Capítulo 1083: Malignant
Before Vahn even touched down on the Matou Mansion's grounds, the magical array surrounding the entire property had already signaled his arrival. Though he could have used a more roundabout method to resolve things, Vahn didn't want to delay things any further. With that in mind, Vahn used [Enkidu] from the very start, attempting to bind Sakura as she sat down at a table within the Mansion's interior. Though a malevolent energy swelled up from her body just before the golden chains bound her, it was able to suppress her before whatever she was attempting could take form. At the same time as this was occurring, a total of seventeen figures appeared like phantoms in the surroundings, their white skull-like masks and black skins the only common feature between them. Vahn could even see old men, young children, and seductive women among the group of Hassan's, making it very clear they were dealing with the 'Hundred Faced Hassan' variant.
While Vahn began to hover in the air, tearing apart the Mansion's exterior to gain access to the bound Sakura, Artoria had already kicked off from the ground, creating a powerful vortex at her feet that sent her launching forward at a nigh-instantaneous 6400kmh. This put her into range of one of the Hassan's who, despite their best efforts to evade backward, ended up being cut down almost instantly. Several things happened simultaneously following the death of the first Hassan, including twelve of the remaining Hassan's all throwing lethal black daggers towards Artoria while the other four moved in concert as they attempted to eliminate Vahn.
Though Vahn didn't particularly care that the Hassans had targetted him, the fact that the younger Hassans, including a young girl that appeared no older than six or seven, annoyed him a great deal. Even if it was a Servant, Vahn wasn't particularly fond of the idea of injuring children, much less cutting them down. As her dagger pierced toward his abdomen, Vahn released a tired sigh as he grabbed it with his hand and used his forearm to deflect the attack of another Hassan. Their offense wasn't enough to have even a remote chance of breaking through his passive mitigation. Even when a third Hassan, looking like an old man in his eighties, breathed a cloud of purple fog into his face, Vahn just frowned slightly before pulling out a silvery-white blade and cutting off his head in a single swift stroke.
In this manner, the battlefield became extremely chaotic as Artoria dashed around at high speeds, using a powerful offense in lieu of any kind of defense, while Vahn just stood in the air with one Hassan dangling in [Enkidu] as he dealt with any foolish enough to attack him. There was already a lot of information on this version of Hassan so it was only a matter of time until the battle was brought to an end. As for the child-like Hassan, Vahn was slowly draining the mana within her body so that she would dissipate painlessly. Both Assassin Servants had been 'marked' for elimination as part of their original plan so, while he couldn't bring himself to ruthless cut down a little girl, Vahn still needed to eliminate Hassan in its entirety...
When he felt the chains slacken, following by motes of blackish-blue light, Vahn released a heavy sigh before pulling out a pale-gold spear and tossing it with enough momentum to create small ripples in space as it pierced through another Hassan trying to ambush Artoria. With this action, there were only five Hassan remaining so Vahn began tearing apart the Mansion once again using his telekinesis. He didn't rush the process too much, as he was trying to conserve energy, but it still looked like the Mansion was being ripped apart by a tornado until the upper floor viewing room, where Sakura had been sitting, was fully exposed. Vahn slowly descended toward her, ignoring the sudden presence appearing in his blindspot...
From an area of seemingly empty space, a handsome man with silky black hair had emerged from the void wearing a unique outfit the would immediately identify him as a martial artist. He had black bands wrapped around his arms, much like bandages, while a pair of purple-gold gauntlets covered his forearms and fists. With an exposed torso, revealing an incredibly fit body covered in flower-like tattoos, he charged toward Vahn with a murderous glimmer in his pitch-black eyes, set in a face that would have caused models the world over to reconsider their own appeal. Unfortunately, while most women would have swooned just catching sight of this man, he soon found himself face-to-face with one who didn't even put him in her eyes as she brandished a red spear and sent him crashing into the ground below.
To Yan-Qing's credit, he managed to vault away from the small crater his body had formed without even flinching. Before he even landed, however, two different spears were aimed toward his neck and navel and, regardless of his last-ditch effort to twist his nimble and agile body, they seemed to follow him like serpents before piercing through despite his best efforts. Painful 'thorns' spread through his body, exacerbating his already lethal wounds before Scáthach skewered his heart for good measure, leaving the proud and noble-looking Assassin dangling lifelessly on the edge of her [Gae Bolg]. Regardless of how skilled Yan Qing might have been in his legends, the fact that he was just a 'fictional' Heroic Spirit meant there was little chance he could provide a genuine threat to an unshakeable legend like Scáthach. Since she was both faster and could read through his movements with her [Clairvoyance], there was no suspense to the outcome.
While Scáthach and Artoria were cleaning up in the courtyard, Vahn lightly touched down on the hardwood flooring, staring at a hyperventilating Sakura who, after glaring into his eyes, screamed, "What did you do to me!?" Vahn's only response to this, however, was to simply shake his head and answer, "I will not ask why you have done all of these terrible things...I know you are just another victim...though I would have killed almost anyone else, regardless of their circumstances, I believe there is hope for you to live happily in the future..." At this point, Vahn was standing right over Sakura as she looked up at him, her purple eyes being encroached by a red light that was unable to permeate through her entire iris before being suppressed...
Squatting down next to the bound girl, Vahn had an almost overwhelming urge just to end her life but, remembering his own words, buried the notion deep in his heart as he extended his hand to Sakura's head. Though she did her best to break free, surprising Vahn more than a little by her ability to actually shake [Enkidu], Sakura ultimately lacked the strength as a tidal wave of purifying Source Energy began to pervade through her body. This caused her to scream in excruciating pain as, all throughout her body, the disgusting worm-like creatures began to writhe about madly in a vain attempt to try and devour the invasive energy. As they were unable to even interact with it in the slightest, the only thing they got for their troubles were tiny beads of source energy creating micro-explosions in their rudimentary nervous systems, effectively killing them instantly.
Though she didn't fully understand what was happening to her body, the pain she was experiencing caused Sakura to thrash within the bindings of [Enkidu] as froth and blood began to pool from her mouth. Compared to most people, she had an unbelievable pain tolerance after more than a decade of being tormented in the most horrifying ways imaginable. However, as if everything she had ever experienced before was just a prelude to true pain, Sakura was putting so much effort into breaking free that her flesh was being gouged as she attempted to free herself from [Enkidu]'s bindings. To prevent her from hurting herself even more, Vahn caused Sakura an extreme level of confusion as he began to gently stroke her head amidst her pained thrashing...
As Sakura was slowly slipping into a deep level of unconsciousness, Vahn whispered in a soft and guiding tone, "When you wake up, this nightmare will finally be over...I am sorry that I had not arrived to save you sooner..." Before his words had even finished, the light had faded from Sakura's eyes, taking with it the red glow that had been trying to encroach upon them. Then, using runes with the meanings, 'Two-Tens-Memory-Erase', courtesy of Scáthach's [Primordial Rune] Magecraft, Vahn planted them into Sakura's mind and hoped it had the intended effect. Memory erasure magic was actually one of the most common and easiest to learn within the entire Nasuverse, something that was taught to apprentices and first-year students at every Mage Academy. This was to ensure that they would be able to erase the memories of anyone who had witnessed Magecraft without having to kill them. Though this was often exploited 'heavily' by the more despicable Mages throughout the world, including bored students who decided to take advantage of normal civilians, it was still useful for situations like this...
WIth Sakura unconscious and her memory of the last twenty years most-certainly erased, Vahn loosened [Enkidu] before rolling her onto her back. Though they were all dead, he still needed to extract the Crest Worms from Sakura's body to prevent them from becoming malignant and damaging her organs. The fact that her womb was currently filled with a massive clump of dead worms gave Vahn a strong urge to vomit but, ignoring his own apprehensions on the matter, he adopted his persona of a 'Physician' as he cut open Sakura's blouse before snapping the band of her bra. She actually had large and shapely breasts, complete with fair and soft skin, but Vahn only noticed these things as a sign of 'good nutritional balance' before placing his palm against her abdomen and causing a rainbow hue to slowly spread through her body...
Just as Vahn was preparing to perform 'Nirvana Rebirth' on Sakura, the sound of battle had just faded, only to be replaced by a metallic clapping sound that caused Vahn to frown deeply as he turned his eyes skyward. There, as if more proud than the sun itself, a man wearing resplendent golden armor could be seen levitating in the air. At first glance, he had a dignified appearance with golden hair that stood up like blazing flames, complimenting his well-structured face that was set with two ruby-red pupils. Seeing this, Vahn was beginning to feel that it was an extremely common theme in the Nasuverse for anyone that had a reasonable degree of power to be identifiable by their red eyes as, without exception, anyone with red eyes seemed to fit that description thus far...
As if he had been watching a performance staged entirely for his own entertainment, Gilgamesh continued to clap with the most haughty and arrogant expression Vahn had ever seen on another person adorning his face. However, just as he was about to address Gilgamesh and begin their battle, Vahn's instincts began screaming at him to evade as, from the unconscious Sakura's body, a black mud-like substance began to pour from her mouth, nose, ears, and an area within her skirt that he didn't want to imagine. Then, as if it had a mind of its own, tendrils of black energy coiled toward him with surprising speed before trying to wrap around his left arm and leg as Vahn shifted away with [Shundo].
This incident caught Gilgamesh's attention, causing him to mutter an amused, "Oh~? The pretender can't even deal with a single woman...? Pathetic..." With that said, several golden ripples began to emerge behind Gilgamesh's body as he crossed his arms and said, "Witness, mongrel, the true power of the person you would deign to emulate...!" Immediately following Gilgamesh's words, several weapons, each accompanied by an oppressive aura, began to protrude from the golden ripples behind him. Then, traveling at an instantaneous speed greater than 12,000kmh, the various weapons, be they sword, spears, axes, or even bows, all rained towards the black mass that now surrounded Sakura's body.
As Vahn landed on the ground below, he saw that the tendrils that had wrapped around his arm and leg bore into his flesh before almost immediately dissipating after contacting his blood. Even without this occurrence, however, he had already identified the energy as the same malignant energy that had injured Gray. Though this wasn't outside of his expectations, as he actually harbored a suspicion that Sakura was related to the 'Shadow', it was never pleasant to realize the 'worst-case scenario' was the truth. He already had a plan that should separate the malignant entity from Sakura's body but, knowing it would cost him more than a third of his OP reserves, Vahn couldn't help feeling a little reluctant as he watched the weapons fired by Gilgamesh pierce into the nebulous black ooze...
Though one of the swords seemed surprisingly effective, cutting a swath clear through the black blob, the rest of the weapons were simply absorbed like stones dropped into the ocean. Other than a single explosion, taking out a large section of the Mansion, every other weapon used by Gilgamesh had been completely ineffective before, moments later, similar versions of those weapons began to protrude out from the malignant mass of darkness. They had now been dyed black with red runes burned into their surface, causing Gilgamesh to sneer as he admonished, "You would attempt to steal the possessions of this King...? Know your place, sow...!"
This time, twice the number of golden ripples appeared behind Gilgamesh as the 'Shadow' sent his previous weapons back at him with comparable speed. At this point, it was clear that Gilgamesh and the Shadow were planning to fight it out so, while Vahn was intending to deal with both later, he turned to Scáthach and said, "Go rescue the children in the basement. Don't leave a single one of those fucking worms alive...!" Without a word in response, Scáthach instantly moved like a phantom, breaking directly into the Mansion as she tore a direct path towards the basement. As for Vahn and Artoria, he could tell the latter wanted to throw herself into the fray but, as now wasn't the best time, Vahn placed his hand on her shoulder and said, "We should fall back for now. Let Scáthach save the children while we observe the battle between Gilgamesh and the Shadow. I have a bad feeling about the latter so I don't want you going anywhere near her for the time being...!"
As she had seen the various Noble Phantasms fired by Gilgamesh unceremoniously absorbed by the black ooze, Artoria resisted the urge to argue and instead nodded her head, saying, "I understand, Master..." through slightly clenched teeth. She had a personal grudge to settle with Gilgamesh but that wouldn't cause Artoria to go against orders, especially after recognizing Vahn as her Lord in the capacity of a Knight. Though she was filled with reluctance, she moved off to the side with Vahn, causing Gilgamesh to cast them a glance before ignoring them after realizing they weren't intending to flee. If they had attempted to run away while he was dealing with Sakura, he would have included them in his barrage as well...
With Vahn and Artoria being 'obedient', Gilgamesh turned his attention back to the growing black mass that seemed capable of absorbing most of the Noble Phantasms he could throw at it. Though his [Gate of Babylon] had every treasure within existence, seeing his property get stolen over and over was beginning to grate on his nerves a great deal. He had noticed that certain weapons were effective against the black mass so, while he lamented having to make even a small amount of effort against some mindless monstrosity, Gilgamesh clicked his tongue before saying, "Very well then. Try eating this, you dog...!"
With golden ripples forming a circular shape behind his body, several weapons suffused with a subtle white or gold aura began to emerge. Vahn could feel his skin begin to tingle slightly just by looking at these weapons, immediately understanding that they were Light and Holy Elemental armaments. Since [Holy Water] had been effective in slowing down the effects of the malignant energy, it wasn't an incorrect decision to use weapons with a much higher concentration of Holy Elemental Energy to attack the Shadow. The problem was, as Vahn was intending to save Sakura, this kind of attack would probably be a little 'too effective'...
Before Vahn was afforded the time to intervene, Gilgamesh had already released his volley of Holy Noble Phantasms towards Sakura, this time reaching speed nearing 18,000kmh. They looked like illusory golden bullets that tore through the mass of malignant energy before causing massive explosions that ripped the Mansion apart like paper mache. Though the effects didn't reach the basement, where Scáthach had already completed most of her assigned mission, Vahn knew he couldn't let things continue progressing in this manner. This became even more apparent when, after the smoke cleared away, a beaten and bloody Sakura, missing everything from her left shoulder onward, was standing like a poorly posed mannequin with glowing red eyes radiant a malevolent and murderous light...
High in the sky, Gilgamesh began to laugh in response to Sakura's disheveled state, made even worse by the fact that Vahn had cut apart her blouse and bra previously. However, his laughter was brought to a stop soon thereafter as black markings spread across Sakura's fair skin, coalescing near her otherwise fatal wound before a black ooze began to bubble in place of blood. Then, in a manner not all that dissimilar from Vahn's [Magia Erebea] regeneration, Sakura's arm had grown back in less than three seconds as she stared up at Gilgamesh with her breasts, now covered in sickly black markings, exposed for the world to see. She was still wearing a full-length purple skirt but, seeing a woman with ghostly pale skin covered in black markings was quite the unnerving sight when taking into consideration her glowing red eyes...
With a disgusted scowl on his face, Gilgamesh created golden ripples at his back that were reminiscent of majestic wings as he venomously stated, "I see what you are now...you are an abomination corrupted by that 'thing'...very well, let's see how long you can last in that mindless state...!" Though it likely wasn't in response to anything Gilgamesh had said, Sakura's lips suddenly formed a creepy smile before her throat began to swell up. Then, as the mass continued to rise, she spat out a large volume of black mud that began to burn everything it came into contact with before slowly rising to form an even larger blob than before. This one had a vaguely humanoid appearance, complete with bulbous arms that immediately extended towards Gilgamesh in an obvious attempt to consume him.
Instead of dodging, Gilgamesh's brows furrowed as a series of golden cubes exited the portals behind him, forming a defensive network that began to destroy any of the black tendrils that got even remotely close to his body. At the same time, something very different to all his previous weapons began to exit the gold ripples, each taking on the form of what appeared to be massive gun barrels. Then, waving his hand in a commanding manner, Gilgamesh shouted, "Eat this you disgusting swine...!" This was followed by a mass of light forming at the ends of each barrel, causing the hair to raise on Vahn's neck and arms as he instantly transformed into his Xuanwu form and shielded Artoria in his arms...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is developing the habit of binding Lolis...','Justice for Yan Qing...!','King of Heroes vs. The Shadow')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE
Capítulo 1084: Instant
With an impact comparable to a small-scale nuclear warhead, an area of 700m had been turned into a small sun that illuminated the dark night of Fuyuki City. Accompanying this light, a powerful shockwave spread through the area and, even with the city-wide formation limiting its destructive capabilities, several blocks surrounding the Matou Mansion were effectively leveled as a result of Gilgamesh's attack. If not for the fact they were in an area where only a few affluent families lived, the death total would have easily reached in the tens of thousands as, by the time the golden sun had vanished, the only thing still standing within the area was a black shield covered with the emerald green motif of a turtle.
Feeling that his reserves had been overtaxed, Vahn resisted the urge to pass out as he released Artoria's body and downed a [Turbo Ether]. He had put his all into defending against the strike, only realizing later that he could have actually held back. This was a small revelation, allowing Vahn to understand that his durability was even higher than expected, but that was something that could be looked into later. From the area where the Matou Mansion had previously stood, there was a malignant black and red puddle that was slowly forming into the familiar figure of Sakura, now covered from neck to toe in black markings. Her hair had reformed into translucent white strands as the glow of her eyes had more than doubled in intensity compared to before.
High in the sky, a visible vein had now appeared at Gilgamesh's temple as he frustratedly tapped his gauntleted finger against his own bicep. He had crossed his arms, assured of his own victory, only to see Sakura rise up without being any worse for wear. Feeling slighted by her mere presence, the proud King of Heroes stared into her blood-red eyes with his crimson gaze as he coldly stated, "Very well then...though you are unworthy, allow me to show you true despair...!" At this point, Gilgamesh pulled a strange golden key from a golden ripple in space but, before he was able to cause even greater devastation, the golden cubes protecting his body were forced to defend him against a series of black arrows.
With an enraged expression, Gilgamesh shouted, "You dare try and sneak attack this King!?" Even with his blustering, however, Gilgamesh was forced to retreat backward as the [Yi] arrows exploded into dense and all-consuming gravitational wells. Surprisingly, he seemed to be able to 'ignore' gravity in its entirety as he ascended higher into the sky and attempted to use the key in his hands. Once again, Gilgamesh was not afforded the opportunity to execute his plan as, appearing like a phantom, a version of Vahn with an expressionless face appeared right behind him. With a spear not all that dissimilar to Scáthach's, but possessing a silver hue, 'Vahn' slammed the tip directly into Gilgamesh's elbow, denting the golden plates protecting the vulnerable joint inside.
Feeling the bones in his left arm break, Gilgamesh's expression turned fierce as more than a hundred golden ripples surrounded him and Vahn as he shouted, "Die, you pretender...!" As if these words had no impact on him at all, Vahn continued to stare blankly at Gilgamesh, his spear snaking forward at an almost impossible angle as it stabbed into the latter's right wrist. Immediately following this, Vahn vanished like a phantom as more than ten hypersonic projectiles pierced his previous location, skewing the afterimage he had left behind. With this taking place, Gilgamesh's expression became that of a crazed madman as, instead of continuing his bombardment, all the golden ripples around his body vanished in an instant.
Though it was only a single moment in time, Gilgamesh felt as if he was experiencing the passage of eternity as his brain simply refused to process what was happening. He watched in slow motion as golden gates began to open in the air, not behind his back, but behind the figure standing in the air across from him. This most incomprehensible aspect of what he was bearing witness to was the fact that the 'Pretender' had now even copied his appearance. The only difference between them was the lack of armor and the impossible cold green eyes that reflected no light. Then, as if to spite him even further, Gilgamesh felt his arms and legs bound by an immovable force that caused his brain to buzz with madness as the resplendent light of [Enkidu] filled his vision...
Since Gilgamesh was showing an unbelievable amount of hostility towards him, Vahn, under the influence of [Laplace's Key] unhesitantly sent several projectiles from the hijacked [Gate of Babylon]. Since Gilgamesh had no treasures to protect him, the only thing keeping him in the sky [Enkidu], he was unceremoniously torn apart as more than ten Anti-Divine Noble Phantasms shredded his body to pieces. His head was severed from its body, an incredulous expression on his face that simply refused to believe what was happening, even as a speared pierced through the bridge of his nose, causing his entire head to explode in a cloud of red mist.
In total, Vahn had eliminated Gilgamesh in only seventeen seconds, including the time it took for his brain to 'process' how to use the key he had robbed from the Hero King's grasp. Unfortunately, now that Gilgamesh had been eliminated, Vahn stood in the air like an emotionless automaton as the key in his hands dissolved into golden specs, vanishing from the world. Though he could have continued using the key while Gilgamesh was manifested, there was nothing anchoring the incredibly powerful artifact to this timeline after the Holy Grail absorbed Gilgamesh's mana. Had he still been 'aware', Vahn might have cared a lot more but, now that it had already escaped his grasp, he would have to be content with the vast amount of knowledge he had obtained just by owning the key for a few seconds...
Now that her primary target had vanished, Sakura had turned her gaze towards Vahn as a Shadow Giant more than 30m tall extended its arm in an attempt to knock him out of the sky. The only thing it got for its trouble, however, was Vahn turning into his Zhuque form, giving him a 'true counter' to the black mud with his Yang Elemental Flames. At the same time, nine links of [Enkidu] burst into existence around Sakura's body before tightly binding her in place moments later. This caused the Shadow Giant to lose its structure, plopping to the ground with a force akin to seven hundred-thousand gallons of thick and destructive mud. It quickly spread through the area and began to corrode the surroundings but, for better or worse, Gilgamesh's earlier attack ensured there was nothing to affect.
It was around the time that Vahn was being brought back to awareness by Sis that Scáthach appeared next to Artoria, two children tucked under her arms as she looked up at Vahn and muttered, "That is a dangerous power he has obtained. We must both do our best to make sure it does not consume him." In response to this, Artoria, who had been feeling strangely anxious due to her inability to actively participate in the fight, nodded her head firmly in response. She recognized Vahn's state as the same thing he had used against her during their spar. It gave him a level of power that was beyond comprehension, meaning the chances of it corrupting him were extremely high. Since she had promised to always be there to guide him back on the right path, Artoria tightly gripped [Excalibur]'s handle as she redoubled her resolve...
---
After regaining his senses, Vahn felt a strange incongruity as he replayed the scene of his surprisingly short battle with Gilgamesh. Though he had certainly sneak attacked the King of Heroes, he hadn't expected the latter to go down so quickly. What he didn't know was, much like Scáthach, Gilgamesh relied on a powerful form of [Clairvoyance] to know how to deal with most enemies. Since Vahn was inherently 'immune' to such abilities, Gilgamesh fundamentally lacked the means to see through Vahn's sudden attacks. This, combined with the face he had already used up a large amount of mana to bombard Sakura, meant Gilgamesh was in a severely weakened state at the time his 'key' had been stolen. From that point onward, the fight had already irreversibly shifted in Vahn's favor...
By the time Vahn touched down on the ground, Sakura's hair and eyes had returned to normal as she lay limply within the immovable embrace of [Enkidu]. Though the mud in the area was still damaging the surroundings, it was quickly beginning to turn into an inert black sludge since there was no 'intent' guiding it after Sakura's powers were sealed. So long as nothing entered the area of influence for the next hour or two, it should die out completely before either dissolving away or fusing with the soil below. How the Mage's Association and Holy Church intended to cover up such devastation was something Vahn didn't really care about though, after what had happened, he was tempted to use his own 'wish' to restore the lives that had been lost...
Deciding to worry about such things when the Holy Grail War had been concluded, Vahn placed his palm atop Sakura's head and began to systematically seal each of her mana circuits before placing a thick membrane of Source Energy around her 'core'. In a way, it was fortunate that Gilgamesh had shown up when he did as, if Vahn had started to use 'Nirvana Rebirth' on Sakura, she undoubtedly would have caught him off guard with her 'Shadow'. Though it likely wouldn't be able to kill him, Vahn didn't imagine it would be very pleasant to have much of his body dissolved as she desperately tried to break him down and consume him...
Once Sakura was adequately sealed, Vahn removed one of the links of [Enkidu] before anchoring it to his hand and coiling it around her body. After she was wrapped up 'snugly', Vahn dismissed the other eight chains before wrapping a large blanket around Sakura's body. He needed to move her to a secure location in order to perform the 'Nirvana Rebirth', especially since the Mage's Association and Holy Church were undoubtedly flocking to the area. With Gilgamesh destroyed, Vahn knew the Holy Church would be quick to lay the blame on him, regardless of whether or not he told them the truth of the matter. Since telling the truth would undoubtedly lead to them 'demanding' he hand over Sakura, Vahn would rather leave the area and deal with them on his own terms later on...
After throwing Sakura over his shoulder, Vahn floated through the area towards where Scáthach and Artoria were waiting for him. Without him needed to ask, the former immediately explained, "I was only able to save two of the children after the unexpected explosion that occurred." Since he had already sensed this, Vahn wasn't all that surprised by Scáthach's emotionless words. Still, hearing her say them directly caused him to wince as he looked down at the two sleeping girls hanging limply in Scáthach's embrace. Vahn hoped that the Mage's Association would be able to track down their families but, considering that Sakura was the primary culprit in the disappearance of more than three thousand people, he assumed their families were amongst that number.
Shaking his head to clear negative thoughts, Vahn hardened his expression as he said, "We should move to the Fuyuki City Hyatt Hotel to explain our side of events before they get twisted out of proportion. We'll leave those two girls in the custody of the Mage's Association while I use their medical facilities to treat Sakura's body." Contrary to expectations, neither Scáthach nor Artoria seemed to fully agree with him, the latter outright saying, "It would be better to attack while our enemies are off-kilter. After dropping off these two girls, I believe it would be best to place Sakura in a safe location before heading to Mount Enzou and dealing with Circe before they are able to come up with any countermeasures."
Though Artoria took pity on the two orphaned girls, she knew there would only be more victims if they didn't bring the Holy Grail War to an end. The fact that a large section of the Miyama Town Foreign Residential District had been destroyed all but guaranteed that the Mage's Association and Holy Church would begin interfering proactively. Their window of opportunity was rapidly shrinking as, even if they weren't the primary culprits behind the devastation, the blame would undoubtedly lie on all participants of the war. There was a good chance that Executors of the Mage's Association would appear at the Tohsaka Manor in an attempt to 'reign' in Rin and Vahn, even though this would undoubtedly just be a power play on their part to obtain the grail for themselves...
Understanding Artoria's concerns, Vahn gave a curt not before saying, "We will return to the Tohsaka Manor for the time being. We can buy time with the Sub-Space Orb while Astolfo comes over to pick up the two girls. After I treat Sakura, she can be left in the care of Rin while we go and storm Mount Enzou and try to bring this all to an end. There have already been too many victims...let's do our best to ensure there aren't any more added to the count..."
As this was a far more agreeable plan, both girls nodded in response before the entire group ran back on foot. Since she had been engaged in battle, Scáthach was unable to assume her Spirit form for the time being. This meant she was carrying the two unconscious girls under her arms as she ran through the streets in her characteristic skin-tight bodysuit. Vahn was tempted to tell her to wear something that didn't stand out but, considering they were carrying three unconscious bodies, it wouldn't really matter how they were dressed. He even had Rin wrapped up in a blanket while, with the exception of some foul brown clothes, neither young girl in Scáthach's arms were wearing anything that remotely resembled clothes...
---
Though the distance between the Matou and Tohsaka residences were something that could quickly be traversed by the group, Vahn wasn't at all surprised when a pulse of magical energy spread over the area. Immediately following this, he could sense several figures rushing towards them with a commendable pace of around 310kmh. Though this was unbelievably slow in comparison to the speed of most combatants he associated with, Vahn could tell these four people were 'normal' humans. One of them even seemed vaguely familiar, causing Vahn to feel an extreme amount of exasperation when a white-haired, golden-eyed beauty appeared to block their way. He was almost tempted to ask how a skintight leotard and a half-dress that didn't even cover her lower body was considered suitable attire for a Nun but Vahn didn't think Caren would appreciate the comment...
Contrary to expectations, Caren was actually standing at the back of a group consisting of two other women and a tall man that reached 194cm with his thick-soled shoes. Unlike Caren, the other two women were wearing clothes that were similar in structure to business suits, complete with pants, while the man leading the group had a clerical collar designating his status as an ordained priest within the Holy Church. He even carried an archaic-looking bible in his hands that made Vahn's skin feel like it was turning inside-out just by being near it. Because of this, he was starting to feel more than a little bothered by the existence of the Holy Church and their various 'troublesome' artifacts.
With a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, the man leading the group passed his gaze over the two girls in Scáthach's arms before resting his dark brown eyes on Sakura. Then, in a deep voice that didn't leave any room for argument, he plainly stated, "I am afraid you will have to be detained until an Inquisitor of the Holy Church is able to determine your involvement with that blast. This is a clear violation of the restrictions that you had agreed to after making your participation in the Holy Grail War known. Do not resist or we will be forced to apprehend you through methods I am certain you will find far less agreeable..."
Refusing to simply bow down to the whims of an organization that was quick to lay blame on others, Vahn fixed his gaze on the man as he answered, "Without any conclusive evidence, you lack the right to hold us at your convenience. Do not pretend that the Holy Church has jurisdiction to act however they please without any evidence to support your claims. We are the ones who put an end to the Servant who had caused the devastation, not the culprits behind it. You are more than welcome to seek out the master of the Archer-Class Servant Gilgamesh if you want to seek some form of recompense."
As if Vahn's words were inconsequential, the man inclined his head towards the unconscious girls before saying, "You are fleeing through the night with three unconscious victims yet insist on your innocence...? Very well then..." Though his tone had started off stern, the man suddenly put on a more 'agreeable' expression before adding, "You need only turn those girls over to us and we will let you be on your way. Depending on the information they reveal, however, we may be forced to seek you out for an explanation later..."
Without Vahn needed to answer, Scáthach suddenly stated, "Father Alexander Crowley, 2nd Class Executor of the Holy Church. Specializations include Exorcism, Sealing Scriptures, and Memory Alteration. We will not trust you to do as you please behind the scenes. If the Holy Church intends to make a play for the Holy Grail once again, please come to an accord with the Mage's Association first." Though she said these words in her characteristic emotionless tone, Scáthach had already pulled out two shortened versions of her [Gae Bolg], making it clear that she 'knew' these people couldn't be trusted.
With a stern expression on his face, the man named Father Crowley looked at Scáthach, eyeing her up and down as he asked, "Which Master managed to summon a harlot as a Servant? If you wish to slander the Holy Church, do not think we will stand idly by and watch as you carry out your evil deeds..." In response to this, Artoria seemed like she could no longer contain herself, pointing her [Excalibur] directly at Father Crowley as she exclaimed, "Insolence! You would play at righteousness, knowing full well your own sins!? Has the Holy Church truly fallen so far...!?" As a King who had been bestowed her title by providence, Artoria hated 'false priests' more than anything else. Since she was well aware of how their actions had negatively impacted the previous two Grail Wars, she was less than enthused to hear another pretender speak righteous platitudes while literally plotting to lay false blame on them...
Though he hadn't been that perturbed by Scáthach, courtesy of not knowing who she was, Father Crowley was very aware of Artoria's identity. Since she would likely be able to take out their entire group on her own, he was considering whether or not he should antagonize Vahn further. Their only actual advantage was the knowledge that Vahn and his cohorts weren't actually responsible for the devastation. They were also the strongest party remaining in the Holy Grail War, putting an end to the schemes of several other Masters through relatively peaceful methods. On the surface, this made it appear as if they could be exploited rather easily but, with the purple-haired woman apparently able to see through people's identities, things had become far more troublesome...
Deciding that a tactical retreat was the best course of action, at least until they could receive backup in a few hours time, Father Crowley gave an overly polite bow that was repeated by his two female associates and Caren. When he raised his head, an 'amicable' smile was present on his face as he said, "Seeing as how the legendary King of Knights is willing to speak for you, I can only assume that this was a case of mistaken identity. It was not our intention to lay blame on an innocent party for the atrocities of another. However, please be aware that we will be by to question you about the specifics of the incident at a later date..." With that said, Father Crowley nodded towards his group before squeezing a silver cross around his neck, dissolving the isolation barrier they had created to try and entrap Vahn's party.
Without sticking around to make small talk, Father Crowley and his two associates began to make their way towards the sight of Gilgamesh's attack, leaving behind a lingering Caren who looked at Vahn with a 'sad' expression as she said, "If you continue to lead such a sinful life, the judgment of our Heavenly Father will undoubtedly be brought down upon you. Please reconsider the life you have chosen, Vahn Mason...I do not wish to see you destroyed due to your ignorance..." With that said, Caren gave a much lower bow than the false politeness her group had expressed previously. Then, with a mournful expression on her face, she struggled to try and catch up with the group of Exorcists that had left her behind. Unlike them, she lacked active magic circuits, meaning she had to rely on artificial circuits engraved into her outfit just to keep pace. This was undoubtedly a heavy strain on her body, causing Vahn to shake his head as, contrary to Caren's expression, he could tell she seemed to 'enjoy' the pain her body was experiencing...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Surprise, Mud-Fucker...!','It is impossible to save everyone (T ^ T)...','The Holy Church's schemes...')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE
Status de energia semanal
200+ Ranking de
Poder 
111 Pedra de
Poder 
Comentário de parágrafo