"Mum! A mail from Rikka-tan! My comrade! What troubles you? This Blackbeard will surely lend his strength!!"
"Urgent: Ways to Boost Femininity"
"Eh… (tears fall)"
"Oh! From Rikka! So exciting! What's it say, what's it say!"
"Urgent: Ways to Boost Femininity"
"Goddess power boost—!? Rikka's struggling! Don't worry, leave it to me!"
"No, femininity, okay?"
"Gil, hurry up and make me meat pies too. Roast beef, roast beef—!"
"Shut it! Sit quietly! Tch, why must I play cook—!"
"Hurrrry—!"
"Done! Why not ask a forger, you fool!"
"…Tasty. I'll give you that."
"—Tch. If you'd said it was bad, I'd have taken your head. Fine, I'll eat too…"
"A new saint's born, says the club net! (stirring mapo tofu)"
"Huh!? Gotta pamper her then! Forget Pankration—Jacob's the original! (punching sandbag)"
"How many would call us saints, watching us now? (watching Sailor Moon)"
"I'm Atalante. I request child-only service."
"Child… only!?"
"Big Sis!? Big Sis, is that you!? Why're you here!? Nailed the interview on your own!?"
"I'm not your Big Sis. (silent gut punch)"
"Guh—!! (friendship effective)"
Demon ← I'm not a demon, okay!? Think of me as demon-like! ♥
"…"
London. A city choked by fog.
The party advanced through sunless streets to protect Jekyll's ally, Victor Frankenstein.
Leading the way, Mordred, covered in bruises.
"…Those marks are your doing, Artoria. More of your discipline?"
"Yes. I thoroughly instilled knightly posture and resolve."
"Physically?"
"Physically."
"…Don't you think that's a bit much?"
"What are you saying, Arthur? This is lenient. Reflecting on my failure to guide her in life, this is education and discipline. If she doesn't get it, I teach earnestly. If she flips me off, I break her finger. That's education. Feet on the table, hogging the host's sofa, snacking—guilty, guilty."
"Sure, it's unknightly, but that recklessness is part of her charm, isn't it? Her chivalry, forged in admiration and hatred—can't we acknowledge it?"
"…You're too soft, Arthur. Sweeter than chocolate!"
"Well, she doesn't seem to mind. Compared to being ignored and hated in life, this is constructive, no?"
"…Maybe so."
"I'll keep watching Mordred. If she acts foolishly as a knight, I'll Caliburn her. Oh, I'll Caliburn her alright!"
"Haha, what a thunderous father. No, holy sword father?"
The three kings bantered lightly.
"You okay, Mordred?"
Ritsuka, the Master, voiced concern, noting Mordred's dejection.
"Nah, don't worry. Father's stuff doesn't bug me. Kinda… happy—nah, forget it."
"Really? You seem down…"
"Look that way? …Yeah, figured."
"?"
"I've got a 'bad feeling.' This job won't go smoothly, Ritsuka."
"…You mean a fight?"
"Probably. From Jekyll's talk, Victor's old man was on our side till the end. Guess what enemies do when their base is exposed."
"…He's been harmed, or… killed?"
"Yeah, maybe—damn it!!!"
Mordred slammed her silver sword into the ground.
The earth gouged, cracked, and shattered under the impact.
"Eek…"
"M-Mordred-san…?"
"Tch… Ritsuka, shield guy, listen up. This is London, Britain. The city Father loved, protected, and passed to the future. Immigrant from Switzerland or not, they're Britain's people."
Raising Clarent, she slammed it down again, frenzied.
"That means only I get to defile it! Invade it! Destroy it! Only I, the great Mordred, have that right! I'm the only knight who can taint Father's land! If someone harmed my people, killed them without my permission—!!!"
Thunder-wreathed Clarent, charged with Mana Burst, struck with full force.
The road tore apart, blasted away, obliterated.
—Along with approaching Helter Skelters and Automata.
"—They don't get to live. I'll lop their heads off and feed them to dogs. I'll make them pay, show them whose land this is—!"
It was the warped yet true outpouring of the Rebel Knight's love.
"Splendidly twisted, isn't it?"
"No, I felt her heart clearly. Not mockery, not curses—her righteousness drove her to stand. Artoria, you understand, don't you? Her feelings, rushing here first—you're not blind to them."
"…Well, we're short-handed, and that idiot son's better than nothing. I don't want anti-hate tags for reckless Caliburning. I'll hold back unless it's for education."
"Haha! You're definitely parent and child! Your madness and recklessness are mirror images!"
"It's Morgan's fault—Morgan's! Why didn't I see her disloyalty and discord? …I should've given Lancelot a neck-twisting blow… And Tristan, spouting that poetic nonsense—I'll chop him one day!"
"More dust with every hit. A futon stuffed in a closet? Camelot's blushing."
"Sorry… We should've eaten good food shoulder-to-shoulder. It's the Round Table, after all."
"Hm, waxing poetic about ideals is for taverns, but… being hindered by others? I never had that. I'm jealous, Artoria."
"They're good knights, no doubt, but just as problematic!! Gawain! Stop calling crushed objects food and forcing us to eat them!! So crude!! Bedivere! Stomach medicine, please!! Agravain! Let's hunt! I'll show you my hunt!!"
"Calm down, Artoria!!"
"…Never thought I'd pity you…"
—The king's duties and pains are beyond a commoner's grasp, my soul understood…
"Yeah! Let's go, Mordred! We'll take down whoever defiled your precious land! We've got your back!"
"Hell yeah! Stick with the great Mordred! I don't mess up! The destination's right there!"
"Gareth… Smiling gracefully despite a brother like Mash, you were the Round Table's hidden symbol… Mordred? I'll thrash her."
For a while, the vessel and Arthur silently endured Artoria's griping.
"That's the destination. Good work, everyone."
Following Romani's navigation, they stopped.
—A grand mansion, its majesty clear even through the fog.
"Hm, quite a fine shack. Promising as the workshop for that creation in history."
"That? What's that, Heroic King?"
"You don't know? 'Victor Frankenstein's Monster.' Forged in vile ideals, prosecuting the world's end with innocent wishes, dying in exhaustion and fear—a farcical tragedy. Check the books."
"Got it. I'll read up."
"Everyone, be careful. The mansion has defenses. Not complex, but numerous."
—Through the vessel's clairvoyance, I saw intricate magical traps. Quite cautious.
"Hah, exuding the air of a divine-age mage, Marie? 'Not complex, but'—bold words."
"Oh, was that… arrogant?"
"No, it's fine. Learn from Medea—you need that confidence. And you're spot-on."
"Huh…?"
"—Tch, as expected."
Mordred muttered darkly.
"Now, behold!!"
An eerily cheerful man's voice, jarring in the sealed city.
At the front gate, there it stood.
Gaudy, ostentatious attire, moving with a clownish flourish.
"Everyone, battle stance! He's a Servant!"
"…More Homunculi? Utterly dull. Trying to stage a puppet show? Fool."
"Now, why am I here!? Why was I here!? What did I do!? Allow me to expound!"
The mysterious figure spun words with bottomless cheer.
"I'm Mephistopheles, tasked with executing a plan! To make it flawless, I humbly begged the mansion's master, tears and all!"
"He's… a Servant too?"
"No doubt an Anti-Hero. But this stench…"
"Yup, my gut was right."
"I begged! Lend me your strength, dear Victor-sama! I pleaded pitifully, your Mephistopheles! But the stubborn old man wouldn't nod! Please! No! Please, no—a Zen dialogue! Oh, woe, woe, Mephistopheles! What to do, what to do—"
Before he finished, Ritsuka's fist swung to crush the mystery Servant's head. Mephistopheles dodged, and her punch smashed the gate to bits.
"Whoa!? Didn't expect the Master to swing! Mephy's shocked!!"
Ritsuka backstepped to Mash's side.
"Even a Caster dodged it, huh? Doesn't work on Servants, right?"
"Y-Yes, Senpai!"
"Close one, Master. A hit would've ended it."
"I can't beat Servants yet. So…"
"Yeah, leave it to us. Hey, clown."
Mordred pointed Clarent sharply.
"Quit yapping. You 'killed' him, right? Victor, Britain's people."
"Hm? Killed him, yes."
"—Got it."
"Swiftly, too! Shwip! Pop! He burst! So pretty, so beautiful! The old man's guts were quite the sight!! Oh, want photos?"
"You touched my people. You know what that means?"
"??? Mephy's a dense heroine, you see?"
"—I'm saying I'll kill you!! Laughing like that!! Was killing the old man that fun!?"
"Oh, absolutely!! That face! Realizing death in three—no, one second! Just recalling it—oh! My conscience and morals are raring to go! Mephy nice! (truth) Nice! (pretense)!!"
—My head's starting to hurt…
"Vulgar clown. Bad influence on Mash and Master. Cut him down, Mordred."
"No need to tell me! Get ready, clown! I'm killing you!!"
"Very well!! Let's duel!! My Noble Phantasm's already set! I'll plunge you into despair with flair! Oh, my bad, that's Salem's me! Pardon, pardon, ehehehe!!"
"Servant battle, start! Senpai!"
"Go all out!!"
—Already set, so it's his Noble Phantasm.
"Let's unmask this clown's tricks."
—I need "transcription" or "transference." Time to select!
To Rikka-tan
"Oh, from Blackbeard! Get ready!"
"Magical Girl Cosplay"
"That's harsh! Too much for high school me, Blackbeard!! Make Mash wear it! Oh, from Artemis too!"
"Moon Goddess's Harp & Artemis's Outfit"
"That's some serious gear…"
------------------------------
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