"To incinerate the world? Did you come here to announce that, White Witch?"
On the eastern edge of Okeanos, at the very border of light, on a rocky island called the entrance to the Underworld, the "Argo" and the wandering "Flying Dutchman" met.
"Here is proof, O King of the Sea of the Dead." The snow-white girl showed the Holy Grail clutched in her hand and continued,
"Such is the will of an entity surpassing this world. To incinerate the anthroposphere and recreate reality. And therefore…"
"Accept this, then. The fate of the world…" Davy Jones looked at the shining circle that pierced the heavens. The fate of the world was approaching its finale. The will of a higher being… Jones felt its emanations emanating from the Grail.
"Medea. You, who are called the White Witch… If the world is destined to burn, I will accept it with all readiness. However…"
"However?" Medea asked.
"It is not yet time for the world to burn. There exists a power similar to this. As long as it exists, the world will be preserved."
"Then we must take that Grail."
Returning to reality, Medea murmured this quietly, looking at Drake's ship, which was being tossed about by the Kraken's tentacles.
"What's wrong, my Medea?" Jason, the golden-haired Greek standing beside her, watched the chaos with a smug look. "In a little while, they will become victims of the sea monster, and we will only have to take the Grail!"
"It is not yet their time to perish."
"It doesn't matter! We have the great hero Heracles with us!"
Looking at Jason's confidence, young Medea only grew gloomier. She sensed that things would not go smoothly.
"Aaaah!"
Meanwhile, a Kraken tentacle squeezing the ship took advantage of the commotion and grabbed Euryale.
"Eury… U-u-ua-a-a!" In fury, Asterius cut the tentacle holding her.
"Master, if it continues like this, we'll go down with the ship. We need to leave!" Emiya shouted, fighting with his last strength. Ritsuka turned to Drake.
She hesitated, unable to abandon the ship with which she had gone through fire and water. Moreover, even if they left the deck, the "Argo" lurked behind the Kraken. The escape routes were cut off.
"Wait a minute. I think I've seen this before. Well, it's… 'Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest,' when the Kraken attacks the 'Black Pearl'!" In the midst of the battle, Deadpool suddenly felt a powerful sense of déjà vu that sent shivers down his spine.
"Oh, those aren't shivers, it's a squid tentacle! Aaaah!"
Twisted by tentacles, Deadpool was thrown, beaten, and dunked into the sea again and again.
"Senpai. I'm sorry, but it seems we have no choice but to abandon the ship."
"But then Drake…"
"Survival first," Emiya cut in. "Even if we fend off this creature, the 'Argo' will pursue us."
Ritsuka, listening to Mash and Emiya, had to make a decision. Otherwise, the search for the Grail would end in ruin, and this world would be incinerated.
"Boy… I… have… a plan." Asterius, who had saved Euryale, called out to Ritsuka with determination in his eyes.
"Wait. A plan? Asterius, you don't mean?!"
Euryale intuitively guessed what he intended. Asterius carefully lowered her onto the deck and gripped his enormous labrys axe tighter.
"I… will cut off the monster's limbs… and push… the ship."
"But then you'll stay here!" Euryale's face contorted with pain. Here, where neither her sister Stheno nor other loved ones were present, she had spent lonely days until she met Asterius.
He was unsociable and taciturn, but he sincerely protected her. The thought of letting him go made her heart tremble.
"Eury… I… will survive… Definitely… Don't… be sad…"
Asterius wiped the tears from her eyes, and his usually impassive, rough face lit up with a radiant smile.
"Drake! Asterius will clear the path and push the vessel!" Ritsuka shouted.
Hearing this, Drake bowed her head for a moment, paying tribute to Asterius' sacrifice, and gripped the helm.
"Wo-o-a-a-a!!" At Asterius' roar, the Kraken shifted all its attention to him. However, the tentacles merely shattered under the blows of the half-man, half-bull's axe.
"Wo-o-o! Yeah! Awesome! Go on, you're doing great… Bee! U-u-ek!" Deadpool, finally freed from the grip, tried to steady the world spinning before his eyes, but he immediately turned inside out.
"Wo-o-a-a-a!!"
When most of the tentacles were severed, Asterius leaped into the sea and dived under the hull of the "Golden Hind."
But the main body of the Kraken still lurked in the depths. Writhing in pain, the monster opened its maw, studded with razor-sharp teeth.
"I… did not consider… Euryale… a monster… I… am not… a monster… And therefore… I will protect… Euryale!!"
Despite the water's resistance, Asterius' monstrous strength allowed him to lift the huge sailing ship.
"Everyone hold on! We're taking off now!" Drake roared. The sailors and Ritsuka's group clung to the railings. Euryale, swallowing tears, looked into the dark water.
"Gh! Y-y-y… A-a-a-a!!"
Asterius put all his strength into this throw. The Kraken grabbed his leg, making him falter. The ship tilted, almost capsizing, but the hero, ignoring the pain, forcefully pushed the vessel forward.
"Euryale!!"
For the first time, clearly shouting her name, he watched the "Golden Hind" flying into the distance and disappeared in a flash of light, vanishing into the Kraken's maw.
"How is this possible?! Where did this creature get such strength?!" Jason fell into hysterics, seeing the prey that was already in his grasp slip away.
"Some bull-headed spawn dared to!"
"Don't worry, Jason. Judging by the direction, they are heading towards the island where the Sage's Treasure is hidden." Medea calmly touched the raging hero's shoulder and pointed her staff into the distance. "Besides, Hector has already infiltrated their ship. We just need to follow the trail he leaves."
"Oh, of course! My Medea, I never doubted you!"
Instantly calmed, Jason put on an important air and hugged her shoulders. Medea winced almost imperceptibly.
"O great Counter Force! We are here thanks to the sacrifice of a hero who was called a monster. I pray you watch over him from the Throne of Heroes, so that this sacrifice is not in vain… Alright, let's get up! The plot demands it, but there's no need to mope around. This isn't a grim drama, it's a comedic fanfic!!" When everyone fell into somber silence, Deadpool, who couldn't stand prolonged sentimentality, finished his long prayer and shouted at the others.
"We're fine, but Euryale…" Ritsuka looked at the girl huddled on the stern.
"All the more reason to try and take the Grail. Now we know for sure they have it. And, fortunately or unfortunately, they will follow us closely."
Deadpool's words made Ritsuka, Mash, and Emiya ponder.
"The problem is the great hero Heracles. Damn, why him specifically?" Deadpool shuddered at the memory of the Berserker he met in Fuyuki. Emiya also looked worried – apparently, he had also had dealings with him.
"Whispering: well, of course. In 'Fate/stay night' by Studio Deen, he single-handedly killed him five times. Three of them – in 'Unlimited Blade Works,' I think? Well, in the end, he was eliminated quickly anyway…"
"What are you muttering about, Deadpool? My ears are itching."
"I'm saying your dad is obsessed with justice. Oops, slipped out. Sorry, Mom."
Emiya only frowned displeasedly at these incomprehensible taunts.
"With our current strength, defeating Heracles is impossible. Because of his Noble Phantasm, we'll have to kill him twelve times. There are no chances."
Everyone grew somber. If the Berserker from Fuyuki was dangerous, then the Heracles here, being the "greatest hero of the era," represented a completely different level of opponent.
"There's always a chance. In fact, the game has just begun."
When it seemed there was no way out, Drake appeared and offered a solution.
"According to one Pako ○○, this phrase sounds like 'There are no chances.' Well, whatever. So what's the trump card for our 'Finale'?"
In response to Deadpool's question, Drake pulled out a map marking the location of the sought-after treasure.
"The Sage's Treasure. In other words – the 'Ark of the Covenant'."
Suddenly, solemn music began to play. The kind that would accompany a professor in a leather jacket and a fedora hat exploring the world with a whip in hand.
"Wait! Doctor Jones?" Deadpool exclaimed.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan