A Nascent Kaleidoscope.

Chapter 447: Chapter 406

Marie\'s Noble Phantasm was extraordinarily helpful. The hordes of Undead that poured out of the city were being culled at the choke point of where Schweinorg destroyed the gate.

And the Soldiers themselves were more than capable of handling a few measly undead with their newfound strength. The other monstrosities....were a different matter. It wasn\'t nearly as clean, but I would say they were winning.

Mozart\'s Noble Phantasm was also something of a Godsend in the situation. How he was able to keep it active this long was another question entirely.

How much Magical Energy did Schweinorg have that even a temporary contract with the famous Musician let him do something like this?

Even still, we were heavily outnumbered and a few stray monsters made it from around the other sides.

A Gandr of mine exploded the head of a tentacled monster and I clicked my tongue to realize that about a dozen more were coming from the vacant side, bursting out from a small opening in the walled city.

I wasn\'t the only one either.

Pierre grabbed a weapon and was standing near the Soldiers. I wanted to chastise him about how he was basically on the front lines as a Master, but....under these circumstances, it didn\'t seem particularly negative.

Samuel was casting spells....slowly, but concisely from where he was. They were barely better than a novice, but they were having a better effect than if he joined his other teammate on the frontline.

Ritsuka was coordinating his several Servants and that was basically it, but that in of itself was a feat worth praising.

"Hinako, handle those." I commanded, pointing towards the ones coming up from the side.

"Fine." She grumbled, but followed my orders.

My eyes dashed around, and they landed on Marie fighting off her apparent killer in life. Thankfully, Cu arrived in time to help out.

I frowned, seeing those things tear a hole through the stone walls in another section and start spilling out.

"Mozart."

"A little preoccupied here Mademoiselle." There was sweat dripping down his forehead.

"That\'s the problem, stop using your Noble Phantasm on the ones at the front, their bodies are piling up and slowing down their advance, making them mindlessly force other routes." I responded. "They\'re eventually going to swarm around us if they can\'t come from the front!"

"I do not have an ounce of knowledge in warfare, so I shall bow to your expertise." He waved his baton and then jerked it to the side, like a screeching sound across the battlefield. "If I deactivate my Noble Phantasm, reactivating it again will be more difficult. Where do you need me?"

"Help Marie." I directed him to the side. They weren\'t having trouble, but neither Marie nor Cu were front line fighters. And it would be very bad if Marie were to fall here and we lost the effect of her Noble Phantasm

"With pleasure!" Mozart grinned, his Noble Phantasm focusing entirely on the enemy servant.

"Then it\'s my turn to shine!~" Elizabeth Bathory stood up in front.

"No, go plug that newest hole." I cut her off.

"No, I want to –"

"So help me, if you don\'t listen to me right now, I will have Mozart use his Noble Phantasm on you." I would not abide by her attitude during a situation like this!

"...fine." She huffed, trotting over to the hole in the way where a small stream of eldritch horrors were forcing themselves through. She slowly made her way there as if it didn\'t matter.

"And you!" I jerked my head towards the Asian Servant, Kiyohime as her name was. "You have ranged attacks, go assist Medea" I pointed up to where Medea and the enemy Archer were having a battle above.

The fact that a Caster Servant was meeting one of the three Knight Classes head on in a fight without any preparation was utterly ridiculous, but it was best to not rely on hope there when we had free Servants.

"Fine." She also shrugged, hopping towards the edge of the wall and using her inhuman strength to scale it rather easily to get high up as they were.

The Soldiers were switching lines, needing to watch their stamina. Those two troublesome Servants were handling their tasks, even if they were simple.

Enemy Servants? Archer being engaged. Lancer nowhere to be seen. Caster retreated into the city and Schweinorg pursued. The Servant that Marie is fighting was presumably Assassin....all that left was Saber which is where Mash one.

It was bearable.

For a conflict of this scale, it was contained.

The only real chaotic element....relatively speaking, was the massive dragon that burst through several buildings and crushed a hundred or so monsters right at the front of the entrance.

A large swath of dark energy spewed forth as Saber laid into the mighty beast, almost entirely ignoring the battlefield.

The others were quick as well, Lancelot, Saint George, and Siegfried. Three Dragon Slayers, and King Arthur were fighting one of the most famous Dragons from Myth and keeping it at bay.

Their blades dug into its scales; tiny wounds began appearing.

Even so, the Dragon whipped its body around and flung the Servants to the side. Its claws raking the ground beneath it, and while it was boon that those monsters were killed under its rampage, I would much rather deal with an army of mindless monsters than a damn Dragon that strong.

Saber\'s Blade filled with that blackened hue as she swung it in front of the monster. Seemingly a good hit because the sheer roar of fury that resounded afterwards made my ears rattle.

And it was enough that the Dragon was willing to use a Breath Attack on the ground, right in front of Saber who was in no way able to dodge at that range.

"Ritsuka, switch saber and Mash!" I used Magecraft to project my voice.

I could see the seal on his hand lit up, even if I couldn\'t hear him. The two Servants, through the ridiculous magical energy contained with those Command Seals, were able to warp space and time to switch places.

The Dragon\'s breath that would have landed on Saber, and by extension, all of us, was now being warded off by Mash\'s Noble Phantasm.

The feeling of safety being behind those walls filled me with....

And the enemy Saber was now on the back foot with our Saber giving him no quarter. The petite woman was filled with anger from earlier, and she was more than willing to let any enemy around her have it.

If the enemy Saber was expecting a proper sword fight, those blasts of Magical Energy from our Saber quickly disabused him of that notion.

"I killed all the ones on the side and patched the hole for now." Hinako returned.

"I collapsed mine cause it was getting annoying." Elizabeth also came trotting back.

"Hinako, give the left flank some reprieve." I glanced around. "Elizabeth, you\'re on the right." I commanded them again. "And while you\'re there, have Pierre coordinate with Medea, that Archer isn\'t doing much, but if she stops focusing on Medea for even a few seconds, it\'s going to be disastrous for the soldiers below."

It was a careful balancing act....is what I wanted to say, but the fact that there\'s still a giant freaking dragon rampaging didn\'t leave me with any confidence at the moment.

Even still.

"Cu, Mozart! Go for the kill." I didn\'t waste time watching, instead, I moved towards the Soldiers full of wounds being brought behind. I didn\'t have a Servant of my own, so my Magical Energy didn\'t need to be held in reserve, I may as well provide some healing.

[***]

Lancelot POV

It was strangely nostalgic.

Fighting alongside fellow Knights, even if I never knew them in my life. I felt confident to leave my back to them and they to me.

Perhaps that is why my Madness was bubbling to the surface. My guilt over this...enjoyment was gnawing at my heart.

"Careful, my friend." The one named Saint George grabbed my shoulder, helping me keep steady. "The young Lady held admirably, let us finish our task."

"My fight against Fafnir was a long and arduous one." The Wandering Knight of the Netherlands stepped forward as well. "If we do not wish to draw out a battle that will take a day or so, it is best we put everything we have into a final blow."

"Agreed." The Saint patted his chest. "I shall use my Noble Phantasm. If we combine ours, I do not foresee defeat."

"I apologize, but my Noble Phantasm is not one to be used so casually. The destruction it wrought does not lose out to Saber\'s Noble Phantasm."

My King\'s Holy Blade? "That is a bold claim." I found myself muttering.

"I apologize if I offend you, I merely wished to cite an example." He had a habit of apologizing.

"...It was my mistake." A noble knight like him should not be apologizing to someone like me. "My own Noble Phantasm contains all of its destruction onto the edge of the blade. Perhaps Sir George and I will be enough to fell it?"

"Perhaps." He acknowledged. "I do not wish my pride to blanket my eyes and say that I am needed to finish my old foe. I am more concerned about finishing the fight quickly to assist my old friend who sought the true enemy."

".....the one who revealed themselves as a Demonic Being?" Saint George raised an eyebrow.

Yes....that was something I was also having trouble thinking about.

"...I admit that is a new development." He awkwardly smiled. "However, In a previous conflict where we stood on opposite sides, he faced me honorably."

I still did not know how to feel about this new information. I do not believe myself worthy of judging the person for whom my king loves.....but I am unsure of how to proceed with this information.

My King was not a fool, such a thing would not hide from their eyes. That is to say, they knew, thus are okay with it. Then it is not my place to utter a word in response.

I will do as I was told.

And if need be, I will protect my King\'s treasured person.

To see that image of my king smiling, I will gladly sacrifice myself to keep it.

"It is not my place to place judgment either way." Saint George hummed. "Our goal is just, that is all that matters for now."

"Agreed." Siegfried nodded. "He is recovering, it is time."

The Dragon suffered a rebound from firing its breath so close to my son\'s.....the Young Ladies\' Noble Phantasm.

Galahad made it clear that he wished not to converse in such a way, thus I would force myself to think in these terms.

"Allow me to lead the charge!" George declared summoning forth his steed. A beautiful horse, with a fire in its eyes, clearly having seen many battles. "If need be, Sir Siegfried, please finish him off."

"I will await your opening." The Dragonblooded Knight nodded.

"I will assist." I gripped my blackened Holy Sword.

The Dragon roared challengingly, noticing us once more.

George was fast, a Rider class through and through. His Mount was but a blur as it headed towards the mighty Dragon, the blade of his cleaving through scales on its left leg.

The Dragon whipped its body around, but Saint George was too quick. His mount was not one of flesh and blood any longer, it too was beyond human imagination. It was in the air, leaping above the very buildings.

I too took the chance to dash to the side, jumping up the still standing buildings.

The dragon flapped its wings, kicking up a whirlwind with but a gesture. It was about to take flight, a point of failure in our plan.

"Allow me!" I yelled, calling forth the Magical Energy with the bond with my Master. Arondight glowed brilliantly, despite the sins I have committed upon the blade. The reflection of the lake appeared, an echo of what it should have been. "Oath to my king!" I jumped off the building, ascending to the air as the dragon attempted to take off. "Breaking all Restraints – Arondight Overload!" The equivalent to my king\'s Noble Phantasm released, but contained onto the edge of the blade.

Like swinging my blade through mud, the air was cut with a bright light, but that was not my target. My blade fell upon the wing of the mighty creature.

Using all my momentum, I cleaved through it.

The black wings that eclipsed the sky were down a number as its\' amputated limb fell before the Dragon itself lost its ability to stay afloat and its own momentum was lost. Gravity reasserted itself, and the beast began to fall from the sky.

I was about to fall myself, but I found a familiar steed catching me from my own descent.

"Well done, Sir Lancelot!" George laughed, his own blade glowing bright. "Let me show you! This is the truth of Ascalon! Thou dragon with sin, bear witness to my own oaths – Ascalon!" His blade alighted with a holy presence.

The outline of a dragon marked the beast, imprinting on its exposed underbelly.

Saint George\'s blade pierced into the center of the marking, the dragon letting out a roar of fury and pain, but he was not done. He pulled his blade free, and slashed in a cross pattern, splitting the Dragon\'s scales in each movement, and even cleaving away its front right forearm.

The Dragon crashed to the ground, wounded, bloodied.

Saint George\'s horse landed gracefully upon the cobblestone road, and immediately shot forward to catch its own rider. The Saint Knight caught the reins with ease, and landed upon the forward spot as I slid back.

And as quick as he took his seat, he steered his companion away, for it was one person\'s turn.

The beast was wounded, incapacitated, but not defeated.

"My old foe." Siegfried appeared in front of the beast. "Let all grudges be settled. You did not appear here of your own will, so I shall do this with mercy." His large sword was held high, and a large torrent of power exploded forth, illuminating the surroundings. "The Evil Dragon Will fall – "

The Dragon, as in its nature, forced its body up right and gathered what power between its large maw in response.

It was enough to destroy much of the city that still remained, yet the Dragonblooded Knight did not move in cowardness.

He brought his blade down to meet it. "Balmung!"

The twilight encompassed the Dragon\'s attack, consuming it completely, along with the mighty beast.

I could not confirm the death of the Dragon with my eyes, but my heart told me that it was defeated for good.

"The Dragon is defeated, but the battle is yet won." Saint George smiled. "As a Knight, these enemies I find abhorrent." He stated and I followed his gaze towards those walking corpses and things that do not belong.

Strangely, I felt myself smiling as well.

"Then let us see who shall slay more." There was a nostalgic fire in my heart, fighting alongside such people once more.

[***]

Raikou POV

"Is that all you have, Berserker!?" The wild Servant nearly stumbled from my last attack, but he was already running at me with those claws of his.

My blade clashed with his gauntlets, sparks flying with each encounter. However, his armor began to crack with the exchange of blows, but he seemingly cared not and continued his reckless onslaught.

Vlad the Impaler. I had some impression of him from the last war, and this man was nothing like the one I had previously seen.

A calm headed commander he was no longer.

Even his skill had devolved into leaning into his enhanced stats and not making use of them. No, he was acting more like a rabid animal, and I only felt pity.

I could understand Master\'s sentiment more now as I experience it for myself.

"You deserve better than this." I said softly, even as his claws gouged out the walls behind me.

"Then fight!" He roared, holding his arms out, stakes bursting out from his own flesh, as well as the ground all coming at me like a tidal wave.

I activated my Mana Burst, slashing my blade horizontally, bisecting all his stakes with a burst of lightning.

He didn\'t care as he was already swinging his clawed arms at me without pause.

"Stop pitying me and give me a proper fight!" He growled, increasing his ferocity even further. Each wave of his arm sent shockwaves through the stones around us, sundering the earth and cleaving out walls from the castle itself.

I found myself pushed back after the quick exchange, even if no damage had been done.

"...I apologize, you are correct." There is no pity on the battlefield. "Please allow me to rectify my behavior." I held my blade in a proper stance and my Mana Burst further intensified.

He lept at me, claw going for my head. I waited until his gauntlet nearly touched my face before I spun and ducked, slashing at his stomach. I drew blood, and his armor was sliced open. He couldn\'t catch a footing and stumbled, rolling into some rubble.

He quickly pushed it away and stood back up, holding his wound with one hand before dismissing it altogether. "Yes!" He laughed and came at me once more.

One clawed hand from the side, the other from the opposite.

My shoulder met his chest with the full force of my quickest step. I raised my foot to kick at his attempt to follow up and grab me and flipped back, slipping out of any touch of his, yet my blade danced through his arms, finding his flesh and continuing to accumulate wounds.

He was unrelenting, uncaring, maniacally focused on me.

He pulled stakes up from the ground even with them filling the surroundings. I swept my blade out, slicing off the spear tips and used them as thresholds to avoid the remainder, and he met me, spear piercing towards my heart.

I was far too used to my spars with Scáthach to allow such an obvious attack to get the better of me. It held no will within the strike, no attempt at follow up, no calculating maneuver. A simple and direct method of attempting to harm me.

I merely had to flick my blade upward, knocking the spear from his grasp completely. And in one solid motion, my sword continued through his arm, severing it from his body.

He let out a pain shout, but his willpower was admirable, and still tried his best to inflict damage upon me.

I ducked under the swipe of his remaining claw, and my blade found his chest, pushing through his armor.

His body slumped, yet there was only a look of appreciation. He grabbed at my blade with his remaining arm and surprisingly, pulled it into further impress upon his failing body.

"Was it a worthy fight, Impaler?" I asked.

He chuckled, blood seeping from his mouth as he did. "I would have better fought with my true skill, but it would still have been short of your own." He relaxed, peaceful even. "It seems I owe you a debt of gratitude. You and that other one...what ever happened to her?"

"Mordred?" I asked, and he nodded. "She lives happily at our home."

"Ah...that\'s good." He nodded in content. "This farce is finally over. I hope we meet again so I can repay this gratitude. Thank you, Berserker, for a noble end even in this state." He closed his eyes and his body regressed into Magical Energy, drifting into the wind.

Goodbye.

You are worth remembering, Impaler.

But I must now find Master, for I fear something may be wrong.

[***]

Wilhelm POV

Things had taken....an unexpected turn.

I was expecting a last hurrah by Gilles, maybe doing something immensely stupid like using the Grail to facilitate the summoning of a real nasty monster from the place we don\'t speak about.

Maybe even summon more Servants in a panic.

....but now he\'s falling to the floor after being stabbed by the \'dark Jeanne\'.

"Jeanne, why?" He gasped, confusion and shock written all over his face.

The Dark Jeanne was utterly expressionless as she watched him fade away.

And now, she was holding the Grail.

Not only that, but for some reason, the book was still lying on the ground.

Neither Jeanne nor I made any sudden moves. I had the impulse to quickly snatch the Grail, but I was hesitant. It was one of those things that I was forced to respect due to the sheer power it held.

The Fake Jeanne slowly knelt down and also picked up the two flayed pieces of book that still remained.

...and now I was feeling like something bad was going to happen.

I could feel my Power of Destruction bubbling under the Surface, and I was waiting for the right moment to move and –

The book in her hand burst into flames.

Her flames.

She had shown the ability to command fire already, so it was obvious where those came from. She just burned away the remnants of that disgusting thing without a second thought.

"Will, please let me handle this." Jeanne stepped forward, clutching her banner. She looked resolute, ready to fight.

"Are you sure?"

"Please, this is my responsibility. The source stems from me, and I will bear – "

A golden chalice smacked her on the head, knocking her off her feet.

I blinked as Jeanne twitched on the ground, and the Grail rolled at her feet. I had to do a double take to make sure that it was in fact the Grail, and seeing as the Dark Jeanne had empty hands, I believe it was safe to assume.

"I felt like you were going to say something worth me smacking you on the back of the head, but that works too." I looked down at her.

"W-what!?" Jeanne regained her senses, looking at the Grail on the ground and snatching it up in her arms. Her eyes darted all around as if she was having trouble believing she was holding it. Finally she turned towards the other Jeanne in the room. "...why?"

The other Jeanne just scoffed. "I would literally rather die than hear your self-righteous dribble." She turned, and walked towards where the throne was, a few steps and her sword fell to the ground. She slowly let herself fall down onto the small stairs that led up to it.

"...I\'m confused." Jeanne whispered. "Are you....are you giving up?"

I admit, this would be a first. Having the \'enemy\' just....surrender....

I\'m honestly at a loss of what to do now.

It was so much easier when she was definitely the enemy.

"Why?" Jeanne hesitantly asked. The question I wanted to know too.

"What do you mean \'why\'?" The Dark Jeanne sneered.

"You hurt so many people! You did all those things and....and now...!?" Jeanne herself seemed unsure of how to proceed. I could imagine she hyped herself up for a fight and didn\'t quite know how to respond to this predicament.

"Isn\'t it obvious?\' She chuckled, and it sounded self-deprecating. "All the revenge, it felt so empty. Burning down those bastards who burned me....it was satisfying but it didn\'t fill the void in me at all. So I kept going, Gilles kept promising me everything would work out. I burned and burned, and killed all those bastards who watched me do the same and still nothing." She paused, looking at me. "Then you came and these.....memories suddenly appeared, taunting me!" She threw her hands out angrily. "It didn\'t make sense! Nothing made sense! Why was it that I never felt fulfilled? Why is it that the only time I felt peace in my heart was in those memories!?" She stood up, walking towards Jeanne, shouting at her. "Why is it, that after my suffering, that he stands by your side!?"

"You –"

She screamed, flames bursting out from her. "Why? Why? WHY!? It\'s not fair!"

"You realized then?" I asked quietly.

"It\'s so fucking obvious, isn\'t it!?" She snapped her head to me. "Why would you stand on the other side after everything? It\'s because that wasn\'t me, that was her!" She jabbed her finger at Jeanne. "I\'m just a fake. Something Gilles created, not even a proper person. All I got was the anger and Hate! I hated them, I still hate them, and the anger never stopped. But then all those memories came and for the first time, I felt something different." Tears were falling down her cheeks, and she quickly turned away from us. "I realized it after that fight, why everything was wrong....I\'m the fake."

"....you\'re not fake." Jeanne whispered.

"Fuck you!" The Darker Jeanne roared, the flames around her intensified. "I\'m a fake, you damn bitch! Don\'t you dare fucking pity me! The perfect Saintess doesn\'t hate people! She never gets angry! Of course I\'m a goddamn fake!"

"No!" Jeanne countered. "You\'re here right now. You\'re hurting. A fake person doesn\'t feel emotion."

"Screw you!" The Dark Jeanne roared again, sending a wave of fire at Jeanne. "I hate everything about you! If you didn\'t exist –"

Jeanne pulled out her banner and slammed it on the ground, activating her Noble Phantasm, weathering the flames.

"I\'m a fake!"

"No!"

"You stuck up bitch!" The Dark Jeanne was getting angrier, and I felt it not my place to interfere. "I\'m Hatred, I\'m Anger! That\'s all I am! I\'m Evil, I burned down France and everyone I could find. The Real Jeanne D\'Arc would never do that."

"You\'re not Evil!"

"Are you fucking stupid!? Did you see how many people I killed!?" She laughed maniacally. "If you don\'t stop me, I\'m going to keep doing it. I\'m going to kill more and more and I \'ll never stop. Just end me, a Fake that doesn\'t deserve to live!"

"Then why didn\'t you hurt Mother!?"

The Darker Jeanne hesitated, her eyes widening slightly. "....I never got the chance."

"Yes you did." Jeanne stepped forward once the flames began to die down. "You had many opportunities, yet you never did."

"Shut up!"

"You cared about her still."

"Shut up!!!" She screamed.

"You still love her, don\'t you?"

"I don\'t! I\'m Evil! I\'m the Dragon Witch, a fake!"

"I refuse to accept you as fake." Jeanne continued to walk forward until they were within touching distance of one another. "If you were Evil, you wouldn\'t still care about Mother."

"I\'m a fake..."

"Not to me."

"I did horrible things..."

"I will accept you."

Jeanne went to hug her counterpart, and it was shaping up to be a heartwarming moment, but the Dark Jeanne kicked her away before she could get the chance.

"Wha?"

"Fuck off!" She snorted. "Take the fucking Grail and go. If you don\'t get the fuck out, I\'m gonna start burning you alive! You\'re such an annoying damn bitch, just looking at you is pissing me off!"

Despite this, Jeanne was smiling.

"Pitiful."

It was a single word, but it reverberated through time and space.

My heart immediately started beating quicker in my chest.

Fear crept up from the lowest parts of my soul, because I recognized the voice.

Space was torn asunder, linking two points, and it was not by my hand.

He stepped out.

Garbed in the form of a man, but he was far from it. He looked the same as when he sat upon that throne of his outside of Time and Space.

His presence was suffocating.

Solomon.

I would not be ashamed to admit, I was fucking scared.

"I merely wished to see how this Singularity ended as I noted the one I gave the Grail had died. To my surprise, there is a face that should not be here." His eyes drilled into me. "I thought you were dead and cared not to check. Allow me to rectify my mistake, Magician."

[Master, please move out of the way] Raikou sent me a message through our link. I barely had a second to process what she spoke, my feet carrying me before my brain made the conscious decision. I grabbed both Jeannes in my arms and used a burst of Shunpo to jump out of the way as the hairs on my neck stood up.

"Sakra\'s Vajra!" Her other Noble Phantasm, the name reverberated through the stoned halls. The Weapon of Indra, coating in that iconic Lightning, barreled right towards Solomon, turning everything in its path to ash.

The King of Magecraft saw it. And with a bored expression, he raised his hand up.

I also did not stand still, and the weight of my Zanpakutō filled my hand. "Reflect – Musū Tengai!" I immediately activated it.

Solomon\'s eyes, for the briefest of moments, widened as Raikou\'s Noble Phantasm slammed into him, sending him right back through the tear in space that he entered from.

There was absolutely no time to waste.

I grabbed the two Jeanne\'s before they could utter any kind or response and picked them up under my arms.

And I fucking ran.

Because that would not stall him for long.

[***]

A/N

If you want to read 9 chapters ahead or support me, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n.c.o.m / astoryforone