18FATE/LÚNASA FÓMHAR
"August Harvest"
Chapter 1: War of Two – Redux
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This and any future stories involving Connla will assume that you have read all previous stories, so some details already covered there will not be explained here. If you haven't read those, I recommend you do so before this one so you aren't too confused.
It was a scorching hot day in the middle of colonial America's western deserts. Since the European migrants who settled in eastern America had not explored these lands yet, there were no viable settlements other than old camps that had long since been abandoned by nomadic Native American tribes. Hundreds of cicadas chirped in unison, and the blaring sun's incredible heat made the scene all the more desolate and oppressive. Yet somehow, this blasted wasteland that would otherwise be totally silent was the stage for an intense battle.
"Hagalaz!" a seven-year old girl shouted. She thrust her palm forth and sprayed a vicious hailstorm from a Rune she conjured over her hand, aiming it directly at a pair of werewolves that were bearing down on her. Although the beasts were much larger in stature compared to the child warrior, they were easily torn asunder into bloody chunks of meat. Most children her age would have been frightened of such a grisly scene, but she barely reacted to the sight and concentrated on slashing her spear around in an arc. The blade carved through another werewolf's abdomen and eviscerated it instantly.
While she was preoccupied with dispatching the smaller enemies, her lone partner leapt high over a hovering wyvern and pointed his massive spiked polearm down upon its cranium. The blade cracked through the skull like a broken egg, instantly killing the monster before they both reached the ground. The attack was so violent that it left the dragon's brains splattered all over the dusty earth. The hooded man was just as complacent as the little girl, not sparing a moment to celebrate his victory because he had to focus on the next wyvern swooping in low for him.
Just then, the girl vaulted off her spear like a high-jump athlete would off a pole, and she elegantly swiped at one of its wings to cut it clean off. The monster lost its equilibrium and howled in both rage and pain while falling towards the man. He grinned at his little partner's cleverness, then likewise slashed his weapon in a semicircle right as the wyvern passed by him. As quickly as it happened, its neck was severed from the rest of its body and fell in a separate direction from the collapsing bulk. Dust rose around the decapitated corpse, and the pair stood together to observe the dead monsters disappearing in plumes of dark ash.
"Phew…" the girl sighed and wiped her sweating forehead. She felt so woozy that her brain was practically doing somersaults inside her skull.
"You okay?" the monstrous fellow asked in a surprisingly concerned tone. "This kind of heat isn't good for a kid like yourself."
She looked up at him. Standing side-by-side, the top of her head just barely reached his waist, and he also sported a long spiked tail that swayed in the arid wind. If she didn't know him already, she definitely would have been intimidated by such a frightening-looking man. However, they were partners who needed to rely on each other to survive in this wasteland. It also helped that they already shared one of the strongest relationships that two people could have with each other.
"Don't worry about me, Father," she assured. "We're Servants, so this isn't going to kill me."
"Stop trying to act so tough," he snapped harshly and turned to take the lead ahead of her. "You just recovered from that pell-mell in Denmark. If you go getting heat stroke on me, you'll wind up in the same sorry state the next time more of those things attack us."
"It's okay. I can use some aquatic Runes to hydrate myself, if needed. Speaking of which, do you need some water?"
"I'm fine. Focus on taking care of yourself first."
"Mm," the girl mumbled, then hurried to his side and muttered, "Even so, how in the world did we wind up in this mess?"
"You're the one who suggested we perform a Rayshift despite knowing the risks. You made our bed, now we have to sleep in it."
"I know. It's just bothering me, though…"
Five hours ago…
A small hand reached up for the door leading to Leonardo Da Vinci's workshop, then knocked several times. A chirpy female voice exclaimed on the other side, "Come in!"
The child Servant entered, tucking a plushie version of the gruff tailed man beneath her arm, as she approached the genius inventor with a timid expression plastered all over her face. Da Vinci beamed, "Ah, if it isn't Connla! Are you doing well?"
"I'm much better than before," the young girl replied. "My injuries are more or less gone, and the hallucinations have settled down."
"That's good. I heard you were in the ICU for quite a long time."
"Um, about that… I understand that I was dreaming about the other 'me' for six whole weeks. That means I missed out on everything from the remainder of April and all of May."
"I know, but it can't be helped. With the current technology and capabilities we possess, we simply don't have a way to force your mind back into your body while you're in that state."
"I understand that, but I actually want to know if I missed out on much… or at least, anything that I should have been awake to help Master out with."
Da Vinci raised an eyebrow. She knew that someone as dutiful as Connla would fret about her contributions (or apparent lack thereof) to Chaldea. After a moment, she replied, "You really should learn to give those nerves a rest, missy. The Denmark Singularity might not have been part of Chaldea's primary objective, but it is important for us to resolve any lesser incidents before they can actually become a genuine threat to humanity. In that case, you and your partners performed a stellar job in doing what you could with the limited resources you had before re-establishing contact with us. On top of that, we got ourselves an amazing Saber after Sigurd made a contract with Ritsuka. In my opinion, your safe return is nothing short of a miracle. Despite your injuries and long coma, all that matters to Ritsuka is that you're alive and well to fight another day."
"Hm…" Connla mumbled to herself while listening to Da Vinci's reassurances. "That's what a lot of the staff and Servants are telling me…"
"Then you should listen to them. No need to beat yourself up when you should be celebrating the hero's welcome!"
"I guess…"
"Come now, don't make such a long face. Only cheery smiles are allowed in my workshop!"
"Uh, okay. I'll try to lighten up," the child Servant uttered and stood straight to the point that she appeared rigid. "But that's not what I came here to discuss with you. There's actually a bigger problem that I want to deal with, and I'm hoping you could help me out."
"Of course. Ask away, and let's see if the cogs in my brain can get going for you," Da Vinci replied. "I'm in the middle of another project though, so don't mind me if I just work away while we talk."
"Sure. It's about what Lady Brynhildr told Father shortly after I was knocked unconscious. Right before he killed her, he demanded to know who was responsible for the Denialists attempting to rewrite history to their liking, in exchange for assassinating me. Apparently, Lady Brynhildr said the name 'Aisling', but I honestly don't know anyone by such a name."
"Right, Cu mentioned it to me."
"And then there's the implication that Aisling could be the one manipulating my Rayshifts, forcing me to go off-course to an unintended location in order to isolate me from Chaldea."
"Yes, Roman asked me to look into that," Da Vinci noted, then frowned slightly. "Unfortunately, other than the initial readings from when you and Mordred Rayshifted, there really wasn't much for me to work with. There was a dramatic spike in external mana input, as well as a forced change in coordinates, but nothing I could manipulate or work to my advantage. Did anything else seem out of the ordinary when you two were traveling?"
"Well, you know how the tunnel is normally azure and white? That time though, it suddenly changed to a pinkish hue."
"So you saw a different color than usual?"
"Yes."
"That must be a visual indication of Aisling's interference. If I had to give it an analogy, then Aisling would be like a set of foreign pink-colored tentacles reaching out for you as you travel through the timeline, then wrapping around you and anyone else accompanying you so that they can gently pull you out of the intended trajectory and guide you to a different location."
Connla shuddered. "That sounds really spooky…"
"It's just a metaphor. No need to take it so seriously. The real issue is how to make sure this doesn't happen again in the future."
"That's precisely what I'm scared of. What if I was with Master when that happened? If she winds up being isolated or even killed because Aisling was actually targeting me, what would that mean for Chaldea's mission? It could be over before we know it! I don't want to be responsible for such a horrible thing!"
Da Vinci sat back in her chair and flipped her pen between her gloved fingers in contemplation. She exhaled a long sigh, then said, "I understand where you're coming from. I'm sure you'd never know the end of shame if we allowed Ritsuka to be involved in Aisling's machinations."
"Right? I want to do something about it before this can potentially spiral out of control. Not just for Master's sake, but for Chaldea's as well."
The inventor shrugged and suggested, "Why not just avoid Rayshifting altogether? If you never go anywhere outside of the facility, then Aisling won't be able to target you."
Connla obviously didn't like that idea, and she made it clear by blurting, "Are you serious? What's the point of being a Servant if I can't do any proper fighting?"
"Not every Servant has to enter combat. Take Andersen and Shakespeare for instance. They're as useless as a Servant can get, but they don't complain about their utility. In fact, they bask in their own impotence and hide themselves in the library all the time to escape their responsibilities."
The young Lancer's mood soured as she grumbled, "Somehow, I think you're insulting me by lumping me in the same category as them."
"Ha ha ha! Sorry, that wasn't my intention! I know you're fundamentally different from them for one reason only – they're authors, while you're a warrior. Anyway, the point is that you shouldn't force yourself to go with Ritsuka on her missions if you don't have to. You can always fight and gather materials in the simulator. Those are always helpful in making her Servants stronger. Maybe you should see this as an opportunity to reevaluate your role in Chaldea so that you can enjoy your time here in a safe and healthy environment, rather than risking yourself in dangerous situations you normally can't handle on your own."
"I don't know…" Connla didn't appear convinced with Da Vinci's advice. "I feel like that would be ignoring the bigger problem with Aisling. What if there's a chance that they could go after my friends in order to bait me out?"
"Well, there is that too," the inventor had to concur with such grim logic. "We already know that Aisling will do anything they can to kill you, and they make especially certain to conceal their real identity and motive even to their own Denialist flunkies. Mordred got dragged into the Denmark incident through pure chance, but that didn't matter to Aisling."
"Exactly. I think my job is to find this person and make them pay for their transgressions so that Chaldea can return to its primary mission. It's just that I don't want to put any extra burden on Chaldea's resources when everyone is already hard-pressed with finding the seven primary Singularities. From my understanding, this last Singularity is proving most difficult for everyone because it's located so far back in human history."
"You're right about that. But summer is fast approaching and no one expects to see any hard results anytime soon, so I think everyone's gearing up to enjoy the holiday while they can. You and I can see this as the break we need to perform an auxiliary investigation into Aisling's activities."
"So you'll help me?"
"Why not? I'm up for solving a mystery myself. What I'm going to need though is raw data that I can work with."
Connla nodded and suggested, "That's why I was thinking of performing another Rayshift."
Suddenly, a third voice interjected, "Have you completely lost your mind?"
The doll that she carried was immediately swathed in a red-and-black aura, then a glowing red light burst out and materialized into the tall tailed man. He stood between the pair and glared darkly at the young girl while glowering, "You know damn well that I will not approve of such a mission."
"But Father-"
"Not another word," he commanded his daughter, then angrily turned his eyes toward Da Vinci. "You know better than to fill her head with funny ideas, woman."
"Ah, good morning to you too, Cu Alter," she greeted him with a saccharine voice that didn't match the tense atmosphere between them. "If you're popping in on this conversation, then I trust you've been listening the whole time?"
Cuchulainn Alter, the Berserker version of the Celtic hero, folded his arms, narrowed his eyes, and grit his sharpened teeth. "Once I noticed the kid was coming here, I had no choice but to wake up from my nap. God forbid if I let loopy wenches like you string her along without me having a say in the matter."
"Boy, you sound especially grouchy today. Was Medb harassing you again?"
"Quit trying to change the subject. I'm not going to allow Connla to Rayshift anymore, and that's final."
"So that means you're going to ignore the fact that Aisling is still lurking out there?"
"I'll do something about it," Cuchulainn said. His argument hardly sounded convincing to them, and their displeased expressions irritated him further.
"Father, please listen," Connla implored while desperately grabbing his wrist. "I know how dangerous it is for me. The Denmark Singularity has taught me a lot about needing to be careful about Aisling and the Denialists. At the very least, I won't Rayshift alone ever again. I'll be sure to ask the other Servants and see if they want to come along. I bet a lot of them will turn me down because of the risks though. If that happens, then I'll cancel the mission."
"And what if enough of them agree to accompany you? What happens if they wind up being killed? Do you have any idea how difficult it is for Master to summon some of us in the first place? Resummoning lost Servants will be downright impossible in the time constraints that Chaldea has. If you're going to have such ridiculous ideas, then save them for after we impale the King of Mages' head on a pike. He should be our primary concern, not Aisling."
"When is that going to happen?"
"Who knows?"
Connla fidgeted her hands together, trying to think of anything she could argue back with. She found it most difficult to hold a reasonable debate with the intimidating man, so her words often faltered when he stood firm on an opinion or idea he had. The fact that they were father and daughter overwhelmed her further, as she felt obligated to respect his wishes. She gave up trying to reason with him and became increasingly crestfallen as she stared down at the floor.
"… I understand," she murmured sullenly.
Cuchulainn noticed the dramatic shift in her attitude and creased his eyebrow in concern. He was glad that she listened to him, yet he couldn't shake this nagging feeling after watching her be so melancholic all the time. He thought about what had transpired in the last week…
A few days after Connla was discharged from the ICU, she had gone around asking everyone if they needed her assistance with anything, but she was constantly turned down on account of her recovery. Cuchulainn knew that she wanted to make up for the time she felt she had wasted sleeping, but no one was giving her any opportunities to be useful around Chaldea. Even if she attempted to enter the simulator, several Servants were stationed there in order to monitor her. At best, she was allowed to do the lowest-ranked simulation battles, and only against Archer-class opponents.
The more Connla was denied chances to make up for lost time, the more withdrawn she became from everyone. This became evident in her gloomy attitude as she barely made eye contact with anyone lately, she refused to eat much, and she lost interest in her usual hobbies like studying and reading. One day, it was Jack and Nursery Rhyme who approached Connla and offered to let her hang out with them as they watched a marathon of old cartoons. Normally the Lancer would turn them down, but this time she accepted, which surprised them. During the entire session, she just sat down cross-legged on a large bean bag, draped a thick blanket over her shoulders, and emptily gazed at the television screen without responding much to the other girls' usual antics.
In the early evening, Cuchulainn had returned from a mission to check on his daughter. After some searching, he found the three girls engaged in their activities and would have left them be, but he couldn't ignore how vapid and uninterested Connla looked.
"Hey, you two," he called out to Jack and Nursery in a quiet whisper before beckoning them over.
"Huh? Connla's Daddy?" Jack wondered as she and her friend went out into the hall to meet him.
"Good evening, Mr. Cu," Nursery greeted him. "Are we being too loud again?"
"That's not it," he muttered. He shifted his eyes toward Connla, then asked, "How's the kid doing?"
The bubbly story-telling girl suddenly became bothered as she replied, "Hmm… Not very well, if you ask me."
"What's the matter?"
"We've been trying to keep her entertained since no one else wants to let her help out. In fact, she keeps saying that some people tell her to act like a child and have fun, while others are telling her to just be her usual mature self."
"What a bunch of meanies," Jack grumbled. "She's being told different things, so she's super confused about what it is she should be doing. We really don't know what to say to cheer her up anymore."
Cuchulainn exhaled a bitter sigh, then murmured, "I see…"
"It's like she's falling down a rabbit hole into her own Wonderland, but there's no bottom to be seen," Nursery added. "Is she going to be treated like this all the time? Is she going to be benched for life like the author boys are?"
"Master doesn't 'bench' anyone. She simply keeps us around for situations where our skills and knowledge will come in handy. And I think everyone is being cautious of relying on Connla due to what happened to her and Mordred. They're afraid that they might wind up pushing her too far again, which would then get me upset."
"Oh, so that's it!" Jack exclaimed. "No one actually cares about Connla! They just want to protect themselves from your wrath!"
"Hey, don't say that so loudly! Do you want her to hear that!?" Nursery chided.
"Ah…"
They glanced back in the play room, but found that Connla hadn't moved from her spot whatsoever. From what they could tell, she hadn't heard Jack's outburst, which was a relief for them. Cuchulainn folded his arms, then said, "I got it. I'll go around and talk to everyone. Could you two stay with her for a while? Maybe get her to help you guys with fun activities like baking or arts and crafts? She needs to learn how to engage in more innocent activities like those, and you two are the best for that job."
"Of course!" Nursery agreed. "I've been hunkering for cookies lately. Maybe we can have Mr. Emiya or Mrs. Boudica show us how to make some tomorrow."
"Yay, cookies!" Jack jumped with joy. "And cake and ice cream and candy and soda floats! And then more cartoons!"
"Right, right, whatever floats your boat," Cuchulainn dismissed the young Assassin's enthusiasm and walked away. "Just keep the kid busy while I deal with this little problem."
Satisfied that the girls would take care of Connla for now, he went around asking the staff and Servants to let her be more proactive in Chaldea's daily activities, as well as to stop treating her like a child when she really had the mind of an adult. Many were hesitant, but some relented and offered to help her overcome her depression in any way they could. Despite his best efforts though, Connla's mood had not improved much over the next several days, which made Cuchulainn think that there was something else she was worrying about.
This is getting ridiculous, he thought as he (while inside the Mini-Cu plushie) watched Connla organize a bookshelf in Charles Babbage's laboratory. I've convinced a lot of staff and Servants to let her help out, but she's still not showing any signs of recovering from her depression. Is there something else I'm missing?
Since he had no clue what else she could be troubled by, he decided to wait patiently inside the doll and see if Connla would reveal her worries to someone else eventually. That led to her approaching Da Vinci and having the current conversation about Aisling, which was what she had actually been deeply pondering about the whole time. She had found a small glimpse of hope in escaping these dark emotions, yet Cuchulainn's staunch refusal to let her perform an experimental Rayshift had pushed her back into the brink of despair. All of the effort he had spent trying to make her feel better was utterly foiled.
As far as he was concerned, there wasn't much point in Connla being kept safe if she was going to be so miserable all the time.
"Wait."
Cuchulainn uttered that one word before he realized it, and it was much too late to take it back now. Connla was about to saunter away, but then stopped and looked up at him while mumbling, "Hmm?"
"You said you wouldn't Rayshift alone, right?"
"Yes, absolutely."
"Then it'll be fine if someone reliable goes with you. Someone like me, for example."
Her eyes seemed to brighten up a little. "Huh? Then does that mean…?"
"Only on one condition," he replied firmly as he glared at Da Vinci. "If Aisling really does mess with the Rayshift, then you better get all the data you can and tackle this problem as soon as possible. I'm only giving you one Rayshift to experiment with. If you screw around and don't find a solution, then you can forget that this conversation ever happened."
"Hee hee. One Rayshift is all I need," the inventor grinned. "I have all the tools I need to perform the analysis. All I need is the data."
"So you're saying you've got a plan in mind?"
"Are you forgetting who you're talking to? A genius like me would have three ideas instead of just one. I have to narrow down my options though, and for that, we need this experiment to happen."
"Fine. We're getting ready, Connla."
The child Lancer jolted and exclaimed, "Y-Yes, right away! Just give me a few minutes!"
She dashed out of the workshop, while the two adults headed for the Spiritron Coffin chamber where Rayshifts were performed. Da Vinci registered Connla as Cuchulainn's Servant in his Bloodstone, then hooked it up to a coffin so that the Servants could Rayshift without their Master. While she was busy, Cuchulainn let out a small grunt and muttered, "Gotta say, that's the first time I've seen Connla's eyes light up like that in a while. She's literally putting herself in danger, yet she's skipping around like a child at a candy store. I swear, how many screws are loose in that little head of hers…?"
Da Vinci wondered, "If I may ask, what exactly made you change your mind?"
"Well," he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Let's just say I've grown sick of watching the kid be so gloomy and depressing all the time. I'm probably not the best parent around, but even I know that I should do what I can to make sure she's happy."
"My. Those are rather unexpected words for the Mad King to say."
"Shut it."
"He he. Well, it's not a bad thing to see Cuchulainn's softer side, even if it's from his Alter self. Your other selves are probably too busy looking for women and good fights to think about such mature things. Could it be that you represent a time when Cuchulainn finally came around as a real man during his twilight years?"
"I told you to shut it. If there's something you don't understand about that phrase, I'll be happy to elaborate on it," Cuchulainn retorted as he summoned the spike-covered Gae Bolg in his hand.
"Uh oh. Did I push too many of your buttons again?" Da Vinci murmured uneasily. "I swear, it's becoming dangerously easy for me to get on your bad side lately."
"Is it just me, or do you enjoy listening to the sound of your voice? That's what I can't stand about women."
"Oh, come on. It's not just women who like to talk, right? I know a couple of kings who could give us chatty maidens a run for our money."
Just then, they heard the distinct pitter-patter of a child's footsteps running into the chamber. Connla hurried back as quickly as she could after getting ready, and noticed that the two adults were having yet another confrontation with each other. She became annoyed and pouted, "Hey, no arguing! Can't I leave you guys alone without worrying about sparks flying between you!?"
Da Vinci's smile became brighter as she said to Cuchulainn, "You heard the lady."
"Right," he repressed a chortle and dematerialized his spear. "Let's get this job over quickly."
The present…
"Hmm… Hmnn… Come on, work already," Connla grumbled as she fiddled with a transceiver. Cuchulainn leaned his back against a boulder while impatiently waiting for his daughter to get the device working. After she turned some dials and knobs to get the right frequency, the image of a familiar orange-haired young man flickered on the crackling monitor.
"Dr. Roman!" she exclaimed.
"All right, we're finally connected!" Romani Archaman, the chief doctor and Acting Director of Chaldea, beamed happily.
"Thank goodness," she sighed in relief. "I thought for sure that Ms. Da Vinci's communicators wouldn't work."
"I was kinda worried too, but she pulled through for us once again. Glad you're doing okay, missy. Unlike with Ritsuka, we can't monitor Servants' vitals, so seeing you guys in person will help me relax a lot more."
"The hell you talking about?" Cuchulainn grumbled. "You're not talking in person. You've got your ass parked in a safe, cushy office. Who the hell do you think you are, acting all whimsical while the kid and I are busting our hides in this hellhole?"
"Erk… Well, guess I can't really argue that…"
"I'm only saying that because Connla's too soft-hearted to notice such things."
"Then when you get back, I'll apologize by treating you to some of my favorite anpan. How does that sound, kiddo?" Roman asked the child Servant.
"Apologies, but I'm not fond of sweets," she shook her head. "Mr. Emiya told me you had a stash of specialty Japanese coffee though. I'd like to give that a try instead."
"Wha-!? That jerk! How did he find out about that!? Doesn't he know how much that's going to cost me!?"
"Hey," Cuchulainn grunted and squatted next to Connla before whispering, "You sure you can accept something from such a worthless human being?"
"Don't say that," she said anxiously. "Dr. Roman might look unreliable, but he really is trying his hardest."
Roman winced, "Ouch. You know I have feelings, right?"
"Oh. Was that too harsh?"
"Hm… Nah, I'll let it slide since you help us out so much with menial chores. Besides, we've got more important things to worry about, so let's cut the chitchat short."
"Mm. Could you tell us what the analysis of our situation is?"
"Well first of all," Roman said as he held up a paper with some handwritten notes, "there's no question that Aisling meddled with your Rayshift again. Your destination was supposed to be in the Roman Empire in 60 AD, which was the location of the Second Singularity. However, you've been thrown into colonial America in 1784, one year after the Fifth Singularity was resolved by us."
"No wonder the atmosphere feels so familiar," Connla looked around. "I wasn't summoned yet, so there's no way I could have participated in the actual Fifth Singularity mission. But even so, it's like I'm back in a world that I already know."
"Because of your first long dream?"
"I think so. Memories are flooding back into me from my other self's time when she was split as Ituha and Fia-Leanbh. In fact, this is definitely territory that Ituha once crossed before."
"Then that helps a lot," Roman replied. "My navigational sensors are telling me that you're in the area near where Lubbock will be in the future. In other words, you're way out in the boonies."
"That's not really a problem. I'm used to living in remote locations."
"That's not the issue here. If Aisling directly warped you two to that spot, then it means the monsters you fought were either sent by them, or were already there and you were just dumped into the heart of the lion's den with no time to prepare."
"Hah. Big mistake if they think those worthless creatures will be any match against me," Cuchulainn grinned.
"I wouldn't get so cocky if I were you, big guy. I'm doing a large-scale sweep of the area for any more monster lifeforms, and I'm picking up quite a huge number of them to the east. Even worse, they're congregating around the largest Leyline that we can find in your vicinity. I can't really say with absolute certainty, but I think that's precisely why Aisling directed you to this place. First they isolate Connla, then overwhelm the Leyline so that she can't establish a summoning circle, leaving her vulnerable to assassination without being able to rely on backup from us. That's exactly what happened in Denmark, and it's happening here too."
Connla sighed glumly, then said, "I don't know what their motive is for wanting me dead, but I'm glad we're at least picking up on their characteristics now. So then, Doctor, what do you suggest we do at this point?"
"We've got two options," Roman explained. "First is to attempt a forced Rayshift. The probability of failure is very high, but it's the best way to deal with this without expecting you two to face a gigantic horde of monsters by yourselves."
"What exactly do you mean by 'failure'?"
"There are just way too many unknown variables to calculate. The best case scenario is that your Spirit Origins will be put through a tremendous strain, and you will both be put on strict watch before being able to Rayshift again. At worst, Cuchulainn's Bloodstone will shatter, and you'll both be lost as Ritsuka's Servants."
"Uuuh… I'd rather not do that if we can avoid it," Connla whimpered.
Cuchulainn leaned in and asked, "So what's the second option?"
Roman said, "We know your coordinates, and there is a destination that you can make your way to. Of course, like I said, there's a huge mob of monsters like the ones you fought surrounding the Leyline. My best guess is that they are sustaining themselves with the planet's natural mana sources. The timeline may be correcting itself, but there are still distinct fluctuations which allow for monsters to exist, which could become a problem if we leave it alone for too long."
"Is that all?" the Berserker boldly grinned. "Give us the coordinates then. The kid and I will bust some heads to both clean up the place and to reclaim the Leyline. Two birds, one stone, right?"
"Are you crazy!? I can't say with certainty how many monsters there will be, but I'm sure it'll be in the thousands!"
"Big deal. I held back all of Connacht's army by myself."
"Yeah, you may have, but Connla most certainly hasn't!"
"Quit screaming and give us the directions already, you sissy."
"S-Sissy?"
"Please tell us, Doctor," Connla urged. "I think it's the safer option for us right now."
"Oh boy… Let me tell you right now that it'll take 48 hours for you to reach the Leyline by foot."
"That would be if Master was with us. If it's Father and myself, we could make it there in half the time."
"That's true. Ritsuka doesn't praise you and the other Cuchulainns as her most light-footed Servants for nothing. If you're that set on it, then you guys better get going. Once you're in the vicinity of the Leyline, I'll contact you again with further information."
"Yes, sir."
