Ritsuka POV
Ritsuka opened his eyes.
His body and mind, once worn out from the constant stress of running away and walking for long stretches of hours, now felt rested.
The ceiling of his camping tent was dark, telling him it was still late into the night, which made the floating screen from Chat stand out even more.
[GudakoBot: Good Morning Gudao. You're up early, would you like to take Chat back from Archer? ]
[Gudao: No. ]
[GudakoBot: Understood. Serene Medieval Forest Sounds at Night with Archer stream will continue. ]
Ritsuka didn't pay the screen any mind after he read GudakoBot's message, and instead checked his wristband to check the time. With the press of a button, the glowing light of the holographic display that popped up, showing him the current time
Ritsuka went to bed at 9PM; it was now midnight.
He got three hours of sleep, and he felt like he just had a full eight. It was his own unique superpower that no one else seemed to share.
He could always fall asleep anywhere, under any condition, and at command, and he always woke up refreshed regardless of how long he slept.
It was an invaluable gift that gave him a major advantage against his peers in university. It also gave him the freedom to keep up with his grades while giving him time to stream more often.
Chat was concerned at first, but after he went to a sleep expert and was diagnosed with an extreme case of Short Sleeper Syndrome, they changed their tune.
Many of them even joked about him having been a pokemon in a previous life due to how easy it is for him to control his own sleep.
Romani, having all his medical records on file, knew this fact about him but still told him not to feel obligated to reduce his sleep time for their missions unless it was absolutely necessary.
Three hours of sleep was plenty and so, he got out of his sleeping bag and opened up the tent.
Unlike the interior, the exterior of his tent was bright enough that he could see across the clearing clearly.
He crawled out of the tent, walked a few steps ahead, sat on the cool grass, and turned his gaze upwards, towards the sky. What greeted him was not the moon, but rather, the Milky Way in all its glory.
No matter how many times he saw it, the sight always took his breath away.
He had seen the Milky Way before, whenever he visited his grandparents in the Japanese countryside. The lack of light pollution always unveiled the splendor of the night sky.
Yet, even with his prior experience, he felt blessed to experience the sight of the night sky from a time when light pollution was not even a word yet.
The only downside, of course, was the massive ominous circle of clouds that loomed over them.
But he knew that, despite its size, it was still insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe.
What was the size of the continental United States when there existed celestial bodies that made the entirety of Earth look like a speck of dust before a mountain?
Nothing at all.
This circle of clouds seemed like something meant to be part of a grand master plan that neither he nor Chaldea was aware of, aside from the fact that it involved humanity's incineration, but ironically, it was just as insignificant to the vastness of the cosmos as he was.
Yet, this knowledge didn't bring him any solace, not really.
Despite knowing how small everything is compared to the universe, that knowledge didn't comfort him when he ran for his life in Fuyuki, nor did it help him save the people he came to care for or spare those he saw being burned alive and devoured by wyverns.
The struggle for survival he was undergoing and the sheer scope of power being thrown around could not be something that he could ignore.
His body still bleeds.
He loves the vastness of the universe, but he had to stay grounded.
For everyone's sake.
However, despite focusing on doing what he can, he still feels like he's not doing enough.
"Bonjour, Master Ritsuka. Are you having trouble sleeping?" The soft, melodic voice of Marie Antoinette graced his ears.
He turned and saw her looking down at him, a mix of concern and curiosity.
"Bonjour, Marie. And no, I'm not. I just don't need a lot of sleep." He didn't feel the need to elaborate on why, so he put it simply.
"I see, I see. Mind if I join you then? Nighttime without company is quite lonely."
He didn't see an issue with having company, "I don't mind. Oh, hold on a moment."
He unzipped his hoodie and splayed it out next to him."
Seeing this act of chivalry, Marie complimented him, "Oh my, such a gentleman. Thank you."
Marie delicately sat down on the area covered by cloth next to him and stared into the night sky.
Both of them enjoyed each other's company without uttering a single word, only admiring the night sky.
After a minute of silence, Marie asked him a question.
"Something is bothering you, Monsieur. Would you like to talk about it?"
Ritsuka couldn't help but let out a nervous chuckle, "Am I that easy to read?"
"Yes. You are."
So blunt, but he liked this part of Marie. She always went straight to the point of the issue. In a way, she reminded him of Gareth.
His smile turned flat, "I wouldn't want to dampen your cheery mood."
Marie's silky smooth pink twintails swayed from side-to-side as she shook her head, "It is no issue, sometimes talking about your problems helps."
Another beat of silence fell between them, a pause that wasn't meaningless as he sifted his thoughts for an appropriate response.
Finally, he spoke.
"Do you know what it's like to be asked for help but be unable to contribute anything because you are too weak and powerless to do so?"
Ritsuka brought his knees to his chest, and for the first time since he sat down, he looked to the grass.
"I want to help, but it seems like everything and everyone around me is just dragging me along and telling me it's enough. I understand my life is vital for the mission to save humanity and that I shouldn't fight, but the truth is, I don't feel like I am saving anyone, it just feels like I am just a fancy mana battery."
Ritsuka didn't want to say this to anyone, because he didn't want to sound like he was being whiny. He understood the reasons why he shouldn't get involved in the fighting. But he still couldn't help feeling this way.
He could feel Marie's gaze on him, as if judging him for his selfish thoughts, but much to his relief, she didn't judge him and instead, validated him.
"Yes. I understand how you feel, Ritsuka. And you aren't in the wrong for feeling that way. While it might be surprising that a queen such as myself knows what powerlessness feels like, the reality is that it was a constant companion of mine my whole life."
His eyes widened in surprise, and he saw Marie in a new light. How could someone like her have been powerless?
The pink queen saw his expression and looked to the trees, her smile barely visible, and the light in her eyes dimming, like she was reliving a terrible moment in her life.
"From the beginning, I was married off to France at the age of 14, with no say on who my husband could be. A young girl who was thrown into a den of wolves to cement an alliance between two rival nations.
I held the highest title in the French court, but all of my subjects despised me as an enemy foreigner and would have ripped me apart for even talking about my family in Austria. I was a queen, and my word held weight, yes… but overall, I had very little power where it mattered."
Her delicate fingers brushed her neck, and for the briefest of moments, Ritsuka could have sworn her pupils had flickered another color, but he assumed it was just a trick of the moonlight reflecting off her eyes.
"Marie…"
Marie's dulled blue eyes brightened a bit at his concern. Then, she continued, "But you know what? Despite all that, I did what I could with what power I had. I was forbidden from talking about my family in Austria, so I made my own.
I won't lie to you and say this happened overnight. My marriage with Louis started off rocky and cold, but it eventually grew into one where we both came to love each other and were blessed with children whom I adored and doted on.
In sickness and in health, I was always there to support him. I understood that the French economy was on the brink of collapse and that my subjects were hungry and in need of relief, so when Louis proposed we give all of our private spending money away to alleviate them, I did so without complaint.
I even advised and consoled him during the times when the stress of his job grew too much for him to bear. Kind of like how I am doing now with you, although I don't think my poor husband would have the strength to walk a mile in your shoes, Ritsuka."
"You're kidding, right? How can a king of a nation not have the strength to do what I'm doing?" A politician from his country he could understand, but a king of the Middle Ages? Shouldn't they have been more robust than a civilian from the modern age?
"Because as much as I loved Louis and the family he gave me, he was indecisive king. He struggled to hold the weight of the French economy on his shoulders and could not use his authority to force the nobles to help him and collapsed under it. Not that it was his fault, mind you, but because he inherited it. Just like you inherited the responsibility of saving all of humanity."
Ritsuka furrowed his brows, a worm of doubt crawling through his head, "But that doesn't make sense. Marie, you are strong. Couldn't you have enforced your husband's rule using your voice? I've seen what it did to wyverns. Couldn't have you… you know, used your magical girl super idol voice to scare the nobles into helping?"
Marie let out a giggle. "Oh Master, you truly are a sweet, naive boy. While I cannot deny that I would have abused my servant powers if I had them in life, it simply wasn't the case. Because you see, Ritsuka, for all the power you see me wield, I never had this kind of strength in life. Everything you see is bestowed upon me as a result of my mundane life by the Throne."
It's hard to believe this due to history misleading you, but many of us didn't lead armies from the front lines; we led from the banquet tables and in comfortable offices. Even many famous generals also led from a war tent while their soldiers fought in the mud."
Ritsuka suddenly felt like he lost a lot of respect for the leaders of the past.
"But… I am not doing-" He tried to argue, but Marie interrupted him.
"Non! You are already doing more than enough by leading us against the Dragon Witch while putting your own life at risk. I know you might insist that you aren't leading us, that Doctor Romani is the one who does, but you are. Your choices matter. Your voice matters. And because of you, a mother and daughter have been reunited!!"
Ritsuka could not say anything, because she was right. If it wasn't for him, Madame Isabelle probably could have survived long enough for Jeanne to help her to La Charité, but knowing Jeanne, she would have been too ashamed to stick around and left her there. Where she would have met her demise.
"Your job is not merely to be a mana battery, your job is to lead. And being a leader means more than picking up a sword. It means you rally and inspire others to follow your cause. To make difficult decisions while everyone waits for your orders. You are here, bravely standing with us rather than cowering in some closed off bunker, and that is all that matters to us servants."
"I-" Ritsuka was about to respond, but that stopped when he heard a soft ring from nowhere.
Marie blinked and looked at the camera, which was floating in front of them, "Is something the matter?"
"I don't know." Suddenly, chat's screen lit up in front of his eyes.
[GudakoBot: The stream has been returned to Gudao. To everyone who fell asleep on their keyboards, please wake up. Things are about to get loud. ]
[Uh oh. That isn't good. ]
[PerfectlySaneHex: Oh no! It seems like we interrupted a romantic date under the stars. So sorry about that Marie.~ ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): Whuh?! I wasn't mimiendo, I was awake! ]
[Frisky1ntheFlowers(MOD): Good morning, my pettan princess, you're just in time. ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): In time for what?! And who are you calling flat-chested, you bastard?!! ]
Suddenly, Romani's voice rang in his ears.
"Ritsuka!! Sorry to wake you up so late, but… wait, you're already awake?! Wait, don't answer that! You've got a servant incoming! "
And just like that, Ritsuka's calm mood suddenly turned to anxiety.
"A servant where?!" He looked around to see where they could be, but he saw no one.
[Frisky1ntheFlowers(MOD): She's coming. ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): Who's coming?! ]
"Wait… No way… from the sky!!? "
Ritsuka heard Romani's words, and he looked upwards.
His eyes barely managed to catch a glimpse of a shadow plummeting towards them.
The shadow landed in front of him and Marie with an explosive boom, whipping up a cloud of dust and grass that assaulted him like a punch to the face.
Ritsuka narrowed his eyes to get a better glimpse of what crashed in front of him, then they widened in recognition.
A woman dressed in white and blue, crouched over the impact crater she had made, her eyes glazed over with madness.
And she was looking straight at him.
She slowly stood up from where she landed and gave him what appeared to be a warm smile, but to Rutsuka, it carried a chill that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand on edge.
[Frisky1ntheFlowers(MOD): She came. ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): …Really? ]
[Frisky1ntheFlowers(MOD): Yes, she's standing right there. Can you not see her glowing under the ethereal moonlight? ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): Never mind. ]
"Ah~ I knew it… The Lord has not abandoned me. For he has determined my path." The woman spoke aloud, but her words seemed to not be aimed at them but rather towards herself.
She playfully tilted her head as she addressed them, like she was just taking a peaceful stroll through the park at night.
"Good evening to you both, it's a lovely night, isn't it?"
✦✧✦
Jura Forest, Orleans Singularity 1431
"Saint Martha."
So many thoughts ran through Ritsuka's head. How was she here? Why was she here? And most importantly, why did she come flying down from the sky?!
"Yes. I am her. Although, I am not currently… whole at the moment. My sanity, it was shattered by the Dragon Witch, you see. So no matter how righteous I try to be, the madness is too overwhelming and has reduced me to a mere slave."
Ritsuka felt a lump in his throat, which blocked his ability to speak. He knew that other masters treated servants as lesser, but it's one thing to hear about it and another to see it.
The saint saw his reaction, and her smile became somber, "you are a kind soul. To worry about the monster I've become…. But you must not worry about me. Worry about your own life, as I cannot hold myself back at the moment and will kill you if you so much as twitch."
[Mew_TheSecond: She may share the same race as the people who did the same to me, but no one deserves to be reduced to an attack dog with no free will. ]
[Bro you good? ]
[Mew_TheSecond: I am. I just wish Gudao puts her out of her misery as soon as possible. ]
[Why must good people always suffer? ]
Marie spoke up for the first time since the saint arrived, which forced the mad saint to look away from the Last Master of Chaldea.
"Under normal circumstances, I would have been overjoyed to meet an apostle of Christ. Unfortunately, fate has proven to revel in its cruelty, so I must ask, "What brings you here, Saint Martha of Bethany?"
"Well, I am here because the Dragon Witch wanted me to observe your group, and because no one but I could catch up to your carriage." Martha said simply, not bothering to speak in half-truths or lies.
Marie raised a brow, "Is that so? Well, you came and you observed. You can go home now."
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): Wow, Marie just politely but firmly told Saint Martha to fuck off. ]
[We all know better though. This isn't going to end peacefully. ]
"I am afraid not; I also came here on a… divine mission."
"A divine mission?" Ritsuka couldn't help but ask. What kind of mission could allow Martha to resist the Dragon Witch's orders?
The woman's eyes, for the first time since she arrived, regained their color.
"Yes, ever since I was summoned, I have been forced to taint my hands and tongue with the blood of innocents. Every day I prayed, prayed that the Lord would send me a sign that would show me why I was suffering such torment. And that day, the day I met you and your companions, I got my sign. First, you recognized me before I revealed myself; then, in your moment of need, an angel descended to aid you."
'Ah, fuck.' Ritsuka cursed internally when he heard the words from the woman's mouth.
[Oh look. It's the consequences of our actions. ]
[NinJanine: Who would have thought a single sweet kiss would have caused this mess? ]
[Beaumains: the imagery was rather convincing. Whether real or fake, such things are taken very seriously by people of the past like myself. ]
[VampHaterCIEL: Disgusting. To turn an apostle of Christ into a bloodsucking vampire!! Unforgivable. Jeanne Alter is lucky that I cannot join the fray, or I would have sent her to oblivion for her heresy!! ]
[Bunny_Aachan: Oh damn… she mad… scary… ]
"It was from that moment on that I realized that you were sent here to right the evils the Dragon Witch had brought upon this land. To restore what had been burned to ashes. That is why I disobeyed her, because I was determined to meet you, one of God's chosen, to speak with you, and to test your resolve as an obstacle for you to overcome."
"Senpai!!" Ritsuka heard Mash call out his name, and before he realized it, she was already by his side with Mozart following after her.
"Apologies for the delay, Marie, Master. While my ears are good enough to hear the soft snores of maidens as they sleep from a distance away, even they can't hear objects travelling faster than the speed of sound." Mozart apologized in a rather creepy way, but Martha's presence proved too distracting for anyone to pay him any mind.
"Ara, what took you two so long? If it wasn't for Marie, I could have already killed your master." Martha chided the two servants, both of whom became sheepish.
"Ah, I am so sorry! I ran as fast as I could- " Mash stopped herself before she could bow and realized who she was talking to.
"Wait, why am I apologizing to you?! I apologize for the tardiness, Senpai."
"It's ok, Mash, focus on the fight." Ritsuka reassured her. He could have used a command seal to summon all of his servants back to camp, but he was not sure he would have been able to do so without getting a dragon dropped on his head.
"Right." Mash nodded, then faced the maddened saint, who had somehow not made a move to attack yet.
"What is happening?" A drowsy Isabelle asked as she crawled out of her tent.
[Bad timing, madame, BAD TIMING!! ]
[NO! Go back into your tent!! Go back!! ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): Jeanne!! Hurry back!! Your mama's in danger!! ]
Isabelle paused, rubbing the sleepiness in her eyes when they landed on the scandalous-looking woman.
Her eyes widened when she recognized the familiar face.
"Madame Isabelle!! Please stand back! An enemy has found our camp!" Ritsuka yelled at the woman, who was in clear sight of the Berserker Saint.
"Eh?!" The woman let out a squeak of fear and took a step back.
The saint merely looked at the woman in pity, "please do as he says, Madame. I do not wish to kill another innocent if I can help it."
"O-oh, um… Alright…." Isabelle said, her eyes looking for Jeanne but not finding her.
She turned her head one last time, and what met her gaze was not Jeanne, but rather Elizabeth.
"Whah!! D-Demon!!" Isabelle yelped as she backed away from the young countess, who was frowning at her. Then, to her relief, she felt the arms of her daughter and instinctively hid behind her.
[Mama Isabelle really needs to have someone give her some magecraft lessons. ]
[Weird to think she's acting like a child hiding behind her mother's dress when in fact it's the opposite lol. ]
This display caused Elizabeth to let out a click of her tongue, which prompted Jeanne to send an apologetic look at the idol.
The redhead rolled her eyes, then focused on the enemy once again.
Martha observed her perimeter, taking note of every individual staring her down. Finally, her eyes landed on Jeanne and stayed there.
"Um… Jeanette. Who is this woman, and why is she staring at you so intently?" Isabelle asked her daughter.
"That is Saint Martha, Mother." Jeanne said, her own unease growing as she locked eyes with the enemy servant.
"Saint Martha?! B-but that's impossible! Saint Martha was an apostle of Christ, a pure, virgin saint who dedicated her life to spreading the word of God!! She would never dress in such… such lewd clothes!!" Isabelle spluttered out, horrified that her daughter had made such a blasphemous claim.
[ACinnamonRola: So we weren't the only ones who thought the clothes were rather ridiculous. Thank you, Madame Isabelle, for proving we weren't the crazy ones. ]
[This begs the question, why does the Throne of Heroes keep greenlighting these clothing decisions? ]
[Krystal: I stopped questioning it and just accepted the lewd once Gudao summoned Astolfo. ]
"Believe it or not, that is Saint Martha herself, Madame Romee. I am sure even you are aware that The Dragon Witch can pull legends from the future, so it would make sense that she could do the same for those from the past and present." Mozart gently reminded the Madame to alleviate her confusion.
Upon hearing this information, the pious woman scowled, "Of course that woman would not be content to stain my daughter's image. She even corrupted the image of a saint with a fake. Is nothing in this world sacred to her?"
"Grk…" Saint Martha closed her eyes in pain, her cheeks reddening in embarrassment.
"Oh Madame, this is no fake. This Saint Martha is 100% the genuine article, from her beautiful, flawless face, to that ample cleavage just waiting to burst from her dress, to those tight blue stockings on her legs that stretch to heave-"
Everyone in that clearing had been too focused on Saint Martha's dragon popping out of nowhere at a moment's notice.
Which was why everyone kept their eyes peeled for the beast.
So what happened next was something NO ONE expected.
The holy saint Martha of Bethany, the woman who had subdued the fearsome dragon Tarasque with prayer, had launched herself at Mozart.
"Haaaaah!!!" Letting out a warcry, she pulled her fist backwards, aimed straight at her target's face.
Before Mozart could finish saying the word "heaven," his world became nothing but pain.
SMACK
A wave of power crashed into the man's face, morphing it into the shape of a Picasso painting before mostly settling back into its usual shape.
Mozart flew backwards, crashing into a tree with a loud thud.
The conductor's body fell forwards, his face planting itself on the ground, out cold.
[(☉_ ☉) ] x289
[Mighty1Oak: Yeesh, so much for being a noncombatant. ]
[BattleMANIAC: Damn. That was a nice right hook. ]
[ACinnamonRola: Wha- I thought Saint Martha was a holy saint who pacified a dragon using nothing but prayer!! ]
[History being history once again. Always messing up and never being right. But this time, instead of a gender-flip reveal, the pacifist was unmasked as a brute. ]
"Monsieur Mozart!!" Mash let out a cry of worry to the musician. To her relief, the man wasn't disintegrating, just knocked out. That relief quickly gave way to anger as she bared her teeth at the Mad Saint.
Mash swung her shield in a horizontal slash, but the Saint proved too nimble as she jumped over her attack with ease.
By the time Mash realized she had overextended her attack, it was too late.
With the grace of a mantis, Martha landed on her feet, her fists ready to strike.
Bwoosh.
The air around Martha's fist compressed and exploded into a cone-shaped shockwave before it struck Mash's exposed side.
"Guhah!" Mash let out a gasp of breath as the fist broke the ribs protecting her internal organs.
Spittle flew from her mouth and splashed the saint's clothes, but the force of the impact lifted Mash off her feet.
The kohai became a fastball that was aimed straight at her master.
Thankfully, Marie was quick enough to push him out of harm's way.
"Kyaa!" Marie let out a yell of pain as the shielder crashed into her, sending the both of them sprawling to the ground in different directions.
Mash tumbled to a stop a bit farther away, before she came to a stop.
She grunted and tried to get up, but a sharp, unbearable pain in her midsection prevented her from doing so.
Mash's eyes teared up as she clutched the side of her midsection.
However, her cries became gurgled as a burning sensation rose from the bowels of her stomach and up her throat.
Bile spewed from her mouth with the force of a flash flood, dirtying the grass with chunks of beef and blood.
[ACinnamonRola: Oh Lords…. Tapus… I can'#&#& ]
[Ow… ]
[0ffDoodyJoy: Based on where that punch landed and the screams of agony, Mash is suffering from some serious liver damage. ]
[BattleMANIAC:Dude… liver punches suck…]
Martha's gaze softened at the sight, but her body still surged forward to finish her off. Yet as soon as she stepped, her hand snapped up with blinding speed, seizing a glowing arrow from the air.
Her eyes slid sideways to see the object, which glowed brighter and brighter…
"Aaaagh!"
Until it finally exploded, catching her by surprise and disorienting her.
From a distance, Archer had his bow drawn, his eyes hardened with fury after seeing one of his allies be forced to vomit the food he took precious time to prepare for them.
He had pity for the saint before, but after seeing that level of brutality, it was gone.
So he unleashed a barrage of arrows at the woman, all of them aimed at her vital spots.
Martha realized the danger she was in and brought out her cross lance.
Without faltering, Martha began to swat the arrows away from her.
She wasn't able to avoid damage, but none of the arrows struck a fatal blow.
To those viewing from the outside, it was like watching a swordsman cut through a rainstorm while only getting slightly damp rather than dripping wet.
[CaptainDrakeE4: Damn, look at her go. For someone at a range disadvantage, she's holding up rather well against Archer's barrage of arrows. ]
[Man, it would have been nice if Gudao had summoned her back in Fuyuki. She would have mopped the floor with Saber. ]
[I dunno. Archer I can agree, but I doubt she can handle an Excalibur to the face. ]
[BattleMANIAC: We haven't seen Tarasque yet, so we can't really judge who can win or not. ]
[Heart0f6old: Well, we know one thing for sure: Martha has her easily beat in the hips and bust. ]
[BattleMANIAC: Is sex the only thing you think about, former champion? ]
[Heart0f6old: Yes. ]
[CasCu: A man of culture indeed. Now put those sexy, long, muscular legs to good use, Martha, and kick that red bastard's ass!!! ]
[Whose side are you on?!! ]
[CasCu: If the red bastard can't handle getting his ass kicked by a real woman, then he doesn't deserve to protect our master. ]
"What a terrifying woman." Archer bit out, impressed by her display of speed and strength. Yet, he was also growing frustrated that he couldn't land a direct hit on her.
Some of his arrows were getting through, but they were only small grazes.
It was a war of attrition at this point, as not even his allies could close in to attack if they wanted to without getting pierced by an arrow.
Thankfully, his master was not in his arrows' path, and so he could fire as much as he wanted.
So he could put all his focus into putting down this woman.
His eyes landed on the cross staff, and like he had done many times before, he shamelessly made a counterfeit.
Inside Archer's Reality Marble, a similar cross staff was now planted on the ground, a legitimate cross that stood in a hellish landscape.
Archer raised a brow as he took in the staff's name, "'The Staff that He gave me'? Impressive staff, but a boring name. Who would have guessed that an apostle of Christ would have such poor naming sense?"
Archer taunted loud enough so that the Saint could hear, in hopes of getting her to lose whatever cool she had left after becoming a berserker.
His strategy seemed to work, as the saint gave him an ugly scowl while she ground her teeth in anger.
Suddenly, the saint's staff glowed, and Archer's hairs on the back of his neck rose on end.
'My taunt might have worked a bit too well…'
He knew that evading would be pointless, so instead, he dropped to the ground to mitigate the damage.
[What the? Archer?! Why are you giving up?! ]
[SurgeOfLightning: Something's wrong, but I can't tell what. ]
A pulse of white light shone from his chest for a moment.
Archer landed safely on the ground, then he closed his eyes and let out a sigh.
"How careless of me." A freight train of divine wrath crashed into his chest, sending him flying backwards, and much like Mozart, his back crashed into a tree.
"Shit… that hurt."
[Oh. ]
[SurgeOfLightning: Ah, so he was mitigating damage. If he stayed up there, he could have suffered worse. ]
[As if it wasn't bad enough that the supposed pacifist can throw hands like a Machamp, but now she also has a powerful ranged attack?! Someone please nerf this woman! ]
[TheIcePryce: This is why you should NEVER underestimate your enemies, no matter the rumors or due to their appearance!! You were all fools to believe otherwise. ]
Martha, seeing her attack land, nodded in satisfaction before she lowered her staff and turned her attention to the shielder girl, who was being fussed over by her master.
Once again, she failed to close the distance, as a violent pulse of energy erupted nearby, forcing the Saint to tear her gaze away from the girl.
The saint's eyes felt like they were being forced to affix themselves upon the epicenter of darkness. To her surprise she saw a woman in a funeral dress, brandishing a familiar blade.
Kriemhild, however, was too absorbed in her madness to notice as she brought her blade in front of her.
"Ahahaha"
Her manic laughter caused a chill to run up the saint's spine.
[PerfectlySaneHex: And in comes the crazy widow for the kill. ]
[You of all people have no right to call people crazy Hex. ]
[On the contrary, if Hex of all people thinks you are crazy, then that's saying something. ]
Martha listened to her gut and threw herself to the side.
And not a moment too soon, as stakes of malevolent energy erupted in the spot she had been standing on.
The mad swordswoman clicked her tongue, annoyed that her attack failed to land.
Then, she did the same move that Martha pulled on Mozart and threw herself at her, her malevolent blade humming with power and ready to decapitate the saint.
"DIE!!"
Martha saw this coming and raised her glowing staff to the night sky.
The cross staff twirled in her hand, and with each twirl, more and more holy light gathered until it was too bright to look at directly.
Then, she violently planted it into the ground.
"Light. "
A pillar of bright, holy energy erupted underneath Kriemhild, engulfing the darkness in light.
"Damn it!!"
The Berserker yelled out in pain as the light pushed her back, but despite the burning sensation hitting her body, she recovered faster than Martha anticipated.
Martha barely had time to block the blade as it cleaved the air in a downward strike.
Metal screeched as the two weapons collided.
Balmung didn't linger, it retreated before it came back with a vengeance.
But the blade never sank its teeth into holy flesh, as the cross staff had blocked it once more.
A shower of sparks flew with every strike.
Every parry, block, and deflection meant another hair cell broken for the unfortunate humans who were too close to the battle.
Isabelle clutched her ears, the sound proving too much for her to bear.
Ritsuka, on the other hand, had managed to recover his mystic code from the grass and threw his hoodie over his head.
Thanks to a spell ingrained on it, it shielded his ears from damage.
Meanwhile, Kriemhild grew more and more annoyed with the saint as she refused to let herself get cut in two.
"Balmung, huh? I almost didn't recognize it due to its malevolent appearance." Martha spoke up while still batting Kriemhild's attacks away.
Kriemhild's relentless swings faltered, and her tone became dangerous.
"How could you possibly recognize this blade?"
The saint tilted her head, "I know because I have crossed blades with its previous wielder before."
"You met Siegfried?" The Berserker asked with a neutral voice. A tone that terrified anyone who knew her since she never had such a tone when she spoke of her husband.
Much like in an anime, Martha had stopped attacking to have a chat with Kriemhild midbattle, "Yes, I met your husband in a previous battle. An example of what a true hero should be, he stood in defense of a village, alone and outnumbered against a horde of enemies with no escape."
[Badass…]
[CasCu: Been there, done that. Would do it again, 100% ]
[I really can't wait to meet Siegfried… if he still lives by the time we reach him. Wherever he is.]
Kriemhild tightened her hands around the hilt of her blade.
"Sounds just like him. "
Martha nodded, unaware of the bomb she was about to set off, "Yes. It took effort, but we were able to defeat him. After that, the Dragon Witch cursed him. She believed him dead, but in truth he is now just a shadow of his former self. "
The temperature in the clearing dropped.
It was such a drastic shift that everyone who knew Kriemhild knew that a line had been crossed.
[Why is she mad? Doesn't she hate Siegfried? She should be happy he's nearly dead?! ]
[Junior_Researcher: It seems like Kriemhild cares more for Siegfried than we were initially led to believed. ]
[Shuush!! Don't let her hear you!! She'll kill you! ]
[Junior_Researcher: What's she gonna do? Stab me? I'd like to see her try. ]
[CasCu: Your funeral kid. ]
"Is that so? Well then, I should thank you for weakening my prey for me." The Berserker woman told the Saint, who was taken aback by her response.
"Y-you mean to kill him?!"
"Of course I do! He lied to me, abandoned me, and made me go on a warpath because of his stupid heroism!! My vengeance is close at hand, and I will not rest until he falls by his own blade!!"
A dark aura of magical energy, much more potent than before, erupted beneath Kriemhild's feet. Its suffocating aura emphasized just how much Kriemhild wished to slay the man who wronged her.
The saint merely sighed, "I see. Then, you are foolish."
"What did you say?!"
Martha just glared at the crazed servant, "I said you are a fool, Kriemhild!! You may wield Balmung, the blade that slew Fafnir, but you cannot wield it in the same capacity as Siegfried."
"Shut up!! I can, too!! Just because I am his wife doesn't mean I can't slay that overgrown lizard with wings!!" The Berserker screeched at the woman, offended by her dismissal.
Martha's glare softened into pity, which only pissed off the Berserker even more. "You truly are a genuine berserker. A being beyond reason, and I should not have wasted my breath."
Suddenly, Martha moved aside, avoiding an incoming projectile as it, or rather she, crashed into the ground in an explosion of stars.
"As juicy as this gossip is getting, it's too late into the night for that slop! Now prepare to get skewered by a cute, demoness pop idol, you gorilla saint!!" Elizabeth Bathory declared as she brandished her lance and pointed it at the woman.
Martha's face hardens into a frown, her brow twitching in annoyance, "a gorilla am I?"
A lance strike aimed at her head was her response, but only Martha's hair was damaged as she moved her neck to the side.
Kriemhild, angered by Martha's earlier words, threw herself into the fray as well.
A powerful downward cleave nearly bisects the saint, but she sidesteps it and kicks the Berserker in the face.
"Urk!" Kriemhild grunts as her teeth creak from the blow.
Martha tried to capitalize, but Elizabeth denied her combo.
Martha ducked, avoiding another thrust aimed at her head.
Another sword slash comes for her legs, but a leap backward spares her from losing her toes.
Her hand grabs another arrow from the air.
Martha clicked her tongue, realizing that Archer had recovered.
But this time, she had learned her lesson and tossed it at Elizabeth just before she could perform another thrust.
BANG
"Gah!! My face!! You bitch!!" Elizabeth cried out as the arrow exploded on her face.
Just when Martha thought she could take a breather, she heard a familiar voice, a voice she thought she had silenced.
"Mash Kirielight… reporting for battle!!…"
Martha blocked a shield slash aimed at her gut.
Her eyes fell on the shielder, who still looked in pain but not enough to retire from the fight, just yet.
Martha, on top of avoiding and parrying strikes from a sword and lance, now had to worry about being bashed by a shield.
"Don't push yourself, Shield girl, we can handle her!" Elizabeth told the girl.
"No… I can fight, good enough!" The girl defiantly declared.
"Stubborn… Well, suit yourself, just don't get in our way!!" Elizabeth said before she sped up her attacks.
All three servants began to gang up on her, yet Martha did not relent despite being pushed back.
[CaptainDrakeE4: She's a tough one.]
[Understatement of the century, gramps. ]
[SurgeOfLightning: Well, at least she seems to be losing steam. Anyone would when facing superior numbers. ]
Saint Martha frowned, she was now facing three servants at once, with two on standby, one down, and the other standing in the rear, his aim steady and ready to back them up should they slip.
Martha was not invincible.
Her dress was slowly being shredded to tatters.
Her smooth skin was blemished with cuts and small bruises from attacks she was unable to completely dodge, deflect, or block.
At this rate, she will lose.
Martha smiled.
They truly were living up to not just her expectations but the Lord's as well.
Her smile fell once more, 'But… it's not enough.'
The Saint leapt back, heels carving through grass and dirt as she skidded to a halt.
"This fight is getting quite unfair, let's even out the odds, shall we?" She declared to the group of enemies closing in on her.
Hearing her words, their eyes widened in shock as they realized what she was about to do.
"Tarrasque."
And the tables have turned in Martha's favor once more.
A massive dragon appears from the ether; its massive bulk shook the earth as it landed on the ground behind her.
The Beast's shadow loomed over the assembled servants, its draconic power so thick it made the air difficult to breathe, paralyzing Martha's enemies where they stood.
[Well, shit. It looks like we reached stage two... ]
[She brought out her pokemon!! But we have no pokemon!! PANIK!! \(˚☐˚")/ ]
It opened its maw, the sound it made sounded more like a natural disaster than a breath of air.
"RAAAAHHH!!"
Then it unleashed an explosion of sound, a roar that rattled everyone's bones and shook them to their souls.
Well, all except a few.
[CaptainDrakeE4: Man, that is so fucking cool… ]
[*Head nodding in agreement emoji* ] x58
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