Fate/ Grand Crypter

Chapter 25 (Orleans)

"DIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Tentacles lashed the room, shattering statues and murals across the walls. Gilles danced forward through the onslaught. The monster reared up before him, towering over him. But Gilles paid no mind to the monster's size nor ferocity. He kept his gaze forward, locked on his Star. Leo stayed towards the back with Oberon, launching magical slashes at any oncoming tentacles. From his position, he could see the whole battlefield, both Gilles's advance and the numerous attacks from Caster. This meant he had a grasp on their situation, and just how bad it was.

"We aren't doing any damage," he yelled at Kiyohime. "Can you make your flames hotter?"

"They are already as hot as they can be!" Kiyohime incinerated a tentacle furiously. "This disgusting thing is just healing too fast."

That was the fundamental problem. Caster's Noble Phantasm was called Prelati's Spellbook. It allowed him to summon forth demons despite Gilles De Rais never practising magecraft in life. It was the core of this monstrosity, the ultimate spell Gilles De Rais could cast. Under normal circumstances, the creature's regenerative abilities were powerful, allowing it to survive even a third of its body being blasted off. But this summon, or rather Caster himself was powered by the limitless strength of a Holy Grail. No matter how much they cut or burned it, it would heal itself in less than a second, all while continuing to grow larger and more powerful. Without an ability to prevent it from healing, they would quickly be overpowered. They needed to stop it, quickly.

"Kiyohime!" Leo yelled. "Use your Noble Phantasm. Oberon, support Gilles with all you have! We are going to kill it before it's too late!"

The two Servants nodded and leapt into action. Oberon's butterflies flew to Gilles's side, quickening his movements. Kiyohime closed her eyes and began to chant. Blue fire built up around her, torching tentacles that drew near. Leo put his quill to the page and quickly wrote down a sentence.

The combined might of Gilles De Rais and Kiyohime's Noble Phantasm pierce through Caster's monster, killing him in a concerted effort.

"I will exterminate all of the liars who ran from me. Transforming, Flame-Emitting Meditation!"

A face emerged from within the flames, the shape of a coiled eastern dragon. The flaming dragon roared a challenge towards the monster and unleashed a beam of concentrated heat towards it. The beam struck the monster, burning its skin. The dragon then rushed forward, coiling around the creature, restricting its tentacles and burning its flesh. Gilles, empowered by Oberon, took the chance. He dashed forward, bringing up Balmung and thrusting forward.

"BALMUNG!"

The blue light surged forth, striking the creature square in the chest. An explosion detonated at the creature's heart, smoke clouding Leo's vision. He allowed himself a smile. It looked like that gambit had been a success. He glanced down at his book and froze. The words were sliding off the page, not glowing with the golden light that indicated a successful cast. As realization struck him, a menacing laugh emerged through the smoke. As his vision cleared, Leo saw a shimmering magic circle on the skin of Caster's behemoth, the skin beneath untouched.

"You think such tactics would work on me? I protected my vital organs FOOLS!"

Tentacles suddenly lashed out, striking at both Gilles and Kiyohime. Gilles was sent flying backwards, striking a wall next to Leo. Kiyohime was dragged off the monster, fighting every step of the way for little effect. The tentacles tore the blue flame apart, the draconic form shredded until the woman in a kimono remained.

"Kiyohime!" Leo yelled, quill moving to his book, but he was too late. There was a loud crunching sound, and Kiyohime was crushed within the monster's grasp. Leo could only watch as tiny magical particles emerged from the tentacle and floated away in the wind.