Fate/Laoch Gan Finsceal

Chapter 7: Submarine Night Terror

FATE/LAOCH GAN FINSCEAL

"Hero Without Legend"

Chapter 7: Submarine Night Terror

The Holy Grail shone bright above an endless sea like a brilliant sun. It wasn't really the sacred cup that could grant wishes, but this one functioned more as a throne for the one person seated within the brimming contents. However, the goblet wasn't full of water, mana or wine... but of pure blood. The one who reclined within the blood was a man deteriorating into a demon. He owned the sky and the sea all around him, yet he wasn't satisfied. He languidly gazed not at the bright skies, but at the dark ocean.

Something was down there, and he wanted to retrieve it. Yet the Holy Grail kept rising higher into the sky, propelling him into unimaginable heights, but also forcing him further and further away from what he actually wanted. He didn't care about the brilliance of fame and glory waiting for him in the heavens. He would rather dive into hell and get back what he believed was rightfully his.

Far in the bottom of the ocean, away from any potential disturbances, was a small girl who slept peacefully. Due to the insignificance of her life (as far as she believed), she had been cast into darkness and destined to be forgotten as time passed on. She didn't mind her fate however. This was how it was meant to be. She didn't know what was going on in the living world, and she figured it didn't matter to her anymore. She understood that returning from this purgatory would be an affront to the world's proper course of history, and she certainly didn't want to disturb the almighty natural order.

The vapid king would not accept it any longer. He would defy that order to drag his lost treasure back to the surface. Responding to his will, the Holy Grail's bloody contents seeped over the edge and trickled upon the ocean, then poured in a deluge to turn the blue seas into a wine red color. The man fell from his demonic throne and splashed into the ocean. His spiked tail grew larger until they encompassed his slender legs and changed him into a thorny black-finned merman. As he dove deeper and deeper, more scaly plates of black armor encroached his body and covered him until he barely resembled a man anymore. Scales grew around his chin, and a large red horn painfully protruded from his forehead. He paid no heed to the rapid metamorphosis he was going through, focused solely on the treasure waiting for him at the bottom of this imaginary hadal zone.

He passed by countless fish and sea creatures on his way down. They swam away in a hurry to escape from the embodiment of the ocean's terrifying power. He reached his clawed hand into the watery abyss, seeking to grab the light surrounding the sleeping girl. She looked up to see the sea monster drawing closer and closer, intent on taking her away like prey. She couldn't move. She had no energy to flee. All she could do was watch him get closer.

He was within arm's reach of her, and they made eye contact...

****

Connla woke up with a quiet jolt.

She was still lying on the sidewalk, but found herself draped beneath Leonidas' red mantle. He must have placed it on her during the night since she didn't feel it whatsoever until now. She shuffled to her knees and spent some time breathing to calm her rapidly beating heart. The nightmare was so vivid and disturbing that it would remain in her mind for a long while after.

What in the world was that?

She hadn't stayed asleep long enough to see what the conclusion to her dream was, but she was kind of glad she woke up in time. She twisted her torso and spread her arms out to stretch her tense muscles. After loosening herself up, she leaned against the wall and pondered about the tragically hideous man in the dream.