Before going any further. I like to note that I am not copying off of Tainted Ideal. I only realized how similar they were after finish writing it.
Enjoy!
Ch10 First Encounter! Lancer vs Rider
"What?" Bazett gasped in shock as she got up to her feet. She felt as if someone rammed a slug hammer on her stomach. She felt her protection rattled as it hamper against the bone crushing blows.
"Y-You are the Master. I can feel it clearer than before…My Command Seal is reacting to you."
"That is good to hear Bazett Fraga McRemitz. I am glad to hear that my Command Seal is reacting property as well."
"If you are a Master then just who are the ones I been beating?"
"Isn't it obvious? They are humans."
"Nani?!"
"There is nothing to be surprised about."
The assassin in the dark robe got into a fighting stance. "There had been many magus and warriors who managed to fight in such level. You are one of such individual after all."
"You…Just who are you?!"
"Normally I would answer it, but I am a Master as I am a warrior…I must make the best decision as strategist."
Shirou whose identity is hidden smirked as he held his hands in a come on motion.
"So I must send you to the next world without knowing your killer…" Shirou finished as he burst into motion as he jumped into a spin kick which Bazett blocked with her reinforced arms. The boot on Bazett's shoes glow slightly as he reinforced its power and speed and she throw a roundhouse kick right at the enemy Master's side. However Shirou sway back to avoid the kick and returned blow for blow.
The two Masters engaged in a fierce dance of limbs as they fought unlike any Masters in the past. Bazett explode into storm of fists and feet as she reinforced her limbs to higher level than any human can reach without aid of Magecraft and used the rune of speed and solidification to density her blows.
Shirou reinforced his limbs as well and instead to blocking the hits he parried and redirected the blows by rotating his arms and adding spin to his shoulder. Shirou narrowed his eyes on Bazett's kick boxing style. Her skills on it were impressive for a magus since they usually neglect their physical skill. Her skills were around High disciple, but adding her clan's runes her overall skill she can fight against a journeyman class.
Shirou himself was a journeyman with his reinforcement at full. However, in term of skills Bazett lacks too much. It seems like a proper master class fighter did not teach her…perhaps a self-studies…And that alone makes the difference between them.
Shirou watched as Bazett dug into his guard with impressive footwork and stance. Her bravo was impressive as she ignored all danger in order to throw her low angle power uppercut to his chin, however…
*SNAP*
POW!
Shirou bent his legs to a high knee stance and snapped kicked the low angle upper by the wrist and knocked her aimed off.
"Tsh!"
Bazett narrowed her eyes and she used her off course right upper into a tight right guard and turned her hips into a left body blow for a liver punch.
"Hahhhh!"
"…Too slow."
The same leg Shirou used for his snap kick returned to another …and another and another. In a spinning rotating of kicks, Shirou rapidly bombarded Bazett's guard and opening.
"Uzumawahi Zanrin Geri (Decapitation Swirl Kick)!"
The rapid kicks were aiming at Bazett's head, but she used her right hand to tighten her guard to avoid being knocked off. However, the reinforced legs on Shirou brutally smashed against Bazett's reinforced arms and body. Bazett felt the blood pooling in her mouth as the force of the blows shock her inside and outside.
The last kick from the decapitating kick knocked Bazett's guard away and opened her guard up…revealing an appetizing target…and it in sexual manner.
Shirou landed his right foot on the ground and got into the Shuto no Kamae (Swordhand Stand) which he favors greatly. He dug his leg to the ground, jumped into the air, and got into Bazett's opening.
"Kumade(Bear Hand)!" Shirou yelled out as he slammed his palm strike into Bazett's chest and slammed her away. Bazett grit her teeth as her chest bones were not shattered only thanks to her reinforcement runes.
"This is the last one!" Shirou declared as he was about to smash his knee into her face. Shirou harden his heart to commit the final blow to end Lancer's journey, but before he could Bazett's survival instinct that was cultivated through fighting rouge magus and Dead Apostles flared to life brighter than ever as she kicked up to blind Shirou's sight and she immediate unleashed two runes for 'Gust' and 'Flame.'
The burst of heat enhanced by the wind blinded Shirou's sight even more and it given Bazett enough time to roll backward and through a spin kick to Shirou's head, which knocked the armored hat off his head.
"Uggah!"
"Hahhh!" Bazett yelled out as she spun and rolled on her knee and smash a low kick on Shirou's feet and as Shirou kneed down by the blow she repeated her kick on his stomach. Shirou whose red hair was revealed by the absence of his hat spat out the saliva in his mouth into the mask that cover his lower face as he was blasted backward by the kick that would have normally broke through heavy boulder.
*Thud!*
"Tsk! Not bad McRemitz-san…As expected of a Fraga." Shirou said through his lower mask as he slowly got up from the rib shattering kick that was weakened by the reinforced breastplate and thick cloth like armors underneath his Keigun uniform.
Bazett said nothing as she got onto her feet. Her suits is ruined and torn from the ferocious battle, but her eyes burning with her resolve. The moment she got up she filled her clothes and body with reinforcement to dash forward and slammed her knee into her opponent's chest, but Shirou managed to take the blow to the body and rolled backward.
The two continued to battle out in a dance of fists as they displayed their mastery of combat and fought as warriors instead of magus of chants. The dark street devoid of all bystanders echoed with their clash of iron tearing fists and boulder breaking kicks.
As the two Masters clashed so did the Servants.
After he was knocked backward by, Rider Lancer was slammed against the stonewall. The Servant of the lance quickly recovered as he used his inhuman speed to get back into the fight. He stabbed with his red spear at the halberd welding Servant of the Steed, but the silent Servant devoid of emotion is also a master spearmen.
"….!" The silent Servant swung her halberd and slammed it right against the red lance of the hound. The hound's arm rattled by the sheer power behind the blow, but he revolved the spear in his expert hands to weaken the blow.
Rider said nothing as she kicked at Lancer, but the blue Servant knocked aside her blow by jumping back along with her kick and used his lance to block the kick.
"Not bad at all!"
The blue man was back and he didn't seem to be injured.
"Oi! (Spin his lance in fancy manner) What class are You!?"
The girl turned to the spear guy and tilt her head.
"Class? Ryo is Ryo…."
The blue guy seemed to be annoyed, but he didn't start attacking yet.
"I am Lancer of this Holy Grail War! If you too are a warrior than at least tell me your Class!"
The girl…Ryo She simply stood there and slowly nodded. She suddenly picked up her halberd and started to spin them around her in an expert fashion. She twirled and twisted the halberd to be held behind her back around her elbow.
"Ryo was order to not to tell another what her name and class was…But Ryo is a warrior…Master is a warrior…he will understand…"
The halberd welding Servant twirled her weapon and pointed toward Lancer with all the valor of a hero.
"…The Servant…Who rides across the land…Rider…"
The man in blue smirked as he too swirled his blood red lance in his hand and got into a low stance.
"Well then Rider, I doubt there will be another Servant with pole based weapons so let me enjoy this! Here I come!"
Lancer as he called himself suddenly jumped at Rider with insane speed his form blurred as he started to thrust rapidly at Rider, but the girl simply deflected the attacks with her halberd by using the pole side and the crescent blade to lightly redirect it course to miss her.
VOOSH!
KLANK!
By the way, she blocked and deflected that insane thrust attacks with one hand.
VOOSH!
KLANK!
CLANK!
KLANK! KLANK! KLANK! KLANK! KLANK! KLANK!
"…Fast." Muttered the mysterious red haired girl.
Suddenly the halberd-welding girl started to fight back as she returned several thrusts and swings. Her blows were strong as Lancer used the shaft of his spear to block, however each blows were strong enough to push him back.
"Damn! What is with girls and super strength!?Where does a girl with that kind of arm swing so strong?!"
Clank! Clank!
"She reminds me of my crazy mentor!" thought Lancer as he tried to swipe Ryo's feet, but the girl saw the attack coming and used her complex halberd to block his swipe and used the hooks and locks on the halberd to lock his weapon in a weapon lock…literary.
"Ghhh…I am above in speed, but lack in power huh."
According status of Servant systems, traditionally Riders, are fastest in term of straight charge. However their sraight forward attacks exposes their open guard from the side and are easy victims to agile Lancers. By system, Lancer beats Rider.
However this girl came out of nowhere, welding a spear based weapon no less, fighting him evenly without even bring out her steed. It shows that this Servant is a top class Servant with an ace hidden.
It fine thou…he has an ace of his own.
Klank!
Vooosh!
KLANG!
Lancer was forced to focus back on the fight as Rider suddenly mixed swings with thrusts into her combos and forced Lancer to use wide range swing to parry and reflect blows that are more powerful. As this went on Rider suddenly thrust at Lancer's face only for him to use his lance's shaft to block and reflect it above his head.
Lancer was clearly the faster one with agility to be envious of. He was far more skilled with pole-based weapon than Rider henceforth his class was as Lancer was, but Rider has more power and more solid defense against Lancer's inhuman speed. Rider's skill with halberd is only a single step behind the Servant of the Spear. Also even when Lancer's swing was faster Rider managed to counter with animal like instinct, but when it comes to instinct Lancer was a class of his own…Despite their difference they were equally strong…for now.
The difference of their strength…
"Not going to be that easy." Barked the Irish's Son of Light, however Rider 's expression didn't change at all.
"…Easy."
…Could be shown on correct circumstance and situation.
Suddenly Rider spun her halberd when it was still being held back by Lancer's spear. The crescent moon blade on the side was not above Lancer's head. Rider pulled back forcing the halberd to hook into the red lance, pulling the blue servant toward her.
"What the-!"
Lancer's exclamation was cut off as Rider stepped deep into Lancer's guard and palm strike him in her stomach. Lancer actually felt the full force of the palm strike and was forced to spit out his saliva by the blow.
"?! THE HELL?!"
Servant Rider didn't paused her attacks as she rapidly started to punch Lancer in the face and his chest with her fists. She used the claw hand like form to palm, chop, and jab several small to concentrated blows over Lancer's body in a blink of an eye…In Lancer's point of view.
"F-Fast!" the Hound of Ulster choked out as he was nailed again by a two finger jab in his shoulder and a palm to his right breast.
Rider's skills empowered by the personal skill Chinese Martial Art increased her speed, endurance, and strength by a small margin than normal as she pummeled Lancer with unarmed hand techniques. Compared to Lancer whose culture and legend didn't have much reference on martial art, Rider's legend was filled with such facts and her culture is soaked with 4,000 years of ancient martial art.
Lancer was in for a brutal beating.
"Ughh! Uuh! Gaahh! Damn!"
Lancer who was gifted with Battle Continuation endured the beating to reengage with his prey, but he was unable to for some reason, find a pause or a slowing in Rider's attacking rhythm to get out of her combination chain.
"Gah! ORA!" shouted Lancer as he swing his lance to get Rider away, but it was useless as she ducked from his attack and continued her attacks, but now including kicks.
"Tsh! DAMN IT!" Lancer took a step back and jumped into a spin kick.
Rider didn't say a thing as she took a step back and swung her long leg into a spinning hook kick as she nailed Lancer from the right side. The exposed side brought just enough time for Rider to nail the Hound in his cheek. Lancer was sent fling, but used his flexible body to do a mid-air flip to land on his feet.
Lancer wiped the dirt off his face as his face turned enraged. He pointed his lance at her in a comical enraged manner as he started ranting.
"Y-You…Oh that is it! That shit was a cheap shot and you know it!"
This time Lancer took the advantage as he used inhuman speed and agility that surpassed Rider's own frontal charge speed and attacked her in all angles one after another. Rider used her halberd in a spin to defend herself, but not even, she can block all the rapid strikes from the fastest Servant.
Lancer's red spear jabbed into Rider's side and sliced at her shoulder.
"…Ow…Itai(It hurts)" said Rider, but despite her monotone one can hear the hint of annoyance and anger.
Lancer bravely ducked an overwhelming swing from Rider which caused the winds to pick up after her strike and this time…(Whoosh! Pow!)… Lancer was the one who slam kick Rider away into the opposite wall. He watched as Rider smashed into the solid wall, much like what happened to him and was covered in the dust cloud.
Lancer easily land on his feet and got back to make some space. His decision was proven correct when a large slab of concrete was thrown from the dust cloud and toward him.
"HAhhh!"
Lancer slashed down with his spear and sliced the chunk of rock in half.
"…Itai."
Rider walk out of the dust cloud with her clothes mess up here and there, but was not too injured.
"Hee…Yeah…Atta girl that's what I am expecting…This fight will be bored if you don't get back up."
Lancer saw from the corner of his eyes that the bodies of the assassins that attacked him and more of the men in black are arriving. Whether they are injured or dead all the bodies are being collected. From the other side he saw that the enemy Master that pretended to be the Servant is fighting his Master in a fierce Hand to hand combat…He is very impressed.
While the sneak attack may seem like a coward's move, but for a Master, whose job is not to be a warrior, but a general it was a wise move. Thanks to that strategy, they inflicted a big blow against them after all. The enemy Master who is still hiding his identity may have lost some point in his book at first, but he got some positive points back for fighting his Master who he know is one of the finest in this era. It shows that not all magus are worms who chant spell and full of hot air.
"But…Good thing are not meant to last…I better finish off Rider and join up with Master.(Shirou kicks Bazett in her stomach and knocks her down)…That Master over there is dangerous. No point of risking mine."
Lancer got into a low stance with his lance pointing to the floor. His face was bruised and he bet if he removes his battle suit, his body will be full of bruises…and Servants don't get bruise from punches easily.
"I can respect a girl with strength, so I got one last warning for you girl. If you don't retreat I am going to kill you with all my might!"
Rider tilted her head in confused manner until she simple got into a stance herself. She twirled her halberd once again and settled with her halberd held behind her in a horizontal line and her other hand in a palm forward stance.
Lancer smirked as he gathered mana into his cursed red lance and the red lance started glow as it emitted dark red aura of death.
The scent of death rushed into Rider's nose as she felt the dreaded power rolling of the red lance…It was simple as it was horrifying. It was death, no questions asked.
Lancer smirked as he pulled his arm back slightly.
"Gae…!"
The air was being bent, as the curse was ready to fly. The curse of barbed death hung in the air it selected its target…Now all it needs it to be called by its name.
DANGER!
Rider's instincts that were forged through countless battlefields flared like an angry sun as she realized the danger she was in. Like a wild beast given human form, Rider's eyes widen by a fraction until she vanished.
"Bo-!"
Lancer was cut off as the shaft of his enemy's halberd nailed his stomach again and knocked all the air out of his lung and sent him into the sky …again. The choking Servant let out the saliva in his mouth, as he was unable to unleash his Noble Phantasm.
"Hahhhhh!" For the first time the silent girl let out a strong battle cry.
She was blurring like mad, as she nailed him all over his body with powerful swings and thrusts. Most of the dangerous blows were blocked, but Lancer didn't get smacked in his head and body few times by the shaft of the halberd…Good news is that he managed to block the blows from the bladed end.
Rider's purple eyes were cold and sharp as she weld the halberd's shaft with both hands and swung down at Lancer's head. The Most Agile Servant lived up to his title by barely flipping away from a certain death as Rider's last slash missed by a skin margin.
"…Your spear is…Dangerous…"
Rider then slashed at Lancer only for lancer to block it, however Rider stepped toward the blue servant and in this distance, and neither can weld their pole weapon as they normally could.
A lance is after all mid-range to long-range weapon. They lose their advantage of reach in a close range combat.
As master of lance and spear, Lacer can use his lance like a whip or a sword, however not even he use his skill to its full potential when another spear master who knows the limitation of spear like the back of her hand is restraining him.
"…What the heck are you planning now?" grinded out Lancer as he tried to push the red haired girl away, but he could barely hold her weapon back. He wanted to jump back, but with this girl's strength, speed, and including the range of her weapon, she will get a good hit in if he exposes himself by jumping.
He was confident in his agility to dodge a storm of arrows without getting hurt, but in such close range against another master of spear…Risk is too big and he still didn't know all that this girl can do.
For now…He has to man UP!
Lancer redoubled his effort to push her away, but the calm looking girl refuse to move an inch…Actually it seems he was moving back slowly!
"…Need to speak…to master…You are dangerous…and in the…way."
Rider let go of her halberd and grabbed Lancer with on his shoulder with her left hand.(Huh?) She pushed Lancer's balance lightly to the side and hook her leg around his from the back and sidesteps him(What the…), proceeding spin around in order to launch an elbow attack to the vitals of her opponent's back.
"AGGGHHHH!" yelled out Lancer as he felt as if human's equivalent of Sixteen Wheelers truck running over his back.
"…Ten Zan Kou…"
The force of the blow knocked Lancer on his side and Rider proceeded by getting into a low stance and brought the palm of her hand down toward Lancer's head. Her attack packed a huge amount of momentum as she actually said the name of the attack with higher volume.
"Uryuu Banda(Balck Dragon Smash!)!"
However unfortunately Lancer manage to rolled off, avoiding a death by the palm as the ground her was on a second ago was smashed like a bomb went off. The earth groan as smoke and dust flew up covering the view. The crater on the ground spread wide as the destructive palm slam ruin the very ground they landed.
""…This girl packs a punch."" Thought Lancer as he was glad to avoid that.
Lancer noticed his lance was across him, and Rider was between him and his weapon. One good news is that Rider left her halberd on the ground as well. However, so far…She is good unarmed as she is armed.
The red haired girl silently got into a fighting stance with her left hand back and right hand in open sword palm in from of her. The palm of the right hand in the front was facing away from Rider as she lowered her stance.
"…Ancient… martial art…care to…try it?"
She as calm, but the threat was real. Her body was weaponless, but was shroud in invisible red shroud of mana…or is it Ki? She slow stepped toward Lancer.
The hero of spear got into a low stance. He can fight without a spear, but he wasn't confident that his hand to hand skills are good as that girl's.
Well, his objective is now to get his lance back and leave anyway.
The blue wearing servant dashed in, but with no weapon he focused completely on his speed to get to his spear, however even with his complete focus, the silent Rider kept up with him and throws several palm and fists at him.
Lancer prioritized his weapon over his body as he ignored the blows and grabbed his red lance. The punches and palms felt as if his long time teacher came back to life to beat him up, but the brave servant of spear endured the pain.
Whoosh! Crack! POW! POW! VIOOSH! CRACK! CLANK!
Three cracked ribs and sprained shoulder. He had swelling on his face and bruising all over his body…And most was done by hand to hand attacks.
Rider saw that she was unable to stop Lancer from retrieving his spear…so she went to the next best thing to do…Killing him.
Rider's flawless footwork and her mastery of martial art allowed her to catch up to the fastest Servant who was slowed by the beating she gives him.
She only had one chance at this.
Lancer was in the middle of a jump and was spinning like a drill in mid-air to get away with his spear, however he is now suspended in the air for few seconds…That is all the time Rider needs.
Rider too jumped and sail forward and…Got underneath Lancer who was still in mid-air.
"What?" Lancer was startled at the unexpected movement and tried to use his recently regained spear to knock the red head away, however instead of blocking Lancer's spear the girl spun and palmed the ground under her.
"…Sei Shin Suikyou Shou (Penetrating Water Surface Palm)"
The palm strike that couldblast away all the water in a hot spring and heavily damages both a person's body and internal organs struck the ground and its force knocked Rider up and as result Rider's body tackled Lancer off his flight and into the air.
The force of the impact for Lancer wasn't much, so he easily managed to regain his balance. However, Rider using the fact Lancer is now in mid-air straight up to her advantage and engaged in a fierce close range fight with her fists and Lancer with his fist and spear…
Lancer grinded his teeth as he could use his more impressive e speed while being suspended din mid-air like this. True the same could be said for his opponent, but she was better with unarmed than he is with spear.
True in mid-air all the leg power is meaningless, as they can't step on anything to move further, however…Chinese Gong Fu has a solution for that.
"…Kon Tsuon Pon Quan" said Rider as she smack both of her palm into Lancer's throat. Kon Tsuon Pon Quan is a technique is similar to flicking one's fingers except the user does this with both of their hands. It is used when the user doesn't have any footing and is in the air.
A perfect tool for Rider.
Lancer jerked back in time to avoid his neck being torn off and got off with his throat being extremely sore and hard to breath.
The moment he land the Servant of the Lance jumped and spin in the air in an inhumane acrobat made some distance between her. He grabbed his neck in pain as he glared at the silent girl that was too deadly unarmed than she was armed…Just what kind of hero was she? IS she a rider of steed or a lancer of spear? She fights with a clean cut style unarmed so that means her legend or culture has more advance unarmed style then his did.
"But now that I got my spear back…" thought Lancer as he twirked his spear. HE got into a fighting stance and saw that so did the girl as she held her halberd in her hand…No wait…That was no halberd.
"You are dangerous…Need to die now…"
In Rider's hand is her Halberd, but its shape is changing like a contraption of some kind. The two halberd blades spread open and the pole itself shrink slightly. The both part of the halberd opened up to reveal a set of claw…or arrow's feather. From between the twin blades a thin red line appeared…connecting them like a string on a bow.
"…God force, Gunshin Gohei (The Five Soldiers of the War God)…Cannon mode"
Rider pulled back the spear of the halberd back like tugging back an arrow of on a bow. From the blade of her halberd glowed as it collected her prana and formed a powerful destructive ball of energy. The sheer golden and orange glow of the weapon was blinding as Lancer held his spear low once again.
'Oh no you don't!' Lancer wanted to shout, but his throat burned as the glancing blow from the palm strike stung his vocal cord. Lancer realized he couldn't call out the name of his Noble Phantasm, until his throat heals more.
Rider had no such limit.
She unleashed her arrow or a highly concentrated ball of prana and watched at the impressive trail of light sailed toward Lancer as it obliterated all that was in the way.
There is a part of Rider's legend that qualifies her to be an Archer class…She was known to shoot a perfect shot with a bow and an arrow to hit the small gap between her halberd in long distance…So her 'cannon' is a sure shot as any skilled Archer class Servant.
Lancer on the other hand is the Hound of the Ulster who is known for his beast like reflex…His reaction sense is top notch to the point he was declared to posse personal skill of Protection of Arrow. As long as Lancer sees the point of the projectile's launch, he is nearly 100% to avoid it. In addition, this time he was staring right at Rider as she fired…He should be able to dodge…
A sure shot from a bow and a sure dodge of a hound…It was a contradiction like the legendary Ultimate Spear and the Ultimate Shield…
Once upon a time in ancient china…a shy merchant told the people of the two treasures he has to sell…
An ultimate spear that pierce through any and all armors and shield…A perfect spear that can hit the welder's enemy.
An ultimate shield that can block and stop any and all form of attacks…A perfect shield that can protect the welder.
When the two treasures were presented the people gathered in interest, however…a wise man stepped up to ask a very important question…'What if the two ultimate treasures are used against one another…. When the merchant heard the question he was, speechless…This tale has traveled many lands to teach the people of lesson in contradiction…However when this kind of things occurs…There must be a compromise.
If a Perfect spear hits the shield the spear will pierce the shield to dent the mighty shield…However, the mighty shield will stop the spear from going any deeper and protect the welder…So in the case of Rider and Lancer…Well…this is the result.
Lancer whose throat was still burning like hell by the way saw the bolt of orange light heading toward him in slow motion. His heartbeat fastens and his nerves tensed up as the blood pumped to his head as everything slowed.
Servant of the Spear jumped forward into the air as the concentrated beam of light focused toward him. Lancer turned his hip and body into a spinning bullet as he sailed toward the beam instead of stopping it or even dodging by moving to the side. To Lancer, a crazy opportunity to attack which might result in his death is his way of life…So he ran toward the beam of light.
Lancer's spin allowed him to curve around the line of light as he spun in slow motion. Lancer thrust his lance forward as he aimed to attack Rider the moment she is opened from her attack…
The hot trail of light burned Lancer's chest area by the heat alone. The cannon of the God Force's sheer might left a burnt smell of flesh in the air as Lancer ignored the burning pain as he counter attacked.
The beam of light…hurt lancer by all mean…However, he was no hit by the beam of sure hitting light…
Lancer was the shield…Rider was the spear…
Lancer was hurt by the spear of light and yet not pierced…Rider by all mean hit her target…and yet not pierced him with her sure hit bolt.
Rider's eyes widen as her shot failed nail Lancer to the wall and spatter him to the concrete…She was unable to react soon enough as Lancer's suicidal charge stabbed her open side and sail passed her.
"Ughh!...Itai….Itai…" muttered Rider as she turned around with silent rage as her arrow turned into a whole new weapon.
Lancer on the other hand lands on his feet like a cat…No insult to dogs, and he turned around in less than a second to continue his attack. He was greeted with slash of a scythe that resembled the halberd that Rider used. The two curve of hos halberd opened up like how it did for the 'cannon' mode only this time instead of a projectile it took a form of a reaping/swiping weapon…the Scythe.
The scythe is a delicate weapon compares to his halberd, but the long reaching reaping weapon tore Lancer from the side of his open guard that was not protected well and the curved blade stabbed through Lancer's right shoulder and into his side. Lancer let out a gasp as the weapon was pulled out and in return spun the other way to slash in return. Lancer felt Rider spun around for another attack as well.
"I got you!" thought Lancer as he positioned his lance with his remaining left hand to block the long reaching scythe by the blade to prevent the long blade to dig into him once more.
Whooosh!
Only this time the weapon was not the delicate and long reaching scythe, but she spun a swinging pole arm…the Guan Dao.
The halberd of Rider took a form of a guan dao by folding the two-moon curve of the halberd and the metal edges melt into a dao like shape. The swinging weapon was too heavy and more powerful than the swift and the light scythe.
…Lancer's counter for the scythe was unsuited for the guan dao…
Whooosh! Veihi(Sound of flesh being cut)!
Lancer blink as his chest area was slashed and his spear knocked aside by the stronger blow…Lancer's ruby red eyes turned feral like that one time…the day he died…
Lancer spun his left hand in expert skill worthy of Lancer Class, turned his spear toward Rider's open stomach, and thrust it.
Whooosh! Duah!(Sound of flesh being impaled)!
Lancer stabbed Gae Bolg into Rider's stomach and Rider let out a cough filled with blood as she staggers much like Lancer himself. Rider's purple eyes narrowed as she took a deep breath.
"GUAAAHHHHHHHH!" roared out Rider as she swung her God Force now in its halberd form and held it by one hand as she held it closer to the center of the shaft. She swung down her prized weapon right on Lancer's left shoulder and slash into the bones and flesh. Lancer's eyes widen in pain and blood pumped into his head to the point he was more feral than a wild beast.
Lancer despite the injury on both his arms managed to pull his spear out of Rider in rough manner and moved back. Rider on the other hand held her scream in as she clinched her stomach and revealed her emotionless expression that leaked how much pains she was in.
Rider too stepped back and pulled her halberd out of Lancer's shoulder roughly, spilling blood in the process.
"Hufff…Hufff…Huff…."
"Haaa…haa…haaa….."
The two Servants who used great deal of their power, prana, and stamina were too weak to continue as they did.
"There…is no end to this." Said Lancer as his throat felt little better.
"…."was Rider's reply.
However suddenly Lancer felt a tug on the back of his head.
"What? Damn it!" the Blue cladded Hero of the Lance roared as he ignored his deep wound to run toward the other side of the battlefield.
It only took Rider a second to realize why.
"…Master Shirou…" whispered Rider as she too took off to cut off Lancer.
As the Two Servants fought elsewhere…The two 'Masters' were fighting as a two magus on an opposing side must…A fight to the death.
Pow! Punch! Kick! Duck! Dodge! Parry! POW! MISS! POW! POW! POW! Whoosh!
Both bodies were riddled with wounds and their clothes ruined. Bazett's suit was no longer presentable and Shirou's armor was torn.
"Haahhh!"
"Doryyaaaa!"
Both used hand to hand combat…Both used their own branch of reinforcements…However neither dared to reveal their true mystery…Their Codes…Their true mageraft.
It will only take one person's decision to change the flow of the battle.
"Fall!" yelled Bazett as she slammed her boulder-shattering fist at Shirou, but the Wind of the Yomi used a perfected Karate parry to redirect her punch.
"Not before you!" he yelled but with a spin kick, but Bazett blocked it with her arm easily as she went for a grab. She grabbed onto his leg and throws him into a wall, but Shirou easily flipped in mid-air to land on top of the wall instead.
"She is a well versed magus…Even now she didn't reveal her true magecraft at me…Since she is a Fraga I was expecting a lot of complex runes, but she is using them in indirect ways to reinforce and protect herself…So that means she is confident in her skil to not use other branch of rune? Or is this her limit?..."
Shirou stood straight up and focused his prana into his hands to sharpen them.
"Does she have it? The Fragarach that her clan is known for…."
While Shirou prepared himself, Bazett was also pondering regarding the situation.
"That guy is fast…From what I can tell he is using runes and reinforcements…and I recognize them as the clan's….Is he a relative? He does have the red hair, but the vibe I am getting is wrong…I never heard of a male Fraga who is between 17 to 20 in the clan or out in the world…Just who is he? He fought back with martial art with skills that surpasses mine…Only saving grace is that I have better runes."
Bazett slowly pulled out a rob of metal from her pocket and silently chanted.
"…Answerer…"
The metal ball floated behind her as she got into a fighting stance once again.
Watching this Shirou narrowed his eyes. She may have deploy that Mythic Code while thinking Shirou doesn't know what it truly is…However all she did was digging her own grave.
Shirou's eyes that picks apart all form of details and records them in pain taking detail already revealed to him what it was…The Fragarach, the Gouging Sword of the War God.
It is also called the retaliator…The Answerer…In a nutshell…A perfect Counter attack.
It is the "Sword of Retrograde" and an indefeasible weapon of the gods, divinely protected by some malicious will, that works by using a conceptual curse to warp destiny and a divine trick that uses time as its blade. It warps causality to always strike the opponent in the heart with a needle thin concentrated blast right before they unleash their ultimate attack. The condition for its use is that the opponent must use their strongest attack, and Fragarach must be used directly after the enemy's strike.
The condition…the purpose…the history…and its usage filled Shirou's head. But the boy already know what the enemy's intentions are. The red haired male turned his eyes to the fighting Servant and saw that they were both injured badly.
Both the ambusher and the ambushed fought to the death and their bodies are covered with deep injuries…However despite their appearances, they are still the most dangerous ones here.
"If the Servants are in a lock, then the fight will be determined by the Masters…In that case she is hopping to kill me with a counter…Which would have worked if I didn't possess my Analysis skill…From what I gathered I cannot trace that Noble Phantasm perfectly…So I must not use any of my best techniques…"
Shirou held his hands toward Bazett.
"Trace on…summoning the first volley."
In front of him many kunais, knives and sharp weapons appeared.
Bazett was started by the sudden magecraft and got into a defensive stance. "What's that?! The Gradation Air?"
"…Fire."
Shirou fired off the volley of sharp metals, but Bazett easily punch away his attack, however instead of being disappointed Shirou traced his bow into the world.
"Trace on…"
Shirou hopped from platforms and roofs as he started to fire at Bazett from multiple directions. Instead of his close range combat, he switched to long range sniping.
"You may want to make me pressured with close range combat, but I am at eased there…Bazett Fraga McRemitz…You were unfortunate to fight me…If it wasn't for me…You would have been one of the greatest power holder in the fifth war.
To use the Fragarach it means to pressure the enemy to unleash their trump cards. With a powerful Sertvant like Lancer she can pressure enemy Servants to reveal their Noble Phantasm in the battle. So this way either her Absolute Counter attack or Lancer Gae Bolg can insure their victory in any situation…However Rider was Lancer's equal in many field and they are both injured badly.
Lancer's throat was injured by the palm strike that was meant to tear his head off and with his Master occupied, he can heal himself. Even if he could, there was no way Rider would let him do so.
So the job of pressuring the enemy Master fell to Bazett, and with her skill you average Masters will be done by now…However Emiya Shirou is a hand to hand master as well as long range master who has the eyes that can reveal the enemy's secret ion detail and is able to use it against them…
Bazett can't pressure the boy, because he has other plans in case of emergency that Bazett lacks.
He can kill her without this trump card such as the Katana of True Steel, His own personal Katana, or even some of his 'blow them up' attacks with average weapons just filled to blow up.
"Easy does it." Thought Shirou as he tried not to exhaust himself fired various kinds of dreadful looking arrows after arrows…Each arrowed topped with barbed blades or serrated edge.
"This is going nowhere thou…"
As he said, Bazett was skillfully parrying and dodging the arrows in high speed that was beyond normal humans. She expertly found covers from his snipping by the wall and she never stay long enough for him to trace an arrow reinforced to pierce through solid walls.
"She is not your average opponent any way…She is cleverly not wasting mana and is trying to recuperate…As expected of an Enforcer…They are troublesome to deal with." Shirou thought as he dramatically flipped from a roof to streetlamp. He tossed his custom bow aside, focused his remaining prana, and refilled his reserve with the dark prana within him.
"I used too much prana in this fight and Rider's healing will take a lot of me….I need to settle this with one attack…I need to at least cripple Lancer' chance to win." Shirou thought as his circuits filled with tainted aura from the 4th war as it filled his prana reserve and as soon as it was at minimum level he stopped drawing on them and the golden glow within him purified it.
"'If the fangs doesn't work than use the back teeth to chew through them' as they say. This solution is good as any!"'Shirou clapped his hands together as he shaped his prana, open the gate that leads deep into his inner world…, And unlock the door of the swords.
"…Tracing the second volley of swords….Adding the Ansatsu Special….projecting ten swords…rearranging the makeup from solid swords to weak construct…Applying." Said Shirou as he traced several swords in the air…All identical and simple looking.
Nevertheless, these normal and plain looking swords a specially remodeled just for Bazett.
"Launch!"
In addition, by that command the swords barraged toward Bazett in average speed. It was not a slow speed by all mean, but compare to all the other demonstration he showed it was comparably slow.
"I can see their movement!" thought Bazett as she reinforced her body.
"An attack like this is no trump card…I can break these easily!" declared Bazett who was filled with confidence. She bobbed and swayed into a speedy and controlled wobble as she thrust her fists into a orthodox boxing moves.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Her punches were clean and crisp as ever as she destroyed the swords with ease. However, nothing done by Yami is ever so easy.
Bazett confidently destroyed several swords, but 6th sword she punched did not break into pieces, but scattered into dust.
"What's this?"
Bazett watched as the sword she punched shattered into tiny pieces. She knows that her reinforcement is superb, but by the impact of the sword, she felt through her glove. She could have shattered that sword as if it was a lead for a lead pencil without the aid of her magic!
"Huh?"
Bazett saw that the shattered dust was brown colored dusts and they covered around her and made her nose itch.
"Atchuuu!"
Bazett accidently sneezed and inhaled the dusts.
"Got you." Shirou thought as he traced more swords and fired. However, this time they were not aimed directly at Bazett and were fired around her. The swords hot the hard concrete floor and all shattered into a large dust cloud.
"W-What is this" exclaimed Bazett as the dust cloud covered around her. "A cover for an ambush?" thought Bazett and she was greeted by several shots of arrows from Shirou. The enforcer of the Clock Tower easily avoided the arrows, but suddenly felt her body moving slower than before.
"W-What?"
Suddenly from the corner of her vision, she saw the black cladded Master of Rider jumped off the roof with his legs reinforced and fly down for an ax kick. An obvious attack that she can easily counter with her own high kick.
"Hahh!"
However, she felt her body stiffen and was rewarded with an ax kick to her shoulder.
"Guahh!"
Bazett fell on her back.
"W-What's happening…"
"…It was hard, but…I had no choice."
Shirou lifted his head up and stared down at her.
"You are a strong enemy who has the ultimate form of Counter Attack…I couldn't fight you directly like that…So being sealed of my most powerful attacks I had to resort to poisons."
"P-Poison?"
"There is nothing to fear…It is a paralysis drug that was added to the blade. It will hamper all movements and weaken your self-healing, but it will not kill you.
"...How? My protections…."
"My swords are tipped with poisons, but some of my swords are modified to be frail, but in exchange they are to shatter into smaller molecule on impact to go airborne. It is a risky strategy that can backfire on me, but I was above a lamppost and you were in the cloud. Not matter how powerful the outer defense is…All life form is soft in the inside."
"Y-You…." Bazett grind out as she stood back up slowly and fell onto her knee. Her breathing was haggard and weak, but her eyes still burned like a fire…a dying fire.
"Personally I don't take joy in poison…However as I am a warrior, at the same time I am a general who leads a one man army that is a Servant…So because I am Master that leads I must make the best choice to lead to victory. I am a warrior. I am a Master. I am an assassin...I am disgusted at my decision, but will not regret it….If it helps curse me in the afterlife…Magus of the Fraga." Said Shirou as he traced a nameless katana and raised the pale steel above his head for a slash.
"Die knowing that your life was taken in the name of the Satsujinken." Shirou said as he slashed.
"Oh no you don't!"
Shirou shift from slash to block as Lancer tried impaling him with his red spear. The traced katana shattered into pieces by the blow and the shard scattered into the air.
"ku!"
Lancer forced his injured arms to spin his spear in artistic form that none of modern master class spear master can manage as he slammed the shaft of hos spear on Shirou's head and kicked the boy away to slam him into the solid wall and cave into it leaving a deep crater.
Before Lancer can finish the job, he grabbed his injured Master and jumped away avoiding a swing from Rider's halberd.
"Master…You okay?"
Shirou couldn't hear the question as his head to flaring with pain that feels as if it was melting his brain off.
"Hugh…It feels like Hongou-sensei punched me for real…How it that my neck is still attached…is." Shirou moaned as he rolled his head.
"Master…Okay?"
"R-Rider?...Wh-…What happened?"
"…Lancer bullied Master." Rider answered in her quiet voice in a cute manner. Too bad, it was ruined with her bloody soaked face and clothes. Especially on her stomach…it looks like the blood marks are spreading…Oh her injuries are no closed yet.
"Yeah…Lancer did bully me out of nowhere huh…Didn't you Lancer-san?"
Lancer narrowed his eyes as he stood in front of his master to guard her. His crimson eyes sharp…like a cornered beast ready fight to the death.
"Shut it punk. Consider it a returning the favor for your cheap ambush!"
"You are a solider and a knight in a real army before…So stop complaining about reality in war."
"Heh! I guess it is stupid to argue…You! What is your name? I don't think I got because of your cheap planning and falsehood."
"I don't know…Will you believe me if I tell you? I am an assassin you know." Said Shirou as Rider helped him on his feet.
Lancer on the other hand picked up Bazett and held her close to his chest and his spear on the other hand. His spear held reverse to be thrown like a javelin.
"If you are a warrior than humor me. Your ambush was a success, but its true goal has failed…There is no longer a need for stealth."
"….But name have power…You of all people should know."
"Fine! You little…I am Cú Chulainn! The Hound of Ulster!" declared Lancer as he stood proudly. Shirou on the other hand widen his eyes. "Are you mad? What Servant reveals his name?" He read about some crazy powerful Servant who were driven by their sense of honor and revealed their name in 4th war from his father's journey, but to think there will be ones like this in his war…it was expected, but was not considered highly.
Shirou sighed and grinned.
"A hero never hides behind shadow like a coward is it…Well while I am no hero and plan on not becoming one…I am a warrior."
Shirou healed his wound fast as he could, but healing Rider's injury comes first. He flowed his prana through his body and hands in expert way to knit the open wounds on Rider's body and refilled her prana reserve…Both a slow work, since he was no healing…His work can be considered powering Rider's self-healing factor by supplying prana directly into her own flow of energy.
"…I was given the family name Emiya and was given a personal name as Shirou…I am Emiya Shirou, the Master of Rider and a Yomi who bares the Emblem of the Wind. The Second disciple of Hongou Akira the God Hand! A warrior of Yami!"
"Oh? That is a hefty title and a fine name…Alright kid…Here is the deal…"
Lancer's eyes focused on Shirou's own eyes.
"You and your rider fought admirably…So I am going to throw this deal out for both of our sakes…You are down for the count and so if Bazett, so I want us to retreat and meet again for round two. No pursuit and no stab in the back."
"…How peculiar…You are actually asking for my trust and for me to accept your trust? We are enemies you know."
"Perhaps…But my instinct is telling me while you are good at being a mere assassin…. You are not an assassin in the core…You have the burning soul of a warrior…You want to…No, you burn to fight me in the open where our lives can be taken in a simple mistake…Also if you don't…Then we resume our little fight right here and now."
"And if that us to occur?"
"…I can assure you that you will die."
A threat that is not a threat… A truth that can still be avoid.
Lancer was serious as Shirou could feel the prana filling into the red lance. Shirou already seen enough of that spear to peer into its history and ability…With that Reverse Causality ability he is guaranteed to drag him down with him.
In addition, even if he didn't know the power of Gae Bolg, Lancer didn't seem like a guy who talks his way out of a fight. He seems more like a hot head that values manly showdown over living to fight another day…if the man is willing to compromise…Then there is no need to antagonize the man. Rider is not making a noise, but it was clear she is heavily injured and an injured Servant is still more dangerous than a Master.
"…Next time I face you…Rider and I will fight you as proud warriors of Yami and in the name of Satsujinken."
Lancer smirked as he jumped away carrying his Master in his arms.
As they left the scene Rider turned to Shirou.
"…No chasing wanko(puppy)?"
Shirou almost popped his guts.
"W-What?"
"He said it…a hound….A wanko."
Shirou smirked as he stood on his own two feet.
"Yeah Rider…No chasing Wanko. Go into spirit form and rest…I let my men to deal with the cleanup and the bodies." He looked around to see the surviving members of his division slowly getting up or revealing themselves.
"I want the bodies wrapped and sent back to HQ for burial. I want all witnesses silenced and damages covered or blamed on something. You boys got less than 6 hours. Get to it."
"HAI!"
Shirou leaned against the wall and sighed.
"Someone call me a car….Maiya will kill me for leaving he behind.
"I can't believe you went off without me as your protection." Maiya said in a cold emotional tone as she applied bandage on her master. She was not angry…At least not on the outside. Shirou will be enduring few days of cold shoulders and blaming glares.
Shirou was now sitting patiently on the floor with the top of his rob off and Maiya on her knee to fix him up. Maiya's face was void of emotion as always, but inside she was upset at her master's action…at least the part where he didn't call for her. On the other hand she was enjoying spending time with him and watching him all weakened from a battle and half naked.
"In my defense I had an entire battalion of Keiguns with me in the ambush." Shirou answered as he rubbed the back of head in sheepish manner. Not a bit of scary Keigun(Punishment Force) captain was there, only Emiya Shirou the Sakanade.
"You may have thousands under you Shirou-sama, but without me there I will not be satisfied." Maiya said as she applied some creams on the wound. She pouts in her own Maiya like ways.
"You had homework and it was school night…Now that there was a first battle for the 5th war, the remaining Master candidates will hurry their own summoning. I gave them two days top to summon."
"School is only a cover Master. Home works are nothing compare to your safety."
"As a part of Yami you wouldn't have much chance to go to school like our average girl…enjoy your mission and keeping an eye on Matou and Tohsaka girls is no easy task."
"…Hai, Shirou-sama."
Shirou smiled at her reply, but frown as he went deep into thought.
"I am glad that I didn't call you Maiya…I lost a lot of good men today against Lancer all in for the sake of getting them off guarded. For my charade over 27 Keigun operatives was killed and twice as many injured. I have sent many men on dangerous missions in the past that could have killed them, but I endured it…However if you are among them…Maiya how could I live with myself?"
Maiya who was behind Shirou to tend to his wound only blushed at his kind words. Her chest felt as if someone placed a warm light and all in the world is alright…Even if many of her comrades and fellow Special force members are dead and injured just an hour or two ago.
"S-Shirou-sama…You honor me with your concern, but am too a member of Onmitsu Ansatsu Tokushu Butai…As a follower of Satsujinken…I am not afraid to die."
Shirou didn't reply as he slowly grabbed her hands that was applying herbs on his shoulder. Shirou slowly rubbed her hands.
"Maiya…I do not wish to see you hurt…. You are not like many of my faceless warriors and assassins…You are very precious to me…Maiya…My little Maiya…Being a follower of Satsujinken does not mean to accept death so easily…it means to accept that your hand are a weapon and a weapon isa tool to take away a life."
Shirou slowly turned around to face her.
"Your life is very precious Maiya…Don't forget that."
Maiya was barely able to stop her face from glowing in the dark like a bonfire in the middle of a night. She lowered her head and nodded.
Shirou smiled.
"Thank you…Maiya."
Maiya finished dressing the wound on the shoulder and the back and put her hands on her lap.
"I-I have receive several reports from the HQ after you left sir…Here is the priority one message to all Yomis."
Shirou picked up the file and read the reports within it.
"Let's see…Other Yomis too have finish up their set of dojous…No injuries and no harm in return.…Boris fought the Ryouzanpaku directly?...Official reason is a misspelling in the order? What kind of nonsense is this! It seems Boris fought the disciple of the Ryouzanpaku…Shirahama Kenichi…Oh? He survived Boris? So his skill was not some dumb luck?"
"Hai. Kanou Sho-sama managed to order Boris-dono back and none of Boris-dono's special force was killed."
"As if those Katsujinken users will kill…However it was a very dangerous move…The one who assign the destruction of 58 dojous for the Yomi was…Kensei-dono….What is that man thinking?"
"Shirou-sama?" Maiya asked in a worried tone.
"…We are still in a middle of a mission…Here in the report says that our favorite crown prince will deal with the Disciple of Ryouzanpaku…While I don't like that guy, but his skills are real."
Shirou put down the report and sighed as the stress of the day's event hit him.
"Now…We wait for reactions of all other Masters and Servants."
He turned to Maiya.
"How is Rider? I ordered tons of take outs to satisfy her and my auto regeneration plus her own healing ability she will be fine right?" Normally Shirou could power Rider without problem, but tonight he was exhausted from battle, had to power Rider to support her Noble Phantasm God Force, and was too injured to power Rider to 100%.
This was by all mean his first real battle in the Holy Grail War and the input of prana he spent to power the Noble Phantasm was more than what he expected…No wonder his father preferred saving his Saber's Noble Phantasm and spammed on assassinating the enemy Masters…It was easier as a job and in prana usage.
"Last I checked she was pigging out like a kid. She will be fine."
"…Go to sleep Maiya…Tomorrow you have school and I need to heal little longer."
"Very well sir…Have a good night."
"You too."
After Maiya left the room, Shirou headed toward the kitchen and saw Rider eating a meat bun. As a Servant, she has her own healing rate and that healing can be hastened with healing spell or by providing larger quality of prana and foods.
Shirou has more prana than your average 16 year old magus and he has an abnormal secondary prana that can be used to heal himself and purify any remaining taint. For years, he trained himself to control the flow of the tainted and pure golden energy inside of him to flow in any part of his body. For last several hours he has been channeling his prana into the Command Seal for her to devour…Despite her not complaining he know that she was exhausted and hurt from the battle.
The large gaping hole in her stomach has healed, but the wound was not healed enough for her to move hastily…Until she is healed, he have no method of fighting against other Servants.
"How do you feel Rider? I am sorry I can't cook for you, but I know the take outs have their own little appeal that makes them good."
Rider turned around and her two ahoges bounced. Shirou for a second had to squash down an urge to run to her and hug her for all her worth…It seem this is part of Rider's Personal Skill or else Bazett might have hit his head too hard.
"…Master…Konbanwa(Good Evening)."
"Ah…It truly is…"
She nodded as she handed him one of her meat buns.
"…Eat?"
"Oh?...Well I did work hard today…Oh well why not. I deserve a treat."
The pair of Master and the Servant sat down next to one another…Silently enjoying the food.
"…How do you feel? Still hurt?"
"…A little….When do we play with Wanko again?"
Shirou resisted the rising urge to laugh aloud as Rider's innocent nickname for Lancer completely ruined the image of powerful and scary Servant of the Spear.
"You are too hurt to hunt for Wanko…We both need time to lick our wounds…You used your Noble Phantasm tonight…While not all the Masters summoned a Servant, but those who did might have witnessed our ambush…That means we need to be extra careful. Fortunately the name of your Noble Phantasm God Force is rather unknown compare to the name it is well known for."
Shirou pated her on her head and smiled.
"We need to let the heat off of us for a while, so relax and heal up. I have positioned many Keiguns around the mansion and many spies out into the city to keep an eye on the enemies…For now you should rest. To rest when they must is too a duty of a soldier."
Rider said nothing as she nodded. She leaned on her Master's shoulder and rested…She fell asleep soon enough with a stain of foods on the side of her mouth. Shirou smiled as he pat her head gently.
"…Soon…The remaining Servants will be summoned….And then the fights will escalate further…I can't wait for this war to go on full swing." Said Shirou as his warrior side flared like a raging forest fire.
"…A battle in the city? Servants…What class?...A Lancer and a Rider is it…Very well. Yes…Thank you for containing the fallout."
Kotomine Kirei put down the receiver as he stepped away from the phone and into the hall of the church. He glided as he walked in silent manner as he entered his room. Inside he saw a certain golden haired teenager drinking his fine wine without care.
"Ho? You seem to be rather happy Kotomine? Does it have to do with those lowly dogs calling themselves heroes that fought in the city just now?"
"As expected your eyes don't fool you King of Hero. You are correct. The first battle of Holy Grail War begun and it starts off with an interest duel between the Servant Lancer and Rider."
"Hmph, as if those worms are anything of interest. The Rider was as expected a disappointment. She is nothing like the SeifukuOh I dealt with in my war."
"In her defense it is rather difficult to rival the famed Iskandar the Conqueror. Let alone your standard."
"How very true…The standard of a true king can't be measured by mongrels."
"Indeed…However I found myself curious of whom the Master of Rider is. The Executors who arrived at the scene couldn't identify him and none of his followers who are alive or dead was captured…By their skill we suspect it is the work of Yami."
"Yami? Ah yes that organization of dreamers and monkeys that tried to relive the glorious days of heroes…I recall you bantering about the before."
"Yes…If there is a magus among them that means that they will make a deadly Master indeed…Much like me during the 4th war. A Master who not only knows how to fight with high level martial art and with magecraft…That is an anti-magus in making."
"Humph! It is in the end a collection of mongrels like that Association you spoke of before…They are still nothing compares to the warriors and magus I commanded during when all lands were unified under me."
"You mustn't be so harsh Gilgamesh…After all, time decay all form of flesh…even magic."
"Once again that is an excuse of a mongrel. To be weakening by something as age and generation is worthless and pathetic. I rather kill off all my subjects then to watch their craft decay in front of me by their offspring. This is why this modern era disgusts me so…Valuing worthless trash over the true glory of the Babylon."
The King of Hero played around with his golden cup as his red eyes stared into the red wines within.
"Any words on those miserable dolls from the waste of dirt in the west?"
"You mean the Einzbern? From what I gathered they already sent their representative…With a Servant Saber."
"Oh? IS it her?" demanded Gilgamesh as he narrowed his eyes at his…partner.
"From the description I gathered it is."
"Excellent…Soon I will have the treasure that was deprived from me ten years ago…And this time I will take her and break her into mine…Soul, body, and mind."
The arrogant laughter of the King of Hero filled the old Kotomine church. The sound echoed all through the house and to the basement below.
How is? Good? Bad? YOU DECIDE!
By the way for those who still didn't figure out who Rider is…She(He) is known throughout far and wide as…Ryofu Housen…Also known as Lu BU, the Strongest Hero in the Era of Rivaling Lords.
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