Chapter 18: The Dragon Within
Sieg stood frozen in the middle of what could only be described as hell. Blood, death, broken dreams—all laid waste around him. He wasn't even crying. He just stared into the nothingness, broken beyond tears.
Through the thick smoke of battle, an injured Astolfo rushed toward him, panting heavily, blood staining her armor.
"Sieg!? What the hell are you doing here!? You're not supposed to be here!" she shouted, frantic.
But Sieg could only mumble, voice hollow.
"All gone... my kin... they're all gone..."
Before either of them could process the despair filling the air, a shadow approached.
It was Arash.
Astolfo, despite her wounded state, immediately raised her weapon, trying to defend Sieg. But her movements were sluggish, weakened. Arash didn't even flinch. Instead, he calmly spoke:
"You are the last, Rider of Black. Vlad is dead by Karna's hand. Beowulf, slain by Achilles. Spartacus, destroyed by Tezcatlipoca. Avicebron has betrayed you."
Astolfo's heart sank.
And Sieg...
Well sieg, however, burned with something new—pure rage. Avicebron... Avicebron was the one who massacred his kin. He had to pay.
Before they could react further, Arash took his stance to end things quickly. Astolfo tried to prepare himself, but both knew he couldn't win.
Arash, with sorrow in his eyes, began charging Stella, his Noble Phantasm.
It was over.
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Until—
Sieg's hand began to glow.
And he found himself some how in his mindscape
There, Siegfried stood tall, his sword gleaming while waiting for sieg to notices him.
"You have two choices, boy. Face horror powerless—or slay the dragon and seize your own fate."
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Sieg knew what he wanted. He wanted power.
To save Astolfo.
To avenge his kin.
To change his future with his own hands.
He lifted the sword.
He lunged at the dragon.
In the real world, Sieg's body vanished—replaced by a towering, armored figure.
Siegfried.
Arash faltered mid-chant, stunned.
Sieg—no, Sieg in Siegfried's form—charged forward.
He drew Balmung power by using Siegfried's Noble Phantasm, and the sky itself trembled as Arash unleashed Stella.
The two beams clashed, blinding the world around them.
When the light faded, Arash was defeated.
Sieg returned to his normal form, panting heavily, now marked by two command spells on his hand.
Astolfo stared wide-eyed, then smiled through her tears and went to hug him tightly. They had survived.
Or did they?
Their relief was short-lived.
A chilling laugh echoed through the battlefield.
It was Celenike.
Her insane grin twisted her face beyond humanity. Astolfo immediately froze, fear evident. She wasn't scared for herself—she was scared for Sieg.
Celenike, without hesitation, used a command spell.
Astolfo's body locked up, unable to move.
Then, with the sadism only monsters could muster, Celenike pulled a knife and stabbed Sieg in the stomach.
Sieg gasped, falling to his knees.
Astolfo was crying once again even more intensly.
Celenike kicked him again and again, each blow laced with shrieks of blame.
"It's your fault! All your fault! It's All your fault"
Sieg was bleeding.
Astolfo, tears streaming down her face, could do nothing.
And then it got worse.
Celenike face has twisted even more, she used her last two command spells to force Astolfo to kill Sieg.
Astolfo struggled, trembling violently, but his body moved on its own.
He raised his spear.
"No... no... NO!!" he screamed internally.
Celenike moaned and laughed hysterically, utterly lost in her own madness while touching herself in perverted places.
"Yes~ kill him~ kill him~!"
Just as she screamed her final command—
Silence.
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Celenike's head rolled from her body, a clean cut ending her madness.
The one who delivered judgment?
Muramasa. His katana sliding back into its sheath without a sound.
And not far behind—Riya.
Riya, channeling Jack the Ripper's abilities, summoned a thick fog, blinding Astolfo.
Using Jack's twin daggers, he slashed across Astolfo's back, disabling him gently but effectively.
The forced command was broken.
Astolfo collapsed,as his body beginning to dissipate without a master.
Muramasa carefully lifted Sieg.
Sieg's gaze locked onto Astolfo's fading form, heartbroken.
Then Riya stepped forward.
"...If you're still part of the Holy Grail... what would you want to do?" he asked Astolfo softly.
Astolfo, voice trembling, whispered,
"I want to... help Sieg... in any way I can..."
Riya chuckled and shoved Sieg lightly toward her.
"Well, what're you waiting for? We ain't got all day! Go make him your Servant already!"
Sieg and Astolfo both blushed furiously.
"Uuuuuuhhhh..."
Riya repeated himself three times before finally, Sieg snapped out of it and forged the bond.
Astolfo was saved.
But before they could move, a bird landed softly on Sieg's head, carrying a letter.
Muramasa grabbed it and read aloud:
"The Black Faction has fallen. Shirou Kotomine has seized control of the Holy Grail and the Yggdmillennia Castle. All the Black Masters are dead... save Caules and Fiore, the remaining masters who were absent during the assault."
"The Red Faction has won the war."
Everyone froze.
Its like time has stopped.
Complete silence once again has fallen.
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Everyone has frozed.
Everyone.
All except Riya.
He stood tall, eyes burning with determination.
Because Riya knew something the others didn't.
There was still time. Shirou had to wait a week before he could make a wish.
And Riya?
He still had allies.
He still had power growing within him.
He still had a mission to complete.
He would not give up.
Not until he stood victorious, at the end of this bloody Holy Grail War. And fix this bullshit of a timeline.