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Koyanskaya savored the looks on their faces as they beheld the vial.
One dose of the antidote. The only contingency plan.
It didn’t take long for the realization to sink in, but Koyanskaya quickly added, “Oh, and don’t even think about splitting it between the pair of you. The poison is well-integrated into your system now. You’ll require the full dosage if you even hope to have a chance at surviving.”
Goredolf’s pale, sweating face was a special treat. Either he was a bigger idiot than Koyanskaya had thought, or he was a true mage, who didn’t realize that Zoe Venier would probably let him take the antidote without much fuss if he only had the sense to ask. Poor girl, Koyanskaya thought, smiling faintly as she watched Zoe attempt to school her features into something that was plainly supposed to be casual and calm. She was normally quiet - she had the sort of eyes and mouth that gave her a permanently sad or bored expression and was fond of oversized sweaters and cardigans that made her look more like a mousy librarian than a healthy, attractive twenty-six-year-old - though she’d been known to display quite the temper. But in the face of her own death... Oh, she was frightened. Even after all this time, after all she’d survived. Perhaps she was more frightened than ever before.
But the aura of anxiety and ensuing squabble quickly lost its spice for Koyanskaya. Goredolf suggested that they duel with rock-paper-scissors. Zoe, with a wry, faint smile, accepted. How very pedestrian of Goredolf, and how utterly typical of Zoe to indulge him. While they haggled over terms, Koyanskaya decided that she ought not to waste her time. Bound, sitting in the dirt, surrounded by enemies, fresh out of the eternal Shi Huangdi’s torture chambers - it wasn’t like she had anything else to do but gather more intel in her condition. Even if she would inevitably turn against Chaldea later, she should learn all she could about such a valuable client.
There were many Servants with Zoe this time - a surprising number, actually, considering the amount of mana it would likely take to sustain them. Given her present condition, she surely was feeling the strain of it. But of the motley crew, there was only one that Koyanskaya didn’t really know yet.
And just her luck, he stood over her side, guarding her.
Diarmuid ua Duibhne, Lancer. According to the records that they’d obtained from Chaldea, he was one of Zoe Venier’s original three Servants. He was not spectacular, a thoroughly average hero from an obscure legend. Koyanskaya wasn’t in the business of underestimating anyone but even she took one look at his perfect, beautiful face and dismissed him.
But he’d changed. He had not disappeared, nor had Zoe re-summoned him. He had simply changed at some point, not long after Koyanskaya had left the Scandinavian Lostbelt. Rather than the famous twin spears, he now carried two blades, one of which was nearly as tall as he was and radiated a positively demonic aura. His combat parameters seemed to have expanded somewhat due to the class change, but otherwise, there was nothing different about him. Normally, it was nigh-impossible for a Servant to change their class - Chaldea had experimented with this using its FATE System, but Servants in the field were typically stuck in their designated role until they returned to the Chaldea base - and this was doubly true for Diarmuid ua Duibhne, who had been defined by his genuinely shitty lucky, if by nothing else. This made him a unique case. Koyanskaya had been wrong to ignore him, that was for sure.
But she was big enough to admit it when she was wrong. For this moment, however brief - it was time to have some fun.
Eyeing him, she spoke with a sweet idleness. “You know, I really have to wonder if she’s feeling the affects of the poison or not.”
Diarmuid kept his eyes squarely on Zoe. It didn’t take a genius detective to know that she was his ultimate weakness, in all the ways that mattered.
“I mean,” Koyanskaya continued, with a smile. “What’s her body count at now? Well, the last one is easy, just ten thousand, but we never did get an accurate estimate of the Yaga population, come to think of it. Does it count if they were technically beasts? What do you think?”
He didn’t even react. It was not in Koyanskaya’s nature to crave attention from beautiful men, but the silent treatment annoyed her. It almost wounded her pride.
“In any case, do you want to hear my theory?” Koyanskaya looked up, putting all her weight into her gaze. “I think that - despite all the blood on her hands - Zoe simply believes that everything she’s done has been completely justified. That’s why she isn’t showing any symptoms. Can you imagine? Obliterating entire worlds, entire cultures, erasing it from existence, from memory. For that not to bother her in the slightest - it’s chilling! Do you think that maybe she even enjoys - “
"It seems to me,” said Diarmuid, “that you fundamentally misunderstand who we are.”
Koyanskaya smiled. “Oh?”
“For example,” Diarmuid went on, still watching Zoe and Goredolf. They were nearly ready to begin their matches now. “When you mocked the Director before, I thought you had simply picked him out to be an easy target. Someone with his earnest disposition must be child’s play for you. But now you’ve openly admitted that you don’t understand the first thing about Zoe. So, I think that I may have overestimated your capabilities.”
“Why, perish the thought!” Koyanskaya simpered, baring her teeth in a wicked grin. “I pride myself on my information-gathering efforts, you know.”
Diarmuid shrugged. “I would have assumed that you weren’t capable of understanding humanity, given what you are. You seem to have some understanding of human nature, since you're capable of manipulating it. But when it comes to individuals - you're incredibly ignorant. If you can’t even grasp the basics about someone like Zoe, then maybe we don’t need to be worried about you after all.”
But this was too good to be true. Koyanskaya tried to think back - had she ever revealed to Chaldea that she was a Beast? Perhaps Holmes had figured it out by now, or even the little Da Vinci, but this was the first time they had all been together since Shi Huangdi had separated the group, and they were preoccupied with the antidote. There was no way that Diarmuid could have known her true nature, unless he had recognized it on his own.
“I guess that’s true,” said Koyanskaya. “I wouldn’t know her nearly as well as someone like you. After all, you’re her loyal Servant - the perfect knight who services her every need.”
At last, Diarmuid deigned to look at her. His expression was withering. Not outright murderous, but he definitely contemplated the idea of drawing his swords. And in her current condition, Moralltach might even damage her if he really threw his weight into the strike. But naturally, he wouldn’t. His honor wouldn’t allow him to strike a prisoner, and a blow capable of damaging Koyanskaya would drain too much mana from his precious Master.
Speaking of which, they seemed to be at the last round. Zoe was patting Goredolf’s arm reassuringly as he blabbered.
“Look! They’re nearly done. Aren’t you going to stop them?”
Diarmuid sighed, and faced away from her again. “Forgive me, but may I ask if there’s a point to this conversation?”
“Obviously, Zoe wants to take the antidote herself,” said Koyanskaya, as if he hadn’t spoken. “She’s a pragmatist. I almost admire that about her, you know. But she’ll give the antidote to Goredolf out of fairness - because it’s the right thing to do - even though she knows as well as I do that Chaldea needs its only Master far more than it needs an oaf of a Director. And what? You’re just going to it back and let that happen?”
Predictably, Diarmuid replied, “In fact, her sense of honor is something that I greatly admire about her. And just because you do not recognize the Director’s value doesn’t mean he has none.”
Koyanskaya clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. “Ugh, you’re like a fortress. Don’t you ever get tired of playing fair?” When he didn’t answer her, Koyanskaya pretended to think about her next words for a moment. “Hmm... well, I guess you’re not totally out of options. I guess if you’re going to let this antidote go to waste, you could always just take her to your father’s house if you can’t find another dose.”
The temperature seemed to drop ten degrees.
Got him, thought Koyanskaya, and smiled.
“Oh, no, dear me, you’re right,” Koyanskaya went on, barely concealing her elation. “That won’t do. Healing is not really his wheelhouse. Well, it’s not as if you don’t have other options. How many parents are you up to, anyway? Though, come to think of it, you’ve never really been the type to introduce a girl to your family.”
Diarmuid was staring at her, his mouth a thin line, his eyes unfathomable.
Koyanskaya smirked back. “What? It's true. Don’t you think Aengus Og would be just thrilled to have guests? I hear it’s lovely in Tir na Nog this time of year. Well, it’s always lovely, but that’s beside the point, isn’t it?”
The temperature adjusted; Diarmuid’s expression stabilized, and became bored again.
“Congratulations,” he said. “Though I’m not sure what you hope to gain by lording this information over me. I have no power within Chaldea’s internal structure, and I won’t act without my Master’s permission.”
The sarcasm in his voice was delicious. Koyanskaya leaned in.
“What I don’t understand is why someone like you would become a Servant in the first place. Why surrender yourself to the Counter Force when you could spend an eternity in paradise? And it’s not as if you could possibly have any reasons to love humanity. You might not have as many curses as our mutual friend Yu, but...”
She waited eagerly for him to respond, but he simply regarded her carefully for a moment. Koyanskaya was thrilled to learn how smart he was. In fact, he suited his Master very well. Quiet and observant. The shadow of the blade. The steady right hand. And he was far less human than he’d allowed Chaldea to believe. Did Zoe even know the truth? Perhaps it didn't matter; she probably wouldn't care too much if he turned out to have claws, or horns, or whatever other traits he may or may not have glamoured over to make himself more human-looking. (Theoretically speaking, anyway.) In that case, Koyanskaya dearly hoped that Holmes was listening to their conversation.
“I have no reason to curse humanity,” came Diarmuid’s reply. “Again, you show a lack of understanding. I simply followed the natural course of my fate.”
Goredolf lost the final round of rock-paper-scissors, but Nezha and Mordred held him down so that Da Vinci could inoculate him anyway.
While he blubbered thanks and took dramatic, gasping breaths, Koyanskaya watched Zoe Venier. Watched her smile disappear for a moment. Watched her push her glasses up her nose, and twirl a lock of her long hair around her fingers. For a moment, the Mage of the Endtimes was nothing but a sad, frightened little girl. And if Koyanskaya had noticed, then surely, so had Diarmuid.
“Oh, what to do, what to do...?” she murmured. A giggle worked its way up her throat, and she had to suppress it. “Now, I say this with all possible manner of feminine delicacy - but you guys are royally fucked. Humanity’s a lost cause, and that’s even if you somehow manage to find a second antidote. Your merry band of heroes hasn’t even gotten to the real Lostbelts yet. If my half-assed assassination attempt can knock you back this far, then how do you expect to face the rest of the Crypters?”
“We’ve faced steep odds before. I have nothing but confidence in Zoe, and in our allies.”
Koyanskaya shook her head. “I seriously can’t believe you. You have a get-out-of-the-apocalypse-free card at your beck and call.”
“That’s not how it works.”
His voice contained a hard edge now. She’d touched a nerve.
“Then, enlighten me. Because you know as well as I do - taking Zoe into the Land of Youth would end all of this. What do you care for humanity’s survival? What has the world of men ever gotten you, aside from misery and humiliation and grief? And that poor girl - you think she's ever going to have a life again? Do you think, if you somehow manage to put the world back to normal, that Zoe Venier would have any place in it? You could stop all this in an instant. She would live a long, happy life free of suffering. Isn’t that what you wish for?”
She saw his eyes glint, his jaw tighten for a fraction of a second, and that was how she knew she’d won. No matter how noble he pretended to be, there was still a part of him that had understandable human instincts.
And to think, he'd tried to convince himself that Koyanskaya wouldn't understand it.
Fortunately for his own sake, Diarmuid was spared from answering as Zoe herself approached, to engage Koyanskaya in conversation regarding their upcoming plans. The knight was quiet, and kept one eye on her constantly going forward.
All in all, Koyanskaya considered this a resounding success.