Malzeno/Grand Order

The Scarlet Feast [2]

Malzeno landed on a building without any shakiness in his step, his face painted with Wyvern blood, which he was disappointed about. The taste was putrid, and as someone who indulged in such delicacies, he would rate them a two out of ten!

The Wyverns panicked as they no longer had their sights targeted at the residents or soldiers. All eyes were on Malzeno, who looked bored. The frown on his face, mixed with the disappointed air surrounding him, was almost sleep-inducing. Malzeno, however, couldn't just sleep right now. He was stuck in this form, as growing a pair of wings would bring back all the fear within the Humans.

"This is punishment!" A man's voice echoed throughout the Town's square, breaking the silence like an alarm clock. "IT'S ALL BECAUSE WE ABANDONED OUR SAINT! THIS IS RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT!"
As the panicked soldier's shout continued, Malzeno looked at him with pity.

"WE'RE THE CAUSE OF HER WRATH! WE CHANGED HER TO BECOME THE DRAGON WITCH! WE-"

"Silence, you Kulu-Ya-Ku!" Malzeno was no longer perched on the building he was on, and as everyone turned their head to spot where he was, he was holding the fearful soldier by the back of his neck, as would a Lioness carry her cub.

"Look around! What do you see?"

The fearful soldier blinked, and suddenly, he felt his vision clear, no longer blurred by the dreadful fear he was succumbing to. His body still shook, but his mind and body were both different.

"These soldiers and common people are risking their lives for the survival of everyone, including you," Malzeno spoke calmly, but there was a hint of infuriation.

"I'm not saying to abandon your fear, but to embrace it, so you may shed your dainty scales and evolve. Humans can surpass Dragonkind. All it takes is a little bit of effort and dedication. Will you prove me wrong? Or will you prove my claim to be true?"

"I....."
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"I WILL FIGHT!"

Malzeno released his grip, and the soldier went to the nearest weapon. All the while, Ritsuka, and Mash were in awe of how charismatic and encouraging Malzeno was. It wasn't clear, as he seemed more Human than the Dragon he supposedly was. This led to more questions than answers, but this was neither the time nor the place.

Malzeno looked skyward, and his lips curved. A borderline feral grin appeared, and the frozen Wyverns began to move in unison as the battle continued.

"Young Knight, are you well?"

"Oh...um, Yes, sir!"

"Master?" Ritsuka nodded dumbly. Her mind was still on the encouraging words Malzeno spoke. "Great. Permission to put in a little effort?"

Ritsuka nodded. "Granted!"

"Perfect! I will not disappoint you!"
Mash's eyes sparkled while her face conveyed her confusion.

"I thought he was putting effort before? Is he holding back? He makes it look so simple. Can I be like that?"

"Why the long face?" Malzeno looked back at Mash, feeling her mixture of emotions. "We're a team, right? If you feel I'm going too far ahead, don't hesitate to tell me to slow down.

"He's a confusing individual, but I suppose we're just as confusing to him," Mash thought somberly, wondering if Malzeno's words were truthful, but she couldn't feel any deceit.

"Right! Please, lend me your aid!"

Malzeno crossed his arms and nodded, almost like a proud Father. "It seems you found your courage!"

"The Black Wyvern seems to be the leader," Ritsuka's words caught the attention of Malzeno and Mash. "If we kill it, the others will retreat, right?"

Malzeno saw another individual appear, garbed in a cloak, as they used a flagpole to pierce through a Wyvern. Although it looked like much effort was put into the strike, it was quite the opposite.

"Naturally! I possess a skill that would counter these Wyverns, but the Black Wyvern seems to have full loyalty for its leader. If I kill the Black Wyvern, we could tame one of the little brats."

"B-Brats?" Was Romani's sudden intrusion.

"I may not look it, but I'm a few centuries old according to human age," Malzeno responded with a triumphant nod. "Now, let's get this done. We don't want our other Saint to feel the pressure."

"Other saint?"

"Let's worry about that later!" Malzeno made a dramatic flip into the air as he landed on top of a reddish-pink-scaled Wyvern, leaving Ritsuka and Mash with stupified faces, the cogs in their brain no longer functioning at Malzeno's...quirkiness.

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The cloaked figure found it hard to keep up with all the Wyverns flying in the air. On top of that, she needed to keep her face hidden from the citizens due to what her "Dragon Witch" counterpart was doing to her home country of France.

This was the non-vengeful Jeanne, who would rather be burned at the stake again than harm her country for something as revenge. She was worried about the residents of this Town the moment she heard the gong from her temporary camp and made haste. If her summoning didn't impair her, she would be able to handle these menaces, but that wasn't the case.

Amid her graceful movements, she halted, seeing someone else riding on a reddish-pink Wyvern as it helped the man riding it slaughter its kin. It left her momentarily stunned. There was no doubt in her mind that this man was a Servant like her.

From the looks of it, he seemed to be a Rider, someone with dominion over the Wyverns. If so, she was eternally grateful, but at the same time, the air around him was like a giant lamp, calling the lost moths to it. She then heard a voice like the one she had heard in her life. She felt power seep into her from an unknown force, and as she looked up, she saw a red glow with a pink powder-like substance falling onto her.

She felt invigorated, although not at the strength she would like. It was enough to keep fighting.

Just...who was this Servant?
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AN: Feel free to check out my other Fate story "Fate/Strange Journey."