Summary[]
Fate/Grand Order vs Akame Ga Kill! The Mad King Cú Chulainn takes on the Empire's Strongest General Esdeath in a battle between war driven monsters! Who will win and who will die?
Introduction[]
Necro: The battlefield is a place of unimaginable horror, a place where men go to die.
Mercer: It's also a home to some of the worst monsters imaginable, who kill anyone in their path. And that's where our fighters come in.
Necro: Cú Chulainn Alter, The Mad King.
Mercer: General Esdeath, The Ice Queen.
Necro: But what happens when an cold hearted monster meets a cruel winter? That's where we come in.
Mercer: Ne's Necro and I'm Mercer.
Necro: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor and skills to find out who would win...
Mercer: A Death Battle.
The Mad King Cú Alter Blackens DEATH BATTLE![]
(Cue: Mythical Battle FGO OST)
Necro: Somewhere, beyond the veil of death, exists a Throne that holds the spirits of heroic and legendary figures, ready to be summoned to do the bidding of humans in a conflict known as the Holy Grail War. This is the purpose of a Servant, or a Hero's Spirit, a Heroic Spirit, if you will. One of these Servants is the great Cú Chulainn, Ireland's Child of Light.
Mercer: Cú Chulainn was born for greatness, prophesied to live a short and notorious life. And that he did. Cú went on many adventures, got many bitches and killed giants and other monsters, before finally meeting his end in The cattle Raid of Cooley, facing an army all by himself, tying his frikin guts to a rock to keep standing. Talk about badass. With a legend that crazy, it's no wonder that Cú became one of these many Heroic Spirits, as was previously mentioned.
Necro: Thousands of years in the future, a Demonic God by the Goetia decided to wipe out all of humanity by systematically destroying them at the most influential points in their history. One of these points was found in North America in the year of 1783 AD. Here, Goetia dispatched a particular Irish Queen by the name of Medb, who Cú's ultimate foe in his legend. Medb was in love with Cú, and being the spoiled person that she was, when he didn't respond to her advances, she gathered her armies and killed him. Now with a Holy Grail by her side, Medb wished for Cú to come back as a wicked monarch on a similar level to herself.
Mercer: And come back he did! Cú Chulainn Alter was born, and he was both everything, and nothing that she was expecting. He sure was evil, but he was even less into her than he was before. Originally, Cú was a cheery warrior who loved nothing more than a good fight. This Cú, has a complete nihilist, who only fought because that's what warriors did. Despite the change in attitude, Cú became even more of a badass than before, as if that was even possible!
Necro: This new Mad King quickly swept the lands wiping out any opposition brutally and swiftly, be they man or servant or monster. While he would eventually meet his end at the hands of Humanity's Last Master, Ritsuka Fujimura, nothing can say that this Cú was nothing short of an absolute monster.
Mercer: With an absolute monster of a weapon as well! Gáe Bolg is a legendary spear carved from the skull of a monster called Curruid Coinchenn, who Cú Alter just so happens to be wearing as a suit of armor. He just keeps getting more metal by the second.
Necro: In the Fate series, Servants can be summoned into one of seven classes, those being Saber, Lancer, Archer, Assassin, Rider, Caster and Berserker. This twisted version of Cú Chulainn manifests in the form of a Berserker, and is far more powerful than his original Lancer form.
Mercer: Simply being a servant gives this guy a slew of powers. Cú Alter is naturally resistant to Extreme Heat and Cold, able to generate a paralyzing aura, survive without oxygen or sleep, resistant to poisons and most forms of conventional damage. Weapons without some kind of history or supernatural element are vastly less effective against servants.
Necro: Servants can also become intangible, invisible and undetectable with their Spirit Forms, though they cannot attack in these forms and usually only use them to conserve power.
Mercer: The power of Berserker class servants comes from their one and only class skill, Mad Enhancement. This skill trades sanity for power, and it's effectiveness is determined by the servant's rank in this skill. Cú Alter's rank is EX, or the highest possible rank. Despite his high rank, he can speak and think logically, and in actual practice, the buffs he gains from his Mad Enhancement are actually closer to a C rank, which makes him stronger, faster and tougher, at the cost of his self control.
Necro: Aside from the skills afforded to him by his class, Cú possesses several personal skills that make him even more formidable. Madness of the Spirits, an A ranked skill, allows Cú to shatter crush the spirits of his foes, making them weaker and less agile and awakening the nature spirits and faeries hiding within the earth. There's no word on the reason behind waking up the spirits, aside from Cú just being mean.
Mercer: His next skill, Protection from Arrows, a C ranked skill, allows him to deal with and counter projectiles by predicting their trajectories, effectively making him invincible at a distance, because as long as his opponent is in his line of sight, he'll always be one step ahead of their shots. That said, thanks to the skill only be C rank, the skill won't help him against magically enhanced projectiles, and he'll have to dodge them on his own. It also doesn't work on Area of Effect attacks, so something like an Explosion, and it's no good against weapons that simply have long reach, like a lance.
Necro: As a Demigod, Cú Alter possesses a skill called Divinity, which thanks to his Alteration, as weakened from a B to a C. Divinity reduces the effectiveness of divine defenses, meaning that not even Gods are safe from the Mad King's wrath.
Mercer: And on top of all that, Cú Alter's a bastard to kill. First, he's got his Rune Magecraft, which is a B ranked skill. In life, Cú mastered all eighteen Norse runes, however, thanks to his nature as an Alter, Cú can now only use his runes for resisting magic and magecraft as well as regenerating from damage at a rapid pace. How fast? Well, in the time it takes this guy to throw a spear, he can fully regenerate from having his arm ripped off. And even if you hurt him so bad that he can't heal from it, Cú finally has a skill called Battle Continuation, his second A ranked skill. When severely wounded, even fatally, Cú will carry on until he gets hit with another super powerful attack.
Necro: With a skill set like this, it's no wonder that Cú Alter was by far one of the most deadly servants to show up in the first part of the Grand Orders.
Mercer: In case you couldn't tell, Cú's kind of an absolute beast when it comes to combat. I mean, the first thing we ever see him do is completely no sell Rama's Brahmastra, an A+ ranked Noble Phantasm.
Necro: Before we go any further, we should first explain what a Noble Phantasm is. Put simply, a Noble Phantasm is a manifestation of a heroic spirit's legend, typically a powerful attack used as a trump card to end a battle. In Rama's case, Brahmastra is so powerful that when another hero, Karna uses it, it's able to wipe out entire countries in one go.
Mercer: For example, a similar Noble Phantasm, one that's also A+ ranked is Ishtar's An Gal Tā Kigal Shē, which she used to vaporize a large portion of land. When we ran the numbers, we found that such an attack would have required a force equal to 1.27 Teratons of TNT, or over 1 Trillion tons of TNT! And he just ate an attack of that level with no issue whatso ever!
Necro: That's just the tip of the iceberg when we talk about the power Cú Alter commands. For example, immediately after being hit with Brahmastra, he over powered and nearly killed Rama with a single attack. He was also able to defeat Nero Claudius while in the confines of her noble phantasm, which made him weaker. When other servants speculated that he was only this powerful because he was empowered by a Holy Grail, Cú revealed that he had long since given the grail away, meaning that he's just that powerful.
Mercer: And given just how powerful this guy is on his own, you can only imagine just how powerful his own Noble Phantasms are!
Necro: Cú Alter's first Noble Phantasm is Gáe Bolg: Gouging Piercing Spear of Carnage, a legendary spear carved from the skull of the sea monster Curruid. It's powerful enough to match Scáthach's Gáe Bolg Alternative and is more powerful than the regular Cú Chulainn's spear, which is able to kill pretty much anyone with a single strike. That's because Gáe Bolg is a cursed spear, which delivers wounds that are insanely hard to heal. Gáe Bolg: Gouging Piercing Spear of Carnage is a homing attack as well, which naturally makes it very hard to dodge, meaning this spear is basically a death sentence for whoever's unlucky enough to be on the other end of it.
Mercer: And as a final "fuck you" to anyone unlucky enough to get caught in this attack, Gáe Bolg: Gouging Piercing Spear of Carnage splits into tons of spearheads, so anyone near the target is also caught in the attack. In terms of destructive power, Cú can throw Gáe Bolg with enough power that Mashu, the one and only Shielder class servant would have been unable to block this attack without help from a magical creature named Fou. Keep in mind that in her first outing, Mashu was able to block Saber Alter's Excalibur Morgan, which is superior to the previously mentioned country wiping Brahmastra. And when she faced Cú Alter, she'd gotten a rather significant power and defense boost.
Necro: Despite how powerful Gáe Bolg is, Cú has another Noble Phantasm for when he gets really serious. Curruid Coinchenn: Beast of Crunching Death Tusk. This noble phantasm is unique to Cú Alter. It manifests the rest of the skeleton that Gáe Bolg was carved from, shaped into a powerful suit of offensive armor that raises Cú Alter's already absurd strength to even greater heights, and increases his durability and endurance as well. The armor's claws bear the same effects as Gáe Bolg, which skewers the unlucky target and grows barbs inside of their bodies, ripping them apart from the inside, preventing regeneration and ensuring the death of those pierced. In terms of raw power, Curruid Coinchenn enabled Cú to destroy ninety-percent of his former mentor Scáthach's organs. When Scáthach tried to use Gate of Skye, a Noble Phantasm that draws in all living things and instantly kills them if not resisted with high luck or mana, Cú not only resisted it in his base form, but he also managed to active Curruid Coinchenn and win the battle, even when severely weakened.
Mercer: Scáthach also claimed that Curruid Coinchenn could destroy the world. While it's unknown, and frankly somewhat dubious that Curruid Coinchenn could actually destroy a planet, there's no doubt that it could be compared to some of the higher tier Noble Phantasms, like Tesla's System Keraunos or Ozymandias' Ramesseum Tentyris Dendera the Light Bulb. The first of which is said to be able to destroy a continent, and the second is compared to a solar flare in terms of power.
Necro: With all this absurd power, one might expect Cú Alter to lack in other categories, like speed. But they'd be sorely mistaken, as Cú Alter is even faster than his regular self, who is heralded as one of the fastest servants. This easily puts him on the same level as Miyamoto Musashi, who can react to and fight with the Dioscuri Twins, who are able to move and fight at faster-than light speeds. He's also far faster than Mashu, who can easily react to and defend against lasers and light based attacks, making Cú even more deadly.
Mercer: And to top it all off, this guy's strong enough to fight with and kill Heracles, one of the most powerful berserkers. He easily beat Rama, who's regular attacks are compared to Noble Phantasms, and stomped several servants after being poisoned, which he just kinda tanked through with no issue. He then killed Karna, one of the most powerful servants in the Series, with a single strike while still poisoned. As previously mentioned, Karna can raze countries, survive attacks on that level, and is far superior to other servants like Mordred and Siegfried. Cú also survived Karna's most powerful Noble Phantasm, Vasavi Shakti. This attack is actually similar in power to Cú's own Curruid Coinchenn, as both are heralded as top tier Noble Phantasms
Necro: Even the greatest kings of all time have fallen, and Cú Alter is no different. After his armies were destroyed, and history itself forcing his erasure, Cú Alter made one final stand, using the holy grail to transform himself into the demon god Halphas. Even with his new form, Cú fell to the combine might of Ritsuka Fujimura and his servants.
Mercer: When it comes to actual weaknesses, Cú doesn't actually have very many. Like all servants, he can't fight in his spirit form. He also can't use Gáe Bolg while he's using Curruid Coinchenn, and Gáe Bolg also causes him severe pain whenever he throws it, given that he throws it with enough force to destroy his arm.
Necro: One seemingly notable weakness is that whenever Cú takes a serious hit, his regeneration doesn't tend to heal it very quickly. For example, he had to retreat for quite some time after taking Karna's Vasavi Shakti, and after his rampage in which he fought Heracles and Saber Alter, he would have likely been defeated if not for external healing, as the poison and Heracles' absurd power had left him on the ropes.
Mercer: Theories aside, one thing is for certain. If you find yourself facing the Mad King that is Altered Cú Chulainn, you're most certainly in for a really bad last day.
| “ | If you regret fighting me now, then you should've never stood before me. | „ |
General Esdeath Commands DEATH BATTLE![]
(Cue: Yami o Kiru)
Necro: The strong survive, and the weak die. That's the rule of nature, and the ideal at the very core of the coldest woman to ever live, General Esdeath.
Mercer: Born and raised in the Northern Frontier Lands, Esdeath is the sole survivor of the Partas Clan, a village or hunters that specialized in hunting Danger Beasts, powerful monsters that are, like their names would suggest, far more deadly than any animal. She was the daughter of the village chief, and even at as a child, she showed combat prowess unfitting for someone of her age, even being skilled enough to take on hunting trips by herself.
Necro: Whenever Esdeath would bring home prey, her father would gut the captured creature without killing it, and teach Esdeath to do the same. While he had his reservations, fearing that she may lose something she could never get back, he couldn't bear to see her die, so he set her on this brutal path, with the previously mentioned creed acting as her guide. The strong live, and the weak die.
Mercer: A belief that would kinda come back to bite him in the ass, as while Esdeath was away on a hunting trip, the village was attacked and everyone was killed. When Esdeath returned and found her father dying, she had little pity for him, and vowed to become the strongest person ever.
Necro: Many years later, Esdeath would join the Empire's military and climbed the ranks at a terrifying rate, so quickly that it gained the attention of the Prime Minister, a man named Honest. He would offer her a Teigu, an ancient and powerful relic that only the most powerful warriors can wield. While looking through the vault, Esdeath would see one that was chained off. She felt it call to her, and she chose it.
Mercer: That Teigu was the Demon God Manifestation: Demon's Extract, a chalice of danger beast blood that allowed the use control over ice. Only catch was that anyone who drank a cup of the stuff went insane. Well, everyone except Esdeath, who just CHUGGED THE WHOLE FUCKING CHALICE and was completely fine. Naturally, the Empire gave her the title of "Strongest in the Empire". So with her dream of being the strongest achieved, would Esdeath settle down? ...A lot more people would be alive if she did.
Necro: Esdeath, now a General of the Empire would lead an army against various rebellions in the North, each of which she crushed effortlessly, burning villages and allowing her soldiers to ...satisfy themselves however they pleased. She buried four hundred thousand people alive, and easily defeated Numa Seika, the greatest hero of the north, before finally returning to the capital. However, despite all her success, on her campaigns Esdeath had yet to conquer one thing. Love.
Mercer: So when she came back to the Capital, she issued Honest a short, but specific list of requirements for her suiters. And after a few short months, she would finally meet the man of her dreams, a boy named Tatsumi. Who just so happened to be the newest member of a group of rebellious assassins that were in direct conflict with the Empire. Who she had just been ordered to kill. Usually, I'd make a joke about bad luck, but in this case I'd say it's deserved.
Necro: As previously mentioned, Esdeath is absurdly powerful. She's a master swordsman and wields her rapier to deadly effect, being able to dish out precise, powerful strikes that can easily reduce giant monsters to mincemeat. Esdeath also has lots of knowledge on the human body, and as a result knows just where to hit her targets to inflict the most pain, or to just outright kill them. She's a physical powerhouse, easily being able to smash through a large portion of a mountain when she was a child, and kill Danger Beasts with ease. She was also able to avoid a surprise lightning bolt while fighting Akame.
Mercer: She can also fight and over power an army of over 100,000 men and ten Teigu users single handedly! Esdeath is both skilled and strong enough to fight with Akame, one of the assassins from Night Raid without having to rely on her Teigu to keep up. And Akame is commonly hailed as one of, if not the most deadly assassin and swordsman in the world!
Necro: Esdeath also managed to fight with Akame's Little War Horn Mode, a super form that makes her far stronger, faster and tougher than before while completely exhausted after a battle with Tatsumi's Tyrant dragon form, which is more powerful than the ultimate Teigu, Shiotazer, a Teigu so powerful that it's attacks can create island sized craters with a single attack! Hell, the damn thing's so large that a single movement from the thing would output energy equivalent to 381 Billion tons of TNT, or 381 Gigatons of TNT. And Esdeath is stronger than Shiotazer and Tyrant Tatsumi. You know someone's powerful when their mere aura inspires fear in those around them.
Mercer: Esdeath may be a physical power house, but what really makes her the strongest in the Empire is the chilling power she commands... Heh. Get it? Because she controls Ice?
Necro: A Teigu, as previously mentioned, is an ancient relic created by the first emperor. There were forty-eight in total, and they varied in power. Some are little more than a giant pair of scissors that can create flashes of light (for some reason) and others... well, you have others like the Teigu at Esdeath's command, The mighty Demon God Manifestation: Demon Extract. This Teigu grants Esdeath the unmatched ability to freely create and control ice. This includes lowering the temperature around her to freezing levels, creating various weapons and constructs, to animating ice golems to the point that they can fight on their own, or even freezing TIME ITSELF.
Mercer: With Weissschnabel, Esdeath can create barrages of needle sharp icicles, and then fire them at whatever unlucky bastard is at the other end of them with a simple hand motion. She's also able to immobilize targets with her Ice Entrapment, and then crush them to past with Hagelsprung, a big ass meteor made out of ice. If things get rough, Esdeath can replace lost limbs with fully functional ones made from ice, or create a suit of armor.
Necro: Grauhorn is a giant ice spike that can be summoned effectively anywhere. Demon's Extract didn't come with any trump cards built in like literally every other Teigu. Naturally, Esdeath simply did what she does best when faced with an impossibility. She simply made her own Trump Cards, three in total. That's right, three. When every other Teigu only has one, leave it to Esdeath to go above and beyond. Ice Cavalry is a Trump Card that allows her to create and animate a small group of soldiers that are made completely out of ice. At most, she's shown the ability to create up to sixty-three of them at any time, though she can stockpile them over the course of a few days.
Mercer: Speaking of stockpiling, Esdeath can also take energy from her Ice Cavalry and release it into the atmosphere, creating a continent spanning artificial Russian Winter. This is Ice Storm Commander-in-Chief, Her second Trump Card. It effectively turns every battle into a war of attrition, with Esdeath having the advantage in these conditions thanks to her resistance against cold temperatures, and the storm and battlefield enhancing her overall power. Najenda, the leader of the rebel army stated that such a technique would allow Esdeath to "attack the world itself", making Esdeath a global threat once she really gets going.
Necro: Finally, Esdeath has one final trump card to play when she's down to nothing. Mahapdama is by far Esdeath's most deadly Trump Card when it comes to One-on-One combat, as it allows her to completely freeze time itself. She used this power to kill Susanoo, a living weapon that was roughly her equal in physical strength, as well as to survive the toxic curse of the Murasame but cutting off her own arm.
Mercer: And just when you think she's out of tricks, she still has a few more. By attaching ice to her arms and legs, Esdeath can lift and maneuver the ice through the air, bringing her along with it, effectively allowing her to fly.
Necro: Esdeath can also create walls out of ice, and even a fully functioning blender, which she used to slaughter hundreds of the Rebel Army's men. And on top of all of that? Esdeath's ice is resistant to heat, as when a man used a fire Teigu against Esdeath, the flames were unable to melt her ice.
Mercer: Even with all these powers, Esdeath wouldn't have made as far as she did if she wasn't smart.
Necro: Though a psychotic sadist through and though, Esdeath is a brilliant tactician that lead numerous successful campaigns in the north. She's a master manipulator, and her knowledge of the human body allows her to kill a human opponent with a single strike. Her powers of observation paired with her enhanced senses and near supernatural perception makes even sneaking up on the woman a monumental task.
Mercer: With powers like that, the strength to overpower even the most powerful of Teigu, and the speed to effortlessly dodge lightning bolts, and the mind of genius, it's clear why Esdeath can challenge entire armies and come out on top. Well, mostly.
Necro: While it's true that Esdeath fought the entirety of the Rebel Forces almost single handedly, her greatest battle would also be her last, for after decimating most of the army and taking heavy blows in a battle with a fully evolved Tyrant Tatsumi, Esdeath was ultimately killed by Akame. After driving her back while fighting the army, Esdeath would fatally drop her guard and be overwhelmed by numerous slashes from Murasame. As she lay dying, her only regret was that she ultimately failed to make Tatsumi love her.
Mercer: Even powers as great as Esdeath's come with drawbacks, even if it's only a few. She can only use Mahapdama once per day because it takes so much power out of her, meaning that if she doesn't finish the fight fast after using it, she's in serious trouble.
Necro: Ice Storm Commander-in-Chief is a powerful Trump Card, but she typically needs her Ice Cavalry to pull it off, and she needs a large number of them at that, meaning she'd have to spend a long time on her set up before she could use it. And while her limb creation is a useful ability, it's only a short term solution to a long term problem. She lacks any method of actually healing her wounds, beyond simply freezing them or supplementing lost limbs with ice, which may keep her going for a while, but ultimately puts her on a back foot in the long run.
Mercer: That, and she's crazy as hell. Yeah, her sheer psychopathy, ego and sadism may have allowed her to control the Demon's Extract, but it doesn't do her in favors in combat. Esdeath loves to fight, and she actively prolongs battles for the sake of fighting a strong opponent for longer, allowing her opponents to gain an upper hand. Hell, that's what lead to her ultimate down fall and most of her failures leading up to it.
Necro: Even with her shortcomings, Esdeath earned her title as the Strongest in the Empire. Only a few people could attack the very world itself, and Esdeath makes it look easy, meaning that whatever poor sap is unlucky enough to fight her had better make peace with God and pray she makes it quick.
| “ | I don't understand the feelings of the weak. The law of the world is survival of the fittest. It's how the weak are weeded out. It just means those people that died were too weak. It's only natural for the weak to perish. | „ |
Interlude[]
Necro: All right, the combatants are set, and we've run the data through all possibilities.
Mercer: It's time for a DEATH BATTLE!
Fight[]
Day #1: A Mad King and Three Beasts[]
(Cue: Ground Tackle)
This task bored him. Destroy this, kill them, obliterate that. Over time, his tasks blended together until they could only be differentiated by the level of destruction he had to inflict. This time, it had been a carriage. The job was simple, destroy the carriage and kill the occupants. While such as task should have been beneath him, that wicked queen had failed to summon anyone else to do the job for him.
Cú Chulainn Alter stood in front of the ruined carriage, it's two occupants were before him, a man and a woman. The man was elderly, bald and severely injured, a large portion of his torso having been cleaved away by a heavy attack. The wound would not heal. He would die soon. Simple as that. The woman, on the other hand, stood before Cú, brandishing a halberd. She was of average height for a young woman. Her clothing was fine, befitting for someone of her social standing. These two were known as Prime Minister Chouri, and his daughter, Spear.
In truth, Cú had expected more of a fight. More guards. This old man was supposed to be one of the highest ranked politicians in the Empire, but for some reason only his daughter and eight men defended him. The men's corpses laid strewn about, each in various states of destruction. Blood, meat bone and steel littered the ground around Cú, who currently stood tall, his spear's end buried in the earth, less for support and more for effect.
"Who are you, and why did you attack us?!" Spear shouted, fury and fear punctuating her voice. Her assailant offered no answer, no movement or even any indication that he had even heard her.
"I do what I'm told. That's all there is to it. Now, let's end this quickly." Cú's response was quick, his tone mostly void of any emotion beyond vague annoyance. With motions too quick for Spear to even begin to perceive, Cú raised his spear and advanced upon the young warrior.
His strike was fluid, yet brutal. Spear didn't even have time to cry out, as her body was effectively crushed to paste by Cú's downward strike. Despite wielding a spear, Cú's attack was more similar to that of a war hammer, as the strength behind the blow was such that the road beneath her, and her father behind her, were shattered and splattered and scattered across the landscape.
Cú looked out over the ruined landscape. There was a lake nearby, a portion of it's surface stained red as a result of Cú's attack. He sighed, and turned away from the besmirched lake. The queen, the wretched woman who'd created him, twisted what he once was into this apathetic monster, would want a report on his mission. Perhaps he'd take a nap once he got back. She had to have summoned at least one other servant by now.
The altered servant's train of thought was interrupted by music, no doubt from a pipe or something similar. It was certainly eerie, but not unnerving for a warrior such as Cú. He turned to look behind him, and assumed his pose from before, sinking the end of his spear into the earth. Three men approached him. One was large and muscular, one was of average size and lean, and the last was small and thin. The last man was the source of the sound, as he played a pipe as he walked.
Berserker sighed. These men made no effort to hide their killing intent, so Cú decided to return the favor. A heavy, invisible aura flared around the servant, the very air around him twisted away from him, as if it was trying to escape his wrath. The men stopped suddenly, clearly having felt his aura. The music stopped. After a few seconds, the lean man stepped forward.
"I take that you're responsible for this destruction?" The man was elderly, with long, neatly combed silver hair and a long mustache. He wore a black uniform, with a long coat and a silver and black cross pendant hung from his neck. He was very clearly a military man, likely an officer, or at least someone with extensive combat experience. His tone was calm, undeterred by the carnage and ruination around him.
"Yeah. Are you my enemies?" Cú spoke in the same tone he'd used with Spear, disinterested and vaguely annoyed by the people standing before him. The old man seemed to think over his response carefully. Silence hung between them for several seconds. The lake began to ripple, and Cú noticed a silver ring around the old man's hand. The big man in the back brandished a large double headed axe, and the little man began to play his eerie music again.
"Are you perhaps a new recruit for the Empire?" The old man spoke again. His tone was level, though Cú could sense a subtle aggression in his words.
"Nah. I'm here to crush the land under my heel." Berserker grimaced as he spoke, already knowing what was coming next.
"I see. Murky Lance!" No sooner had the old man finished speaking, the lake exploded, dozens of lances constructed from water emerging from its surface and speeding towards Cú at high speeds and the precision of a sniper. The big man leapt forwards, raising his axe over his head, and the little man's music took a sinister turn, changing from eerie to scary.
While it was clear this music was supernatural in origin, whatever effect the music was supposed to have, it didn't effect Cú at all, who felt no different than before. The Murky Lances, as the old man had called them, reached Cú, who simply stepped forwards and avoided them completely, despite the fact that the man's accuracy was on par with a great marksman. The man was at no fault. This was one Cú's many skills at work, that being Protection From Arrows, Ranked down to C. While not as effective as it would have been if he was any other incarnation of Cú Chulainn, it was more than enough to counter basic attacks like this.
"I'm gonna gather some experience points!" The big man bellowed as he leapt, his booming voice filling the landscape, as he had reached Cú at this time, his muscles rippling as he swung his axe down with superhuman force. Berserker caught the attack on one of the many spikes that jutted from the side of his lance, and with a twist of his wrist, he flung the big man aside and into the lake as if he was little more than a rag doll.
"Water Barrage!" The old man shouted, and his ring flashed. Several streams of liquid shot out of the lake and formed a massive sphere over the surface. Several thin streams rocketed at the servant, falling like a rain of bullets. Cú's Protection From Arrows took effect again, and the old man's attacks proved ineffective once more.
The scary music changed again, this time switching to a chipper and upbeat melody. The big man appeared in front of Cú once more, still sopping wet from his dip in the lake. He was smiling, and he brandished his axe once more. This time however, he pulled one side of the axe off, and hurled it at Cú, who moved his head slightly to the left, and avoided it. In the split second Cú had taken to react to his attack, the big man had closed the distance between them.
Just as the big man reached Cú, another volley of both Murky Lances and water bullets closed in on him. Cú's skill activated once more, and he simply used his spear to stab the big man through the leg, pinning him to the ground. He then stepped back and allowed him to be struck by the full force of his ally's attack.
"Daidara!" The old man shouted, clearly concerned for his comrade. This was a mistake, as Cú closed the distance between them and punched the old man square in the chest, launching him from the middle of the road to the middle of the lake. Cú turned around to see what remained of Daidara, and was disappointed to see that he'd survived, seemingly having managed to defend against any attacks that would have proved fatal.
Though he'd survived, this by no means meant that he was in good shape. Daidara's leg was severely damaged, and several chucks of superficial flesh were missing from where he'd failed to defend against the old man's attacks. He was breathing heavily, and his smile had turned to a grimace. Despite his injuries, he was working to free himself from Cú's lance.
Berserker, already annoyed at having to waste time dealing with these three, rushed at Daidara, and delivered a hefty blow to the man's head with his fist. Daidara was already in poor shape and certainly in no position to face someone like Cú, so he offered no defense as Berserker's fist splattered his head like a melon on a curb. Cú retrieved his lance and turned his attention to the piper, who had stopped playing upon his comrade's death.
"Out of songs to play?" Cú asked, as he charged the bard. The small man was short and blonde, with a somewhat feminine appearance. He wore a pair of devils horns and a matching tail, and a similar uniform to Daidara and the old man. While he typically liked to inflict pain on those unlucky enough to cross paths with him, this young man knew that he'd be lucky to survive this encounter.
"Just one more. Trump Card: Call of the Fierce God!" He shouted, before a bright yellow aura surrounded him. His form changed, growing taller and far more muscular. By the time the aura faded, Cú was upon him. The altered servant struck at him with an overhead strike of his lance, the same one that he'd used to kill Spear. The piper reacted just in time, and side stepped the attack.
"Water Dragon's Divine Conquest!" Ten streams of water crashed down upon Cú, who barely had time to look up before they were upon him. The old man stood at the edge of the water. His chest was bleeding severely, and he coughed up some blood, clearly on his last legs.
"Liver! You're all right!" The bard shouted, excited to see his comrade alive.
"I'm not sure that I'm all right, Nyau, but I'm certainly alive. How's Daidara?" Liver coughed again, and sighed heavily. Just what had they stumbled upon?
"He's dead." Nyau said calmly. While Liver was one worth looking up to, as far as Nyau was concerned, Daidara was little more than a muscle headed battle nut, so his death was not surprising. Liver sighed and bowed his head. While he wasn't the smartest, Daidara was a soldier, and for Liver, that alone was worth respecting.
"And so are you." Cú Alter appeared before Liver, not only completely unscathed, but also entirely dry. Somehow, he'd managed to avoid one Liver's most powerful attacks, even when caught by surprise.
Berserker made good on his word and thrust his lance through Liver's chest, destroying his heart and blowing open his chest cavity. Cú turned back to face Nyau, and wasted no time rushing at the young man, not even bothering to draw his lance from Liver's ruined corpse. Seeing no other option, Nyau rushed forwards as well and swung his pipe at Cú.
The Mad King's fist struck Nyau's pipe, and pulverized it with such ease that his fist didn't lose even the slightest amount of momentum. Nyau never knew that he'd failed, as his body simply exploded, gore and viscera painting the earth around him and his killer red. Cú shook himself, throwing off what little of the bard's remains that clung to him.
Cú held out his hand, and his lance tugged itself free of Liver's remains and flew towards him. Cú Chulainn caught it, and turned away from the carnage. He was bored. That woman had better have finished summoning another servant by the time he returned, because he wasn't interested in crushing more of this land himself.
Behind him, Liver let out his final breath. He sent a final apology to his savior and general, Esdeath. Because of his failure, she'd have to kill this monster for him. Now, as he died, he finally knew exactly what they'd stumbled upon. Death.
Day #2: The Wild Hunt Begins[]
(Cue: Le Chant de Roma)
Cú Chulainn's mad rampage had not gone unseen. Such a thing was virtually impossible in a place like the Empire, where prying ears and eyes were ever present, even in the outskirts. A cloaked man perched. on the upmost branch of a great tree, hidden behind it's foliage. The man stood, and chuckled. Esdeath's Three Beasts had eradicated by that man... no, monster was more like it. He'd heard the monster's claims, his wish to ruin the Empire. Such a grave threat, and the elimination of it, would certainly win his father's approval.
Syura was the son of the prime minister, Honest. Aside from his cloak, he wore a tight white crop top and white pants. His skin was tanned from many years travelling under the sun, and his hair was platinum white, just like his father's. And much like his father, he was rotten to the core. In truth, he cared little for the Empire nor the Capital, nor even the Palace. He only cared for his father, or the approval and validation that only he could offer. Up until very recently, Syura has been travelling around the Empire, gathering exceptional individuals for a group he intended to make. What better target for their first outing than this monster?
He stood up, and stepped off the tree. In his hand, he held a large, steel hexagon shaped pendant, a black gemstone set in its center. Said gemstone flashed, and a purple circle appeared beneath Syura. This was Shambhala. A teigu, or a relic from the Empire's past, created by the first Emperor with a method that could not be recreated in the modern day.
He fell through the purple circle, and suddenly, he was not falling anymore. His feet were now planted on a solid stone floor, in the Palace's courtyard. The courtyard was mostly empty, but the guards at the gate noticed Syura, and saluted him as he came close, before turning to open the doors for him. He ignored them, and simply walked past them without a word. While he could have used Shambala to instantly arrive in the throne room, he could risk interrupting his father if he was busy, and he didn't want to upset him. He figured that news of his return would have reached Honest by the time he arrived at the throne room.
Sure enough, as Syura stepped into the throne room, his father, Honest and the young Emperor were where they always were, the Emperor in his throne and Honest right next to him.
The throne room was gigantic, with vast pillars and large red banners hanging from each. Numerous guards stood along the sides of the room, close enough to intercept anyone who made a dash at the throne. Honest smiled at Syura, but said nothing. It was the Emperor who greeted him.
"Welcome back, Syura. Did your travels go well?" The Emperor was very young, no older than thirteen. He wore purple robes and a purple hat. His hair was turquoise, and he smiled gently, with innocence that only a child could muster.
"They did. I have some rather important news, that is perhaps too sensitive for the guard's ears." Syura pulled off his hood, and smiled at the Emperor, who looked to Honest for his thoughts on the situation, as he always did. In his short time as leader, the Emperor had yet to make a single decision for himself, his naivete had made him like clay, ready to be sculpted by the first person that cared too. That person, was Honest, though he was anything and everything but. He had won the boy's trust by hacking a path for the boy to take the throne, then telling the boy that everything would work out, as long as he kept Honest by his side. The Emperor had listened, and was now little more than a puppet.
"If my son says that it's urgent, that must be so. I'd say that we can send the guards away for a little while. After all... Esdeath will be joining us shortly." Honest spoke softly, before taking a bite from a large slab of meat, that glistened with fat and oil. Thick gravy covered the meat, and Honest's hand as well. He was never one for table manners, even in the presence of royalty.
A chill shot down Syura's spine. To say that he was afraid of Esdeath would not be accurate. Physically, yes. One would have to be insane not to fear that demon. She was imposing, and he knew that she could kill him without a second thought, if he was caught off guard. However, she was loyal to the Emperor, and thus loyal to Honest, and to an extension, him as well, though he doubted she would allow him to directly order her around. No, he was certain that this chill was simply instinctual, as even a mention of her name made him remember her terrifying power. He'd seen it, once. While he was travelling, he'd happened upon Esdeath fighting the hero of the North, Numa Seika. Numa was as proud as he was powerful, and he'd gladly engaged Esdeath in battle.
He'd watched as she easily overwhelmed him from a distance, before defeating him with a single strike of her rapier. Syura had passed through again, a mere day later, and witnessed that same proud man... licking Esdeath's boots. The fact that she choose to follow the orders of Honest and the Emperor surprised him. Perhaps he did fear her on some level, though he would never admit it to anyone, not even himself.
The throne room doors opened, and Esdeath entered. She was tall, for a woman, and intimidatingly beautiful with flowing icy blue hair and snow white skin. Her eyes were a brilliant blue, and her gaze pierced all she looked on, separating the strong from the weak by who could withstand her glare. Syura didn't meet her gaze, though he moved a few paces over, and allowed her to pass him without a word.
"General Esdeath. We have awaited your return, and report. How did things go in the North?" The Emperor spoke in a tone that was both kind and commanding. Esdeath smiled at the Emperor, who smiled back. Even when trying to appear kind, Syura found her smile unsettling, though the Emperor was far too young and innocent to see things the same way as him.
"The rebellion in the North is quashed. I'm certain that they won't stand up again for quite some time, if ever." Esdeath answered, her voice radiating power and authority, so much so that even if one had never heard of her, they would know that she was a General, or something similarly powerful.
"That's good to hear. Guards! You are dismissed temporarily. Esdeath, we seem to have important matters to discuss." The Emperor ordered, and the guards complied, leaving the room quickly, shutting the doors behind them.
"Esdeath, you know my son Syura, yes?" Honest was the next to speak, gesturing towards Syura, who still found himself unable to meet her gaze. He offered her a nod as a greeting, which she did not return.
"We have never met before, Minister Honest, though I knew of him." Esdeath's response was curt and cold, it was clear she had no interest in the man next to her, the man who couldn't look her in the eye.
"Good. He claims to have very important information gathered from his travels, and the Emperor felt it was best to wait until you were here before we heard it." Honest spoke while he was chewing, so it was rather difficult to fully understand what he was saying. Despite this, Esdeath seemed to perfectly understand what he'd meant. Honest gestured for Syura to speak.
"It would seem that the Empire has a new enemy. Prime Minister Chouri, and his daughter, were assassinated earlier today. I'm certain that it was not Night Raid. Whoever it was, looked like a man fused with some kind of spiked danger beast. The Three Demons, engaged this man, and all of them were killed, seemingly without dealing any visible damage to him." As Syura spoke, he was certain he saw emotion flicker across Esdeath's face. It was only for a split second, but it was there. After he finished speaking, the Emperor looked troubled.
"...Your majesty. I choose to trust that Syura's testimony is true. I suggest that Esdeath gather your Jaegers, and turn them towards this mysterious man. Night Raid can wait, for the time being." Honest tugged his beard as he spoke, leaving a shiny trail of grease and gravy as he moved his hand. The Emperor nodded.
"As you command." Was all Esdeath said in response. With that, she bowed to the Emperor, and turned on her heel, marching from the throne room quickly.
No sooner had Esdeath left, Syura was walking towards the throne, which earned little more than a raised eyebrow from his father. The Emperor said nothing, only eyeing the approaching man suspiciously. Having met no resistance, Syura continued to the throne, until he stood before both his father and the Emperor.
"I did the homework you assigned me, and I think it'll be really useful." Syura said, a predatory grin spreading across his face as he spoke.
"Out with, my son." Honest said lazily, taking another bite of meat as he spoke.
"See, while I was out travelling, I came across some very interesting individuals. All Teigu users, all more powerful than anyone in the capital, save for Esdeath." Syura said, his smile widening as he spoke. Honest's eyebrow shot up further, and the Emperor looked at Syura quizzically, not sure if he could believe this newcomer. He was Honest's son, after all, so he had to be a good man like his father, right?
"That's quite the claim you're making, my son." Honest remarked, scratching his beard thoughtfully.
"Oh, but it's true. To prove it to you, we're going to kill that beastman before Esdeath! Assuming that you'd allow us too, Father." Syura offered, bowing to his father and the Emperor. Honest looked down at his son and the Emperor, a tight expression on his face. Something was twisting about in his mind, as things always did for men like him.
"All right, Syura. We're putting our faith in you." Honest said, smiling at his son. The emperor nodded, and a wide smile split Syura's face. A low laugh built in his throat, his composure cracking.
"Thank you, Father. Your majesty." Syura said, bowing to his father and the emperor.
As the man turned to leave, an idea struck his mind. He spun on his heel, facing his father.
"Hey, don't you think a demonstration is in order?" Syura asked, flashing a smile at his the minister.
"That sounds like an excellent idea. Lead the way, my son." Honest swallowed the last of his meal, and wiped his hands on a handkerchief. The minister made his way down the stairs and stood next to his boy.
"I'll be back shortly, your majesty." Honest said. The emperor nodded, and Syura took his teigu from his belt.
Shambala flashed, and Honest and Syura stepped through the portal, arriving at the main military training grounds, which was a vast arena some miles from the citadel. Honest seated himself in a large chair on the balcony overlooking the arena, and Syura strode over to the edge of the balcony.
Snow fell softly, in stark contrast to the huddled mass of men standing in the center of the arena, who all shivered violently, various weapons clutched in their shaking grips.
"HEY GUYS! LET'S PLAY A GAME! SINCE YOU'RE GOING TO BE EXECUTED, LET'S MAKE IT INTERESTING!" Syura called to the men, whose heads snapped up to look at the man. Their fear was evident, even from this distance. A wild grin broke out across Syura's face.
"IF YOU CAN KILL ALL FIVE OF THEM, YOU'LL BE FREE TO GO! HELL, I'LL EVEN PAY YOU!" Syura shouted, gesturing to the now opening gate at the other end of the arena. The men looked between each other nervously, not quite believing what they'd just been told. Certain death, or the slightest chance at life was no choice at all. The men all raised their weapons, and rushed at the emerging shapes.
Five people stepped from the shadows, all clad in winter clothes. They all came to a stop with some ten meters between them and their approaching attackers.
"I'll go first. Ah, Kousetsu. You shall feed now." The man said, drawing a cruel katana from it's sheathe. He disappeared from the men's sight, and reappeared behind them. The men continued to run, until their legs fell free from their bodies, having been severed by a single strike of the man's katana.
A dozen men fell to the ground, screaming and spurting ruby jets of blood. The swordsman smiled, returning his blade to it's home.
However, to assume that all the men could be felled with a single strike was simply foolish. Two of the remaining four stepped up, throwing away their winter clothes, as if the cold simply didn't exist.
Two of the surviving men sprinted to the gates at the sides of the arena, splitting off in opposite directions, making them perfect targets for their two opponents.
"Aw, you think you can escape? No, no one should escape my song! Really, you should hear it!" A woman dressed in performer's attire said, a wide smile on her face. In her hands, she held a microphone. She raised it to her lips, and began to sing. Her voice tore through the snow like a knife, but struck like hammer, shattering the bones of the men it was directed at! They fell to the ground, little more then lame sacks of meat.
"Jeez, you shouldn't run. If you've got to die anyway, why not just settle down? After all, my way is the best." This woman wore a pretty blue dress, the type on might wear to a tea party. A blue ribbon was wrapped around her head, and a cute bow sat atop her head. She lunged after the man, crossing the numerous meters between them in the blink of an eye. When she reached the man, she took him in her arms, lifting him from the ground like he was little more than a feather. Then she opened her mouth, revealing two long fangs. She bit down into the man's neck, draining the blood from his body withing a few seconds, leaving little more than a drained husk. The woman tossed the husk to the ground, and looked up at Syura.
"Aw, it looks like they just weren't up to the task. So, what do you think?" Syura asked his father, who was stroking his beard with one hand.
"I see. You've armed them all with a teigu, haven't you?" Honest mused, eyeing his son.
"May as well put them to good use. They'll certainly put your Rakshasa Demons to shame!" Syura said proudly, puffing out his chest.
"You don't say? They are certainly impressive, even the ones that didn't show off their abilities." Honest said thoughtfully, regarding the five warriors beneath him.
"Hell yeah! Me and my Wild Hunt are gonna kill that murderous freak!" Syura said, an intense spark burning behind his eyes.
Honest saw the look in his son's eyes, and nodded with satisfaction. Those were the eyes of the man he'd raised.
"You've made me proud, Syura." Honest said, clapping his son on the shoulder.
Syura smiled. Secretly, that was why he'd gathered these five. He knew Esdeath had her own secret police, so why couldn't he? Night Raid was still a looming threat, but if, no, when he struck down this minor monster, he knew he could crush those pathetic assassins.
Day #3: A Red Branch[]
(Cue: E Pluribus Unum)
Cú Chulainn stood stalwart against the sky, the red thorn of death in his right hand. He stared vacantly across the smoldering remains of a village. Shattered buildings and smoldering embers belched smoke into the sky, as if the very spirit of the village was ascending. He absently held a wooden idol in his other hand. A quick look at it told him that it was an effigy to some god, though he couldn't place which one. Perhaps this world had its own gods. With a slight flex of his fingers, the idol exploded, reduced to nothing more than sawdust.
"Cú! I have finished summoning your servants." A cheerful voice called out to the Mad King. Slowly, he turned his head and looked over his shoulder.
There stood a short woman. She smiled at him, in a way that could make the toughest man's heart melt. This woman had been born with the body of a goddess, perfect in every proportion and at every angle. Long, coral hair hung at waist height, and she wore an outfit that could lure any man's gaze. This was a woman who could rule a nation and the hearts of all men with nothing more than her appearance.
At least, any heart but his. Cú turned on his heel to face the woman, his cold gaze cracking her composure. The red thorn twitched, moving ever so slightly towards the woman. She noticed, and took a step back. Despite their status as allies, she knew he would gut her without thinking, simply because she stood before him. Such was this alter, a monster of her own making, her own wish.
This was the plight of Queen Medb.
"Good. How are the preparations for Clan Calatin coming along?" A small smile broke out across Cú's face. It held no emotion behind it, rather it was simply something his original self would have done. Frustrating.
"Geez, It's all work and no play with you. They should be fully summoned by tomorrow... What are you going to do with this time, I wonder?" Medb cautiously approached Cú. He made no move to attack her, though he watched her movements closely. He was always ready for an attack, even if it would never come.
Medb wrapped her arm around his, and though Cú arched an eyebrow, he made no move to shake her off.
"Oh Cú, you let me touch you this time!" Medb cried, her joy evident in her tone.
"You are my creator, and while I wish you wouldn't hang around me so much, you are an ally for the time being." Cú said calmly, looking over the ruined village once again.
Berserker sighed deeply. His instincts were buzzing, endlessly assessing every possible threat around him, praying for something to strike down. His eyes drifted towards the thin woman that clung to him, and his spear twitched once more... No, killing someone who wouldn't fight back held no interest to him, not at the moment at least.
After staring across the ruined landscape for a second longer, Cú moved his arm slightly, signaling Medb to let him go. She complied, but a noticeable pout took over her face. Cú gave it no heed, and turned on his heel, walking towards the woodlands.
"Where are you going, Cú darling?" Medb asked as she followed her beloved. Berserker looked down at her with a displeased expression on his face, the kind of look one reserved for fools.
"Did you not just say that you'd finished summoning my servants? What kind of king doesn't meet his soldiers?" Cú said quizzically, before turning his gaze from the queen of Connacht and paying her no mind.
"Wait, Cú, don't look at me like that! And don't ignore me! Jeez!" Medb shouted as she rushed to catch up to the monster of her own making.
(Cue: Journey of Prophecy)
Five heroes knelt before the Mad King, the earth around them glowing with azure magical energy. The air was electric, still charged with the magical residue of a mass summon. Cú look upon them, his hollow grin spread across his face. He recognized all of them, for they had been his force when he trampled North America.
"To think that we would meet again, in another world. How quaint. Well, welcome. We have much to do." Cú said, before turning away from his new troops
"My my, it looks like he's the same as ever. Is our mission the same this time?" A blonde haired man spoke, his smooth voice and handsome face drawing the attention of Medb, though only for a second. This was Fionn mac Cumhaill, the famed leader of the Knights of Fianna.
"Yes." Came the Mad King's reply.
"Ah, as long as there's women to be had, what's it matter what our mission is?" A burly man spoke, before a carefree laugh erupted from his chest. Fergus mac Róich was his name, a mighty knight and foolish king that once ruled alongside Medb. She caught his gaze and huffed as she looked away from her former lover.
"I will serve you the best I can, my lord." A handsome man pledged, placing his hand to his chest as he spoke. It would seem that Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, a famous and handsome Knight of Fianna, would always be serious and honorable, no matter where or when he was summoned.
"Hell yeah! There's bound to be someone strong for me to fight, right?" This wild fellow was none other than Beowulf, another Berserker with a mindset similar to Cú's. Though the king said nothing, his smile drifted dangerously close to being genuine.
"Is there nothing else on your mind, King of Savagery? Ugh, no matter. So we're supposed to fell another nation..." An exasperated sigh accompanied his words. This was Arjuna, the Hero of the Endowed from India.
Cú arrived back at the edge of the forest, his fellow servants behind him. Before them, the ruins of that destroyed village spread out. The servants regarded the wanton destruction with little interest, already knowing of their king's nature. There was no point in asking after survivors, even if many of them would rather innocents be unharmed. To a tyrant like Cú, there were no innocents, only those foolish enough to stand in his way, and those smart enough to flee before he ever laid eyes on them.
"There is a citadel, some hundred kilometers past this field. I have personally crushed the nearest surrounding villages beneath my heel. With you all by my side, we will ruin this kingdom, and rule the ashes. You are to fight with all your might. This will be a massacre. None who stand in our way shall live. If you have a problem with that, then don't bother voicing them, and come at me with all your might and die for your ideals." Cú decreed, looking each of his servants in the eyes as he spoke, as if he was speaking directly to each on individually. His words carried no threat, merely stating truth. If any one man here challenged him, they would be slain. Even if all five attacked, they knew their chances at survival were less than zero.
"Looks like I picked the right words to come in on! Monster, We are Wild Hunt, and you are hereby sentenced to execution by decree of Prime Minister Honest and His Majesty the Emperor! That said, I'm afraid your little prediction is wrong, since there's no way a monster like you could defeat any of us." A deep purple portal of swirling light appeared before the Mad King and his servants.
A group of people stepped from the portal, each armed and dangerous. Their deadly intent was clear, each of them brandishing a variety of weapons towards their targets.
Surya and his Wild Hunt had arrived.
Cú Alter smiled.
Day #4: The Red Thorn Bleeds the Sky[]
(Cue: Gekisen)
"Oooh, she's a pretty one~ She's mine once this is over." Enshin spoke, pointing towards Mebd, who shot him a disgusted glare. The lean former pirate hadn't gotten a chance to kill anyone during Surya's exhibition, a fact that was driving him crazy. Even now he could barely stand still, such was his bloodlust.
"Now, now Enshin, you know how we divide spoils. Do your best, and you can have anyone you like." Surya said casually, waving his hand at his comrade dismissively. The pirate simply nodded and crouched down and drew his blades, ready to pounce at a moment's notice.
"DISGUSTING! Cú, kill them for their insolence. Their very presence is a sin upon the world itself." Medb shouted, her fury obvious. She was certain that she could easily kill either of those men, but the idea of her beloved Cú fighting to protect her honor was... enticing to say the least.
"I couldn't agree more." Cú said, before turning his attention to his fellow servants.
"Show them the mistake they made by being born." Came the cruel king's decree.
At their king's command, the servants advanced, weapons at the ready. Surya simply snapped his fingers, and the Wild Hunt attacked.
Purple energy appeared under Cú and Surya's feet just as the servant was about to attack. Instantly, Cú understood what his fellow commander was playing at. The Altered hero smirked. If he wanted a one on one fight, how could he, a Knight of the Red Branch, deny him the only honor a man like him deserved? That being a hopeless death.
With that, the Mad King and Wild Hunt's leader disappeared in a flash of purple light. Enshin pounced on Medb, but was quickly cut off Diarmuid, who leveled his spears that the former pirate.
"I'm afraid that I can't let someone like you get close to her, even if she is troublesome." The Lancer said with a hard edge to his voice, betraying disgust beneath his words.
"Outta my way!" Enshin shouted, attacking his foe with his dual blades, aiming to sever Diarmuid's arms with a single strike. However, Diarmuid's Mind's Eye revealed his foe's intentions to him, so rather than attempting to strike, Diarmuid stepped back, entirely evading the attack.
"Enshin, was it? My name is Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, a Knight of the Fianna. Though I would rather face an honorable knight, I have done my fair share of beast slaying. You will be no different." With that, the dual wielding Lancer struck out at Enshin, who met his foe's fury with his own!
As the disgraced knight and former pirate began their dance, Beowulf set his sights on the massive monster of a man that stood at the back of the enemy ranks. He was huge, and wore clown make up.
"Are you some kind of clown?" Beowulf asked as he rushed at his foe, preparing to attack him with Naegling, his hefty black club.
"Obviously." This was Champ. He spoke in a listless and unmotivated fashion, but his response to Beowulf's attack was anything but. In an instant, the clown tossed a half dozen specially marked orbs into the air, which began to spin at a rapid pace, forming a multi colored ring that brought death and defense alike.
There aren't any kids here, so I just can't get serious. And it's not like I can throw them anyway... Champ thought to himself as he casually blocked another blow from Naegling.
Beowulf took a step back, but only for a split second. He struck again, this time with Hrunting, his thin red sword. Champ prepared to defend himself in the same way as before, but that would soon prove to be a mistake. Hrunting was a powerful Noble Phantasm, known for it's accuracy. Defending against it with spinning orbs that had gaps in between them was simply impossible.
Hrunting tasted blood, splitting Champ's skin like it was made to do. It entered through his shoulder and exited through his hip. A shocked gasp escaped the clown's throat, and he fell the the ground, bleeding profusely.
"That was beyond pathetic." Beowulf said, looking down at his fallen foe in disgust. With that, he turned his back on Champ and prepared to attack another member of Wild Hunt, the black haired swordsman that was currently crossing blades with Fergus.
Shit! What was that sword?! At least his back is turned... Which means I can throw them now! Champ mentally cursed himself as he lay on the ground, bleeding from Hrunting's bite. While he didn't look like much, Champ's survivability was incredibly impressive. Silently, he pushed himself off the ground and crept away, putting as much distance between him and Beowulf as he could.
The clown knew for a fact that a seasoned warrior like Beowulf would check behind him sooner rather than later, Champ capitalized on his advantage immediately, hurling his most powerful orb at his unassuming foe, the one marked with 'Explosion'. Champ wielded a powerful teigu, the one known as Big Leager. A collection of six orbs, each with a different effect.
The orb struck home, detonating on contact with such force that the entire forest shook at it's might!
But explosions were to be expected on a battlefield, and it failed to draw little more than a passing glance from any of the other combatants.
"It's time to drink, Kousetsu!" Izou (not that one) exclaimed, striking out at the opposing swordsman.
"Ah ha ha, so you're the type to enjoy a good fight? I think we're gonna get along just fine!" Fergus exclaimed, parrying his foe's strike with one of his own.
Despite what Izou said or believed, Kousetsu was not a demonic blade with a thirst for blood. It was a masterfully made katana, a beautiful weapon made to bring about death in a single strike, but there was nothing supernatural about it. Any and all prowess or seemingly mystical abilities were a product of Izou's sheer skill with a blade. Any lesser foe would be overwhelmed by his sheer skill and ability, and he truly lived up to other bearers of his name.
In comparison to the elegant yet bloodthirsty style of his foe, Fergus was just as blunt and brutal as his blade, Caladbolg. This weapon was in fact magical in nature, though it's blunt appearance made it look more like a drill bit than a sword. It was a powerful weapon, one capable of ruining a landscape with ease. However, Fergus was not the type to only rely on his magical sword. If he were given a mundane blade, he would be just as deadly, though not as destructive.
In a battle like this, destructive capability was irrelevant. The superior swordsman would be the one to walk away.
Kousetsu's silver fang flashed towards the indomitable mountain of steel that was Caladbolg. The blades met with a great clash, the sound echoing across the battlefield. A split second later, the blades collided once more, the piercing cry joining the din of battle.
"It's a shame that a beauty such as yourself must fight on the battlefield, but I can't deny that your radiance makes the battle more enjoyable!" These were the words of Fionn mac Cumhaill to Dorothea, the vampiric alchemist of Wild Hunt.
"You sure know how to sweet talk people, don't you?" Dorothea said, leaping at the former king with her hands outstretched, to take hold of his body. This man in particular had a rather beautiful neck, even if his personality was bothersome.
"To think that you've already fallen for me to the point that you'd leap to embrace me..." Fionn lamented as Dorothea neared him, placing a hand on his forehead.
What a fool. Does he not know that we're in the middle of a fight... SHIT! Dorothea mentally berated her opponent, up until she realized something. His spear had been positioned in such a way that he could immediately strike forwards, even with a single hand.
"... If only we had met under different circumstances, and if we weren't already fighting. Oh well. I will take you head in the name of the Knights of Fianna!" Fionn shouted thrusting forwards with his spear, aiming his attack right at Dorothea's heart!
Though she was already in motion, that didn't mean she was helpless to dodge. Her hand shot out, and she grabbed the haft of Fionn's spear, Mac an Luin and threw herself to the left, entirely avoiding Fionn's attack!
Fionn nodded in approval, and attacked again, before she could find her footing. His spear made contact, piercing her shoulder with ease. Dorothea grunted in pain, but used this new position to take hold of Fionn's spear and yank it, and him, closer to her. This kind of damage was nothing as long as she could get some of his blood.
A less seasoned warrior would have fallen here, overwhelmed by this foe's fortitude and strength. But not Fionn. The leader of the Knights of the Fianna released his spear and skipped backwards. He snapped his fingers, and Mac an Luin tore itself free of Dorothea's shoulder, ripping the arm off as it rocketed away!
"Wow! I can't believe I get to fight such a pretty boy!~" Cosmina sang, firing her words as a pressurized soundwave at Arjuna, who glared down at the girl coldly.
"This a pointless battle." Arjuna stated, firing a dozen arrows to fend off his opponent's attack.
This teigu was known as Heavy Pressure, a microphone used to amplify one's voice to the point that even a soft word could kill a man. To think that a mere microphone could match the might of Arjuna's favorite bow, Gandiva, which was a gift from the Fire God Agni was difficult for anyone to wrap their mind around.
Cosmina shouted into the microphone, producing another absurdly powerful ultrasonic wave. A shower of arrows countered it, though Arjuna found himself having to use more arrows every time they clashed.
However, Arjuna wasn't the type to allow himself to be shocked by the power another wielded. No, he would simply rise above them, just as he always had.
Queen Medb smiled as she looked upon the battle that spread out before her. This was how things should be. Armies fighting to gain her affection, powerful knights being laid low just for a chance to get close to her. A dull pain throbbed in her heart. None of these knights and kings before her mattered, not if she couldn't have him. The one man she wanted, the one man who snubbed her. Even when made into her ideal man, he had no interest in her.
Perhaps if her army was victorious over the Empire, he would look her way. Perhaps, if they were defeated, he would use his last moments to look at her. All possibilities but none were likely. If even the Holy Grail itself couldn't change his view towards her, then what good would a single victory do? The Eternal Lady's smile began to fade, being replaced by a frown. The battle before her faded away as she began to wonder if she'd come this far just to be scorned again.
She bit her lip, and did the thing that had made her desired into what he was now. Medb whispered her wish to everyone and no one. If anyone heard it, she could only hope they could and would help her.
(Cue: Gae Dearg)
When the portal opened, Cú did not expect to appear two hundred feet above the ground. He looked around for his opponent as he fell, and spotted Syura standing on the ground, looking back at him. While he certainly hadn't expected a fair fight, one could tell from a simple look at the boy's face that he was a shifty fellow that would stab his opponent in the back or otherwise cheat to win a fight, Cú was still somewhat annoyed at his opponent's fighting style.
Nevertheless, whether the fight was fair or not, Cú would never back down. So he fell, angling himself towards Syura. He pointed his spear at his foe, who simply stood his ground, staring Cú down.
Just before Berserker made contact with his spear, the ground beneath Syura flashed purple and he disappeared, avoiding his foe's attack. He was not gone for long, though, since he suddenly reappeared behind Cú and delivered a brutal kick directly to the back of his foe's head! The blow barely fazed Cú, but the inverted hero sighed inwardly.
This was going to be a troublesome battle.
Just as Cú landed, he spun on his heel and struck out at the Prime Minister's son, aiming to impale him in a single strike. Syura wasn't about to let that happen. he'd come too far, traveled the world and gathered the greatest warriors he could find, all for this moment.
Syura's fist shot forward like a bullet, colliding with Cú's chest, thudding against it with no effect. A dozen more strikes, and the Mad King gave no indication that he felt any of it. Cú's hand shot out, aiming to take hold of the young man. The martial artist skipped backwards on one foot, narrowly avoiding his foe's grab. Syura bit his lip. This clearly wasn't someone he could take likely, as he usually would.
He darted at Berserker again, this time putting more of his considerable might behind his blow. His punch struck home, and Syura could have sworn he felt his foe's chest bend ever so slightly inwards. A vile smile split the young man's face in two, and he ducked under another one of Cú's grab attempts, using this time to land two more jabs on his foe's chest.
Then Syura made his first mistake. He locked eyes with Cú. There, he saw no pain, only cold detachment. Did this Mad King truly feel nothing?! Infuriated, Syura jabbed his fingers into his foe's abdomen, like a soldier might strike with a spear. Cú simply struck out again, this time snatching hold of the Wild Hunt leader's pony tail.
Berserker yanked his prey towards him, and pulled his fist back, preparing to turn Syura into paste with a single blow. But then, there was a flash of purple light, and suddenly the boy was nowhere to be seen.
"Did you really think I was just gonna stand there and take it?!" Syura shouted from somewhere behind Cú. The Berserker servant growled, and rather than turn towards his slippery foe, Cú reached into his cloak and produced a small stone. Using one of his claws, Cú Alter carved a rune into the surface. The stone began to glow and levitate. It chirped and pointed it's master in the direction of Syura. A twisted smile spread across the Mad King's face as he spun on his heel, turning towards his foe in less than a blink of an eye, hurling his spear as soon as the Prime Minister's son was in his line of sight!
With a shockingly high pitched shriek, Syura disappeared once more, the Red Thorn tearing through purple light rather than flesh. Unfortunately for him, Cú's runestone immediately pointed towards him as soon as he reappeared. The Darkened Child of Light braced himself, and then leapt forwards with all his might, tearing a vast furrow in the earth with the shear might of his movement!
However, mighty strength was nothing new to Syura. So what if this foe was the strongest he'd ever faced. So what if Budo or Esdeath were better suited to face him, at least in terms of raw power. Neither of them were as smart as him. If this creature had brawn, there was no way he had a mind that could match his own. Even now, a plan was forming in the young nobleman's mind.
There was a single flash of that same purple light. Syura disappeared once again. Cú sailed past where his foe had just been, and crashed into a tree at top speed. The impact was like a meteor, as the entire forest around him was demolished in all directions, shattered to such a degree that its remains were hidden in the tall grass. Cú stood at the center of this desolation, entirely unharmed by the impact. His stone turned to the right, then the left and then... it simple shattered into pieces. The Mad King had no reason to guess as to why, since a host of portals appeared around the Berserker, one in every direction.
The field was set, and Syura's assault began.
(Cue: Just Wanna Rock)
A hail of arrows rained down on Cú, barbed bolts falling from every conceivable direction. A new portal appeared above Cú, and a massive beast, roughly the size of a ten story building fell from the sky, barreling towards him like a thunderbolt! In face of such an assault, even a small army would be hard pressed to stave off this attack. Memories of a life long past flashed through the heroic spirit's mind. Impossible odds like this were what his bright self lived for, but for this blackened version, it was merely another obstacle before his next kill.
Syura was a clever boy, Altered Cú Chulainn would grant him that. But that's all he was. A clever boy, competent enough to think he was dangerous, but too young and foolish to know that a quick mind led to nothing but a quick death if it did not also know patience.
Protection from Arrows, ranked C. Though not as effective under his command, it was more than enough to get Cú out of a predicament such as this. With grace and precision unbefitting of such a bulky, ugly body, the Mad King sprinted out of the impact zone with speed fitting a fighter jet. The earth was torn asunder with every step, cementing the heroic spirit as a living calamity. Cú looked around as he sprinted, searching for Syura. The boy had to be somewhere nearby, or he couldn't properly coordinate such an attack.
Behind him, the massive Danger Beast slammed into the ground, cratering the earth with the force of the collision. Upon observation, it appeared to be some kind of boar. A dozen kilometers away, Diarmuid felt an icy needle of anticipation dig into the back of his neck.
Berserker extended his arm casually as he ran, and a streak of red light arced across the sky, flying right towards him. Then he raised his arm, and caught the shaft of light. It was none other than his Gáe Bolg, a weapon that would destroy anything, no matter the size.
"Tch. if I must... Piercing Spear of Carnage... Gáe... BOLG!" Berserker shouted, hurling the spear at the Danger Beast with all the might he could muster. The force of his throw was so great that his flesh rent itself from his arm, revealing the gleam of pale bone!
The Red Thorn flew towards the Danger Beast, who had only just realized what was about to happen. Despite the realization, it felt no fear. A single shot could not do any notable damage. From his perch a kilometer away, Syura felt the same. Against something that large, any attack save for Esdeath's serious techniques would fail to kill it.
The Noble Phantasm struck home, piercing the boar's hide with ease. In the blink of an eye, the boar exploded! Thousands of gallons of blood temporarily covered the horizon, staining the field red. Thousands of massive barbs stuck out of the boar's fly loose flesh, spreading through out it and tearing the remains to shreds, leaving the boar's hide and flesh as little more than decoration on the forest of thorns growing from its corpse.
Syura stood dumbfounded, utterly flabbergasted at the might he had just witnessed. Something like this should have been impossible for anyone other than Esdeath! Just what kind of monster had he stumbled upon... He would soon find out.
Cú stood before the young nobleman, the flesh on his right arm fusing back together as he stood. In his left hand, he held that same spear. With a single glance, Syura could tell his foe hadn't even broken a sweat yet.
Sweat... That was it! Wordlessly, Cú lunged at Syura, aiming to finally end this pathetic battle. Yet he once again found himself in a new location, this time a hundred feet above the mouth of a bubbling, active volcano. Syura stood on the lip of the volcano, watching him plummet towards his assumed doom.
Berserker made no evasive maneuvers, no attempt to save himself. He simply struck the surface of the lava and sunk beneath the surface, the molten liquid engulfing him entirely.
"Hahaha... You were tough, but just not tough enough. My team should be finished by now, so that lovely lady of yours is now ours for the taking!" Syura laughed, opening a portal before him to warp back to his teammates to celebrate their victory. This fight sure had taken a lot out of him. He looked down at Shambala. Had he not known this location so well, he would have most certainly run out of energy by this point.
Syura had not taken a single before a scalding hand took hold of his throat! The young nobleman felt his skin char and split. He tried to scream, but the breath would not come. The burning grip pulled him back and turned him around, bringing him face to face with none other than Cú Chulainn Alter. His clothing was singed, and there was a slight smattering of soot and volcanic ash on his face, but aside from that, the Mad King was entirely unharmed.
"Dumbass. It's obvious that you regret fighting me. You never should have stood before. Now be crushed, like those villages and like your citadel will be." Cú said coldly, before turning towards the lava and taking a step towards it.
Syura couldn't believe it. He'd been caught, and he had no strength left to fight back. He fumbled with his teigu, knowing he no longer had the energy to call upon the one thing that could have saved him... That place between dimensions. Now there was nothing he could do. He had mustered enough breath for one last word.
"Father..."
This was the last word the son of Honest uttered before he was dunked head first into the molten lava of the active volcano he'd painstakingly tracked down for the sake of one day wiping out the rebel army. For Cú, the heat was little more than a hot bath. For Syura... it was the worst pain he'd ever felt in his life. The young nobleman's flesh burned away, and his nerves died, unable to take the pain.
Cú pulled his arm from the lava after a thirty seconds or so. Syura was dead, his entire head and shoulders reduced to little more than black carbon and bone. The Mad King sighed and dropped the rest of his foe's corpse into the lava, watching it sink. He looked down, seeing Shambala lying there, abandoned. So this is what that boy had used to teleport around... Perhaps it could be useful in the future, when it came to moving his troops about and such.
Another runestone appeared in Cú's hand, pointing towards a new destination.
His barbed throne.
He was certain his servants had already slain their adversaries, so he adopted a somewhat casual pace. He'd still be back within the hour, provided he faced no more distractions.
On the other side of the field, a white robed woman turned away, pocketing a spy glass. So, Syura had been slain. Honest would certainly be upset, but this only proved that the enemy was too much for him, just as the Prime Minister had predicted. Without a word or thought his way, the last remaining Rakshasa Demon returned to the capital.
"I'll cut you to pieces!" Enshin roared, lashing out at Diarmuid with his teigu, narrowly missing the fleet footed Lancer. Diarmuid, in turn, struck out with his short spear, Gáe Buidhe, it's yellow point flashing like golden death. The pirate reacted quickly, and managed to block the thrust with the flat of his blade. The strike rung out like a bell, and the impact of the attack forced him to take a step back.
Enshin bit his lip as he regarded his foe. For someone with such a lean frame, he packed quite a punch. That was fine, in his time on the high seas, he'd faced many a fellow like this. Perhaps they weren't spear fighters, but all weapons had the same purpose, did they not? With this confidence, Enshin prepared his counter attack, sprinting forwards with speed like the south wind!
"You're wide open!" Diarmuid uttered these words as he thrust his red spear, Gáe Dearg, right at Enshin's chest! The pirate barely slipped aside, sustaining a shallow cut across his chest. Pair and anger flared in equal parts, fueling Enshin's next attack, an overhead swing aimed directly at Diarmuid's head!
A yellow flash struck his blow aside, nearly knocking Enshin off balance. As he fought to regain his balance, Diarmuid took this as a chance to attack his foe with a strike from both spears. The first from the long red spear, forcing Enshin to either duck under it, or lose ground. Just as he prepared to duck the blow and counter attack, Enshin realized the purpose of the second strike. Its timing had been delayed, roughly a half second after the first strike. If he ducked, he be moving right in the path of the second spear, effectively sealing his fate.
"How annoying!" Enshin screamed as he stepped back, dodging the red spear and avoiding Diarmuid's trap. The downside to using polearms, as that the down time in between attacks was substantial, at least in comparison to his scimitar. All the Lancer had now was that short spear, and Enshin was certain that he could shiver it with a single heavy blow.
He was wrong. Diarmuid struck, and Enshin attempted to parry the blow. Teigu and Noble Phantasm clashed, the vile will of a former pirate and honor of a knight put to the test. Shamshir shattered. Terror pierced Enshin's spirit, and a smirk crossed the Knight of the Fianna's face.
"Where is your bravado now? Were you not going to kill me?" Diarmuid questioned, drawing his spears back. Enshin skipped backwards, hoping to escape the ensuing strike. He cursed the knight, a man with such a restrictive view of the world. He'd met men like the knight before, stoic do-gooder types that always ruined the fun for others, the type that always brought the mood down just when things were getting good. Enshin hated men like him, and he thought that the knight hated him as well.
"Strike, Gáe Dearg! Gáe Buidhe!" There was no escape. Diarmuid's cry were the last words Enshin heard, followed by the pounding of his heart, blood roaring in his ears, slowing to a tranquil ripple as his gore splattered the ground. The Wild Hunt officer looked down, too see Diarmuid's twin spears lodged in his chest. He looked up, straight into Lancer's eyes. There was no quarter for him, only detached disgust.
"Men, rather, Beasts, like you bring nothing but shame upon yourself and others. You really were no different. What a shame." Diarmuid pulled his spears from Enshin's chest and kicked his standing corpse down. The former pirate hit the ground with a soft thud, limp by the time he reached the ground. No one would remember him.
"What the hell was that?" Beowulf growled, rubbing his head, trying to soothe the dull throbbing left by the impact of the blast. Champ was breathing heavily, and a grimace had spread across his face. How had his opponent survived that so easily? Normally, his foes would have been a charred mess by now. Just what was this guy? There was barely even a singe mark on his skin!
"Ugh, It doesn't matter. Alright clown, now you have my attention. You're tougher than you look, at the very least. Bring it." Beowulf said, beckoning Champ to attack him with his hand. Anger joined the grimace, and Champ pulled more orbs from his waist. He was going to have to go all out if he wanted to win.
So their dance began. Champ hurled a blue orb, marked with the letters for "Ice". Beowulf side stepped the orb, which struck the ground hard enough the crack it, a large ice crystal springing into existence on impact. From the corner of his eye, Beowulf made note of this. He threw Hrunting at Champ, who skipped backwards with surprising agility, avoiding the blade's bite. The chain attached to sword's hilt hit its limit, and Berserker yanked the blade back to his waiting hand.
Another orb, a yellow one this time, flew at the servant. This one was marked with the word for "Lightning". Now, Beowulf understood how this "Noble Phantasm" worked. He avoided this one as well. Beowulf's instinct drove a spike of caution into his brain, spurring him to leap into the air, avoiding the ice orb's return path.
Hm, hm, so he can control them after he's thrown them? Troublesome. Beowulf mused as he landed. He began to advance on Champ. He'd bested that clown at close range once before, so why not do it once more?
As the yellow orb returned to Champ, he quickly began to juggle, tossing three of his orbs before him. Fire, Explosion and Whirlwind. On it's own, Explosion hadn't had enough of a kick to put down that muscle headed battle freak. However, perhaps a bigger blast would do the job. Freaks like him were why he preferred children. They were perfect angels. This man was exactly why he could never let them grow from angles to monsters, like this one. With that thought in mind, a horrible grin spread across the clown's face. This smile simply couldn't be human. It was too vile, too disgusting.
Beowulf's eternal grin fell away from his face. This man was not that, no. He was more akin to a beast in man's skin, like... Grendel. Something like that, the King of Savagery couldn't abide. He tossed aside his swords, allowing them to fade away in a wave of golden sparks. There was only one weapon he would use to handle this monster. The primal weapon that all men possessed, yet one that so many had abandoned. His fists.
"It can't be helped. This is all you deserve. Grendel Buster!" Beowulf bellowed, invoking the name of his greatest Noble Phantasm!
"Take this and die, you disgusting monster!" Champ cried, hurling all three orbs at Beowulf with all his might!
The orbs collided with the approaching hero. An earth shattering explosion sprung to life for a second, filling Champ's field of vision and drawing a glance from those still fighting.
A meteor of flaming rage leapt from the blast, falling towards the clown with the might of a falling star! Champ could only look on in sheer and utter terror as Berserker's flaming fist connected with his face. The clown's flesh was shorn away in an instant, stripped from his bones by the sheer force of the blow! Another strike landed, cleaving another chunk of flesh from his mid section. And another. One after the other, a hundred blows landed, shredding the clown's considerable flesh down to nothing, reducing him slowly, painfully to nothing but a mess of broken bones and sundered flesh.
The flames burned out, revealing the savage servant. His sheer might had left him mostly untouched by the flame. After all, if a dragon's burning breath couldn't kill him, a shoddy "Noble Phantasm" never had a chance.
"Tch. You couldn't even give me a good sweat." Beowulf clicked his tongue and spat on the ground, before forcing his hands into his pockets and turning away from the clown's corpse. He stomped off now in a foul mood. He'd done a good thing, killing that monster. Perhaps it was selfish, but he'd still at least hoped for a good fight.
