Fate/Catbox Fiction

Chapter 19: The Right Thing

FATE/CATBOX FICTION

Chapter 19: The Right Thing

Cuchulainn and Spartacus continued their demonic dervish of chaos and violence, nearly ignorant of what had been happening with the other battle. Both men were covered in deep cuts and thoroughly soaked in blood, yet neither showed signs of ceasing their advance. They just kept going and going, unable to think about anything but taking their enemy down. Their weapons clashed with a massive clang, then they leapt apart several feet and glared at each other while panting heavily.

That was the moment when Connla killed Atalante. Cuchulainn and Spartacus heard the child Servant fall to her knees and gasp in horror over what she had done. Izo managed to console her, but then her final question to him triggered a reaction in both warriors. Cuchulainn quietly frowned, appearing somewhat melancholic as he saw the dispirited look in her eyes. However, Spartacus responded in a far more dramatic fashion.

"Ah... ah ha ha..."

Cuchulainn snapped to attention and focused on the gladiator as he began chuckling peculiarly. It wasn't a laugh of joy – it was a laugh of repressed despair finally boiling over like a rupturing volcano. His head and neck twitched spastically. Soon, the rest of his body thrashed about as his laughing became mixed with roars of anguish. Cuchulainn had no idea what was going on, so he thought Spartacus was having a seizure.

"AH HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! AAAA~AAAA~AAAA~AAAAHHHH!"

Connla covered her mouth in fright and screamed, "Spartacus! What's the matter!?"

Cuchulainn cautiously stepped back, still in his fighting stance as he grumbled, "Something's not right."

Izo shouted, "What're ya standin' 'round fer!? He's wide open! Just kill him already!"

"You think I haven't been trying!? He's regenerating faster than I can damage him!"

The ronin attempted to rush at the flailing Spartacus, but some kind of invisible force repelled him. He wasn't sure if it was raw instinct telling him to stay back, or if it was actually some sort of Anti-Servant barrier pushing him back, but he screamed, "Shit! What the hell's going on!? It's like something's pulling me away from him!"

"You feel it too?" Cuchulainn snarled as he fell to one knee.

Connla watched as Spartacus' body gradually mutated until he grew to twice his usual size. Veins burst through his skin and poured blood everywhere as his muscles rapidly expanded to dangerous levels. Even his head and neck twisted out of proportion as his bones turned and cracked. She sensed a terrifying amount of magical energy building inside him, then realized what was going on:

"He's lost control of his Noble Phantasm!"

"Oy! Mind fillin' me in on what his Noble Phantasm does!?" Izo demanded.

"As a Berserker, he'll take so much damage that the pain he accumulates turns him into a living bomb. I don't know how it functions when he's an Avenger, but he's obviously taking in more mana than his body can handle."

"Holy shit... So if he reaches critical mass..."

"Manoa will be blown clean out of the ground."

Cuchulainn grit his teeth. He had to think of something, and fast. Even if he used Gae Bolg to pierce Spartacus' heart, he doubted it would do anything to stop the Noble Phantasm from detonating. The only option he could really think of was to hold back Spartacus long enough for Connla and Izo to escape Manoa. For that plan to work, he needed to rely on his Alter-exclusive Noble Phantasm – to wear the bones of the sea monster Curruid and use it to contain the explosion as best as he could.