I hummed to myself as I walked with a little pep in my step.
It had been a rather hectic few days with everyone running around. It had been tiring, but the good kind of tiring since we had gotten so much done. It sucked that we were constantly on the move dealing with things, but it's starting to slow down now.
For a bit, it was difficult to get everyone in the same room. However, that's mostly coming to an end now. We cleared out a lot of problems that were plaguing Yasaka. Random idiots roaming around and causing trouble. Some other issues with certain resources that were needed as well. By no means was everything 'fixed', but the situation was certainly stabilized now.
I'd only seen 'some' of the paperwork that Yasaka had to deal with, and I did not envy her having to manage a faction like this.
We had enough of a lull in actionable measures that needed to be taken to the point where we could begin planning a bigger operation.
And for that, I found myself staring up at the multitude of colors that ran through the Colored Rooms – Meridia's realm.
"Odd." I muttered noticing the distinct lack of Meridia, even as I appeared in the overlapped space that was her 'throne room' that resided within her realm. The throne in of itself served no purpose as she had almost a complete omnipotent control of her realm and this wasn't even a 'centralized' location as it was pretty desolate.
I knew that there were beings that resided her, worshippers and such that pledged themselves to Meridia. Perhaps she allowed audiences from this place?
Oh well, I took the seat for myself, a curious thought on how it felt to sit there. And it was surprisingly comfortable, I think Meridia did something to it to make it more pleasant to sit in.
It didn't take long for Meridia to pop back over. I don't think there would normally be any indication I could have sensed, yet she appeared with a noticeable sound. Probably for my own benefit.
My lips curled up as she raised an eyebrow, obviously looking at me in her throne. "This is a nice seat. I think I'll keep it." I sat up straighter.
"Will you now?" She crossed her arms.
"I declare myself, the new Ruler." I stated. "You may bow before my majesty!"
"Oh, are you? And what commands do you have for my, your majesty." She said dryly.
I cleared my throat. "Listen, hear me and obey –"
"Don't you dare!" She interrupted me her face turning bright red. "Y-you're not allowed to bring that up anymore!" She huffed cutely. "Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was?"
Remembering how I first met Meridia, it always brought a smile to my face. "Honestly, I can only remember how cute you were."
She let out another indignant huff, turning her head slightly. "You always spout the most ridiculous things." She pursed her lips walking towards me. "Now, get your rear out of my throne, you silly man."
"Hmm, how about we share?" I offered, patting my lap.
"You will merely use this as an excuse to molest my legs."
"Yup."
"You do not even deny it anymore. Your perversions just continue." She sounded against it, but she plopped down in my lap with an almost expectant look on her face.
My hands already found her thighs, running up and down their length. "You dangle these infront of me and expect me to sit still?" I whispered. "You still say you didn't seduce me the first time we met, huh?"
"I did no such thing! You just take a perverse enjoyment in teasing me." She huffed, cheeks still maintaining a light red. "If it were not so endearing, I would have slapped you out of oblivion by now." She grumbled. "How my heart beats faster at your touch, I do not understand."
"And when you say things like that, it just makes it harder and harder to hold back." My hands made their way up the edge of her dress, pulling it up to reveal a bit more. I could hear her breathing hitch as I brushed against her inner thigh. "Oh my, no undergarments, huh?"
"W-why would I bother with such a thing." She muttered. "There is only one man in existence who is allowed to even approach me in such a way, let alone have the gall to undress me as he wishes."
"So I can undress you as I wish, hmm?" I kissed her neck, nudging down the collar of her robes.
"C-cease your lecherous touching. If you continue any further –" Her voice went very quiet. "You came to fetch me, yes? I do not wish for the others to see me in such an embarrassing state after you have thoroughly –" She didn't finish, opting to huff and burying her head into my chest.
"After we've what?" I teased her.
"You're going to make me say it, aren't you?"
The feeling of her melting in my arms, it was addicting. Something could be said for having such a powerful woman act like this for me. "You know me so well~"
"After…we make love." She whispered.
I wrapped my arms around her instead of my continued groping. I could feel her heart beat as we enjoyed the moment of silence. Even if I knew this form of hers was 'created' from her own whims, it still was enough for me to feel the affection she gave off.
"As much as I love doing this – "
"I can feel how much you 'enjoy' this right now as it is pushing against my rear." She deadpanned.
"—We should probably head over."
"Mmm, very well. Though I do not think I am needed. I am unable to bring my…..full force over there as I cannot leave my realm vacant otherwise the others would notice. Not to mention, my power being displayed in any capacity may be more trouble than it's worth."
"Meridia, it's fine." I reached out, rubbing her hand. "You just being there means enough to everyone."
"Fine." She huffed again, something she tended to do to hide her emotions. "Let us depart."
At that, I scooped her up into my arms and stood up.
"D-don't you dare!" She squeaked out. "Wilhelm!" She had the bright red hue back on her cheeks as I opened a new portal and stepped through.
***
We stepped out into the training area, the sounds of painful whines filled the courtyard.
"Oh quit your crying, you little girls. I thought I was training some elite guards, and what did I get? A bunch of chicks barely out of the nest." Scáthach began to berate them as she kicked a Tengu to the side.
She paused in her beatings – training and looked at us. Her gaze landed on Meridia who stared back. Scáthach's lips curled up and Meridia huffed, turning to a scowl herself, though her bright red cheeks never dissipated.
"Are you happy? You once again bring me unbearable embarrassment." She pushed her head into my chest to hide her face. "How am I supposed to show my face after such nonsense!?"
"I can't help it, teasing you gives me life."
"You're horrible. Release me….." Her words muffled. "I wish to walk this world for a few moments."
I set her down and she short me a glare, crossing her arms with a pout. I held my hand out to her and she pursed her lips, letting out another huff before taking it in hers.
She'd been here before, but never really….looked around. It was her first true time being out of her universe that wasn't at my home.
She reached down and touched the grass, just a pure curious action as she gabbed some dirt between her fingers.
"It feels so similar."
"THAT WAS PATHETIC." Scáthach roared, sending another few Tengu flying away as several more tried to attack her.
"She is quite relentless." Meridia muttered.
"That she is." I gave her hand a squeeze, earning back her attention. "You know, you're allowed to come here whenever you want. And not just here, anywhere you want."
"I…..may make use of that in the future. There are so many things I have yet to discover, which is odd for me. I am very old and for the first time in a very long time, I have something 'new' to explore." She looked up and leaned in, quickly kissing me. Meridia wasn't one for doing stuff like that in person, so it only served to reinforce her intent. "You have given me a great gift. Even if I am unable to partake very often, I will enjoy experiencing these new places."
As long as she was happy, that's all that really mattered.
"If you're not going to use your legs properly, then I'll cut them off!" Scáthach shouted.
"NO, I'M SORRY!" The Tengu shouted.
"BE SORRY IN THE CORNER." She tossed him into the wall.
"….is this truly an effective training method?" Meridia asked.
"She's actually pointing out their flaws and following it up with a painful reminder. She escalates if they continue to make the same mistakes." I replied.
"Aaaaah!" A painful cry sounded out.
"And what lesson did that one just learn after getting kneed in the groin?"
"I think he tried to aggressively flirt with her the other day." I tilted my head.
"Ah, a pivotal lesson then." She nodded in approval.
"Young Lord." I turned my head, seeing Soma fly down before us, respectfully bowing his head. "And….Lady Meridia?" He said hesitantly.
"Yes." Meridia picked up on it and confirmed her identity.
"Lady Yasaka is awaiting you both, shall I lead the way after fetching Lady Scáthach?" He offered.
"No need, I am here." Scáthach walked over. "This lot is already done for the day." She turned back to them. "THESE PITIFUL EXCUSES FOR WARRIORS GET OFF EARLY SINCE THEY CAN'T HANDLE MY FULL TRAINING REGIME." She snorted, before turning back to us.
"That bad?" I asked.
"Oh no, they are actually doing quite well. But they are an arrogant lot, so any praise would swell their heads." She laughed.
"Huh…"
"Soma here is one of the best learners of the group." Scáthach looked at our escort. "Give it a few years, and he would be in what they call 'ultimate class'."
"You over praise me, Lady Scáthach." He bowed his head.
"He had a good attitude, makes training him easier." She nodded in approval.
That's pretty high praise from her. And ultimate class was nothing to dismiss. Even if the 'group' has such a wide margin that it included Gods and random other species inside.
"I look forward to your lessons tomorrow." He had a small smile on his face. "It is a rare privilege to be trained by such an illustrious figure."
Scáthach let out another laugh. "This one will continue to sing my praises even as I plant my foot into his kidneys." She turned to me. "Why does my man not treat me the same, hmm?"
"Because you're a sadist." I offered.
"Yes, and it seems you are a masochist for all these beatings you invite." She snorted, sneaking a quick kiss on my cheek.
Soma didn't react, I think at this point, most people here knew that Scáthach was my woman, along with the others. Though, there were a few troublemakers who didn't seem to quite understand that a few days ago, i.e. the idiot who was still crying on the ground.
"Meridia, it is good to see you outside." Scáthach smiled towards her.
"Yes, it is hard to escape my….duties. But I find myself excited when…..outside." She chose her worlds carefully around other people.
"I can relate. I spent so long performing my own 'duties' that coming outside was almost overwhelming." She let out a content sigh. "But I believe I have held us up long enough. I am sure that Artoria is pacing around impatiently."
"Alright, let's go." I smiled.
"I shall lead the way." Soma gestured to follow.
***
"You're finally here." It was Rin who spoke up first, arms crossed, staring at us as we entered a room in a more secured part of Yasaka's estate.
I looked around to see pretty much everyone here, even the two wayward Servants had been dragged in. I gave a nod towards them that they reciprocated in kind.
"My lessons carried on longer than I had anticipated." Scáthach replied.
"Are my men doing good then?" Yasaka asked.
"Their performance has had a noticeable improvement from day to day. I have never trained any 'Youkai' before this experience, but I can't help but wonder if they have an inherent adaptation that allows them to facilitate such growth."
"That's an interesting thought." I rubbed my chin. "Perhaps their origins being linked to 'imagination' and as such lends itself to the ability to go beyond perceived boundaries easier with a bit of pressure?" I voiced my thoughts out loud.
"Wilhelm, you're getting distracted." Meridia lightly poked me.
"Right, right." I pushed the distracting thoughts away. "Sorry, ignore me."
"If only we could." Rin said dryly.
I blew her raspberry.
"Everyone is here." Artoria took our attention. "Rider, Archer, thank you both for participating." She said to the other two servants.
"Yeah, no problem." Achilles smiled. "Sounded pretty interesting anyways, but the pay sounds good too."
"And we would gladly help." Atalanta, rolled her eyes at him. "If nothing else, we do owe a debt that should be repaid."
Kinda curious what they've been up to since I hadn't heard a peep about them recently.
Artoria gestured to the large table set up in the middle of the room. "We have a few pictures of our target. The Castle that houses the Pendragon Family." She unfurled the large images for everyone to see.
Kairi who was next to Mordred let out a whistle. "Just from the structural point of view, that looks pretty impressive. It's probably protected by every magical defense under the sun."
"That is correct." Arthur who was keeping quiet in the back spoke up, eyes turning to him. "The Pendragon family has close ties to the Golden Dawn, so defenses around the Castle are some of the best in the world."
"How good we talkin?" Mordred asked.
"Oh, I can probably answer this." Jinn perked up. "I've been reading over some of the more common magics practiced around here, and from what I've seen and what I've been told…..they should be a bit stronger than the – Yggdmillennia Castle you experienced."
Hmm, I did tell her about how well her Dust bombs turned out.
"So, I'll just blast it with my Noble Phantasm." Mordred crossed her arms.
"And potentially kill everyone inside?" I replied.
"In another situation, the more direct method would have been the preferred one." Artoria stated. "But as it stands, there are two people we wish to remove from the Castle without harm, which takes the priority."
"Yes, I have confirmed through my sister that they are both within the castle at the moment. However, I did not ask for specifics as I did not know if Le Fay was being monitored." Arthur explained.
"A rescue mission then." Kairi grunted. "Makes things more complicated."
"Yes, I am confidant that many of us could siege the castle by ourselves, but I do not wish to leave anything to chance. I hope for this to be meticulous, and quick. I wish them to surrender or be incapacitated in as little time as possible…..and perhaps leave as many alive as we can." She added on with a strange look on her face.
"Yes, and there is the possibility of escalation beyond what you would prefer." Yasaka began to speak. "Pushed into a corner, it's possible they call in reinforcements from the church."
"Aren't the Church and them allies, shouldn't they help regardless?" Rin asked.
"Only on the surface." Arthur spoke up again. "The Church is more likely to fish in troubled waters than help the Pendragon Family. Given the opportunity, they would absorb them to empower themselves."
"So, same old Church as usual." Kairi snorted. "Never did like working with Exorcists."
"Mmm, worse case scenario, Heaven becomes involved and then it becomes a large mess." Yasaka added. "If that happens, I don't think I would escape their gazes either due to our relations. I may have to play a few cards to dissuade them from pushing any matters. However, that is very unlikely, but it should be noted as a possibility. And I would hate for the Shinto Pantheon to also get involved as a result."
"Oh, you got card to play against Heaven?' I quirked an eyebrow.
"Why yes, thanks to you. That young woman with the Blade Blacksmith Sacred Gear. Heaven may be willing to bargain for her either for her identity or her Sacred Gear." Yasaka replied.
Oh, forgot about them. I guess she did still have most of them stashed away.
"It has been awhile since I've been involved in such a military operation." Raikou spoke up for the first time. "What are your plans, Artoria?"
"I wish to...attempt negotiations." She sighed. "I know it will probably not provide any results, but I cannot simply attack without trying."
The look on her face, it really probably grated on her. I could see how much this family was upsetting her by how they operated. But she had her pride as a Knight, if words could solve a problem, she would attempt them.
"Whatever you want, we'll back you up." I answered.
"Thank you." She muttered. "And please remember, that part of the reason for this approach is so we can settle this as quietly and quickly as possible."
"That's right." Yasaka nodded. "You all may be able to get up and run around, but you're known to be associated with me and I'm stuck here. So any consequences will fall on me if things become too.....chaotic."
"So, got an attack plan? You said the defenses are probably really strong, and we can't just noble Phantasm our way through them. So, how we taking down the defenses?"
"I made a little something when Artoria spoke to me a few days ago." Jinn perked up, withdrawing a strange contraption from her storage bracelet. "Based on my first Dust Bombs I made Wilhelm."
"You made those." Mordred blinked. "Those were amazing, can I get some later?"
Jinn giggled. "I'd be happy to make you some."
"Joy." Artoria muttered under her breath, but didn't interrupt.
"These are infused with Gravity dust." Jinn continued on. "I have four in total and they link up with one another after being activated. They're going to bombard the barriers with different gravitational anomalies at the same time, which should disrupt the defenses."
"Oh, that's smart." Rin snapped her fingers. "Distorting the Gravity around the area in four different ways. I highly doubt their defenses are equipped to manage that. They'll probably be unable to compensate and crumble under the constant shifting."
Indeed, their defenses were probably created in mind to withstand a siege, not a fundamental shift in the world around it at different wavelengths all at the same time.
"As I said, securing the two people inside is the priority." Artoria reiterated. "Arthur's sister, for whom we have a picture." She placed it on the table for everyone to see.
She wore a cute witches hat…..
Had the urge to get her head pats.
"And a….Maid that is of significance to him as well." She placed another picture down. "Elaine Westcott. Both are apparently skilled in magic, so be aware of that in case they mistake you for enemies."
"Alright, can't wait to kick their assess." Mordred smirked.
"I wouldn't mind seeing their combat abilities as well." Scáthach shared a similar look. "Tell me where you require me to be, I shall follow your lead."
I didn't really feel the need to mention that this would bring attention onto all of them. I'd already blown that open a bit with my whole mess, but they were still relatively unknown. But they're able to make their own decisions, and I wouldn't dissuade them from the paths they chose at this point.
One thing's for sure as I glanced at Artoria.
The Pendragon family was in for a rough time.
"We will move in the morning." Artoria stated.
***
If you want to read 7 chapters ahead or support me, visit my pat.reon.com/astoryforone
We have a discord -- JbwkdNDt7F