Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.
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So, part 2 of FGO came to an end. I did take a look at it but also made sure to not spoil the entire thing so I have a vague idea of what happened.
Anyway, maybe some people wondered, maybe nobody did it but I'm going to say anyway.
I'm not going to rewrite this story.
Goredolf, Kadoc and Sion are still going to be part of the story.
Besides, this is a post-FGO. This does give me some leeway in what I can do.
A reminder that I play FGO EN, and am using the servants that are being released there as I don't want spoilers. But I'm still thinking if I should include Olga earlier or not.
It would be funny to see how everyone else in Worm would react to someone calling themself the president of the planet and having the power to back it up.
If I do ended up writing another story with a FGO crossover, then I will use the information that is avaliable now.
Now, about this chapter.
I have no idea what happened to take this long.
Some chapter did take longer than I wanted to finish but this one takes the cake.
I rewroted at least three times before arriving here.
There were days that I couldn't get any writing done. Sure, I had other things to do but nothing that would stop me from writting. But when I went to work on the chapter, I just couldn't think of anything.
Better later than never.
Next chapter, there will be action as Coil and Pierre will make their move.
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Taylor glances to the side.
"What is that?" Taylor asked.
"Hm? Oh, that's the Scraphound. Heavy Gear build it," Mash explained.
"It looks like a garbage truck," Taylor raises an eyebrow.
"It was one, but has been modified to be a mobile recycler. And it will play an important part in recycling the ships," Mash said.
Taylor looks at Scraphound in a new light.
"Wow, I can't believe this is really happening," Taylor mutters to herself.
"What is it that you don't believe?" Mash tilts her head.
Taylor blushes and quickly covers her mouth, realizing she'd spoken her thoughts out loud.
I chuckle in good nature.
"She means about the boat graveyard being finally cleaned, yes?" I asked.
Taylor nods shyly.
"Yeah, Kurt told us the same thing, and honestly, I don't blame you or anyone else for doubting the Lord's Port would ever be cleaned. The cost alone to do it is staggering," I said, rubbing my neck.
"How much would it cost?" Taylor asked curiously.
"Under normal circumstances, it would cost twenty-three million dollars," I said casually.
"Twenty-three mi-" Taylor chokes halfway through the word and erupts into a loud coughing fit.
Mash moves to her side, places her hand on Taylor's back, and lightly taps it.
"Are you okay?" Mash asked, concerned.
Taylor nods once she regains her breath.
"Yeah, thank you. I choked on air a little," Taylor said, then wiped the sweat on her brow. "No wonder dad could never convince the city to clean the place," she said, shaking her head in disbelief.
Dad?
"Taylor, if you don't mind me asking, who is your father?" I asked.
"My dad is Danny Hebert. He works as the head of hiring in the Dockworkers' Association," Taylor said.
That is the guy that Moriarty came to talk to.
"Why are you asking?" Taylor asked.
"Just curious," I shrug. "Anyway, cost isn't a problem for Chaldea. There are plenty of ways to cut expenses. The real challenge is going to be the logistics required to make Brocton Bay into a functioning trading port."
"What do you mean?" Taylor asked, blinking in confusion.
"Shipping companies will need to be contacted to include Brockton Bay in their routes. This process can take months, as it requires adjustments to existing shipping schedules and logistics. Additionally, the Lord's Port also needs improvements, such as hiring more workers, replacing outdated or faulty equipment, and renovations on warehouses," Mash explained calmly.
"That is a lot of things to do," Taylor said, slightly dazed.
"Yep. Getting rid of ships is the easy part," I said, crossing my arms.
"But, even with all that, it is possible to do it, right?" Taylor asked, looking at Mash and me with wide eyes.
"Of course. It's just going to take some time to get everything ready," I said.
Taylor sighs in relief.
"You really want this to happen, don't you, Taylor?" Mash asked kindly.
"Yeah. When dad told me about this, he had a spring to his step that I hadn't seen...in a while," Taylor said, downcast before shaking her head softly.
Mash and I glance at each other briefly.
Suddenly, shouting breaks out, drawing our attention.
Behind Nobunaga, a dozen rifles hover, all aimed as she points at Kagetora with sharp fury.
Kagetora, however, seems completely unfazed. She grins wildly and makes a 'come at me' gesture.
"Are they going to fight?" Taylor asked nervously.
"Nah. Nobu doesn't have the courage to fight her," I shake my head. "This is how they argue with each other."
The commotion captures everyone's attention around us. They watch tensely as Nobunaga and Kagetora argue.
"Hmm, things seem to be getting heated," Taylor swallows lightly as the shouting grows louder.
"Don't worry, Taylor. If something does happen, just hide behind me. I can easily protect you and senpai," Mash said, summoning her shield and giving Taylor a confident smile.
"O-okay?" Taylor said, blinking slowly.
"It's not going to reach that point. They know better than to start a fight in a populated area," I said, watching Nobunaga and Kagetora closely.
Maybe I should ask Sigurd to sape-oh wait, they are stopping.
Nobunaga dismissed the rifles with a huff and snatched another beer.
Kagetora pouts in disappointment and starts pestering Nobunaga.
Once it became clear that a fight wasn't going to happen, everyone relaxed and returned to work.
"Sorry about that. Some of the servants' arguments can get heated," I said, apologizing for the trouble.
"Is that common?" Taylor asked.
"Yes, it is. But, please, don't get the wrong idea. Even if the servants raise their weapons against each other, it's never with malicious intent," Mash said.
"A lot of the servants prefer to solve arguments with their fists, or they just like to fight in general. It can be either of those," I said, rubbing my neck.
"So, it's like a friendly spar?" Taylor asked, scratching her head.
I pause for a second.
Well, sometimes, these spars can get so intense that I swear that the servants are trying to kill each other. But Taylor doesn't need to know that.
"You can say that," I said, nodding slowly. "We have a lot of those; the servants like to keep their skills sharp."
"Really?" Taylor leans forward in interest.
"Oh yeah. We have tournaments every now and then, and they are very popular in Chaldea. Everyone looks forward to them," I said with a smile.
"There are also other kinds of events that we do. The most common ones happen in the holidays," Mash adds.
"That reminds me. I need to talk with Da Vinci about what we are going to do in Halloween and Christmas," I said, rubbing my chin.
"I'm sorry, what is going to happen on Halloween and Christmas?" Taylor asked.
"Well, there are some servants who took on the job of being Santa for Christmas. Normally, every year it's a different servant that takes on the role, but they decided to settle on who's going to be Santa a different way this year," I said.
"How?" Taylor asked, curious.
"By having a brawl, and the last one standing gets to be Santa," I said with a straight face.
Taylor blinks, slowly and deliberately, then tilts her head as if I've just sprouted another head.
"Wh-what about Halloween?" Taylor asked.
"It's a mixed bag when it comes to Halloween. Every year, something different happens, and we still don't know what the servants have planned for this year," I said with a shrug.
"Wait, you guys don't plan these events?" Taylor asked, puzzled.
"It's not that we don't plan them and more that the servants act first and we, well, go along with what is happening," Mash explains.
And when it wasn't them, it was someone or something else.
"We gave up a long time ago in trying to plan anything. Just wait for Halloween, and you will see what we're talking about," I said.
"I will?" Taylor asked.
"Truth to be told, the entire city will hear about the event once it happens; it's bound to attract a lot of attention. And it's open to the public, so if you want, Taylor, you can come too. I promise you'll have a good time," Mash said with a smile.
Taylor perks up at the invite.
"Hold on. How do you know that if the servants haven't told you what it will be?" Taylor asked.
"There hasn't been a single event that wasn't big. Trust me, you will notice it," I said.
Taylor looks at us in silence for a moment.
"I will think about it, but...thanks for the invite," Taylor said, her voice softening at the end.
"Don't worry about it," I said with a smile.
I notice Sherrel walking towards us.
"All good?" I asked.
"Yep. " Scrapound is ready to go, boss-man," Sherrel said before noticing Taylor. "Hey there," she said with a small wave.
"Hi," Taylor waves back awkwardly.
Okay, time to call Kaget-
"Armsmaster is here," Hassan said suddenly.
Huh?
The roar of a motorcycle cuts through the air, and we turn as Armsmaster speeds towards us.
"I didn't know Armsmaster was coming," Taylor said with wide eyes.
Sherrel, Mash, and I exchange a brief glance.
Neither did we.
Armsmaster parks his motorcycle near the administration building, grabs his halberd, and gets off the bike. Then he heads straight for me.
I raised an eyebrow at this.
Well, this is unexpected.
Let's see what he wants.
"Heavy Gear, why don't you show Scraphound to Taylor. We will catch up in a moment," I said, not looking away from Armsmaster.
"Sure thing, boss-man," Sherrel said before leading Taylor to the Scraphound.
Armsmaster reaches Mash and me in a few moments.
"Hey there," I said.
"Hello," Armsmsater said before glancing to my side. "I don't believe I have seen you before."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Shielder," Mash said with a smile.
Armsmaster also glances at Nobunaga, Kagetora, and Sigurd.
"I take that those two and he are also new," Armsmaster said.
"Thought it was time to get more help," I said with a shrug.
At my answer, I notice Armsmaster's grip on the halberd tighten, just a fraction, subtle enough that most might miss it, but not enough to hide the tension threading through his stance. His posture stays rigidly controlled, but there's an edge to it now, like a coiled spring waiting for me to say the wrong word.
That is not a good sign.
Mash notices as well, stepping closer to my side in a way that she can easily put herself between Armsmaster and me.
From the corner of my eye, I see Kagetora and Nobunaga watching him intently, poised to move at a moment's notice.
We stare at each other in tense silence, waiting to see who will make the first move.
And that is Armsmaster.
He takes a slow breath and relaxes his posture, just enough to show that he has no intention of starting a fight.
Huh.
"Everything all right?" I asked, eyeing him with caution.
"Yes. I apologize if I gave you the wrong impression. I just...have a lot on my mind," Armsmaster says in a tone that makes it clear he isn't going to elaborate any further.
I got a good idea of what he's thinking, but can't talk about it in public.
I will talk with Moriarty later.
Let's keep the conversation going.
"So, what are you doing here?" I asked.
"With an operation of this size, I thought it would be beneficial to be present and offer help if necessary," Armsmaster said.
I hum at his answer.
"Well, I'm not going to turn away an extra pair of hands, but I don't think you are going to have much to do here. Heavy Gear got it covered," I said.
"Is she a member of Chaldea?" Armsmaster asked, looking at Heavy Gear.
"That is right. She joined after being saved by the Valkyries," Mash said.
"By the way, whatever happened to...what were their names again? The capes that the Valkyries defeated," I asked, scratching my head.
"Skidmark and Mush. They were low-level villains who operated in the train yards. They have been transferred to prison," Armsmaster said.
"What about Lung? Has he been transferred to prison?" Mash asked.
"That is still going to take some time. Lung has been sentenced to the Birdcage," Armsmaster said.
Yeah, that's about what I expected.
Birdcage is the only place that can contain a dangerous cape like Lung.
"If you don't mind me asking: when will that happen?" Mash asked, curious.
"All I can say right now is that with all that has happened recently in Brockton Bay, it has been decided to postpone Lung transfer," Armsamster said.
"If I'm not mistaken, Dragon is the one responsible for transporting inmates to Birdcage, yes?" Mash asked.
"That is corrected. She is in charge of transporting new inmates and maintaining the prison," Armsmaster nods."Speaking of Lung, do you two have any information on where Oni Lee might be?"
Oh?
That's a tricky question.
Gotta be careful with what I say here.
Don't want this to bite me in the ass later.
"I'd say by this point he's long gone. I don't think we have to worry about him anymore," I said with a shrug.
Armsmaster kept looking at me in silence before nodding.
"I see," Armsmaster said. "Now, if you excuse me, I will see if Heavy Gear needs help," he says as he walks towards Scraphound.
Mash and I watch him walking in silence.
Moriarty leaves the administration building, sees Mash and me, and approaches us.
"Greeting, master, Shielder," Moriarty said.
"Hi, Professor," Mash said with a small nod.
"Hey, you done with the meeting?" I asked, turning to Moriarty.
"Not even close. Mr. Hebert needs to make a few phone calls. So, we decided to take a short break before we resume negotiations,"Moriarty said. "Did I miss anything interesting?"
Mash and I return our gazes to Armsmaster.
Moriarty follows our line of sight and raises an eyebrow.
"Oh? They sent Armsmaster. That is an interesting choice," Moriarty said, rubbing his chin.
"You were expecting this," I said.
"Indeed, master. With how impactful cleaning the Lord's Port will be to Brockton Bay, it was a given that the Protectorate/PRT would insert itself somehow. Of course, they will have to watch on the sidelines as all the credit goes to us," Moriarty said with a smirk.
Yeah, that makes sense.
"Although I was expecting the Protectorate to send Assault or Dauntless, given their relationship with you, master," Moriarty said with a hum.
"Who is going to guard Heavy Gear once Kagetora and Sigurd leave?" I asked.
"That would be Arash with a few golems. Did something happen during your talk with Armsmaster?" Moriarty asked.
"He became tense once senpai said that he called additional servants. For a moment, it looked like he was going to attack senpai before Armsmaster calmed down," Mash explained.
"He was most likely going to do that before thinking better of it. With how strong Chaldea has shown to be, the thought that you can summon even more servants must have made him anxious," Moriarty said with a calculating look. "Now this is an interesting development. We already knew that Armsmaster had reservations about Chaldea, but never to the point of open hostility. There is only one thing I can think of that would make him completely change his stance."
"He was informed of the moonlit world," I stated.
"Not only him. By now, the entire ENE branch must have been informed," Moriarty said.
It was only a matter of time for that to happen.
"And now they are going to be more cautious of us. Not that I can blame them since their world view has been shattered, and not in a good way," Mash said with a sigh.
Yeah, I can't blame them either.
One of the first things I learned about the moonlit world is: never let your guard down around other magi. Not even if they are family.
"Do you think every member of the Protectorate is going to react like Armsmaster?" I asked.
Moriarty hums thoughtfully, "That is a difficult question, master. Given Armsmaster's personality, it's not a surprise that he would regard Chaldea with suspicion. The fact that he isn't demanding your surrender suggests he's under strict orders not to antagonize you. As for the other members, you'll have to see for yourself. Still, I believe Assault and Dauntless will at least give you the benefit of the doubt."
I hope Moriarty is right.
"Well, I took enough of your time. Better get things started," I said, rubbing my neck.
Morgan is waiting to have tea with me, and it's best not to keep her waiting any longer than necessary.
"The pleasure was mine, master," Moriarty said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to ask Sigurd to fetch me some food," he added before walking away.
"Kagetora, it's time," I said.
Kagetora finally stops bothering Nobunaga, hops down from the container, and lands beside me.
Together, we start making our way toward the ships.
"About time we get this started, master! I was getting bored, and Nobunaga refused to fight me!" Kagetora said with a laugh.
"You know she would never fight you," I said, crossing my arms.
"I know, but it's funny to poke her," Kagetora said.
"Kagetora, please be more mindful of your surroundings. You and Nobunaga gave everyone here quite the scare," Mash said with a sigh.
"Ah, sorry about that, Shielder. I didn't think we were making that much noise," Kagetora said with a hum.
I mean, they weren't, but people do tend to pay closer attention to 'capes'.
"So, which ship do I have to cut?" Kagetora said, gripping her spear.
"Just a reminder: do not sink them. You are just supposed to cut them into small sections and give them to Heavy-Gear," I said.
"The Professor already informed of that, master. So, which one?" Kagetora asked again.
"How about that one?" Mash asked, pointing to a ship that was far away from Sherrel, Taylor, and Armsmaster.
"Works for me," Kagetore shrugs.
Kagetora heads to the ship, while Mash and I make our way to everyone else.
"Hey there, boss-man," Sherrel said.
"Hey," I said.
I briefly glance at Armsmaster and lean closer to Sherrel.
"Did he give you any trouble?" I whispered.
Sherrel snorts, "Nah. He tried to talk me into accepting his help, but I shut that down. Now he's brooding."
"Huh," I raised an eyebrow.
"Yep," Sherrel nods, then turns to Armsmaster. "Hey, you done brooding? We're about to begin."
"I'm not brooding," Armsmaster said with a frown.
"Whatever you say, pal," Sherrel said with a chuckle.
Armsmaster grunts in annoyance.
"Hum, what is she going to do?" Taylor asked, looking at Kagetora.
"She's going to cut a section of the ship and give it to Heavy Gear to recycle it," Mash explained.
"I'm sorry, she's going to do what?" Taylor asked with wide eyes.
"Keep watching," I said.
Kagetora halts in front of the ship, eyes ranking over its length. A small, satisfied nod follows. Her grip tightens on the spear as she lifts it to her shoulder, then moves.
The weapon whistles through the air in a brutal, sweeping arc. A blade of compressed wind and magic erupts from the swing, screaming across the distance and carving diagonally through the ship's bow.
For a heartbeat, nothing happens.
Then the cut answers.
Metal groans. The severed section shudders, then slides forward, shearing loose with a deafening grind as it lurches towards the port.
Kagetora doesn't stay idle while this is happening.
The spear vanishes from her hand as a sword flashes into its place. With a series of swift cuts, she divides the falling mass into smaller fragments, each strike placed with effortless control.
The pieces land behind her in scattered impacts, cracking the ground like a quiet echo of her passing.
Kagetora looks at pieces and tilts her head.
"Hey, master, is this good enough, or do I have to cut them smaller?" Kagetora shouts.
Good question.
"Is it good?" I asked, turning to Sherrel.
She crosses her arms and tilts her head, studying the pieces more closely.
"Ah...yeah! Some of the pieces need to be smaller, but it's good! Sherrel nods.
"Taylor, hum, are you okay?" Mash asked, concerned.
I turn to Taylor and find her frozen in place, eyes wide and mouth hanging open as she stares at Kagetora.
"What just happened?" Taylor asked quietly.
"Kagetora cut the ship," I said plainly.
Taylor turns sharply to me with wide eyes.
"With a spear! A-a-and then with a sword!" Taylor stammers, awkwardly mimicking Kagetora's movements.
"Well, what else was she supposed to use?" Sherrel asked.
Taylor opens her mouth to answer, but no words come out.
"Don't worry about it, Taylor. Something like this is quite common in Chaldea," Mash said with a smile.
Taylor shoots Mash an incredulous look before turning back to me.
"This is actually pretty tame compared to the normal stuff that happens," I said with a shrug.
Taylor stares at me, dumbfounded.
I glance at Armsmaster to gauge his reaction.
His gaze is fixed on Kagetora, his expression carefully neutral, deliberately so. No tension, no surprise, nothing readable.
Yeah, he's on guard.
Whatever's going through his mind, it's staying there.
"Okay. Heavy Gear, I'm going to let you work. If anything happens, don't hesitate to call us," I said.
"Sure thing, boss-man," Sherrel gives me a thumbs up.
"See you later, Taylor," I said.
"Until next time, Taylor," Mash said.
"Oh, huh, yeah. See you guys later," Taylor said with a small wave.
"And you too, Armsmaster. I hope that next time, we have a more pleasant interaction," Mash said kindly.
Armsmaster studies Mash in silence for a second, then gives a slow, deliberate nod.
Well, time for some tea.
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If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.
Or at Ko-fi.com/regulareader.