Nanoha walked forward, already clad in her Barrier Jacket, with Fate by her side. The temple stairs were in front of them, and awaiting them at the bottom was a robed women in purple.
Telepathy check. Can you hear me? Fate sent.
Check, Nanoha responded.
I can hear you both, Shirou sent. We'll be ready.
"Good evening my lovely guests," Caster greeted them, her voice like warm chocolate. "I hope it finds you well."
"Good evening," Fate returned politely. "As you can see, we've arrived as you asked. Now shall we begin the meeting?"
"I am not some peasant to entertain guests out in the cold where any number of peeping eyes could be watching," Caster returned, her voice gently chiding, as if Fate had committed some minor faux pa. "Let us retire to my temple, where I can provide the appropriate accommodations."
"Before we get to that, we would ask you to release your hostages," Nanoha said, firmly.
"But of course," Caster agreed. Dozens of figures emerged from the woods, Shinji front and centre. "While I had no intention of allowing them to be harmed, I'm sure the presence of the priesthood would make our negotiations uncomfortable." she added smoothly. At a word they laid down, and went still.
"Bardiche," Fate ordered.
-Scans indicate no abnormalities. All bystanders are condition green.- Bardiche intoned.
"How fascinating," Caster sighed, holding a gloved hand against her cheek. "But now that I have upheld my side of the bargain, shall we get started?" The girls nodded, and started to climb the stairs, only for Caster to interrupt. "No need for that my darlings," she laughed, rising in the air as her cloak spread out. "Walking is not for the likes of us. Let us indulge in our mastery just this once."
"Why not?" Nanoha shrugged, pink wings illuminating her feet as she joined Caster in the air. Fate joined them seconds later. The trio of mages flew to the top of the mountain, arriving at the front gate in seconds. They entered the gate, and Caster lead them to an elaborate table she had moved outside, by the shore of the lake. Waiting for them was a man, dressed in a simple suit.
"This is my partner, Souichirou Kuzuki," Caster said, taking a seat beside Souichirou and lowering her hood. Nanoha gazed at her in surprise. The witch had bright purple hair, a gentle face, and elf ears.
"I am Fate Testarossa Harlaown and this is my partner, Nanoha Takamachi. We are agents of the Time Space Administration Bureau," Fate said.
"I'm not familiar with your organization. So what are your goals in regards to the Holy Grail War?" Caster asked, her hands resting on the table.
"We are to bring the War to a conclusion as safely as possible and with as few casualties as possible. In addition we are to ensure that no wish is made upon the Holy Grail, and disperse its power if necessary," Nanoha said.
"Disperse, not seize? That's a surprise. And a waste," Caster said, frowning faintly.
"That level of power cannot be handled safely. And the consequences of failure are too high to be tolerated," Fate said, a frown of her own appearing.
"Perhaps. But without pushing our limits how will we ever achieve true mastery of magic?" Caster countered. Fate opened her mouth, but Nanoha interrupted her with a raised hand.
"That is a conversation for another day," she said firmly. "For now, lets move on to why you wanted to talk to us in the first place."
"Very well," Caster said, taking a second to regain her composure. "Quite frankly, I wish to ally with you. Your power is immense, and your magic is fascinating. If you choose to team up with me, I can take control of Rider, relieving that poor girl you've been sheltering of the burden. And with the power of three Servants, as well as your own power and skill, we would be able to crush Rin Tohsaka's little alliance with ease, even if they did somehow bring the Einzberns into it. We could decisively end the Grail War, and share the Grail among ourselves."
"Share the Grail? We were under the impression that only one wish could be made with it," Nanoha said.
"One wish yes. From what I can tell, the wish granting mechanism of the Grail utilizes a near infinite amount of prana to forcibly alter reality to fulfill the wish. However, there is no need to actually make a wish, and if you don't..."
"Then you have a near infinite amount of magic to utilize yourself," Nanoha murmured, finishing Caster's thought.
"Exactly," Caster said, smiling. "And there is no reason that prana cannot be shared between multiple people."
"But all the magic gathered in one place would still be insanely dangerous," Fate said. "If it breached its containment, the blast would wipe out the better part of Japan."
"If the Grail were so unstable, it would not be able to summon the Heroic Spirits," Caster scoffed.
"Bold words, considering there has never been a successful Grail War," Nanoha shot back. "Besides, we have another problem with your proposal."
"And what is that?" Caster asked.
"While it is very appealing to be able to end the war as quickly as possible, you are still intending to complete it," Fate said. "And that would require the sacrifice of six people, each with the their own hopes and dreams. That is not something we will allow."
"Really? That changes things," Caster said, her ears wiggling as she bit a knuckle. "I had thought that you had spared Rider to take control of her, and use her against your foes, but if it was a simply mercy instead," Caster trailed off.
"We really don't have a reason to fight," Nanoha said eagerly. "You said it yourself, you intend to use the Grail as a power source and don't have a wish of your own. The Grail is just a shortcut, you could surely design your own power source without too much difficulty, particularly if come back with us to the TSAB. I'm sure you'll be granted access to the Infinity Library if you join us. Why kill others and risk your life when you can have everything you want by just working with us?"
"Hmm, that's true I suppose," Caster said, releasing her finger. "However I have a couple of problems. First off, I need a power source. My Master cannot sustain me even with the Grail's assistance. I require a source of power to keep me in this world and I'm not willing to be bound to some ley line like some sort of guard dog."
"We can provide you with magical energy," Fate assured Caster. "We'll do it ourselves if need be, but there are lots of alternatives for familiars in your sort of situation."
"The second problem is I refuse to allow myself to be recruited. I'll find my own life, not one in servitude to your TSAB," Caster said, her gaze hardening.
"That's fine. After the Grail War, and once we figure out your energy situation, you may live as you please," Nanoha said.
"And the third reason is that I don't trust you," Caster said, coldly.
"Wha-"
"I believe in self interest. Both of myself and others. A deal where all profit from each other's survival? That I can trust. But you come in her promising me life and freedom, and ask for nothing in exchange? You even claim to have no interest in the Grail itself, saying you aren't confident in your ability to control its power, when your magic can already perform such wonders? I'm not a naive girl to believe such sweet lies," Caster said, drawing her hood up, as she stood.
"No, we're telling the truth!" Nanoha yelled, jumping to her feet, her hands on the table. Fate nodded in agreement, standing as well.
"I don't believe you. And the funny thing is? If you are telling the truth, then I have nothing to lose," Caster said, beginning to float in the air. "If your goal is to stop the Grail War without casualties, then you won't kill me, even if I attack you. And if you are lying then this is the best time to attack, right here and now in the heart and height of my power," Caster said.
"Just give us a chance," Nanoha begged, mentally warning Shirou and Saber about what was happening.
"This is your chance," Caster laughed. "Defeat me, and you may decide my fate. Be defeated and I'll decide yours. Σηκώνομαι" She declared, a flare of purple light covering the grounds, pulling them into a barrier. Nanoha gasped, looking up at the sky which was covered with an intricate web of hundreds of interconnected magic circles.
Nanoha what happened? A purple wall is covering the whole mountain top! Shirou sent frantically.
She pulled us into a barrier! Nanoha sent back. Break it as fast as you can!
"Now then, shall we begin?" Caster laughed. Nanoha growled and chased after her. Fate was about to follow, but at the word begin, she was intercepted by Souichirou who launched a punch, Fate moved to block with Bardiche, but at the last second the fist wavered in midair, slipping under Fate's guard and punching her in the chest. She reeled backwards, as Souichirou followed up his punch with a barrage of attacks. Winded, Fate raised a hand and summoned her magic, a yellow glyph appearing between them.
-Plasma Shield-
Souichirou didn't hesitate, beginning to slam his fists into the shield. As he did, lightning lashed out at him, burning holes in his clothes as he was electrocuted. His expression never changing, he kept pounding the shield and after the fifth blow the shield cracked and shattered.
"No way," Fate gasped, bringing Bardiche into scythe form as she deflected the next blow. The deflected fist effortlessly changed targets, weaving around the scythe and slamming into Fate's collarbone. Her arm went numb as pain shot through her neck. She swung her scythe horizontally, forcing Souichirou to take a step back. She turned and leaped into the air, trying to fly away, only for Souichirou to grab her by the ankle. Before she could pull him into the sky, he brought his arm down smashing her into the ground with enough force to crack the flagstones of the temple ground. She lay there panting, as Souichirou advanced on her prone body.
/*/
High in the sky, Nanoha was staring up at Caster, who was behind her matrix of spell circles and behind that was...something. Nanoha narrowed her eyes, trying to figure out what else Caster had up there.
"What are those?" Nanoha asked, cautiously. Caster laughed joyfully.
"Something I copied from you my dear girl. I'll admit your Divine Buster is quite spectacular. But I don't like the name. You should be specific in your praise to the gods. Meet Athena's Tapestry!" she yelled, the circle closest to her activating, sending a giant beam of purple magic down at Nanoha.
-Flash Move- Raising Heart said, as Nanoha blurred out of the way.
"Raising Heart, go Exellion!" Nanoha ordered. "Now Axel Shooter!" A couple dozen pink orbs shot up at Caster who just laughed with glee. Without a command, the magic circles lit up, each orb being shot down by another purple laser, while another beam crashed directly into Nanoha.
/*/
Saber raced up the stairs, coming closer and closer to the purple wall that signified the presence of Caster's barrier. If Archer and Lancer can break one of those barriers, then so can I, she thought to herself as she ran. She skidded to a halt at the final flight of stairs before the gate. Waiting for her at the top step was a androgynous man dressed in a purple kimono.
"Good evening. I am Sasaki Kojirou, the Servant Assassin. I'm afraid my Master has ordered me to stop you," Assassin said, giving a courtly bow. Saber grit her teeth, and glared.
"I am-"
"No introduction needed, my dear Saber," Assassin interrupted. "Indeed, I would hate to give our audience a clue to your identity."
"Then why did you introduce yourself with your name?" Saber asked.
"Because I do not wish for the Grail. For I am no Heroic Spirit. The man Sasaki Kojirou never existed and I am nothing more than a mere wraith," Assassin said. "But I think I would like a proper sword fight before I fade away."
"If I must best you first, then so be it. Prepare yourself Assassin!" Saber said, charging forward. But she was met with a tempest of steel, each blow pushing her back, even as she deflected them. She growled in frustration, unable to get close enough to launch a counter attack. All she could do is defend, but without both feet on the ground she was forced to give ground.
How can I get past such a defence? Saber thought. "I thought you wanted a duel Assassin," she yelled. "And yet all you do is push me back. What is it you are playing at?"
"Ah, my dear Saber, I would like nothing more than to take your head. But my orders are quite clear and quite unbreakable. I am to defend against you to the best of my ability, no more and no less," Assassin replied. Saber charged again, and again found herself thwarted at every turn. No matter how she ducked and weaved, no matter how she deflected Assassin's blade, it unfailingly would return with another lethal strike that she had to block and allow herself to be pushed back to where she started.
There must be some sort of weakness in his defence, Saber thought, watching Assassin carefully. Her eyes widened as she spotted a notch on Assassin's once pristine blade.
"Ah, I see you've noticed," Assassin said, smiling ruefully, "my dear Monohoshi Zao is no match for whatever your blade is made out of. Enough clashes and it will shatter."
"Then it is merely a matter of time til victory is mine," Saber said. "You cannot afford to just remain on the defence."
"You're blind if you think that time favours you Saber," Assassin said, mockingly. The bushes rustled and two bone soldiers rushed Saber from either side. She made two quick slashes with her blade, shattering them both.
"And what do you think those cheap-" Saber stopped herself, glancing back down at Shirou, to find at least a dozen more bone soldiers menacing him.
"Don't worry about me Saber! Just keep attacking Assassin," Shirou yelled, lunging and shattering a bone soldier with a powerful downward slash.
"Your master has talent, I'll admit. But how long can he last? And can you shatter my Monohoshi Zao in that time?" Assassin asked.
"Only one way to find out," Saber said, renewing her attack.
/*/
Caster watched as Nanoha was engulfed by the laser. She smiled in satisfaction and kept the magic flowing through the circle. After a good ten seconds she saw the girl stagger out of the laser, supporting herself with her staff as she walked on the ground, smoke rising from her tattered dress as she moved. Caster couldn't help licking her lips as she admired Nanoha's dishevelled appearance. She snapped her fingers, and the next circle in the array opened fire. Nanoha raised a hand, defending herself with a pink shield. The purple laser kept up its assault and cracks began to form throughout the shield.
"Blaster 3!" she heard Nanoha call. Four drones appeared around her, and created a second shield, forming a small bubble around the girl. She released her first shield, her second shield catching the laser, as she took back to the sky. A moment later she emerged from the laser unharmed. Caster quickly activated the next circle in the sequence, but she was too slow. Nanoha had already passed it and was onto the next one.
"Stay still," Caster hissed, activating circle after circle, but Nanoha was just moving too quickly. Caster could only keep track of her by the bright pink line that followed after her as she flew. Dozens of pink orbs raced up from the girl, only to be shot down by the Tapestry's automatic defences. The chase repeated itself, with Caster being unable to land a shot and Nanoha's barrages being shot out of the sky by the Tapestry. This happened three more times before Caster finally clued into what was happening.
"Are you trying to get me to use up all of my prana?" Caster asked, laughing. "Not a bad plan, but I've been draining the prana from the people of this city since before the War even started. I've got prana to spare and even if you do somehow outlast me, I can just drain more!"
Nanoha twisted and turned in midair, accelerating and completely blurring out of sight in response. Caster lost track of her, and quickly scanned the grounds looking for her opponent. Seconds later she found her, standing over the lake, a pink circle and a charging laser pointed directly at Caster. Prana filled the air as Nanoha loaded her device with cartridge after cartridge.
"Exellion Buster!" Nanoha yelled, unleashing a giant pink laser unlike anything Caster had ever seen. The return laser from Athena's Tapestry was a pitiful purple pillar pushing against a virtual mountain of energy.
"I won't lose!" Caster swore, "Στο όνομα της Αθηνάς, ωραίο δώρο, ξετυλίξτε και ανασυνδυάστε σε ένα δόρυ που θα χτυπήσει τον εχθρό μου!" She chanted desperately, the closest twelve magic circles tearing themselves apart and combining into one large circle. The power of her attack increased twelve fold and the Exellion Buster was slowly brought to a halt and slowly inch by inch began to be pushed back towards Nanoha.
"A worthy effort! But this is my domain! And here I am supreme!" Caster yelled, even as a river of gathered prana fed into her combined circle.
/*/
Souichirou thrust a fist at Fate's skull, seeking to knock her fully unconscious, only for the girl to roll away at the last second. His fist smashed into the rock and he had to tug at it to release himself. In that time, Fate quickly cast a binding spell on Souichirou, wrapping him in yellow chains.
-Physical Heal- Bardiche intoned, as a yellow light glowed around Fate's collarbone and torso. There was a faint pop, and Fate sighed in relief, even as Souichirou began to move. He relaxed his body, before twisting his hips, channelling all the force in his body into one powerful punch, shattering the chains binding him. He charged at Fate, his hands swatting away the half dozen electric daggers she launched at him.
"Bardiche, Zanber Form!" Fate ordered, her staff transforming into a massive claymore made of plasma. She swung the blade horizontally, only for Souichirou to narrowly duck under the blade. Again his fists launched their deadly assault, and again Fate's defences were useless against them. One blow to the ribs, one to her upper thigh, a step forward to keep the distance close, two blows to knock Bardiche out of the way, and another to break through Fate's latest shield. All leading up to a final thrust at Fate's skull. Desperately Fate caught the fist with her hand and screamed as her wrist shattered from the force of the blow.
-Riot Zanber- Bardiche said, the claymore becoming a curved short sword. Fate swung the blade in a diagonal slash, but Souichirou just took the blow, judging Fate to be unwilling to actually kill him. Even as the blade cut and cauterized his flesh, his free fist same in towards Fate's temple. A small shield slowed his attack, but he still sent Fate reeling and followed it up with a brutal open palmed strike to the abdomen sending her flying away.
"H-how, are you doing this?" Fate asked, as she pushed herself to one one knee, before rising back up. Souichirou didn't reply, walking casually forward, as lightning surrounded the deep burnt cut across his chest. Fate took a deep breath and coughed at the pain. "Change of plans Bardiche. Return to Assault form."
-Sir?- Bardiche asked, even as it complied. Souichirou charged again, closing the distance between them in a second. Fate raised Bardiche and slammed it into the ground, loading several cartridges at the same time.
"Thunder Rage!" A storm of lightning descended on them both, blasting a massive crater into the ground, and sending Souichirou sprawling. Fate collapsed to a knee, lightning crackling over her as she gasped for breath. Her vision blurred as she fought to stay conscious."No, no way," Fate coughed, seeing Souichirou stand up and begin walking towards her implacably.
/*/
Nanoha gritted her teeth as she stared up at the beam war in front of her. Blood dripped from her hands as cracks began to form on Raising Heart, and her head began to ache. Caster was winning, but Nanoha couldn't break off her own attack anymore. The second she released her attack, Caster's would hit her, and knock her unconscious.
At least, I hope it'll only knock me unconscious, Nanoha thought nervously, glancing at the closing purple beam. She tore her gaze from it, forcing herself to focus on the environment around her. Looking to Fate to help was no good. She clearly had all she could handle fighting Caster's Master. That means it'll be up to Saber and Shirou. But what can they do to help? They still need to break the barrier and are simply too far away to get to me. Wait that's it! Nanoha looked to the edge of the barrier, where Athena's Tapestry met the edge of reality. The Tapestry is woven directly into the barrier itself. And so are the mechanisms that Caster is using to channel the mana she stole from the townspeople. If the barrier falls, everything fails!
Shirou are you there? She sent telepathically. There was a second of silence, and the purple laser inched a little closer.
Yes! Um, I'm a little busy! Shirou sent back, a tinge of pain in his 'voice'.
Oh no. Are you and Saber alright? Nanoha sent.
Yeah. I just gotta hold on. She'll beat Assassin soon, and then we'll find a way inside that barrier, Shirou sent.
Please hurry. Caster is about to beat me, Nanoha stared at the purple laser, watching its progress. I've got about thirty seconds left. Don't try and get in the barrier, just break it.
How?
Just hit it as hard as you can. With something at least as strong as my Divine Busters, likely stronger. Nanoha winced as her teeth began to vibrate with pain, and a shard of crystal fell out of Raising Heart. Hurry!
/*/
Saber clashed against Assassin, refusing to relent for even a second. Knowing his blade could not stand up to hers, she changed how she fought. There was no elegance in her strategy now, just brute force as she forced her way forward. Her blows were like a battering ram, aimed to shatter the sword that had formed a wall of steel blocking her path. Assassin slipped his sword out of the way of a blow, only for her sword to cut a deep gorge through the stone steps. She leapt forward, battering aside two strikes, and landed on the top step.
"Ha!" she exclaimed, taking a step forward. Assassin just smiled, and fell into an unusual stance.
"Tsubame Gaeshi," Assassin murmured as his blade shot forward in three simultaneous attacks, each coming from a different angle. Eyes wide, Saber threw herself in the only direction that was open to her. Backwards. She fell down the stairs, stopping her fall near Shirou and immediately disposing of a couple skeleton warriors.
"Damn," she cursed, even as her scalp began bleeding from her near miss. She charged back up the stairs, only to be met once again by Assassin's blade.
"Saber!" Shirou yelled, ducking under a blow from one of the skeletons and shattering it with his return swing. He yelped as another blow tore open his cheek.
"What?" Saber yelled back, her frustration giving her blows even more power.
"Use your Noble Phantasm! We need to bring that barrier down now!" Shirou yelled. Sensing the urgency in his voice, Saber didn't argue. She broke off her attack, and took a deep breath. Invisible Air blew away in a furious maelstrom, blasting nearby skeletons away, as her blade was revealed with a furious golden light. Saber brought the blade above her head, taking careful aim.
"EX-"she brought the blade down "-CALIBUR!" The beam of light from the Sword of Promised Victory shone forth, cutting a path through the stairs and the lip of the hill.
"How beau-" Assassin said, before the blast consumed the upper half of his body. Excalibur's power tore through the gate to the temple, before shattering Caster's barrier like cheap glass. Even as the purple light faded into the natural colour of the night, Excalibur's power shone on, shooting across the sky with a brilliant burst of golden light.
/*/
"What? No!" Caster yelled, as Athena's Tapestry was shattered along with her barrier. The energy from the men she drained ran wild, buffeting her and spinning her around. As she spun, her beam war with Nanoha ended in an explosion of smoke, dust, and water near Nanoha. She spared a quick glance for her opponent, and not seeing any telltale pink light, turned her attention to the charging Saber that was rapidly approaching her Master.
"Αποσυνθέτω" she said, a beam of greenish light emitting from her upraised hand. She aimed for the ground beneath Saber's feet and smiled with satisfaction as it turned to dust beneath her feet, dumping the hero into a deep pit. Okay, we're not finished yet. Saber seems to be exhausted from using Excalibur. Fate and Nanoha are almost done as well. I'll finish the two mages off, and then go collect Saber's master and take his command seals.
"Saber, get us clear! Get us clear!" Fate yelled frantically, distracting Caster. Saber leaped out of the pit, grabbed Fate, and immediately began to sprint for the temple's gate. Souichirou glanced upwards and ran after them. Unable to stop herself, Caster turned around, her jaw dropping in awe at the sight. A pink star shone above her, its power barely contained by a massive magic circle that covered the sky.
That's all the energy that I stole from the town. No, it's even more than that. It's all that energy plus everything that was used during this fight. Caster thought, terrified and unable to move a muscle. Nanoha could barely be seen behind the massive sphere of energy, but Caster fancied she could see her cold blue eyes as she drew her staff back to strike. She...she's a demon! A devil! There's no way a human could handle that much power!
"Now take this! All the magic you stole! All the magic I've got! STARLIGHT BREAKER!"
Author's Notes: And there's the second half. I didn't expect this fight scene to basically become a chapter in of itself, but I suppose it deserved to be.
This chapter marks what I consider to be the end of part 1 of the story. The next two chapters will be interludes, they should be much smaller, and won't really involve any of the viewpoints of the main characters.
I hope I did justice to Caster and Souichirou. The pair of them make for a deadly combo, but at the same time, they were basically defeated by Rin and Shirou, no Servants necessary.
Souichirou vs Fate was a interesting fight. On one hand, Souichirou utterly manhandles Saber in their first encounter, so Fate isn't nearly skilled enough to last in close combat. On the other, all Fate needs to do to win is get away. Souichirou can't fly and has limited defense against ranged attacks. Fate has shields that can react to attacks slipping past her guard, but Souichirou knows Fate isn't trying to kill him, and exploits that brutally, taking blows he could normally dodge or block in order to keep hitting Fate.
Saber vs Assassin was much like the canon fight, except Assassin was Command Spell ordered to keep the high ground as much as possible, and thus turning into a battle of endurance between their blades. Much like canon, the damage Assassin's sword took enabled Saber to escape his Noble Phantasm. Unlike canon, Assassin used it early, so Saber wasn't in optimal range, but could only retreat in response.
Athena's Tapestry is something I came up with from Fate Kallied Prism. Combined with the essence she stole, she basically had infinite, rapid firing Divine Busters. That would self fire if anything got too close to them, so no just flying past. Its only real flaw is that each shot is basically preaimed, making it hard to hit a fast moving target. Well that, and needing to be anchored to a barrier so the circles wouldn't just disperse without Caster's constant attention.
Overall though, Caster would have won if it weren't for Excalibur being used. Fate was on her last legs, Nanoha had gotten into a contest of power she couldn't win, and Saber was locked outside the barrier. Her only way in was to break it open with her Noble Phantasm, something that Caster had no way of knowing and planning for. Once that happened though, Caster began to panic, and couldn't manage stopping Saber, finishing off Fate, and keeping track of Nanoha at the same time.
