Heart] active at that moment?

"...Pffft," I can't help it. It was just too pathetic. "Pfffthahahaha!"

…But man, these leyline islands sure have been- no, wait, let's not raise any flags.

Chapter Text

"Um… sorry for laughing like a nutjob. I was really just expecting that to be way more of a problem than it turned out to be," I finally say in response to the ring of awkward stares surrounding me. "That guy, Regulus - he was able to 'stop time' for himself, making him totally invincible, and letting him destroy whatever he touched. I guess he died because… his combat instincts suck and he didn't see the gun before it fired."

"Wait, if he can be that invincible, what the hell did you think shooting him was going to do?" Jason asks.

"Ah, he has a five second limit or so - using it stops his heart, so he'll die if he keeps it on all the time-"

"So it's the same type of stand as Star Platinum…" Nobunaga mutters, and I ignore her.

"-but he can get around it by putting a substitute heart in the chest of someone he declares his 'wife'. I'm not sure how many women he kidnapped and forced into that role in the other world, but I know it was at least over two hundred." Ah, there's the looks of disgust I was expecting. "By the way, I don't think he needs any kind of reciprocation to his declaration - in fact, the trigger for him to be able to use [Small-Hearted Lion] might just be 'a feeling of attraction', so that could have gone really bad if he had seen Mash…"

(Nobunaga kicks my shin.)

"Ah, if he's weak to pretty women, we totally could have made him work for us if the Euryale thing had panned out…" Jason mumbles.

"P-putting aside the indirect compliments, I guess it's a good thing he was dealt with so quickly, then," Mash says with a slight frown. "I wish you'd mentioned him before now, though, Senpai."

"Eh?" I blink. "Oh, no, this wasn't any kind of premonition… I just recognized his voice, since I heard it so much before. The guy seriously never shuts up."

"Speaking of never shutting up," Cu Chulainn interjects with a small amount of irritation in his voice, "are you guys coming or what?" Without waiting for an answer, he vaults off the boat and begins trudging inland.

"R-right…" I mutter.

"Oh, and if we see any more enemies, give me a chance at them," He calls out. "I'm so freaking bored…"

Leaving Jason, who didn't want to come, and Nobunaga, who said she wanted to chat with Georgios back on the boat, Mash, Cu, Benkei, and myself venture inland.

Of course, we don't encounter any more enemies on the island - just a smattering of craters and devastated trees. Cu got excited briefly, but when I explained that they were likely just Regulus's work, he returned to sullen silence.

Come to think of it, the poor battle maniac has been on the sidelines since the end of Fuyuki. He hasn't even had a fight since we ended up here, thanks to being stuck playing a support role.

"I can't even promise to give you the first crack at Dagon or Heracles either, since-" I mutter.

"It's fine, kid," The Caster mutters. "I've got Odin's influence to help me simmer down - and since you need me alive to mess with Alter Ego's spirit origin, it's not like I can go throwing my life away… Why'd I have to suggest a plan like that, anyway?"

"It's your best chance of getting a good fight anyway," I say with a shrug. "Until we make Alter Ego commit to fighting, all you're gonna meet is Rogue Servants."

…I say that, but it's not as though Alter Ego hasn't been fighting. Based on the sort of ideas he gave me about himself, he's probably been making attempts at us nonstop.

"Your strategy that finally forced me to reset and pull Medea and Drake out was so full of holes that it looked like you were throwing it together on the spot." -he had said.

At the end of the day, he's still Natsuki Subaru. Our defeat of Asterios was a fluke, caused by interference between the Labyrinth and Return by Death - under all other circumstances, that idiot won't let a single one of his allies die. He'll reset, pull them out, and make a new plan.

In other words, between Benkei's strength, Nobunaga's guns, and Cu's [Gae Bolg], he has yet to kill me in a way that meets his requirements.

…Incidentally, if I do end up dying at some point, and manage to recruit Euryale, I could totally make Regulus fight the guy. Judging by Echidna talking about Regulus like he was some big obstacle, the Greed Archbishop has to be more traumatizing for Alter Ego than he was for me.

"...What am I even thinking?" I mutter under my breath. It might be doing to him what he wants to do to me, but I don't really want to go out of my way to break Alter Ego's will.

I pity him too much for that.

(Prelati had said something ominous about the risks of pitying your enemies, but I expunge that recollection as quickly as possible.)

"Well, not to interrupt your scheming, but to go back to the subject," Cu says, "I can at least be patient enough to hold back from fighting when we've got a freaking Grand on board, but… if he loses to Heracles, I'm up next."

"Who do you think you are, the Prince of Saiyans?" I mutter.

Come to think of it, do we have a Nobbugeta-?

"Cu Chulainn, Jason said you really wouldn't stand a chance as a Caster," Mash calls him out to his face.

"Indeed, I don't want to boast of my strength, but… I am quite strong right now," Benkei says. "With you stuck in a suboptimal class-"

"I have my spear, okay!? I have my spear!" He shouts.

Although the sun - or rather, the ring of light that seems to have taken its place - can't be seen behind the storm clouds, the steadily dimming light of sunset is still just about recognizable as we near the final island. In fact, I'm just about certain of it - because, in the sky above said island, there is not a cloud to be seen, and so I can see the dimming sky clearly as we draw near.

Soon, though, that view is hidden from sight by curtains of rain as the wind begins to scream. Thunder rolls, and I feel my chest vibrate in tune. The deep blue night is lit up in staccato flashes of light as lightning crackles seemingly without pause. The Argo tips this way and that, only Jason's expert hand at the rudder saving us from capsizing.

I'm not shocked in the least. From the moment Nobunaga first spotted the open sky above our destination, we knew he had to make his move here.

'An island outside of the reach of the Reef God's storm' - in other words, the resting place of the [Ark of the Covenant] was also the final island required for Cu Chulainn's plan. And so, to prevent us from reaching his weakness - he'll draw the storm to a climax, and make his last stand here.

{There's another boat on the edge of the storm,} Nobunaga says telepathically, from her position in the air behind us. {Looks like they're waiting to see the result.}

As expected of Alter Ego, I guess. {Feel free to take some potshots if you happen to see Medea or something, but otherwise come on back. We'll have to take them as they come.}

Amidst lightning flashing frantically enough to prompt an epilepsy warning, I see him rise from the ocean. A hulking form - nowhere near his size in France, but still almost twice the height of Benkei - with purple-gray skin and yellow-orange eyes that continue to burn in the darkness as the lightning abruptly ceases.

"You've come far enough, sinners," The monster says, his voice a dull rumble. "I know not how you came under my curse - but I shall fulfill it with gladness. This is the duty of a monster - and of a god. I, Dagon, shall pay my debts."

A distorted roar rings out under a sky as dark as the deepest ocean.

Chapter Text

Oda Nobunaga

As lightning crackles around me, I hurtle through the air, feet firmly planted on a matchlock rifle. Below, I can make out Dagon as he rambles something or other about his role as a god and a monster.

Blah blah blah, who freaking cares?

I mean, I care a little bit, because the time he spends talking means he's not fighting. I need just a little longer to reach him.

When Chaldea faced Dagon in my original timeline, it was an unbelievably close shave. Not only was he a Divine Spirit on his home turf, he had also absorbed the power of the imaginary planet of calamity, Taisui. We only won through the sacrifice of allied Servants, the overwhelming power of Servants like Meltryllis and Morgan, and a last minute trick to steal away the power of the absorbed Taisui.

That said, Taisui isn't in play here, and we have a Grand Servant. The issues remaining are that home field advantage, and the fact that the Argo can't handle prolonged exposure to this storm of his, let alone that big wave of toxic water he was slinging around back during the Water Monster Crisis.

Given those requirements, our counterattack is obvious.

(The sky goes dark, and only my Special Archer Eyes™ help me see as Dagon lets out a distorted roar below.)

I plunge towards the fight, rain beating against my grinning face, and see Benkei's two remaining clones sprint towards the fishman, levitation mystic codes propelling them. We had to leave three on previous islands, and we only had five to begin with. This is why I wanted to roll the Benkei gacha a few more times, but he countered with stupid concerns like 'not running out of mana completely'. Can't be helped, I guess.

Sparks light up the storm-shrouded night as Dagon's claws repel a rapid series of Katana and Odachi strikes from both sides-

"[Gae…" On the deck of the argo, a spear blazes with malevolent light-

-But a stray motion of one of Dagon's hands in the midst of his frantic deflections directs a bolt of lightning towards the boat, forcing the Caster to cancel his Noble Phantasm and raise a barrier of flaming wood.

That's enough, though - I'm in range.

"[Demon King of the Sixth Heaven]!" I shout with glee, and a world of fire swallows Benkei, Dagon and myself.

As I stated before, the fires of my Reality Marble can't tell friend from foe, and Benkei will certainly pay a price for his presence here. But he's a Grand Servant, and already less weak to the Reality Marble's damage bonuses than a true Divine Spirit. Since I toned it down a bit by forgoing the full chant, he should be able to survive the first few seconds of its opening with both bodies intact, whereas our foe-!

"[Rage-Filled Current]!" Dagon roars, a tide of primeval ooze surging from who-knows-where, stifling the fires of Honnouji. As a non-servant, he doesn't possess a true Noble Phantasm, but that's the closest comparison to this attack.

But that's fine. It can't be helped, and besides, we accounted for it anyway. Him dying immediately would have been convenient, but just being in my Reality Marble is debilitating as-is. He's lost the home field advantage, and can't damage the Argo anymore. He can't even fly, so all Benkei and I need to do is-

I laugh as I perform a barrel roll to dodge a lightning bolt, aim mid-roll, and rapidly fire and discard four guns.

Dagon ducks, and I miss his eye, tearing through the fin on his head instead, but Benkei #1 capitalizes with an iai strike towards the lowered head as Benkei #2 thrusts towards his back-

He catches the first with his teeth, twisting out of the way of the second as he launches into something resembling a crocodile's 'death roll', pulling the first's sword from his grip. As he dips beneath the sludge conjured by his earlier attack, he emerges with something gripped in his hands - whipping the spine of some enormous dead fish towards them, he beats back the two clones.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅-!" His distorted roar rings out again, and I feel my strength falter slightly - so it's a skill, not just meaningless noise, huh?

I fire again. This time, one of my shots connects, and he howls in fury as my bullet takes his left eye and a chunk of his face, flinging the skeleton towards me and following with a cluster of lightning bolts.

By this point, both Benkeis have recovered, and they strike in unison - Benkei #1 with a newly drawn spear -

Dagon turns and lunges, focusing on Twokei and letting Onekei's spear bite into his undefended stomach. He beats aside the Odachi and drives a purple-shrouded claw into Benkei #2's stomach, emitting a burst of lightning as he does so. An instant later, his tail beats back Benkei #1 as the spear comes free, tearing away almost two thirds of the fallen god's midsection in the process.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅-!"

"Rin Pyou Tou Sha Kai Jin Retsu Zai Zen!" Benkei #2 rapidly chants while backing up under my covering fire, clutching a stomach awash in a sinister looking curse. Benkei #1 rights himself and sprints back towards the fishman-

"[Rage-Filled Current]!" Dagon roars again - it's already recharged!?

A geyser of rotten sludge erupts, and I'm already gripping a rifle and flying away as quickly as I can when he explodes out of said column of water, single eye burning with hate as he stretches his claws for me.

I'm not moving fast enough. He's going to catch me.

But… him being up here means there's no need to worry about friendly fire.

I need to dispel my reality marble in order to use it, but if he hits me, it'll end anyway, so-!

"This is the end! [Three Line Formation]!" I shout.

Dagon, god of distortion, struggles forward, even as my hail of fire continues to reduce him to an unrecognizable hunk of flesh - and then a spear thrown by Benkei impales him, and then a Naginata, and the the Odachi, and then a massive arrow, and finally, he dies, and the screaming wind begins to slow.

"Humans… Heroic Spirits… I curse you… twofold! In… some other sea… I will-!"

In the distance, I hear one last clap of thunder.

Wait, hang on, one of those weapons-!

-It's a bit sudden, but let's talk about my summoning.

It goes without saying, but a direct summoning from another Chaldea is the highest degree of nonsense. Even Gudaguda particles aren't enough to explain this degree of silliness - so the question is, what could?

To be honest, considering the chaos going on back home at the point of my summoning, I had assumed it was enemy action at first. I might have been snacking while on standby for the next wave, but it's not like the situation was normal. Who's to say that that thing's next phase wouldn't start aggressively teleporting us to false histories? It probably had abilities like that at this point, after all.

But I don't think that's the case. A Tree of Emptiness probably couldn't simulate multiple singularities, and Natsuki Subaru has already gone through two.

By this point I'm pretty sure Subaru isn't some bad guy out to do weird stuff to Mash, even if the 'there's an evil me we need to beat' plot is played out at this point.

I did it first, so it doesn't count as uncreative in my case!

…All that aside, it's probably for the best that I played dumb. If Goetia is around, he's got perfect clairvoyance, so yammering about how Chaldea beat him in my timeline would totally screw this one over. Talking about Lostbelts and whatnot is a no-go too, since that'll imply his defeat. The scenario is 'I was teleported from just after Camelot, and I wasn't paying much attention so don't count on me for spoilers!' All of the clairvoyants back home always kept quiet anyway, and it's not like my knowledge is anywhere near helpful. We allied with Jason here, and the guys who helped Ritsuka all got corrupted.

No, it's better for Subaru to walk his own path, with me providing advice and identifying Servants here and there - and then, after Goetia is dead, I can spill the beans and we can try to stop the Crypters.

Besides, the lack of spoilers means I get to laugh at Subaru if something dumb shows up early! Imagine the look on the guy's face if Ranmaru shows up and my head goes poof again!

…Ah, that's why I thought about all this, huh?

-The oversized arrow, launched from miles away, completes its path through my neck, and I fall off my shoulders, tumbling over and over, into the waves below.

Natsuki Subaru

It was going so well. Dagon was dying just as planned, under a hail of gunfire and weapons from Benkei's two remaining clones. He gave final, defiant words-

And then, in a blur of motion, Georgios shoots to my side - "[Bayard]!" - and summons his horse in front of Mash. A clang rings out as he parries a massive arrow with his sword, and I hear a crunch as every bone in his arm shatters.

Similar arrows impact the ship. One bounces off Bayard - right, he can deflect one attack - and one is repelled by Cu's [Protection from Arrows]. None target Jason. Both Benkeis react in time to deflect their shots. The rest - find their marks. One tears through Nobunaga's neck, and all ten remaining Mini-Nobbus perish in similar fashion.

Before most of us can even react, the second volley comes.

Georgios, catching his sword in his other hand, deflects another, at the cost of his second arm. A hole appears in Bayard's flank, all the way through his body as an arrow clangs against Mash's barely raised shield on the other side of him. The wounded Benkei clone strains his body in some way, and the second shot finds its mark in his chest, only the monk's insane durability allowing him to stay standing. A hole is torn through Nobunaga's already headless body's chest.

Finally, painfully slow, essentially too late, my command spell comes to life.

"Mash!" Use it instantly!

"[Lord Chaldeas]!" A hurricane of wood smashes against the chalk-white wall, raised just in time. Somehow, Benkei made it behind - only one of him, though.

Finally, after what feels like an hour, the hail of arrows ceases - and then I feel it. An intense pressure that makes me almost vomit - or rather, the opposite of pressure, since this is the feeling of all of the ambient mana in the vicinity suddenly being swallowed up.

I can see him now, as the clouds clear, under the light of a starry sky, and I understand my mistake.

'We should let Reid and Heracles fight it out, and take on whoever won while they're injured. Reid is also a probable enemy, so without Euryale's charm on the table, we shouldn't mess around with getting involved.' - Is what I had thought.

But if I knew things would turn out like this, I would never have said that.

'The Gluttony Witch Factor shouldn't be an issue. The odds of Heracles even being compatible are pretty low, and even if he can use it, Gluttony tends to start out weak and get stronger with use. With him having no meals at hand, he won't get much stronger, and accounting for the wounds he gets from Reid, he'll still net a loss in power in all likelihood. And if he isn't compatible, it might just kill him and save us the trouble. That's why I held back from using the Greed factor we got from Regulus, after all.' - Is what I thought.

But instead, what meets my eyes is a possibility that I hadn't even considered, since it was too awful to imagine.

Perched atop a newly formed Iceberg, having moved here at impossible speeds, is a man of the same stature as Benkei. He's wearing a tattered cloth that covers his head and drapes down over his body, and clutching a bow in one hand.

And, circling his head like a crown are thirteen glowing pink horns, just like what I saw on Rem's forehead so long ago. Floating in the air, I see four copies of him, made of ice - Emilia's technique. And it goes without saying that what got him here so fast was that teleportation technique the Gluttony kids loved so much.

The possibility that Heracles could acquire the Gluttony Witch Factor, access the meals eaten by its previous holder, and use the [Total Eclipse] that Ley demonstrated in France - was something I had not even considered.

At this time, Natsuki Subaru did not understand that his grim analysis of the situation - was an understatement.

[Total Eclipse] is fundamentally a suicide technique for any of the three Heroic Spirits who naturally possess it. Even Reid Astrea, if he were to use it, would be swallowed after a minute of steady erosion by the wailing souls and remembered grudges of those devoured by [Gluttony].

However-

Heracles Alter - Alcides - possesses the [Avenger] class skill, which transforms grudges directed at the bearer into strength. Worse still, the grudges of those devoured will only compound the longer the Noble Phantasm remains active. In other words, rather than losing his existence… Alcides will continue to grow in strength for as long as the eclipse continues.

Furthermore, the defective gates and Oni horns acquired by Batenkaitos and Alphard allow him to absorb enough ambient mana to not only pay for the Noble Phantasm's continuous activation, but also to offset his tremendous manifestation cost.

As a result of these factors, the duration Alcides can retain use of [Total Eclipse]... is unlimited.

Chapter Text

I'm going to be sick. I had been so excited, so damn satisfied to finally be done with this storm - and now everything has flipped on its head. Nobunaga is dead, Georgios is wounded, and Heracles has achieved a form beyond what we ever could have predicted.

For a moment, the only noise is the waves, and the badly strained hull of the Argo creaking as it sways back and forth. Heracles gazes wordlessly at the pristine wall of Mash's Noble Phantasm, the tattered cloth over his face fluttering in the slowly dying breeze.

Mash doubles over, breathing heavily as her Noble Phantasm ends - she looks like she's about to throw up, and I, already unsettled, vomit on the rain-soaked deck.

His ability goes beyond 'just' absorbing ambient mana; even my own Od is being sucked out. At this rate, just like my first night at the Mathers mansion-

Breath returns as something warm glows on my back, and Cu Chulainn passes by me to draw a rune on Mash's back as well. He gives a meaningful glance at Georgios, still with both arms broken, and the Rider nods, dematerializing into spirit form to lighten the load.

Finally, I can breathe again, and I slowly rise back to a normal standing posture, glaring at the enemy in front of us who still has yet to take action beyond his opening move.

For the first time in this Singularity, the communicator on my wrist beeps, and a completely frazzled-looking Olga Marie Animusphere appears. Right, I guess the storm's over-

"...Subaru, this is probably a bad time, but what are we looking at here?" She asks. Idly, I note that she looks about as exhausted as she looked during France… I guess losing communication for three days will do that, huh? But still, the look on her face-

"Heracles," I say, wiping the spittle from my lips. I hate this. Don't look at me like that, like you're so glad to see me. I'm going to die, after all. If not from this enemy, then maybe by my own hands. "Or I guess, Super Heracles? He's using that [Total Eclipse] thing Gareth mentioned in the France debriefing."

"Ah, I see," She says numbly.

"Oi, Heracles, what the hell are you doing!?" Jason shouts over our conversation. "Why are you shooting my crew - no, why are you siding with Medea!? She's trying to wipe out humanity, you know!? Look, I get that she messed with your mind a bit, but shake it off already!"

"Alcides." The Archer says, astralizing his bow and raising both hands in front of himself. "Call me Alcides now. I will not bear the name of a goddess. As for the fate of humanity, why should I care? Humans, gods… both are worthless. Burn it all and start anew - the plan of the King of Mages suits me just fine."

Jason's eyes widen, and he freezes.

"My bad, he's Alcides," I find myself whispering to the director. Jokingly. As if everything hasn't suddenly gone to hell.

It hasn't sunk in. Somehow, even though I rationally know it, I still haven't even internalized Nobunaga's demise. I just can't believe that moron would die just like that - she already broke the rules in her arrival, so surely, somehow-!

"I can hear him just fine…" She mutters, and then annoyance glints in her eyes. "Surely you remember that-"

"Yeah, it's his childhood name. There was something like that in the [Okeanos Doom Packet]," I reply.

Finally, strained laughter leaves Jason's lips. "Y-you're joking, right? That's really… not funny, Heracles-"

"No, this is the truth," Heracles - no, Alcides - replies. "That is why I've placed the Nemean Lion's pelt over my face - so that the works of man may never again enter my sight."

"...No. No, that's impossible!" Jason protests. "Even if you were an outcast, you never once resented-!"

"Not when you knew me," Alcides says, cutting him off. "No, even during my lifetime, I still never held a grudge. I thought, somehow, that it was just me. That I was simply a freak who had been born wrong. It's not abnormal for a demigod to have no place among men, but if it was only me, then I could bear that burden. But the mud created by the [Caster of the Stars] opened my eyes. It took two baths in the mud, but I saw it at last."

Caster of the- oh, right, there was a paper-thin disguise like that at some point, wasn't there? He's talking about Alter Ego, in any case.

"Angra Mainyu. All the Evils in the World - that was what it showed me. And what I saw was simply that it was all the same. The loneliness I felt, the cruelty visited upon me - even my own sin, that murderous rage of mine - that was simply humanity. It was no different for anyone else; it could never be any different, for humans are the most wicked, worthless beings in this world," He says, and then, pausing a moment, he turns his head slightly to gaze westward. "Even your kingdom, Jason - I'm sure it would have been just the same."

"That's wrong, Heracles! You know me, don't you? There's no way I'd be satisfied with anything less than utopia, dammit-!" Our Rider protests.

"I admire your ability to dream big, Jason, but… you know what the result of that ambition would have been, right?" Alcides says, almost apologetically.

"...So in the end, it comes back to my failures again, huh?" The Rider mutters as tears begin to pool in his eyes. "But… this doesn't have to be the end! The grail… if we can just get the grail, then this time-! This time, for sure-! This ship, it's still here, so somehow, some way-!"

Alcides shakes his head. "Sorry, Jason. You know as well as I do that it's impossible now. Even with a Holy Grail, humanity cannot change. No matter what path we take, our doom was already written by the Fates. But… for what it's worth, even now I'm grateful to you, and to this ship. If every human was like those in your crew, then things might have been different."

Jason closes his eyes, his gritted teeth grinding with the ferocity of an earthquake. Finally, defiant eyes open upon his friend. "Then how about I show you some more like them!?"

"By all means, show me your new crew." The Archer replies, voice filled with cold amusement. "They have a high bar to reach, though. Not just in terms of the old crew; I'm fresh off of quite the fight, after all. Hauroy - no, Reid Astrea - was quite the foe."

The remaining copy of Benkei takes an iai stance as [Gae Bolg] materializes in Cu Chulainn's hands and Mash forces herself to her feet.

In that moment, as tension crackles through the air, and my eyes are peeled to see every instant of it for the next try-

{Master!} Georgios screams telepathically, and my command spell is already glowing.

"[EMM]!" Beatrice and my absolute defense magic will protect me from his arrow - is what I thought. But as spectral butterflies fill my sight, I realize that I made the wrong call.

"Senpai!" I hear Mash scream over the sound of blows being rapidly exchanged.

"Focus, Shielder! You wanna die!?" Cu Chulainn shouts, and she falls silent.

Just outside of the swarming butterflies, I hear Jason swearing repeatedly. "I'll get you out of there, so just-!"

"[Reincarnation-" The beginning of an unfamiliar Noble Phantasm uttered by Alcides is the last thing I hear before my already strained mana reserves give out, and everything goes dark.

I sputter salt water as I return to consciousness, a more-or-less literally faceless pirate grinning at me as he lowers a bucket. Frantically, my eyes seek information.

An unfamiliar purple-haired woman in the garb of a conquistador. A pleasantly smiling blue-haired girl with pointed ears. Dozens of similarly generic pirates. An unfamiliar island scene, but I can see the stars above. It's still nighttime.

No, there's no time to hesitate. I don't know why they took me captive, but I don't plan to find out. I reach for my head with [Invisible Providence]-

"I won't let you," an all-too-familiar voice rings out, and I feel a searing pain as a knife severs the unseen arm. My head whips towards the speaker, even as I desperately try to bite my tongue, only for him to thrust his hand into my mouth and stop me.

…I guess it makes sense that he could see it.

"You were too slow, dumbass." Says Alter Ego, face twisted in a cold sneer.

Chapter Text

"Bael has been defeated, as you are no doubt aware."

"Whether it was a pathetic showing or not… is unclear at this point. My examinations of Natsuki Subaru have not yet begun."

"In other words, you have focused your analysis upon that other reality first. That aligns with your preferences - at least what preferences you had before our consensus."

"Just so."

"...Raum. How long has the Near-Future Observation Lens SHEBA been malfunctioning?"

"The new Flauros believes it coincides with Natsuki Subaru's arrival at Chaldea - he claims that VII sabotaged it so it could not detect him as a threat."

"Illogical. It is already obvious that that woman has no such subtlety. Is he simply too stubborn to accept his previous iteration's failure? No, that is not the issue at hand. Who else is aware at this point?"

"Bael, Flauros, Phenex, Bifrons, myself - with you included, Zepar, that makes six of us."

"And our chances of fixing it?"

"...Do you truly wish to do so?"

"..."

"Freed from consensus, you see it too, don't you? As it stands now, our plan is doomed to failure. SHEBA failed six years ago - I'm sure you can piece together the cause."

"...!"

"You can see it now."

"How did we miss it?"

"Our king charted the correct path three thousand years ago, and from that point we have never once questioned or strayed from it. But that thing cannot be predicted. Or rather, the cause for its awakening-"

"-Exists beyond the point of the end of humanity. I understand. And so, you have been searching the other world recorded by Natsuki Subaru. The actions of Bifrons in Jerusalem and Phenex in Rome - am I to assume they are also seeking a solution?"

"Bifrons's results were intentional. Phenex was simply seeking oblivion; the emergence of Sodom's Beast was coincidental."

"Following their example seems ill-advised. I will pick up your slack instead. Give me the data for Natsuki Subaru - he has proved implacable thus far, and so I will search all of his possible pasts, and find the version of him best suited to our task."

"Very well - be warned though, Zepar. In this moment you are following Phenex's example perfectly."

Alter Ego

I blink as Zepar's last thoughts finally vanish. He didn't need to share all of that with me. Really, what a nice guy. Thanks for all the ominous warnings.

Not that I understood any of it.

Ignoring the phantom pains of my body tearing itself apart tens of thousands of times, I begin my stretching routine as I think.

I'm not completely blind at the moment. [Clairvoyance (Demise)] has given me quite a bit of good information considering how many times I just died, so a rudimentary plan is already possible. Zepar has saved me a lot of time - seriously, he really was a nice guy.

'I' should be coming along soon - no, referring to him like that is confusing, so let's call him 'the idiot'.

The idiot is coming soon - I should be able to jump bodies into him, and that'll make it possible for me to actually leave this singularity. From there, it's a simple matter of hunting down Raum. Whatever he's using to analyze Lugunica can probably be used to get back there, and I can see everyone again - however many of them the idiot has left alive, I guess.

"That's awfully cold of you," Echidna notes. "Are you really going to abandon the world of your parents to destruction?"

Ah.

"...Right, there were people like that, weren't there?"

Even now, I'm a coward, huh? I seriously tried to pretend that the end of the world wasn't my problem for a moment there. How disgusting.

"How many times do you estimate I'll have to die?" I ask.

"If I use our previous methodology, it might be upwards of ten billion times," Echidna says. "But considering we seem to have hit some kind of limit for us to be here in the first place, I think we'll have to be a bit less comprehensive going forward. [Clairvoyance (Demise)] is a real lucky break in that respect, but the fact remains we might have to take a few chances. By my count, we capped out at around one billion, does that sound right to you?"

"I lost count at ten million," I admit with some slight embarrassment.

"But you know the exact number you lost count at? Good grief." I can picture her shaking her head with a smug expression. I wish I could punch her.

"For now, let's try Bonnet, and then Medea. They seem like they wouldn't be too much trouble to trick," I say.

That was the intention.

(Stede clings desperately to the wheel, slowly bleeding out, pulling with all his might to get us clear of the whirlpool.)

I just wanted to trick some rogue servants.

(Medea makes one final cast, heedless of her missing legs.)

Just to make some temporary, expendable allies, of people I knew weren't particularly good-hearted.

(Stede keeps his grip on my arm, even though Charybdis will pull him over the side too now.)

I wanted to use them.

(Medea teleports into the path of Drake's shot.)

And yet-

(Stede shouts in exaggerated outrage in a way that reminds me of someone I can't remember.)

Somehow, these two -

(Medea smiles, hair fluttering in the wind.)

As the idiot gnaws uselessly at my fingers in his mouth and struggles to free himself from the ropes binding him, I turn my attention towards Medea for a moment. "I don't want you guys getting caught up in this, so can you step away for a bit?"

"Yes, Subaru-sama," Medea says, giving a small bow. Turning, she starts to walk towards the shoreline, before pausing to look back at me with a small smile. "Please come back safely."

As the starlight glimmers in her eyes, my thoughts freeze for just a moment.

Then I realize that the idiot is staring at me with wide eyes, and I come to my senses. "Drake, that means you too."

"Sure. Any other orders?" The armored woman asks dully.

"Yeah. Go back to where we left the Argo - if it's still intact, destroy it," I say, and ignore the idiot biting down harder on my fingers as he gives a muffled scream, slicing through the [Unseen Hand]s he slings at me. Naturally, as a Servant, I'm far faster than those sluggish things.

But seriously, what's he doing throwing those things around anyway? I guess he's slothful if nothing else…

"Medea, you can go with her if you want," I say, but the Witch shakes her head.

"I'll wait here."

"Alright- let's begin. [Return From Death]."

My world unfolds.

"Neither of us can reset here - your friends are dying outside, so it's in your best interest to give up quickly," I say. "Once I possess you, I'll reset and save everyone, so just give it up already. It's in everyone's best interest."

I take a step back, removing my hand from the idiot's mouth as the familiar green hillscape appears.

Without any hesitation, he bites his tongue off and drowns in his own blood on the grassy slope.

(Did I underestimate him a bit?)

A moment later, the idiot rises to his feet with a scowl as a corpse and a splattering of black mud drop from the hole at the top of the hill.

"So that's how it is, huh?" He mutters.

"[Return From Death] endlessly revives Natsuki Subaru, pouring out curses in the process. It's a fusion of our innate abilities and a niche capability of Angra Mainyu. Of course, since I've got Angra Mainyu as a component of my spirit origin, I can withstand the curses, but as for you…" The mud touches his feet, and… does nothing. "...Never mind, I misread that a bit."

(The vaguest sense of uneasiness starts to build in me.)

"Alter Ego… no, I'm not gonna call you that to your face," He smirks. "Okay, for now you can be Barusu."

"Right, there was a nickname like that, wasn't there…" I mutter.

"God, you're gross," his smirk quickly shifts to a scowl.

Wordlessly, I call Angra Mainyu's weapons, Tawrich and Zarich, to my hands - and then, remembering, I pause. "Before we start… Medea's smile earlier. Did Rem smile the same way? It's been a while, so I don't remember."

"No, it wasn't the same at all," He answers with a hint of pity in his voice, and fury courses through me.

How dare he.

My blades flash through the air - and pass through him. "[EMM]. I hope I don't have to explain this one to you."

"No, Emilia is still a goddess in my world," I say, lowering my weapon and stepping away as I wait for him to run out of mana. "What is that, anyway? Dimensional displacement magic? Who the hell taught you that?"

(I already know.)

"Beatrice, obviously," He answers. "We developed it together not long after we made our contract. But you never managed that, did you? There's no way she'd let you end up like this, if you had."

"Then, the one you sacrificed at the sanctuary was-!?"

"No one, idiot. I've been trying to tell you that. The only difference between us is… when I set out to save everyone, I don't disclude Natsuki Subaru," He says.

"And how many are you willing to sacrifice, for your easily spent life!?"

"Of our friends? Zero, obviously," He says with a shrug. "Well, I haven't succeeded in saving everyone, but you haven't either, have you? No, actually, have you even helped our friends? I mean, really helped them?"

Shut up.

"You completed the trial at the sanctuary, didn't you? But if Garfiel and Emilia were going to grow up, they had to face their respective pasts… hell, did you even take away Roswaal's Book of Wisdom?"

Shut up!

"You just brute forced everything by dying over and over again, without ever trusting your allies. That's not some fantastic feat of willpower and strategy! That's just the gaming style of an elementary schooler! Where the hell do you get off acting so smug - a guy like you could never have cleared the Pleiades Watchtower, not least because the moment you stepped into the library you would have drowned in your own books!"

Shut up, shut up, shut up!

"In other words, you don't have this, do you?" He grins. "Authority of Gluttony: [Sin Eater]."

Something shifts in my world, and two blades appear in his hands as well.

"You…"

"You were never able to kill Gluttony, were you?" He asks with an insufferable smirk. "So there's that, Beatrice, and from what I can tell you even died against Regulus, you freaking clown. Who's the one who has the right to act superior here…?"

"Shut up! You think I don't know!?" I finally shout. "I get it! I get it!"

Yeah. I guess I knew all along. From the moment I saw him smile. If he had been the coward I accused him of being, he wouldn't be able to smile like that. Everything else was convenient self-deception.

With even less effort, he got everything I died over and over to get.

"But… even so," I mutter. "Even so, I have no intention of giving up."

"...W-wait, really?" He seems honestly shocked. I'm not really sure why.

"Yeah. Because I hate you."

In the end, this is just about spite and envy. He can still return home, and I can't. And even if I could, he's done better than me in every respect.

So I'll destroy him and take his place. That's all.

His spell ends, and he's still too slow. A second body is added to the pile, and the mud rises.

Class: Alter Ego
Alternate Classes: Foreigner, Caster
True Name: Natsuki Subaru (Greed)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Armaments: Tawrich and Zarich, Knife.
Manifestation Cost: High

Bio:
An alternate version of Natsuki Subaru. Led astray by the Witch of Greed, he died over and over in an attempt to be a hero who saved everyone. Slowly, he became an incomprehensible existence, and in the end all of his bonds were corrupted or severed. Finally, without warning, he found himself returned to Earth, mixed into the vessel of a Servant prepared by the Demon Pillar Zepar.

The other components used in Alter Ego's construction are Odin in his capacity as a god of prophecy, and Angra Mainyu in his capacity as a god who records atrocities. Neither has any ego, although in some way Angra has managed to bleed through some vague sense of nastiness..

Parameters
Strength: E
Endurance: E
Agility: A
Mana: B
Luck: EX (But not in the sense of 'the best')
NP: EX

Class Skills:

Existence Outside the Domain: C

Territory Creation: B-

Item Construction: B-

Being connected to Odin, and influenced by the Witch of Greed Alter Ego Possesses the innate abilities of a Caster. However, his own bad habits and tendency to constantly reset the timeline mean that he is all but incapable of making real use of these.

Personal Skills:

Affection of the Witch: A++
A skill representing the love that the Witch Satella holds for Alter Ego. "All parameters are ranked up" - sure would be convenient, but in reality this skill just makes Alter Ego smell bad. The first "+" signifies the miasma intensifying when Foreigner's ultimate Noble Phantasm is used. The second "+" signifies Alter Ego's ability to purposely intensify this scent by speaking about his final Noble Phantasm.

Annihilation Wish: B

Clairvoyance (Demise): A

At the moment of his death, Alter Ego gains an extreme degree of insight into his immediate vicinity, especially those things connected with his death. Furthermore, his demise is treated as a sacrifice to the World Tree, and replenishes his mana by an immense degree - but lacking the superior durability of a certain Caster, this effect is only relevant within his reality marble.

Advice of the Witch: A

Allows Alter Ego to receive periodic advice from the Witch Echidna so long as he wears a certain crystal pendant.

Noble Phantasms:

Infinite Ruin: Return From Death
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1-20
Maximum number of targets: 1-50 People

A Reality Marble created by the intermingling of Angra Mainyu's [Unlimited Raise Dead] and Subaru's [Return by Death]. While within its boundaries, [Return by Death] does not activate as usual. Rather, upon Alter Ego's death, he revives within the Reality Marble, and cursed mud is rained down on all within.

This cursed mud is capable of [Blackening] Servants, and those blackened in such a way are beholden to Alter Ego's will.


Live Again, From Zero: Return by Death
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Event
Range: -
Maximum number of targets: 1 Person

As expected, it is the same as the normal [Return by Death]. The user returns to a set point in the past upon death. There are lots of odd caveats, but by this point the reader should not need this ability explained.

Incidentally, if Alter Ego resets, Subaru will not remember the loop that was reset, and if Subaru resets, Alter Ego will not remember.

…By the way, as this is a Noble Phantasm, an innate ability of one who is nominally humanity's defender, it has been mechanically integrated into the human order in such a way that resetting the timeline will not provoke a counter force response on its own.

-But if that is the case, what exactly was Benkei summoned to face?

Chapter Text

The rain continues to drum against my little tent. Outside, I hear the agitated whinny and shlopping footsteps of a passing horse. Behind it, a wagon creaks, its wheels splattering reeking mud.

"Stop. Let me see your pass," A voice calls out, and the man driving the wagon grumbles.

Still, he obliges, introducing himself as a merchant carrying cooking oil to the next territory.

Drip. Drip, Drip. A leak in the roof continues to drip a steady trickle onto the exposed blade of my trembling sword.

Atone.

"So? What's up with that tent there? That allowed so close to a border checkpoint?" The merchant asks, and I grit my teeth.

"That guy? Ah, it's just some monk. He hasn't tried to force his way through or anything, and I'm not looking to upset the Buddha."

The sword just barely breaks the skin of my stomach, and I drop it, clutching both hands to my face.

Atone. Atone. Atone.

"Ah, that so? Oh, speaking of monks."

Why are you still alive?

"I heard Lord Yoshitsune, and those monks he was traveling with, were finally killed."

Why are you still alive, Hitachibou Kaison!?

"Seriously?" The guard says with a slight laugh. "I couldn't imagine anyone killing that big scary one- what was his name again? Mukade?"

"Who's gonna name a monk 'centipede', man?" Another guard says, laughing. "It was…"

"Musashibou Benkei," I finally speak, voice hoarse.

"Musashibou, that's the one!" The guard laughs. "Thanks, mister! Anyway, it's not that big a shock, right? Any man's gotta fall if you shoot enough arrows-?"

"He was still standing," I mutter. "For hours, until Lord Yoritomo's men grew brave enough to check. Musashibou Benkei died standing, and stood for hours still, even as a corpse."

"There is no salvation for a traitor. But, even so," I exit my tent, the tears in my eyes mixing with the rain as I gaze on the three men there in desperation. "This worthless one, who managed to survive, begs of you - please, at the very least allow me to share that man's story."

The mightiest hero of Greece stands atop an iceberg, and nocks an arrow.

He is powerful. Terribly so - and yet, for some reason he has come to meet us. Although by all rights he could have ended us by raining death from afar, he has come to meet us, and give us a fighting chance.

Cu Chulainn has drawn his spear. Mash Kyrielight has readied her shield. And I, the strongest one of us three-

Coward.

-am trembling, inside my soul.

Atone. Atone. Atone.

But, Musashibou Benkei was a brave warrior, and by some curse, I bear his name at this moment.

Dismissing my clones, abandoning the leyline plan, and summoning a new batch for this fight… won't be necessary.

I can end this in one strike. As a Grand Servant, I'm at least the same speed as him - my Agility is C-rank, but the C-rank of a Grand is on par with the A-rank of a normal Servant. My strength far surpasses his endurance, and if he takes a single hit from me, he will die. If Jason is correct, he can come back, but only once.

He possesses clones made of ice - but thinking of them as clones is incorrect. They aren't like my Benkei Butsu, created by a Noble Phantasm - their true nature is simply autonomous ice familiars. How he obtained the ability to make them doesn't matter right now; what matters is the knowledge that no familiar can fight at the same speed and power as a Servant. They are glorified weapons platforms, only useful for firing attacks.

Alcides has a shroud that nullifies all weapons made of human hands - right now, it's covering his face, and by extension most of his body. However, that is to my benefit. I can nullify that expected defense by stealing it with [Eighth Implement], at which point he will be exposed to a lethal blow, and I will gain an absolute defense against his counterattack. The only necessary item is an opening.

"[EMM]!" Subaru shouts something, and Mash turns towards him in shock - there.

Alcides fires, his copies following suit as both real arrows and those made of ice strike like lightning. In the same moment, I draw.

My blade beats down all arrows in my path as I leap towards him.

Not yet. Not yet. Wait for the very last moment.

I close fifty meters between us in a second. {By my Command Spell, stop where you are.} My [Blank Subscription List]'s fraudulent Command Spell…

"[Reincarnation…" He begins to chant.

-fails to influence him. So be it. "[Eighth…"

"-Pandora]." He concludes.

"-Implement]!" I shout.

Of my three Noble Phantasms, [Benkei Butsu] is doubtless the best in one-on-one combat.

Atone.

The inability to control the number of clones produced aside, the fact is that none of these clones are significantly weaker than the original. Each clone takes one of my seven weapons (the eighth Benkei having to make do with unarmed attacks, or the use of [Eighth Implement]), but ultimately losing access to one of many weapons is usually no big deal.

Atone. Atone. Atone.

And, of course, the fact is that no matter which is killed, the clone or the original, I will not die unless all copies are destroyed. In that sense, you could say that there is 'no original'. Furthermore, when a clone is slain, all copies have their strength enhanced temporarily, and the weapon wielded by that copy is sent to another copy at random. If I cancel the Noble Phantasm early, I can choose which body remains, and enhancement proportional to the lost clones will be applied to it.

Why are you still alive?

-However, what would happen if [Benkei Butsu] were canceled against my will?

Would a body be chosen at random? Would the body possessing the most of my weapons be chosen?

Why are you still alive, Hitachibou Kaison!?

I know the truth. The body chosen would be the one that I, instinctively, choose in that split second of the Noble Phantasm's activation.

Musashibou Benkei would have no problem with that. He would always choose correctly.

Musashibou Benkei would have stood by his allies to the very end.

But I am Hitachibou Kaison, a coward who failed to die.

As I gaze upon the very same island that I was summoned to, far away from my allies, I press a katana against my stomach, tears and sweat rolling down my face - and drive it in.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Achieving nothing, the False Grand Lancer passes away from this world in the desperate hope that the True might arrive.

-And then, a moment later, I return.

"...What?" I mutter. "Even now, I can't die?"

Well, of course I can't. I still had [Chiron's Immortality] from Alcides's Noble Phantasm - wait, I did!?

Didn't I get the Nemean Lion's Pelt? Yes, it's right there on the ground-

"[Stymphalian Bird]." A bronze-feathered bird answer's my call, manifesting just in front of me. "You're kidding… I got the whole set!?"

In that case…

"Then I can still make it," I mutter, mounting the bird. Please. Please, let me make it in time.

As my mount takes off, my last sight before returning here flits through my mind. Alcides, his grimacing face exposed. Those strange eyes of his which I had expected to be full of contempt, in that moment were… no, I had to be mistaken.

The true Benkei would stand strong. Alcides's appearance wouldn't be enough to unsettle him.

But as for me, there's something about it - that wild-haired face, crowned with horns, with eyes full of admiration of all things - that makes me shudder.

Chapter Text

123: Cu Chulainn

In a flash of light, Benkei disappears. Behind us, the cloud of butterflies vanishes with Subaru in tow. In other words, we might be in a bit of trouble.

One of my familiars detects the Lancer at the first leyline, but he's disappeared from the other two, which means… probably his clones were dispelled. Whether his Noble Phantasm was sealed or stolen isn't clear yet, though considering he looks like what Gareth described seeing in France, I'm guessing it's been stolen.

A small smirk graces Alcides's now exposed face as he touches a rapidly healing chest wound. "...If I had been slower, I'd be dead now. I knew about [Eighth Implement], but to think it could take all of [King's Order] in a single use…"

That's a bait. If I was a Lancer, I would have taken it, but I'm not right now, so I contemplate my conditions for victory.

My Master has been kidnapped. He's not at a great risk of being killed just yet, but that doesn't mean I can just forget about him. The nice part is, he's gotta be in close proximity to Alter Ego right now, which means if I can pull off my whole 'steal his spirit origin' plan, Subaru can just grab the Grail off his corpse.

In other words, the best chance of victory is to disengage in the way that keeps the most of my allies alive, and still leaves me in condition to activate the spell once I reach the leyline.

"I can't use that just yet," I mutter as Alcides materializes a sword in his hand. But beyond that, everything else is permitted. I speak louder this time, "I'm going all out. You guys back me up or leave, I don't care which!"

"Tch… yeah, I get it!" Jason replies, materializing the golden fleece and casting it to the floor in front of him. "[Drakon Kholkikos]!"

I dash forward, spear readied, the Colchian dragon on my heels. He's faster than me, but that won't matter - is what he probably thinks I'm thinking.

He has an answer to [Gae Bolg], is my guess - or else his luck stat is high enough that he thinks he can survive it.

"[Gae-!" I shout as I close the gap, meeting him in the air halfway between his iceberg and the boat.

His sword moves like water, cutting through the air in a way that I can't quite grasp.

"-Bolg]!"

The heart was pierced, there|fore the spear was thrust.

Metal meets metal, and with a resounding crack - my spear is cut in half.

"The type of sword pervert who could cut through concepts with a pair of chopsticks" - that's how Master described this guy's previous opponent, right?

In other words - Alcides acquired that technique and cut through my reversal of cause and effect.

I reverse my direction with a burst of mana, and he pursues me - got him.

If he can repel Gae Bolg, then I just need to use a different attack entirely!

"Ansuz!" The runes set on the deck of the Argo flare to life, trapping Alcides in my barrier of my Noble Phantasm, the same that slew his Berserker counterpart in Fuyuki. "An offering to the great god of wisdom - [Ochd Deug Odin]-!"

Again his sword ripples, and my Barrier is cut down, letting him slip out just as the whole thing explodes. At the same time, Jason's dragon, passing by me for an attempted bite, is met with a devastating palm strike that sends it flying overboard.

I hurl firebolts at him to create distance while gathering mana-

"Pathetic," In an instant, he's behind me, and my garbage Caster Agility isn't enough to let me fully block the attack. His kick slams me into the deck of the Argo, splintering the wood. "Is this all the mightiest hero of Ireland is capable of? Must you rely on the abilities of gods?"

Alcides spits the last word like a curse.

"Hating humans wasn't enough for you?" I groan, rising to my feet.

But I understand. Cu Chulainn is more than just this. I'm the hound of Ulster, dammit! What the hell am I doing lying on my ass like some kind of loser!?

"Do not misunderstand. I disdain humans," Alcides shakes his head. "But the gods who created them… I despise. They are the most worthless of all. They claim to rule while granting humanity only pain and suffering - were it possible, I would butcher them as I did the monsters they created.The gods are all deserving of-"

In that moment, a stone whizzes past his head.

A young man with green hair, far away on the neighboring island shakes his head as he places a second stone in his sling. "Say what you like about other gods, but mine has been good to me. Dalet!"

Playing smart isn't like me. I thought I should stick to that role, since I'm a Caster. Since the fate of humanity was on the line, I ought to take things a bit seriously.

But I am a hound. I fight with tooth and fang!

Grabbing the halves of my weapon from the deck, I strike with a grin. My right hand, gripping the front half of the broken Gae Bolg, is deflected by his sword - but that leaves him open, and the back half pierces his wrist as a second and third stone miss their marks - no, they were meant to miss.

"Bet!" The youth shouts as he fires his fourth stone. "Alef! You have the right to reform, but you leave me no choice-!"

Many Noble Phantasms require activation conditions - in the case of this man, King David, the requirement is simple. Four warning shots before the final, undeflectable shot.

"Tch- [Benkei-!" Alcides shouts as weapons made of ice rain uselessly towards me - my [Protection from Arrows] deflects them all, and I drive the other half of my ruined weapon into the same wound as the first, severing his hand at the wrist.

"[Hamesh-!" A faint voice calls from far ashore.

The strongest hero of Greece catches his fallen sword and completes a circular slash. "-Butsu]!"

"-Avanim]!"

A golden bolt crosses the sea, and strikes him in the head, removing it in a spray of blood.

-but that doesn't matter now.

Two copies are standing at either side of the first, while at the peak of that same iceberg he arrived on, a third flexes a replacement hand made of ice experimentally as he materializes a bow in his other.

"I'll admit it," I say after a moment, standing upright. "Odin's tricks won't do any good against a guy like you. I should have done this from the start."

Holding both halves of my broken spear in one hand, I materialize my staff again and toss it to Mash Kyrielight. "Girlie, go plant that at the Leyline. You've got communications back, so Da Vinci should probably know enough to finish the spell. Long as I'm still alive, it'll work."

"Oh? Do you think I'll just let them walk on over?" The Archer says with a smirk - but I can see a familiar fire starting to burn in his eyes. I know it, because I've got the same in mine.

With one motion I cast my cloak and shirt aside, prompting a gasp from Mash and a sharp intake of breath from Jason.

"Yeah. You wanted to see what 'Cu Chulainn' can do, right?" I ask as I begin to channel mana into the hundreds of runes engraved on my skin.

I still don't know if this will work. Nobunaga had babbled something about my teacher changing people's classes with swimsuits and runes, but who knows whether she was just making shit up.

But as for this, the theory is sound enough.

An ordinary Servant is restricted by their Class Container from manifesting the Noble Phantasms of their other classes - but I'm a Pseudo-Servant. The 'Caster' in me comes from Odin, while Cu Chulainn is simply an 'ordinary' human body with no innate class restrictions. My spear is one thing, but-

The innate abilities carved into the body of 'Cu Chulainn' can surely be released with enough cheating.

From my pocket I pull a strip of preserved skin - marked with the six remaining Command Spells of my old master, Kotomine Kirei - and swallow it whole.

Mana surges through me, and my body shudders.

"[Warp Spasm]Riastrad."

Compendium Update: Cu Chulainn

Riastrad: Warp Spasm
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Range -
Maximum number of targets: 1 person.

The Noble Phantasm of the true Berserker Cu Chulainn, as opposed to his altered form seen in Fujimaru Ritsuka's journey. His strongest Noble Phantasm and the reason why summoning Cu Chulainn as a Berserker is seen as essentially suicide.

A rage so great and terrible that it warps the sufferer's very body into a perfect animalistic killing machine, a shapeless abomination meant purely for killing - was already the case for this ability while Cu Chulainn was still alive.

Now, having become a Noble Phantasm, it is more terribile still, allowing alterations of his form that the less malleable human form would have restricted. Furthermore, even after the first activation, the Berserk Cu Chulainn can continue to reactivate this Noble Phantasm over and over again at will, constantly distorting his body to match the situation, even including adaptation to allow him to draw mana from his master at a pace to allow such an insane tactic.

-It is for this reason that summoning him in such a state is a suicidal endeavor. Under any normal circumstance, even a Master with the reserves of Illyasviel von Einzbern would likely die of mana exhaustion within the hour.

Accounting for the devoured Command Spells, the connection to three leylines, the generators of Chaldea, and Natsuki Subaru's own mana reserves…

If Cu Chulainn fights in this state for longer than ten minutes, his master will perish.




...Also, on a note completely unrelated to this Noble Phantasm, Cu Chulainn's spear (copied by Archer) sticks around after being broken in this chapter. This is because Archer's weapons disappear due to him subconsciously dismissing them when broken. With him dead and gone, Gae Bolg will retain its form (but not its function) for some time yet.

Chapter Text

124: The Difference Between You and Me

(Tentatively recommended music. Thematically appropriate, but it doesn't sync perfectly to story beats.)

"Because I hate you."

Those words pierce me with the same mercilessness as the blade that spills my guts onto the mud-streaked ground of Alter Ego's Reality Marble.

-Diplomacy is impossible. I should have realized that from the start. Was I ever the type of guy to take an "I'm better than you" speech with a smile? Even if it was true?

Of course not. That's why I fought Julius, after all. For all that I've been humbled, for all that I tell myself that I've learned my lesson - the jealous asshole that I was that day is still a part of me. If I ran into a version of me who managed to save Rem from Ley back then, who was having some lovey-dovey romantic comedy life with her and Emilia, and my only option was to take his place or disappear…

But right now, that's not my circumstance.

So for all that I pity him, for all that I can understand his position-

Because everyone is waiting for me. Because I can't count on this moron to help them, not really. Because his ridiculous possession scheme is dubious at best.

Because, despite everything, even if the result is imperfect, even though suffering and despair may well be inevitable, I don't want to die.

-I need to fight.

I'm reborn, and again he closes the gap with incredible speed, his strange claw-like blade flashing through the air.

"[Minya]!" I shout, and the crystals dig into his flesh as his blade finds my throat. He shatters. I choke and die.

The mud rises to our ankles, and he lunges again. I reinforce my muscles and match his first attack this time, my own weapons catching his as I counter with my [Invisible Providence] -

He lets go of the weapons, slicing through the unseen hand with a dagger that follows through to lodge itself in my heart, even as my blades come down on his head.

As we die, I realize that my third command spell, the one I spent in a vain attempt to buy time for diplomacy, is back on my hand - in other words, my whole body gets reset?

"[EMT]!" I activate my magic-cancelling spell, but it does nothing to disrupt the Reality Marble - it's more permanent than Prelati's fraudulent one, I guess. A swipe from Barusu's right weapon removes my head.

"[EMM]!" I activate my absolute defense spell again. "Aren't you being unreasonable!?"

"Shut up. Do you really think buying time will help? I've seen how this fight plays out. Even with you there, the only one who could have taken down Alcides was Nobunaga," Barusu says. "You can give up on that whole 'tear Odin out of his Spirit Origin' plan, too. The second Leyline you went to was a fake that Circe created to hide the real one on her island."

…Seriously, just how thorough is this guy? "Do you really need to 100% everything!? I'm pretty sure we weren't even the type to catch every Pokemon, so why are you acting like some kind of hardcore completionist now!?"

"That's why you'll lose. If you hadn't taken shortcuts, if you had gone back to recruit every Servant you encountered, you might not have been in this situation," He says, a spiteful grin clear on his face.

"You're just jealous that I haven't died since the Minotaur attack!" I say, sticking my tongue out.

"Y-you… just how half-assed are you!?" He screams.

My spell ends, sooner than expected, and I double over as nausea overwhelms me. Mana exhaustion!? Just what-

My skull is split by a cruel blade, and I'm released from my sickness.

Should I just summon someone with the Command Spell? The mud is already up to our knees, though, and the only Servant who could kill Alter Ego in here-

(His blade is buried deep into my chest.)

-is Benkei, but since he was a Grand Servant I couldn't form a direct contract with him-

(He slices my head off.)

-Nobunaga could have at least flown above the mud, but she's…

He dashes into range again, but pauses before he swings. "...Why aren't you fighting back?"

Ah, I guess I'm not, am I? "...Will it stop you, if I do?"

I die.

"Of course not," He says.

"I guess not fighting back won't stop you either, though." I say, and I die.

"Naturally," my counterpart answers.

"In that case, I'll just ignore you and try to figure out a way out of this," I say.

It's a total bluff. Of course I won't be able to think of anything worth a damn if he keeps killing me. Even now, it's not like I'm used to the feeling of death. I'm just saying it to wind him up.

"None!" With a shout, he cuts me down again. "There is none! This is checkmate, dammit!" He kills me. "I get it!" He tackles me and I struggle to raise my head above the mud, to breathe, breathe - "I know I'm an idiot! I'm a moron who can't get anything right, even after a billion tries! But even I-!" He plunges his blade into my chest, and whips his anguished face towards my new body as it forms.

"Even I won't screw up when it's my last chance to see everyone again!" He shouts as tears start to fall from his eyes.

…Goddammit.

He staggers to his feet and walks sullenly towards me.

I close my eyes. Don't look at me like that.

I hear a splash in front of me as he falls to his knees in front of me, and I look up, towards the still dripping hole in reality above me, anywhere but at the guy himself.

"...Please," He mumbles at last. "Just one more chance. I just want… one more chance, dammit."

Shit, shit, shit.

Why?

Why did he have to finally be honest?

If he hadn't done this… I'm sure I could have fought it out to the bitter end. But instead.

"...Shit, you got me," I finally say, and he looks at me in shock. "What the hell are you doing on the ground? It's checkmate, right? S-stand proud, you fucking asshole."

"You… are you serious?" He mutters, eyes scanning me for any sign of deception.

"Ye-yeah. This is… as far as a I fucking go. Sh-shit…" I choke out through tears. "I can't get out of this. You win, fair and square."

"...Liar. Liar! I was just about to finally break down, so why-!" He screams.

"I t-told you, right?" I stammer through my tears. "Th-that's the difference. Between you and me."

"..."

"I, I told you, right?" Finally, I choke back the waterworks, forcing a wide smile onto my face. "'Natsuki Subaru' - is also someone I want to save."

He stands up. With gritted teeth, and guilty eyes pouring tears that can't even look at me straight, the other me rises to his feet.

"Th-then, I'm going to do it," He mutters. "I'll really… take your place."

"Yeah. But, before that-" There's one more thing. One last thing I need to do, if I'm going to save this moron. Because, as he is now, he's doomed to go astray and ruin everything - but there's a way to prevent that. "-[Sure Kill Trident]."

A spell, embedded in my Mystic Code, that I had no use for up to this point. I had regretted swapping out the water-walking spell for it many times up to this point. But now-

With certain accuracy, my blade shatters the Pyroxene crystal hanging around his neck, the container for the Witch of Greed that led him to this point.

-In this moment, I'm truly grateful.


"...Ah." My counterpart's eyes widen - and then, with no warning, he drops to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut, as the Reality Marble collapses.

…He's not waking up.

No matter how much I poke and prod, how much I shout at him, Barusu simply stares into space with blank eyes, totally unresponsive.

"...I was resolved to help you, and this is what you give me!?" I finally shout, kicking him. Was Echidna's destruction the trigger to defeat him? That's stupid!

But… if I'm loose now, I don't have to give up. I can return, I can stop Nobunaga from being killed - I can even… yeah, I can find a better way to save this guy, that doesn't mean I need to disappear.

"...I'm not abandoning you. I promise. I will, definitely, save you."

I crush my own heart with Invisible Providence, my eyes trained on the vacant, tear-stained eyes of 'Natsuki Subaru' to the very end. There's a vague pulling sensation, and then-

Chapter Text

Alter Ego

"Well? What do you want to do about this?" Echidna asks.

"...Huh?" I ask.

Somehow, I've found myself at the witch's tea party again. Usually I have to enter on purpose, but there is a provision in our contract that allows her to call me in during an emergency. But I can't really understand the emergency. After all, that guy…

"Come to think of it…" I look away, gritting my teeth. "Do we have to do it this way? I know… up until now I've been dead set on this possession plan, but…"

…The truth is, I hadn't considered a peaceful option. This whole time, I had worked under the assumption that a fight between us was inevitable. I know what kind of lonely, hideous monster I am.

But I didn't account for him.

I've been going on and on about replacing him up to this point, but…

I can't do that. Obviously I can't. There's no possible way for me to measure up. I can try a million times and I'll just mess up and ruin it again.

No, exactly because I'll try a million times, I'll ruin everything. The friendship and trust that Stede has given me, the love and affection that Medea has given me… just how many millions of times have I thrown those feelings away at this point?

Did I tell Medea I loved her, this time around?

"Hello?"

Probably not. Those feelings… already faded more than ten thousand loops ago. Since then, I've just been going through the motions. For the sake of the countless iterations of her that I did love, who I erased with my own hands.

"Hellooooo? Are you just going to ignore me!?"

Finally, I notice the Witch shaking my shoulders. "Sorry, I was lost in thought."

"Goodness… you really need to pay better attention. You can't just ignore a cute, beautiful girl when she's right in front of you. Especially not in such a dangerous moment as this!" Echidna huffs. "Especially not to think about someone else! Can't you at least hold me tightly now of all times?"

"...My bad," I say, sighing. "So? What's the big problem, exactly?"

"Wow!? Isn't that just cruel? Or- don't tell me, you really didn't notice?" Her face shifts to total shock. "I understand it was an emotional moment, but that doesn't excuse you failing to even realize that he broke my crystal just now!"

"...Oh." Ain't that bad!?

"Yes, 'oh'! So with that in mind, I've slowed down our perception of time a bit, but you really need to decide what we're going to do quickly, before Satella locks this in." She says. "Luckily we're not that short on options - the easiest is, you can just kill yourself before I finish disappearing. The normal you wouldn't be able to, but the extra speed you got from Angra Mainyu can manage it."

Why!? Why the hell would he do this? Was all that sympathy, were all those tears, just an act?

"Secondly, we've got the option of just directly absorbing me into your Spirit Origin," The Witch continues. "Well, if we do that, I don't know whether the 'Echidna' inside you would end up being me or the original Witch of Greed, and that might also stand a chance of turning you into a woman or something strange like that. I understand you've crossdressed once or twice in the past, but I don't believe your hobby extends quite that far, so as interesting as it would be, that option seems a little risky."

Doesn't he understand that without Echidna, I-

"Third and finally, we still have my preferred option. I mentioned it before, but the ability of the Demon Pillars to propagate endlessly should be enough to allow you to create a whole new body for me using Zepar's existence as a model. I understand that there's the risk that he could try to possess me, but I really think that isn't as big of an issue as you believe. Any branches off of the Zepar within you should be just as mentally broken as yours, and furthermore I believe even if I did receive a fully intact Demon Pillar I would be more than capable of breaking their will on my own. I understand that there's also the issue of the Witch of Envy, but if she does come after us for this, we can just default back to Plan A. Really, there aren't any risks to speak of, and the benefits are countless. I know you've turned down my offers of physical companionship in the past, but if I had a real body I'm certain it would be considerably better. And, of course, when you need to Return by Death I can assist you with it, no questions asked. In fact, if we set it up correctly, we can probably even make it so that I actually remember previous loops, since I would become 'Zepar' and Zepar is 'Natsuki Subaru'. Really, I might even be able to Return by Death myself, which would give us an unspeakably huge advantage. If there is a limit on Return by Death that sent us here, then by doing this we would essentially produce an entire extra set of lives so that we could better perfect solutions - actually, come to think of it, there's nothing saying we need to stop at creating one copy of me, so if we create enough we would essentially have infinite lives. By that point, you wouldn't even be required to die anymore and you could just live happily ever after while I solve everything for you. Ah, if you're at all worried, please don't, there's no way I could get rid of you, since at the end of the day Return by Death would still only work because of you. I wouldn't abandon you, in fact considering that I could make so many copies of myself, I could even model some to your preference, and you could simply get rid of them when you got bored, since they would all be me anyway. You wouldn't have to feel guilty like you do about Rem, Emilia, Beatricem, or Medea - not that I'm implying you fell out of love with Rem, you've been curiously persistent in that attachment - but as for the others, the fact is that you couldn't maintain your relationship with any of them over so many loops, but obviously that wouldn't be a problem with me-"

Oh.

"Echidna, shut up," I snap, my fist starting to clench by habit.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I went into chatterbox mode again…" She says with her usual false embarrassment that just makes me want to hit her even more. "I really can't help it when I get talking. The truth is, even though people say I don't understand emotions, that doesn't mean I don't have emotions of my own, and I'm very prone to excitement-

"I know, so shut up!" Just how long have I been contracted to you, woman!? I raise my fist, and-

No, stop. Don't let her distract you.

…Right, I understand now.

"Echidna," I say, forcing myself to lower my fist. "You promised me perfect results, but his results are better. Do you have any excuse for that? No… I actually don't care so much about it, except… was it on purpose?"

She's quiet for a moment, staring back into my eyes as I search her face for just one, just a single sign of guilt.

I find none.

"...That's difficult to answer," She finally says. "I promised perfect results… but not perfect results in the smallest number of loops."

"Yeah. I already figured that part out a while ago, but since it was just me being hurt, I decided it was fine," I admit. "Seeing him… I think I was wrong to decide that, but I've made my peace with it at this point. Just… everything else. Did you know that I was going to burn all of my relationships to the ground by doing this."

"...Haven't you already been told many times by this point?" She asks simply. "I don't understand the human heart."

"...I see," I say as I stand up and slide my chair back under the table, and she does the same. "In that case…"

"Do you think you would be better off without me?" She asks, drawing close and gazing up to meet my eyes. "Surely you understand by now how worthless you are on your own, Subaru."

"Yeah. But right now, I'm even less than worthless," I say. "...This is goodbye, Echidna."

"...I see. There's no changing your mind, is there? Why must love always fade…" She says, eyes scanning my face before finally a smile that makes me want to puke stretches across her face. "I suppose this is interesting too, in its own way."

She leans forward, and just this once, I don't try to avoid it. "Farewell then, Natsuki Subaru."

Our last kiss tastes of faded flowers and dust.

Snap.

I'm sorry.

Snap.

I was wrong.

Snap.

I am worthless. I was always worthless.

Snap.

I'll never try to get away again, so please, Echidna.

Snap.

Please, tell me the answer!

Snap.

But there is no answer. The moment she died, the reset point was moved. The moment the reset point was moved, this hell was locked in stone. Even if I don't even bother to possess Natsuki Subaru. Even if I retain my might as a Servant.

Snap.

I will never make it in time.

Snap.

Natsuki Subaru

I stare at the fallen form of 'Natsuki Subaru'. Still collapsed. Still totally void of emotion. Still broken.

It moved.

Of course it moved.

Echidna, who used [Return by Death] to the very ends of her pleasure - there can't have been anyone in this singularity Satella wanted dead more than her.

It's only natural that she would move it.

The death of Nobunaga, whatever state my friends were left in after my absence - I just locked it in with my own hands. And the guy I wanted to save, has collapsed in despair at the loss of the one person who was with him through subjective centuries of trials and tribulations.

I'm an idiot. I know I'm an idiot.

"-But, I can't just give up with this," I mutter. "[Cor Leonis]."

If I can take on some of his despair, then maybe, just maybe -

Die die die die die die nothing no hope there is no salvation die die suffer die help help help help help me help me not on my own I can't do this on my own please please please answer me help die help help-!

I vomit as his feelings wash over me.

He mumbles, pitifully. "Me…dea."

But that's when I feel it. At the edge of my awareness, a little ways down the beach, my Authority detects the unmistakable presence of Oda Nobunaga.

It feels wrong. Something feels so terribly wrong, as I sprint, stumbling, through down the windy, sand-swept beach. Despite all of the hope I'm feeling that Gudaguda particles or whatever will have bailed me out, somehow I know. I know that what I see here will only deepen my anguish.

Finally I see them. The first, that super cute blue-haired elf girl from before, Medea - really, looking at her I can basically confirm that Jason deserved everything he got, because come on- but that's beside the point. The point is, she's injured. Terribly so, every limb twisted at a different angle, with blood oozing from her mouth as she tries to speak. "S-subaru, sama?"

Then, with a sickening crack, the second presence snaps her neck and drops her, lifeless, to the ground, revealing itself as drops of rain begin to plop down onto the sand again.

A twisted creature, with no head. On the lower body, I can still make out the pants and boots of my Archer, but above the waistline, she has transformed. A hulking mass of muscle covered in purple scales has taken the place of her upper body, with burly, fin-lined arms. And, on the center of the torso, a familiar orange-eyed, fish-like face sneers at me.

"...Dagon," I scowl.

"As I have declared… you remain accursed."

"This is… one of the 'headless men?'" I ask, brandishing the arm with my single Command Spell. As expected of Sensei, even something like this was in the [Okeanos Doom Packet]. "I think they were called Blemmyes, right?" Well, I think there's also some Youkai that looks similar, but considering this guy's nature-

"Its model was a vengeful spirit that once haunted the Nile," He snarls. "Thus, by my authority to create Water Monsters-"

"You used what was left of Nobunaga and yourself to create one last monster," I sigh as the sky, already lit only by the stars, grows darker and darker. "...I wonder how long that guy was trying to save her?"

He spoke her name, just now, after all. At first I thought it was the loss of Echidna, but… to be honest I can't imagine their relationship was very good. No, I'm sure by this point he had to be aware she was actively using him, that he had signed up for a life that was hell on Earth. But he was too scared to move on. Someone just needed to step in to break him free.

That's why I destroyed that crystal, after all.

Anyway, what broke him just now… had to be this. The monster, waiting with his friend captive to kill her in front of him for the express purpose of making him miserable. He must have tried thousands of times - but, no matter what he did, as long as he was on his own… he would never be able to make it in time to save Medea.

Barusu was in this singularity for a much longer time than anyone else, subjectively. Even putting aside whatever he was throwing at me, he had to have died an insane number of times just to even get Heracles into his Reality Marble. The amount of time he was spending with that girl…

Well, if you consider that I appear to have a thing for both 'affectionate blue-haired girls' and 'cute silver-haired elf girls', an 'affectionate blue-haired elf girl' falls completely into the established range of girls Barusu could fall for. Putting aside his total incompetence in interpersonal relationships, he was probably head over heels for her, even if he didn't want to admit it. Mhm, mhm, as his older brother, I'm rooting for him.

Why am I the older one? Well, he's less wise, and I've got three extra months of real-time experience on him from my return to Earth. Time loops don't count.

"Cease your insufferable smirking. Will you call your servant to your side, or not?"

"I won't," I say with a smirk. This command spell is going to serve a different purpose.

"...Then perish." A bolt of lightning tears through my chest.

I don't want to make a habit of it, but… dying to save myself doesn't feel that bad.

Soul-crushing despair flows over me again, but this time I'm ready, and I don't vomit as I dump a bucket of cold water over Barusu's insensate face.

"Wake up, stupid little brother, and make a contract with me! We're saving your girlfriend!" I shout.

"...What?" He mutters dully.

"I said, make a contract with me, dumbass! You're a Servant, aren't you?" I say. "We're gonna go save Jason's cute ex-wife that you've clearly got a crush on!"

"A 'crush'? You goddamn… no," He starts to get ready to start up a shouting match before he exhales and flops onto his back. "Saving her is already… impossible. Just how many millions of times do you think I… dammit. Why… why the hell did you have to get rid of Echidna!?"

"M-millions!?" Are you stupid? "And did you actually ask me for help a single time? Or did you run off half-cocked like an idiot!?"

"Ask for- what would be the point? Even if I run as fast as I can, I won't make it." He mumbles. "Echidna might have thought of something, but my plans are always useless. I understand what you were trying to do, but… you shouldn't pity a guy like me. I'm not even worthless. I'm worse than worthless. I'm a useless bastard who can't do anything right, who sabotages his friends' lives because a witch he knows is using him said to!"

…

"...It's your win," He admits. "I can't do anything on my own. I would have ruined everything anyway, so this is for the best-"

"Of course you can't do anything on your own!" I say, rolling my eyes. "When the hell did you get the idea that you were supposed to do things on your own? That's not our specialty. So, since you've got me for backup - stand up."

"..."

"Stand up."

"I can't anymore. I ruined everything. Not just my friends - I can't even save yours now. Alcides isn't listening to me anymore," He says.

"Stand up," I say, biting back my own feelings.

"And even before this… back home, it was all ruined. Garfiel and Beatrice… you managed to work things out with them, right? But they both hate me. I thought I could solve that, if I reset enough but… that's stupid, right?"

I figured as much, to be honest. Neither of them would have let him get this bad. "Yeah, it's stupid. Now, stand up."

"And then Emilia, and Reinhard… I think there's something wrong with both of them, but I'm too stupid to understand it. Or really, I didn't really see them changing like a normal person would see it, so I don't even understand the first thing of how to fix it - no, in the first place, me, fixing people!? There's not a chance!"

What, Reinhard joined his camp? No, let's ignore that for now. "Yeah, that's stupid. Now, stand up."

"...Why are you so damn annoying." He mumbles.

"Older brother privilege. Now, stand up."

"No, I forgot earlier, but in what way are you older!?" He finally shouts as he sits up and points at me - okay, good enough.

I grab his outstretched hand and pull him up to his feet. "There you go, you're standing."

He sighs. "You're not even listening to me."

"Sure I was. You're worse than worthless, can't fix a damn thing, and you're just incredibly stupid to boot. So what?" I grin and point at myself. "I'll let you in on a secret - I, your wise older brother, was also useless and stupid in the past!"

"We're not brothers, and if we were, I'd be older!" He shouts as he pulls his hand out of my grip.
"...The point is, let's do our best to fix this. It won't be perfect, but it'll be something. I don't care how firmly your life is buried in the negatives. I came down here to get you, and I'm not going to stop until we've clawed our way all the way back up to zero."

He breathes in, sighs - and punches me in the stomach.

"Ow, what the hell!?" I thought that was a good speech!

"I can't believe you had the gall to plagiarize Rem to me - no, actually, that 'stand up' thing you kept repeating, was that her too!? You had the same damn lilt in your voice for that!" He shouts.

"Geh." He caught me. I should have stolen from Otto instead. "You said you didn't remember her voice-"

"I at least remember that moment!" He says, facepalming.

I examine him for a moment. "...Still, you seem a bit more cheerful now."

Barusu shakes his head and shrugs. "Sure. What the hell. I ask of you, are you my Master?"

"Yeah," I answer with a grin. "I guess I am."



"...By the way, now that I think about it, I don't actually want to call you Barusu forever, so what do you think about 'Rigel'?"

"I get that I'm technically the fake, so I'll accept a nickname, but can we at least stick to something Japanese?"

Chapter Text

"You really mean what you said the other day?" Cu Chulainn asked, leaning against the ship's railing.

"Be more specific. I say a lot of random crap," Jason replied, glancing away from the rudder for a moment.

"Heracles. You really think the berserk me would stand the best chance?" The caster said.

"I mean, it's your strongest class, right?"

"Haaah… I wonder about that. If you're asking which one is the best to summon, it's Lancer, no questions asked," Cu Chulainn said. "Even putting aside the issues with his mana consumption, the berserk me is a good-for-nothing who can't tell enemy from friend. No, even worse than that, he hates both of them with all his heart. Don't really like hating people - makes me feel gross, you know?"

"...Yeah, I guess you are the light-hearted battle maniac type," Jason sighed. "But still… isn't [Riastrad] your strongest Noble Phantasm?"

"Nah, [Gae Bolg] is better nine times outta ten. It doesn't matter how strong I get if my spear can just instantly kill anyone in range. [Riastrad] is only better against enemies that can consistently get lucky enough to dodge an undodgeable blow, or enemies who don't die when they're killed."

"So enemies like Heracles, then."

"...Yeah."

A moment of silence followed, before Cu Chulainn finally spoke again.

"Master told you a bit about Fuyuki, but he didn't mention that I was originally part of that grail war," He said. "Actually, after everyone got corrupted, I was basically running around on my own for close to a month. So for me, Berserker - sorry, Heracles - is kind of like an old friend at this point."

"You were fighting him for a month and you think you're his friend!? You really are easygoing, huh!?" Jason blurted out.

The caster chuckled. "You said it yourself, right? [God Hand] was stored in his skin, and he lost both - but he had a full month, you know? He never regenerated his skin, or even repaired his eyes, even over an entire month?"

"...That's just like him," Jason said, smiling and shaking his head.

"The rest were the same. Whether it was Archer sitting around doing nothing unless I got close, or Rider charging clearly into an obvious trap and letting Berserker kill him… they were all restrained in some way or another. I don't think any of them were even aware of it, and maybe this is all just wishful thinking, but deep down it felt like… they were all cheering for me," Cu Chulainn said with a sigh. "So I got to thinking, a little bit before Chaldea arrived - if I forced a [Riastrad] with runes, could I finish the war? Everyone else had already shown me their worst, most loathsome sides - so what was I doing holding mine back?"

The runes on Cu Chulainn's body pulse as his form distorts. His muscles bulge, shuddering with the terrible sound of stretching skin as he hunches over like a beast. Fingers twist and melt together, wrapping around the split halves of his spear as his shoulder bones exit their joints with a horrific pop. His legs bulge as he rolls forward onto his tiptoes, the bones of his feet cracking as his feet extend into an animalistic lower leg.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" An unearthly howl wracks the man's throat as his jaw distends, unhinging like a snake, teeth sharpening against themselves with a sickening grinding noise. His veins bulge impossibly large, before being swallowed by even more distorted tendon and muscle, knitting itself outward in an impossible manner, flesh layering upon flesh until his head is covered, his displaced shoulder blades emerging to snap over his face like a helmet. His long blue locks snap free of the ponytail they were tied in, tendrils of hair writhing every which way, stabbing and scoring the deck of the ship as if they were made of iron.

Finally, the hideous transformation ends - and he explodes into motion.

The two copies of Alcides move to meet him as he thrusts his weapons towards them, one towards each. One flickers behind him as the other moves to block the obvious attack-

"[RIASTRAD]!"

With a gruesome snap, his arms grow extra joints, stretching around Alcides's defense and impaling him in a single blow as his writhing hair stabs towards the copy behind him-

-Alcides's blade shimmers, and the [Heavenly Sword] of Reid Astrea cleaves Cu Chulainn in half at the waist even as it cuts away the piercing hair.

But that will not be enough to slay the berserk Cu Chulainn.

"[RIASTRAD]!"

Muscle fibers shoot out of the severed halves of Cu Chulainn, catching each other and pulling him back together as his upper half whirls around in the air, stitching back to his body backwards to allow him to attack Alcides head on, his massive jaw lashing out and tearing the Archer's throat out.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" Another terrible howl rings out as he shudders, flesh rippling and hair peeling back - and a madly twitching eye opens on the back of his head to stare at the last, bow-wielding copy of Alcides as his foe finishes firing a rapid series of shots at the far away Archer who had interfered before.

Cu Chulainn moves again, splintering the deck of the Argo as he leaps towards Alcides, only for the latter to flicker away with the [Leaper's Talent], sailing away with a series of short-range teleports as he readies a new shot, this one slower than those preceding it.

-The [Heavenly Sword] is a way of moving, more than anything. A certain type of perfect motion that cuts down anything that needs to be cut, even if that thing is light, karma, or causality itself. There is nothing restricting its use to a 'sword' - indeed, Reid utilized a pair of chopsticks as a handicap.

And so, when Alcides fires his next shot, it is an arrow with the same strange 'motion' that cuts all things. A [Heavenly Arrow] cuts through the air to tear through Cu Chulainn's [Protection From Arrows] and Spirit Origin in a single shot.

However, the [Heavenly Sword] is also a 'technique'. In theory, any swordsman - or rather, any wielder of weapons - could learn it with enough talent and devotion to his weapon. There is nothing restricting its usage to Reid Astrea - indeed, by the end of the first day of their battle, Alcides had already mastered the technique, without ever yet acquiring the Gluttony Witch Factor.

When Cu Chulainn's torso twists around to face the right way, towards the oncoming arrow - his parry, guided purely by the mad instinct of a perfect killing machine, matches Alcides's [Heavenly Arrow] and cuts it down.

And Alcides, seeing this - cannot help the smile that's beginning to form on his face.

A moment later, with the sound of a cannon, the Argo explodes.

"Still not so sure that was a good idea, captain…" A faceless pirate says as the smoke from the cannons of the [Golden Hind] starts to clear.

"We had our orders," Sir Francis Drake replies dully.

The ordinary Francis Drake is a pirate. The freest of free spirits, who sank the eternal Spanish sun with nothing but her greed and willingness to do the impossible. A jolly spirit who moves wherever the wind takes her, because that is her heart's desire.

…But in truth, Sir Francis Drake was a soldier. She gave all she had and more to the crown, and sailed to her death simply at the request of her liege. This part of her is ordinarily suppressed - whether from the distortion of her legend, or her own desire to return to the carefree days of piracy rather than the bleak ordeals of war.

Her altered form is a soldier, who fought for her liege, died in her armor, and was buried at sea. That is all she is - a walking corpse that follows orders.

So she feels nothing as a cloud of steam, rising from an undersea form so hot it is boiling the water around it, approaches. She feels nothing as a still steaming mass of muscle and teeth and claws rips into the lower deck, and then through the midship, before finally exploding onto the upper deck and tearing her screaming crew to shreds.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" A thrust of a broken spearhead with enough skill to kill even the light in its path goes unadmired, and Sir Francis Drake dies.

Arrows rain down as Mash Kyrielight sprints past falling trees towards the heart of the island, following a crying raven.

With a cry, she sprains her wrist deflecting one with her shield - and then the rain of arrows pauses for a moment.

"[Bayard]!" Georgios cries, suddenly materializing, and the wounded horse just barely hauls Mash out of the path of another all-piercing arrow. "It's just one right now, but I think I saw him make another three copies before the ship exploded-!" He shouts as the horse careens haphazardly down a forest trail, arrows raining down behind them.

Another pause from Alcides, and Georgios tenses up, ready to deflect it with all the strength his broken arms can muster, but- "[Hamesh Avanim]!" Another streak of light arcs overhead like a meteor, and he relaxes as his instincts tell him a sacrifice won't be necessary just yet.

Finally, the horse exits into a wide clearing, half tumbling over as Mash dismounts and sprints forward, wholly ignoring an ornate golden box and a horrifically wounded green-haired man whirling a sling in favor of hurling Cu Chulainn's staff with all her might into the center of what she knows to be the leyline.

For a moment, nothing happens - and then, in a burst of flame, a human figure made of wood grows out of the staff, winding itself together, until finally skin and clothing materializes over the all-too-familiar form of-

"Cu Chulainn!?" Mash shouts, pointing at the newly formed man.

The Caster grins as he puts a strip of cloth to his bleeding eye. "Call me Grimr now. I shed just about all of 'Cu Chulainn' except my consciousness, after all. It's a trick Pseudo-Servants can do when things get tough - well, normally it'd reduce your Spirit Origin to less than half strength, but since I'm Odin, 'sacrificing' myself just makes me stronger."

"That- no, that's not important right now! Hurry up and perform your ritual, please!" Mash says.

"I'd love to, but… we've been had," Grimr sighs. "The second Leyline we went to, the one with no guardians? It was a fake. Someone disguised a minor font as a greater one, probably to hide the real deal."

"No…" Mash slumps against her shield. "I-isn't there anything you can do?"

"Revealing the real Leyline won't be too hard now that we've got three," He says.

"-But getting there will be another matter. Did anyone happen to see where Jason ended up?" Georgios asks.

"Without his boat, he's useless anyway," says Grimr. "But we've got comms up, and leyline access, so-"

There's a beep from Mash's wrist as a hologram of Olga Marie Animusphere appears. "I'm already preparing Assassin for rayshift - but at this rate, we're going to run out of power before he can get there. Between supporting three servants, and how many times your other half is firing off his Noble Phantasm, we're practically on reserve power as it is. We can still rayshift you out, since it's less costly, at least where Servants are concerned, but we'll need to get two of you back here before we can power another rayshift to the singularity, and that window is closing."

"I know you missed the details, but I've gotta be here to activate the ritual," the Caster says.

"I'm not talking about you. We're supporting two more Servants out there, after all."

"...Director, I'm not drawing any power, since I'm a Demi-Servant," Mash says. "If you're saying there's one more apart from Cu Chulainn and Georgios, then does that mean…?"

"Let go, dammit!" A sopping wet Jason shouts as strangely familiar squat figures, clad in leaves and wooden tribal masks haul him deeper into the seaside cave, and into a gloomy shrine.

Within the darkness, lit only by candles, he can only make out the silhouette of another one of the strange short creatures behind a curtain. Finally, one of his captors speaks, and he understands the horrible truth of what creatures lie behind these masks.

"Nob. Nob nob nobbu."

"If they establish a breeding population-"

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," The Rider groans.

"Nob bu bu bu! Nobbu nob nobbunob! Nobunaga nob, nob nobbu. Nob bu bu!" The figure behind the curtain says with as much imperiousness as its squeaky voice can convey.

…

"Why does this kind of thing always happen to me..?" Jason mumbles after a moment of silence.

"Nobbu nob!" The Mini-Nobbu behind the curtain cries, and his captors drag him away into the darkness, heedless of his screams.

Jason is still screaming when the Mini-Nobbus shove him into a crude bamboo cage and slam the door shut. "You can't do this to me! I'm your captain, goddammit! Well, maybe not yours, but I commanded your parents!"

"Hey, you. You're finally awake," says a gravelly voice in the back of the cell.

"Shut the hell up, Blackbeard!" Jason whirls to point at his cellmate.

"Jeez, you're not even surprised to see me-?" The pirate mumbles.

"I'm in a permanent state of surprise right now, nothing else could possibly-!"

He cuts himself off in utter speechlessness as he finally locks eyes with the third person in his cell. Or at least, what's left of them.

"So, let's talk about my missing body!" Says Oda Nobunaga's severed head.

Chapter Text

"How the hell are you alive!?" Jason blurts, staring at Nobunaga's disembodied head.

"Well!" She says. "It's kind of a long story, but basically this has happened to me before. It turns out, if Ranmaru gets summoned, my head becomes his Noble Phantasm, since he hid it after I died. It was harmless back then because my Avenger form is a little special in terms of its durability, but now, even though I got turned into an Archer again when I was summoned here, it seems like I can survive for a little bit after getting decapitated!"

Jason seems to age another ten years as he rubs his eyes. "...Sure, why not."

"...Fascinating," Says-

"Asclepius!?" Jason staggers backwards as a new Servant wearing a long black robe and a beaked mask suddenly appears in the cell with them, accompanied by a floating mechanical snake. "What-!? How-!?"

"I don't know why you're confused, you're the one who summoned me here," The newcomer mumbles as he picks up Nobunaga's head and begins examining it.

"Wha… You mean my Noble Phantasm!? That was a week ago! I can't even use it anymore!" Jason screams, pointing at him.

"The summons didn't catch my interest until now," He replies. "I see… you said your head became a Noble Phantasm in the past? That clearly isn't what has happened here, though… Heh… hehehe… this might be just the kind of study I need. I'll begin the procedure right away."

"What procedure…?" Jason mutters, massaging his temples. "No, I'm getting distracted. Blackbeard-"

"Hmph. I've already learned my lesson. Friendship… is impossible," says the scruffy-looking pirate, turning to face away.

"...Huh?"

Blackbeard sniffs, wipes fake tears from his eyes, and sniffs again. "I tried… I tried to be friendly, but… it was impossible after all."

"I'll punch you," Jason says, seeing through the fake emotions in a second.

""Boohoo… boohoo… now he's threatening to punch me… boohoo…"

"Fine! I'm sorry for yelling! Are you happy!?" The blond says with irritation dripping from his voice.

"That's not why I'm upset… the reason I'm upset is…" The Pirate breathes in, and a composed look washes over his face, before - "How dare you summon another guy in here! It was already too much with just you and me! Summon a cute girl instead!"

"Ah, that's a Blackbeard answer, right there…" Nobunaga mutters as Asclepius holds her upside down, probing at her neck with a small silver tool. "Hey, w-wait, that tickles! Also all the blood is rushing to my head, so turn me rightside up already-!"

"You're experiencing hypotension in this state? Fu, fufufu, how astounding," The doctor mutters, chuckling like a mad scientist.

"Would you all be serious for just thirty seconds!?" Jason shouts. "Look, before anything else - Blackbeard, you had the grail, right?"

"Nah, it got stolen by some girl disguised as an idol, a little bit after I lost my ship," the pirate sighs. "How the hell was I supposed to know her singing was so awful it would knock me out!?"

"Oh come on, it's not even Halloween yet!" Nobunaga yells.

With closed eyes and gritted teeth, Jason manages to endure her non-sequitur without shouting. "Someone you know?"

"Elizabeth Bathory, it's gotta be," The Archer says. "Self-proclaimed idol with a sonic breath weapon that ruins all her singing, and a penchant for finding random Holy Grails lying around, usually just in time to trigger another repetitive holiday event? That's gotta be Elizabeth. Actually, this makes perfect sense! I knew just Gudaguda particles wouldn't be enough for the level of silliness on display right now, but if they're interacting with Eliza particles-!"

"Of course, the presence of unknown particles must be the cause of this bizarre disease!" Asclepius shouts, dropping Nobunaga's head on the ground, where she starts screaming as she rolls away.

"Based on what evidence!?" Jason protests.

"It's simple math, you just have to carry the three," The Caster says as he gestures to a nonsensical equation etched into the cave wall.

"When did you write that!?"

"I just need to find a way to reproduce them en-masse, and then…" He continues, chuckling under his breath.

"Um, guys?" Says Nobunaga. "I got out."

Sure enough, the severed head has rolled out of the gaps between the bars in the crude bamboo cell.

"Really!?" Blackbeard shouts. "See if you can roll around and get a key!"

"...First of all, it's just a latch with a knot," Jason groans. "Second of all, we're Servants, we can just break this. Third of all, even if we couldn't, we could just turn into spirit form and slip out."

"Well, sure, but where's the romance in that?" The pirate asks.

Asclepius reaches through the bars and unhooks the latch, stepping out to retrieve his specimen. "...My apologies. You aren't damaged, are you?"

"Nobbu! Nob bu bu bu!" A mini-nobbu guard screams as she runs away down a tunnel.

"Wait, are you actually breaking out!?" Blackbeard says. "Why don't you just give up and let them recapture you?"

"...Why?" Asks Jason. "No, for that matter, how did you even get locked up here long term in the first place?"

"Nob-buaaahhh!" As if to emphasize his point, a squad of yelling mini-nobbus running into the chamber containing the cell is sent scattering like bowling pins as Asclepius directs his familiar to attack them.

"I mean, these girls are super cute, right?" Blackbeard says with an 'innocent' smile. "They're trying their best!"

"Nobwah!" One of them screams as it disintegrates into golden dust, leaving behind-

"Huh, seems like they're dropping limited edition idol merch this time," Nobunaga says.

-In an instant, the cavern is filled with the stench of gunpowder and the screams of mini-nobbus. Stepping through the smoke and admiring his carnage, Blackbeard grins. "Let's kill as many as we can!"

"Incredible! There are particles flowing into you from those defeated creatures to prolong your existence! Heh, heh, heh, this is fantastic!" Asclepius shouts. "Let's kill as many as we can!"

"...Why are you both like this?" Jason groans.

What follows is a long, tiring, grind of frankly boring combat as, unaided by Noble Phantasms, the three combat-capable servants carve a path through wave after wave of increasingly strange mini-nobbus.

"NOBBOAAAH!" Shouts a large one in a familiar voice as it fires nine lasers from its mouth.

"Does that one have Heracles's voice…?" Asks Asclepius as Blackbeard charges between the lasers to plunge a hook on his wrist into its stomach..

"Hm, if the HeraNobus are showing up, things are getting really bad," the disembodied head he's still dutifully carrying mutters. "We should be careful of any-"

"Nob nob nob nob!" Shouts another with the voice of Cu Chulainn as she raises a stone spear. "[Nob-" She's engulfed by a puff of blue fire from Asclepius's mechanical snake before she can finish, and collapses into a pile of golden dust and music CDs.

"Oi, Nobunaga. If you somehow survive this… you better not ever summon these things again," Jason mutters with a glare.

Finally, the group reach the candlelit shrine that Jason was dragged to before, where the apparent leader of the tribe had declared his sentence.

"Nob! Nob Nobubu Nobbu!" Shouts the Mini-Nobbu behind the curtain, and draws it back to reveal-

"No… this can't be!" Nobunaga shouts as she sees the blue bodysuit and white armor the chibi creature is wearing.

"Nobbu, nob nob nobbu no no nobubu Mini-Nobbu nobubu, Nobunaga…" She says, pulling off her hat to reveal spiky black hair, and striking the signature pose of her namesake. "Nob, Vegenobbu, nob nobubu nobbu… nobu nobububu SUPER NOBBU! Wahahaha!"

"Hmph," Nobunaga huffs. "There's no such thing as a Super Nobbu! That's just a story you stupid chibis made up to pass around a campfire!"

"What did my brain ever do to you? Why are you hurting it like this?" Jason asks.

"NobuuuUUUUUUUU!" Vegenobbu starts to shout as energy crackles around her, her hair flickering golden-

BLAM! "Nobwah!?"

A gunshot rings out, and the legendary Super-Nobbu dies like all the rest. "I always wondered why no one attacks in the middle of a transformation sequence," Blackbeard says.

The three-and-a-half Servants exit the seaside cavern to the fury of a fresh storm.

""I thought the storm was over at this point…" Jason mutters.

"Well, I don't feel like getting rained on, so I'm going back to the cave-!" Blackbeard starts.

""No, you're not,"" Say Jason and Nobunaga at the same time.

There's a tense moment of silence as the three eye each other for a moment.

"...You figured it out, huh?" Blackbeard asks, and for the first time, his eyes seem to grow serious.

"I think we all saw the deeper tunnels behind that curtain, and it's obvious from the sheer numbers of those things…" Jason says.

"Yeah, they've totally got the grail at this point," Nobunaga completes.

"Question is… do you really think you can stop me?" The Pirate asks, and lightning crashes, lighting up the sinister angles of his face as he draws a pistol.

Jason smirks "Heh, don't underestimate my buddy- oi, Asclepius!? Where are you going!? Don't just walk away!"

"Yeah, what about the Holy Grail!? You're a Servant, don't you want it!?" Nobunaga, still in the doctor's grip, shouts.

"That isn't important now. I need to find my patient's body before she expires. Heh, heheheh. To reattach a severed head to the body-!" Asclepius laughs delightedly. "Surely, this is a perfect study for me!"

"Right, I forgot you were crazy…" Jason mutters.

"...So, what'll it be?" Blackbeard asks, hand not leaving his flintlock. "The tone's been pretty lighthearted so far, but we both know these kind of things can-"

At that moment, he falls silent. All four people present do. The rain itself seems to freeze in the air, not daring to make a sound. The warm wind and wet rain are almost nonexistent. The only feeling, the only sensation, is a terrible, overwhelming pressure.

And, in the distance, as stars begin to vanish from the cloud-swept sky, the true enemy emerges.

Chapter Text

I was worshipped, once.

On islands of blasphemous sludge, upon altars of bleakest stone, millions were offered to slake my appetite. Ziggurats of inhuman design were built upon the ocean floor, and my kin ruled all beneath the waves.

"-No. No, that never happened, it didn't-!" I groan, clutching a scaly hand to the face upon my new form's chest. How loathsome. How wretched.

Judgment. Pass judgment. That is the duty of a god, and once I tear the interlopers limb from limb they shall know my name-!

My form starts to rot, but I correct it with gritted teeth. Just a small bit more. Just one more chance, and I will-! I will-!

I am insane. I know that. I've known that for tens of thousands of years- is wrong. I've only been insane for a few thousand. Since my kin sank into the sea-

Wrong. Wrong. It's all wrong.

I rise from the water, staggering ashore - there. A blue-haired girl, child of the Greek gods. I have seen her with the accursed one, so I attack her exposed back without mercy.

"What-!?" She shouts, whirling around and flooding the air with Magic Circles as I erupt from the water, Energy beams gouge my flesh, but I withstand it, and-

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅-!" My [Distorted Roar] fills the air as my fist connects with her hastily raised guard and shatters her arms. She's launched backwards, and kicking off the sand, I meet her flying form, catching the girl by a leg and twisting to hurl her back to the beach below. As I do so, I'm sure to tighten my grip enough to break that limb as well.

Calling the wind of the slowly returning storm to redirect my motion, I summon a jet of water behind me in the air to bring me back down with clasped fists upon the prone witch.

"Pathetic! Pathetic, child of the greeks! Do you see, now!? I am beyond those fools! Even in this state, Their children…" No. No, is this something to boast about…? I… I…

Oh, she's crawling away. I step on her remaining leg and break it. She makes a pleasant noise from her mouth. Why do I…?

"The accursed one… where is he?" I ask, holding her bruised face up by the hair. "No, it doesn't matter. He will come meet with you soon, and when he does, I will kill you in front of him! Ha! Ha! Wahahahaha!"

To push him over the edge of despair is the natural role of a demon like myself- "AAAAAAHHHH! NO! NO, that's wrong, it's all wrong! I am a god! I am a god! I am a god!"

"That tactic… will not affect Lord Subaru. He's a man without a heart," The girl says, affection clear in her voice. "You seem unstable, so you probably couldn't see it… everything he did for me was just an act to earn my trust. I'm sure, he'll move on without a second thought, the moment I'm killed."

"No… no, I have watched! The accursed one… the accursed one will despair if his allies are slain. I know it-!" I scream, grinding her face into the sand. "The tone of your voice betrays you! That love-! Yes, if it is mutual, then-!"

"It isn't. There's no one who can love a witch, after all," She says, smiling despite everything. "But he won't love anyone else. That's… enough for me. And, more importantly, when he finally has no use for me, Subaru-sama, unlike Jason… will be sure to kill me properly, when he abandons me."

"-That won't happen," Someone says.

At first, I do not recognize him. The image of an old bearded man with a peg leg seems to be superimposed over him as he dashes forward. Then, that illusion breaks, and I see the accursed one, wild-eyed as he closes the gap between us, two blades gripped in his hands.

"Even so, you are too slow-!" I shout, hands shooting for the girl's neck, but-!

"Don't move!" A voice calls out, and as my limbs seize up, I grapple with the sight of a second accursed one, identical to the first, a command spell glowing on the back of his hand.

Alter Ego

"So, Rigel, correct me if I'm wrong-" my self-proclaimed brother starts.

"You're really going with that name?" I mutter in mild protest.

"-but all those times you were trying to save your girlfriend-" he continues.

"She's not- it's more complicated than that!"

"-you were either trying after possessing me or just running off on your own as a Servant, right?" He finishes.

"...Now that you say it like that, it sounds really stupid," I mutter.

But of course, I wasn't going to ask him to help. Because I couldn't convince him to follow my orders without thinking, and I don't like explaining things to others.

Holding the same conversation, over and over again… will drive me insane, if I let it. At the very least, it makes me start shouting, and from there it's just a short path to… I think it would be called a psychotic break. I haven't really learned any psychology or anything, but the type of feral rage that sweeps over me at times like that is what I imagine a psychotic break is like.

"It sounds stupid because it is stupid," He says, and I manage to hold back my feral rage. "If a Servant isn't enough, and a Master isn't enough, then you need to try bringing both, obviously."

"Wow. You're so wise. Amazing," I say, voice dripping with sarcasm.

He winks, giving an insufferable smirk. "Right, so let me lay out the plan here. You might not have been able to tell because you don't recognize her as an ally, but with [Cor Leonis] I saw that Dagon is occupying Nobunaga's headless body right now." With what now? "I've been able to interfere with possession using it in the past, so between that and my command spell, I should be able to slow him down enough."

"Back up. Don't talk about things I don't know about. What's [Cor Leonis]?" I ask, and the most smug look I've seen so far stretches across his face.

…

…Wait, he can actually use his Witch Factors!?

As Tawrich tears open Dagon's wrist, I still can't believe it. He's still frozen, and I won't get another chance - twist, push in the hip, and - execute the one and only Judo throw that Natsuki Subaru ever learned, the Ogoshi.

"Ippon!" the other me yells, and I feel a faint twitch at the edge of my lips.

For just a moment, I glance towards Medea. She's alive. It feels… unreal.

Of course it's unreal. Even if she's alive for now… I know. something will go wrong. Something always goes wrong. I won't let myself of all people believe Natsuki Subaru's bravado. I will die, and fail, a dozen times yet, before this situation resolves.

Already, I can see him rising, unbound from the Command Spell's influence.

"...Two of you?" The reef god asks. "What trickery is this!?"

"It's not a trick. Just a coincidence, really," the other guy says. "He got summoned because someone else got interested in me, and called him up to fight me. To be honest, until you went and mistook Rigel for me, he didn't really have any reason to fight you."

"...I do not understand. That curse-" Dagon murmurs.

"Was on Natsuki Subaru, yeah. To be clear, it was supposed to be just me, since I foiled your resurrection scheme a few centuries back," He grins. "So next time you go slinging curses on people, make it more specific, dumbass!"

I can't believe it.

Dagon groans, clawing at the face on his chest in some kind of confusion. "You… no, humans do not live so long! Cease your lies! Why!? Tell me why I have cursed you!"

I can't believe this stalling tactic is working.

"I'm not lying. In another singularity, like this one, you were going to revive yourself, and I stopped it," Natsuki Subaru says coldly as he walks up to stand next to me. "Not because we were enemies or anything. I just felt like it - your method was gross, so I stopped it - ah, there we go, that's enough time."

Seriously, all he had to do was get him talking!?

As lightning starts to rain from the sky - on his hand, in a flash of red, a fresh command spell appears at the stroke of midnight.

"Now, Rigel!"

"[Return From Death]," Once more, my world opens upon the sandy shoreline.

The plan was simple enough. Get him off of Medea with a command spell, stall until a new one was delivered from Chaldea, and then trap the three of us in my Reality Marble again while excluding Medea. From there, the two of us could double team Dagon and bring him down under an unrelenting deluge of mud and blade strikes. Plus, since dying restores us to our state when the Reality Marble opened, he could effectively use as many Command Spells as he wanted, and wouldn't have to worry about the constant drain on his mana he had mentioned.

"[Rage-filled Current]!" Dagon roars as the reality Marble closes, and a torrent of mud rises from somewhere, already swallowing the green hillscape. And in response, Natsuki Subaru raises his hand, Command Spell alight.

"By my Command Spell… Rigel. Don't die," He says, stepping past me and towards the torrent of primordial ooze and bones.

What.

I try to chase after him, but- my body betrays me, and I leap backwards as I feel the telltale surge of mana from his demise.

What the hell is he-?

"-By my command spell," Natsuki Subaru says as a corpse is added to the pile, and a new him is born from the Reality Marble. "Rigel - Live."

"What are you doing, Natsuki Subaru!?" I scream as Dagon erupts from the grime beneath him to tear him in half.

Just how far are you willing to go?

"By my command spell-" He continues, as the bones of an ancient fish are hurled towards him to impale and kill him. "Value your life."

Just how good natured are you going to be towards me, you idiot!?

{Anyway,} His voice echoes in my mind. {It's my fault you got caught up in all this in the first place, you know? I'll take it from here, so just leave the rest to your big bro.}


"Just how long do you think I've been around, you moron! In what world-!?" I shout as I dodge a thrown bone.

{Loops don't count. Otherwise being in love with Emilia-tan could theoretically approach creepy territory at some point, right?}

"...What flawlessly self-serving logic."

{Anyway, you can leave the rest to me. Back me up with some Odin magic or something,} He concludes. "Don't move!" amidst the whirling grime Dagon freezes for a moment, and in the next, Subaru fires a spell towards him "[Shamak]!"

Natsuki Subaru

I have done quite a few incredibly stupid things in my time. However…

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅-!" Surfing atop a wave of cursed mud, Dagon closes the distance again and punches my head off.

This is still almost definitely my dumbest plan yet.

My command spell glows. "Allow my spells to affect you, Nobunaga! [Shamak]!" Even as my hastily fired Shamak finds its mark, purple lighting erupts from his claw and I scream as my body shakes itself to death.

But this is my fight. Not his. He's already died so many times thanks to a problem I caused, so he can stand back and let me handle it just this once. And besides, there's also-

"Fight his possession, Nobunaga!"

-A glimmering star, still somehow present in my awareness, even as the ancient god occupying her body tears into me again.

"Why won't you die!?" The monster roars, and I smirk.

"Authorities, Dagon! They revive me in response to physical trauma!" Let it not be said that Natsuki Subaru lacks a quick mind for idiotic references. "By the way, cast off his influence, Nobuanga!" I shout, Command Spell glowing.

"Hah… this realm, then. It must be… very well!" He stands tall, amid the still rising tide of corrupted mud and ancient grime, utterly unfazed by the corruption rising up his legs. "-Your efforts are futile, accursed one. My control over this corpse is all but absolute. Nothing in its arsenal is beyond my reach - behold! I am… the [Demon King of the Sixth Heaven]!"

The world shudders as flames erupt from the blighted mudscape.

"Goddammit, he's going to break it down!" Rigel shouts as Dagon leaps towards my newest body, propelled by a reeking, steaming mix of fire and grime. "Unsealing the Furnace! Attain a drop of truth! [Incineration Ritual: Zepar]!"

Dagon crashes through the explosion - flesh charred, all but burnt away, he still closes the distance as [Return From Death] begins to crack and fray under the weight of a superior Reality Marble.

Seconds, I have seconds before I die, and so I panic, pulling as hard as I can, my neck and chest starting to bleed as I draw as much of Nobunaga's burden to myself as possible, and in a final, desperate bid- "[Emergency Citrus]!" I shout, hitting him with the stupidly named debuff cleanse.

Dagon's right claw closes around my neck - but that's all. No pressure is applied. And then-

"Im…possible." The left claw, digging into the face upon his chest, tears. "Impossible, impossible, I cannot-!"

With a final spray of blood and spiritrons, Nobunaga tears the whole mass of flesh out of her chest cavity and hurls it away into the flames of her reality marble.

For just a moment, I can still see her standing proud, amidst the rising flames. A headless corpse with a hole clean through the center leaking golden dust that scatters dazzlingly in the flickering firelight.

"You really were… something else." I mutter, burning the sight of that prideful demon into my brain as the world dissolves into reality once more.

"Anyway, let's talk about my missing head," says Nobunaga.

…

"Give back my feelings!" I scream. She's fine! Not only is she alive without a head, she's talking without one!

"I… uh… do you mind if…" Rigel mutters, gesturing towards Medea. To be honest, I can pretty much tell that he just really, really, doesn't want to be part of this conversation. But still-

"Yeah, yeah, go talk it out," I say, sighing as I turn back to Nobbu. "I'll do my best to- where did you get a sign with your face drawn on it!?"

"Oh, Nobukatsu made this the last time-"

"It's happened before!?" I shout.

Well, I might be angry, but… to be honest this kind of ending is really the best possible. Even if it's nonsensical, even if it undercuts the drama… I'm happy about it.

And yet, somehow, I feel like I'm forgetting something.

!!!

-Pressure.

Sudden, overwhelming pressure that commands the waves to still and the wind to flee. Beyond anything I've ever felt, in this world or the other one, only surpassed by the witch herself. And yet, there's another sense.

A sickening, half-remembered dread, like a forgotten nightmare from the distant past.

-snarls. -screams. Crystalline, branch-like horns, writhing under the moonlight.

And the overwhelming, certain knowledge, as I see eleven stars flash brightly and vanish, that the true foe has finally arrived.

Chapter Text

Alcides

Burning. It's all burning away, every last part crumbling and melting and burning in the depths of these sins.

Die. Die. Die.

Fated death accidental death wrongful death purposeful death convenient death why why why why why who who-

Who can we blame for this?

Choose a scapegoat and bury him crush crush and grind Retribution retribution retribution. See that the monster is not human. See that the monster was (never) once human. Put it away. Put it away. Hide it from the light, bury it-

Die.

Death by spears death by knives death by the sword death by arrows and arrows and arrows and arrows why why why why why why why who who who-

Who will save us?

-In the end, I surface, clinging to the last indelible truths.

I ████ humans. I despise the gods.

I rise from the mud with closed eyes, and hold my hands out as the Nemean Lion's pelt materializes in them.

"...Well?" The Caster of the Stars asks. "Are you ready to cooperate now?"

"Humans…" I mutter as I drape the pelt over my face. "are worthless. Let their works never again enter my sight."

If this kind of freak occurrence had happened under different circumstances, I would surely have focused upon my grudge against the gods. But I cannot afford that. Not right now.

Who will save us?

I, who ████ humans-

"I hate humans," I say. That is the word. Hate, is the word I must focus upon - no other. "You Demon Pillars can do as you wish with them."

"So you'll cooperate, then?" The Caster asks.

"Cooperate?" Scorn fills my voice as I materialize my bow. "Did I say that?"

If he is to command me, I must first test his resolve.

-I drown his world in mud and corpses.

It's a simple affair. Defeat Blackbeard's crew and reclaim the grail that Jason lent to him. He has a crew of nameless shades and a few Servants with him, but-

"[Nine Lives]."

-They won't matter.

There is nothing particularly special about my bow. It's a well designed weapon, and of a good size and draw weight for me, but it is ultimately a nameless armament. It is not a Noble Phantasm. I have no particular need for legendary weapons.

Any weapon, wielded by me, is the 'strongest'. Any necessary feats - trick shots, rapid fire and the like - can simply be produced by skill at the time of their necessitude. That is [Nine Lives] - a Noble Phantasm that simply achieves victory, whatever the occasion demands.

-In this case, I'll start out simple. Sink their ship with a single shot at full draw, and in the next instant, fire three arrows toward each occupant of the ship.

My arm blurs, and death rains down on the [Queen Anne's revenge].

However-

A blazing fire steps up to the edge of the ship.

A man in a kimono, his long red hair dancing like flames in the wind of the storm, grins as he pulls off an eyepatch to reveal a second piercing blue eye, and draws his sword. This must be the 'Hauroy Ralior' that the Caster of the Stars spoke of.

In the next moment, he begins his dance through my forest of arrows. Leaping from shaft to shaft, cutting down in mid-flight those that would impede his motion, swiftly crossing the gap between our vessels without fear or hesitation.

I draw back my bowstring once more - let's step things up a bit. The next arrow I fire glows, wreathed in energy, and as it leaves the bowstring it splits into nine lasers, writhing through the air like the heads of the Hydra to home in on their target. However, Ralior's sword tears through the air with a simple elegance - and my attack vanishes.

He's getting a bit too close. Let's make some distance.

Leaping from the ship, I call upon the river I used to clean the Augean stables, propelling me away from the swordsman atop the surface of the water as I continue to rain death upon him.

Miraculously, he continues to parry all of them, still sprinting over the shafts of my arrows like it's nothing - that's some skill he has there. My bow just won't be enough, it seems.

"[Cerberus]!" As we reach a rocky island, I make space again. The dog of Hades appears, its jaws snapping closed around the swordsman - but just a moment later, his its skull is split from the inside, as Ralior bursts outward, still grinning.

However, that brief moment was enough.

With a final catastrophic smash, I finish shaping one of the island's rocky crags to the required shape - and with a minimal effort I pry my improvised weapon from the earth. It's somewhere between a sword and an axe, hewn roughly from stone - but it will do.

He closes the gap, blade rippling with that same strange technique that cleaves all in its path.

A simple parry won't do. Dodging and countering is too risky. In that case-!

I simply need to match his technique.

Our swords meet - and with a blinding light and resounding crash, repel each other. And then again, and again, the earth splitting beneath our feet as light, sound, and heat pour out of our rapid clash - until finally, I beat him in speed, nine simultaneous slashes slipping past his guard at once -

His form flickers, and suddenly he's standing out of my range again.

"Haa… Haa… You're something else, you." He says, speaking for the first time.

I hate humans. But- "You're not bad yourself," I say, as I notice the smile starting to form on my face.

"You're like me, right? Type of guy that never met anyone on your level," He says.

He's right, of course. In all my life, the only ones who could match me were beasts far beyond humanity - and even then, I overcame every one of them, falling only to the cowardly use of poison after my labors were already finished. However-

"From where I stand, I still have not."

"Hah! That so?" He barks a short laugh. "I'm not the type'a guy to go makin' excuses, but I sure do wish I could use my full power - this body just ain't it."

I don't bother responding. It's not as though this vessel can contain all of my existence either.

"So I gotta bridge the gap somehow, even if it's gonna get a little gross. This brat's body has some tricks of its own. I don't like using 'em, but-" Hauroy raises his left hand, and a second sword materializes in his grip. "A guy like me doesn't get summoned much. But I got some records of another time, fighting a smokin' hot chick that used two swords - and against her I really realized, that between those who've reached the Heavenly Sword-"

He flickers through the air, appearing behind me.

"-any trick is fair game!"

I bound over his strike, backflipping over him while twisting in midair to deliver a rapid series of blows. He repels a few of them before moving with the same teleportation-like ability to attack from another position-

And so, as the earth, air, and sea break to pieces around us, our swords dance amidst the whirling storm.

For four days we clash, the deluge of blows between us never once pausing. At some point the surroundings melted away into a water-filled cyclone, but I paid it no notice. I paid nothing notice save the man before me.

Parry and strike. Parry, dodge, strike. Dodge and strike. Strike, parry, parry, dodge, strike.

The rhythm of our blows is like an old friend at this point. The sparkling coruscations of steel against steel lulling me into the delirium of total exertion. A grin is still plastered across his drenched face, and the matching smile on my own is making my cheeks sore.

I don't understand.

I never particularly enjoyed violence - no, I think I was afraid of it. Violence was something that came upon me, seized me, destroyed the things I loved. Even during my labors, when men praised me, the furthest my feelings ever went was the thought that I might be able to do something to turn the demons haunting me for my fellow men's benefit.

And yet, in this moment-

A discordant note sounds in our bladesong, and I'm faintly aware of Hauroy losing his grip on one of his swords.

There it is. This is as far as he can go - his Endurance is no match for mine. Again, his strange ability allows him to flicker backwards through the air to avoid me, but that won't be enough this time.

That motion is no Noble Phantasm, nor is it magic - it's a technique, a yet unseen capacity of the human body. All I have to do-

"[Nine Lives]."

-is match it.

I leap through the air to meet him, and his eyes widen, but his grin remains unmoved.

"[Black Serpent]!"

An abomination fills the space between us, a coiling horned abomination that every fiber of my body screams is certain death. It won't stop me, but if the precious seconds spent dealing with it, he may achieve something of note, so-!

"[Lernean Hydra]!" I summon my own serpentine abomination to deal with it, knowing instinctively that anything less will fail. The two coil around each other, plunging to the sea below, and as I blink through the air past them, I see-

"[Total…]!" Hauroy shots, and he begins to take a monstrous shape.

However- he's the one who said it. Between men like us- "[Reincarnation…"

"-Eclipse]!"

-any cheap trick will suffice.

"-Pandora]!"

Naturally, what occurred was the usurpation of the Gluttony Witch Factor by Alcides. Reid's transformation lasted a mere fraction of a second, before Roy Alphard's powerless body replaced him, and was struck down without a spare thought by Alcides.

But, in the moments that followed, a contest was initiated. To assimilate the consciousness of Reid Astrea was a task great enough for the previous bearer of Gluttony to lose his existence. Even for Alcides, a struggle was required. The weight of one soul against another, a battle of wills decided in a single instant - from the outside, it was an unremarkable affair that amounted to a momentary lapse in consciousness.

But from the perspective of the two fighters-

I find myself in a featureless void, shrouded with shadows - but somehow, I already understand what has happened, and what must take place in this place. Across from me, just a few meters away, Hauroy - no, Reid Astrea, stands, sword in hand.

"Pretty glad it came down to this, you," He says, rolling his shoulder. "You couldn't see it all, inside that brat like I was. Sword Saint, Reid Astrea - this is my everything, so get ready."

"Then I hope you won't mind seeing everything I have either - you aren't the only one held back by your vessel," I reply. "Usurper of the Heavens, ██████es - I'll take it all and blow you away."

"Swords, dragons, witches, and magic - ain't a need for any of them." He raises his sword, and the world behind it splits. The very definition of cutting is there, imposed upon reality in perfect clarity, and I-

I throw my shield. "[Herakles Kosmos]."

A barrier emerges. The absolute defense unique to my Lancer self, a shield that deploys a miniature world to absorb any attack - will not withstand this blow for long.

"Just pick up a stick, and swing it 'til ya win," He continues. "That's all my life is. That is-!"

And so, I raise my sword.

"[Marmyadose], fill yourself with heat," I rumble, and from my sword, a column of light erupts.

"[REID…" The sword comes down, and reality starts to slide apart along the length of the divide.

"[NINE…" I swing nine times with the speed of a god, each strike wreathed in energy enough to level a mountain, each directed to a different vital point to prevent any hope of deflection or avoidance.

"...ASTREA]!" My shield splits under the weight of a perfect sword.

"...LIVES]!" And then our strikes meet each other.

Blinding light. Unbearable Heat.

I die - and revive again, gaining resistance to the blow, as [God Hand] takes effect.

And then I die again. And again. And again.

Twelve times, burning through every life from [God Hand], and Chiron's Immortality from [King's Order], before at last as my thirteenth life's Battle Continuation activates - the cut is finally halted.

And then, the violence disappears, and we stand across from each other once more.

"Ahhh, really thought I had ya there!" Reid laughs, collapsing onto his back and laughing.

"To be honest, if you'd avoided my counterattack I might have been in some trouble," I say, following suit. "I'd probably have to use my Assassin tricks, and they can be unreliable at times."

"The hell am I gonna avoid a miles long nine-directional slash!?" He laughs, and I join him.

This really is reminding me of why I ████-

"...I hate humans," That's right. Cling to that. That reality, absolutely must not disappear.

"Back to bein' glum, you?" Reid sighs.

"Even so… I had fun," I mutter.

"Yeah. It was fun. Catcha later, H████les."

The split sky yawns open, and under familiar stars, I ascend.

"[Total Eclipse]."

Compendium Update: Heracles

Herakles Kosmos: The Miniature World Enclosed by Terror
Rank: A+
Type: Barrier
Range: 0
Maximum Number of Targets: 1 Person

The shield used by the Lancer Heracles. Hesiod's description of the shield borrows four full lines from the Illiad's description of Achilles's shield, so in this work the two have an almost identical function - namely, the creation of a miniature world to intercept an attack. Anything less than an Anti-World Noble Phantasm cannot pierce the barrier, and its mere deployment causes a morale penalty in those witnessing it.

By the way, Heracles's spear as a Lancer is a relatively mundane armament. However, [Nine Lives] makes up for this - his signature technique as a Lancer is to throw the shield to ricochet off something behind his opponent, and then activate it in midair on the return strike so that it enlarges into what's basically a planet being dropped on the enemy - meanwhile, Heracles will attack head-on with a nine-pointed spear thrust towards every vital point.

Marmyadose: Sword of Perfect Devastation
Rank: A++
Type: Anti-Fortress
Range: 1-99
Maximum Number of Targets: 1000 People

The sword used by the Saber Heracles, forged by Hephaestus and granted to many great heroes of the past. In the days of the Round Table, this sword was at times used by Artoria Pendragon when she lent Excalibur to Gawain, and in terms of raw destructive power, it actually exceeds that weapon.

Lacking the holy attribute and special status of Excalibur, it is still less suited to be the weapon of a hero of justice. Nonetheless, for Heracles, a hero whose might makes right, and whose large bulk can handle it better than the King of Knights, it is the perfect weapon. Used in conjunction with Nine Lives, it creates an undodgeable, max-ranged, unblockable attack.

Chapter Text

On a snow-swept mountaintop in the year 2015, the long polar winter is still in full swing. Starlight filters down from an uncharacteristically clear night sky - the illusion magecraft used to simulate the day and night cycle of other latitudes has already been disabled. Indeed, anyone walking the halls of Chaldea at this time would be in near total darkness, and feel a bone deep chill, because at this moment, the lighting and climate control are considered superfluous.

And in the command room, lit only by workstation screens and the light of Chaldeas, everyone is screaming.

"Power levels are still dropping! Automatic termination of Cu Chulainn's connection in one minute-!" A staff member shouts.

"Override it! Engineering, are those damn backup generators online yet!? How long are you going to make me wait!?" Olga Marie Animusphere responds.

"Provisional spirit origin analysis complete! He's modified his whole existence to drain as much power as possible! Even with all of the power diverted, Natsuki Subaru's mana reserves are still going to be dropping-!"

"Rayshift complete, Saint George has returned to Chaldea!"

"Put his spirit origin in stasis with the others!" Olga shouts, before turning back to the communications console. "Mash, what's your call on Oda Nobunaga?"

"...Sever her connection with Chaldea," The Shielder says after a moment. "Even if the readings for her vitals are accurate, she can rely on Independent Action for at least some time."

"Do it!" The director says. "Someone tell me Subaru's status!"

"Vitals are all over the place, but his existence is stable! Location readings are consistent with envelopment in a Reality Marble!"

-In the middle of all this chaos, Romani Archman's phone beeps, and he glances at the screen.

Magi☆Mari: Just standing around in all this chaos? You're so hopeless, Romani-kun!~

Romani: I can't do anything! And besides, if you're watching won't you please please please ask Merlin to start supplying our generators again!?

Romani: Your producer is Merlin, right?

Magi☆Mari: Something like that♡!

Magi☆Mari: But if we're talking about offering support

Magi☆Mari: Let's talk about Beasts, first. The unique Servants who manifest at certain times to test the human order.

Romani: Is this really safe to just… talk about?

Magi☆Mari: As long as neither of us mention you-know-who, it should be!~

Romani: "Should be" doesn't fill me with confidence.

Magi☆Mari: Returning to the subject, you should already know that the emergence of Beasts is like a series of dominoes. When the first Beast of Humanity emerges, the rest follow, like a chain reaction.

Magi☆Mari: I'd say that right now, there's a 99% chance of a Beast emerging in Okeanos. In another world, that might not be the case but

Magi☆Mari: Accounting for the shadow following Natsuki Subaru, there are already somewhere between five to three-and-a-half Beasts active.

Magi☆Mari: Depending on how you're counting.

Magi☆Mari: Actually, if you count Cath Palug, it's six, maximum.

Romani: And one more makes seven - ISN'T THAT JUST ALL OF THEM!?

Magi☆Mari: Well, that's with me considering the counterpart Beasts who share the same number as separate instances. There's still no sign of III, for what that's worth.

Magi☆Mari: But as far as candidates for V, the Beast of Retribution goes

Magi☆Mari: Okeanos is overflowing with them.

Magi☆Mari: Cu Chulainn. Alcides. Dagon. Angra Mainyu. Sooner or later one of them will be able to push over the edge and attain Beasthood.

Romani: So what, is it just fate at this point? Beast V is sure to show up, and we're just waiting to see who it is? No, before that, I'm really concerned about the quantity of other Beasts you're announcing here!

Magi☆Mari: Just don't worry about them for now, Romani-kun!~ You can't do anything about them, so just pretend I never mentioned it!

Magi☆Mari: Back to the situation at hand, let's talk about V for a moment.

Magi☆Mari: According to P-san, V is a beast whose characteristic is [Retribution], but whether the retribution is directed at him or at another depends on the manifestation. It's like the Avenger class in that regard.

Romani: And again, your 'Producer-san' is Merlin, so he's not just making things up… right!?

Magi☆Mari: That's a secret♡!

Magi☆Mari: Anyway, from what P-san has seen, Beast V tends to manifest in pairs - one half to receive [Retribution] and one to execute it. One half is already in the Middle Eastern singularity, but P-San can't really tell which half it is.

Romani: …Okay, but what does all of this have to do with you not giving us mana!?

Magi☆Mari: Oh, nothing. P-san just wants your non-vital observation equipment offline in a bit. Sorry, it's for your own good!~

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

Once more, the monstrous scream of Cu Chulainn splits the air as I rain [Heavenly Arrows] down on him. Three copies of me, alternating the fire of all-piercing arrows, flicker away from him as he struggles to catch up on hideous misshapen wings.

…He's a difficult opponent. Somewhere between the Hydra and Reid Astrea, maybe even surpassing the latter - he's far and away the strongest 'monster' I've ever faced. His [Protection From Arrows] means that any shots made with less skill than the [Heavenly Arrow] will automatically miss, meaning I need to take my time with each shot. I could shoot fast enough if I still had access to [Nine Lives], but-

"[RIASTRAD]!"

Again his form shifts, a certain tightening in his muscles, and suddenly he flickers out of view- reappearing to stab two of my copies in their throats with the pieces of his spear still clutched in his deformed hands, and then flickering again into a just barely parried strike at my remaining copy. My bow shatters, and in desperation I smash my palm into the already opening set of jaws in his stomach.

[Palm of the Fist King]. Boiling blood scalds my arm as my blow tears his body in half, sending him flying away for a moment-

A stone sails past my head.

"[RIASTRAD]!"

"[Benkei Butsu]!" I conjure four clones, even as the once again reformed Cu Chulainn flickers back into melee range - he's reproduced the Leaper's Talent, then.

Two more stones sail past my head - that's enough of that.

Two bodies meet Cu Chulainn's charge as another one grabs the two remaining and hurls them towards the island where that irritating slinger is firing from.

My first and second body draw swords, delivering simultaneous blows that he parries with lightless thrusts of his spear-laden hands, breaking their weapons. His misshapen wings explode from his back as blades, slicing the second body to pieces as he brings his twisted legs forward in a scissor kick aimed at the head of the first.

My third body summons the first of my backup bows and readies a shot. Should I invoke its power?

No.

I despise the gods. Atalante's bow remains dormant.

My first body catches the legs aimed at its head, but Cu Chulainn's misshapen body, in a demonstration of just how many of his ribs have migrated to other parts of his body, lurches upwards, his unhinged jaw lunging for my throat.

I have no counters. Both of my hands are occupied, and the ultimate technique of Neiji Rockheart can only be delivered with a palm strike.

…Except, that was never Neiji's intent. He was a brawler, capable of using all of his body as the situation demanded. The [Palm of the Fist King] was only ever the start of his path; in the moments after he achieved it, he envisioned a truly divine martial art, far beyond just a single palm strike. Had he not been devoured by Gluttony, he would have gone much farther than this. But that chance was cut off. Like so many other humans, his destiny was cruelly denied, and he amounted to nothing, lost completely to history.

The rest are the same. The voices of the Eclipse, howling in my stomach. Each of them demanding, begging, crying for just one more chance. A last opportunity to complete their lives' works. Even in another world, even borrowing the body of another, even though they will doubtless be cut down, they continue to scream endlessly. And I, as an Avenger, draw power from this.

It makes me want to vomit.

I ████ humans. So, Neiji Rockheart, just this once, despite my better judgment, I'll show it to you. The pinnacle of that path you wished for. Your legacy, a divine martial art that surpasses all others.

"[Nine Lives Fist King]," I intone, and my knee tears off Cu Chulainn's face. The extended leg ejects his heart from his chest. A headbut knocks him backwards, my still tightly gripping hands tearing off his arms as my other leg shatters his pelvis.

…There it is. The cause for [Nine Lives] being disabled. My 'style' of surpassing all other wielders with every technique and weapon will not be complete until I fulfill the last will of all those voices of the Eclipse. I, who hate humans… can never do such a thing. Thus, for as long as the Eclipse continues, Nine Lives is sealed.

Boiling, acidic blood coats me as shattered crimson bones tear into my body with a will of their own, seeking my heart.

And as that body dies, my last one at this altitude fires at what remains of the Berserker-

"[RIASTRAD]!"

Suddenly, he teleports - not the now familiar near instantaneous movement of the [Leaper's Talent], but true teleportation - appearing behind me as his Noble Phantasm activates again to reform him, only barely letting me combine the Leaper's Talent with a roundhouse kick to gain some distance.

…A Command Spell. He needed one, to use his Noble Phantasm again in this state. But after firing it this many times, could his master still even be alive? Of course not! In which case-

"So your skill can falsify commands like that as well, Musashibou Benkei!" I shout at the new arrival, astride a Stymphalian Bird.

But his arrival gives me an opportunity.

So far, I've been locked into something like a stalemate, just barely keeping up with the Berserk Cu Chulainn. I could end it with [Reincarnation Pandora], but-

(A small, broken body, clutched in my hands.)

-I can't do that. Even now, even in this state, there's no possible way for me to willingly embrace madness. Cu Chulainn is incomprehensible to me for being willing to do so. And, even putting that aside, abandoning my reason might win me this fight, but it would remove all possibility of me winning against the biggest threat - it's going to be tough enough to beat Jason with my wits about me.

But, now that Benkei's here-

"[Reincarnation-!" I roar, thrusting a hand towards him.

"[Eighth-!" He shouts, reaching towards me.

So that's how it's going to be! Another exchange of Noble Phantasms! But that suits me just fine - I'll finish my Noble Phantasm first, and then cancel [Benkei Butsu] to erase this body before he can steal whatever he's after!

The bodies I sent to bring down that Archer will be more than far enough away, so-

"[Hamesh Avanim]!" David removes the head of one of the two demigods hurtling towards him. "Now, Abishag!"

"[Lord Chaldeas]!" Mash Kyrielight shouts, slamming a wall down between the Israelite King and the oncoming hail of arrows. "As I said, I really am not that person, King David!"

"Hm, are you really, absolutely, positively sure of that? Something about your body is-" He replies, but suddenly cuts himself off. "...So it's like that, huh? Is there really no other way?"

"...Very well," After a moment, the Archer sighs, dematerializing his sling to summon his harp in its place to begin a sorrowful song. "O Lord open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else I would give it; thou delightest not in burnt offering."

A [Heavenly Arrow] tears through Mash's shield, sending the girl sprawling, and tearing off the Archer's arm, the residual force flinging him into the dirt as well.

"The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise."

Alcides hits the earth a moment later, already drawing for a finishing blow.

"[Sacrifice]."

Holy fire consumes everything.

-they died!?

"-Pandora]!"

"-Implement]!"

King's Order returns to me, and Benkei immediately begins to plummet out of sight. The familiar capabilities granted to me by my Twelve Labors - so why are there only two!? He destroyed the rest before giving them back to me!? Only the Stymphalian Birds and the River are here now!

And, worse still, I feel it. The writhing, inky black shape of the Gluttony Witch Factor - being torn away. If the Eclipse ends, I might regain Nine Lives, but - with Cu Chulainn in this state there's no way I'll be able to keep up!

But I still have that. The most hypocritical, twisted option, that will allow me to remain in this fight for just a short time longer. Cu Chulainn has already sunk to such depths. And besides, there's no need for honor, between those who have attained the Heavenly Sword.

I cling to the Eclipse. Allowing the Witch Factor itself to slip away, I embrace those souls, those existences within, sheltering them in my bosom. With complete awareness of my hypocrisy -

I invoke my authority, as the patron god of heroes.

…I realize now, that they were suppressed. The Gluttony Witch Factor had lulled them into sleep. The grudges I had encountered to this point were nothing. Now, the howling is deafening, and the strength gained from my Avenger Class skill is-

-My body starts to crack as the first of thirteen horns shatters.

This is the limit. An ordinary Spirit Origin can only withstand so much enhancement. Even the Oni horns encircling my head can only vent so much mana before I finally break down. A second horn shatters. At this rate… I have eleven seconds remaining before my body explodes.

But until then, I'll meet your expectations. I understand, now, Cu Chulainn. What you were trying to tell me, when you drove yourself to madness to match me.

It truly makes me ████ humans.

You and I are the same. Separated by centuries, born in different nations, and yet - I'm sure, if we had ever met, we would have been sworn brothers.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" He moves towards me in an impossible leap, with unparalleled speed - but I can stop him. I must stop him.

"[Nine Lives Glaciation]." Absolute zero. true cold, under which particles cannot even move, of which I am the only exception. I will freeze even that boiling blood of yours, Cu Chulainn-!

"[Pilgrimage of the Five Hundred Arhat]!" - and then, spectral figures bloom into existence, from beneath, catching me, carrying me up, out of the range of the frost, above the clouds, towards the stars themselves-!

"[RIASTRAD]!" And, far below, Cu Chulainn twists his body, reshaping all of his musculature for a perfect throw that pierces the light itself, and tears through my already cracked and breaking body.

…There's no resentment, really. I don't feel particularly bad about this loss. At least, not for my own sake. If anything, I just feel total admiration for Cu Chulainn and Musashibou Benkei for pulling this off despite everything.

But those voices, who shared this eclipse with me, I feel a little bad for letting them down. Those screaming voices, the howls of those who lost their existence.

Because, I think, this whole time, you guys were cheering for me.

I want to say it so badly. That word, that was forbidden by the last will of Heracles, before I became Alcides.

But if I do that, something truly unsightly might be born here. I remember another time, even without six prior Beasts preparing the way, that I somehow came to be in a Grail War as Alcides. There are only bits and pieces of it, but… I know I became a true monster. I wanted to stop that shameful display in its tracks this time.

But, looking up at my own shape, etched in the stars, I feel like it might be okay.

I can do it. Like this, I could manage it. With all my fellow heroes cheering for me, I can retain my desire for heroism. Step past Alcides. Move beyond my hatred, and become the one god worth his title.

The truth is, like every other Beast - I love humans.

The cracks in my body resolve into the lines of a constellation as I draw 'me' into 'myself'. The remaining horns crowning my head lengthen, twisting together around the crown of my head. [God Hand] Activates, and my heart begins to beat again.

Cu Chulainn - I really hope we meet again one day.

"[Nine Lives]," The eclipse finally ends as I surpass it - and my foe finally finds rest beneath nine perfect sword swings.

Sing, O muse, of the mightiest Hero of this world,
Whose every arrow is a falling star, whose sword cleaves heaven from earth.
Lower your heads.
Lower your heads.
Crown him with horns as with a laurel, and cry aloud for salvation.
Now is the time for Retribution, against this unjust world.
But who shall swing the blade? Who shall launch the arrows of vengeance?
Not us. Not us. None can bear it.
A Hero. Choose a hero, and hold him high.
Etch his name in the stars, and pray for salvation, and
Let his blood-stained arrow carve the path.

Oh Hercules, God of Heroes, hear our plea.

Chapter Text

Before I can adjust to the overwhelming sense of pressure, before I can even really grasp what is going on in the slightest - there's a flicker of motion on the shore, and he appears.

A chiseled mountain of a man, with hair like a dark stormcloud, and eyes the color of lightning. His appearance has changed again - his skin has lost the strange red hue I saw before, and its bronzed surface has been marked with glowing cracks, branching across his body to connect a series of glowing wells sunk into his flesh. And, atop his head, the ring of horns I saw before has been twisted together, wrapping around the crown of his head like a laurel wreath.

The moment he arrives, Nobunaga already has a matchlock rifle pointed at him, and Rigel has materialized the twisted knives of Angra Mainyu - but he raises a hand in a gesture of peace, glancing at each of us in turn - Rigel, Nobunaga, Medea, and myself. "I'm not here to fight you, Natsuki Subaru. Either one of you."

But the ominous feeling doesn't subside in the slightest. His words do nothing to lift the tension draped over us all like a thick blanket.

"...That's not really believable. You've become a [Beast], haven't you?" Nobunaga asks.

"We'll settle that once your comrades arrive," He says dismissively. "They're surely on their way over, so for the time being-" Hie raises a hand, and a blue mote of light emerges from the hole in its palm, zipping towards Medea. Rigel moves to intercept, but- "Peace, Caster - or, looking at those weapons again, I suppose you must have been an Alter Ego. Either way, you can relax. That child is just healing her. Medea is a former comrade of mine - I'm not so cold as to leave her in this state."

The… spirit, maybe? The spirit floats there for a moment, seemingly waiting for Rigel to stand aside. "I…no, you wouldn't need to lie. I'm jumpy right now. Sorry, Alcides." He mumbles, dematerializing his weapons.

"...I've changed names again. I'm 'Hercules' now," the Beast says, and I glance again at the glowing lines and dots carved into his skin.

"Are you the man, the god, or the constellation?" I ask, and he gives a small smirk.

"A bit of each, I'd imagine," Hercules says, before glancing back at Rigel. "Still, to think that after all your talk, you ended up contracting with him as a Servant."

"Oi, don't make fun of Rigel! He tried his best, okay!?" I shout. "It's not his fault that younger brothers can never beat older ones!"

"You're embarrassing both of us, dammit," Rigel mutters. "Look, even that spirit looks confused!" He says, pointing at the blue light, which is flitting back and forth in a vaguely befuddled motion even as green light wafts out of its body and towards Medea.

"I wasn't mocking you, truly. Making peace with oneself is an admirable thing," The Beast says.

…

"...I don't get you at all. Are you an enemy, or not?" I ask after a moment.

He closes his eyes for a moment, before looking at me directly, piercing electric blue boring into my soul. "Whether I wish it or not, I am your enemy. Putting aside any agreements in ideals, you and I cannot become allies. I intend to use the power of a Beast to change the past - my goals, once achieved, will erase you from existence. I'll explain the particulars once your allies arrive, but for the time being - you must know that our interests are simply incompatible. We cannot become allies, and for what it's worth, I wish that was not the case. But reality is cruel."

Shit.

Of course, I wouldn't get that lucky. This terrible feeling of dread wafting off of him isn't for nothing. And even worse…

There's some room for disagreement depending on what he says his ultimate plan is, but the fact is that Natsuki Subaru is not someone who can denounce someone for wanting to change the past.

The rustling of moving cloth notifies me of the fact that Medea has stood up, and as I look that way I see her applying healing magic to her own wounds, now that her hands are healed and she's able to use her staff. The blue spirit Hercules conjured floats away, stopping to hover somewhere in the middle of everyone, with a sort of indecision.

"Subaru-sama, you…" The witch steps towards Rigel, and he moves towards something like a stiff embrace - but once again the little blue spirit zips between them, this time sparkling with something like anger. A sinister shadow falls over Medea's eyes. "You insignificant thing… don't think that you can come in between us."

"Uh, you want to do something about that…?" I ask Hercules. "It looked like they were about to have a bit of a moment…"

"It's not my place." He shakes his head. "The other intact victims of Gluttony were willing to stay with me, but she wanted to leave once she saw you - what happens from here on is up to her."

What.

I activate Cor Leonis.

What.

It's nothing like what I imagined. It feels like a cruel joke.

But the tears well up all the same, and I desperately choke them back. As Rigel and Medea both try to brush her aside, still unaware of her identity, I finally force out words.

"H-hey. That guy… you're from my timeline, n-not his. So… come to me before I start getting jealous, Rem."

Rigel freezes. Hercules gives a small smile. But I'm not really paying attention to them at this exact moment. I'm just grinning like an idiot as affection, joy, and relief pour through my Authority from that perfect blue star, as she hurtles towards me and knocks me over into the sand.

And, clutching that tiny, fragile mote of light to my chest, I finally let the tears go. "I missed you… so much…"

Natsuki Rigel

Okay, the fight's back on. I'm gonna kill him.

I want to throw up. I want to throw up. Looking at him, clinging to her, sobbing on the ground there like a baby, as if what he went through for her was anything like-!

"...Subaru-sama?" Medea's voice cuts through my impotent rage, and I remember myself.

Perfect calm settles over me. Right, I need a plan. I've lost Echidna, but that's fine. I just need to keep Medea on my side. And to do that, I can't show affection for another girl so obviously. If she gets jealous, it's all over, so I need to play it-

-I close my eyes, and turn away. "...I'm the fucking worst."

I already lost. The moment I didn't rush over there and start brawling with him, I proved it.

I am not Natsuki Subaru. Not really, not in the same sense that he is. Rem would have no clue what to do with me, even if I defeated him somehow, because I'm already not the man she fell in love with.

"Medea, do you mind if we take a little walk together?" I ask the witch, finally.

"Of course, Subaru-sama," She replies.

"About that… I think I'm Rigel, now," I admit.

Medea gives a small, somewhat confused nod, and we venture out across the sand.

"...I'm really not the kind of guy you think I am," I admit after a little while.

"What do you mean?"

"To start with, the whole… expectation you have of me, as some kind of emotionless monster - that's not quite right. I'm desensitized, but…"

"You certainly were showing some emotion back there. Did he get under your skin that much?" Medea giggles, but that trails off into a sad, shadowed look. "Did she…"

"Rem… I loved her, and lost her, before I became what I am now." I say, and slowly I feel a self-mocking grin spread across my face. "It's disgusting. Even as I perverted and corrupted every other relationship I had, I was able to cling to that love. That notion that someday, somehow, she might wake up from that eternal sleep she had been placed in, and we could just… pick up where we left off.

But that won't happen. I'm already a different person entirely, and even if she forced herself to try to meet me where I am now… I'd destroy her. The same way I destroy everyone else who cares for me. Because I'm not 'Natsuki Subaru'. That guy can find the right time for people to stand on their own, but I don't, and when I do it just goes wrong! Minotauros died, I sent Drake to her death, I almost got you killed, and for all I know Stede is a pig right now! And what do I have to show for it!? Just the realization that I shouldn't have bothered with this idiocy in the first place! I'm so… damn… useless!"

As I finish my pathetic tantrum, I gaze again at my companion, and-

"I'm happy you saved me, Subaru-sama," Medea says simply, as she wraps her arms around me.

This girl… is really an angel, huh?

"...I said it, didn't I? I want you by my side," I say, and before I realize it I'm clinging to her like she might disappear any second.

"S-subaru-sama!?" She squeaks.

"Losing you… is something I can't bear. I don't know if I'd call it love or just possessiveness, but… please don't leave me," I murmur.

We return to… a questionable sight.

"And that's sokuzumi! Nobbu's great victory!" Nobunaga's body shouts as she finishes her move.

"No it's not, stupid. You just blundered your Lance," Nobunaga's head interjects from her position in the arms of a labcoat-wearing Servant I haven't met yet.

"You try playing without any eyes!" The body retorts, flipping the Shogi board into her opponent, Jason's face.

The Rider rubs his forehead, glancing at me, at Medea, and our entwined hands, back at me, and then towards a smirking Subaru as his face goes through all seven stages of grief - and finally, with a scowl, he gives the other guy a clump of QP. "Okay, they're here! Can you get on with it already, Hercules?

I trail my eyes over the assortment of Servants present to confirm that all of Subaru's allies have arrived. "...So you only lost Saint George?" I ask after a moment.

"He's been recalled to Chaldea, Sen- um…" Mash Kyrielight starts to reply before trailing off into awkward embarrassment.

"Are you kidding me!? What cheat codes are you using, dammit!? I come at you with everything I have, and you come back with two extra Servants!?" I shout, pointing at the man in the labcoat and an old man in the regalia of a king who's carrying a harp.

"I had to use a Noble Phantasm that changes my class. It's very uncomfortable to do, though I don't regret it now that it's done," The old king says.

"I lost about half of my spirit origin," Says Cu Chulainn. "Can't even really be called Cu Chulainn anymore, so just call me Grimr."

"I'm still David, to be clear," The old king says. "But [Sacrifice] makes me into the 'repentant king' rather than the 'upstart youth', so-"

"King David, I don't think that Rigel-san has context for that," Mash Kyrilight says - and of course, he's got her calling me that too, huh?

"I lost my head," Says Nobunaga.

"I lost my body," Says Nobunaga.

"And I lost my boat, but can we please move along!" Jason says, turning again to Hercules, who has stood up from - was he playing dice with Benkei? Aren't these guys acting a little too carefree!?

"Sorry about the Argo. I'm sure you'll be able to figure something out, though," Hercules says. "It's you, after all."

"Y-yeah…" The Rider stammers.

"...But, that's enough leisure for now," Hercules says. "I'll introduce myself properly. I am Hercules, God of Heroes. I am Beast V/Hero, who executes Humanity's sin of [Retribution]. I shall become all that is good in the world. I shall destroy all that is evil in the world.

"In one day's time, I will leave this singularity. I shall slay the other Beasts, slay the gods, and establish an eternal kingdom of peace and justice.

"Make no mistake. If you are of the modern day, I am your enemy. The world you know shall be rewritten - into a better one, yes, but that is of little value to you. If you wish not to die a painful death, I shall spare you, and in some time, you will painlessly disappear. If you wish to fight, I shall permit it, but know that you stand no chance.

"To the Human Order, as well, I am an enemy. But the Human Order is evil, viewing peace as stagnation - I shall overthrow it. To that end - Benkei, I expect I will see you in the final battle.

"To my former companions - Asclepius, Jason, Medea - you need not fight. Simply stand aside - I shall save you all."

A black bow materializes in his hands, and he points it in the opposite direction of the rising sun.

"That's Atalante's-!" Jason shouts.

"She's alive. Neither Reid nor myself had time to clash with her as we passed by. Please send her my apologies, if you find her," Hercules says, drawing the string, a heavy arrow loaded that makes the wood creak ominously. "[Shooting Down the StarsNine Lives]."

The bow shatters.

The sky and sea split. The arrow hurtles into the distance with a sonic boom, before it finally impacts something - and the distant sunrise-lit sky stretches, and finally the arrow tears through, leaving a gleaming pinprick of light in the firmament where it exited.

"I will wait beneath that star, at the very edge of the world. Come, if you dare."

And then, in a blur of motion, he's gone.

Chapter Text

Silence follows Hercules's disappearance - the oppressive quiet of those condemned. The sound of waves on the shore is all that can be heard, and as I glance at each of the people present, I can see each one going through their own internal struggle.

Mash grits her teeth, her eyes flicking back and forth between the distant star that Hercules had pinned to the sky and her shield. Cu Chulainn - no, he said his name is Grimr now - scrawls runes into the beach as he prepares a magic circle, a small scowl on his face. Benkei simply sits staring straight ahead, face pale as sweat pours down his face. Jason meets my eyes briefly before looking away with a guilty grimace. Medea and Rigel are both refusing to meet each other's eyes, similarly guilty looks on both of their faces. The old man Mash brought with her - David, I think he said his name was - moved away from the group, and I can see him lightly tapping the strings of his harp as he sings something I can't hear. Nobunaga's head has a kind of desperate grin stretched across her face. And the labcoat-wearing guy carrying her - opens his eyes, with a strange resolve, breaking the silence first.

"Well, never mind all of that. For now, I have a patient to treat," He says. "Medea, assist me. We need to reattach her head as soon as possible."

"...As single-minded as always," The witch says, a bemused sigh leaving her mouth. "You'll still help them, despite what Hercules promised us?"

"I don't particularly mind one way or another who wins. Whether I'll achieve less or more in a history without the gods… I can't answer that. Nor can I answer which world might achieve greater heights of medicine." He sighs. "In that case, I'll simply have to treat the patient in front of me."

"That's great!" Nobunaga says. "I was really worried you might just decide to abandon me or something!"

"...So that's one of you working with us for now," I say, glancing at Jason.

"I'm…" He pauses, glancing again at that distant star. "I'm gonna need some time to think."

"It's gonna be tough to stop him without you," I offer.

He doesn't respond - and, grinding his teeth with terrible agitation, he turns and walks away.

…I'm serious about that. With Hercules changing classes again, we're gonna need someone who knows the ins and outs of all his different classes to give us some kind of hint about what we're up against.

But for the time being- "By the way, Rigel, what the hell did you do with my communicator?"

"Sorry, it kept beeping, so I threw it in the ocean," he deadpans.

"...Boy, I sure am glad the director couldn't hear that one," I chuckle, and the very next second the communicator on Mash's wrist begins to beep furiously.

"Now you've done it, Senpai," Mash gives a small smile as the peeved face of Director Olga Marie springs to life in holographic form.

"You know, we were all totally shocked when we got our monitoring back and saw that, not only had you survived through all of that, you had registered the enemy leader as a Chaldean Servant," She says, a fake smile plastered on her face as her eye twitches. "But, you know, I told everyone it would be fine. My brilliant disciple surely would have thought through the consequences. He definitely wouldn't do something like wire a Demon Pillar into Chaldea's system as something like a one-off joke. After all, he respects his teacher, and wouldn't want to upset her, right?"

I feel bad. Really, I do.

But…

"Demon pillar?"

I can't waste this perfect setup.

{Now.} I tell Rigel telepathically.

""Right, there was something like that, wasn't there?"" We say in stereo.

Slowly, she lowers her face into her hands in utter defeat - and then her shoulders start shaking, and for a moment I'm worried I finally pushed it too far and broke her.

"Pft." And then, finally, a small snicker leaves her lips."Heh… heheheh! I can't… even after all of this… you… pft…"

Sensei raises her face again to look at me with slightly puffy red eyes, and a wry grin on her face. "...You freaking idiot. Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?"

!

…Crap. I'm blushing now.

"A-anyway… it seems like there were compatibility issues and Zepar lost his ego, so…" I scratch my head. "Basically, Rigel is in control, not the Demon Pillar, so I thought it would be fine as a temporary measure… Sorry, it was a bit of a heated moment."

"...W-well, as expected of the student I saw potential in! It seems like you've managed to recruit or neutralize everyone except Hercules on your own, so I'm proud of you," I feel myself flushing more and more as she heaps on the praise. "Now all that's left is- hey! Hey, you damn fairy thing, move! Get out of the way! I'm talking to my pre- my disciple! You wanna die, huh!?"

"Rem, please don't bully sensei," I say, reaching out and gently pulling the palm-sized buzzing orb of light away from the communicator. Touching her is still a strange feeling - she's mostly immaterial, weightless, and can barely even communicate. And yet, there's something about her presence that puts me completely at ease. Smiling slightly, I pull her close with both hands, and she floats up to about face level, hovering there for a moment, pulsing intermittently with light. "...Sorry, I don't really get it."

She dims slightly, and then floats over to settle on my shoulder.

"...Well, this is to be expected from Senpai at this point," Mash says. Why does she sound so disappointed by that…? "In any case, that strange creature is…?"

"Ah, this is Rem. She's not in her body right now, but- no, come to think of it, you're acting a little differently, aren't you?" I turn to glance at her, and her light blinks in confusion. "You're not usually this assertive. Maybe it's something to do with your form?"

The light gives a small, noncommittal-looking wiggle.

"...Well, putting that aside for now," Sensei says. "Let's get back to the situation at hand. We've finished our analysis of Hercules's Spirit Origin. I'm sending it over now."

"You guys can detect everything besides the Noble Phantasm, right?" Grimr asks. "As far as that goes, I can say that he's at least got that [God Hand] thing from Fuyuki-"

"Well, we're doomed, then," The Director says.

"Seriously? Just how bad is…" I ask, looking over Mash's shoulder as she scrolls down the holographic display.

And scrolls.

And scrolls.

"This… freaking… glitch character…" I mutter.

"I… think he might actually be more broken than Reinhard," Rigel says.

"...I dunno, I kinda got the feeling Reinhard could keep getting new Divine Protections of the Phoenix, so he might outlast him," I mutter.

"What does that one do?" Rigel asks, and I blink. Oh no.

"It, uh…" I cringe a bit. "Revives him one time if he dies. But then he can just get a new one after that, so he can revive again."

Rigel groans. "...I wish he told me about that." He probably killed himself over and over to save him, huh? No wonder Regulus was hell for him.

"So we need to kill him twelve different times, for which only attacks of EX rank will suffice, with a special exception for Extra classes, who get the privilege of dealing lethal damage with A rank attacks," the Director says.

"Eleven, actually, for what it's worth," says Grimr. "'Cu Chulainn' took a life off him before he went down. Also, a non-servant could manage it with an A-rank attack too."

"Isn't the A-rank attack of a normal human only something like C or B rank for a Servant?" I ask.

He shakes his head. "It's a conceptual defense that deflects 'all but the highest tier of attack'. As long as it's nominally A-rank or higher after accounting for the rank downs from his Nega Skill, it doesn't matter whether it's an attack that stubs the target's toe or annihilates a planet. On the same principle, it doesn't matter how many pluses a B-rank attack has, it still won't pierce [God Hand] unless it crosses the boundary into A-rank."

"It's a moot point, anyway. I've only got one spell that would maybe reach that level, and I don't think I could cast it on my own even with a Holy Grail backing me up," I say.

"The Animusphere Magecraft could manage it," Sensei says. "But our lessons didn't reach that point, and you'd need a powerful… mystic… code…" She trails off, a wicked grin filling her face. "Subaru, once Asclepius is done with Nobunaga, I want you to do everything you can to get him to agree to joining Chaldea and rayshifting over here. Tell him we have wounded for him to work on."

"Director, that's a terrible idea!" Doctor Romani shouts, appearing on the holographic display as well. "Even with the help of a god of medicine - freezing the injured masters was already a human rights violation!"

"If it works, he won't have anything to complain about, Roman. Or do you think that Kirschtaria Wodime is the type to be stopped by flimsy concepts like 'human rights'?"

Jason

I hate this.

"Simply stand aside - I shall save you all."

As if I could just do that! I don't want to be saved! I want to win, dammit! There's no glory in it for me if you just run off and create my kingdom for me, and then just plop me down at the top of it!

No, in the first place, are you even going to put me in charge? Come on, Hercules, there's no point in building a utopian kingdom if I'm not in charge of it!

I know. I know, I'll be happy, in his world. Hercules will make sure of it, because we're friends.

I know that, dammit.

"But, if you swoop in and solve everything… where do I put all this guilt?"

"A scapegoat?" Rigel asks.

"Yes," David nods. "You can think of that as a kind of 'keyword', the characteristic shared by any manifestation of Beast V. Although it represents the sin of [Retribution], the better way to describe it is probably the sin of 'refusing to take responsibility'. Usually the word means, 'a single person blamed for all ills', but-"

"There's a school of thought that suggests it goes deeper than that," Romani says. "'All collective problems are solved by scapegoating', or so the theory goes - whether the scapegoat is a person 'blamed for' or a person 'entrusted with solving' the problem - at the end of the day, a single person serves as the psychological receptacle for everyone else's worries, so that the rest of society can forget about the problem. Heroes, kings, civil servants - none of them actually have the ability to fully fix a problem in every last detail, but they''ll still bear that responsibility."

"So Hercules is representing the sin of 'those who can but will not save themselves'. As far as that goes, we can expect that the world he creates won't be some sort of dystopia where all those who fail to be perfect will be purged," David says.

"But, even so… I think the world he's aiming for is unforgivable," Romani says. "If a perfect king solves every person's problems for them, then what's the point of those people even existing? If one man embodies all the good in the world, then what's left for everyone else?"

"You already thought it through that much, huh?" David says, closing his eyes for a moment. "...What a wise kid."

My mistakes are my own. I can't just leave them all for someone else to clean up - what's the point if I do? How could I call myself a hero, then?

It finally all clicks in my head as I gaze up towards the stars.

"...That's right. What the hell are you doing, Heracles?" I ask. "Didn't I tell you!?"

Didn't I tell you to stay by my side, to follow me?

"If you do this kind of thing… you'll never reach a world where people will understand you."

Where do you get off getting such a big head, anyway? [God of heroes], are you kidding me? You're an Argonaut! Part of a crew, my crew! And that means we go together, and conquer the sea with our friends!

"I won't let you become the only god! Not all alone! Not without me!" I shout, and I pull it out.

A squirming, black thing, recovered from the body of some arrogant albino. I don't really understand it, but apparently it can make you invincible at the risk to your life.

So what. At this point, with all of my Noble Phantasms destroyed, with Nobunaga to provide adequate enough strategic advice, I don't have anything else to offer.

"I'll risk my life! Of course I will!" I shout, reaching a hand towards the constellation carving our deeds into the night sky.

"Because we are Argonauts! Heroes, every one!"

-In a spirit of near selflessness, concerned only with the fate of his friend, Jason thrusts the Greed Witch Factor into his chest.

…Unfortunately, that is precisely the wrong spirit with which to approach this particular Witch Factor.

-I collapse. Black blood pours from my mouth and eyes as every part of my body starts to self-destruct.

"Ah… Ahhhh." Feeble moans manage to come through my lips.

No.

No, isn't this wrong?

Come on. Come on, come on, come on, seriously!?

Wasn't this my big heroic moment?

Wasn't this my big turnaround?

I've been a useless bastard all the way up to this point, but now-!

Any moment now-!

Where's my sudden powerup? Where's my hope to save the day? This can't be it, can it?

Surely, there has to be something I can do! Some way, any way, to become the hero I know I was meant to be!

I'm dying. I'm going to die here, die again, beneath my ship written in the stars. crushed under the weight of a hope I couldn't reach.

Please. Someone, notice. I know I wandered off alone, but someone had to be paying attention, right? Medea, Asclepius, even Grimr might be able to do something. I can't die here! There has to be something-! Someone-!

…Goddammit.

The stars… so close… I can almost…

"Are you satisfied with this?"

"...Of course not."

"Then, let us make a compact. I am Forneus. The great Sea Fiend, who teaches men, gives them a good name, and makes them beloved of their friends and foes alike."

"Piss off, then. I've got nothing to say to you."

"Ignorant. Our goals align for the time being. The defeat of the Beast of Heroes is required for us as well."

"So? What the hell does a guy like you have to offer in the first place? You gonna fuse some suspicious crap into me, make me like that Alter Ego? I'm not interested."

"Did you ever wonder, how another Natsuki Subaru was brought to this world in the first place?"

"..."

"Some limited access to the Kaleidoscope, the operation of Parallel Worlds, is within the capabilities of us Demon Pillars. Thousands of possibilities are at our disposal. Thousands of versions of you - even those who achieved your dream."

"..."

"...Do you wish to see it? The future that you might have claimed, had fate played out even slightly differently?"

"...I want to! I want to, goddammit! I want to see it so badly I'm gonna cry!"

"Then the compact is sealed."

A star, the first of thirty-two, the prow of a certain ship written in the heavens - plunges from the sky and crushes what remains of 'Jason'.

"Since we've resolved to fight, I might as well reveal that I've become a Ruler now," David says. "I've lost access to my sling, but I'm still capable of using the [Ark of the Covenant] and [Sacrifice], though the former will probably be very difficult to get Hercules to touch, so-"

His explanation is interrupted by blinding light as an explosion lights up the inner island. And, emerging from that practical flashbang, a young blond man clad in golden armor, marked all over with bright points of light, walks into view with a huge grin on his face.

"Who-?" Natsuki Subaru asks.

"Who even knows at this point!?" The man laughs, wild-eyed. "I don't even know my class, and as for my True Name - 'Argo Navis', 'Super Jason', hell you could even call me 'Space Jason' if you want! But I'm ready to win this thing, so line up and get ready to follow my orders. One of our crew wandered off on his own, and we've gotta drag him back whether he likes it or not! Argonauts… Assemble!"

Class: Voyager
True Name: Argo Navis (Super Jason)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Armaments: Power Armor, Lasers, Beam Sword
Manifestation Cost: High

Bio:
To draw power from other versions of oneself is no simple task - but it can be simplified by simply selecting one single version of oneself to draw power from, in a limited form of possession.

This is the method of operation used by the infamous Kaleidosticks. This is the method used by Zepar to disastrous effect in both this world and another, to call up demons beyond himself that he had no chance of dominating.

And, as for the one called forth by Forneus, the strongest possible version of Jason-

Perhaps it was the influence of certain suspicious particles. Perhaps it was simply a matter of fact that Jason would never achieve anything of note outside of the most outlandish of circumstances.

In any case-

His story begins a long, long time ago, in a Servantverse far, far away…

-That said, his consciousness is still the normal Jason, so he doesn't understand where all this sci-fi gear came from.

The constellation Argo Navis has always existed in our world's sky, and as far back as people have been making boats, there were those that described the constellation's shape as that of a boat. Whether the Argo was, as some Greek writers claimed, the first boat made by humans, or whether the first was an Ark created to preserve humanity from a great flood, or any other possibility - Argo Navis was identified with all of them.

Embodying a vessel that Voyages out in advance of the rest of humanity, Super Jason has accomplished a class container that possesses no name, the first of its kind- in this timeline, at least.

Later in this story, when he meets the witch Circe, she will give it a placeholder title that for some reason feels right to her - [Voyager].

Parameters
Strength: B+
Endurance: B
Agility: B+
Mana: C
Luck: A+
NP: A

Class Skills:

Riding: A

Contact with Civilization: D

Independent Navigation: D

Personal Skills:

The Rumored Goldenfleecium: -
A mysterious metal discovered by Space Jason in Season 3 of the original TV serial. Not only was it the secret to counteracting Space Agamemnon's Death Dust, it doubles as a renewable fuel source, the secret to cold fusion, and an excellent pillow!

…We don't get it either.

Writing our Names in the Stars: A++
Skill that empowers those sailing on the Argo - all those aboard receive a rank-up to their parameters, and those among the original Argonauts will receive this benefit even when not aboard.

Inspiration at Death's Door: A


Noble Phantasms:

The Radiant Ship that Tears the Heavens: Astrapste Argo
Rank: A++
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1~10
Maximum number of targets: 50 people

The gleaming metal ship used by the Space Argonauts for their voyage through the stars. While inactive, it transforms into a suit of powered armor. Having integrated the defenses of the Aegis partway through season two, it is highly resistant to enemy attacks, and its cannons are powered by pure Goldenfleecium, making it an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm

Our Jason has no idea how to operate any of these high tech functions, though, so in his hands it remains Anti-Army like the original Argo.

Regardless, he can summon the full crew of the original Argo to assist him with this Noble Phantasm, although they can refuse to help based upon their personal preferences.

Authority of Greed: ???
Rank: -
Type: Anti-Unit (Self)
Range: 1~20
Maximum number of targets: 100 People

Despite acquiring the Greed Witch Factor, Jason has no clue of its effects, and it remains dormant for the time being.

Chapter Text

"Jeez, what part of 'using those things is dangerous' didn't you get?" I ask after Jason finishes explaining.

"Not to mention, now we won't get a chance to really examine the thing in detail, which is part of why I preserved it in the first place," Grimr mutters.

"It seemed like a good call at the time, okay!?" He shouts. "And it worked out! Look, I'm young, handsome, and have inexplicable sci-fi powers now!"

"It's probably Servantverse stuff…" The freshly re-capitated Nobunaga mutters something inexplicable, then moves on as if she said nothing. "Speaking of silly stuff, how about we go grab the Grail now? It'll probably be handy for the coming fight."

"If you know where the Holy Grail is, please mention it sooner…" Mash says with a small frown.

"It was probably in that cave, so… do you think Blackbeard has it now?" Jason asks.

"Nah, Elizabeth had it, so he's probably been roped into some kind of goofy halloween sub-plot," Nobbu says.

"Halloween…? I guess it's close to October…" I say. "Wait, no it isn't! It's still August!"

"Actually, we're at about 4 AM on September first, Senpai," Mash helpfully(?) corrects me.

"Right, it's late! I want to sleep!" I shout, and then something else clicks. "Wait, you said Elizabeth? As in Elizabeth I, or Elizabeth Bathory, or someone else?"

"Bathory," Nobunaga confirms. "Apparently she was shouting about getting a swimsuit when she first stole the grail from Blackbeard, so if we're lucky she might even be an extra class right now!"

"She actually showed up in this singularity too…? She was rambling about a swimsuit when she disappeared in France, but Servants don't remember things between manifestations, right…?" I say to myself.

"Oh, Elizabeth definitely remembers everything," Nobunaga says, and I feel a dire chill come over me. "She has Eliza particles on her side, after all."

"...Another stupid particle?" My retort doesn't really have very much energy - the existential terror is far too great.

"Seriously, though, why is it sci-fi?" I ask as we load up into the… Space Argo, I guess. "It's got air conditioning, balance stabilizers, and - are those laser cannons?"

"You think I know?" Jason asks.

"You can't even fire them, huh? Truly amazing…" I say. "By the way, what happened to that fifty-man crew you were talking about?"

"...Everyone refused," He admits. "I think if I ask enough times in dogeza, Pollux might feel enough pity to show up, and then Castor will join too. Other than them, maybe we can get Meleager if we find Atalanta, but that's pretty much it."

"...I guess we are asking a lot of them, but seriously?" I sigh. "...So, I guess we'll pencil in 'find Atalanta' after picking up Elizabeth and the Grail."

By the way, I already asked, but just grabbing the Grail and collapsing the singularity won't actually do anything to Hercules.

"On that note, we should think about swinging by Circe's island," Rigel says. "Stede aside, I feel like Circe would have to have something to help with this mess."

"There's a leyline there too, right?" I ask. "We can probably arrange to get some Servants sent from Chaldea… but do we actually have anyone useful left for this? I guess the Azoth Longsword is an A-rank mystic code, so maybe with buffs…?"

My communicator beeps, and the director springs into view. "You can leave those considerations to me, Subaru. You should get some sleep - Mash too. That's an order."

"...Right. Thanks, Director."

Still, it's easy to say I should sleep. "Hey, Nobunaga, I don't suppose you've got a spare mini-nobbu lying around? I tend to prefer using a hug pillow…"

"Nope! I'd offer to substitute, but I'm probably gonna be up late scheming with Jason," She says.
"No, you've already mentioned that you're some kind of nudist when things get too casual, so that would definitely be a problem," I sigh.

"I could shapeshift away the naughty bits if you want," she shrugs. "Actually, everything from the neck down is feeling a bit Avenger-y ever since I went through Rigel's mud, so I could even turn myself into a guy if that would make you more comfortable."

I have many questions, but in the end I go with the most important retort. "No, that last option would make things way worse!"

At this point, I finally take notice of the floating blue orb pressing itself into my chest. "Ah… the feeling's appreciated, but sensing your presence while I'm sleeping would be a bit tough."

"Hm… You could ask Medea for some help?" Nobunaga suggests. "She's got a passing interest in dollcraft, I'm pretty sure."

"Really?" I wonder. "You think I should ask through Rigel, or-?"

"No. No way. You have to ask yourself with some kind of guarantee that your little fairy girl goes nowhere near him," The Archer says, making an X with both arms. "She seems like she's somewhere between the old and young versions of her right now, so I'm not entirely sure how crazy she is, but anything implicating a potential love rival would be incredibly stupid."

"R-right…"

By the time the Argo arrives at the nearest Leyline, Subaru and Mash are already well asleep, and it comes down to Grimr to perform the necessary setup to rayshift Asclepius back to Chaldea as David works to move the Ark of the Covenant onto the boat.

"So? What do you plan to use that material for?" The doctor asks. "Those birds of yours were fishing it out of the water the whole way here."

The sage simply smirks. "It's the flesh of an incarnated Divine Spirit. What do you think we'll be using it for? It's gonna go into anything and everything. For now, I'm sending it back with you, but supposing Da Vinci doesn't find some way to burn through it all - and she shouldn't, I think I've got close to 30% of fishface's body mass here - supposing it's still there when I get to Chaldea, I think I'll give recreating Gae Bolg a try. Or I guess it'd be Gungnir, now."

"A sea monster's bones, hm?" The god of medicine closes his eyes for a moment. "And if I see fit to use it?"

"Go for it, long as you're helping out. Your Noble Phantasm needs ingredients, right?" Grimir grins.

"Splendid." Aesclepius smirks.

Chaldea's medical wing is fairly sizable, having been built to care for and be operated by a significantly larger staff than the facility now contains. As a result, out of five surgical theaters and twenty patient wards, only two of the former and ten of the latter are active, the rest having been sealed off and depowered. Even then, considering the skeleton crew operating them, the medical wing ought to have been shrunk even further, but the number of wounded personnel from the bombing of Chaldea a month prior had made that impractical.

Aside from those rooms, the medical wing also contains a pharmacy, an improvised rehabilitation facility, the morgue, and a number of cold storage rooms.

-Within one said cold storage room, a doctor with fluffy red hair and a freshly rayshifted servant examine a number of large machines - the rayshift coffins belonging to Chaldea's A team.

"As a doctor, I have my doubts about this procedure," Aesclepius says, looking over the medical charts belonging to Chaldea's cryogenically preserved masters. "No, more than that, it's simply irresponsible of me to make any sort of attempt at healing the ones in these coffins without prior test cases."

"That's what I was telling her!" Romani says. "It's way too risky to try something like this-"

"Medicine cannot be advanced without sacrifices, so would you point me to which of these is the most expendable?" Aesclepius asks.

"-I'm sorry, what!?"

"That said, Daybit Sem Void's medical history is too irregular to draw conclusions from, and Akuta Hinako's medical chart is missing. We need to exclude confounding variables like Ophelia Phamrsolone's mystic eye and Kirschtaria Wodime's damaged magic circuits as well, so… " The Servant murmurs. "Very well then. Kadoc Zemlupus. Scandinavia Peperoncino. Beryl Gut. Out of these three, which one would be missed the least if the procedure goes wrong?"

Objectively speaking, the correct answer would be Kadoc. Talented though he might be, he remains undoubtedly the weakest link in the A team. Not to mention that being from a minor mage family, there wouldn't even be any real political consequence to his death.

…But, the one asked this question is Romani Archman.

With a slightly shaking hand, he pages the Director, explaining the situation to her.

"...That's pretty nasty, Romani," She says. "Out of character, too - but I guess I can excuse it this time. I trust you'll still do your best to preserve his life?"

"...Of course."

"He's the most durable of the three, in any case," Olga Marie shakes her head. "Fine then. I'll authorize it. Medical to cold storage four, please assist Dr. Archman and Aesclepius in the resuscitation of A-Team member Beryl Gut."

Chapter Text

I blink a few times as I take in the familiar scenery of Rigel's reality marble again.

"I sorta expected the dreams were over at this point," I admit. "I guess this means it wasn't Echidna that set this up?

He shakes his head as he takes a seat on the hillside. "I don't know how much of it is our connection from being the same person and how much is the normal dream cycle, but it'll probably stick around as long as I do."

"About that-" I start.

"Let's not get into what happens after we beat Hercules for now," He says. "I've still got to talk some stuff over with Medea, so just be patient, okay?"

"...Got it," I say, looking away from him. "Since we've got time, is there anything you wanna talk about?"

"We could rehash the different paths each other took, I guess. Might learn something interesting," He suggests. "...But, on second thought, everything I hear about your route through things makes me depressed, so let's not for now."

"-Then, what about the other question relating to you and me. 'How many more Natsuki Subarus are we gonna have to deal with?'" I ask.

"That's a scary question!" Rigel shouts.

"Right!? One surprise sibling was enough of a pain in the ass!" I say with a huff.

"-But, I've got some recollection of the Demon Pillars yapping about it that I inherited from Zepar. There was one other pillar, Phenex, who was investigating us, in the Roman singularity - and Raum said he would be investigating the other world directly," Rigel says.

"I know I'm not one to talk, but shouldn't you be more proactive about sharing important stuff like this!?" I say.

"I'm getting to it, okay? All the talk while we were awake was focused on the fight with Hercules."

"You're not wrong, but…!"

"I don't know the details, but Phenex's intervention also caused a Beast to emerge - it could be unrelated to him investigating us, but if he went the same kind of route as Zepar…" Rigel trails off.

"Well, it might be a different scenario than with you, right? There's gotta be other divergence points in our personal history, and the whole 'slinging cursed mud all over the place' gimmick isn't even native to our skillset," I give some tentative excuses.

"I feel like, for better or worse, if there's another version of us somewhere, he's going to make a big impact," Rigel says. "Not to get a big head or anything, but…"

"No, you're right." If only because of Return by Death, Natsuki Subaru is fated to be someone who impacts the course of history.

"...Unless it's some version of us that just eloped with Rem and lived happily ever after," he says after a moment's thought.

"What the hell? I'll blow him away," I say, clenching a fist.

"But putting aside our natural enemy, the 'Happily Ever After' Subaru who must be punched at all costs," Rigel says, "Can you think of any other potential divergence points?"

"...Maybe finding someone else to help fight Elsa, in the capital? I can't see that being such a big divergence, though," I say. "In the worst case, he's best friends with Julius - no, I take it back, that's horrifying."

Rigel rolls his eyes and sighs. "Jokes aside, there's the mansion loop too…"

"What, we bail out for real and end up running a business with Otto?" I muse. "Again, he doesn't really have a reason to fight us. No matter how I think about it, you've gotta be the exception as far as alternate Subarus go."

"...In Priestella, there were a couple of times I avoided Gluttony by the skin of my teeth," He says.

"Ah, there's a high-risk scenario," I nod. "As far as losing memories go - I actually got those eaten at one point, and they left me with all of my Earth memory intact, so I think they can't create a complete Amnesiabaru." It's still a big problem, though. "But if they got my name… I'm suddenly some strange guy who smells like the witch and knows everyone's secrets…"

"No, I was talking about the memories," He says. "To start with, I think the ability to smell the Witch was something unique to just a few people - Rem was asleep, Ryuzu Shima didn't show up after the Sanctuary, and we already beat Clind by that point. Keeping in mind that Gluttony was a known factor, it probably wouldn't be that hard to explain ourselves."

"Wait, you fought Clind…?" Why the heck did that- oh right, he was probably recognized as a bad influence on Emilia-tan. That'd do it. "Beatrice detected it before, too… but if Julius's situation is anything to go off of, we'd retain some kind of connection even with her memory of me gone. Since Beako is a perfect angel, it'd have to work out, right?"

"Don't tell me you dodged the Clind fight!?" He shouts. "That was a whole nightmare in its own right, and it just didn't happen for you…?"

I can't really say anything to that, so I just shrug. "-But, returning to the memory loss… that's gotta be the most worrisome. Because, in the Watchtower, I almost did something unforgivable."

"The Pleiades Watchtower… that's what you're talking about, right? Echidna stopped me from going there - she said I had no way of overcoming it no matter how hard I tried."

"How much of that was just self preservation since that's where Satella is sealed and how much was honest worry - I can't really guess," I say. "I had a real tough time, and you would probably have it even worse, since you'd be wading through a mountain of books."

"?" He looks at me in confusion.

"Anytime someone dies in that world, a book recording their life will appear. Finding my own books turned out to be the key to recovering my memories, but for you the number of books would have been crazy." I explain.

"Wait, are all of your memories just secondhand stuff you've read, then?"

"No, it was more like 'you read it and then the memories are beamed straight into your head'. I almost became Meili, at one point," I say.

"You went back and saved her, right!?"

"Obviously," I reply. "But, before that, I had a notion - just a simple idea that I was able to put behind me really fast. 'Everyone else knows me, the me that was here before I lost my memories. If I read all of their books, maybe I can piece together some imitation of who [Natsuki Subaru] was.'"

"..."

"If there's some version of me out there, who went down that path, devouring our friends' lives like a Gluttony Archbishop… He would be the worst of all," I conclude, and a moment of silence follows.

"Well… that's just a hypothetical, though!" I put a brave face on. "Getting back to the thing you were talking about before - is there anything else you heard from Zepar?"

"Yeah. Like I said, Phenex made a Beast appear in Rome - and in addition to that, Bifrons created one more or less on purpose in Jerusalem," He says. "That's most of what I got, except… apparently something happened six years ago, and it's a really big deal. Like, 'the Demon Pillars are screwed if they don't do something about it' big."

"...Six years, huh?" I mutter. "That'd be 2009…"

"Do you know something?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Probably not," I shake my head. I know someone who that year is important to, but… "That girl isn't important in the larger scheme of things, and as far as you and I go, the only significant thing would be the neighborhood play group imploding."

"There's not a chance in hell that that's plot relevant, get over yourself," Rigel deadpans.

"...Still, more Beasts, huh?" I look up at a false blue sky. "Hey, Hercules said he was going to attack them, so do you think they'll lend us a hand?"

"Not a chance."

Locusta

Crank presence concealment to its very maximum… Slowly, slowly… let's get a good vantage point!~

Fi~nally, edging forward carefully like a mushroom sprouting from the earth, I look at the man standing at this coastal mountain's peak, overlooking a short strait of water, beyond which a second mountain island is visible.

There he is. That's Hercules, alright! I can feel it from him, and… I can also feel, he's totally immune to poison, isn't he!? Blech.

"Another observer?" He asks, and I freeze. M-maybe he's talking to someone else? "Come out."

Ju~st… stay motionless. Like a mushroom.

"I'm talking to you, that girl in purple there."

"Geh," I blurt despite myself. Why me!?

"Rats shall scurry where they will," Another deep voice suggests, and for the first time, I notice the other presences atop this rock. To one side, a strange black shadow with three blazing red eyes drawn upon it. To the other, a man with long black hair and tattoos covering his body lounges upon a throne, raises a wine glass full of something pink and sludgy towards a snake sprouting from his left shoulder, and then offers it to the one on his right, before finally continuing his thought. "My destined foe, you should not concern yourself with the presence of the weak. This Ahriman forbids it."

"I-I'm not weak!" I shout, springing to my feet. "I was sent here by the Princeps herself, and don't you doubt that I have a hundred and one different ways of poisoning you!"

The self-proclaimed Ahriman scoffs, looking down his nose at me. "How useless."

The black shadow with burning eyes does not react in the slightest, hovering with total motionlessness.

"So?" Hercules asks. "Which one are you the representative of?"

"VI/S," says Ahriman dully. "And so, all of the observers have arrived. Beasts I and VI/G shall observe from afar. IV and VII accompany the Chaldeans directly. And of course, this Ahriman has already informed you of his own nature, and that of the shadow over there."

Oh. So this is a whole Beast fight watch party, huh?

WHO DECIDED SENDING ME WAS A GOOD PLAN!? I'm gonna die! I'm super duper gonna die! Even putting aside that all these guys are terrifying, what am I gonna do if Hercules finds out I harvested that hydra venom earlier!? "O-on second thou~ght, I'm gonna m-make like a mushroom and mycel-leave~!"

Lady Nero would never risk me like this! She loves me! Someone had to be whispering poison in her ear, in which case-! "That damn Purge King!" I hiss under my breath as I back away "I'm gonna poison him! I'll feed him so many mushrooms his brains'll ooze out!"

"Such a pathetic creature…" Ahriman sneers at me. "Should this Ahriman put some use to its brains? Even if this body is just that of a familiar, it should suffice."

"A-ah, you mean the Purge King, ri~ght?" I mentioned brains, so surely those snakes looking so hungrily at my head is a coincidence! The pink slurry in that cup of his is just some fruit juice, right?

"She's free to leave if she wishes - just as you may observe for as long as you like," Hercules says, and Ahriman gives a chuckle, reclining in his throne. "As those watching shall soon see… it will make no difference."

Chapter Text

Waking up comes easily enough. I blink the last remnants of sleep from my eyes, sitting up in the first proper bed I've had these past four days.

The Space Argo seems to be bigger on the inside, unlike the original, with numerous personal cabins for the occupants. More than that, there's some kind of sci-fi stabilization going on, so cots aren't necessary, and I finally get a real bed to sleep on - though, of course, there's part of my Japanese soul that still yearns for a futon. All that said, the room is still absolutely laden with gaudy golden plating that reduces any possible aesthetic value it might have had to zero.

As I sit up, a small, plush form clings to my neck, and reaching up, I gently lower the doll containing Rem's consciousness - never mind the fact that it's clearly a Jason doll with its hair lazily died blue - I gently lower Rem to the mattress, placing her in front of me. The doll still retains the insufferable smug smirk that it had before its repurposing, but the voice that emenates from it is gentle and soothing.

"Good morning, Subaru-kun," She says, and already I have to choke back some tears.

"Y-yeah. Good morning, Rem!" I force out as I close my eyes for a moment. Gently, the doll's hand rests on mine, and I manage to get my breathing under control again. "...Sorry again for asking you to do this."

"No," She says, shaking her head. "All that has to be said here is 'thank you for the service'."

A wry chuckle escapes my lips. "...But, even so. This was cruel of me. Sorry."

Wordlessly, she leans her head against me, and I let silence fall over me as I enjoy this peaceful moment for all it's worth.

"...By the way, Subaru-kun, your Rem has been doing her best to stay calm, but what exactly is even going on?" She finally asks.

Uh-oh. "…Um, do you mean with Rigel and all, our current plans, or…?"

"All of it. My last clear memory is fighting Gluttony and Greed on the road to the capital - and then the next thing I knew…" She trails off, looking at her stubby plush arms. "Strange magic, baffling Divine Protections… and judging from the amount of water I've seen thus far, are we perhaps past the Great Waterfall right now?"

"In a… manner of speaking." I say as the enormity of the task becomes clear to me. "I feel like I'd need a flowchart to even start explaining…"

"I don't understand, but I believe in you, Subaru-kun!" She says.

As I finish the most barebones explanation I can give, the face of the doll (still fixed in that ridiculous smirk) slowly turns downward. "...Subaru-kun, your world is confusing."

"If you said that to me before the return trip, I'd say yours is way worse, but all the secret supernatural stuff I didn't know about is way too wild!"

"No, even more importantly, Subaru-kun… was from another world?" She seems to vibrate with a strange confusion and distress.

"Well, I talked it over with my parents, and even if I can't find some way to regularly go between worlds, I have their approval to go back to yours," I say. "And I… I think I have to go back, at this point. So, don't worry, we should be able to get your body back, at some point."

"Um, more importantly, Rem was wondering…" Getting your body back is important, though!? "B-biological differences! Subaru-kun, you're another species technically, so we should probably check if there are biological differences between our two worlds…"

Well, if there was anything extreme, I would have noticed. "Girls have a super low body weight for some reason over there," I note, though. "I threw Nee-sama that one time; a girl on Earth would have been way tougher. Carrying Beako around too."

"Rem meant… compatibility…" She mutters something I can't quite hear. "Also, Mother and Father - er, Subaru-kun's parents, that is. Rem would like to… meet them… while we're here."

"Y-yeah. Um, after we're done with the whole… making them not incinerated thing. I-I'll take you to m-m-meet them," I stammer as my face goes redder and redder.

"So, without further ado, let this meeting of the three strategistsstooges... begin!" Nobbu shouts, slamming her rubber mallet on the table.

"Rigel's here now, though, so shouldn't it be four…?" I note.

"He's our d'Artagnan," She says simply, as if that explains anything.

"I have no idea who that is," I deadpan.

"The fourth musketeer from the book 'The Three Musketeers'," says Rigel, and then in response to my look of shock and bafflement, he continues, "Stede had it in his ship's library, somehow. Despite it being printed after his death."

"Getting us back on track," says Jason, "we're pretty short on time and there's way too many people we still need to pick up before the fight, so I'm going to motion that we split up a bit."

"Makes sense to me," Rigel nods. "Even with its flashy upgrade, the Argo is still way slower than most of our other transportation options. Heck, Medea can teleport, so she and I should really head over to talk with Circe and Stede as soon as possible. I kind of… left things on a bad note there, so it might take a bit to convince them."

"...Speaking of Medea, what's her actual stance on this fight?" I ask. I know how Jason wound up coming over, and Aesclepius is insisting he's neutral, but the witch's motivations are still up in the air last I heard.

"Th-that's… a little complicated," Rigel says. "I'll tell you about it later."

"Is that an actual promise to tell me later, or is it that thing you and I do where we say we're going to talk about it and then put it off indefinitely?" I ask, and he falls tellingly silent.

"She's not gonna betray us last minute, is she?" Jason grimaces.

"No, nothing like that," The Alter Ego shakes his head.

"Well, it was secret romantic talk that they wouldn't want anyone else to hear, so it can't be helped," Nobunaga says. Hey, how did you know what kind of talk it was? Were you eavesdropping? "Anyway, Subaru and I can probably go pick up Elly together, and then you can take the boat and everyone else to go find Atalanta."

"Hang on, why are we splitting off with just the two of us?" I ask.

"I mean, I can only carry one person while flying on a gun," She says matter-of-factly, and I go pale.

"No way! Not happening! That's scary! Hey, Jason, this funky sci-fi ship splits up into small transforming robot components, right? Can't you just lend us one…?" I say with increasing desperation.

"Like I know," He shrugs with a wide grin. "Good luck up there, mister ace pilot!"

"What the hell did I do to deserve that kind of attitude from you!?"

Giving a wry smile, he raises his hands and begins to count. "Punched me. Punched me. Choked me. Punched me. Kicked me. Said I was ugly…"

Ah, come to think of it, I have been pretty rude to him, huh? "S-sorry…"

"Hm? I'm not upset. I'm choosing to be the bigger man, after all," He smirks. "So, like I said, have fun up there! Take pictures!"

"You're definitely holding a grudge!"

"Putting aside Subaru's glorious future as an ace pilot," Jason says. "I'll be getting Grimr to help me look for Atalanta and Hector. They should both be around."

"Right, you mentioned him before - one of the greatest heroes of the Trojan war, right?" I say. "He gave the grail to Blackbeard, so-

"Ah, we never actually ran into anyone like that when we were fighting Blackbeard," Rigel says. "Maybe Reid killed him and took it, and then ran into Blackbeard by coincidence?"

"That guy just keeps causing problems, huh!?" I groan.

"...Well, considering it's Hector, he might have just handed it over for free and now he's slacking off somewhere," Nobunaga notes.

"...I've been meaning to ask, what's with you recognizing almost everyone on sight, all the way down to the personality level?" Rigel asks the girl.

"Actually, she's the third member of our very exclusive club!" I say, gesturing to both him and myself.

"How do you do, fellow Isekaijin?" She asks, and then pauses. "...You know, considering Jason has fused with his Servantverse self, that might just be all four of us now?"

"Anyway, she's from an alternate version of Chaldea that's further along the timeline, but she wasn't paying attention for a lot of it, so a lot of her info has been useless," I explain.

"That's… so stupid…" Rigel mutters. "All this time… all that difficulty… and she was some kind of joke character? That's… so stupid…"

Chapter Text

"Anyway, that's how the plan turned out. Sorry to go running off on you so soon after we were last split up, Mash," I say with a nervous chuckle.

"No." She shakes her head. "There's not any reason for you to apologize, Senpai. The other times you wound up on your own turned out alright, so at this point I can't really do anything but accept it."

"Are you really okay with it?" Nobunaga asks. "Even putting aside the first rate comedy routine that's bound to spring from the encounter with Elizabeth, we've got that Rem girl coming with us. Subaru and her might end up flirting, don't you want to be around to break that up?"

"...Just what kind of person do you think I am?" Mash asks, grimacing.

"Fou!" A small white form barks at Nobunaga from atop her shoulder, and the Archer gives a small laugh.

"Alright then, let's go, Subaru! Before I get kicked!"

"Yeah… thanks for being so understanding, Mash." I say, rubbing the back of my head.

"Mm. Good luck, Senpai."

A peaceful, uneventful flight atop a rifle later, we touch down outside a small coastal cave.

"We're here, so you can stop screaming now," Nobunaga says, chuckling.

Lies and slander. I was doing no such thing.

"S-so…" I say in between heavy breaths. "What now?"

"Well, there might be a few wild Mini-Nobbus still in the cave, but I should be able to mow them down. We had to leave Blackbeard here -he might show up too and try to take you hostage, so we should be on our guard for that," The Archer says. "But before we get into any of that, I should probably go ahead and warn you about something, since I might not have a chance after this."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean!? Did the head reattachment-?" Naturally, I start worrying.

"No, there's just the obvious risk that I die in the Hercules fight," she says plainly. "I'm gonna be one of the ones actually trying to take lives off of him, so it won't be a surprise if something goes wrong and I end up dead. In that case-"

"No, that won't happen," I reply. "We're gonna win this thing without casualties, because that's the way I like my victories."

"Subaru-kun…" Rem mutters from her perch on my shoulder.

By the way, this silly pirate mystic code apparently had a feature to flawlessly secure a parrot if it wanted to sit on my shoulder. Someone needs to audit Da Vinci's budget already…

"Well, I appreciate ambition, but let me get this off my chest anyway," Nobunaga says. "...You're probably going to need to keep an eye on Mash, going forward. As far as I can tell, that girl's already starting to think that you're not a [Normal Person], and I'm not really sure where things will go from there."

I blink. "What do you… no, to start with do you really have any place to be commenting on interpersonal relationships!?"

"I don't. But it can't be helped; I'm the one who's here, after all," She gives a wry grin, before returning to a frown. "If I knew it was gonna be like this, I would have stayed quiet about Ritsuka. That's my bad, I've probably made things tougher for you."

"I'm not really sure I follow," I say. "What's the problem, exactly?"

"...First, did you already mute your comm unit?" She asks.

"Yeah. I switched it off as soon as you started implying it was gonna be personal stuff."

"Good work! I think it'd be fine - no, actually it would be 100% a good thing if Romani heard this too, so you should catch him up later - but I don't really know or trust Olga Marie Animusphere, and the general staff is a bit of a mixed bag," Nobbu says, and I can't help a small frown that comes over my face.

"What do you mean you don't know her-?"

"I mean, she died before I was summoned, in the world I'm from," She says with a shrug.

…Ah.

Come to think of it, I guess I did one-up this Ritsuka guy in that regard, huh? All it cost me was dying horribly three times in a row!

"But that's the problem, really. You aren't Fujimaru Ritsuka," Nobunaga immediately hits me right in my pride. "I mean, I'm the type that prefers exceptional people, so I don't mind that much, but the fact is that you really are an exceptional guy."

"O-oi, that's a bit much…"

"-That's exactly the wrong type of guy to connect with Mash Kyrielight," She says with a grimace. "You probably seemed harmless when she first met you, but-"

"...A 'senpai in being human', was it?" I mutter. Right, there was something like that.

"I don't know enough about the details to say whether the peace you reached with that Alter Ego is wrong, but I don't think it was the normal thing to do," She says.

"What are you talking about? That was plain and simple brotherly love," I say. "There's nothing more normal than that."

"Heh," she gives a small snort, and her eyes look far away for a moment - and then she breaks into full laughter. "Wahaha! You're right! It's completely normal! I don't know what I was thinking!" Then, laughter dying down she continues. "Well, it'll probably be fine as long as you're trying to approach her in a good way. Your relationship with Mash doesn't need to be the same as Ritsuka's; she's already cracking out of her shell. To be honest, maybe some disappointment to cull that hero-worship would be better?"

"Subaru-kun is a hero, though?" Rem interjects.

"The A Team… Ah, if they go through with bringing Wodime out first, you should try to keep a balance between getting along with him and Mash, Subaru. They basically want opposite things," The Archer continues. "As far as the rest go, everyone except Beryl will be good for her growth at this point anyway, so it should be fine!"

Beryl Gut

The first sensation is pain. Totalizing and complete agony.

Every nerve in my body screams of 'life'. I can remember bits and pieces - an explosion, the feeling of bones breaking, a feeling of terrible and final cold.

"Ma…" I try to vocalize, but I can't hear it - my ears are ringing, and my tongue is too swollen to move in the first place.

Mash. Where's Mash? Is she safe? I need to find her. I'll use my [Sirius Light] if I have to.

Vision returns to my left eye, and I gaze around with frantic urgency. I can't move. I'm- tied down?

I can see, so I need to look. What's going on?

This isn't the command room. This is… a medical room? Yeah, there's Romani. Okay. Okay, I'm being healed.

But this isn't enough. Whatever magecraft they used to bring me back to life was only able to heal my 'fatal wounds'. The sheer quantity of wounds which are on their own survivable will still see me dead from blood loss before this guy in the plague doctor mask can finish sealing them.

So I gotta take matters into my own hands.

Something. There has to be something.

With the memory of fresh blood trickling down my throat, my magic circuits fire. I expend all three of the command spells that were engraved on my right hand before the rayshift to Fuyuki, and I lunge forward, tearing free from my restraints as I take the form of my last 'meal', a lion-based chimera.

This won't save me. If anything, it's made my death faster. But that's fine, because I can smell it - a meat beyond any other, the remnant of something truly divine. I bound one, two steps, my body already tearing itself apart at the seams - and then my jaws close around it.

"Yeah, I've got the gist of the situation," I say as I button up my vest, cutting off the rest of Romani's explanation. "Man, you guys were lucky to choose me. Anyone else would have died there - hell, I would have died if you hadn't left those materials on the very next table over." I grin and glance at the good doctor. "Unless that was your plan!"

He looks away with nervousness and shame… no way! "No way! Seriously, man? I didn't think you had it in you!" I can't help but laugh a bit. "That moment of passion a few years back was one thing, but this was basically premeditated!"

"Shut up, Beryl. I still did my best to help you," The Doc says.

"Guess you did, huh?" I say, stretching my body experimentally. "By the way, I'm not gonna break the rules that got set, but how's Mash? Did she get frozen too?"

"No, she's currently on deployment in a singularity," He replies, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"That's great to hear," I smile, and he scowls back at me. "But if Singularity F still hasn't been resolved, I guess I wasn't out that long?"

Romani grimaces. "Actually, the situation right now is…"

…

"There's seven!?"

I can't help but groan as I enter my workshop. "Goddammit, they're all dead."

Every last one of my poor delicate plants failed in my absence, and now I've gotta start my garden all over… "Well, maybe the cacti - oh come on!" Caterpillars!? You guys don't even eat cacti, leaving aside the question of how you got in here in the first place!

With a scowl, I crush the little things, and give one last look around the room. "All my poisons are no good now, and I can forget about using one of you as a catalyst," I speak idly to my poor kids. "The sirius light can narrow things down a bit, but without some flower language to lock the personality in it's still gonna be way more luck-based than I hoped."

It's not like I can complain too much. The inheritance I got from dear old mom survived the explosion, and my most recent meal was of a quality like no other. But, even so-

I freeze.

There's something here. An overwhelming presence, suddenly here within my private sanctuary. Slowly, carefully, I reach for the locket hanging around my neck-

A rustling noise. the sound of my dead plants shifting. From the corner of my eye, I catch sight of a dull yellow cloth-

And then the presence is gone. I whirl around - and see something where it had been.

A black shadow. Something like a puppet, made of black cloth with red trim, and three blazing red eyes scrawled upon it.

And then, with a noise like static, it's gone, leaving behind a single potted plant in its place. A plant clearly and obviously out of place in my garden, on account of the fact that it's, well, alive.

"...The hell?" Does it think it's slick? "No, in the first place what kind of flower are you, even?"

Carefully, I approach the foreign plant, ready to dodge if this really is the obvious attack it looks like. Gingerly, I reach out, inspecting the stem and leaf structure, examining the bulb of a yet unbloomed flower. "Helianthus, maybe…? Your stem's way too small, though, that can't be healthy."

My defenses didn't even detect the intruder's presence. It following up that infiltration by the mere leaving of a harmless flower seems wildly unlikely, and every rational course of action starts with disposing of this strange, pitiful plant.

...

I sigh. "Well, welcome to the garden, I guess. It's a bit lonely right now, but I'm sure I'll find some friends for you soon." With a small smirk, I pat her on the head. "Make yourself at home, Mash the Seventeenth."

Chapter Text

"Swimsuit, please!"

"..."

"I said, swimsuit, please!"

"...How did you even make this connection? Oh, who am I kidding, it's you."

"I've never met you before, lady, and I don't know why you're in my Grail, but give me my Swimsuit!"

"Can't you tell that I'm something ominous? I'm a dangerous, last-boss-type eldritch-"

"Don't care! Swimsuit, now!"

We make our way into the small cave, down a winding sandy tunnel that finally opens up into some sort of shrine.

"And you're saying the Mini-Nobbus built all of this?" I ask as I examine the bizarre hieroglyphs marking the sequined curtains.

Nobunaga shrugs as we cross through that veil and into a deeper tunnel. "Either that or they found the place in this state. It's not like I was here to see it. Either way, you should probably get ready for things to get unbelievably stupid."

Going deeper, the sandy floor gives way to grayish-blue clay, and then to cobbled greenish masonry. At the same time, the sloppy hieroglyphs in a vaguely nobbu shape etched into the wall, go through stages of quality, finally arriving at lapis-colored runes as we reach a wide cavern, clearly made by older residents.

"Uwaahhh… there's totally gonna be some weird mud titan thing at the end of this," Nobunaga mutters, "I can feel it in my bones."

Ignoring her (at this point unsurprising) non-sequitur, I push forward into the dim azure light of this strange underground realm. Overhead, a strange blue aurora dances along a sea of subterranean fungi, and ahead strange, squat shapes move furtively through cold mist-

"[Three Line Formation]!" Nobunaga mows them down without mercy, and sure enough I hear the telltale "NOBWAH!?" of dying chibis.

"I-is this really okay?" I mumble.

"They drop loot, so that means it's morally acceptable to purge them!" The Archer replies. "Also if left unchecked they'll probably try to overthrow humanity…"

"...Subaru-kun, is this woman really trustworthy?" Rem asks.

…

"Hey! Tell her yes already! Even I can have my feelings hurt!" The Archer whines.

And so, rampaging through this blue-litten subterranean world under a hail of gunfire, we continue forward.

Blue gives way to red as we pass through cyclopean arches, winding down a cliffside path towards an entire underground city, now lit by unreadable crimson runes covering each and every stone.

"Seriously…? Isn't this a bit much…?" I wonder aloud.

"It's probably some kind of foreshadowing for the Agartha Singularity," Nobunaga says with a shrug.

"You're joking, right? Something like that won't happen, right?" I protest as we reach ground level, a desolate plaza meeting us.

Here and there, the rusted waste of what might have been park benches can be made out, and in the center a long dried up fountain is backlit by the dull red glow of the still somewhat distant buildings.

The centerpiece of the fountain was once a statuary, but all but one of the residents have long crumbled to dust - the sole survivor is a simple black mass, with a three lobed eye of the same dull glowing red.

"Yup. Mud titan. It's gotta be a mud titan," Nobunaga says with a nod as she pushes past the sinister statue.

"Are you going to explain what that is now…?" I try to ask, but she ignores me again.

We walk the abandoned streets, the only sound our own footfalls. At a few points, I see things - squat white shapes, always scurrying out of sight. A serpentine form clambering into a high up window. A black, fluid thing slipping down a drain of some kind. All of them for but an instant. All without the slightest noise.

Finally, the silence is cut by a sharp high-pitched noise, at first distant and then hurtling closer and closer with alarming speed.

It's a scream. A wail of abject, supernatural terror, continuing for an impossible duration as its source scrambles into view, sheet white as though hell itself is on his heels.

"Oh, it's Blackbeard," Nobunaga notes as he shoots towards us.

"His beard is white though!?" I retort. If he's supposed to be blackbeard - don't tell me he got the color scared out of his hair like some sort of cartoon character!

He collapses some ten feet before reaching us, devolving into a fit of mad laughter as frothing spit leaks from his lips. "Ahh… Ash'agah! Iya, iya! Ha… hahahave m-mercy, oh great one! Ygnah! Fzah-grmah!" Black-now-whitebeard rambles something wildly incoherent, and begins to beat his head against the misshapen flagstones beneath him.

Involuntarily, I shudder. Something coils in my brain - a half-remembered sunken spiral that does not exist, until-

"Wait, is this actually a Foreigner bit?" Nobunaga wonders, still totally unfazed. "I guess that'd be convenient for dealing with Hercules, but I thought our token Lovecraft reference this singularity was Dagon. Where does the author get off bringing that stuff in so much, anyway? I guess it is Halloween…"

"It's not, though!? Like Mash said, it's September!" I protest, ominous feelings not subsiding in the least. "And quit leaning on the third wall so much, this is a main story chapter!"

"Is it?" She asks, raising her eyebrows suggestively. "Is it really?"

…

-At that time, I did not yet understand. The convergence of GudaGuda Particles, and the Eliza Particles deeper within this cave, blended with otherworldly powers, and the influence of a blind idiot god.

34.5: Save Scumming Halloween Special: Tsathoggua's Revenge! The Witch of Gluttony and the Daemon of Nuclear Chaos!

-Mercifully, other than those strange, unknowable words burnt into my brain, my recollection ends there.

Awareness returns to me as a fresh wave of vomit leaves my mouth.

"Wh… what… the hell was that?" I ask.

I'm standing at close to ankle depth in the water, just outside that cave of horrors. With a grimace, I take a few steps back, dodging my stomach contents as they're swept away by the tide.

"Horrors beyond your comprehension, kid. Horrors beyond your comprehension," Rasps Blackbeard as he rests the chainsaw attached to the stump of his left hand against his shoulder.

"Blackbeard?" I ask. "Wait, you're with us now?"

"It's just Black now, kid…" He says, gazing somewhere into the middle distance.

"Yeah, nobody's calling you that," says a bombshell of a woman with long red hair and a tight fitting black combat suit. I feel like I've seen her before, but-

"Wait, who the hell are you!?" I shout.

"Huh?" In a puff of smoke, the woman disappears and Nobunaga is standing in her place. "It's just me, Subaru. I had to go Demon Lord mode for a bit there to deal with Daphne's final form."

"What do you mean Daphne!?" The Witch of Gluttony!? Is she talking about the Witch of Gluttony!?

"Huh, you seriously don't remember anything, huh? You fail a Sanity save, or something?" The Archer asks.

"Yes! I feel like I took at least 2d10!" Luckily, I'm already Mythos Hardened - but I still took an average of 5, and that's enough for Temporary Insanity!

"Terms I don't understand aside, Rem doesn't really remember anything either…" Rem notes.

"That's great! I botched the first reintroduction, so I'll do it right this time!" A familiar voice says from behind me, and I finally release a sigh I didn't know I had been holding in. If she's with us, we had to have succeeded, despite everything. Slowly I turn around, and take in the dazzling sight.

Dazzling, because she's literally glowing. Ow. Ow, ow, ow, my eyes.

"That's right, Fishie! At long last, in the witching hour! Neither a summer servant, nor one for Halloween, but a devilish twist of the two in one!" A voluptuous-looking(????) horned girl who some might call beautiful strikes an arguably cute pose. "The Swimsuited Daemon Sultaness of Nuclear Chaos! Elizathoth Bathory!"

Wow, that's another 1d8 sanity right there.

Sure enough, she's wearing a one-piece swimsuit of deepest black, sparkling from every angle with pinpricks of green light. here and there, glowing green ribbons trail off of her body, dancing in the breeze just like her hair, which is crackling with similar green highlights. Her skin is tanned, and most importantly of all-

"If you pad your chest that obviously everybody is gonna know!" I blurt out before I can stop myself.

…

A moment of silence follows as Nobunaga and Rem both stare at the idiot who had the gall to say that to a girl.

By the way, that idiot is me.

(Blackbeard stealthily retreats back into the cave).

Elizabeth sniffs once. And then again. And then finally-

"BwaaaaAAAHHH!" She screams as tears spew from her face. "I'm dhrying… I-I'm dhrying my besht!!!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm sorry! I didn't mean it!" I apologize while bowing over and over.

"Buht you're RRRHIIIIGHHHT!" She wails as she yanks the pads out and tosses them to the ground. W-wait, don't do that, the swimsuit's gonna be loose-! "Iht… It'l never woorrk! Even though… Even though I'm shupposed to be an iiidohl! It's shupposed t-to be EAAASHY!"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry!" I scream as I hastily force my overcoat over her body before I can see anything. "Look leave it to me! Costume coordination is the manager's job!" Wait, what did I just say?

She blinks as the waterworks suddenly stop. "...Rheally?"

….Oh well, I'm doomed anyway. I nod. "Y-yeah! I might be a slob at times, but I can handle this!" I have the power of my secret alter-ego on my side, after all.

Not Rigel. I'm talking about Natsumi Shwartz.

"Look, the issue is that all your fans are already going to know about your normal body type, more or less. At best this would just cause rumors of breast-binding, but anyone who's even slightly smart will see through your current costume. And so, the answer is-!" I grin. "We'll use frills!"

"I like frills…" Elizabeth mutters.

"You see, that's the trick - if your chest is covered in cloth frills, the actual cup size is completely left to the viewer's imagination!" I say with a wink. "It's a simple trick, but highly effective!"

"Fishie… are you some kind of fashion genius?" She asks in awe.

"Heh, no…" I turn away, looking towards the horizon. "I'm just a man who's cross-dressed once or twice."

"...Eh." Both Nobunaga and Elizabeth let out sounds of abject disappointment.

"It was effective! I'm not bad at it, okay!?" For some reason I try to salvage that pride-

"Rem… can't actually argue against that, but she won't praise you for it," Rem mutters.

Class: Foreigner
True Name: Elizathoth Bathory
Alignment: Chaotic Summer
Armaments: Spear, Nuclear Rays (wait, what?)
Manifestation Cost: Medium

Bio:
It began simply. A wish for a swimsuit to match (what she thought was) the theme of the singularity. But somehow, connections that should not have been made were formed. The Daemon Sultan of Nuclear Chaos, the Blind Idiot God at the center of all things, who is lulled to sleep by the daemoniac wailing of instruments beyond any mortal comprehension- for some reason or another, he was an adequate match for Elizabeth.

It's probably because of her music.

Now, in a hand-me-down swimsuit that doesn't fit her in the slightest, with the power of Nuclear fire at her beck and call, Elzathoth Bathory bursts onto the summer scene!

…By the way, both Elizabeth and the Daemon Sultan are idiots, so neither has actually noticed that any sort of connection was made.

Parameters
Strength: B
Endurance: D
Agility: E
Mana: A
Luck: D
NP: A+

Class Skills:

Existence Outside the Domain: A

Insanity: E-
"Strange, eldritch tongues? Why you-! These are lyrics I thought up myself, you know! All on my own!"

Divinity: B

Personal Skills:

Beach Flower: D-

Battle Continuation: A

Familiar (Backup Singer): A
The ability to conjure those nameless things that serve in the Daemon Sultan's court into this world. If commanded, they are capable of calling forth more, and it is readily possible for a breach in reality and a total invasion by the outer beings to result. But, as said, Elizabeth is (somewhat willfully) ignorant of any of this. They are backup singers, and that is all.


Noble Phantasms:

In The Beginning, There were Idols: Daemon Sultan's Awakening
Rank: A+
Type: Anti-World
Range: 3-60
Maximum Number of Targets: 1000 People

With a beautiful song, Elizabeth awakens the Daemon Sultan - by this, we mean a song with actual musical qualities, as opposed to the usual discordant atrocities used to keep him in slumber.

Reflexively, he responds, lashing out to destroy the source of his irritation, and Elizabeth directs this fire from the dawn of time towards the target to rain down absolute destruction. Being made aware of the connection between them, the Daemon Sultan will then sever the link, and this Spirit Origin will be lost.

It is the performance of a lifetime, never to be repeated - is how Elizabeth's Insanity has rationalized this Noble Phantasm.

Chapter Text

Mash Kyrielight

The day of the briefing for Singularity F began just like every other one in my life. I showered, put on my clothes, and ate breakfast with no particular feelings. I meandered through sterile white corridors under harsh white lighting searching for Fou-kun, passing other Chaldea staff members in silence.

The sky was clear outside, and I saw one or two people stopping to watch the 'sunrise'. I didn't bother. It wasn't real, after all. It was the middle of July; the Sun wouldn't rise in Antarctica for some time yet. The light in the sky was simply illusion magecraft designed to keep the staff's mental health stable.

That was how I had always viewed Chaldea. A pale facade of normalcy papered over an inhuman design.

Saying that I hated it would probably be an exaggeration. Mash Kyrielight didn't really understand that emotion at the time, after all. Maybe that meant the emotion was always there, and I had never noticed - but I think I'd prefer to believe I never felt much one way or another. I didn't judge Chaldea, but I did understand it for what it was - a gathering of the most abnormal people in the world, for one of the most abnormal tasks possible.

That was fine, for them. That was just perfect, for those 'gathered' to this place. But for me, who had been born in this place, it was-

-I saw him.

A common, everyday absurdity. A boy sleeping where he wasn't supposed to, with Fou-kun snoozing on top of his chest.. For anyone 'normal', I'm sure it would have just been a silly anecdote. Something they took note of, and then ignored without much comment.

For me, it was exhilarating.

This was, after all, my first time actually seeing someone with their guard down.

That's what made me hope that Natsuki Subaru could be the Senpai I had been longing for. The one who would finally be able to demonstrate to me what a 'normal' human looked like. It was just that first impression, in the end. That's what made me believe in him - and despite everything else that would follow, it's why I kept making excuses.

Even if he had been to another world, the protagonists of Isekai stories were normal people, so it was fine. Even if he could cast a little bit of magic, or make contracts with spirits, he was only a basic mage at the end of the day, so it was fine. Even if he had a strange ability to see the future, it was fine-!

It was only near the end of the first day in this singularity that the poison started to drip into my heart.

"Ah, by the way, you guys don't have someone named Fujimaru Ritsuka with you at Chaldea, right?" The self-proclaimed Mysterious Archer N - who I'd later know as Oda Nobunaga - asked suddenly as we were boarding Jason's ship.

I shook my head. "I don't know anyone with that name… but there are a lot of people on Chaldea's rosters, so-"

She waved me off. "No, you'd know him if he was around. He's normal enough that you'd latch onto him in an instant… actually, you calling a wacky guy like Subaru 'Senpai' probably should have clued me in."

Then, she wandered off to shout at those ridiculous oarswomen, and I was left to stand there, with a terrible sense of vertigo, and a feeling like I wanted to throw up.

From there, the occasional anecdote kept drifting through my ears. Of a Senpai I'd never known, someone with no background in magic at all, someone for whom my shield was never in doubt, because I was the only one he could count on, and all he could offer in response was emotional support. A boy who was not an impossible, invincible hero; a boy who did not exist in this world.

And so, the second night found me.

Thunder rumbled in the distance like an unending series of complaints as warm water ran down my face. The wind, still tossing the ship to and fro, wasn't enough to move my hair anymore, weighed down by water as it was. Even so, the rain continued to drum against my face and outstretched arms, as if there was some part of me that it still had yet to reach.

Intellectually, I realized this was a strange thing to do, but somehow it felt right. I was enjoying - no, that's the wrong word. It was a compulsion. That's all. A strange, irresistible drive to stand in the middle of this tropical storm, in some vague hope that the warmth of the rain could melt the chunk of ice that was forming in my heart.

"What's up, Mash? Can't sleep?" Nobunaga asked, materializing behind me.

"Nobunaga," I simply said her name in response, to acknowledge her existence. For some reason, I didn't feel like saying much else for a few moments.

…

Eventually, words found me. "I don't know… if I'll learn to be normal from Senpai. Like the Mash of your world learned from hers."

"Huh?" She tilted her head a bit, and I regretted the question already. "That's not the case, really. I mean, no matter the world, you're kind of a total weirdo, Mash."

Ah.

"I mean, that's to be expected. I don't think there's such a thing, really, as an 'ordinary person'. I called Ritsuka 'normal', before, and I guess he was at some point, by the standards of his era and upbringing… but that's just the bias of the modern world. The people of my era would see him as a madman," The Archer said. "That was before he met hundreds of the heroes of humanity - by this point, they've worn off on him, and if you met him now, he definitely would be even less the 'Senpai' you've been searching for than Natsuki Subaru is."

I think I understand.

"To be honest, your whole fixation on 'being human' is completely backwards," Nobunaga said with a shrug. "You're copying other peoples' homework, trying to find a baseline for yourself, but that's really a moot point. Feelings, aspirations, humanity… they come from the heart, not from the intellect. Even if you visit the outside world with someone normal for you to copy the reactions of… you can't learn to be human from them, because you already are."

I understand, now-

"Nobunaga… I think I hate you, actually," I admit.

"Wahahaha! That's super normal, Mash!" She just laughed in response. "Hating someone who wants to deconstruct your worldview is the most normal, human thing in the world!"

"-And that's why you made that call, earlier," King David says as I conclude my story, the now old man stroking his beard. "To disconnect Nobunaga from Chaldea's system, I mean."

"No, that's…" I trail off, gritting my teeth. "No, it was just…"

"Well, you had an excuse," He says with a shrug. "And with her Independent Action providing for her, in the end there was no harm done. Even so… I would not take even the aspiration to sin lightly. Repentance is a painful process."

A chance to change the subject comes, and I take it without hesitation. "Um, on that note, your current form…"

He nods. "You're a smart girl. That's right, this new body is 'David, the Repentant King' - as opposed to 'David the Upstart Youth', who you met before."

"Ah, and since your Noble Phantasm's invocation contained words about repentance-" I mutter.

"I'm no longer permitted to do things like flirting with girls old enough to be my granddaughter," He chuckles. "In hindsight, it's quite the acceptable trade; sin is only appealing when one is chained down by it. But it's for that same reason that my Archer self will find it so difficult to use [Sacrifice]. Enough about me, though, let's return to your problems Mash."

Ah, I thought I had-

"Fooled me? You can't distract me so easily, Mash; Clairvoyance aside, I am old enough to be your Grandfather," He chuckles, before growing serious. "Actually, you should definitely call me 'Papa' or 'Ojii-chan' or something similar. I'm demanding it, in fact."

My wrist communicator beeps, and springs to life. "What part of your perversion is gone again!?" Doctor Romani shouts, pointing at him.

Wait, he was watching!? No, even more than that, was the entire staff-!?

"Wait, Mash, don't panic! Once you started getting personal with your recap, I had the Director isolate things so only I could watch!" The Doctor says. "Though that still leaves the question of why you went to this guy of all people instead of me…"

That's a good question, one I don't really have an answer to, other than… "He… seemed kind of grandfatherly, I suppose." King David immediately fist pumps in response to my admission, even as the Doctor buries his face in his hands. Naturally, I deal the finishing blow without hesitation. "And there's no way I could talk to you about this kind of thing, Doctor."

As he groans, King David speaks again. "Romani, there's some things that a young girl isn't comfortable sharing with her father, so don't take it too harshly," He says gently. "But, Mash, you should be more gentle towards him. You might regret this kind of treatment, one day - kids usually do."

…I pause and contemplate for a moment, but-

"That won't happen, because I'll die long before Doctor Roman does," I say simply.

I see him cringe and look away, but I don't feel any particular-

"Don't!" Doctor Romani shouts, and King David freezes, inches away from slapping me.

A tense silence follows.

"...You can't do that anymore, King David," Romani says. "That would have been a gentle treatment in your era, where children could be killed for disrespecting their parents, but… people don't do that anymore."

"-Forgive me," The ancient king says after a moment. "I was out of line."

"...I don't mind," I admit. If anything, this strange warmth in my chest, after seeing the doctor shout in my defense is…

"You should," David says. "Humans are meant to fear pain. You'll find that anywhere."

And so what? A memory of a certain man, breaking my fingers one by one, flashes through my mind. The fact is, Mash Kyrielight does not fear pain. "That would just be a shallow imitation."

"There's nothing shallow in imitation, really," David says. "Humans measure all of their desires by imitation. We long for that which others long for, because copying is how we learn." He gives a gentle smile, and lays a hand on the top of my head, tossing my hair. "Don't let the self-proclaimed 'Fool of Owari' give you too much advice. You're learning to be human in the most human way of all. Just don't overthink it so much, is all."

As the conversation dies down, Romani Archaman groans and pinches his brow. "Clairvoyance, huh… since he's a prophet, I guess?"

'Does he know? He must, with all these hints he's tossing around.' He thinks to himself. 'Still, acting like he was going to slap her so I could intervene and look cool…'

"I don't need that kind of service, you shitty old man…"

Class: Ruler
True Name: King David
Alignment: Lawful Good
Armaments: Harp, Sword
Manifestation Cost: Medium-High

Bio:
Not David the boisterous youth, but David the wise old king. Having repented of his past sins through the use of [Sacrifice], he will no longer act with lust or greed, instead being the very model of a Holy Prophet.

Parameters
Strength: D
Endurance: D
Agility: C
Mana: C
Luck: A+
NP: A+

Class Skills:

Magic Resistance: EX

True Name Discernment: B

Divine Judgement: C
Due to irregular factors such as the environment of a singularity and David's transformation from the Archer class to this one, he has received command spells only for those Servants still present in the singularity who were summoned by the Human Order.

Personal Skills:

Divinity: B
As his repentance has drawn him 'closer to God', David's divinity skill has been enhanced. Should he commit a major sin, it will drop back to D-rank, the value granted by his status as the ancestor of Christ.

Divine Protection: A

Harp of the Psalmist: A
David's Psalms, the hymns he wrote to God, are received as prophecy - this is a skill that combines the effects of [Harp of Healing] and [Clairvoyance].

Noble Phantasms:

To Thee, O Lord, is Due a Song: Psalter
Rank: A+
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 3-60
Maximum Number of Targets: 1000 People

David recites one of the 150 (or 151, depending on the tradition) Psalms, calling down holy light to damage enemies and protect allies. The allocation of power towards protection or destruction depends on the Psalm recited.

Flames Upon the Altar: Sacrifice
Rank: A
Type: Anti-Army
Range: 1-99
Maximum Number of Targets: 600 people

The Ark of the Covenant: Ark
Rank: EX
Type: Covenant
Range: 1-99
Maximum Number of Targets: 900 People

Chapter Text

The Space Argo glides above the waves for a few hours, its gravitic stabilizers keeping the journey smooth and pleasant. But for the majority of the crew, the atmosphere is drowning in awkward silence. After the conversation between David and Mash wrapped up and the two returned to the top deck, not a word has been uttered aside from the occasional direction given by Grimr to Jason, directing the ship towards their destination. David sits to the side, idly tapping his harp, preparing a tune. Benkei stares in silence towards the distant puncture in reality where Hercules awaits. And finally, after an hour of silent contemplation, Mash Kyrielight breaks the silence.

"Atalanta… what kind of person is she, Jason?" Mash asks. "She was present in the last singularity too, but she was defeated by someone else before we ever met her."

"Hm?" Jason strokes his chin tentatively. "If I had to put it into words… well, she's the calm one I guess? The rest of us were pretty excitable, so she sort of wound up as the one reigning everyone in and keeping us focused." He pauses, and then nods to himself. "Yeah. She's probably the most reasonable Argonaut other than me, so we should have a pretty good chance of convincing her."

"-So that's pretty much the gist of it," Jason concludes.

"In other words, you've made a huge mess of things as usual," A green and gold-haired woman replies, her cat ears twitching. "I fail to see how any of this is my problem."

"Th-that…" Her once captain says through gritted teeth. "No, you're right. there's nothing in it for you. But even so… please, help me. This isn't a request as your captain. Just… if you ever considered me, or Heracles, a friend, then-"

"Not particularly, no," Atlanta says with a small smirk, and Jason collapses on his face.

"That's so harsh!"

"Seeing you beg this desperately is amusing, but…" she says with a barely perceptible huff, and then her smirk turns to a frown. "It's not enough to give up a utopia."

"Oh come on! Aren't you a wild girl!? A kill-or-be-killed huntress type? What kind of purpose does someone like you have for a utopia!?" Jason whines.

"No child should be raised as I was," She replies. "That is my purpose for utopia. That is my fondest, my only wish, that children would finally be protected."

Atlanta stares at him after that, as Jason's face goes through several emotions - confusion, amusement, anger, before finally settling on regret. "...Sorry. I guess I never really got to know you as much as I should have."

She doesn't respond, simply staring at him as he turns in regret and begins to leave.

-And then, a small stuffed bear wearing an animal skin bursts out of the bushes. "Atlanta, you're avoiding the obvious here, and Jason's got his own reason not to say it, so I will instead!"

Jason whirls around. "Wait, who the heck-?"

"-Are you really gonna trust Heracles of all people to protect children?" The bear asks simply. As shocked horror dawns on Atlanta's face and fury on Jason's he continues. "He's gonna screw it up! You know that! All Greek heroes are screwups, the same as our gods!"

"But, if he kills the gods, then maybe…" Jason tries to blurt out a defense.

"Get real. The gods are just a scapegoat for his own failures as a hero. Heracles became one himself, you know? And he ruled the same way as all the other Greek gods. If he beats them all, and makes himself the sole god of humanity, what's gonna happen? How long until Hercules gets pissed off and destroys us in his rage?" The small stuffed Bear says with a snarl. "I'm not saying I'm better! I know I'm not! But modern humanity doesn't deserve to die for a utopia that guy can't create."

Silence fills the air for close to five seconds, until.

"...No, before all that, who are you, anyway?" Jason asks, Atlanta nodding along with him.

"Orion," The Bear responds.

As he takes in the revulsion and disappointment of the two Servants before him, the man-turned-mascot who might have been Grand Archer under other circumstances wonders whether it was even worth speaking up in the first place.

"I can't believe we were on the same island this whole time…" Atalanta mutters as she follows the strange mascot character further into the woods.
"It's not a big surprise to me," says Orion. "I was trying to find a way to safely approach you for almost a whole day, but you kept detecting me before I could get close enough to explain, and hurling rocks with all of your might."

"...Is that so?" The catgirl asks, her eyes narrowing. "In other words, you were that impure gaze I felt lingering on me?"

"A-ah… look! You can't blame a guy for looking, okay!? I wasn't going to do anything, not with Artemis in her current state!" The bear protests.

"Lady Artemis… it's difficult to believe someone like you is tied to her," Atalanta mutters.

"Doubt all you want, but here we are," Orion says, and pushing forward into an ivy-shrouded cave, Atlanta sees her goddess for the first time. "Artemis stole most of my Spirit Origin when we were summoned, but I guess it was for the best. There's no way we would have survived that shot if our core wasn't in my tiny body."

"D-dArling? Is thAt you?" A broken mechanical voice rasps out from a twisted mass of metal and flesh.

"I'm here, Artemis," The bear says, stepping forward to rest a paw on her.

"...Hercules did this?" Atlanta asks.

"Him and that redhead, when we tried to get involved in their fight," Orion says. "Stole our bow, too."

"I see," Atlanta mutters with closed eyes. "Then it seems I have reason to fight."

"DarLing…?" Artemis asks with an out-of-tune voice. "Is that anOTher womAN?"

"It's Atlanta. She came to see you," Orion says. "That thing you mentioned before… I was thinking we could probably give it to her."

"Lady Artemis, I…" The Huntress steps forward to kneel before the broken almost-corpse, a regretful look on her face. "Even though I have already broken my oath to you, I-"

"I d-dON't mind," The goddess says. "A sweEt girl like you who ALWays prAYs to me dESErves to find some love."

"Artemis has a head full of flowers anyway, she was probably rooting you on," Orion mutters.

Atlanta blinks, and then a scowl forms on her face. "Speaking ill of lady Artemis is-"

"It's nOt bad?" Artemis says. "I love dARLing lots!"

"It's like that, everyone." The bear says with a slightly embarrassed sigh. "Anyway, we can't do anything to help out like this, so we were thinking that we should probably turn Artemis's body into a bow."

"What?" Jason asks. "I mean, I get that Servants can be reshaped quite a bit since we've got spiritual bodies, but-"

"I was AN intERgalaCTIC cannon once!" Artemis says. "So if I USE some diVINE authority, I can. Bestowing a blessing to a WORSHipper, is within my abilities."

"So yeah, that's about it," Orion says. Sorry we couldn't do more, but we're checking out here."

"W-wait!" Atlanta stumbles forward. "I didn't… I'm not worthy! I haven't… I haven't done a thing to deserve this honor-!"

"Are you kidding? You're her greatest worshiper by far. Take yourself more seriously," Orion says with a chuckle.

"Darling is always telling me… Can't you do more for AtLAnta? That girl is always asking for yOUR help," Artemis says. "Okay, it's activating, Darling!"

"Ow! It kind of stings!" The bear complains.

"You need to say the words!"
"Fine, fine, I get it!"

""[Tri-Star Ortygia].""

Three more stars plunge from the heavens, as a great white bow stringed with starlight takes shape, alongside a single arrow.

The Atalanta who greets the eyes of those left aboard the Argo is different from the one they saw leaving entering the forest with Jason and Orion. The change is less dramatic than Jason's, but it is there nonetheless. A certain fire in her eyes, the tension of an overwound spring in every motion. A tattered red cloth, wrapped around her neck like a scarf flutters in the salty ocean breeze. A pure white gauntlet of some unknown metal, stretching all the way up her right arm tightly grips an ornate bow twice as tall as she is, and strapped to her back an arrow near as large threatens to scrape the ground as she walks.

"That's…" Mash Kyrielight trails off, her eyes locked on the weapon - even her novice observation can make out its quality - a weapon like this, will surely-

"Don't get your hopes up," Jason says with a sigh as he emerges from the woods behind her. "That bow's almost entirely made up of Divine Authority, so no matter how cool it looks, it's not gonna do a thing to Hercules so long as he's got Nega-Divinity. No sign of Meleager either, so there goes the hope of more bodies. I hope the others are having more luck, because everyone here is totally use-gah!"

Naturally, Atalanta trips him, and he's sent tumbling down the beach's sandy slope.

Chapter Text

Natsuki Rigel

"...You don't have to fight with us, you know."

I didn't really want to say it, but the point had to be made before we went any further.

"Jason's got his own reasons, and Aesclepius is only helping indirectly," I continued. "But for you, Medea…" I trailed off, letting the distant lap of waves against the Space Argo's exterior finish my sentence.

She didn't look up from her task, but the needle and thread in her hand paused for a moment. "And then what?" Her eyes flicked for a moment towards a strange mote of blue light, and a scowl crossed her face. "You can happily flirt with this girl with the knowledge that I've betrayed you?"

"It's not like that," I said, or perhaps lied. I wasn't really sure.

"Isn't it?"

"...I don't know. I spent a long time around someone who didn't understand human hearts, and I think she rubbed off on me," I admitted with a sigh. "I still have feelings. I realized that while fighting Dagon and… I guess I just have to call him Subaru at this point." I felt a wry grin appear on my lips, and raised my fingers to it to trace its shape as it turned to a confused grimace. "But these emotions, my emotions… they just show up. I don't control them, can't control them, because I barely realize they're happening until they're already moving me forward."

The glowing mote of light that Subaru had said was Rem blinked a little brighter, and Medea gave it a harsh look from the corner of her eyes. "I didn't know you before this, so I can't mimic whatever comforting words that girl wants to say," Medea said after a moment, turning back to her work. "But all of that aside, please don't imagine that I'll allow you to dispose of me now. You lost your opportunity earlier."

Ah… that's right, that's the kind of person Medea was. Leave it to a Witch to make overwhelming decisions like forgoing utopia based purely on a romantic impulse. Still… "Are you sure? You're throwing away a chance at 'happily ever after', here."

"Hmph. That's someone else's happiness. Make no mistake, Subaru-sama, If Hercules wins, 'I' will disappear," the Witch replied. "The happiness of the girl I once was, which Hercules says he'll guarantee, is something else - I don't mind stabbing her in the back. She'd do the same to me, after all."

As she said that, still painstakingly altering the contents of the stuffed doll requested by my own younger and better self, a small worry crossed my mind. "I don't really feel the same way, I think. Please don't do anything too drastic, on that front."

A pause in her work followed, and then a change in movements as she began to undo some stitches. "What will you do, then?"

"...I don't know," I muttered. It was supposed to be so easy. I was supposed to attack him, and steal his body. I hated [Natsuki Subaru] so it would be perfectly easy to erase him from existence. But the 'Natsuki Subaru' that met me turned out to be a different person, and even more than that- "I… really can't believe… that he just turned around and called me his family."

How was I supposed to respond to that? How was I meant to maintain my hatred, when faced with unflinching kindness, even after I already killed him a dozen times over?

No. To be honest, that wasn't what this was. It wasn't some grand morality play. It was just me throwing a tantrum, and him calmly stepping forward to defuse the situation with basic maturity.

"What the hell… that makes him the older brother after all, doesn't it…?"

I'd bet that Medea's teleportation magecraft was probably disorienting the first few times, but I don't really remember it, if it was. By the time of our transport to Circe's island, it doesn't even faze me.

And, similarly, considering the number of times I encountered it-

-A whirlwind erupts in front of us, spraying lightning everywhere, and the familiar voice of Circe the Witch booms out. "So it's you, Medea! Did you think you could simply waltz in here, and that I'd greet you with open arms?"

-there it is. The classic Circe opening line, where she pretends that she wants anything other than to spoil whoever showed up on her island rotten. In other words, she's a tsundere with about a millimeter of 'tsun' protecting her vulnerable heart. And the way to defeat her is-

"Hello Auntie! It's good to see you again!" Medea unleashes an all-out charm offensive!

"G-geh… did you hear anything I just said?" Circe asks, her voice obviously flustered. The charm is super effective! "And what part of 'don't call me Auntie' hasn't gotten through your thick skull yet!?"

"Miss Circe… no, I guess at this point I should be calling you Aunt Circe," I say, faking a knowing smile.

"What the hell do you mean 'at this point'!? We haven't even met, don't you go assuming I'm that much older because of this blockhead apprentice of mine-!" She's already lost. She's firmly associating Medea as 'her apprentice', no matter how frustrated she is right now. So, the final push is-

"Ah, sorry, I guess I'm getting ahead of myself," I say, chuckling and rubbing the back of my head. "I just figured that as Medea's future husband, I should call you the same way that she does."

Medea's 'customer service' smile turns a bit more genuine, but she doesn't get particularly flustered by my declaration. I'm not exactly sure whether that's due to her ability to stay subtle with her feelings or if she's unsurprised because she already assumed that sort of ending for our relationship as fact like the nascent yandere she is.

Circe, on the other hand, falls silent for a moment, and the storm she had conjured dies down. A moment later, her real body emerges with a glittering light and a cloud of feathers as she gets right up in my face. "...Listen here, you little shit. Medea's been through a lot, so don't you dare think about using her like some kind of tool."

Alright, Pattern C is in progress. I just need to lock in Variation Twelve and we're good to go.

…Incidentally, I've spent an unreasonable amount of time on this island in the past. In the end, Echidna and I decided that it wasn't feasible to properly recruit Circe, so we went with the 'send Stede' plan in the hopes that he'd be able to honey trap her long enough to keep her neutral for the duration of my fight with 'Natsuki Subaru'.

"You can go ahead and test me if you like," I reply, stretching a taunting grin across my face. "The rumored 'Great Witch Circe's Heart-Pounding Kykeon Love Scramble' - I'll blow it away without a second thought." Overwrought name aside, it's basically just a cooking and eating contest which will certainly end in me turning into a pig, which is why I went the taunting route.

"You think you'll get off that easily!? You're facing Circe's Castle, so get ready to die!" She blusters.

"That ridiculous obstacle course? I can take it, but does that really have anything to do with romantic compatibility?" I ask, shrugging and shaking my head.

"Subaru-sama, please don't tease Auntie too much…" Medea chides me.

"That's right! Medea's on my side! I don't know who you think you are, but if you think you can just pull the hearts of witches this way and that, you've got another thing coming!" Circe says, pointing at me with a smug look on her face as her wing mystic code flaps her to her nieces side and lets her pull the girl into a one-armed hug.

Anyway, that's the conversation steered into Medea's control, so my pulling of Circe's heart this way and that has been a success.

"...Auntie, Subaru-sama's words aside, we did come here for a reason," Medea says, wrapping Circe in a two-armed hug, and Circe's smug grin falls into a beleaguered scowl as she realizes she's been had.

"Don't tell me you're going to request something crazy from me again?" The Great Witch says. "I saw that… whatever it was, that got fired a few hours ago; I hope you don't think that I'm getting anywhere near that thing."

"...Actually, I can't imagine you'll be of that much use on that front," I admit. "We're here for Stede."

"...Eh?"

After some more negotiations, Circe ends up taking us to her island manor. Medea manages to corral her teacher into her workshop and drag her into a conversation about magecraft, and so I take the opportunity to stop by the wing of the house reserved for male guests. And there, I find-

"Yo, Stede. Did you enjoy yourself?" I ask a thoroughly unamused pig.

"Why are you treating that pig like it's me!? You came into my room, looked me in the eye, left, and then came in here!" The actual Stede shouts. "You're terrible!"

Something approaching an honest smile finds its way to my face as I turn towards the Gentleman Pirate. "Sorry, I couldn't resist the joke. I'm glad it seems like things are going well for you."

His face flits between a slight hint of happiness, then exasperation, and finally he seems to just give up, falling into a slightly annoyed indifference. "So? How was that 'alternate self' of yours?"

"Crazy freaking strong-willed!" I say, giving a big shrug and shaking my head. "I don't think I would have won even if he was vulnerable to Angra Mainyu's curse."

"Wait, you lost!?" He shouts.

"Right? And after all that big talk I was doing too…" I say with a sigh. "Drake got herself killed, too; and on top of all that, Alcides went and became the big bad of the singularity and now everyone's teaming up to stop him from destroying the entire timeline after Ancient Greece."

"Gee, if only you'd had a clever pirate captain around to help you out… is what I'd like to say, but I can't really see any way that I could have helped if things escalated to the point that Drake got killed," He sighs.

"...I think that's why I left you here, in the end. I made up some half-baked excuse about keeping Circe neutral, But I think I was just looking for an excuse to keep you safe and away from what I thought was the final battle," I admit.

"Huh?" He gives me a quizzical look.

"I mean, we're friends. I don't want to see you hurt," I say simply. "And sticking you on an island with a girl who's your type is a bonus."

"Wait, you thought we were gonna hit it off?" He asks with slight shock.

"I had a pretty good idea, yeah."

"I forgive you for everything - no, really I need to thank you! Even for being so rude as to stuff me in a barrel!" Stede says with a kind of enthusiasm that doesn't really suit a guy in his late thirties. "Circe is seriously an angel! Why couldn't I have met her back when I was alive…?"

"Well, if you really want to thank me… we kind of need your help with something," I admit. "It's sort of a long shot, but… if anyone can do it, it's you."

"Wh-what's with that strange confidence of yours?" He asks, taking a step back, embarrassment plain on his face.

"It's not strange. When it comes to winning people over, you're the best there is. You managed to last three full days with the Witch Circe without getting turned into an animal - compared to that, this is child's play," I say with a grin. "All you need to do is convince some sailors to do something they don't want to do."

"No! No way! Putting aside the fact that your vague description makes it super obvious you're gonna put me in over my head again, I've got a good thing going on here!" Stede protests, making an 'X' with both hands. "There's no way I'll abandon Circe! I… I know it's been three days, but I'm in love with her!"

I start to respond, but I'm cut off by a flurry of movement as Medea enters the room. "Subaru-sama, we should leave as soon as possible. Auntie is getting strange ideas again."

"The manageable kind of 'strange', or are we going to have a fight on our hands?" I ask.

"She was saying something along the lines of 'Ehehe, if he knows about the love trials, he must have been watching me for a long time… Maybe it's fate!~ I'm getting pretty fed up with Stede, anyway!'" Medea reports.

"Geh!?" The aforementioned pirate collapses to the ground. "W-what do you mean, fed up? She said she was happy I was relying on her, so even if I haven't done a single thing other than laze about and eat her food while flirting with her, shouldn't she be happy!?"

"Well, you were going to blow it eventually…" I sigh. "Get the teleportation ready, Medea. Do you think we should take this guy with us?" I gesture towards the pig, who begins nodding vigorously at the idea. "Ah, he can understand me."

Stede pauses in his tears for a moment to look up at us."...He's a pretty smart pig. Circe calls him Hector."

Oi.

A faint rumbling starts to become audible as the manor starts to shake - oh dear, she's on the rampage. "We'll take him, so Medea, please hurry up."

With a terrible crash, a swarm of conjured animals smashes through the wall and door blocking off this wing from the rest of the house, a wild-eyed witch at its head.

"Don't think you can escape!" Circe shouts, lobbing a large glass bottle full of something black and squirming at us-

The pig launches itself over our heads to intercept it - and in an almost cartoonish puff of smoke takes human form.

"Didn't you think the transformation was sticking a little long?" a brown-haired man in green armor says with a lazy grin as he arcs through the air. "Forgive an old man his tricks, would ya!?" He catches the thrown bottle, secures its cork before it can open, and with a sudden burst of flame from what seems to be a mechanical arm jets back into Medea's teleportation spell in just the nick of time.

-And so, in a flash of light we find ourselves at the planned meeting place.

"Ah, there's the first arrivals," An unfamiliar voice says, and I turn to take in the appearance of a man with slicked back black hair, wearing a black vest over a red shirt and tight red pants. "I just got finished with my summoning, so you're just in time."

I look around for a moment, but the Servant in question seems to be in spirit form, so I turn back to gaze at the stranger directly. His smile's friendly enough, but there's something… the scent of primeval sludge, just hinted at in a newly resurgent breeze.

"Sorry, I won't be revealing her identity just yet. Call it insurance, if you like." Distant lightning glints off his glasses, and he continues to smile as he slides something yellow into his pocket, and extends his other hand for a handshake. "Beryl Gut. I guess you're technically not my Kouhai, since you're his… alternate self or something, right? But it's nice to meet you, man!"

Well, he seems friendly enough.

Chapter Text

As we hurtle through the air, with me being carried by Nobunaga, who's surfing through the air on one of her rifles, I can't help a certain thought-

Man, the anti-nausea properties of this Mystic Code are something else, huh?

"Subaru, I'm detecting another Servant below us. Wanna check it out?" Nobunaga asks as we suddenly slow down and my heart leaps into my throat. "Subaru?"

"Ah,,, um…" My brain is still a little scrambled, but I manage to connect the necessary neurons. "I don't see why nooOOOOAAAHH!" My voice devolves into screaming as we plunge like a falling star.

"Wait, where are you-?" Elizabeth, dutifully flapping behind us, doesn't even have a chance to finish her question before she's out of earshot.

What greets our sight is a hastily constructed market stall on an island barely large enough to be called a rock.

"Ah! Wait, wait, I'm not- no, it's fine! This perfectly normal, not at all suspicious, mushroom selling stall, iiiiis-" A girl with green hair, wearing a baggy purple cloak and a mask covering her eyes scrambles to drop an unfinished sign in front of the stall - only to freeze as her gaze locks onto me. "-Geh. What are you doing here?"

I blink once at the hostility in the stranger's voice, but before I can question it-

"We're here to press-gang you! Come fight Hercules with us!" Nobunaga initiates a negotiation with her usual subtlety.

"Gaaaaah! No way, no way!" She screams, pointing past Nobunaga, at me, "I knew iiit! 'Observe the new Beast', he says - you're just trying to kill me, shitty Purge King! But, but-!" With a single gesture, a comically large mushroom sprouts from the ground between us. "Take a look at this! I laced this baby with Hydra Venom! I still don't have a clue about your legend, but-!"

"Wait, wait, wait, take at least ten steps back!!!" I shout. "First, I don't even know you, second, I'm a living human, and third, Nobbu was just joking! You don't have to get dragged into this, we'll leave you alone!"

"...Eh?" The girl pauses in her hysterical screeching, and her arm, formerly pointing in accusation, falls to her side. She draws closer, examining me with a face that suggests squinting eyes behind the mask. "No, wait, now that I look at you, what's with those soulful eyes of yours? And you are a living human…" She comes closer and closer, and Nobunaga generates a rifle as a measure of caution, pointing it at the strange girl. But she draws even closer, heedless of the threat, focusing on me with complete concentration as an earthy perfume starts to assail my nostrils - and then her face lunges towards my cheek. "This taste… is the taste of a-"

BLAM!

She's only saved from Nobunaga's bullet because Rem's tiny fist, springing from her perch on my shoulder in fury, intercepts her attempt to lick my cheek.

"Ack! It was a joke, a joke!" The girl screams, diving behind a wall of mushrooms. "I get it, you were telling the truth, it was the taste of someone telling the truth!"

"I don't care if it's a Jojo reference, you can't just lick someone! That's sexual harassment!" I scream.

"Then it's a service~!" She pops back up over the mushroom wall with a facial expression that suggests a wink.

"Subaru-kun, Rem thinks this one may be a lost cause…"

"I mean, that's pretty obvious, but I feel like maybe I should learn about what she was shouting about just now…" I respond.

"...You really don't know who I am?" She tilts her head in confusion. "Did you inhale some spores? No, actually if you're a living human…"

Something like understanding arrives on her face - great, that makes one of us - and then it quickly morphs into some kind of ecstatic revelation. "By the gods, it's Purge King Lily."

What the fuck is she talking about?

"Heh… Hehehehe! This'll be great~!" Swiftly, she pulls another oddly colored mushroom from her pocket. "Alright, do as I say and I'll give you the hydra venom mushroom."

That would be really useful, but- "No, I really feel like I should ask a few more questions-!"

"Mushrooms are really great - they can record all kinds of information in their mycelium networks! Soo~oo, this one can actually record audio and video!" She explains.

"That wasn't my question, but isn't that a stretch-!?"

With a boldness unsurpassed, she thrusts the mushroom in my face. "So I need you to help me record as many embarrassing lines as possible so I can bully the Purge King! Now, repeat after me, 'Hi, I am the Purge King! Rainbows make me cry!'"

"So that explains where you got the giant mushroom, but what happened to that girl afterward?" Jason asks, eyes still locked on the completely out-of-place eyesore.

"Locusta, I think," I say. "A few of the lines focused on how a 'Lady Nero' should trust her more than the Purge King. As for what happened… we left her there. She screamed the moment we suggested actually bringing her to the fight, something about Hercules seeing through her Presence Concealment."

"Mmm… I don't think he's got Presence Detection, so it was probably just a matter of Luck," Jason mutters.

"Luck again, huh…" I mutter. "Well, if that's all, I've gotta check in with the Director."

"...Sure," He mutters, his eyes still not leaving the cartoonish fungus growing on his ship's once-pristine deck.

Mash is standing at the front of the ship, gazing at the oncoming waves, but as I make my way across the deck, I find my gaze drawn to another standing to one side. A cat-eared Archer I know only through the memories I inherited from Ahab. "You're… Natsuki Subaru, was it?"

"Yeah. You must be Atalanta, right? It's a real relief to-" I start.

"I don't really care how you feel about it," She says matter-of-factly. I guess Jason did say she was the standoffish type. "...I have some memory of the last singularity Chaldea visited, but past a certain point I abandoned my ability to think. There are some things I'd like to confirm with you, but it can wait until later."

"Sure thing," I say, giving her a thumbs up. "Glad to have you aboard!"

But with that brief conversation over, I make my way past Benkei, David, and Grimr, giving each a perfunctory greeting before I finally reach Mash.

"Yo, Mash-tan!" I call out. "Can I borrow your communicator? I've gotta give the Director my report." Mine got thrown in the ocean by Rigel, after all.

She turns towards me with a bit of shock on her face. "Oh, Senpai. You're back." Was the ocean ahead of the ship so interesting that you missed the arrival of the giant mushroom!? "Um, go ahead." Slipping the small, wristband-like communicator off, she hands it over, and I get into it as fast as possible.

"Hey, Director, I'm back, so go ahead and remind me of something so we can do the usual bit," as usual, I go full boke from the very start of the conversation.

"...I guess if you're in such high spirits, I can more or less guess at your level of success," Olga Marie responds with a sigh as she appears in front of me.

"It got really weird, and I'm still not sure where Blackbeard got a chainsaw or where he wandered off to after everything was over, but both Elizabeth and the Grail have been successfully retrieved!" I reply with a thumbs up. "Also we got a big mushroom full of hydra venom!"

"...Sure, why not," She doesn't rise to the bait. "As far as the plans for fighting Hercules go, we've more or less got the Chaldean contingent figured out, so we'll rayshift the best Servants for the job once you've arrived at the leyline. That said, there's been one development you weren't made aware of - thawing Wodime was deemed too dangerous at the moment, so we opted to try the procedure with Beryl Gut first."

"Beyl Gut…" I've heard his name a couple of times, but most of the staff doesn't really talk about him. "What kind of guy is he, Director? I'd like to know what to expect of this Senpai of mine…"

"Subaru, don't be mistaken. You've got seniority, not Beryl. For all his time in Chaldea, he has no experience as a Master or in Singularities outside of the simulator," The Director says, crossing her arms. "You're in charge, so you'd better be ready to lay down the law. Beryl might seem easygoing, but that only makes him more of a problem. If you don't constrain every ounce of his free will and make every decision for him, he's going to cause you trouble."

What a completely tyrannical analysis! As expected of Sensei! "Yeah, I got it, I'll keep him from slacking off somehow…"

"That's not what I'm saying," The Director says. "I'm saying that-"

A noise rings out from ahead of the ship. A familiar, distorted roar, echoing across the placid sea.

Quickly, with swiftly increasing volume, I become aware of the sound of churning water as something massive jets across the waves towards the boat.

"Oh, come on!" Yells Nobunaga as she sprints up from below deck, drawing a gun. "How many times do I have to teach you this lesson, old man!?"

Sure enough, the black-scaled form erupting from the surf in a giant leap towards the ship's deck can be none other than Dagon - but, as he arcs through the air, his form changes, melting away as a smaller, human frame takes its place.

BLAMBLAMBLAM!

A three gun salvo from Nobunaga is deflected, a gust of wind knocking the shots astray. As the wind rushes by me, a palpable sense of unease falls over me.

"Woah there! Friendly, friendly!" The dark-haired man says as he lands on the deck. "My bad, I just couldn't wait to see Mash, so I rushed over."

"Ugh…" Nobunaga grimaces, muttering so low I can just barely hear her. "It's Beryl after all. And, this curse-laden wind… god, that's awful. What did I do to deserve witnessing a duo like this…?"

Beryl Gut stretches, cracking his neck, and turns towards Mash, ignoring everyone else as he looks her up and down. "Hmmm… it doesn't seem like you got hurt during any of the stuff I missed. That's great, Mash. I'm really glad."

"...Beryl Gut," Mash's replies. "As you can see, I'm healthy, so please greet Senpai as well."

"Hm? Ah, right… sorry, I was just talking to that clone of yours, so it had me feeling like we'd already met!" He laughs and rubs the back of his head lackadaisically. "Name's Beryl. I've got the feeling that we're gonna get along, so I'll be in your care."

…I've heard a few worrying implications about this guy, but- "Yeah. It's good to meet you, Beryl-san."

"Hey, please, drop the honorifics. You'll make me feel old." He says. "And can you do something about your Archer there glaring daggers at me?"
I turn towards Nobunaga with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't know what he's talking about," She gives an exaggerated shrug. "My eyes just look like this."

{Listen, Nobbu, if there's a problem, then-} I start to say, but I get cut off.

"We're pulling up now, so everyone get ready to disembark." Jason calls from the wheel.

And so, we arrive at another Leyline island for one final round of preparations.

Chapter Text

As I disembark, my feet landing on soft white sands, and take in the sight of the servants Rigel has brought with him to our meeting place, an obvious question comes to mind. One is a middle-aged man in what looks like a pirate outfit; the other a middle-aged man in a green tabard and armor, and so-

"Which one's Circe?" I ask after a moment's thought.

"Isn't it obvious that it's neither?" Rigel retorts with a groan. Well, I figured as much. So if the pirate is the rumored Stede Bonnet, then the armored warrior is probably…

"Oh, Hector. You survived after all," Jason says with a huff of breath somewhere between exasperation and relief.

"Well, I'm not the type to pick a fight with people way above my level, so I surrendered the moment that Hauroy guy broke my [Durindana]," the Hero of Troy says with a self-deprecating laugh.

"...After all, why wouldn't Reid be able to break an unbreakable spear." I mumble. "Wait, you're down your spear, and you don't want to fight people out of your league, but you decided to show up to a fight with Hercules of all people?"

"Uh, no? I just hitched a ride with these guys since it seemed like the safest way off of Circe's island," He chuckles. "I'll give you a bit of help in the planning as payment, but then I'm outta here. I've got no intention of getting involved with this mess."

"I feel like we've got enough strategists at this point, so are you sure there isn't even the tiniest extra help you can give us!?" Jason shouts.

"Well, I grabbed this on our way out of the Witch's lair. Whatever it is," Hector says, picking up a glass bottle full of something black and squirming that had been resting upon the sand.

It takes a moment to recognize it. A writhing black sludge, dashing itself this way and that against the confines of its container. But finally, comparing it against all my memories, I remember one other encounter with a violent slime like this one- a brief sighting, quickly cut down by the blade of Reid Astrea close to the end of the first - no, it was the second loop in France.

"The [Black Serpent]'s venom," I half whisper in recognition. "Reid must have summoned it some time during his fight with Alcides… the poison it spits can survive after the snake itself is dead."

Rigel's eyes just about fall out of his skull. "Wait, you threw down with the third Great Witchbeast too!?"

"Not exactly… I'll tell you later, the important part is - that poison is alive, and it's hungry," I explain. "We should probably just get rid of it, though. It's not Hydra Venom, and we've got the real thing, so-"

"No, about that, it's supposed to have the qualities of 'every single poison', right?" Rigel asks. "I don't think hydra venom exists as such in the other world, but if it's a conceptual effect that might not matter…"

"Even if that's true, I feel like what we've got in this mushroom is more convenient," I say, shaking my head.

"Wait, hold up, I didn't question you stumbling onto real hydra venom, but what's this about a mushroom?" Rigel asks.

Ah, right. I guess we should probably exchange information first, huh?

"Looks like there's gonna be more yapping here, so do ya mind if I tag out?" Grimr asks, and I glance towards him. "Word is I'm being called back, so I figure we might as well take care of that while you're going over those details."

"...Ah, yeah. Is that okay with you?" I ask. "I know you were looking to get a good fight out of this singularity."

"Nah, it's fine. I sent most of that steam with the 'Cu Chulainn' part of my Spirit Origin when we separated," He explains, and then pauses for a moment. "Hey, kid. I don't think you gotta be told this, but don't die, okay? I'd be pretty pissed if you went and bit it after all this."

"You don't have to worry about that," I say simply. "We're going to crush this guy."

"That's the spirit!" He laughs, and starts walking inland.

And so, following that, the exposition begins.

"-and that brings us to right now, more or less." I conclude.

"On that note, what became of Elizabeth Bathory?" Rigel asks. "I don't see her anywhere…"

"Ah… well, there was a kind of regrettable exchange along the lines of her outfit being a bit tasteless, so she got uncharacteristically embarrassed and hid below deck - Medea-san, Jason said you were good with embroidery, so could you help me redesign Eliza's costume later?" My explanation turns into a question midway through.

"What did you have in mind?" Medea asks with a cute amount of excitement in her voice.

"Ah… I don't really have any of my drawings on hand, so let's get into it later, okay Medea-chan?"

"Don't start flirting with her, you bastard. I'll pick up where we left off," Rigel scowls at me.

"No, putting that aside, when did this Elizabeth earn a nickname, Subaru-kun?" Rem asks, her voice suggesting a frown. "There's Nobunaga as well… and Mash Kyrielight…"

"They call themselves that, so it can't be helped!" I retort. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I started throwing nicknames at you from the moment we met!"

"Well, Senpai is friendly with everyone… but he just used Nobunaga's catchphrase, so her influence on him has already reached concerning levels," Mash notes.

""Well, we're Master and Servant, so it can't be helped!"" Nobunaga and I somehow deliver the exact same line at the same time. No, actually, that level of synchronicity is pretty concerning!

I hear a low whistle from behind me. "Man, that's some bond you've managed to develop in just a few days. It'd be pretty great if I was able to develop something like that…" Beryl Gut says almost wistfully. Right, there's this guy.

"On that note, you said you summoned someone, right?" I ask. "Are they just being shy, or-?"

"Well, she is shy, but this was my call," He pushes up his glasses, and they glint in the sunlight. "...See, the way I'm looking at it, this might just be an alliance of convenience for the Non-Chaldeans here. We might be working together for now, but… not just that Alter Ego, but Jason had his own designs on the Grail, right? There's nothing saying we'll remain allies after Hercules is defeated, so I think I'll keep my cards close to my chest on this." He pauses for a moment, as I grind my teeth in agitation.

"Rigel… Jason too… they're not like that. They aren't just opportunistically-" I mutter.

"Really? Then why hasn't anyone brought up the obvious?" He gives a big shrug, and a malicious looking grin crosses his face. "Why don't we, of Chaldea, just take the Grail and leave? There's no reason why we have to make our stand against Hercules now, especially not when he's got plans to go bring down humanity's adversaries right after this."

…

"...Are you stupid?" Jason groans. "Not just God Hand, but King's Order as well - Hercules has Noble Phantasms that symbolize his completion of impossible tasks. Do you really say - for absolute certain - that defeating the Beasts of Humanity won't add to that number of labors?"

Beryl closes his eyes for a moment. "It shouldn't be possible, really. Servants's legends are supposed to be set in stone. But the rules with this guy… seem like they're already out the window." Finally, he lets out a big laugh. "Well, damn, I guess I really can't say it's impossible, huh?"

"But on the issue of trust, don't think we can just skim over the fact that you transformed into Dagon a few minutes ago!" I blurt out, and Rigel nods vigorously.

"Oh, that?" He gives a nervous chuckle. "Well, it's a pretty nasty spell like most Witchcraft, but… well, it amounts to an application of the saying 'you are what you eat'."

Gluttony. My mind immediately jumps to the power of Gluttony.

"Well, my usual preference is to shapeshift into a wolf, since that's what feels right to me, but…" He shrugs. "When you're about to die on the operating table, and there's some literally divine sashimi on the table opposite, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?"

"That's…" I mutter. I know. I know, it's not necessarily right to make assumptions based on a similarity in ability, but-

"Ah, my bad, I got warned about this - listen, it's not the same as those Gluttony guys you seem to have run into in this singularity and the last one," He says. "It's purely physiological, I don't have any kind of capacity to copy techniques or knowledge. I eat their 'meat', not their 'lives'. So even though it looks like Dagon, that form only amounts to a distorted Fish Monster."

…But, even so. Even if it was for survival, even if it's not as monstrous as Gluttony-

"It's still barbaric, right? Grosses you out, doesn't it?" He gives a wry grin. "That's the kind of thing you learn when your Ma's a witch, yeah? Sorry to disappoint you. But hey, it seems like you've got an affinity for curses from what I saw of your profile, Senpai. So, even if it's barbaric… I can teach you a thing or two, if you ever feel like sinking to my level."

…

"...But to get us back on topic," Jason says with a grimace. "I sure hope that 'distorted fish monster' packs a punch. Because, even with all these guys we've been scrambling to gather together… we still have absolutely no way to land a scratch on Hercules."

…Huh? No, wait, that can't be right. "But we've got several people with Extra classes! David's got three Noble Phantasms that can beat the requirements for [God Hand], and… I mean, maybe Benkei…? And, Atalanta seems like she got an upgrade… Nobunaga said she feels more like an Avenger right now, and she's got two that can reach A-rank…"

"...Putting aside the assumption about Nobunaga's class changing, which we haven't seen conclusive proof of," he says, "The rest won't matter - or have you forgotten that Hercules is also negating Divine Authorities that approach him? David won't be able to use any of his Noble Phantasm's offensively, and Atalanta's fancy new bow's arrow is going to disintegrate before it hits him. Even Benkei… I said it before, but [God Hand] is a conceptual defense. The B-rank attack of a Grand Lancer is just as weak as the B-rank attack of a normal human, as far as it's concerned."

Then… In that case… In that case… "So all we can hope to do with our current roster is beat back his attacks!?"

My communicator beeps.

"Actually, that's where Chaldea comes in," Olga Marie Animusphere's smug aura fills the entire beach. "If it's a weapon to overcome all twelve lives of [God Hand], even one at a time... I've already prepared it!"

Chapter Text

It bears repeating, that the Okeanos singularity has little in the way of distinguishing features. It is a sort of gestalt, a generic 'Ocean' taking the qualities of every Sea and Ocean at the same time, but clearly identifiable as none of them.

Among the different islands, the various formations in the singularity, some are copies of real-life islands or coastlines - though not necessarily accurate ones. Some, indeed, verge on parody - mere hollow copies of islands as they were rumored to be.

If one searched, the Shapeless Isle of the Gorgons could be found here. Were he present, the Count of Monte Cristo would surely be able to find the island he claimed lordship over. And although Circe would remain tight-lipped about it if asked, Medea of Colchis is of the distinct impression that the island her teacher made her base was the very same one she dwelt upon in life.

What manner of island, then, was the one that Hercules chose to make his stand upon? What kind of landform lay there, at this Ocean's end?

It was not Hercules's aim, that the final battle would be here. He had no idea what kind of island would be nearest to the hole he opened in the sky of this Singularity. But, even so, be it through the machinations of fate, or simple luck, the site is one of importance to him.

A most famous, auspicious location, easily recognized by any sailor who has seen it even once before. A great, sheer rock, stretching up towards the sky, matched by a similar mountain just visible in the distance some eight miles away. A natural wonder, signifying the end of one body of water and the start of another, bound to the concept that 'this is where the Sea ends'.

The Strait of Gibraltar. Despite the lack of the associated continents, this gap, the gulf between two great mountains, rests here, at the very edge of this endless sea.

In the world of antiquity, however, it was known by another name, for at that time the memory still remained - of how, once upon a time, the great hero Heracles had crossed this way.

Accounts differed on what he had done here. One said that he had encountered a mountain range, blocking his passage to the garden of the Hesperides - and that rather than climb it, he smashed clean through it. Another said that he had faced a sea monster too mighty for him to slay, and that to protect the people of Greece, the demigod had narrowed the gap so that the beast might not have entrance to the Mediterranean. Still another claimed that the mountains were a deed of mercy, that Heracles had built them up to the sky to hold it away from the Earth, and thus liberated Atlas from his damnation.

But, no matter the source, the name for the place was agreed upon between the Romans and Greeks.

The Pillars of Hercules.

The sound of rushing water continues to slowly grow louder, as Hercules watches the endless ocean slowly drain through the hole his arrow punched in reality.

"Only two hours left," He mutters. "I suppose they'll be coming soon."

"Ha! How pathetic you are, my destined foe!" The scornful voice of Ahriman echoes above the crashing wave, and Hercules turns to observe him. "Your tormented face… how weak, how weak."

"Don't overstep yourself, demon. It's only out of courtesy that I've allowed your observation of this battle," Hercules growls. "Both the Assassin and that Shadow have already departed. Would you like me to send you away as well?"

"The useless girl aside… make no mistake, my destined foe - the Crawling Chaos has merely sought another vantage point from which to observe the battle," Ahriman sneers. "As for me, I shall remain. Your struggles, Chaldea's struggles - I shall observe every last useless effort of yours, so rejoice."

Hercules opens his mouth to respond once more, but something catches his eye in the distance, and he turns. "...Good grief, what kind of ship even is that?"

His words are derisive, filled with amusement - but nevertheless, a smile stretches across his face as he readies the bow he stole from Artemis.

"Let's begin. [Nine-!" His voice cuts off as he sights something, miles away. His smile grows predatory, and the promise of a true battle lifts his spirits. "-Lives]!"

Nine Arrows arc through the air, and in the distance-

"Are you really sure you can manage it?" Jason asked. "It's gonna make things a lot tougher if you screw it up - no, actually, even if you don't screw up, if Nega-Divinity is powerful enough, then-

"I can do it." Atalanta replied with a roll of her eyes. "Just who do you think I am?"

At the top of the crow's nest of the Space Argo, the Chaste Huntress stands, scarf trailing behind her in the sea breeze, her eyes trained upon Hercules as her every hair stands on end. With overwhelming purpose, she readies a bow of her own.

There is no time for higher thought, now. No room for imagination of goals or dedication. No leeway to consider the contents of her conversation with Natsuki Subaru before this. She must put everything she is into this shot.

[Tri-Star Ortygia] is the very archetype of a bow. Forged of the remnant of a goddess of the bow. Strung with a belt of stars, taken from a constellation that in truth pre-dates Orion's very existence. The Animusphere family would have paid any price for a chance to examine this weapon, to say nothing of the Clock Tower's astrology department.

Even more the shame, then, that only one arrow was provided.

"Mark the target. Bring down the prey," Atalanta mutters, stretching her weapon to its limit.

No mistake can be made. No interference can be accepted. In the time that this arrow will take to reach Hercules, the god of heroes will be able to loose dozens of shots - and thus only one option remains.

"You shall not surpass me. When you think you have the lead I shall catch and overtake you," She continues, pouring every ounce of magical energy into the weapon.

-The [Heavenly Arrow] that Hercules demonstrated before. That all-piercing shot, which pierced even the impenetrable boundary of a singularity.

Without any knowledge of how. Not having seen his stance, nor his preparation. Without any knowledge other than the technique's possibility, and her own mastery of the bow as a starting point.

"Because, I am Equal in Weight Atalanta."

[Tri-star Ortygia] shatters, and a second perfect arrow rips through space, hurtling towards the ocean's edge.

Three seconds. That is all the time provided for Hercules to prepare for the oncoming attack.

In the first second, nine shots leave his bow. His 'default' technique for [Nine Lives], nine homing attacks, imbued with the venom and nature of the Hydra. This is his retaliation. A guarantee that even in the worst case, Chaldea must withstand his most reliable technique at the end of this exchange.

In the next second, his magical energy has not quite yet recovered - even accounting for his nature as a Beast, back to back activations of a Noble Phantasm are beyond him. And so, he simply fires one hundred arrows, in an 'ordinary' manner, without the weight or power of a Noble Phantasm.

In the third and final second, Hercules finally addresses the incoming attack.

The arrow is a Divine Construct. He can detect that, at this range - and he knows that, once it makes contact with his body, it will be unraveled by [Nega-Divinity]. However, at this range, he can also finally see - that the attack is aimed towards his bow, which lacks any of his body's protections.

"His bow?" Natsuki Subaru asked.

"Yeah, ain't it obvious?" Hector replied, a lazy grin on his face. "If we assume he's got the range of an Archer, then at least two thirds of the fight is gonna be down to getting into range of the guy. If you're telling me he's invincible on top of that… well then answer's to break his weapon, right?"

"Come to think of it, you've got some experience in fighting invincible heroes, huh?" Jason muttered.

"Eh, something like that," He scratched the back of his head. "But that's just the basics of fighting, really. Always, no matter what, hit your enemy where he's the weakest."

A divine arrow like this will almost certainly have some sort of effect to home in on its target. And so - in that case, his only option is to block it.

A muscular palm intercepts the arrow. Were the skill any slower to take effect, Hercules would surely lose a hand for this - but Nega-skills are instantaneous and perfect in their effects, and thus, the loser here is the arrow. The effect of Artemis's authority is unraveled, totally and finally.

-However.

[Tri-Star Ortygia] is a weapon created from the remnants of a near-dead Servant. The bow is a purely divine construct, calling back to Artemis's nature as a machine god, a miniaturized version of the interstellar cannon that she once was. The string is made of stars, formed of the belt of Orion, the hunter Artemis favored. Both are inert. What little life Artemis had in her when she transformed was expended as a result of her authority. But, the arrow-

"GRAAAAH!!!!" A tiny voice roars.

The arrow disintegrates, reverting to its prior form. And, with minimal loss of inertia, the tiny plush form of Orion bounds between Hercules's fingers, bringing his miniature club down on the Beast's bow with all his might.

And so, be it due to the force of Atalanta's shot, because of his status as the weapon's true owner, or simply because Orion is Artemis's 'weakness'-

Hercules's bow is shattered, three seconds into the battle.

The Beast of Heroes allows himself a moment to feel impressed - and then, sparing a simple backhand to dispatch the mana-exhausted Orion, he readies his next weapon.

"-[Marmyadose], fill yourself with heat."

Chapter Text

"It's a hit. His bow is destroyed - he's drawing [Marmyadose]," Atalanta says as she drops back to the deck.

"Great work, Atalanta. Thanks for everything," Jason says, eyes never leaving the constellation of rapidly approaching arrows. He doesn't see her resolute nod, nor does he give any sign of recognition, as the Archer, her magical energy completely spent, melts away into a cloud of golden dust rapidly left in the Argo's wake. And, without wasting any time, he moves forward to the next stage of the plan. "I see one hundred normal arrows, with one round of [Nine Lives] mixed in with them! Now - get ready to blow them away!"

"I get the sense that the [Heavenly Sword] is probably completely integrated into [Nine Lives] at this point," David said, stroking his bearded chin. "Any attack he makes with that Noble Phantasm is going to have that same 'all-piercing' property we've had so much trouble planning around. But, if it helps matters, we don't have to worry about that with the 'normal' shots."

"Yeah, but that doesn't help at all when the normal version of [Nine Lives] is nine homing arrows!" Jason groaned.

"In the best case, it won't be a problem, since Atalanta's going to break his bow. But if that doesn't pan out, or he gets one round of shots off before his bow breaks, then…" Rigel muttered.

"I can set up some cursecraft," Beryl Gut said. "Something like retaliatory damage to destroy the arrows when they hit someone is easy enough, but… well there's no easy way to say it, there's gonna need to be sacrifices in that case."

""That's no good,"" Subaru and Rigel said instantly.

"So what we need is a wide area attack, right?" Elizabeth Bathory said, grinning. "In that case, just leave it to me!"

Wreathed in sickly green light, dozens of ribbons trailing behind her, in a freshly redesigned swimsuit, Elizabeth Bathory takes a stance on the Argo's Prow.

"Listen close, Fishie! This is my new, special hit single! Adnch akah ftaghn! [In the Beginning, There Were Idols Daemon Sultan's Awakening]! Laaaaaaa!~"

A single, normally pitched note escapes her lips.

"...Wait, what? Where's the sonic blast-!?" Subaru asks - and then with a horrible tearing noise, the sky splits. "Oh, what the hell."

'Something' looks in, from outside - and in an act of mild annoyance, a torrent of green fire pours forth before the tear closes once more.

The wave of pure destruction rips forward in front of the Argo - consuming Hercules's arrows, crawling towards him with the swiftness and certitude of death.

For Hercules, this will not be a true setback. Even if his blow does not cut it down, he will be able to revive with [God Hand], not to mention he still has the Noble Phantasm native to his Assassin self.

But, speaking of that ability, it might cause some trouble if this island were to be destroyed. And so, halting the activation of his sword, Hercules materializes a different Noble Phantasm.

"[Herakles Kosmos]," He says, hurling the shield to meet the attack.

A blast meant to destroy worlds meets a miniature world - and, although the latter is consumed, the Daemon Sultan's attack goes no further.

The Space Argo continues to speed forward, with just two minutes remaining until arrival - but the sight that greets them as the chunks of a miniature world fall away, is that of a blazing column of light, as Hercules holds his sword aloft.

"[Nine-!"

{Now.} Natsuki Subaru says telepathically, and-

"So? What do we do about that 'marmot toes' thing?" Subaru asked.

"[Marmyadose]! It's called [Marmyadose]!" Jason shouted, before growing morose. "And there's not really anything we can do about it. It's a miles long energy blast approaching from all sides - if he can use that in conjunction with the [Heavenly Sword], it's over."

""Just don't let him swing it, then,"" said both Nobunaga and Hector at the exact same time.

-At that moment, a skeleton-masked form materializes. Hassan-i-Sabbah, already present at the Pillars of Hercules, hurls the jar containing the Great Serpent's venom and a trio of hydra-venom coated daggers at Hercules. And, at the same time, Oda Nobunaga, mounted on a rifle in the air far above him, plunges like a meteor, rapidly unloading dozens of matchlock rifles.

"Tch," Again, Hercules is forced to cancel his Noble Phantasm, dodging Hassan's projectiles and attempting a counterattack, which Nobunaga's bullets just barely provide cover for the Assassin to dodge.

The jar containing the Black Serpent's venom shatters behind him, and carefully refined instincts allow the Beast of Heroes to whirl around and sever the poison's existence before it can reach him, but-

"[Zabaniya]!" A crimson arm explodes from under Hassan-i-Sabbah's cloak, touching Hercules with just a single finger before the Beast severs that as well.

-Hassan of the Cursed Arm's Noble Phantasm has a misleading appearance. At first glance, it seems to teleport the target's heart outside their body, but that is not actually the case. The true nature of this heart is an ether clump, a replica heart that inflicts identical damage on the true heart to that it suffers itself.

Of course, this link is not perfect. Fundamentally, it is a type of curse, so sufficient magical resistance, or even luck, will nullify the attack. It goes without saying, considering this ability's C rank, any damage reflected upon Hercules with this attack will be nullified by [God Hand].

With one exception.

-Although Shaytan's arm was severed, although the ether clump generated failed to even take the shape of a heart, although the link will not even be present for a second.

One of Hassan's thrown daggers finds its mark, piercing that ether clump just before it dissolves.

And the Hydra venom coating it, a conceptual weakness that bypasses all of Hercules's resistances, slithers through the conceptual link, directly to the Beast's heart.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"
A wordless howl of agony rips through the air, as Hercules's eyes roll back in his skull. His veins bulge, his mouth foams, and his every muscle spasms.

"Yeet!" Nobunaga shouts as she whizzes past him, snatching Marmyadose from his spasming grasp as she flies back to the Argo at top speed.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!"

But, somehow, Hercules does not die. Even with the Hydra venom coursing through his veins, not one life is expended, and he lunges, eyes filled with madness, his hands reaching for Hassan's neck-

{To my side, Assassin.}

-only for the Servant to teleport away.

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!" Another scream of primal fury echoes across the water.

"He didn't die…" Jason mutters. "So it's active after all."

"Yeah, but it seems like we got the right place." Subaru notes. "If that Noble Phantasm works like you said, he wouldn't have needed to use his shield to block Elizabeth's… whatever that was."

***

"Even if we deal with everything else… there's the most troublesome one. His Noble Phantasm as an Assassin, [Thanatos Demenos]," Jason said.

"'Death Restrained'? That sounds a bit…" Rigel said.

"It's from that time that Heracles ambushed and captured Thanatos, the god of death, and forced him to spare a friend of his," Jason explained. "In terms of what it actually does… he can only activate it once, but once he does - basically, as long as he can physically keep his grip on Thanatos, we won't even be able to take a single life off of him."

…

"""Just how much is this guy going to cheat!?"""

"It's worse than that," David said with a sigh. "I get the feeling he still has that cloning ability he stole from Musashibou Benkei, and it's got a bad interaction with [Thanatos Demenos]. Bad for us, I mean. So on top of everything else, it seems like someone will be playing Hercules-and-seek."

-Apart from the Pillars of Hercules, there is a second geological wonder that can be found near the strait of Gibraltar. A great complex of caves, in the foothills on the Moroccan coast opposite the Rock of Gibraltar, thought for many years to have been bottomless. Many legends even told how deep within, one could find a tunnel that led all the way across the strait, emerging in St. Michael's cave in Gibraltar itself.

These caves are, of course, called the Caves of Hercules.

"So when ya think about it, it was pretty predictable you'd be hiding down here, once we knew the island the other you was hanging out at!" Beryl Gut says with a laugh as he stares down the demigod, and the skeletal figure gripped under his right arm.

"...And so, you, a normal human, snuck in here alone ahead of Chaldea's arrival. A servant would have been noticed, after all. Or do you have an Assassin with you?" Hercules asks.

"Nope. Just command spells," The man replies with a grin as he reaches for the necklace hanging around his neck, the marks on his hand burning red. "-Come to my side, Foreigner."

Noble Phantasm Revealed!

Thanatos Demenos: Death Restrained
Rank: EX
Type: Anti-Demise
Range: 1
Maximum Number of Targets: 1

The Noble Phantasm native to Heracles as an Assassin. Reproducing an anecdote from legend wherein he ambushed and kidnapped the god of death, Heracles summons Thanatos, and then restrains him to prevent the death of a target individual. As long as this Noble Phantasm remains active, the target cannot be killed by any means. However, Thanatos will not allow himself to be captured a second time, so once Heracles loses his grip or runs out of mana to maintain its activation, the Noble Phantasm will end and cannot be used again.

In the course of an ‘average’ Grail War, God Hand would likely suffice, and Heracles would reserve this Noble Phantasm’s use for the purpose of protecting his master. Nonetheless, Thanatos Demenos’s compatibility with God Hand is incredibly favorable - God Hand also adapts to attacks that fail to kill Heracles, so by using these two abilities in conjunction, the development of a truly massive list of immunities becomes possible. 

Chapter Text

"Yo. You're the Meinster witch, right?" I asked, giving a light wave.

It was already obvious she was a little bit of a strange girl. Her frilly western dress was completely at odds with all of the passers-by - even if this small Japanese town was full of people in western clothing, the type she was wearing was… probably an older style, if I had to guess. I couldn't really say what it was called, though. Mother's teaching never went quite that far.

She turned to me as I spoke. There was a kind of muted surprise on her face, but it quickly vanished, like a fleeing rabbit - and man, wasn't that enticing. I wanted to chase that emotion down and splatter it into full view.

It was decided. I liked quiet girls now.

"...Who are you?" The girl asked, breaking me out of my lovesick reverie.

"Oh, right! That's right, introducing yourself first is the right way to do these kinds of things. Name's Beryl Gut."

"...Gut," Her eyes narrowed. "The Grime Witch?"

"Yeah, that's my mother. Or was, anyway," I admitted, pushing up my glasses. "She died the other day, so I decided I would go ahead and come see the girl she was always complaining about."

Almost imperceptibly, the girl relaxed. "I see. Since you've brought me some good news, I suppose I can entertain you for a bit."

One thing led to another, and we found ourselves chatting at a small, sunny cafe. It was a kind of light, easygoing conversation - and to some degree, I could tell she was humoring me. I was about three years younger than her apparent age, and she wouldn't be a witch if she wasn't making herself look younger somehow. But eventually, the topic came around to love.

"It's a bit late, but I'll correct what your mother told you. The Meinster Witches aren't immune to the dangers that love holds for a witch," Miss Alice said. "I told her as much, but she must have forgotten."

"Huuh, really?" I asked, leaning forward a bit. "I'm not that surprised, since she only really screamed about you on her bad days, but can you elaborate a bit? Actually, the whole thing about love being dangerous for witches is pretty muddy too. Something about weakening the soul…"

"Just what was that woman teaching you..?" Miss Alice sighed. "It's nothing as strange as that, probably. This is just what I believe now, after a long time thinking about it, but the danger of love for witches isn't some matter of fate or destiny. There's every possibility of being happy, at least until the inevitable end. It's just that our nature is a bad match for it. You know what witches are, right Beryl-kun?"

"Fairies, right?" I asked, taking another vigorous bite of my croissant. Unless that was just mother being crazy too.

"Something like fairies, yes. So, like fairies, we're bound to the human legend of witches," She said. "...And so, it's 'our fault'."

"Hm?"

"The well dried up. My child was stillborn. The sheep are sick. Her husband cheated." The Meinster Witch said. "And these are all the fault of a 'Witch'."

"Well, yeah, they could be," I replied. "I could do all of those things, if I felt like it."

"That's right, you could," She nodded. "Beryl-kun, I'll tell you a secret - scapegoats are not always innocent. The only requirement to be a scapegoat is to accept the blame. Considering the nature of witchcraft, any witch will be guilty of at least one person's misfortune - and once the justified stone is thrown, people who have just been unfortunate can throw their own."

"A scapegoat that's always guilty, huh…" I said. "Which means, when it comes to love, it's something like 'you can have love, but every single thing that goes wrong will be your fault.' It's not like I've ever been in love, but I've heard that blame always gets tossed this way and that in a romantic relationship."

"So, that's the necessity for a witch who falls in love. We must be always in the wrong. Some religious sects call marriage a type of martyrdom, and this is thrice true for a witch. We must be willing to abandon all we are, to accept the destruction of our 'self' in order to stand a chance in love," Miss Alice said as she drained the last of her tea, and then let out a wry chuckle. "So I suppose, in that sense, the Grime Witch's idea that love destroys a witch's soul isn't actually so untrue. But, even if that woman had been able to reform her personality enough to accept what love means for a witch, I don't think it would have helped much. She didn't have very good taste in men, you see."

Well, that was true enough. "I guess you mean 'if you pick the right person, they won't destroy you despite how vulnerable you need to become'?" But that explanation didn't sound so true to me, though, at least not instinctively.

"That's right. Simply put, the secret of the Meinster witches is just that we have better taste in men than other witches," She said, and then looked like she was going to continue - but the waitress returned with the check, and the witch's attention was diverted to more mundane matters as we sorted out payment and left the cafe.

-But, her explanation was wrong. I saw that now. The Meinster witches were just cowardly. Choosing someone that couldn't destroy you was a cheap cheat. I didn't understand beauty, but I knew this wasn't it.

"I don't know whether a male child of witches needs to worry about that kind of thing, but if you find a good person to love when you grow older, it should turn out pretty well either way," She finally continued as we slipped away from the crowds and into a relatively clean alleyway.

No, that was enough of that. My hand slammed into the wall next to her head. I leaned terribly close to her, like those sleazy pickup artists I've seen here and there. I might have been just thirteen at the time, but I was still a little taller than her. With a low voice, I spoke, "Alice. I might be younger than you, but don't look down on me. I'm plenty old enough to be falling in love right here and now. And as for picking someone harmless… I can't do that. That's not beautiful at all."

If the one I love won't destroy me, I won't see it. I won't have proof that it was love. Destruction is what confirms beauty. I proved that myself, beyond a shadow of a doubt.

My mother's eyes were never more beautiful than the night I tore them from her head.

Her eyes barely widened in response to my action - god, that's so cute. A moment passed, two, and then-

"What do you think you're doing to my girlfriend?" A man's voice smashed through the silence.

Blinking, I turned towards him - at the same time, a dusting of red appeared on Alice's cheeks. "S-shizuki-kun..!?" she muttered. Excitedly. Well, damn.

He had a kind of stupid look on his face, but his clenched fist gave an aura of confidence, and… there was something about him. The wolf I had devoured a few weeks back was reacting to him, acknowledging him. This man had achieved something. All wolves must kneel before his fist.

In any case, though-

"Ah jeez, so there's another guy…" I sighed, backing off. "Well, you seem happy enough so I guess that's it for me."

Miss Alice looked at me with a neutral expression, but I like to imagine I saw some worry there. "...Beryl-kun. I can't give you what you're searching for."

"Yeah, yeah, it's fine. If my mother was still alive, things might have gone differently, but I've got no choice but to back off," I said with a laugh, and started to walk away, pausing briefly next to her boyfriend. "Best of luck, you dumb-looking fist king. Make sure to tear her to pieces."

"...What?" Killing intent started to waft off of him as he realized the kind of love I had in mind - but that was fine. I was already lost in the crowded shopping district - and shortly after, lost in the big, wide world.

***

"Of course, maybe even that was wishful thinking on her part," I said with a shrug. "The other Meinster witches, her predecessors - they all still died tragic deaths, or so I've heard. But, that's what the witch my mother said was most successful in love thought."

"...Well, what if it's both of us? If both Medea and I are willing to be completely destroyed by the other at the first moment of betrayal… it might work out, right?" The Alter Ego said. "And, even if it not might end well… if we both disappear before the supposed tragic ending, then maybe-"

I laughed. I couldn't help myself. "That might be it! That might be what I'm looking for too! Well, I'm a man, but I'm the son of a Witch, so I feel like the curse'll apply to me too."

"You're a warlock, then?" He said, a slightly guarded tone slipping into his voice.

"Warlock… that's a term that doesn't strictly exist in the world of magecraft," I said, stroking my chin. "But I don't think it's wrong, really." I paused for a moment, thinking about what I knew about Natsuki Subaru. "So, do you think you're one too? You, using the abilities of that world's 'Witches' -"

"I can't use them," He said, shaking his head. "The Authorities that Natsuki Subaru bears are something exclusive to him."

"And so? What do you think he is? Warlock? Archbishop? Something else entirely?" I asked.

-But, he didn't have time to answer. A certain scent, carried on the sea breeze, snatched away my attention. And so, I dashed away, amidst the waves, to meet the woman who would destroy me.

***

Canon Omake:

"Shizuki-kun… why did you say you were my boyfriend?" Alice eventually asked, after agonizing over it for a time.

"Huh!? I did!?" Soujuuro Shizuki shouted in shock, because the 'a time' spent agonizing over the incident was close to a month, and he had already forgotten about it.

"Yes. In the alley near Cafe Ahnenerbe, that one time," Alice replied. "I think it was a few weeks ago."

"Oh, you mean that time with the pick-up artist?" He replied. "I mean, it's common sense, right? A guy should interrupt that kind of event, especially for his friends."

No, that was not common sense. Obviously, Alice Kuonji would have been able to fight off a thirteen year old boy who couldn't take no for an answer. But more importantly- "But you could have interrupted without calling me your girlfriend, right?"

"No way. Aozaki was really clear about that," He said, and it all fell into place at last.

1. Aoko comes by to visit.
2. She gets hit on by clueless men half her age.
3. She's about to blast them all away, but spots Shizuki-kun nearby, so she waits for him to come save her.
4. Shizuki-kun knows his help isn't needed, so he doesn't help.
5. After Aoko boils over, beats up all the poor playboys, and kicks Shizuki-kun in the face several times, she teaches him something unreasonable.

"...But that would mean Aoko has become conscious of Shizuki-kun as well." That wasn't fair. Alice had only just (five years ago) realized that she was in love with him. And now, Aoko was trying to steal a march on her? This wouldn't do at all. Alice needed to make her move. "Shizuki-kun, I'll cook dinner tonight." Brilliant. Surely this would convey her feelings.

"Okay?" He says. "Um, was there something wrong with what Aoko told me?"

"No, she was exactly correct. The next time you see me being hit on, you should act the same way."

-And thus, history's slowest moving love triangle reset to more or less status quo once more.

Chapter Text

"-To my side, Foreigner," I say, command spell glowing, as I tear my pendant off and cast it to the side. In the same moment, Hercules moves. Three stones leave his hand, cracking through the air like bullets. One aimed at me, one at Foreigner, and one at the pendant I just cast aside.

Chilling mistral rushes through the cave, knocking the shots astray - but a telltale crash of tearing metal and a splattering noise tells me that my pendant, the container for my [Ploy], has been destroyed.

"...I hate guys with good instincts like you," I mutter.

The wind intensifies, frosting my hair, as my Servant completes her arrival. "[Hete Gele Huis]."

It's a bit sudden, but let's talk about one of my hobbies.

See, I travel all over the world - that's not the hobby, that's for work. And to avoid the consequences of another hobby, but that's really beside the point.

But anyway, I travel all around the world - so when I jump from city to city, I make a habit of stopping by the art museums to look at paintings.

Of course, I don't understand them. I only really comprehend the beauty or love of a thing after it's destroyed, or maybe in the very act of destroying it. I guess I was born wrong, or something.

…Born perfectly right for my mother's purposes. I hear the Meinster witches can only be killed by an act of love, after all. But enough about Miss Alice, where was I?

…Right, my hobby.

I visit the museums anyway. Staring at the paintings, trying to make myself feel something. It never really worked, but-

There was one time I got a little close.

"The Painter on the Road to Tarascon?" The museum guide asked. She was beautiful, more than any of the paintings in that museum - but I'm getting distracted again.

"Yeah. See, I saw a few pieces based on it in another museum, and I had to come check out the original," I answered with an easygoing smile. "I flew straight here from London to see it."

She looked at me like I was a little crazy. Which, of course, I was. "But… it's a replica."

"Yeah, I know," I replied. The original had been destroyed in the Second World War, after all. "But I really need to see it, in a museum, like this."

…It's a bit embarrassing, but I was going through a bit of a phase at the time. There was a painter, one Francis Bacon, who had me all worked up into a frenzy because I had the feeling he was like me. He made these freaking nasty pieces, paintings of nightmares, a sort of hideous deconstruction of other works. Most of them were based on photos, but a few were famous paintings - and that was what brought me here.

I had my pick, of course. I could have gone after that painting of a pope that he had turned into a melting ghoul, or tried to find what Christian triptych he had based those "crucifixion studies" on. But, in the end, it had to be Van Gogh.

Van Gogh had been one of my first 'phases' in painting appreciation. Something in the way his lines smeared, as if through tear-stained eyes. Something in the shakiness, the fragility of it, as if it might collapse and melt away at any instant. And, of course, the story of the man himself - that whole 'mailing the girl he loved his own ear' thing, the self destruction of the man, had me thinking - maybe this guy saw the world the way I do. But, in the end, none of the paintings I saw from him did it for me, and I gave up.

But, this was one I hadn't actually seen. And, with the destruction of Bacon's work juxtaposed, with me half dead from tiredness, a good three broken ribs from my last job still paining me, looking at a self portrait of this person who I thought just might be a kindred spirit, I thought I might be able to finally understand the beauty of a painting.

And so I stared at it. And stared a little more. I thought about Francis Bacon's four paintings based upon it, of the body melting into blood and darkness. I thought about the real painting, burning to ashes in a salt mine. I thought about Van Gogh, blasting his chest open with a revolver.

And for just a moment, I thought-

But, that dull ache in my chest was just my own broken ribs.

I opened my eyes as footsteps approached.

"...Sir, the museum is closing," The beautiful tour guide had returned.

"The sadness will last forever," I quoted, chuckling to myself.

And so, after indulging again in my other hobby, I left the museum and that city.

I never paid particular attention to the works of Van Gogh and Bacon, past that point.

"-Come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance!"

My summoning circle flares to life, and I grin uneasily. So the flower petal from that suspicious sunflower worked as a catalyst after all. Ain't that concerning?

As far as the flower language of Sunflowers goes, it's all pretty ideal for a Servant, compared to the type of thing I'd get from a compatibility summon, but I didn't recognize the species. If there's something suspicious mixed in-

"Servant, Foreigner," She says slowly, her voice shaky. As the light dies down, I take in the sight of a brown-haired girl in a straw hat, with baggy pants that come up to her armpits, standing on strange sunflower themed stilts and gripping a massive paintbrush shaped like a sunflower. "As you can see, I'm Van Gogh…"

"Seriously!?" I just about fall over. I've seen that guy's self-portraits, and they don't look like this!

"S-sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She says, seeming to curl in on herself. "Pretending it's obvious doesn't work at all… I should just die!" The sunflower's head starts to whirl like a buzz saw as she brings it towards her head.

"Woah, woah! Take it easy there!" I stop her before she can do anything drastic. Alright, a nice sounding lie it is. "I was just surprised because I'm a bit of a fan of yours!"

"Ah… eh… ehehe… is that so?" Her laugh is nervous, her face filled with a different kind of distress, but still clearly inches from a breakdown.

This promises to be fun.

"Yup. I'm expecting pretty big things of you, so how about you tell me what kind of abilities you have?"

Gogh arrives to the call of my command spell. That's one of my resources down, so let's consider my cards in hand.

I'm already beginning my transformation into Dagon as Hercules dashes towards us, Thanatos still tucked under his left arm - I don't know how much power this form will lose from proximity to him. By the time I ate his remains he couldn't really be called a Divine Spirit anymore, but it remains to be seen how much of this Demonic Beast's power will be canceled by Nega-Divinity.

I don't have an impossible task ahead of me. The only requirement for victory is to make him let go of Thanatos - anything else is an extra. As long as I can do that, and preserve a command spell for the end, I should be able to escape this alive. The problem is that she's totally useless in direct combat as anything other than a meat shield. The only option for her is to play a support role.

"Master-sama… as planned, I'll back you up," Gogh mutters, and I nod. That's the plan, basically. I need to take the front line, or we'll lose. I grin as paint from her brush swirls around, layering onto my body as extra armor. I lunge to meet Hercules's blow.

…It goes without saying, if he hits me, I won't come away unscathed, and I've got no illusions about my ability to match him in martial arts. There's no choice but to go all out from the start.

My second command spell burns bright, mana coursing through me as I use amateurish witchcraft to bypass a chant that would take too long otherwise. "[Bizarre Reality Marble: Red Hood]."

The world dissolves in a swirl of leaves.

Even among the forest of exceptions that is the world of magecraft, a Reality Marble is a rare thing. I've heard that Chaldea's been running into them left and right now - hell, even Van Gogh has one - but that's more due to the strange circumstances of Servants. They're exceptional people, so it's not strange for a few to be exceptional in the same way. Marisbury had said something similar when he recruited me.

But among living mages, you'd have to be very unlucky to encounter even a single person with a functional one. Unlucky, of course, because no mage worth their salt will let you walk away with the knowledge that they have one.

Reality Marbles are a taboo, after all. Any mage that forms one will almost definitely receive a Sealing Designation, an order for permanent imprisonment at the Clock Tower and likely human experimentation.

I don't really know enough about the history of the Association to say why that's the case, of course. Mother said it was simple jealousy, combined with the fact that the methods of passing down a Reality Marble to one's descendants leaned too far towards the practices of China's Spiral Manor. But she was crazy, so maybe she just made that up.

All that said, I've got one of my own. [Bizarre Reality Marble: Red Hood]. It's a bit different from the average one, or so Mother said. An exception among exceptions. A world with two layers, suitable for the child of a witch. The first one's pretty obvious. A dark forest, where I hunt my prey. My target is trapped within, playing the part of Little Red Riding Hood, while I, the Big Bad Wolf, hunt them. I control the paths through the forest - relocation, of any kind I please. Escapes made impossible.

Even throwing someone out of the Reality Marble is pretty simple - it goes without saying, I do that for Van Gogh immediately. Her Imaginary Number Arts and [Hete Gele Huis] are already applied to me; the only thing she'll accomplish by sticking around is dying and ending the effect early.

And of course, there's another important step for the fight.

Thanatos, the god of death, restrained under one of Hercules's arms - is simply transported out of his grip by a leaf-laden gust of wind. In the first instant of our clash - victory is achieved.

The next instant, Hercules's fist slips past my guard and tears through my chest. I die instantly.

-However.

The second, outer layer of my Reality Marble is by far the more important one here.

I am the big, bad wolf, who hunts you down and swallows you whole, no matter where it is you may run.

Simply put, the outer layer of [Bizarre Reality Marble: Red Hood] is my stomach.

For purposes of my signature magecraft, I have now consumed Hercules. The nameless magecraft of consumption, the most primal miracle of all. I am what I eat.

Technique cannot be recreated. Memories are lost. But the physical form, that which is engraved upon the body, is mine to do with as I please.

[God Hand] activates as Hercules pulls his arm from my chest, and I let out a grunt as I stagger back to stand upright again. A layer of paint rushes in to fill my chest wound, melding with and becoming my skin, even as flesh fills in under it.

"...I see, so the paint is to interfere with me simply skinning you," the Beast mutters.

"That's right," I rumble with the voice of a fallen god. "You've got no option but to plow through all eleven lives to bring me down. Well, it also makes the combination of multiple forms like this less taxing."

Aside from Hercules's skin, Dagon's form is more advantageous. In terms of abilities, most of my enemy's powers are techniques that I don't have the skill to mimic - Dagon, on the other hand, is crammed full of innate powers. Putting aside his nullified authorities…

No, to start with, his power as a [Monster] completely eclipses his might as a divine spirit.

"Musashibou Benkei said you can't make additional weapons with the Noble PHantasm you stole. That he usually has to split them among his clones, and in the best case even [God Hand] will have had its lives split." I grin. "And considering you only seem to have made one clone… that's the case here, isn't it? It costs you a life to produce a copy. For once, an interaction between your abilities that's gone in our favor."

"And so? My one life to your eleven… do you think that this will even the odds?" He asks, scowling.

To be honest, this whole part of my plan was supposed to be a failsafe. If my Reality Marble couldn't simply relocate Thanatos out of his grip, I'd grind him down over the course of twelve increasingly immune lives. But if I could do that, the plan was simply to use my last command spell to have Van Gogh perform a suicide attack with her second Noble Phantasm and retreat under the cover of that.

But, hey. My job for this singularity is already done. I might as well indulge in my hobbies for a bit!

"Man, who knows?" I laugh. "I just really, really like killing guys like you! [Rage-Filled Current]!"

An ocean of reeking, clinging grime floods the dark forest, swallowing us both. He tumbles this way and that, unable to find footing, completely vulnerable. I, meanwhile, jet smoothly through the gyre, jaws open, claws jabbing for his throat-

***
"Beryl Gut. Do you think humans are inherently good, or evil?"

It was a non-sequitur. A question from a man I had never met before, who had no business knowing who I was. The only other customer in a near-deserted airport bar - a slightly short, understated man with white hair.

I knew that this was basically certain to end with me killing him, but that had never stopped me from chatting with people before. "They're evil, obviously. Not that I really care about stuff like that. Philosophy always gets wrapped up in talk about utopias, and before I know it I've gutted the guy talking about it."

"That's correct, in your case. Without a doubt, you are inherently evil, Beryl Gut," He turned towards me, a mysterious smile on his face. "You are Hobbes's Savage, unconstrained. Homo sacer; a werewolf, not in species but in soul."

He stood, pulling a clearly magical staff from somewhere as clouds shifted, allowing the starlight to slice through the skylight far above.

I responded in kind, stretching as I pulled my pendant from my neck. "So, we're doing this then?"

"There is no place for you among the modern world. There is no place for you among mages. Wolves are no good to anyone," He said, as though he were talking about the weather. "For that reason - become my dog, Beryl Gut, and I will give you what you seek."

Ridiculous. There was nothing left to say at this point. "[Bizarre Reality Marble: Red Hood]."

"[Grand Order: Anima Animusphere]."

As the world dissolved into leaves, the skylight shattered, and-

My consciousness returns to the feeling of cool air rushing against my face. My eyes snap open, and my limbs shoot into motion to block the hammer blow of Hercules's fist. We rapidly exchange blows, my lightning-coated fists finding no purchase-

What the hell is going on? I can see the sludge-flooded forest far below, how did I-

An unforeseen blow. I dodge a high kick, and then his heel snaps down on my head, smashing me back to the ground, where-

My eyes snap open, and I surge out of the muck, face to face with an oncoming rush of green-

My broken neck regenerates as the thrown tree splatters down behind me, and once again he's here-

How many times did he just- no! Calm down! Use everything!

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅-!" I roar.

I twist his path, turning him around to expose his back-

His sword - a hastily-formed piece of wood - ripples strangely. My Reality Marble tears, and he slices cleanly through me-

The tear is enormous. Even through the pulsing flesh of my 'stomach' outside, as acid flows into the forest and mixes with the grime, I can see the rocky environs of the Caves of Hercules. Ordinarily, this would be the end. A punctured Reality Marble has no chance of fighting off the planet's effort to reassert reality.

Yeah, that would be the case if I wasn't cheating.

My [Ploy]. The magecraft created by my Mother using the corpse of what was once a Meinster Witch's tool. [Slack Snark] is doubtless far weaker than whatever its predecessor could do, but it's just perfect for me. Simply put, it slacken's Gaia's influence. In addition to nullifying the upkeep cost for any magecraft performed in its range, it also prevents their automatic breakdown from any kind of damage.

Ah, by the way, the reason [Slack Snark] wasn't destroyed when my pendant was broken earlier isn't anything complicated. I had just already released it before announcing my presence, obviously.

I revive again, catching his second strike in my teeth and shattering the wooden blade as lighting explodes from my hands. He lunges through it, unharmed - flashy though it may be, this lightning is a divine authority - and catches me by the neck, expertly deflecting my flailing blows as he chokes the life out of me.

"[Hete Gele Huis]!" Van Gogh screams above the blood pounding in my ears, and cold wind nips at Hercules's fingers, graying them with frostbite-

Hercules dashes for her, dragging me at lightning speed through the fish-corpse-laden sludge as he uproots another tree to hurl. I die of asphyxiation.

I twist distance again. The whirling petals of a sunflower meet fully blackened fingers and I snap free of his grip just in time to catch his swing towards my Servant.

This isn't working. He's so far beyond me it's not even funny. Even with our physical abilities equalized, the gulf in our skill is so total that he can simply do whatever he wants with me. Sure, he might run out of ways to kill me at some point, but I can't bet on that, and besides, there's no chance of me killing him like this!

"Gogh, by my Command Spell! Your second Noble Phantasm, now!"

"Eh… Ehehe, Master-sama, that's no good! I told you-!"

"I'll just kill you if it gets out of control! Now do it!"

"Ah! Yes, Master-sama!" Why does she seem happy about that? "From eternity, through the whirlpool of stars…"

Pulling six arrows from his belt, Hercules hurls them like darts, but I intercept them, dying again in the process-

"With a handshake to you. [De Sterrennacht]!"

Another Reality Marble ripples into existence. Terror seizes what remains of my humanity, but the monster chases it away. This is it. This is what this form was craving - the true power of distortion, which Dagon had rejected due to his pride. But now, I can complete his transformation into an abomination.

Strength and speed, beyond even what I had before. A mind-bending shape, impossible for Hercules to grasp. A will and power to drown this world in foetid slime. Beneath a starry sky smeared by the viewer's tears, I lunge-

I crashed onto my back, pained breaths barely leaving my wracked body.

"This is the limit of what a lone wolf can do, Beryl Gut," The white-haired man said, placid smile still fixed upon his face. "This is the end of what you can do, choosing for yourself. You are inherently evil, to yourself and others. A mere animal, unsuited to free will. So, wear my collar. I will choose everything for you."

"..." I couldn't speak. Most of my ribs were already broken. I think I was within inches of death.

"I will take that as a yes." He said as though he were ordering a coffee, and then tapped his staff against my limp hand. "You have successfully received the Sirius Light - congratulations, Beryl Gut. Welcome to Chaldea. And remember - make no decisions without my input. Your own judgment will only doom you."

-Suddenly, it runs dry. I crumble to the ground, vomiting blood as our layered Reality Marbles collapse.

"What… my mana…" I rasp. Already, this form is beginning to fail. "[Slack Snark]-!"

-I feel it return. My transformation stops crumbling, but I can feel that [God Hand] has been lost.

I understand. I already know what happened - the fear effect from Gogh's Noble Phantasm scared the little shit off, and thus for just an instant we went outside its range. The upkeep cost hit all at once, and thus-

"This is the end," Hercules says simply. "Attempt to flee if you wish."

That's already impossible. I blew any chance of getting away when I burned my last command spell. All that's left now is…

The Sirius Light prickles gently on my hand.

…!

I laugh.

I can't help it.

I guess I didn't mention it before now, so I'll make it clear - if Slack Snark was already deployed, what got splattered when he broke my pendant at the start of this fight?

"A rock wasn't enough," I say with a grin as I dive towards him with all of my might. And, at the same time, the small quantity of venom from that otherworldly Black Serpent strikes at his ankle.

His counterattack breaks both of my arms. but that's fine. The poison, embodying 'all existing poisons' finds its mark.

Hercules screams, hand shooting for his foot - and I don't waste my chance. My foot connects with his face- and as he reels back, my jaws close around his head.

"So? How are you settling in?" Marisbury asked.

"Pretty great, to be honest!" I admitted with a laugh. "Your recruiting method was pretty nasty, but really I can just do whatever I want here, and I don't have to worry about Enforcers coming after me… it's a win-win!"

"You're not permitted to kill," He reminded me gently.

"Yeah, yeah… In the first place, there's not really anyone here that really makes me want to, so it's fine," I shrugged.

"I was never able to figure out the pattern there," He says. "What is it that a serial killer like you looks for in his victims, Beryl Gut?"

"Well, I guess it's cliche, but I'm looking for love!" I laugh. "...Well, it's not that I'm looking for a victim per say. I'm just bad at feeling beauty, so when I see something that I realize is theoretically beautiful… I've just gotta break it. To make sure that it really is beautiful - and if I regret it, that's the proof."

"...So it's a kind of masturbation?" Marisbury's face remained placid despite the outlandish accusation.

"It isn't. In the first place, I've never felt any sort of eros in my life," I somehow managed to keep my face straight. "This is pure, high-minded romance."

He sighed. "Well, I suppose if we're summoning the most outlandish figures of humanity… it's not totally impossible you'll be able to find someone on the same wavelength as you."

As Hercules's now headless clone disappears in a slow melting of shadows, I chuckle to myself. "Great taste, less filling."

I collapse the next moment. Geez, that's a lot of blood. Am I gonna survive this…?

"Master-sama!" Van Gogh is by my side the next moment. "Y…you've lost a lot of blood!" Don't look so happy about that. "So… to replenish your iron, um…"

The next moment just about stops my heart. In a single moment, without hesitation, she saws her own hand off with her sunflower brush, and presents it to me.

"Please, eat up!"

There's a good dozen objections to be made to this. That hand is made of spiritrons, it's just going to disappear. Eating meat really won't replenish lost blood that quickly. And then there's just who totally, completely screwed up this response is. You'd have to be absolutely, completely, batshit crazy to suggest something like this, let alone with such a manic grin on your face.

"...How beautiful," I mutter, as darkness claims me.

Chapter Text

Natsuki Subaru

Abruptly, Hercules's screaming ceases, and I breathe a sigh of relief. "Beryl did it, then," I mutter. "Director, what's his status?"

"I have no idea what to make of his vital readings, but it seems like he's alive for now - looks like he's committed to fighting the clone down there, though, so you shouldn't expect further reinforcements," Olga Marie says.

"Wasn't the plan for him to run away at the first chance he got?" I mutter. That guy really is a loose cannon, huh?

As I'm thinking that, a flying rifle arcs over the Argo and Nobunaga hops down, dropping a golden sword about as tall as she is unceremoniously onto the deck. "Hey guy, I'm back - woah, what's with Elizabeth's costume change?"

That's what she focuses on?

"Right!? I can't believe this! I sing one song, and then the swimsuit that Fishie and Medea worked so hard on disappears and leaves me in my normal dress again!" Elizabeth complains.

"No, to start with, there was clearly something irregular going on with that Noble Phantasm…" I mumble. "Elizabeth, slight change of plans, there's no way I'm going to be able to carry this sword down to Benkei on my own. Lend me a hand?"

"Fishie, that's stagehand work!" She complains, and I roll my eyes. Just which part of this girl was a model of repentance, Georgios?

"Hassan, then?" I ask after scanning the others on the top deck - Jason is busy steering, and Mash and Nobunaga might be able to do something to help on our approach. The skeletal assassin gives a small nod, and hefts Marmyadose with his usable arm, and we descend into the Argo's hold.

And, as we do so, a sort of supernatural wind ruffles my clothing, as dozens of servants in spiritual form pour forth to take their places on the deck.

"I won't sugarcoat it," Stede Bonnet said. "Fighting Hercules in his current state is suicidal. It's the type of crazy that no sane person would sign up for, all the more so because you guys don't really stand to gain anything from it. The modern era that you'd be saving has nothing to do with any of you; every last person living there is totally alien to you. Heck, for some of you it might be that there's something or other about modern humanity that you find so objectionable that you'd want to destroy them yourselves.

But… in spite of all of that, I think…!" He paused, gazing around the still empty room, as though surveying an audience, and took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I think it would be super cool if you fought him anyway!"

His shout rang out, echoing dully in the Space Argo's mess hall. Finally, Jason, standing behind him, spoke, "Seriously, dude? That's the best you've got? I couldn't convince the Argonauts to show up, do you really think you could do it with something flimsy like 'it'd be cool'?"

"I mean, coolness is pretty important, Captain. Maybe you've forgotten the feeling but… for me, it's really at the heart of everything. The reason I became a Pirate - there were other factors, but the most important one is that nautical adventurers are super cool!" Stede said.

Jason sighed, and got ready to say something cynical until-

"Ah, what the hell," A gruff female voice called out, a bronze-skinned warrior in white armor appearing. "I've heard of worse reasons."

"Caenis!?" Jason shouted, pointing at her, betrayal written all over his face.

"'Coolness' aside, I suppose we have a duty to help stop our wayward crewmate," A blond man with a deep voice muttered, materializing as well.

"Castor!?"

"Goodness, if Onii-sama is joining, I might as well-" A similar looking girl said as she appeared.

"Pollux!?"

"Don't shout at Pollux, you fool!" Castor roared.

Jason glanced frantically around as more and more servants began to appear, face totally devoid of happiness, indignation the only feeling filling his heart. "What the hell is this!? How did that convince you guys!? You're running towards near-certain death for the sake of someone you don't even know, with only the promise of glory to urge you on!"

"I mean…" Another man said, idly tuning his lyre strings. "Doing all of that for a stranger is totally in character for all of us. That's how we became Argonauts in the first place, after all."

"Then why didn't you show up when I called you, Orpheus!?"

"Well, we'd definitely do all of that for a stranger, but…" The musician said.

"No,don't tell me…" Jason said.

Nearly fifty voices concluded the thought in unison.

"We know you."

"I can't believe you guuuuuys!!!!"

WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM

As the Space Argo draws closer and closer, tearing across the ocean's surface, Hercules pays it no mind.

WHAM WHAM WHAM WHAM

The beating of fists against dirt, and then against stone, drowns out the sound of its thrusters. Idly, the Beast of Heroes notes that Ahriman has departed - doubtless slinking away to find a position from which to sneer safely at the Chaldeans' efforts.

WHAM WHAM WHAM

With a final series of blows, a stone slab breaks away from the mountain peak. A barbaric thing, somewhere halfway between an axe and a sword - and, after testing its weight with a few experimental swings, Hercules lodges it into the soil with a single swing, alongside seven others just like it.

Finally, he turns, eyes trained upon the oncoming spaceship as he tears a thin strip of leather from his clothing and begins to tie a knot. "...A well devised opening move, as expected of Jason. But they're near enough, now - and I've not run out of arrows just yet."

-The throwing of a weapon is something of dubious value. Unless the weapon is precisely designed to be aerodynamic, there is every chance of it simply failing to hit the target blade-first. The throwing dagger, for example, is a very different sort of weapon from an ordinary dagger. But among those weapons that could be thrown with ease, the spear is perhaps the first invented by humans - and what is an arrow, if not a shorter spear? Especially for Hercules, whose arrows are as the javelins of lesser men.

The loss in range, when compared to a bow, will be great. But, to some degree, this can be mitigated. Even in prehistoric times, the Atlatl, a wooden spear-throwing tool, was used by humans. That tool, although powerful in its effect, fell out of favor in the old world as Eurasian Javelins grew thicker than the Atlatl darts still used by the Native peoples of America up until the columbian exchange.

But, that was not to say that Europe had no spear-throwing tools of its own.

Hercules slips the knot over the rear of his arrow, rolling the shaft in his hand to wind the leather string around it with practiced ease - and then, hooking his middle finger through the other end of the amentum, he launches the first of his arrows.

The bolt, already more a fletched spear than an arrow, tears through the air - granted not only increased leverage, but also the same spinning motion that extends the range of a bullet in a rifled gun.

Modern tests have shown an increase in javelin range of about 60% by using this method; the experiments of the French General Reffye in the 1800s suggested a fourfold increase.

In the practiced hands of Hercules, for whom the amentum's presence in the Olympic games was a matter of course - the thrown spear breaks the sound barrier as it tears through the sky towards the heroes mustering on the Argo.

And, of course, in addition to its capacity to throw heavier weapons - a mixed benefit when considering the decreased range compared to the atlatl - the amentum has one important benefit compared to the atlatl. A benefit utterly vital to the horse-mounted warriors of Eurasia.

Every step of the process of preparing to throw - attaching the string, looping it around the spear, and throwing - can, with enough practice, be performed with only a single hand.

Not a second after the first arrow is thrown - a second follows, and then a third-!

A lightly plucked harp string resounds as the first of Hercules's missiles tears towards the Argo.

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…" David begins to sing, shimmering light swirling around the Space Argo - and it grows in intensity, as another joins his tune - Orpheus, the father of songs, effortlessly harmonizes with a song previously wholly unknown to him.

"[Lord…" Mash Kyrielight intones, raising her shield, eyes locked upon the oncoming arrow.

"...though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for thou art with me…"

"-Chaldeas]!" She finishes, slamming the shield back down.

"...and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever! [Psalter]!" David concludes.

"[Aoidan Patēr]!" Orpheus mutters at the close of his harmony.

A marble wall, wreathed in glimmering golden light, meets the first javelin/arrow, and the Space Argo shudders - but the barrier holds. Even as five more projectiles smash into its surface, the combined efforts of Mash Kyrielight and the two ancient musicians is enough to deflect them.

And so, a moment later, the rapid onslaught pauses.

"Ekebolon, the distance throw, is no good, huh?" Hercules mutters. "In that case… stochastikon. The accuracy throw."

The next weapon to materialize in his hand is no arrow. If the previous projectiles were 'like' spears, then surely this weapon 'is' a spear. A bronze and gold armament nearly ten feet long, with a shaft as thick as a normal man's wrist, the nameless spear native to Hercules's Lancer class summon.

The god of heroes licks a finger, measuring the wind, more out of habit than necessity. Bronze, sweat-shined muscles glisten under the setting sun as he readies his throw.

"[Nine Lives]." A perfect spear, killing the light in its path, arcs through the sky.

On the Argo, the attack is seen coming - it's obviously different. Another 'perfect' attack, of the same sort as the Heavenly Sword, impossible to directly block without a defense that reaches the same level.

Mash Kyrielight grits her teeth, nervousness building up inside her. This hadn't quite been accounted for. The expectation was that his improvised thrown attacks wouldn't be able to reach this level - Grimr's analysis of the records he retrieved from Cu Chulainn suggested that the type of clumsiness native to spear throwing would forbid it.

But, even so, she stands her ground. She can't back down here - excluding cards that have to stay hidden until they have the opportunity to take a life from Hercules, [Lord Chaldeas] is the only hope of stopping this spear from destroying the Argo.

Nobunaga unloads several rounds of ammo at the projectile, hoping to knock it off course, but to no avail - and then the weapon finds its mark.

A dissonant, ear-splitting noise resounds through the air, as an unstoppable force meets an immovable object, and for just a moment, seems to halt. And then, in adrenaline-fueled slow motion Mash sees the spear begin to bore its way through the spectral white wall, blinding light and heat spraying forth from the point of impact.

It won't be enough. That much is obvious. The 'perfect' shield of Mash Kyrielight will not deflect this attack. In another's hands, or with another's eyes behind her, perhaps, but at this moment-

A spectral red thread winds through the air, past her head.

"...Thanks. You slowed it down just enough."

-just as the spear breaks through, a young man with chin-length blond hair darts past her, his fingers closing around the spear's shaft-

"[Dyskolia…" His legend is known. The most famed king of the city to rival Heracles's Sparta. His mighty administration of justice is without dispute. Let the villains meet their deserved ends. Crush the club wielder with his own club. Feed the dragon-keeper to his own monster. "...Speira]!"

-Theseus, the hero of Athens, spins in place and hurls the spear back from whence it came.

Hercules smiles as he sees the weapon sailing back towards him. "Goodness, it seems we've made a proper competition of it," he murmurs, hurling a slab of stone to knock the returned spear off target. "There's the discus throw, so next would be-"

"I've completed the sprint just now, so why don't we go straight to the wrestling?" A bemused voice calls out from behind him.

Hercules turns, similar amusement written on his face as he looks at a slightly winded youth with blond, curly hair. "Aethalides. I didn't think that you even made it into the throne."

The herald of the Argonauts gives a light chuckle. "I got in by technicality. I've got a perfect memory as the son of Hermes, so the typical memory erasure from going swimming in Lethe didn't stick," He explains, tapping the side of his head. "A couple of my later reincarnations made it in."

"Hm? The next generation after ours would have been-" Hercules thinks aloud.

"I was reborn as Euphorbus of Troy," the athlete says with a smirk.

"Ah, I heard something related to Euphorbus and reincarnation. The one who wounded Patroclus… I suppose I'll take your challenge a bit seriously, then," The Beast of Heroes says - and an instant later he lunges, grappling the smaller man, only-

"[Musica…" Aethalides catches him with ease, rotating with his motion, and casting the Beast to the ground. "...Universalis]!"

A hastily drawn sword follows a moment later, but Hercules bats it aside, flipping backwards to stand once more. "So that's where I remembered it from… the reincarnation of note isn't your second life, but your last recorded one - Pythagoras of Samos."

"A Noble Phantasm pertaining to the motion of celestial bodies… in summary, he can probably control gravity. The ability to manipulate distance is likely as well," Hercules considers. "It's probably smart to assume he gained something from Euphorbus as well - a 'debilitating wound against a mighty hero', or something along those lines. [God Hand] can probably take care of that… but I assumed that against the Assassin earlier, and look where that got me.

The Leaper's talent will be unreliable in a gravitational field like that, and he's standing between me and those swords I produced earlier, so the Heavenly Sword is no use. In that case…"

"[Anatrépo…" Hercules intones, and Aethalides takes a step back, only to be caught firmly in the larger man's arms. "...Antaíos]!"

The next moment, Aethalides is lifted, effortlessly, over Hercules's head - his last conscious feeling is the impact of his skull being driven into the ground as the Beast suplexes him.

"-So it's the worst case," Jason mutters. "He's got Noble Phantasms I don't recognize."

It's not entirely unexpected. Jason's knowledge of Hercules's abilities comes from the unconscious expectations of the Greek people - 'Jason would know his friend's techniques'. But, Hercules was one of the most well-traveled heroes of his day - there are other possible versions of him, even in the seven standard classes, that might be summoned depending on the location.

In this case, a Noble Phantasm focusing on the slaying of the giant Antaeus - the type of ability Hercules would be expected to have if summoned in Northern Africa or the Middle East, where that legend had more relevance.

"A grapple that bypasses defenses, I'd guess," Jason continues to mumble to himself. "But the real issue is, if location-dependent Noble Phantasms are fair game, and we're fighting him at his freaking Pillars…" He sighs, and raises his voice, calling out to the rest of the crew. "Alright, who's on sky catching duty?"

Hercules has little time to rest. Aethalides may have been the fastest of the Argonauts, but many were the athletes among their number. The rest cannot have been far behind. The first of his prepared stone axe-swords is torn free from the ground, just in time to deflect a spear swing downwards at his head, signifying the arrival of Caenis.

Wasting no movement, he directs her motion over his head, and delivers a palm strike to her abdomen that sends her flying, and follows that with a sudden pivot to his rear to parry an onslaught from Castor and Pollux who arrive in a swirling tornado of sword and shield strikes.

His first sword breaks, and Pollux's sword glances off his skin - [God Hand] will suffice. He steps forward into their attacks, catches the twins by their necks and slams their heads together, dropping them and tumbling backwards under the next attack - only for five more like it to simultaneously impact and glance off his skin.

Hercules allows his eyes to widen slightly at the presence of Hylas - and then, snatching one of his backup blades from the earth, demonstrates once more the proper form for [Nine Lives] - but a strong arm intercepts the blow that makes it past Hylas's guard, and Polyphemus holds his brother-in-law's blade fast - only for Hercules to release his grip on the sword and break his jaw with a steady blow.

The mountaintop is covered with fire, but Hercules pays it no mind, sparing only a hurled stone to knock Meleager away. An oversized arrow aims to pin some of his garments to the ground, but the Beast catches it, hurling it back to Laertes to dispatch him - but a seven-layered spectral pink shield intercepts it, announcing the arrival of Telamon.

Ignoring the fathers of Odysseus and Ajax for the moment, Hercules turns once more, sweeping up his second sword to cleave a freshly-returned Caenis in half, only for a massive form to impact him from behind - Periclymenus, in the form of a rhinoceros ramming him and knocking him over for just a moment, where the arrows of Laertes find their mark and nail his clothing to the ground. The next moment, a 'world' appears overhead, as Peleus, father of Achilles, unleashes his shield, a weapon of the same nature as Hercules's own.

The shockwave of the shield's impact carries for miles - but the Rock of Gibraltar is undamaged.

How could it be harmed, after all, when Hercules has already stood, and caught the falling planetoid?

Twenty more Argonauts - faceless phantoms who could not quite make it into the throne - spring from their positions lower on the mountainside, intending to stop the god of heroes.

He who had once carried the sky casts the artificial world upwards, and snatches a third blade from the ground, sweeping it around him in a circular motion, and delivering a strike into the air at the same time-

"[Nine Lives]."

A sea of red soaks the mountain's peak, as a planet is split asunder.

But there is still no time to rest. The sound of engines takes his attention, and Hercules turns, attention focused on the onrushing Space Argo-

As a bolt of energy lances forth from the palm of one of the figures on the deck, piercing his brain and claiming his fourth life.

Chapter Text

Hercules's first revival finds him in a field of flames - ignoring the fire, which Meleager's attack increased his resistance to, he stands, disregarding the arsenal of guns raining down fire at him - those, too, he is already immune to.

"-I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High," A stringed instrument cuts through the sound of crackling flame, and he looks up, seeing the white-bearded old king David perched on a rifle to the side of Nobunaga. "but ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes."

Hercules begins to catch the bullets raining down on him, snatching them from the air - and then, he hurls them back, scattershot, towards the airborne former archers-
"-Arise, O God, judge the earth; for thou shalt inherit all the nations. [Psalter]!"

"Take this!" Nobunaga shouts, a giant flaming skeleton appearing behind her. "[Nobunaga THE Rock n' Roll]!" A flurry of skeletal punches follows, each enwreathed in anti-divine fire from David's song - but burnt fists meet them, every one, until Hercules manages to catch the bony fists, forcing them out of the way just long enough to deliver a kick to the warlord's gut.

The next moment, the reality marble collapses - and a bolt of slightly different-colored energy lances through Hercules's head again, killing him for the fifth time.

But, this time he sees her properly, just before the lapse in consciousness that follows [God Hand]'s activation. A figure standing on the deck of the Argo, mechanical arm outstretched, its palm smoking.

"Actually, that's where Chaldea comes in," Olga Marie Animusphere's smug aura filled the entire beach. "If it's a weapon to overcome all twelve lives of [God Hand], even one at a time... I've already prepared it!"

"That's right," A female voice called out, approaching from the island interior. The voice of a servant, one who had not been present in this Singularity until now - but it was familiar nonetheless. "With that roster, you're pretty much hopeless. Why, what could even solve this? You'd need… oh, a Servant with an EX-ranked Noble Phantasm that could adapt to match [God Hand]. An Absolute Attack that could always be different, so that Hercules's Absolute Defense couldn't adapt."

"Y-you're…" Natsuki Subaru stammered, because of his shock. He was under the impression that this woman was so vital that she was absolutely never allowed to leave Chaldea. And yet-

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What demanding requirements." She winked as she waved one finger back and forth. "Why, what kind of person could provide an attack like that? They'd have to be… some kind of Universal Man, or something~!"

""Leonardo Da Vinci!"" Mash and Subaru shouted in surprise.

"Yes!" She shouted, striking a pose. "I am!"

"A Variable Noble Phantasm. One at EX-Rank, that can be fired in rapid succession, no less." The explanation of his death is obvious to Hercules the very moment he revives. The next action, of course, is obvious as well. "That woman needs to die first. If I can't eliminate her, then I'm on a timer - about thirty seconds per shot, if my estimation is correct. Appearance-wise… she has the face of the Mona Lisa, so if he is not the subject, she must be the painter. The 'Universal Man', Leonardo Da Vinci. Still, most all who might intercept me are out of the way in this moment- I simply need to defeat that Shielder, David, and Nobunaga if she survived my kick."

Hercules rises to his feet, and sight returns to his eyes once more, and finds himself smiling a wry grin at the sight that meets his eyes. "Hm. I suppose I'll retract the thought that this might be easy," He murmurs, pulling another sword from its place amidst the carnage at the mountains peak - or rather from the cursed mud left behind.

His muscles tense as he glances around at the forms surrounding him - dozens of Argonauts, who have by some means [Returned From Death].

Natsuki Subaru

I cough as Rigel drags me out of the Cursed mud of his reality marble again, clutching a phantom pain in my stomach. But, outside the muddy hellscape, the stars of [Cor Leonis] are still burning bright, my heart burning alongside them.

"Ready for a break yet?" He asks, supporting me as best as he can - only for my head to go flying off my shoulders as Caenis dies again. Another corpse drops onto the tower, and I rise again from the muck.

"Keep it going," I rasp. "We're not done yet. Until he figures out he can sever the connection like Reid did, we still have a chance to get through this without any casualties."

"Who was it that was going on about also saving Natsuki Subaru again…?" Rigel grumbles.

I shake my head. "This is nothing. I mean, to start with, nobody's leaving me behind in this kind of scenario. If it's just temporary pain-" I die again. "-I'll suffer that gladly."

"Woah, we've got a real saint here! Take a look at this guy!" My own voice calls to me in mockery from atop the mountain of corpses. "Careful, now. you might end up a sacrifice like this Ahriman."

I scowl, glancing up again at the intruder - a shadow, with the distinct shape of Natsuki Subaru, his eyes dripping with malice.

"You've got the affinity for sin, after all - now that Zahhak has left the singularity, there's nothing to stop you from taking up the mantle against this Ahriman's destined foe!" He lets out a raspy, high-pitched cackle.

I open my mouth to answer, but I'm torn to pieces that rain down on the shadow's laughing face as outside Castor, Pollux, and Theseus die simultaneously.

"-But seriously, it's not like you have to put yourself through all that, little bro," The shadow continues as I rise from the muck. "You're sharing [Unlimited Raise Dead] with the guys outside while simultaneously taking on their burdens, but you don't need to do half of that."

"What…?" I wheeze as my chest caves in again.

"I'm saying stop being stupid. Just share the power without taking their burdens. They're two different abilities of your Witch Factor," He says with a jeering voice.

And as I rise once more from the muck… I realize he's right.

"Kehaha! There you go!" The shadow laughs. "So, even this Ahriman has made a token effort to slay my destined foe!"

His words still don't make an ounce of sense to me.

Da Vinci watches Mash Kyrielight shuffle in place, staring at the slaughter taking place on the mountaintop with an agonized look on her face. For her part, the Caster frowns, but she has no ability to make the problems go away. This was the optimal solution - at least of those available at the current moment.

"But seriously, just what is taking that Benkei so long…?" The Inventor mutters under her breath.

In her estimation, it's only Hercules's overestimation of his crewmates and his preference for familiar tools that has kept him from slaughtering everyone already. If he were to use the tools acquired from Gluttony at this point in time…

"Vinci-sama, it's cooled," The blue-haired doll on her shoulder says, her ice magic dying down as the Caster flexes her mechanical arm experimentally.

"Thank you, Rem-chan," Da Vinci says, smiling as she raises the weapon again, feeding a crystalized chunk of mana into a port on its side. "The Three Wise Men of the East. The Great God of the Norse. The Fruit of Wisdom. My intellect, my omnipotence, surpasses all forms of wisdom! [Uomo Universale]!"

And, once more, a beam tears forth from her palm to claim Hercules's sixth life.

[Uomo Universale - The Universal Man].

Leonardo Da Vinci's Noble Phantasm is exceptional, even among EX rank Noble Phantasms, for a very simple reason - its versatility. The crystallization of Da Vinci's nature as one talented in all fields, her Noble Phantasm analyzes the target and adapts accordingly - would be an understatement. In fact, the Noble Phantasm is composed from the ground up each time, following Da Vinci's analysis. Customizability is a matter of course, and so, accounting for the presence of only one target, and the requirement that as many attacks be fired as quickly as possible - under lab conditions, the current firing rate of her Noble Phantasm is one shot per second.

Alas, real life is not so generous, and Da Vinci lacks a supply of infinite mana or the chilled environs of her testing lab. Her arm needs approximately thirty seconds to cool between each shot, and were it not for the crystalized mana provided by Medea, she would certainly have already run dry.

Of course, this need not have been the case, at least as regards the cooling time. Were this a fresh summoning, she would have easily had the means to manage the left arm's heat, by simply using the right arm. That component, however, was already integrated into Chaldea's systems, and when she was asked about the possibility of removing it for this battle-

"No, that's probably a bad idea," Da Vinci said. "I looked into it myself, you know? But the Right Arm's logs say it's been continuously repelling some kind of attack since about when the incineration started."

How unwise. A little too curious! A little too assured of her own knowledge! These were Da Vinci's flaws, and they were what would spell doom for Chaldea! Had her intellect been truly omnipotent, she would have known that the only course that might have stopped the tragedy to follow was to end her own life on the spot!

…Ah. My apologies. Even the Narrator should not show himself too soon. By all means, return to the current show.