Jayr POV - Nasuverse, Moon, SE.RA.PH, Tsukumihara Academy - 2030 AD
The sun rises once more, marking the beginning of a brand new day in this merciless Holy Grail War, and this time, I decided to spend a part of the early morning by doing some more exploration of the campus, hoping to catch a glimpse of something I may have missed before.
So, with the invisible Nero following me, I walk out of our Private Room and start to randomly wander around.
I immediately notice that the campus feels much emptier than usual, but I realize that it is quite normal, as not many Masters get up as early as I do.
Students cross the walkways, Masters and other invisible Servants moving in pairs, or in calculated isolation, as if we are just another academy of study instead of a battlefield disguised as one.
In just a couple of minutes, I am out of the school building, the morning air of the campus is sharp and cold, carrying the kind of enjoyable chill that gets under the skin no matter how many layers you wear.
The buildings around me gleam pale in the sunlight, their glass faces reflecting a world that is pretending at normalcy.
After a brief pause to enjoy the chilling morning breeze, I start to move again, keeping my stride casual, hands in my pockets, but my mind is still focused on the Holy Grail War.
Nero is with me, of course, still in her Spirit Form, which makes her intangible and invisible to all; Her voice drifts to me now and then, a faint murmur only that I can hear.
Suddenly, I hear her faintly whisper, her tone laced with that eternal mixture of pride and disdain she carried for almost everyone else, "Look over there. That boy, the one with the slouched shoulders. A Master, most certainly. His Servant hides, but I can smell the cowardice on him."
I take a quick glance at the young man Nero is talking about, but don't bother replying as Nero doesn't need confirmation; she comments because it pleases her, because observation is just another way of asserting dominance.
But she isn't wrong. Everyone is tense, even the ones who try to look casual carry a stiffness in their movements, a heaviness in their eyes as the Holy Grail War's shadow hangs over us all.
I am halfway down the steps of the central courtyard when I spot her, a familiar, friendly face.
Her figure is unmistakable, a beautiful young woman with a round face, short brown hair, and grey eyes. She gives a bookish but highly intelligent vibe, and the immense Magical Power hidden in her body that seems ready to burst out and unleash hell upon her pitiful enemies.
She is one of my most recent friends, a fellow Champion, Aletha Longbottom, the Champion of Chaos.
Her expression is alert but not unfriendly, and she catches sight of me almost in an instant.
For a brief moment, I thought she might turn away, after all, we are opponents now, technically, but instead, she gives me a nod, and that is more than enough to show her current attitude toward me.
Seeing that, I walk up to her without any hesitation on my part, and she does the same.
Once close enough, we stop a few paces apart, measuring the moment before she calmly greets me in an even tone, "Jayr." Which makes me nod back and reply, "Aletha."
Then she tilts her head toward the side path, away from the flow of students, and asks, "Walk with me?" I give her a small smile and reply, "Sure."
After walking around in silence for a few minutes, we find a quiet corner behind the music building, where the wind carries only the faint hum of practice rooms.
Here, away from prying ears, the tension eases a little as I casually lean against the wall while she sits on the low stone railing as her boots swing idly.
Then she begins, "You know... In my previous life, I usually deeply enjoyed anything that had something to do with magic, manga, anime, books, novels, movies... You name it. I truly enjoyed immersing myself in those fantastical stories, trying to understand their magic systems and imagining what it would feel like to wield such magic myself. However, when it comes to the Fate series, I always found myself getting annoyed by it, in some way or another, and giving up on it. I simply can't understand much about the system and the world in general. The classes, the rules, the way people talk about legends like they're chess pieces… It feels like a maze I was thrown into without a map. It is frustrating..."
Her honesty makes me chuckle for a brief moment before I say, "That's because the Nasuverse is a freaking maze full of convoluted parallel universes and alternative realities, to the point that even those who diligently followed every form of media about it get lost from time to time. Then there is the Holy Grail War itself, which was designed by people who liked rules layered on top of rules, which in the end don't matter much for one reason or another. If you try to make sense of every single piece of it, you'll simply go mad."
Hearing that, Aletha looks at me, her eyes narrowing in thought before she asks, "And you? You act like you know your way through."
In response, I shrug my shoulders and admit, "I know enough. Or at least I think I do. After all, I did enjoy the whole Nasuverse for quite some time. But don't take my word as gospel. This Holy Grail War isn't the same as the stories because of our presence. Different rules, different Servants, different outcomes. If you need to ask me something, I'll answer, but know that anything I say might already be outdated by the time we fight."
Hearing that, Aletha nods slowly and says, "That's fair." Then I smile wryly and add, "However, I'm pretty sure that I can at the very least recognize quite a lot of Servants from their physical appearance alone. This is one of the perks of falling into the great Gatcha Trap that is Fate/Grand Order..."
Again, Aletha nods before wisely commenting, "Indeed... The fearsome corrupting power of Gatcha games and their waifus is something very difficult to resist..."
For a moment, we look at each other before we slowly start to chuckle, lightening the mood as we simply enjoy this peaceful moment.
Then, the wind stirs her hair, and I think of how strange it is to have this little pocket of friendship in the middle of such a merciless battlefield.
Suddenly, she sharply turns her head and yells, "Oh, shut up! He is my friend and is already married! He even has kids already! On top of that, I already told you that I like women and already have several lovers!"
It is clear that Aletha is now talking with her Servant, who seems unusually invested in her Master's love life, much to Aletha's annoyance.
However, from how Aletha is behaving, at the very least, it seems that she and her Sevants have good synergy just like Nero and I, probably because SE.RA.PH itself summoned the most compatible servant possible for every Master.
While I have reached that conclusion, I hear Nero, who mutters, "It seems that your friend's Servant is quite the easy-going type. Reveal one's character so easily... How careless... Oh well, in the end, the final acts will still be ours anyway."
After discussing a little bit with her Servant, Aletha concludes, "Stop it! We don't want to reveal too much. Jayr may be my friend, but he is still a competitor at the same time."
While she is saying that, I suddenly remember something, so I lean forward, and with my tone shifting to a more serious one, I say, "I just remembered that there's one thing I need to warn you about. Among the participants, there is a Master named Age Svedson. So you have to be careful around him."
Her brows rise as she asks in a somber tone, "Who is this guy? Another Champion?"
In response to her questions, I nod and say, "Indeed. He is a tall and muscular man with long, tied blonde hair and cold purple eyes. I've met and fought him once in the One Piece Universe, but he was able to escape before I could defeat him. From what I've been able to gather during our previous clash, he is an Asgardian God, a God of Destruction to be more specific, one that is quite powerful. On his own, he is already much stronger than most of the average Servants, which makes him quite dangerous. On top of that, when I caught a glimpse of him yesterday, I immediately noticed that something was off. I don't know for sure what it is, but something is surely wrong with him. If you run into him, don't underestimate him and don't lower your guard. Promise me."
In response to my warning and plea, Aletha studies me, her expression unreadable until she finally gives a small nod and says, "I promise."
Shortly after saying that, Aletha smiles and says, "I have to admit that it feels nice to have a friend who worries about you. However, Jayr, you have to remember that I am not a pitiful damsel in distress. I am the slayer of Tzeentch. I am also a participant in this Holy Grail War. And I aim to win this. I won't hold back, even against you, my friend."
Hearing that, I smile and in a confident tone reply, "Me neither. I won't lose... But don't worry, even if you are defeated and die, I should still be able to revive you."
Aletha chuckles and says, "Heh... Maybe you or someone else may be able to defeat me in these battles. But killing me is a whole other matter. Throughout these years, adventuring all over the Omniverse, I have learned and prepared several ways to ensure my survival in case something unexpected happens. So you don't worry about that. This whole multiverse may end up destroyed, and I'll still be fine."
Hearing that, I smile and say, "That's good. You, too, don't have to worry about me. I also have quite a few backup plans in case something unexpected happens."
In response to my words, Aletha smiles and says, "As expected from Unicron's slayer... Well, this is all for now. I still have to find something useful about my opponent. Bye."
As Aletha starts to walk away, I wave her off and say, "Good luck. Again, if you have any questions, feel free to ask. May the best Master win."
That is more than enough. We both know we can't promise each other much else, even if we are friends, we are still both competitors fighting for the same objective.
Once Aletha is gone, Nero slips back into conversation, "She is charming, for a rival. But don't be deceived, my dear Praetor. Friend or foe, when the blades are drawn, she won't hold back, and neither should you."
I let out a sigh and mutter, "I know. Aletha made it very clear in her own way. After all, she didn't say anything about her Servant and neither did she ask anything about mine. She clearly wants to have a fair battle."
After saying that, I say, "Let's keep moving. We still have a lot to do." Then, as I walk toward the school's main building, I add, "I think it is time to head back into the Arena. Today I want to find the Primary Trigger, so that we can fully focus on our opponents until the Secondary Trigger is generated."
As soon as we step into the Arena, I stop Nero from rushing forward and say, "Wait, Nero. I just had an awesome idea."
Immediately after saying that, I do not explain anything else to the curious Empress and quickly focus, more specifically, I focus on my Digimon Incarnation and its connection with a very special entity before I use such a connection to summon it to my side.
A swirling portal appears in front of us whose appearance is followed by a loud, rumbling roar; however, it isn't the roar of an animal, but the wild roar of an engine.
The next moment, a large motorcycle without a driver suddenly emerges from within the portal and starts wheeling toward us.
The motorcycle is Behemoth, the black cursed motorcycle with a red windshield that has its own will and used to take over the consciousness of its rider, which I've tamed back in the Digimon Universe.
In response to Behemoth's sudden arrival, Nero's eyes light up before she theatrically throws her arms wide while her voice booms with pride as she exclaims, "Oho! What is this steed of steel and fire? Its form gleams like polished bronze, its growl rivals the lions of the Colosseum!"
Then she starts to circle it slowly, tilting her head as though inspecting a sculpture while commenting, "A curious design. Its lines are bold, its spirit raw. Not unlike the works of my Rome… though I daresay it lacks the grace of marble or the flourish of crimson paint. Still, it has a certain… charm."
After doing that, Nero crouches beside Behemoth, peering at the engine while muttering with almost childlike curiosity, "Hmm… where are the reins? How does it gallop without hooves? Ah, perhaps it hungers for some exotic feed."
At this point, Nero focuses back on me and asks, "Tell me, my Praetor, what is this peculiar steed? What does it consume?"
In response to her torrent of question, I walk up to Nero and Behemoth, gently lay my hand on the futuristic looking motorcycle, whose engine rumbles slightly almost like a cat purring in response to its owner touch, and then I answer some of her questions, "This is Behemoth, a powerful digital lifeform in the shape of a motorcycle, which is a modern means of transport that has taken the place of horses. It is much faster than any horse and can basically run for an indefinite time as long as I feed it any kind of energy."
Hearing that, Nero focuses back on Behemoth, nods, and pridefully says, "Behemoth... Such a fine and majestic name for such a unique steed. My Preator, you sure are full of entertaining surprises, but why did you summon this magnificent steed now?"
A small smile forms on my face as I explain, "Well, first of all, I thought that using Behemoth would make our exploration of this floor of the Arena much faster than simply wandering around on foot. But more importantly..."
I pause for a brief moment, and the smile on my face turns into a mischievous smirk before I continue, "... I also hope to use it to trick our opponents into misdirection. You see, Behemoth is quite powerful to the point that it can easily be mistaken for a Noble Phantasm... And Servants who are known for riding mounts, whether living beasts or human constructs, during their lives are usually..."
At this point, Nero finally catches up and exclaims, "Rider Class! Umu! As expected for my Praetor! This is such a brilliant plan! Using this fantastic steed, I will be able to disguise myself as a Rider Class Servant, making it much easier for us to take our enemies by surprise! This is such a fitting plan. This Emperor is a masterful actor, and we will surely be able to fool our opponents!"
Shortly after that, I quickly teach Nero how to ride and fight on Behemoth, and after a few instances, she is able to do so perfectly, which is mostly thanks to her Personal Skills, Imperial Privilege.
Imperial Privilege is a broken ability that, due to the insistence of the owner, Skills that are essentially impossible to possess can be obtained for a short period of time.
In cases when the Rank is А or above, even the "burden to the body" can be acquired, such as Divinity itself.
This is the perfect skill for Nero, who is the manifestation of passion, as thanks to it, she gains skills such as Riding, Swordsmanship, Arts, Charisma, Tactics, etc.
Of course, since Imperial Privilege only lasts for a short period of time, Nero must only use it during critical times, like when she is fighting Enemy Programs and other Servants. During the rest of the time, we can easily fake it as Behemoth can basically drive itself with little to no input from its rider.
After Nero got used to riding on Behemoth, we both got on it, naturally with me sitting in the passenger position, and started to explore the Arena once more, searching for the Primary Trigger.
The deeper we go into its halls and shadowed sectors, the more resistance we meet.
Enemy Programs, constructs of the system itself, appear in flickers of red light, their bodies twisting into grotesque forms, at times even humanoid ones, armed with blades and spears of code, hinting at the fighting style of the Servants matched to fight one another by SE.RA.PH.
The first clash comes very quickly with three Enemy Programs dropping from the empty black sky in a shower of sparks, their weapons already raised.
Nero immediately notices them and laughs with a voice full of fire, "Oho! So the heavens themselves send gladiators? Very well! Rome accepts your challenge!"
As the first enemy drops with its sword raised, Nero activates her Imperial Privilege and tilts the handlebars, making Behemoth swerve with impossible grace.
The tires screech, and she kicks the enemy square in the chest, sending him crashing into the transparent wall, breaking the Enemy Program into pieces that quickly disperse into motes of light before haughtily declaring with imperial disdain, "Know your place before an emperor!"
The second Enemy Program swoops low with a long spear flashing forward, but Nero twists the throttle, surging forward.
At the last instant, she pulls her scarlet blade, Aestus Estus, from her side, striking upward.
Sparks explode as steel meets steel, her momentum carrying her past, slicing the enemy's weapon and the Enemy Program in half while she exclaims between cheerful laughs, "Hahaha! Faster, faster! Keep pace with my flame, or be burned away!"
The third descends directly in our path, wings spread wide. Instead of braking, Nero grins and leans forward.
Behemoth's engine howls, clearly enjoying the mayhem we are causing, tires blazing crimson as it is fueled by her own prana while she launches upward off a nearby transparent wall, meeting the foe midair.
Her blade arcs in a brilliant crescent, cutting through the enemy as the motorcycle lands hard on the transparent floor, tires smoking while Nero poses dramatically on the bike and comments, "Three fallen foes, one victorious emperor! Behold, Rome rides eternal... Even on wheels of steel!"
At this point, I gently call her out, "Nero... I understand your excitement, but refrain from citing Rome too much when we are in the Arena. Remember, we are using Behemoth to mask your identity..."
Nero immediately blushes a little before she whispers, "Umu... I'm sorry, my Praetor. Riding this powerful steed is such an exciting experience that my focus slipped for a little bit. This won't happen again... I'll stay in character from now on."
After that first skirmish, many more follow as we continue to explore the Arena searching for the Primary Trigger.
Hours seem to stretch as we fight our way through the labyrinth and find ourselves face to face with countless dead ends.
Each wave of Enemy Programs grows a little stronger, a little faster, but none is able to give us any kind of trouble as the combination and synergy of Behemoth's speed and mobility and Nero's masterful fighting skills is just too overwhelming to the point that I, too, could mistake Nero for a Rider Class Servant if I didn't know the truth.
Finally, at the heart of a massive chamber surrounded by ruined buildings, I see it, a sphere of light that hovers on a pedestal, my objective, the Primary Trigger.
Its glow pulses in a steady rhythm, like the heartbeat of the Arena itself, making me whisper, "There it is."
I jump off Behemoth and step forward, wary of any traps or sudden attack, but none came.
My hand easily closes around the Trigger, the light warm against my skin as relief washes over me, but then the shadows in the chamber suddenly shift.
A soft, lilting laugh echoes through the chamber, chilling in its calmness, and then, from the far end of the hall, two figures emerge.
The first to catch my attention is the Master, Run Ru, whose body movements are as bizarre as usual, like a crippled ragdoll, her eyes glittering with the sheen of someone who has seen far too much and cared far too little.
But my heart lurches when I focus on the figure right next to her, the Servant.
From the few hints given by the Arena and my knowledge of the game, I expected to see Vlad III, the Impaler King, the one who inspired the legend of Dracula, the grim lord of blood and stakes, but the figure that walks right next to Run Ru is not Vlad III.
It is a young fair girl with mid-back length pink hair tied with purple ribbons and light blue eyes, which turn ice blue on occasion.
She has a slender figure and is clad in a cyber-goth-loli dress with white detached sleeves, with a circular skirt and several belts on the top connected to her collar that cover her chest area, and wears knee-high shoes with two sharp spikes.
She has long pink claws instead of fingers. Her most prominent features are the immoral devil horns, which are actually dragon horns, and the protruding fangs of a little devil, that are actually dragon fangs, along with a long draconic tail and pink scales scattered throughout her body.
Her presence carried the stench of iron and rot, of cruelty barely concealed by a facade of elegance.
She is the virginal fourteen-year-old aspect that had yet to become the monster known as Carmilla, her older aspect.
She is the one given the keyword "Dragon's Daughter", related to her nickname "Countess Dracula"; she is Elizabeth Báthory.
(Image Here - Elizabeth Báthory)
She is a real person who was born in 1560 and died in 1614. She was born into one of the noble families of Hungary, the Bathory family, which uses the fang of a dragon as its crest.
One of the models for the vampire Carmilla, who was a wicked woman who bathed in the living blood of more than 600 women in order to preserve her own beauty.
The Bathory house was the family that held the majority of the influence within Eastern Europe, and she increased that, possessing the blood of the house of Habsburg, which made for a lineage that would make her a purebred noble.
However, whether it is due to the consanguineous marriages within the Bathory line or the effect of their luxuriant living environment, the family contained many insane and cruel individuals.
Pedophiles and Satanists were not uncommon among her relatives.
Elizabeth herself is not an exception and became quite the infamous figure.
In what is now present-day Slovakia, in Csejte Castle, which resided within her own dominion, she killed more than 600 women and, in order to preserve her beauty, bathed in the blood she wrung from them. More importantly, she loved those repulsive blood baths.
This is a woman who killed many members of her fiefdom, and even at the very end of her life did not consider what she did a crime and the reason for that is that in those days, there was a trend among the nobility of Hungary to not even consider humans who weren't nobles as "humans" so there were no problems with her murders from their point of view.