Judge the Dystopia IX (The World of Fate)

Before the great beast—Kiara—would consume the skies, echoes of thunder rolled overhead of the ruined, iron jungle that was Fuyuki City.  As the distant booming noises of chaos ensued from various skirmishes littered throughout the wrecked cityscape, the King of Knights was currently traversing silent streets.  Artoria Pendragon strolled down the empty alleys and backroads scoping out the immediate area.  She landed in this area along with two of her other compatriots but she struck out on her own for reconnaissance purposes.

She walked by various structures that had been either torn apart by the passage of time or from the many battles that had consumed the city.  When she turned down one street located beside a railway overpass, there lied the body of someone familiar to her.  Completely by chance, the Saber-class knight had stumbled upon her child—The Knight of Treachery, Mordred.

The blonde female had her consciousness stolen from her after a rough battle against the Red Knight.  As she was being trounced upon by the gentle droplets of water falling from the skies, she awoke to see the King of Knights looming over.  The visage of the King that she wanted to be recognized by, the person she idolized, the one that she dedicated everything for, yes…that person stood over the traitor of Camelot.  Mordred felt nothing but disdain and disgust in this very moment as she gazed into the eyes of her king.

"I can't get a break even on the brink of death.  Of all the faces I could be gazing at right now, it had to be yours.  You, the one I wanted to be acknowledged by most but was unequivocally rejected without a moment's delay.  Have you come to haunt me just because I sought to depose you of your sad and pathetic throne?!  Tch…how ridiculous…as if killing me on that hilltop wasn't enough for you!  Well father?! Have you nothing to say to your only son?!" the only child of the King of Knights echoed out in an emotional tirade.

"When will you learn to cease with this rebellious phase?  This is not the time to be acting like a self-entitled, spoiled brat. Look around you, the world has fallen into darkness.  This abandoned wasteland called Earth needs a second chance, but a devil in a human shell wants to use it for his personal gain.  Mordred, if you continue to do evil to others out of hatred, then those feelings will only give birth to new conflict in the end," Artoria responded.

"F-Father…"

"Of what worth is a king who fails to protect the powerless? Forget your petty resentment and make the right choice.  Remember what it means to be a knight.  That is all I have to say.  I have no more words for you," Artoria added before turning on her heel to leave the area.

"Tch…"

The fallen knight sat up from her position in the midst of the dirt and concrete wiping the sweat and grime from her face whilst the rain washed over her damaged armor.  She hated to admit it but her father was right.  Her personal feelings clouded her judgment to the point where she lost sight of what it meant to swear an oath as a knight, as one who protects.  By pursuing something she thought she needed above all else, she lost everything that was the foundation of her core beliefs.  As much as it pained her to admit, she has to redeem herself.  Perhaps instead of opposing the figure that she once idolized, she could redeem herself by walking beside her.

"Tch…it's not like I want to admit that you're right about this but…gah…dammit all," the knight of crimson sighed heavily before grabbing onto her blade.

"Father, wait for me!"

It was then that Mordred chased after Artoria before walking next to the King of Knights.  Thus for the first time in what may be considered forever, the pair of identical Saber-class warriors would be allies working toward a mutual goal.

A brief lapse of time passed before Artoria was reunited with her two comrades, Nightingale and Lucy.  The pair had been waiting for her on a small bench of an old bus stop thus taking shelter from the rain.  As the King of Knights emerged into the women's view, they saw that she was not alone. 

"As if I didn't have enough lookalikes already, sheesh!  We got Jeanne, Artoria and now the tsundere knight!  I feel like I just cast the Shadow Clone Jutsu in my sleep…the hell man?" Lucy called out in reference to Mordred.

"Creating clones of oneself while sleeping? Is this a new side effect of a disease I have not learned about?  As an expert in the medical field, I would like to know more about this curious case," the Berserker-class servant pondered looking at Lucy then over at the pair of knights.

"Eh?! H-How can this be? Y-You're not my father but…but…how is it that you possess such a striking resemblance?" Mordred stammered over her words as she glanced back and forth between the two figures.

"Forgive this one," Artoria sighed whilst shaking her head.

"Oh don't worry, I can tell she's an overthinking type over the frivolous details. So anyways, ya find anythin' of note out there?" Lucy asked thus changing the subject.

"Just Mordred, whom wishes to aid our cause," the King of Knights reported.

"Tch…w-well…I'm only helping because you provided a valid point, Father…" Mordred blushed before looking away.

"Oh, she's a tsundere? Eh…kinda weak in comparison to my kid with that attitude but all's cool…memes are nice.  But…man, you being father and son yet clearly appearing as females makes me so confused.  Dammit Nasu, you had one job! And Takeuchi, stop with the bloody Saberface shit!"

"Er…Father, I don't understand…"

"Do not worry about it, Mordred.  Lucy-san is a rather colorful character."

"As much as this discussion may be amusing, it would seem that we have company," Nightingale interjected.

Coming up the street was a massive horde of shadow servants mixed with factionless servants that were enhanced by madness.  They poured in with numbers in the thousands, shaking the ground that they trampled upon as they took notice of the cluster of magical energy coming from the four women.  Escaping was a viable option but that would only serve to delay the inevitable.  Therefore, the quartet would have to make a stand.

"Well this will be a piece of cake. Ready for the quickest shutdown ever?" Lucy chuckled as she cracked her neck.

"So many ill patients rushing my way, as a nurse it is my duty to cure them of their ailments even if they are against it.  Apologies in advance if you all happen to die during your treatment," Nightingale added whilst demonstrating her unique fighting spirit.

"Now this seems more like my speed," the Knight of Treachery grinned in delight.

"I shall do what I must," concluded Artoria.

As the four women took up their positions to fight back, the Nurse stepped forward with her aura surging around her body.  Her red eyes widened with an aggravated look courtesy of her class thus seeking to unleash her Noble Phantasm.

"This will render all acts of violence ineffective, but I shall take care to make sure that you all will be able to move freely and use your powers accordingly," the nurse addressed before focusing solely on the advancing horde.

"Treatment, start.  I will abstain from everything that is harmful and everything that is poisonous.  I will stop them with all my strength and guide everybody to happiness!  Nightingale Pledge!"

From that, the Angel of Mercy had activated her Noble Phantasm.  As the horde of enemies rushed towards the location of the group of heroines, they were all encapsulated within the might of the woman's power.  Sublimated from Nightingale's mentality of braving every single war zone and facing death on a daily basis, the concept of nurses being angels in white that help the sick originated from her legacy.  As her power was activated, an absolute safe zone graced by a luminescent, pale green aura washed over the immediate vicinity.  Within this area, toxins and hostility were nullified and her allies were healed of any ailments instantaneously.  All forms of aggression were also washed away which meant that magecraft and powers on the level of Noble Phantasms to fail in execution.  The enemies were affected by this as they were forced to drop their weapons and move about in a listless and unorganized manner.  Being spirits corrupted to their core, they still attempted to fight against the might of this power that was evoked by the woman.

"As mentioned before, I adjusted my ability so that you all could still use your powers and abilities.  Think of my Noble Phantasm as a means of rendering the enemy's tactics ineffective," the nurse explained.

"Heh, well why don't we just cut their advance all together?" Lucy grinned before casually snapping her fingers.

Instantaneously, all movement from the advancing wave of foes was cut off as the Grand Saber utilized her abilities as the Primordial Goddess of Time to halt the flow of time around them.

"All right Knights, why don't you two just clear them out in one big swoop or two?"

Taking the advice of the time-user, Artoria stepped forward with her blade now made visible after she banished away its invisible cloak.  The holy relic forged by divine hands revealed itself showcasing a brilliant, golden shine to its blade.  That same radiance began to encase the King of Knights and burn around her like a soothing fury.  Taking a stance and holding the blade up high above her head, that dense energy charged itself up more and more as she readied the might of her Noble Phantasm.

Rushing along next to her, Mordred mimicked her father by charging up the crimson aura within her blade like she did when she battled the Red Knight not too long ago.  Thanks to healing provided by Nightingale's field, all of her strength came back to her.  Standing side by side with the person she idolized, the pair of Sabers unleashed their attacks together.

"Clarent Blood Arthur!" shouted Mordred as she unleashed her crimson energy wave.

"EXCALIBUR!" exclaimed Artoria whilst releasing the golden cataclysm from the most famous holy sword in all of human history.

The powers of the two Noble Phantasms cascaded down the street and crashed into the docile hordes of enemies consuming them all by the hundreds.  The two waves of dense energies radiated into the sky in the forms of two giant pillars of light.   The number of foes had dwindled significantly but they were not out of the woods just yet.

"Again!"

"Yes Father!"

The two knights raised their blades up high and charged up once more before reciprocating the action they completed just prior.  As the spamming of the mighty blades ensued, the platoon of foes was wiped out thoroughly as well as some of the surrounding buildings within the city.  After the brief confrontation concluded, the quartet of women was left alone to go about their business and regroup with the rest of their scattered allies.

***** 

In another part of the city was the tallest building taking the shape of a 50-story, red tower.  Known for its role as once being the center of telecommunications and business transactions during the era of mankind, two figures came face to face with one another on the roof of the immense structure.  As the rain continued to fall down around them, the identities of the women were Kimiko Hanate and Tamamo-no-Mae.

"So you are the one whom I must face?  A shame, I was hoping for someone more entertaining looking than one whose fashion sense is as dull as the blank expression upon her face," the fox goddess began chuckling to herself.

"Says the one who's leaving nothing to the imagination and during a thunderstorm at that.  Seriously Tamamo, are you trying to see how much water you can carry between those tumors?" Kimiko shot back.

"Mikon! Do you not understand how rude you just sounded? My body is that of a goddess!  Humans like you should appreciate the sight of divine beauty and be humbled.  Jealousy is unbecoming of a woman you know.  It may very well give you wrinkles someday!"

"Goddess eh? Oh goodness, apologies then Megami-sama.  It's just that last I checked, Amaterasu was a 'Lesser' deity.  Not to question your intelligence or anything, O' Great Sun Incarnate, but art thou certain that attacking a simple mortal such as myself won't result in embarrassment should I happen to best you?  Though, I would not mind if this turns out for a shorter scene to be honest."

"Now you wish to disregard me as fodder? I see…then I suppose I shall erase you where you stand with the might of my Noble Phantasm."

A colossal pressure overcame the body of the Caster servant as she began to release all of the power contained within her that she suppressed.  She took out her sacred treasure in the shape of the unique mirror and let it float above her head growing in size whilst taking aim at her target below.  The open space around them began to change as purple shrine gates appeared around them.  She was going to utilize the power of the Eightfold Blessings of Amaterasu, her Noble Phantasm, but that realization would be cut short.

"You really do remind me my pillow's ex.  You know what I think of her?" Kimiko interrupted whilst maintaining a deadpan expression upon her face.

In an instant, the magical pressure surrounding Tamamo was shattered and her display of power was canceled.  Her sacred treasure busted into millions of tiny pieces and the fox female felt the very essence of life escape from her body.  By the time she managed to look down, she saw a single dagger lodged between her breasts striking the core of her existence as a vessel summoned by the Arcana Grail.  Without being able to utter words, all she could do was stare at the woman before her whom appeared motionless.  Tamamo was unable to see that move coming.  She didn't even discover the moment when Kimiko threw her dagger or even move a muscle at all.

"The answer is I don't.  She's irrelevant…just like you.  Be gone from this era and let the fire of your existence flicker out like an ember on the wick of a candle.  You can't become anything in my eyes if you were nothing to begin with."

With that, Tamamo-no-Mae disappeared into a golden light returning to the Throne of Heroes.  As Kimiko strolled over and casually picked up her dagger, she gazed out over the cityscape monitoring the happenings that were going on.

"It's only a matter of time…" she uttered quietly to herself.

Meanwhile in the stadium where the three factions came to blows with one another for a brief skirmish in this city, a long awaited confrontation between two women was currently taking place.  The Holy Maiden of Orleans vs. the Queen of the Land of Shadows, the two pillars of might that clashed the most over the period of this faction war despite sharing a common enemy.  Finally having a moment where the two could fight without interference from any other party, the two strong females were locked in their final battle.

The scarred arena that suffered damage from the massive skirmish just days ago had new scars just from the pressure of their magical energies.  As the Saint faced the Celtic legend, their eyes were locked on one another waiting to see who would make the first move.  Jeanne held onto her claymore blade with two hands, sliding one foot forward whilst keeping the other firmly dug into the ground behind her thus adjusting her shoulders for a suitable stance.  Scathach held two of her crimson lances in her hand pacing back and forth in front of her opponent visually testing to see if the Ruler-Saber hybrid had any opponents in her guard.

The drum-rolling of thunder resonated through the darkened skies above as the cold, gentle showering of rain dropped from the skies before kissing everything caught by its touch on the Earth.  The two warriors undeterred by the occurrences around them did not break focus.  It was then that a louder clap of sound from the heaven's blasted in the air like a deafening signal to begin which caused the two women to charge directly at one another.

Clashing in the center of the area, the dirt and soil underneath them sunk in thus creating a small crater. The resulting sound from the collision rippled out like a sonic boom and shook the foundation of the structure as if an earthquake had struck.  From there, the two began striking at each other faster than the eye could track, sparks flying through the air like fireflies.  This exchange continued on for at least 10 minutes, but in their minds it was much longer.  The women were evenly matched just like before when they clashed aboard Francis Drake's ship, but not all was as it seemed.

Jeanne's attacks were straightforward yet precise.  Even though her weapon of choice was a two-handed weapon whose weight could potentially throw off the balance of an unskilled warrior, the French battle maiden was able to maintain a consistent flow of strikes gracefully.  She brought her blade from the right side with both hands in a wide crescent sweeping motion intended to break into her opponent's midsection.  However, the spear user was able to parry using her weapon in her left hand thus knocking away from the oncoming attack.  From there, Jeanne transferred the momentum from the deflection and rushed towards her foe with the pommel of her blade.

She connected with Scathach's center mass thus knocking the Celtic woman back a bit.  From here, the Maiden of Orleans angled her wrists to where her blade dragged downward through the air before bringing it up as if aiming to cleave the opponent from navel to nose.  Using superior wits, the Lancer brought her right spear in and grinding the shaft of her weapon against the steel blade thus preventing a fatal blow.  Completing the motion of bringing the blade up, Jeanne rotated the weapon in her hands and swung it down managing to land a cut across the right shoulder going down in a diagonal direction.  

The cut wasn't too deep as the Lancer Hero used her superior flexibility to arch her body but the Ruler's blade was able to draw a little blood by cutting into the Celt's weak point in her armor.  Scathach did a backflip away from Jeanne using her two spears as pole vaults.  Landing on the other side of the small crater, the woman looked down at herself and saw the small blood trail leaking down from her shoulder area.  She cocked a raised eyebrow nodding silently to herself as if giving her opponent credit.

The Lancer-class woman then rushed in electing to play on the full offensive in order to give an appropriate response to that scratch.  Jeanne demonstrated the innate instinct to guard by bringing her weapon up in a horizontal direction with a twist of her upper torso thus embracing the initial thrust from Scathach's full frontal attack.  From there, the spear wielder began to perform a rapid chain of thrusts with her two lances.  Jeanne remembered this maneuver from their first encounter.  The only difference was that the attack was direct and it seemed like the strikes were coming in faster than the last time.  

Feeling herself being pushed back, Jeanne elected to spin to her blade around in a circle as if twirling it like a flag to parry the relentless assault.  Even with this defensive move, Scathach continued her onslaught.  She advanced further and further with her strikes.  Using her unique perception, the self-proclaimed God Slayer observed the wrist motion of her opponent's hands gauging the speed of the rotation of the blade.  Once she got a handle on the speed, the red-eyed Celt sidestepped and jabbed both her lances in such a rapid motion that it seemed like the weapons had curved.  This broke through Jeanne's guard as the strike managed to chip away the Maiden's left gauntlet and hit into the left side of her breastplate.  

"Guh!" Jeanne coughed as droplets of blood came out of her mouth.

Stunned, the Holy Maiden dropped her guard which would cost her.  Scathach stabbed her right lance into the ground and leapt up before swinging her left leg in a roundhouse motion thus kicking the female into the inner wall of the arena.

"I can admire the power of a relentless soul such as yours," the Queen of the Land of Shadows uttered as she walked briskly towards Jeanne's location.

The armored saint gradually raised herself using her blade as a crutch refusing to crumble before the Celtic goddess.  Taking her battle stance again, she saw that her adversary was standing just a few feet in front of her.

"Nevertheless, it's all pointless for you are at your limit whilst I have yet to have a proper warm up.  You managed to land a scratch on me and I shall praise you for that.  However Jeanne D'Arc, I shall now show you the gap between a prodigy of war and a talentless one such as yourself," the woman boasted.

Without yielding a chance for Jeanne to utter a comeback against the domineering tone that was showcased by her, Scathach kicked off the ground and rushed at her opponent.  Her speed was much faster than before indicating just a taste of how much she was holding back during the brief scuffle from before.  With her twin lances, she began to attack the Maiden of Orleans mercilessly.

Just before reaching a point of impact, the lancer jumped off the ground and attacked from the air by arching her left lance over her head as if to stab the woman in the neck.  Coupled with that motion, she used her right lance to attack from underneath thus combining her opening move as a pincer type attack.  Jeanne had clumsily evaded by pushing her weight down on her right blade and jumping away; however, she was not out of the woods yet.

Scathach quickly corrected her body by swinging the right lance in the general direction that Jeanne backed off to; she then crouched down on her left leg and sprang forward off of it to lunge at her target.  Hunkered low with her left lance ready, she thrust the weapon forward at Jeanne's midsection.  The Saint barely had the proper balance to deflect the blow.  This led to Scathach's momentum dominating the position of the holy warrior's sword thus collapsing her defense.  The Lancer-class woman spun her right wrist around and immediately brought her weapon forward.  She stabbed the weapon into the shoulder area of her opponent pushing with enough force to shatter the metallic surface and penetrate the blonde's flesh.

"GAH!" Jeanne hollered out from the sharp pain.

Scathach withdrew her weapon away from the punctured area before unleashing those rapid thrust attacks.  With her defense now broken and her balance thrown off, Jeanne was left helpless having to rely on the integrity of her armor to withstand the attacks.  The number of strikes that the lancer unleashed quickly numbered in the hundreds causing the armor plates of the Maiden of Orleans to crack and crumble before her might; but that was not all she was prepared to release upon her foe. 

The God Slayer stabbed two of her spears into the ground and hurled herself high into the air for a brief second and extended her arms out to her sides.  About 20 more of her lances materialized from behind her.  She then snapped her fingers as mysterious runes patterned with unique symbols like magic circles appeared around each of the lances.  Each one of them became imbued with different elements; some were ice, others were fire, and the remaining had lightning damage applied to them.  With a simple wave of her outstretched arms like a bird flapping its wings, the red rods of death rained down towards the Holy Maiden like ballistic missiles.

Witnessing the terrifying sight, Jeanne's body would not respond to her commands to move.  Therefore as a last ditch effort, she elected to tank the barrage.  She crouched down and brought her left arm in front of her summoning a giant shield compiled from the cape that she wore around her neck.  As the mass solidified, she braced herself for the impact.  Like a hailstorm of bullets, the elemental projectiles fired down upon her hitting the massive shield.  Some zipped past and assailed her body along the fragile armor pieces.  For what felt like an eternity, those spears poured down on the battle maiden's location.

The stadium shook from the intense pressure of the attack.  Dust was kicked up in the area as embers of fire, mists of ice, and sparks of electricity fluttered throughout the air.  Scathach landed on the ground and pulled her two lances from the dirt waiting for the cloud to clear out.  As the rain continued to soak the Earth, a small gust of wind came along and revealed the aftermath of that strong offensive.  Jeanne had fallen down to her knees.  Her armor had crumbled thus revealing areas of her skin which had been occupied by cuts seeping with blood.  Her shield managed to do its job but it shattered to pieces after the onslaught ended.  Beads of sweat, dirt, and blood covered the face of the holy woman.  

Scathach relinquished a sigh.  She began to channel her mana in her body.  Dark crimson energy mixed with hues of indigo and purple had gathered around her signifying the build-up of her Noble Phantasm—Gae Bolg Alternative.  The match had reached its conclusion.  The least the Celtic warrior could do was deliver a swift death.  However, the red-eyed woman raised an eyebrow because her battered and beaten opponent was doing something incredible.

Regardless of the state she was in, the pain she felt, the blood that seeped from her wounds, Jeanne refused to die like this.  The Ruler-Saber hybrid stabbed her claymore into the ground and began to slowly rise up on her two feet.  Her body screamed out in agony from the pain she felt after all of the wounds she suffered at the hand of the lancer.  Even so, she defied the idea of being executed like a worthless animal.  Sadly, the God Slayer did not care and the idea of mercy was out of the window.

"Stand on your feet all you want, the result is still the same.  Do you understand now? Someone like you is simple unable to challenge someone like me," Scathach remarked coldly.

"You're wrong…" Jeanne spat out in a strained exhale, "Alone, I may not stand a chance against you but…I'm not here by myself."

"Oh? Are you having a fit of delusion right now?" Scathach tilted her head to the side as she looked around.

"As you can see, it is only you and I in this structure.  Are you trying to deny your reality?"

The Holy Maiden merely shook her head sighing heavily in response.

"You just don't get it, do you? The last two centuries have been nothing but a series of unending struggles…yet through it all, I had them by my side—my unlikely family who stood by me no matter what.  Can you see their power now, Scathach?  Together we'll give you a prayer to mark your passage to the other world!"

It was here that Jeanne D'Arc stood straight up on her own two feet whilst raising her two-handed blade high above her head.  A dense rush of energy welled up from within her body as the steel edge of her weapon radiated with crimson and gold energy wrapping the blade in a beam of light.  Her power that she kept hidden until now was about to be unleashed in one shot in a form of a power that was not of her legend recorded in the past when she was first recorded in the Throne of Heroes.  No, this Noble Phantasm was a testament to the new version of herself that infinitely surpassed who she was in human history and any incarnation of her summoned before this great conflict.

"World Etude: Dystopian Revelation!"

As she cried out to heavens unleashing her power within, the concentrated energy within her blade was released.  This was an Anti-World Noble Phantasm that was the physical manifestation of the concepts of her beliefs, hardships, and experiences converted into an infinite light capable of erasing the very concept and existence of whatever it hits from all points in time, thus overwriting 'fate' in the process.  This testament of faith was something that was forged by Akaro and the rest of the faction under the woman's request; it had been empowered by 250 years of life experience.

"How is this possible?! No…I won't lose!" Scathach shouted out.

That pillar of light encased with the fury of her legacy was brought down upon the Queen of Death without further delay.  As the Celt bore witness to this display of shockingly awe-inspiring power, she had no choice but to rely on a last resort ability.  She had to act fast in order to have any hopes of guarding against that attack.

"Gate of Skye!"

A massive stone door appeared above her head pattered with stone spikes and engraved with the two horses on the threshold.  As it opened up, inside was the reality known as the Land of Shadows.  Upon invocation, a black hole emerged thus sucking up everything in front of it.  This was Scathach's ultimate method of clearing out widespread armies; however, it was used for defensive purposes in this unique case.

"Your life of miracles shall end here, Jeanne D'Arc!" the Celtic spear-wielder of great renown declared.

Holding a smug grin upon her face, she poured everything she could into this technique.  She placed her great legacy on the line for this moment.  She was the one who could never die, the one who treaded upon the border between life and death with ease.  The mighty beauty who boasted of the ability to slay gods and whose lessons were sought after by all promising warriors in the known world.  To fall before a mere peasant girl who just prayed for her strength without putting in the effort to attain strength for herself would ruin Scathach's name.  Therefore, this testament of the Lancer's peerless might would have showcased the monumental difference between them.  One who stood on the precipice of power and one who waded in ashes, which was how the Maiden of Death saw it.

Even with this obstacle before her, it did not hinder Jeanne from releasing all of her current strength on her opponent.  As that mighty beam of light descended, it collided with the gate.  The Lancer was hoping to evade the attack but not only was it destroyed; the realm that it was connected to was also wiped out.  In the eyes of the God Slayer, it was as if she just witnessed the complete eradication of her legend.  Even though she saved herself by invoking that last method of defense, she lost all the same.

Left to stand there in shock, Scathach dropped her lances on the ground.  Her legs trembled with terror while gazing at the scarred maiden before her.  Jeanne stumbled towards her testifying to the strength she still possessed.  This was not something the Celtic warrior could remotely predict since she had once seen this Holy Maiden as nothing more than an obstacle of lesser importance.

"It doesn't matter who you are or how talented you seem to be.  If given the chance, even a worthless girl like me will close the gap between what it means to be nobody and a genius," the warrior of Heaven proclaimed, still advancing towards the woman.

The holy swordswoman's consciousness then faded out as she collapsed forward, but she did not hit the ground.  Scathach snapped out of her fearful gaze and stepped forward thus impeding her former opponent's fall.  Catching her in her arms, the woman could only look down at the girl's worn out face.

"I see…perhaps I have been wrong this entire time.  How shameful of me to realize your true worth after all of this conflict, you are most assuredly a great warrior…one that has earned my wholehearted respect."

As the red-eyed woman gazed up towards the storm clouds, she witnessed yet another impossible phenomenon.  She saw the beast known as Kiara occupying the entirety of the heavens about to devour everything using her noble phantasm.  The Earth trembled immensely causing the ground to split apart.  Buildings that long stood the test of time wavered in their foundation as they threatened to loosen and ascend towards the skies above.  

A black vortex filled with the ominous aura of the Beast-class female had warped the atmosphere transforming it into a void-like region of unknown space where the ghosts of ruin and death had slumbered.  Slowly but surely, all remaining life of this planet would be consumed by the colossal entity gazing over the stars.  

"It would seem this war shall come to an end with no one winning in the end," Scathach observed, but the woman had spoken too soon.

Like a predator lunging for its prey, a mystical beast had slashed its way through the air.  Taking the shape of a crimson dragon, an explosive wave of energy cascaded above endlessly before traversing into the skies.  As its appearance soared by, a tsunami of pressure wafted over the face of the Earth yielding an essence of reassurance that hope was still alive.   In a brilliant display, the dragon tackled that cosmic being head on swallowing the beast. Vanishing from sight, the existence of Kiara Sessyoin had been erased. 

"Such a display of power…" Scathach muttered to herself before looking down at Jeanne once more.

"Your faction seems to have the talent for creating miracles."

***** 

In an unspecified location taking refuge behind some large rock formations hundreds of miles away from Fuyuki City was the trio of Raizo, Altera, and Raikou.  The Stormbringer needed a place to concentrate in order to reach out through the Astral Plane with the help of Nirvana thus allowing himself to contact the other allies he had.  The first person he established a connection with was his brother, Akaro.  The man was in dire straits and struggling with an issue of himself.  After giving him a bit of a wakeup call, Raizo cut the connection to collect his thoughts.  Not even a few minutes passed until his focus was thrown off.

"This presence," he uttered before gazing up at the skies.

"Senpai, that's…" Altera attempted to speak but her voice trailed off.

"Oh my…what kind of monstrosity is that?" Raikou added as well turning her head in the same direction.

In the sky, the visage of Kiara consumes the darkness of the clouds that were once blanketing the surrounding area.  Seeing the Beast-class servant and feeling her energy gave the Crimson Harbinger a strong sense of déjà vu thus recalling his encounter with Tiamat.

She couldn't have come back already…could she?

The concern of the woman's presence occupied his mind, but that would not last for long.  A strong resonating quake had reverberated throughout the realms of existence as the emergence of an even greater power made it known.  The glorious crimson luster forming a dragon had blitzed through the heavens aiming straight for the giant projection of the servant up above.  In that next second, her existence was completely erased before the dense energy dissipated into the distant cosmos.

"What did I just bear witness to?" asked a very distraught Raikou clutching her hands over her chest.

"That power…Senpai that was him…" Altera said turning towards the masked warrior.

"Of course it was.  Aniki just needed a little bit of a push to get out of his head.  Heh, I knew he had it in him," Raizo boasted proudly through his mask.

The Saber once known as the incarnation of destruction pressed a hand to her chest whilst relinquishing a heartfelt smile.  She could not help but feel this indescribable warmth in her chest beholding how both Akaro and Raizo discovered newfound strength in the face of impossible odds.  The Red Knight, a man who saved her from her cruel fate whom she fought beside for centuries had fallen into despair and ruin.  Something that was a fate she could not have ever imagined for the man but was able to rediscover who he was and evolve with some help from the young man in front her.  This person—who was not one of those that she would recognize from the Throne of Heroes—known as the Crimson Harbinger of Death and the Red-Eyed Stormbringer helped her realize the worth of herself despite of their lack of familiarity with one another.  One, who willingly sacrificed his own safety to preserve her life and the life of a woman that should have been his foe, yet rose up against all odds to defy his fate.  Both of these men had strength that eclipsed her wildest dreams and impacted her life.  She couldn't help but to feel a certain way towards them both.

"Now then…" Raizo began as he summoned Nirvana allowing her to show off her human form.  The stout little blond emerged with her arms folded looking at the two women.

"Um…Senpai, is this your child?" Altera asked with a slight head tilt.

"Raizo-sama, are you perhaps a father?" Raikou swiftly asked.

"EH?! NO! W-What's wrong with you both? I-I'm only 19 years old so there's no way I would be a father at such a young age.  B-Besides, I'm not even married yet so…t-there's a proper order to these things!" the youth expressed with a flustered tone.

"Kaka, perhaps I should call you 'Papa' now, my master," Nirvana chuckled.

"Not helping you unfunny scythe spirit…" Raizo countered.

"Aww, way to ruin the fun; anyways, I am not his child.  I am the physical manifestation of one of his weapons.  You may call me Nirvana.  And you can both relax; I know how much you two want to jump his bones.  Your astral energy betrays your feelings," teased the small female.

"That's not…what are you trying to say here? Senpai, this child has a terrible sense of humor!" Altera swiftly responded with a slight blush on her face thus crossing her arms and turning away.

"W-Well, I did say that Raizo-sama could make any request he has of me since I am his prisoner.  If that is the case then…let the thunder from the heavens be a sign of our imminent union.  That is…if he doesn't mind a woman of my stature," Raikou clutched herself, twisting her body where she stood with a sly grin.

"W-Would all of you please stop? T-There is serious business to attend to here…damn…why do women always give me such a hard time? Mou, what did I do to deserve this?" he sighed underneath his mask.

"Kaka. Fine, fine my master.  What is it that you require of me?" Nirvana nodded becoming serious now.

"I need you to connect me to all of the remaining members of our faction through the Astral Plane like you did before.  Is that possible?" the Stormbringer asked.

"Of course it is. Do you wish for me to include the tall and curvy one as well?" Nirvana asked in reference to Raikou.

"What do you think, Altera?" he turned to the Hun Princess.

"She claims that she is our prisoner, perhaps a potential ally but…I'm not sure how everyone else would react," the tanned girl answered.

"You don't have to include me on your communications. I understand that you have reservations about trusting me.  I know that my fate is one that is still undecided so…" the Berserker-class female chimed in.

"I suppose that will allow us to discuss what to do with her. Well Nirvana, let's exclude her for now until we can get everyone caught up. Do your magic," Raizo stated.

"Yes, my master."

A few moments pass before Raizo and Altera are connected to Kimiko, Akaro, Lucy, Nightingale, Artoria, and Jeanne within the colorful realm of the Astral Plane.   With the projections of all the said individuals present, the Stormbringer took a sigh of relief knowing that they were okay.

"Oi kiddo, you learnin' new tricks eh?" observed Lucy with a small grin.

"Yeah, kinda spur of the moment but it works out.  We needed a way to touch base and the spirit within one of my weapons provided a way," Raizo responded.

"Be sure to give Nirvana a pat on the head for me, job well done on her part," Kimiko commented casually.

"Y-Yeah, I'll do that Onee-sama."

"Yo lil' bro thanks for the words of encouragement back there, you saved my ass for once," Akaro chuckled.

"Yeah well Aka-sensei isn't around to slap the hell outta you so I took on the task I guess," Raizo shrugged.

"Oi, Last I checked, I was the one doing the spanking…"

"Aniki…too much information…"

"Hey, just sayin'."

"Anyways…we can catch up a bit when we're all reunited.  Is everyone okay?" the Stormbringer asked whilst addressing the group.

"Of course, had a pest control problem to take care of but I'm fine.  Just enjoying the view of the city at the moment," Kimiko nodded.

"Me, Artoria, and Nightingale had a little cleaning up to do in the city…also, Miss King of Knights over here brought a new soldier to the cause," Lucy added.

"I would take that one's cooperation with a grain of salt.  Mordred is very fickle with her allegiances," Artoria stated with a slight sigh.

"Oh so she decided to join up after I kicked her ass? Well ain't that somethin'," the Red-Eyed Hero chuckled.

"So you were the one who left that child in such a state…I take it she bit off more than she could chew?"

"Yeah, I was at a bit of a disadvantage for a bit but superior knowledge and skill goes a long way.  Seems like I beat some sense into the girl, but that's what she gets for bullying another servant for no apparent reason."

"Wait what? You ran into more servants too, Akaro?" Lucy asked curiously.

"Yeah, she's another Berserker-class servant.  Her True Name is Frankenstein but I just call her 'Fran' for short."

"Ah yes, the supposed 'failed' creation of Victor Frankenstein popularized in Mary Shelly's novel.  Does she require medical attention?" Nightingale spoke with intrigue.

"Er…no, she's fine. I helped her out with that so…yeah.  Guess that makes three servants to join our side."

"There may be another as well," Jeanne interrupted the Red-Eyed Hero, "Though I fell unconscious after our battle, I do believe Scathach shall join our side in fighting against the King of Heroes and the King of Mages.  Thank you Akaro and everyone else for helping me develop that Noble Phantasm for the past 250 years of this conflict."

"Heh, so you managed to use it at last? That's my girl.  I'm proud of ya," the red-eyed male winked.

"A..Akaro…" Jeanne blushed clasping her hands over her chest before glancing to her side.

"Wait, Akaro-san," Altera spoke up in that next instant interrupting the moment, "You said three servants are joining us right? We confirmed Mordred and Fran…so before Jeanne-san brought up Scathach, who was the servant you were speaking of?"

"Oh…well um, this isn't going to be easy to say but it would seem Solomon used the grail to summon another Heroic Spirit to fight for him.  She is an Avenger-class servant whose name is Jeanne D'Arc Alter…or Jalter for nickname purposes," Akaro explained.

"Wait…two Jeannes but of different classes? That's…not possible right?" Raizo tilted his head to the side.

"No, it is possible.  Certain heroes recorded in the Throne have versions of themselves that are not born from history.  Usually they are born of legends involving a 'what-if' factor or by the twisted wish of an outside force.  In some cases, they are born from the original legend's extreme sense of regret but..." Artoria began theorizing before her voice trailed off.

"In this case, it looks like the King of Mages tried to summon a version of Jeanne that would trick me and take advantage of my past experiences with her…" Akaro sighed.

"So, she's the evil incarnation of me? But surely two copies of the same Spirit Origin can't exist at the exact same time," Jeanne proposed.

"No, you may be similar and share the same memories but your experiences differ.  One could consider that she is the darkness reflected within you when you were burned at the stake before you died.  Even though you buried that unconscious notion within, someone must've visualized that darkness as an outcome for an entirely different Jeanne.  One who would share the same experiences as you but feel differently or rather the opposite of everything you chose to bear until now."

"Then, how can we trust someone like that? Just because she shares the same face as Jeanne, does that truly mean she will fight alongside us?" Artoria noted.

"It's complicated but regardless of her nature, she's still Jeanne.  If some modicum of darkness exists in the Jeanne we all know and love then the opposite must be true.  Deep beneath all of that despair and anguish in Jalter must existed some form of good," Akaro concluded.

"Seeing the best within people has always been your talent.  I trust your judgment," Kimiko said plainly.

"It worked in my case so I'm fine with it," Raizo agreed.

"This better be a good judgment and not because she a nice rack and a great ass, Akaro.  Otherwise, I'll punch ya then I'll let Mercer know ya done messed up with those antics," Lucy teased.

"Well…we are talking about an edgy twin of Jeanne here so…" Akaro winked.

"A-Akaro! B-Be serious here…goodness," the Ruler-Saber hybrid blushed.

"Anyways," the Stormbringer coughed, "We also have an interesting case with us."

"Yes, it would appear that the Berserker-class known as Minamoto-no-Raikou has surrendered to us.  She has taken quite a liking to Senpai…" Altera sighed with annoyance.

"Oho? My son is awakening the pimp gene?" Lucy asked with an interested tone.

"Well then, this is quite a surprise.  Wait…Raikou is the tall, curvy chick with the giant rack right? Isn't she some relation to Indra? I can see the connection now…" Akaro analyzed.

"Aniki, Mom, this is a serious issue! S-She is trying to be very hands on you know…" Raizo stammered in a flustered tone.

"Heh, hey lil' bro…has she called you 'Daddy' yet?" 

"ANIKI!"

"What? Hey man, you better start recognizing that charm of yours.  Best get used to it now because the ladies are gonna dig on ya."

"Mou…Onee-sama, can't you do something about this?"

"Hmm…well…perhaps experimenting with different partners can…" Kimiko was saying until the Stormbringer interrupted her.

"NOT YOU TOO!!" 

"Apologies for interrupting everyone's fun but I regret to inform you that I cannot establish a connection with Captain Drake," Nirvana's disembodied voice interjected.

"I was wondering when you were all going to take notice," Kimiko shook her head.

"Yeah…seems like we got a little distracted here.  I'm sensing her energy but it's very faint.  I'll head over to investigate with Fran and Jalter.  Let's all meet up in Solomon's territory for the final showdown," Akaro suggested.

"It seems like Sekigahara and Fuyuki City were diversions.  After all, why would he want to execute his end game outside of his lands?" Jeanne added whilst shaking her head in disappointment over her lack of attention to that detail.

"Do not worry yourself too much, Jeanne-san.  We can all reunite and end this war together.  Now that two of the factions have joined forces, the King of Mages will have to deal with quite a troublesome force," Artoria encouraged.

"Then let's meet in the southern region and end this war once and for all," Altera reaffirmed.

As everyone nodded in agreement, the connection through the Astral Plane was severed.   Raikou took a moment to sense the mana from the pirate captain in order to ascertain her location.

"Yeah…it is weak but she's definitely alive," he said aloud.

"Senpai?" Altera said whilst raising an eyebrow.

"Raikou-san you're no longer our prisoner, but someone who has an opportunity to join us.  I have no reason to execute you and I also have no reason to coerce you into cooperating with us.  Your life is your own so the choice is yours," the young man expressed while looking at the giantess.

"I wish to assist you in bringing this conflict to an end, no matter what that role may be," spoke the tall beauty courageously. 

"Good.  Then both of you try to keep up, we're going to get Captain Drake back."

In a mad burst of speed, the trio raced towards the last known location where the Golden Hind descended in smoldering flames.

***** 

The Golden Hind was split in half consumed within the heat of smoldering flames.  As the sails of her legendary vessel dissolved from the touch of the intense embers, the masts of her ship snapped and crumbled behind her.   The ship that became a symbol of hope and a source of miracles for the British Empire had fallen.  The proud captain couldn't help but feel a gripping pain inside of her heart upon this sight.

"We've been through the ringer, haven't we partner?" Drake smirked whilst suffering through her injuries.  Suddenly, her mind was taken back to when she first boarded the vessel and set sail back in the 16th century.

It was a quiet night in the courtyard of the palace where the royal family resided.  Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, had spent much of her recent years confined to the castle after an accident which scarred her face.  Once a ceremonious beauty that drew the admiration of all those who looked upon her face, she hid herself away after suffering her injury.  Few people ever saw her out and about.  Her closest attendants and her top advisors were counted among these people, along with a certain special someone.

That person was the eccentric captain known as Francis Drake.  The two had shared a deep and personal relationship that no one else had ever known of.  Their romance could have been considered a real life fairy tale.  It was one that was both a beautiful love story, yet a tragic endeavor all the same.  Upon withdrawing behind the walls of the palace, Drake was shown a secret path to take in order to get to the Queen by one of the maids whom Elizabeth trusted above all others.  Knowing that she would have this person's love always comforted the Queen; however, her lack of freedom still drained the essence of happiness from her.

During this particular night, the navigator was making one last trip to see her before setting sail on the ambitious voyage to circumnavigate the world; a trip that has not been attempted since Ferdinand Magellan's time whom passed away halfway through his journey.  As the disheartened queen sat under the glistening light of the moon painted with thick make-up to obscure the scar, she couldn't help but to cry from seeing her lover's face.

"What's wrong my love?  Why do you shed such tears?" the person asked.

She gazed at the person's face.  Those fine features of the sailor made the person possess such a beauty that treaded the line of feminine and masculine.  Even being an individual hardened by the seas' cruelty could never have detracted from that handsomeness.  Added with a heart just as heavenly as the exterior made the person a rare flower that one wondered if they were a direct imagine of God.

"My dear, you've no idea how I wish to see you off on your voyage firsthand.  You who not only provides hope for my kingdom but one who has captured my heart as well.  I wish I could be free again…I grow tired of being in these gardens and locked up like a prisoner.  I want to see everyone and everything with my own eyes, free from having to worry about my appearance.  This crown has become my chain with this castle serving as my prison.  I just wish I could sail away and forget it all or at least journey with you," the Queen of England expressed with heartfelt woe.

"If you but wish it, then I shall provide it.  Tonight, I shall be the key to your freedom.  All you have to do is trust in me.  Can you do that?" Captain Drake inquired with a warm smile.

"Of course, I believe in you with my whole heart.  Mind, body, and soul, everything that I am, I entrust to you."

"Then tonight shall serve as beginning of life anew for both of us…"

And sure enough, that was indeed the case.  Sailing across the seas with the Golden Hind, Francis Drake circumnavigated the world, paved the way for the establishment of the East India Company, and credited for the virtual destruction of Spain's Invincible Armada.  The Voyager of the Storm, El Draque, and the King of Ghosts, all of those titles was given life as a result of that night and the name of the infamous navigator went down in history.  The legend and the glorious ship became such a strong symbol that it was told to have joined Avalon with the great hero, King Arthur.  Both of which were believed to someday return to the world and bring the true glory of Britain back to life.  Indeed, it was quite the fairy tale life.

As the visage of the mighty Hanging Gardens of Babylon loomed overhead, the lone survivor of the fall stumbled out.  Blood seeping from her forehead and down her arms, her clothing in tatters covered soot and sweat, her body screaming in agony from the blow of the crash.  None of that mattered to the Pirate Queen known as Francis Drake.  She gazed up at that floating fortress and cracked a smile cocking her pistols.

"You think I'll go down that easy?!  I am the woman who brought down the sun! Remember it for all time!"

The fearless captain gritted her teeth thus ignoring the sting of her wounds.  She aimed her pistols straight at the looming fortress above.  Boasting the highest luck factor among her fellow Heroic Spirits summoned to participate in this war, the bold pirate sought to push everything to the limit.  If she was to fall here, she would lay it all on the line by not backing down from this fight.

A small set of dimensional rifts opened from behind her as 12 cannons were pushed through.  Arranged in the formation of a set of broadside weapons on a ship, she channeled her mana into them and took aim at the floating structure above before opening fire.  The barrage of cannon fire coupled with the super charged bullets from her flintlock pistols soared straight at the Hanging Gardens.  However, all the ammunition did was bounce off the massive Anti-World Noble Phantasm.  Even so, Francis Drake did not lose courage in the face of this adversity.  In response to her volley, the enemy vessel took aim as giant blue runes of magic appeared around it before unleashing magical blasts to erase the foolish opponent.

"Tch…as if something like that can take me down!" screamed the crimson-pink haired woman.  She overcame the pressure of her injuries and dodged the onslaught of attacks.

From here, it was a repeated pattern of that.  Drake evaded her opponent's fearsome magical blasts whilst taking quick shots at the fortress with her guns.  Even if she couldn't damage the immense fortress, she would at least annoy her enemy to the point where they wear down the amount of mana they possess.

Inside of the Hanging Gardens, the Queen of Assyria sat upon her throne in the control room watching her foe's feeble display of bravery against her might. 

"Damn this woman…her ridiculous EX-luck status is becoming a thorn in my side.  She simply refuses to accept her death with dignity.  Very well, I shall force her demise upon her regardless.  Your fortune has reached its end, Francis Drake," Semiramis ranted whilst gritting her teeth in a quiet yet seething fury.

"Let's see how you contend with the ultimate defense of my Hanging Gardens," the yellow-eyed woman boasted channeling her magical energy to fire off the fortress' main defensive attack, "Tiamtum Uumuu!"

From that incantation, a twinkling star of indigo light appeared in front of the Hanging Gardens before releasing a concentrated laser beam of death down towards the intended target.  It was a devastating blast that would erase the Pirate Captain as well as everything in the general vicinity.  This attack was an interception spell comparable with Anti-Army Noble Phantasms that could overwhelm A-Rank Magic Resistance and boasted enough power to kill the legendary Heracles in a single shot.

Down on the ground, Drake watched as the massive, cascading blast snaked its way towards her.  She could feel the very essence of superior strength coming from it.  Her luck had finally run out.  This would be the last stand of the notorious El Draque.  The woman spread out her arms and closed her eyes with a smile upon her face.

"It was one hell of a ride.  I leave everything up to you, Nii-san," the captain said.

The intensity of the magical blast of death drew closer and closer, the heat from the impending energy projectile washing over her face.  Just as that attack sought to wipe her out, something miraculous occurred in that very moment.  The crashing noise of that monstrous attack rang out in her ears, but Drake did not feel her life being stolen thus returning back to the Throne of Heroes.  Unsure of what to think, she opened her eyes carefully.

In front of her appeared the build of a familiar red-eyed man sporting a different outfit than what she last saw him wearing.  His tall and muscular silhouette hovered over her whilst two draconian wings sprouted from his back and spread out to completely block the dense magic.  As the light blinded out the area behind him, the guise of the figure seemed like something out of a distant dream.  To the wounded pirate, the man bore a striking resemblance to an angel cast out of heaven with the sole purpose of saving her life.  With all the sin that she committed in her past, she never really thought of herself as the religious type.  But in this moment, she couldn't help but to believe in something greater than herself.

"You're not one to give up so easily, Elizabeth," the voice of Akaro rang out in her ears.  Just as her eyes adjusted to the light so she could make out the man's face, her lips were seized by him.  She felt the passion communicated by that kiss as her injuries instantly healed over and her pain was torn away from her.  In addition, felt embraces from two other people around her.

"Tch…I can't believe I have to go out of my way to hug this lewd pirate," muttered the voice of Jalter.

"Uaah…" Fran added with a strong huff of frustration.

"Be nice you two," Akaro said breaking the kiss.  The light around him from the intense energy dissipated thus revealing the small group.

"Oya…oya Nii-san, it's good to see you too.  Heh…you really had to call me by that name eh?" Francis Drake—also known as Queen Elizabeth—blushed slightly.

"I had to in order to wake you up."

"Well thanks for savin' my ass, but uh…who are these two? And why does this one look like the edgier version o' Jeanne?"

"It's a bit of a long story.  We'll talk after…"

A massive streak of lightning brazenly split open the skies as it bombarded its way to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.  Within it was the Stormbringer fully armored up and ready for battle as he swiftly traversed his way into enemy territory.  Meanwhile, two figures joined the quartet on the ground.

"Akaro-san!" Altera shouted out with Raikou behind her.

"Well then, you guys decided to join the party as well?" Akaro asked as all attention was diverted to the pair of women that seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Yes, Raizo-senpai was concerned for Drake-san as well so he wanted to head over here to help."

"I see. So the giant one behind ya is the woman who just surrendered casually?" 

"Yes, it's a rather intriguing story."

"Welp, my lil' bro has got this from here so why don't we catch up?" Akaro suggested.  Nodding in agreement, the group talked amongst themselves during this brief respite of time.

"Not only did she survive, but the number of enemies has multiplied? And the Red Knight of all people had to show up too?  Wait, why is Raikou among them? Tch…this is more troublesome than it's worth," Semiramis gritted her teeth in annoyance whilst looking down on the surface of the Earth through a magic rune monitor.

Her largest attack using the Hanging Gardens had been rendered ineffective and deflected by the man standing amongst the group.  She knew that she had been outmatched now that he was standing with the Rider servant.  Factoring in the appearance of the other Heroic Spirits, including the woman whom she thought was an ally, the Wise Queen felt that it would be prudent to retreat.

"I despise the idea of running away like a coward, however…"

Her monologue was then interrupted by the crackling echoes of lightning followed by an explosive clap of thunder.  Raising her upper torso in her throne, she cast an exasperated gaze down below to find the figure of someone that she was briefed of days ago. Clad in a black hooded-cape and armor, Raizo had burst his way into Semiramis' throne room surrounded by sparks of purple electricity circulating around his body.

Silence wafted through the room.  Semiramis and Raizo merely stared at each other from afar.  The Queen couldn't read her opponent's face in order to gauge what he was planning since a mask had blocked her perceptive vision.  Regardless, the man was foolish to come into her domain uninvited and alone.  As such, her dense magical aura shook the entirety of the room as she pulled out a singular glass vial filled with green liquid.

"Sikera Usum:  Arrogant King's Alcohol," she uttered calmly thus activating her most lethal Noble Phantasm.

The entire vicinity within the throne became flooded by poison.  The air, the magical energy, along with everything spawned by her magecraft became saturated in a deadly toxin.  This certain-kill Noble Phantasm was the manifestation of the first recorded poisoning in history, the death of Semiramis' husband.  As the caustic atmosphere filled the room, the Stormbringer became immersed in the suffocating clouds.  To intensify the seriousness of the issue, some of the poison shifted into chains binding the armored assassin around his body and limbs thus leaving him in an unguarded position.

Adding onto this, the World's Oldest Poisoner conjured up creatures to serve her intent.  A legion of Dragon Wing Warriors spawned in the mists, their skeletal bodies composed of the poison as they held rusted swords, axes and spears marching to surround their target.  Reinforcing their ranks were giant Primeval Snakes numbering about four as they circled around the room eyeing their prey.  But that was not all because one more creature had sprang up from the poisonous fog from being Semiramis' throne.  The serpentine beast was about two times larger than its other slithering brethren.  With a dark green body, long arms with razor sharp talons, dangerous sickle-like teeth, six yellow eyes, and jagged spines along its body made for shredding its prey, the Phantasmal beast held a magical energy similar to an enemy the Stormbringer fought before.  After all, this monster was one of the eleven demons birthed by Tiamat possessing a poison more lethal than anything in the room.  Its name was Basmu.

All of these monstrosities eyed Raizo like the prey he appeared to be.  The Divine Beast in particular descended towards the Crimson Harbinger opening its mouth slowly as it leaked out its toxins.  Any other individual caught within this nest would have suffered and begged for death.  Even a mighty hero like Heracles would take his life from dealing with the stinging pain inflicted by inhaling these chemicals.  However, the hooded warrior was far above this.  His body had adapted to all manners of darkness, poisons, and other foreign intruders that could afflict human beings as well as lesser divine beings when he battled against Leviathan.  Although this trick could be considered impressive, it was nothing more than an unnecessary distraction.

His eyes beneath the mask shifted into the deep garnet hue.  Scanning the entirety of the room, he could see that these manifestations were nothing more than mindless creatures.  Their origin was all tethered by a dense source of energy coming from the woman on top of that throne.  He could see how threads of her power fed into each and every entity within this room including the air.  There was only one path before him, to sever it all in one single shot.

The electricity around his body became dyed in crimson hue.  The field of the static around him grew more and more slowly forming an orb of pressure.  The room began to shake and shudder from the strange interference emanating from the body of the youth.  Targeting the essence of all the magic being discharged in the area, the male shattered the chains that bound his body and release a massive shockwave of lightning.  Instantaneously, all of the creatures were dispelled and wiped away down to the molecular composition of their bodies and by extension, erasing the poison.

Having to turn away from the brightness of the maneuver, Semiramis opened her eyes and witnessed how her final line of defense was rendered useless.  She couldn't help but to be astonished by it all.  The abilities of the figure before her vastly outclassed her own.  In that very next moment as she sought to locate his presence, the person was gone.  The male had then appeared right in front of her looming over her position on the throne.

As she stared at the mask over his face and saw the radiance of those garnet colored eyes, she could sense the strength emanating from him.  She adjusted her position on her throne carefully before taking a small gulp.  In the back of her mind, she was forcing herself to come to terms with the fact that she was going to die here.  She overplayed her hand and underestimated the allies that Francis Drake possessed.  Just as she was trying to settle her nerves, the phantom before her reached up towards his head and flipped back his hood.  He removed his mask and latched it to his waist for a moment whilst the rest of his helmet had retracted thus revealing his visage.  As the Heroic Spirit gazed upon the handsome features of the young man, the poisoner felt like she had a knot in her chest causing her heart to seemingly skip a beat.

"Not sure if you heard the news, but…the circumstances of this war have changed.  More than half of your allies are gone while others have joined us, including your leader Scathach.  I'm not going to hold you accountable for wrecking our ship and scattering us across the land.  Hell that was a genius move since an all-out battle would have been considerably uglier," Raizo began to explain.

The youth then leaned over her throne and placed his hand on the back of her seat.  His eyes, which were now their regular crimson shade, met with hers giving her a full close-up of his face.

 "Considering the odds, I'd like to think you could also make for a better ally than someone who decided to throw her life away in this damn war.  What do you say? Why don't we put an end to that bastard, Goetia?  Help aid a cause that's worth fighting for in which all of you Heroic Spirits can actually enjoy another chance at life without having to fight for someone's selfish purposes."

The youth then stands upright away from the woman and extends to her a hand thus representing an opportunity.  The Wise Queen of Assyria was currently in a daze.  She heard everything that the male had to say to her but at the moment, it felt like she was caught up within a dream.  In her life, she was always a pawn in a man's game.  Her beauty and desirable trait made her an item that men pursued profusely in order to gain status thus being forced into all kinds of political marriages.  It drove her to the point of the madness in which she perused her ego and used her visage as a weapon to kill her enemies thus gaining significant power as a queen.

Even in this war, she was sought after for something she had and not because of who she was; therefore, she became yet another pawn being played according to someone else's games.  Except this time, she went along with it since it was a strong female being the Queen of the Land of Shadows. The person before her was yet another man and yet another individual seeking her, but not out of his own volition.  Whether he realized it or not, he was offering her a chance that she did not think would ever come to her.  That gesture right now was like a breath of fresh air, a chance to begin anew; it was something she wanted for so long—a choice.

One may think that this was an act of coercion.  The unmasked individual may be giving her a choice, however, his words construe that he is forcing her to choose between life and working with him or death.  In her eyes, it was not like that.  The female understood that she was beaten; she embraced the idea of meeting her death.  This man was giving her a chance to redeem herself and to fight against the person who essentially caused this war in the first place. 

I don't understand…why do I feel so warm inside right now? For once, am I being seen as something more than a pawn in a game?  This man…he's giving me a second chance, something I didn't think I was ever worthy of.

Silencing the thoughts in her mind, the woman whose face was dyed by the pink shade of a blush reached up and grasped the man's hand gently.

"W-Who are you?" she asked timidly whilst rising up from her throne.  Even though she knew his name from that briefing, she wanted to hear it come from his lips.

"My name is Raizo Mercer.  I'm not a Heroic Spirit like you, but I am determined to help put an end to this war.  What's your name?" he asked with a positive glint in his eyes.

"I-I am…I mean.  My name is Semiramis, a hybrid-class Heroic Spirit of Assassin and Caster.  Thank you for sparing my life, Raizo-san," she replied before looking away.

"Easy, you don't have to be so formal with me.  Also, I wasn't planning on killing you to begin with, Semiramis-san.  I wanted to talk first, but…we were in the middle of a battle so.  Anyways, why don't we get out of here and tell the others that everything is all good?" 

"Y-Yes, I suppose so.  Although, I'm not sure that pirate will be as forgiving since I destroyed her beloved ship and almost killed her."

"Eh, Drake isn't that petty.  She might make a smart remark or two about it, but gathering everyone up to fight the real enemy is the main priority.  Oh, I…um, this might be weird, but it's best I do this."

Raizo suddenly swooped Semiramis up into his arms like a princess.

"E-Eh?! R-Raizo-san, I'm grateful that you spared my life b-but, isn't this a little too sudden?  M-My heart isn't ready for such boldness!"

"Whoa, whoa, I-I'm not like that at all. I-I just move really fast so it's easy if you just hang on to me.  That's all….mou…n-now my focus is thrown off…"

"No, no, I apologize.  Please, if you are being considerate then," Semiramis blushed as she hugged her arms around Raizo's neck and pressed herself against him.

"I entrust my care to you."

"F-Fine, just um…h-hold on tight please."

In that instant, the Stormbringer took off outside the Hanging Gardens carrying the woman with him.

During the time in which Raizo was battling inside the Anti-World fortress looming over the battlefield, Akaro, Altera and all of the other Heroic Spirits familiarized themselves with one another.  As the chatter among the group died down, a flash of light streaked its way towards the ground revealing Raizo holding Semiramis in his arms.  The poisoner was still holding on tightly to the Stormbringer blushing heavily.  Seeing this, looks of jealously had arisen from Altera and Raikou.

"Alright Semiramis-san, you can let go now," Raizo suggested with a soft voice before trying to let her down.

"O-Oh, I see…that was quite the quick descent. Right, if you'll excuse me then," she muttered sticking her legs out as she stood on her own two feet.  Once on the ground, she ran her fingers through her long black hair before looking to the side.

"Senpai…that took longer than I had anticipated…" Altera said aiming a slight glare at the armored individual.

"Well we did have a little bit of a battle then after using a move or two; I just had to offer a gesture of good will.  All is well.  Semiramis-san will join us," nodded the male with a satisfied look upon his face.

"My…you look rather pale Semiramis-san.  Did you enjoy your time being carted around?" Raikou added clearly indicating hostility.

"Hmph, you make it sound like I didn't use my powers to fight against this man. Even though it was a waste of energy on my part, I did defend myself.  Though if I would have known about Scathach-san's defeat sooner then all of this probably would not have happened," the Wise Queen declared.

"Perhaps you were just playing hard to get? I saw the look on your face just now as you were being carried in Raizo-sama's arms…" suggested the Berserker.

"Excuse me? What exactly are you trying to insinuate?  I was merely grateful to Raizo-san for carrying me down here to reconcile with my…no 'our' adversaries.  And addressing him with '-sama' suggests that you were thinking of something much more illicit than me."

"So you were thinking of having illicit relations with him?"

"I-I did not mean it that way!  You large-breasted brute!"

"That's fine talk coming from an elf-eared cheap escort like you…"

"Tch, you're both idiots thinking my Senpai would have any interest in either of you…" Altera quickly criticized.

"EH?!" Raikou and Semiramis shouted simultaneously.  The three of them then proceeded to have an argument between them whilst the Stormbringer relinquish a wry smile.  Then he just casually walked over to where his brother was standing.

"Heh, check you out.  Someone got an upgrade no?  And I see you're using that sword you got on your birthday.  Looking pretty sweet but regardless, that glint in your eyes is definitely the Aniki I know," Raizo smirked.

"Yeah well like I said before, it's all thanks to you for knocking some sense into me," Akaro shot back with a proud grin.

The two bumped fists for a brief instant which caused the rain overhead to cease all at once and the clouds to lighten up a bit. Raizo peered around and saw that Drake was okay.  Her clothing was tattered a bit and he could see that she had some injuries, however they were mostly healed.

"Glad to see you're still alive and in one piece, Captain.  I'm guessing Aniki got to you in the nick of time?" the Stormbringer inquired.

"Yeah, thought I was toast there for second….but uh…Nii-san saved my ass again.  Gotta say though, that was one hell of a way to go out.  However, looks like you'll be stickin' with me for a lil' longer," Francis Drake grinned enthusiastically.

"You're not gonna go off on a limb and try to shoot Semiramis-san though, right? I mean…I understand the feeling of it all but…"

"Nah kiddo, all's fair in love n' war.  If I held a grudge after such a powerful gal like that sunk my ship, I'd shoot myself in the foot for bein' so petty.  The Golden Hind will sail again before this war ends.  Jus' gotta wait till my mana replenishes...though I'd probably need a change o' clothes though…"

"Ah, I can help with that," Akaro interrupted before turning towards the woman and snapping his fingers.

A glowing pink radiance enveloped the captain as her appearance began to change.  Her red overcoat had disappeared as her outfit had changed.  This time she wore a white top with cut-off sleeves in the cold shoulder style.  There were ruffles around the tops and bottoms of said sleeves and along the area over her bust.  Her brown vest had shifted to bind her torso wear like a corset would while black leather braces wrapped around her forearms.  She still had the same white legging pants as before with black thigh-high boots, but this time she had a red sash around her waist that mimicked Akaro's.  Her hair was tied into a pony tail at the top by a white head band while the rest of it flowed naturally down her back.  To finish, she wore a black eyepatch over her right eye, though it was only for show.



"There we go," Akaro said with satisfied smile.

"Oya, oya…hey Nii-san this feels great. I like it a lot!" the pirate expressed happily.

"Tch…you really like to dress your women, eh Akaro?" Jalter chimed in with annoyance.

"Uahh…." Fran added a grunt that translated to: 'And undress as well.'

"Hey you two, be nice.  The lady couldn't walk around in tattered rags you know," he explained innocently but the pair of women merely stared at him.

"So these are the ladies you were talking about?" Raizo asked.

"Yep, that's right," the Red Knight nodded.

The former assassin walked up to the woman in dark armor and looked into her eyes as if staring deep into her soul.

"E…Eh?! Um…why is this Akaro look-a-like staring at me so hard? W-What do you want?" the corrupted saint asked.

"Hmm…a tortured soul, one who needed a way out of her own hell, but couldn't find it.  Guessing Aniki is the light you needed…all right.  If Aniki vouched for you, then I'm fine.  Though…having two Jeannes is going to be complicated."

"Trust me kiddo, it's confusin' as hell and I was explained the whole ordeal," Drake randomly added in.

"O-Oh, well…it's fine if you address me as Jalter, short for Jeanne Alter.  It makes it easier," the Dragon Witch suggested with slight hesitation in her voice.

"I see.  Well as you've heard, the name is Raizo. Thanks for looking after my brother."

Then he walked over to the frail experiment and tilted his head to the side. The girl reciprocated the same action.

"So…what's your story? You…seem different."

"Uaah…haauuh…hngh," Fran responded in a series of grunts indicating that it was a long story to tell.

Suddenly, Raizo just reached out towards her feeling the impulse to touch her hand. Small sparks of crimson and amethyst electricity circulated around it.  Fran did the same almost by instinct, green and yellow electricity sparking around hers.  It was then that the two hands made contact and the colors of electricity mixed together.  In that small moment, they became linked through a bond that was different than how Akaro linked with her.  For these two, the very currents they generated became their pathway of communication.

Raizo got a small glimpse into her story and also as to how Akaro saved her life.  The vice versa effect happened with Fran.  During that small period in which they learned about each other, they came to a mutual understanding of one another as a natural born sense of friendship formed between them.  

Separating from each other, he felt a bit of emotion seize his chest as he felt the depths of her tragedy.  However where that darkness blinded everything within her, the light that came from his brother had saved her.  This feeling was keenly reciprocated as Fran saw how Raizo faced a similar darkness.  Akaro helped begin his journey of stepping into the light.

"Rai…zo…Mer…cer," she said in a broken speech.

"Yeah it's nice to meet you too, Franken-…no, Fran," the male nodded with a smile.  Jalter raised an eyebrow while Akaro only smiled. 

"So uh…what just happened?" Drake asked whilst tilting her head to the side.

Raizo stood upright sighing in relief before explaining the action.

"Nothing bad, we just came to an understanding through a shared electrical current."

"Eh…science isn't my thing kiddo..."

"Right, right, well…guess it's time we get down to business right?"

"To defeat Goetia? Oh hell yeah, 250 years of my life has been spent here…time to kick his as to the curb. But uh…you got quite the fanclub going on here," Akaro spoke up before referencing to the three women arguing over the boy in the short distance. 

The women were completely oblivious to what was going on. Seeing that, Raizo only shook his head.

"Eh…coming from you, that's rich," the youth countered referring to Fran, Drake and Jalter. 

"Well…what can I say? I got sway with the ladies."

"Uh-huh…and I'm just…trying to understand that scenario over there in the first place."

"It's the genetics lil' bro, you'll understand one day."

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing, just know that it's gonna get worse when-…" Akaro was saying, but his mind went elsewhere for a moment.

He saw a vision of a great and terrible magic traveling out through the cosmos before being thrust back into the present.  The hero felt a strong vibe come over him in which he realized that he had business to take care of.  His younger brother just observed his strange behavior.

"You alright, Aniki?"

"Yeah…just…got a feeling that's all.  Listen, take Altera, Raikou and Semiramis and go reunite with Kimi and the others.  I got some business to take care of.  Don't worry; Drake, Fran, and Jalter are coming with me to back me up."

"All right but…try not to take too long.  I'd hate for you to miss out on all the action."

"Heh, trust me, I won't."

"Oya Nii-san, where we goin'?" Drake walked up with a raised eyebrow.

"You'll see, just trust me."

Akaro grabbed Drake's hand then walked over towards Jalter and Fran, and tapped them on the shoulders.  In a flash, the quartet disappeared without another word leaving the other four people alone.  Sighing a bit, Raizo took a deep breath and turned towards the women in the background.

"Okay ladies, I think that's enough arguing for now.  It's time to get things moving."

"I had my eyes on Senpai first.  Both of you don't know anything about him," Altera was saying.

"Oh please, Raizo-sama and I share a link that neither of you will understand.  After all, he holds the power of Sakra within him…it's almost as if we were made for one another," Raikou added.

"Hmph, you both are clearly inexperienced when it comes to men.  Thinking that he would fall victim to your ignorant charms is insulting to his character alone.  He's definitely someone neither of you would be capable of handling," Semiramis stated boldly.

I'm already confused enough as it is.  I don't understand these women.  Where's Onee-sama when I need her most? Mou…

"AHEM!" he then coughed loudly.  This instantly got the trio to look his way.

"Okay…now that I have your attention.  We're going to link up with Jeanne and the others.  So let's move out."

"Wait Senpai, where's Akaro-san and the others?" Altera asked curiously.

"He's got business elsewhere so we're going ahead without him."

"Oh Raizo-san, if you'd like…I can transport everyone in my Hanging Gardens since it will be quite the journey right? That can give us time to talk more…er…to come up with a plan that is," Semiramis suggested.

"Well…as impressive as that fortress is, I run faster than it so I'll have to pass.  However, I'd hate to leave it floating here since it is something born from your magic.  Everyone else can get on board, I'll just have to tow it along with me," Raizo insisted.

"You're not serious, are you?" the poisoner raised an eyebrow.

"Senpai, I don't think that's something you can lift," Altera noted.

"Oh my, I think I would like to see him try," Raikou mused.

"You'll see, just get up there.  Semiramis-san, they can ride in the throne room with you right? You won't poison your new allies at all?" 

"Heavens no, Raizo-san! I refuse to do anything that would betray your trust in me.  I may have my disagreeing views with the ladies, but as you said…we must be comrades for the sake of a better future for all our sakes."

"Good to know.  But just trust me, all of you."

"As you wish, Raizo-senpai," Altera nodded alongside the other women.

Semiramis then created a teleportation circle underneath herself and the other two women present as they boarded the vessel.  As the poisoner sat upon her throne to take the helm once again, the other two women were left to wander around the room observing the structure from the inside with awe.

Down below, Raizo summoned Nirvana in her human form once again.

"Kaka, my master.  I see the number of women attracted to you has grown.  Goodness, you should probably be wary of sleeping with them around.  You never know who just might elect to visit you in bed," the blonde spirit teased.

"N-Nirvana…come on now, this…this is serious," the young man blushed.

"Of course, but you should know by now that teasing you comes with the territory.  I see you've picked up another one with a supple pair breasts…except she has more curves to her too.  I'm beginning to understand your type, my master."

"Tch…Nirvana…"

"Kaka, apologies.  What is it you require of me, my master?" 

"That giant fortress up there, can you transport it through the Astral Realm?" 

"Easily so.  That way you can run as fast as you want and bring that structure out wherever you stop at it.  They will be fine as well.  In fact, they may actually regain their mana faster."

"That's good.  Then I'll let you handle it from here."

"As you wish."

Nirvana reaches out and teleports the Hanging Gardens into the cosmic space of the Astral Realm.  Once done, she fades back to her dimensional gap leaving Raizo alone.  The Stormbringer sensed the energy of his other comrades.  He grabbed his mask and placed it over his face as his visage becomes obscured by the helmet fixture of his armor.  Then he flipped his hood over his head before taking off in a blast of light.