History Repeats Itself (End)

Whatever was going to happen, it wouldn't bode well for anyone present. The Chaldeans did everything they could to try and stop her to no avail. Even those supposed to be on her side were thinking she had gone crazy.

"What is that woman thinking?! Does she plan to erase us together with that cockroach?!" Aside from the rumbling thunderclouds, the air around them was starting to become turbulent. Euryale had to hold onto Asterios not to get blown away, something her sister also did.

The Minotaur tried his best to protect them, but it was getting increasingly difficult when he also had to take care of himself. Being of Chaotic Evil Alignment, he also had to suffer from the weakening and strengthening effect of those pillars. If there was something good about all of this, it was that it didn't affect his weight, so the two Goddesses could hold onto him without problems.

'She lost her mind, damn it. After this, if we survive, I will have to tell Seth to put a leash on her. That way, she won't be acting recklessly like this anymore.' Stheno knew that no matter what they did, she was dead set on destroying the enemy.

"Mash, please use your shield to protect us!" In this situation, they couldn't use EMIYA's Reality Marble to escape due to particular circumstances concerning their original plan, so their next best option was to use Mash's defensive capabilities.

"Y-Yes! Just leave it to me, Senpai!" His words of encouragement were everything Mash needed to put all she had in defending them. She might not be much as a Servant yet, but she, for sure, was going to protect them with all she had got!

Fujimaru nodded, trusting her. Even so, just for good measure, he used one of his Command Spells to strengthen her. He didn't know the level of destructiveness that was going to ensure, so it was best to be careful.

The lilac-haired girl soon put her shield in front of her. Taking a deep breath, she used as much Magical Energy as she could to try and cover not only them but the whole ship as well.

It wasn't long before a projection of a shield-looking barrier manifested in front of her. Little by little, it started growing more each time. However, it didn't look like she would make it before Altera fired her Noble Phantasm.

Different from them, who at least had a chance at escaping sure destruction, Blackbeard, Kidd, Anne, and Mary were not that fortunate. The two male pirates had next to zero options to do something against her. Lightning was starting to fall around her, creating some safe zone. If they wanted to get to her, they would have to be careful. Not to mention Teach didn't have the advantage of William to counter the effects of the pillars.

As for the two girls, they were supporting one another to be able to stand up barely. Their bodies felt like jelly; if it weren't for their willpower, they would be on the ground already.

"Mary...are you okay?" Even though it was a meaningless question, Anne still asked her partner. She couldn't believe they got themselves in such a situation. Was their luck that bad?

"Yeah... What about you?" Although she confirmed she was all right, that wasn't exactly the case. Different from Anne, Mary had been fighting in close combat with Sanson and had suffered some wounds additionally to the physical exertion.

"I am fine. But more importantly, we have to do something about that woman, or we will die here." As she said this, the blond-haired girl raised her musket with some difficulty and shot the Scourge of God as quickly. However, much to her misfortune, Altera's Magical Energy took physical form in the shape of a drill-like rainbow of lights that pointed at the sky like her sword did, protecting her.

"I guess...it won't be that easy, huh..." Anne smiled wryly but was quickly comforted by Mary, who held her hand in a signal of support. There was also the fact that Altera didn't even glance at them; she kept her gaze firm on the now kneeling Kidd.

Honestly, it was plain to see that if she used her Noble Phantasm now, she would be able to kill them all with no problems. The most likely reason she didn't do so must be to take out all the intense feelings she had inside her. There were almost no doubts Altera wanted to absolutely, completely crush William Kidd.

BUT. That allowed the group to stop the white-haired girl before it was too late. Anne looked toward her Master, who was using the helm to support himself. If he had anything to help them, then now was the time to use it.

'Dammit. I got confident this time. I should've used it while I had those edgy-haired bastards aboard. I can't believe I suffered from classic villain syndrome, saving everything for the last moment. But hmph. If they think Blackbeard goes out without a fight, then they are mistaken.' Even in his final moments, he never stopped until all his strength left him. Now was the time to show them the might of Edward Teach, of the feared Blackbeard.

Contrary to what one might expect, Teach was not going to attack Altera. There was a simple reason for that, if he did, he would also blow up his ship, and he had committed too many mistakes to make another. Instead, his target was going to be the Golden Hind.

« 'Here it comes. My anger is ecstasy itself!' Even in his drunk-like state, Blackbeard's Magical Energy started to rise rapidly. He was going to go all out on this one.

'Taste the might of my cannon in full splendor!' Although he mentally spoke like it was only one, probably to make a dirty joke, multiple cannons manifested, all pointing at the Chaldeans.

『Queen Anne's Revenge!』 »

Saying the name of his Noble Phantasm out loud, every cannon fired, each one powered by the multiple Servants standing on his ship. It didn't take long for the blasts to collide with the barrier Mash had created, putting more pressure on the shield girl.

"Gh...!" She released a low grunt as her grip on her shield increased further. Shielder didn't know if she was going to be able to keep up with that pirate, but the hopes and survival of everyone rested on her so she couldn't disappoint them.

"That bastard is seriously annoying until the end! Mash, make sure to endure. If we get out of this alive, the next treasure we find will be yours!" Drake tried to encourage the little girl, although she wasn't sure if that was going to be effective.

"We are counting on you, Shielder. Give it everything you've got." EMIYA also gave his words of support. It was the only thing he could do for now as Mash's barrier not only prevented them from being harmed but from attacking as well.

Fujimaru didn't say anything. Even so, Mash already knew she had his complete trust, and it was indeed so. The youth was planning to aid her with another Command Spell if she ever needed it as he didn't want to play with their chances of survival.

The lilac-haired girl obtained strength from their encouragement, and everyone certainly noticed it. A new additional barrier behind the previous one emerged. Now, if the blasts managed to overcame their first line of defense, they at least had another. It was timely, to say the least, as the barrier Mash first put was beginning to crack from Blackbeard's Noble Phantasm's continuous assault.

The said assault wasn't eternal, though. Edward knew there was a limit to how much he could keep pressuring them, mainly due to his reserves of Magical Energy. The only positive thing to get out of this was that he didn't need to use his body to attack, or he would be screwed.

Meanwhile, as Blackbeard tried to kill the Chaldeans, Anne and Mary were preparing to use their own Noble Phantasm. "I don't know if I should praise his stubbornness or call him an idiot for not worrying about that girl."

"Forget about him for now, Anne. What's important now is stopping that woman, or preferably killing her." The only advantage they had at this point was that Altera didn't consider them a threat so they could take her by surprise.

"You are right. But are you prepared? Our chances at succeeding aren't that high." Although she didn't say it, it wasn't a secret that they would most likely end up dead even if they managed to stop the white-haired girl.

"Yes, it doesn't matter what happens. We will always have each other until the end." Mary's words brought a smile to her face. That's right, same as when they were alive, they would fight together even if that meant their deaths.

Nodding to one another, both girls proceeded to spend every ounce of Magical Energy possible. It would grant them the ability to ignore the effects of the pillars temporarily, but they would have to act quickly.

Mary started running at Altera while Anne prepared her musket and aimed it at her. Their situation now was a disadvantageous one, but instead of making them feel despair, it gave them hope. After all, their Noble Phantasm received a boost the more cornered they were. A crystallization of their legend where they fought with tooth and nail to prevent their capture.

As the little girl drew near, Altera, for the first time, directed her gaze at her. Immediately, a lightning bolt descended from the sky, striking her with incredible might. Mary fell to the ground without uttering a sound of pain, but with the same quickness that she did, she got up and launched herself at the Scourge of God again.

Anne bit her lips, seeing her companion get hurt like that. However, she still kept her aim, waiting for an opportunity to shoot. Still, it was hard to keep her cool when she saw Mary getting hurt again and again.

'Not yet...just a little more...' The little pirate was getting closer to Altera, but that wasn't necessarily a good thing. The ever raising in strength Noble Phantasm of the white-haired girl continued to create environmental changes that made approaching her a difficult task.

"Meaningless resistance." She didn't have time to deal with flies that kept buzzing around her. There was still that man crawling toward her like the pathetic bug he was who needed to die.

Altera sent one last thunderbolt to the slowly advancing Mary. This one seemed to be the final blow as the little girl was falling face forward and was starting to let go of her weapon. Seeing this, the King of the Hun returned to what she was doing. In no time, she would complete the preparations.

That reaction, however, was what the two girls were waiting for from the beginning. Mary, who looked defeated, gripped her cutlass one last time before throwing it at Altera like a throwing dagger. 'Don't...underestimate...our free...spirit!!!'

Without even looking, the tan girl inclined her head backward slightly, letting the pirate's weapon continue its trajectory without accomplishing anything. The smile in Mary's face showed that it was all under control, though.

"This is your end, you strumpet! Caribbean Free Bird!" It was a minimal opportunity, but they still had to take advantage of it. That's why she endured the suffering of her partner and best friend.

With an expression of anger and sorrow, Anne fired her musket, shooting a yellow beam in Altera's direction instead of a bullet. It was their last chance to stop her from killing them all, although it didn't matter at this point.

The beam rapidly passed by a fainting Mary, continuing its path unimpeded. If nobody did anything, the white-haired girl would undoubtedly suffer some damage.

"...I am tired of you." She had initially planned to erase that worm's existence together with everything surrounding her. That's why she kept pouring more and more Magical Energy into her new Noble Phantasm, but their continuous interruptions made her change her mind. It was ironic that they ended up causing what they wanted to prevent.

She stopped supplying her reserves to her sword, also ending all the phenomenons around her, except for the thunderclouds. That included the drill-like rainbow surrounding her, but instead of simply disappearing, it got absorbed into her weapon, giving it an additional radiance.

All of that happened in mere milliseconds, giving Altera enough time to use her sword like a blunt weapon and hit the incoming beam. What happened next was something expected; an explosion followed up by a cloud of smoke covering everyone's vision.

The Scourge of God soon exited it, leaving deep trails on the ship's floor as she tried to stop the momentum, something she accomplished in no time.

"You are lying..." Anne couldn't believe what her eyes were seeing. Everything they did was for...nothing? The suffering of both her and Mary was, as the monster in front of her said, meaningless?

« "...Connection with Patron God starting." Altera didn't give any thought to Anne's suffering, nor she wanted to. Instead, as the cannon of the insufferable cockroach were firing above her head, she began her chant.

"This sword of mine shall serve a new purpose." Pointing her sword at the sky again, blue, green, and red lightning formed at the tip of her weapon before shooting toward the dark clouds.

"Kh...!" Kidd tried to get up, but he didn't have enough strength left. He could only see as Altera continued activating her Noble Phantasm while condescendingly looking at him.

"I declare you all enemies of the God of Storms himself." The bolts of lightning in the clouds soon turned the same color as her sword, moving chaotically but also with a pattern. It didn't take long for them to take the shape of a constellation, the Ursa Major. A place said to be Seth's home in some myth.

『Raging Star Photon Ray!』 »

Those words marked their end. The constellation quickly merged itself on a single point before descending with hope-crushing might. Three separate lightning bolts came down before blending mid-air, transforming into a single, rainbow-colored one. Its size, as well as its pressure, was enough to make them think they weren't going to get out of this alive.

If that wasn't enough, Blackbeard broke the first barrier and was in the process of doing the same with the last. It didn't look well for the Chaldeans at all.

"It's finally my turn! Thanks for waiting for everyone~." A voice they haven't heard in what seemed to be an eternity made its way into their ears.

Artemis had been waiting for her darling to sabotage the ship from inside, but he took way too long! Honestly, making a girl wait, she would have to punish him with hugs and kisses when this was over!

'Though...she is truly an unstable girl. What was he thinking, powering such a monstrosity? I suppose they are two of a kind, after all...' A sermon was due if she ever saw him again!

Leaving that aside, Artemis, as soon as she saw that Orion floated out of one of the ship's windows, fired her arrow at that open space left by her lover. In no time, the projectile impacted on the powder room.

What happened next needn't a description. The whole ship exploded from inside out, halting Blackbeard's Noble Phantasm and causing Altera to tumble slightly, making her miss the intended target.

Even so, it didn't miss by much, hitting the ocean next to the Queen Anne's Revenge. As soon as it did, a discharge in all directions surged, ready to annihilate everything to pieces. If there was a part left undamaged on the ship, it was not now.

The series of happy coincidences for the Chaldeans weren't over yet. Thanks to Altera's Noble Phantasm hitting the water, and Teach's ship blocking part of the aftermath, they didn't suffer as much damage as expected.

The only thing they had to worry about was the pieces of wood from Blackbeard's ship that were shooting like missiles in all directions. Mash's shield was taking care of that, though. Fujimaru also used another Command Spell to give even more support, managing to make the girl create another barrier.

Although there were a few things they had to concern themselves with, the Scourge of God's Noble Phantasm was still something they had to defend against, and that was not an easy thing. The constant cracks on Mash's barrier were proof enough. Even she didn't have the confidence to stop it if it weren't for her Senpai's help.

Fortunately for them, the effects didn't last long as Altera had no way of continuing with it.

"Is it over...?" Shielder asked, finally being able to take a breath. She deactivated the barriers, believing there was no need for them anymore.

What she didn't know, though, was that there was a wounded but still living man lurking. Teach was using a piece of wood to keep himself afloat. He was looking directly into an unsuspected Drake who was rejoicing this weird hell ended.

Taking his gun out from his captain's coat, Blackbeard pointed it at her. He didn't plan to die with regrets, so at least he was taking her down with him.

As he was preparing to pull the trigger, the words that sentenced him were spoken.

『La Mort Espoir!』 »

Sanson already learned his lesson. He, from the beginning after Altera's new Photon Ray, had been searching everywhere for him. He had been taken by surprise one too many times just to ignore him again.

The moment he saw Blackbeard's ready to fire his gun, he immediately used his Noble Phantasm. A guillotine manifested above Teach as many shadow-like hands grabbed him, not letting him go.

Teach finally looked at Sanson, but instead of being angry at him, he just grinned, and lip spoke to the Executioner. Assassin frowned before the blade of the guillotine finally went down, decapitating the worst pirate ever to exist.

Everyone was surprised at seeing Sanson use his Noble Phantasm out of nowhere, but it was only after seeing Blackbeard with his gun did they understood why. However, seeing someone die such a death was not a pleasant sight for some of them. Drake made sure to thank the white-haired young man, though.

As for Altera, she was in a similar situation to the pirate. After the explosion, she was sent flying into the water. The good thing was that she could return to the surface pretty quickly; the bad one was that a piece of wood was stuck in her abdomen.

She swore that after this, she would kill that airhead woman for ruining her plans. At least she managed to diverge on of the combined three bolts of lightning to hit that man at the last second.

"I told you, didn't I? Make sure to kill me for good." Fate seemed to like playing with her. As if mocking her thoughts, Kidd appeared behind the white-haired girl and stabbed her back.

Dead Men Do Tell Tales. It was William's Noble Phantasm. The feat of having escaped death one time by surviving an execution. It granted him a one time revive in addition to giving him a passive increase in his Luck Parameter. This was the reason why he had avoided many of Altera's finishing blows before.

Kidd's blade plunged itself further and further through her body until it exited from her chest. However, she just silently gritted her teeth as blood fell from her mouth before letting go of the piece of wood she was using as a support, making them all descend into the ocean.

In there, she elbowed the pirate's face. Thanks to that, the black-haired man let go of his weapon. Taking the opportunity, Altera transformed her sword into a whip and then proceeded to wrap it around his neck.

The Scourge of God then pulled her weapon back, bringing William with it. However, before he managed to get to her, she used her heels again on his back to stop him in place. She didn't stop pulling, though.

Soon, Saber realized what she was trying to do, but he was powerless to stop it. As the amount of force on both ends increased, Kidd felt how it was getting increasingly difficult to breathe, but if he thought she was going to stop, he was mistaken.

Altera made use of every ounce of strength until the force she applied reached the necessary threshold. William's resistance grew dimmer and dimmer until, eventually, there was none at all. The hands that were trying to unwrap her weapon from his neck soon fell limp, together with the rest of his body.

His body started to fade, signifying his second death, and with it, so did the sword still on her chest. Altera, for her part, didn't have any strength left either. Using everything to prepare her Noble Phantasm and getting stabbed by that vermin, didn't leave much for her.

She started sinking farther into the ocean until a hand caught her. "This is the last time I do this. Next time, make sure to act less recklessly, okay?" Artemis, who ruined her plan to kill every enemy, also helped her from drowning. It was a give and take. However, Altera didn't seem too happy about this, going by the glare she was giving the Goddess.

Pouting at her reaction, she spoke again. "What is that face? What ends well ends well! No need to be so upset!"

"What about if you think about things before you act?" The Plushie Orion asked, although to whom he was speaking to, he didn't say.

Still, no matter the process, at least everything turned out fine. In the end, history repeated itself. Blackbeard died without his head, Kill died "hanged," Mary died with her body feeling like it would melt, and Anne's fate was unknown.

For now, a good rest was in order.