Beta Read by Shigiya and Paragon of Awesomeness
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-The Capital-
(A few days earlier)
Wave had to admit, it was rare for those in the original Jaegers and the newer members to be gathered in one place. Well, most of them at least. The last time such a thing had happened was during the raid on the stronghold that a large group of bandits had taken over. Even now, the memory of that day clung to him like a stubborn shadow that refused to fade. Food had lost its flavour, pastimes he once enjoyed no longer held his attention, and more often than not, he caught himself quietly observing the former members of Wild Hunt whenever they were present, scrutinising every movement and habit they displayed.
He was not even certain why he did it, but the truth was simple enough. He did not trust them, not in the slightest. They could not be compared to the other members of the original Jaegers. Pardoned or not, in his eyes, they were still criminals who, for some unfathomable reason, had avoided justice for their crimes. What made it worse was that his attempts to learn more about them had yielded almost nothing, as though someone had deliberately wiped their records clean.
"You look like you have aged a decade. Is something the matter?"
Turning a corner in the corridor, Wave came face to face with Run, the blond member of the Jaegers who had become General Esdeath's right-hand man, leaning casually against a pillar with a book in hand, still reading despite being the one to start the conversation.
"Sorry, were you waiting for someone?" Wave asked, forcing a smile in the hope of masking his unease.
Run, however, seemed to read him with ease and spoke without hesitation. "It is about the Wild Hunt, is it not?"
"Hah. Was it that obvious?"
"Let's just say you're not someone that's hard to read. Don't take this the wrong way my friend, but you remind me of a dog whose tail can't help but give everything away. If it's happy, you know it. If not, you know that, too. And right now? Well, your tail isn't wagging at all, it's hanging limp. You're not smiling the way you usually do, and, honestly, you're way too quiet."
Each remark struck him like an arrow, and while they were not meant to wound, they still hit their mark. Others had told him much the same before, so he could hardly protest such remarks.
"I suppose you could put it like that. I can never seem to hide anything from you. Are you sure your Teigu is not some sort of mind-reading one?"
"Unfortunately, or fortunately if I'm being honest, the Teigu that I possess is not Spectator. But given what I have heard about the long-term effects it had on its last wielder..."
That earned a small hum of agreement from Wave. He had read one of the reports himself, detailing Night Raid's pursuit of a former executioner who had owned the Teigu in question and gone on to become a deranged mass murderer.
"I just do not think they are trustworthy people," he admitted, the blond knowing exactly who Wave was talking about, as they walked together toward the main meeting room. "I… I feel like I can be honest with you about that, since you seem to share a similar opinion about them."
"I know. Is there someone in particular who is troubling you?"
"Cosmina."
Wave spoke plainly, his tone leaving little room for doubt. Run's expression shifted, showing both understanding and curiosity. Wave continued.
"She has been… hard to avoid these past few days. She's always near me. After what I saw her and the others do to those people, even if they were bandits, I cannot feel comfortable around her. It's one thing to kill the enemy, and I can even understand why one might take satisfaction in that. But the Wild Hunt… they seem to enjoy the pain they inflict more than anything. I know she is part of the Jaegers now…" His fists clenched, his teeth ground together, and a flood of thoughts filled his mind. "But I genuinely think the General made a mistake by taking them in. They don't care about protecting the Empire or its people."
"The same can be said about some of us," replied Run, and Wave was taken aback by that answer, with the blonde showing a bitter smile. "We are no saints ourselves; many of us have the blood of innocents on our hands. But, thankfully, there is a line I hope most of us haven't crossed yet. Sometimes the ones you should be most cautious of are not the enemy, but those who call themselves your allies." Run spoke with a voice that had gone cold, the light in his eyes dimming for the briefest of moments.
"Eh?" Confusion settled over Run as he came to a halt. His sudden stop made Wave glance ahead, only for the young man to find himself equally puzzled.
A striking woman with hair of such a light brown color that it almost looked blonde in the sunlight stood before the entrance that led to the meeting room, her posture calm yet watchful. At her side stood a small, adorable girl with bright golden hair, her wide eyes wandering across the space as though searching for a familiar face. The scene was oddly domestic for such a place, but it existed all the same, quiet and incongruous.
They were not alone. Another member of the Jaegers lingered nearby, his presence carrying an air that felt very out of place in the otherwise tranquil scene.
"Oh, would you look at that, what a sweet-looking child. Here, take this candy for me. I made it myself," came a voice, sickly sweet and almost sing-song in its tone. A rotund figure stood in front of the young girl, holding out a small piece of candy. She accepted it without hesitation, smiling faintly before the figure offering the treat reached out and placed a hand against her cheek. "Oh my, such soft hair and such a squishy little face. The perfect picture of innocence. Heh, your father is a lucky man. How strange… how hurtful that he never mentioned you to old Uncle Champ."
"He would be very happy to see her as well. But where is he? The guards outside told me to come here, yet I didn't see him." The brown-haired woman — likely the mother of the child — addressed the clownish man, but he ignored her entirely, his fingers still brushing against the girl's cheek.
"Yes, a cute child indeed. You should come over more often. In fact, I know this wonderful place in the Capital where I've taken several children before. We all had plenty of fun there. In fact… why don't you and I go there right now?" His hand twitched as if to pull her along, but the woman's grip on her daughter's hand tightened.
"Excuse me, she still needs to return to her studies after this quick visit and won't be able to—"
"I wasn't talking to you."
"Eh?" The woman blinked, caught off guard by the sudden interruption, unsure if she had heard him correctly. But Champ continued without pause.
"I am a member of the Jaegers. There's no better way for your daughter to spend her time than with me, as I know what children really need. It would be best if you listened to her and let her choose for herself, right?" Champ's voice shifted again, dripping with false warmth as he looked down at the girl.
"Run?"
Before Wave could step in to put an end to the uncomfortable exchange, he caught sight of Run moving past him with quick, deliberate strides. Though his face was calm, the smile he wore was thin and brittle. In a breath, he reached Champ, gripping his forearm with enough pressure to make the clown flinch and release the girl.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Champ snarled, his tone sharp and annoyed as he spun to face the other man. Run's expression didn't change. He met the clown's gaze without blinking.
"This is not the time or the place for you to take the girl anywhere. General Esdeath called us for a meeting. It would be wise not to waste her time."
"Why the hell do I even need to be there? She can say whatever she wants to the rest of you. I'm not interested, so let me go before you regret this."
"Are you disobeying her orders?" Run's voice dropped to a quiet, dangerous murmur, low enough that even Wave would have had to strain to catch the words… had the entire hall not gone utterly silent.
"Or do you need a reminder of what happens to those who defy the General?"
"…"
The silence stretched between them, heavy and cold. The mother now held her daughter close, her eyes wary, clearly sensing the shift in the air. Slowly, though, the defiance in Champ's face began to waver, his bravado chipping away as he was reminded of the fate that befell his old comrade, Enshin.
The gruesome death was seared into the minds of every member of the Jaegers, old and new, forming a mark that would not fade. All of them knew well that the Empire's Strongest had no true favorite, no one she would spare by turning a blind eye when her rules were broken. Whether one begged for mercy or not, she made certain they understood the price to be paid. From all they had heard, death was the most merciful outcome she would bestow, for her methods of torture were infamous, designed to break both body and soul until nothing remained.
Run leaned closer, his lips almost brushing Champ's ear, and whispered something so low the others could not catch a word of it. Champ froze, his posture tense, struggling with some decision that pressed heavily on him.
A sharp click of the tongue broke the silence as he pulled away from Run's grasp. Without another word, he moved past the blond and the mother-daughter pair, his boots thudding against the floor as he went to the meeting room. "Fine, but just for today. You adults always have to ruin everything."
'I really do not trust these people…' That thought continued to take root and grow within Wave's mind after what he had just witnessed. While he had to admit that the Jaegers also counted among their ranks individuals with eccentric personalities who nonetheless were as dangerous as any Super Class Danger Beast, the Wild Hunt felt… different. Twisted in a way that crawled under the skin. The way some of their members behaved and carried themselves set Wave's instincts on edge in a way no animal could… What they did at that stronghold just sealed the deal. It did not sit well with the blue-haired former Navy officer.
He noticed his friend standing stiffly, shoulders squared, clearly trying to calm himself. Facing away from the mother and daughter, Run bit his lip hard enough to draw blood. "Are you okay?" Wave's words pulled him back from wherever his mind had gone. Blinking as if waking from a fog, Run quickly wiped the blood away with his sleeve. "Nothing. Just… bad memories from the past. Nearly made me lose my temper."
With no desire to elaborate, Run turned his attention toward the pair behind him.
"Uhm… did you get lost?" Run muttered under his breath. His thoughts seemed to run parallel to his own, weaving together without need for words. They approached slowly, and when the woman saw them, she offered a smile so vivid and refreshing it felt like a sudden breeze cutting through a stifling room. For the briefest moment, Wave felt his heart skip a beat. He shook his head frantically, forcing the sensation away.
"Oh… yes, I am sorry I caused you trouble," she said politely, bowing to them with a tone laced with genuine gratitude. "I am not sure if I said something to offend that man, but I hope it was just a misunderstanding. Regardless, thank you very much for your assistance."
A misunderstanding would have been the best possible outcome. But judging from Run's earlier reaction, he doubted that was the case.
"You two are members of the Jaegers, yes? Wait, do not tell me. Blue hair, thick coat, muscular build despite your youthful face… you must be Wave! And the one with the wing-like accessory, with a book always at your side… you must be… Run? The second in command?" Her guesses were so precise that, for a moment, neither man could decide if they should be impressed or just concerned by her oddly specific knowledge.
"Ah, where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself! My name is Kije; I am the wife of one of your coworkers, and this is my daughter, Logue. We came here to deliver my husband's lunch, which he forgot at home, and my daughter wished to see her father at work for once." Her words left the two men glancing at one another, both trying to piece together which member of their group could possibly be married to such a woman and have a beautiful little child with her, no less.
Faces flickered in Wave's mind. There was only one man in the Jaegers who was, at the very least, decent enough to be considered someone uncorrupted compared to the criminals of the Wild Hunt.
"Are you perhaps looking for Dr. Stylish for treatment? Please, forgive us and come—"
"Oh, I'm so sorry for the confusion!" At that, Kije produced a locket she had around her neck and opened the latch to reveal a photograph, and held it out. Curiosity pricked at Wave, and he stepped closer, only for the sight to root him in place and bring his thoughts to a halt. "This is my husband."
"What?"
The man in the picture was not Dr. Stylish as Wave had first suspected. Instead, it was someone whose mere presence had always unsettled him, a man whose weird masked appearance initially made his skin crawl… only for him to discover he was actually quite easy to talk to and tended to be very gentle despite the nature of his job. And yet, in the image, that same intimidating figure stood with an arm lovingly wrapped around the woman, her gaze filled with warmth, while the little girl sat perched on his shoulders, laughing in delight. The contrast between the man's appearance and the purity of those beside him was so jarring that it brought Wave's thoughts to a halt.
"No way… You're Bols' wife!? And he's a father!?" There was so much he wanted to ask, a flood of questions crowding his mind, while at the same time he felt uncertain whether he should believe such news or not. But the evidence was right there in front of him, and he could not deny what he was being told.
"Yes! No need to feel bad, plenty of people have a similar reaction to yours," she said kindly, a warm smile touching her lips. "My husband may look quite scary on the outside, but I promise you, he is a kind-hearted man, and I can tell you with certainty. In any case, I just came here to give him his lunch. And while I'd love to hand it to him in person, it's taking longer to find him than I thought. If you see my husband, please hand this to him. I will be very grateful," Kije said, passing along a small bag to him. Immediately, he could smell the mouthwatering fragrance of the food inside, fresh and tempting.
A homemade meal cooked by one's loving wife… Wave could not remember the last time he'd felt so wholesome.
"But Mommy! I wanted to see Daddy!" whined the girl with a pout.
"So do I, sweetie, but you have studying to do," Kije replied as she bent down to look at her daughter. "Don't be sad, you'll see Daddy as soon as he comes home."
The two soon parted ways after waving goodbye to each other, Wave standing there holding the bag of food, feeling a mixture of disappointment and sadness growing quietly within him.
"Man, he's married and even has a cute little kid. Meanwhile, here I am, single, not even sure what I'm doing with myself. It's frustrating." Even with the duties of helping people, the dream of one day having a family of his own still existed somewhere within. To retire and raise his kids, teaching them how to fish, something quite commonly wished upon by many in his hometown.
"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll figure it out — you and Kurome do spend a lot of time together lately. Maybe she's interested," came the reassuring voice from his friend Run, who tapped his shoulder with clear amusement. The gesture earned him a light smack to his shoulders, which only made him laugh. "Hahaha! Fine, fine. Maybe you'll have a better chance with Seryu. Or maybe Kurome is more your type? You have time to think about it. Now let's go, General Esdeath is most likely already waiting for us."
Both of them soon entered the room where most of the members of the Jaegers had already gathered. Wave immediately noticed Champ's seething gaze directed at Run, but then the clown shook his head and began stuffing his face with snacks. Soon enough, everyone had arrived, Kurome and Bols arriving a minute later, the latter then being handed the lunch box his wife had left him, with the man expressing both gratitude at receiving it and disappointment that he hadn't done so from his wife directly.
There were so many questions Wave wanted to ask that man, but decided to do so another time.
"You seem to be doing better today," Wave said while looking at the brown-haired girl who had been feeling down lately due to the incident when Night Raid's assassins attacked the city and tried to kill her, but failed. Then came the mission led by the General, where they managed to cripple one of Night Raid's strongest combatants and confiscate his Teigu, only for the enemy to escape in the end. With the Prime Minister's son's own Teigu, no less.
"Oh, hey Wave. I'm doing good. I just needed a moment to gather my thoughts," she replied quietly. "I-I'm perfectly fine."
He did not believe her one bit; she was a bad liar, and her emotions were as easy to read as an open book. Even he could see through her, and from his observation, the girl was definitely saddened about something.
"We are a team, you don't need to keep this to yourself and bottle up your emotions. Don't beat yourself up for what happened during the last mission. We were just following orders, and I'm sure the General would have said the same thing," Wave reassured her. "Besides, we managed to get back another powerful Teigu, this was thanks to your help as well!"
She smiled, but the smile itself was forced.
"I want to believe that, yet both of us know it was because of General Esdeath rather than me. She would have achieved it with or without me, I just wish… I just wish I could have done more."
Hard to argue with that. Their leader had proven time and time again that her strength far eclipsed all of theirs. During sparring sessions, she was able to overwhelm him in a matter of seconds, even when Wave used Grand Chariot to its utmost, and he struggled to hold his own, even when facing one of her ice clones.
"I suppose you're right about the General," he admitted. "Though I'll still insist that you are vastly undermining your own contributions."
There was more he wanted to say, and so did Seryu, but then the door creaked open and the person who had put this meeting together finally arrived. As soon as she came in, everyone in the room was left stunned.
"General Esdeath!" Seryu called, practically launching herself toward the blue-haired woman. There was no other way to put it; Esdeath looked like she'd crawled out of a blender. Blood caked her body, some of it fresh and still trickling from her nose, and her skin had gone pasty and wan, almost sickly.
Honestly, she looked more ghost than general, with her bloodshot eyes and the pattern of bruises and cuts covering her from head to toe. The injuries were… odd. Not like anything Wave had seen before, and frankly, the sight was enough to turn anyone's stomach.
"Did Night Raid do this to you?" Wave blurted, the words slipping out along with a muttered curse. He couldn't believe he'd missed something like that; how had they gotten the drop on him? Or on Esdeath, for that matter?
But before his doubts could take root, Esdeath set the record straight. She finally spoke, taking her time as she braced herself against the nearest table.
"Quiet down, all of you. If you keep shouting, my head is going to split open." Her voice was rough, but steady. She was in no mood for sympathy. "No, Night Raid didn't attack me. No one did. This is just… a minor side effect of something I'm working on." She delivered the line with an ironclad certainty, and in spite of her battered appearance, there was still that unshakable core of strength and confidence radiating from her. Even now, she didn't seem the least bit diminished.
Seryu tried to help the General over to her chair, though the woman denied the help by giving the young woman a cold glare that had her stopping in her tracks.
"Don't treat me like some fragile vase. I told you I'm perfectly fine. Now take your seat, we have important matters to discuss," she said while walking to her chair and taking a seat. Though her movements looked fluid to the unsuspecting passerby, Wave — and he suspected a few others as well — immediately noticed subtle traces of difficulty in her movement that indicated she was still under a great deal of pain.
'If she wasn't attacked… then just what the hell happened to her? What could the General be working on to put her in this state when beating the crap out of all of us is barely a warmup for her?'
The room was heavy with tension as the General's voice cut through the murmur. "In any case, I called this meeting for one reason alone. It has come to my attention that my Beasts have disobeyed me, acting behind my back and launching an unauthorized attack on Emiya. The outcome? Both Liver and Daidara are now dead. So I suppose congratulations are in order; three of you will be promoted once I've made my selection, rather than only one."
Sharp intakes of breath echoed around the chamber.
"Former General Liver is dead?" The news reverberated deeply. Even in Wave's village, a remote corner of the Empire where many eked out lives as fishermen and most of their experience with the Empire was through the navy, the name Liver was known as a renowned figure admired by many young men who dreamed of greatness.
"Those criminal scum!" Seryu's voice shouted, thick with anger and disbelief. "Not only is Night Raid attacking heroes of the Empire who gave their all to protect the innocent, but now they're planning to bring more chaos to the Capital itself!"
The others around the table exchanged glances, each processing the news with differing degrees of shock, sorrow, anger, or grim acceptance.
"Regardless," the General's voice rang clear, cold as steel, "they died because of a single, fatal weakness — the inability to recognize that they faced an opponent beyond their level, despite my warnings. This shows me that my previous orders were not clear enough, so I will say this once again, and there will be no second time: none of you are allowed to try and kill Emiya. I am not forbidding it because I want the kill for myself, or because I don't want anyone else to steal my glory. I say this for your own sake, because none of you has even a sliver of hope of defeating him. Am I clear, Stylish?"
Her narrowed eyes fixed on the doctor, who met her gaze with a subtle smile beneath his calm exterior. "Perfectly clear, General. Rest assured, the last thing I want is to kill the young man. I earnestly wish to learn more about his abilities. It would be far too troublesome to do so after he is dead, and it goes against my own goals."
"Good," the General acknowledged, her voice unwavering. She shot the same penetrating look around the room, and most nodded in agreement, as very few were truly eager to confront this man. Even the former Wild Hunt, who had lost their leader to Emiya, showed no interest in vengeance or justice. Only Seryu looked conflicted.
"But General," she spoke with careful respect, though her words challenged the earlier decree, "if we leave him be, aren't we merely enabling him? Shouldn't we try to remove him from the equation before he strikes again, where he could kill countless innocents? He might grow more confident and attack us again sooner or later."
Esdeath did not show anger at being questioned; instead, a faint smile touched her lips. "He will never do that. He is powerful enough to destroy the entire Capital if he wishes, but his own beliefs act as chains restraining him. Do not misunderstand, while I forbid you from trying to kill him for your own good, you are free to hunt those who fight against the Empire. Night Raid must be reminded that they cannot invade at will without facing consequences."
"Thank you, General. I will not disappoint you."
"Very well," she said, her tone shifting as she prepared to close the meeting. "Before we adjourn, there is one last matter — one resulting from the main reason I called you all here." The room fell into a thick silence, eyes fixed on her with anticipation, curiosity, and for some, cautious interest.
"Given our current circumstances," she continued, "I will be accelerating certain… procedures for the Jaegers, and intensifying your training. This means some of you may earn the title of the next Beast far sooner than you imagined, depending on how you perform."
The weight of her words settled over each member, wrestling with different reactions. All of them were well informed since the beginning of the main purpose of the Jaegers, so this outcome was not fully unexpected, but it nonetheless had a weight they had not anticipated.
{Break}
(Present)
This had been a long time coming, if Emiya were to be honest. Yet he found himself faintly surprised that such an invasion had not arrived sooner, considering the assassins and scouts sent by Honest had already been killed, and that man had all the resources to figure out the general location.
The headquarters was situated in a location that was difficult to reach and even more difficult to find, but it was far from undetectable. Given enough determined searchers, it could be discovered and then attacked. More than once, he had considered the possibility that the Empire already knew precisely where Night Raid's base lay, and that their restraint was intentional. After all, there was a certain strategic advantage in keeping track of one's enemies when you knew exactly where they were, as opposed to launching a failed assault and losing them entirely once they relocated.
It was for that reason he thought the attack might have been inevitable, but not in the way most would expect.
"Seems like Honest has finally lost his patience." Mine's voice broke into his thoughts. Standing atop the castle roof, Emiya glanced sideways at the pink-haired girl. She had taken position beside him, bow in hand, eyes narrowed toward the approaching forces.
"I am almost disappointed," she said with a faint curl of her lip, "that they didn't send the entire army after us. Instead, a mere battalion of about a hundred. That fat man is vastly underestimating us."
"It's because these people weren't sent by Honest," he replied after weighing the thought for several seconds. "Just as you said, Honest would never take such a risk unless he was certain he could wipe out every single one of us. And after what happened in the Capital during our last visit, he should know that even sending death itself would not guarantee our end."
"Then who the hell is attacking us?" Mine demanded, her tone clipped with annoyance. She drew back the bowstring without another word, releasing an arrow that cut through the air with a hiss. A soldier who had ventured too close to the castle dropped instantly, struck cleanly on the head.
She was improving. Day after day, her skill had sharpened to the point where she no longer even needed to rely on the special ability of her Imperial Arm to land a perfect shot. L'Arc Qui me Faut could transform even the most unskilled into a marksman if they knew the target's name. In her hands, it was more than a crutch; it was simply an extension of the skill she already possessed.
"There's something wrong about those people," Emiya said quietly. "Other than blatantly disregarding their lives by rushing ahead without a plan, they look different."
"Eh? Other than looking a bit strange, and that one having an extra pair of arms, they're still killable. That's all that matters."
"It doesn't seem like them looking different is our only concern." His voice was flat as he gestured toward the soldier she had just felled. Mine's eyes widened in disbelief as the man stirred, then stood. The blood matting his forehead came only from torn skin; his skull was perfectly intact.
"Don't you dare mess with me!" she snapped. Renewed determination flared in her eyes as she loosed several more arrows in quick succession. The air filled with their sharp hiss, and each found its mark: head, knees, chest, stomach. Turning the target into a bona fide porcupine.
"You've gotten faster," Emiya remarked.
"This is only the tip of the iceberg. I wasn't joking when I said I'd surpass your skill with the bow one day."
"Perhaps. But your words lose their weight when the opponent you've shot several times is still standing." Even as he spoke, the soldier rose again, arrows jutting grotesquely from his body. His roar was less human than beastly.
"You have got to be kidding me! Are they invulnerable or something!?" Mine's voice was almost a growl, frustration edging her words as she readied yet another shot, the string drawing back under her steady fingers, determination blazing in her eyes.
"Doesn't seem like it," he said at last, rubbing his chin in thought while letting his gaze roam over the figure ahead, noting the way the man moved and the marks scattered across his body. "His skeleton has been altered. That much is certain. The skull managed to withstand the piercing impact of an arrow. What should have gone straight through him only tore the skin. This reinforcement seems confined to the bones. His flesh has not received the same degree of augmentation, which is why your arrows still pierced him. Even so, they did not go far — only the tip made it through, and even then, it was shallow. The wounds are not deep enough to be life-threatening unless you aim somewhere more life-threatening."
He shifted slightly, eyes narrowing as he traced the thin lines of blood. "Even while running, some of the arrows fell away. The bleeding lasted only a few seconds before stopping altogether."
"A crude form of regeneration?" she asked, brows drawn together. "Or something else?"
"No… I think it is more likely that his body is producing some sort of blood-clotting agent to prevent blood loss and avoid death," he answered after a pause, glancing at her. "And do you see those patterns on his skin?"
"The patterns? How am I supposed to see anything like that from here, you idiot! What are your eyes made of?" she snapped. Still, after grumbling under her breath, she unclipped a set of binoculars from her hip and lifted them to her face. Her focus sharpened as she adjusted the lens. "Oh… wait, you are right. Those markings… they look familiar."
"It is the same pattern you find on a Torikupusu," he replied, memories stirring. He recalled the time he had killed such a beast, the trouble of removing its hardened skin just to reach the flesh beneath, and the way he had been forced to reinforce his knife to cut through. "Somehow, his body has been transformed entirely without fully turning him into a Danger Beast. This is not the work of an Imperial Arm. If it were, regular arrows would be useless."
"Then give me something better." The girl raised her hand with her palm facing him.
"Pushy. Here, try these," he said, tracing several arrows into being. They were simple mystic codes, sturdy enough for any bow to fire without needing excessive force. Thus, they also lacked the overwhelming force of a Noble Phantasm, yet still carried a precision and potency meant for killing.
"Tch. Did you just create an arrow Teigu by waving your hand?"
"No."
"Whatever, as long as it works." She plucked one from his palm, set it to her bowstring, and drew until the wood creaked. Her eyes locked on the target. She inhaled once. Twice. Then her fingers loosened.
Woosh!
The arrow cut the air with a clean ring, faster than her earlier shot. It struck the neck, bursting out the far side with a wet sound that left a ragged hole and a spray of blood. The man fell without a sound, his body twitching as the last embers of life extinguished.
Emiya's brow lifted, but Mine smirked with the quiet pride of a hunter landing a perfect shot. "I have hunted with Akame long enough to know the neck of a Torikupusu is where the skin is the thinnest. If that man was some kind of hybrid, then that was his weakness. Your arrow was not bad either. Could use some refinement, though."
He rolled his eyes but seemed satisfied. "More incoming," he said, tracing his own bow.
"Care for a competition?"
That suggestion was not immediately rejected; rather, he found himself growing quite curious. "Depends on what you mean by that."
"Simple. The one who takes down the most targets and is regarded as the best bow user in Night Raid."
So she wanted to frame it that way. He resisted the urge to laugh, deciding it would not be such a bad idea to kindle her competitive spirit.
"All right then."
His hands blurred into motion, drawing and loosening in a rhythm that felt almost mechanical, yet with every release, there was intent and precision. Arrows streaked outward in wide arcs, striking at figures emerging from the shadows of the forest that bordered the castle grounds. Each shaft buried itself deep, most finding their mark in the head or neck, dropping the enemy before they could react. For a heartbeat, the exchange felt decisive. Then Emiya noticed something strange. A few of them were still standing, moving with an unnatural steadiness.
"What?" he breathed, the question laced with disbelief. He had already dropped a handful of intruders, yet some refused to fall. Beside him, Mine shifted her aim and fired her Teigu in quick succession, her shots ringing sharp in the night air. She managed to down another, but like him, failed to stop the rest from advancing.
"Those traits…that… those are not from a Torikupusu. It resembles another breed of Danger Beast. It managed to halt the arrow before it could pierce too far? That should be impossible for anything below a class three Danger Beast, unless…"
He narrowed his eyes and loosed another calculated volley, each arrow striking the exact wound left by the first. This time, survival should have been impossible. Yet instead of bracing for impact or trying to dodge, the man slammed a palm to the ground. In the blink of an eye, his body sank beneath the soil, the arrows striking only empty earth.
"Soil manipulation?" Emiya's thoughts sharpened. The ability to tunnel underground was not unheard of among Danger Beasts whose territories were plagued by larger predators. They burrowed to hide, to ambush, or to hibernate through lean seasons. But to combine that with hardened, scale-like skin, the durability to deflect his arrows, and just enough control over the earth to vanish from pursuit — this was far more dangerous. It was neither a Melanzana nor a Springer. Those creatures, despite possessing similar abilities, could never take his arrows without getting mortally wounded. And he highly doubted anyone in the Capital had the resources to fuse these people with Super Class Danger Beasts. That left him with one conclusion. "An Earth Dragon."
A class one creature, a nuisance to caravans, possessed the same soil manipulation ability with unusually hardened scales that required something stronger than his regular arrows. This led him to conclude these monsters' bodies would be strengthened by some sort of supernatural element. His jaw tightened at the thought of an entire force wielding fragments of Class One Danger Beast abilities. That was the equivalent of granting every soldier a Teigu or Shingu. It was a recipe for disaster.
"If that won't work, then this one will." With a flicker of will, the arrow in his grip dissolved into motes of light. In its place, he traced Kanshou, the black blade twisting and reshaping into a dark arrow etched with intricate crimson lines that pulsed faintly along its shaft.
Mine glanced at it with open suspicion. "What the hell is that?"
"The best kind of arrow you could want against Danger Beasts. These are no longer regular people."
It had been some time since he had called upon this arrow in particular. In the past, he had tested it against a wide range of Danger Beasts during his travels as an experiment most of the time. Its modest energy demand, paired with its unique properties, had proven invaluable, much like his other projectiles. Yet most situations allowed him to simply wield the sword form, keeping this design in reserve. Now, drawing the string back until it creaked under the strain, he let the arrow fly.
The release broke the air with a deafening crack, the projectile streaking toward another figure whose body bore the same unnatural marks as the last. This one's face was even more twisted, his armor denser and less human in form, as though it had been fused with the endurance and defense of a class one Danger Beast.
Yet, unfortunately, unlike the rest, the arrow managed to pierce through the thick shell as if it were made of softened butter, drilling steadily through and leaving behind an enlarged hole right in the middle of his chest. Part of his heart was carved out, pumping blood into the air. The man was stunned to the point that he could not even let out a sound, nor could he have, given that his windpipe was destroyed. He fell to the ground with a loud thud before passing away.
"You've been holding back on me! I need that arrow too!" Mine asked excitedly, taken aback by the effectiveness of the projectile form of the arrow, which seemed almost impossible. He chuckled softly in response.
"I'll take care of those who have Class One Danger Beast armor or special ones. Those arrows I gave you are still plenty effective against the others."
"Hey, that's not fair! You have an unfair advantage!"
"It's my power, and I am giving you ammunition, so the idea of fairness has long since been thrown out the window. Also, I never actually agreed to play fair," he said while continuing to shoot. Slowly, they thinned down the numbers with Mine's help. The edge of the forest now looked like a scene straight out of a horror movie, with bodies lying everywhere, puddles of blood staining the earth, and pieces of limbs scattered all throughout the area. "Looks like the power they were given came at the cost of their intelligence. Despite seeing so many of their comrades die, they do not seem to experience any fear and keep on rushing in. Either they were drugged or brainwashed into acting as cannon fodder."
"Well, it's their loss. Clearly, the tactic is not working for them, and we are able to keep them from getting too close. Damn it… down by ten points, fine, I'll admit my loss for now. Ah! Over there!" She pointed to her side of the field, where Emiya saw a scene that caught his interest. Tatsumi was actually facing another man, this one much larger than the ones they had killed, and his sword could not pierce the man's tough skin.
"He's unlucky. I don't think this person has the defensive properties of an Earth Dragon, but it's clearly a Special Class. That kind of speed and the ability to keep his sanity are impressive."
"That idiot! He can't hurt him. He should retreat now!" Mine, on the other hand, started to visibly worry about him. "He's too far away for me to get a clear shot!"
"That person, I remember now. He's Kaku," He answered, feeling a sense of familiarity at first upon seeing the man until he recalled who he was.
"You know him?"
"Barely. I heard about him from an informant during my travels. Apparently, one of Dr. Stylish's oldest and most powerful minions, whom he habitually sends to deal with all of his problems. His physical traits certainly match the description: a large, hairy body and a recognizable moustache like that."
Right as he said that, Tatsumi ended up blinding the man through clever use of his Shambhala, but not without enduring another strike from the giant, which sent him spiraling away. From his angle, Emiya immediately saw another person approaching and cursed under his breath.
"It's that brat again." The brown-haired girl he had met twice so far, accompanied by her biological Teigu, now joined the fight, reducing Tatsumi's already low chances to an impossible fight to win, regardless of what method he used.
'She's a member of the Jaegers. If Esdeath were the one attacking, she would have already shown herself. Just what is going on here? Have more of her subordinates started to disobey her? That's very unlike Esdeath to let things spiral out of control to this degree…' he thought to himself, paying closer attention to their surroundings. Scanning as far as he could for any signs of the woman, but saw nothing. Yet still, part of him worried that her presence here would be the worst outcome possible.
"Sheele!" Mine shouted as the bespectacled assassin appeared at the last second and managed to save the boy.
"Kaku!" The pink-haired girl called out the name sharply. For the first time, Emiya had the chance to see the Teigu in action. The bow shimmered with a brief white glow just before she let the arrow fly. Her aim was high above, a shot that should never have reached anyone so far off, nor hit anything. But this was no ordinary arrow. It moved with a will of its own, shifting its path midair, quickening its pace until it struck the man squarely in the face, sending him sprawling backwards through the air.
He watched, impressed by the speed and precision. Before he could fully process the strike, the man had already readied his own bow. The presence of the dog, who had just taken the hit, was a clear signal: this was the biggest threat here so far.
Even in its frenzied state, that creature would protect its master at any cost. Emiya did not hesitate. Spotting the danger, he fired several regular arrows at the girl. As expected, the dog immediately halted, spinning around to act as a shield and taking the barrage of arrows head-on.
That wouldn't be enough to kill it as long as its core remained intact. He measured the distance between Tatsumi, Sheele, and the enemies. Despite carrying a full-grown man and wielding a massive pair of scissors, Sheele ran surprisingly fast. She had created enough space to be safe, at least for now. Emiya called upon another sword.
'Let's give it a try then.'
Above his hand, a spiral sword weapon materialized. Gripping it, the spiral sword began twisting and turning, shifting form until it resembled a jagged arrow bristling with sharp points along its front and back. A large amount of Magical Energy gathered within, forcing the projectile to start screeching and crackling all over. A wave of crimson energy wafted all around him, blowing his cloak and Mine's dress.
Had Leone or even Akame been present, they would have recognized the arrow instantly — it was the same one he had fired at the manor long ago.
"Kya!" Mine shouted, with more gust of wind swirling and pushing against her, whipping at those pink twin tails hair and clothes wildly. The sudden rush broke her focus on the fight, causing her to glare back in irritation. "That thing… it better not destroy everything."
"Humph, it's not nearly that powerful. So rest assured, I wouldn't be using it if it endangered the others."
The arrow launched from the bow at impossible speed, closing the gap in moments before slamming into the Koro's body as it tried to protect its master again. A dome of fire erupted, engulfing the area where they had stood. The flames consumed everything in their path, spreading fiercely until finally settling into a smoldering hole. Still… somehow that thing survived with visible clumps of white blobs amalgamating together.
"Wait, where are you going?" Sheele called out as Emiya moved to the edge of the scene.
"Just making sure someone doesn't die," he answered without hesitation and then proceeded to jump below.
{Break}
"What the hell?" Tatsumi muttered under his breath, watching the dome of fire stretch before him. He had barely been able to track the arrow's flight, only seeing a faint line cut across the sky before the inferno unleashed itself. The area where they had fought turned into a blackened pit, charred earth, and smoldering ash with flames licking at the surrounding trees.
"What the hell, this is ridiculous," he repeated, disbelief thick in his voice.
He had heard from Leone some time ago how the man had turned and reduced an entire mansion to rubble, saving his friends with a single arrow. Yet hearing the story was one thing; seeing it, witnessing the power firsthand, was something else entirely. Tatsumi had never truly imagined the scale of destruction such a weapon could unleash.
"Do you think they…" He began hesitantly, glancing over at Sheele beside him, unsure of what to expect."Do you think they're still alive?" He finished.
"Hard to say," Sheele replied, her tone sounding the same without conveying any certainty or even any doubt — perfectly monotone. "I don't think so. I wouldn't have survived that if I were in her place, I think?"
"Oh, yeah, it is very unlikely, I suppose too. Doubt I would have even survived one of those previous arrow shots, let alone this one." Various emotions clashed within him, tangled and uncertain. He didn't know whether to feel sad or relieved by the outcome.
"You don't look happy," The woman next to him pointed out, practically answering the question lingering in his mind. He had to admit she was right — he was not happy.
"I just… I always thought I could change her mind." His voice faltered slightly, weighed down by lingering hope. Taking a moment to calm his mind and attempt to throw away certain wishful beliefs. "You might think it's stupid, given I've only known her for a few days here in the Capital, and usually that's not enough time to grow close to someone. But… I genuinely felt she was a good person. After being framed and then saved by you all, I wanted to prove my innocence, that I wasn't the person she thought I was. And that her ideology wasn't wrong, but instead, she was letting herself be used by the wrong people. She was being manipulated. Just like her, I just wish for a better kingdom where people can live without much hardship."
"People can be hard to convince," Sheele replied softly.
Tatsumi's head began to feel light, the weight of his own thoughts pressing down on him. "She really wanted to help people. It wasn't an act, not fake in any way. The entire time I was there, I saw her for what she truly was: someone who wanted to better the Capital, to keep it safe under her watch. Maybe I'm just stubborn, or stupid for holding on to that hope." He scratched the back of his head, a gesture that spoke of awkwardness. "I might be the only guy in the world who is feeling bad about someone who tried to kill me and my friends several times."
Surprisingly, the purple-haired woman just shook her head and did not dismiss his words. "No, I don't think it's stupid. You're a kind person, and you saw the good in her. But she didn't. It's as simple as that. Also, you dropped this."
Hearing this and looking at the item in her grasp, the boy chuckled quietly.
"Ah, Shambhala… thanks. I thought I'd lost it. Would have really sucked," he said with a weak smile.
"Sorry if I sounded mean. I'm not great at comforting people," she admitted.
"It's alright, actually. I do feel a bit bett—Sheele!"
Suddenly, the corner of his eye caught a strange glint flickering inside the flames. A cold shiver crept up his spine. His body reacted before his mind could process the danger. He lunged toward her, grabbing her arm and teleporting away just in time to avoid a giant rock throne crashing where they had been standing.
The sound of several bullets fired followed, all aimed at his reappearance point. He was forced to teleport again and again, trying to dodge the relentless assault. Unable to see them, guess the line of fire and the specific source of the weapon. Instead just forced to blindly leap at random points and rely on pure luck.
"Argh!" He wasn't fast enough; one bullet pierced his thigh, causing him to stumble to the ground.
"Tatsumi!" Sheele shouted, raising Extase as a shield. The bullets slammed against tough steel as she made sure her ally was still breathing.
"I'm fine, damn it. I'm fine." Gritting his teeth, he looked down at the wound, blood seeping through the torn fabric. Without hesitation, he tore his shirt and used it as a tourniquet, applying pressure to stem the bleeding.
"Guess I was wrong." From within the flames, Ifigu walked forward, limping slightly. Her appearance was a disaster, her body grievously burnt in places, armor broken and incomplete, and one hand missing, replaced by sparking machinery that wasn't flesh or blood.
"I won't lose. I won't fail Esdeath again like last time." Seryu's voice held an almost maniacal conviction, her eyes blazing with fierce determination as she pressed onward. "I won't let you escape this time, Tatsumi!"
"Wait!" the brown-haired boy exclaimed as he saw Sheele prepare to charge forward with her Tegu. He didn't fully know her combat abilities, but if she was anything like the others, he could guess the outcome. Yet, he didn't want to rely on someone else to cover for him again.
"I'll handle her. Please, leave this to me."
"The dog," Sheele warned him, reminding him of the terrifying creature that haunted his nightmares.
"She attacked us herself, rather than sending it. Maybe Emiya's attack damaged it enough to incapacitate it?"
"We can't take any chances."
"Then you can keep an eye out for me. If it appears, shout loudly, and I'll teleport us out of here, straight back into the castle." She gave him a sharp look, clearly reluctant, not wanting him to go through with such a risky plan, given his current injured state. Yet he had to try.
"Please."
There was something in his voice, a quiet insistence that seemed to carry enough weight to make her relent, granting him the space he needed.
"You'll need a sword."
"I have a blade." He reached down and pulled a dagger from his waist. "It will be enough."
She said nothing more, simply watching silently as he walked toward Seryu. Standing before her again, his chest tightened with a heavy mix of regret and a faint flicker of hope, thoughts battling within his mind like a storm.
"I remember you mentioning on your first day about Captain Ogre… how he was like a father figure to you, raising you after your own father passed away."
"Shut up. Don't you dare speak his name. You have no right." She whispered the words, low and harsh, almost like a curse.
She truly did look up to that man, admired him, wanted to be like him, and basically idolized everything about him. How could one even convince someone like this that the person they looked up to for so long was no different from the kind of people who brought suffering to countless for his own greed? To do so without proof… even he saw just how ridiculous this entire thing was. "I don't know how to convince you, but I will tell you the truth again. I swear I am truly innocent. Every crime I have been accused of is nonsense. I never tried smuggling anything. I never had a hand in anything illegal while under your care. I was just a boy from a backwater village who came to the Capital to earn a living, to help my village."
"Enough of this! Your lies won't work on me anymore!" Seryu's voice was loud, laced with anger as she exuded an enormous amount of hostility.
Her arm suddenly transformed right before his eyes, twisting and changing into the shape of a minigun, its barrel spinning with lethal speed. At the same moment, she activated her own Tegu.
'I can do this,' the words whispered inside his mind, filled with the same stubborn resolve she showed in her relentless desire to kill him.
Gripping Shambhala firmly, enough to have his knuckles turn white. His body flickered, appearing suddenly in front of her, close enough that the muzzle of her weapon could not be aimed directly at him as she fired several rounds into the empty air nearby.
Ears ringing from the noise
"I tried!" he shouted as Seryu swung her right arm, the one with the missing hand now replaced by an elongated blade crackling with sparks, towards him. Using a reverse grip on his dagger, he teleported behind her to avoid the strike.
With all his strength, he stabbed the blade toward her neck, managing only to draw a thin line of blood. 'I expected this… if Kaku has iron skin, then so could the others. But hers is not as impenetrable as his.'
Everything felt like it was going in slow motion, with every single possible action visualised in his mind before he made his choice.
"I tried so many times to make you believe! Risked the lives of those who saved me! Almost ruined their effort for doing so much for not just me but also my friends!"
The fight continued with growing intensity. Seri's strikes became more aggressive, each swing of her sword daring him to retaliate. He used his Imperial arm to keep just enough distance between them to dodge her attacks. Her missed strikes were met with blunt counterattacks and slashes that sparked brightly on impact.
'The mental toll from earlier is still there, I can't ignore it forever.'
A flash of light, and he changed his position again.
'I can't run, rely on my legs to attack, or rely on them to dodge forever. The adrenaline can only keep me going so far, even now I'm running on fumes, I know.'
Another flash, moved above where this dagger aimed downwards and plunged within the gaps of her arm, transformed into that of a mini gun. Jamming it into the rotary barrel cluster gap, forcing it to no longer rotate and stop it from firing.
"I have no reason to deceive you. Even now, as you come for my throat, I repeat the same truth!"
Gritting his teeth to endure the oncoming pain, the boy twisted his body to gather some momentum and brought his foot to kick Seryu's face. This sent an electrifying sensation of pure agony across his body from the bullet, causing more damage.
'Smaller distance lessens the amount of mental strain Shambhala inflicts on me. At this rate… I can do maybe ten? Fifteen more if I push myself? Compared to death, side effects are negligible.'
Another flash. Kicking the back of Seryu's knee, causing her to collapse and pierce the ground, and giving him enough of a window of opportunity to grab her head and smash it against the ground. "Argh!" Yet the woman proved to be far more durable, as not even this could leave a bloody bruise at best. The frustration led her to recover enough to push herself back up and bull rushed him with her blade arm, about to cut through his waist—leading to another usage of Shambhala.
"Hah… hah… hah… You talk about justice… then what about all those people we both saw begging for food on the streets!? What about all these wars against the northern tribe that the Empire has started!? The fact that so many of the officers who were working alongside you started to use their status to steal and kill recklessly! And those who hold power in the Empire using innocent people like my friends for their sick twisted pleasure — what about justice for all of this!?"
"AaaaaAAAH! Shut the fuck up! You don't understand anything! You just keep fucking complaining and making things worse! You don't want peace, if you cared about any of that, then you would have accepted your sentencing!" She shouted, the sword in her swinging wildly while she charged towards him again. "Koro! Number 6!"
His body tensed, realising she called for that dog again to appear, yet seconds passed and the creature did not show up.
"K-Koro? Koro!" Seryu shouted again, looking around frantically, searching for her companion, while he had no time to guess if it was because of the previous attack or due to something else as to why the biological Teigu had not shown up. Still, it was an advantage for him nonetheless.
Unable to move away with his leg had gone completely numb and was barely responsive at this point. Forcing Tatsumi to keep using Shambhala just to avoid certain death, the electric buzzing from Seryu's sword licks his skin with each teleportation.
'Nine…'
He was reaching his limit, each usage of the Teigu pushing him closer and closer to a point of no return.
'Ten.'
Blood streaming down his nose, his vision blurring, and each sound becoming a hazy mess.
'Eleven.'
Seryu's own heavy injuries worsened by the second, and pure luck was the sole reason why he managed to stay alive. Where she even started to use the mini gun as a blunt weapon, the dagger barely kept itself from shattering. His own fingers bloodied with each punch he threw at her, at one point, the blade even pierced his palm and almost sliced his limb off had he not teleported away again.
'T-Twelve…'
Fifteen was too generous an estimation; his mind itself felt no different from a block of iron, making him keep his head straight, a monumental task. Thirteen… that would be his last before darkness would claim him, instincts taking control of his body, his will to survive. Tatsumi bit his tongue just to stay awake longer, sensing a sharp pain in his abdomen but ignoring it as he grabbed Seryu around her waist.
Shambhala, glowing with the next thing he saw was the starry sky with the cool wind caressing his skin. This time, finding himself above ground with Seryu shouting madly, a marker that was near a tall cliff he established during testing. With the ground approaching swiftly under them—he strengthened his hold on her. "I… I really wish I were strong enough to have shown you the truth. Heh… even now I still want for us to one day return to working together like we used to… I really enjoyed our time together, Seryu."
Even with the wind rushing against his ears, he managed to pick up Seryu's voice.
"I failed again… general."
Even now, her loyalty remained to the Empire rather than her own life.
Not that it mattered; he had no regrets anymore. His friends were saved and awake; now, he could at least be of some use. Shambhala could easily find another user. Just as he closed his eyes and I waited for a quick and come up, his body was suddenly pulled by a strong force, grabbing him by the collar and breaking his hold on Seryu.
"Urgh!"
The sudden force choked him a little at first, but brought him back to the real world, where he saw the brown haired girl's body hit the ground with a loud boom. Dispersing a large amount of dirt, dust, and rocks, a fall that could have easily killed him.
"Willing to go this far for her… I don't know if I should call you an idiot or an overly optimistic fool." A dry tone commented, recognisable enough for him to look up and find the white-haired man who had fired those arrows earlier, grabbing onto a rock at the edge of the cliff while holding onto his collar. He himself did not look completely untouched, with marks of a recent battle and even several bloody holes on his arm that resembled bite marks.
Yet overall, he was in a much better state than Tatsumi.
"Emiya…?" His voice was barely audible, groaning with pain as the two landed on the ground with the jolt sending another wave of pain all around his battered body. "…Why?"
"Because we did not save you back then just so you can have yourself a pointless 'heroic' sacrifice." He said harshly, but somehow it only made him smile. "Also, her life is not worth yours. You are doing no one a favour by trading yours just to eliminate her. Bulat would have certainly disagreed with your action, and so would have your friends who are waiting for you to come back."
"…I know."
With some effort, he managed to get back on his feet, limping towards the hall on the ground near them and then seeing Seryu lying there. Motionless but still alive, her eyes barely opened as both looked at one another for a few seconds.
Then, a sword hit the ground next to him. One that was thrown over by Emiya.
"A fall like that wouldn't have been able to kill her even in a wounded state. It seems like Dr Stylish has given everyone here some sort of alteration to their bodies by using Danger Beast DNA. Your luck that hers was not as concentrated as the guy you fought before." Emiya said calmly, Tatsumi kept looking at the sword next to him and back at Emiya, who was walking away.
"…"
"You fought her, even tried to go that far just to eliminate this woman you tried to save before. So, I'll leave the final action up to you. As for me, I'll be heading to provide support to Akame and Leone; there are still other intruders that need to be dealt with." Then, the former Servant of the Bow came to a stop and gave him a side glance. "Remember, whatever your choice might be, they will be yours to bear in the future. So think carefully, and don't regret it, for you can't save everyone."
His shaky hands went to grab the white sword, recognising it to be the same one Emiya would use during combat. 'It's comfortable…' Despite its appearance, it did not feel the slightest bit heavy, the handle perfectly moulding around his grip and with a perfect overall balance.
A master crafted weapon.
He walked ahead, nearly stumbling down the path but managing to keep himself straight. The ringing in his ears grew louder, and his entire body got colder by the second. The last bits of adrenaline rush he could muster up had left, and the pain started to grow worse by the second. Some parts felt as if they were being dipped into pure molten lava, especially his stomach.
Finally, reaching her side, he got on his knees while holding the sword above her. Saying nothing but instead observing, able to tell that even now, if given the opportunity, she would have killed him.
His arms shook, two sides in his mind fighting for what was the right thing to do. "If I could… prove to you my innocence… if I could… show you the corrupt nature of those you serve with actual proof. Would you listen?"
"…"
She said nothing, but the message in her eyes was clear to him. Then, when all sound from both the outside world and his own mind disappeared—he made his choice.
And the blade descended.
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The next 5 chapters of Snafu, and my other Fate fics (Fate Coiling Sword with 3 chapters, A Fake Familiar Reborn with 3 chapters, Steel Eyed Faker soon to be 3 chapters, Hound having 3 and To love a sword having 4 chapters) are already available on my P@treon. With 4 more Broly chapters at /NimtheWriter. Also, I post commissioned arts on each story, already posted a few on an Archer's Promise, Broly and Snafu.