The Mission
"We need to get you to the tower," Jessica said. "After that the heroes will have to take care of the rest."
"Hold on, I thought you said we were partners?" Shirou questioned.
"You are, but the mist is too dangerous for you all to handle let alone what's inside the tower. Humans can't handle it," Jessica explained. "That's why we need the heroes, I was able to make them flesh and blood, but I was also able to weave their skin with life threads that allows them to battle the crushing affects of the mist. They can counter the darkness' power."
Jessica pointed to the group of students. "Your existence allows them to be anchor in this world. I told you before didn't I? You would be risking your lives, but not in any way you have before. You have to trust your partner to fight."
"But how will we survive with the mist coming toward us?" Issei questioned.
"I'll take care of that." Jessica's wheel glowed and formed a transparent golden orb around them. "This barrier will keep out the mist and keep the six of us safe."
Shirou took a step forward. "Can't you just make a smaller one so I can fight too?"
"No, I can only make one barrier to protect all of us," Jessica explained.
"But..."
"Shirou," the voice instantly got the boy's attention. "Please leave this up to me. Have faith in me to stop this." His former servant stood tall in front of him.
Shirou's eyes trembled in awe. "Saber..." He rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. "No, I mean Artoria." A hand rested on his shoulder. He looked back to see that it was Rin.
"This time we have to let them do all the heavy lifting," she told him.
"Maybe there is something you can do," Jessica said. Her wheel glowed again and spun. A golden crest appeared on each of the high students' right hand. Each of them looked at them, not understanding what was going on. The light dim from the crest. "Those are Harmony Crest. Even though each hero has their own mana to sustain their attacks and abilities these will allow you to increase that power with your own. Even if you aren't a mage it can convert your natural energy into mana for your partner. This way if they run low on energy you can give them yours or even enhance a certain ability such as power or speed to allow them to fight better.
"I'll also give you these." A crystal ball floated into each of their hands. "These will allow you to track your partner so you can see when they need your help. Also all of you have a mental link with your partner, so if you heroes need it you can ask your partner to feed you mana. Just simply grab the thread on your chest."
The threads that showed the human and heroes connection faded out of sight.
"There is one last thing the crest can do," Jessica went on. "If you truly need to you can perform a Synchronization Strike."
"Synchronization Strike?" Sakura questioned.
"I've never heard of that?" Saber said.
"It can only be created through people who have been connected through the yarn of my wheel," Jessica said. "It goes beyond the power of a noble phantasm. According to my mother a Synchronization Strike can be up to ten times stronger than an average Noble Phantasm."
"Really?" Rin questioned.
"What's a Noble Phantasm?" Issei questioned.
"Basically, it's our trump call," Cú Chulainn explained simply. "It's what made us legends."
"So basically, we're be able to boost it," Issei figured.
"You could even change it," Jessica told them, getting all their attention.
"Change it?" Rin spoke.
Jessica nodded. "Synchronization Strikes puts the two partners in perfect sync right down to their souls. So it will combine your powers into one, your abilities, your feelings, your magic, who both of you are will become a single attack that no one person could perform on their own; however if you use it you'll use up all your power. It should only be use if you have no other choice."
Rin titled her head slightly. "I see."
"I can only maintain this barrier for one hour and we've already talked for over five minutes," Jessica said. "So, heroes please head to the tower. Once you get there you will have to make it up at least half way up in order to destroy it properly anything less than that it will simply repair itself. You must destroy its heart."
All five heroes nodded their heads in understanding.
Jessica held her wheel straight out. "This is the last thing I can do for you, everything from here on will be up to you." The fence behind them fell out toward the courtyard. The part closest to them had stardust gather and formed into individual stylish motorcycles for each hero. Arturia/Saber's was a steel gray and black with a horse head shape at the front. Emiya/Archer's stood as a stunning red and black with the yin yang sign on the front along with sword hustlers. Diarmuid/Lancer's bike had holders for both of his spears to stick straight out while being a solid black. Cú Chulainn/second Lancer's motorcycle was a shinny sweet blue number that also had a spear holder. Lastly, Medusa/Rider's was a pink number with a snake on top. "They're magical so they work base on your riding skills so they can go beyond the limits of normal motorcycles. Please hurry. We're running out of time."
"Right." Arturia was the first one on her bike and started it up.
The heroes quickly glanced at their partners before they got on their bikes. Each of them started up their bikes and flew off the roof down onto the ground. They raced off of the school grounds, heading for the tower. A red trail flowed behind them. Arturia and Medusa took the lead with their superior riding skills.
"Those two really aren't holding back," Cú Chulainn commented.
"Yeah." Emiya revved up his bike. "Come on, we don't want to fall too far behind." The three male heroes speeded up to try to keep pace with their female counterparts.
Meanwhile back at the school, the five students watched their partners closely through the crystal balls. The heroes raced through the streets of Fuyuki toward the tower they had already seen when they were summoned back into the world. Rider and Saber were the first ones upon the sight of the tower.
"There it is," Arturia said.
"We have company," Medusa spoke.
Arturia looked through the thick fog to see mini-dog like monsters marching toward them. The blond hair king turned her bike to the side and slid to a stop. A glow shined in her right hand as she took it off the handle to reveal her brilliant blade, Excalibur. She charged forward, grabbing her blade with both hands.
A battle cry came from the warrior's mouth. She slashed through the dark beings, twisting around like a dancer as she cut through their numbers.
Medusa continued to ride. She pulled out her dragger from the compartment on her motorcycle. She threw the weapon into the mass of the monsters, slicing right through a row of beasts. Each turned into ash after being pierced by the dragger.
Medusa sensed another set of enemies. She looked back to see that she and Saber were surrounded. She spun around on her bike and threw her dragger once again. Two dogs charged; one from the front the other from the back, biting into the wheels of Medusa's bike.
The purple haired woman flipped and twisted through the air to avoid the destruction of her vehicle. As she came down she kicked one dog across the face. She landed, sliding back on her feet and one hand. Her body bent over in a charged position as her chain flew in front of her ready for combat.
"Rider, be sure to be careful of the humans," Arturia said. She backed up, holding her sword straight in front of her. The entrance to the tower was littered with people underneath them. Their bodies had began to turn black, but it was clear they were still alive.
More dogs charged at them. Arturia and Medusa did their best to fend them off, but were quickly being overwhelmed by their numbers. Arturia sliced through three more with her trusty sword while Medusa stabbed another with her dragger.
Two dogs leaped high in the air above them about to strike when the red flash of an arrow struck them right through the middle, destroying them instantly. Arturia and Medusa looked in the direction the arrow came from.
Emiya stood on top of his motorcycle with his bow in hand. He leaped off of his motorcycle, letting it crash into several dogs in a fiery explosion. He twisted through the air, firing several arrows from his bow, thinning out the horde.
Emiya landed in front of his fellow heroes. His bow disappeared and he replaced it with his dual swords. The three prepared for battle with their backs to each other. Just when they were ready for the next wave of monsters several went flying upward with the sound of two battle cries.
The three saw lances slicing through the enemy toward them. The two Irish heroes flipped out of the pack of monsters and landed where to others were. The five heroes had their backs to each other, watching one another's back as the remaining monsters closed in on them.
"They already wasted twenty minutes getting there," Shinji complained. "If they keep this up we'll all going to die."
"If they could just get into the tower they could focus on taking it down," Issei said.
"But how, they're surrounded," Sakura replied. All five students looked into their individual crystal balls while Jessica looked at all five of them. The group formed a circle inside of the barrier so Jessica could also see what was happening.
"I have an idea." Rin let go of her ball with one hand and grabbed the golden thread in her chest. She lowered her head and shut her eyes, focusing. Archer,... I mean, Emiya can you hear me?
Rin, what is it?, Emiya's thoughts transferred back.
We need to cut a path for you all to get inside as quick as possible, Rin continued.
What do you have in mine?
If we use your bow and I boost it with my own magic I'm sure we can make a path.
The problem is that there are humans right under this beast. We've been having to hold back for that exact reason.
Emiya, do you still have the advances of being of the Archer-class?
Yes?
Then do you think you can aim an arrow straight toward the tower. If you could aim above the humans and only destroy the monsters.
That's true, but I doubt I'll have the time with so many monsters still around.
I'll increase your abilities with my own mana. This is our best shot.
Understood.
Rin's crest glowed.
A small golden glow shined off of Emiya's body. He launched into the air, twisting around to look at the tower. Using the special eyes of an Archer to judge the place he should shoot, summoning his bow. He created a sword to launch on his sleek black bow, pulling it back on the string.
A black hazy ball covered its tip due to Rin's mana. Blue sparks flew over the weapon as Emiya released the sword. It soared through the air like lightning on a falling star. The sword flew over the monsters with the blowback of the sword ripping open a path.
The sword sliced through the tower's entrance, ripping it open. Several shards of the tower crashed to the ground.
Emiya landed back down. His bow vanished once again. Green lines appeared over his arms and legs that had been reinforced by his arms and legs with her magic. "Let's move." He vanished in an instant only leaving a broken ground where he once stood.
Eimya quickly made it across the distance to the tower with the added boost as the enemies tried to close in. The other heroes quickly charged after him. They sliced down any enemy that got between them and the tower.
Emiya who stood at the threshold of the tower noticed that the opening was regenerating. He grabbed onto the top and held down the bottom with his feet. "Hurry up." He did his best to hold back the growing muck. The muck started to wrap around his form.
The heroic spirit pushed hard against the tower that was trying to capture him. He grind his teeth together. "Hurry." Sweat fell down his face as he continued to struggle. Everyone of his muscles started to ache. More muck crawled over his body. He pushed against it further.
The other heroes continued to relentlessly cut through the closing forces that lengthened their progress.
Rin looked over at the other students who held worried looks at their partners' struggles. "All of you. Use your mana to quicken their speed. I'll boost Emiya's strength so he can hold the door open." Everyone quickly followed the Rin's orders, using their crest.
A light glow flowed around each hero. Their already amazing speed boosted so they could slice and run in quicker succession, closing the gap between them and the door. Emiya's strength was boosted to push back the muck thanks to Rin, but the muck continued to climb over him as if to claim him.
Arturia took the lead. She flew forward, spinning around to cut down enemies in every direction to allow the others to simply focus on running. Without the slightest hesitation the noble king of knights jumped right into Emiya with the others following.
The four noble heroes of the past slammed Emiya through the tower before the door closed behind them.
Diarmuid took a breath in relief with his eyes closed. "Looks like we managed to make it."
Arturia looked back. "Yes, we were very lucky there."
"I'm happy we made it, but..."
Arturia looked down. "Hmm, what is it, Emiya?"
Emiya looked up at the other heroes. "Could you all get off of me?"
"R-right, sorry." Arturia blushed. She and the other heroes got back up on their feet so Emiya didn't have to carry all of their weights.
Emiya sat up, rubbing the back of his head. "Not that, that's settled..."
Arturia looked up. "We need to get to the middle of the tower. "We have thirty minutes left."