The Hound's Moon

Gaudy King

--Chapter 25--
Gaudy King

Chains from unknown dimensions scorched the villa as the teens and raven carefully walked through the hallways. The destructive sounds of the villa creaking due to the fight became extremely clear that no one was going to escape completely unscathed. If someone did, it would be a miracle. The group of three decided to split into two formations―the teens through one hallway, the raven in the other. It was a risky idea due to the vulnerability that labeled all over the plan.

They eventually met back up in an area with an open room, which seemed to be a rather large open room. It was rather a dramatic first-floor room with a grand staircase leading to the second floor, where the three were hiding behind the balcony of the second. The raven saw a young white-haired girl―no more than probably middle school age―with a giant dark-skinned person of some sorts next to her. The opposite side of them was a blonde male, to whom Yuuki recalled before.

'Wasn't that... the person with that purple-haired teen?' She watched as the blonde wasn't just a normal person, but rather a servant with... very gaudy weapons. The raven also noticed that those chains were something she faced as well. 'Wait, so he worked with Kotomine?! This... ugh! I really hate that priest! If I see him once more, although I really don't want to, I'm going to beat him to a pulp!' She gritted her teeth as she saw the fight played out.

'For a young child to be participating in the war... I can't understand why the world of the mages had to end up to this type of verdict.' A quick scan of the mana in the area and she knew that the giant by that middle-school girl had to be a servant. 'Rider is gone... Saber, Lancer, and Archer are already known... Caster resides in the church and he doesn't seem to be an Assassin type. That leads to him being Berserker.'

The more she saw the fight happen and how it proceeded, the more angry and frustrated she got. Her ideals of trying to help human beings felt crushed as she saw the Einzbern girl struggle fighting under the hands of the Blonde servant. The adult looked over toward the opposite side as Emiya, too, was struggling. Her hands balled up as she heard the blonde speak.

"...I see. Then die with your mistress." The raven's eyes stared down at the servant as dimensional pockets of golden-like weapons appeared in the air. It looked like fireworks blasting down in a coordinated pathway as the Berserker servant attempted to deflect most of them from hurting his small Master. "Don't lose... BERSERKER!!!" She heard the Einzbern yell in distress as her servant roared in anger.

The blonde mischievously grinned as his weapons began spawning. "In that case... I shall give you the greatest of the labors!" The entire room lit up in a yellow-like hue as the weapons spawned all behind him. The firearms shot through the air as the servant deflected some, taking others with his large body. He roared in outrage as one of the weapons took its life. "That makes eleven! You've run out of chances, Heracles!" The blonde shouted in glee. Uproars rang through the room as the large servant ran toward the blonde but to no avail as spears rained down on his back.

Unable to stay down for any longer, the raven cautiously made her way through the balcony of the second floor to get a closer look. "S-Satou-san..!" The adult heard the female teen half whisper, half shout in anxiety. Yuuki ignored the teen and continued her way forward. She held calibrated pebbles of her runes within the crevices of her fingers in a way where they could be thrown easily. The closer she got, the vibrations of the battle increased.

"...Had he forsaken his mistress at once, he would have stood a chance..." Pools of the dimensional space disappeared as the overpowered servant walked toward the young girl. "Ultimately, he was no more than a lowly beast? For one who just lived to fight? I had hoped for the better from a fellow demigod at the very least." He stopped in front of the servant with the infamous name. "I did not take you to be such a fool..."

The adult heard a soft yet an anguished cry as Heracles stood up, about to swing his large sword towards the smaller male. It didn't phase the male for the demigod berserker instantly jumped back. 'It's now or never...!' The adult instantly strengthened her legs as she dropped down towards the Einzbern girl. "Illyaviel von Einzbern, you're backing up for now...!" Crimson eyes met with emerald orbs as the girl felt shocked and overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of the raven. "Wh-Who...?!" The adult grabbed the girl by her sides as she leaped toward the top of the staircase. "B-But Berserker...!"

A roar came from the large servant, giving a response only the small girl understood. "Huh... Looks like a rat snuck into the place. No worries." The blond grinned at the two beings on the midst of the stairs. "You're staying here regardless, mongrels." Chains came raining down once more to both Heracles and the two on the stairs. "Let me go whoever you are...!" The girl batted the raven's back in frustrations as the adult winced, carrying her while dodging the chains to the best of her abilities. Berserker, too, dodged the chains only to be planted to the ground by them as it wrapped around his entire body. "Stop...! Return to me, Berserker...!"

"Why? I told you to come back inside me, so why don't you―" The chains caught onto the raven's foot, forcing the two into the air as Yuuki grunted in pain and accidentally let go of the girl. Illyasviel dropped toward the ground, tumbling down the stairs as she tried to regain her balance. "Damn... Blonde...!" The raven hung lop-sided as she yelled at the male. "You're a fool to try and escape my chains, woman. And it's no use, little puppet. The Chains of Heaven! Anything bound in these chains cannot escape, even more so for those with high divinity levels to bind to them more tightly. This man is no exception. As if I would allow a Command Seal to teleport him away."

The male scoffed as he waved his hand in the air, a large golden arrow appeared from his gates and shot through Heracles. The girl gasped and shouted in distress as she saw the weapon go through her precious servant. "You brute...! Let me go this instance!" The adult shouted at the blonde. "A mongrel dare to speak with that type of tone towards me? Such foolishness." The chains that held the adult shook as she, too, shook in the air causing her to feel nauseous at the motion.

He casually pulled out a simple long sword from his gates and walked toward the Einzbern girl. The moment she turned, the sword removed her vision in an instant. "BASTARD...!" Yuuki threw her runed pebbles at the blonde but to no avail that it was quickly deflected by his weapon. The adult cried in anger and discomfort seeing the young girl get slashed so easily. "It's useless, woman. Nothing in your possession can help this vessel."

The raven, seeing all this happen right before her eyes, struggled with all her might to escape from the chains that the male had containing her. It didn't matter that the girl could've been the enemy. She was a human being―just like the rest of the people―so she would do her best to help them out. The chains dug into her leg, forming markings and caused her to groan in pain. A sudden glint appeared on the damaged Berserker as he broke free from the chains. This made the Blonde flinched in shock as Heracles ran toward him. A mere few inches were where the demigod's hand reached before he completely disappeared into thin air after being impaled by the weapons once more. "Troublesome man... You surpassed your own myth to the very end."

"Stop it, you bastard...!" Emiya shouted after appearing from the shadows of the balcony. A great sword appeared from a portal and quickly shot under the teen, instantly breaking the balcony floor and causing him to fall straight down to the first floor. "Leave him alone...!" The adult groaned as she felt numbness appear within her legs. Emerald eyes widened as the Blonde's hand broke through the corpse of the young girl to attain her heart. She shrieked at the top of her lungs as a multitude of emotions―anger, distress, agony, and ache―rushed throughout her body before she blacked out.

---

AN: Oh boy. This scene... It made me feel hurt when I saw Illya just die like that. Even though her ideas were a tad twisted, it's just sad aftermath that left my mouth feel dry. I DON'T REGRET USING THE PICTURE. IT MADE ME LAUGH.

Preview Picture:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6f/46/9e/6f469e6ab81405d185541641076e5acf.png