Jayr POV - Nasuverse, Moon, SE.RA.PH, Tsukumihara Academy - 2030 AD
After making sure that I'm fully prepared for the Elimination Battle against Run Ru and Elizabeth Báthory, I don't waste any more time and walk toward the figure of Father Kotomine, who, in the meantime, finished delivering his scripted speech to all the Masters.
He is standing in front of the entrance to the Coliseum, which is an elevator located on the first floor of the main building of the campus, close to the entrance of the main building and the rows of lockers.
The doors of the elevator that lead to the Coliseum are very easy to spot as they are glowing with simmering purple light and covered by a dozen energy chains, a barrier erected by SE.RA.PH itself, which can only be opened by using the Primary and Secondary Triggers.
I calmly approach the door, making Father Kotomine start his scripted speech, "You will now enter the Coliseum and confront the opposing Master. Are you ready? Remember, the only way to leave the Coliseum is to win. If you are ready, I will open the gate."
I take a deep breath and pull out the Primary and Secondary Triggers from my pocket, then with firm conviction in my voice, I say, "I'm ready."
The two Triggers immediately start to hover from my open hands before they quickly head toward the chained barrier, merging with it and making it fade away before the doors slide open.
Then Father Kotomine says, "The way to the Coliseum is now open, Irregular Master. I wish you the best of luck and hope that you will return. Remember: It's kill or be killed."
At this point, I do not hesitate and step into the elevator and calmly watch as the doors silently close and the elevator starts its descent.
Then my surroundings change in an instant while Nero comes out of her Spirit Form and appears right beside me.
The next moment, I notice that the inside of the elevator has become much larger than before; it has basically doubled in size. However, I also notice the presence of a blue shimmering barrier dividing the area into halves, each half with its own set of doors, which means that SE.RA.PH has created multiple instances of the same elevator and is connecting them to the matching pairs.
On the other side of the barrier, there are our opponents, Run Ru and Elizabeth Báthory, eerily standing still, staring at us in silence.
Then the silence is broken as Run Ru says in her usual broken tone, "... hEy, whAt dO YOu think thE Best FooD in tHe woRld iS?"
I think for a brief moment before my mother's and my lovers' cooking comes to my mind, and with a smile on my face, I reply without hesitation, "It's the food made by the ones you love and that care for you."
Hearing my answer, Run Ru chuckles and says, "HiEheheHe. Oh, SO yOU Do UnderSTANd. We MIGht gET AloNG, YoU anD i. buT If YouR inGREDients aRE lACKing, nO MAttER HoW MUCh YoU LIKe thE PERson, ThEiR DiSh wiLL be FOUL."
At this point, I decide to change the subject and ask, "Why are you dressed like that?" Which makes Run Ru chuckle again and reply, "iSN'T iT oH sO VERy Cute? LiL' roNNIE Is THe OfFIcIaL masCOT FOr a fAMouS FAst FooD ChaIN. I EvEN haD IT CuSToM MAde tO maTcH thE CHAin'S oFfCIAl coLOrs. iT's One oF a KinD. WheNEVeR i WAlK ARounD ToWN, KIds arE aLWayS ruNNinG up TO mE. Lil' roNNiE iS SO PoPuLaR."
After that, Run Ru tilts her head and asks, "Hey, wHAt Do yOU thINk Of LiL' roNniE?"
I take a moment to think about it before I sigh and honestly reply, "I find you a very unfortunate and pitiful person who went through a terrible experience and broke because of it. I sincerely hope that your next life will be a much better and happier one."
In response, Run Ru sways her body left and right while commenting in an almost annoyed tone, "hMmN... hIW bORinG... Don'T WoRRy. LiL' RonNiE tHINkS ShE'll CoME TO REAllY LiKE YOu a lot. sUCh FiRm, SmOOth ChEEKs. SuCh a WoNDERfULLy scuLpteD RumP. I WoNDEr wHat YoU'LL TAsTE LikE. I WaNT to TAkE a BiG biTE. iF I beAT You, I WONdER iF I'LL bE AlloWED TO HaVE a TASTe oF yOU? It'D bE A WAstE iF YOu duSAPPear aFTEr I'VE wOn."
At this point, Nero comments, "... Really, I can think of nothing worse than the personality of a truly obsessed gourmand. While I have a refined palate, even I am not so demanding in terms of the balance of flavours."
This makes Elizabeth exclaim, "Oh! Such statements are filled with such confidence. It seems that my judgment was not mistaken. Just the thought of hearing this noble foe cry out and pain and bathe in their blood makes my whole soul sing! That one perfect stage. The ultimate climax of the show. Even this elevator ride just makes it all the more perfect!"
In response, Nero snorts and says, "... Hmph. You're a... unique... escort. I might be stating the obvious, but you two are very Berserker-like."
When the elevator stops without a noise, the crazy clown exaggeratedly drops her shoulders before she sighs and says, "i'M So HunGRY. I JUsT wanT to EaT sOOn. A haMBUrgER STeaK woULD bE NicE. Or MAYbe sTEW? WhICh SHouLD I HavE...?"
Solid black pupils stare steadily at me from the two holes in her mask as the curtain for the first round has gone up.
Then we both walk out of the elevator and find ourselves in a new setting.
We stand on a massive underwater stage that sprawls across the seafloor, an enormous ring of black steel and shattered coral, half-swallowed by the dark.
Cold lights are strung along its edges, flickering weakly through the murky water effect, casting long, trembling shadows on the sand.
The surface is uneven, scarred with rust and claw marks, the remnants of whatever came before.
All around it are rows of ghostly seating that rise in broken tiers, carved stone benches claimed by seaweed and barnacles.
Transparent domes of glass hang above, fractured in places, leaking slow ribbons of bubbles into the abyss.
Schools of pale fish drift through, like silent spectators unwilling to leave.
The Moon Cell's code translated itself into such a grand but somewhat fitting stage, as if it too wanted to witness a proper spectacle.
Nero stands beside me, also looking at the surroundings before commenting, "This is the Coliseum? Without a single spectator, this bears little resemblance to the Roman Colosseum."
Then she sighs loudly and says, "I shall have to make up for the tackiness of the stage with a brilliant display of bravery."
Hearing that, I smile faintly, though my heart beats strongly beneath the calm, and say, "Let's make sure this stage remembers your victory too."
Across the stage stand out opponents Run Ru, who is now sitting on the floor wobbling her head, and Elizabeth Báthory, who keeps her gaze focused on us while saying, "Sorry to make you wait until now, my little squirrel. I hope the wait has only increased your appetite for that pig and that other noble little squirrel."
In response, Run Ru says, "uH-HUh, LiL' roNNie'S SToMAcH iS sO EmPTy. aNd tHeY LOOk tHE yUMmiEst EvEr, aNd sO, i'M sAD."
Elizabeth stands tall and luminous, part regal idol, part berserking nightmare as the silver mic-spear appears in her hands, spined and glimmering, her eyes an unnatural pink that burn like stage lights as she smiles crazily and says, "Hehehe... Naturally, only you, a little squirrel who only eats what she loves, can understand my understand what I feel. You should do as you see fit. Your cravings are more refined than those of a beast who eats to live; your love firmer than dalliance. There is nothing artificial about you. A ferocious desire. A love cut off in full bloom. And I love it! I understand you so well that I can't help but sing in excitement. Ooooh yes, I understand what it is like to go mad! It is beautiful!"
At this point, Run Ru chuckles and says, "HieHEhehE. yUP. eAT, PAiN, SAd, EaT. liL' rONNie WaNTs tO cRy CuPS anD cUPs Of wATeR."
Elizabeth swings her spear and exclaims, "Yes! Let's flood this alluring stage with tears and screams. What you deeply desire, I shall rip it off with my own hands!"
The next moment, the air thickens as a mechanical chime rings out above us.
[Live or Die by the Sword.]
[What power do you hold in your hands...? Dancing flames, decaying Earth, withered oceans.]
Elizabeth moves first, she inhales sharply and scream unleashing a sound that isn't a voice so much as it is a weapon.
Sonic waves roll across the underwater stage like visible rings of distortion, tearing dust from the floor and cracking the steel deck beneath my feet.
I react instantly, slamming my palm against the floor while manipulating my Spiral Cosmo to cast a spell, making golden light erupt from the point of contact, forming a barrier-like dome around Nero.
Naturally, I make sure that every spell I cast appears like a Codecast of this Universe in case someone is able to witness this battle through some unknown means.
The sound hits us like a hurricane, but the shield holds steady, shimmering against the pressure while Nero smiles over her shoulder and comments, "Your timing remains exquisite, Praetor."
Hearing her praise, I smile back and reply, "I try to keep it that way. After all, I have to keep up with an Emperor."
Then Nero steps forward with her blade raised before she dashes into the soundstorm, her sword cleaving through the distortion itself while sparks of red and gold scatter around like embers.
Elizabeth meets her halfway, the dragonic bat-like wings on her back flaring while she swings her spear in retaliation.
Her spear clangs against Nero's blade in a brilliant explosion of light that generates a powerful shockwave that forces Run Ru to erect a barrier to protect herself, while I do the same, only in my case, I do it to cover the fact that such a shockwave does not bother me at all.
Each strike is then accompanied by another burst of sound, singing, screaming, laughter; it isn't music, it is chaos wrapped in a mocking parody of a melody.
The rhythm of their clash sends shockwaves through the entire stage, each impact cracking the steel deck, which, despite the damage, still holds firm.
From the corner of my eye, I see that Run Ru has gotten up and is now dancing, her boots stomping onto the steel deck, manipulating sound through invisible threads, as her own Codecast comes in support of her Servant, turning her powerful but straightforward attacks into something much more unpredictable and cunning.
Every motion of her fingers alters Elizabeth's attacks, pitch, tone, vibration; she is controlling her Servant's attacks like a conductor directing a manic orchestra while her eyes are reflecting the crazy desire to consume us.
Seeing that, I close my eyes, focusing my senses more on the sound before manipulating my Spiral Cosmo through instinct more than thought.
The pure golden energy flares across my arm, forming a web of golden sigils that hang in the air like constellations. Naturally, it is the Crateris Constellation.
Then, with a gesture, I alter the air's vibration around Nero, dampening the destructive harmonics so she could move more freely while at the same time weakening our opponent's attacks.
Run Ru notices the chance and her head jerks up, grin widening behind her clown mask as she says, "OooH, yOu tOUcH thE sOund too? LeMMe hEAR your note, HANDsoMe~!"
Her voice cracks mid-sentence, alternating between childish glee and cold malice. She is enjoying this too much, not the battle, but the pure act of deranged destruction itself and the anticipation of conquering her prey.
Meanwhile, Nero pivots mid-strike, dodging a sudden whip of Elizabeth's draconic, scaled tail that lashes around, trying to distract Nero and land a decisive blow with her sonic attacks.
Seeing that, I take a moment to telephatically warn Nero, [Be careful! Remember that she is a Berserker. Even if her sonic attacks are the major threat, that doesn't mean that she is physically weak.]
In response, I hear Nero's voice reaching me through our bond, [Don't worry, my Praetor. This fake idol won't be able to take me by surprise.]
While receiving her reply, I watch her dodge the almost point-blank sonic blast with regal grace while her sword gleams as she counters, slicing through the wing edge that tried to impale her, making Elizabeth shriek, but not in pain, in exhilaration and pure malice.
Soon, the sound distorts into laughter as the characteristic skill of her Berserker Class, Mad Enhancement, enhances her parameters even more the more Elizabeth she loses herself in the battle.
Elizabeth once more swings her spear, which clashes with Nero's Aestus estus, generating a shockwave so powerful that it hits me even through the barrier with such force that even my bones rattle a little bit; however, this is still nowhere near enough to actually harm me.
But despite that, I clench my jaw to give the fake impression that I'm actually enduring the pain while I clap my hands, casting yet another "Codecast" while pushing my Spiral Cosmo through the cracks in the shield to reinforce it.
Naturally, Run Ru falls for it as she begins chuckling louder in clear anticipation of her victory, while also becoming more erratic and discordant while she performs another Codecast that generates a green hue around Elizabeth's body.
At the same time, Elizabeth's wings reform, their edges burning brighter while every note in her melody carries an even stronger killing intent, and then, the real concert begins.
Elizabeth unleashes even more power, making the stage erupt into a kaleidoscope of bright lights and deadly sounds.
Elizabeth launches herself into an actual performance, her voice shifting between idol sweetness and monstrous screams.
Each verse summons something new, walls of sound that become blades, echoes that turn into spectral dragons diving toward Nero, who, in response, moves like liquid fire, weaving through the onslaught, each swing of her sword cutting through the false phantoms.
Every clash produces a symphony of colour red and gold colliding with neon pink, the air fills with burning data and drifting petals of light.
I focus my support entirely on synchronising my senses with Nero, allowing her to see and feel much more, predict her opponents' moves before she even unleashes them, spot the weak link in her attacks and pattern allowing Nero to break them with a single, precise strike.
Every heartbeat, every motion, every pulse of power, Nero and I move as one system.
When she lunges, I infuse my Spiral Cosmo energy into her body and instantly expel it, recreating the effect of Artoria Pendragon's famous Mana Burst, further enhancing her capabilities and her offensive and defensive power to insane levels.
When Elizabeth's attacks fracture the stage's surface, I overtly restore the terrain beneath Nero's feet to allow her to keep a firm footing.
It is like playing a duet through battle itself, and the more we fought, the more in synch Nero and I feel, reaching the point that we don't even have to communicate through our bond to understand each other's needs and intentions.
Run Ru laughs louder to the point that her voice splinters and her control over Elizabeth's melody grows more unstable, making it even more chaotic and unpredictable, and at the same time, even more dangerous.
Then, Run Ru starts to feed even more Mana into her Servant to the point that it seems like Elizabeth begins overloading, but I can clearly feel it; the resonance between them is growing even stronger.
Run Ru's madness is bleeding into Elizabeth furhter empowering her Mad Enhancement to the point that a single swing of her spear or a concentrated sonic blast is more than enough to rip apart a good chunk of the stage.
At this point, it becomes clear that the climax of this battle is quickly approaching, and so is our chance of swiftly bringing it to an end.
The empowered Elizabeth starts rampaging, wildly swinging her spear while constantly unleashing sonic blasts to the point that the two start to mix together, forming an echo field all around her that further enhances the destructive power of her attack, turning everything around her into a destructive storm of sonic blasts that force Nero to be on the defensive.
Seeing that, I focus my attention on them, and soon I notice a small opening in our opponent's attack pattern.
Without any hesitation, I lift my hand while gathering my Spiral Cosmo into it to the point that pure golden light starts to spill from my figertips then with a jerking motion, I cast my spell, sending the golden light flying, not toward Nero, but toward the screeching Elizabeth.
The effect is immediate, the golden light strikes her rampaging soundwaves, dissolving the destructive force within them for an instant, purifying them into silence, making Elizabeth falter, startled in mid-performance by the sudden change as her voice cracks.
Nero doesn't waste the opening I've just created as she drives her blade forward, slicing through the momentarily tamed echo field surrounding Elizabeth.
The shockwave generated by Nero's swift strike shatters the lingering harmonics, dispersing the sound into harmless ripples of light, making Elizabeth reel back, breathless, one knee hitting the ground.
Her eyes flare, half-idol, half-beast as she bares fanged teeth and growls in a low tone, "Grrr... I was… so close... I was... winning…"
In response, Nero smiles, elegant and merciless as she looks at her opponent with a clear and calm gaze while saying, "No, my dear. You were simply performing... and badly at that. I just decided to cut your boring performance short."
This seems to make Elizabeth snap as she rises slowly while cracks of pink light run across her form like fissures in glass.
The shift between her idol facade and draconic body becomes even more evident, her skin flickering between porcelain and scales, her eyes twisting between glamour and bloodlust.
Then she screams, not a song this time but raw noise, so powerful that the whole stage trembles under its force.
The next moment, Run Ru's voice cuts through it like broken static, "LiL RoNNie… sAys NO one… oUTsIngs US!"
Her arms jerk like a marionette as her madness bleeds into the battlefield, the air thickens with her Mana and a rancid, chaotic aura that makes even the space shimmer.
At the same time, fully empowered by her Master's Mana and madness, Elizabeth fully unleashes her power as she chants, "This is my last number. Let me show it to you!! I'm going to let you hear the biggest hit in the Moon Cell world! Let's get pumped up! Cry like pathetic little kittens!"
Elizabeth then twirls her spear, concentrating a lot of the mana into it before she stabs it on the floor as the gathered energy is fully unleashed createing a massive, blood red magic circle as she calls out, "Báthory Erzsébet!"
In an instant, I realise that Elizabeth is about to unleash her Noble Phantasm, so I quickly use our bond to tell Nero to activate her skill Invictus Spiritus: Thrice, Even Though I Welcome the Setting Sun in order to make our enemy lower their guard.
At the same time, I spread my hands unleashing my Spiral Cosmo to form a powerful barrier around me, while I say in a calm, steady voice, "Nero, hold steady. I'll handle the rest."
She briefly turns her head to look at me, and a grin adorns her face as she replies, "Do what you must, Praetor. I will keep the diva's attention."
The next moment, a massive castle emerges from the magic circle, appearing behind Elizabeth.
The castle has a distinct Gothic architecture with pointed towers, medieval windows and crosses atop its spires.
A notable element is the incorporation of speakers of various sizes onto the castle's facade and the red vertical lines that emanate from the castle's base, marking the transfer of power. This is the Prison Castle Čachtice.
At this point, Elizabeth flaps her dragonic wings and jumps, landing on top of the butt of her spear still stabbed into the ground, takes a deep breath, then she lets out a loud, "Booohhhhhh〜!!!!"
Elizabeth emits a powerful beam of sound that replicates the properties of a laser beam to attack in a linear range, which is then further amplified by the speakers on the gothic castle behind her, generating a truly massive and destructive beam of sound that completely eradicates everything in its path.
In response, Nero advances toward the beam, steady and regal, her sword blazing like sunlight reflected through blood.
She tries to cut through Elizabeth's sonic beam; however, its power is just too overwhelming, and Nero's figure is completely swallowed by the truly devastating explosion that is unleashed upon impact.
The resulting explosion is so strong that the whole area starts to shake and frizzle, to the point that, for a brief moment, I thought that the Coliseum would actually be unable to withstand such damage and thus would start collapsing.
From within the reinforced barrier, I hold steady, waiting for the blinding light and the aftereffects of the explosion to fade away.
When it does, I notice that Elizabeth's Noble Phantasm is already gone and also that there is no trace left of Nero, only a massive, fuming crater.
Seeing that, both Elizabeth and Run Ru start to crazily laugh out loud, confident of their victory, but I simply wait, focusing my attention on where Nero was just a few moments ago before the explosion.
The next moment, before Elizabeth or Run Ru can say anything, Nero's figure once again reappears with a brief flash of light and a huge, confident grin on her face while I calmly order, "End this, now."
Nero replies, "Gladly." And before our opponent can even react, she blurs into motion.
Elizabeth hastily tries to meet her with a scream that splits the air, launching shockwaves strong enough to crater the ground.
But I once again infuse my Spiral Cosmo into Nero's body and sword, once again mimicking the Mana Burst technique, but this time, I take full advantage of my literally infinite energy to massively increase Nero's parameters.
Nero surges forward, her sword glowing almost like a sun before she strikes.
The impact isn't an explosion; it is an eclipse, a wave of gold that devours the red.
The blast rolls across the stage, flattening debris and dispersing the suffocating energy, and when the light faded, Elizabeth was on her knees, the last echoes of her song dissolving into silence, her wings folded in, turning to motes of pink dust.
Nero stands before her, breathing steadily. She lowers her sword, and in a calm and clear voice, she says, "An Emperor does not need to sing to be heard."
Elizabeth's lips move as if to reply, but no sound comes out, then she simply smiles as a puddle of blood starts forming beneath her.
The next moment, a bright red digital barrier divides the Coliseum into two parts, separating Nero and me from Run Ru and Elizabeth.
At the same time, I notice that their arms, legs, and torso are starting to gradually fizzle into blackness, a sign that SE.RA.PH has started to erase the loser.
Run Ru, slowly walks up to her Servant and asks, "hUH? ArE YOu gONna DiE, BErserKER? Hiehehehe. tHEn i GOTTa cHoMp, cHoMp YOu uP. IT's rEAlly SAd, bUT I gOTTa eAt yOu."
With her last remaining strength, Elizabeth, whose body is fully becoming black with purple cracks, looks at her Master and says, "Don't waste... your appetite on my, little squirrel. This body... is not worth being loved by you. It will be air soon enough. Even a life without sanity, so long as it is human, can be redeemed. That is the beauty of being human. Like all human souls, yours can still be saved... I'll take my leave for now..."
Right at this moment, Elizabeth disappears, becoming motes of swirling ashes.
The macabre clown looks blankly at the spot where Elizabeth was for a few moments before her eyes pop open and she stares at me.
I can't tell if her crazed gaze is prefatory or loving, as it is clear that the two things must be grotesquely intertwined in her mind.
Then the clown falls to her hands and knees in the piddle left by her departed Servant, she is squirming, but not in pain so much as like a spoiled child, "aWWwW... BErserKER diED. liL' rONNiE, sHe'S GonNA diE, tOo."
At this point, most of her body also became completely black as she continues, "AhhHW... iT's sUpER sAD tHAt i DOn'T gEt tO EAt yOu. cUz YOu LOoK yUMMy. LiL' RoNNie wOULda MADe The tAStiEsT tASty mEAl frOm yOU. LiL' rONniE wOULd hAVe LOVeD YOu mOSTEST. aWWWw... I'M HunGRy... sO HuNgr-"
In the end, Run Ru too flickers out of existence just like Elizabeth did; these are the final moments of the pitful insane clown. She has been erased from existence, and the only thing she has left behind is me, the victor.
I take a moment to fully imprint Run Ru's last moments into my mind before I let out a sigh and promise, "After this is over... I'm going to ensure that her next life is going to be a much happier one."
And so the first round of the Holy Grail War comes to a close.