(…)*
"For dancing, let's dress to impress," Marie's voice echoed.
(…)**
(Final Ascension, dressed to impress, huh?)
"…Right," Jeanne d'Arc Alter muttered. "I can't demand growth from Master while half-hearted myself."
(…)**
"…This is for Master," she resolved. "If I think of it that way…"
The Church
"Oh?" Jeanne d'Arc, the saint, blinked.
(…)**
"My dark counterpart!" she exclaimed. "Why are you here?! Praying on your own?!"
"Come with me," Jeanne Alter said.
"Huh?"
"I'm about to reach Final Ascension and dress to impress," Jeanne Alter declared. "You're helping me seal the deal."
"W-Wait, dress up?" Jeanne stammered.
"I see," Jeanne said, understanding dawning. "To stabilize your Spirit Origin…"
"Exactly," Jeanne Alter replied. "If I'm breaking through my limits, you're the only one fit to face me."
"…I'm honored," Jeanne said softly. "I thought you hated me. That you despised the entire world."
"I do," Jeanne Alter snapped. "I'm an Avenger. It's my nature."
"Then… why?" Jeanne asked. "Why fight to save humanity?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Jeanne Alter said.
"…?"
"I'll never let go of my hatred," she said. "But Master matters more than any grudge or resentment. Simple as that."
"—!" Jeanne gasped.
"The world's secondary," Jeanne Alter continued. "My hatred burns, but it's not my purpose."
"Then what is?" Jeanne asked.
"My flag," Jeanne Alter said, "is raised solely for the one Master who sought me in this world. She wanted a nobody like me. So, don't I have to answer that call?"
"…That's your 'banner of salvation,'" Jeanne murmured. "Just being needed… it saved you enough to stake everything."
"Hmph. Talked too much," Jeanne Alter said. "Point is, I raise my flag for Master, fight for Master, die for Master. The world can burn, Pierre can die a thousand times—I don't care."
"Right, right," Jeanne nodded.
"My hatred and fury will target anything that threatens Master!" Jeanne Alter declared. "To make that flame perfect, I'll overcome my issues with you first. It's nauseating, but for Master, it's just barely tolerable!"
"Got it!" Jeanne said, tossing her flag aside. "(Flag toss!)"
"Hey, why'd you ditch the flag?!" Jeanne Alter shouted.
"Your resolve reached me!" Jeanne said, cracking her knuckles. (Crack, snap!) "Now, I'll respond—"
"Wait, why're you cracking your knuckles?!" Jeanne Alter yelped. "You're a Ruler, right?! A Ruler?!"
"Of course, I'll answer!" Jeanne said. "With fists of prayer! Here we go—Hallelujah!!"
"Argh, she's attacking—!! Help, Master!!" Jeanne Alter screamed.
Guardians of the Stars, The Resolve of Snowflakes
London, Westminster Area
The heart of the city, home to the Houses of Parliament—a critical district.
"Here they come!" Mordred shouted.
Guided by Fran, the group set out to destroy the remote controller powering the Helter Skelters. Near the Parliament, a swarm of Helter Skelters detected their presence, brandishing swords in their mechanical arms and charging as one—!
"Hah, cornered!" the Hero King laughed. "This formation screams a fatal flaw at its core! Such obvious defenses reveal their weakness—a textbook blunder! Mere machines can't grasp strategy. Pathetic tin cans, I'll laugh at your ruin! Fuhaha!"
"Stop laughing and stay back, Gil!" Rikka ordered. "Keep an eye on Fran!"
"Of course!" the King replied. "This one lacks even the will to fight! Your sins are heavy, Fumble-Knight!"
I can deploy my treasures, but with most of my focus on Fran, my aim's off…!
We'll have to rely on the others—do your best!
"I'll work double to cover!" Mordred roared. "Let's go, Father!!"
"Another fated clash," Artoria said. "We'll cut them down. The more in our montage, the better—!!"
The two Sabers charged into the fray—!
"Mash, cover Gil and Fran!" Rikka called. "Your shield can handle it!"
"Understood!" Mash replied. "Senpai, you're not… punching again, are you?!"
"I'd love to, but there's too many—I'd be a liability!" Rikka said. "This time, it's up to the Servants! Got it, Gil?!"
"No issue!" the King said. "In this fog and city, call the heroes!"
"Got it! I've got just the ones!" Rikka raised her right hand, summoning. "Come—'Jack'! 'Emiya (Assassin)'!"
Two Assassins materialized.
"My turn!" Jack the Ripper, the aggregate of unborn vengeful spirits, chirped. "Thanks for calling, Mommy!"
"Dismantling work like this is my specialty," Emiya (Assassin), the Counter Guardian, said, readying his knives.
Both wielded knives, both of the same class.
"Can we tear them apart?" Jack asked. "Can we, Mommy?"
"Go wild!" Rikka said. "Have fun!"
"Okay—time to dismantle!" Jack giggled.
"Minimize collateral damage, neutralize them," Emiya said.
"It's tricky, but try!" Rikka said. "We can't scare the locals!"
"I'll do what I can," Emiya replied. "It's a Servant's duty."
Click. Emiya readied his Calico, leaping into action.
Gunshots, slashes, leaps, and strikes—his honed ethics, magic, and skills, sublimated into a Heroic Spirit, tore through the Helter Skelters. Bullets blasted them apart, slashes disabled them, and martial arts reduced them to silent scrap.
"Unknown tech or not, if it's a machine, it's in my domain," Emiya said.
The 'Cleaner,' a man burdened by a fate of relentless service, wielded his efficient killing and dismantling techniques—!
"We can't lose either!" Jack said, turning to Rikka. "Mommy?"
"What's up, Jack?" Rikka asked.
"Pat me!" Jack said. "We'll do our best, so…"
"Alright, pat-pat-pat!" Rikka hugged and nuzzled her. "Good girl, Jack!"
"Hehe, watch us, Mommy!" Jack beamed.
"I'm watching!" Rikka cheered. "Super watching!"
Jack nodded, shedding her tattered coat.
"—Fog's our friend," she whispered. "A cradle that holds us gently. Come, our capital—"
She drew an antique lantern from her coat.
"Our home—'The Mist: Darkened Fog City'—!"
A torrent of fog erupted, enveloping the area in an instant.
"What's this?!" Mordred shouted, her instincts flaring.
"The Helter Skelters… they're corroding?!" Artoria observed.
Parts touched by the fog rusted, melted, and decayed into discarded scrap.
"It's safe for Mommy and friends," Jack said. "We choose who the fog hurts."
"I see," the King said. "A recreation of London's toxic smog disaster. Spewing sulfuric fog so recklessly—truly a fitting Noble Phantasm."
The fog's under Jack's control, directional. We and Master feel no pain.
"An enemy, it's troublesome; an ally, it's unmatched efficiency," the King said. "Well done, Jack."
A Noble Phantasm embodying the dark side of human culture…
I can only marvel at the world's diversity for creating and accepting this…
The world brimmed with such variety…
"Yay! Praised by the King and Mommy!" Jack chirped. "Happy, happy, happy!"
Leaping into the fray, Jack slashed through corroded Helter Skelters, 'dismantling' them.
"Happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy, happy!"
Like an innocent child at play, Jack methodically reduced Helter Skelters to 'unassembled model kits'—the gruesome skill of a disassembly-specialized murderer unleashed on London's streets—!
"No way I'm losing to an Assassin!" Mordred roared.
Blasting mana, she shattered asphalt, charging forward.
"Take that, you fiend—!!" she shouted, her hard-rock slang fueling lightning-fast sword strikes that scattered Helter Skelters.
"Go to hell!! Yeehaw!!" She hurled her sword, ripped enemies apart, and kicked them away—her infamous 'Traitor Slaughter' style in full force—!
"'Strike Air: Hammer of the Wind King'!" Artoria declared.
Unleashing the wind pressure cloaking her holy sword, she reduced corroded Helter Skelters to dust.
"Kiritsugu one, Kiritsugu two, Kiritsugu three—Kiritsugu, Kiritsugu, Kiritsugu, KIRITSUGUAAA!!"
Gripping her holy sword in both hands, Artoria became a frenzied Saber, slashing through all creation.
Where she passed, no Saber remained; after her, none stood. In heaven and earth, she alone was Saber—!
"The Command Seals' calls got sloppy!" Rikka shouted. "From 'my Servant' to 'my puppet' to 'Saber'! Back to basics? Still, telling her to destroy the Grail without explanation was harsh, Kiritsugu—!!"
No one could stop the raging Saber that Artoria had become—!
Amid the chaotic battle, the rear was relatively calm. The front line was so intense that no Helter Skelters reached them.
"Fuhaha! Well done, heroes!" the King laughed. "This is true domination!"
"Keep it up!" Fran said lazily. "Fran's just guiding, nice and chill."
The King surveyed the battlefield, in high spirits.
"I'm still so far behind…" Rikka said, loosing Artemis's arrows to pierce Helter Skelters while renewing her resolve. "Gotta train harder!"
"You're the only Master shooting a goddess's arrows while mastering pankration!" Romani exclaimed.
"That's thanks to Artemis and Sensei!" Rikka said. "What I need to hone is—girl power!!"
"I'll help with that," Marie said. "So come back safe, Rikka."
"Got it! Time to unleash a barrage!" Rikka declared.
Her arrows, five per second, tore through the machines—!
"…Amazing," Mash murmured, awestruck.
By Master's heroic masculinity, her modern heroism?
"Just so we're clear," the King said, "don't emulate her. Use her as a cautionary tale. If my chosen Master and Demi-Servant both turn into muscleheads, it'd tarnish my reputation."
"Y-Yes!" Mash said. "Master's strong, valiant, and cool! My pride and joy!"
Completely agree.
"But I was marveling at everyone's Noble Phantasms," Mash added.
"Oh?" the King said.
"Noble Phantasms—ultimate fantasies, supreme expressions," Mash said. "Each one I witness shakes my soul with their diversity and impact."
"No surprise," the King said. "A Noble Phantasm is a hero's deeds, life, and legacy sublimated. Seeing one is like meeting the absolute proof of that Heroic Spirit—a calling card."
The Hero King's Noble Phantasm is his 'vault' of treasures, the supreme wealth surpassing all mysteries. Proof he claimed 'everything' in life, holding all treasures and possibilities—the proof of the King of Kings.
Who could see such absurdity and not be awestruck? I'm shocked every time he selects a treasure!
"Speaking of," the King said, "your Noble Phantasm hasn't reached its full potential, Mash."
"Yes…" Romani said. "The hero's power within Mash is still…"
"I haven't mastered it yet," Mash admitted clearly.
"You're quite decisive," the King said. "I expected more hesitation."
"I do worry," Mash said. "But the answer's right here."
"An answer?" the King asked. "What did you find?"
"Yes," Mash said. "The answer lies ahead, in my journey with Senpai and the Hero King!"
…What.
"There's no need to rush," Mash continued. "As long as I keep moving with everyone, I'll eventually face the true power of the Servant within me."
"—"
"So, even if I'm half-baked now, I won't look down," she said. "Like Master, running to save the world. Like the Hero King, standing firm with the world on his shoulders."
Her face held no self-doubt, only clarity.
"Someday, I'll show a Noble Phantasm I'm proud of—to Master and the Hero King," she said. "Until that day, I won't give up or falter! …Is that strange?"
…Mash.
"And I have a goal," she added.
"Oh?" the King said.
"Yes!" Mash met his gaze. "I want to forge a shield to block the Hero King's ultimate trump card, 'Enuma Elish: The Star of Creation that Split Heaven and Earth'!"
—!
"…Hmph," the King chuckled.
That's…
"Fuhahahahaha!!" he roared. "Aiming to block my supreme strike? What ambition! Fuhahahahaha!!"
An incredible goal…!
"Fine! I allow it!" the King said. "Strive, Mash! Train and advance! One day, like the distant ideal city, complete a shield to surpass my 'Enuma Elish'! When I witness that, you'll be the true Snowflake Guardian!"
"Yes!" Mash declared. "Mash Kyrielight will become the shield protecting the Hero King's spear and Senpai!"
It seems Mash, watching the Hero King and Master, set her goal. Like me.
The Hero King is incredible!
"There!" Fran pointed. "That's the remote!"
A massive Helter Skelter, over five meters tall, loomed ahead. The heroes charged—!
"Fuhahahahaha!! For entertaining me, I'll deliver the finishing blow!!" the King declared.
The treasure selection is complete!
The giant Helter Skelter resisted fiercely, its superior performance stalling the team.
"Damn it, swinging like crazy!" Mordred cursed.
"No, this is perfect," Artoria said.
The machine's wide, sloppy attacks aimed to sweep them away.
"If it leaves an opening for even a moment—"
An arrow from Rikka's Artemis bow struck the asphalt, creating a crater that tripped the machine, disrupting its movements.
"Senpai!" Mash called.
Rikka grinned boldly.
"Gil—now!!"
Leave it to me!
"Heroes and Master, well done!" the King roared. "The curtain falls! Receive this—'Gate of Babylon: King's Treasury'—!!"
Five treasure gates opened, their weapons precisely piercing the machine's joints and power core—!
Unable to evade, the Helter Skelter was dismembered, collapsing with a thunderous crash.
The surrounding machines halted, confirming the giant was the remote controller.
"You stole the spotlight?!" Mordred shouted.
"Your groundwork was commendable!" the King laughed. "All glorious spoils belong to the King! Fuhahahahaha!!"
"…It's over," Emiya sighed.
"Thank you, Emiya! Jack!" Rikka said, patting them. "Good girl, good girl!"
"Hehe, call us again, Mommy," Jack said.
"Hah… hah… Cut down all Sabers but me…" Artoria panted.
"Chill, Father! I'm not the enemy!" Mordred said.
"How was that, Mash?!" the King boomed. "Witness the radiance of the pinnacle of heroes! Praise me! Praise me! Fuhahahahaha!!"
"Yes! The Hero King is incredible!" Mash said.
I have to keep up with Mash and work harder…!
The King's jubilant laughter echoed through the foggy city—
"Mash, sorry to bother, but can you send footage of the wreckage?" Marie asked. "Da Vinci-sensei and I will analyze it."
"Understood," Mash replied.
"Scavenging ruins isn't refined, but I won't complain," the King said.
"—Director Olga Marie," Mash said. "I found an English label. A manufacturer's name, perhaps…?"
"Huh…? A name?" Fran muttered.
"Read it, please," Marie said. "It might be a Servant's True Name."
"A label? How meticulous," the King said. "They must've pinned dreams on these machines."
"Yes—'Charles Babbage, AD.1888,'" Mash read.
"!? Bab… Babbage-sensei…!?" Fran gasped.
"…? Fran, what's wrong?" Rikka asked.
"…No… It's a lie…" Fran murmured.
"Fran…?"
"Tch. I see," the King said. "What a thoroughly pathetic spectacle…!"
Fran's trembling slightly.
Does she know Charles Babbage…?
-------------------------------
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