Mikoto couldn't keep track of how long she and her friends ran.. at some point, even with her Servant level strength and stamina.. she couldn't keep going. Her mana having been drained from just trying to survive Cthulhu.
So she ended up being carried by Mordred as Okita was the one reserved to carrying Stacy.
"BLEAAGHH!" Okita vomited blood suddenly. "Oh jeez.. it happened.."
"What's wrong!?" Saber exclaimed.
"Oh she's used to vomiting blood, she was pretty sickly in her previous life." Mikoto said tiredly. "But.. wow.. doing that as a servant? Maybe you ARE injured?"
"Under normal circumstances It's like a terrible skill that comes with me upon being summoned. " grumbled Okita. "But with the new Grail War rules that have Servants needing sleep and such.. yeah this is abnormal.. I think I got hit a while back as we were getting chased."
"We need to find some place to rest.. to gather ourselves.. hide.." said Stacy. "No part of the city is completely safe though.. even with Vader and Gilgamesh holding Beast 0 back.. the attacks will cause tremors.. earthquakes.."
"The Academy.." said Mordred.. "It exists in a separate space from the world outside.. that's why you can enter through a friggin' dog house.. we can wait it out in there!"
"The rest of the New York faction could be there!" said Saber warningly.
"We don't have much of a choice either way." Stacy said.
"Yeah.. besides.. least this Stacy asshole can do is vouch for us." said Mordred.
Stacy shook her head. "My father has disowned me.. apparently my actions of late has given him the thought that I am more trouble than I'm worth.. "
"HA! Serves you right!" said Mordred. "Wait.. but that's also bad for us.."
"But.. indeed you are correct.." said Stacy quietly. "Serves me right.."
Mikoto glared quietly at Mordred.
"What!?" said Mordred.
"We can worry about the past at a later date." said Mikoto. "What matters now is that we survive.."
"Well said.." said Saber.
"I need to get Senpai some medical attention too." said Mash. "That bump on her head seems nasty.. how far are we from the Academy entrance?"
"Like a block or two.. not far.. we can be there in seconds with our speed." said Mordred.
They reached the entrance to the Academy in seemingly no time at all.. the dog familiar that had been guarding the entrance was gone, which was an ominous sign..
And to top it off, while the inside of the Academy was brightly lit, with clean walls and floors as usual.. there was nobody around.. not a student, staff member.. or even the familiars who tended to the place.. odd.. it was a school day..
"Nurse's office over there." said Mordred, wrenching open a door. "Come on.. "
The Nurse's office was filled with large beds with curtains for privacy and medical supplies, as well as books filled with healing type spells.
As Okita laid Stacy down nearby, Mordred sat Mikoto on one of the beds.
"How bad is it?" Mordred grunted, setting Clarent down next tot he bed.
"I'm fine.." Mikoto said. "I don't feel any-.."
Mordred lifted up Mikoto's armor and frowned. "Reaaaally now?"
Mikoto went pale and looked away. "Th.. that's a lot of blood.. "
"It's actually quite shallow.. don't worry.. hold on.."
After Mikoto returned to human form, Mordred took off Mikoto's shirt and set to work bandaging her up..
Mikoto couldn't help but feel embarrassed that Mordred was seeing her with her shirt off, and covered her chest, her face feeling hot. She shouldn't feel this way.. they were both girls after all.. what did she have to be embarrassed about?
"I swear.." Mordred grumbled. "Every time I turn around, you either get kidnapped, beat to a pulp, experimented on, weaponized by evil scientists, screwed by bullshit relatives.. one of these days I'm gonna wrap you in bubble wrap and put a gps chip on you.."
"Thanks Helicopter Master.." said Mikoto with a smirk.
"That actually a term?" said Mordred.
"Maybe it should be." said Mikoto. "You're a good friend.. but you can be overprotective.."
Mordred sighed. "Er.. well.. I'll be honest.. losin' you would put me in quite a pickle.. who'd be around to keep me in line?"
"..." Mikoto went silent. She thought about Touma.. then about Mordred.. never had she felt so torn..
"Alright.." Mordred said, pulling Mikoto's shirt back down over her head. "That'll do for now.. till we can find a real doctor.. least this kinda thing always held together when the Round Table was on a quest and we didn't have a healing mage with us. "
"Mordred.." Mikoto said, her face turning pinker and pinker.. "There's.. something I'm not sure how to say it... but.."
"Yeah?" Mordred asked.
Before Mikoto could say what was on her mind.. a loud clang was heard.. as a kitchen pot was seen clattering outside the door..
"WHOSE THERE!?" Saber roared, igniting Excalibur.
"Please.. don't harm me!" Hissed a voice. "Nerghal means no harm... Nerghal is good lizard... Nerghal is good thing.. yesssss.."
"Ner... who..?" Mordred muttered.
From the shadows.. a shape slithered out.. a small hooded figure.. beady yellow eyes burned bright from under the shadowy hood. "you... you Servants.. you not bad people.. you all Servants.. hmm.. Nerghal feels conflicted... there can be bad servants.. yes.. Nerghal knows.."
Saber lowered her sword carefully and looked at the others.
"His mana is there, but it's low.. he's no threat.. not a conceivable one at least.. " said Mash. "Who are you?"
"He's Nerghal apparently.." said Mikoto.
"He's a Wraith Familiar.." said Stacy. "The Mage Association keeps them around.. they're rare.. and they aren't summoned like typical familiars.. they are found and captured.. when captured they become loyal to the mage that caught them.."
"And.. they... do what exactly?" Mordred muttered as Nerghal slithered closer and began sniffing Mordred's hip like a strange dog of some sort.
"Prophecy girl!" hissed Nerghal. "PROPHECY!! We see things.. oh yes.. past.. present.. future.. in all universes.. multiverses.. our visions speak of things.. and Nerghal is Mage Association's greatest wraith... they lock Nerghal away for many years.. here in Academy Dungeon.. but finally.. Nerghal is FREEE... door unlocked.. Nerghal sneak out.. nobody here.. Nerghal have fun time!"
"They locked you away?" Mikoto said gently, frowning. "Why?"
"Nerghal knew things.. had visions other wraiths didn't... visions about... about.. "
Nerghal looked up at Mikoto, his bright yellow eyes locking with her warm brown ones. "About you... n.. not you you! But you.. and other yous... and then YOU you.."
Mikoto blinked. "What..? Visions.. about me.. .and yet not me.. and then me..?"
"COME Come! Nerghal show you.. Nerghal show you all!!" Nerghal said excitedly, shuffling out the door of the infirmary.
Mikoto followed Nerghal, along with Saber, Okita, and Mordred, as Mash stayed behind with Stacy and the unconscious Ritsuka.
There was a door, that Mikoto had always remembered was locked.. and magically enchanted to the point it felt like stone instead of wood... and now it was open.. open into what appeared to be an ordinary bedroom.. if an ordinary bedroom had a teleportation stone platform in the center, which was covered in old food trays, obviously from having used a magic system to feed it's imprisoned occupant.
All over the walls were drawings drawn in chalk.. obscuring the entire room.. rough messy drawings of strange things.. Everything from dragons, to strange people firing magic attacks.. to even something that looked a bit like Mikoto.. only there was something different.. this Mikoto had wings made of lightning.
"The tale.. the tale begins... with the first one.. the original one.. the first story!" hissed Nerghal.. crawling over to a segment of the drawings. "She came.. in glorious light.. and so did he.. the two dragons... God made them.. God told them.. they obey God.."
Nerghal held a hand to the wall.. showing a rough scribbled drawing of two dragons.. partially done in chalk, partially done in markers.. one was pure black, while the other was white.
"Elanis.. created.. yes she did.. but with creation... there must also be ruin.. so Dravis.. yes.. Dravis.. he there too! See see! He there too.. he destroy corrupt worlds.. corrupt places.. help Elanis make new things! But then LIFE come.. see.. LIFE!!"
Nerghal held up his hands as an image of two humans, a man and woman beneath a tree filled with fruit, where a serpent could be seen twisting around the trunk, and the image of a dark female figure could be seen behind the tree.
"Life came.. Dravis angry.. because now he can't just destroy everything willy nilly.. like he loves.. so he disobey god.. he start destroying.. things that shouldn't be destroyed.. the life that Elanis make.. he try to kill it all.. Elanis and Dravis.. they have big fight... and while they fight.. Corruption comes.. Corruption corrupts life.. Sin comes.. sin curses all!" Nerghal whispered.
Nerghal spread his arms out. "Then.. she come.. she and fairies.. they banish Dravis.. they save life.. and then they go to other worlds.. meet more of her... more of you.."
Nerghal then brushed his hand across a rough grim drawing of multiple hooded figures. "But that goes against order... it goes against order.. Dravis not supposed to die.. no matter how wrong he is.. no... there must always be two dragons.. yes.. two.. always.. it disrupts the order..."
Nerghal gestured to the hooded figures. "A centuries.. ancient order.. thousands of years ancient order... ancient.. so ancient.. dedicated to preserving order. Evil matters not.. good matters not.. they only wish for order.. to preserve order.. and when even the gods abandon order.. they re-establish.. even if they have to kill everyone! Order.. balance.. it is more important.. yes.. yes.. far more important.. "
Nerghal shivered. "They come here.. they come everywhere.. they think Railgun is bad.. they think Railgun disrupts order.. they won't tolerate Railgun existing..nonononononono.. and they want the ordained.. yes.. they hunt you.. they hunt you.. especially Arthur.. Arthur is Ordained.. Arthur will be hunted... all dangerous information to Association.. Association doesn't want Proctors coming.. they hide Nerghal.."
"Proctors.. Ordained... what?" Mikoto muttered.
"Don't look at me, I'm not making any sense out of the way this guy talks.." said Mordred.
"The creation of the world however, I believe Nerghal describes the old tales." said Saber.
"Old Tales?" said Mordred.
"The tale of Dravis and Elanis.. said to be created by God himself to fill the world with the forces of Destruction and Creation. But when life was made, Dravis was restricted to destroy only worlds without life.. and his prey was drastically restricted.. sparking his rebellion.. and the battle between the two dragons. It was inscribed in a tapestry, though the name Dravis only became familiar to me recently.. after Shirou... Shirou.."
Saber bit her lower lip.. it was still hard to even say Shirou's name even now.
"Proctors.. like people who make sure you don't cheat during a test?" Mikoto muttered. "Nerghal.. what does it all mean exactly?"
"Nerghal still not sure what he himself sees.. but Nerghal is free now.. free of writing prophecies in silence... Nerghal will leave now.. leave quickly!"
"Y.. you don't want to go outside right now." Mikoto said quickly.
"Of course Nerghal is aware of Cthulhu.. Nerghal is aware of ALL BEASTS! That is why Nerghal must leave!! Beasts can only attract Proctors!! Proctors bad news!!"
"What do you mean?" asked Saber. "Nerghal.. Are these.. so called Proctors.. connected to that monster?"
"THEY are EVERYTHING to do with Proctors! Yes.. Beast Servants... Man's Evil.. the Grand Servant Wars... yes... THEY ALL CREATED BY PROCTORS!! Proctors... created Beasts!! They try and imitate the gods.. they try and thwart the gods.. they try and banish the gods!!"
Nerghal pointed to a massive drawing on the far end of the room.. of multiple figures standing in clouds amid beautiful images of heaven.. fighting demons rising from below..
"The Beasts... Inferior horrible monsters.. immitate the gods they did.. they tried... but no, the gods not happy.. even though Proctors say it in name of order.. gods do not like it one bit.. great war happens.. but before great war can finish.. one god.. the great Diablo.. destroy's god world.. yes.. and humans left defenseless.. but humans come up with Grand Servant.. stop beasts for a time.. yes!"
Nerghal shivered. "Proctors are powerful.. Proctors are scary.. Nerghal know by his visions.. Nerghal don't want to meet Proctors.. "
Mikoto paused, then saw something that caught her eyes.. something drawn seemingly scrunched up under the image of the monsters fighting gods. "Nerghal.. what is that?"
There was a drawing... shown of something that looked like rough chalk drawings of Mikoto.. only each one was different..
There was one wearing Mikoto's saber clothes.. the one with wings.. another one wearing a black kimono with red eyes..one that seemed to wear a strange green hourglass around it's neck.. and there were even more... more Mikotos of all shapes and sizes.. and at the center of them all.. was a familiar sword..
"The Great Noble Phantasm.. I saw it.. only a few days ago.. in my dreams.. the red rose sword.. that unites all those who disrupt order.. disrupt it in favor of life.. in favor of true Grand Order.. Nerghal sees visions.. yes he sees visions of it.. of the uniting sword.. one that saves this city.. or leaves it to rot.. the future isn't fully written.. it is up to this sword to write it.. It is the sword of gods... the sword of uniting allies.."
Mikoto continued to stare with bated breath.. in spite of her wounds, she began to feel a vigor fill her like never before as she started to smile. "I understand it.."
"M.. Mikoto!?" said Saber.
"What do you-.." Mordred began..
Mikoto suddenly whirled around, grabbed Mordred by the shoulders and kissed her full in the mouth.
"MMMMPHHH!!" Mordred exclaimed, his face turning red, her eyes going wide "MMMM... MMPH!?"
Mikoto parted from Mordred, smiling. "In case this doesn't work.. I just.. wanted you to know... that I had just chosen.."
Mordred's lower lip trembled as tears welled up in her eyes. "I.. was waiting so long for... wait.. WHAT DO YOU MEAN IN CASE THIS DOESN'T WORK!?"
"Well.. it's very likely I'm going to die in the next hour!" said Mikoto. "Wish US luck!"
"US!?" roared Mordred.
Mikoto held out a hand, and the sword Rosarona appeared, and she smiled at it. "Percival said that it was a sword without a story.. that it couldn't yet be a Noble Phantasm because no deeds could be carved into it... but... DON'T you see!? It already HAS legends carved into it..."
Mikoto pointed at Nerghal's drawings. "There are other mes... mes.. causing mass mayhem.. and giving whoever these proctor people are a hard time!! Carving legends of their own... I'm one of the few people out there.. with OTHER mes.. and a LOT of them.. running all over dimensions! Realities! Because of the combined legends of ALL of those mes.. the sheer fact that Rosarona is mine has given Rosarona it's power!"
Mikoto laughed and held up her blade. "Rosarona's power.. is ME! Don't you get it!?"
"I.. I'm not even sure that I'm getting what you're saying!" Saber said, sounding bewildered.
"It's better just to show you all!" said Mikoto gleefully. "I don't know how much this will help against Beast 0... but.. it should do SOMETHING at least!!!"
Mikoto began to chant... the words coming by instinct..as her Noble Phantasm finally revealed itself to herself
"Across the Omegaverse... Across Time and Space.. Heroic Spirits of my origin Gather.. today we fight for a common goal... COME AND AID ME... ROSARONA REVEALING!!"
As Mikoto chanted, a bright light filled the room with radiance... and suddenly.. multiple new figures appeared in the light..
"Th.. THESE ARE ALL.." Mordred exclaimed, her jaw dropping.
"Oh.. n.. now I understand.." Saber stuttered.
******************
"KAAAABOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMM!!"
Half of New York was in ruins... as Cthulhu ripped her way through the city.. screaming with power as she hurled out beams from her eyes.. and ripped more buildings to shreds, forcing Vader to dodge from his perch..
"ENUMA ELISH!!!" Gilgamesh roared, hurling out a powerful blast from Ea.. knocking back Beast 0 only briefly.
Gilgamesh landed next to Vader, panting.. both fighters had cracked and chipped armor.. their capes shredded at the end.
"What other options do we have left?" Gilgamesh asked.
"Not many." said Vader. "This Beast 0 seems to have grown stronger than the scholars have noted.. Something is strangely at work.. empowering this beast beyond what it's normal power is.. but what..?"
Suddenly, an explosion of light ripped into the sky behind Vader and Gilgamesh..
Vader looked over his shoulder. "What..? That.. wasn't from Beast 0.."
"I'm detecting Servants.." said Gilgamesh. "Their power is.. massive.. Divine Spirits from the feel of it.. what!? These mongrels.. their power is only growing!? What kind of Servants are they!? From which faction!?"
"WWWWHOOO! Me.. SUMMONED AS A SERVANT!? Is it Christmas already! Do I get a Rate Up Banner!! Oh ohhhhh! Please don't make me welfare! I want to see people's tears when they spend so much Saint Quartz trying to get me!!" a familiar voice exclaimed.
Gilgamesh's jaw dropped. "You... have to be kidding me... HIM!!!?"
Twilight Prankster danced out of the smoke that had spread out from the light, laughing as he disconnected his head with a hand and juggled it. "IN THE TEMPORARY HEROIC SPIRIT FLESH BUDDY BOY!! I'm lucky Type Moon didn't Waifu me to get here!! Ain't that right? Amor my dear?"
An exceedingly beautiful girl with sparkling eyes, a partially transparent rainbow sparkling dress, strolled out, smiling. "Ah.. yes.. I feel less powerful.. my divinity had to be lowered to get here, we won't be able to use our full power.. but as Servants we can break far more rules than we did as normal Numensapiens hmm? Pranky dear?"
Prankster giggled, pink patches appearing on his mask. "Oooooh! Pranky eh!? You... are ABSOLUTELY my Waifu!!"
"Oh come on you two! Enough talk.. this world's version of me only has so much magic energy to keep us here before she's on her own! We need to make the most of our time here!"
Gilgamesh's eyes widened. "... you.. can't be..."
A girl who looked exactly like Mikoto Misaka walked out.. except her skin shimmered, and she wore a blue elegant dress and there were glowing lightning bolt markings on her forearms and one on her cheek under one of her eyes.. and her skin shimmered like a glorious moon. Silvery Dragon horns poked out of her hair as she smiled cheerily.
"Fulguras Adtonitus.. Archer Class Servant.." said the girl.
"Amor Caritas.. Caster Class!" said Amor with a wink.
"Twilight Prankster, Foreigner Class!! Temporary Servants WHOOP WHOOP!!" Prankster yelled.
Behind the three newcomer servants, Mikoto herself was crouched, gasping as she leaned on Mordred and Saber's shoulders, clutching her glowing blade, as if barely able to keep the three servants there. "Come on... I don't know.. how long.. I can hold it!!"
"Right! Don't underestimate the Beast." said Amor. "None of us have our full powers.. remember our divinity was lowered just so we could be summoned. So treat this like a huge level threat! No mercy!"
"Cthulhu? Seriously? THAT guy? I remember when he was just a little squidy baby!!"
"TWILIGHT... PRAAAAANKKKKSSSSTERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!" Cthulhu's voice screamed out in the minds of all present, as the beast itself spread out it's arms, it's eyes glowing with burning rage.
"Uh.. oh... it remembers you.." said Amor.
"Prankster... WHAT did you do to him?" Fulguras muttered grumpily, a few bolts of electricity jumping off her bangs.
"WHY IS IT ALWAYS SOMETHING I DID!?" Prankster exclaimed.
The other two Divine Spirits stared at Prankster with slightly raised eyebrows.
"OKAY okay! I might have slept with his wife.." Prankster muttered.
"GOD DANG IT PRANKSTER!" Fulguras roared as Amor smacked a hand to her forehead.
She didn't WANT to be married to a giant apocalyptic Squid Deity okay!?" Prankster exclaimed. "Anyways.. when you've got it.. you go for it right!? Mordred knows what I'm talking about!! Come on Mordred! Go get her! She's confessed her love so now there's nothing for it- WHAM!"
Fulguras had just punched Prankster in the head. "SHUT UP AND START FIGHTING ALREADY YA IDIOT PERVERT!"
"OW OW OW!" Prankster screamed. "OKAY OKAY!!! JEEZ!!!"
"PRANKSTER!!! KILLL PRAAANKSTER!!! KILLL TWILIGHT PRANKSTEERRRRRRRRRRR!!" Cthulhu charged furiously, ripping buildings apart as giant waves of terrible red energy churned around Beast 0. "KIIIIILLLLL... PRAAAANKSTERRRRRRRR!"
"Oh.. hold on... " Prankster snapped his fingers, and suddenly, a large cartoonish looking mallet the size of a sky scraper appeared next to Cthulhu. "Gotta take this call."
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAMMMMMMM!!" the mallet exploded into Cthulhu, sending him flying into the air.
As this happened, Amor appeared above Beast 0 in a flash of light.
"Beauty.. love... it is pain.. it is.. an extravagant blessing!!" Amor smiled as she spread out her hands. "BLESSED AURORAAAA!!!"
A massive beam of rainbow light erupted down upon Cthulhu.. blasting him straight into the earth, causing the entire planet to tremble.
"That attack... that alone was strong enough to match an Anti-World Noble Phantasm!" Vader growled with amazement. "And yet.. they claim their divinity to be lowered? These.. aren't ordinary gods the girl has summoned. "
At that moment Fulguras appeared in a flash of silvery blue lightning right in front of Cthulhu as it groaned and started to get up.
Fulguras puffed up her cheeks.. as a massive charge of lightning erupted around her body.. and every electronic device for miles shorted out from the immense static in the air. "Roar... of... THE THUNDER DRAGON!!!"
Fulguras exhaled a massive electrical beam.. ripping the the buildings along it's path into dust as it slammed right into Cthulhu's head.
"RRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRR!!" Cthulhu staggered back, clutching it's head, screaming.
"It's still standing...?" Fulguras said, blinking with slight shock. "How tough is this thing!? Even if our divinity is lowered.. we should be able to beat a Beast!"
"Beast 0 Is unique among the Beasts, that's why it isn't numbered.." said Amor, landing next to Fulguras. "Dear daughter... the fact we were summoned here with only 1 percent of our entire power might be a larger disadvantage than you know..
Cthulhu shook itself off, before roaring again.. and the sky turned a deeper blood red.
"Wh.. what do we do?" Mikoto gasped.
"You keep your Noble Phantasm running as much as you can.." said Fulguras. "And we take it down.. you can do it.. you've come so far.. don't give up!!"
Mikoto nodded. "I... I don't intend to.."
You're Welcome Mikoto X Mordred fans..