Hollow/FGO Chapter 25 (Patreon)

Our party followed Jeanne into the nearby forests away from the panicked eyes of the French soldiers and once we got settled everyone began talking and exchanging information while I settled off to the side already knowing everything that was being discussed.

As much as I wanted to just run off to the end game, kill the corrupted Jeanne and that psychopath Gilles/Bluebeard, I needed to play the long game. Goetia was insanely powerful and I wanted him content in letting us slowly make our way through the singularities.

It made no difference for his own power level if we fought him now or a couple of years from now after doing all the singularities and all the 'event' Singularites we would get sucked into in. The only difference is that unlike in game logic, we could and would field all the Servants we had summoned in Chaldea and dog pile Goetia in a pile of high-ranked servants who could fuck him up.

'I am... However very surprised he hasn't done anything with Tiamat here though?' I thought wryly but as though my thoughts were aimed at her, I felt the motherly hand of Tiamat gently pull my head to land on her glorious sweater pillows that cushioned my head.

"You are overthinking Master." Tiamat said softly and I hummed in thought before responding softly.

"I know... It's in my nature to ponder over what-ifs I guess." I said with some humor as I closed my eyes but as I did so I pinged out with my pesquisa as Jeanne was speaking about how she knew the other Jeanne was in Orleans still.

But as I pinged my pesquisa, the radar of soul energy bounced back making my lips twitch as I registered some corrupted things rushing towards us. "Enemies incoming from the north," I called out to everyone and Artoria got up and in front of Mash who obviously protecting Ritsuka along with Jeanne who was also sticking close to the squishy human master.

A gargled roar as some kind of werebeasts rang out from the forest as the bipedal wolf-like monsters ran at us... But they were truly inconsequential as Artoria alone slaughtered the pack of a dozen monsters in less than five seconds.

"A disappointing series of opponents," Artoria muttered making my lips twitch as she idly buzzed her sword with the malefic energies of Excalibur Morgan to burn off the gore that covered the blade.

A buzz rang out and then three forms appeared as blue holograms and I blinked seeing the three people... Well, two of the people were expected but the third? "Oh, Akuta-Senpai! You awoke from your coma." Mash said rather cheerfully at the dour-looking blood elemental who was looking, even as a blue hologram rather pale and weak.

Akuta nodded slightly as she took in our forms but regardless it was Olga who spoke up. "Alright we managed to reconnect back to you on the ground, any major movements of more than a mile make us lose connection between dimensions and will likely take a few minutes for us to pinpoint your signatures so keep that in mind!" She announced and I could feel Da-Vinci in the background shouting about how that was a challenge she accepted.

"So we likely found the grail holding up the singularity. In whoever is holding this corrupted Jeanne's leash." I spoke up making everyone look at me in confusion with Mash speaking with her head cutely tilting to the side.

"Uhm Blake? Jeanne is the aberration? Shouldn't she be the one holding the grail like Artoria had the last grail?" She asked with pure honesty rather than saying I was wrong.

For a long moment feeling everyone's gaze on me I paused to think before shaking my head and speaking in a roundabout manner. "Our angel Jeanne was summoned by the Counter Force with degraded stats if not outright stolen skills... Where did those stats and skills go? To say nothing of how she is a Ruler class servant, why doesn't she have any command seals?" I spoke before finishing off with a frown. "All these point to the corrupted Jeanne being summoned instead of being a natural manifestation like a wraith that went out of control even if powered by a Grail. As only a prior summoning would have messed with our Jeanne's skill with their already being a Jeanne here."

Everyone blinked as my words washed over them and Roman yelped as he was shoved away from the system with Da-Vinci pushing her face in close and yelling out. "I concur with Blakes conjecture!" With that sentence over she was moved back by Roman who pouted at having his camera stolen while Olga covered her face with her hand at how unprofessional her subordinates were being.

Jeanne nodded to my words though speaking out to everyone. "He is likely right, though in any case, I suggest we all get some rest for now as we should make our way to La Charite in order to gain information on what is to come in Orleans and the forces makeup of the corrupted Jeanne." She finished and I saw Ritsuka nod as she tactically made Mash squeak as she buried her face into the purple-haired shielder's chest as she settled in for a power nap before we continued on.

Then while the servants relaxed for the most part with Artoria in deep meditation while Jeanne stared into our campfire, I likewise stayed with my form relaxing against Tiamat before my own comms system beeped softly making me look down at it and saw the text message. 'Its Akuta, can you get some privacy to speak for a moment?'

'Uh, oh why does this feel like a breakup talk when all she did was suck my blood and possibly get addicted?' I thought wryly as I tried to move from Tiamat's encompassing hug and the answer to my movement was a swift and pitiful "Newwww, don't move!" Tiamat mumbled into my shoulder as she held me firmly in her hug making my eyes twitch.

"Tia, I got to take a call real quick, be good for me please." I said wryly and I felt her arms tighten for a moment before Tiamat grumpily made a 'Hmph' sound as she let go and with a quick glance behind me as I moved a bit away out of the hearing of the other Servants I could easily see Tiamat pouting as her eyes tracked me into the surrounding forest.