A Few Moments Prior, Ritsuka POV
"Mash, I know it hurts, but please hold on for a bit longer." Ritsuka told a pain-stricken Mash, who was lying on the ground, still clutching the side of her stomach in pain.
A green light was enveloping the girl, slowly healing her wounds.
He had been healing Mash for a few minutes, and in that time, the rest of his servants were fighting Saint Martha.
Or, at least, trying to.
Long story short, they fucked up.
Saint Martha was no pacifist; she was a full-blown fighter.
And they paid the price in blood and flesh.
[Blue-TheCHAMP: Wow, who could have guessed Martha would have been able to put up such a great fight? ]
[No one did. But man did she prove us all wrong. ]
[No offense to Chaldea and their struggle, but I have to confess that the way she just grabbed Archer's arrows out of the sky like they were an annoying bug type, it sent chills down my spine. So cool… ]
[BattleMANIAC: Bro that was NOTHING compared to how she swatted the barrage he sent at her. There were times she was moving so fast, her arm seemed to have slowed down. INSANE. ]
Ritsuka heard Mash's breathing ease up and become less ragged.
Then, the automatic spell ran out.
Since he had no talent for magecraft, he had to rely on mystic codes for his spellcasting. Unfortunately, this meant that he couldn't sustain them for a long period of time and instead had to keep recasting them if the wounds were taking longer to heal.
Despite its limitations, he was still glad Da Vinci had added a healing spell to this mystic code at all.
Before he could reapply another heal spell, Mash shakily sat back up.
"T-Thank you… Senpai…" Mash then used her newly recovered strength to prop herself up on her feet in a way that reminded Ritsuka of a newborn fawn.
"Mash, wait, I'm not-"
A loud explosion took his attention away from Mash and he could see Elizabeth clutching her face in pain."Gah!! My face!! You bitch!!"
[CaptainDrakeE4: Seeing these prissy Idols drop their girly facade and start cursing like a sailor when shit doesn't go their way will never get old. Lol. ]
[AltariaFloof: It's an unfortunate thing that occurs in the Pokemon Contest industry, and any talent industry in fact. ]
[Eon_Red: Liz no!! Meanie white lady needs to pay for hurting her!! ]
Mash, seeing her comrade in pain, leapt back into battle.
He let out a sigh at the girl's stubbornness, but after taking a moment to observe the battlefield, he had to admit that he was out of his league.
He felt like a spectator in a DBZ fight.
Reading a speeding chat with ease was one thing; trying to keep up with the speed of the battle was another.
He took a glance at his chat, and he realized his audience was, to borrow one of their slang terms, 'built different.'
[SurgeOfLightning: I want to say this is an unfair fight, but despite being on the defensive, she's still kicking our asses like a 10-year-old fighting off a crowd of rowdy kindergarteners ]
[Ouch, Kream managed to nick part of her thigh. A bit too close to an artery. ]
[Dragon's-Iris: Look at the way she twirls that staff, it's like we're watching one of those old school martial arts films except you can actually feel and see the impacts of their blows. ]
[Chuckin'Boulderz: Kream's form is kinda all over the place. Completely undisciplined. ]
[BattleMANIAC: Well duh, she's a widow, not a warrior. She's never had the chance to learn swordsmanship so of course her skills are abysmal. ]
[SurgeOfLightning: You could have said the same about Martha, yet here we are. ]
They could tell what was happening better than he could.
Sure, the camera was helping them, but he knew from his chat that the camera didn't slow down the movements for their sake, unless it was for the sake of entertainment.
Their previous comments didn't suggest the latter was happening, so it was safe to say that they were relying on their eyes to keep up.
Perhaps living and fighting alongside creatures that have similar speeds as servants for thousands of years up to the modern day has made their eyes adapt to be more capable of tracking fast movement.
Yes, he was getting more accustomed to their fighting speeds with each fight, but he was only able to hear the sonic boom that disabled Mash rather than the punch itself.
By the time he realized that Mash was injured, she was careening towards him, and in a blink, Marie had blocked her path and saved him.
And it all happened within less than a minute.
The times they talked lasted longer than the fights, none of which were going in their favor.
Mozart was still down, Archer looked beat up, and Mash barely finished healing before she jumped back in.
Thankfully, Marie was okay, as she had activated a skill of hers that made her temporarily invincible when Mash crashed into her.
He thought the idea of real world invincibility really cool, but he didn't have time to gush over it while his friends and allies were getting the stuffing beat out of them by what is, by all accounts except the official one, a nun.
Saint Martha is too agile and mobile.
They needed to capture her, or at the very least slow her down so that they can end this fight.
Suddenly, a memory of yesterday hit him.
His eyes dart to Mozart, who is still looking like a defeated boxer at the base of the cracked tree he had been launched to.
Requiem For Death
Mozart's Noble Phantasm was able to stop three servants from moving long enough to flee from them.
If he can get Mozart to wake up and use his NP, then they can end the fight.
He gets up from where he was kneeling, not bothering to waste time to brush the dirt and grass from his pants, and runs up to Mozart's unconscious body.
He winced when he saw the ugly, swollen purple mark on the man's cheek.
Ritsuka didn't know how he survived such a blow, but he will just chalk it up to heroic spirits being made of sturdier stuff.
Without hesitation, he activated another healing spell and pointed his palm at the man's face.
The green light enveloped the musician's swollen face, and to Ritsuka's relief, it began to shrink.
By the time the spell came to an end, all that remained on his face was a purple bruise.
Unfortunately, the man hadn't woken up.
Ritsuka grabbed Mozart's shoulders and shook him as hard as he could.
"Monsieur Mozart, please wake up!"
Yet, no matter how much he tried, he was still out cold.
With his options and time running out, he raised his hand up.
"Come on, wake up!"
And slapped the man across the face.
The regret hit him back with a vengeance.
"Oooww…"
Ritsuka forgot Heroic Spirits were steps more powerful than humans.
His hand was now pulsing in pain; it felt like he had slapped a rock with his bare hands.
And what's worse, he had made a fool out of himself in front of a large gathering of people, again.
[Chuckin'Boulderz: Martha's form, on the other hand, it's impeccable. I can see she relies heavily on boxing and kickboxing. ]
[VampHaterCIEL: She is using an ancient martial art known as Jacob's Limbs. It's a martial art that specializes in fighting angels. Its original user, Jacob, was said to have wrestled and beaten an archangel who was strong enough to defeat 12,000 angels by himself. ]
[O.O ] x234
[Chuckin'Boulderz: Damn. ]
[Bruno-E4: Indeed. There seems to be more to this than simple martial arts, is there? ]
[VampireHaterCIEL: Yes. While you can easily copy the physical movements of Jacob's Limbs no problem, it's only a piece of it. The key to Jacob's Limb's power is the strength of the practitioner's faith and devotion to The Lord. Without those, the technique will never truly BE Jacob's Limbs. ]
[Bruno-E4: Hmmm, I am not a religious man, so I am afraid that I won't be able to attempt this wholeheartedly as members of your faith. ]
[Chuckin'Boulderz: Such a shame that martial art is locked behind a faith based paywall. ]
Or maybe not.
It seems like the camera didn't catch him being an idiot, so he was safe.
"Are you alright, Ritsuka?" A concerned Marie Antoinette asked him as she stared at him clutching his hand in pain.
"Yeah, just… stings a bit. What about you? You took quite a hit." He returned his concern back at her, which she waved off.
"I already told you I was fine. I didn't feel any pain when Mash's body hit mine. I was just surprised. Anyway, my well-being aside, do you want me to give it a go?" She said while pointing her delicate finger towards Mozart.
Ritsuka shrugged and made room for Marie to approach Mozart. "Go ahead."
Marie nodded before she walked to the sleeping man and kneeled in front of him. With the gentleness and caring of a mother, she put her soft hand on his face and gently caressed it, an action that caused the man to smile.
That moment of bliss came to an abrupt end, as she quickly raised her hand and slapped him with the force of a semi-truck slamming into a wall.
"Wake up, Amadeus!!"
If not for the loud clanging of metal going on behind them, everyone would have turned their gazes towards them.
Unfortunately, Mozart did not wake up.
The rider servant let out a sigh. "Well, there's not much we can do now."
Ritsuka furrowed his brows.
That wasn't true, he still had one option left.
He brought his hand up to see his command seals.
Ritsuka could use one to wake Mozart up, but he only has three.
If he used one to wake Mozart up and then another to activate his noble phantasm, he would only have 1 seal left for healing anyone who could get a fatal injury.
Everyone has been drilling into him how command seals should be used as a last resort.
And yes, this situation warranted it, but he didn't want to waste them either.
Then, a thought crossed his mind.
Could it be as simple as just telling him to use it while he's knocked out?
Possibly.
It certainly wouldn't hurt to try.
However, before he could, Martha's voice rang out in the clearing.
"This fight is getting quite unfair, let's even out the odds, shall we?"
"Tarrasque." And suddenly, an oppressive pressure fell on his shoulders.
Pure, unadulterated power incarnate.
The ground shook as the dragon fell from nowhere.
His eyes widened in horror as he beheld the Beast as it eyed them like they were pests that it needed to cull.
Then, it unleashed a bone-rattling roar.
"RAAAAAA"
[CaptainDrakeE4: Man, that is so fucking cool… ]
[*Head nodding in agreement emoji* ] x58
[Ho-Shit!! Is that a Drednaw?! ]
[A really powerful, evil looking Drednaw! ]
[Dragon's-Iris: Dragon variant Drednaw!!ヽ(°〇°)ﾉ \(˚☐˚")/ ₍₍⚞(˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)⚟⁾⁾ ]
[IliekQThings: Gah!! It's so ugly!! Why couldn't it have been a Chewtle or Squirtle?!!]
✦✧✦
Jura Forest, Present moment
The beast closed its jaws and set its gaze on the group.
And just when they thought things couldn't get any worse, Martha's body began to glow and emit a high amount of magical energy.
"Everyone watch out!! She's about to use her noble phantasm!! " Romani yelled frantically through the communication speaker.
[I-I thought her dragon was her noble phantasm. ]
[Frisky1intheFlowers(MOD): Oh, he definitely is. But not in the way you guys think. Just watch. ]
Martha then opened her mouth to speak.
"Son of Leviathan. Forgive me for asking you to commit cruelty after you had reformed."
Then she jumped high in the air, followed by Tarasque.
Martha stared at Ritsuka with her maddened eyes.
"And to you, chosen by God, I pray you survive this."
Martha raised her radiant staff high into the air, its holy light shining bright and illuminating the night sky.
"Everyone!! Get behind me!!" Mash yelled out as she changed her position so that she could stand between Martha and Ritsuka, then planted her shield on the ground.
Hearing that, Kriemhild jumped behind Mash without any protest. She knew how sturdy her noble Phantasm was after she saw the recordings from Fuyuki and seeing it survive a blast from the legendary sword Excalibur.
Elizabeth didn't know about Lord Chaldeas, but she decided to follow Mash's direction, as she was still a body between her and whatever Martha had planned.
Jeanne, seeing how dangerous things were getting, and her lack of confidence forced her hand, and she turned towards her mother.
"Please excuse me."
"What are you-eep!"
She picked her up like a sack of potatoes and made a beeline towards Mash, gently dropping her off next to Ritsuka, who blinked at her sudden arrival. She didn't pay them mind and raced back to stand by the Shielder demi-servant's side.
Jeanne planted her flag in the ground, the same as Mash did with her shield.
The girls exchanged glances and nodded in solidarity.
However, when they faced forward once more, they both were shocked to see the muscular back of Archer standing in front of them.
"Archer-san what are you-" Mash tried to ask the man, but her words died in her mouth as she saw him outstretch one of his arms.
"I am the Bone of My Sword." his words reverberated in the air.
[Oh shit! Red Boner Guy has returned!! Shit's a bout to get real! ]
"Rho Aias!!!" Archer yelled out, then, to everyone's surprise and awe, a translucent pink flower construct emerged from his palm and bloomed.
Six shields of translucent energy hovered over the flower, ready to take the blow that was about to come.
[Woah!! What is that?!! ]
[GymLeaderErika: A shield in the shape of a flower?! ( ☆0☆)‼ ]
[Archer never showed this power during the Fuyuki singularity! ]
Martha noticed the flower and her lips curled up, her hopes renewed.
And with a powerful swing, her staff slammed on Tarasque's back, sending it spinning towards them in a pained roar.
[D-Did she just… hit her dragon? (°△°|||) ]
[Just_N: Yes, she did. And it was in pain. Disgusting. ]
The Dragon withdrew into itself and spun like a Beyblade.
A typhoon of rapid winds and electricity rotated around its body.
Its protruding horns and tail turned his body into a buzzsaw that, once it touched the pink shield, tore through the first two with ease.
The third and fourth shield resisted the spinning dragon for a second, before they too shattered into pieces
Finally, the fifth shield held firm, but audible cracks began to slowly spread across its surface.
Each shield had the strength of a fortress, so with each one broken, the wielder suffered consequences.
"Guhk…" Dozens of cuts split open Archer's arms, blood exploding out and staining the grass below him.
[Gah!! GARcher your arm!! R U OK?!! ]
"Archer!!" Both Mash and Jeanne yelled out of concern, but he disregarded their worry and yelled back at them.
"I'm fine. It's just a bit of backlash! Stop worrying about me and just summon your noble phantasms, just in case this oversized turtle breaches my defenses!"
[A bit? A BIT?!! Dude, your arm exploded!! ]
[CasCu: He'll be fine. Rho Aias is pretty strong. So there's no way it will fail. And if it does, I'm personally dragging the red bastard's ass back from the throne and kicking it! ]
"Y-Yes!" Mash said with some hesitance, but trusting Archer to hold the line.
Jeanne was still concerned about Archer's arm and his body, but he followed the man's orders, "R-Right."
Tarasque's body began to glow brighter and brighter, which prompted both servants to unleashed their noble phantasms.
"Lord Chaldeas!!!"
"Luminosité Eternelle!!!"
Mash's noble phantasm spread out behind Rho Aias, providing them with an extra layer of protection. Meanwhile, Jeanne's flag glowed and extended until it formed an additional barrier around not just the entire group, but even Rho Aias.
Meanwhile, Tarasque continued to glow and glow until finally, it exploded.
Thanks to Jeanne and Mash's efforts, Rho Aias stayed firm.
By the time the explosion had subsided, his arm was limp and bloodied, but it was a small price to pay compared to the devastation surrounding them.
The lush forest clearing filled with flowers was gone, replaced by fields of charcoal and soot.
The only spot that was untouched was the area behind Archer, Mash, and Jeanne.
And aside from Archer, no one else was harmed by the attack.
[They were very close to a game over there. Phew. ]
[Bugsy_Buzz: The forest… the bugs… they are all gone! (˶ㅠ︿ㅠ) ]
A snort drew people's attention to an annoyed Tarasque who disappeared into the ether. It reappeared next to Martha, who had landed on the ground with the grace of an angel descending from heaven.
"Magnificent. Truly, you are God's chosen if you were able to survive against my Noble Phantasm."
A loud ping voice cut through the tense atmosphere, startling Saint Martha and her dragon.
[Just_N donated 100 bits.]
["Tarasque, tell me, why do you allow this human woman to abuse you in such a way? Why do you not strike your owner and free yourself?!" ]
"Who's there?!" Martha yelled out in shock, caught off guard by the disembodied voice.
Tarasque quickly composed itself, and using its superior hearing, it turned to face the camera's location.
[Uhhh… ]
[Bro…. It's looking right at us. ]
[@ Just_N is gonna get us killed. ]
[ShortShorts_QUEEN: Have a bit of faith in him. He knows what he's doing. I hope. ]
[Sounds to me like you are having doubts about him too. ]
The dragon opened its mouth, revealing its jagged, razor-sharp teeth. Then, to the group's surprise, it let out a series of grunts and growls in a manner that sounded like speech.
"Ummm… senpai, what is happening?" A confused Mash asked Ritsuka, who looked taken aback by the scene, albeit for different reasons.
"Yeah, it looks like N can talk to more than just Pokémon." Ritsuka told his kohai.
"I-I see…" She hesitated as she spoke, unsure of who N was, but decided to save that question for later since there seemed to be a long story attached to that name.
["I understand… Then in that case, you need not worry, for we will free you of your torment soon. "]
Tarasque narrowed his eyes, multiple roars of anger rumbling out of his throat.
The servants nearby were on edge while glaring at the screen for seemingly making the situation worse. However, what caught them by surprise was seeing Martha's eyes softening, as if she understood the roars and growls that Tarasque was emoting.
"Tarasque…"
"Huh?! She can understand him?!! " Romani blurted out, but Martha just shook her head.
"I cannot understand his speech, but because of our link, I can understand what he is conveying through his feelings."
"Oh. That makes sense. " Romani, satisfied with his question being answered, went back to sipping his coffee like normal.
[PsychicMoostache(MOD): *Nods in understanding * I would do the same for my Sabrina. ]
[The Pokémon Language Translation feature on my Rotom phone is giving me nothing. Are you guys sure Tarasque is even saying anything? ]
[PsychicMoostache(MOD): I can understand Tarasque decently. I am missing some nuances, and the occasional growl sounds like an actual growl, but I get the gist. He's surprised that someone can understand the "Dragon's tongue" and that he'll humor Just_N.
He says that striking Martha is the reason he's even in this mess to begin with, and he hates it when Martha uses him in her noble phantasm, but he personally doesn't hate her.
He admits his deeds of the past warrant her beating him up when she tamed him, and that she is his life now. And he won't abandon her because she is protecting him from the madness enhancement the Dragon Witch inflicted upon them by taking all the bloodlust and madness into herself. ]
[ ( ◞ _◟) ] x234
["Apologies for my assumption, Great One. I did not know she meant so much to you."]
The dragon snorted, then he let out another series of growls and roars.
While everyone else was busy observing the bizarre conversation, in the background, Ritsuka and Kriemhild were discreetly communicating through their mental link.
["Very well, then I give my word, we will do our best to bring you two down." ]
[PsychicMoostache(MOD):He says that if we really want to help him, we need to put Saint Martha out of her misery, because he cannot bear to see the woman he fell in love with be forced to commit the same barbarism and cruelty he partook in. Not that he'll make it easy, as he still will protect her with his own life. ]
[Ms.Roxanne: L-Love you say?! Between a dragon and her Rider?!! Oh my! (⸝⸝๑﹏๑⸝⸝) ]
[CasCu: Can't blame the guy for his feelings. It's hard not to fall for a woman who can kick your ass. ]
Martha let out a sigh before she sent an unamused look towards the dragon.
Tarasque, despite being an inhuman monster, visibly sweat from her stare and looked away in fear.
[PsychicMoostache(MOD): It would seem the feelings of romantic love are unrequited. Shame.]
[Heart0f6old: Oof… I know that feeling rather intimately. ]
[Fairy-Queen-Valerie: Should we say something else? Tarasque sounds like he's trapped in an abusive relationship. ]
[CaptainDrakeE4: You heard the big guy, he's using his time as penance for the people he's killed. Besides, not much we can do. You can't deny a dragon what his heart wants… unless you're Saint Martha I suppose. ]
[Bugsy_Buzz: Fairies might not be super effective against Dragons in Gudao's world, but fighting types sure are. Lol. ]
[Chuckin'Boulderz: Fuck yeah!! ]
[Dragon's-Iris: @ Bugsy_Buzz ugh, don't remind me… ]
By looking away from her enemies, Martha had made a huge mistake.
That small window of distraction was enough for Ritsuka to make a move.
Ritsuka's command seal glowed brightly, catching everyone's attention, especially Martha's.
"Mozart, by this command seal, wake up and use your noble phantasm on our enemies!"
Mozart, who was knocked out cold like a drunk college student after a night of partying, awoke as if realizing he had overslept on exam day.
He jumped to his feet in a frantic scramble, and a piano manifested before him.
[Kohga: It would seem Gudao has finally decided to stop being a wallflower and take action, without being a suicidal idiot. Well done. ]
[NinJanine: *sniff* They grow up so fast. ]
[OrochiMochiHime: *Nodds in approval* ]
Martha quickly realized her mistake and jerked her head back to the battlefield.
However, she would not be able to attack Mozart again.
Her eyes widened in horror at the sight of a madly grinning Kriemhild, who had closed the distance and was just a few feet away from her, her blade raised high and glowing with evil energy.
Her sword swung downward, aimed right at Martha's neck, but before it could land, a massive tail intercepted the blow.
Tarasque let out a groan of pain as the evil sword slammed into its tail, bruising it.
Yet despite the pain, the tail lashed out and threw the attacking servant backwards.
Kriemhild felt the tail slam into her body, eliciting a groan, but she refused to allow herself to tumble and instead arched her body like a cat and barely managed to land on her feet.
[SurgeOfLightning: Close but no cigar. ]
[Don't give up Kream!! Keep trying!! ]
Her attack had failed, but Kriemhild wasn't mad or annoyed that it did.
Quite the opposite, as she looked jubilant for reasons Martha was unable to understand until it was too late.
The sound of piano keys was obvious, as the tunes filled the air with the unmistakable sounds of a choir of what sounded like angels as they sang a song of doom.
[Checkmate!! ]
[Payback time you rowdy Saint!! ]
"Behold my phinal piece!! Recuiem four Death!" Mozart said, his slightly swollen purple cheek stunted his speech a bit, but it was enough to activate his noble phantasm.
Suddenly, a heavy pressure fell on Martha and Tarasque, pinning them down and making them unable to move.
As soon as it became apparent Martha was incapacitated, Kriemhild wasted no time and capitalized on the weakness.
Her evil, oversized blade crackled with dark energy.
SLASH
Martha let out a scream as the evil blade cut through clothes, flesh, and bone.
Unfortunately for Kriemhild, in her haste to cut the woman down before the noble phantasm's effects ran out, she had misjudged the distance between her blade and Martha's body.
Only the tip of the blade cut through the lucky Saint, who had avoided getting bisected in two.
Blood sprayed from Martha's wound like a fountain, drenching the Berserker in red.
[Kream is just your friendly neighborhood serial killer housewife. Cooking dinner, cleaning the house by daylight and cleaving her enemies at night! ]
[WhismurAnnouncer: Wow, and Kream manages to land a fatal blow!! This battle is over!! ]
[ Bruh, You jinxed it! (－‸ლ) ]
Tarasque let out a guttural roar, its face contorting into a wrathful form that promised death to all who had harmed his beloved.
Before Kriemhild could go for the kill, she dodges to the side, avoiding a swipe from the dragon's poisonous tail.
"This is the embodiment of my Faith!" As soon as she recited her small prayer, an explosion of magical energy enveloped her form. Then, her glowed green.
Ugly, marred flesh gave way to soft, smooth, pink skin as it knit itself together.
In just a few seconds, Martha's wound was returned to normal before it was cut by Balmung.
Yet despite her skin being closed and healed, her body, which had once been powerful and full of energy, was now lethargic and strained from sheer exhaustion caused by tanking Kriemhild's attack.
Siegfried or not, that sword was still Balmung, a legendary sword that slew men and dragons alike.
[WhismurAnnouncer: Me and my big mouth. ]
[She can heal!!? Wut?! ]
[Frisky1intheFlowers(MOD): She is a literal white mage. Of coarse she would know healing spells. Why are you all so surprised? ]
[MalasadaMayhem: Don't lump us all in the same category. Not all of us are jocks who avoid playing tabletop games because "it's nerd stuff." ]
Martha's torment didn't end, as a high-pitched scream assaulted her ears. Her organs vibrated and shook from the impact of the soundwave that crashed into her.
The servant who had called her a gorilla saint had unleashed that scream to disorient the newly healed saint before she could attack again.
Unfortunately, her carelessness caused everyone else to clutch their ears in pain.
[Oh wow, Gold's advice worked. Lowering the volume actually makes a difference! ]
[Heart0f6old: ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ )
Martha, still weakened from the previous slash, continued to fight back.
[GroundHippowdon redeemed Sand Attack]
A spray of sand hit Saint Martha in the face and got into her eyes, irritating her eyes but not enough to blind her, but the same couldn't be said for her mouth.
"Peh!" The saint spat out the sand from her mouth, then she rubbed at her teary eyes using the sleeve of her dress.
[GroundHippowdon: I kind of feel like an asshole rn. ]
[It's ok. It was a well-placed Sand attack friend. ]
[Doesn't seem like it was as effective as it was with Dark Jeanne tho. ]
[BattleMANIAC: It was probably that skill she used earlier. ]
In the Saint's moment of weakness, Elizabeth saw her opportunity.
The Countess planted her spear into the ground and pointed her rear end at the saint, confusing her allies and Martha, who paused rubbing the sand from her eyes to stare the absurd sight.
[Liz, what are you doing?! This is no time to be flashing your panties to the enemy!! ]
This bizarre action proved to not be pointless as the super idol's tail fell on Martha's head like a sledgehammer.
The saint felt the heavy blow land on her head, rattling her teeth and nearly causing her to sever her tongue.
Then came another, and another, and another.
[Eon_Red: (≧▽≦)]
[OMA, she's using Tail Whip!! Lol! ]
[More like Tail Slap! Damn, that looks like it hurts. ]
The attack was relentless, but Martha had had enough.
The final tail slap came down, but it never struck the saint.
"Eep!" Elizabeth let out a whine as the saint caught her tail with a firm hand.
[AltariaFloof: It was at that moment, Liz knew, she fucked up. ]
[Come on Floof, I know you don't like Liz but that's no excuse for making fun of her. ]
[AltariaFloof: Super idol should have known better than to turn her back on her opponent. I'm just narrating facts here. ]
Elizabeth glared at the woman, "Hey! Let go!"
The saint gripped the tail harder, causing the idol to let out a scream of pain.
"I said LET GO-woah!" Elizabeth lost her grip on her lance as her body lifted off the ground.
"Elizabeth!!" Mash cried out in worry, and went to intervene.
However, Mash froze when she saw the maddened eyes of Saint Martha as she turned in her direction, and for a split second, the image of Martha was gone, replaced by Saber Alter as she swung Chiyome towards her like a makeshift club.
However, unlike last time, Mash snapped out of it in time and raised her shield up in reflex.
CLANG
"OWW!!"
Elizabeth let out a cry of pain as her head smashed into Mash's shield.
[NinJanine: Mash really needs more training on fighting opponents who use allies as weapons. ]
[OrochiMochiHime: Getting used as a club… it's not pleasant. ]
[Beaumains: Getting hit by said club is also not pleasant. ]
[Well, at least this time Mash actually blocked the attack. Poor Liz tho. ]
"S-Sorry!!" Mash apologized to the super idol, but didn't have time to hear the other girl's response.
Her arms buckled under a sudden, powerful force slammed into her shield.
Martha had kicked her shield and the force was so great, it sent Mash tumbling to the ground.
Kriemhild tried to assist, but Tarasque refused to let her get close to Martha as it slashed and swiped at her to keep her focused on him.
"Hey."
Martha's vacant eyes fell to the idol, who was glaring at her.
"Get your hands off me, you damn Gorilla woman!!"
The pointed end of a high heel struck Martha's lower jaw, cracking a tooth.
Blood trickled down Martha's bruised and bloody lip.
"Pff" She spit out the shards of her tooth on the ground.
[Good show Elizabeth. You actually managed to fuck up the Saint, too bad she's too much of a badass to care. ]
[My jaw hurt watching that. ]
[Chuckin'Boulderz: A true fighting type trainer through and through. ]
Martha clutched her head, wincing in what seemed like pain. However, it quickly passed.
All of a sudden, Martha grabbed the idol's tail with her other hand and raised it into the sky.
"Wait, what are you- wait No!"
Her knee collided with the idol's tail, and the sound of breaking bone echoed across the clearing.
[Eon_Red:NO!!! D: ]
"AAAAAAAA" Elizabeth unleashed a scream of anguish when her tailbone got broken in two.
Martha clutched her ears as the vortex of sound hit her point-blank, causing her ear drums to burst.
Blood leaked from her various orifices.
The small vessels in her eyes, nose and ears burst from the vibrations that assaulted her body.
She dropped Elizabeth and tried her best to retreat, but stumbled around like a drunk as her balance was thrown out of whack.
"Gah!" Martha cried as an arrow pierced her back, the force driving her forward until she faceplanted into the ground.
And as soon as she did, several pink comets of light rained down from above, slamming into her body.
It was as if the sky itself was displeased with her actions.
In truth, it was actually an angry Marie Antoinette, who had had enough of seeing her friends get beat up.
Martha tried to move but several more arrows rained down on her, pinning her arms, legs and torso to the ground.
She stopped moving.
[Is she dead? ]
[She isn't fading yet, so no. ]
[Ah brutality, my old friend. I had nearly forgotten you ]
"GRAAA!!" Tarasque let out a roar of worry, and attempted to rush to her side, but a crystal horse smashed into its face, shattering into thousands of shards and blinding the dragon.
The dragon roared, and began to flail around in anger.
Then a painful sensation hit its body, as Kriemhild unleashed several large pillars of dark energy around the Beast.
Its roars fell silent when the weak voice of Martha reached his ears.
"It's... Ok Tarasque… I'm not done… yet…" She lifted her head up and looked at the sky, "So long as my Hopes, wishes, and… my faith in you remains firm, My Lord, " once again, a green light enveloped her once again. The arrows pinning her down were pushed out of her body, and were scattered around the Saint.
Her flesh knit itself together once more.
However, despite her renewed flesh, Martha was now breathing more heavily and her forehead was glistened in sweat.
[Damn!! Just when I thought they had her!! She keeps getting up!! ]
[Hold on, it looks like she's on her last legs.]
[Oh yeah, she's losing the war of attrition. ]
Ritsuka saw the Saint was reaching the end of her stamina, and decided it was time to end things.
His hand glowed one more time.
Martha's face jerked in Ritsuka's direction.
Without taking a moment to catch her breath, her body moved towards him, ignoring the servants surrounding her in favor of stopping Ritsuka.
If she were sane of mind and healthy, she would have used a ranged option, but she chose to blitz him.
However, she never got the chance as a shadow emerged from the ether in front of Ritsuka.
Her eyes widened as wide as saucers when she saw what servant he had summoned.
A young girl in a bunny suit.
[Bunny_Aachan: Hey look, that's me!! Show her what for, shadow me!! ]
The girl smirked at the Saint before she raised her magnificent blade into the sky and swung it.
Had it been a normal sword, it wouldn't have done much aside from cutting air. However, this wasn't a normal blade.
The blade extended and made its way toward Martha in an arc.
Martha was about to jump, but a shower of arrows cut off her escape as they flew over her head.
She clicked her tongue in annoyance, realizing she had fallen for a trap.
Then, the blade hit her side.
Martha winced as the metal blade cut into her and wrapped around her.
She tried to raise her arm to grab it, but for some reason, she felt weak. It felt as if a part of her essence, beyond her physical body, was being restrained.
Before she realized it, her entire body was now tied up in a prison of metal.
She flexed her muscles, trying to break free.
Her thrashing caused the blade to groan under the strain, but it did not break. Simultaneously, this action caused the blades to dig into her skin, tearing open fresh, new wounds.
The Bunny Girl smirked and yanked her blade backwards, making Martha lose her balance and fall to the ground.
She looked up at her captor in befuddlement, but when she realized that she had full view under her short skirt, she brought her eyes down to the ground.
[You caught Saint Martha!! Her data has been entered into the servantdex!! ]
[Saint Martha got an eyeful of Bunny_Aachan's panties. ]
[Bunny_Aachan: Truly, she is a blessed woman to have been granted such a privilege. ]
[Frisky1intheFlowers(MOD): Not much of a privilege when you go around flaunting yourself to everyone. ]
[Bunny_Aachan: ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)💢 ]
Tarasque's roar echoes in the forest as the beast charges to free Martha, but before it could, a familiar voice rings out once more.
"By this command seal! Kriemhild, use your noble phantasm on Tarasque!!"
Kriemhild suddenly appeared between Tarasque and Martha, her blade oozing malevolence.
"The evil dragon crawls upon earth, and my hatred is like a flame."
[Oh shit, she's gonna do the thing!! ]
It exploded in a red aura as she swung it upwards, striking the beast's underbelly.
"Balmung Kriemhild!!!"
The sword hits Tarasque head-on, and the dragon groans in pain before he is sent flying, its loud roars fading into whispers until only the echoes of his roars could be heard.
[Home run!! That's game!! ]
[PsychicMoostache(MOD): …Tarasque said he liked Martha's blows better….]
[Uh… was that a mistranslation? ]
[Just_N: No. It's not. What did that woman do to that poor dragon? ]
[PsychicMoostache(MOD): It's called love Just_N. It makes us say and do things that we normally wouldn't say. ]
Martha closes her eyes in resignation. "It is my loss."
Ritsuka walks closer to Martha, his eyes regarding the bound saint as if she were an animal caught in a bear trap.
"Is there really no way to remove you from the Dragon Witch's control and form a contract with me?"
Saint Martha looked at Ritsuka in pity.
"Your heart is in the right place, Ritsuka; however, I cannot join your cause. Even if I had my contract annulled and my loyalty given to you, I must pay for my crimes. Forgiveness is something I strived to preach, but the people of France would not be so willing to forget what I had done to them. It will only hinder you and your allies in gathering forces to help your cause. "
She briefly looked at Jeanne as she spoke those words before she faced Ritsuka once again, their eyes locking with one another, "So please, do not hesitate to drive a sword in my heart."
[Dragon's-Iris: She kicked our asses, and she abuses dragons, but man, she really makes it hard to us hate her. ]
[Dark Jeanne will need to pay for her crimes. Hopefully, Chaldea will be strong enough to do so when the time comes. ]
Ritsuka wants to argue, but Marie's words come to his mind again.
To be a leader, the weight of making hard decisions fell on him. Indecision and weakness will only lead to his downfall.
He took a deep breath, then let it out, his mind was clear and he had made his decision.
"I am sorry that things turned out this way, Martha." He looked to Archer, and frowned when he saw the state of his arm.
Ritsuka's hand glowed, and his final command seal burned away.
Green light pieced back damaged skin, cracked bones mended and Archer felt lighter.
"Master?"
"Archer. Finish it quickly. She's been through enough." They needed a quick, clean option to kill her. As much as he likes Kriemhild and Elizabeth, there was the chance they would disobey him and kill her in a painful way as payback.
And he would have no way to stop them, since he has no command seals left.
He didn't want to burden Jeanne or Mash with doing the deed, nor Marie or Mozart.
Hence, why he chose Archer.
Archer seemed to understand his thoughts and nodded, "It shall be done."
Once his healing ended, Archer manifested an unwieldy sword.
The metal bow groaned under the strain of him pulling back on it.
The sword transformed into an arrow.
Then he took aim, directly at Martha's head.
[Oh Arceus, I cannot watch. ]
[It was a good fight Saint Martha, hopefully we will get to meet again. ]
"Before you kill me, I have one last thing to say." Martha said, which caused Archer to raise a brow.
"Speak, but do so quickly, holding a drawn bow can get quite tiring after a while. "
She nodded before her gaze settled on Ritsuka. "You all fought admirably, but it's not enough to defeat her and her mount. If you wish to defeat them, head to the town of Lyon. The Dragon Slayer Siegfried is there, the Dragon Witch believed him dead, but I hid him from her view."
[Even under her madness enhancement, she still managed to do good. ]
Seeing Ritsuka nod at her words, she turned to face Kriemhild.
The berserker scrunched up her nose in a sneer, "What?"
"Your hatred for your husband, while justified, will lead to the death of everyone. I will not beg you to forget his trespasses, but I urge you to find forgiveness. Whether you agree or not, only through forgiveness will you be able to slay the dragon Fafnir."
Kriemhild glared at the prone woman with disgust before she clicked her tongue.
"Put down the rabid bitch already, Archer." Kriemhild turned around and walked away.
[Huh… so Kream didn't kill her on the spot for talking to her about her husband. Odd. ]
[Junior_Researcher: I still think she's just being a tsundere for Siegfried. She just won't admit it. ]
[Kream: Watch your back, @ Junior_Researcher. You might end up with a knife to the lung if you aren't careful. ]
[Junior_Researcher: *Rolls eyes* Sure, whatever you say MRS. Kream. ]
[MalasadaMayhem: He just keeps digging his grave deeper and deeper. Welp, it was not nice knowing you. ]
"Are you done antagonizing our allies?" Archer asked with a dry tone.
"Yes, I am read-"
Martha's head violently jerked backwards as an arrow pierced her forehead with a loud, dull crack.
The arrow penetrated her skull, sliced through her soft brain tissue, and shattered another hidden object in her head into shrapnel before exiting the other side and embedding itself in the ground, causing the now deceased saint's head to be frozen at an unnatural angle.
Martha's eyes had rolled to the back of her head, lifeless.
[AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!! ]
[(ᗒᗣᗕ)՞] x342
[Fuck!! My heart wasn't ready!! ]
[I really should have just waited till morning to watch this… now I'm not gonna be able to go to sleep. ]
Looking at this grisly sight, Ritsuka felt sorry for her and, after a quick apology, walked closer to her corpse and closed her eyes with his hands.
Her body glowed and began to dissipate at a slow pace.
Ritsuka watched her in silence the entire time until finally, she disappeared.
✦✧✦
Ruins of Lyon
A man stood beneath the stars, his long silver hair billowing in the air. His gaze fixed to the north.
The chill midnight air was something he didn't mind, despite the sorry state of his body, which was riddled with cracks and black marks stretching all around his Armor of Fafnir.
He had been standing there for a few minutes, just observing the horizon past the charred buildings.
The still silence of the night was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and the click-clack of Japanese sandals.
He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"Kiyohime." The Dragon Slayer greeted the Japanese servant.
"Good evening, Siegfried-san." She walked over to his side, her eyes also fixed on the horizon.
The stark size difference between the two was comical, as Siegfried towered over the girl.
It was hard to believe such a small body carried so much firepower.
Literally.
He had heard her battle against the assassin servant that guarded this devastated town.
The ethereal blue flames that erupted during their fight had convinced him to check up on the newcomer and help them out.
But by the time he managed to arrive at the place where they fought, it was already over.
He had found her lying face down in a pile of ashes next to the disappearing body of the assassin servant.
Her small frame had been deprived of mana, and she had come close to disappearing herself until he decided to nurse her back to health by feeding her his blood.
She was grateful for his help and stuck by him in gratitude.
After a few days of resting, they came to a realization that they had to get the curse removed from his body.
Kiyohime knew someone who could help them, and they had initially planned to move to seek protection under the other Dragon Slayer and the purple swordsman in Theirs.
However, plans had changed.
"I felt my wife use Balmung."
A petite berserker from the Far East hummed in understanding, "You truly are a caring and doting husband. I am quite envious of her."
"Sorry for worrying you," he apologized.
Kiyohime rolled her eyes at his apology, "please do not seek apologies for little things Siegfried-san, if I didn't have the power to sense lies, they would sound insincere."
"Sorry." He winced, realizing he apologized after being told not to.
"Ehem, well, then, since you are awake, I might as well ask… Are you sure you don't wish to run? You might still have a chance to live a few more days if we move now." Kiyohime's voice gained a dangerous edge, right now Kiyohime was not a little girl but a viper who was ready to pounce at any moment.
Siegfried didn't pay it any mind and focused on the content of her words.
Run away from Kriemhild? The very idea made him chuckle.
"You know as well as I do that it is not an option." Siegfried told the berserker girl, who giggled into her kimono sleeve.
"True. You are her Anchin, after all. She will hunt you down no matter where on this planet you decide to flee to, so long as you remain in the same era."
She opened her fan and hid her smile of approval, "An admirable quality."
Kriemhild, like Fafnir, had somehow manifested into this singularity.
And she was coming towards him.
His heart skipped a beat when it first happened hours ago, in fear and joy that he would get to meet the love of his life once more; however, knowing her personality and what the throne provided about her, it was not going to be a peaceful encounter.
So instead of running like a coward, he decided to wait in Lyon for his wife.
Kiyohime, who was initially furious when she found out he had essentially lied to the world and his wife about the cause of his death, was moved by his remorse and willingness to accept his punishment from his wife. Rather than abandoning him, she chose to stay and make sure he would honor his vow.
He knew he was summoned to save this place from the claws of Fafnir, who was the mount of the Dragon Witch, but he decided to be selfish this one time.
Whether he lived to embrace her once again or lie at her feet, bleeding, he didn't care.
He just wanted to see her again.
The little berserker sighed as she gazed longingly at the stars, saying, "Oh, Anchin, please hurry and come for me. Your Kiyohime is so very lonely and needs your love."
Siegfried smiled at the servant, "Considering the unlikely event that led to my wife being here, I wouldn't be surprised if you'll meet the one you seek soon enough."
"Do you think so?!" Kiyohime asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement, then they narrowed in suspicion, "Don't lie to me. I'll know."
A drop of sweat trickled down his cheek, "I'm only saying that it wouldn't be that far-fetched if the one you love finds you while you are here."
Kiyohime stared at Siegfried for a long moment before she returned to a jovial mood.
"Then I will hold on to hope that my Anchin will arrive to sweep me off my feet. Oh, and if your wife doesn't kill you for being a lying liar who lies, I will request your assistance to help me chop off Anchin's legs if he decides to run away~"
"R-Right."
Anchin, whoever you are, I'm sorry for the trouble I just caused you.
________________________________________________________________________
Chuckin'Boulderz = Chuck, the fighting type gym leader from Johto.
Bruno-E4 = The elite four fighting type specialist of Indigo(Gens 1-2). Like N, he lives in the wilderness. So Twitch gave him a screen to view stream in.