章 1050: 64
064 - On desperate measures and pulling shit out of your ass.
As the dust starts settling, I take the chance to cast a glance around. The countless weapons of legend scattered all around have turned the lush clearing I was standing on into a cratered battlefield in a matter of seconds. The treeline also seems to have receded a fair bit.
This density of firepower was well beyond what I could hope to match, even before taking into consideration the strange resilience of Gilgamesh's weapons to my [Corrosion]. It was all I could do to snipe down the high-explosive ones before they could hit the ground and turn the whole area into a smoking crater.
Oh, and the seeking ones that would correct flight to avoid missing, and the distance-ignoring ones, and the memetic hazards. Never mind those cursed or fated ones who would ignore all circumstances to hit once swung and thus needed to be sniped down before they fully left their portal.
And that's something you have to do by vague feelings and survival instincts, because you can't recognize more than half the weapons he's throwing at you. I've never been so grateful for Haku's attempts to eviscerate me during sparring with varied and unorthodox tools of killing. It's certainly given me a feeling for telling the extraordinarily lethal from the merely deadly.
Still, there's a small patch of surviving green grass right in the middle of the clearing. Around my feet to be precise. The reason for that is the tightly packed formation of blue geometrical shapes forming a wall between the Golden King and myself.
The same shapes have spread all around Gilgamesh, matched one to one by more golden portals as the King's Treasures clash against each other, sometimes less than a handspan from actually hitting him.
I'm not at the level of unparalleled genius, but[Talented in every field] still means I'm extremely good at everything. I might be unable to whip up a new style of magecraft out of nowhere in just a handful of years. But managing a functioning replica for an already proven system whose key elements and active principles I just so happen to be aware of?
Well, that's a whole different beast altogether, isn't it?
I can't reach the level of a true practitioner that devotes their life to the field, but some Magecraft branches and Mystic Codes are more than good enough at half-power. Mysteries in general and Magecraft in particular are nonsensical and unfair but, truth is, some unfairness is more unfair that others.
Let's say… [Flash Air]. The Ainsworths never rose to prominence in this timeline, so I don't even have to deal with pesky diminishing returns due to too many practitioners of the same art.
As a side note, I wish something of the Emiya Crest had survived for me to study, because that could've come handy here and 'time' has proven to be a fair bit harder concept to wrap my head around than 'space'.
"You dare wield the King's own weapons against him?" His hands remain crossed and he's stubbornly refusing to summon his golden armor, probably because he's scared I'd [Corrode] it away, but he's gone even paler than normal and there's a storm of fury and indignation brewing behind those red eyes of his. "You are no better than the rabid cur from the last War."
I, of course, answer the insult with all the reverence it deserves. "Goldie… you haven't seen shit yet!"
To survive the last barrage, I had to [Corrode] everything that would've been an instant loss and redirect anything else aimed straight at me with [Flash Air]. Since Gilgamesh threw everything and the kitchen sink at me though, this still means the field is seeded with the shit load of Noble Phantasms that missed.
Now, wouldn't it be a shame if I just happened to own a mystic code capable of developing quick-and-dirty spiritual connections? It's kind of funny that Gilgamesh would mention last War's Berserker here, or is it his Clairvoyance at play? I mean, I can't exactly replicate [Knight of Owner]. But I'm sure the parallels will get a chuckle out of Gil-kun, at the very least.
And with a chuckle I mean a frown. Or maybe an actual howl of outrage if I'm lucky. As thin strands of ether monofilament spread from my fingertips to reach all the neglected treasures in the field and I get ready for my best Tenten impersonation, there's just enough focus to spare to send a toothy smile at the Shitty King.
"[Etherlite Replica]" The filaments make contact with the weapons, spiritual connections snapping into place that promptly send a painful backlash. I'm not the rightful owner of these treasures and they don't approve of me. There'll be serious consequences if I don't release them quickly. Fortunately for me, that's exactly what I intend to do. Release them swiftly, with great prejudice, in the general direction of their 'rightful owner'. "[One Last Dance Before Twilight!]"
Emiya Haku.
I can't help but admire the little girl that's even now holding her own against four Servants, Demon Pillar or not. Even if she's an enemy, even if she came out of left field and caught us with our pants down, those levels of power and grit are kind of awe-inspiring.
From what I know about Demon Pillars, she's also going well above and beyond what anyone could expect of her.
What motivates it, though? Barbatos was defeated by Makiri Zolgen centuries ago, Lev Lanuir commited suicide to deny Flauros' own awakening and I can only assume the rest of the Demon Pillars failed too for one reason or another, even if Nii-san was never able to confirm it. We don't have records of them rampaging through the ages, after all.
Not that it matters too much, in the end. Goetia's grand plan is in tatters and has been since the first Demon Pillar failed. Everything else is just garnish dressing.
Is this because of the Golden Bastard? It has to be because of the Golden Bastard. He's the only one with the pull and awareness to trip the original timeline like this. That or Nii-san messed up something by playing the stock market all these years, but the timing is beyond suspect.
He's done something dastardly while we weren't looking and now Bazett is most likely dead. And chances are we'll have to kill this exotic cutie, because there doesn't seem to be any other way to put her down. Why is she so desperate to kill us all, anyway?
… Didn't Goetia actually love humanity? So much so he wanted to rebuild it into something perfect? Or was it that he loved Solomon who loved humanity? I get lost in all the tales of crazy wackos with overly contrived ambitions Nii-san has told me over the years, but I seem to remember it was something like that.
If only Nii-san was here, maybe he could (seduce) talk some reason into her. But he isn't. Because Gilgamesh is attacking. And this girl is getting in the way of us helping.
As I'm thinking this, I have to take a step to the side so I'm not hit when Medusa is sent flying from the fray and gets buried into the wall behind me. Some would wonder why I'm not panicking more.
I don't need to, I have a plan. A plan that this ambush doesn't actually inconvenience at all. As long as both Sakura and I survive until the right moment, there's nothing the cute monster girl can do to stop it. And she doesn't look any more capable of actually overpowering our Servants to make a move on us squishy humans now than she looked half an hour ago.
The only hard requirement is for Nii-san to push the enemy into fighting seriously. Which is something I have every trust he'll manage but Gilgamesh would scoff at. Overpowered piece of shit won't even consider Nii-san's worth.
That's why it'll work, that's why he won't see it coming. As opposed to the methods Nii-san knows about that already worked in other timelines, mine relies on my absolute faith he'll do his part just as much as it relies on Gilgamesh dismissing the danger.
I don't know, I believe.
And that makes all the difference.
As I'm thinking this, something weird tickles my senses. Something that really doesn't make sense. It's so weird, actually, that I find myself turning towards Medea. What the crap?
"Is it me... Or she pings as a Servant to [Master's Clairvoyance] all of a sudden?"
She doesn't immediately answer, no doubt going through the information herself. That's fine, I want to look it over myself. Hmmm... three Skills and a Noble Phantasm. Or whatever the Demon Pillar equivalent is, that's how it translates anyway.
Infestation (C): By flooding their inner workings with personally-flavored (corrupted) mana, Infestation allows for the bypassal of regular safety mechanisms on magical tools and artifacts.
The user can ignore arbitrarily imposed rules like those relating to 'alignment', 'species' or 'faction' to freely wield them.
Adaptation (A): Can turn strengths and capabilities that aren't currently in use into unaligned conceptual resources to then invest into improving those that are overtaxed and shoring up weaknesses.
This process requires external stimulation.
Regeneration (B++): Allows for the body to fully reform from any surviving tissue by using it as a sympathetic template. The higher the mass to regenerate and the speed of regeneration, the higher the costs.
Sustained combat regeneration has prohibitive costs, but those can be bypassed through an outside energy source.
[To Reach New Heights - Evolution]:
By accumulating physical, mental and spiritual resources, one can reach certain 'milestones'.
Once a 'milestone' has been reached in all three fields, one can permanently alter one's self in an overall positive fashion.
New 'milestones' will be established after a successful Evolution.
This isn't how evolution works, though.
"Well…" She finally trails off, eyes darting between the monster girl and whatever form the [Master's Clairvoyance] takes for her. "We are fully in uncharted waters here, but if I had to make a guess…"
I roll my eyes at that, but keep my mouth shut. Medea's 'guesses' are about as trustworthy as a fully established theory.
"Going by how that [Adaptation] skill supposedly works and assuming Demon Pillars are existences somewhat related to Servants… Barbatos seems to have lowered its resistance against divination so much that it simply…" There's something in Medea's trailing voice that fills me with worry. Not because I think she'd be right, but because it reminds me of a mad scientist who just discovered a new and fascinating test subject. "Became compatible with [Master's Clairvoyance] through sheer lack of resistance… Fascinating."
Yep, shiver down my spine confirmed. Come to think of it, witches were the closest things to scientists back in the day and Medea was widely accepted as not being all there.
"Of course, the cross over isn't perfect. Demon Pillar Barbatos is not a Servant." She continues, apparently in her own world and no longer paying attention to me. "A certain level of media dissonance was to be expected, but we at least know how its mysteries work and how it's managing to keep up with everyone."
"[Adaptation] and[Regeneration]?" I nod along, taking a second look at the busted skills. "Yes, those are utterly broken. Especially with the Greater Grail energy reserves giving it an extra kick."
"And [Infestation] would be how it went around the safeties of my [Extremis Armor] to claim it for itself." She nods eagerly and… is that drool running down her chin? "Truly remarkable."
Maybe I should start worrying, after all. About the virtue of this poor innocent Demon Pillar.
Illyasviel von Einzbern
Critical tactical thinking isn't a skill I ever gave too much thought about cultivating. Oh, I know how to move around in a duel and I'm not totally clueless when it comes to coordinating others on the field, but I would never say I'm good at it
Somewhat stupid considering the whole 'born and bred to win the Grail War' thing, I know. I just… Before reality came knocking, I had this silly idea that I would only need to point at my enemies and yell 'Go, Berserker!' and things would work out somehow.
Then again, Acht-jii seemed to think I would only need to play prana battery while Berserker did all the work, so maybe I let his attitude color my expectations?
I was a kid back then, okay? Young and impressionable. I know better now.
But I digress… Point is, now that I find myself confronted with a complex situation with multiple moving pieces and partially unknown variables to take into account, I find myself perfectly capable of actually employing strategy and actually enjoying the challenge.
There's in fact, a smile on my lips since Akasha only knows when that I'm sure looks a bit unhinged.
Maybe I have talent for this? Is there any bloodsport where one can sign up a team of fighters to lead into victory for prize money? I doubt the old man will welcome me back into the family after this clusterfuck and a girl needs to think about future career prospects. 'Haremette' is more of a way of life than an actual job, really.
…
Back to the matter at hand, our main problem right now is overwhelming Barbatos' juiced up [Regeneration] and [Adaptation] as soon as possible. Mark that last part, because things would be easy if we could simply stall for time until her reservoir ran dry, but she's just playing bait and there's not enough time for that.
Problem is, we're actually somewhat short on options. Assassin is out cold after deploying both her Noble Phantasms while short on prana, Caster has remained suspiciously passive since the very start, Saber and Rider are under the same constraints as Assassin and simply at slightly different stages of exhaustion and Berserker…
I love Berserker with all my soul, but as far as heroic spirits go, she's somewhat… simple. Powerful body with wicked-sharp claws that she can leverage in close quarters and a deadly aim with her relatively mundane arrows. Which she's been throwing at Barbatos for her to adapt to for a while already.
Even her Noble Phantasm, [Tauropolos Skia Thermokrasia], when it comes down to the underlying nature, is nothing more than 'the same, but harder'. Barbatos' [Adaptation] is conceptual in nature. It might be that a Noble Phantasm that turns Berserker's body into an arrow is different enough from simply striking with her body or her arrows, but then again it might not be.
I can guess, but I'd rather not risk it if I don't have to.
Ideally, we'll hit hard and fast with something Barbatos doesn't have any resistance against at the moment, overwhelm her regeneration before that changes and be done with the problem forever. Maybe we'll keep the remains for further study, though we'd need better safety measures than whatever Caster had in her Workshop.
That's why I made sure Saber never used her creepy red lightning in this fight, besides the exhaustion issue, I mean. I want the Demon Pillar's resistance towards lightning to be paper thin when—
"Rider!"
I cut my internal monologue when Barbatos jumps away from a joint strike from Berserker and Saber, overclocked reflexes allowing her to throw herself away from danger in the most efficient way. Which just so happens to be by jumping into the air, leaving herself wide open to Rider's restraining maneuver.
Metal chains wrap around Barbatos' small frame, pressing her arms against her body and squeezing tightly. Capture is another thing we've made sure not to give her a chance to [Adapt] to, just to make sure we'd have one perfect opening.
Perfect enough for a glass cannon to rush in with a final answer.
"Onee-chan!"
"Watch, and learn." She's charging ahead even before I finish my call, a glint of determination in her eyes as she brings both hands together at one side of her waist. From the point her fingers connect, lightning explodes everywhere. A glowing handle takes shape first, swiftly expanding into two parallel blades already primed for a two-handed stab. "[Blessed Blade of the Windseeker - Thunderfury!]"
There's a moment of utter stillness after the two blades cleanly pierce into white flesh, penetrating the lower back at an angle and piercing all the way through to come out from the front of the rib cage at heart-level. Or maybe I'm just high on adrenaline and my sense of time is busted
… The sight also may or may not have made my privates tingle.
The stillness breaks when Barbatos lets out a sharp, all-too-human cry of pain and the blade explodes into lightning. The small body tries to and fails to convulse under its restraints, the cry of pain never stopping while electricity runs all over her, wild arcs of energy jumping everywhere and drawing wild lines of crystalized sand wherever they ground.
I'm not sure how long this lasts, Onee-chan holding the blade and keeping up the lightning with grim determination, black smoke and a rancid smell filling the courtyard. But it all ends when she's batted away from Barbatos with enough force to send her flying and bury her into a wall.
By a butterfly wing.
A wing that blew Rider's chain into pieces in the process of bitch-slapping Onee-chan.
A wing Barbatos didn't have a minute ago.
"[To reach new heights - Evolution]"
Barbatos' charred and still smoking skin cracks up and falls away, revealing a body curled up underneath, protected by another wing. As it spreads out, Barbatos uncurls to stand up again, making it painfully clear that her body has changed in the process.
Tall and shapely where the old one was small and childish, with enough curves to make a gay man question his sexuality and naked like the day she was born. Which, from a certain point of view, she just did.
Until she opens her eyes, I hadn't realized she had them closed. But it's hard to miss it once it happens.
Because they don't only open in her face, but also all over her wings. They all shift around wildly for a moment, giving me a very creepy vibe, before they lock down into us and, for the first time since this mess began, Barbatos deigns herself to speak.
"I won't die here."
Okay, fine! I have to admit it was damn cool, but come on!
Then the [Extremis Armor] pops up from somewhere within to enshroud her body in the protective bodysuit again, because the point obviously needed to be driven home even further.
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