Chapter 533: + Chaldea Omake
Chapter 533: + Chaldea Omake
Guinevere POV
I carefully began to coax the Grail to prepare for our retreat. With my liege's faithful follower here, he should be able to keep our enemies at bay while we escaped.
He did not speak upon his arrival, merely glancing upon us and looked at our despicable enemies and understood the situation.
He was not mine to order, for all that we both served the same master, but mutual respect was all that was required.
Nay, he was an honorable friend, and I knew I could trust upon him our safety.
"Mine Knight, we shall retreat."
Her mighty steed neighed as it stepped to her and she quickly climbed atop the Divine Beast.
I cast one last glance at our foes. The infuriating Odin had a mocking smile upon his lips. That darned Goddess who looked smug at our failure. If only we were able to obtain her power, it might have been enough to revive our liege. And lastly, the Campione and…..her.
The one who in the past had tried to usurp our Liege as the Strongest Steel! Except…..it was not him?
Not Campione nor God…..I held upon the Grail and activated it using the immense amount of Magical Power to teleport us away. It churned my heart to waste it on something such as this, but it would be worse if we were to fall here and all our preparations of all these years were for naught.
They did not try to stop us as our comrade barred their way.
In my heart, I thanked him once more as we moved across the world to safety.
The Lands of Briton sung to our arrival as I felt at home under the persona of this incarnation.
We barely touched the ground of the old country before the mighty steed disappeared and mine knight fell to the ground.
"Lancelot!" I carefully caught her.
She smiled with her divine blood flowing. "I apologize my Lady, but I am at my limit. Lest you wish for me to descend as a Heretic God, I will need to depart and recover."
"My friend, please return to the realm of Immortality, you forever have my greatest gratitude." I held the hand of my dear friend and companion.
Those blasted children of Pandora! If she were at her strongest, she could have defeated them! It was merely a matter of being unable to produce her best otherwise the laws would have forced her descent into the status of a Heretic God and she would be unable to answer my call for aid in the future.
And that damnable fake one!
Mordred!
Once more you stepped in our way!
Whatever you may be, whatever tricks you play, you would not succeed. Our Liege will slay thee once more and drive you into the deepest darkest pit where you belong!
….it was lonely knowing mine Knight would need time to recover and I was alone.
I could see the winds of the world converge once more upon the country I escaped from. My Liege's trusted comrade was doing battle and I prayed for his safety. He was a strong warrior, I prayed that his enemies fell before his might.
I would need to prepare a ritual to look into the void to make sense of what I had learned. This newest Campione...the things he showed, I did not understand. The Spear he wielded could match mine Knight's Divine Lance. The Sword he revealed was Divine, but I did not recognize the source.
He called upon his Authority, which I knew as the defender of that land from before he was slain, but everything else…..I was confused.
He could move at such speeds without Divine Means?
And that hateful Traitor.
Yes, I would divine their weaknesses and prepare for the future!
"Well well, isn't this a surprise?"
"You!" I glared at the arrival of another hateful person. "Thief!"
"Rude." Another bastard of Pandora appeared with his Divine Speed Authority, riding upon the crackle of Lightning. "We're old friends, my dear Guinevere. Are you really that unhappy to see me?" He smiled annoyingly.
"How did thou discover me!?"
"Tut, tut, my dear Guinevere, you're getting sloppy. You usually hide yourself so well, but you shined like a candle in the night when you came on over. Last I heard, you were in the East?"
Hateful!
I retreated in such haste that I lacked my normal accommodation!
"You should be grateful, I let you have your warm farewell to that rather annoying Knight of yours."
…..this was an unfortunate position.
"What matter does the dishonorable thief desire with me!?" I quickly put the Grail away where he could not swipe it with his dirty hands.
Among all the children of Pandora, this Alexander Gascoigne was the most annoying! I despised most of them, but only he could get under my skin and anger me so easily!
"Thief?" He mocked me with fake aghast as he fixed his collar. "I simply borrow some things from time to time."
"Yes and the sun is merely a little bright." I responded dryly.
He ignored me and hummed. "Well since you brought it up, I would really like to borrow your Grail. You wouldn't mind, right? I know you rejected me time and time again, but I'm feeling pretty good about my chances. But feel free to call your Knight."
Infuriating!
"Hmph, you will never acquire my Grail. Slay me if you must, I will return and make you regret it." I was willing to die for my Liege. It would set our plans back, but my life was worth far less than his revival.
He let out a sigh. "I guess it can't be helped then. You are a rather stubborn woman."
"Why do you sound annoyed? You must be used to every woman you've met rejecting you."
He twitched slightly and I smiled.
"You really –"
The void between worlds was ripped apart behind me as a shadow blocked the sun overhead.
A massive bipedal wolf stood, looking down on me with bloodlust wafting off it in such droves that I fell to my rear upon the ground.
The infuriating Thief's eyes narrowed, and his body became surrounded with his Divine Lightning. "Who allowed you to come here, Voban?"
The massive wolf turned its gaze to the Thief. "At what point did I require your permission to go anywhere, boy?" He spoke fully articulate despite its large maw.
"This is my territory!"
"Then go play king elsewhere." He said dismissively.
"You're interfering in my matters?" He growled.
"I am, what are you going to do about it? Are you going to fight me, boy?" The Wolf grinned wickedly. "That's fine, I wouldn't mind a little appetizer because my main course is being disagreeable."
"You!" The Thief's nostrils flared. "…..I'll remember this." He scowled, disappearing with his Divine Speed.
I should be pleased that the Thief was driven away, mocking him all the while. However, I could only feel the intimidating presence of the oldest of Pandora's of this era as he stared down at me.
"H-how? You should have been kept away…."
"Oh, that?" He chuckled. "I realized what was going on and just played along." His massive werewolf form disappeared, and he returned to a semblance of a man, but his feral nature was still ever present. "I had half a mind to just go back to that small island and have a nice fight to settle my anger. But….I couldn't help but admire that brat's balls." He smiled faintly.
…..he had lived for centuries as a Child of Pandora for a reason.
Did the All-Father know?
Of course he knew, that despicable God!
"I am a mere Divine Ancestor; I cannot provide you a fight nor an Authority." His desires were well known. He even dismissed the Goddess Athena because she was too weakened for his 'fight'.
"You wouldn't even fit between my teeth." He scoffed. "I have no desire for a tiny morsel like you, witch." His dismissal was both angering and relieving. "But I saw what you did. You were able to summon Heretic Gods? I can fight the brats any time, but if you died, then I would lose this opportunity. Summon a God for me, little Witch. And you may yet earn your freedom."
"I….I can't." I panicked knowing that there were no other comrades I could summon without preparation.
His hand snaked out, picking me up by the throat. "You're testing my patience. I went through the trouble of abandoning my previous hunt for this. I'll give you a chance to reconsider your words. Choose carefully."
His grip loosened barely enough so that I could speak. "I can't summon another God!" His eyes narrowed. "Without aid!" I quickly added.
"….I'm listening." He said, dropping me to the ground.
"Mine Knight requires time to recover and the friend I summoned forth in the land of the East was not something I can recreate! However, it matters not! For my true purpose is the rival of my lord!"
He raised an eyebrow. "Your Lord, hmm? Is he strong?"
I finally smiled because I knew that he relented. "He is the strongest steel."
"Hoh?" The Campione smiled and despite it sending a shiver down my spine, I realized that the arrival of my Lord was merely a matter of time.
[***]
Wilhelm POV
I let Guinevere and Lancelot go. I didn't want to, but bigger concerns immediately arose.
The Heretic God in front of us was a much bigger threat than they were at the moment. With my connection to the Storms, I could feel the Hurricane that was sweeping up around the country, and it all focused on him.
This was a proper Heretic God and he was strong.
"Hey Mordred, mind letting me have this one?" I spoke.
"Yeah, sure." She could read the room, so to speak. "How about I go after the bitch and the adulterer while you handle bandage boy over there?"
As soon as she said that the winds pushed down, almost like a torrent of gravity as Mordred shuddered slightly.
I swung my Divine Sword upwards, cutting it in half and severing the use of it.
"You will not." The Heretic God Declared. "I am your opponent." He held up his hand as if gesturing to fight him.
I clicked my tongue because the location was annoying.
This Heretic God was related to them in some way, the only issue was finding out in what capacity. I couldn't think of any of the Knight's of the Round Table covered in Bandages and able to command the Wind.
Percival?
No, he didn't look like he wielded a weapon.
It could be a red herring too because the Gods here were strange.
"Hey Odin, does the promise still hold?" I asked without looking away.
"I said I would be protecting the surroundings. But there's a limit, I suggest you take the fight elsewhere." He looked at the Heretic God.
And the Heretic God looked back at him with an unreadable expression due to the mask.
"I would hate to get involved." Odin said softly.
It was barely a whisper as the winds parted. The Heretic God seemed to become one with the very element as he moved. The faintest whistle as his foot planted on the ground in front of me, and his fist cut through the air and hit my chest.
I felt myself arch forward and saliva push out of my throat as I was lifted up off my feet and the world turned.
There were buildings, I faintly caught glimpses of as I went through them. A Mountain nearly collapsed due to me shooting through it like a meteor, and I hit the water, skipping across the waves of Japan's coast before finally coming to a stop with a crash of water.
My body floated up to the surface as I caught my breath, coughing up a mouthful of blood from the impact.
My Aura had absorbed a good amount of it, and my body was fairly durable with my current Reinforcement running through it. But even so, I just got the air knocked out of me and sent flying with a single punch.
I had to climb up and stand upon the waves to catch my bearings as I realized I had been thrown to the coast of Japan….again.
[Have we been here before? I feel like we've been here before.]
I breathed out, feeling the pain in my chest.
That fucking hurt.
Speed and Strength of that magnitude, it was a deadly combination. He reminded me quite a bit of that Bird from the Norse Realms, but stronger.
"At least it's not another Lightning God…" I forced out a chuckle, wiping away the blood from the corners of my lips.
Oof, I think a few of my Ribs cracked, that's annoying and painful.
The Heretic God reappeared, hovering up in the sky as his Hurricane followed him.
It's funny because he looks very lanky….thin with very long arms.
He clasped his hands and bowed. "To my opponent, I offer this bow."
I raised an eyebrow at him curiously. "The honorable sort, huh? Very honorable with the sneak attack."
"My honor and my pride are secondary to serving my Master." He stated.
"And who exactly is your master?" I asked.
"That is not for you to know." He rode upon the winds and moved again.
I was prepared this time, and all of my swords were called out, shooting at him. He waved his hands and a shield of Winds around him became solid enough to ward them off as his fist reeled back and he slammed it down on me.
"Boost!" I summoned the boosted Gear onto my arm and used it as a shield as his fist collided with the Gauntlet.
I felt my arm shudder and the force sent me downwards, I hit a solid mass, realizing immediately that I was at the bottom of the ocean.
Obscenely strong.
Part of his legend had to encompass the aspect of Strength. Like how Hercules had abnormal Strength even for Heroes/Gods.
I pushed against the seafloor and shot back up, breaching the surface of the water. Faintly picking him up in my perception, I noticed him behind me, trying to swing his fast at me again.
I touched the surface of the water and used a burst of Shunpo to get behind him.
"Boost, Dragon Shot!" I released right at his back, sending him tumbling into an oncoming wave. I followed it up by stabbing my sword down at him.
He quickly moved his hands in a circular motion, commanding the winds to grab onto my blade, like a hand, and forcing it to a stop right in front of his face.
"Dragon?" He spoke in surprise.
"Reset, Boost, Transfer." I called out in quick succession, targeting his wind manipulation around my sword.
The 'invisible hands' that he used to clutch my sword were engorged, and the sudden burst made him briefly lose control of it. With a pop it dispersed, and my sword came down.
However, he showed an odd display of agility and maneuverability as he twisted his body in a way I didn't anticipate, rolling himself back and avoiding it as my blade cleaved away the ocean underneath us.
My other swords reappeared, shooting up from under the waves, but he dodged them with relative ease, dancing around his if he could see them coming.
I raised my palm as his foot tapped against the surface of the way when my last blade missed. "Hadō #63, Raikouhou!"
Lightning erupted from my palm in a straight line right towards the Heretic God.
He raised his arms up in a blocking motion and my Lightning washed over. It only took a moment for it to dissipate and he sat there with his bandages barely singed.
I guessed Kido of that level wasn't enough to harm a Heretic God. Or perhaps I should have put more strength into it.
In return, he took a stance and pulled his fist back. Despite the distance between us, I could feel the hairs on my neck tingle. It seemed like all the winds produced by the Hurricane wrapped around his fist all together.
"Boost!" I quickly called out. "Bakudō #81, Danku!"
The Ocean, for miles out parted at the sheer force of his punch. My Shield stood wavering for a few moments before it shattered under the strain and I pushed my Aura outward by touching upon the Hogyoku, protecting myself as best as I could.
With a roar, I swung my Divine Sword, slicing his 'wind' in half and shunting off the majority of the blow due to my Authority over the Storm.
He appeared, slipping through my perception as his attack ended and I narrowly pulled my head back to avoid his fist coming up from below. The errant wind around him sliced at my Aura from the proximity and I swung my sword as he turned into a gust.
I used Shunpo to move a few feet over, and his fist slammed into the spot I was, making a new hole in the ocean, all the way down to the bottom as the waters tried to collapse back in on themselves immediately.
Now.
"Welsh Dragon, Balance Breaker!" I quickly activated my Sacred Gear to the next level. "Boost, Boost, Boost, Boost!" And I shot at him at top speed, my fist slamming into the side of his mask, a clean hit for the first time.
The collision created a shock wave, and admittedly, he withstood a significant portion of the blow by sheer strength.
In sheer physical prowess….I don't know if I'd ever fought someone like this.
That one punch was enough to destroy mountains, yet he barely stepped back a few times.
Even if I was taken back by his show of strength, It wasn't my intention to merely brawl as the punch was a means to an end, my blade slashed at him in that moment and I cut through the bandages on his chest, drawing blood.
….white fur?
Under his bandages, there was white fur mixed with the blood seeping from the wound.
He held a hand to the wound and looked at me in surprise. "You have many strange things."
"I get that a lot." I breathed out.
He raised his hand to the sky, commanding the Hurricane. There was a roar from above, animalistic in nature as a face appeared, fangs bared but the image was…vague in view. Massive hands faintly outlined by the intense winds plummeted down and it looked like the sky was falling.
This was why Heretic Gods are so feared.
A barrage of fists fell from the sky onto my location.
"I command the wind and the rain. The Storm is mine!" I pointed towards the hurricane above.
My Authority wasn't merely 'sealing' other Authorities, sure it wasn't as effective back home because Heretic Gods were….different in existence. But here, my Authority worked fully how it was supposed to, and not only that, the domains overlapped.
I stopped the winds that kicked up around me, the wrath that was unleashed and I took control of it.
His Authority over Wind was usurped by my own Authority.
The Winds bent to my will, combining with my own control over the Storm, and the Hurricane distorted, flowing downwards, wrapping around my blade.
All it took was one swing towards him and it was all unleashed.
Once more, the ocean was split at the gesture, from the bottom of the sea, to the highest points in the sky, it was like the world was separated into two. The unnatural phenomena held the ocean within its grasp, otherwise every corner of the world would be experiencing tsunamis at this point.
The Heretic God let out a roar and the shadow underneath him enlarged drastically, becoming as big as a mountain as its two massive hands emerged and pressed down on the 'wind blade' I had unleashed at him.
I swung my body, releasing my Authority and retrieving a different weapon as he was forced in place.
The light in the world began to disappear as I drew back the string of my bow.
A single arrow was knocked and glowed like a second sun.
"What!?" The Heretic god exclaimed, his calm demeanor breaking for the first time. "What is that!?"
I released the arrow as it reached its precipice.
The Heretic God's Power exploded out as he roared in defiance. "Riding the wind of my father Vay, I Hanuman Steal the Sun!" The shadow distorted again and released the 'wind blade' and instead, it grabbed hold of the arrow and wrapped around it, pressing it down completely.
It was my turn to be astonished because his Authority completely sealed away the arrow shot from my bow.
"Hanuman!?" His identity was now obvious. And there was a certain legend about him trying to eat the sun or something along those lines.
Even still, his actions were astounding.
However, while he sealed my arrow, the wind blade containing the power of his own Authority within it still hit him.
He had to bear it with his physical body, and he quickly got covered in wounds, his bandages torn and his fur becoming distinct as his mask cracked and shattered. The Heretic God did not fall to the ground, his body bloodied from battle, his breathing heavy, he charged at me.
He released a barrage of punches at me, each one as strong as his earlier ones. He seemed to enter a berserker state where he ignored his own wounds and only focused on killing me.
I felt several land on my body before I could orient myself, however, I was prepared enough to withstand them.
"Shield of Asgard!" I quickly cast without anything extra to help, but it only lasted a dozen or so hits that were released in the blink of an eye before it shattered.
It was enough for me to situate myself and I could respond. My Semblance activated as his fist went for my face, and his body passed through me as he didn't expect the action, he sort of stumbled for a brief moment. I used that opportunity to grab the back of his hand and slam him downward into the ocean's floor.
Yet, his physical strength still overcame mine and he slapped me away, each of his movements enough to keep the immense weight of the ocean from falling back onto us.
I took another of his fists to my chest as I condensed lightning around my arms and retaliated with a fist to his cheek, discharging all of it and forcing him back a step.
His durability was honestly ridiculous.
He casually brushed his arm around my wrist, deflecting a slash of my sword, then stepped into me, slapping his palm against my chest and I felt my ribs crack under the strain as my Aura seemed to disperse at his touch.
"I see, a form of force distribution through that energy shield of yours." He muttered, despite his flurry of attacks that changed from hard punches to precise and pinpoint blows that carried the same amount of force.
He stomped on the ground, sending out a massive shockwave and shot forward, fingers pointed outward, he jabbed at my shoulder, and I felt the pain through my entire arm even with my Aura and the Scale Mail blocking it.
The force passed through and hit the walls of water behind us and pushed through, leaving a valley that went on for hundreds of yards.
His body dipped low as the pain made me wince and swept my legs, he grabbed my leg before I could even fall and threw me over his shoulder into the ground.
His leg came down like a sickle, carrying with it the weight of a mountain.
I swiped my hand on the ground and rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the new gorge that opened up at the weight of the blow.
Everywhere I placed my hand a Rune appeared, and I withdrew my Staff of Magnus and slammed it into the ground. "Bindings of Gaia!"
His martial arts were beyond impressive and could be easily considered Godly. I couldn't compete with him in an exchange of fists, but I was more than that. I wasn't a Martial Artist, I was a Magus, a Magician.
I felt the seed of the World Tree inside me thump in response, and the roots, while normally fairly decent, seemed to take on a life of their own as they flushed with vitality far beyond what I normally provided.
Even at the bottom of the sea, life emerged from the earth. The massive roots shot out, each one bigger than several of me together.
The God kicked off the ground and flew to the hair, narrowly dodging each one that shot at him as he skillfully avoided the dozens that chased after him.
A God's Magical Resistance was annoying. But that didn't mean they were immune to Magic, even 'mortal' magic. Types of Magic that affect natural phenomena, it could still reach them.
I held up the Staff of Magnus and I recalled the spell my mirror self had used in our fights. A large Spell circle appeared overhead, and I Engraved Primordial Runes into the sequence.
"Reverse!" I declared, and Gravity shifted. A small trick I picked up from my Mirrored Self.
The God that was flying upward suddenly found himself tumbling to the 'ground'. It was enough that the Roots managed to block all paths around him and collapsed onto his person all at once
With a gesture, my swords reappeared and moved towards him from every angle.
The God didn't try to escape as everything tried to connect, rather he took a deep and audible breath.
And with a thunderclap, the sound of wind bristled forth and it overtook the roaring of the unnatural phenomena of the ocean around us and my knocks were deflected, and the roots burst into pieces, falling from the sky.
The God's eyes met mine and with his speed that reached the level of his status, he appeared right in front of me, his arm reeled back and his palm ready to land on my face.
I scoffed, and twisted my wrist. Out of the ground, a fist made of stone pushed out and slammed into him, sending him flying up into the air.
My Wings slapped against the air, and I shot up out of the chasm we had created at the bottom of the ocean.
"Feim Zii Gron." I briefly turned intangible, and he moved right through me. I merely turned my Staff backwards and my Divinity intertwined with my Spell. "Thunderbolt." A massive bolt of thunder slammed into him.
While it didn't do much actual damage, it jolted him for a moment, even if he shook it off.
If I hadn't fought my mirror self, this fight would have been harder for me. I wasn't a dedicated martial artist, it would be stupid for me to try and keep up with him in that way.
"Strun Bah Qo." I shouted as the sky turned dark and Thunder Clouds rolled in.
He shot at me again, ignoring the wounds that were accumulating on his body.
"Bakudō #61, Rikujokoro!" Six rods of light slammed into his midsection, halting his advance for just a moment before he grabbed hold of them and they shattered.
"Bakudō #44, Enkosen. Bakudō #81, Danku. Shield of Asgard" I held my Staff up as he hit the first barrier, and it shattered with ease. The second, it took a bit of effort, but he still pushed through it then slammed into my strongest Shield.
A proper Shield of Asgard, unlike the one from before.
The flurry of strikes he delivered, however, did not do it any favors and it started to crack.
Offense in one hand, defense in the other, that's the strengths of a Magic user.
With my other hand, I drew the required Runes, and created the needed Runic Circles. "Blessings of Magic – Vanaheim!" The spell Circle that Odin helped me complete down in the Roots of Yggdrasil appeared overhead and a second spell cast simultaneously actualized to feed into it. "Water Dragon."
The water around us swirled up like a cyclone until it properly shaped and forty Dragon Roars overlapped, causing the ocean to rumble for miles out.
He looked at it for a split second and let out an animalistic roar, he pulled back his arm and his palm seemed coated in his fury as the Magical Power enough it became palpable. It flickered, but I think I could briefly see an ape's fangs overlay on it as he hit my shield and shattered it completely.
Once more, I felt the wind get knocked out of me even if the blow did not directly hit me.
Despite this, I smiled at him as his palm came down on me.
With a flick of my wrist, a Portal opened up between us and one of the Water Dragons emerged from it, slamming into him. It carried him away upwards and the dozens of others all converged on him.
I quickly caught myself and flapped my wings to steady my body as I thrust my Staff upwards.
"Vanaheim – "The Runs around me swirled. "Freezing Winds of Jotunheim!" I wasn't done as I called upon one of my Nine-Realms spells. Oh the cold winds were beyond freezing as they began to cover the oceans in ice. "Boost, Boost, Boost, Transfer!"
I overloaded my Vanaheim spell, the spell sequence couldn't handle that kind of strain on itself. It wasn't made to amplify spells taken into it multiple degrees, rather just alter the spell itself.
Perhaps it would work in its true form with the full Yggdrasil deployed, but in this basic form, it unraveled, but it was enough. At the core, it was pure white, no rather, it was the absence of color and I had to turn my head away because of the intense cold.
Raindrops that were falling from the sky instantly became icicles.
What would have been able to freeze the ocean for miles, had been condensed into a smaller area via the spell sequence, then amplified several fold.
And the Water Dragons that wrapped around the Heretic God, they completely froze along with everything.
The large encasing of Ice slowly cracked as Wind howled around it. The Heretic God's form trembled and the animalistic Roar returned as the much of the ice around him shattered into millions of pieces with his Magical Energy bursting out as he used a significant amount of strength to free himself.
I looked at him, his panting breath revealed through the cold air that escaped his mouth. The Ice crept back onto him and he had to keep grabbing hold of it and shattering it even as his legs froze completely and his Magical energy continuously expanded to ward it off.
I held my arms out and welcomed the crackle of lightning and the roar of thunder up above.
He looked up and I finished the last point. "Thor's Hammer."
Two gigantic Hands pulled the clouds apart, revealing a very distinct figure weaved from pure Lightning, intermixed with my own Divinity.
He couldn't even be considered the size of a nail in comparison to the Hammer that came down, ironically like the Wrath of God. Nor could he properly dodge out of the way as part of his body was still freezing under the lingering effects of my spell.
The Hammer fell down and a pillar of Lightning connected the Sky and the Earth.
"Hanuman, the Indian God. The prototype myth to Sun Wukong, and that also opens a weakness." I made a hand sign, and the preparations are complete.
Even so, I didn't think it was enough to keep him down. He was an absolute monster, he was the entity that spawned the myths of the Monkey King himself. But the Myths aligned in such a way that I felt confident that my next spell would borrow upon it and have an impressive effect.
"Mountain Sealing Incantation!"
My timing was perfect because he had just dragged his haggard and broken body out of the hole he had been shut off to.
He was weakened enough.
The Myth of Sun Wukong being suppressed under a mountain and even his legendary strength could do nothing.
It just so happened that one of my strongest spells was thus.
But I released my Balance breaker with an exhale as I looked at the Heretic God pressed down and unable to move.
He was brought low enough that it was a complete sealing.
I had set up the series of Spells just to land this at the precise moment. If I didn't pull out enough of his stamina and strength, I didn't feel confident it would have worked and I didn't want to reveal too much when I knew that Odin was watching.
"Well fought, Godslayer, take your prize. But know this, this will not be the last time we meet, and my Master will be your End." His body battered to a dangerous degree; his eyes still held unwavering defiance. His fangs bared as he delivered his threat.
I frowned at his words, and didn't waste a moment. There didn't need to be words of goodbye between us, I used my Divine Sword and swung at his neck.
I let out a sigh, wiping away more blood from my mouth. I would worry about that kind of thing later.
More importantly, where's my new Authority?
[***]
Non-Canon Omake: Summoned to Chaldea, Part 1
I opened my eyes as information flooded into my mind.
A small smile gradually pulling on my face.
So, this is what it's like to be a Servant? Though how many times I've had this though was up to debate because I'm sure I think the same thing every time I'm summoned.
"By your summons, I've come forth. Are you my master?" I asked upon the radiant Magical Energy dying down. I only blinked in realization of who I was staring at. "Ritsuka, Mash?"
"Welcome – what?" Ritsuka questioned me as I apparently named them. "How do you know us?"
"Well, this is awkward." I scratched my head. "I assume Da Vinci is around?"
"I'm here, and curious. You know me as well, but I don't recognize you?" She seemed confused.
I tried to open my mouth, because I remembered the Grand Order, my time during Chaldea while I was alive, but as soon as I tried to grasp those thoughts, it was like they vanished.
I was summoned without the knowledge, the details of what I went through, only recalling…well, myself and those around me sort of.
My memories were….vague to say the least.
"Allow me to introduce myself. Servant Saber, Grandson of Zelretch, Magician, And Leader of B-Team in my world-line. Wilhelm Henry Schweinorg, at your service." I politely bowed at my own introduction.
"Magician?"
"B-Team Leader!?"
"Grandson of the Kaleidoscope!?"
They all seemed to speak at once. "Yes." I simply nodded with a grin.
"T-that means you're from a Parallel world! That means you know what's going on right? If you were the B-team Leader –" Mash started rambling.
"Ah, I apologize my little cinnamon roll." I found myself patting her head like I did in the past. "But upon my summoning, I don't recall the details of the Grand Order. I remember the people around me, what my role was….but the singularities are blank, only that they exist and what-not."
"Mash taught me a little bit about this stuff….does that mean you knew me, over there?" Ritsuka asked.
"Ritsuka Fujimaru." I smiled nostalgically. "You were directly under my purview. Olga also enjoyed getting on your case the most out of our team."
"The Director?" Ritsuka said quietly.
"…..where is Olga?"
"The Director is gone." Da Vinci spoke through the systems. "She died during the initial attack. She appeared in the Fuyuki Singularity, but she was just a soul and was….killed thoroughly by Lev."
For the briefest moment, I lost control of my Reiatsu, and the building shook.
Mash panicked and summoned her shield, standing protectively infront of Ritsuka.
"I apologize, I let my temper get the better of me there for a moment." I strained a smile reeling myself back in. "So Olga didn't make it here."
"She….was alright over there?" Ritsuka hazarded a guess.
"Yeah, I suppose I managed to save her. You said Lev killed her? I vaguely remember that name and it makes me inordinately angry. Regardless, I am at your command, Master." I politely bowed again.
"Wait, if you were the B-team leader, then shouldn't you handle things?! I barely know what I'm doing, but if – "
I put a hand up, interrupting my new master. "The Dead can't lead the living, Master. Perhaps it's the reason I don't remember all the details, I'm not allowed to. I am here to serve, but if you want help, if you need advice, that's within my capacity to provide."
Ritsuka sighed, slumping his shoulders before regaining his composure. "Alright, I'm happy to have you on board, Saber!" Ritsuka smiled despite it.
"We'll need a detailed explanation on what you do know, Saber." Da Vinci chimed in. "Anything you could provide us would help."
"Of course. If I may ask, what Singularities have been resolved thus far?"
"We have completed the first four and we're preparing for the fifth as we speak." Da Vinci informed me.
"Ah…that should be…." I rubbed my temples recalling the information as it apparently wasn't a secret. "North America."
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised. We should talk later, I've never spoken to a Magician before." Da Vinci sounded amused. "But I need to get back to work, settle our new servant, Ritsuka."
"Haha, knowing all this, well, it's probably familiar with you. I guess I'll show you which room is yours?" He chuckled awkwardly.
I couldn't fault him, it was going to be a little awkward for awhile and they were taking the news fairly well.
"Where are the others?" I asked.
"Others?" Ritsuka questioned.
"Other members of B-Team."
"….there is no one else."
"….oh." I felt my anger boiling over but I kept a lid on it and balled my fists. "And I assume A-Team…?"
Ristuka just smiled awkwardly, and he didn't need to answer.
"What about Servants, who all have you summoned so far?" I asked, changing the subject.
Ritsuka seemed thankful that he did because his expression brightened. "That's a bit hard to answer because we have a lot so far. If you're looking for anyone specific…?"
"It's fine, I can mingle on my own and figure out what's going on." I waived it off. It would give me the opportunity to get my head on straight because even for me, this situation was…. unfortunate.
"Well, we usually start with the main areas…the cafeteria is the closest." Ritsuka said as we walked up to it. "It's probably not new, but here we are, Chaldea's Cafeteria." He pushed open the doors and a whole big group of Servants and Staff were inside, chatting or going about their business.
I didn't mind the little tour; it helps ease the awkwardness and it was rather nostalgic just as well.
Of course, as a newcomer, I drew a lot of attention. I could vaguely remember it being the same back home, a new Servant was inspected and evaluated by the others. However, there was one Servant among the bunch in particular that glared intensely at me as soon as I appeared.
She sat among among a group of other Servants I could identify. They were, of course, Knights and such from Camelot. Mordred being a particularly noteworthy inclusion there.
But this glare was intense enough that everyone seemed to notice it and hushed, even Ritsuka looked…concerned?
"Um….Alter, is something wrong?" Ritsuka questioned.
I crossed my arms, looking back at the petite woman glaring at me and I smiled because I knew she recognized me. "I'm not going over there."
She scowled, her nostrils flared, and she pushed herself up with a huff and stomped towards me.
"Father?" Mordred confusedly called out to her.
"It took you long enough." She was inches away from me, Artoria Alter stood there in her black dress, arms crossed and scowling deeply.
I silently held my arms open as an invitation.
She stomped her foot. "As infuriating as always." She scoffed, but threw her arms around me for a hug. "…..husband."
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A/N
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