Chapter 3: Battle at the Docks Part II

Avenger had been quickly drawn to Lancer's challenge as Saber evidently had. Though, he had never really seen the point in engaging right away; he wanted to get a degree or estimate just how powerful the two Servants were. That was perhaps EMIYA's memories and experienced bleeding over to him again.

Even now, Avenger would not snipe or use sneak attacks; even though he had changed somewhat from his days as 'Shirou', and that Archer's arm had steadily giving him more experience and power, he refused to do that. For some reason, he had stopped moving when he had seen Saber, as if some part of him had seen her somewhere before. It was possible; as a Counter Guardian/Heroic Spirit, he could have met her in life, but that could also be wrong.

His memories were still fragmented, but some were 'congealing' in a sense, becoming more coherent. Suddenly, a spasm ran through his left arm, as if it wanted him to know something. However, Avenger ignored the random spasm; it did that sometimes, and most of the time it caused him nothing but trouble and distracting him.

Before coming here, he had been at Kariya's side, getting him food and nourishment; he had even put his cooking skills to use. Kariya had complemented them, though Avenger was sure he could have done better if he had had a proper kitchen and ingredients. He hadn't lost that particular attribute of Shirou; a cook of the greatest calibur, who often stubbornly refused help to create dishes that made even a noble like her speechless.

He frowned; where had that stray thought come from? He couldn't remember giving a noble some of the dishes he cooked, but at the same time it was as if he knew that that opinion was wrong. His memories were still somewhat disorganised, but that hardly mattered at the moment.

What did was that he came across Assassin.

He had been skulking around the crane to get a vantage point, when he had seen the Servant of the Shadows, obscured in a black cloak and wearing the traditional skull mask, along with an unusual hair style and colour. He had almost cursed, before anger was driven through him; for some reason, he had wanted to end Assassin right then and there, as if he was being compelled by something.

What had stopped him from using Kanshou had been the fact that due to Assassin being here, and one having been killed by Archer, he decided it must be a Noble Phantasm of sorts; cloning or duplication perhaps? But through the knowledge afforded to him by the Throne of Heroes, Hassan-i-Sabbah had been not one person but many. Thus, it was possible there were dozens of Assassins ready to kill him.

He retreated to a distance close to Assassin, where he could watch the battle and keep an eye on that Servant. He immediately contacted Kariya through their spirit link; the news was incredibly urgent.

"Master, I've spotted another Servant at the docks." Avenger reported. "It's not Saber or Lancer; it's Assassin."

Kariya had taken a moment to swallow that information before reacting as Avenger thought he would. "What? How did Assassin survive? I thought that Archer left him a bloody corpse on the ground."

Kariya had then laughed, before continuing to Avenger's concern. "Hah! Tokiomi you proud bastard. Even your Servant is bad at killing. The irony!"

"Master, given that this is an Assassin that looks different than the one killed by Archer," Avenger brought the discussion back to the topic. "It might be a Noble Phantasm; one that allows duplicates or clones to survive. And there's only one Heroic Spirit that uses skull masks and has black skin. Hassan-i-Sabbah, the man of the mountain."

"Ugh...that's bad, Avenger. Is there any way to take him out?" Kariya asked, and despite Kariya not being able to see his physical body, Avenger shook his head.

"It'd be easy for me to eliminate this Assassin, but I don't know how many there are if I'm right about his Noble Phantasm." Avenger replied, and he got the feeling that Kariya had just leaned against a wall. "Saber and Lancer are fighting, so just look through my eyes."

"Right."

Avenger watched the battle in earnest now, before his attention was being diverted, somehow to a man that was some distance from Assassin. He looked at him; he wore a black duster, and had unruly hair. He was also using what the Archer Arm informed him was a Walther WA2000 sniper rifle, which was outfitted with night vision scope and another scope.

"Do you see him, Master?" Avenger asked his Master, and had to admit the mysterious man had chosen a good spot; he could observe the battle field and the crane. But his attention was elsewhere; where was that man looking?

"Yeah. It's strange...this guy has to be involved in the Grail War." Kariya coughed, but reassured Avenger. "Sorry. Because of that treatment, the Crest Worms are agitated. It'll fix itself."

"Yeah...Caduceus was known as the greatest staff of healing for a reason." Avenger commented. "Do you want me to kill him?"

The idea of killing this man did not appeal to Avenger; for some reason, his left hand clenched into a fist, as if angry, but the rest of his body reacted as if it was a great happiness and boon to see this man. Even if he did bear weapons that befitted an assassin rather than a magus.

Then, as with the memories of that Sakura girl, static filled his vision, and with a groan he fell down on one knee, placing one hand on the metal underneath to steady himself and put the other on his head, as if trying to stop the sudden throbbing and pain.

Bright moon-

Old man, blind-

A content smile-

"I want to be a hero!"

"It's like this, Shirou. A hero can't save everyone; he can only save the people he sided with. I just wish I had learned that sooner..."

Avenger, with some difficulty, managed to get himself out of that vision, of the fact he had seen a man that looked just like this assassin talking to his younger self, discussing heroism. Avenger never usually was angry, or hated people without justification, but these flashes were getting very annoying.

He ignored the assassin for a moment, and took point at where he had been before. He decided to look at where the man had aimed his sniper rifle, as he knew Kariya was deliberating about what to do with this irregular to the Holy Grail War.

"Don't do anything for a while, Avenger." Kariya's voice told him, instructions crystal clear. "Just focus on the fight between Saber and Lancer."

"Okay." Avenger replied, before using his Clairvoyance skill to enhance his eyesight. In practice, it was much like Reinforcing the eyes, but it had several contrasts. Clairvoyance was automatically activated whenever the user focused on something. Reinforcement heated up the Circuits and thus left them at the mercy of their opponents, if they had a measure of pragmatism.

Reinforcement was slightly more efficient, but Avenger didn't want to alert others to his presence just yet. Avenger focused on where the man had been looking, and widened his own eyes as he saw a man framed in shadow, standing proud and haughty above the battle. From there, he could be seen if he wanted to but remain concealed.

"Can you see that guy?" Avenger asked his Master, who had similarly gone quiet. "The one on the roof of that building?"

It was obvious that that man was the Master of Lancer. That made sense; the assassin must work with one of the other Masters for the demise of their competition. It left a bad taste in his mouth; wasn't the point of the Holy Grail War meant to be Servants versus Servants? Avenger wasn't stupid enough to be completely naïve; the Masters would fight if they were confident in their abilities, but still.

"I can see him. That's clearly Lancer's Master. Huh...our chances of winning get slimmer every second, don't they Avenger?"

Kariya sounded tired, and gave a short laugh. Avenger frowned, before smiling even though his Master couldn't see it. "Maybe you're right, but...I can manage to take out a few Servants before I die. And I promised you, didn't I?" Avenger reminded Kariya of how he was going to help him win, and the man was once again touched by the trust that Avenger gave him.

"Besides, that guy's being stupid. Any sniper would be able to spot him; it doesn't make logical sense. He should have concealed himself with a spell..." Avenger's train of thought carried on, before EMIYA's memories told him that this was common amongst the magi.

"Most magi are so damn proud most of the time that they'll do things that don't make sense to people who think with logic." Kariya explained, and elaborated on how he knew this. "Let's just say that it was another of my father's 'gifts of knowledge' when I was growing up."

Avenger gave a vocal admittance that he understood, and turned his attention back to the battle. He had arrived before Assassin, and had seen Lancer's own power measured against Saber's. While it was true that Saber was the 'best' Class, Lancer had managed to put her on the defensive by using his red spear.

"A spear that negates magic..." Avenger muttered, unconsciously recording that red spear and sending it to the hill that was ablaze inside his mind. "That could be a lot of trouble..."

The fact that Lancer had been able to make Saber's invisible sheath dissipate for several seconds but long enough Lancer had got a measure of its length disturbed Avenger, to an extent though he didn't know why. Practically, it meant that Lancer had the advantage; Saber was more useful in close combat, not mid range. Even now, Lancer was deflecting her blows with prowess as well as sustaining far less cuts than before.

Eventually, he saw them run at each other like in a joust, and if Avenger's suspicions were correct then Lancer's spear would...there! Against Saber's plans the spear had cut right through her armor, confirming that the metal had been magical in origin. This also meant that Avenger knew it could cut through anything that had been created by magic. He gave a look at his left arm; shortly before, he had ripped off the left sleeve of his jacket, exposing his left arm that was wrapped in the Shroud of Martin.

"If Lancer can cut through this..." Avenger said, now worried. If Lancer could indeed sever the Shroud, then that would mean a lot of pain for him. "He'd be helping me, but in the end I'd be..."

Avenger remembered the sensation of blades piercing every single part of his body, before taking over his left side nearly completely. He remembered the static as he struggled on, and he remembered that last magnificent blow he had struck at a foe who dwindled the Servants and many of the Heroic Spirits.

His fear of releasing the Shroud really came down to the fact he didn't know what would happen. It was possible it would just be a boost to his Tracing, as the man who had transplanted the arm to him had said only someone of equal power and status of EMIYA could use the arm without threats of pain.

He didn't know if he outclassed or if the fact that he was a Counter Guardian or Heroic Spirit mattered; he was not willing to test the logic. In his years of service to Alaya, Avenger had never really had to release the Shroud partially; he'd loosen it, but never release it. Even then, the discomfort it caused was a warning, in his mind.

He saw Saber's Master heal her, before Saber came to the same conclusion Avenger had just a moment ago. In a swift movement, she had discarded her armor, and was clad in just her battle dress. It was modest and covered nearly everything, except the small window just above her breasts.

He watched as her invisible blade was held behind her, and his attention was drawn to Lancer, who hadn't even moved away. Instinctively, he knew Saber would be able to reach Lancer even if he moved to the sides, but there was something about his relaxed posture that made Avenger nervous. He kept edging backwards, towards the spot the two Servants had been several moments ago, when Lancer had unleashed his Noble Phantasm...

It was only when Saber had boosted herself towards Lancer that Avenger understood the spearman's plan. He watched with horror and surprise as he unearthed the spear he had discarded earlier, and Avenger recalled that a Servant could have more than one Noble Phantasm, as was evident from Perseus, who had been Rider in the Second Holy Grail War. He had had five, including a pegasus that had been grey and red-eyed in contrast to...who? Avenger thought he knew who else could use a pegasus as a Noble Phantasm, but the name slipped out of his mind.

Anyway, that golden spear made it so that Saber couldn't be healed; her Master declared as such. It was then that Avenger looked closer at Lancer. Green celtic-style armor, two spears; one red and one gold. One that cancelled magic and one that caused wounds that never healed. On top of that, he had that spot that was the source of a Mystic Face.

There was only one Hero from Ireland that it could be.

"Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, of the Love Spot." Avenger recited from the encyclopedic knowledge granted to him from the Throne of Heroes. "That's bad...with Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe, he could cause a lot of problems down the road..."

Diarmuid had been famous for his love-spot, which he had been 'bestowed' when he had fallen for a young girl despite himself, and had been given a love spot on his cheek as a gift of sorts from her. The gift itself caused Diarmuid much strife; it ripped apart his honour to serve his lord, and he had inadvertantly stole his lord's bride. He had died, but not before his tale had later inspired the more dramatic versions of Lancelot and Guinevere's romance.

He now saw how Lancer's plan had worked. By discarding his short spear, he had tricked Saber into thinking that the long one was his sole Noble Phantasm. Since it had a useful ability, and that she had been tricked, he had attacked her knowing her blade would be revealed and that he could cut her armor. By doing that, the next logical step would be for her to attack him quickly, and that was why he had backed up a little.

When Lancer had reacted, and when Saber had jetted at him, Lancer had already been in place for the majority of his plan to be used without any reservation. He had wounded Saber, effectively halfing her strength and preventing her from using her Noble Phantasm. What struck Avenger was how she hadn't expected to see him have two Noble Phantasms; that sheath bore the hallmarks of one, but still...

His left arm pulsed once more, and when his thoughts turned to Lancer, he didn't see Diarmuid. Instead, he saw a blue haired man wearing blue armor and having silver pauldrons, as well as hungry red eyes. Instead of wielding two spears, this illusion had only one; it was red and barbed at the end, but it dripped with bloodlust.

-Stabbing him-

-Pain, death-

-A swordswoman-

-Invisible sword-

-GAE BOLG-

He breathed out as the apparition disappeared, returning to the Lancer in front of him. His left hand clenched as if it was furious at the apparition. Avenger noted that he would have to investigate or at least try to surpress these annoying visions that he kept having, even if they were his memories. He was practical; he would not win against Servants if this kept happening. Uncharacteristically, Avenger just wanted to have his memories and be done with them-these flashes were getting more irritating as time went by.

He was stunned to see Rider arrive in a divine bolt of lightning nearly a moment later. Evidently, he had been watching the battle from afar as well. But what struck him was just how regal and noble Rider was; tanned skin, red hair and beard, incredibly tall and armored with gold details. And that Noble Phantasm...a chariot driven by oxen.

"Stay your hands Heroes, for you stand in the presence of a true King!" Rider declared loudly, and Avenger was sympathetic to the fact that his Master was practically pissing himself. "I am Iskander, summoned as the Rider of this Holy Grail War! We have been brought together to fight for the Grail, so what say you join me?"

Rider's entrance had stunned everyone, and while they rebuked violently, and they all learned of Saber's identity, Avenger was having a conversation with Kariya. Avenger himself had not moved; the audacity and the larger-than-life way Rider had announced himself was still taking a moment for him to catch.

"Iskander, King of Conquerors...also known as Alexander the Great." Avenger said quietly, trying to focus on this situation and to stop himself from falling to one knee. "Taught by Aristotle, and conquered everything from Greece to Egypt, and even into India. He's a Servant..."

"This is bad...So many Servants here will cause a lot of trouble." Kariya cursed inwardly; why did everything have to be so complicated all of a sudden? "We know their identities, but their stats...most of them have stats higher than yours, Avenger."

"I know Kariya. Even when I was alive, I was so much weaker than other Heroes." Avenger recalled the feeling of hopelessness, of being powerless to fight and to protect. "But that didn't stop me. So I won't let it do so now. I'll fight these Heroes, and we'll win the Grail. For..."

-That smile once more-

"For Sakura."

They were in silence as they heard Lancer's Master threaten Rider's with torture for stealing his relic. Even from up here, Avenger could see that Lancer gripped his spears with disgust at his Master's actions. Of course; Diarmuid had never taken pleasure in that sort of thing, and Avenger liked him for it. In his books, it was the mark of a real hero not to harm children, or wish them harm.

"Ah, but what say the Servants that watch this clash?" Rider asked aloud, and Avenger's chest was suddenly cold, and something sunk to the bottom of his stomach. "You have all been watching and were attracted by this great clash of powers! What say you to my proposition?"

Saber retreated at that, protecting her Master. Avenger understood that she had been caught up fighting Lancer, but still...Masters were MEANT to be hidden, not on display. The pragmatic side of him knew that Servants or enemy Masters who had taken necessary steps could then eliminate the main prana source. But at the same time, he was compassionate; it was clear that Saber cared about her Master enough to shield her. That gave a good indication to her character.

But it was the fact that Rider had sensed him, or at least saw him on his way here that gave Avenger pause. He couldn't hope to stay concealed for long; he could either retreat and live to fight another day or he could wait for the moment. Even now, he heard Kariya's instructions to stay put for now. He might show up after all.

Suddenly, in a shower of golden particles, there stood a person on top of a pole. He was wearing elaborate golden armor, with a red cape coming out of the bottom part of that armor. His blond hair was spiked, and his red eyes were contemptuous in their gaze, as if everything before them offended this Servant.

"Archer...!" Kariya cursed inside Avenger's mind, and Avenger dimly recalled that all the others thought that Archer had killed Assassin. He himself had been told of Archer's destructive power by Kariya, who had been shivering in fear nonetheless. Even though the Matou had hated Tokiomi, the power of that Servant had given his Master some amount of fear...

-A clash of weapons in the night-

-Surprise at the reveal of Rho Aias-

-A hill of swords-

-"Here I come King of Heroes! Do you have enough swords in stock?"-

"How dare you call yourselves Kings, mongrels." Archer said with contempt, and Avenger struggled not to recall the impossible sword Archer's arm kept showing him in his mind. "Even in my absolute presence, against myself who is the true King."

"Well, if you are a King as you say, why not tell us of your identity?" Rider asked, extending a hand. "If your claim is true, then there be no problem."

Archer shook in anger, before breaking the electric light that was a part of the pole he was standing on. The light shattered into pieces, and all Servants present, hidden or not, were struck by the feeling of apprehension, or even fear. For it was clear to Avenger, Archer was the strongest Servant in this Holy Grail War.

"You DARE question me, mongrel?" Archer asked, his tone cold and angry, as two golden portals opened beside his shoulders. "Well, if you cannot ascertain my identity in my presence, I shall rid this world of your imputence!"

The two weapons that had appeared out of the portals were beautiful, far more ornate than any weapon Avenger had encountered in life, except for perhaps the Sword of Promised Victory. Though, even now he was using his particular magecraft to analyse them, and came to their identities.

The spear was Gungnir, the legendary Spear of Odin. A spear that could create bolts of divine lightning and spew them at its foes. Alternatively, it was the prototype to Gae Bolg; it could utilize a similar destructive attack to eliminate enemies in a single area. Though it did not resemble Gae Bolg all that much, it was to be expected from its prototype. It could even turn into a fast bullet of lightning, similar to Gae Bolg's other state when thrown and invoked.

The sword was Durandal, or at least a previous version of the sword given to Roland, Charlamagne's greatest champion. It bore a slight resemblence to other swords, but its guard was gold with black, and a diamond shaped from the gold was on both sides of the guard, even slightly on the blade itself. One of its powers was to create an earthquake as did befit the sword Roland had sought to destroy, but had created the La Breche de Roland instead.

They were both recorded to the flaming hill of swords, and Avenger learned their Ranks. Gungnir was an A+-Rank Noble Phantasm, while The Peerless Sword was an A Rank. Given that they were both famous for destructive displays, this was to be expected. But there was a more important issue at hand. Archer was going to use those weapons to kill all down there, for the reason that they were below him and that they displeased him.

Avenger couldn't let that happen. Saber, Lancer, Rider...they all seemed likable, so he couldn't allow them to die like this when it didn't befit their status as warriors. It might be naïve of him, but Avenger felt that they deserved to die the way they wanted; in battle, and hold no regrets. Archer would trample over that; he would eliminate them simply because of his own ego and that they had displeased him in an insignificant way. That wasn't right.

Rider's Master and Saber's...they didn't deserve to die. The boy looked like he was going to wet himself, and while Saber's Master hadn't faltered, he could see in her eyes that she had something to live for, and it would defeat that purpose if she died here. Even if Avenger was ruthless enough to let Saber, Lancer and Rider die, he would save those two. That silver haired woman reminded him of someone he had known in his previous life, though he couldn't recall her name. But that hair and those eyes...

Avenger's resolve hardened; he would not let any of them die, not like this. Maybe he was being a fool, one of the criticisms EMIYA had had of him, but Avenger was absolute. He would stop this. He got up, and aimed his left arm at Archer. He grasped the handle of the bow that did not yet exist.

"Trace On."

EMIYA's Black Bow materialized in his left hand; it was made of materials that didn't exist in the world yet, or had not been discovered. But EMIYA had found it incredibly useful after he had commissioned it for the reward of one of his jobs as a Magus Killer; maybe he had taken it because it reminded him of his youth, of his old habit of archery. It was one of the reasons he had been summoned as 'Archer' after all.

But it was most important because despite being made of materials that shouldn't be capable of doing so, it could fire Noble Phantasms that were modified into arrows. Since Avenger's left arm was formerly that of EMIYA, he had gained the passive knowledge of the process, and how to do it.

It would suit his purpose. He had to stop Archer now, but the only sword capable was Caladbolg II, but that had too much destructive power when molded into an arrow; he himself remembered just how devastating that power was. If he used it, it would kill all of the people in the vicinity, such was its range.

Almost immediately, another sword gave itself to his mind, resonating from that blazing hill of swords. It was black, and bore some designs he recalled, but it was just what he needed. It might not have the destructive power of Caladbolg, but it would serve its purpose all the same.

"Trace On."

In his right hand, appeared an arrow that was as black as night, and was known as Hrunting, the sword given to the Hero Beowulf by Unferth and which he had used to slay Grendel's Mother. It was similar to Gae Bolg, in that it oozed blood-lust, and indeed the reason he had chosen it was because when fired at something, even if the target moved it wouldn't stop following until it hit it. The perfect sword to be a projectile.

It was flawed.

Avenger was not as proficient in this as EMIYA had been; but it would be enough. Hrunting would hit Archer, and that would distract him enough that Avenger could fight him. He could feel Kariya's approval as Avenger loaded Hrunting onto the Black Bow's string, and drew it back with practised motions.

He suddenly saw not Archer, but a target that had been mounted on a stand, among a field of grass. There were also illusions of other people around him, and he felt comfort for the first time in many years. A smile graced his face as he remembered his archery club fully now.

He breathed out, before focusing. He remembered one of EMIYA's habits, one that had enhanced the power of his Tracing by several levels. Avenger decided why not, and took aim.

"Avenger, kill him. Kill Archer." Kariya ordered, his voice full of mirth at the coming embarassment of Tokiomi. Avenger still found it distasteful, but readied his shot again, focusing on that Servant he had been ordered to kill. Strangely, he did not feel anything at the fact he would be attacking and killing Archer. If anything, Archer's arm seemed slightly joyful.

"I am the bone of my sword."

He let the arrow fly, towards the heart of its target.

Archer looked down at the Servants who had dared to say that they were Kings. How foolish; he was the only King of this world, and indeed he owned it all. That was his reason for going after the Grail. Despite his skepticism that it was INDEED a wish-granting device-he'd come across several that had been claimed to do the same when he was alive, but they had fallen short. The Grail still belonged to him, Gilgamesh, who had all of the worlds treasures.

They were paralyzed. Archer gave a sadistic smile as he aimed the two Noble Phantasms at them. They were ornate, and he considered them part of the better-tier of treasures he owned, but that was saying little. In life, he had taken only the greatest treasures into the Gate of Babylon; any lesser ones were not even worthy of his acknowledgement.

But those two had annoyed him, and insulted his authority as King. They would be punished, along with the mortals that accompanied them. That snivelling coward in that admittedly-beautiful chariot would die; in life, Archer had not tolerated cowards, as they would leave despite orders given by the highest authority; himself.

That filthy Irish dog would also go. His treasures were obselete compared to the originals in his vault, and even if they had no originals those two spears were already marred with dirt from that dog's filthy hands. He would not tolerate such a dog wielding any treasures. Thus, he and them were garbage.

He had a higher opinion of that blond girl, who had been wounded. Admittedly, Archer had never come across an invisible sword before, so he'd add it to his collection once he plucked it from her dead hands. She herself was also quite desirable, along with that silver haired Master of hers.

His smirk widened; perhaps he would sample them instead of mutilating them? Yes, that would be fitting for beauties that while not as desirable as those of Uruk, they came rather close. Suddenly, a flash of a long-forgotten memory hit him. One where he had first fought against his greatest friend.

He suddenly recalled that his friend had accosted him for the very task he was thinking of taking those two for. It gave him pause; even after so many years, his friend still somehow managed to influence him. But no matter; Archer's right was the right of the truest King. He had the right to take anything for his own.

He was just about to unleash his treasures upon those worthless mongrels when it happened. He heard something screaming through the air behind him, and it seemed that the mongrels were seeing it. In a fluid motion, Archer jumped off of the pole from which he had been glaring at the trash on the ground, before taking position on one of the containers. High enough to re-establish his authority.

"Which of you mongrels dare attack a King?!" Archer demanded, even as he saw the red-black bullet that had been shot at him curve around and head straight for him. "When I discover you, I will make sure your corpse will be but blood on the ground!"

He unleashed a spear from the Gate of Babylon, which collided with the bullet, causing an explosion. Archer was not fazed; as a King, he refused to allow himself to descend to such standards. Thus, it gave him some entertainment that the Servants below had been forced to jump back.

However, Archer was now angry. His shoulders shook as he recalled this incident. Fury flowed through his mind; how dare someone try to attack him, the King of Heroes, from behind like some kind of coward?! This assailant would undergo the most horrible and painful methods of death, Archer promised.

"I ask again, dirt! Who dares to assault my royal presence?!" Archer demanded of the silent assailant who had not stepped forward. "I will make sure that there is no evidence of your existence, you worm! Now show yourself; I may give you a slightly less painful demise than I have planned!"

Suddenly, there was a blur that sped towards Archer. The King of Heroes, however, had not expected this, and was slower than he usually was. Thus, with a screech a single heavy sword was slashed across his magnificent armour, forever marring it and ruining its perfection. Archer grunted, before he sloppily managed to punch the assailant in the chest, sending him flying downwards at the ground before he righted himself.

Archer breathed in deeply, as he ran his armored hands across the gash on his armor. It ran from the left shoulder to the right hip. It was slightly deep, a mark that other treasures of his would remedy, but it was a slight against him. Archer trembled in great fury, and he turned a hateful gaze upon that worm.

The assailant was clad in a red jacket of sorts, with a black shirt underneath from what Archer could see. His boots were steel-toed, but that was all unimportant; he took note of that red hair with white patches, and those insolent amber eyes. Archer's blood fired up; how dare that mongrel attack its owner?!

"How dare you scar one of my treasures, mutt!" Archer screamed, utterly angry and unwilling to calm down. "How dare you attack your owner, mongrel! I will personally make sure that you die a thousand deaths tonight! But before I deliver my righteous fury upon you, declare yourself."

The Servant had surprised all present, even Kayneth and Kiritsugu. He had not only attacked Archer from the sidelines, but he had also, through some impossible chance, scarred that golden armor of his. They could see no evidence of weaponry on him; that made him even more surprising.

However, it was clear to Saber that this Servant was experienced in combat; his stance gave it away, though the stance itself was flawed. There were so many openings that it almost seemed like he was intentionally posed like that. That didn't matter though; Saber was confident that if Avenger used that stance then she'd be able to easily beat him.

Irisviel, meanwhile, was trying to make sense of the chaos. This Servant had just openly attacked Archer; if he was aware of Archer's power, then why did he antagonize him by apparently harming his pride? Irisivel also had a split-second look at the weapon the Servant had used to damage Archer's armor.

It curved at the end, and half of its blade seemed to be purple and the other half the deepest black. The guard also curved, but it was gold. The hilt was bound in black and the pommel was also gold with a jewel set in it. Even though it was a split-second, she had seen the blade heat up to the extent it was extremely hot. It had then disappeared into gold, the Servant presumably discarding it.

Iri was certain that that sword had been this Servant's Noble Phantasm; what else could have damaged that golden armor so much? It looked was Norse in origin, so this Hero must be from that mythology or from their legends. That would be a good starting point for research, as that blade had bourne hallmarks of other countries.

"Well, mongrel? Declare yourself so that I might take some enjoyment in crushing you and your insolence." Archer's voice was cold, but the sword and spear realigned themselves so that they were pointing at the Servant. Iri was still surprised at the power the nameless Servant had displayed.

"I am Avenger, of the Fourth Holy Grail War." Avenger declared, and all present, Masters and Servants, were surprised even Gilgamesh. "Archer...I have been ordered to kill you."

Iri was in shock; Avenger? The shame that the Einzbern's had tried to bury underneath all of their recent accomplishments? That Class had been summoned once more? It was immensely surprising, given that her grandfather had been certain that Avenger would not show up again; it had been an irregularity, he had said.

So the fact that Avenger had been summoned was a great shock, as well as generating fear inside of her chest. While Avenger had been weak in the last War, this one was almost certainly more powerful than Angra Mainyu. He had managed to distract Archer, the most powerful Servant of this War going by the casual ease with which he had killed Assassin.

"Hahahaha..." Archer's shoulders now trembled, before he threw back his head and laughed as if at some private joke of his before fixing a red eye on Avenger. "You have some courage, saying that to me mongrel. You've deluded yourself into thinking that you can kill me, the King of all the world? Truly, you must have been a jester in life."

"However..." Archer said sadistically, and the Noble Phantasms began to glow as he readied to shoot them at this insolent mutt. "You have sealed your fate by mocking me, cur!"

At speeds that made sure humans could not follow, the sword and spear were launched at Avenger. Avenger was calm, yet that stoicness bellied nervousness. If even one of them hit him full on, he wouldn't survive. Therefore he had to deflect the weapons as best he could.

In a moment, he had Traced Kanshou and Bakuya, and in the split second before the sword and spear hit him, with great strength and Reinforced arms, he batted the weapons away, which slammed into the ground on either side of him. A huge cloud of smoke resulted from this, and the ground exploded into tiny pieces around him.

All of the crowd were now watching, and they gave gasps as the dust cleared and they saw the status of Avenger.

Avenger was not injured in any way, though his clothes were dirtied by dust. In his hands were two Chinese style falchions that were no doubt the reason for his survival, having knocked the weapons away even at the speeds they had been travelling at. But, even as they watched, the two falchions cracked, before they broke into tiny fragments, the motes of light being scattered by the wind.

"W-w-what?!" Waver Valvet cried out in disbelief; Avenger had survived that assault? But how had he done it? "How did that guy survive those weapons?!"

A finger-flick to the head, and Waver was sent crashing down to the floor of the ox-driven chariot. He rose to admonish his Servant, before he saw that Rider was unusually focused, holding his chin between his forefinger and thumb. Waver had never seen his lazy Servant like this, so he was speechless.

"Quiet, boy. Didn't you see?" Rider asked, a smile adorning his face. "He reacted quick enough that he was able to use those weapons of his to slightly influence the course of that sword and spear, enough so that he could survive. That is quite an achievement, even for a Servant; exceptional reaction time."

It was then that Waver saw Avenger's weapons dissipate into light, before expressing his surprise as an identical pair were held in his hands the next instant. "What? Those weapons just broke, didn't they? How can he have them again?"

"It's not impossible for Noble Phantasms to have the ability of being recreated or multiplied." Rider reminded Waver; anything was possible when it came to Noble Phantasms. "Indeed, if he was a blacksmith in life that would make sense. But...this talent of recreating his weapons is more of the Caster class' abilities. Indeed, I am surprised he was not summoned in that class. Nevertheless, he would be a worthy addition to my Empire!"

Waver sighed at Rider's intent; both Lancer and Saber had turned him down, and it seemed that wouldn't stop him in the least from allying with Avenger. Meanwhile, Archer gave Avenger an even more venomous glare than before, gritting his teeth as about sixteen portals opened, more devastating Noble Phantasms at the ready.

Avenger eyed each and every one of them, storing them inside his mind for future Tracing. He knew that Archer would be immensely insulted, so he raised Kanshou and Bakuya in preparation. His limbs were still Reinforced, but an assault that size would mean he would take some injuries.

"So you continue to defy me by living, mongrel..." Archer seethed, clenching his hands into fists that very nearly cracked his armor on their own. "You may be lucky, but even luck will not protect you, MONGREL!"

Sixteen portals...Avenger reacted far faster than he had ever done so before; he had never come under this kind of firepower from anything. With expert motions he batted away each of those original weapons, discarding his own when they broke and Tracing a new set immediately. He couldn't Trace anything more than Kanshou and Bakuya in this storm-he and Kariya had mutually agreed to keep the true secret of his Tracing from the other Servants for as long as possible.

However, eventually, he began to sustain injuries. Not terribly bad ones-they would heal quick enough-but they hindered his effectiveness, and the more cuts he got the more openings were generated. Soon enough, his weapons were destroyed and his body littered with wounds.

The rain of steel had ended by that point, but Avenger was struggling to keep up; his body was burning from Reinforcement, and his mana was in desperate need of recharging before he fought again. But he had enough power left to finish this fight. He wouldn't win right now, but if he could at least damage Archer's armor or the Servant itself before he had to retreat, then that would be fine by him.

"Are you ready to die mongrel?" Archer asked condescendingly, so assured of his victory that Avenger was irritated by it. "I do hope you'll get on your knees and beg me to spare you; it would be quite entertaining."

Avenger smirked at Archer, whose own slid off of his face. "Sorry to say, but I'm not the kind of guy that grovels or waits to die. If I'm gonna die, then that's that. But I'll keep fighting to survive, I can guarantee you that...Archer!"

Another set of copies of Kanshou and Bakuya appeared in his hands, and he dashed at Archer's position. He leapt up, before slashing downwards with Bakuya. Archer managed to dodge the strike, but the container was cleaved in two. Avenger jumped back, weapons held at the ready. Archer was no longer the image of arrogance now, and that gave Avenger some satisfaction.

Without a moment to lose, Avenger bounded at Archer again, who withdrew two swords, and held one in each hand. Avenger copied them instantly-nameless swords, but they were durable enough. Kanshou and Bakuya would be able to stand up to them.

"Damn you mongrel, making me fight you personally...!" Archer growled, and the two Servants clashed their weapons against each other. Sparks burst into existence, and Archer's boots sunk into the metal of the containers. Eventually, Archer threw Avenger away at a container on the ground.

"Forcing me to stand on the same ground as you, how insulting!" Archer shouted again, and before Avenger could properly right himself Archer viciously slashed at his right arm. Avenger ducked, but the blade still cut into him.

Avenger winced, before rolling to the side and stabbing Kanshou forward. Archer batted the black sword away, before Avenger swerved on the balls of his feet and went for a slash with a freshly Traced Kanshou. Archer reacted just in time, but Kanshou still cut some into the golden armor; if not scratching it then certainly battering it.

"Fine then, Archer. Let's see which of our blades are superior!" Avenger called out, and dashed at Archer, who jumped back before dashing forward as well, bringing those nameless swords against Avenger's, causing an explosion of sparks.

The rest of the crowd were in amazement as those two Servants clashed. Avenger fought with the ferocity of a wild beast, and Archer was not much better. And despite them all having witnessed Archer's power, they were in shock that this Avenger was fighting him on near equal ground.

However, Saber was experienced enough in combat that even she could see that while Avenger had skill, Archer had power. Many times those black and white swords of Avenger were broken only to be reforged. Now Saber could understand Avenger's stance; it was deliberately taking advantage of his Noble Phantasm's ability to duplicate or repair itself.

Even so...her eyes narrowed at Archer, as he broke the black sword in Avenger's left hand. Archer did not lack experience in close quarters either, and he was gaining ground against Avenger as surely as he was losing it. Avenger himself trembled from having to hold off or redirect Archer's strength.

"Truly, this is a clash of Heroes!" Rider declared his admiration to the world, while Saber only gave him an irritated glance. She had not forgotten his proposition. "See now, this is how we Servants should fight; with all our power, fighting to the last breath! This is a battle worthy of being a bout in the Holy Grail War."

She paid no mind to him, only turning back to Irisviel, who was still behind her. "Irisivel, it would be best for you to retreat. I cannot afford injury to you, and with this battle occuring in close proximity, it would be the wisest course of action."

She had grown to like Irisviel, even if Saber had a marked distaste for her true Master. Irisviel was so kind, and gentle that it would have taken quite a monster of a man to hate her, or even dislike her. She was possessed of a childish naivete most of the time, but she was resolute in her will. That was one of her faults; she was too stubborn to see that it would make sense to retreat, as they had briefly discussed during Saber's bout with Lancer.

"I'm staying here Saber," Irisviel replied, her face showing her resolution. "You will need my support, in case anything happens. Even if I can't heal your left arm, I will do my best to help."

Saber's left thumb was still useless, and given that golden spear's curse and Lancer's identity, was not surprising. She had heard of him when she had been alive, and to face someone she had respected was a true boon of the Holy Grail War. His honor and chivalry was also remarkable; he had made no attempt to strike at Rider or her, despite the pragmatic value.

She knew that she would respect Lancer best out of all of the other Servants.

"Lancer, why are you stopping? Take your spears and kill Saber! You've had ample time to do so." The cruel voice of Lancer's Master cut through the din, but the battling Servants paid it no heed.

Immediately, Saber was on guard; Lancer's Master struck her as cruel, and very nearly a monster in his own right. He had stated his intention to torture that boy Master of Rider's to death for such a slight. Saber had come across countless nobles during her reign that had been much the same; even touch their possessions and your own life was forfeit.

"My lord, I swore I would take Saber's head, but not now." Lancer declared to his Master, hope colouring his tone. "I will fight her honourably, and I promise that when that time comes I will kill her. Please, believe me!"

The silence was almost palpable, and Saber could see the hope in Lancer's eyes, even as she knew that Lancer's Master would decline. He was not like his Servant; a coward, and a man without morals at first glance. It hurt her to see how misplaced Lancer's trust was; his Master was not a kind man, and he reminded her of Kiritsugu a little.

"By the power of this Command Seal..."

Lancer's eyes lost all hope, but he merely stood stock still as his Master proceeded to take his will away. Saber felt pity for Lancer; her opponent deserved to fight her honourably, and as a duel between knights. Not by the will of someone else. The will to fight should belong to Lancer and Lancer alone.

"Lancer, kill Saber through whatever means necessary!"

Irisviel sensed the magic that now bound Lancer to his Master's command; binding his bones and muscles. Even though Saber was going to have to kill Lancer eventually, the kind silver-haired woman's pity went to the Irish knight. She knew the tales of Diarmuid well, as part of her role as the Einzbern's artificial Master and the Vessel of the Grail.

Lancer slowly turned around, so that his tortured face was staring right at Saber, who's own eyes were full of pity. Even Rider looked up at the buildings in some amount of contempt for Lancer's Master. While the boisterous Servant believed that combat was where men proved their worth, at the same time the soldiers deserved to fight for themselves, and not others.

It had been the same with his own men. He had never once asked them to fight with them even if they faced impossible odds. He would have understood if some did not wish to die and leave their friends and family without them. Yes, Rider knew that well; everytime his soldiers died, he sent condolensces to the families.

As their King, he could not refuse to do so, and he took responsibility for his Empire. And in turn, they served him with unquestionable loyalty. His heart soared as he remembered them, but now his face was solemn, and cold. Lancer's Master was much more of a coward than Rider originally thought.

"Saber...forgive me." Lancer mourned, and he bore his spears, before throwing Gae Buidhe at Saber.

She had almost not been able to react in time, but slashed it away with the invisible Excalibur. Though, even as she did so, Lancer bounded to the side, and dashed forward, Gae Dearg ready to spear Irisviel right through. Saber's eyes widened, and so did Irisviel's as her impending demise approached. Lancer bore the hallmarks of tears on his face at being ordered to do such an act.

Thankfully, Saber was able to roughly push Irisviel to the side, saving the woman at the cost of Saber's armor being pierced again, this time through her shoulder as she made motions to dodge. She hissed as the spear buried itself into her shoulder, before she swept her sword at Lancer, forcing him to leave his spear still embedded in Saber's shoulder.

The female knight hissed in pain, as she forced her left arm to grasp the shaft of the spear despite the excruciating pain she was in. With a rough motion, she pulled it out before throwing it at Lancer's feet, stunning all present at her resolve.

"Saber!" Irisviel cried out, before challenging healing magic towards Saber's wound, the flesh sealing up. It did nothing for the blood she had lost, and Saber stumbled slightly. She even had to degrade Excalibur to balancing herself momentarily.

"Thank you Irisviel. Are you unharmed?" Saber asked of her fake Master, concerned for her state. Lancer was priming to attack again, though his limbs bore some resistance this time, trying to stop himself carrying out this command.

"Yes Saber. As your Master, please, fight to survive!" Irisviel declared, and Saber smiled at Irisviel's kindness. No doubt, Kiritsugu would have used a Command Seal to force her to fight against her will. That was where she saw similarities between him and Lancer's Master.

"Of course."

Saber then dashed at Lancer, aware that her armor would protect her from his golden spear, but vulnerable to his red one. Truly, Diarmuid was exceptional, and his Noble Phantams were well suited against an opponent like her. If only they were fighting in different circumstances.

However, before they could clash, there was the blast of lightning that forced the two Servants apart. She looked to Rider, who had his sword outstretched to the sky, glaring at the places where Lancer's Master may be. He was now a far cry from the Servant who had appeared stupid to her, and more of a King like he had claimed to be.

"I see now. You are the kind of Master that deserves an individual such as Lancer." Rider's tone was deathly cold, as if Lancer's Master had personally insulted him. "You are much more of a coward than I thought; to take away Lancer's right to decide if he should fight or not."

"Still your tongue, Servant." Lancer's Master commanded, and Rider bristled; Saber could see the signs that showed that Rider may act on his own initiative soon. "I hardly see why I cannot order Lancer like the dog he is. After all, the name is apparent; MASTERS are meant to order SERVANTS. As is our right, Rider."

"But you take away the one thing Lancer could decide for himself!" Rider shouted, nearly bursting eardrums of several others. "Lancer has expressed his loyalty to you, and I cannot fault him for that. But a man must fight for himself, desire it in his heart of hearts, not to be ordered to do so like a boy-servant!"

The idea that a soldier could fight because they WANT to instead of being called to attention, or ordered to do so made Saber furrow her brows. By Rider's logic, could a man desert the battlefield if he so wanted? That made Saber's grip tighten on Excalibur's invisible hilt. When she called knights and soldiers to fight, any who deserted were dealt with by execution, no matter their pleas. The King did not show mercy.

"What a foolish notion; I order Lancer because I can. I care not for his honor or chivalry; to win the Grail, I will order him as I wish! Nothing will stand between me and the Grail!"

That made Saber herself bristle in anger, and she too turned her wrath to Lancer's hidden Master. "Does Lancer mean so little to you?! Is he only valuable merely an object?!"

"Of course! That's what he is-that's what you all are! Mere mana constructs with the consciousness of Heroes!" Lancer's Master snarled back. "As far as I'm concerned, you aren't even human!"

The debate was then interrupted, even as Saber clenched her teeth and Rider's jaw squared, that an enormous boom echoed from Archer and Avenger.

They all turned just in time to see Avenger punch Archer in the face.

Several minutes ago...

Despite Avenger's vague hopes, it was clear that Archer would eventually beat him. The golden Servant lived up to his boasts of greatness; it seemed nearly every other clash that Avenger's weapons broke, allowing Archer to gain some ground against him, and at times nearly skewer him.

He leapt off of the container he had just planted his feet on, leaping at Archer. His swords flashed as they clashed with Archer's own, and through strength Archer pushed Avenger off to the side, and the red-clad Servant righted himself by planting his feet in the ground, skidding.

Almost immediately he rushed at the golden-clad Servant again, slashing at him with his black sword. Similarly, Archer lashed out with the sword in his left hand. Archer let Kanshou hit his armor, and his other sword made to slice off Avenger's arm. Thankfully, he had seen it coming and raised Bakuya in a block.

The deadlock lasted several seconds before Bakuya and Kanshou broke and Avenger leaned back, Tracing his weapons again and, Reinforcing his legs kicked at Archer's chest. Because of that armor, Archer barely felt the impact but it did make him skid back a little. Reprieve that Avenger was too happy to ignore.

Getting back to his feet, he recalled EMIYA's ultimate technique, and the one he had used to finish Saber. He closed his eyes, and saw his Magic Circuits begin to flare to life, the chant of the technique echoing inside of his head as it did once before.

Spirit and technique, flawless and firm...

He threw the copies of Kanshou and Bakuya that were in his hands at Archer, who brushed them aside with pathetic ease. Almost immediately after he Traced more copies and dashed right at Archer, bringing them down the golden chestpiece that screeched with anguish.

Our strength rips the moutains...

Our swords split the water...

He Traced a third time, and lashed out with Kanshou first, before whirling around the slash that was coming from Archer's left hand sword and stabbed Bakuya at him. Avenger could sense it; that armor was nearly at its limit. Kanshou and Bakuya were a remarkable pair of Noble Phantasms; alone, they were nothing. But together, they were highly magic resistant. That was why he was doing this. He was certain the armor would sustain blows and fall apart soon.

One more strike would do it.

Our names reach the imperial villa...

"Trace Overedge."

Finally, he called Kanshou and Bakuya into his hands once more, and fed them mana. Instantly, they grew twice their size, and with feather-like attachments along the backs of their blades. Archer seemed startled and interested at this change, as well as being incredibly angry.

Avenger could tell why. Despite his armor being incredibly durable, Archer would have been faster without it. Despite it being a Noble Phantasm, armor always weighed down those who fought for extended times in it. Saber's battle skirt and other armor was different; though it was enchanted, they were only on the essential places for protection. Archer was weighing himself down with full-body armor.

One more strike. He dashed at Archer before the latter had time to recover from the consecutive blows. He drew his swords over his shoulders for an x-shaped slash. Archer was already moving his swords to counter, but he was too slow. Avenger reached him, and he saw Archer's thunderous expression as he slashed at that pesky armor once more, hard enough to leave more scars and for his swords to disappear.

The two of us cannot hold heaven together...

Two great men, sharing a life!

Avenger breathed heavily, thinking he would have a few moments of respite. But Archer's armor, though it was damaged, had protected him sufficiently. Avenger barely had time to turn around before Archer's right hand sword slashed at his chest, blood spurting forth from the wound. It was not fatal, but it drained Avenger's vitality all the same.

He stabbed his Traced swords into the ground, breathing heavily from wounds sustained across his chest, and down his arms. Even his cheek was bleeding. Avenger was now noticing the wounds he had sustained, though he had forgotten about them in his assault on Archer. He was beginning to feel the real drain now, of fighting the armored Servant for a long time. His vision was beginning to fade in and out of focus.

Focus. Archer's advantages lied in his strength, which Kariya informed him ouclassed his own. Even if he wasn't a Master of blades, Archer still had the physical prowess for the battle. He had endurance as well to back up his fearsome stamina; Archer barely seemed winded in contrast to Avenger.

This was single-handedly the greatest challenge Avenger had faced in battle, even though the image of a large, black giant crossed his mind before he dismissed it. Archer had all the advantages of being summoned by a Master who could support his enormous strength, while Avenger had siphoned some away so that Kariya could heal. If he had not done that, Avenger might have lasted a little longer, but he didn't regret it.

Alright, that armor was the main problem. Despite carving into it with Ridill, the sword that had carved out Fafnir's heart and absorbed some of the fiersome drake's intense flames, the armor had not rattled once, nor was it even structurally compromised as Avenger used Structural Grasping.

It was very annoying, but it was clear that Archer was not as dismissive or as arrogant as he thought; the Servant still understood that without that armor he stood no chance, and even though Lancer could easily kill him with Gae Dearg Archer would have enough time to kill the Irish Servant in turn.

The armor was clearly a Noble Phantasm of its own; at least A-Rank, as Ridill had been a high-tier B-Rank Noble Phantasm, and in order to Trace it Avenger had been forced to loosen the Shroud of Martin momentarily. That also tied into his exhaustion; every time he unsealed and sealed the Shroud, it drained some of his stamina and energy. It would take a while for him to regain it.

Time he did not have at the moment.

"Well, dog, you have been entertaining to say the least." Archer snidely taunted Avenger, who was still trying to get his breath back. "Unfortunately, I no longer have a need for you; it's time for the curtain to close on your crude show! By scarring my armor, you have sealed your fate!"

Avenger closed his eyes, thinking through his options. The best he could come up with involved striking Archer's only unprotected region; his face. Maybe it was his arrogant that prevented him from using a helmet, but Avenger was planning on taking advantage of that arrogance.

He scanned through his library of Noble Phantasms, trying to find one that was powerful enough to force Archer to either retreat or to at least give him pause for a few minutes. There were several that came to mind, but none of them had the Tracing time that was required; Archer would certainly know what he was doing.

Then, the image of two gauntlets appeared in his mind's eye. They were beautiful, made from enchanted bronze and fashioned over the fingers like a cestus. Fur sprouted from the back of them towards the forearm, but what was more important was their identity.

Jarngreipr, the gauntlets of Thor. Many did not realize that the weight of Mjollnir required Jarngreipr, for even Thor's godly muscles and immense strength could be defeated by Mjollnir's weight. They were incredibly durable but also very powerful. They could even break a wall of iron.

There was a problem, however. Jarngreipr was a Noble Phantasm that was ranked B+. He could Trace it, but it would take moments longer than he was comfortable with. He would have to release the Shroud of Martin in order to Trace it. He recalled the static that filled his mind, but he refused to submit to that, not while he had to win.

"Shroud of Martin..." Avenger muttered to himself, unravelling the seals on the shroud. "Release."

He didn't release the Shroud fully, but the needles still stabbed into his brain, trying to make him falter or to make him into swords again. He grunted as he forced himself to dispel Kanshou and Bakuya, and slumped down onto one knee, his right hand steadying him in place. His left hand was clenched behind his back; one of Jarngreipr would be Traced onto it.

"Oh? What is this, mongrel?" Archer mocked Avenger, dropping his hand and dismissing the two swords as well as the weapons that littered the battleground. "Do you have any last words? I suppose as your King I COULd allow you to express your foolishness."

Avenger was vaguely aware that the other Servants were talking to his right. What about he didn't know because of the white noise steadily invading his hearing, and the static was beginning to obscure his vision. He wouldn't allow that. He wouldn't let himself be consumed by EMIYA's arm.

He looked up at Archer's smug face, before smiling.

"Yeah, I do have a few words left in me." He clenched his hand once more, feeling the weight of the gauntlet that was not yet present on it.

"Trace...On!"

In a burst of light, Jarngreipr appeared on his hand, and without pause, Avenger pushed all of his power to his legs, and leapt at Archer in a display of speed. He barely had time to see the shock on Archer's face as he brought his left hand to bear, ready to give a left cross enhanced by Thor's power.

"JARNGREIPR!"

He landed the blow on Archer's face, and for a moment they were held there by time. His left fist was pushing against Archer's cheek, and he could see that a few teeth were being dislodged by the power of Jarngreipr, and Archer's mouth began to leak blood. He could also vaguely see that the others present were looking at him in wonder at this feat.

Then, time sped up once more, and Archer was flung backwards, crashing into the container behind him before being punched through it and through the next one. It was safe to assume that Archer would not be recovering from the blow for some time, even if his Master accelerated his healing by providing him with mana.

Avenger collapsed to his knees, his right arm gripping his left as laboured breaths left him. Now that the last of his energy was spent for now, EMIYA's arm was threatening to overcome him. His left hand clenched at the asphault, carving trails into it as Avenger tried to reassert his control over the Shroud.

He resealed the Shroud after some amount of difficulty, and even after the Shroud was safely secured his left arm was throbbing as if his blood pressure had risen, and as if it had been bruised greatly. Sweat dripped off of his brow as the arm began to calm down, gradually loosening its grip on the ground and Avenger could breathe again.

Rider, meanwhile, glanced at that arm of Avenger's that was bound in cloth. Even though Rider was human, as a possible descendant of Zeus he had sensed the raw power that had coursed through that gauntlet. He did not know of its name, but it radiated of lightning. It was a formidable weapon; Rider elevated Avenger several levels up on his threats.

Then, his gaze turned to the bound arm, which was relaxing now. Even though in life Rider hadn't been spiritually aware or attracted to the magic arts, even he could sense the aura that surrounded that arm. It was a violent crimson, specked with yellow as if it was a flame. What interested him was that as that cloth tightened around the arm the aura and the feeling were dimmed, muted as it were.

Then, Rider surmised, that cloth acted as a seal to Avenger's greater power, keeping it from overwhelming him. This was obvious to the King of Conquerors, who had been given a basic education in how to 'feel' magic from his boyhood years though they had largely not been useful to him.

"How dare you..." The violent voice of Archer echoed out of the containers he had been smashed into. "How dare you strike me, you mutt? How dare you harm my visage...!"

Archer stepped out of the containers, and was looking much worse for wear than Avenger would have thought. His armor was scratched and scarred in various places, and he could hear the strained creak it made as Archer stepped forward, threatening to come apart. Also, Archer's face was a mass of blood and a huge bruise on the side Avenger had punched him on.

The look he was giving was monstrous.

"HOW DARE YOU HARM YOUR KING?!" Archer roared out, and more golden portals began to appear around him.

At first, it was two, then five, then ten. Soon, about thirty portals were opened and aimed right for Avenger. Avenger breathed in and out heavily; he had expended much of his energy in the fight with Archer. He would have to go into his astral form to recuperate when the time came. But even in his state, he knew that he would not be able to stop all of those Noble Phantasms.

They were innumerable, and varied in type. Swords, spears, axes, halberds...Avenger even saw Vajra among the treasures aimed right at him. It seemed that Archer was unbelievably angry; he was exposing more and more of his power by succumbing to his pride. All it did was give Avenger more weapons to use against him in the future.

That was another point he had seen with the golden warrior's fighting style. While he was undoubtedly talented when it came to sword play, he was sluggish at times, and he overextended more than once. That implied that he was not used to fighting either with two swords, and which further meant that he could not use his Noble Phantasms the way they were meant to.

Fortunately, Avenger was able to replicate the skill of the owner of the weapon he had Traced; Kanshou and Bakuya were the sole exceptions as they had not even been used in battle before being chained up. He mimicked EMIYA's stance most of the time, but since he was younger and smaller, he could take advantage of more holes in his opponents guards.

Fear spread through Avenger, and his blood froze. He could even see his hand shaking at the danger that was screaming at him from those Noble Phantams. He could tell everyone was affected; the boy had even cowered in the chariot, and Rider was looking grim. Only Lancer and Saber shared his expression; amazement belied by terror.

Archer was undoubtedly the strongest Servant in this War.

"Ah, that look on your disgusting face." Archer said, the wounds healing gradually courtesy of his Master. "It seems you have realized your folly in striking me, mutt. However, any mercy I had for you has been extinguished! I will cause you the greatest of pains, and I will only let you die when your torture has satisfied me! Now, let us see if you can stop my wrath, mongrel!"

Suddenly, the Servant paused, and looked up at the sky. Avenger was puzzled; why was Archer doing that? It was only when he began to speak that he understood that Archer was talking to his Master about this issue. Archer's face was the picture of barely restrained wrath.

"You would tell me to run, like a coward? Leave these mongrels with the impression I am mortal and beatable?" Archer sneered, before closing the golden portals. "When we talk, Tokiomi, you will know my fury."

Archer turned back to the Servants assembled, disappearing into golden light as he did so. "By the time I see you next, make sure that you cull your numbers. Only then will I entertain myself with your foolish attempts to kill me. You, mutt."

Avenger realized Archer was addressing him, and turned a tired eye on him. "While your state gives me great pleasure, see to it that you do not die before we next battle. Only I will be allowed to kill you, who has harmed me and has stomped on my kingship. Next we meet, be prepared to meet some imputent god. Any who kill you before we next meet will suffer the most gruesome of fates."

"I don't have any intention of dying just yet, Archer." Avenger managed to get out, his vision swimming. "I'll be waiting."

Archer gave a curt nod and then left, those words hanging on the wind. All of those present were trying to comprehend what had just occurred. Avenger felt Kariya's pleasure through their link. He was happy that Avenger had wounded Archer so much, and was glad of the chance that they would do battle again.

"Well then Tokiomi! We'll be waiting for you next time. Next time...we will kill your Servant for certain!"

Avenger suddenly remembered Lancer's Master, declaring that he would kill Rider's Master-Waver, was it?-for stealing his relic. He had been battling Archer, but those words now came clearly to his mind. He staggered to his feet, before turning to the place he knew Lancer's Master was at.

"Before I go, I have one question for you, Lancer's Master." Avenger declared, and he could see the puzzlement in the eyes of the Servants gathered and Saber's Master. "Are you going to kill Rider's Master?"

Kayneth answered with a snort of derision. "Of course I am. That boy has humiliated me, Servant, and I will be having my revenge. After all, he has had it coming ever since he stole my relic from me."

"I see..." Avenger murmured, swaying slightly. "Your revenge would dictate you to kill him, even though he's so much younger than you, and more inexperienced. That says a lot about you, and it's not particularly good."

He Traced Kanshou and Bakuya into his hands, and stared up in defiance. "I don't like guys who want to kill children; that makes them the worst kind of monsters to me. It makes them totally despicable. With your Master's answer, there's no chance of us ever having an alliance, Lancer. And I don't want one. Sorry, in advance."

With that, he tossed Kanshou at Lancer's Master, his face stoic even as he heard the cry of pain as Kanshou tore into Kayneth's arm, very nearly severing it from the rest of his body. They were all looking in shock at Avenger now, with Lancer's face being a mask of perfectly mastered rage.

"Damn you Avenger! Striking my Master...I should kill you right now!" Lancer shouted, bearing his lances. "But my Master needs my assistance, so I will save my anger against you for the next time we meet."

Lancer turned to jump to his Master's aid, before Avenger asked him one more question. "Would you stand by, as someone threatens a kid, Lancer? I didn't think that Diarmuid Ua Duibhne would obey a Master like that. I didn't think he would obey a Master like that without questioning him. I thought he was more noble than to automatically submit himself to such a Master. I guess I was mistaken."

Lancer flinched from the harsh words that Avenger spoke, but they both knew it was true. Diarmuid deserved a Master who respected him and his honour, not trample over it. He deserved a Master like him; kind, gentle and honourable. Not a Master who took sadistic pleasure in planning to kill a child for a minor inconvienience.

Lancer didn't say a word as he flitted to his Master's side, bearing him away from this battlefield.

"What about you, sniper?" Avenger asked the air, whipping Bakuya through it, and hearing the buzz-like sound as it carved through the rifle. "I can guess that you're an asset to one of the Masters, but would you kill children, especially an innocent guy like Rider's Master is?"

Silence answered him. "I guess I won't be getting an answer from you right now. But if we meet again, I'll be waiting for one."

Saber gripped her sword even tighter. It was clear that it was Kiritsugu who had lain in the shadows, waiting to kill Masters. Her respect for her true Master plummeted even more. To think that Kiritsugu would not only try to eliminate Masters when presented with the opportunity, but he even left Irisviel unprotected when she had been fighting. It was perhaps her own fault, but she thought that he would have more love towards his wife.

It was perhaps the accusation that he would kill that child Master of Rider's that insulted her more. Even in her time, her knights knew that children were to be protected, and those that violated that protection deserved to be answered by their swords. She sincerely hoped that even Kiritsugu would not have an answer for that. If he did, she hoped he would say no. She didn't think herself nor Irisviel could handle it if he said he would kill children for his goals.

"Goodbye for now." Avenger said in parting to the others present, though he could see Rider nodding his head as if he agreed with Avenger's statements. "I'll most likely be seeing you later this week. After all, we have a War to fight, don't we?"

He then left, leaving each with a different impression of him. Irisviel was surprised at his apparent age and power, as well as being Avenger. Saber was cautious of him, as he had attacked Lancer's Master; that showed he was willing to do anything to desist others from action. And Rider was given the impression that Avenger was a noble man, to protect his Master in that way. He hoped to gain him for his wonderous army, and if they fought he would mourn the fact that such a talent would go to waste.

They were left with their own musings before Rider departed without a word, undoubtedly with much on his mind. Only Irisviel and Saber were left alone on the docks, with the waves soothing them.

From where he was situated, Kariya laughed long and hard.

It was nearly unbelievable. Avenger had not only defeated Archer but humiliated him utterly! It was like euphoria to him, knowing that his Servant was so much better than Tokiomi's; the fact Avenger almost lost slipped his addled mind. He was just enjoying the fact that Tokiomi would be greatly displeasured by this spectacle.

"How ironic Tokiomi." Kariya laughed again, before tightening his grip on Caduceus. "You're so condescending towards others it's arrogant, so what do you think of me and Avenger? There's absolutely no doubt in my mind, that we will beat you Tokiomi."

He felt some churn in his stomach, and he coughed hard. Some blood splattered on the ground, along with some Crest Worms that were struggling weakly. Kariya wiped the blood off of his hand, before walking through the darkness, waiting for Avenger.

"My body's getting stronger...guess Avenger was right about this staff's powers. He might be a little weaker now, but at least I'll survive." The image of Sakura smiling fueled Kariya, who continued on with a smile on his face.

"Now, I might have a chance. Sorry, Sakura...just wait a little longer..."

Well, here's the second and last part of the Battle at the Docks two-parter. I particularly enjoyed coming up with the Noble Phantasms that Gilgamesh was gonna spam at those present, and they may or may not be important later on. Now, to the issue of EMIYA's arm that some have commented on.

I will make this clear now; Avenger has never RELEASED the Shroud like he did in Heaven's Feel. He has only loosened it, so he is unused to the power that flows into him. Since he doesn't have good control of it it runs rampant. This will change as he finds himself unsealing the Shroud more and more.

You guys are probably gonna wonder why Avenger got so vindictive at the end in regards to Kayneth and possibly Kiritsugu. A little bit of canon; EMIYA never considered killing Illya, despite it being advantageous. He might have sacrificed the town as a whole to kill Caster in UBW, but he would never kill a child individually I think.

Thus, and since Avenger/Shirou is a nice guy, he wouldn't particularly take someone THREATENING Waver-even if he is less a kid-but he is still out of his depths. Avenger protected Waver partly because of his desire to save people, even though he discarded the majority of his previous ideal, and because he is so out of his depth it is almost pathetic.

He gave Lancer a 'The Reason You Suck' Speech because let's face it, why did Lancer not question his Master even if he heard him threatening Waver? I know it's because Lancer obeys Kayneth without question but seriously! In canon that is my only complaint about Zero Lancer; he's too damn loyal! Don't worry, that speech of Avenger's will play into some Character Development for Lancer, the first step towards averting the Lancer Curse as it is called.

Now, in the spirit of the Visual Novel, I'll list new Noble Phantasms that Avenger encounters here.

-/-

Gungnir: Spear of Thunder

Type: Anti-Army

Rank: A+

Range: 5-80

No of Targets: 80 people

This Noble Phantasm spear is the prototype to the later Gae Bolg, and possibly Gae Dearg and Gae Buidhe, though this is unclear as of now. It has been owned by several heroes through time, though this is possibly because a second copy was created after Gilgamesh took the first.

It was originally a spear capable of manipulating lightning, as well as transforming into a lightning bolt that could kill a mass of people or strike faster than light. This is where Gae Bolg's instant kill attack is descended from; Gungnir's own instant kill attack is fast enough that the target will die not knowing they were hit with it.

Since this spear was responsible for the Hero Siegmund's death by breaking his sword, it is at its most powerful when it clashes with a sword, breaking it unless it is a Noble Phantasm that is ranked the same or higher than it. However, against other weapons it is just a spear. It is only against Heroes that wield swords that the power that killed Siegmund is unleashed.

-/-

Durandal: The Peerless Sword

Type: Anti-Unit/Anti-Army

Rank: A

Range: 1/40

No of Targets: 1/100

This Noble Phantasm originally was forged by the best blacksmith in the world at the time of Gilgamesh's rule. When the King of Heroes took it, the blacksmith forged another, creating a second sword that eventually became the Durandal of Roland.

However, it had also been the sword of Hector of Troy before his death, and was eventually passed to the Hero Roland. As the sharpest blade in existence, it is possible to cut through many materials with ease, though it specializes in materials that can be cut normally

It also functions as an Anti-Army Noble Phantasm, which is due to Roland unsuccessfully trying to destroy it, leading to the creation of the La Breche de Roland, as well as holding off the army that killed Roland. Due to this, it can also create fissures if it is used that way.

-/-

Ridill: Bane of Fafnir

Type: Anti-Unit

Rank: A

Range: 1

No of Targets: 1

Ridill was forged by the Dwarven blacksmith Regin for the use in killing Fafnir. After the battle was done, Ridill was used to cut out Fafnir's heart, gaining a great deal of Fafnir's former flame powers. In this capacity, Ridill can use those flames to an extent to its own advantage.

Since it was also strong enough to pierce a dragon's scales, one of the hardest and strongest materials on Earth, it can carve through many materials with ease, but not to the extent of Durandal; Ridill instead focuses on the brute force aspect of power while Durandal focuses on the sharp edge aspect. It is because of Ridill's power that it can carve gashes into Gilgamesh's armor.

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I may have an idea for a future story where Roland becomes the Saber of the Fourth Holy Grail War, along with some other deviations. What would you guys think of that?

I am also ditching the update every ten days I had going on. I'll be pushing it back to about two weeks between each update. Sorry, but that's the only way I'm going to manage to keep updating this.

Also, since nearly a month ago, when I first published this story, I have had 80 reviews, 235 Followers, 196 Favourites, it's featured in 1 community and over 8200 views! This is by far my most popular story! With the next chapter, if I can reach 100 reviews then I'm gonna hope to have a TvTropes page up.

A bit of an incentive, isn't it? And I promise, the person who gives the hundredth review will get a oneshot about something of their choice. So, get reviewing you guys!