Chapter 23: An Old Friend
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<i>"Mongrel!"</i>
<i>"Huh…Gilgamesh? You only ever talk to me whenever there's some relevance, like King Arthur or that Lev…or if I'm thinking too much about my past."</i>
<i>"Indeed. I had a…revelation. I switched your class to Caster as I believe you're best suited for that role. I wasn't wrong. Your actions, wisdom, and charisma are shining elegantly. However, Even from this distance, there's no mistake about who that person is. You will have to pull out everything in your arsenal."</i>
<i>"Who is this person for you to sound so serious?"</i>
<i>"You will understand in due time. It's time to wake up and gather your strength. That self-proclaimed Dragon Witch is making a move. The Mongrel believes she's at the top of the world due to summoning a Phantasmal Beast. I think it's time to show her who's the one true ruler of the skies."</i>
<i>"Is anything in my arsenal even strong enough to fight a Dragon? Especially if it's a named Dragon?"</i>
<i>"Hmph! Don't doubt your abilities. You said you felt stronger as a Caster, correct? Then, prove to yourself that you can live up to your expectations. And prove to me that you're indeed worthy of bearing the name of—" </i>
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"GAH!" Mars shot up from his hay bed as he gripped his head. Gilgamesh's last word couldn't be deciphered…no, it was blocked out by something. Was it a glimpse of his past? No…he can't let that bother him.
"Are you alright, Master?"
Mars turned his head to see Jeanne's violet eyes expressing concern. He only knew her for a day at most, and she acted with such tender care for him. That sort of kindness was unneeded in this situation.
"We need to head out! The other Jeanne is-"
"I'M SENSING A LARGE LIFEFORM A FEW KILOMETERS AWAY!" Roman's shout was enough to get everyone's attention.
"I can hear and smell it too, more Wyverns," Atalanta added. Her keen senses seemed to cause her to snarl.
"Ritsuka, Mash, everyone. We're heading out! Roman, what's the next nearby town?"
"La Charite! That's where I'm getting the signatures from."
Mars nodded, thankful for the information. "I can probably get there the fastest on my Red Carpet, with Atalanta behind me. Gilgamesh warned me that the Dragon Witch is close as well."
"Alright! Let's get going. La Charite needs our aid," Ritsuka was fully recovered after a good night's sleep, and she was eager to fight again. Of course, she would need to manage what little her spells she could push out.
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Mars was correct in his statement that he could travel the fastest. He, however, underestimated Atalanta. She was ahead of him. His words about being the first to make it ignited a little challenge, and he had no choice but to accept it….against his will.
Mars's eyes widened as he saw the sky littered with Wyverns circling over what seemed to be La Charite, and a large Dragon was at the center. His crimson eyes glowed as he felt another presence there. It was so familiar that his soul was stirring up with excitement. He had no idea if it was because of Gilgamesh or himself.
It didn't matter as an explosion occurred. The Dragon blasted La Charite with no remorse. The people there were decimated and turned to dust. They would never know what happened or the reason why they died. They were gone in a blink of an eye, just a soundless death.
Jeanne, riding on the Red Carpet with Mars, could only mutter a word.
"Mother."
Mars remained silent. The burst of wind from the explosion reached their location a few seconds later. Thanks to the Red Carpet's features, he could keep his foothold, as well as Jeanne. However, she was shaking in disbelief. Mars had no room to comfort right now.
After all—
"I didn't expect this meeting to happen so soon."
Mars and Jeanne turned their heads to the source of the voice. Jeanne, however, looked more shocked, her eyes paling for a moment.
"The other me…" Jeanne said while Mars hummed.
Atalanta was going to attack, but she felt the bond with Mars telling her not to take action yet. The rest of the Chaldeans shortly arrived and were on alert.
Jeanne gathered her resolve and got off the Red Carpet. Mars wouldn't speak, not yet. He was calculating how to go about this. This Dragon Witch was the same one from his visions. The black cape was new…and a bit dramatic for Mars's taste.
The other Jeanne couldn't help but chuckle maliciously. "It's utterly detestable. Who would've thought that the one from those visions would be your new Gilles? Hmm. I guess I am a bit outnumbered, so I'll even the odds."
With her hand raised, her black gauntlet rattled. "Come to me, my Servants!"
With a display of speed, the other Jeanne rallied her Servants. However, one of them stood out the most. Mars's crimson eyes shook. They were no longer isolative but filled with astonishment.
The figure was a hulking beast, with its body as white as a sculpture, with brown, tree-like markings along the arms and ribs and two branch-like horns just above its eyes. It was clear this was none other than a Berserker-Class Servant. However, it seemed to be shaking as well, doing nothing but looking at him from his spot.
Mars decided to look away from the monster, taking a look at the other Servants. His lizard-like silts enlarged as he peered into their origins.
Mars opened his mouth, and a short but loud laughter came from his lips, getting everyone's attention.
"I see. What a motley crew you gathered," Mars spoke, carrying an undertone of amusement as if what he was looking at was jesters.
"You have Saint Martha, Dracula or Vlad, whatever his true name is, Carmilla, and…I won't get into that sort of debate, but D'Eon. I'm angry that you summoned a dear friend in such a state. As such, I will give you all a fitting punishment."
Mars ordered the Red Carpet to float up a bit in the air. The tablet book in his right hand opened, and golden runes began to spill out, circling Mars like a swarm of bees. His once passionate red eyes were now invoked with the collective rage of both himself and Gilgamesh.
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<i>AN: Ah yeah, I was waiting to add in Enkidu, but not in the way ya'll expect. I got that idea from a story called "Heir To The Blacksmith." Over on Fanfiction.Net. It's one of my favorite ongoing Fate stories. </i>
<i>You can interpret whether it was Gilgamesh or not talking about the "dear friend." It was meant to be vague. I've been waiting to show off some Caster shenanigans. The next chapter might be 2k words. </i>
<i>This marks 5/7 chapters for this week. </i>
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