Page K06 A) Use Saber form
-Page K06-
I see no problem with sticking what I already know. I give Saber the order, and shifting into her Saber form she charges into battle.
The two meet at only a few feet away as the giant swings down his sword at my servant. It's fast, almost impossible to keep track of. But for Cirno it is avoidable. She dodges nimbly away from the strike, ready to do her own. But suddenly she leaps more to the side then needed, a reflex in response to the nick that appeared on her cheek.
What just happened? Saber wasn't hit by the blades, she evaded it completely! Was that simply the air pressure around Berserker's blade that can cause such destruction?
The second swing. It's as fast as the first, maybe even faster. Dodging doesn't work, and would Cirno try to block such a swing the bones in her arms will surely shatter. So she uses the only advantage she has over this mad warrior: Her immense skill with the blade. Another swing gets parried, the flow of the massive slab of rock redirected so it causes no harm. Cirno can now prevent the swings from hurting her, but she's on the defensive. The madman simply keeps coming, no matter what Cirno does. If the battle continues as it is now, she doesn't stand a chance.
And if the servants get into stalemate it will be the masters who determine victory or loss. Not even considering the fact that I don't like to fight young girls there is also this feeling from my gut that I will not win a duel with her. If she joins in I will lose. But luckily she's content with watching the battle between servants.
The two continue fighting, but Cirno is fighting a losing battle. The opponent, even though he is huge, is also nimbler and quicker than my servant, and Cirno only rivals the Giant's power at best. Enduring it is also not an option. Compared to the cup of prana I can provide to Cirno that girl's ridiculous capacity is more like a lake.
So we need to hit him. Hard, preferably. That's the only way possible. But the only thing we have more of cannot be used here. Though Cirno has great wiles in battle she lacks the strength, weight and speed to utilize it fully against this opponent. The only thing left is to manipulate this situation to our advantage.
We'e currently fighting on an open intersection. This is not a good place to be. CIrno would do so much better against these kind of opponents if she has some form of cover. The graves of a gravejard, for example, or a mash of alleyways would make the perfect battleground for my servant.
I look around, searching for a spot that will work The houses nearby are no good, I cannot endanger the lives of innocents. The rest, where people aren't living, is just the streets, which are too open to use as a warzone. Isn't there some empty space nearby with lot of unused non-living material?
Wait, there's a parking lot near here. I order Cirno to draw Berserker to there, and she complies, thinking that it's a nice strategy to use against this mad warrior. With every step she takes the giant is drawn from the current battlefield, and to the place we want him to be.
A taunt here and there during the fighting to keep the aggro on her, a few steps in the right direction, and before I know it the fight was drawn to the parking lot. It's a simple parking lot with only thirty cars in it, but it fulfills its purpose, both the intended one and the one I just made up.
But from this distance I can only barely make out the servants, so I walk to them to get a better view. The opposing master does the same, and it just so happens that we walk side by side to our partners.
Between the two of us masters there is a temporary truce. We cannot attack each other for the sake of our servants. They are both claiming a title of which only one can exist. Either Cirno or Berserker has the right to be called the Strongest, and in this battle they're betting their right to hold onto it. Would either of us kill the other magus and cause their servant to die from prana exhaustion then no matter who wins, they will have already lost. That is pride that cannot be recovered, a fatal mistake to make in this war. We don't hold any bloodlust to each other, so we simply discuss some stuff on the way about our servants and ourselves on the road to battle.
"So, uhm, Illyasviel, if I'm correct, you're the master of Berserker, right?" I ask to the snow-haired fairy. She smiles at me as she walks next to me, explaining her situation:
"Yep, I'm his master; but you can call me Illya, Onii-chan! Didn't I tell you this before?" She's like a little mischievous angel… of death. I'm certain that there will be many parallel universes where I will die to this little girl. Hopefully this isn't one of them.
"But aren't you a little bit young to fight in the Holy Grail War? Didn't your family have any older, more experienced fighters in your clan?" I don't like fighting woman. I don't like fighting kids. I cannot think of something worse to fight than a young, female, powerful magi that acts like a cute ten year old. Well, maybe a baby is worse in the emotional way, but those never really form a threat in battle so the likes of Illya are worse overall.
"Hehehe…" Oh boy, creepy laughter. This totally isn't unsettling at all. "You're really kind, Onii-chan. To think so of the enemy… if you keep this up, you'll die, you know?" Unsettling as it is, I know it is the truth. I probably cannot kill the enemy masters. I want to save everyone. I won't accept failures. And even if it leads me towards death, I simply need to keep avoiding it.
"Perhaps. But I have my own ideals to fight for, and I will keep them 'til the very end." More cannot be said about myself. So let's ask about her instead: "So why are you in the Grail war, Illya?"
"Don't you know? The three founding families of the war are always chosen to fight. One of them is the Japanese Tohsaka family. The second are the Russian Makiri. And the third, as you can guess are us, the Einzbern, Onii-chan." So does that mean that the Makiri master is in control of Lancer? I know the six other masters, and none of those is a Makiri. It would only make sense that the seventh is a Makiri. Or perhaps they bought some freelance anti-magus mercenary to fight for them?
Yeah right, as if something like that could ever happen. What kind of dumb bloke cannot see that it's really hard to pay someone more than "a wish for anything they desire"? That's about as dumb as trying to break the rules to summon an all-powerful god entity. I'll bet ten against one that it will turn out that the god is actually a very weak human, or at best a fifth-rate servant. There's not a single magus stupid enough to do such a thing.
But that kind of thinking is unimportant right now. The important part is for Cirno to beat up the giant. I clear my mind of unnecessary thoughts, giving my all to support my servant.
I look at my servant, and see the tides turning. That Berserker is a powerful warrior, for sure, but it acts purely on instinct. With her wit Cirno managed to use the cars as distractions, scapegoats for the giants to cut into pieces with his missed swings. Of the thirty cars in the parking lot at least half are already a total loss, only good to get insurance money off it. They are the latest victims of Berserker's wraith.
"Say Illyasviel, can you use hypnotization to make the owners of the cars think that some other non-magical accident happened? Hypnotization isn't exactly my forte."
"Mou, Onii-chan… should someone from your age push such a trifling job onto someone with mine?" True, I can't exactly let a child do something an adolescent normally does, but I am a special circumstance that only can use half-assed magic. I ask her because she can do the job better. Probably. Hopefully. Or not, actually, I think I can suppress her a lot better if she cannot use magecraft.
Illya, however, doesn't seem to mind as she accepts the degrading janitorial job. Silence falls between us, and we simply stand near the entrance of the parking lot, quietly waiting for our servants to show results.
For five minutes that seem like eternity a stalemate was kept in balance. The only thing suffering from the battle are the surroundings, and especially the cars. Even though both attackthe other neither can deal a blow to the other. Skill and strength find their equals in each other.
And that isn't good for us. I will run out of prana sooner or later, and our plan with Caster to obtain prana is still in its baby steps. We need to finish this battle quickly or there won't be a next one.
Luckily Cirno seems to understand that just fine, planning to finish it as she throws a car at the enemy servant. It's a medium-sized car, a basic BMV New Class, weighing more than even the strongest non-magical man alive can lift. With great power she throws it at Berserker, with speeds to easily ram through any average person. Even the common servant will find himself pressed to come out of the attack unwounded.
But not this opponent. Berserker simply swings the car away, turning it into a pile of rubbish. But the car itself is merely a distraction. From behind the car Cirno lunges sword-first at the opponent, the tip of her blade ready to impale the enemy. Her blade glows blue, imbued with a cold power. Cirno is pushing herself past her limits, all for a single strike. She shouts out the name of the skill she used. One, that while not a Noble Phantasm, should still be powerful enough in its own right: "Cryohazzard!: The blade pierces into Berserker's body, slightly under his belly button. This is it, the blow we've been waiting for! Following up the piercing blow is a high jump upwards with the blade cutting the body of Berserker vertically in half.
A blow meant to kill someone, and forcing the giant to scream out in anguish, pain and anger. The only thing that keeps the two parts of his body from falling apart is the ice from Cirno's blade, acting as a cohesive barrier that also keep the blood frozen inside his body. It's a deathly blow for sure, Berserker is finished!
But the massive servant does not agree. Cirno has jumped several meters back, to see the results of her blow. We both expected him to dissolve into nothingness, being beaten in battle… but he still stands firm. The ice that we expected to freeze his blood and organs harmlessly crumbles off his body, and the blade, while leaving a nasty scar from belly button to left shoulder, didn't cleave this servant in half. It's a deep wound, but a skill like Battle Continuation would keep him alive for some moments. As the saying goes, will this wounded beast prove to be even more dangerous?
"Tsk. That's some pretty tough skin you have, Berserker." Cirno says in amazement, still half-shocked that she didn't get a perfect kill with that blow. "Is that your Noble Phantasm?"
"Well deduced, Saber." Illya speaks up for her servant, as it is too mad to answer. "That blow might've killed a minor servant, but mine is a bit too strong to die from that. His God Hand: Twelve Labors gives him protection against all of his enemies' weak and puny attacks. That level you displayed was quite decent, you might even kill my Berserker once. Too bad that he doesn't die when he is killed, so I doubt you can bury him forever."
Those last words resonate with my soul, but only in an opposite phase. People die when they are killed, even if they are ghostly apparitions of the past. That's the way it is supposed to be! I look at my servant, who looks even cockier than before. She sneer at the fate given to her, to us, and laughs the enemy in the face.
"That's all?" She speaks in defiance to the current difference in power, unafraid of what to come. "Then all I need to do is hit your servant harder. Isn't that right, kid?"
"Can you, Saber?" The girl smilingly adds, doubting my servant's claims.
"Why don't I show you. My ultimate move. My Noble Phantasm!" Here it comes. The ultimate ability gained in her life as a soldier, a warrior, a swordswoman: "Limt Break! Super Ultimate Martial God Supreme Sl-ack!" And she clumsily fails the naming as she bites her own tongue in pain.
"My tooooongue! It 'urts!" Then why did you make it such an overly long name? Wouldn't something like multi-slash or omnislash be better? Letting my curiosity get the better of me I ask my servant this question.
"'cause t'is sounds more awesome!" She replies instantly. Turning to the enemy, she sees that Berserker didn't move an inch. "So, u'm… can I try again?" with an embarrassed expression she looks at the enemy, who does seem interested in Saber's Noble Phantasm. The girl waves the earlier failed attempt away, daring Cirno to make her move.
"Then 'ere I come again!" Healing her own tongue, or in this case disregarding the injury All swords are drawn into a single large greatsword, for CIrno is going to show her ultimate technique: "Limit Break! Super Ultimate Martial God Supreme Slash! Version: NINE!" The blade comes at Berserker with inhuman speed. I cannot trace my servant anymore. Neither can that girl. Not even Berserker can probably follow her anymore. Her speed left the realm of man. All I hear is the sound of Cirno's blades clashing with Berserkers body:
*Chink*
*Clang*
*Jangle*
No, this isn't right. This isn't the sound of metal ripping through flesh. It's metal on… metal? It can't be? Berserker is parry Cirno's ultimate attack?
*Klunk*
No, that can't be it. Berserker stands still, unmoving He isn't even trying to block or parry.
*Schlik*
*Clanck*
Berserker's master stands there, grinning. Did she foresee this? Did she see my servant failing against it?
*Zinng*
*Swash*
"Cirno!" I try to cry out to my servant, call out how pointless this is, but I realize that it will not matter. My servant is ready to deal the final finishing blow:
*Ziriik*
And it bounces off. Cinro looks at the… the thing in front of her in horror, unable to explain why her noble phantasm failed.
"What kind of monster are you, Berserker?" The sword still rests against the madman's chest, but it doesn't pierce through, even though there should be enough power behind it.
"Too bad, Saber, but Berserker can't be hurt by the same thing twice. One of your limit breaks, or ten, or a hundred; Not a single one will do damage to my servant.
Oh crap.
That means that the Saber form has become useless against this monster. We have to switch classes to survive!
"Cirno, turn into-"
"Now, Berserker!" Interrupted by the white-haired girl I hear her command, and directly the giant springs alive. Like a puppet he rises, grabbing my servant by the waist. Cirno screams to let her go, but his response is to slam her into the ground.
Followed by another slam… and a third. Then he throws my servant into the wall behind me, which almost breaks from the throw's sheer force.
No, this can't be the end. My body turns numb from the mere thought. Luckily it all flees away when I see Cirno rise up. Her clothing is torn and crumpled, and she has wounds all over. The blood dripping off her sword is her own, the crimson fluid flowing there from the wounds and arms. Resting on her sword she stares at the giant, still deviant of the difference in power.
"Not bad, Berserker." She tries to sound cocky, but such action fails spectacularly if you cough out blood at the same moment. "I guess I give you the title of second-strongest. You're good enough to stand second to the real strongest."
I cannot feel any lies from my servant. Does she really believe that that is true? While I doubt it, the enemies reject it completely:
"Too bad, miss strongest," The last word spat out as sarcastically as possible by that master, "but this is your end. Finish it, Berserker."
The madman roars loudly and charges Cirno. Three seconds until impact. Three seconds until Cirno's dead. I cannot accept this fate.
Two seconds. I run at Cirno. I will save her! I will stop this from happening!
One second. The giant raises his club. But Cirno will not die from it. I will not permit it. I will not allow it! Live, Cirno!
I push her out of the way, just before the giant crashes into me. The club hits me in the side, tearing out the stomach and most of the left lung. Blood splatters out as I fall on the concrete floor.
"Hah, that was good enough, Berserker. If he cannot survive that he isn't worth playing with." From the corners of my eyes I see Illya walking away, and Berserker changing into astral form. Good. Cirno is save.
Ah.. I think I'm going to lose consciousness. But that's okay. I saved someone. Now it's time for my inner healing factor to activate and rescue me from the brink…of…death…
Wait, healing factor is Avalon. No King Arthur as my servant means no Excalibur means no heals means I die.
Shit shit shit can't I do this o…ver…?
You died. BAD END.
Magical Dojo is a strange hint corner.
If you would like to finish this by yourself, then stop reading right now. What's below won't change.
If you want to keep the characters images, then we recommend doing the same.
But if you're still here, then here is some advice and a funny skit:
Back at the dojo, our two heroines look at each other, the emerald-eyed one looking quite annoyed.
"Why did this go wrong, Marisa?" Arthuria asks to her sidekick with venom in her mouth, "This was the most Fate-like way to fight! So why is this the bad ending?"
"Well, that's exactly the problem." Marisa's point here is valid. The variables have changed. Saber and Assassin have been replaced, so it only makes sense for the story to take a different direction. "Tell me: Why did Shirou survive the first meeting with Berserker in the Fate route, even though his guts were split open by Berserker?"
"Be…cause he has Avalon in his body?"
"Correct, ze!" Marisa points out, setting it up as the start for the next question: "and why and when does Avolon work?"
"If…Excalibur, or in other word, I am around."
"Yep." Smugly Marisa points out the problem: You can only play it like Fate/Stay Night if all the characters are from Fate/Stay Night. But since there are changes in the line-up not everything goes as expected. "So that leads us to the solution of the problem those readers created. But first, Saber, look at your Shirou."
Saber does as asked, but then Marisa orders her to look at her. "And back at Shirou, and now back to me. Sadly, Shirou isn't alive like me." Pulling out her Mini-hakkeiro, she displays it in front of the camera. "But if he stopped using girly magical sheaths and switch to mini-hakkero's he could use the same magic like me. Look down, back up."
Suddenly the walls of the dojo fall away, displaying a large open lake. "Where are you? You're on a boat," In amazement Saber looks around her. Clearly this is a boat, and the seas they're on, the warm and humid temperature, the underwater sea life… did Marisa just teleport them to the Mediterranean? "with the woman your Shirou could use magic like." And for some reason, Marisa's clothing also changed. Gone are the witch hat, the apron, the black witch clothes; Now she wears a white chiton, an ancient Greek dress for women.
But Saber is more interested in the boat. No, this thing, it's not a normal boat. In fact, it's the legendary Argo, ship of Jason, transportation device of the Argonauts, crystallized into a Noble Phantasm! Where in heaven or hell did Marisa obtain it?
"What's in your hand?" Marisa charismatically asks, before wanting you to look back at her. "I have it: It's Captain Murasa, with two chapters of the fanfic you love." The girl that Marisa grabbed is struggling to get free, but quickly she is released from Marisa's grasp, whose hand is now filled with… glass shards? "Look again, the chapters are now diamonds!"
Out of the diamonds her mini-hakkero arises, seemingly out of nowhere. "Anything is possible when Shirou uses mini-hakkeros and doesn't rely on healing factor. I'm on Saber's horse. Ze ze Zee ze Zee ze zee Zeee!" Before Arthuria could even react to the fact that Marisa is sitting on her beloved horse Llamrei, or where she even got it from in the first place, Marisa jumps off the ship and uses the horse to sprint over the water, riding off into the sunset.
Neither of the duo left at the ship has any words for it, and only after half a minute can Saber utter the most basic of words: "What?". Eventually recovering from surprise the two ladies introduce themselves to each other, but still aren't able to solve their question: What just happened in the last couple of minutes?
Why they are here, how did Marisa get all this stuff, only the question "Who is the other person they're with?" is answered.
"So, miss Minamitsu, do you have any idea how long this will last? Because I'm afraid we're stuck on this ship for the rest of the route." Saber says with a worried face, and for good reason. Was her life thus far a lie? Did the Dojo never exist at all? Is Shirou actually real and not some spawn of internet memes?
Murasa walks away from Saber uninterested in her fears, and walks to the rudder and steering wheel. She is certain: just like the palanquin ship, so too can she steer this marvel of a ship. She shares this thought with Saber, who is glad that they won't float adrift now.
"And how about Marisa? Do you think she'll come back?"
"Probably. She'll be back by the next dojo… or ship, depending how you want to call it now." She starts to steer the ship, which causes it to vent slightly to the right. "So you just finish up this dojo, I'll go and steer this ship."
Arthuria takes the hint, and turns to the camera to give her final hint: "Shirou, Cirno! Your choice is admirable, but it isn't the right one in this situation. Only copy the original material if the original doesn't lead to any form of problems. And remember that while the original precedes all others, who has to say that the fake cannot beat the original? Try something new, a strategy unheard of in Type-Moon history! Now excuse me, as I'm going to change my outfit. I need to better fit in this route." And Saber walks away, leaving us with this helpful advice, hoping for a better future.
-Magical Dojo K01, end-
-Page K06 end-
