Ritsuka POV
"We're back Master." Siegfried's voice caught his attention and he turned to face him.
He was going to ask if everything was alright, but his words failed him as he saw Siegfried carrying a beat up Charlemagne and a small girl with white hair, who he assumed was Altera, on both shoulders like they were sacks of flour.
"You really beat her…" Whatever hope Boudica had for her daughter to save them all deflated like a sad balloon.
[Beating is an overstatement, 'lucked out by the skin of their teeth' is a more appropriate term. ]
[ShortShorts_QUEEN: Hey, like it or not, luck is a factor in high stakes battles too. The real world doesn't exist in a vacuum. That's what makes battles exciting, so don't diminish Siegfried and Charlie's win. ]
Altera, hearing the disappointment in Boudica's voice, pushed her head up so she could make eye contact with her mother.
"Sorry mother, I tried my best, but I fail-"
Altera's eyebrows shot up in shock when she saw Boudica's busted leg, "mother, you're hurt!"
Boudica gave her an embarrassed chuckle, "don't worry about it sweetie, I just got careless during my fight and got punished for it."
"It was my fault… If I was with you I-"
The redhead gently interrupted her, "you're not at fault Altera. We both underestimated them and lost, and we have to live with the consequences of our choices."
Altera nodded reluctantly, but the small girl did not look willing to accept that she wasn't at fault somehow.
[ILiekQTThings: OMA, she is so precious!! Please don't be sad!! ]
Boudica looked at Siegfried, "you spared her, even though it was your right to end her life… thank you. But if you don't mind me asking…. why?"
Siegfried sighed, "well first, it was because killing children is not something that sits well with me, even if Altera is a servant."
A bright smile found its way towards Boudica's face, "you are a good man Siegfried, as expected of a hero."
Siegfried pressed his lips into a thin line, "No, it's not because I am a hero… but rather because it was my choice to save her."
He didn't know if Boudica knew Siegfried's backstory, but whether she did or not did not take away the gratitude from her features.
"And the other reason?"
Siegfried cleared his throat, but the persistent lump of nervousness refused to dislodge itself from his voice, "uhm… my wife would not have forgiven me if I had killed Altera… she is very fond of her, you see."
The fact that Kriemhild wanted to adopt Altera as her daughter was best left unsaid, but based on the suspicious look Boudica was aiming at Siegfried, it was likely she knew there was more to the statement.
"Is she now? And how exactly does your wife know Altera enough to be fond of her?" Boudica pressed, clearly still not willing to dismiss Siegfried's words so easily.
Altera, instead of tiptoeing around the eggshells Siegfried was navigating, instead decided to deliberately step on them without a care about what the noise would awaken.
"Her name is Kriemhild, she's one of my ex-wives from when I was alive as Atilla the Hun."
A tense silence followed, one which was only broken by the wind whistling through the open air, carrying with it the distant laughter and curses coming from where Jalter and the others were fighting the other enemy servant.
"I see… so, what does this Kriemhild want from you?" Boudica phrased her response like a question, but it sounded more like a demand.
"She wanted to adopt me." Siegfried cringed when Altera confessed his wife's ambition.
Charlemagne was chuckling at the situation, "well, it's not like we can blame her, Sis in her child form is cute, and that cuteness often led to her being very doted on by my old master and her harem back in the Moon Cell."
[ACinnamonRola:∘ ∘ ( °ヮ° )? Huh?! His old master… had a harem?! Σ(ﾟ口ﾟ; ) ]
[BestKohai-BB(MOD): *Has a harem. Hakunon is a very popular gal, much like Gudao. She is both a senpai in masterhood, and being a harem protagonist ]
[Heart0f6old: The more I hear about this Hakunon, the more my respect for her grows. ]
While everyone else was awkwardly trying not to think about the strange scenario of a woman adopting her ex husband as their daughter, one person was not taking the information lightheartedly.
Boudica's face was grim upon hearing the news, the shadow from her bangs was unforgiving and showing a peek of the dark thoughts that were festering in her mind.
However, that all vanished in a second, replaced by something else, something mischievous.
She reached out toward Altera, who was still in Siegfried's custody, "please, bring MY daughter to me please. I would like to have something to distract myself from the agony of my broken leg."
[Kream: Siegfried… don't you dare. ]
Siegfried did his best to ignore the possible comments from his wife in chat and walked towards the red haired woman.
He took the small girl from his shoulders with a careful motion and handed her over to Boudica.
The redhead accepted the small girl into her embrace and snuggled her like she was a plushie. Then, she went a step further and started to affectionately rub her cheek with Altera's.
"You won't leave your mother for another woman would you, sweetie?" The exaggerated tone in Boudica's voice made the small Altera return her gesture with a hug.
"No, I had no intention of leaving you, I'm sorry if I made you worry."
[Lusamine_Aether: This is so heartwarming… it makes me want to embrace my Lillie too… ]
[GudakoBot: TTS donation failed. ]
[Kream has been timed out for 1 hour. ]
[BestKohai-BB(MOD): No need to ruin the sweet moment Kream. Go mald in the back of the kitchen where you belong. ]
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): She's out of line, but she's not wrong. ]
[ACinnamonRola: BB used sexism against @ Kream, it was supereffective!! ]
Suddenly a golden blur shot forth, ruining the mother daughter moment as Nero got up in Altera and Boudica's bread and butter.
The little girl and Boudica let out a synchronized "wah" as Nero inspected the little girl's face.
"You are the most adorable girl I have ever laid eyes upon since I was a young girl and looked into a mirror."
Nero held one of Altera's tiny hands, like a noble knight might do to a princess, and asked,"will you not join my Rome?"
Altera recovered from the sudden invasion of personal space and pulled away from Nero's grasp. The small girl displayed her displeasure further with a pout before turning her head away, "No."
Nero reeled back, as if struck by an actual attack, while Boudica just sent a smug expression at the blonde emperor.
"No?! Why not?!"
Altera turned back to Nero and gave her a dry look, "you are the enemy. If Mother chose to become a captive than to join you, I will be a captive with her too."
That reasoning caused the emperor to let out a defeated sigh, "perhaps it was foolish of me to assume a daughter would choose to part with her mother."
[IceCold-Melony361: it was beyond foolish. Boudica is a great mother to her adoptive child, why would that child help the person who hurt and imprisoned her loved one? ]
[GARcher: I can see how Nero would think this way. Her own relationship with Agrippina(Nero's mother) was nothing like a normal family should be.
It's difficult for Nero to understand healthy motherly affection without any ulterior moments present. ]
[Beaumains: Agreed. We can't really blame kids of horrible parents for not putting as much weight on healthy parental connections as the rest of us.
Believe me, I've tried. ]
[IceCold-Melony361: It seems like terrible parents are a plague that no world can fix. (◞ ⸝⸝ ◟ ) ]
He cleared his throat, bringing attention to himself.
"You don't have to keep enduring the pain, we can heal you, Boudica."
Boudica scoffed at his offer, "and what, are you going to make me enter a temporary contract so you can force me to fight and slaughter my own countrymen?"
He shook his head, "no. Nothing of the sort. I just don't want to cause suffering where I can avoid it. I can only provide some momentary relief now, for complete healing, we will have to wait until Martha comes back. Unfortunately, Martha is quite busy at the moment fighting that friend of yours. "
As if answering to some cue, a pillar of spikes and fire rose from the earth. Spartacus was held up by dozens of spears and was being roasted like a fish over a campfire gone out of control.
"Ahahahaha!! This fire!! The heat, it burns… but it is cold when compared to the fire of rebellion that sings brightly in my heart!!"
"Aaargh!! Stay down you roided up gym freak!!"
"These muscles are all natural, you just envy the freedom of my pecks and glutes, you scrawny oppressor!!"
[Surf'sUp_Brah: Based. ]
[KicksYouInTheFace193: I have seen his muscles. They are legit. ]
[Ms.Roxanne: I sincerely doubt Spartacus would have had access to modern performance enhancing drugs in his era. ]
[JAlter: For fuck's sake, it's called an insult you idiots!! ]
"Yeah, Spartacus is a rather tough opponent to face, let alone put down, so good luck with that." The redhead said with a smug grin, which quickly turned into a wince when the next words reached their ears.
"P-Please put on some proper clothes!!" Biscione's pleading voice came next, which elicited a laugh from the man.
"I'll never listen to the demands of an oppressor!!"
"Kyaaa!! He's taking off more of his clothes!! He's definitely doing it on purpose!! Stop it!!"
"Ahahahahaha!!I knew it!! There's nothing oppressors hate more than to see their victims liberated from their chains!! Look, this is what freedom looks like!!"
"No!! Stay back!! Don't come closer, you pervert!!"
[The downbad girl on the other camera is going primeape over Spartacus. ]
[Yeah, I saw her. Man, I cannot believe we got a female Heart0f6old. ]
[Heart0f6old: Come on guys, even I'm not THAT bad.]
"Spartacus, the Thracian rebel that led a war against the ancient Roman republic. I never expected he would be a um… man with that kind of fetish." Romani wasn't the only one showing disappointment in the true nature of Spartacus's… nature.
Boudica also had that defeated look of someone who had tried, and failed to convince someone to stop doing something embarrassing.
The Iceni Queen sighed, "that's just who Spartacus is I'm afraid. He is rebellion incarnate, so no matter what you tell him, he will not obey or listen. Even if you managed to live long enough to use a command spell on him, he would not obey."
That statement caught his attention, "what do you mean 'if you live long enough to use a command spell'?"
"Ah, that would be because if a master is stupid or unlucky enough to summon Spartacus in a grail war, he will kill them on sight. Masters are oppressors by nature, so he will not hesitate to end your life the second he states his name and sees you." Boudica said a bit too sweetly, as if she were stating a fact about a wild animal instead of a servant.
He couldn't help but wince at the idea of summoning Spartacus, only to get cut down because he hates the idea of being summoned and bound to a master.
"And that is why a lot of masters use catalysts to summon servants. It's better to deal with an unruly servant who can be constrained or persuaded to fight for you rather than risk getting a surprise summon like Spartacus. " Da Vinci added her own observation, which didn't make him feel any better.
[So there are servants who kill masters on sight. Scary. ]
[OrochiMochiHime: If a servant ever dared threaten My Lord for such reasons, I will kill them before they even have a chance to apologize. ]
[Junior_Researcher: Hm, based on his personality, it's highly positive Spartacus would see all pokemon trainers as 'oppressors.' ]
[DragonMasterLance: Hopefully he won't find himself on this side of the camera, I fear that he would end up slaughtering every pokemon trainer he sees if he doesn't fully understand the relationships between pokemon and humans.]
[Just_N: I don't agree with the murder, but he wouldn't be wrong about pokemon trainers being oppressors.]
He furrowed his brows, "wait, if Spartacus is a rebel who hates oppressors, then why is he following Zenobia? Zenobia is quite literally a member of the ruling class, if anything, he should be against her."
At the mention of Zenobia, Boudica's face grew serious.
"Spartacus might be a berserker, but he isn't dumb. He knows that the true oppressor is Rome and that being a part of Zenobia's army is a lesser evil."
He crossed his arms, "I highly doubt that Lev counts as a lesser evil when compared to Rome."
Boudica at least had the decency to be ashamed when he brought that up, "you're right. Unlike Zenobia, he's not trying to better the world, he has made no attempts to conceal his intention to eradicate humanity."
If that was the case, then it's possible Spartacus may not be a lost cause after all. Perhaps he might be able to persuade him to join if they can convince him that there is an even larger oppressor than Nero.
Speaking of the petite emperor, she had grown tired of standing by and gave her own two cents, "yet you still try to destroy my Rome, knowing full well it's what this Lev wants. Truly, you and that false goddess of yours are foolish fools."
Boudica ground her teeth but said nothing, as she had no good retort.
"Are you aware that Zenobia can use charm spells on her subordinates?" Mash asked the question that had been bothering all of them since they were cleansed a long while ago.
Boudica lifted a brow at her question, "yes, we are aware. What of it?"
Mash's eyebrows raised in surprise, "does it not bother you that she is using a form of mind control to make her follow you?"
Boudica frowned at Mash's accusation, "Zenobia is not controlling me, nor is she forcing me to follow her."
[ShortShorts_QUEEN: That's exactly what someone under mind control would say. ]
"How can we be sure what you say is the truth? For all we know, you could be under the influence of her charm and make you say nice things about her. " Da Vinci pressed, but Boudica did not seem to be affected by the Italian's stern voice.
Altera chose to speak up this time, "if aunty Zenobia was controlling us, Spartacus would have attacked her on sight when she showed herself before him the first time they met. He's immune to that kind of manipulation, and I mean it since she can't directly order him to do anything. He goes wherever he wants, and aunty plans around his whims."
Altera narrowed her eyes, "besides, if she tried to force mother to do something against her will, I would have cut her down a long time ago too. I may not be strong as I should be in this servant container, but the small charm effect from the minor goddess that became aunty Zenobia's divine core is too weak to have an effect on me."
Boudica patted Altera's head, who preened under her touch, "she's right. Zenobia does have a charm spell that affects her subordinates, but it also doesn't negatively affect people who she views as allies. We might get passive buffs, but it doesn't rob us of our free will. "
Ok, that is much less concerning. While he still felt a bit irked by the effect being applied without them knowing, he was glad that Zenobia did not rob them of their autonomy and possibly just made it so they wouldn't feel the full traumatizing effects of mass murder.
"What about people she doesn't see as allies?" he asked, and this time, Boudica's smug grin returned with a vengeance.
"Let's just say that if you continue to be an enemy of her, you better hope you are more stubborn than she is, or else you really will end up grovelling at her feet."
Right. That checks out.
"So just to be clear, you joined Zenobia's side due to your own volition and not because you were under her spell?" he needed to confirm before he could decide on his judgement of the Palmyran queen.
"Yup, and can you blame me, it's not hard to want Rome dead."
Suddenly Boudica's face turned serious, "I understand you and Mash are trying to save the world, truly, I do… but Zenobia is much like me, she would gladly risk dooming the world if it means she has a chance to succeed and create a better one."
"While it's understandable, it's not really a valid excuse. It's not a servant's place to fix the past." Charlemagne said, not entirely onboard with Boudica and Zenobia's goals, even though he sounded sympathetic to their circumstances.
"You're right, it isn't, but servants are human too. We can be selfish and shortsighted just as much as living humans can, especially if it means we can protect those we care for."
Boudica turned back to him, "that is why, if you want to resolve this singularity and save humanity, you have to come to terms with this fact.
You're going to encounter servants who are so dead set on their way being the only way, that you will have to take them down using force to bring them into your camp."
"Well, if that is what you think, then I guess it's pointless to try and get your help in the final battle between Rome and Zenobia."
"Yup!!" Boudica said cheerily.
That overeager response was not enough to deter him from what he was about to do.
He crouched so he could be on Boudica and Altera's eye level, "if that is the case, then will you at the very least join Chaldea after all this is over? I won't force you to fight against Zenobia if you do decide to join me."
Boudica raised her brow at his offer, "you're that confident you will beat her aren't you?"
Internally, he felt that the confrontation with Zenobia alone was going to be a challenge, but he knew that facing difficult challenges was the new norm for him, so he refused to back down if it meant he could help save the future.
"It's not like I have a choice, I have to resolve this singularity or my loved ones will stay dead."
Boudica searched his face for a long while with furrowed brows. Eventually, she spoke the question that had been bubbling in her mind.
"Altera is strong, you know? She was able to wallop your strongest servants at once. You'd be willing to give up that kind of fire power to use against Zenobia if I asked you to?"
He didn't hesitate to respond, "yes I would. Servants are not tools to be used. You're also not weapons I can just claim and point at my enemies so you can destroy them.
I would not mind if you two spend the rest of your time in Chaldea just living comfortably, away from the fights." His words managed to elicit surprise from the woman, but he wasn't done explaining himself, so he continued.
"I know some of my allies would say it's foolish to recruit servants without expecting them to fight, but, at the end of the day, I just want the best for everyone. That is why I am here, why I fight. So what do you say?"
Boudica stared at him for a long while, and he could tell she was seriously considering his offer rather than blow him off like she did with Nero.
Finally, she had come to a conclusion, "sure, why not?"
She outstretched her hand, "if you manage to defeat Zenobia and resolve this singularity, I'll join you in your mission, but so long as we are in Rome, don't count on me helping you fight.
And if you decide to force me to fight with Rome, consider our agreement finished."
He nodded, "you have my word, I will not force you to fight while we are allies."
They shook hands and a new connection formed between them.
"If mother is joining, I am joining too." He turned to Altera, who already had her hand outstretched to complete a temporary contract.
"Sure. The same terms apply. I vow I won't make you fight with Rome."
He let go of Boudica's hand and went to shake the small girl's hand.
Unfortunately, before their hands made contact, a wave of dread fell over him.
'This feeling… I haven't felt this since…'
As if to confirm his suspicions, a disembodied voice spoke from the ether. The tone and cadence of the voice was the exact same as when he first heard it.
Lev.
"Sorry, but I cannot allow that to happen."
The eerily familiar voice of Lev rang out over the group, silencing them.
[Surprise Lev encounter!! ]
[PsychicMoostache(MOD): That coward is using a long distance spell to communicate rather than face us. ]
"So, you finally decided to take direct action, didn't you Lev? I'm surprised you didn't meddle sooner. " Romani didn't bother to hide the subtle disdain in his voice, to which Lev responded with a scoff.
"Please. It would have been beneath me to interfere unless it was worth my intention. Congratulations, you managed to gain my attention. Now here is your reward!!"
The oppressive feeling intensified, and he felt his body slouch as an unseen weight pressed down on his shoulders.
He was not alone, as others around him felt the same feeling.
Not even chat was immune.
[( •᷄ᯅ•᷅ ) ] x 523
[PsychicMoostache(MOD): ( ⳻_⳺ )]
[Eon_Red: Wha!! Scary hatman!! (っ╥﹏╥ς) ]
[Hool4hHoops: Cheh, not impressed. (¬､¬) ]
[Za-WARUDO: HEH, THAT TICKLES. ]
[HeavelyDivinePearl: SO THE HOUSECAT THINKS HE CAN INTIMIDATE THE MIGHTY DRAGON. PATHETIC. HE SHOULD THANK THE HEAVENS I AM NOT ALLOWED TO INTERFERE.]
[Mew_TheSecond: Hm… interesting. What's your next move, Flauros? ]
Even though Lev was unaware of Mewtwo's question. Lev decided to answer it anyway.
"Altera, I order you to overload your noble phantasm into a broken phantasm!! And you're not allowed to let it go!!"
The words "broken phantasm" stole the breath from the listeners who knew the weight and power of that word.
Boudica sent a murderous glare at the direction of the voice, "Lev you fucking bastard!!"
Altera's body tensed and before she could stop herself, she had already manifested the Sword of Mars in her hand.
Altera stared at the sword in horror as it accumulated more and more magical energy without her consent.
"Eh!!? No!! Stop!!" Altera pleaded for the energy to stop flowing but it was in vain.
"Heh, you wanted to have the ultimate destroyer in your team, well you can have her! I hope you two 'have a blast' getting to know each other!"
[Ugh!! Seriously?!! What a lame pun!! ]
Lev cackled as his voice faded into the background. But Lev's sudden encounter no longer mattered, as the frantic noises of Altera immediately drew back everyone's attention.
His body moved on its own, and he grabbed hold of Altera's hand. In an instant, their new bond was forged.
Unfortunately for all of them, it was too late.
CRACK.
A loud hiss of magical energy spewed from the sword, which made the alarming situation even more dire.
""This is bad, we need to get away before that thing blows!!"" Romani exclaimed, and his servants acted.
Siegfried grabbed Boudica and put her over his unoccupied shoulder, while Mash grabbed hold of his hand and tried to pull him away.
His hand remained firmly clasped on Altera's, so she was also dragged alongside him.
"Senpai, let go of Altera!!" Mash pleaded, but he looked at her in indignation.
"No! I won't!"
[PerfectlySaneHex: Aw shit. Here we go again. ]
[ILiekQTThings: No wait! I'm with Gudao on this one!! Save the smol gurl Gudao!!]
"Senpai, you're going to die if you keep holding her hand!"
He looked at Altera, who was looking at him with tears in her eyes. For a brief moment, the face of Director Olga pleading and crying for her life flashed in his head again.
He grit his teeth at the memory, "I am tired of standing by doing nothing while letting Lev kill people in front of me!!"
Chiyome vanishes and the shadow of Emiya manifests.
Without a word, the shadow projected a jagged blade and jabbed the blade in Altera's back.
"Altera no!!"
He didn't have time for misunderstandings, and looked to Boudica, "that is rule breaker, it doesn't kill people, it severs connections. Lev doesn't have control over Altera anymore!"
Emiya grabbed the broken sword and managed to take it away from Altera's grasp, proving him right.
He didn't bother to see Boudica's reaction, instead, he gave Emiya his command, "turn that blade into an arrow and shoot it as far away as you can!"
Shadow Emiya, to his confusion, gave him a look of pity and shook his head, "impossible."
His eyes shot open in shock, "What?! Why?!"
[GARcher donated 100 bits]
[Master, I can't do that! The Sword of Mars is a divine construct, I barely have the capabilities to analyze it, modifying it into an arrow and shooting it away is beyond me.]
A crack appeared and magical energy leaked from the sword.
Mash, unwilling to stay here longer, pulled him, and subsequently Altera towards her.
"Fine, I'll just tell Emiya to take the sword as far away as he possibly can!"
More cracks in the sword appeared, which forced Siegfried to step up.
"No. It's too late to escape the full blast. Keep Emiya with you, you're going to need Rho Aias and Mash's noble phantasm to shield yourselves from the blast." he took the sword from Emiya's hand.
"I'll take the blow, my Armor of Fafnir should weaken the explosion."
Damn it, Siegfried was going to sacrifice himself again… but he can't argue against his reasoning.
"Fine… take it and go."
[Electrical★Streamer_Iono(MOD): Siegfried just can't help himself can he? ]
[Cascu: Nope. And man, Kriemhild is pissed, I can hear her shrill screams coming from the kitchen. ]
Siegfried was about to turn to leave, but a plume of earth erupted near the dragonslayer. Before Siegfried or anyone else could have a chance to react, a massive hand took the sword from Siegfried's grasp with a speed that betrayed its size.
His eyes widened when he saw the hulking, half naked figure of Spartacus loom next to Siegfried.
"A valiant effort, but I shall have to deny your generosity to end yourself, he who oppresses himself."
Altera let out a noise of surprise, "Mister Spartacus? What are you doing?"
Spartacus looked down at her tri-colored sword, which was cracking with malevolent energy. Then she looked back at Altera and to everyone's shock, the manic, unsettling smile was now gentle and reassuring.
"It's alright young Altera. You need not worry, I will take care of this injustice done to you."
Altera was confused until Spartacus crouched and began to channel an ungodly amount of electricity in his legs.
[LemmeSeeUrManager: No way… is he going to do what I think he's going to do? ]
[Mighty1Oak: He is… ]
[DownBad_Cowgirl: He's not just a sexy hunk with a nice butt, but he also has a huge heart! ｡°(°¯᷄◠¯᷅°)°｡]
The air crackled from the density of the magical energy emanating from him.
Finally, he unleashed the power with all his might.
His ears deafened as the sonic boom slammed into his eardrums, but he refused to look away as Spartacus shot off into the horizon like a rocket.
"Mister Spartacus!!" Altera cried out, but the roaring laughter of Spartacus silenced her. Even from this far away, his voice was still audible enough even for him to hear.
"Fuhahaha!!! Do not weep for me!! For this is the ultimate expression of my love!!" Spartacus's laughter grew more and more distant until finally, he took his final jump.
From this distance, neither Ritsuka Fujimaru nor his servants could see Spartacus as nothing more than a speck, but Chat's camera could. The camera floated right next to Spartacus's side the whole time, up until he uttered his last words.
"Nothing feels better than protecting the weak."
Magical energy hissed as more cracks traveled down the divine blade. Finally, the sword had gotten tired of holding onto its shape and shattered with an explosive bang.
The pokemon world watched as a madman who rambled about oppressors and barely wore clothes as he sacrificed himself to save a child in a literal blaze of glory.
_____________________________________________________________________
AN: Smaller chappie this weekend because I was out of town and didn't have a lot of opportunities to write as I usually would when I am home. This was originally gonna be a part of the last chapter, but I didn't feel I would have given it justice if I smooshed it last week.
Special thanks to Flowerman for suggesting Lev try to kill herself, although I changed it so that she turned her NP into a broken phantasm and used that as a way to take care of Spartacus.
Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a comment if you wish, and I'll see you guys next week.