C248: Beginning of the End Pt6
Alt title Teaser: Anti-Servant Noble Phantasm
Date published: 8/12/2025.
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"I get it now" as if an echo, both Washio and
'Shirou' states all of a sudden.
Both exit their state of comprehension and return to the battlefield, as if spurred by their new mental states, Angra Mainyu quickly suppressed Martha by knocking her out.
He would have gone for the kill but with Rin manipulating earth to pull Ruler away, Archer also keeps firing at Avenger which prevents him from dealing the final blow.
It is while Avenger pulls away when Washio charges at him once more, he has entered a strange state as he flawlessly uses one draconic spell after the other. Even ones he was not too familiar with that he can cast.
The desert space is gradually converted to a world of glass as the sand is super heated under the flames rampaging everywhere.
As the fight progresses between the Draconic master and Avenger, Angra Mainyu's energy signature begins to rise as he seems to repeat Archer's previous chant.
"I am the bone of my sword."
With the progression of the chant, his swordsmanship begins to grow better, allowing his twisted nature to rise up.
"Steel is my heart and fire is my mind."
"Dragon home, I command you, rise up"
Washio states a strange chant as the very space around them is enveloped in dragon energy, akin to poison for someone like Angra Mainyu. Yet he continues his chant even as his body trembles and his eyes bleed.
"I have created over a thousand blades,"
"Unknown to hope, nor known to meaning."
He continues his chant but Washio notices how it now diverges from the original chant. Seemingly far more twisted and this nature only grows darker and darker. Even pushing aside the draconic energy filling him up.
Washio unleashes a barrage of blows that makes 'Shirou' cough up blood but his mental state has not changed, his physical and emotional pain seems to only drag him deeper into darkness as it manifests.
"Having accepted pain, embraced futility,"
"I am lost to the world and myself."
"My despair is Unlimited Lost Works.."
The chant ends, darkness purges Washio's pseudo domain as Angra Mainyu lifts one of his sword guns and points it straight. It is not in any direction of people. A phantom of a strange version of Archer appears beside the Avenger as both hold out twisted versions of gun-blades
The most unexpected thing to happen is not the tearing of the reality marble or any of the 4 combatants inside it suddenly dying.
Instead it is Heracles (alter) suddenly appearing in front of Angra Mainyu.
All sides remain shocked as the bullet enters the former heroes chest, then from within, sprouts an assortment of swords, impaling the Berserker.
The only reason he has not died is due to his body being modified by the phylactery as well as the regeneration ability of the hydra whose blood he bathed and drank from.
"What is going on? Where am I?" Heracles questions as his body begins to be covered in green purple necrotic energy that very slowly mends his pseudo-undead body.
It is another voice that answers his question, "I had warned you all about excess usage of noble phantasms. As Shirou Emiya has overdrawn his privileges. His servant, the altered Berserker, Heracles, Shall now die."
"What nonsense are you spouting? I'm unkillable."
Snap
All are shocked to find Axel Gram showing up just behind the Berserker, grabbing his head and breaking his neck.
The injury slowly diminishes as he recovers.
"Hmm, yes, you have quite the physique. Unfortunately for you, I can momentarily sever cause and effect. I shall strip you of that artifact which is your undead heart, return it to Hades and thus kill you one last time. For good of course"
His words elicit fear from the berserker as well as everyone else as they have never heard of anyone wielding such grand power before. They are confused as to why someone like this is not sealed with the rest of the gods in the 'Reverse Side of the world'.
Regardless of their thoughts or questions, Axel lowers himself besides the kneeling divinity as his hand hovers over his chest. A strange red thread is soon made manifest as it grows thinner until it is too thin to hold anything and thus severed.
Heracles feels a strange sense of loss but doesnt know why until he feels his chest rise. His false flesh and bones begin to twist and crumble until a gaping hole is created, somewhat the size of a fist.
The pale artifact of necrotic energy hovers in place while Heracles falls back down.
The remnant energy mends his body…One. Last. Time.
Heracles shivers as he gazes up at Axel, his strength stripped due to his body gradually becoming a decomposing husk of flesh and atrophied zombie muscles layered on moldy bones. The Berserker's body was on the brink of breaking apart all on it's own.
Yet Axel, true to his word, delivers the finishing blow.
Summoning his Rhongomyniad, in all its ethereal beauty, he stabs it through the undead servant's chest.
The cacophony of law based energy is released inside Berserker's chest.
The death energy flows through him first, returning his mortal coil as all outside energies are blown away, giving a chance for life energy to properly revive but not for long.
Poisons, his cherished undeath energy, and then metallic energy all swim around inside him as he is weakened to his original state long before he was given a divine decree.
A simple mortal man being stabbed to death from the inside until he erupts into a geyser of blood. His soul flowing towards the sealed lesser grail back at Axel's home. A trophy to have his soul manifest the grails power.
Shirou who is the closest is splashed by this geyser and he snaps out of his revere but his fear only returns in an extreme state as Axel once again disappears.
In fact there is no trace of his energy at all, as if he had not just revived a pseudo undead and then tore apart said man.
Angra Mainyu would have assumed that it was all a dream but he can realistically feel his connection with Berserker shattered to ashes along with his body.
Archer is the first to recover as he feels the suppressive force on his reality marble being released. He quickly moves to close range, brandishing his two iconic blades which deliver a sizable cut to his chest and gravely injuries him.
Archer presses the attack but knowing that with Berserker's death, he finds no hope or any possibility that he could turn the situation around. He can only relentlessly erupt with black mud to corrupt Archer.
The mud splashes onto the hero's arm which he resolutely cuts off and retreats. His resolute actions snap Washio out of his confusion as he soon takes over Archer's role. He lands blow after blow upon the Avenger who gradually weakens but knowing that he has nothing left. He releases his full power.
"Here I go."
"You did this to yourself!"
"Die upside down,"
"Verg Avesta!"
Releasing his true personal noble phantasm, his body begins to shapeshift into that of a black wolf with a blue-red glow around him. His aura is at an all time low but it gradually ramps up as all the damage he has taken thus far is being collected.
It is to be released as a soul wrenching howl which would injure the soul of all here who have hurt him.
As he begins to open his maw to release the soul wrenching sound which could possibly kill the humans here due to the sheer amount of pain he has been inflicted with the past half hour or so.
The Oceanic tide crushing him and his servants, The tarrasque colliding with him and him alone, Archer's harassment, Washio's onslaught, Getting trapped within the noble phantasm and accumulating numerous injuries. He is reaching his limit and thus has to release it all to turn the tables once and forever more.
While Washio had momentarily retreated, he soon charges back in, clobbering his mouth to close the Avengers mouth as his movements become far more smooth than they ever have before.
Scenes that Washio had never seen before flow through his eyes. A glorious kingdom filled with Dragons bringing about a conquerors shadow over all land yet it but a small spot, a fragment of this draconic aura that is superimposed over this kingdom. The kingdom enforces strict laws upon it's people, allowing them to thrive seamlessly.
While the kingdom appears benevolent and fruitful, it harbors darker shades that gradually eat away at it's roots.
Yet all hope is not yet lost, for there is a small humble shack that harbors but a few individuals. Washio recognizes himself there, a simple life, a simple goal, his ultimate pursuit that will shape his whole life. A knock is heard at the door as 'he' checks it. Only finding pillaging brigands of draconic might. Sealing the door quickly, he places the child in his hands within the grasp of his eternal love.
And so it is that to protect this simple life that he takes up the crown lying upon the home's mantle as the door is kicked in. With the crown in hand he releases his true might.
"Ethereal home, I call to thee,"
"For loss of loss is what I fear most"
"Grant me the mercy to call upon my love,"
"Let this love protect my heart,"
"For that I might return to it once more,"
"Dear Dragon, Let me bear my claws once more,"
"Grant me the power to protect my love,"
"Let it cover the ever present sky,"
"Beset upon the crystalline sky, filled with the sun's rays,"
"My breath shall be all that remains,"
"Let my body be the one reforged,"
"Regeo, Take form once more"
The vision ends as a crown depicting dragons roaring out is visible above Washio's head, it calls out, for mercy, for a savior, for one to protect all beings, but most importantly, it is calling out for its kin.
Washio continues his charge at Angra Mainyu as the crown seems to dissolve, this silver and golden metal expands as it covers Washio's whole body. The depth of liquid turns the crown into a full set suit of armor covered in dragon scales and spikes.
Washio's own hands are covered in multi-colored scales while the spikes on his fingers are colored in runes. Runes that have only showed up in one other known case yet even these are layered in a state that can only drive fear into the hearts of all Servants. But the feeling of his hands pales in comparison to that of his eyes, vertical pupils that behold all that it witnesses.
Soon enough, one clawed finger soon stabs into the Avengers chest who is still retained in his wolf transformation.
Yet this is no longer the case as it is not his chest that was pierced but his very saint graph which was injured. The portion of the saint graph that was fragmented was that of the noble phantasm. No longer would Angra Mainyu possess either Verg Avesta nor Unlimited Lost Works.
Furthermore, his form over Shirou's body is further weakened as the true enemy of all servants lies before the Avenger. The Anti-servant noble phantasm, Regeo.
The personification of the earth itself in dragon form. Sheltering all weaker folk from that which is mystical.
Avenger kneels on the floor, no, not the floor but before Washio as his noble phantasm is forcefully canceled. His head down, Washio looks up as he speaks, ney, commands.
"Bring down the reality marble" Archer hesitantly looks to Rin who nods in confusion. The ethereal desert begins to fade away as cracks open up until it is all returned to Archer.
Sheba, Luna and the others all approach Washio with Avenger visibly trembling and weak due to the unimaginable pain he is experiencing. He holds his chest where the finger stabbed him.
"We claim victory here, the black mud shall not trouble us no longer. Let us seek Caster and Lancer." Washio proclaims as if the Avengers' very fate is unnecessary for his personal intervention.
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Word count: 2092
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