Novels2Search

Conflict of Interest

The cavern was a surprisingly large area. It could easily fit a large house within with no issues, with very few obstacles aside from some stalagmites and stalactites. Any side corridors were obscured by shadows that leaped and danced with each gout of flame that blasted by, briefly illuminating the area. Such a cave could serve multiple purposes: A place to settle for an evening or even live, a beast’s den, a camp, and many more. Overall, it was a rather ideal location for many things.

None of which was conducive to the fight. The large size of the chimera made even such an enormous cavern feel claustrophobic, and its flaming breath didn’t help either. The three Servants danced around it, trying to land decent hits on it. However, the first problem was that the chimera didn’t have a blind spot; all three of its heads – the lion, the goat, and the snake – moved and operated independently of each other. Each one could easily keep track of a Servant, maneuvering or countering their attacks as necessary.

The second was that the beast was surprisingly experienced. Its movements were deliberate, making sure that it wouldn’t be flanked easily or if it was, the Servants couldn’t take easy advantage of it. Looking at it closely, Morgana could see a good number of scars on it. It wasn’t some stripling they could easily take down – the creature had been through some battles and learned through hardship.

All the while, the catlike Master had moved to the shadows, quietly observing and looking for an opening. Even with all its advantages, the three Servants were fully occupying its attention – someone as small and comparatively less threatening like him was utterly disregarded. That was fine by him. Something like this didn’t require brawn and brute force but a bit more finesse.

And luckily, he had that in spades.

Loading a special pellet into his slingshot, he hopped out of cover and fired, aiming at the goat head. His shot struck home, blasting in the creature’s face as the broken ammo burst in a prana explosion. It did little overall damage but it was enough to distract the goat head, which whirled around, roaring – and allowing Rider, who had been dealing with that particular head, to charge in and stab it with her spikes. The goat head roared again in pain and breathed out another gout of fire, forcing her back.

Morgana cursed. That barely did anything. “We need another plan!” he called out to them as he kept eyeing desperately for an opening or weak point he could exploit. “I’m open to suggestions!”

Rider gritted her teeth. “All of you, back away!” she called out. Astolfo and Tamamo Cat glanced over but decided to take her at her word and disengaged the chimera. The beast’s heads roared in unison, each one keeping its eyes trained on its enemies as it regrouped and got back its bearings – and therefore was standing still. With that, Rider reached up and took off her blindfold, opening her closed eyes. Immediately, the chimera froze on the spot, its muscles quivering as it used every bit of its bestial strength to move.

The Master watched in surprise at what was going on, then glanced down and his eyes widened even further. From the feet up, the chimera was turning to stone. Bit by bit, its flesh hardened and turned grey as it turned to rock. The beast could only struggle, its fierce roars turning into panicked yowls through its locked jaws as it struggled in vain to break away. Morgana could only watch in horrific fascination as the beast was petrified. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tamamo Cat and Astolfo watching with the same expression as what he felt.

However, it didn’t hold for long enough. The goat head forced its jaw open and breathed out a fog of dark vapor, which bounced off the cave ceiling and descended on Rider. The purple-haired Servant glanced up and was forced to leap away, breaking eye contact with the chimera as it began moving again, even fiercer than before. However, that didn’t mean it had been for nothing: a good portion of its front legs were turned to stone, rendering the creature much clumsier. Before any of them could do anything to capitalize on it, however, the chimera turned tail and ran, vanishing down a side corridor.

Morgana blinked with surprise, listening to the creature’s footsteps become softer and softer before vanishing. Summoning Zorro, the persona created a gust of wind that blew away the dark fog the chimera breathed. The quiet that descended on them was eerie compared to the din of combat just moments ago. “Everyone alright?” he called, looking over at the Servants – and seeing Rider collapse on her knees. “Rider!” he cried in a panic as he raced over.

Rider was panting for breath, her blindfold already back on and secured. She glanced up at Morgana as he approached worriedly. “I’m fine, Master,” she reassured him quietly as she stood up, her legs shaky. “I thank you for your concern, and once more I thank you for the healing. Few can treat injuries from a chimera.”

The catlike being nodded before frowning in the direction the chimera fled. “What did you do to it?” he asked curiously as Astolfo and Tamamo Cat walked up to rejoin them. Thankfully, the two didn’t look much worse for wear, aside from getting a bit roughed up from the fight.

“I assume you are aware of my legend, Master,” Rider quietly answered. “My gaze can petrify those that enter it. Man or beast, it matters little, though stronger opponents can resist it. I was unsure if it would be effective on the chimera but at the very least, it would have a far more difficult time moving.”

Again, Morgana blinked before realization set in. Right – Rider’s true identity was the legendary Medusa, the Greek monster infamous for petrifying whoever came to her island. She was only defeated when Perseus snuck up on her while using a mirror-like shield so he didn’t look directly at her and thereby avoided her gaze. Though there were a lot of variations in her myth, one thing that always seemed to be consistent was her being able to petrify people (though specifics vary), and apparently snakes instead of hair.

He noted Rider’s long, purple hair that cascaded down past her waist and grumbled to himself. Again, it seemed what gets recorded and what the Servant is are two very different things. Wasn’t there any particular consistency to this? Or some pattern he could look for? All he could do at this point was throw up his paws and more or less deal with it as it comes.

Turning to the other two, he glanced between them for any wounds. “What about you two?” he asked. “Anything that needs healing or curing?”

Astolfo shook his head, smiling brightly. “Nope!” he answered cheerfully. “Fit as a fiddle here and ready to go!”

Tamamo Cat yawned and licked her paw. “Eh, nothing a good nap won’t cure~” she remarked nonchalantly as she continued grooming herself.

Morgana nodded. Well, at least that was settled. He turned again to look down the corridor the chimera escaped to. Now he had a decision: Should they pursue or just leave? On one hand, they got what they came for, even if it was worthless. They could easily just head out and continue on their mission. The chimera was on an isolated island anyway and couldn’t cross the seas. On the other, a large monster like this shouldn’t be so easily left alone, especially if it was to be a plaything of Stheno’s. Any sailors who arrived here would only find death between the goddess and the monster.

He glanced back at Rider, who was starting to recover her stamina, and clicked his tongue in irritation. His mind was made up. “No sense sticking around and risk getting hurt,” he declared. “Not when we’ve a schedule to keep. We’re withdrawing!” All the Servants nodded as they immediately fell into formation, making sure they weren’t ambushed by the chimera or by anything else as they began walking back up the cave.

As they walked, Morgana felt his temper worsening. Stheno had sent them into a cave to pick up some treasure that turned out to just be a bunch of seeds. And they were ambushed by a chimera who also harmed Rider considerably. If it weren’t for the two new Servants, Rider could’ve died. Still, the fact that both Astolfo and Tamamo Cat didn’t even hesitate to jump in and fight their hardest without so much as a complaint won a lot of good will with him overall. As ditzy as they were, they were good people and valuable allies. At least they wouldn’t be walking away with nothing.

Nevertheless, he was still annoyed.

“Master? A word.”

The soft voice of Rider drew Morgana’s attention. The catlike being withheld his anger as he turned toward the Servant. “What’s up, Rider?” he asked. Astolfo and Tamamo Cat and stood off to the side, quiet. Even they knew not to interfere here.

She was quiet for a second. “What do you intend to say to my sister?” she asked quietly.

Morgana froze for a second, then laughed abashedly. Ah, right – he was rather obvious with his emotions, wasn’t he? As much as he reprimanded Ryuji for not keeping a tighter lid on his mouth, he was guilty of much the same. Man, he really shouldn’t throw any stones, huh?

“I’m gonna ask what the hell was that,” he replied bluntly. He saw no point in sugarcoating it. He was beyond irritated on all fronts regarding Stheno, and Rider deserved to know the truth. “We were led into essentially a death trap for this.” He held up the small bag of seeds for emphasis. “And you also got hurt in the process, Rider! I’m sorry but I can’t forgive her in the slightest for pulling this on us!”

“Master, please,” Rider pleaded (a tone Morgana never thought he would hear from her). “My sister can be… troublesome, but she means well. She has a habit of pranking people even when we were younger. I ask you not to be so harsh with her.”

The catlike being was silent as Rider pleaded her case. Finally, he spoke. “If that’s her definition of ‘meaning well’, then she’s worse than I thought,” he growled out. “You got hurt. If it was just the treasure, fine. If it was just the chimera, fine. But you got hurt because of her. That’s not something I’m gonna let roll on by. And you shouldn’t either, Rider! You’re far too amazing to have to deal with crap from her!”

Rider flinched at his words. She knew Morgana well enough to know that he wasn’t the type to lie, which made it even worse. “Just… please do not be too harsh with her,” she quietly begged. “That is all I ask, Master.”

Morgana stared up at her, then sighed. “Alright, alright,” he replied resignedly. “I’ll try to keep my cool around her this time around. I can’t promise any more though.”

The Servant nodded gratefully. “That is all I ask,” she murmured. With that, they began walking back up again, with both Rider and Morgana taking the lead and the other two following close behind – who are looking between the two with some curiosity. “They are pretty weird, aren’t they, Tama?” Astolfo noted, keeping quiet so they wouldn’t hear.

“They are, woof,” Tamamo Cat admitted. She was oddly quiet by her standard, a fact that Astolfo picked up on with a raised eyebrow. The intense yet curious stare from her at Morgana also didn’t escape his attention.

“Uh, Tama?” he asked uncertainly. “You alright? You’re kinda scaring me here.”

Tamamo Cat smiled widely again. “I do not know what you mean,” she commented nonchalantly as she began walking again, leaving a rather nonplussed Astolfo gaping behind her.

Meanwhile, Medusa, with her excellent hearing, picked up every word they had said. Morgana, as preoccupied with his thoughts as is, didn’t. This was an odd development that may prove to be troublesome for her Master later down the line. Perhaps she should inform him about this new situation brewing.

A smirk formed on her lips. Or alternatively, simply sit back and watch in amusement. It was harmless enough. Despite everything, she was still one of the Gorgon sisters – and the trio did so enjoy their pranks.

----------

Morgana blinked as the sunlight met his eyes once more, forcing him to blink several times and squint as his pupils adjusted to the glare. Despite only spending a short time underground, the sunlight already felt extraordinarily bright. It was a familiar sensation – it reminded him of when he and the Phantom Thieves stepped out of Mementos. The dark gloom of Tokyo’s collective unconsciousness always contrasted sharply with the warm sun in the real world.

Glancing down the beach, he could see the others in the distance – the four soldiers still at the boat, maintaining what appeared to be their vigilance, though he could see one of them yawn loudly. Archer looked relaxed overall, though his body was coiled, ready to spring at a moment’s notice. Stheno was the most obvious with her boredom however, casually swinging her legs while sitting on her rock.

Seeing her looking relaxed and even bored only stirred Morgana’s ire further. For Rider’s sake, he tried to rein in his anger, to extremely limited success. As they marched up, Stheno glanced over and blinked in surprise. “Oh?” she remarked in mild surprise. “You’re unscathed. Even during my time, chimeras were considered a menace to most. Well, I suppose it matters little in the end. I was hoping my little prank bore more fruit.”

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And Morgana lost it. “You sent us into a death trap… on purpose?!” he hissed, practically shivering from sheer rage. “You knew there was a chimera in there and you sent us into its lair without telling us anything?! All for a bag of seeds?!?”

Stheno blinked. “Oh, so that’s what was in that chest,” she remarked with mild surprise. “It didn’t seem particularly valuable, but humans have always been peculiar about their habits and possessions. I must say however even for me, seeds are odd things to place in a chest.”

The words fanned Morgana’s temper more. Rider looked between the two, panicked, while Archer’s eyes narrowed in confusion and wariness. The four Romans were just watching in confused, stunned silence, not willing to draw the attention of anyone toward them. They weren’t fools.

“That’s it?” he snarled. “That’s it?! Your trap nearly got us killed, even if it wasn’t for Rider, I would’ve died, and she herself almost would’ve gotten killed for it if Tamamo Cat and Astolofo hadn’t stepped in! We risked life and limb for a non-existent treasure, fighting a mythological beast that nearly killed all of us, and that’s all you can say?!”

At the reprimand, Stheno’s eyes flashed with anger. “What?!” she snapped. “Meduseless got hurt?!” She immediately looked over at Medusa, who was standing nearby refusing to meet her gaze, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but here. The girl’s eyes immediately scanned her for any wounds, something Morgana immediately noticed.

“Oh, you’re concerned for her now?” he asked incredulously. “A little too late for that! I was able to patch her up, even dealt with the chimera venom too! It wasn’t beyond my skill, but if things had gone any worse, there was a possibility she would’ve died! Ever consider that?!”

“Then it would be because you were incompetent,” Stheno retorted, her eyes filled with venom as she whirled back on Morgana. “Your greed and carelessness nearly lead to my dear sister getting killed. She is worth more than a thousand of your insignificant kind. And you have the nerve to lecture me? You are lucky dear Meduseless has vouched for you and she stands here still, else I would do all I can to slay you where you stand.”

The accusation stung both Morgana’s temper and pride. “Incompetent?!” he screeched. “What does competency have to do with any of this?! I made sure we were careful and stayed on guard despite you not warning us about anything, but how was I supposed to expect a chimera to drop on us?! Oh wait, we couldn’t, because you didn’t tell us!”

Stheno scoffed. “And why would it be my business to tell you anything?” she questioned. “You were the one who greedily dropped everything to go after a treasure like a witless fool. My dear sister had to save you and got hurt in the process. It seems Meduseless is fine now, but regardless, the fault clearly lies with you. I should have known a furball like you would only trouble her.”

Morgana’s mouth almost dropped as his paws clenched into fists. The other Servants and the Romans were silent, though all of them were ready to move at a moment’s notice. She had the nerve – the absolute nerve – to put the blame on him?! When she was the one who sent them into a death trap with no information and no reward on a whim?! He could’ve been more cautious, sure, but Stheno knew about the chimera and chose not to tell them!

With a wild scream of rage from Morgana, Zorro appeared in a flash of blue flame – large, towering, and menacing, looming over the girl reeled back in surprise. The Persona still held his perpetual grin, but there was a dark tinge to it, reflecting the sheer anger of his other self. Medusa immediately raced forward to stop him, only to be stopped by Archer.

Before anyone else could do anything, Zorro traced a pattern with his rapier and sent a violent gust of cutting winds… right past Stheno, slicing countless trees as it blew right by. The persona faded away, and the next moment was nothing but sounds of trees and branches falling onto the ground. Then the din quieted, and all that was left were the waves splashing up against the beach.

Finally, Morgana turned away from Stheno. “We’re leaving,” he stated quietly. “The four of you, get the boat ready to sail out. We’re heading back to the ship. Archer, Rider, Astolfo, Tamamo Cat, let’s go.”

Everyone blinked for a second, then nodded as Morgana began marching back to the boat, not even looking back once at the nonplussed girl still sitting in shock at what just happened. Morgana’s tone brooked absolutely no argument. Even Archer was surprisingly quiet afterward, only glancing at Stheno to make sure she didn’t try anything. Medusa, on the other hand, was completely silent. Despite herself, she still moved with Morgana.

Morgana, however, simply stood on the beach watching the soldiers push the boat back into the water. The circuits in his body burned with the usage of Zorro, both for healing Rider and for creating the Garudyne as a way to vent. His anger slowly drained and hardened within him, turning from a blazing inferno that possessed his body into a cold, miserable pit that burned within his gut. He felt the presence beside him and without even turning, he knew who it was. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I made a promise, and I couldn’t keep it. I let my temper get the best of me.”

Medusa glanced in surprise, then gently shook her head. “There is nothing to apologize for, Master,” she replied. “My sister can be… difficult at times. I thank you for your restraint and for… for not harming her.” She had a near panic attack when Archer held her back from interfering, but evidently the red-mantled hero knew Morgana better than she did – especially watching the winds howl right past Stheno when he could’ve easily harmed her. Her Master was emotional, but not normally given to passion in such a manner.

And it was on her behalf. The treasure and chimera were part of it, but he made it clear he wouldn’t nearly be so angry if she hadn’t been hurt. She wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Morgana gave a humorless chuckle. “Nah,” he replied. “I wasn’t gonna hurt her – even if she was irritating as all get out.” Granted, he was sorely tempted, but he decided not to voice that opinion for Rider’s sake. He glanced over at Tamamo Cat and Astolfo standing nearby before looking at the bag of seeds once more. In terms of material, it wasn’t overall a bad haul.

But still, something Stheno said stuck with him. Apparently, some people just dropped a dilapidated chest with just a bunch of seeds within. It wasn’t like the chest had been looted and reused either. Why would someone just drop off a small bag of seeds? The question niggled at his mind, and his instincts stirred. There was something more to these seeds. Asking Stheno was a fool’s errand – even if she knew, she probably wouldn’t tell him, and he wouldn’t want to hear it anyway. It was probably better to ask Chaldea once they got back to the ship.

“Ne… ro…..!”

Morgana froze, his fur standing on end. The voice was masculine and labored, but nevertheless unmistakable. “Master!” Archer called out as he summoned his bow and a sword , which lengthened into an arrow. Whirling about, the catlike Master saw the source of the voice: the Berserker that had been at the camp back in Sicily. He was dripping wet, seaweed clinging to his hair and armor as he shambled towards them. Under normal circumstances, he would look comical.

However, the man’s eyes - burning red pupils pronounced by black sclera - were filled with utter madness and determination. There was nothing to laugh about with this Servant; he was there to make sure all of them were dead. “Nero…!” he rasped again, his voice growing stronger as his gaze rove around to everyone nearby, seeking his target.

The catlike being cursed and turned to the four Romans, who were paralyzed in terror. “Get back to the ship, NOW!” he ordered.

At the sound of his voice, the Berserker’s eyes immediately locked onto Morgana. “NEROOOO!!!!” he roared as he immediately charged, his powerful legs churning up the sand as he moved in at inhuman speeds. Archer loosed his arrow, but to his surprise the Berserker tilted his head to the side, dodging it. Morgana, expecting the Berserker’s response, barely jumped to the side in time to dodge as the mad Servant flew past him.

“GO!!!” Morgana roared. The four Romans immediately shook themselves out of their terror and hastily got back into the rowboat. Within moments, they were rowing for their lives away from the battle. The Berserker most likely wouldn’t go after them but it was better to make sure. “Hey, you missed, ya big lug!” he called out tauntingly. “All that seawater drown your brains too? Not like you had any to drown in the first place!”

“NEEEROOOOO!!!” the Berserker roared in near incomprehensible rage before charging again. This time, however, the Servants were more than ready. Archer immediately shot another arrow, this time aiming for the sand directly in front of the Berserker’s feet, crater it and causing the mad Servant to trip up for just a moment – enough time for Tamamo Cat to charge in and bat him aside while Rider’s spikes dragged him away once more. Astolfo charged in, sword raised to stab down at the Berserker-

Until the Berserker rapidly dragged himself to his feet despite Rider pulling and grabbed the sword, yanking it away. Astolfo’s blade cut into his hand as a result, sending rivulets of blood flowing down, but the Berserker took no notice. Instead, he stepped in and delivered a harsh headbutt to Astolfo, causing the Paladin to reel back in pain, dazed.

That done, he pulled hard on his arm, dragging Rider toward him. The Berserker reeled his arm back to punch – only for two curved blades to sink into his back before being followed by a gust of cutting wind, allowing Rider to pull her spike out and quickly retreat. The four Servants and Morgana immediately moved around him and surrounded him on all sides. Despite his throbbing circuits and warming body, he prepared a Heat Riser. They needed to finish this as fast as they could-

Suddenly, the area darkened, much to everyone’s surprise. Morgana looked about, alarmed, trying to see the cause of the shadow, but found nothing. The sun was somehow gone and he could barely see the other Servants. The Berserker panted as he held his head.

“Di….ana….” he rasped.

To Morgana’s surprise, a new light began shining: A large moon amidst a starry sky appeared right above the Berserker, its pale glow illuminating the area. Normally, Morgana liked the moon and under normal circumstances, he’d consider this beautiful. However, this time, he felt nothing but dread. Archer drew his bow as Rider readied her spikes to charge in, but not fast enough.

“G-goddess…” the Berserker groaned out. “I can s-see the g-goddess. Hear… my prayer…” Suddenly, he roared to the sky in a mad fervor.

“FLUCTICULUS DIANA!!”

The unnatural moon began shining brighter – and suddenly, Morgana gripped his head as it was assaulted by… something. It felt both knowable and familiar yet completely foreign and invasive. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself down as the pressure lessened. The Berserker had used some sort of Noble Phantasm, that much was clear, and it attacked the minds of whoever was hit by it. Thankfully, as he expected, having a persona shielded him from the brunt of it. He still felt it, but he easily shook it off.

Glancing around, however, he noticed he was the only one able to ward it off. Archer, Rider, Tamamo Cat, and Astolfo were suffering the effects of the moon. Even Stheno, for all her haughtiness, was cradling her head as she struggled to remain upright. The four Romans weren’t in sight – they must’ve escaped far enough either in attention or distance. Well, one less thing to worry about.

“Zorro!” Morgana cried. The persona burst forth once more, drawing the Berserker’s attention once more. The persona began drawing a pattern with his rapier as the Servant lunged at Morgana with a wild howl. That was in Morgana’s expectations as he began to dodge – and his eyes widened with horror as he realized his body wasn’t moving as well as it should be. It felt like he was stuck in morass.

Once again, everything was in slow motion. All he could do was watch as Zorro finished the Me Patra spell, resulting in him and his allies emanating a green glow as it took effect. Meanwhile, the Berserker easily closed the distance with one simple leap, roaring as he reared his fist back, aiming directly for the catlike being’s head. And all he could do was watch as Archer leaped in front, Kanshou and Byakuya crossed, to intercept. The Berserker’s fist flew forward. The swords were shattered to pieces.

And punctured right through Archer’s gut.

“ARCHER!” Morgana screamed as blood dribbled out of the red-mantled hero’s mouth. Instead of responding, Archer smirked, grasped hold of the Berserker’s arm and, summoning Kanshou, sliced down. The Servant roared in pain as the blade lodged a good deal into his arm. Before the Berserker could retaliate, Rider, Tamamo Cat, and Astolfo charged in and knocked him away from Archer and re-engaged him.

The catlike Master raced over as the red-mantled hero collapsed on his knees. He stared in horror at the fist-sized weeping hole in the Servant’s gut. Archer would die if he didn’t act immediately. “Zorro!” Morgana cried out once more. The persona once more appeared and traced a pattern with his rapier, suffusing Archer in a green glow. Morgana watched with relief as the hole closed. However, Archer still didn’t wasn’t in his best condition – and already, the Master could feel the stiffness of his body return.

He scowled as he glanced over at the moon. So long as the Berserker’s noble phantasm was there, they were in dire straits. He needed to end this quickly. And he knew just the method.

Morgana raised his paw as his command seals began glowing. “Rider, by my command seal!” he yelled. “Use your noble phantasm and defeat the enemy Servant!”

The command seal flashed brightly before dimming again, with one part of the seal becoming dull and lusterless. In contrast, Rider began glowing with a subtle red aura of power. She backflipped away from the Berserker to gain some distance, allowing both Astolfo and Tamamo Cat to jump back in and seize his attention. A purple arcane circle appeared around her body as she bent over, focused on the Berserker. There was a flash of light… And in her place was a creature of sublime beauty.

Pegasus was one of the most famous mythological beings of all time. Depicted as a pure white horse with great feathered wings, it had been used long ago to kill the chimera by shoving a lead-laden spear down its throat. It was born from the blood of Medusa after she had been beheaded, alongside the warrior Chrysaor. Just about everyone knew of its myth and majesty, to the point where it could be recognized on sight.

And every single depiction utterly failed to truly capture what stood in front of Morgana now.

The beast that stood there could only be described as wondrous. The white coat of Pegasus shone brightly, but it wasn’t because of the moonlight. The ethereal glow was coming from the magnificent being itself. Its wings moved, each flap causing what felt like a hurricane. The creature’s eyes, normally serene, possessed a rage that mirrored that of the Berserker’s. It reared and neighed, a sound that commanded everyone’s attention.

Morgana had never seen anything so beautiful and so deadly. Ren had a unicorn and a bicorn persona, but neither of them came even close to the majesty he saw in front of him.

Mounted on top was Rider, with a bridle made of gold. With a pull of the reins, Pegasus took to the skies in a blaze of light, reminiscent of a comet. In an instant, it became nothing more than a twinkling star. Then that star began glowing brightly, more intensely – something Astolfo and Tamamo Cat both noted and immediately dived away. Tamamo Cat noticed Morgana staring, transfixed, and immediately grabbed him, holding her to her chest as she ran.

That immediately shook the catlike being out of his stupor as his mind began working once more. Normally he’d protest being picked up like this, but he wasn’t going to complain from escaping the blast radius. Instead, he poked his head up slightly to better comprehend what was going on.

Rider mounted on Pegasus was something he hadn’t expected or seen before, but it was fitting for her. He recalled his myths though back from studying with Ren in Shujin how Pegasus had only one rider in the myths. He rode Pegasus into battle to slay the chimera – which was ironic given everything that has happened so far, come to think of it. The hero’s name was-

“BELLAROPHON!!!”

Rider and Pegasus streaked out of the sky like a meteor made of pure light. The Berserker only had time to roar in defiance at his oncoming fate. As they collided, there was a tremendous explosion.

And then all Morgana could see was white.