#//Expect another as I just beat Surtr before finishing this

[madillhethen]

Long overdue review of Lostbelt 2.

Putting under the cut in case its too long and in case some mutuals are still behind.

I finished this a while ago actually lol. Anyways, When we first arrived in Scandinavia, I was unimpressed with another snowy place, like they really chose Jötunheimr for the location amongst the entire Norse mythology worlds but it explains it all in the end.

I have to admit after Lostbelt 1, this Lostbelt felt...lackluster. I feel like I enjoyed almost all of the characters--Napolean was really great. He came in with a strong introduction and continued to carry us throughout the Lostbelt, at times when he was withholding information I thought maybe he was suspicious but he wasn’t. He was a man who had regrets, and love and despite the harshness and almost hopelessness of the entire situation he kept going with a smile and I loved it. 

I mentioned before that I love Ophelia. Coming to know her was great, her story chapter and her relationships with Mash and Napoleon were both touching and funny. I was also glad to see it wasn’t focused entirely on Guda. 

I feel like Brynhildr introduction and the lore dump was good, the mystery revolving around Sigurd and Surtr’s integration. I loved the cast of Lostbelt 2, but the story took a dive in the wrong direction.

I know the entire point of the Lostbelt was stagnation, but having the plot go that way was a poor choice in motivation in my opinion. Skadi’s own unwillingness to act made the entire chapter feel like I was reading the same 10 pages over and over again. The fact they tried to make her an all-good Queen was...okay? I guess, it just felt that it lacked wisdom in my opinion. It was an interesting concept to explore about the all-loving-Queen and a world without war and hatred, only for them to turn around and try and say she wanted better but just couldn’t do so because of Surtr, just to justify the stripping of humanity, and making kids breed before 15 and killing at 25 was in poor taste. It felt like a poor ploy to try and sympathize with her. 

I don’t know, it just felt like if someone told me ‘oh Zouken used the worms on Sakura because he wanted to eradicate all evil so he was good actually’ like that doesn’t excuse the crap he did to Sakura, in the same way, I don’t care that Skadi wanted better for humans when she was the cause of it all, killing what made them human to begin with. The fight for their survival here felt weak too. 

I wished it had explored more on Gerda and her hopes and dreams in the aspiration from Napoleon. It felt like it was heading that direction but they wanted to beat around the bush.

Sitonai’s and Dante’s guest appearances made me happy but then they barely played a role at all so it felt a bit useless. 

There was also something, I don’t know if it was just me or what, but the pacing of story segments after and before battles felt...off? Many times after I read a segment, I felt like I was missing something or that I skipped something entirely.

And when Ophelia died, it made me incredibly sad, but then Mash was on the field again and no one talked of Ophelia, and just...what even happened to her body after that??? Did we bury her, or did it disintegrate because of the Sirius Light? It never explained.

I don’t know, each character arc in this was great but piecing it altogether felt like a hot mess which kind of sucks to me because I really liked the cast. I loved Ophelia, Bryn and Sigurd, hell Napoleon was great too. 

Oh! The part of putting Holmes on the bus, when he fought alongside us against Not Sigurd was great. The little tidbit of information of Helena, and him being sad, I really loved it. Like I want Holmes with us on the field! I don’t want him to be just another Romani.

I don’t know, if there’s any mutuals here that did love it, I would be happy to hear about your opinions! For me, this is just in the less than favorable opinion. Lostbelt 1 really went all out for me and maybe that just rose my expectation too high.

#Mad's FGO #fate grand order #fgo #lostbelt 2 #Gotterdammerung #lb 2 #Napoleon Bonaparte #brynhildr #sigurd #ophelia phamrsolone #scathach skadi #surtr #sherlock holmes

[eiyu-no-yakata]

Onyx couldn’t help but cringe slightly as blood began to leak from the crypter’s Mystic Eye. Ready to sacrifice not only her eye but her life to make sure Surtr couldn’t reduce the whole world to ash. It was almost funny to think that their goals were now aligned... However that thought was fleeting, there were more pressing matters, primarily the hulking giant of fire and ice that threatened the whole world.

“Napoleon gave us our opening, and I gave him my word. So long as I am alive, I won’t stop advancing!”

#Onyx ▶ IC #Chaldea Log ▶ Game Commentary #//Expect another as I just beat Surtr before finishing this

[writer-and-artist27]

One Lostbelt King to Another

Summary: Scathach-Skadi came from a world that never saw an end and Humanity’s last hope dying alone. To see one of the creators of said worlds discard the Yaga as nothing while baiting a little one into becoming a murderer, she cannot stand for it. Not when said little one gave Skadi another meaning to the word “love.”

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Note: Inspired by this comic and how Skadi came to my Chaldea back in Epic of Remnant. Roughly based on my experience going into the Grand Battle of Lostbelt 1, where Skadi and Achilles were the front-liners on my team to beat Anastasia, well... Writing this felt good.

And, hey, since I’m publishing this just when I finished Lostbelt 2 and finally ascended Skadi to her final form, I’d like to think this is a small thank you to the purple-haired Caster who came to Chaldea when she was needed the most. This is also based off of a headcanon that Leo had given me once, where my Skadi came to me before any version of me encountered the Lostbelts, so she saw a doomed future. Thus, this story happens.

For those not in the know, this oneshot is a distant sequel to all my previous Fate/Grand Order works, and giant spoiler warning for the ending of Lostbelt 1 and certain plot elements of Lostbelt 2. 

Dedicated to @withanina​, who’s seen me through my own journey in this very tumultuous mobile game. 

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Patxi had fallen first, his snout buried in the snow and a smile stuck to his dead face. Blood was already staining the white snow red, and no one said anything except for the occasional sob from the Chaldean Master. 

It would’ve been the perfect time to strike.

But before anyone could say anything, a rune was already writing itself into the cold Russian air. Kadoc could faintly make out the purple shimmer that read destruction before Anastasia was being thrown back, and he felt himself scream before he could hear it.

“ANASTASIA!” 

He didn’t realize how painful it was to hold up his Command Spells for supporting his Servant until she appeared with a gust of cold wind in front of Humanity’s last Master.

It was supposed to be impossible.

Vy, a simple foolish girl who shouldn’t have amounted to anything, shouldn’t have had that Servant come to her aid. That Servant should have been in Ophelia’s Lostbelt over in Scandinavia. Not in Russia, not here. She shouldn’t have been helping a girl who was fighting for Proper Human History.

“You…” Anastasia was just as shocked too, if her wide eyes were any indication. “You are a Lostbelt King. You shouldn’t be here.”

Scathach-Skadi simply brushed some snow off her purple dress as Vy slowly stood up from her knees, tears in her eyes. “Skadi…sama?”

“Either I have lost my hearing or I must have heard something insignificant. Nonetheless, I am here.” Skadi turned her back on them and Kadoc grit his teeth. She was — she was underestimating Anastasia. She was underestimating him, Kadoc Zemlupus, as an opponent in favor of focusing on the weaker, crybaby Master. What was going on here? Why was she— 

Mash Kyrielight let out a shaky breath. “Skadi-san, you—” 

Skadi sighed. “Hm. You seem to have found yourself in another troubling situation, little one. Your shield maiden has certainly grown tired.” No one in the cold area missed how the Lostbelt Servant’s voice softened in Vy’s direction as she brushed her ponytail back past her shoulders. “Allow me to help you once more, especially in defeating an insect who dares call herself a Tsar.” 

“Insect...!?” Kadoc could see Anastasia bristle before he could feel it in his hands through her shoulders, and she clutched Viy to her chest. “How dare you call me an insect! You shouldn’t be fighting for Proper Human History!” 

“You certainly act like an insect, along with your pitiful sight of a Master, Tsaritza.” Skadi sighed again, reaching out to Vy with one hand to help bring her back to her feet and steady her. “How very much like a mere rat to not even know what you have follied in. To know I share a former title with you is now a burden of shame on my shoulders that I feel the great need to brush away.” Skadi then shook her head. The motion was almost like a mother disappointed with her child. “Who I side with is none of your business.”

Great. Another nutcase in Vy’s favor. 

A single tear rolled down Vy’s cheek as she continued to stare up at the Servant in front of her. What a fool. “Um… Skadi-sama?”

“Not that honorific, little one,” Skadi said without skipping a beat, briefly turning around to press one gentle hand against Vy’s head, patting her hair. Her voice had softened all over again. “‘-san’ is sufficient. ‘Skadi-san.’ Otherwise, please do not force yourself any more. You have done enough for now.”

“But— But I—” 

Kadoc felt himself go silent once Skadi reached over to press a soft kiss to the top of Vy’s hair. Kyrielight gasped, Kadoc felt bile start to climb up his throat. What the fuck am I seeing right now? 

Anastasia hugged Viy tighter to herself once Skadi stepped back, and by then, Kadoc could clearly make out the horrible, ugly red that stained Vy’s cheeks. “Sk-Skadi-san?”

“Good child. Now stand back.” The Lostbelt Servant smiled before slowly turning to meet Kadoc’s eyes. And, for the first time in his life, Kadoc felt a shiver travel up his spine. “I will handle this.”

If there was a descriptor for “godly bloodlust,” then perhaps the dictionaries in Lostbelt histories should have included Scathach-Skadi’s name. 

“You vile Crypter,” Skadi whispered vehemently, raising her wand. “How dare you traumatize one of my children and give so many others false hope.”

“False? How is it false when—”

“It is false when these lines of history are doomed to die, vermin,” Skadi hissed. Without a single ounce of hesitation, Skadi then pushed her ponytail back to write another rune in the air, clearly one that was Primordial, and Kadoc raised his hand without thinking. “To give the people of these Lostbelts false hope of living alone in victory is a crime deserving of divine punishment. You made all of us think we could live again in a miracle. But no. We were all doomed from the very beginning, even if the Trees of Emptiness grew, and you dared to make us believe that we could survive. You deserve far more than divine punishment.” 

Kadoc wasn’t expecting the newly made rune to go to Vy and Kyrielight of all people. He should’ve expected it, but for some reason, his legs couldn’t move. The Ortinax armor glowed a soft purple hue, accentuating the shock in Kyrielight’s eyes transforming into grim, fierce determination as she then ran to place her shield in front of her silent Master. “Senpai, please stay behind me. Everything will be alright, I-I promise. I’m here.” Kyrielight then threw her head towards the towering purple-haired Caster. “Skadi-san?”

“Shield maiden, protect the little one for me,” Skadi said softly, shaking her head. Her wand was raised, poised to write in the air again. “I have some insects I must swat.”

“R-Roger that, Skadi-san!” 

“…I don’t understand. My Master is doing the right thing in trying to raise the Tree of Emptiness and expanding our Russian Lostbelt. You should know this since you are — were a Lostbelt Servant, Scathach-Skadi.” Anastasia said finally, narrowing her eyes at the opposing queen. “You should know just as well as I do of the responsibility that comes with trying to prevail with our worlds.”

“Do not call me by that title when I have already lost my world,” Skadi snapped darkly, and this time, Anastasia stopped. Kadoc felt his blood freeze too because the Russian air seemed all the more colder. What did she just say? “I lost my subjects — my people, my Scandinavia — no thanks to you insects. Surtr destroyed everything with his flames and you Crypters did not even care in my reality. You left me — all of us — to die.” Skadi shook her head, waving her free hand to create the beginnings of a giant icicle behind her. “It was only when I lost everything to the flames that I found another chance. It was through my folly that I found this little one in the wreckage of Chaldea.” 

This time, Skadi didn’t turn back to meet Vy’s eyes. The fighting stance Skadi was in didn’t allow for that. Kadoc could easily read the emotions on Vy’s face, from the awe to surprise to tired resignation, and even then, there was a touched glimmer in those brown eyes behind the long brown hair and black glasses that had him reeling. 

“I had thought that I knew what it meant to love in that miracle of my Scandinavia. To kill and to love. But I was wrong. You all were wrong.” Skadi nodded to herself, closing her eyes as she turned back to face the battlefield. She pressed her free hand to her chest. “Love is to care for others outside of yourself. Love is asking what one can do to help, even when you are weak and unsure. Love is enjoying every day of life as it comes in the world. Love is—”

Selfless. 

“Love is making sea-salt ice cream together and laughing over the failures,” Skadi finished.

Kadoc blinked. Anastasia did too, lowering Viy. “…What?”

“Of course you two wouldn’t understand. You gave up your humanity just to make this long journey to validate your own selves. How pitiful.” Skadi wrote another few runes in the air with her wand, the purple glow accentuating the glare in her violet red eyes. The giant icicle behind her head seemed to grow all the more massive. “Making a nightmare of others’ lives, killing more than 7 billion people in reality, and then villainizing the one girl who is trying to give a form of salvation to all living this hell? Disgusting. Not even worth my time and love.” 

Kadoc bit the inside of his cheek enough to taste metal. “Why you—”

“That is enough, Skadi. Even if you are a former Lostbelt Servant, I will not tolerate you insulting my Master,” Anastasia interrupted, brushing her cape behind her. Viy was already emitting a dark aura. “You will all die here.”

“No,” Skadi smiled for the first time Kadoc had seen, and Kadoc grit his teeth once his eyes suddenly focused in on the green hair and orange scarf hovering behind the purple-haired mage. No way. “You both will perish under my heel. I am not the only one here to put you out of your misery.” 

No way.

Vy wasn’t supposed to be able to summon Heroic Spirits bordering on the powers of Gods. She wasn’t strong enough. 

So then— 

“Both our heels,” Achilles of Greece suddenly interrupted, and with that green spear shouldered between his neck and shining gold armor, the smirk on his face matched Skadi’s smile as he raised one fist in the air towards Kadoc’s direction. “Because you two did something worse than give people false hope.”

“Indeed, famous Hero of the Trojan War,” Skadi hummed, the Runes in front of her immediately flying over to the allied Rider, “they follied more than they thought.”

Achilles rolled his eyes, lightly elbowing Skadi in the side once the Runes stuck to his chest armor and disappeared, and Kadoc couldn’t believe his eyes. These two Servants — they were familiar? A Lostbelt Servant and a weak Servant from Proper Human History — they could be friendly? “Cut the cutesy language, Skadi. We know what we have to do.”

Vy gripped her hands behind all the Servants as her Command Spells glowed against her black Mystic Code, tears still in her eyes. 

“Of course. May you take the first blood, Achilles?” Skadi said softly. “Teach these insects how they could not have prevented the Incineration of Humanity with their follies.”

“Sure.” Achilles then grinned and leapt forward, and Kadoc found himself yelling out once the back end of that same green spear was nearly in his face if not for Anastasia. “You two jerks have a lot to answer for, y’know.” The words were said casually, almost too casually when considering the amount of strength being used to handle the spear so close to Kadoc’s person and Anastasia’s pained grunts under the weight. 

“I-I have no idea what you are prattling about, Hero,” Anastasia growled. “Viy—” 

“Oh? I’m wounded, miss Tsar.” Achilles then kicked Anastasia hard and Kadoc felt himself flying too once Anastasia collided with him. If not for the Russian winds and dodging the sudden ice projectile coming towards him, he might not have heard it.

“You hurt our Master. Our kind, workaholic Master who should’ve rested back at home with her family once Goetia disappeared. But instead of helping her, you took her home away from home in Chaldea and hurt Mash by killing the only familial figure she had left. So, what happens after this is simple.” Kadoc clutched Anastasia to his chest once they landed in the snow. Achilles then put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. Kadoc could feel the blood start to rush to his head once that chariot came with the fanfare of loud green lightning and horse neighing.

Noble Phantasm. Shit.

“You hurt our family, you die.” 

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[Image Description: A screenshot of a team lineup in Fate/Grand Order, simply titled “Front Line.” The Servants in the lineup include, from left to right: Scathach Skadi, Achilles, Marie Antoinette, Chevalier d’Eon, and Mash Kyrielight in her Ortinax costume. End Description.]

This is the least I can do for the Servants who helped me through some of the hardest fights I’ve had emotionally. This isn’t a full replication of the team I used when going into fighting Kadoc and Anastasia, but the main players of Skadi, Mash, and Achilles are here at least. 

Let’s go save the world, everyone. Thank you for staying.

#fate grand order #vy plays fate grand order #writing #oneshot #scathach skadi #achilles #mash kyrielight #long post #cosmos in the lostbelt #tw: long post #kadoc zemlupus