Location: Unknown Waters of the Mythic Ocean
Time: Several Days After the Battle Against Blackbeard
The sea had been calm, but a bitter tension hung in the air. The Holy Grail was once again out of reach, now in the hands of an elusive enemy.
Hektor had vanished, using hidden routes and concealment magic that even made it difficult for Tamamo to detect magical traces.
For days, Leonel, Tamamo, Mash, Jeanne, Artoria, Nero, and Drake combed islands, spoke with pirates, and tracked magical currents. Tezcatlipoca, ever watchful, helped deduce the possible direction, but even he acknowledged the enemy's cunning.
Leonel, visibly frustrated at times, stayed strong for his companions. Tamamo, sensitive to his emotional state, comforted him with hugs and sweet caresses in private, while Nero offered him smiles and words of encouragement, like his loyal empress.
After several days of searching, Tamamo finally sensed a powerful magical presence. Tezcatlipoca confirmed it was not just Hektor, but other heroic spirits in the same location.
Drake, observing through her spyglass, spotted a white ship with gold details approaching from the horizon.
"That design... I don't recognize it from any pirate," she commented.
Mash consulted the archives in her shield:
"That is the Argo, the legendary ship of the Argonauts... commanded by Jason."
Leonel clenched his teeth.
"So Hektor found allies... and not just any."
Both ships approach. This time, without cannon fire. Only wind and tense stares.
Jason appears on his ship's deck, surrounded by Servants known from Greek mythology. With a cynical smile, he greets with theatricality.
"Oh, visitors from Chaldea! Did you come for the Grail? What a surprise. I expected a better introduction," he said mockingly.
Leonel steps forward, accompanied by Jeanne and Drake.
"Jason. We don't come to fight. We just want the Grail. It shouldn't be here; you know what it can cause."
Jason makes an annoyed face.
"Oh, yes, yes, the integrity of history and the temporal order. How boring. Look, I have a simple deal: I want to reclaim my kingdom. The Grail can grant wishes, can't it? So I need it more than you do."
Jeanne, with serenity, insists:
"You know it won't work that way. The Grail distorts realities. It doesn't create miracles without consequences..."
Jason raises his hand sarcastically.
"Oh, forgive me, Saint! But some of us weren't born saints. We were born kings! Or at least... were denied being so."
[Final Scene: Prelude to War]
Leonel, seeing that words wouldn't work, tries one last proposal:
"Jason. You don't have to bear that alone. We can help you, without the Grail."
Jason laughs, dry and sharp.
"I don't want your help. I want my kingdom. And if I have to walk over your corpses to achieve it... then so be it!"
The deck of the Argo lights up with several heroic figures beginning to manifest: Atalanta, Medea, Heracles (young form), Orpheus, and Hektor, among others.
Drake, Tamamo, Nero, Jeanne, and Artoria prepare for combat, tightening their grips on their weapons.
Leonel sighs, his gaze serious.
"Then... there's no other choice."
Tezcatlipoca appears beside him, wrapped in golden smoke.
"Prepare your team, Champion. The true heroes of antiquity are about to put you to the test..."
With a theatrical gesture, Jason extends his hand to the sky.
"Argonauts... to battle!"
Before the eyes of Leonel and his group, the heroic figures appear one by one:
Atalanta, agile, elegant, her bow already prepared with magical arrows.
Heracles, in his Berserker form, with eyes burning with silent rage.
Medea Lily, floating a few meters away, surrounded by an aura of luminous healing.
The clash begins immediately.
Atalanta shoots with surgical precision, firing blessed arrows that could pierce simple magic. Tamamo, with agility and graceful gestures, raises magical talismans that neutralize several shots, though with difficulty.
"That archer isn't joking..." murmurs Tamamo, her ears trembling slightly from the tension.
Jeanne stands firm, using her banner to block stray arrows. Though she doesn't have Tamamo's range, she serves as a human shield.
Tamamo, following Leonel's rapid instructions, launches a blast of spiritual fire at Atalanta's feet, forcing her to retreat while Jeanne advances to intercept her.
The real hell is before them.
Heracles, more bestial than human, charges without pause with his broad sword. Every impact makes the deck tremble. His movements lack technique, but every blow is capable of shattering wood, steel, and bones.
Artoria and Nero coordinate like a dance of fire and steel. Nero with her agility and precise attacks, Artoria with her regal defense and counterstrikes. However...
"We've only cut him down once and he got up as if nothing happened!" shouts Nero, panting.
Tezcatlipoca appears beside him as a specter and whispers to Leonel:
"His Noble Phantasm... 'God Hand'. Thirteen resurrections. They'll have to kill him thirteen times."
Leonel swallows.
"Then... don't stop."
Medea Lily has no offensive intentions, but her healing power is real. From the rear, she sings chants that regenerate Heracles's and Atalanta's wounds, making everything more complicated.
Drake, with her saber in hand, cuts through magical constructs to get closer. Mash, however, protects her captain from defensive counter-spells.
"Don't underestimate a navigator of the seven seas!" Drake yells as she lunges towards the small sorceress.
Medea Lily casts a barrier spell, but Mash shatters it with a charged attack, forcing her to retreat.
Alone in the rear, receiving the flow of battle through Tezcatlipoca, Leonel knows Jason hasn't moved yet, waiting for the opportunity to crush the heart of the team.
Leonel looks at his Compendium.
"I don't have access to the most powerful yet... but there's an entry here..."
The name stands out as if burning:
RAKSHASA – Violent spirit of destruction, bearer of fire and chaos.
Leonel bites his finger, lets his blood fall onto the ship's deck, and pronounces an improvised Summoning Ritual with Tezcatlipoca's help.
A figure wrapped in purple flames and darkness emerges from the circle. His body is slender but strong, his face partially covered by a bestial mask. The aura surrounding him is intimidating.
"You called me, human... are you going to give me blood?"
"I'll give you enemies... and a swordsman who thinks he's king. Do you accept?"
The Rakshasa smiles.
"I accept."
Jason, from the other ship, finally takes his sword.
"Now, yes! Showtime! Come, strange summoner, and test my steel!"
Leonel, taking a deep breath, stands up.
"Let's dance, then."
The whistle of arrows cuts the air with lethal precision. Atalanta, with eyes cold as marble, leaps among ropes and masts, using height to her advantage. From the highest beams, she unleashes a rain of magical arrows.
"You have no chance... Not against someone who has been a huntress her whole life," the archer declares without emotion.
Tamamo, crouched with talismans floating around her, murmurs:
"Nor against a thousand-year-old kitsune, dear."
Jeanne, firm with her banner, blocks arrow after arrow. Still, some pierce her defense, causing minor cuts on her arms and side.
"Agh... I can't protect us completely from here..." Jeanne gasps, but she doesn't yield ground.
From the rear, Leonel connects mentally with his Persona.
"Tezcatlipoca... I need weaknesses. No time for guessing."
The god of darkness and war responds quickly.
"Atalanta is fast, but her rhythm is predictable. Every three shots, she changes position. If you force her escape route... you can trap her."
Leonel transmits this to Tamamo, who nods with a cunning smile.
"Then let's set a trap for her, like in the old fox tales."
While Jeanne maintains the defense and provokes Atalanta with strategic movements, Tamamo deploys invisible talismans at key points on the beams. Some paralyze, others slow, and a few summon small distracting flames.
"Come on, archer... jump as you always do..." Tamamo whispers with venomous sweetness.
Atalanta, unaware, follows her pattern.
One... two... three shots...
She jumps to the next rope.
And that's when she falls right into Tamamo's trap.
Several talismans catch her in mid-air, enveloping her with spiritual chains that immobilize her body for a few seconds.
"Now, Jeanne!" shouts Tamamo.
Quickly, Jeanne leaps to the beam where Atalanta is trapped and channels her divine power into a controlled discharge.
"Forgive us, sister... but this is for humanity!"
The impact of the holy banner strikes Atalanta with a blast of blessed energy. The archer screams, not from physical pain, but from the rage of being hunted.
The light from the blow envelops the mast. When it dissipates, Atalanta falls unconscious, her bow destroyed, her body covered in magical burn marks.
Jeanne and Tamamo take a moment to breathe.
"That was... intense," says Jeanne, wiping blood from her cheek.
Tamamo shakes the dust off her kimono, smiling.
"I've always wanted to catch a huntress with my tricks. I feel like my younger self."
From his command point, Leonel sighs in relief, seeing that one of the threats has fallen. He transmits his gratitude to both.
"Good work, Tamamo... Jeanne... One down."
Tamamo smiles, feeling pride upon hearing Leonel's warm tone. Jeanne, without a word, just brings a hand to her chest and nods.
However, both knew the other battles were just beginning... and that the battle for the Grail was still far from over.
The roar of Heracles makes the ship's structure tremble. His enormous body is covered in a dark aura, and every step he takes breaks the wood beneath his feet.
"That... is the monster we must face," Artoria says with a tense voice, gripping Excalibur with both hands.
"A single one of his charges could send us to the ocean floor... how exciting," Nero laughs nervously, readying her sword Aestus Estus.
They both charge at him, opening the first assault.
From a distance, Leonel and Tezcatlipoca frantically analyze the Berserker's behavior. Heracles doesn't follow a clear pattern; his attacks are erratic but incredibly precise. The mental duo identifies something crucial:
"He has blind spots right after a frontal charge... Artoria can bait him, and Nero should cut from the flank," Tezcatlipoca says quickly.
Leonel transmits the instructions via mental link.
"Now, Artoria! Provoke him and turn left; Nero, go for his side!"
The coordination works. A precise strike from Nero erases one of Heracles's "lives."
"One down! Twelve left!" shouts Leonel.
Heracles, enraged, increases his speed and strength. Instead of losing effectiveness, he seems more lethal with each resurrection.
Artoria takes a blow to her shield and is dragged several meters by the impact, barely managing to get up.
"No... I can't fail now," she murmurs, spitting blood.
Nero enters the scene and distracts him with a series of graceful feints, keeping him busy until Artoria gets back up. Every victory over one of his lives costs wounds, blood, and energy.
"This can't go on! We need support!" Leonel says over the mental channel.
Just as the eighth "life" is eliminated, Tamamo and Jeanne arrive on the scene.
"Guess who finished hunting a wild archer?" Tamamo says with a smile, launching support talismans.
"Defensive support incoming!" Jeanne shouts, invoking her banner to protect Nero, who is almost collapsing from the effort.
With Tamamo's help and her spells of increased speed, regeneration, and strength, the offensive regains momentum.
Now, with Artoria, Nero, and Jeanne rotating attacks and defense, and Tamamo casting spells every second, they manage to eliminate Heracles's final "lives"... until only one remains.
Heracles roars, his body enveloped in a crimson aura, and for the first time, he thinks before attacking. Though his mind isn't clear, the survival instinct pushes him to be more strategic.
"He's smarter now!" warns Tezcatlipoca.
Leonel, exhausted from coordinating three battles at once, still manages to shout:
"Finish it now! Combined attack! Give it everything!"
Artoria concentrates her power in Excalibur, while Nero does the same with her Laus Saint Claudius. They both look at Heracles, who charges for the last time.
"For humanity!" shouts Artoria.
"For love and art!" adds Nero.
The two golden rays of their Noble Phantasms strike the Berserker simultaneously. The explosion illuminates the sky, and for a few seconds, everything falls silent.
When the smoke dissipates, Heracles is on his knees, his body completely destroyed... and finally fades into golden particles.
Everyone gasps for breath. Artoria falls to her knees, Nero leans on Jeanne, Tamamo sits down exhausted, and Leonel... closes his eyes for a moment, letting himself fall onto a barrel to rest.
"We did it..." he whispers.
Tezcatlipoca laughs in his mind.
"Only two more battles to go, kid. Don't fall asleep yet."
Leonel huffs.
"Just... five minutes..."
Drake and Mash begin the confrontation against Medea Lily, who seems defenseless in appearance. However, her mastery over healing and shield magic makes her a real headache.
Every attack that manages to break her defense is healed almost instantly.
"Damn it! She regenerates faster than I can shoot!" Drake growls while reloading her pistols.
"Even with my shield... I can barely maintain the offensive," Mash says, panting.
The battle drags on. Minutes pass, and just when Jeanne, Tamamo, Artoria, and Nero arrive after defeating Heracles, the situation doesn't improve... until the unexpected happens.
Medea Lily smiles softly, joins her hands, murmurs an incantation... and her body begins to fade like mist.
"It's an illusion!" Tamamo cries, alarmed.
"She distracted us this whole time!" Nero adds, angry.
As they all prepare to advance towards Leonel's position, they run into an invisible wall of energy. An opaque magical field completely separates them from him.
Inside the field, Leonel is alone. Before him, holding the Holy Grail in his left hand and an ornate Greek sword in his right, Jason looks at him with arrogance.
"So you're the leader... You don't look like much," Jason says while twirling the Grail between his fingers.
"And you don't look like the kind of person who deserves to have that," Leonel responds firmly.
Medea Lily, now in her true form, is behind the field, keeping it active with a complex magic circle. Her eyes reflect guilt, but she obeys Jason.
"You know what's the most ironic thing?" Jason adds. "I never wanted to be a hero. I just... wanted to reclaim what was taken from me. And if that means using this Grail, I will."
Leonel draws his weapon, and the spiritual silhouette of Tezcatlipoca appears behind him.
"It's our turn," the deity says with a fierce smile. "Time to show why we are the Commander."
Jason isn't the strongest physically, but his skill as a strategist and his reflexes are supernatural. He uses quick movements, evasive techniques, and makes use of the Grail to temporarily reinforce his body, giving him enhanced strength, speed, and endurance.
Leonel, with no access to his companions, depends entirely on:
Tezcatlipoca, for real-time analysis and counter-strategies.
His reflexes and prior training with Mash and the others.
His contained emotions, which at that moment become pure determination.
And on Rakshasa, his newly summoned Persona.
From outside the magical field, Jeanne strikes the wall with her banner.
"Leonel! Hold on! We're coming to you!"
"You can't die now, darling! Not without kissing me again!" Tamamo cries with tearful eyes.
"Damn you, Jason! He is my emperor!" Nero shouts, enraged.
Mash watches helplessly.
"Please... come back alive."
Leonel gasps, gripping his sword tightly. Sweat drips down his forehead as Jason, with his arrogant posture, watches him mockingly.
"Already tired? What a disappointment... I expected more from a 'leader.' Though I suppose you're just the pretty face of the group." Jason spins his sword between his fingers with mocking skill.
Leonel knows he can't win alone. His training with Mash, Jeanne, and Artoria gives him a foundation... but Jason is a warrior hardened by battles and reinforced by the Holy Grail. Every sword clash pushes him to his limit.
Then, in his mind...
"Are you going to die here, boy?" rumbles a hoarse, burning voice.
It's Rakshasa.
An infernal figure, resembling a Hindu warrior demon, with bluish skin and burning hair, manifests behind Leonel. His body is covered in runes, and his eyes exude rage and power. Though newly summoned, his immediate loyalty is total.
"You're not a swordsman yet, but you have courage. Let me lend you my strength, and learn with every slash."
Leonel nods, barely believing what he's about to do.
"Persona!" he shouts with force.
Rakshasa manifests on the field, and in that instant, Leonel's body fills with energy. A second sword appears in his left hand, with a curved blade and a flaming aura. In his mind, Rakshasa transmits basic knowledge of swordsmanship and wild combat styles.
Tezcatlipoca, meanwhile, whispers to him rapidly:
"The right shoulder. He failed a parry there. Apply pressure. Avoid the left leg; it's charged with Grail magic. Attack high diagonal after a spin. MOVE!!"
Jason lunges with a quick slash. Leonel responds with a crossed double block, guided by Rakshasa. It's not elegant. It's not perfect. But it works.
Every move Jason makes is technical, polished, meticulous.
Every reaction from Leonel is instinct mixed with mental support from his Personas.
"Who's helping you? Your magical nanny?" Jason scoffs, annoyed.
Leonel smiles for the first time in the fight.
"I have more than one voice in my head... and they all believe I can kick your butt."
Rakshasa releases a special technique: Agni Vritti, a sequence of cuts with fiery energy that scorches the field around them. Jason is forced back, surprised by the aggression of the attack.
Tezcatlipoca adds:
"He's staggered! STRIKE NOW!"
Leonel runs, propelled by the power of his Personas, and delivers a direct slash. Jason defends himself, but the force of the blow sends him several meters back.
Jason gasps. The arrogance on his face begins to crumble.
"I shouldn't be... losing. You're just a human!"
Leonel points with his flaming sword.
"Maybe... but I'm a human with allies. With Personas. With faith in myself."
Leonel staggers, exhausted but victorious. With help from Rakshasa and the constant guidance of Tezcatlipoca, he finally disarms Jason, making his sword and his pride fall together.
Jason falls to his knees.
"...All for nothing..." he murmurs.
Leonel looks at him with compassion, knowing the captain's desire was as tragic as it was human.
From a distance, the Servants watch in silence.
Artoria crosses her arms, impressed. "That style... his will is unbreakable."
Nero lights up with pride. "Hail! My emperor shines gloriously!"
Jeanne can't help but smile, a deep tenderness in her gaze. "He's doing it by himself..."
Mash brings a hand to her chest. "Senpai..."
Drake whistles. "Man, if I weren't so free, I'd steal a kiss from you~"
Tamamo hugs herself. "My love is blooming so well~!"
Without warning, Medea Lily appears behind Jason and snatches the Holy Grail from his trembling hands.
"What are you doing, Medea?! That's my dream!"
She looks at him with a strange coldness on her childlike face.
"Your dream is dead, Jason. Like your kingdom. Trying to bring it back... is a blasphemy against history."
Jason screams, insulting her with desperation. But Medea doesn't flinch. She raises the Holy Grail, which begins to spill a dark substance like living ink.
Leonel takes a step forward, alarmed.
"Don't do it!"
"I'm sorry... this is my true mission. I cannot yet reveal who guides us..."
The darkness swirls and absorbs Jason, who is enveloped as his voice distorts.
A dark aura consumes the space. The air freezes. The sky turns blood red. And from the darkness, a figure appears.
Tezcatlipoca manifests with gravity:
"Leonel... retreat! That is not just any being... He is one of the 72 Pillars of the Ars Goetia!"
The figure reveals itself as a winged being, with fiery eyes and a laugh that sounds like screeching blades.
"I am Glasya-Labolas... General of Slaughter, Bearer of Inverted Hatred, Master of Justified Betrayals. I drag heroes to ruin and make their legacies bleed forever."
His presence distorts reality: the mist turns crimson, the trees wither, and the field begins to decay under his shadow.