FGO Specter of Glass

Xiatian la Vue Ch15

"Damn Crypters! Damn Underworld! Damn Chaldea!" Philip trudged through the mud, grumbling about his defeat. Even when he regained consciousness, he was met by Alisha throwing him off a cliff. Yet he continued his path back to the church. It didn't matter if Q'yth-Az was gone. If faith remained in the god, he had power over the people.

"That's a sorry state for the great Philip the Fair." A person stood over him. The mask over their face and black hair with a white streak told him who it was: Joshua.

"The church isn't done! We can still-"

"Quiet, his Majesty wants a word."

Zuriel's footsteps echoed in Philip's ear. "You failed."

Those words struck fear into the priest.

"I told you to kill the Platted Knight, and you hired Chaldea, who couldn't finish the job. I told you to kill Chaldea, and each of your fighters died. You're now worthless." Zuriel sighed, kneeling to reach Philip's gaze. And as he put his finger across his neck, Philip felt a dagger touch his.

"Your Majesty! You can't! Not after everything I've done for Xiatian!"

"You're so annoying." Zuriel moved his finger in a slicing motion, and Joshua carved out Philip's throat. "I've been waiting to kill him."

"Your Majesty," Joshua said, cleaning his dagger. "Are you sure you wanted to come out here? Lady Azhorra-Tha will be in the throne room in less than an hour."

"I'll get going. By the way, Joshua, I have a new order for you: find the Platted Knight's saber and bring him to me."

"Why does he interest you now?"

"Since the council was suspended after the festival incident, I've been researching him. He might be Cain li Kalmana."

"The traitor who killed his brother?"

"If he's willing to betray his brother, he might be willing to betray his master."

"You're asking too much for the infamous backstabber."

"I don't care, he's a pawn in the game no matter which side he's on." Zuriel sighed as he caught a dragonfly's wings. "I'm coming, no need to send the swarm after me."

"Your Majesty, one more thing." Joshua cleared his throat before he continued. "Priscilla wants to talk to you after your meeting, it's about the supreme goddess."

"Fine, I'll see her later. It's been one day since the suspension was lifted, and THIS is what I deal with."

Lucy helped support Ophelia back to their house and sat with her and Sofitia at the table across from Chaldea. Ophelia set her teacup on the table and placed her hands on her lap. She moved to Xiatian after the deaths of Daybit and Beryl. She couldn't handle being home without them, and the others became distant from one another. As she continued to investigate, she discovered the Moon Chamber and believed it held the secret to her idol group's deaths. She took it as her base not long after, gaining her reputation as a threat to the church and the council.

With the haunted mansion's fairy dead, her mission became to stop the council. And part of that was opening the Moon Chamber. Since Alisha had half of the key, she allied with the Underworld. And because Yu found the key, she asked Chaldea to join the alliance. Yu glanced at Carmen, lost in thought. An alliance between the three rebellions against the council would make it easier for them to fight the king. However, the Underworld was a shady business. Alisha could turn on them for the right payer.

And then there was the Crypter's faction. Ophelia was recovering, and if she decided the alliance was beneath her, she could kill them all.

Carmen agreed to the alliance on the condition that it would end once Zuriel was dead. She also added that Alisha wouldn't target them in the future. They wanted nothing to do with the underworld. She handed the signed document to Ophelia, adding her notes, and left for the kitchen, where Laurine and Akko were baking a pie. Yu took over, demanding to speak with Alisha. However, she was absent. She left Molay with the underworld for a secret mission in the crystal caves. She believed it had an underground entrance into the castle. If she could get inside using the same tunnels, she could get the other half of the key.