"Now then." Aston cracked his neck and looked around with an unamused expression on his face.
The rain had disappeared, the dark clouds replaced by a starry night sky but the earth beneath them was still wet and muddy. Several mountains in the distance had been all but vapourised amidst a conflict and he could feel no servant other than himself and Saber.
Strangely enough though, Caster's body was lying near the temple, impaled through the back by a multitude of different weapons but...
Aston scratched his cheek, confused, "Who do you expect to deceive? Is this what limited intelligence does to people?" He addressed the 'corpse', putting on his usual gentle smile, "Well, no matter."
Calmly and delicately, he nudged the silent Artoria back and rose to his feet with a small sigh.
No matter how much he wanted to stay in her embrace, there was still something he needed to do.
"Acceleration huh?" Bazett crossed her arms, glancing at the destruction from the corner of her eye, attempting to rationalise the sheer raw power exhibited by her servant. If this was the level of power his noble phantasm could command, it made sense that she couldn't support it, "Is this really as legend would have it?"
"Of course not," Aston paused, thinking for a moment, "Maybe, this is a rather strange world." His helmet faded out of existence as he looked around, as if searching for something.
"The basis of my abilities is Three x Two, Nine Y Z, Four A."
In reaction to his words, sparks of white lightning arched off his figure, their intensity spiking to unprecedented levels as he raised his hand to stare at it, a glint of satisfaction crossing his dull blue eyes.
Bazett scratched the back of her head, holding her other hand against her waist, "I don't get it. What do the variables stand for?" She tried to maintain a calm demeanour in an attempt to normalise what was happening.
"I spent so long parsing that I almost forgot myself. If it does that to one such as I, I fear for what would happen to one like yourself with the levels of genius you've displayed so far." The Lancer deadpanned at his former Master, before his gaze locked onto another area of terrain, "That said, I doubt huma-, nevermind."
His source of a power was a foreign influence non-native to their world and fabric of reality, his understanding of it was at a level where he could be a threat to continuity if his access was left unchecked.
The contract that made him a native human was one that severed, or rather, completely barred his connection to said influence because the powers that be were too pragmatic to take his compassion as collateral.
The speed he could exhibit naturally was due to his prolonged exposure and understanding, letting him produce the force (influence) himself, albeit at an abysmal level compared to what was possible otherwise.
Though, there were exceptions, exceptions such as now.
Aston appeared in the sky, and controlling his acceleration such that it would only cause physical harm, he shot down at the forest, ripping through the ground and right into the cavern that housed the object this war was being fought over before going back up.
The exceptions, so to speak, were cases where humanity was in existential danger.
Then he could gain access to the power he truly possessed and then some, boosted to some degree by the collective subconscious of humanity.
"Mutual benefit eh?" That was it called this but Aston couldn't help but see it as corporate slavery.
The partial release of his contract came with a command, to destroy the current threat. Upon completion, the contract would be enforced again BUT, as incentive, he was free to live peacefully granted he exercised his power within limits.
The 'Holy Grail' wasn't as 'Holy' as the Church would like to call it and apparently housed an Evil God that would be released upon a wish being made. It would go on to destroy over half the world before any immediate action could be taken against it.
Contract or not, that wasn't something Aston could let happen if he could do something about it.
"Unfortunately for you, I possess no desire to sacrifice myself if it's unnecessary."
Resolving himself, he vibrated his hand faster than his own body, at such a speed where he could atomise the shards of the corrupted grail Medea had planted in him.
It was only natural that once the Grail was destroyed, the Evil God would attempt to reside in the shards and possibly take over him. The only person that would then be capable of having a chance at stopping him would be Artoria, why would he put her through such pain?
With the shards gone, Aston smirked slightly before bursting towards the ground.
*
What was moments of thought and action for Aston didn't even amount to a fraction of a second to Bazett who only saw Aston disappear before a massive explosion erupted near them, blowing open a massive crevice into the mountain and disrupting the lake nearby causing flooding.
A massive earthquake shook Fuyuki, rattling it's many citizens before it stopped abruptly, as if it had never occurred.
Bazett stumbled but instantly regained her footing and curiously scrutinised the destruction wrought about by her servant, she'd really lucked out, hadn't she?
The Enforcer's magenta eyes quivered, she'd also fucked epically in losing him to a witch known for betrayal. She took a deep breath and pursed lips, hoping that it wouldn't strain their relationship too much, she didn't have that many friends...
Her thoughts went right out the window when what she presumed was Lancer appeared in front of her, a massive grin etched across his face.
"L-Lancer? What happened?" She asked, her face contorting in shock and confusion.
The Knight of Atrocity who slaughtered enough to earn himself the title of Scourge, killed off servants like they were normal humans, could put the world at risk with his power was dressed in knee-length blue shorts and a red half-sleeved button-up shirt that had yellow leaves patterned over it, wearing a straw hat with a rope strap and giving her a thumbs up..
Bazett felt she was done with his shit.
With jaw hanging low and a mouth that refused to speak, she pointed at the crevice and then at the servant, repeating the motion several times, "That, how? What? Where?"
"Speed, new clothes, beach nation?" Aston tilted his head, a hand on his chin, "I've even had a revelation." Moving fast enough that others barely moved gave one a lot of time with himself, "Who would have thought." The servant mused, observing the consequences of his actions with apprehensive eyes.
"The War's over? Just like that?" Rin Tohsaka made her presence known with a question, dumbfounded at what had just transpired. In doing so however, she interrupted the two already conversing
"Young lady, did your father not teach you manners?"
"He's ..dead?"
"Explains a lot."
Rin wanted to kick the servant but was stopped by Bazett's pitying gaze and understanding nod, conveying that she understood the desire all too well.
"Caster has disappeared."
Artoria's face held no emotions as she spoke, drawing Excalibur and looking around cautiously, "What have you done, Aston?" She inquired curiously, something felt off.
"Would you believe our people think their current ruler is an immortal vampire?" The Knight of Atrocity attempted to change the topic.
"Did you destroy the Grail?"
He failed.
"They've also lost appreciation for food."
"Explain."
He succeeded.
"Would you believe that they eat beans with toast..."
* * *
I find the quality of this chapter questionable, but considering I wrote it a while ago, I got no idea what I was going for at the time other than wanting to get to the Camelot arc already which is now 4 chapters in if I remember right.
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You can find up to 7 chapters ahead at patre0n.com/bleap